Brook Street, Luddenden - RUD00152

A rare photograph taken sometime between 1890 and 1896 of the Forester's Arms beerhouse, which stood in Brook Street, Luddenden - a footpath which runs alongside the Luddenden Brook linking the north and south ends of High Street. The path commenced close to the site of the former corn mill and emerged opposite the Wolf Inn, which would be the mullioned building in the background. The Wolf was established in a former yeoman's house, understood to date from ca 1653, which became a working men's club around 1880 and a clothing factory for Astin Bros. around 1954; it is now demolished.

The Forester's Arms was owned and occupied by Hannah Barratt in 1865. Her executors assumed control of the beerhouse in about 1883, letting it out to Ann Street Brewery in Halifax, then selling to Albion Brewery of Cote Hill in 1886. George Harris was the landlord in December 1899. Kelly’s Directory for 1893 shows that Joe Hodgson was the beer retailer by then and the West Riding Petty Sessions, Calder Division, Register of Beer Off Licences indicates he was still there in 1895 and left sometime in 1896. The last licensee recorded was Charles Ellinger in 1901, and the licence was refused in 1903.

The sign over the door “Joe Hodgson licensed to sell beer and porter” indicates it was a beerhouse. The signboard is almost certainly that of the Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society, the notes below describing it pretty accurately:

'In 1815 the AOF emblem was devised. It consists of a shield divided by a cross and has an escutcheon in the centre with bugle horn and bow and arrows. In the top-left quarter of the shield is a pair of clasped hands; in the top-right hand quarter, three running stags; in the lower left is a chevron, a lamb and flag above the chevron and a bugle horn beneath; in the lower-right quarter is a quiver over a bow, arrow and bugle horn. Above the shield is a stag’s head issuing out of a coronet; flanking it are the figures of two foresters (both male before 1892, one male and one female after). The motto is ‘Unity, Benevolence & Concord’, sometimes given in Latin as ‘Unitas, Benevolentia, Concordia‘. Sometimes the All-Seeing Eye surmounts all, and there are variations in colours and details, and often extra symbolic decorations may be added.' (from notes on the history of the Ancient Order of Foresters)

Parts of the wall on the right hand side of the picture are probably all that survives today.

Thanks to Peter Robinson & Diana Monahan for the information.

Unknown

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

1890s

PHDA - Russell Dean

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

RUD00152.tif