Our Society
A brief history by Roy Bullock
As early as 1949 there were so many enquires received by the City Librarian, Mr T Noble, seeking information on local historical matters in Salford, that a suggestion was put forward to form a local history society. With this aim in view and after a consultation between Mr Noble and a number of prominent people interested in the subject, it was decided to hold a meeting at “South Bank”, Sandy Lane, Eccles OldRoad, on Tuesday October 4th 1949. At that Meeting Mr C Royle JP, MP for Salford West, took the chair and with several prominent citizens from Salford and adjacent districts, enthusiastically decided to form a local history society.
A committee comprising Councillor M E Butler, Miss J C Pearson, Miss C M Canning, Mr T Noble, Mr C P Hampson JP, Dr JC Ethel, Mr I C Williams and Mr V I Tomlinson got together with powers to draw up the necessary constitution. Mr Noble Outlined the objects of the society and after Mr Hampson had addressed the meeting and stressed the value of the study of local history it was unanimously decided to form a society. Strange though it may seem, from that date on there is no evidence of any further activity, either by local newspaper reports or in the local history library files. One must assume however, that activity took place in one form or another. With such an eminent group of historians it is hard not to believe that there was some continuity.
In January 1969 Salford Education Committee decided to introduce courses on the local history of Salford, which would take the form of a number of lectures to be held at Hope High School. This was in response to a request by Mrs Barbara Knott who had put in much groundwork and compiled a list of 47 names of interested people and submitted it to the Education Committee. The first speakers and subjects covered were Mr E Gray, Transport in Salford from 1824; Mr V I Tomlinson, The Growth of Salford; Miss E Vigeon, Queen Victoria at Peel Park and Alan Smith, The Architecture of Salford and Manchester. Because of the success of the first lectures by the Salford Education Committee’s local history group, a programme for the winter season was arranged for the group to meet at Hope High School once again, starting on 07 October 1969.
It was during these winter lectures that the group decided to form a Salford Local History Society and any members of the public who were interested were invited, through and advert in the Salford Reporter, to attend the next meeting on Wednesday 18 October 1969. At that meeting the officers of the Society were elected. They were Mrs Barbara E Knott, Chairman; Miss D Flint, Vice Chairman; Miss Hazel Lowe, Secretary; Mr David Hughes, Treasurer; Committee; Mr A T Smith, Mr D Flint, Mr A Frankland, Mrs E Huddart and Miss Vigeon. From that point on regular meetings took place at Hope High School until it became necessary to look for larger premises. In August 1972 and enquiry was made as the possibility of holding meetings at Salford Central Library, but that was later withdrawn when a fee of 50 pence and hour was asked for. In January 1975 the Society moved to Midwood Hall.
The first meeting was a talk and two films, The Changing Face of Salford and the Other Face of Salford, presented by Mr M Goodger.Over the years we have enjoyed lectures on numerous subjects from many excellent speakers. Some of the subjects covered have been Agriculture and Housing, Transport, The History of Trafford Park, Church History, The Ballads and Prose of the Coalfields, Pawn Shops, The Classic Slum, The History of Salford Police Force and Fire Brigade, Salford Rugby League Club, Philadelphia Lads Club, Wood Street Mission,The History of Ward and Goldstone, The Jewish Community of Manchester and Salford, The search for the Byron Papers, Langworthy and Brotherton and Canals and Mining. This report was first typed a few years ago so our speakers will have been vastly added to and the subjects and technology used become more advanced.
In 1980 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Salford being granted its charter,we were invited to the Mayor's Parlour to view that valuable document. Our members have produced books such as ‘The Diary of Abraham Driver’ ‘Salford Prison’ ‘Irwell Gallery’ ‘Eminent Salfordians’ ‘Pauper in the Palace’ and ‘Salford Boy’. The whole society contributed to ‘Salford Reminiscences’ which was published and launched in time for our ‘At Home’ day and a copy was sent to Prince Charles. Our speakers have mostly been of the highest quality including some of the societies own members and specialists in their subject. They have included Ted Gray, Dr Alan Chapman, Wilf Parkin, Ted O’Brien, Bill Williams,Vic Tomlinson. Frank Mollineux,Tom Bergin, Joy Hancocks, Audry Linkman, The Reverend David Wyatt, Mr Samson Goldstone, Miss Evelyn Vigeon, Wallace Brereton, Peter Watson and Dr P Wright. We have learned the importance of always having a camera to hand, clearly emphasised in the slide shows given by Tony Frankland and more recently our late chairman Don Rainger, when sights long since erased by the demolition man have reappeared before our eyes.
Among our achievements as a society were our regular appearances at the Salford Show. One year winning the trophy for best exhibit at the show.In 1972 a model of the old town of Salford was started by Mr Ernest Griffiths, who sadly died before the model was completed. The work was carried on by his wife and son, helped by society members, the model was eventually completed and displayed at the Salford Show and in the Local History Library. We have our own society badge featuring a mill rind. It was designed by our own society member and ex-chairman Wallace Brereton. Later it was incorporated into the tablecloth for display at our meetings. The cloth was designed by Mrs Hilda Rogers and given to the society in 1975. In the chair over the years we have had Mrs B Knott, Mr D Hughes, Mrs E Huddart who served for two periods, Miss I Burgess, Mr W Brereton, Miss M Ward, Mr J Bailey, Mr E O’Brien, Mr Roy Moores and our present Chair is Sue Vaughan.
As a society we have had been a proud member of the Lancashire Local History Federation, sadly no longer so. We have had a membership of around 80 at our peak. Our meeting places have been at Hope High School, Midwood Hall, St Thomas church Pendleton and currently meet in the Salford Museum and Art Gallery. We have changed our meeting times from evening to afternoon and currently meet at 2-00 pm on the last Wednesday of the month, with a door charge for non-members.
Whether the society is 50 or 71 years old it is a good record of continuity and success of which we should be proud.