History Project
The two photographs above show neighbouring buildings on Market St, originally called Platts houses after their owner George Platt, a blue dyer at the print works. The top shows a beerhouse called the Quiet Gill which was open between about 1861and 1906. Next door is the post office, photographed in the early twentieth century.
(both photographs courtesy of Joyce Powell)One of the earliest larger shops was built by Joseph Booth between 1841 and 1847 (now 43 and 43a Market St) and was added to in 1858. Booth came from Mottram and built up the business, adding a butcher’s shop, which his son Robert ran, and renting farmland. Part of the shop, seen here in derelict state, was open as a butcher’s till the 1950s. When the house was being renovated, old bills from suppliers, some dating back to the 1840s, were found on a bill hook in the attic.
(photograph and information from Tameside 1700-1930; Nevell. Source: Powell collection.)
1795-1850
In 1795 there were very few shops and services in Broadbottom, other than two public houses, the Drum, on Gorsey Brow and the Cuckoo I’the Nest, now Leylands Farm.
By 1841, the census shows a number of trades and businesses in the village: stonemasons, miners, a brick maker, shoemakers, a milliner. The Beerhouse Act of 1830 made it easier for small businesses to open to sell home brewed beer. .A few shops appear in early trade directories and others may well have existed since part of Stone Row seems to have been built to house shops.
•John Clayton, a grocer, confectioner and baker;
•J Frith, a tea dealer, on Stone Row ;
•William Hulme, Boot seller;
•Mary Oldham at Hodge Fold.
1850-1970
From the mid nineteenth century Broadbottom developed into a well-serviced and largely self-sufficient community, with pubs and beer houses, shops small and large, a market on Fridays on St Ann’s St and New Street and a good home delivery service from the Coop and other businesses. There were butchers with their own slaughterhouses and coal merchants. In 1851 there were 33 shops mostly selling food and drink.
In the 1940s and 50s, traders still brought goods to the village for example, salad from Ashton Moss on Saturdays and deliveries of ‘pop’. By this time, many families would go to Hyde to shop on Saturdays. Local shopkeepers could be very helpful: Gladys Yarwood remembers being able to buy tea sets bit by bit from the ironmongers. In the early twentieth century there was a branch of the District Bank which opened some half days.
Even in 1972, a Cheshire County council survey estimated that there were 14 shops.
Broadbottom Industrial Cooperative Society, seen here on the right under the railway arches, was founded in 1861. It stood on the site of the community centre and was the village’s largest store. It sold clothes as well as food. It was also a community resource, housing a library, providing a venue for meetings: for the Catholics to worship before the Church was built and for social events such as talks and performances. In 1903 the Hadfield operatic society performed there. It remained open until the 1950s.
(photograph detail from 1950s, courtesy of Joyce Winterbottom)
The two maps show shops, pubs and clubs in the village as registered in 1923 and 1939. They illustrate the range of businesses in the village and how some came and went.
1939
Shops
Market St
4 Mrs Margaret Bradley pastrycook
16 Edward Whittaker hardware dealer
20 Mary Dewsnap newsagent, lending library
24 Mrs Gertrude Wright milliner
30 William Smith hairdresser
32 Broadbottom Industrial Cooperative Stores
11 Miss Lilian Bennett shopkeeper
31 William Hall clogger
35 John Lomas boot repairer
43 Shaws food stores shopkeeper
45 William Ashworth butcher
Lower Market St
40 Frank Hodgkinson pastrycook
44 Sam Beaumont ironmonger
52 Post Office
68 Miss Elsie Graham shopkeeper
55 Howard Cameron grocers
63 Jas Albert Jephson fruiterer
? Ethel Weilding confectioner
St Ann’s St
4 Thomas Mylecraine butcher
Old St
29 Harry Shakeshaft shopkeeper
Temperance Street
5 Mrs Kate Townley shopkeeper
Albert Hancock fried fish dealer
Brick St
? Harry Schofield boot dealer
Bostock St
1 Sarah Jane Fielding painter and decorator
? George Thornley coal merchant
(thanks to Neil Shuttleworth for research)
Mr Elkin of Elkin's grocers
1923
Public houses
Cheshire Cheese
Shoulder of Mutton
Clubs
Lads’ club
Conservative club
Liberal Club
Shops
Market St
4 Miss Mary Lyne shopkeeper (later pastrycooks)
14 William E Thorpe picture frame maker
16 Robert Hancock watchmaker
20 Mary Dewsnap newsagent
22 Jackson Harper confectioner
24 Elizabeth Hulme confectioner
30 William Smith hairdresser
32 Broadbottom Industrial Cooperative Stores
11 Arthur Coopland confectioner
13 John Topping shopkeeper
31 William Hall clogger
35 John Lomas boot repairer
43 Shaws food stores shopkeeper
45 butcher
Lower Market St
44 Sam Beaumont ironmonger
52 Post Office
68 Joseph Needham saddler
63 John Higginbottom draper
St Ann’s St
4 Thomas Mylecraine butcher (with slaughterhouse on Mill Brow)
1 John Lowe bootmaker
Old St
29 Thomas Smith shopkeeperPubs, Beerhouses and Clubs.
The village acquired a number of pubs and beerhouses over the years to which were added in the 1890s, the Conservative and Liberal clubs. The Liberal club was at the top of Well Row, the Conservative club on Market Street was specially built witha shop next door. These were largely social places for men.
The beerhouses were more modest than the pubs and the beer was often home brewed. In 1880 Mary Woodhouse, an old lady of Hodge Lane was summoned for selling beer without a licence after a plain clothes visit from a police constable from Tintwistle. She was selling beer for 3d a pint alongside cake and sweets from her front room. She was fined £5 with three months hard labour.
THE HIGHLAND LADDIE. On the corner of Bankgate, this was a beerhouse between about 1834 and 1860 selling home-brewed beer, run by the Tomlinsons who also were greengrocers and butchers.
(Joyce Powell)
THE GRIFFIN. Built as a beerhouse c1846, probably by the Sidebottoms, it was the meeting place for the Blooming Lodge of Oddfellows and the local carters association held their annual dinner there. Now the HAREWOOD ARMS. (Joyce Powell)
THE CRESCENT. Built in 1853 by Richard Matley, the owner of Hodge Print Works. William Clayton, former coachman to Mr Matley was the first licensee. The pub closed in the late1990s.
(Joyce Powell)THE SHOULDER OF MUTTON
Built as a pub in the late 1850s, it was kept by James Robinson and then his widow until about 1870. Taken over by Shaws brewery in about 1891, it remained open until the 1990s
(Joyce Powell)
THE CHESHIRE CHEESE. Built in the mid 1850s as a beerhouse, and bought by Gartsides Brewery in 1891. The photo above shows the licensee, Mrs Lavinia Barker, with some of her customers in 1939.
(Joyce Powell)
THE COMMERCIAL INN, also known as the SPINNERS’ARMS. Opened about 1855.A beerhouse kept first by John Booth who owned the shops at 43 and 45 Market Street. Bought by Robinsons’ brewery in 1900 but closed in 1910 because of police objections that there were sufficient pubs in the immediate area.
(Joyce Powell)
