Sunday 23 December 2018

A Place of Worship

Wesleyan Chapel, High Street, Bentley

Bentley Churches


It's hard to imagine that Bentley wasn't an ecclesiastical parish in its own right until a hundred and twenty years ago. Until then Bentley shared a parish with nearby Arksey. 

The lack of an Anglican church in Bentley however, did not prevent many nonconformist religious houses springing up a lot earlier than this.

In this article we look at the rise of these religious houses in Bentley from their earliest beginnings until Bentley finally became a parish in its own right.



Contents

  • Wesleyan And Primitive Methodism
  • Early Methodists In Bentley
  • Cooke Street Chapel
  • High Street Chapel
  • Demolition
  • The Primitive Methodists In Bentley
  • A New Chapel
  • Bentley Road Primitive Methodist Chapel
  • Other Non-conformist Churches In Bentley
  • Bentley Baptist Church
  • Bentley Pentecostal Church
  • Kingdom Hall (Jehovah's Witnesses)
  • The Anglican Church In Bentley
  • St Peter's Church
  • St Philip & St James Church
  • The Roman Catholic Church In Bentley
  • Timeline Of Bentley Churches


Wesleyan And Primitive Methodism


Methodism was first introduced in the 1700's by John Wesley (1703 - 1791), who was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire. Born out of the Church of England Wesley's brand of worship followed a methodical study of the Bible and leading a holy life. Open-air preaching became a popular way of recruiting followers and reaching factory labourers taken out of their normal village setting by the Industrial Revolution.


John Wesley


Following Wesley's death in 1791 the Methodist movement split from the Church of England to become a separate church, ordaining its own ministers. As a church not conforming to the rules of the established church it is known as a nonconformist church. 

Wesleyan Methodism rejected the more evangelical approach of revivals and camp meetings and was seen as a more middle class form of worship. Not all were content with this method of preaching and so following a split in 1807,  the Primitive Methodist church was founded in 1810. Based among the poorer of society, the style of preaching was more spontaneous, direct and passionate. The Primitive Methodists suffered from poor funding and had trouble building chapels and supporting their ministers. However, growth in the Primitives was strong during the middle part of the 19th century, but declined after 1900 due to a number of factors - competition from other nonconformist denominations and other Methodist branches such as William Booth's Salvation Army and a resurgence in interest for the Anglican church by working classes. In 1932 the Primitives reunified with the Wesleyans and another branch, the United Methodists in what was called the 'Methodist Union'. Today the Methodist Church exists as one church, with some smaller branches, such as The Salvation Army, Church of The Nazarene and the Independent Methodist Connexion remaining as separate organizations. 



Early Methodists In Bentley


The first Wesleyan meetings in Bentley took place under a walnut tree on the village green in about 1790. The village green was a triangular grassy area now occupied by the old Cooke Street school building, latterly converted into apartments. The road layout was different two hundred years ago with the main road from Doncaster to Selby, running up the 'Doncaster Road' (today's High Street) before turning left and then right to run along the present day Chapel and Cooke Streets before heading to Askern and Selby.

1827 Enclosure Map showing the old road layout and the village green.

Indoor meetings took place at the home of Thomas Seaton, a whitesmith of Bentley. Other members included John Fox who ran a starch mill at Little London; Matthew Mallinson; Charles Lister, builder; William and Sarah Blythness; Joseph Smith; Mrs Thorpe of Scawthorpe; Thomas and Edith Townsley; Amos Simpson; George Spurr; Hannah Windle and William Strong.

It is thought that there was eventually a small meeting room or chapel close to the village green. The only reference to it is a mention in a minute book of 1814, where it states that two forms with backs were purchased from the 'old chapel' to 'furnish the new chapel'.


Cooke Street Chapel

The 'new chapel' was built in 1818 on the corner of Cooke Street and Askern Road. It was built on land donated by Sir George Cooke Bt. and built by Charles Lister at a cost of £259. John Payne, schoolmaster of Bentley wrote the following verse which was inscribed on a slab and placed above the entrance:

"Come all who love to praise,
Give thanks and sing for gospel days;
A House is built, a house of prayer -
Come sinners, come, and worship here."

Cooke Street Chapel as it was in 1998


In 1871 a Sunday Schoolroom was built to the rear of the chapel at a cost of £87 15s, Charles Lister laid the foundation stone in a ceremony conducted by the Rev. J Watson in July of that year. George Spurr was secretary at that time. 


The building ceased to be used as a chapel in 1892 and became a joinery workshop, firstly to Mr W Smith and then to a Mr Ron Baker. It was demolished around 2007 and is now the site of an apartment block.



High Street Chapel


In the spring of 1890 it was proposed that a new chapel be built in Bentley. It was either that or spend up to £500 on repairs to the existing building. An expanding population and congregation made the case for a new chapel all the stronger. Fund raising began with a series of events held throughout the following year, this was boosted by generous donations of £300 by Mr Jackson of Scawthorpe Hall, and of land for the new chapel donated by Mr William Chadwick, Squire of Arksey, estimated to be between £300 and £400 in value. It was estimated that the cost of the new chapel would be about £2000.


High Street Chapel about 1910

The site for the new chapel lay in the central part of Bentley, with a proposed entrance on High Street, opposite the entrance to Mill Gate. A Gothic style of architecture was chosen and the building would include a spacious schoolroom to the rear. Old cottages already occupying the site were to be demolished.


High Street chapel services 1906*

Bentley Wesley Guild syllabus 1908 - 09*

The date for laying the memorial stones was fixed for the 4th of June 1891, a day memorable to many if only for the deluge of rain which fell that day. For that reason, the greater part of the ceremony had to take place within the old chapel, with the stones being laid afterward in the pouring rain. The laying of bricks by children and others was postponed until better weather allowed.


Children stood outside Bentley High Street chapel with Mission boxes in 1910.
Photo courtesy of Gill Boothroyd.

The opening ceremony for the new chapel took place in October 1892 and just as on the day of the foundation stone laying, it poured with rain all day. Attendance was good but would have been greater had the weather been more favourable. 



Bank Holiday 17th April 1911 at High Street Chapel*


A sermon was read by the Rev. J. Stringer Rowe of Headingley College, Leeds at the formal opening and afterwards a celebratory tea was provided by the Board School. 


Rev Hopwood (left), Rev Ineson (right)*


The first incumbent minister was Rev. Idwal Hopwood, who presided from 1909 to 1912, when Rev. Percy Ineson took over. The first manse was located at 52 Cooke Street.



Rev. John Goodridge laying the
foundation stone for the
new Sunday School.*

In 1933 a new Sunday School building was added to the rear of the chapel, it was opened on the 26th of April 1934 by Tom Cockin Marsh (of Marsh's Mill) on the occasion of his 87th birthday.


Wedding of Frederick Ogley to Annie Derrick in 1928, Bentley High Street Methodist Church.
Photo courtesy of Suzy Deeley.



High Street chapel in the 1960's

In 1968 the Primitive Methodists amalgamated with the Wesleyans  at High Street and the chapel was renamed 'Bentley Central Methodist Church'.


Demolition

In 1978 planning was passed to demolish the chapel and Sunday schoolrooms. Part of the land was to be sold off to Foundry Housing Association for 16 flats to be built for the elderly. There would also be a smaller worship room for the Methodists.



Mrs Sanders (right) and Nellie Derrick (left)
laying the foundation stone for the new chapel in 1979.

Photo courtesy of Gill Boothroyd.


The foundation stone for the new chapel was laid by Florence Ellen (Nellie) Derrick and Mrs Sanders, overseen by Rev Leslie Shaw, on November the 10th 1979. Also in 1979 the Bentley Road chapel joined the High Street chapel and it was renamed 'The Methodist Church in Bentley'.


Aftermath of the Bentley explosion 2010. Photo courtesy of John Atkins.

In 2007 severe flooding in Bentley damaged the building and services were moved to the schoolroom for a time.

In 2010 the church suffered a degree of damage when a gas explosion ripped through the neighbouring flats. Services were held at Scawthorpe Methodist Church for eleven months while repairs were carried out. The damaged flats were demolished and rebuilt. 


Bentley Central Methodist Church with the rebuilt flats alongside. Google image.



The Primitive Methodists In Bentley


The first recorded chapel for the Primitive Methodists in Bentley is one built in 1857 overlooking the village green, however evidence does point to an earlier chapel on Bentley High Street.

Following their split from the Wesleyan's in 1807, the Primitive Methodists were founded in 1810 and the Bentley group met in a private house for many years. However, in a series called 'Village Sketches, or Hints to Pedestrians', which was published in the Doncaster Gazette (1848/49), there is mention of 'a building that was originally in use of the Primitive Methodists but was in 1849 in use as a National School.' On maps of 1850's Bentley the National School is shown as being located in the small building adjacent to the old Druid's Arms public house on High Street, which now used as an electricity substation. 


Building used by the Primitive Methodists, centre. 

The Primitive Methodists occupied the building on High Street for just a few short years, after which they moved into the meeting room by the village green vacated by the Wesleyans in 1819.



A New Chapel


For some time the Primitives had contemplated the idea of building their own place of worship, but it wasn't until 1857 that the idea was realized. A piece of land in front of the village green was purchased from Mr Henry Spurr for about £30 and in May of that year the foundation stone was laid in a ceremony attended by many. 

The Cooke Street Primitive Methodist Chapel, also known locally as 'Ebenezer Chapel' or 'The Little Prims' was built during the summer of 1857. From the laying of the first stone on May 6th 1857 to the opening ceremony on August 16th, the chapel took just fourteen weeks to complete. A schoolroom was added in 1866.

In 1968, after four years of deliberation, the chapel closed and was amalgamated with the High Street church. The Cooke Street chapel was sold and is now in the use of the Christadelphinians.


Christadelphinian Hall, originally built for the Primitive Methodists in 1857. Google image.


Bentley Road Primitive Methodist Chapel

In 1895 it was decided by the Duke Street Primitive Methodist Circuit (of Doncaster) that religious provision for the inhabitants of Bentley Road should be made. So in 1899 a chapel was built on a plot of land to the east side of Bentley Road, purchased from the trustees of the late John Elwis.

On Easter Monday (7th April) 1899 a parade from Waterdale in Doncaster to Bentley Road took place. Once the procession arrived at the site, memorial stones were laid. Each of the nine stones was inscribed with the name of the persons laying them. Bricks were also laid by other members of the congregation. A tea was held at Doncaster Guild Hall following the ceremony.

The opening ceremony took place on the 16th of August 1899. In 1952 a schoolroom was added, but by 1979 the chapel had closed and the congregation joined Bentley Central. The chapel became an Evangelical Church and later, Mount Hermon Community Church.


Bentley Road Primitive Methodist Chapel


Other Non-conformist Churches In Bentley


Before we move on to the subject of Anglican churches in Bentley, mention should be made of the other religious houses thus far not mentioned. Information on the history of these churches is hard to find, but an acknowledgement of them seems fitting.


Bentley Baptist Church

The Bentley Baptist Church stands on Askern Road, opposite the park. The foundation stone was laid on the 30th of September 1915, and was opened six months later on the 30th of March 1916.

Baptists are Christians who are baptized through belief as opposed to infant baptism. Baptism of adults and young people is usually through complete immersion in water. They subscribe to the belief of salvation through faith, however many Baptists differ in what they believe and how they worship.

Bentley Baptist Church continues to welcome worshipers 102 years after first opening it's doors to the people of Bentley.

Bentley Baptist Church in 1918.


Bentley Pentecostal Church

Just how long the Pentecosts have worshiped in Bentley is hard to determine. What is known is that they originally used the Bentley Air Scout hut on Arksey Lane, with services held there during the 1960's.

Bentley Air Scout hut, from a photo by Ian Barber

They later (probably in the 1970's) had a new church built further up Arksey Lane, on the corner of Balfour Road. What is interesting is that this corner used to house a Salvation Army hall, which is shown on a map of 1931 and is just visible in a photo from the pit disaster funeral parade, again in 1931. It is unclear when this hall was demolished as later maps do not mark it out, so it is unlikely the Pentecosts ever used this building, which was set a little further back than the present church.


Salvation Army Hall as appears on map of 1931.

Salvation Army Hall just visible at top of photo.
Pit disaster funeral procession, Nov 1931.

Cropped and enhanced version of above photo.

The Pentecosts are a movement within Protestant Christianity which adheres to the authority of the Bible, and baptizes in the Holy Spirit so that the Christian can live a spirit filled, empowered life. Spiritual gifts, such as Divine Healing is one empowerment characteristic of Pentecostalism.

The Pentecostal Church continues to attract worshipers to its Arksey Lane building to this day.


Bentley Pentecostal Church
  

Kingdom Hall (Jehovah's Witnesses)

The Bentley branch of Jehovah's Witnesses meet in a 'church' named 'Kingdom Hall' which is sited next to Bentley level crossing on Church Street.

Originally, this piece of land belonged to a railway cottage, named 'Railway View'. In the early 1900's the Goodridge family lived there. William Goodridge was a railway platelayer, and ironically, a Wesleyan class leader. The cottage was demolished in the early 1940's and my own Grandfather, David Percy Breach rented the land for his motor engineering business, which was later taken over by my father. When My father retired in 1997 he sold the land to the Kingdom Hall Trust, who built a meeting hall there. The old garages remained and were either sold or leased to Belmont Motors who occupied premises behind.

For more on the Goodridge family go to When Bentley Stars Shine.

For more on David Breach's motor engineers go to D. P. Breach & Son, Motor engineers.



Railway View in 1914*
  
DP Breach & Son in 1971


Best known for door-to-door preaching, Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs are quite distinctly different from mainstream Christianity, believing in a Christianity restored to a more ancient form of the religion. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, Birthdays or other celebrations they consider to have links to pagan customs. 


Kingdom Hall, Bentley. From Google Streetview.


The Anglican Church In Bentley


The rise of non-conformist churches in Bentley was no doubt fuelled by the parish church being situated in Arksey, necessitating a two and a half mile walk each way. Those unwilling, or unable to make the journey made use of the former National School building next to The Druid's Arms. You will recall that this had previously been in use as a meeting room for the Primitive Methodists up to around 1819. After that it became a National School, but as the room became too overcrowded for mixed age teaching, a new Board School was built on the village green (Cooke Street) in 1877. The Anglican church then took over the building as a Mission Room. 

The 'Mission Room'.


St Peter's Church

Around the same time as the new Wesleyan chapel was being built on the corner of Chapel Street, discussions were taking place about the building of an Anglican church for Bentley. 

The foundation stone was laid on St Peter's Day (which gave its name to the church), the 29th of June 1891.

In 1892 the Mission Room was rebuilt to provide urgently needed extra space for services while the new church was built nearby, a project that would take years to build.


The newly built Mission Church in 1895


The church was built of stone in the Early English style from designs by J. Codd, architect of London, with seating provided for 500. The spire is 120 feet high and the church interior consists of a chancel, nave, tower, north and south porches, and vestries.

The cost of the church was met by Charles Edward Stephen Cooke esq. brother of Sir William Ridley Charles Cooke Bt. of Wheatley Hall, at a cost of £10.000. Four of the bells and a Reredos were presented by his widow Mary Cooke. Other items presented to the church included the clock, given by Mrs Broughton, whose family had long resided in the area, and the church organ and brass eagle lectern, given by Mrs Hatch. The Cooke arms can be seen inside the church. 

St Peter's church and Vicarage from the rear.


The Lord Archbishop of York granted the licence and authority to hold services in the 'Bentley Mission church in the parish of Arksey', on October the 14th 1896. the licence came with certain restrictions though, for example, the reading of Banns and the Solemnisation of marriage was not permitted. It was two years later in 1898 when Bentley became a separate ecclesiastical parish that it was able to perform all Anglican services.

The church was soon joined by a vicarage, and a Church Hall was built by 1914.

St Peter's Church and Church Hall, 1914.


St Philip & St James Church

The beginning of a new century brought many changes to Bentley; the catalyst for change came in 1908 with the opening of Bentley Colliery. Suddenly rural Bentley became a mining town and with it, scores of new miners and their families. Housing for this influx of people was provided by Barber Walker & Co (the colliery owners) with the construction of New Village. Over 400 houses were built by 1911; amenities in the form of shops, a school and recreational facilities were also provided. The only provision not made at this time was something to meet the religious needs of the incumbent families. Central Bentley was within easy reach, and by then a variety of religious houses had opened. The Wesleyan chapel on High Street, the Primitive Methodists on Cooke Street and the fifteen year old St Peter's church provided for the needs of the whole of Bentley. However, New Village did receive its own church just a few years later.

St Philip & St James Church


The South Yorkshire Coalfield Churches Extension Committee were looking to provide religious services for the new colliery districts by raising funds through donations to build churches. A plot of land on Victoria Road was donated by Barber Walker & Co, along with £1000 towards construction, as well as a promise to pay the salary of the new curate.


Parish Magazine of 1966.
Photo courtesy of Janet Roberts.


The church of St Philip & St James, along with a church hall on the opposite side of the road, was built by May 1915. The design of the church matched others in the South Yorkshire Coalfield, such as those at New Edlington, New Rossington and Maltby.

Today, St Philip & St James is part of the Diocese of Sheffield and shares a vicar with All Saint's, Arksey.

Interior of St Philip & St James Church.
Photo courtesy of Janet Roberts.


The Roman Catholic Church In Bentley


The only denomination not mentioned so far is that of the Roman Catholics. Finding any historical information on this Bentley church proved almost impossible, but that is no excuse to leave it out of this article.

Any trace of Roman Catholicism in Bentley before the 1920's is non-existent, so it cannot be determined if there was any such church or meeting place for the Catholic population leading up to that era.

The first mention of a Catholic church opening in Bentley is to be found in the booklet - Bentley Colliery & Bentley New Village, by Dave Fordham - where he mentions the opening of a Roman Catholic Church in the High Street in the 1920's. There is nothing more specific than that. 

The present Catholic church - Our Lady of Perpetual Help - at 54 High Street is a modern building dating from around 1960, so it is likely that the Catholics occupied another building in High Street before the present one was built. 

At around the same time as the Catholic Church opened in Bentley, a Roman Catholic school was also built just off Arksey Lane. With the completion of a new Secondary Modern School next to St Peter's church, it seemed that all Bentley's spiritual and educational needs were fulfilled.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, High Street, Bentley
  
__________


 Timeline Of Bentley Churches


1790 - The first meetings of the Bentley Wesleyans held under a walnut tree on the village green.

1800 approx - Wesleyan meetings possibly held in a small chapel near the village green.

1810 - Primitive Methodists founded, possibly meeting in a chapel on Doncaster Road (High Street).

1818 - Wesleyan Chapel built on the corner of Cooke Street and Askern Road. Schoolroom added in 1871.

1819 approx - Primitive Methodists possibly move to old Wesleyan Chapel near village green. Old chapel on Doncaster Road (High Street) becomes a National School.

1857 - Primitive Methodist chapel built on Cooke Street, named 'Ebenezer Chapel', or 'Little Prims'. Schoolroom added in 1866.

1877 - Board School built on the village green to replace the National School. Building vacated by the National School (High Street) becomes an Anglican Mission Room.

1891 - Wesleyan Chapel built on High Street, opened 1892. Sunday Schoolroom added in 1933. Building for a new Anglican church, St Peter's gets underway.

1892 - Wesleyan Cooke Street Chapel closed, later becoming a joinery workshop. The Mission Room rebuilt on High Street. 

1896 - St Peter's Church licensed for most services, opens.

1898 - St Peter's fully licensed and Bentley becomes an ecclesiastical parish in its own right.

1899 - Bentley Road Primitive Methodist Chapel opened. Schoolroom added in 1952.

1915 - St Philip and St James Church on Victoria Road opens.

1916 - Bentley Baptist Church opens on Askern Road.

1920's - Roman Catholic Church opens on High Street (not the present building).

1932 - Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists merge to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

1960 approx - New Roman Catholic Church built on High Street.

1968 - Cooke Street Primitive Methodists amalgamate with the Wesleyans at High Street to form 'Bentley Central Methodist Church).

1979 - High Street Chapel replaced with new building. Bentley Road Primitive Methodists close their chapel and join High Street, which is renamed 'The Methodist Church in Bentley'.

1998 approx - Kingdom Hall opens on Church Street for the Jehovah's Witnesses.


__________


That concludes our look at the history of churches in Bentley. With life today full of stresses and strains it must be comforting to know that within one of these many houses of worship, there is still a place for quiet reflection, support and community strength.



__________


*Images are taken with permission, from the book 'The Same Stars Shine', by Ernest N. and John A. Goodridge.

Methodist information taken from the book - '200 Years of Methodism in Bentley', by Glyn Ambrose, available for purchase at Bentley Community Library.





Alison Vainlo 

First written 2018, updated 2020


Tuesday 16 October 2018

The House On The Bridge

North Bridge Villa, abandoned (image, Google Streetview)


North Bridge Villa


I hope you will forgive me for straying outside the confines of Bentley for this one-off article in which we visit the Marsh Gate area of Doncaster.

Following my article on Town End in 2017 I was contacted by someone wanting to know the history of North Bridge Villa. Never one to turn down a researching challenge, I obliged and uncovered quite an interesting story, so I thought I would publish it more widely. Hence our stray into Doncaster history.



Contents

  • The Out-Of-Place House
  • Marsh Gate Uncovered
  • A Hive Of Industry
  • The Building Of North Bridge
  • Proposal For A New Bridge
  • John 'Knacker' Lindley
  • Lindley Residences
  • North Bridge Villa
  • The Villa Re-purposed
  • The Changing Face Of Marsh Gate
  • Demolition And Clearance
  • Marsh Gate And North Bridge Photos



The Out-of-Place House


Anyone who has ever crossed North Bridge in the Marsh Gate area of town will have passed this imposing red brick house (pictured above), sandwiched between two commercial buildings, and wondered how on earth it came to be there, on an extremely busy main road and wedged into such an industrial area of town. Well Marsh Gate wasn't always just about industry, and if we turn the clock back to the turn of the 20th century we will see what the area was like and what led up to the building of North Bridge Villa.




Marsh Gate Uncovered


Northern end of Marsh Gate looking towards St Mary's Bridge, about 1905.

Marsh Gate followed the route of the Great North Road and was the original gateway into Doncaster. Stretching roughly from St Mary's Bridge over the River Don, to Friar's Bridge over the River Cheswold, the road then joined French Gate. 

1769 map of the Marsh Gate area

This low-lying area near the river was prone to flooding and home to some of the poorest dwellings in the town. Proving dangerous to ride through when flooded, the road level was eventually raised to above the high water mark.

Flooded Marsh Gate from a sketch of 1854

A Hive Of Industry

Despite the problems with flooding Marsh Gate became a thriving industrial area. Positioned close to the river it was ideal for corn mills, warehouses and factories, served by a busy wharf bringing goods in and out via the river.

With an influx of labourers to the area, lodging houses, low quality tenements and public houses sprang up to accommodate the local and visiting workers. 


 Southern end Marsh Gate in 1906, 
The New River Inn is on the left and the Greyfriars building (1843) is on the right.

One can imagine Marsh Gate in the 18th and 19th centuries being quite a rough area of town. It was here in 1832 that two incidents of cholera began. The first, an isolated case, was of a traveller who died whilst lodging in Marsh Gate; but the following summer a major outbreak was triggered by a sailor on board a boat moored in Marsh Gate. His death generated much interest and many local inhabitants went on board to see him. Unsurprisingly, a terrible outbreak occurred after this resulting in around forty deaths. 

For more on the cholera outbreak go to At the Foot of the Bridge.



The Building Of North Bridge


The beginning of the 20th century brought many changes to Marsh Gate, and most of the changes were due to transport needs. By now the railways were well established and since the opening of Doncaster Railway Station, Marsh Gate had been intersected by a level crossing close to where it joined French Gate.


Marsh Gate Crossing in 1909

Marsh Gate practically formed the only entrance to Doncaster from the north, and at only thirty five feet wide, was not designed to carry the increasing amounts of traffic in and out of town. Added to this was the growth in the railway, and as it was now the Great North Eastern Railway and the main line between London and the north, use of this mode of transport was likely to increase further, adding pressure and hold-ups at the level crossing. Capacity had become a real issue for this area of town. 


Proposal For A New Bridge

A solution in the form of a road bridge was presented in 1908. Despite much local opposition a poll returned a small majority in favour of proceeding. 


Marsh Gate in 1906 prior to the bridge being built


The bridge, which would be built to the east of Marsh Gate, would cut through the rear of many properties on the north-east side and this resulted in compensation being paid to many property owners. Certain properties had to be demolished before the bridge building began, this included The Labour in Vain public house, the licence of which was transferred to another site, which was to become The Bridge Hotel. 



18th century buildings in Marsh Gate 1908. 
Photo courtesy of Tom Beardsley

The photo above shows eighteenth century buildings in Marsh Gate waiting to be demolished in 1908. The stables on the left belonged to the Falcon Inn, which survived demolition until 1934.


The Bridge Hotel


Workers homes which needed to be demolished caused lots of controversy. In an already overcrowded town, finding new accommodation in the area was not easy. After much debate and many changes of location, temporary dwellings were erected to the rear of the gas works. This area became known as 'White City'. In 1911 when plans fell through for new housing north of Marsh Gate, on grounds of 'unsuitability for health', the tenants were eventually found accommodation elsewhere.



Construction of the brick arches for the North Bridge 1909.
Photo courtesy of Colin Hardisty


The road and bridge which became North Bridge Road, was over three-quarters of a mile in length. Brick arches at each end carried the road up on to a bridge constructed of steel girders which crossed both the railway lines and the Don Navigation. 
  

Map of 1929 showing the completed North Bridge Road
     
North Bridge opened in 1910. The completed bridge allowed traffic of all kinds safe and unhindered passage into and out of town. Previously trams had terminated at the Marsh Gate level crossing and passengers had no option but to use a subway to reach a feeder service at Clock Corner; now those same trams were able to run right into town from the north side of Doncaster via the bridge.


North Bridge Grand Opening 1910




John 'Knacker' Lindley  


Having explored the early history and changes in the Marsh Gate area we now return to the origins of North Bridge Villa and what became of it.

The first building to be erected on the lower slope of North Bridge's north east side was a horse repository. It was owned by the Schapiro family, who supplied horses for buses, carriages and the meat trade throughout Europe and Africa. Head of the family, Hyman Schapiro was born in Russia in 1855, he lived with his large family in Regent Square, Doncaster. The Schapiro's wealth and success led to a friendship with the Saudi royal family. Hyman died in 1921 and presumably his sons carried on the family business.



Hyman Schapiro. 
Photo courtesy of Carol Weston

The photo below shows the Bridge Hotel dominating the corner of North Bridge Road and Marsh Gate around 1912. Schapiro's Horse Repository can be seen on the left side of the road.


Schapiro's Horse Repository to the left of the Bridge Hotel

The Schapiro's interest in horses may have brought them into contact with a Mr John Lindley. John was born in North Cave near Hull in 1852. The family moved to Doncaster around 1862 and by 1871 were living at Waterloo Row on Cherry Lane, near the River Don. John's father worked in the nearby corn mill and John was a labourer at the age of 18.



Northern end of the Marsh Gate area in 1906


In 1873 John married Elizabeth North (b.1854) of Doncaster, at St Georges Parish church. The couple made their home in nearby Marsh Gate. They had six children, Emma (b.1874) Herbert (b.1876), John William (b.1877), Walter (b.1880), Annie (b.1882) and Arthur (b.1883). Two of the children died in infancy, Emma at less than a year old, and Arthur at two years old. John William died in 1902 when he is said to have hung himself with a neck tie on a bed, either accidentally or otherwise, at his home in Elwis Street. John was 24, married and had three young children. 



John 'knacker' Lindley

By 1891 John had founded Doncaster Knackers Yard and now listed his occupation as 'horse slaughterer'. Money for the knackers yard was rumoured to have been put up by the North family, Elizabeth's parents. The location of the knackers yard is unclear as Kelly's Directory of 1893 only lists John at his home address of 84 Marsh Gate, however, a descendant of the Lindley's believes it was opposite the horse repository, roughly where the Warehouse nightclub is now. Of course his yard could have been at 84 Marsh Gate, but the family moved twice more in the next twenty years; in 1901 they were living at 115 Marsh Gate, then in 1911 they were located at 107 Marsh Gate, which must have been of comfortable size as it is listed as having nine rooms. Apparently John Lindley owned half the houses in Marsh Gate at one time.



Lindley's slaughter yard

Lindley's business involved slaughtering the horses, packing them in dry ice and transporting them to Hull docks, where they would be shipped to Belgium to be sold as meat. 

At the time John Lindley was working in the horse meat trade he crossed paths with another animal products operation, that of the De Mulder family of Bentley. The De Mulders unsuccessfully tried to buy Lindley's business several times, but John refused. The story goes that one particular time John took his meat to Belgium but there was a strike at the docks which lasted three weeks. Subsequently the ice melted and the meat went rotten. It was believed De Mulder instigated the strike and John ended up selling out to him. 

The De Mulder family founded their own animal rendering operation in 1926, with son Prosper De Mulder joining in 1933. The De Mulder Group became one of Bentley's best known businesses, mainly due to the pungent aromas the factory pumped out. 



Lindley Residences 

After 1911 the census records run out (until the 1921 returns are released). So to find John after 1911 the electoral records are the place to look. 

John remained at 107 Marsh Gate up to 1915 then there is a gap in the available records of two years, so the next year we find John is 1918, and his address is listed as North Bridge Villa.

This is the first reference to the Villa in records, so it must have been built between 1915 and 1918. 



John and Elizabeth Lindley


The Villa's story starts just a couple of years before John Lindley died, so to round off John's story before we pick up on the story of the Villa, he died in November 1919, aged 67 years. His widow Elizabeth remarried in June 1923, to a retired clergyman, John Wilson and they went to live at 43a Bentley Road. Elizabeth died in January 1931. She and her first husband are buried in Hyde Park Cemetery. 



Elizabeth Lindley at 43a Bentley Road


The Lindley memorial in Hyde Park Cemetery


The Lindley photos were kindly supplied by Mo Elwiss.




North Bridge Villa


So far we have ascertained that the Villa was built between 1915 and 1918. John Lindley's Great Great Grandaughter Mo Elwiss confirmed that John had the house built for him. It is interesting that the site chosen for the house was right next to Schapiro's horse repository. At the time the house was built there were no other buildings fronting that stretch of road at all, so maybe there was a reason for building a house in that particular location, if, for instance, the Schapiro's had moved their business elsewhere then John could have taken over the stables too. The map below shows the Villa adjacent to the repository.


Map of 1929 with North Bridge Villa highlighted

After John Lindley died in 1919 his widow Elizabeth stayed on in the house until 1921, in 1922 she was back at her old home of 107 Marsh Gate and the following year she had moved to 43a Bentley Road where she would live with her new husband. 

Elizabeth's daughter Annie and son-in-law John William Donald stayed on at the Villa for another year, but from 1923 to 1926 it was occupied by a Charles Middleton.



The Villa Re-purposed

It appears that after 1926 the Villa ceased to be used as a residence as no occupants were listed in the electoral registers right up to 1936, where the search was terminated.



A very busy North Bridge Road scene in the 1960's
with North Bridge Villa just visible on the centre right, behind the bus.


As the twentieth century reached its middle years North Bridge Road saw more development and gradually North Bridge Villa was surrounded and almost swallowed up by large imposing buildings. 

Another large building had been erected on the north side of the Villa and this appears in a photo of the 1960's. It was the offices of the Askern Brick and Tile Company. The Mitchell's Builder's Merchant sign seems to indicate premises down the next left turn (see photo below). After it was wound up in 1970 it was amalgamated into the Yorkshire Brick and Tile Company, who also owned North Bridge Villa. Most people remember this building being used as a club for bus drivers which is what it was latterly used for. Schapiro's buildings were taken over by a tyre company.  




Buildings almost hiding North Bridge Villa (within white oval) in the 1960's. 
Photo courtesy of Symeon Waller

It was in 1970 that a family moved into part of the Villa as caretakers. Zara Jackson was just a baby when her mother, a nurse, took on the extra job of caretaker at the Villa while her father was recovering from illness. 



Aerial view of North Bridge Road in the 1950's. North Bridge Villa is indicated by the red arrow


They lived at the Villa for five years and Zara recalls a strong room on the ground floor where the wages were kept. There was also a switchboard and a lady called 'Janet Jones' who wore a headset and put the calls through. The corridors had parquet flooring which was polished every night. The Villa was connected to the brick company offices by internal doors. In the back garden there were two stables and a brick yard. There was also a bust of a man on an ornate brick pedestal. The brick yard had a side line in terracotta busts and ornate pottery, which is probably where the bust came from. It appears in a photo of Zara with her mother from 1970 (see below).



Zara, her mother and the bust of a man,
taken at the rear of North Bridge Villa in 1970.
Photo courtesy of Zara Head
   
   
Zara also recalls the Villa grounds having a slope down to an underground garage with a door which led to a tunnel, which in turn emerged on the Don bank. When the river was high the garage would flood.


Zara Jackson in 1973 at the rear of North Bridge Villa, the stables were on the right.
Photo courtesy of Zara Head

By the mid 1980's the tyre company had moved out of Schapiro's buildings and it was largely left empty except for a portion of the building that was used by the Doncaster Evening Post Camera Club. The building was eventually demolished and was replaced by a new building for Boots Opticians.


Building originally Schapiro's Horse Repository. Pictured in 1986 prior to demolition. 
Photo courtesy of Tony Canning

Schapiro's  building, North Bridge Villa and the bus club in 1986. 
Photo courtesy of Tony Canning


The Changing Face Of Marsh Gate


Following the construction of North Bridge, Marsh Gate found itself on the sidelines. No longer on the route into Doncaster it became the focus for residential housing. Terraced housing had replaced the ramshackle eighteenth century buildings pulled down at the time the North Bridge was built. 


Terraced housing in Marsh Gate in the 1960's

Businesses were changing too, gone were the mills, factories and wharves, and in their place a variety of new concerns opened, which we will look at below. This included a power station at nearby Crimpsall which opened in 1953. 



Doncaster Power Station from St Mary's Bridge 1957.
Photo courtesy of George Fettis


Marsh Gate continued as a residential area well into the mid twentieth century. In 1925 a hostel was built behind the Bridge Hotel; the New Model Lodging House was owned by Jack and Florrie Temple, and had forty five residents listed in 1936. The premises were a lodging house for single, homeless people. Another hostel, the Bridge Hostel was built a little further south and wasn't seen as quite as up-market as the Temple's hostel. The Bridge Hostel later became used as a warehouse for furniture retailers, Wades. In 1989 it opened as The Warehouse nightclub and remains a dance venue to this day.


Temple's Lodging House.

Marsh Gate 1925
North Bridge Road is near the top, the Bridge Hostel is the tall building on the left. 
Photo courtesy of Mick Dutchak

St Andrew's church occupied a corner plot on the junction of Marsh Gate and Cherry Lane. Unfortunately, very little information exists about this building today, just a few photos (see below).


St Andrew's church in 1911

The area in front of the Bridge Hostel was cleared in the 1950's and opened as a station for Corporation buses in 1958. The buses eventually moved to the North Bus Station, next to the railway station when it opened in 1967.



The Marsh Gate bus station with the Bridge Hostel behind in 1961


Across from the hostel, on North Bridge Road British Road Services occupied a site next to the Askern Brick and Tile Company (Schapiro's buildings) during the 1950's. BRS were a British haulage and road transport company when the industry was nationalized. By 1961 the name over the building had changed to 'Curriers's General Carriers', but nothing could be found out about this company. 



British Road Services building in 1955. Photo courtesy of Tom Beardsley


In 1967 the old BRS building had been taken over by Doncaster Evening Post as an office and print works. This much loved newspaper closed in 1983 and the Sheffield based Star took over. The building was demolished in around 1990 and the site is now occupied by a Halfords store. 



The Doncaster Evening Post print works


The Evening Post building being demolished in 1984

The old horse repository, latterly used by the Doncaster Evening Post being demolished in 1984


Demolition And Clearance

The terraced houses of Marsh Gate and its surrounding streets were gradually demolished after the 1960's and the cleared area saw an influx of businesses. The Bridge Hotel was demolished in 1972 and all that remains is a triangular patch of grass. Today, car dealerships dominate the area, while the power station at Crimpsall has been replaced by Doncaster H.M.P. 


The Bridge Hotel being demolished in 1972


Not much is left to say the old buildings of Marsh Gate and North Bridge Road were ever there. Only North Bridge Villa and the old bus club next door remain, now sealed up and unused one wonders how long it will be before these last vestiges of times gone are also erased from the landscape of an ever changing Doncaster.



Sealed and forgotten, North Bridge Villa and the old bus club in 2014


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Marsh Gate And North Bridge Photos


Bridge Hotel 1910

Buses parked at the side of the Bridge Hotel, possibly 1940's


Bridge Hotel during the 1932 floods

Bridge Hotel and tenants, unknown year
Marsh Gate level crossing, north side in 1908

Marsh Gate level crossing, north side in 1908

Last trip across the level crossing on 7th Feb 1910

Locking the level crossing gates 7th Feb 1910


North Bridge construction in 1910

North Bridge just before opening 1910

North Bridge in 1910

North Bridge bus stop 1955

North Bridge Road about 1970
Marsh Gate 1967.
Photo courtesy of Colin Hardisty
Marsh Gate bus depot, 1950's.
Photo courtesy of Colin Hardisty

St Andrew's church

St Andrew's church interior

The Toby Jug public house




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Notes and Acknowledgements

Thank you to all contributors of photos and information. Those found on various Facebook groups have been credited with the persons who posted them, unless the images have been shared on multiple groups or the original poster could not be located.

The photo of Hyman Schapiro was found on Ancestry.co.uk and was posted by Carol Weston. A message asking for permission to use the photo has so far not been responded to. I post the photo in anticipation of permission being granted.

Thank you to Mo Elwiss for family information and permission to use the Lindley photos.

Thank you to Margaret Forbes for family information.

Thank you to Zara Head for information and photos. 

Thank you to Michelle Carlin for research carried out.


Alison Vainlo 

First written 2018, updated 2020