The Bilbrough Family of Gildersome and Bruntcliffe
John Bilbrough, born 1745 and his wife Elizabeth Stockwell, born 1751
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
“John the younger son remained at Bruntcliffe. He was by trade a Cloth finisher. He built the “Angel Inn” at the corner by the crossroads and there coaches and wagons pulled up and men and horses rested and took refreshment. Between the Inn and the two storey stone cottage a space of six or eight yards was left which was afterwards built up by Thomas Helliwell who married Anne the elder daughter of John Bilbrough and who carried on the Inn after John’s death in 1815. A quit rent of small amount was payable annually to the lord of the Manor, but afterwards Helliwell bought the freehold of The Angel, and Mary his last surviving daughters still lives there in 1906. And at the corner next (to) the crossroads there stands today The Old Angel without alteration except what time has made. A rambling one storey stone built and stone roofed building. The front door nearly touches the roof. It has several windows large and small, one of them a bow window. The lanky lamp post close by the corner of the Inn, holds it’s head high enough to throw light upon the roof. It is nearly ninety years since John Bilbrough died. He spent his days at Bruntcliffe Thorn, and on Sundays he attended the Old Congregational Chapel at Motley, where as one of the choir up in the gallery, he played a fiddle with his left hand by an accident!”
John Bilbrough lived his entire life in Bruntcliffe. He was a cloth maker like his father and according to William Booth Bilbrough who was born at Bruntcliffe in 1839 and knew many of the Helliwells, John employed up to as many as “nine burlers” (cloth dressers). He built the Angel Inn around 1775 to 1780 and may have built the malt kilns that sat behind the Inn. John leased local fields and farmed them for barley to fuel the malt business.
The Bilbroughs, at that time, had more than a casual acquaintance with the Stockwells of Hartshead, less than ten miles away. John’s two elder sisters married two Stockwell brothers, and a Stockwell cousin lived in Bruntcliffe. I know that some of the Stockwells in Hartshead were involved in malting. It was through this connection that John met and married Elizabeth Stockwell at Hartshead in 1778. Elizabeth was niece to John’s brothers-in-law, Richard and Samuel.
Left above: The earliest known depiction of a Bilbrough. John Bilbrough is standing at top left, with his “left handed fiddle” while playing for the Choir at St Mary’s Church, Morley ( From William Smith’s “Morley: Ancient and Modern”)
Around 1800 or so Thomas Helliwell's father (of Heptonstall from a pub owning family) bought the freehold to the Inn and Thomas married Anne Bilbrough daughter of John. Thomas and Anne took over as proprietors. Thomas built the two story section to the right of the Inn, it filled the space between Rose Cottage and the oldest part of the Inn. The Helliwells operated the Inn into the early 20th century. A few years before John died, his only son, John, emigrated to America and married. Daughter Martha, married Bruntcliffe resident Benjamin Mitchell. I believe the Mitchells carried on the malting operation.
Right: In this 1880’s photo of the Angel Inn, we see the Wakefield Rd. in the foreground. The Angel Inn consisted of the low building with two chimneys and the taller one to the right. Next to it is the Bilbrough’s original “old stone cottage” (Rose Cottage). Beyond that, to the far right the chimney of the Mitchell house is visible. The Bilbrough family lived on this corner for over
“John the younger son remained at Bruntcliffe. He was by trade a Cloth finisher. He built the “Angel Inn” at the corner by the crossroads and there coaches and wagons pulled up and men and horses rested and took refreshment. Between the Inn and the two storey stone cottage a space of six or eight yards was left which was afterwards built up by Thomas Helliwell who married Anne the elder daughter of John Bilbrough and who carried on the Inn after John’s death in 1815. A quit rent of small amount was payable annually to the lord of the Manor, but afterwards Helliwell bought the freehold of The Angel, and Mary his last surviving daughters still lives there in 1906. And at the corner next (to) the crossroads there stands today The Old Angel without alteration except what time has made. A rambling one storey stone built and stone roofed building. The front door nearly touches the roof. It has several windows large and small, one of them a bow window. The lanky lamp post close by the corner of the Inn, holds it’s head high enough to throw light upon the roof. It is nearly ninety years since John Bilbrough died. He spent his days at Bruntcliffe Thorn, and on Sundays he attended the Old Congregational Chapel at Motley, where as one of the choir up in the gallery, he played a fiddle with his left hand by an accident!”
John Bilbrough lived his entire life in Bruntcliffe. He was a cloth maker like his father and according to William Booth Bilbrough who was born at Bruntcliffe in 1839 and knew many of the Helliwells, John employed up to as many as “nine burlers” (cloth dressers). He built the Angel Inn around 1775 to 1780 and may have built the malt kilns that sat behind the Inn. John leased local fields and farmed them for barley to fuel the malt business.
The Bilbroughs, at that time, had more than a casual acquaintance with the Stockwells of Hartshead, less than ten miles away. John’s two elder sisters married two Stockwell brothers, and a Stockwell cousin lived in Bruntcliffe. I know that some of the Stockwells in Hartshead were involved in malting. It was through this connection that John met and married Elizabeth Stockwell at Hartshead in 1778. Elizabeth was niece to John’s brothers-in-law, Richard and Samuel.
Left above: The earliest known depiction of a Bilbrough. John Bilbrough is standing at top left, with his “left handed fiddle” while playing for the Choir at St Mary’s Church, Morley ( From William Smith’s “Morley: Ancient and Modern”)
Around 1800 or so Thomas Helliwell's father (of Heptonstall from a pub owning family) bought the freehold to the Inn and Thomas married Anne Bilbrough daughter of John. Thomas and Anne took over as proprietors. Thomas built the two story section to the right of the Inn, it filled the space between Rose Cottage and the oldest part of the Inn. The Helliwells operated the Inn into the early 20th century. A few years before John died, his only son, John, emigrated to America and married. Daughter Martha, married Bruntcliffe resident Benjamin Mitchell. I believe the Mitchells carried on the malting operation.
Right: In this 1880’s photo of the Angel Inn, we see the Wakefield Rd. in the foreground. The Angel Inn consisted of the low building with two chimneys and the taller one to the right. Next to it is the Bilbrough’s original “old stone cottage” (Rose Cottage). Beyond that, to the far right the chimney of the Mitchell house is visible. The Bilbrough family lived on this corner for over
