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Reading time: 36 min(s)

This work forms part of the ‘Who Lived Where’ research project. The information provided below was researched by Paul and Moira Crossley, Dr Jo Stanley, Carole Greenwood, Ruth Beazley and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous.

Ivy House (now demolished), Mill Bank Road

Ivy House – Early 1800s

Ivy House Map from 1880

Early 1800s

A map of a large, detached property, built in the early 1800s which stood on higher ground behind the current Ivy Houses.

Ivy House – 1878

1878

THOMAS SMITH: a widowed farmer previously of Highfield Soyland (owner).

Occupied by GEORGE CAIN and LYDIA. Children: James, Willie, Mary, Alice and Harry.

See Note 1

Ivy House – 1880

1880

JOHN WHITELY: a warehouseman of Thorpe Mill, later a laundry proprietor in Southport. There is some dispute about whether it was John Whitley or Charles Mitchell who demolished Ivy House in 1893 and built the terrace of Ivy Houses.

Ivy House – 1893

1893

CHARLES HENRY MITCHELL b. 1859: a bread baker previously a farmer of Hubberton purchases all three houses for his family.

Ivy Houses – 2022

Ivy Houses in 2022

Ivy Houses Today

This photograph was taken in 2022 showing the row of three houses and garage that currently stand on the site where Ivy House stood.

1 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

1 Ivy Houses – 1893

1893

CHARLES HENRY MITCHELL: bread baker and MRS MARY MITCHELL. Children: Dorothy, Mary and Joseph.

1 Ivy Houses – 1951

1951

ROBERT (BOBBY) ELIJAH WHITELY and DOROTHY MITCHELL, daughter of Fred and Mary.

See Note 2

1 Ivy Houses

Bobby Whitely

Robert Whitely was held in high esteem in Mill Bank. Many people during research spoke about him with respect. Originally he was a weaver and then a herbalist with a shop opposite the Chapel. Later Bobby worked at Blackburn and Sutcliffe’s, Kebroyd as a maintenance man and the family also had the Friendly Fish and Chip shop in Sowerby Bridge.

1 Ivy Houses

Bobby Whitely cont…

From the age of fifteen Bobby was also a lay preacher having been to Cliff College, an evangelical Bible college at Calver, in the Derbyshire Peak District. He preached at Zion Congregational Church, Ripponden, with the Methodist at Stones and at Parrock Nook and Hebden Bridge. He frequently preached three times in one day walking between Chapels. He also organised activities for village children in the Sunday School.

1 Ivy Houses

Bobby Whitely cont…

Bobby’s dad was a farmer and postman near The Beehive Inn. He travelled many miles on his round on foot. He acted as a messenger between people who were ill and his son who would make up a remedy, which his dad would deliver on his next postal round.

1 Ivy Houses

Bobby Whitely cont…

Bobby was 18 when he met Dorothy (aged 12) in 1933. They kept hens in the back garden. When her parents died in 1964 Dorothy sold numbers 1 and 2 Ivy Houses so she could buy a property in Warley Wood Avenue, Luddenden Foot, near her son Andrew and daughter-in-law. This was the time of the depression for Mill Bank when property prices were very low.

1 Ivy Houses

The Whitely Family - Bobby and Dorothy Whitely, Mary (Dorothy’s mum) and Andrew, (Bobby and Dorothy’s son.)

Whitely Family

Bobby and Dorothy Whitely, Mary (Dorothy’s mum) and Andrew (Bobby and Dorothy’s son).

1 Ivy Houses – 1965-1986

1965-1986

DOUGLAS and LILY RILEY: hardware merchant and meals supervisor at St. Mary’s School. The Rileys came from Carr Cottage near The Alma Inn. They had a son Edwin who married Jennifer Banks from Mill Bank.

1 Ivy Houses – 1986

1986

CHRISTINE and PHILLIP RAYNOR : owners.

Occupied by TRACY and LES.

1 Ivy Houses – 1990s

1990s

ANITA FRETWELL and PHILIP JOHNSON: Previous landlords of The Anchor Inn.

1 Ivy Houses – 2006

2006

TERRENCE ASHWORTH: Terrence was Moira Crossley’s brother.

2 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

2 Ivy Houses – 1942

1942

FRED MITCHELL (unrelated to Charles’ family) and MARY MITCHELL (Charles’ daughter): Fred was an overlooker at Hadwen’s Mill, Kebroyd and a rent collector.

They had a child called Dorothy, who was a weaver at Homefry’s Mill, Sowerby Bridge.

Fred’s aunt Grace lived at 65 Lower Mill Bank Road.

See Note 3

2 Ivy Houses – 1965

Photograph of Ronald Halsted, who lived at 2 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank working as a baker

1965

RONALD and JESSIE HALSTED (previously from 62 Victoria Terrace): Ronald was a baker and Jessie a dinner supervisor at St. Mary’s School.

They had two daughters Carole and Christine.

2 Ivy Houses

Photograph showing Ronald & Jessie Halsted on their wedding day

Ronald & Jessie Halsted

This photograph shows Ronald and Jessie on their wedding day.

2 Ivy Houses – 2001

2001

GLADYS CROSSLEY (Paul Crossley’s mother) from Saville Park Street, King Cross.

2 Ivy Houses – 2008

2008

VICTORIA and DARREN FLOWERS: Victoria is Moira Crossley’s niece. They had sons Luca and Milo. Victoria is an artist.

3 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

3 Ivy Houses – 1893

Photograph of Lizzie Mitchell aged approximately 80, who lived at 3 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

1893

JOSEPH (son of Charles) and LIZZIE MITCHELL: Joseph was a piano tuner and repairer. They had three sons Maurice, Frank, Wilfred and a daughter Evelyn (1910-2006) and Elsie who died from diphtheria.

Joseph was in the Royal Flying Corps and worked on wooden aeroplanes.

The photograph above is Lizzie Mitchell in her 80s.

3 Ivy Houses

Evelyn Mitchell

EVELYN MITCHELL (Joseph and Lizzie’s daughter): textile mill worker who moved out when she married Albert Booth. They lived at Bank Buildings.

3 Ivy Houses – 1966

Photograph showing Maurice & Joan Mitchell from 3 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

1966

MAURICE d. 2000 and JOAN MITCHELL d.1998: Maurice was a painter, decorator and signwriter and he sculpted a panel on a house wall.

Maurice volunteered for the Spanish Civil War but was turned down because he was only 14 years old.

The family went to live in Victoria Terrace in 1966.

3 Ivy Houses

Photograph of Maurice Mitchell in uniform

Maurice Mitchell

Maurice made his own way home after Dunkirk, having been reported missing. He also served in India and Burma in WWII.

3 Ivy Houses – 1966-2022

Photograph of Paul & Moira Crossley taken in 1966 when they moved to Ivy Houses, Mill Bank

1966-2022

PAUL and MOIRA CROSSLEY: Paul was a Heavy Goods Mechanic at Ford Motor Co. Halifax. He worked for Oval Eggs, then Websters brewer as a dray man. Paul built number 4 Ivy Houses.

Moira was a Cotton Winder at Meadowcroft and Hampson’s, Ripponden, a Carpet Setter at Humphrey’s, Riding Hall Carpets, Sowerby Bridge, a Clerk at Radio Rentals, an administrator at Blackburn and Sutcliffe and in 1983 she trained as a Nurse RN and SRN.

The photograph above shows Paul and Moira, taken in 1966 when they moved to Ivy Houses.

3 Ivy Houses – 2021

2021

RIORDAN and CHARLOTTE NOBLE

4 Ivy Houses, Mill Bank Road

4 Ivy Houses – 2022

Photograph showing 4 Ivy Houses in Mill Bank, which was built by Paul Crossley

2022

4 Ivy Houses was built by Paul Crossley on the site of the outhouses which were the wash house, stables and a piggery for the original Ivy House.

This photograph was taken in 2023.

Ivy Houses Garage, used as business premises

Ivy Houses Garage – 1890s

1890s

JOSEPH MITCHELL: Piano tuner.

Ivy Houses Garage – 1950s

1950s

RONNIE SUTCLIFFE: Light engineer.

Notes

  1. Cain Family Bible and Tree
    This is the flyleaf from the Cain family bible.
    Scanned image of the flyleaf from the Cain family bible. The Cain family lived in Ivy Houses in Mill Bank
    Below is the Cain family tree.
    A family tree image showing the lineage of the Cain family who lived in Ivy Houses in Mill Bank
    ↩︎
  2. The Whitely and Whiteley Families
    These names are frequently found in this area many attending St. Mary’s School over the years. John Lord and Jabez Whiteley were associated with Mill Bank Chapel and are buried in the Wesleyan Methodist Graveyard. Other Whiteleys associated with Rawson Farm, The Ginnel, The George and Bank Terrace have been traced and will be added to future documents.
    ↩︎
  3. The Mitchell Family
    There were three branches of the Mitchell family. One is associated with Upper Lumb in the 1840s and 1850s and Rawson Farm and Gledhill Farm in 1890s. Grace Mitchell (aunt to Dorothy Mitchell) lived in Daleview, 63 Lower Mill Bank Road. Another branch of the family lived in Soyland. They intermarried with another branch in Barkisland.
    ↩︎

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