Continued from Letter 3
December 3rd, 1937.
The First resident minister for South Street Chapel was the Rev. George Haywood. He, with his wife, daughter Sarah, and sister in law, Miss Bennett, lived in the first cottage in Pleasant Place, South Street. These four cottages were built by Mr. William Carrier in 1857, and were let at 2/6 per week. On leaving South Street, the Rev. G. Haywood went to Bacup Circuit. His successor was the Rev. John Barron, who with his wife and two sons, George and John, lived in the new house at the rear of the chapel. He was a very popular minister, but unfortunately, his career was cut short by severe illness. He was buried at Long Eaton.
Opposite the South Street Chapel was the Baptist Chapel. This was a very old place of worship. My father occasionally preached in it, and I used to go with him. After the service we would go across the street to Mr. James Hithersay’s house, and spend a little time with him, his wife and family. Mr. J. Hithersay was one of the leading men at the Baptist Chapel. He was a grocer, and his wife and two daughters, Ann and Mary, assisted him in the business. His son James married, and started a business at the bottom of Market Street and White Lion Square.
When the new chapel was built in Queen Street, the congregation removed to it, and the old chapel was used for the Sunday School. But some time after, differences occurred among the congregation, resulting in many returning to the old chapel, where services were resumed. After some years it was decided to close the old chapel, and for many years it was deserted. But about 1900 or thereabouts, the old chapel was put in order, and services were resumed. I went into the chapel in 1914 and was very pleased to see how nicely it had been restored to its former state, and was shown the different seats where people sat who had returned to their first love.
The Rev. Thomas Stevenson was a Pastor at the new chapel in Queen Street. He was a real live wire, but the people were too apathetic, and soon the Rev. Thomas removed to a sphere where his energies were more appreciated. The Rev. William Anderson, a Scotsman, was Pastor for some time. His Sister, Miss Anderson, became the senior Mr. James Hithersay’s second wife. The Rev. Chas. Aked, afterwards Dr. Aked, was a Pastor at Queen Street Chapel. He ultimately went to America, where he became very popular. He married Mr. Jas. Hithersay’s granddaughter.
SCHOOLS.
Mr. Tapley had a school in Bath Street, where he gave his boys a classical, mathematical and commercial education. I did not hear of him after 1859. The BritishSchool in Bath Street was a mixed school. The first headmaster was Mr. Holroyd. The pupil teachers were Sam Cresswell, William Topliss, and Martha Howard. S. Cresswell left the teaching profession, and went to H. Carrier & Sons, Nottingham. He died in the fire that occurred so tragically at H. Carrier & Sons’ Mount Street warehouse some years ago. He married Martha Howard. William Topliss also left teaching, and became F. Sudbury’s first clerk. Unfortunately he contracted small-pox and did not recover.
When Mr. Holroyd left Ilkeston he was succeeded by Mr. Wright Lissett, who afterwards became Clerk to the Local Board; and when Ilkeston became a Borough Mr. Lissett was appointed Town Clerk. Mr. Lissett’s successor to the headship of the British School was Mr. Fred Daykin, second son of Mr. Richard Daykin, who was for many years one of the superintendents of the Old Cricket Ground Chapel Sunday School, Mr. Samuel Carrier being his Colleague. Fred Daykin’s elder brother, Birch, had the grocery business in South Street, left to him by his father. This shop, with others, was taken over by the Co-operative Society. There were no Church Schools except the one over the Old Butter Market, which was for boys. The Girls’ ChurchSchool was built in 1851. Where the school was situated is now the site of the Free Library. Other schools for girls were Mrs. Boys, next above the BritishSchool, and Miss Straw, of Straw’s Bridge, Derby Road. At the bottom of Bath Street dame schools were held by Mrs. Straw, Stanton Road; Mrs. Barker, mother of the late George Barker, registrar of births and deaths (she lived in a tiny cottage in Albion Place); and Miss Walls, who lived in a two-roomed cottage at the top of Burr Lane.
Continued in Letter 5
