South Crosland Local Board

South Crosland Local Board was the local authority body primarily responsible for issues relating to public health in the township of South Crosland and was formed in 1876.

Typically elected by local rate payers and property owners, Local Boards were formed following the Public Health Act 1848 and the subsequent Local Government Act 1858, and had responsibility for the oversight of sewers, water supplies, public toilets, street cleaning, slaughterhouses, pavements, and burial grounds within their district.

The passing of the Public Health Act 1875 saw the Local Government Board approach the surveyors of township South Crosland and the hamlet of Mag Lordship in order that they be amalgamated into a single local board and sanitary district.

Elections to the new local board took place in March 1876 with the following 9 candidates duly elected:[1]

successful candidates unsuccessful candidates
name votes name votes
John Barker (gentleman) of Netherton 337 Alfred Beaumont (woollen manufacturer) of Parkstone Grove 152
George Dyson (solicitor) of Corn Bank, Solicitor 331 William Henry Blakeley (master joiner) of Netherton 148
John Bedford Donkersley (merchant) of Mag Dale 307 Henry Wrigley (cotton spinner) of Croft House 78
William Barrett (farmer) of Crosland Edge 273 Robert Skilbeck (woollen manufacturer) of Crosland Hall 68
John Mellor (farmer) of South Crosland 263
Ben Atha (woolsorter) of Armitage Bridge 260
Francis Levi (gentleman) of Armitage Fold 249
John Bates (farmer) of Delves 237
Samuel Pontefract (gentleman) of Bank End 205

Three nominees withdrew after the ballot papers had been printed and so votes for them were discarded:

  • Law Armitage (woollen merchant) of Netherton
  • Henry France (publican) of Blackmoorfoot
  • Richard Cockhill Kaye (farmer) of Lane Side

The first meeting of the local board took place on 15 March 1876 when George Dyson was elected the chairman and Alfred Blakeley appointed the clerk. It was decided that three members should retire each year, with the order being decided by those who'd received the least votes.

South Crosland Local Board was abolished towards the end of 1894 and superseded by South Crosland Urban District Council.

Senior Officers

Philip Ahier gives the following lists in The History and Topography of South Crosland, Armitage Bridge and Netherton (1938):

Chairmen
Clerks
  • 1876-1883 Mr. Alfred Blakeley
  • 1883-1894 Mr. Alfred J. Slocombe
Medical Officers of Health

Notes and References

  1. "South Crosland Local Board Election" in Huddersfield Chronicle (11/Mar/1876).