Yorkshire Evening Post (19/Dec/1952) - Diary of a Yorkshireman: Huddersfield Carvings

The following is a transcription of a historic newspaper article and may contain occasional errors. If the article was published prior to 1 June 1957, then the text is likely in the Public Domain.

DIARY OF A YORKSHIREMAN.

Huddersfield Carvings.

A reference here to the stone carvings of a train coming out of a tunnel at Berry Brow station, that were done by young John Charles Stocks in the '80s, prompts a correspondent to recall that the father, Thomas Stocks, did the stone carvings for Huddersfield Town Hall in 1879-81; and whatever difficulty there may be in seeing Shakespeare in one of the heads carved by John Charles, there is none in the case of the Shakespeare done by Thomas.

Thomas did six carvings for the Town Hall. The keystone of the arched doorway in Princess Street, now hidden by the glass veranda, is a carved head of Sir Matthew Hale, a one-time Lord Chief Justice. Over the windows on each side of the doorway are Sir Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare (philosophy and drama). The centre carving above the entrance is of Handel (music), whilst industry and art are represented by James Watt and William Hogarth. Newton is regarded as the finest of the six carvings, and Hogarth presented the most difficulty.