HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Saturday 3 September 2011

Whit Walks 1912-14

These photos are of a Whit walk procession circa 1912-1914.

The rather splendid men at the front wearing top hats are (from left to right)
The Rev Theobald from Union Street Congregational Church ,The Rev Henry Enfield Dowson from Hyde Chapel and The Rev Burgess from Flowery Field United Church. The man just behind them, walking next to the man with the umbrella is George Brownson Esq.

Rev. Henry Enfield Dowson had Dowson Road and Enfield Street named in his honour..
So respected was he that after spending over 58 years as the minister there now lies buried INSIDE Hyde Chapel and not in the Graveyard outside.
More about The Rev. Enfield Dowson at a later date.


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A Whitsuntide parade down an, as yet, unidentified Street.
UPDATE
We believe them to be walking past an early Shepherds Call Pub on Market Street!

Photobucket
The children during the parade down another unidentified Hyde Street circa 1912-1914.

UPDATE
Now believed to be Thomas Street

I'd love to know where they are walking. If anyone knows or has any ideas, let us know !

11 comments:

Tom said...

What great pictures,
I went to Enfield Street in the 1960s... I recall a bronze bust of Rev Enfield Dowson.... I believe he had connections with one of the collages at Oxford University, I have been assured that there is a bronze bust of him there. It may be the same one from the school.

Dave Williams said...

There's what appears to be a tramline on the first picture, and the most obvious place would seem to be Market Street.

Hyde Lad said...

I have been looking at the two photo's, and have had a bit of trouble trying to place them. The bottom one I cannot locate, I can't find a street with 2 streets off it only separated by sing row of houses. The top one is fascinating, I go along with Dave, the tram lines apppear to suggest Market St. The sign in the shop says "Kays Atlas Ales" which points to an off license or a pub. There were very few off licenses on Market St, which narrows it down to a pub. The wall on the left is significant, it is very similar to the wall next to the Shepherds Call. Now the facade of building in the photo is very different to the facade today, but this can be explained by improvements over the years.

Tom said...

Excellent Paul...
That wall was bugging me and rang a bell... I would go along with this... even the angle of the road looks about right. The building must have suffered some form of Bomb damage when the houses behind took a hit... Must ask Eddie the land lord if he can confirm this... he might know.

Hydonian said...

Wow! What a great piece of detective work, Paul Dave!
I have to agree with you both - It certainly looks like The Shepherds Call Pub ! Well Done...!

Tom said...

Drinks all round..... oh! dear I've forgot my wallet.. ;o)

Hydonian said...

I think the second one may be Thomas Street.

Hydonian said...

The street running off it I believe to be Union Street. They had funny corner houses at that junction and the junction with Thomas Street /Mount Street. The map seems to back it up - what say you guys?

Dave Williams said...

I think you're right about the second picture being Thomas Street - have a look at this . If you look at the map I think today's photo was taken from the north side of Thomas Street about half-way between Union Street and Mount Street. The two openings on today's photo aren't both streets - the second one is Union Street, but the first one is the entry between the row of houses on Thomas Street and the back of the row of houses on Union Street. you can see the sloping roof of the kitchen (or whatever) that's shown on the map as sticking out of the back of each of the houses on Union Street. Have a look at the second photo (the Working Men's Institute) on the older post. That later became St Thomas's School and can be seen at the corner of Thomas Street and Union Street on the map. It would have been opposite the houses on the far side of Union street shown in today's photo.

Hydonian said...

My Dad was born on Thomas Street- the top house near Mount Street. :)

Hyde Lad said...

I am sorry but I think we are both wrong, I have taken a good look round the Shepherd's and am now not convinced that this is it, there are too many discrepancies, to fully justify 100%.There appears to be 3 houses/shops missing in between the Sheps and the next shop. The 1914 Directory shows George Hopwood at no218, right next door to the Shep's, so the wall is probably a bit of a red herring. As for the other picture I am again not sure that this is Thomas St/Union St area. I you look at the picture, the problem I have is the row of terraced houses to the right, they would be the houses on the left between Beeley St & Union St. Now look at the map of the area, the houses seem to be a hotchpotch of different sizes, with the first house facing onto Union St and not Thomas St. A re-think on both is needed