Brookhouse about 1900
Jane Lomax nee Dunn(e). The postal address was 133 Holcombe Rd, Tottington. The cobbled road was replaced with a tarmacadamed surface. The view looks towards "Totty" from the Greenmount side of the stream. The upwards slope is called Stormer Hill. There are some steps leading up on the right to Kay's cottages. They were designed by my Grandfather Tom Lomax, Jane's husband. The Bridge was widened, and the cottages demolished. There are 3 children in the picture a small boy? is leaning against the entrance to the house. From the back of the photographer the road bends up towards Greenmount, but it splits to the right and heads towards Greenmount Golf Club. More info to follow. But who are the people in the photograph? The First entrance looks like a shop. In front of the end gable of Brookhouse is a pathway that crossed a bridge and continued up Hollymount lane. Hollymount convent was a school when I remembered it. It was later turned into an old folks home. The field at the lefthand side of the road belonged to Bernard Ellis of Brookhouse Farm. He bred Arabian horses. He also kept guinea fowl and he paid me real money to collect the eggs. They laid anywhere. But mostly by the side of the stream.
Opposite Brookhouse was a large garden. The family gardened there for 3 generations. Frank Lomax, Jane Lomax and my mother and father. My father was partial to Himalayan plants. He grew the first blue poppies that anyone had seen in the Bury area. A large lawn on the upper level. The soil was very stony. However many interesting and exotic plants were grown in the 100plus years the house and gardens were occupied by the Lomax Family. The house was originally bought at auction by Frank's wife Lucy(Dodes) My mother knew her as Grannymax. My mother had the same relationship with her grandmother as I had with mine.
Personal recollections of Brookhouse.
We moved into Brookhouse when I was about 5. I remembered being able to sit in the removal van's cab on the drive from Whitelegge street to Brookhouse - seemed like a big adventure. Frank was there when we arrived - He wasn't really very tall but he possessed immense strength. When the removal men could not lift my mother's piano over the bannister - he just grabbed it and lifted it over on his own. Initially my bedroom was the backroom, possibly the the largest room in the house. A great big skylight was in the middle of the ceiling, under was a great big cast iron bath. I dont recall the bath going. The skylight was covered over by a sheet of corrugated plastic. I think I recall a very expensive carpet square in the middle of the room, Axminster or something similar. It was pink, but my mother had it dyed blue - it was purpleish. Where the carpet didn't fit was varnished! The house probably still smells of varnish to this day. The back window looked up the valley. Fantastic view. There were cows on that pasture in the late '50's before it became a country park. Must have spent hours just staring. Saw pretty much every British mammal over 15 years. The squirrels hadn't arrived though!
My Grandmother lived in 131, my Aunt Irene Cosgrove and her husband Jim Cosgrove lived in 135. Her father Frank lived there too. Myself, my mother and father lived in the middle, 133. I did feel that I had the run of the house then. Probably spent more time in my Grandma's than my own house. Grandad Frank frightened me a great deal. I couldn't/daren't go in the cellar on my own. It stretched all the way under all 3 houses, very dark and there were only 2 lights. There were also strange stairs and hidey holes too. Jim was a very kind man. Spoke as I recall with just the faintest of an Irish brogue. Frequently, and it must have been the weekend - he used to give me a florin (2/-) or half a crown (2/6) to clen his Corgi motor bike parts - he was a chauffeur for the CWS in Manchester. Never saw the car, so he must have ridden in to Manchester everyday! I recall the day or at least the period that he died. I also know that in true Lomax fashion - things were done and life carried on. I have a feeling that my Aunt went straight back to work both after his death and after his funeral. The funeral wake was held in our part of the house. I presume Jim's family came. Lots of strangers and I remember awkwardness and strange dialects. But life continued.
At the end of the wall on the left a lane disappears down to an old factory. It was run down and us locals played there. It was bought out by Cormar Carpets. The sent quite large wagons down the lane. There was a 20 ft drop into the stream, none fell down to the best of my knowledge. The knocked down our corner on several occasions. I believe my Aunt sold them 20 sq yards so they had a better turning circle.
This picture has been taken from the left hand corner of the bridge that
crosses the stream. Right heads towards Greenmount. Facing you in the
photograph is the bridge that crosses the stream. (The Army blew the
bridge up about 1960!) in a flood. Brookhouse cellar was already flooded
- there was all sorts of garbage floating around in there including
chickens from the abattoir up Stormer hill. He got into terrible trouble
for disposing dead chickens down the drain as I recall!
Until I saw the map I did not even know the existence of the cottages. It is almost impossible to tease out who lived where! I shall be diving in and trying to find out the identity of the people who lived there.I am not sure my mother recalls them. The other cottages were mentioned but these were not.
The picture of these cottages reveals 3 cottages in a line. They would stretch from the edge of the lane to Hollymount to the stream edge as it heads up the valley. The stonework on stream edge is still here. The map shows access or gardens to rear. Seems to make sense from what I remember.
Apart from a copy of the actual deed, that I will publish I have some names from the internet that I have tried to join up as being resident at Brookhouse over the years. They will be sorted in time but for now a rough draft.
In 1780 Robert Tickle of Brookhouse Farm, built his new house, which he called Brookhouse on the western side of the new highway in the part of ground considered to be part of Quakersfield.
Robert and Sarah Tickle 1782
James Rothwell between 1830 and 1838
Probably Ann Rothwell upto October 1935
The names below are from the Cousins-Family Website, I will be wading my way through the census - to see if there is any more info at the censuses. I feel that these names may not have lived at Brookhouse itself.
Thomas Smith born abt 1841 Residence 30 March 1851 Age 10 (approx)
Residence 7th April 1861 20 years Cotton Weaver
Betty Smith born abt 1852 Residence 7th April 1861 Age 9 (approx)
Residence 2nd April 1871 Age 19 Stitcher at Bleach Works
Eliza Smith born abt 1857 Residence 2 April 1861
Residence 2nd April 1871 Age 14 (approx) Cotton Weaver
This is the entire 1981 Census that was living at "Brookhouse"
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Looking down from Stormer Hill, The Gent in the photo is where the first photo is taken |
Opposite Brookhouse was a large garden. The family gardened there for 3 generations. Frank Lomax, Jane Lomax and my mother and father. My father was partial to Himalayan plants. He grew the first blue poppies that anyone had seen in the Bury area. A large lawn on the upper level. The soil was very stony. However many interesting and exotic plants were grown in the 100plus years the house and gardens were occupied by the Lomax Family. The house was originally bought at auction by Frank's wife Lucy(Dodes) My mother knew her as Grannymax. My mother had the same relationship with her grandmother as I had with mine.
Grannymax - top left with Auntie Hilda Lucy Dodes married Frank Lomax -Tom and Irene's father. |
Personal recollections of Brookhouse.
We moved into Brookhouse when I was about 5. I remembered being able to sit in the removal van's cab on the drive from Whitelegge street to Brookhouse - seemed like a big adventure. Frank was there when we arrived - He wasn't really very tall but he possessed immense strength. When the removal men could not lift my mother's piano over the bannister - he just grabbed it and lifted it over on his own. Initially my bedroom was the backroom, possibly the the largest room in the house. A great big skylight was in the middle of the ceiling, under was a great big cast iron bath. I dont recall the bath going. The skylight was covered over by a sheet of corrugated plastic. I think I recall a very expensive carpet square in the middle of the room, Axminster or something similar. It was pink, but my mother had it dyed blue - it was purpleish. Where the carpet didn't fit was varnished! The house probably still smells of varnish to this day. The back window looked up the valley. Fantastic view. There were cows on that pasture in the late '50's before it became a country park. Must have spent hours just staring. Saw pretty much every British mammal over 15 years. The squirrels hadn't arrived though!
Jim and Irene Cosgrove, Must be a pier somewhere. Irene and Jim lived in 135 with Frank. |
Wedding Photograph |
At the end of the wall on the left a lane disappears down to an old factory. It was run down and us locals played there. It was bought out by Cormar Carpets. The sent quite large wagons down the lane. There was a 20 ft drop into the stream, none fell down to the best of my knowledge. The knocked down our corner on several occasions. I believe my Aunt sold them 20 sq yards so they had a better turning circle.
The "other" cottages at Brookhouse. These are just to the top left of Brookhouse on the map. This image is from the Bury Image Bank. It is the thumbnail blown up. Not sure if the person who uploaded the image really understood the significance of the picture because there are several objects in this picture that are no longer there including the cottages! |
Until I saw the map I did not even know the existence of the cottages. It is almost impossible to tease out who lived where! I shall be diving in and trying to find out the identity of the people who lived there.I am not sure my mother recalls them. The other cottages were mentioned but these were not.
The picture of these cottages reveals 3 cottages in a line. They would stretch from the edge of the lane to Hollymount to the stream edge as it heads up the valley. The stonework on stream edge is still here. The map shows access or gardens to rear. Seems to make sense from what I remember.
This is looking down Stormer Hill. The faint buildings at the end of the road are the cottages that my family remembers. The wall on the righthand side had not been built at this time. |
In 1780 Robert Tickle of Brookhouse Farm, built his new house, which he called Brookhouse on the western side of the new highway in the part of ground considered to be part of Quakersfield.
Robert and Sarah Tickle 1782
James Rothwell between 1830 and 1838
Probably Ann Rothwell upto October 1935
The names below are from the Cousins-Family Website, I will be wading my way through the census - to see if there is any more info at the censuses. I feel that these names may not have lived at Brookhouse itself.
Thomas Smith born abt 1841 Residence 30 March 1851 Age 10 (approx)
Residence 7th April 1861 20 years Cotton Weaver
Betty Smith born abt 1852 Residence 7th April 1861 Age 9 (approx)
Residence 2nd April 1871 Age 19 Stitcher at Bleach Works
Eliza Smith born abt 1857 Residence 2 April 1861
Residence 2nd April 1871 Age 14 (approx) Cotton Weaver
This is the entire 1981 Census that was living at "Brookhouse"
Joshua ROBERTS | Head | M | Male | 42 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Bleacher And Finisher |
Mary E. ROBERTS | Wife | M | Female | 36 | Stalham, Norfolk, England | |
Norman B. ROBERTS | Son | Male | 13 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Herbert H. ROBERTS | Son | Male | 10 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Harold K. ROBERTS | Son | Male | 8 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Edith M. ROBERTS | Daur | Female | 6 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Frederick J. ROBERTS | Son | Male | 2 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Ellen MURPHY | Serv | U | Female | 35 | Wexford Ennisessthy, Ireland | General Servant |
----------------------- | ||||||
Miah GREENHALGH | Head | W | Female | 63 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Annuitant |
----------------------- | ||||||
Alice SMITH | Head | W | Female | 71 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Annuitant |
Betty SMITH | Daur | U | Female | 30 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Bleach Works Labourer |
---------------------- | ||||||
Joseph NUTTALL | Head | M | Male | 25 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Bleach Works Labourer |
Mary Ann NUTTALL | Wife | M | Female | 22 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | |
Robert NUTTALL | Son | Male | 3 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Charles NUTTALL | Son | Male | 5 m | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
----------------------- | ||||||
Samuel BOOTH | Head | M | Male | 62 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Print Works Labourer |
Margarit BOOTH | Wife | M | Female | 60 | Bury, Lancashire, England | |
William RAMSBOTTAM | Lodger | U | Male | 60 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Print Works Labourer |
James JARRETT | Lodger | U | Male | 32 | Bolton, Lancashire, England | Bleach Works Finisher |
---------------------- | ||||||
James ENTWISTLE | Head | M | Male | 31 | Bank Lane, Lancashire, England | Cotton Weaver |
Mary ENTWISTLE | Wife | M | Female | 34 | Bank Lane, Lancashire, England | |
Elizabeth A. ENTWISTLE | Daur | Female | 12 | Bank Lane, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
John ENTWISTLE | Son | Male | 9 | Bank Lane, Lancashire, England | ||
Richard ENTWISTLE | Son | Male | 1 | Bank Lane, Lancashire, England | ||
------------------------- | ||||||
Thomas LEACH | Head | M | Male | 37 | Bury, Lancashire, England | Cotton Spinner |
Betsy LEACH | Wife | M | Female | 35 | Bury, Lancashire, England | |
Anne Maria LEACH | Daur | Female | 9 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
John Robt. LEACH | Son | Male | 7 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Harriet E. LEACH | Daur | Female | 2 m | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
------------------------ | ||||||
Lawrence NUTTALL | Head | M | Male | 40 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Farm Labourer |
Jane NUTTALL | Wife | M | Female | 41 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | |
James NUTTALL | Son | U | Male | 10 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar |
Mary NUTTALL | Daur | Female | 9 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Maria NUTTALL | Daur | Female | 6 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Alice NUTTALL | Daur | Female | 2 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
------------------------ | ||||||
William H. LUND | Head | M | Male | 41 | Ewood Bridge, Lancashire, England | Print Works Mechanic |
Ellen LUND | Wife | M | Female | 41 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | |
Thos. LUND | Son | Male | 14 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | Printworks Labourer | |
Chas.Ed. LUND | Son | Male | 11 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | Printworks Labourer | |
Edward LUND | Son | Male | 9 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Elizabeth LUND | Daur | Female | 5 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Mary LUND | Daur | Female | 7 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
William LUND | Son | Male | 3 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Rachel SCHOLES | Serv | U | Female | 17 | Radcliffe, Lancashire, England | Cotton Weaver |
------------------------ | ||||||
Samuel ISHERWOOD | Head | M | Male | 32 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Cotton Overlooker |
Martha ISHERWOOD | Wife | M | Female | 31 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Cotton Weaver |
------------------------- | ||||||
Jesse HUTCHINSON | Head | W | Male | 39 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Print Finisher |
Emily HUTCHINSON | Daur | Female | 10 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Ernest HUTCHINSON | Son | Male | 6 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Martha BUTTERWORTH | Serv | U | Female | 31 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | General Serv |
------------------------ | ||||||
William BROWN | Head | M | Male | 31 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | Commercial Clerk |
Ellen BROWN | Wife | M | Female | 29 | Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England | |
Sarah Jane BROWN | Daur | Female | 4 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Scholar | |
Kitty BROWN | Daur | Female | 2 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Alice BROWN | Daur | Female | 4 m | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
------------------------- | ||||||
John MORGAN | Head | M | Male | 60 | Bolton, Lancashire, England | Out Labourer |
Hannah MORGAN | Wife | M | Female | 63 | Bolton, Lancashire, England | |
Hannah Jane MORGAN | Daur | U | Female | 24 | Bolton, Lancashire, England | Bleach Works Finisher |
Elijah MORGAN | Daur | U | Male | 20 | Bolton, Lancashire, England | Print Dryer |
------------------------ | ||||||
Alice HEAP | Head | W | Female | 64 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Annuitant |
Ann HEAP | Daur | U | Female | 32 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Annuitant |
Elizabeth HEAP | Daur | U | Female | 24 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | Annuitant |
Margaret A. HEAP | Grd Daur | Female | 3 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
----------------------- | ||||||
James GRIME | Head | M | Male | 28 | Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England | Manager Print Works |
Jane Ann GRIME | Wife | M | Female | 27 | Church, Lancashire, England | |
John Fister GRIME | Son | Male | 2 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Alice FISTER | Visitor | W | Female | 64 | Oakenshaw, Lancashire, England | No Occupation |
E.A. KERR | Visitor | U | Female | 26 | Glasgow, Scotland | Confectioner |
William GRIME | Son | Male | 1 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
----------------------- | ||||||
Job HOLLAND | Head | M | Male | 26 | Radcliffe, Lancashire, England | Cloth And Yarn Agent |
Sarah E. HOLLAND | Wife | M | Female | 24 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | |
Annie HOLLAND | Daur | Female | 1 | Tottington, Lancashire, England | ||
Mary HUTTON | Serv | Female | 14 | Skelmersdale | General Servant |
(The Roberts have taken over the house from the Rothwell family who were the surviving partners of the Tickle family)
This is 16 households. Brookhouse proper will have consisted of 3 households. Probably the Grimes, Holland and Heaps.The other 13 will have been split between the Farm - although there does not appear to be a farmer in the list and the remainder of the cottages. The farm was probably split into cottages anyway. Research to continue!!
I've worked on this house a few times. And been in the cellar! It's now two houses.
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