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Past Members
Thomas Marsden Was an amateur taxidermist his home was lined with cases of stuffed birds. In June 1879 he gave what was reputed to be the largest collection of bird eggs in the North of England on permanent loan to the society. Their value at the time was estimated to be worth £60-£80. Thomas was elected Vice-President in 1879. When he died at the age of 59 he left ten children, one of them William Marsden established Marsden's Steam Laundry in 1890. William was treasurer of the Bacup Nat for 23 years, and was the oldest member of the Nat when he died aged 78 on 2nd September 1933.
George Scott A self taught Geologist who was a native of the Yorkshire dales. George was the manager of the lead mine at Holmes Chapel and Cliviger, discovering many rare coal-measure fossil. The rarest of which was named Cyclus Scotch and which ended up in the British Museum. His daughter Maggie became a well known Bacup swimmer. George died at the age of 61 on 20th November 1904.
Former President Ben Ashworth
Former Photograph Librarian Harry O'Neil
Bacup Natural History about 1920
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Bacup Natural History Society Lecture Syllabus 2006-2007 Click to enlarge
Homes of the Nat Bacup Natural History Museum was formed in 1878, the initial meeting rooms of what was locally known as the "Bug Club" due to it's insect collection, was at Willow Cottage 6 Rochdale Road, a dark and dingy two roomed cottage.
Past and present homes of the Bacup Natural History Society Willow Cottage, 6 St James Square, Hare and Hound
During the 1880s the club was open from 7 to 10pm on weekdays and from 2 till 11pm on Saturdays. From 1889 until 1936 the Nat was based at 6 St James Square, moving from that location in 1937 to the Sunday School of Zion Baptist Chapel. In 1947 the Nat decided to rent the former Hare and Hounds public house at 24 Yorkshire Street. In 1951 the Nat bought the premises for a sum of £370.
A Few Past Members
The first Committee Mr Thomas Aitken J.P First President, Mr Henry Halstead Vice President, Mr James Holmes Secretary, with Messrs J.P. Holmes, Robert Smith, Joseph Flack, Henry Kerr.
James Holmes Was born in Hebden Bridge in 1861 and moved to Bacup six years later with his father Joseph Holmes, born in Whitehaven. James was a keen rambler and naturalist and on 1st February 1878 he gave his first lecture, this was to form the beginning of the Bacup Nat. The lecture was delivered to the South Street Baptist Mutual Improvement Society.
First Nat President Henry Halstead
Henry Halstead Became the first president of the Nat pictured above, he led a ramble to Greens Clough at the end of May 1878, starting at the Bulls Head at 2pm. A working stonemason by profession Henry Halstead was a tall sparsely built man characterised by his long white beard. A keen naturalist with an absorbing passion for botany he managed to christen no fewer than 72 species of plants in the area of Easden Clough when he led a ramble there averaging a walking speed of 5 miles an hour, busily naming and observing the various habitats of ferns and mosses. He was credit with the discovery of a new fern, the BLECHNUM HALSTEAD. Henry died on the 29th April 1892 aged 70.
Gordon Taylor Associated with the Nat for many years, Gordon was treasurer for almost 20 years. As well as making many of the display cases used in the Nat he oversaw the roofing over of the courtyard between the back of the premises and the centenary room. He spent many years researching Bacup's history it's mills and its people. Many articles of which are used in the pages of this website. Gordon died on 13th October 1992, his ashes were buried in Newgate gardens and a cherry tree was planted in his memory.
Arthur Shelton When Arthur died on 4th July 2002 he was the longest serving curator of the Nat museum, holding office from 1972 until 1995. Arthur spent many hours cataloguing the many exhibits.
Some other well known names connected with the Nat are: James Henry Hargreaves, Edmund Pilling, Harry A Howard, John Davies, Ben Ashworth, Harry O'Neil.
The Present Admission to the museum is FREE and is home to many collections of Domestic, Industrial, Religious, and Military Artefacts. There is a large collection of The Bacup Times newspaper from 1863 which is very useful for anyone researching ancestors who lived in Bacup. All the papers contain Birth, Death and Marriage announcements and although it can be tiresome searching through the various newspapers its very worthwhile in the end when you turn up your Great-Grandfathers wedding announcement. There's also a large collection of Books, Photographs and Maps of Bacup and the surrounding area which are available to help you in your research. If you can't find what you are looking for in the various collections then there is always a member available that is sure to either have or know of someone who will have the information that you are looking for. The most important things is the museum is run by a group of men and women volunteers who give up their spare time to keep the museum running. During the Winter season from October to March there are FREE Illustrated Lectures in the Society's Lecture Room held roughly every fortnight and just like at any other time you can be sure you will be made to feel welcome. Groups can visit the museum any day or evening by appointment, to arrange please contact a Nat Official or email for further information.
Bacup Natural History Society Officials 2005-2006 President Mr A Barcroft
General Secretary
Mr Ken F. Bowden
Bacup Camera Club John Cook was one, if not thee, founding member of Bacup Camera Club, the son of Charles and Candace Cook he was born in Debenham Suffolk on 16th November 1873. Charles and Candace moved to Bacup around 1874 and lived at Lane Ends Farm cottages. John began work as a Weaver and in the years prior to his death had been employed firstly at Joshua Hoyles Freeholds Mill Shawforth, and then as Manager at Meadows Mill. John was of a quiet and studious nature and attended the night classes held at the Mechanics Institute in Bacup, where for two years running 1892 and 1893 he won the Greenwood Scholarship award a prize totalling £5.00. John’s love of photography began in 1890 when at just 17 he began taking photographs of Bacup and it’s surroundings one of his first photographs being.
Bacup Centre 1902 John was responsible for taking many of the photographs used since 1937 for the “Owd Bacup” slideshows such as: Old Boston Bridge, Bridge Street, Maden Memorial, Union Street, Market Street, Old Bulls Head, Bacup Coat Of Arms, Broadclough, Broadclough Plantation, Meadows Farm, and Tong Lane to name but a few.
Im March 1920 a meeting was held at the Natural History rooms in connection with forming a Camera Club, During the evening about 100 lantern slides were shown. The Camera Club was officially opened on May 18th 1920 by Councillor Baron, and was known as Bacup Naturalist Camera Club.
John was very much involved in the making of Lantern Slides, and in February 1925 gave a lecture and demonstration to the then members of the Camera Club on the entire process of making Lantern slides. Beginning with a short outline of the theoretical work and then going on to demonstrate the practical side of the process, which included putting the negative in the slide to the exposure of the plate and development of the same. The entire process being rounded of by masking, spotting and final binding of the slide.
Officials and Members of the camera club for March 1920 are shown in the Camera Clubs minutes as being. Camera Club Officials 1920 Mr Horrocks Chairman G. H. Stott Secretary 306 Moorcroft View Shawforth. J Sanderson Treasurer 30 St James Street Bacup. James Cartwright 15 Hope Terrace Newline Bacup. Committee: Mr J.H.Lord 6 Rose Bank Street Bacup. J Sanderson 30 St James Street Bacup. J Horrocks 1 Waterside Terrace Bacup. M Taylor 128 Rochdale Road Bacup. S Taylor 3 Vale Street Bacup H Thornley 13 Regent Street Bacup. J Cook 3 Shepherd Street Bacup. W.H.Bentley 9 Whitehead Street Bacup.
Other Members of Camera Club: W Heyworth 16 Croft Street Bacup. J Bradley 104 Rochdale Road Bacup. W Foster 3 Fern Street Bacup. J Ormerod 2 Hill Street Bacup. J Hargreaves Orchard Villas. J Woodhouse 1 Bridge Street. J Taylor 3 Hempsteads. J. W. Law 21 Union Street Bacup. J .W. Haworth 15 Fountain Street Whitwewellbottom Walter Foulds Holmes Villas Bacup. E. H. Kinsella Daisy Bank Bacup. H Scott Todmorden Road.
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Past Members
Henry Kerr For many years Mr Kerr was editor of the Bacup and Rossendale News, and during his lifetime in Bacup contributed many articles on bird life to the Newcastle Chronicle, The Manchester Guardian, and other newspapers. Mr Kerr was a native of Dumfries, Scotland. At one time he had a fine collection of bird eggs, on which subject and bird life generally he was a acknowledged expert. Several years before his death the whole of his time was devoted to writing and stud of this kind of subject. Henry's first lecture took place in March of 1878 when he gave a lecture on A visit to the sea birds of Walney Island. Henry died in April 1895.
Dr Worrall
Dr Joseph H Worrall Dr Joseph Hardman Worrall was the best loved patron and Vice-President of the society. Dr Worrall initiated a scheme whereby potential owners of a microscope could each pay 1/- per week and when £5 had been contributed a ballot took place as to who should be the owner of the microscope, so enabling the working man who would not normally have been able to afford the £5 to have his own microscope. Dr Worrall died on 18th January 1889.
President & Mrs James Hargreaves
Bacup Naturalist Camera Club Ramble 1914 Back: Left to Right William Marsden, James Horrocks, Henry Buckley Front Left to Right ?, Heyworth, John Rawson, Suthers, Walter Hargreaves, James Hargreaves.
Bacup Natural History Ramble about 1927
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