Dear Reader

History of Springfield Street
by Patricia Brass
Originally, Thornton comprised only of a
scattering of cottages amongst fields and
moorland. The centre of the village was a
group of buildings on what became known
as Main Street. As the local area became
surrounded with textile mills and quarries,
the population, building of houses and
influence of manufacturers increased. One
new street was SPRINGFIELD STREET.
In 1804 – JONAS ROBINSON a Thornton
butcher and his wife Ann, sold to THOMAS
SMITH a shopkeeper and his wife Elizabeth,
a parcel of arable meadow or pasture
ground known as SHEPLEY FIELD (later
known as Smith’s Field). On part of the land,
Thomas built the cottages on the right hand
side of SPRINGFIELD ST. The top storey of
the tall cottages had stone flag floors to
support hand looms. A hopper head on
Market Street end, shows the date 1819 and
Thomas’ initials.
Around this time (1815 – 1820) Patrick Bronte
occupied the vicarage nearby on Main St. In
1820 Thomas died, leaving his brother-inlaw
DAVID WRIGHT a worsted manufacturer
(Wright’s Mill) and HENRY HARROP as
trustees of the estate for Elizabeth and for
son RICHARD SMITH until he reached the
age of 21. Henry Harrop a manufacturer,
lived at the bottom of Ball Street facing
Thornton Road (Harrop House is opposite
Prospect Mill – once occupied by Craven
& Harrop). Elizabeth Smith later married
JAMES WHALLEY a worsted manufacturer.
Living in the new cottages and underdwellings
(messuages) during the 1820’s,
were: Jonathan Illingworth, Thomas
Clarkson, Medley Leach, Nathan Hainsworth,
Nancy Sutcliffe, John Gawthrop and Ann
Gledhill. The top storey of the tall cottages
had stone flag floors to support hand looms.
In 1844, ELI ACKROYD a Halifax butcher, and
JONAS ACKROYD a worsted manufacturer of
Thornton Road, bought the rest of the land
through a loan of £350. In 1853 when the
loan was paid off, they built 5 cottages on
the left hand side of the street and 3 shops
at the end on Main St (one became Widdops
Bakery). The field above was also part of the
deal. When Springfield Street was built, most
of the original horse trough was covered,
but the spring is still there and still runs with
water.
In 1872, tenants of the shops were Mr
Priestley, Mr Ashworth and Mr Bailey. In
the houses were William Clark, Thomas
Bates, John Waterhouse, Thomas Dobson,
and George Crowther. Most families on the
street were worsted weavers, and a few were
Quarrymen.
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