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. 10
Please mention the Thornton Directory when responding to adverts 11