The street where they lived – Foredale Cottages, Horton in Ribblesdale

This is the second in my new series ‘the street where they lived’ and I am staying with the story of my nannie, Florrie Musgrove

Florrie was born on 6 January 1897 and she lived at Foredale Cottages, just outside the Yorkshire Dales village of Horton in Ribblesdale.

These quarry workers’ cottages at Foredale are a prominent feature of the landscape in this part of Ribblesdale.  The quarry the occupants worked produced limestone for the nearby lime burning industry.  The quarry was opened in 1878 and sold in 1882 to a newly formed company called the Ribblesdale Lime and Flag Quarry Co Ltd.  There was no mention of the cottages at this time but they do appear on the 1909 OS map for the area. It is likely that they were built in the 1890s and were originally a shorter row, extended at a later date.

Foredale Cottages and Quarry

I can’t be sure which of the cottages Florrie and her family occupied.  However I do have other members of the Musgrove family living in the cottages in 1891.  Two of Florries uncles, Harrison Musgrove and George Albert Musgrove together with their families are recorded there in the census.

In 1901 my 2x great grandfather, Thomas Turner (Florries grandfather) is living at No.2 and one of his daughters Ellen and her husband Robert William Thistlethwaite are living at No.9 with their two sons.

So my family have a connection with Foredale Cottages and the limestone quarry for at least ten years or more at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.

In the 21st century you will need to pay in excess of £135,000 to buy No. 2 Foredale Cottages.  And numbers 5 and 6 have been knocked through to create one 5 five bedroom property – this is currently for sale here at £215,000 – if my lottery numbers come up I might even be tempted.

The street where they lived – Whalley Road, Clitheroe

This is a photograph of 102 Whalley Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire.  It was the home of my granddad and nannie – Fred and Florrie Musgrove.  Although they lived in other houses in Clitheroe this is the only one I ever knew.

I don’t know if the photograph gives an accurate impression of size.  There are four floors – a cellar with two rooms and a door leading to the back garden; ground floor with a front parlour, living room and kitchen; first floor with two bedrooms; and second floor with a further two bedrooms.

The house always seemed to have a warm and cozy feel.  I remember my granddad sitting in his armchair next to the coal fire.  My mother recalls the front bedroom on the first floor also having a fireplace and coal fire but doesn’t think any of the other bedrooms had fireplaces.

Whenever I think of Fred and Florrie I remember them at 102 Whalley Road.  However the original address was 26 Russell Street – the name changed sometime in the 1930’s.

The house was built probably early 19th century.  The block of numbers from 90-110 are now Grade II listed buildings – they were listed in September 1976.  The listing text on the British Listed Buildings website comments briefly on number 102 – the doorway to No. 102 has plain pilasters, cornice and entablature.

Looking back at the census returns I can see who lived at 26 Russell Street:-

• 1911 – William James Heyes, a cotton weaver, his wife and six children plus two of his wife’s sisters

• 1901 – Richard Bridge, a fire beater at the paper works, his wife and their ten children

• 1891 – James Hargreaves, a block cutter in the print works, his wife and five grandchildren

• 1881 – Mary Dewhurst, working at the paper mill, and her sister Ann

• 1871 – Mary Dewhurst, working at the paper mill, and her sister Ann.  Also Thomas Hargreaves, a plasterer and slater, and his wife and son

• 1861 – Thomas Dewhurst, a machine calico printer, and his two daughters Mary and Ann

• 1851 – Thomas Dewhurst, a machine printer, five children, three grandchildren and a son-in-law

These houses are now probably close on 200 years old and will no doubt be standing for many more years.

The street where they lived

I am starting what I hope will become a regular blog theme – The Street Where They Lived.  I have collected loads of information from census returns about the places where my ancestors lived.  Sometimes I have the house number and street name and sometimes just the street name.  Often in rural locations there is just the name of the hamlet or village.

I have a few old photographs in my own personal collection which I can post.  And by using Street View I can see images of the locations as they are today.  I will try to do some research about the street, hamlet or area and include this. in the post.

Look out for the first post coming soon.  I hope you will enjoy reading this new theme and thanks for your continuing support.