The 1881 Rushcart by Peter Fox
ALTHOUGH THE origins of photography can be traced back to the 1850s it wasn’t until the turn of the twentieth century that they were regularly featured in newspapers.
This month we have married a contemporary photograph of the 1881 Uppermill rushcart with a newspaper account from the Huddersfield Chronicle.
The photograph was taken on Oldham Road, Uppermill, with the photographer taking advantage of the raised terraces. The mill in the background is Alexander Mill while the house on the right which still stands served as the toll bar and you can see the sign with its charges – if you walk past now you can still see where it was fixed on the wall.
27/08/1881 – SADDLEWORTH WAKES
The above feast has once more come round, been enjoyed, and is now numbered with the things of the past. The weather on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, was all that could be desired, but Tuesday and Wednesday were very wet.
Owing to Ashton, Rochdale and the other wakes (the annual mill holiday) being at the same time, there were not many attractions in Uppermill (the fair was held in Uppermill Square) as in former years.
The publicans as usual were well patronised, we are glad to say that fewer cases of drunkenness were observable than in former years.
On Saturday afternoon two rushcarts, one built at Uppermill and the other at Greenfield, drawn by the youths of each place, paraded the parish, and accompanied by the usual whippers, and fifes and drums, visited the various public houses, each lot setting forth the excellences of their own cart.
There were no special (railway) trips promoted by societies as in previous years, but a large number went to the Isle of Man, Blackpool and Liverpool, on Saturday and Monday mornings. The mills recommenced running on Thursday morning.
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