Halifax, The Orphanage 1893
Photo ref: 33210
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Photo ref: 33210
Photo of Halifax, The Orphanage 1893

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The Crossley family, Halifax carpet manufacturers, contributed £56,000 to build and establish this orphanage for between 200 and 300 youngsters from right across the county. It was designed by local architect John Hogg, and was built in 1864. Three years later a Manchester yarn merchant, Thomas Porter, offered an endowment fund of £50,000 to facilitate feeding and educating the children. Boys stayed here until aged 15, girls until the age of 17. The orphanage closed in 1909 to become a secondary school, which merged in 1985 with Heath School.

An extract from West Yorkshire Photographic Memories.

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West Yorkshire Photographic Memories

West Yorkshire Photographic Memories

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A Selection of Memories from Halifax

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Halifax

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I was born on a not very pleasant day in February 1954! We lived in the Dunkirk area of the West End below the factory/mill on Dunkirk Lane. We had "The Green" to play on, Warley Road, and then the "Top Park" further up when we were a little older. We all walked down to St. Marys Infant and Junior schools by St. Marys Catholic Church, my older sister and her friend making sure we went into school and then taking us home again. ...see more
Joyce Sutcliffe lived in Halifax and worked at Simpsons around 1941. She was called up to the Royal Army Signals in 1942 aged 21. Also Robert Bell worked there and went into the Navy. Other people were Frank Southwell, Owen Southwell, Grace Priestly,Ronniie Gethin. If you know of these people I would love to hear from you. Thank you.
In the late 1950
We always met outside the Halifax Building Society Head Office on Commercial Street and we would say "meet you outside the bank".