Grange Farm, off Stockport Rd, Denton
Grange Farm was occupied by tenant farmers, the landowners during the 19th and early 20th centuries being the Hulton, Fletcher and Corrie families,
the first two being the proprietors of the adjacent Denton Colliery (Ellis Pit) near Burton Nook on Stockport Rd.
Grange Farm, 1909.
An early 19th century tenant of the farm was James Lever who is recorded on the censuses for 1841 (spelt ‘Leaver’), 1861 and 1861. He was born at Farnworth near Bolton in 1786/87 and he died at Denton in 1867, aged 80 years. Following his death his widow, Martha Lever née Seddon, became the tenant but she died at Denton in 1873, aged 80 years. Their son Daniel (b. at Farnworth, 1815/16) then became the tenant and this is recorded on the 1881 census. He died at Denton on the 6 Jul 1885, aged 69 years.
There is no record of the tenancy of Grange Farm on the 1891 census but there are records of two families resident at Grange Farm Cottages. One was William Taylor (52), a coal miner, and his family and the other was Joseph Daniels (35), a carter, and his family. Records of Grange Farm on the 1901 and 1911 censuses have not been found.
A later tenant of Grange Farm Cottages was the Craig family who moved there from nearby Smith St sometime between 1911 and 1915. The family consisted of Edward James Graig and his wife, Sarah Ann England née Henson with stepdaughter Elizabeth England, sons James, George, Edward, John, Joseph and Henry and nephews Thomas Henson and Leonard England.
Their son, Edward Craig, was born at Denton on the 26 Apr 1890 and he was employed as a banksman at the nearby Denton Colliery. He married Maria Marrow at St Mary’s Church, Newton, Hyde, Cheshire, in 1912 and the couple had two children, Maria (b.1912) and Sarah Ann (b.1913).
Edward enlisted in the army on the 25 Oct 1915 as 3242 (then 293974) Gunner Edward Craig of the Royal Garrison Artillery and by the time of his enlistment he had changed his civilian occupation to become a carter. After training he was posted to Salonika in northern Greece as a member of the British Salonika Force (BSF) under General George Milne. By Mar 1917 the BSF held a 90-mile front, including a key strategic position at Doiran in Macedonia. In Apr 1917 an offensive against the Bulgarians was launched with British, French, Italian, Russian and Serbian troops and the BSF attempted to capture Bulgarian positions around Doiran that became known as the Battle of Doiran. This offensive failed and static trench warfare continued until Sep 1918. Living conditions for soldiers were harsh. Winter and summer brought extremes of climate and disease, especially malaria, which caused many more casualties than fighting. It was here that Edward Craig contracted malaria. On 15 Sep 1918, Allied forces went on the offensive again and the BSF attacked at Doiran, helping French and Serbian troops to break the Bulgarian defences. Unable to stop this advance, the Bulgarian Army was forced into full retreat. On 29 Sep 1918, Bulgaria signed an armistice and fighting ceased the following day.
Edward Craig was discharged from the army on the 20 Jul 1919 and he was awarded a pension as a result of contracting malaria. On his return he moved with his wife and family to Bond St off Hyde Rd.
Three of Edward’s brothers also served in the army and they were all demobilised after the armistice in 1918. These were: 3219 (then 293954) Gunner George Craig of the Royal Garrison Artillery. 28601 Guardsman Joseph Craig of the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (served in France). 199584 Gunner Henry Craig of the Royal Garrison Artillery.
By 1939 the tenant farmer at Grange Farm was the widowed Thomas Cross and the residents of Grange Farm Cottages were the widowed Margaret Taylor (b. 24 Jan 1868) and another person whose identity is unknown.
Thomas Cross was born at Ashton-under-Lyne on the 17 Oct 1878 to James Cross (b. 21 Jul 1852 at Blackburn) and Rachel Eastwood (b. at Meltham near Huddersfield, 1842). He married Edith Mary Stock at St Michael’s Church, Ashton-under-Lyne, in 1899. The couple had two children, James (b. at Ashton-under-Lyne, 1899) and Harry (b. at Mossley, 23 Mar 1904) but James died at Ashton-under-Lyne in 1900. Edith Mary Cross, died at Ashton-under-Lyne in 1933, aged 54 years. Harry Cross married Helena Gledhill at Albion United Reformed Church, Ashton-under-Lyne, in 1928.
The 1911 census shows that Thomas Cross was not initially a farmer. At this time he was resident on Princess St, Ashton-under-Lyne, with his wife and son, employed in the cotton industry.
Subsequently, Grange Farm was demolished and Pendle Rd now stands on the site.
Albert Bakery, Tib St, off Stockport Rd, Denton
This bakery was situated in a building once associated with Albert Pit behind the Masons Arms at Three Lane Ends.
The property and land were both owned by the Fletcher/Corrie families, the Fletcher family being the owners of the nearby Denton Colliery (Ellis Pit).
Albert Bakery, 1909.
By 1930 the building was occupied by E Braithwaite & Son, bakers and confectioners. The proprietors of this company were Eric Braithwaite (father) and Cyril Braithwaite (son). The family residence was on Acre St, Denton, but after his marriage, Cyril Braithwaite moved to Stockport Rd, Bredbury.
On the 26 May 1930 the company was declared bankrupt and on the 10 May 1932 the court ordered a final payment of 5¾d in the pound. The company was finally released from bankruptcy on the 23 Jan 1934 to continue trading.
Ellis Braithwaite was born at Halifax, Yorkshire, on the 30 Sep 1874 to Robert Braithwaite (a basket maker) and Hannah Bailey who were married at All Saints Church, Otley, Yorkshire, on the 6 Jun 1840. Ellis Braithwaite married Mary Hoyle (b. at Queensbury, Yorkshire, 19 Jul 1876) at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Halifax, on the 25 Mar 1896. Their son, Arnold, was born at Huddersfield on the 29 Sep 1899 and Cyril was born at Halifax on the 7 Apr 1901.
In 1901 Ellis Braithwaite was resident on Allerton St, Halifax, with his family and sister, Lilly (24), in business as a baker with his own shop. By 1911 he had moved to Denton, Lancashire, where he was resident with his family on Heaton St, employed as the caretaker of the United Free Methodist Church on Manchester Rd.
Ellis enlisted in the army on the 2 Oct 1915 as T4/141172 Private Ellis Braithwaite of the Royal Army Service Corps. After training at Aldershot he embarked on RMS 'Connaught' at Southampton on the 1 May 1916 and disembarked at Le Havre, France, the following day to serve with the 365th Company of the Royal Army Service Corps. He was demobilised from the army in early 1919. He was awarded the Good Conduct Badge, the Victory Medal and British Medal.
It is understood that Albert Pit closed in 1886 so the former pit building would have been available for other uses after this. At some point after being demobilised from the army Ellis Braithwaite opened his bakery and confectionery business in the former Albert Pit building on Tib St, calling it the Albert Bakery and trading as E Braithwaite & Son.
Ellis Braithwaite died at Audenshaw in 1950, aged 76 years, and Cyril Braithwaite died in the Sefton North Registration District of Merseyside in 1983, aged 82 years.
