History of Oakwood Clock - Part 1 (Leeds Market 1904 - 1912)
Introduction:
I had read a few histories of Oakwood Clock and all of them had moved very quickly past what I thought were some potentially interesting years – the early years spent by the clock in Leeds Market (between 1904 and 1912.) With that in mind I set out to look at the early history of Oakwood Clock. What started as a brief exercise to ‘fill in the gaps’ quickly became a series of discoveries about the clock over it’s entire history which has left me with a document greatly increased in size and scope!
I have now divided my writing into three parts. The first part looks at the Kirkgate Market years and how the clock came to be. (If you are interested in the history of Kirkgate Market then the 1992 book ‘Kirkgate Market: An Illustrated History’ by Steven Burt & Kevin Grady is highly recommended.)
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| The clock that would later stand at Oakwood is seen here in an early view of the interior of The New Leeds Market Hall |
A New Market Hall?
The whole of the 19th century was a period of improvement in Leeds with many impressive buildings constructed but it is perhaps the status as a City that Leeds gained in 1893 that really accelerated the pace of change. Initially the idea of improving Leeds had been about making necessary alterations such as widening narrow roads and removing run-down or derelict buildings but by the close of the 19th century a new type of Leeds improvement was taking place with developments such as the remodelling of City Square and adjacent areas being shaped by emerging civic pride and perhaps even a sense of competition with other towns and cities. With the rapid pace of change it wasn’t long before the idea of a landmark ‘New Market Hall’ was proposed for Leeds. By building a large and tasteful structure it was hoped to inspire nearby developments along similar lines. Arguably a tall building fronting onto the street was also desirable for the reason that it would obscure what was behind it which in this case was other less orderly forms of commerce and densely packed dwellings in the areas behind, many of which were considered quite unsanitary places.
It has been suggested that influential figures in Leeds Corporation were very impressed by the recently completed Halifax Borough Market and were determined to build something similar in Leeds. In the interests of fairness a competition was held to design this substantial building with a prize of £150 on offer. Several designs were submitted for consideration and it was the firm of Leeming and Leeming (brothers John and Joseph) who were awarded the prize with a design that the Corporation budgeted £80,000 to build. Almost immediately there were complaints that it was an unfair or even rigged contest. The Leeming brothers were the architects of the new market in Halifax that was said to have so impressed members of the council and there were doubts raised that such a large and ornate building as the one the Leeming brothers had proposed could even be built on time and within the allocated budget but everything proceeded in favour of this ambitious design.
Design of the Clock
The clock at the centre of the market was one of a number of extra items designed by Leeming and Leeming for the interior of the New Market Hall on which they were paid a per-item commission (as revealed by later investigations into the project and it’s costs – see Leeds Mercury 7th June 1907) I have read that much of the design work in the practice of Leeming and Leeming was done by chief assistant Richard Fielding Farrar - It may therefore be his hand that first sketched the interior of the market with the distinctive clock in the middle.
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| The original design of the New Market Hall showing the clock. |
It seems that the design of the market hall and clock changed over time as this early illustration shows stalls that sit lower to the ground. We also see activity at shops on the balcony – an idea that was later scrapped. In this image the clock appears a little shorter but still sits on top of an octagonal stall which seems narrower than the finished design giving everything a rounder appearance. Elements like the dome and the winged creatures flanking it can still be seen at this early stage and it is very recognisable as what it would become after further refinements.
In it’s final form the clock tower was designed as a decorative cast iron structure 34 feet in height with four identical sides. The tower ranges from 4 to 5 feet in width. Although quite plain in the lower part the upper section has ornate raised designs around each clock face and there is a cupola at the top flanked by four winged unicorns (sometimes referred to as ‘alicorns’ or ‘pegacorns’) which nicely link with mythical creatures found elsewhere in the Market Hall in brackets supporting the upper galleries which feature ‘wyverns’ (winged dragon-like beasts with two limbs.) A gilded owl to represent Leeds is perched on top. Clocks at the centre of market places are a long established tradition but this design set out to do something different and slightly more flamboyant in keeping with what was by now part market hall and part 'palace of commerce!'
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| Brackets featuring Wyverns - (via https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/leeds/4.html) |
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| Winged Unicorns flank the cupola. |
The price paid for the clock was £176 10s and the firm of Potts and Sons who supplied timepieces for many important buildings in Leeds, were engaged to provide it. The clock was to have a bell that rang on the hour and a further £26 was to be spent on adding an electric alarm that would be rung to signal the closing of the market (both 30 minutes before and at closing time.) A compact spring driven movement in brass was chosen to provide power. The engineers responsible for construction of the elaborate iron, steel and glass structure of the market hall were J. Bagshaw & Sons – it was an enormous undertaking with it’s gigantic columns supporting a huge roof with a spoked octagonal central section shaped something like an open parasol. I am not sure if Bagshaw’s also made the clock tower but I would welcome any information on that point.
Installation of the Clock
Construction of the New Market Hall took more than two years and, as with any large building project, there were unexpected problems. When the foundations were dug a seam of coal was uncovered around 18 inches thick that required digging out to prevent the risk of subsidence. The large support columns for the market hall were in place as early as 1902, along with enough of the structure that people could see it’s general size and shape but the work had to be done at a steady pace as it was unsafe add several tons of stone too quickly without letting the ground settle.
During construction it was suggested by some people locally that part of the structure had to be taken down and put up again as it had been incorrectly built but this was quickly denied in the local press!
We can be certain the clock is in place but not absolutely complete by Thursday 26th May 1904 as it is described in a report in the Yorkshire Evening Post as having been “covered with a white shroud” until "a week or so before the official opening" when it would be completed and set in motion for the first time. The shroud was necessary to protect features such as the gilded owl on top of the dome.
Starting of the Clock
Eventually the New Market Hall was complete and a grand opening event was planned. Gerald Balfour (MP for Leeds) was to open the hall at 12 noon on the 1st July 1904. Visiting dignitaries were scheduled to tour through the city and arrive at the market hall just before noon when (..in a gesture that would make even Willy Wonka blush...) a gold key would be produced and, after a few words were said, with great ceremony it would be used used to open the gates of the market. After further speeches the clock would be set in motion which would declare the market officially open for business.
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| Long ladders and scaffolding are visible in this view of the New Market Hall. |
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New Market Hall – was it a success?
Initially things looked promising for the New Market Hall and it was estimated that it would bring in an income of £8,000 per year. However after just one month traders in the New Market Hall began to complain that they couldn’t make money. The first and most obvious problem was the significantly increased rents charged in the new hall. Another issue was the ‘hawkers’ who hung around outside and, without any overheads, could charge less for similar goods. There were also complaints that items like fruit and flowers were sold to the public by the nearby wholesale traders at reduced prices. Several shops on the outside of the market hall stood empty, unable to be let.
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| 'To Let' signs are visible in shops on the outside of the Market Hall |
The traders in the New Market Hall (who were mostly traders who had been very successful under their old arrangements) were so unhappy that they demanded a 50% reduction in rent and were eventually given a 33 1/3% reduction. Even with the costs slashed they complained bitterly that it wasn’t working for them and the market hall was a failed experiment or a ‘white elephant.’ A number of traders left the New Market Hall adding to the impression of empty, unused space. Some traders in the market viewed the expense of the market hall and it’s subsequent lukewarm reception as an example of the council spending money extravagantly and expecting someone else to foot the bill and they wrote letters complaining to the local papers.
Death of William Baskerville:
On Friday the 6th of January 1905 a man called William Baskerville (52) a clock winder who had been employed by the firm of Potts and Sons for around 25 years, went into the clock tower in the New Market Hall to wind it as was his routine. Baskerville told friends he especially disliked working in the market clock as he’d received shocks in the confined space which he blamed on the electric timekeeping bell.
When Baskerville went inside the clock tower that day it was no different to many previous trips. He entered through a door in the base and climbed up through a trapdoor which he closed behind him allowing room to work. What exactly happened next is uncertain. Witnesses nearby heard a strange groaning coming from the clock tower. A fruiterer called Albert Brown ran to try and help Baskerville. Opening the trapdoor upwards was difficult the unfortunate man was slumped across it but Brown managed to reach in to try and move him - receiving a shock when his hand came in contact with clock weights that were resting on him. The next person who came to help was also shocked when touching Baskerville but eventually he was removed from the tower and found to be dead.
At the inquest it was found that various parts of the clock could become live with 200 volt electricity due to the construction of the switching mechanism for the bell but it was judged that Baskerville may have been especially at risk due to heart disease. The electric alarm was removed after this incident.
Another Entrance for the Market:
Over time the fortunes of the traders in the New Market Hall did little to improve and pressure mounted on the council to take action. Slowly the occupancy increased but there were still issues with hawkers and customers who chose to bypass the New Market Hall and deal with other adjacent traders or wholesalers. The New Market Hall was badly in need of footfall. A scheme came to be proposed and championed by councillors Eagle and Firth where a new central entrance would be added from Vicar Lane. This would involve removing the large central stall and tower plus the rearrangement of the stalls. The scheme was agreed by the Markets Committee at the end of 1911. The clock would soon be looking for a new home...
To be continued….
In part two I will describe how the clock came to be removed from the market and given to Roundhay. I will cover two alternative schemes that could have seen the clock placed elsewhere. I will look at evidence surrounding a story about a man called William Paley who it has been suggested died when he fell from the clock while it was being removed from the market. I will look at the construction of the Clock and Shelter in Roundhay and how it was received locally and describe a small gathering that was held in celebration (seemingly in lieu of an official opening ceremony!)
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