Stanley Grange

Stanley Grange was a brick manor house located on Roach Road,   just before its junction with Quaker Brook Lane, Hoghton. Officially, it is actually part of Samlesbury not Hoghton, but has always seemed part of the village to me.

I had family connections to this lovely house.

My Great Great Grandfather Ralph Miller Crook, had six brothers and two sisters : Nancy, Thomas, Jane, James, Alexander, John, William and Eli.

All were born at Brimmicroft Farm, Bolton Road, Riley Green, Hoghton. Members of the family  later building Horrobin Farm, Riley Green, Hoghton. Their father, Thomas, was a coal merchant and founder of the boatyard at Riley Green. He imported coal from the Wigan coalfields and supplied the coal for domestic purposes to the houses of Blackburn and, of courses,  the mills.

John (born 1833 and the sixth child) was probably the most successful having taken over the Spring Vale Brewery, Darwen, from his brother William in 1870.

The brewery was located in Over Darwen, the southern tip of the town, on Grimshaw Street between Bolton Road (A666) on one side and the Spring Vale railway station on the other. The brewery was conveniently located alongside the river Darwen and John also used the water from the Pilgrims' Spring. Apparently, William was the founder of the brewery but we find he died quite young.

Spring Vale Brewery, Darwen, if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can just see

J Crook & Son on the tower.

The OS 1:2500 (25-inch) first edition surveyed 1884-92 (published 1891-1894)

Modern map - same area

Upon marriage John Miller Crook moved to Blackburn. His two children Thomas and Ann were born there. With his son Thomas, (educated at Clitheroe Grammar)John operated both the brewery and the coal business. He was a very shrewd business man and gradually accumulated ownership of many pubs in an around Blackburn, Hoghton and Brinscall. These included, The Royal Oak, Duke of York and Bay Horse at Whittle-le-Woods; the Black Bull, Oak Tree Inn and Cricketers Arms at Brinscall; The Hesketh Arms, Prince of Wales and Hen & Chickens at Preston; The Park Hotel at Feniscowles; the Castle Hotel in Gregson Lane; The Railway Inn at Bamber Bridge; The Victoria at Lostock Hall and The Red Lion at Longton.
In 1888, John decided to retire and moved from Blackburn to Stanley Grange -purchasing it from the original builder, Richard Shaw, for £5600. John extended and altered Stanley Grange, however his retirement was shortlived - he died in 1891.

In the March quarter of 1891 Thomas Miller-Crook, 31,  married Alice Wood Barker aged 28 years. She was from Beeston, near Nottingham (hence Beeston Villas nearby on Quaker Brook Lane).

Thomas, his wife Alice (possibly Eli, Thomas' brother given the facial resemblance) For more on Eli see post Crook and Thompson.

He continued to run his father's businesses for nearly ten years.

In 1900 he sold the business to Messrs Allsopp, brewers from Burton for £325,000.  In 1901 they resold it to Alfred Nuttall & Co of Lion Brewery, Blackburn, who now of course trade as Matthew Brown. 

He retired from society and dedicated himself to growing orchids at Stanley Grange and breeding shorthorn cattle, winning first prizes at the Royal Agricultural Society Exhibition, The Great Yorkshire and Royal Lancashire and other provincial shows.   A lake was created in the grounds and further extensions made to the house.  He also had model railways in the gardens. 

Their three children, Kate Edna (Kitty b.1893), John Eric Barker Crook (b. 1894) and Alice Leonarda (Betty b.1901) 

Jenny Whybrow (granddaughter of Alice Leonarda) ,has very kindly supplied all family photos for this post.

Thomas and family worshipped at St Leonard the Less Church, Potter Lane, Samlesbury. They made significant donations to the restoration of this church. 

Thomas, Alice and their son John Eric (Jack)

In 1899, Thomas Miller Crook bore the cost of a bell tower and installation of a peel of eight bells with a clock. His wife laid the corner stone of the church bell tower. He also had the porches added. In a separate post (St Leonard the Less) you can see photos of the interior. 

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Thomas Miller Crook aged 45 years, died from a stroke, on the 8^th March 1905. His little son John (Jack) had died three years previously. Alice had a memorial window to her son put in the church.

After Thomas' death, Alice Wood Crook continued to  occupy Stanley Grange for the next 22 years. 

Her two daughters, Kate Edna (Kitty) and Alice Leonarda (known as Betty) married two brothers named Iddon from Leyland, (their company became Iddon Bros, rubber processing, in Leyland)  Kitty married Harold Iddon and Betty, his brother, Leslie.

Alice Wood Crook

Alice Wood Crook's sister, Catherine Hodson, moved from Everton to live at Many Brooks, Gregson Lane, Higher Walton, Preston. Catherine's  husband James Hodson, was a cycle manufacturer and electrical contractor, but after moving to Gregson Lane, he established a local motorbus service – firstly horsedrawn! This eventually grew into the countywide ‘Ribble Bus Company Ltd’. (See separate post about Ribble Bus Company).

Above, Is this the pavillion at Stanley Gran&ge or a trip to Blackpool?

Group below at Stanley Grange, showing Alice Crook and her children, (John Eric or Jack, as he was known, had not yet been born) with  friends (and relatives perhaps?)

The photo above shows some of the workers at Stanley Grange.  There are no names with this photo but perhaps someone will recognise an ancestor?

Kitty sitting in the ballroom

Sometime after Thomas' death, a George E Baxter began courting the eldest daughter Kitty.  He was the only son of Dublin-born James E Baxter, chairman of the firm J.E. Baxter, Rubber Merchants, of Leyland and Manchester.

Apparently realising that Kitty’s mother was an extremely wealthy widow, he abandoned Kitty, switching his affections to her mother. Despite being many years younger, George Baxter married Alice Crook in 1910 – George being 23 years old and Alice 49.

The marriage only lasted five years – but during this time George had persuaded his wife to invest a large portion of her capital into the business of his parents, J.E. Baxter, Leyland. (later the Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Co ltd). The marriage ended with the death of George, aged 28 years.  A report at the time stated that his body was found on a beach at Southport, in circumstances that were described as 'unusual'!

Kitty and Betty

(Note the greenhouse to the right behind them where their father Thomas grew his orchids!) He also bred shorthorn highland cattle.

Alice Leonarda (Betty)

In the village, Stanley Grange was known for it's garden parties. Kitty, the elder daughter,  was very much involved with raising money for the WWI soldiers and veterans. Indeed, Thomas Miller-Crook is thought to have been one of the earliest owners of a motor car in the area, both his daughters  had drving licences from a very young age.

Photo circa 1905

Large white on the left,  car occupants unidentified apart from Mrs Barker on the right (Thomas Miller-Crook’s mother-in-law).

Second car B361, left to right, unknown person standing, Alice Barker Miller Crook, Alice Leonarda, (Betty), James Hodson (Alice’s brother-in-law),.

Third Car B1184, Kate Edna (Kitty) at the wheel, unknown, unknown, Thomas Miller-Crook, Kate Hodgson, (Thomas’ sister-in-law).

Motor trials were held in the surrounding fields in 1907.

Alice Leonarda and Leslie Iddon

Front car driven by Leslie Iddon

Kitty and Harold Iddon had no children, as she died on the 12^th March 1927, aged only 34 years. (Harold later remarried and became the father of twins). His children carried on the family business Iddon Brothers Ltd, Leyland. Their grandfather, James Iddon, had been the chief engineer at the Leyland Rubber Company before establishing his business, Iddon Bros, in 1888.

In 1937, Alice Baxter, now 76 years of age, decided to leave Stanley Grange and move to smaller premises.  

Betty (Alice Leonarda) married Leslie Iddon, they had a son, John Kenneth, and  a daughter, Margaret Lesley who passed away in 2016. Her daughter, Jenny Whybrow has very kindly supplied all family photos for this post.

Betty died on the 21^st June 1971. Aged 70 years.

All the family are buried in the family vault at St Leonard the Less Anglican Church, Samlesbury.

A thank you to the churchwarden, Paul Daunton, and especially  Mrs Glen Clayton for pointing out all the interesting historical items in this fascinating church and of course the items concerning the Miller-Crook family.

A new chapter for Stanley Grange began in 1937.

The house was leased to Lancashire County Council to be used as the headquarters of a Police Training School.

A number of large huts were erected in the grounds for the new recruits, to be used as dormitories and classrooms.  It served this purpose for the next 39 years.

Here are a few memories by  courtesy of Mr Philip Walsh who was a cadet in 1969/1970, on a ten month residential course, at Stanley Grange.

2019 marks the year the ex cadets from the third residential course are holding a 50th Anniversary reunion dinner.

A visit to Stanley Grange is also planned for the end of September, 50 years to the day since they first walked through the gates as young 16 year olds for the 10 month course! 

Mr Walsh seen here with the white lanyard

He reminisces : 

"Stanley Grange was used as a Police Cadet Training School from 1967. Prior to that it was used for Police Training until they moved to Hutton Hall. Police Cadet Training at Stanley Grange lasted 7 years I think, when they also moved to Hutton Hall. 

My course was the 3rd Residential Course. Each one of these lasted 10 months. 

They were for all male cadets. Female cadets who were already in divisions came on a short three week course in the summer.

There were 90 cadets on each residential course and we were all housed in Army billets. We were in houses - Brindle, Cuerdale, Hoghton and Withnell. Two billets per house although four from Cuerdale lived in the first house on Roach Road. There were 6 houses as there probably are today. The other five were occupied by Police Instructors who were either Sergeants or Constables.

The first two houses on Quaker Brook Lane were for the Senior Officers.

Supt Norman Chappell (Commandant) and Chief Inspector Les Ecclersley (Deputy Commandant).

I went to Norman Chappell’s funeral in Derby in May 2019.

The course consisted of 50% Academic Studies and 50% Adventure Training / PE / Sport etc.

Cadet Rugby Team 1969/70

I loved every minute of it, especially the fell walking which I still do. Last year in June and July I walked round the entire boundary of the County Palatine of Lancashire - all 432 miles of it. Never been done before, so I created a new walk. I have yet to publish it! 

This year, out of the 90 cadets who started the course, given that one or two left but were replaced part way through the course, we have managed to trace 67 and 11 have sadly passed away.  Unfortunately due to boundary changes in 1974 about two thirds went to other forces so in sine cases it not been easy to trace so many. Also some left the job for various reasons. 

From what I remember, the large room on the right facing the front was the library and the one on the left was the office.

Just after I was appointed Constable in November 1971, I spent a month at Stanley Grange on what was known as “Waiting Man’s Duties”. Sometimes newly appointed constables had to wait for a place at Bruche (the District Training School). I went to Bruche in Jan 1972.

The “Waiting Man’s Duties” at Stanley Grange consisted of manning the switchboard in the office (the old cord and plug type) topping up the boilers with coal and being night watchman. 

Stanley Grange had quite a large staff. As well as the Police Instructors, (7 in total) there were 5 civilian instructors on the academic side. There were also office and catering staff, a joiner, gardener and a PC Night Watchman. Many of the catering staff were wives of instructors. Some lived in the village and others in other villages. 

It was a good life for the domestic staff who used to get picked up from home and took back by car. I could go on.  

Such happy memories….To think we got paid for being on the course as well! I think my first pay cheque at the end of October 1969 was £23. The gross was more but board was taken out first." 

Drill training

Bolton Cadet's Passing Out

Many thanks Philip for sharing these memories. 

Mr Kevin Fowler has produced two paintings of Stanley Grange. They were presented to the organisers of the event at their 50th reunion. 

He is a very talented artist with his own website : 
www.kevpaints.com. 

He has given me permission to share this painting on my website.