Rochdale Fire Brigade [leisure trust, arts heritage, sports centres, fitness health, rochdale, link4life, entertainment, Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust, museum, middleton arena, gallery, touchstones, local studies, central, bowlee, springhill, marland, heywood, littleborough,]
First Fire Station and Commissioner's Rooms (c.1890)
John Eccles, Chief Fire Brigade Engineer (1838 - 77) (c.1845)
Alfred St Fire Station, interior with men and appliances. (c.1910)
Demo of Robert's Smoke Helmet at Alfred St Fire Station (c.1890)
Old Fire Station 'bays,' at the back of the Town Hall (c.1980)
Turner Brothers Works Fire Brigade (1920)
Fire Station, Alfred St - front of station & doors (c.1900)
Fire Brigade, men and machine, Town Meadows, Rochdale (1930)
Firemen & Steam fire engine in yard of Alfred St Fire Station (1901)
Fire station, Maclure Road, Drill Yard & Hose Tower (1933)
AFS at Norden. WW2
AFS Drill at Rainshore Lodge, Norden. WW2
AFS, Balderstone. WW2
Opening of Maclure Rd Fire Station (May 1933) Front of station.
Rochdale Fire Brigade was inaugurated on 5th July 1826 by the Rochdale Police Commissioners, when they ordered that: “….the rules and regulations for the management of the Fire Engine and Firemen be, and hereby are, adopted by this meeting and hereafter acted upon.”
The Brigade’s first engineer was Francis Wynn. His tasks included the care and maintenance of the engines. He was also empowered to discharge any firemen who were intoxicated when on duty, or who simply disobeyed his orders. The Fire Brigade at that time also had two Conductors and twenty ‘Police Firemen,’ who were employed to work the manual engines. Later on the Police Firemen were to be known as ‘Fire-bobbies.’
The first, main, Fire House was situated at the rear of the Workhouse in Rope Street. Francis Wynn, the engineer, kept the keys. He lived next door to the Mount Pleasant Tavern on Whitehall Street. He also kept the Robert’s Safety Hood, which belonged to the Police. There was a second, smaller engine house on School Lane. The keys to this engine house were kept at “the corner house, up the steps over the smithy.”
Two new fire engines were purchased from Walker & Co. of Bury in February 1835. They cost a total of £253 12s 6d, but were found, on being tested, to be too heavy to work properly, and were re-sold.
A bill of sale for the two engines gives the following details:
Bury. February 1835
The Committee of the Rochdale Police
To Rd Walker & Brother D.
2 Fire Engines as per Contract – 220. 0. 0
8 pairs of Joints for Suction Pipes. Fitted up 18/- 7. 4. 0
22 pairs of ditto for Hose. Do. Do.16/- 17.12. 0
2 Copper ends for Suction Pipes 2/- 14. 0
2 extra Copper Jet Pipes 35 2/6 4. 7. 6
4 Joints for ditto fitted up - 5/- 1. 0. 0
11 extra Jets, turned & chased - 2. 15. 0
One half to be paid for by the Commissioners 126. 16. 3
& one half by Subscription 126 16 3
253. 12. 6
1836 Feb 13th received £126.16. 3 for Mr Chadwick
James Chadwick.
Plea for Payment
The firemen who had tested the engines obviously felt that they were entitled to some remuneration for their time and effort, and on 2nd December 1835 they submitted the following letter to the Police Commissioners:
To the Commissioners of Police.
Gentm,
We wish to inform you that the following number of Firemen are in want of wages for Trying the new
Engines some time ago, and shall feel Obliged if you will Command that we be Settled with –
15 men One Day at 3/- per Day £2 5s 0d
5 men at 3/- p Day 7s 6d
£2 12s 6d
Yours respectfully,
THE FIREMEN
Rochdale MBC Decr. 2nd 1835
Alderman Abraham Brierley replied for the Commissioners:
1835. Decr. 23rd
At a Meeting of the fire Engine Committee held this day at the Woolpack Inn, it is ordered that the firemen are entitled to one half the above amount viz £1 6s 3d and recommend the same to be paid.
Abm. Brierley
Jany. 30th 1836 By Cash 1.6.3
Richard Ashworth
A New Fire Station and Engineer
Francis Wynn’s successor as Engineer was Samuel Taylor, and he was succeeded by John Eccles in 1838. John Eccles was an engineer by trade and he built two new manual fire engines (Niagra and Extinguisher). Around 20 years later (in 1859) he built another engine (Thetis).
On 19th December 1839 the new Commissioner’s Rooms were opened on Smith Street. The ground floor of the building was to be Rochdale’s new Fire Station, whilst the Commissioners (and later the Town Council – from 1856 – 71) would meet in the upstairs rooms. The new Fire Station was in a central location and was large enough to hold four engines and other fire fighting equipment. Horses to pull the fire engines were hired from the stables of the nearby Wellington Hotel, at the bottom of Drake Street.
Rochdale was becoming more and more industrialised during this period, and the growing number of textile mills were great fire risks. On 10th April 1838, Jacob Bright’s new, five storey cotton mill was destroyed by fire at a cost of £20,000. Bright’s, like many other millowners, were to form works Fire Brigades in the future.
On 3rd January 1854 Kelsall and Kemp’s mill on Duncan Street caught fire, with £10,000 worth of damage, two deaths and forty people injured. A lengthy news-sheet was printed about the circumstances of the fire, how it started, and the rescue of operatives – including many children, and so on. The paper also details the efforts of the Firemen, who got seven jets of water onto the mill and surrounding premises.
Over the next few years there were more large fires in the town.
• 1855 Jenning’s Mill, George Street -formerly Lomax’s mill (£18,000 - £24,000)
• 1855 Ashworth’s Sunny Bank Mills, Holland Street
• 1856 Hill House Mill, Bury Road ( £2,000 damage)
• 1856 Slighty Mill, Wardle (£2,000 damage)
• 1856 Livsey’s Cotton Mill, Wellfield (£5,000)
• 1857 Schofield’s Woollen Mill, Milnrow Road (£6,000 damage)
In 1859, the same year that John Eccles built his new engine, Thetis, the Brigade bought a fire escape from Messrs. Joy & Dearden of Manchester.
Up to this time the first turnout to a fire was usually 15 officers and two engines, using four horses to pull them. Now, however, it was possible to turn out with three engines (Niagra, Extinguisher and Thetis) provided that there were six horses available to haul them.
As early as 1851, John Dania, one of the Commissioners, had asked for stables to be erected at the Fire Station, but was refused.
‘Mr Dania, at the June meeting, asked for the erection, on the commissioners’ premises, of stables for the horses, that no delay might take place in taking fire-engines to fires. This was negatived at the July meeting; and the consequences are, that engines have to wait 15 minutes, or else the fire-men must hook themselves to the engines, and take them.’
From: The Looking Glass; or Rochdale Recorder. March 1851.
Town Hall Fire Station 1871
When Rochdale’s magnificent Town Hall was opened in 1871, it held both a Police Station and a new Fire Station at the rear of the Town Hall. Houses were provided in Packer Street for the four senior members of the Brigade, and a self acting fire alarm bell was installed in the Town Hall tower. This alarm could be heard for a distance of 4 miles and was used to call out the firemen when they were needed. It was operated by a lever in the Police Office.
In1874 the Brigade was brought up to date with the purchase of a steam fire engine from Merryweather & Sons of London. At £750 it was the most modern of its type, and was capable of throwing four jets of water to a height of 220 feet. It needed four horses to pull it, with an additional horse for the tender.
John Eccles retired from the Fire Brigade in December 1877, after a career with the Fire Brigade spanning more than 38 years. At that time the Brigade consisted of a Head Engineer (John Eccles) an Assistant Engineer and 11 other members.
In 1878 the management of the Fire Brigade came under the control of the Police, whose Chief Constable, Mr Stevens, re-organised the Brigade. The Brigade was now commanded by an Inspector (James Tait), with one Sergeant, one Turncock and 17 Constables. The Turncock was responsible for the water supply. He could turn water on at the mains, close down other mains and divert water if the pressure was insufficient. There were sub- Fire Stations at Townhead, Hamer and Lowerplace.
Town Hall Fire
At 9.30 p.m. on 10th April, 1883, the tower and spire of the Town Hall caught fire. Realising the severity of the blaze, Chief Constable Wilkinson sent telegrams to Oldham, Heywood and Milnrow Fire Brigades, asking for assistance. Works Brigades (eg. John Bright’s) also gave great assistance.
Rochdale’s steam fire engine was ready within 10 minutes, but unfortunately it took a while to raise sufficient head of steam. Legend has it that the horses galloped round and round the Town Hall with the fire engine to raise the steam. The steam was necessary to operate the pumps – which forced the jets of water out under pressure. Oldham’s fire engine arrived quickly and got the first jet of water onto the fire – their engine having plenty of steam from the gallop to Rochdale from Oldham. Milnrow’s fire engine had arrived just before Oldham, but the Heywood appliance did not arrive until the following morning! The telegram that had been sent was not delivered until the following morning as the Post Office at Heywood had been closed the previous evening.
Heywood Log Book Entry
Called by Shangers (sic) to a light showing upwards Rochdale. Rumered (sic) that Town Hall was on Fire, Men & Engine ready for running.
Wednesday April 11th.
Received telegram from Chief Constable Wilkinson, Rochdale, to take help immediately – Town Hall on Fire. This telegram was put in at Rochdale at 9.55p.m. on April 10 Went to Manchester and detained there in consequence of Heywood telegraph office closing at 8 p.m.
The fire was so disastrous that the tower had to be demolished completely. It was re-built fifteen yards to the east of the original, at a cost of £20,000. The new tower was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, who was the architect of Manchester Town Hall. It was completed in 1887.
The Rochdale & District Fire Brigades Association was formed as a result of the Town Hall fire. It was founded by Chief Constable Wilkinson, and included no fewer than 16 works Fire Brigades – all of whom were willing to assist each other in an emergency. In addition, the Town Hall fire led to the installation of a street fire alarm system.
Old ‘Sam’ – a fire engine horse, died ‘on duty’ in his stall in the same year – he is recorded as having been a ‘faithful friend of every fireman.’
In 1885 a new steam fire-engine was bought for the Brigade. It was another Merryweather engine, but was smaller and lighter than the older engine – and could be pulled by two horses. It could “throw 360 gallons of water per minute” with up to four jets being used. The Rochdale Observer approved the purchase, commenting that it was “an axiom that a few gallons of water at the commencement of a fire are worth thousands afterwards.”
Fireman Cragg and Carlo the Dog
On 19th August 1885 Fireman James Cragg rescued two children and a dog from a fire at Mrs Baker’s Hosiery Shop on Drake Street. The rescue became famous, as Fireman Cragg fought his way to the third storey, guided by a moaning noise. This proved to be a faithful retriever dog (Carlo) who was trying to attract attention to the child in the room. The dog had apparently been seen running frantically to the front window earlier, but had returned to the back room where an 8 year old boy, John Baker, lay in bed – partially suffocated and with burns on his face and hands.
Fireman Cragg rescued the boy, then returned up the stairs for his brother, Thomas, aged 11, and returned a third time for the dog – which by this time was unconscious from the smoke – and undoubtedly very heavy. Cragg carried the retriever down the outside ladders and it was resuscitated.
Fireman Cragg was promoted to Sergeant and awarded a certificate from the RSPCA. He, the Chief Constable and the rescued dog (hero-worshipped in Rochdale) took part in the Lord Mayor’s Procession in London on 9th November 1885. They were the subject of articles in newspapers – and the London Illustrated News, and at least two poems were written – and published - about the event.
In 1888 it was decided to build wooden stabling, on a brick foundation, at the rear of the Town Hall. This was due to the difficulties in obtaining horses quickly for pulling the fire-engines. The work was carried out by Eastwood & Greenwood of Lomax Street.
Alfred Street Fire Station
By the late 19th century the Town Hall Fire Station was proving inadequate, and a new station was built on Alfred Street (in the vicinity of the bus station today). The new station cost £4,000 and was opened on 8th June 1893 by Sir Charles Firth. Alfred Street Fire Station had an engine house that was divided into 5 bays; its doors were fitted with a special mechanism for instantaneous opening and the Brigade office was connected to the Police Station & the local exchange by telephone, in addition to connection with street alarms in various parts of the town.
There were Fire Brigade houses in the vicinity of the new station, all connected to the station by means of electric bells. All personnel lived in these houses; there was a Superintendent and 22 firemen. The station itself boasted a recreation room, a workshop for repairs to hose and other equipment and an 84 ft high hose tower (for drying the hose).
By 1906, the year of Rochdale’s Jubilee, the strength of the Brigade had fallen slightly, to the Superintendent and 20 Police-Firemen (known as Fire-Bobbies). They had two steam fire engines, one Dog Cart Escape (a ladder), a hose tender and a Horse Ambulance. All the machines were fitted with a swinging harness for ease of harnessing the six horses, which were kept in stabling at the rear of the station.
The First Petrol Driven Motor Fire Engine in England.
In 1908 Rochdale took delivery of the first petrol driven motor fire engine in England. Glasgow Fire Brigade had the only two others in the UK. The new engine cost £1,255 and was fitted with a Hatfield reciprocating pump that could deliver 500 gallons of water per minute.
However, the day of the horse was not entirely over; it was to be 1926 before the advert ‘Horses for Sale” appeared. Between 1910 and 1926 the account books showed regular expenditure on treacle, rye grass, clover, hay, oats and bran, with repairs for harnesses and saddle cream etc. By the time of World War 1 these were joined by entries listing spare parts for motors and ‘barrels’ of petrol at 1s 8d per gallon.
Some income was derived from the hire of the Fire Brigade horses – for example, to the Mounted Police for occasions such as the Peace Parades of 1919. The horses are named in the records of shoeing and veterinary care – Bobs, Earl, Prince, Stanley, Jenny, Alice, Maud – and Nero (surely a name to conjure with for a Fire Brigade horse).
During the years that the brigade were at Alfred Street they attended fires in houses – including chimney fires which carried a fine ( you were supposed to keep your chimney well swept) and fires in commercial and industrial properties. In 1920 a total of 78 calls were recorded in the “Fire Report Book.” Hand written reports were required for each incident attended, and the Log Book had sections for details of the premises attended and their occupiers, the date & time of the call, and so on.
Maclure Road Fire Station
At the time of the move to the present Fire Station at Maclure Road, the Brigade was still under the control of the police. This did not change until World War 2, when the National Fire Service was formed. The move to Maclure Road was necessitated by the changeover to motor vehicles and the increase in strength of the Brigade to 32 personnel.
Maclure Road Fire Station was officially opened on 3rd may, 1933, by Alderman J. Radley, J.P., who was Chairman of the Watch Committee.
In 1941 all the fire services in the country were nationalised to form the National Fire Service. This meant that personnel could be moved around the country to deal with the results of enemy action. For example, one Rochdale fireman, Tommy Bell, was sent to the Isle of Wight in 1944, to help guard PLUTO (Pipeline Under the Sea) – the pipeline designed to carry petrol to the beach head in Normandy, France.
During the war the brigade strength increased to approximately 1,000 personnel, including full time, professional firemen and auxiliaries. This period also saw the first fire women. The equipment included around 60 pumps and other vehicles which were housed in no fewer than 42 stations around the area.
Post War Years
Following the end of the war stations were gradually closed down and in 1948 the Service was de-nationalised and returned to the control of the various Local Authorities. The difference made by the National Fire Service was that each Brigade now had mutually agreed ‘Joint Schemes’ which formalised their co-operation with each other at ‘cross-boundary’ incidents. In addition, they agreed to provide cover and assistance if necessary when another Brigade needed it. For example, if all of Bury Fire Brigade’s machines (fire engines) were called out to fires in Bury, Rochdale would send a fire engine and crew to Bury ‘on stand-by,’ and vice versa.
By this time all of the personnel at Rochdale were back at the Maclure Road station, and were once more under the control of Rochdale Council. However, they were no longer part of the police establishment. There were 55 men and 5 female personnel who were control room operatives. Equipment included 2 pumps with 50 ft fire escapes, 1 turntable ladder (100ft) and a water tender which held 400 gallons of water, along with specialised equipment for use in mill fires and foam. The average number of calls per year was around 500. There were also 3 ‘walkie-talkie’ radio sets for communication, and new style helmets.
The use of assistance from neighbouring brigades can be illustrated by the fire at the Theatre Royal in Rochdale, in the early hours of Wednesday 24th November, 1954. Eleven machines from Rochdale, Bury, Ashton, Oldham and Middleton fought the blaze, but were unable to save the theatre, which was totally destroyed at an estimated loss of £50,000. Tessa O’Shea and Semprini were sharing the bill at the time and efforts were made to save Semprini’s grand piano from the conflagration. However, despite the theatre being ringed by jets of water and the flames being brought under control by 8 a.m., the fire had gained too strong a hold and only the shell of the building remained when Gracie Fields arrived later in the day to see the end of the old theatre.
Rochdale in the 1950’s was still a town with a high fire risk, due to the number of textile mills and other industries. As a result, ‘Fire prevention’ was an important part of its services. In addition to the provision of fire prevention advice to factories and mills, there was an intensive drive on the fire protection arrangements that were available in local shops, particularly ‘fish & chip shops’ with their ranges and hot fat. As a result many proprietors followed the recommendations of the fire brigade and accepted advice on the installation and use of the correct types of fire extinguisher for their premises.
In 1950 the Brigade acquired its first new machine since the war. It was a water-tender with a 50 ft wheeled escape ladder, a Dennis chassis and body and a Rolls Royce engine, costing £4,200. It could pump 1,000 gallons of water per minute. Its speed was ‘governed’ to 59 m.p.h - but as Malcolm Mace, the Chief Officer in 1966 said, “Some of us know better!”
In February 1953 one of Rochdale’s pumps was sent to Norfolk to assist with the devastating floods that had occurred there. Similarly, in 1967 some firemen from Rochdale were sent to Cornwall to assist with the dispersal of the oil spillage from the wreck of the Torrey Canyon. This was the first of the oil tanker disasters that have devastated sea-shores around the world, killing and injuring the marine life in the area, including thousands of sea-birds. The men were quartered at R.A.F. St Mawgan.
In 1957 the Brigade purchased a Dennis / Rolls Royce Turntable Ladder fitted with a 125 ft Metz ladder. This machine can still be seen at Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum at Rochdale Fire Station, Maclure Road.
Some Fires Attended in the 1950’s
• 25th March 1950 Cornbrook Resin, Wardle. (Many housands of Pounds)
• 10th July 1950 Textile Mill, Chadderton (£1000,000)
• 3rd Nov. 1950 Gas Works, Dane St. 200,000 Cubic Feet of gas
• 5th June 1952 Clover Mill. Estimated damage, £1million.
• February 1953 Davey Kenyon’s, Mellor St. (£30,000)
• June 1956 Heron Mill, Oldham. 15 pump fire.
• November 1956 Peel Mill, Whitworth. 10 pump fire.
• February 1957 Duckworth’s Warehouse, Oldham Rd. 7pumps
• March 1957 J & J Makin’s, Smallbridge (£100,000)
• May 1957 Milnrow Cricket Pavilion gutted (£5,000)
• 18th July 1958 Standard Mill – 5 pumps 2 Jets BA
• 9th Sept 1958 Jennings Mill – 5 pumps, 3 Turntable Ladders
Some Fires Attended in the 1960’s
• 3rd Feb 1960 Dunlop Cotton Mills, Castleton 30 pumps
• 9th March 1960 A.V. Roes, Chadderton (aircraft factory)
• 18th Feb 1961 Thomas Robinson, Fishwick St
• 24th Feb. 1961 Dicken Green Mill (3 pumps)
• 5th June 1962 Barchant Spinning Co. Ltd.
• 5th June 1962 Starkey’s Rag Merchants, Stewart St
• 31st Dec 1962 Gale force wind – approx 40 calls answered
• 19th Jan 1963 Sam. Heap’s Caldershaw Mills (10 pumps)
• 2nd Feb 1963 Marland Spinning Co., Marland Mill. (5 pumps)
• 28th May 1963 Albion Mill, Littleborough. (5 pumps)
• 27th Jan 1964 Gorrell’s Farm, Queensway (3 pumps)
• 5th August 1965 Garfield Mill, Newhey. (2 pumps from Rochdale)
• 6th June 1966 Promar Jute Mill & Greenwood Timber (£77,500)
• 9th Sept. 1966 O’Neill’s, Castleton. 20 pump fire. (£1,000,000)
• 30th Dec 1966 Luxan, Lower Lane, Milnrow. 15 pumps (£1,000,000)
• 4th Jan 1967 Edwards & Bryning, Summercastle. 6 pumps.
• 4th March 1967 Barchant Spinning, Hill St. 5 pumps
• 25th Jan 1968 Vale Mill, John St. 10 pumps (£500,000)
• 6th May 1968 Wareings Emery Paper Wks, Oldham Rd. (£1,000,000)
• 25th Sept 1968 Victoria Dyeing Co. 10 pumps (£72,000)
• 6th March 1969 Rochdale College of Art, Fleece St. (£100,000)
• 4th Aug 1969 Victoria Mill, Royds St. 20 pumps (£!,500,000)
In 1961 the Brigade acquired a new pump/salvage tender. This machine was notorious for its poor steering – it was apparently impossible to steer a straight course. The tale goes that at one time there was a ‘fiver’ promised to any driver who could keep it in a straight line at speeds above 30 m.p.h.
At the end of March 1966 Mr E.W. Sales, the Brigade’s Chief Officer for many years, retired. He was succeeded by Mr. M.J. Mace, M.I.Fire E., F.I.C.D. At this time the Brigade strength was 72 personnel, all whole time, operating a 24 hour watch. Men worked a 9 hour day shift and 15 hour night shift. There were a total of 16 appliances, including the 125 ft Turntable Ladder. Calls per annum had risen to 900, despite the efforts of the Fire Prevention Department to educate the public.
Mr. Mace left Rochdale for another Brigade in 1968 and was succeeded by Mr George H. Moore, M.I. Fire E., A.F.I.C.D.
In 1969 the livery of the Rochdale fire engines was changed, with the front and cab doors being painted white, with the word ‘Fire’ painted on the doors in 4” letters.
When George Moore moved to another Brigade in 1971, the Deputy Chief Officer, Norman Schofield, was appointed as Chief Officer. He retired in 1974 when Rochdale Fire Brigade became part of Greater Manchester County Fire Service.
- A Brave Fireman and a Faithful Dog
- Death of 'Nell' the Firemen's Dog.
- Dixon's Soap Works Gutted by Fire. 1923
- Fire at Duncan's Mill (Bankside Mill) 1880
- Fire at Mr. Lomax'x Mill. 27th October 1855
- Fire at Sunny Bank Mill. 1855
- Fire at the Town Hall. 1883. Part 1.
- Fire at the Town Hall. 1883. Part 2
- Fire Tanks
- Great Fire at the Town Hall . 1883
- Letter about Town Hall Fire and Firemen's Bravery.
- Officers Commanding Rochdale Fire Brigade
- Opening of Maclure Rd. Fire Station. May 1933
- Rochdale Fire Brigade Horses 1908 - 1926
- Rules to be Observed by the Police Firemen 1826
