The Hyperbole
It has to be said from the beginning that before the arrival of the railway in 1845, Penistone was not of great significance. The nearby village of Thurlstone had more people and dwellings. The 1672 Hearth Tax returns list only 28 householders for Penistone, compared with 65 for Thurlstone and 23 for Oxspring. Furthermore, the West Riding Directory of 1837 says:
Penistone '... consists of one wide street, in which are a few neat houses; but it is now a place of no trade, though the linen and woollen manufactures extend into some of the out-townships of its extensive parish.... The market, held every Thursday, is of small importance.. The township of Penistone contains only 703 inhabitants .. etc.'
But Penistone does have some historical value and has grown in importance over the years. A few miles away there are earthworks from the time of Stonehenge. We have a presence dating back to before the Magna Carta, although the area was laid waste after the 'Harrying of the North'. We have a fine medieval church and its tower alone is more than 500 years old. An old Saxon stone, which is now part of an interior church wall, was used by early Christian worshippers in this area. Our Grammar School can trace its roots back to 1392 and many buildings and farms in the area go back several centuries.
Historical Audio Archive
As part of a lottery-funded project, sound recordings will be made of personal recollections about Penistone and district. 'Get Penistone Talking' is being organised through Penistone and District Community Partnership (PDCP) and Penistone History Group and co-ordinated by local historian John Hislop. Recordings will be stored in a local archive in the ownership of these groups. Volunteer interviewers will be able to arrange home visits or to use the library.
This is a worthy cause and I urge people with personal knowledge of the old ways, local industry, family traditions, farming, etc. to pay a visit to the PDCP office around the corner at the top of the Town Hall building. It would be very sad if old people took their memories of life experiences and anecdotes to the grave, without the community being able take advantage of them. The flyer that I saw did not indicate how recordings would be used but they are asking for volunteer audio-typists. Penistone Community Radio is also likely to be interested.
Contact PDCP: 01226 767365, email johnhislop@fsmail.net. Also, visit the national www.wisearchive.co.uk to read about a similar project.
History Sections
Steel has been an important industry in the area since the mid nineteenth century but had been in decline for many years, with savage job cuts. Penistone had extensive railway sidings for the old Cammel Laird works which later became David Brown's. New houses are now being built on part of the adjacent 'Hitec' site.
The other major steelworks in the area was Samuel Fox's of Stocksbridge, a few miles over the hill to the south. This later became British Steel Company (BSC, nicknamed Billy Smart's Circus). British Steel merged with Hoogovens and created an Anglo-Dutch company called CORUS, registered in the UK and run by British people (it was a takeover by any other name). At this time, I don't have any pictures to illustrate the local steel industry.
Another important local business with a long history was the vinegar brewery in Cubley bottom. It started out as a beer brewery and maltings but later provided vinegar for many different well-known brands. All that remains is the horse trough.
Other References
Some printed sources I have used in section. There's a succinct one-page history of Penistone on the Penistone Info website and a long potted history of Britain and Penistone on Mr Wainwright's website:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wewain/Wainwright/History-Wainwright.htm
