OUR HISTORY:
ANOTHER GLIMPSE
The door bell sounds and a lovely man stands at door with one of those huge ‘family bibles’, the one in which you can record marriages, births and deaths, under his arm. But this one was very special because it is provided another glimpse into our history.
Inside the front cover is a loose leaf inscribed:
“Given to
Fleetwood Congregational Church
by
Charles Henry Riley
AD 1939”
If you trawl through our church records we can identify individuals, other than ministers, who from the very earliest days have had a significant effect on shaping our church’s history, the town’s and, as you will see, other places, too. We can easily bring to mind the names of Thomas Drummond and James Robertson. One who might be overlooked by some from the turn of the 19th century years is that of Charles Henry Riley.
First, before looking at Charles Henry Riley, let’s look back over the Riley family history/ Our church records record that Thomas and Helen [or Ellen], nee Singleton, Riley. Thomas, who is described as a joiner, and Ellen were transferred from Bethel Chapel, Preesall, to the Fleetwood church in 1865. The couple had children, with joys and sadnesses as suggested by the following
Richard, was born April 23rd, 1866, in Preesall,
Dorothy, born March 5th, 1867, in Fleetwood,
James Carter was born on February 17th 1870.
Alice Singleton, born September 14th, 1873,
NOTE: It is possible Mr & Mrs Riley had other children:
Dorothy, born 1849, died August 31st, 1862, from diphtheria;
Ann, born 1851. died August 24th, 1862, aged 11 years from diphtheria;
Ellen, born 1855, died August 9th, 1862, aged seven years from diphtheria.
The Riley family were not alone in the death of children in the town from diphtheria during 1862. Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease spread by direct physical contact or breathing the ‘spray’ of infected individuals. It causes paralysis in the eye, neck, throat, or respiratory muscles, lesions on the skin. and can lead to heart failure. It has been largely eradicated in industrialised nations through immunisation.
The Riley family lived in North Albert Street.
Charles Henry Riley first enters our church records in 1906. This suggests that he was the son of Richard or James Carter Riley. (A Mrs CH Riley first enters our records in 1914.)
What we do know is that Mr Charles Henry Riley was a successful Fleetwood town business man.
(If you are curious enough stand on the corner of Kent Street and North Albert Street and look up on the Kent Street elevation of what are now flats. You can just make out in large letters that Mr Riley was in a business association with a Mr Jackson. It is believed that this Mr Jackson later joined forces with a Mr Brown to create the significant Fleetwood building company of Brown & Jackson. Brown & Jackson once had a yard on Warrenhurst Road occupying land between Elm and Oak Street.) .
The church records suggest that Charles Henry Riley lived at one time at ‘Holmhurst’ on Mount Road – the house still carries that name – and then the family removed to the Esplanade. But more importantly than being a successful business man, he was known as an ardent Christian Independent-Congregationalist gentleman. He worked diligently and conscientiously at Lord Street & London Street, particularly with and for children and young people in the Sunday school. Such was his dedication to the Fleetwood cause that when he removed to Lytham St Anne’s he travelled to Fleetwood to maintain and sustain the work to which he was so committed.
Mr Riley obtained a lease on the land which we now refer to as Fairhaven. It was Mr Riley who gave the area the name alluding to a biblical reference. He was responsible for the development of Fairhaven and his lasting legacy is the famed ‘White Church’.
And for the golfers? He provided the land for the creation of the Fairhaven Golf course. (The original course was on the sea-shore and kept being swamped whenever a big tide came in!)
Whether he was a golfer or not is unknown. However, such was Charles Riley’s influence over the creation of the Fairhaven golf course that for many years clergymen did not have to pay fees to play there.
Characters from our own history that shaped history! We are proud of them and should remember them.
Returning to the bible handed over by a handsome man. What is interesting is the dedication page shown. This reads:
“Presented to
James Carter Riley
on his
21st Birthday
February 17th 1891.
As a slight token of respect
with the best wishers for his future prosperity
By the undersigned staff of the
North Lancashire Steam Saw Mills
Fleetwood
William Howard
McCormick Brown
Joseph W Clatworthy
George W Cowell
Leitch Brown
Nathan Bond
Jas S Parker
William T Parkinson
Thos Riley Jnr
Thomas Bowlas
William Pickering
Ira Pollard
William Sandham
John J Taylor
William Richmond
Thomas F Richardson
Thomas Woods.”
This Charles Carter Riley is that mentioned earlier, the one born in 1870. There is no mention as to why his colleagues made the presentation. He must have been quite an individual and one whose faith was being lived out and impressing others. A faith founded on the roots which can be traced back all the way to Thomas and Helen (Ellen), nee Singleton, Riley
Those of us of a certain age will recall that the Fleetwood town yard was in London Street. The site became the fire station and then the now redundant medical centre. The town yard removed to Copse Road at the junction with Stanley Road. It took over significant parts of what had been The North Lancashire Steam Saw Mills premises.
The written history of the saw mills is sparse. What should be noted that the need for a saw mills was high. As the port boomed as a centre for fishing, second only to the Hull & Grimsby, fish needed to be boxed – hundreds of boxes!
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