Bell's Temperance

Bob Dobson · 15-08-2008, 22:06

This was the name of a Working Men's Club which didn't serve ale. Started in the 1880s, it had a cup-winning football team made up of local lads. Can anyone come up with a photo please. The man behind the name was william Bell, a temperance speaker who toured the country(mostly the North) and who was the inspiration for a small group of Accy lads to form the club. There was about this time an Accrington Temperance Society.
I once won an essay competition that a visiting temperance speaker in the library (1954ish) organised. I didn't write on temperance though. Maybe I was the only entrant.

K.S.H · 15-08-2008, 22:10

The building is still there on Nuttall St.
I have a medal from the "bells temperence competition" 1908, team who won it was Accrington white star, you come across anything about them?

K.S.H · 15-08-2008, 22:32

They used to play on the "Bells field" which is/was behind Highams I was told

Bob Dobson · 15-08-2008, 23:05

This field, named because the team played there, was on what is now |belfield rd. I think this is coincidental, as belfield was the name of the house in Rochdale where the Royds lived. Most of thre street in Woodnook have Royds or Nuttall families connections.

KSH - your medal is as scarce as rocking horse muck.

Retlaw · 16-08-2008, 00:17

Ave toud thee afore Bob Dobson, that my fayther played football on Bells Field when he were a lad, befour fost world war, the field itself wur weer the houses now are, on the right as you go up Belfield Rd, just higher up than where the old St Mary's school was.

On the old street map I have dated 1863, its one of the streets marked in red not yet built on, and it was named Robert Nuttal St then.

Let me know when your next in the library and I will bring it and show you.

What puzzles me is that streets were named then, 30 years beforer some of them were built, although some of those named were never known as such.

Retlaw