Crewe in the 20th century

LOCAL historian Howard Curran takes a look at the ups and downs of the town over the last 100 years.

CREWE has always been known as a railway town and indeed it was down to that industry that the town was born, when a small stop was built on the Warrington to Birmingham line in 1837.

By the early 1900s a large proportion of Crewe's workforce were employed by the railways. Rolls-Royce, one of Crewe's biggest employers now, had not arrived in Crewe by 1925 with the Pyms Lane factory opening 13 years later, and by 1911 some 10,000 men worked for the railways.

Crewe's population in 1901 was 42,074 rising to 44,960 10 years later with about 10,000 houses in the town. By 1998 the number of people living in Crewe had doubled to 88,300 with a further 14,800 living in rural parts of both Crewe and Nantwich.

Over the years the railways may have changed and sections of the industry have split up but more than 2,000 Crewe people are still estimated to work in the industry.

Many of the buildings which still exist today were opened or constructed before 1925 including the Municipal Buildings which was opened in 1905. The Edwardian Lyceum theatre, which today still hosts many top shows and the annual and very popular pantomime, was refurbished in 1911.

Three new churches, which originally started as missionaries in the late 1800s, were also opened - St Andrews (1900) , All Saints in Wistaston Road (1912) and St Peter's Church in Earle Street (1923). A new multi-million pound sorting office is currently being created for Crewe but in 1912 a new office was built for a fraction of the cost, just £16,000!

By 1905 it was estimated that 40,000 mailbags were being transferred daily from one train to another and 160 people were employed by the Post Office.

And just as local people rejoiced when Crewe Alex moved in to Division One in 1997 they would have been cheering in the 1920/21 season when the team was promoted to the third division.

ARCHITECTS COMPETED IN 1902 TO DESIGN A TOWN HALL FOR CREWE

IN May 1902 the borough surveyor was instructed to advertise a competition for architects to submit plans for a new building for the council. More than 40 architects entered with the winner being Henry T Hare, of London, and his trademark of a hare appears in the corner of two of the windows of the main staircase.

On September 3 1903 the foundation stone was laid by the mayor James Henry Moore and the building was opened on July 19 1905. The total cost of the building include furnishing, fees and expenses was in the region of £20,000.

LOCAL shops in Crewe in late Victorian times were quite numerous because multi-nationals were unheard of, although the Co-operative movement, I suppose, fitted that type, being Crewe's biggest retailer.

Their challenge came from people like Edward Rainbow Hill who had a number of shops in Crewe. Local shops like "Dwelleys" (where Burtons shop is now) were advertising selling a full size "All Wool Blanket" for 10s & 6d. Wildings, who resided at Linden Grange, were the well known high class confectioners.

They were proud of the fact they had two immense Christmas Cakes to be cut up and sold in pieces at 8d a pound.

However, to me the piece de resistance was a large advert in the local paper of December 1899 about "JACKSON STORES". It read as follows:-

To all young people about to marry - delivered on the first payment of 5s down and 2/6 a week - Total payment 6-19s-6d all the furniture you need, consisting of:- Living Room - Square Table, 4 Strong Kitchen Chairs, Arm Chair, Rocking Chair, Steel Fender with 2 Bars, Set Steel Fireirons, Strong List Rug, Alarm Clock. Bedroom - Strong Iron Bedstead, Spring Mattress, Bed, Bolster & Pillows, Dressing Table & Wash Stand, Toilet Service, 1 Bedroom Rug, 2 Bedroom Chairs, 1 Swing Toilet Mirror.

Certainly times at Christmas 1899 were very different to Christmas of the present, or were they? Christmas time at the Lyceum, yes it was called the Lyceum even in 1899, saw a Musical-Comedy-Drama called "Donny Brook" being performed. The Lyceum was under the sole Licensee and Management of Mr Henry Taylor a local printer.

The prices for the Theatre ranged from 3d to 3s dependent on where you were seated. The local paper carried quite a large advertisement for the forthcoming attraction due on January 8 1900 of Miss Cissie Moxon's gorgeous Pantomime "Blue Beard".

DURING 1899 the Police Station in Edleston Road was enlarged (on the opposite corner of Chapel Street to the Imperial).

The street would be known for many years as the street of the 4 nations, why? Chapel Street had on two corners in Mill Street, a Church (Trinity), and a School (Mill Street), on the two corners of Edleston Road it had a Police Station and a public house, the Imperial, so the locals nicknamed it - SALVATION - EDUCATION - DAMNATION - RUINATION, to suit the buildings.

The council established a Municipal Electricity Works on the corner of Edleston Road / Electricity Street. A new Chancel and Vestry were consecrated at Christ Church and a Bowling Green and Pavilion were built at the Earle Street Sports Ground.

During 1900 the Liberal Club in Gatefield Street was opened, the Co-operative Society built and opened a Hall in Co-operative Street (later this became the Kino Cinema) and the Railway Company opened their new Hospital in Mill Street.

Yes, Crewe was the boom town that people were clamouring to come and live in. Finally, this was the year that saw the Freedom of the Borough being conferred on Francis William Webb.

When we look back at how our Ancestors lived at the turn of the century I wonder if the "Good Old Days" really were just that, or, has time clouded many memories? I think most people will agree that conditions for everyone have improved immensely during the 20th Century. Now let's look forward to the next century but never forgetting our Heritage.