Hyndburn Road

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 10:11

Does anyone remember this one? The view is from by the side of Ewbank, looking towards the railways arches. The old Corn Mill can be seen on the Left Hand side.

Tealeaf · 19-01-2004, 10:37

No traffic, no people......odd! I don't remember the houses on the left.....this piccy must be a coloured postcard 1900's possibly?

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 11:45

Good guess Tealeaf. This block of old cottages is well before our time. It stretched from the corner of Electricity Street to the old Machpelah graveyard. There is a photo in an old book of Accrington showing just a couple of the cottages left and saying that an unsolved murder took place in one of these cottages in 1904 - a Mrs Susan Westwell was murdered

Tealeaf · 19-01-2004, 11:48

Unsolved murder? I shall get on the case immeadiatly!

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 11:54

The unsolved murder was August 25th 1904

Tealeaf · 19-01-2004, 11:59

Any idea of the motive? What was the cause of death?

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 12:24

Hi, will have to refresh my memory. The cottages were based across from Ellisons Tenement where the fairground used to be. I think Susan W used to make cups of tea from her cottage. The motive was robbery unfortunately. I think they got away with very little cash, but .. they were never caught. Accrington Library have some newspaper cuttings with internal views of the actual sitting room where they attacked her.

Tealeaf · 19-01-2004, 13:12

Is'nt there a Westwell Street not to far away? Any connection, I wonder?

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 13:28

Hi, dont think there is a Westwell Street not far away. You are probably thinking of Westwood Street

Tealeaf · 19-01-2004, 13:40

Oh dear. I think you're right.........still, back to the original thread. Am I right in assuming this was an old dear who made cups of tea for a few pennies and was murdered for the same? I know mugging old ladies is a common occurance now but it was pretty unique then...even when people stashed their money at home rather than use banks...Anything else you remember about the case?

Atarah · 19-01-2004, 23:13

The address was 24 Hyndburn Road. Susan Westwell who was a widow and lived on her own. Her house was near to Ewbank works and across from Ellisons Tenement, known as The Accrington Fairground. She made a living by selling herb beer, headache powder and also supplied hot water to the workers at Ewbank and the gas works. Because the workers were used to seeing her up and about quite early in the mornings, when one morning her door was still closed, they became concerned and someone went around to the back of the house. They found her unconscious near the door, her skull having been fractured. The police and Dr Greenhalgh were called, but she soon died.
Susan W was known to keep money in the house amd was known to show this to neighbours.
They belive it could have been two lads about 17/18 years of age, but no one was ever charged.

littlemo · 20-01-2004, 02:51

I remember seeing an old photo of that with a police man standing outside the door. I don't remember seeing the house but when they where pulled down, didn't they leave 2 standing next to the graveyard? thought they alwaus looked quite creepy! I remember the old mill house, it was always boarded up with a big tree covering most of the outside. Does anyone remember the house at the topof Plantation road? I remember playing up there as a kid, there was a big rope swing in the woods there. I know it was sold a number of years ago, is itb a listed building now?

Atarah · 20-01-2004, 07:59

Hi, you could either mean Arden Hall which is no longer there or Owl Hall. The house now referred to as Arden Hall is actually the coach house. There is a group at the moment called Friends of Arden Hall who I believe are trying to get the grounds of the original hall improved. Owl Hall is still there. A long time ago I used to work at Duckworths estate agents in St James Street. I am talking 1972ish. They were involved in the sale of Owl Hall and we, mere office staff, were asked would we like to go up there a couple of times and help by cleaning the silver and helping to "job lot" some of the items. How I wish I had had the sense then to take piccy's

littlemo · 20-01-2004, 12:59

arden hall, thats the one! well was the one! but its proberbly the coach house I remember

Uncle Mick · 01-02-2004, 14:45

I used to work at Ewbank in the late 1970`s so it`s very familar. We also used the graveyard as a shortcut from the fairground to the "Rat Back", the alley for Argyle Street and home!