Thomas Speight Explained

Thomas Speight
Birth Date:1844 7, df=yes
Birth Place:Catterall, Lancashire, England
Death Place:Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Spouse:Sarah Nicholson (m. 18 July 1866)
Occupation:Mohair merchant, inventor
Office:Mayor of Bradford (1896–1898)

Thomas Speight (6 July 1844 – 25 May 1921) was owner of Thomas Speight & Co. Mohair Merchants in Bradford, Yorkshire and was Mayor of Bradford from 1896 to 1898.

Background and Civic Life

Thomas Speight was born in Catterall, Lancashire, England on 6 July 1844. He was a successful inventor and businessman[1] [2] and became the owner of Thomas Speight & Co. Mohair Merchants in Bradford, Yorkshire[3] and built a large factory, the Burlington Works, in Thornbury.[4] In 1986, Councillor Thomas Speight was a director of the Peoples Palace theater on Manchester Road.[5] [6] In 1894, at age 50, he turned his hand to civic affairs and represented Bradford Moor Ward. Two years later, in November 1896, Thomas Speight was elected Mayor of Bradford and served until November 1898.[7] In 1897, he presided over the celebrations occasioned by the 50th anniversary (golden jubilee) of the incorporation of Bradford as a city and the 60th anniversary (diamond jubilee) of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne.[8] Known as the "Jubilee Mayor", his image appears on the reverse of a commemorative medal struck for the occasion. In 1898, Speight was instrumental in establishing Cartwright Hall, an art gallery in Lister Park.[9] Speight lived in Scarr Hall (now Bradford Moor golf club).[10] [11] Speight died in 1921 and is buried in Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford.[12] A detailed biography of Speight and his family was compiled by D. Broomfield in 2021.[13]

Speight was preceded in office by William Willis Wood (1844–1921), who was Mayor of Bradford from 1894 to 1896.

Personal

Notably, Speight's daughter, Annie, married Wood's eldest son, Arthur (1861–1905) in 1889. Their only son, Stanley Speight Wood (1889–1918), served in the Royal Army Service Corps and died in Baghdad, Iraq, in World War I.[14] [15]

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books/about/How_a_city_grows_historical_notes_on_the.html?id=QGSAAAAAIAAJ Horace Hird, "How a city groes", pp. 25-30, Bradford, 1966
  2. https://patents.google.com/patent/US345185A/en Thomas Speight & H. W. Whitehead, "Machine for Oiling and Drying Wool", US Patent 345,185, granted July 6, 1886
  3. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=4mJBAQAAMAAJ The Wool Record & Textile World: Volume 20, page 572, January 1, 1921, I.P.C. Business Press
  4. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw034069 Britain from above: Image of the Burlington factory from 1930
  5. https://www.newspapers.com/image/387719902 The Era (London, Greater London, England), 14 Mar 1896, Page 28
  6. https://www.bradfordtimeline.co.uk/theatres/palace.htm Bradford-Time-Line: Star Music Hall / Peoples' Palace / Palace Theatre
  7. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=hf4wAQAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA339 James, Parker, Illustrated, rambles, from, Hipperholme, to, Tong, pages xii, 329
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=2GITDQAAQBAJ&pg Alan Hall, Bradford in 100 dates: 1987 June 9th, The History Press, Mar 2, 2015
  9. http://www.bradfordhistorical.org.uk/cartwright.html Bradford Historical Society: Cartwright Memorial Hall
  10. https://books.google.com/books?id=lDk5AQAAMAAJ&pg The Hackney Stud Book, Vol. XVI, page 303, Feb. 1899
  11. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1132896 Historic England: Listed Building 1132896
  12. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/164216439/person/192138542291/media/f0fd842c-83e0-4f78-9043-05f77fae36e5 Grave of Thomas Speight, Undercliffe Cemetery
  13. https://www.undercliffecemetery.co.uk/about/history/thomas-speight/ D. Broomfield, "Thomas Speight", Underclifffe Cemetery: history, March 2021
  14. https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4856832 Imperial War Museum: "Lives of the first World War: Stanley Speight Wood
  15. http://lib.militaryarchive.co.uk/library/Biographical/library/The-Roll-of-Honour-Ruvigny-Volume-IV/files/assets/basic-html/page245.html UK, De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, 1914–1919 Volume 4, page 243: Stanley Speight Wood Obituary

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