Fire Service: Difference between revisions

In September 1874 a letter from Captain Smith, Chief Constable of Cheshire gave the Board permission to erect a building in the Constabulary Yard on [[Hoole Road]], in which  to keep the Reel Cart and Hose, subject to certain terms. The following month plans were prepared to obtain a tender, and in November the quote from Charles Holland of [[Faulkner Street]] amounting to £34-10-9 for the work was accepted and the building work commenced.

In February 1886 one of his successors, Detective Inspector Downes, by then "''caretaker of the hydrants and appliances in connection with the firehose reel''", resigned and his successor, Inspector Brittain, was appointed. In debate it was asserted that

In April 1886 the Board held discussions on the set -aside of £44-1s for fire extinguishing purposes including:

* Telephone to Chester Fire Station £15 "which resulted in the latter only being agreed. It also raised the question - Did Hoole need its own Fire Service?  However, arrangements didn’t change."

In 1894 Hoole [[Urban District Council]] was formed, replacing the Board, and its new offices opened next to Williams Terrace in Peploe Street, now [[Westminster Road]]. At the rear "''accommodation was provided for the carts, horses, firehose etc.''" - an interesting report  that also confirmed that the Council owned a horse which could be used for fire turnouts; unfortunately a year later it was necessary to hire one! The firm of W.H. Hallmark in Milton Street, was used to supply the horsepower required to pull the manual pump.

The Hoole Voluntary Fire Brigade (HVFB) was formally established by a vote taken at the Hoole Local Board on 2nd April 1894. The Board also gave authority that the new fire brigade would be allowed the use of the Board’s equipment; namely the fire hose and other appliances – previously under the control of the [[Police]]. In addition, Chester Waterworks Company granted permission for the brigade to use their mains supply, should there be an outbreak of fire, on the condition that there should not be “no“''no extravagant use of water”water''”.

In May the first HVFB meeting was held. Only three men were present but this did not deter them from forming the service, and their efforts paid off as in November of the same year "''the whole of Hoole Fire Brigade''" joined The Station Company of Chester Volunteers, as it marched from the General Railway Station, over Hoole Bridge to [[All Saints Church]] for divine service. The Brigade was commanded by Captain R Cecil Davies and two Lieutenants, Charles Atkin and Dr Francis Butt.

Also in May 1894 details of a subscription fund "''to defray the expenses of equipment etc''" were published in the Cheshire Observer showing that £25-14-6 had been raised. Established local names appeared on the list of contributors including the Davies family.

A prize draw was also established by E.H Dawson, another HVFB member, which he ran from his newsagents in [[Faulkner Street]], to provide additional funds for the brigade.

R Cecil Davies was to be actively associated in practical fire brigade work for a period of 30 years. Initially he served with the Chester Volunteer Fire Brigade (“CVFB”) in the nominal role of fireman. In the records of the CVFB in 1886 entry No 154 details the admission of Richard Cecil Davies, aged 25, Seller Street, Chester, on the 4th February. This first period of service was to last only two years, as in the CVFB records he left the Brigade on the 21st February 1888 with “resigned”“''resigned''” given as the reason. Some 18 months later he was elected to the Hoole Local Board and in 1893 he took up the question of whether Hoole, where he had been a resident for several years, should have its own Fire Brigade and organised a series of informal gatherings to discuss it.

With two other colleagues from Hoole Urban District Council, [[Dr. Francis John Butt (1863 – 1933)]] and Charles Atkin, together with Joseph Owen, an experienced member of CVFB, they succeeded in forming the HVFB. Davies became the Chief Officer from its formation through to his retirement from the position in May 1914, when he was succeeded by Charles Atkin as Captain of the Brigade. Davies became the Honorary Treasurer to the Brigade and held this position until his death in 1917. He was highly regarded by members of the Brigade who on the marriage of Edith, his daughter, gave a wedding present of a marble clock.

The newly formed brigade was able to take advantage of the new accommodation in Peploe Street (see: [[Westminster Road]]}, with the hose reel cart moving there from the police[[Police]] station on [[Hoole Road]]. The Council provided a house next door, linked to Williams Terrace, initially for its surveyor Charles Atkin, which meant that he was on the spot should a turnout be required. Alfred Catherall, the foreman of the Council, also a volunteer fireman who became Superintendent of HVFB, succeeded him in living there.

At the 1895 first anniversary dinner the by then Surgeon Lieutenant Butt was presented with a silver cigarette case for "''pulling through the examination 20 out of 22 scholars (of the Brigade) in the St Johns Ambulance Class''". Richard Grandridge, Chairman of the UDC, offered to meet 25% of the cost of a much-needed engine, but the consent of the Local Government Board was needed for the remainder to be borrowed. The proposal to name the engine "Richard Grandridge" did not however occur because he died in 1897, before the Local Government Board enquiry in January 1898 to borrow the £300 required took place. This figure included a shed in which to house it and reports of the hearing contain much interesting information and opposition to the proposal. The loan was finally agreed and a report of a fire in Guilden Sutton in September 1899 refers to the new manual engine under the command of Sgt Joseph Owen working in a thoroughly satisfactory manner.

Speeches given at HVFB Annual Dinners at the time sometimes provide additional insight into the Brigade’s workings including fires attended, several outside the District, some involving work with the Chester VFB. In 1908 at the Bromfield Arms in Hoole, new uniforms, purchased with public contributions, were worn for the first time. In 1914 it was stated that the Council had provided a recreation room and a billiard table, also "''The Brigade had done well in competitions''".

In [https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3805261/3805264/22/hoole%20AND%20fire September 1899] the Brigade's First Annual Sports Day was held in the grounds of Hoole House, when the Chief Constable of Cheshire, living at neighbouring Hoole Lodge, successfully [https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3805252/3805258/64/hoole%20AND%20fire opposed a drinks licence].

HVFB played a large part in local civic events, processions ,fetes and carnivals, etc. At the 1911 Coronation Celebrations "''members of Hoole Fire Brigade (under Lt E.H. Dawson and Sgts Bennion and Catherall) mounted on the fire engine were in the procession behind the band of the Welsh Royal Field Artillery''".

Hoole UDC provided significant support to the HVFB in terms of funding equipment and in 1911 approved and paid for the addition of a new store and recreation room over the existing engine house in [[Westminster Road.]].