Yorkshire Chess History

 

Contents:

Joseph Brierley

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Sheffield Sub-Site

 

Born

? 1800/01, Huddersfield ?

Baptised

 

Died

Buried

? 03/08/1848, Sowerby Bridge ?

 

Identity of the Chess-Player

 

A chess-playing “Brierley” of Huddersfield, listed in one source as “Josh. Brierley”, attended chess meetings over the period 1841 to 1848.  There is no evidence of a Joshua Brierley to fit the bill, so presumably “Josh.” should have read “Jph” or “Jsph” forJoseph.  However, there was more than one Joseph Brierley in the general Huddersfield area, and it’s not wholly clear which one was the chess-player.

 

Earlier directories listed a dealer in corn and flour of that name as early as 1828-29.  Later directories list a shawl manufacturer of that name, while the corn and flour business seems to pass to a Frederick William Brierley.  Censuses list the later shawl manufacturer as born 1817/18 in Oldham.  That date of birth seems too late for the 1828-29 corn and flour dealer, so the two seem to be different people, one popping up as the other retires or dies.

 

The chess-playing activities of Joseph Brierley were seemingly limited to the period 1841 to 1848.  That suggests that the corn and flour dealer was the chess-player, and was a Joseph Brierley buried in 1848, or the one buried in 1866.

 

The 1841 census listed a Yorkshire-born Joseph Brierley in Huddersfield aged 40 (born 1800/01).  He could have been the corn and flour-dealer, and the chess-player.  This person seems to be missing from the 1851 and 1861 censuses, suggesting he was the one who died in 1848, or else he left the area.

 

The 1841 census listed a Yorkshire-born Joseph Brierley in the Golcar area of Huddersfield aged 35 (born 1805/06).  This was probably the Joseph “Brearley” born 27/03/1806 to John and Elizabeth “Brearley”, baptised on 27/03/1806 at Queen’s Street Wesleyan Chapel, Huddersfield.  He would be a trifle young to be the corn-dealer of Pigot’s 1828-29 directory, though he could be the chess-player.

 

A Joseph Brierley was born 1817/18 at Oldham, as mentioned below in the 1851 and 1861 censuses as a shawl manufacturer, but he would be too young to be the corn-dealer of Pigot’s 1828-29 directory.

 

The Dealer in Corn and Flour

 

Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Cheshire, Cumberland &c., 1828-29, listed Joseph Brierley, corn dealer, Queen Street, Huddersfield.

 

Pigot’s directory of 1834 similarly listed Joseph Brierley, corn dealer, Queen Street, Huddersfield.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing District, 1842, listed Joseph Brierley, flour &c. dealer, at 2 Queen Street, home at Ramsden Street.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing Districts, 1847, listed Joseph Brierley, corn merchant, at Queen Street, home at Ramsden Street.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford &c, 1854, listed no corn merchant called Joseph Brierley, but listed Frederick William Brierley, presumably related to the corn-dealing Joseph, as dealing in corn and flour at 3 Queen Street, home 2 St. Paul’s Street.

 

The Shawl Manufacturer

 

By 1842 an Oldham-born Joseph Brierley had married Mary, who had been born 1821/22 in Huddersfield.  This rather suggests he came to Huddersfield around 1840, although pinning him down in the 1841 census is difficult.  The couple had at least the following seven children, all born in Huddersfield:

 

John Swallow Brierley

born 1842/43

Mary Hannah Brierley

born 1843/44

George William Brierley

born 1845/46

Elizabeth Ann Brierley

born 1847/48

Alice Brierley

born 1849/50

Sydney Herbert Brierley

born 1852/53

Joseph Percy Brierley

born 1855/56

 

The 1851 census found 33-year-old Oldham-born Joseph and 29-year-old Mary living at 5 Commercial Square, Commercial Street, Huddersfield, with the first five of the above children, and two servants.  Joseph was described as a shawl manufacturer.  Eldest son John Swallow Brierley was a scholar.

 

It’s conceivable that at some time from 1847 to 1851, the corn-dealing Joseph Brierley had switched businesses, giving up dealing in corn and flour for the manufacture of shawls.  Thus could have been the result of his entering into partnership with “Swallow”, whose surname seems to be the source of the middle name of Oldham-born Joseph’s eldest son.  Meanwhile a certain Frederick William Brierley, presumably related to the corn-dealing Joseph, pops up dealing in corn and flour.

 

An alternative (preferred) interpretation is that Joseph Brierley, the corn and flour dealer, simply retired or died, and had his business taken over by Frederick William Brierley, while at the same time a separate Oldham-born Joseph Brierley popped up as a shawl manufacturer.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford &c, 1854, listed Joseph Brierley, as a manufacture, and the “Brierley” in Swallow & Brierley, woollen and fancy goods manufacturers & merchants at 30 Comel Street, Huddersfield, with his home at New North Road.  Also listed was Frederick William Brierley, flour, corn etc dealer, 3 Queen Street, home 2 St. Paul’s Street, Huddersfield.

 

The 1861 census found 43-year-old Oldham-born Joseph and 40-year-old Mary living at New House Place, Huddersfield, with the above seven children and 41-year-old unmarried Hannah Ellen (with no other surname, implying Ellen was the surname), apparently a relative.  She was quaintly described as “Quite a Lady”.

 

The 1871 census found 53-year-old Joseph, shawl manufacturer, still living at Newhouse Place, Huddersfield, living with John, Elizabeth, Sydney, Joseph junior, and a servant.  Sydney senior was listed as married, rather than as being a widower, but Mary was not listed in the household, so was presumably away, visiting.  Joseph, senior, and son John were listed as shawl manufacturers.  Elizabeth was described as “Lady”.  Sydney was more vaguely described as a manufacturer.  Joseph junior was a scholar.

 

Death

 

A Joseph Brierley was buried at Sowerby Bridge on 03/08/1848.  This ties in very well with the chess activity of “Brierley”.  Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, is a plausible burial place if the Huddersfield Joseph Brierley was related to the Halifax Brierleys (see John Henry Brierley).

 

A Joseph Brierley was buried at Honley, near Huddersfield, on 16/11/1866.  This was too early for the shawl manufacturer, but seems about right for the (retired) corn and flour dealer.  It turns out he was only three weeks old at death (http://www.honley.ukf.net/cembr_y.htm).

 

The death of a Joseph Brierley, aged 65, was registered at Huddersfield in Q1 of 1886.  This looks like rather the shawl-manufacturer, though in that case we’d expect to find an 1881 census entry for him.

 

Another Joseph Brierley was buried at Honley on 11/04/1896.  This could have been a son of the one buried in 1848, but was more probably a son of the one buried in 1866.  He turns out to have been 17 years old at death, and a resident of a workhouse (http://www.honley.ukf.net/cembr_y.htm).

 

Chess

 

A chess-playing “Brierley” attended the first four annual meetings of the original Yorkshire Chess Association, then the 1844 meeting in Nottingham, and finally the 17/05/1848 Yorkshire Chess Association meeting held in Halifax.

 

 

Created

09/10/2012

Copyright © 2012 Stephen John Mann

Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information

Last Updated

09/10/2012