FURNESS VALE HISTORY SOCIETY

The Wild Sisters.

We have received the following comment on a recent post: 

Does anyone remember the Wild sisters, Nelly and Edith who had a ladies outfitters on Buxton Road in the 1940's? Their father owned a house on Marsh Lane opposite the signal box which we rented during the war. My mother used to buy silk stockings from their shop and they let me play behind the counter. We had no water, gas or electric. We had a well behind the house and used paraffin lamps and candles. Gow Hole Farm was where we got our milk from the Howards. Mr. Howard used to walk past our house on Sundays wearing a top hat on his way to church in New Mills. Just below the station next to the canal on Marsh Lane there was a lovely mansion type house and I always wondered who lived there and what the history of it was. I discovered recently that it was demolished long ago. One time I saw an elephant walking down Marsh Lane, it turned out to be a circus walking to their next showplace.

I am sure that many people will remember the Wild sisters who ran the wool shop at the corner of Buxton Road and Old Road. Here is a photograph of them.

The "Mansion House" which our correspondent refers to, is of course, Furness Lodge. This large house, just off of Station Road was built as the home of Mr Saxby, an early owner of Furness Vale Printworks. It subsequently came into the ownership of the CPA when they took over the mill and was rented out to a number of different people. It was finally demolished in the early 1970s

We have had a further reply which adds to the story of the Wild family and Marsh Lane:

Lovely photo of the Wild sisters, especially little Edith and the sterner Nellie. We paid 7/6d a week for the house on Marsh Lane opposite the signal both to Mr.Wild, their father and our landlord, who was always smoking a pipe. At last I know who lived in the big posh house! Thank you for the information. Now does anyone remember the Howards at Gow Hole Farm? When I was around 9 I lost my hat and I later saw Mr. Howard wearing it as he was making hay. Such happy days.

Here is a photograph from our archives of Carr View on Marsh Lane, the house referred to,  with Mr and Mrs Wild in the doorway. The picture is not dated.

Now does anyone have a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Howard and his brother Frank Howard of Gow Hole Farm? Frank was a regular at the Soldier Dick and evacuees from London lived in the front part of the farmhouse.