FRANK CLEGG of LONGROYDE
This is a story about a man named Frank Clegg who worked at Longroyde Farm from 1927 to 1949. He was employed by the owner of Longroyde House, John Cheetham, a local textile manufacturer.
This interesting story is told by Frank’s nephew, Mike Forbes of Byfleet, Surrey.
Given that ‘Royd’ is a word of Scandinavian origin meaning a cleared area of ground it’s not surprising that there are many places called Long Royd, Longroyd, Long Royde and Longroyde in and around West Yorkshire.
The Longroyde in question is in Rastrick – the modern housing development at Longroyde Grove and Longroyde Close, off Field Top Road, marks the approximate site of Longroyde House and Lodge (see 1907 map)
Frank Moore Clegg was my uncle, born in 1895 and brought up at Lillands Farm in Rastrick. He fought in the trenches during World War 1 as a private in the Coldstream Guards. He was awarded the Military Medal for “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire”. The only thing he ever mentioned about the war was playing ‘Housey-Housey’ (Lotto, Bingo) to pass the time. He was a milkman after the war and on Boxing Day 1927 married my father’s sister, Alice Elizabeth Forbes, who was a couple of years younger than him.
Earlier in 1927 Frank had started work at Longroyde Farm, which was adjacent to Longroyde House (photo on home page of this website). The House was occupied by John Cheetham, a textile manufacturer, and his family. Frank and Alice moved into the Lodge close by and a son, Geoffrey, was born in 1930. I can remember Geoffrey calling on us in Lightcliffe after school (St Martin’s, Brighouse, I suppose) still wearing his school cap and woodwork apron. He died aged 15, of cancer of the liver; there were 30 ‘official’ mourners in 5 ‘coaches’ with 25 wreaths at his funeral.
From the age of about eight I several times spent the weekend at Longroyde Lodge with my uncle and aunt. I remember Frank as a great character, always cheerful and teasing. He took me rabbit-shooting early in the morning and showed me the small herd of cows for which he was responsible. Alice was a lovely lady and they treated me like the son they had lost. My family and I have very fond memories of them.
They had to leave Longroyde in 1949 when Mr Cheetham sold the property and, after several years staying with Alice’s sister and her husband, they moved to a terrace house in Bailiff Bridge, a couple of miles to the north of Rastrick. Frank got a job with a landscape company which he loved because the work was outdoors. One job was for a family in a large house at Fixby and they offered him a full time job as gardener, chauffeur and handyman. He worked there for many years and became ‘part of the family’.
Frank died suddenly in September 1972 and Alice died in March 1986.
In 1960, I was working on a farm in Shropshire when my parents came to see me. They brought Frank and Alice with them. The photo shows myself and Frank, cigarette in hand, admiring the rear end of one of the Friesian dairy herd.
Thanks to my cousin, Lesley, for the loan of the various certificates.