| Hubert
Gomersall was the second eldest child of William and Agnes Gomersall,
just over a year younger than William, born 31st December 1856
at Hill House, Otterburn. He was presumably educated in the
same way as his elder brother William, firstly by Dame Hudson
then by a 'governess' as there is no record of him, William
or Frederick ever attending Kirkby Malham School where their
father was a pupil. Hubert attended Giggleswick Grammar
School from January 1866 until December 1870 when he was 14
years of age..
At some point, we don't know exactly when he went to work in
the accounts office at the Silk Mill in Bell Busk just a mile
from Otterburn. The Silk Mill had been bought by Charles Aysgough
Rickards in 1865 and converted from cotton to silk thread production.
Sadly, when Hubert was eighteen or so, he had had to have his
leg amputated after he was injured falling from a hay cart on
the farm and the wound turned gangrenous. Maybe, it was this
event which resulted in him turning to office work, rather than
working on the farm or maybe the state of his father's financial
affairs meant that farming was never a realistic option anyway.
So it is quite posible that he worked at Rickards Silk Mill
from the early 1870s.
He remained living at home in Otterburn until he married Eliza
Jane Wright in the mid 1890s and they both went to live in a
terraced house in Hellifield, not far from the railway station,
which would have enabled Hubert to get to Bell Busk by train.
However, at some time after that they moved to Godfrey House
in Bell Busk which was traditionally the Mill Manager's house,
half way between the village of Bell Busk and the Mill.
In 1900, the Silk Mill closed. It had been one of the Mills
along with Dewhursts Mill in Skipton which had formed English
Sewing Cotton Ltd in about 1894 and the precise reason for its
closure is not known although the family always said that it
was because the landowner (Tottie) refused to renew the lease.
The brand name and goodwill etc. was sold to Brocklehursts in
Manchester and Charles Rickards apparently used his influence
with the English Sewing Company directors to get Hubert the
position of Assistant Cashier in the Manchester head office.
So in 1900 Hubert, Eliza and by now four children Willie, Reg,
Mary and Bobs moved to Urmston, Manchester.
When they first moved to Manchester, they lived at No. 14 Queens
Road, Urmston before later moving to No. 69 Queens Road. Both
houses were a short distance from both the railway station and
Urmston Church. Here they raised 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls.
Hubert became chief cashier for English Sewing Cotton Ltd.and
carried on working until he was 72. He died at home in 1936
in his 80th year and is buried in Urmston Cemetry.
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