‘A crowded horse omnibus outside the Old Bull’s Head Hotel in Church St Eccles, in 1872” (Taken from the Salford Local History Library Collection)
Convenor: Chris Whitefoot
Group leader: Mark Child
Zoom host: Andy Scutt
To contact Chris, Mark or Andy please email salfordu3a@gmail.com marking the subject line of your email ‘FAO: name/job title’.
Venue and date/time: We have in the past met at 1.30-3.30pm on alternate Wednesdays at Eccles Gateway, but are currently meeting by zoom at 11-12.30pm on alternate Wednesdays.
Our next meeting is at 11am on Wednesday 23rd June, when Mark Child will be giving a talk about Lord Ellesmere, the subject of his new book that is due to be published later this summer. 
We would like to extend an invite to this talk to all u3a members and anyone who is interested in attending should contact Andy Scutt at andyscutt@hotmail.com.
The main focus of the group is nineteenth and early twentieth century history of the Salford and Manchester region. We have a few invited talks but most topics are presented by the members of the group. Some present materials that they have researched, others introduce the discussion by reading articles on items of forgotten local history.
Recent topics include ‘Haigh Hall’, ‘Queen Victoria’s 1851 visit to Worsley’, ‘Salford Pals’ and ‘Irwell valley coal mines’. The group has also visited the following historical sites over recent years: Ordsall Hall; Eccles Parish Church; All Saints Church Barton; Chetham’s Library and School; Styal Village and Quarry Bank Mill; the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum; Erddig Hall; and the Moravian Settlement in Droylsden.
Links you may be interested in:
For a Local History group photo please visit our Gallery Page
Cottonopolis – a Greater Manchester u3a network booklet
Also click here for our Salford mills survey
Past members of the group have researched and published a variety of books, which are listed below. Present members have completed a book entitled ‘A Brief History of Travel in Eccles, Barton and Patricroft since 1628’ which covers many of the events of the eighteenth and nineteenth century travel revolution, all within a few square miles of Lancashire. See Travel History Booklet by Mark Child for further information.
Other publications researched and published by the group are:
- ‘Church St Eccles’ by Helen Whickham and other group members
- ‘A walk around Barton’ by Doreen and Eddie Rowbottom
- ‘Industrial History of Eccles’ by Ronald Britton
- ‘A Chronological History of Eccles’ by Doreen Rowbottom
- ‘Treasures of Eccles, Past and Present’ by Doreen Rowbottom
- ‘Pendleton: the Rise and Fall of a Northern Township’ by Don Lingard
- ‘A Brief History of Travel in Eccles, Barton and Patricroft since 1628’ by Mark Child
- ‘Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere’ by Mark Child (due for publication Summer 2021)
2019/2020 Local History Programme
2021 Local History Programme:
| Date | Name | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec | Sheila Thomas | Christmas in WW2 |
| 6 Jan | Alan Corbett | Manchester through the eyes of early 19th century authors |
| 20 Jan | Paul Sherlock | Salford mayors |
| 3 Feb | Anne McGarry | Salford 1900-1914 |
| 17 Feb | George Waterhouse | History of morris dancing |
| 3 Mar | David Roughley | Gerrards of Swinton |
| 17 Mar | Mark Child | Ellesmere buildings |
| 31 Mar | cancelled | |
| 14 Apr | Sheila Thomas | A trip down Deansgate |
| 28 Apr | Alan Corbett | Wet Earth Colliery |
| 12 May | Paul Sherlock | Local heritage trails |
| 26 May | Andy Scutt | Manchester’s Hidden Gems (Part 1) |
| 9 Jun | Rick McGarry | Protector Lamp and Lighting Company |
| 23 Jun | Mark Child | The highs and lows of Lord Ellesmere’s life |
| 7 Jul | Andy Scutt | Manchester’s Hidden Gems (Part 2) |
| 21 Jul | Hazel Walker, Marlene Walker | Manchester’s Little Italy |
| 11 Aug | Sheila Thomas | Some events at Eccles Town Hall |
| 25 Aug | Barbara Lawton, June Lomas | Weaste Cemetery |
You may also be interested in:
Our group is one of several members of the Salford Forum of Local History Organisations. You can access their website here for details of all the groups that belong to this forum, including the Eccles and District History Society and the Age UK (Salford) local history group who meet regularly in Swinton.
Anyone wishing to explore the history of our area may be interested in viewing the extensive collection of books, documents, photographs and newspapers at the Salford Local History Library.
