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Public services
By 1872, Morley had over 20 mills engaged in the
manufacture of cloth, and the owners were not happy about the high fire
insurance premiums, so they decided to form a company of their own, and
The Morley Mutual Fire Insurance Company came into existence on 18th
June 1872. A steam fire-engine was purchased at a cost of £800,
and eleven part-time firemen were recruited, with George Albert Firth
being appointed Captain of the brigade. The fire-engine was drawn by two
horses loaned from James Clegg and Sons and when a fire was notified
they were harnessed and then released. They would gallop on their
own down Wesley Street, across Queen Street and a short distance down
Peel Street to the fire-station. No mains water supply was
available, but underground water tanks had been built at strategic
points and water from mill dams was often used. Mill fires were very
common and some mills were never rebuilt after having been devastated by
fire. These include Low Moor (Sarah Dixon's), Albion Mills (R
& J Horsfall), Rods Mill (Isaac Watson), Daisy Hill Mill and
Hembrigg Mill. Morley Council became responsible for
fire-fighting in the Borough in 1902, and the service became known as
the Morley Corporation Fire Brigade. In 1906, new premises were
erected in Wellington Street, behind the Town Hall. The Leyland
and Dennis machines were brought into service in 1921, the pumps being
driven from the engine's motor system, which was a tremendous step
forward. The Morley Mutual was taken over by the London and Lancashire
Insurance Company in 1916. The Service grew in strength, and just before WWII it
was put on a full time basis. The Corporation ran a well-equipped
Brigade of 24 men, and the equipment included Leyland and Dennis
petrol-driven engines, fire escapes and other apparatus. An
Auxiliary Fire Service of part-time firemen was formed in 1938 and
occupied an empty building in Wesley Street, becoming the N.F.S in 1941.
The Borough Brigade continued using the Wellington Street station until
1940, when the whole of the fire-fighting service became based in Wesley
Street. On 1st April 1948, the Morley Fire Brigade came under the
jurisdiction of the West Riding County Fire Authority. The present
Fire Station in Corporation Street was built in 1961, and officially opened on 17th February 1962 by the Mayor, Councillor L.J. Finnigan. The public
owes a deep debt of gratitude to the fire-service for their prompt
attention in dealing with fires and saving lives.
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