THE QUEEN’S Head Inn is thought to be the hostelry that gave Queensbury its name.

A number of pubs bearing that name, or variations of it, have existed over the centuries and are among the many buildings that helped to shape the development of the village over time.

They feature in a fascinating book The Origins of Queensbury, Properties and People in a Pennine Landscape, by author John Patchett.

An evocative photograph of one of the long-gone pubs - the Old Queen’s Head - with a wooden cart standing outside, appears in chapter one.

This thoroughly researched book, illustrated with maps and photographs, delves into how Queensbury was formed and evolved.

In the first two chapters of seven, there’s a potted history of the village from earliest times to the 19th century, including boundaries, roads, places of worship, enclosure, the Foster Family, Black Dyke Mills, and the adoption of the name Queensbury, formerly Queenshead.

The book builds on John’s 1992 book From Waste to Worsted, The Development of Queensbury.

It draws on additional information collated by John - who grew up in the village and has strong family roots in its history - over the past 30 years.

“New information was forthcoming from a number of sources, the main one being the Court Rolls of The Manor of Wakefield, then held by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society at Claremont, Leeds, now relocated to the Special Collections of the Brotherton Library at Leeds University,” he says. “The rolls were essential for building up a picture of the history of the Queen’s Head Inn and surrounding land in Queensbury High Street.”

John, who lives in Halifax, has many family connections to the village’s industrial history. His great, great, great grandmother Mary was the sister of John Foster, founder of Black Dyke Mills and another great, great, great grandparent Isaac Patchett (1797-1864) was the mason-contractor who built the original Black Dyke Mill. His grandfather John Willie Patchett (1896-1954) spent his whole working life at Foster’s, latterly as manager of the drawing department.

John has incorporated new maps and information as he charts changes.

The growth of farm estates are documented in the longest and most detailed part of the book.

“It lists the histories - drawn from deeds and other papers - of all Queensbury’s farm estates, many from the 16th century onwards,” he says. “It is particularly rich in the names of owners and tenants over the centuries

“This chapter was compiled as a detailed reference account of all the farm estates making up the old Queenshead/Queensbury Local Board area, basically reproducing - with corrections and additions - the contents of the 30 or so booklets I produced for Queensbury History Society between 1987 and 1994.

“Many of these had been researched from deeds then in the keeping of John Foster & Son PLC, and which proved to be an invaluable source of information for Queensbury’s early history. The years up to 2000 saw the unfortunate end of John Foster & Son as a Queensbury-based worsted producer and the sale of Black Dyke Mills for use as industrial units.

“Fortunately before this happened and after recommendations made by me and members of the Foster Family, the bulk of the archive collections remaining at the mill were deposited at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Bradford. I thank the Archive Service’s staff in Bradford, Halifax, Wakefield and at the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society for the help afforded me. These offices now hold most of the relevant sources for Queensbury history.”

Former modern languages teacher John worked for 19 years at the West Yorkshire Archive Service, firstly in Wakefield, followed by Halifax, before retiring in 2018.

His book looks at the main hamlets within the parish boundary - Queenshead, Catherine Slack, Ambler Thorn, Beggarington and Ford, Mountain - and one outside, Clayton Heights.

Some of the village’s early, noteworthy characters also feature in the book, including Northowram-born Reverened Dan Taylor (1738 to 1816), minister at Birchcliffe Chapel, Hebden Bridge, who brought the Baptist cause to Queenshead.

Historic buildings featured in the book include the Old Bell Chapel, where the cupola was erected by Patrick Bronte as part of his 1818 restoration.

The final chapter outlines 20th century changes to the village.

The book has been published by Northowram Historical Society, under the professional expertise of chairman Mike Beecham.

“This seems fitting for, as is well-known, most of Queenshead Parish (formed in 1845) had been administered as part of the historic Northowram Township from earliest times up to 1865,” says John.

*The Origins of Queensbury, Properties and People in a Pennine Landscape by John H Patchett is published by Northowram Historical Society, priced £22.

For further inormation contact j.patchett@btinternet.com, or ring John on 01422 346088.