The 19th-century engineering achievements of a Cullingworth family are highlighted in a history group's journal.
The Bradford Antiquary portrays the lives and careers of the bridge, road and rail-building of the Craven family. Angela Holmes, Cullingworth's parish clerk and a village historian, has researched the family's exploits.
She wrote about them in the annual journal of Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society. Angela discovered the Cravens were at the heart of many civil engineering projects that remain in use today.
Master stonemason John Craven and his wife, Jennett, came from Colne and, after marrying in 1768, had 12 children. Sixth son Hiram moved to Oakworth, was apprenticed to a stonemason and built a tiny mill just beyond the Brontë waterfall.
He succeeded where many other engineers had failed, building a bridge over the swiftly-flowing River Ouse, at York. Many of Hiram's workmen lived in Oakworth and Hainworth and walked the 40 miles to and from York each week.
Hiram's firm carried out local projects. These included the road from Oxenhope over Cockhill Moor to Hebden Bridge, and the road from Eastburn to Kildwick Bridge.
Hiram and brother Edward moved into local manufacturing, building water wheels at Higher Providence Mill, in Oakworth, building Ebor Mill, in Haworth, and taking over Ellar Carr Mill, in Cullingworth. Their associations in business brought them into some of the most influential families of the 19th century."
Details of the Antiquary, and how to join the society, are available from Angela at the Haven, 9 Keighley Road, Cullingworth BD13 5JA, email orangela9haven@hotmail.com.
Angela is also compiling a history of the Cullingworth area.
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