Factory Fire in York Road

Rushden has had many large factory fires, and it was after John Cave’s first factory in the High Street burned down in 1877 that Rushden’s Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed.

In June 1907 the large factory in York Road, occupied by Ellard & Howes, boot and shoe manufacturers, was destroyed by fire.  It was a three-storey building of brick and tile with iron girders.  Ellard & Howes had rented the premises for eighteen months and employed about 100 people.  The fire started on the afternoon of Saturday 15 June, when Mr. John Ellard, son of the senior partner in the business, having returned to the factory put a pot of waterproofing preparation on a stove to heat up.  He left the room and the pot boiled over.  By the time he realised what had happened the fire had taken hold.

The fire brigade received the call soon after 3.30 p.m. and were quickly on the scene.  Captain Fred Knight was in Higham Ferrers at the time but was able to catch the 3.45 train to Rushden. (I hope transport was provided for him.  It’s a bit of a hike from the station to York Road.)

The fire spread rapidly and there was no chance of saving the building.  The water pressure was not good until, eventually, the water to Higham Ferrers was turned off.  Fortunately, there were passages between the factory and the surrounding buildings but at one time the outbuilding belonging to Mr. Britten, baker, was in danger.  The firemen turned water onto it, and it was saved.

The fire quickly burned itself out, but the building and contents were destroyed, some of the walls being left in a very dangerous condition.  The damage was estimated at approximately £6,000 but it  was all covered by insurance.

The firemen attending were Captain Fred Knight, Mr. G. R. Turner, Second Officer Colson, Sub-engineer Green, and firemen Whiting, Sparrow, Nuttall, Underwood, Wildman and Twelvetree.  Most left about 8.30 p.m. but Sub-engineer Green, J. Sparrow, and J. Whiting remained until 5.30 Sunday morning.

According to the Rushden Echo very unfair criticism was sometimes levelled at fire brigades, and it went to some length to prove that it was without doubt that “the Rushden Fire Brigade worked as scientifically and enthusiastically as any brigade in England could possibly do.”

The Rushden Echo also pointed out that, like other factories in the town, the premises of Ellard & Howes had all the windows barred to keep out burglars, but they would also keep the firemen in.  If the firemen could have got upstairs to the seat of the fire, it was certain they could never have got out again.  They thought it was a point “worthy of careful consideration on the part of those concerned.”

Mr. Ellard was able to take over the factory of Messrs. Bull in Harborough Road and it was hoped that work would be able to start the next week.