Amos Illingworth, builder of Woodrow, Methley followed on in the family tradition of building, his father William had built the kitchen wing of Methley Hall. Amos built many properties in the village but two of note were the Albert Place and the Rose & Crown public house.
WAmos Illing.1837-1909
His wife to be, Elizabeth Siddall, worked in service at Methley Hall. On their wedding day (26th January, 1868) at St Oswalds, the bride walked from the Hall, through the woods and met up with the bridegroom who was building the houses in the Albert Place. They walked down to the church, were joined together in holy matrimony, they then walked back and parted company to enable Amos to carry on with his building work. Elizabeth continued back to her work at the Hall.
Their house was one of the cottages at the top of Fleet Lane. Amos had his builders yard off Station Road which backed onto the Albert Place. This was the disused site with stable, storerooms, slates, ridge tiles and drainage pipes that was used as a playground by kids from Woodrow for years. We never came across the well that was reportedly in the yard (B Robbins) It would like all the other w
ells in the village been filled in following the installation of mains water pipes in the 1880/90’s. August 2002 Will Illingworth E-mails me to say that the well was partly under the wall dividing the yard with the first small cottage (Mattinsons). Will isn’t sure that Amos used this yard although his Father Sid Illingworth worked in it whilst working for Mexborough Estates. The well was in good use up to WW2 producing putty lime and hair lime plaster for use on lathed ceilings, will adds that his Grandmother made her pin money making and selling buckets of lime at 1p for painting ceilings before distemper came in. Dulux beware.