ON Tuesday, the 17th September, 1889, were laid to rest in Kildwick Church-yard (where already repose many of his
ancestors) the remains of John Laycock, of West Closes, Glusburn
in the Parish of Kildwick.
As the coffin was borne into the Church, the splendid organ
pealed forth the solemn " Dead March " in Saul, and as the
funeral procession slowly followed the Vicar the Rev. A. D. C.
Thompson-were heard the strains of " O rest in the Lord," from
Elijah.
The affection and esteem in which the deceased was held was
shewn by a wide circle of mourners from miles around, as well as
from the immediate neighbourhood where he resided.
The family of Laycock is, perhaps, the oldest residential family
in this parish, the name frequently occurring as "Laicocke" in
the early registers of Kildwick Church. In the year 1671, Robert
Laycocke and William Laycocke were Churchwardens, but what
townships were represented is not shewn (probably Glusburn,
Cowling, or Cononley were the places). The ancestors of the
subject of this sketch have lived at West Closes for many
generations.
John Laycock was a member of an old Cowling family, two
heiresses of which were married to the Wainmans, of Carrhead,
and the late W. B. Wainman, Esq., always retained a great
personal friendship for the deceased.
"Old John's" tall and dignified figure, with his noble, cheerful
countenance, was often seen moving about this district in the
interests of his calling, and will be sorely missed. In face and
figure he was a typical Northman, and his character was equally
sturdy and honest. The possessor of a splendid physique, he used
to think lightly, in his younger days, of walking thirty miles
and upwards; and, prior to the construction of the railway, he
frequently walked to Leeds to attend Morning Service at the
Parish Church, when Dr. Wesley was the Organist.
Until an accident in his workshop deprived him of the use of the
fingers of his left hand, he was the principal pianoforte tuner
in the district. He was also unfortunate in having his leg
broken on two different occasions; but he, nevertheless, enjoyed
good health until recently, when he nominally retired from the
business which he had founded, and which is now carried on by
his son and late foreman, under the name of Laycock and
Bannister. The last occasion on which he was present at an organ
opening was at Clitheroe, and the last organ in which he took an
active part in building was for Foulridge.
Born on November 24th, 1809, at Cook House, Glusburn, the
deceased has passed the allotted span; and, now, full of years
and honour, with eye undimned and natural force almost unabated,
and preserving his faculties to the last, he passed away on
Friday, the 13th September, 1889, his end being hastened by a
slight paralytic stroke.
As an instance of cultivation of great natural powers, by
assiduous study and indomitable perseverance, amid adverse
surroundings, his life is almost unique, and well deserves a
place among the records of those worthies, whose memory future
generations will delight to honour. After a few brief years of
school life, under the tuition of the late Mr. Wilcock, of
Crosshills (under whom he learnt the rudiments of the three
R's), he commenced life as a hand-loom weaver; but whether he
ever attained to excellence in this calling is doubtful.
Certainly the bent of his genius was otherwise, as most of his
play-hours and a great portion of what ought to have been his
work-hours, were employed in making water-wheels and other
mechanical contrivances.
He was soon after this apprenticed to his uncle, a cartwright;
but his early training at the loom was not entirely fruitless,
for in after years, when his powers were more developed, he
supplied the looms throughout the district with " dobbies
"-contrivances used in pattern weaving. As a cartwright he
continued to work until his thirtieth year, devoting his hours
of recreation to mechanics and physics.
Then came the turning point of his life, for about this time it
was that an old organ used in Ickornshaw Wesleyan Chapel came
into his possession, and after a minute examination of its
mechanism he determined to construct one similar. He succeeded,
and this his first essay at organ building was purchased by Mr.
James Hartley, of Glusburn, now of Ilkley. Finally, in 1840, he
discontinued the business of cartwright, and devoted himself to
that of organ builder, with which his name is now closely
connected. Though he never received an hour's training in the
workshop of a professional builder, he was able to successfully
compete with the best makers of the north, and examples of his
skilled workmanship are to be found in numerous places of
worship throughout a wide range, extending as far as Liverpool
and Birmingham.
His first large organ was placed in the Wesleyan Chapel,
Crosshills, and afterwards removed to the meeting-house of
another denomination in Bingley, and, after thirty years'
service, it is still in use. But the great wish of his life was
that he might have the opportunity of placing in the Parish
Church of Kildwick (the Lang Kirk) and in the more famous
sanctuary of Bolton Abbey, organs not only creditable to his
musical skill, but worthy of their sacred and historic
surroundings. The latter was granted, but the first portion of
his wish was denied him, much to his disappointment. The organ
in Bolton Priory Church has been admired by all who have heard
its tones, the members of the Cavendish family, who were the
chief contributors, especially being loud in their admiration of
its qualities. In the construction of his organs he never
sacrificed purity of tone and sweetness to loudness, while his
keen sense of the artistic was a guarantee that the external
appearance was in harmony with the architectural surroundings.
He has received numerous unsolicited testimonials from Dr.
Spark, of Leeds, and other well known musicians, the
first-mentioned of
whom states that a more conscientious builder he has never met
with.
Fifty years ago, or more, Mr. Laycock was one of a band of eager
and intelligent students of the sciences (among whom may be
mentioned Richard Petty, Thomas Hopkinson, John Turner, Samuel
Bottomley, William Shuttleworth, and the Rev. Mr. Marsh), some
of whom acquired considerable mechanical skill. Mr. Laycock's
influence upon his confreres had many and various effects, a
five example of which is seen in the successes of Mr. T. O.
Dixon, of Steeton, formerly of Glusburn, who was at the time of
his residence at the latter place intimately associated with Mr.
Laycock, and no doubt had his fine inventive genius stimulated
by this association
It is a question whether his musical or mechanical powers were
the more fully developed. Almost all inventors have at some
portion of their lives devoted some time to clock-making. In the
workshop at West Closes, an old clock hangs, which for thirty
years has told the hours. It contains three wheels, only two
having the power of motion. He constructed another clock which
was made entirely of wood, and indicating not only the time of
the day, but also the days of the month. Fifteen years ago in
order to get additional power for his machinery he erected a set
of windsails with movable shutters, which by a simple movement
of levers can be opened or shut, and the whole thrown into
action instantaneously. His greatest delight, however, was a
turning lathe, provided with an eccentric chuck, entirely his
own invention, by means of which he could turn out geometrical
carvings of the most beautiful and delicate workmanship.
Specimens of his turned work, in the form of snuff and tobacco
boxes, egg cups, &c., were frequent gifts to friends, to
bazaars, and in fact for the benefit of any deserving object. He
never cared to make a monetary profit by his
lathe work ; his one object was to do good work-not to amass a
fortune-and whatsoever his hand found to do, he did it with his
might.
The subject of this memoir had a fine artistic taste, and though
very modest in his pretensions, several landscapes bear evidence
of his ability to use the brush.
It is but seldom that the opportunity to chronicle the details
of a life so full of interest and example, presents itself; and,
as the influence of such men extends beyond the present into the
distant future, we present our readers with the before-going
portrait of one of the most remarkable men this shire has given
birth to, and one of whom Yorkshire may well feel proud.
Thus has passed away one of nature's noblemen, leaving to his
family an untarnished name, and to the youth of the parish a
most splendid example of difficulties overcome, and ends
achieved by study and untiring perseverance. He was a man, take
him for all in all, we ne'er shall look upon his like again."
[It is worthy of note that through the extension of the organ
building business (founded by the subject of this pamphlet) the
accommodation at West Closes was found to be inadequate, and new
works, up-to-date in every department, were erected in Aire
Street, Crosshills, where the thriving industry is successfully
carried on with greater facility. The Kildwick Church organ,
which was one of Mr. Laycock's ideals, is at present (March,
1903) undergoing restoration and
thorough re-modelling at their
works, including a blowing
apparatus, the arrangement of
which will be a novelty in the
district. |
