Littleborough is a pleasant semi-rural town, North-East of the economic giant that is Manchester.
A former mill town with several former coal mines and quarries, Littleborough still has traditional high street shops that include butchers, artisan bakers and a smokeless fuel merchant. A newcomer to the area, I had moved to Wardle in 2018 from West Didsbury via India.
Just under a year ago, in July 2019, I had a thought to borrow a book from the local library, instead of traipsing by bus into nearby Rochdale, home to a library in the Borough Council’s ultra-modern showpiece Riverside building. No, instead with my face turned towards the East, I set off best foot forward down the hill into Littleborough, a short 20-25 minute walk away.
The first place I looked for the library was in Hare Hill Road, the town’s main shopping area, but asking the right person had me soon pointed in the right direction towards Hare Hill Park. On entering the park, I noticed a striking resemblance to a long, winding driveway to a big house, which is exactly what it turned out to be. Hare Hill Park, formerly the gardens / grounds of Hare Hill House are nothing short of magnificent, small though they may be in comparison with grander stately homes.
Littleborough Library I discovered comfortably ensconced in a large Victorian home – Hare Hill House – and part of Hare Hill Park, like many other parks in other places, had been their gardens. A closer look suggested the large house appeared to be a community centre and museum with the actual library in a smaller annexe constructed behind the main house.
Hare Hill House had been built by Henry Newall, a merchant, and his wife, Maria Fenton, both from local families of high standing.
The family of Henry Newall can be traced back to the reign of Henry IV in the 14th Century through the records of the august body that is the College of Arms. Maria Fenton was also from a notable Lancashire family and the grand-daughter of John Fenton, who represented Rochdale as Whig (Liberal) Member of Parliament on two occasions. Henry Newall and Maria Fenton their raised ten children in Hare Hill House, one of whom would go on to find fame in their own right, but more of that later.
A comparison of two maps, 1893 and 1914 shows the pace of change over a twenty year period, during which Hare Hill House became home to the Littleborough Urban District Council, who built the annexe that became a Free Library, and remains home to Littleborough Library to this day. Hare Hill woollen mills, at the foot of the garden, had been constructed circa 1840, owned by the Newall family and by 1860 had been bought by Littleborough Co-operative Society.* During the same 20- year period, Hare Hill Park had been extended to meet the extended Sale Road and a bandstand, which is still there today, was built. Other near neighbours were the town gas works, fire station and several reservoirs for the various mills.
A Blue Plaque was unveiled, Saturday 13th August 2016, at a ceremony organised by the Friends of Hare Hill House to commemorate the achievements of Sybil “Queenie” Fenton Newall, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, 1908.**
Sybil Fenton Newall, the eldest daughter of Henry Newall and Maria Fenton, was born in Hare Hill House, Littleborough, Tuesday, 17 October 1854.***
Sybil had moved home to reside in Cheltenham, where she became a member of the Cheltenham Archers in 1905, winning regional finals to qualify as a member of the British female archery team at the 1908 Olympic Games, London. Sport is no different to normal life and achievement of success requires hard work and a measure of good luck, both of which Queenie Newall possessed in London on that day in 1908 when taking Gold Medal in Women’s Archery. All the archery contestants had been British because no other country had sent any female archers. Olympic favourite, Alice Legh, had chosen not to compete at London, preferring to save her strength for the Grand National only a week later, leaving Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Dod, sister of William Dod, Gold Medal Winner in Men’s Archery, as main rival to Queenie Newall. Lottie had won Wimbledon Ladies Singles 5 times, won Ladies Golf once, represented England at ice hockey and had achieved high standards at ice-skating and tobogganing. Trailing by 10 points at the end of the first day, Queenie Newall came from behind to beat Lottie Dod by 46 points with Beatrice Hill-Lowe taking the bronze medal. ****
The archery contest took place on Friday and Saturday, 17th July 1908, and on that final day Queenie Newall did not just win an Olympic Gold Medal, but also made history becoming the oldest female to win Gold at the age of 53 years 275 days.
The record set by a Lancashire Lass from Littleborough has remained unequalled to this day.
Furthermore, her gold was the last medal won by a British female in
Archery until Alison Williamson won Bronze Medal in Athens, 2004, 96 years later.**
Sybil’s luck had run out at the Grand National Championship, held only a week later in Oxford, where she was heavily defeated (by 151 points) by the all-time greatest British female archer, Alice Legh, 23 times Champion. Undeterred, by defeat, Queenie went on to win the Grand National Championship twice, in 1911 and 1912, and only missed victory by the narrowest 3-point margin in 1914.
Queenie continued her competitive archery with Cheltenham Archers long after WW1, with her final score to be recorded in 1928. Sybil ‘Queenie’ Fenton Newall, Lancashire’s British Champion Archer Olympic Gold Medallist and record-breaker, born in Littleborough, died in Cheltenham 24 June 1929, aged 74 years.****
For me, this is not the end of the story, but just the first chapter as I have decided to do some more research to discover a little bit more about Sybil, a lady, who until 26th July 2019 was unknown to me, a lad born in faraway Cheshire and raised in the suburban district of Chorlton-cum-Hardy in nearly as far away South Manchester.
John Anthony Hewitt © 2020
Photographs:
Hare Hill Gardens, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection;
Hare Hill House, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection);
1893-1914 OS 25” Map, Hare Hill House & Park, Littleborough, 2 July 2020, National Library of Scotland;
Blue Plaque, Hare Hill House, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection;
Sybil ‘Queenie’ Fenton Newall, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, London, 1908, Archery at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Women's double National round, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_double_National_round#/media/File:Queenie_Newall.jpg
References:
* Littleborough’s History, Littleborough Co-operative Society of Industry - Local Mills it was involved in, Hare Hill Road Mill, https://www.littleboroughshistory.org/coopmills
** Littleborough honour record-breaking Olympian Sybil Fenton Newall, Rochdale Online, 8 August 2016, https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/104467/littleborough-honour-recordbreaking-olympian-sybil-fenton-newall
*** Newall, Sybil Fenton [Queenie] (1854–1929) James W. Bancroft https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/65168 [Extract] Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-65168
**** Queenie, Sybil Fenton Quenni Newall, Olympic Channel, https://www.olympicchannel.com/de/athletes/detail/sybil-fenton-quenni-newall/
***** Results (Extract from), Archery at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Women's double National round, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_double_National_round
A former mill town with several former coal mines and quarries, Littleborough still has traditional high street shops that include butchers, artisan bakers and a smokeless fuel merchant. A newcomer to the area, I had moved to Wardle in 2018 from West Didsbury via India.
 |
| Hare Hill Gardens, Littleborough, July 26,2019 |
The first place I looked for the library was in Hare Hill Road, the town’s main shopping area, but asking the right person had me soon pointed in the right direction towards Hare Hill Park. On entering the park, I noticed a striking resemblance to a long, winding driveway to a big house, which is exactly what it turned out to be. Hare Hill Park, formerly the gardens / grounds of Hare Hill House are nothing short of magnificent, small though they may be in comparison with grander stately homes.
 |
| Hare Hill House, Littleborough 26 July 2019 |
Hare Hill House had been built by Henry Newall, a merchant, and his wife, Maria Fenton, both from local families of high standing.
The family of Henry Newall can be traced back to the reign of Henry IV in the 14th Century through the records of the august body that is the College of Arms. Maria Fenton was also from a notable Lancashire family and the grand-daughter of John Fenton, who represented Rochdale as Whig (Liberal) Member of Parliament on two occasions. Henry Newall and Maria Fenton their raised ten children in Hare Hill House, one of whom would go on to find fame in their own right, but more of that later.
 |
| 1893-1914 OS 25" map, Hare Hill House Park & Park, Littleborough |
 |
| Blue Plaque, Hare Hill House, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J.A.Hewitt |
Sybil Fenton Newall, the eldest daughter of Henry Newall and Maria Fenton, was born in Hare Hill House, Littleborough, Tuesday, 17 October 1854.***
Sybil had moved home to reside in Cheltenham, where she became a member of the Cheltenham Archers in 1905, winning regional finals to qualify as a member of the British female archery team at the 1908 Olympic Games, London. Sport is no different to normal life and achievement of success requires hard work and a measure of good luck, both of which Queenie Newall possessed in London on that day in 1908 when taking Gold Medal in Women’s Archery. All the archery contestants had been British because no other country had sent any female archers. Olympic favourite, Alice Legh, had chosen not to compete at London, preferring to save her strength for the Grand National only a week later, leaving Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Dod, sister of William Dod, Gold Medal Winner in Men’s Archery, as main rival to Queenie Newall. Lottie had won Wimbledon Ladies Singles 5 times, won Ladies Golf once, represented England at ice hockey and had achieved high standards at ice-skating and tobogganing. Trailing by 10 points at the end of the first day, Queenie Newall came from behind to beat Lottie Dod by 46 points with Beatrice Hill-Lowe taking the bronze medal. ****
The record set by a Lancashire Lass from Littleborough has remained unequalled to this day.
 |
| Sybil 'Queenie' Fenton Newall, 1908 |
Archery until Alison Williamson won Bronze Medal in Athens, 2004, 96 years later.**
Sybil’s luck had run out at the Grand National Championship, held only a week later in Oxford, where she was heavily defeated (by 151 points) by the all-time greatest British female archer, Alice Legh, 23 times Champion. Undeterred, by defeat, Queenie went on to win the Grand National Championship twice, in 1911 and 1912, and only missed victory by the narrowest 3-point margin in 1914.
Queenie continued her competitive archery with Cheltenham Archers long after WW1, with her final score to be recorded in 1928. Sybil ‘Queenie’ Fenton Newall, Lancashire’s British Champion Archer Olympic Gold Medallist and record-breaker, born in Littleborough, died in Cheltenham 24 June 1929, aged 74 years.****
For me, this is not the end of the story, but just the first chapter as I have decided to do some more research to discover a little bit more about Sybil, a lady, who until 26th July 2019 was unknown to me, a lad born in faraway Cheshire and raised in the suburban district of Chorlton-cum-Hardy in nearly as far away South Manchester.
John Anthony Hewitt © 2020
Photographs:
Hare Hill Gardens, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection;
Hare Hill House, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection);
1893-1914 OS 25” Map, Hare Hill House & Park, Littleborough, 2 July 2020, National Library of Scotland;
Blue Plaque, Hare Hill House, Littleborough, 26 July 2019, J. A. Hewitt, Personal Collection;
Sybil ‘Queenie’ Fenton Newall, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, London, 1908, Archery at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Women's double National round, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_double_National_round#/media/File:Queenie_Newall.jpg
References:
* Littleborough’s History, Littleborough Co-operative Society of Industry - Local Mills it was involved in, Hare Hill Road Mill, https://www.littleboroughshistory.org/coopmills
** Littleborough honour record-breaking Olympian Sybil Fenton Newall, Rochdale Online, 8 August 2016, https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/104467/littleborough-honour-recordbreaking-olympian-sybil-fenton-newall
*** Newall, Sybil Fenton [Queenie] (1854–1929) James W. Bancroft https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/65168 [Extract] Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-65168
**** Queenie, Sybil Fenton Quenni Newall, Olympic Channel, https://www.olympicchannel.com/de/athletes/detail/sybil-fenton-quenni-newall/
***** Results (Extract from), Archery at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Women's double National round, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_double_National_round
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