Whitchurch Fire Brigade

It’s hard to believe that Whitchurch had its own fire brigade. There’s no detail of when it was established but we know that on special occasions the fire brigade was turned out as a guard of honour. When the new free library was opened in 1904, the firemen resplendent in their brass helmets were prominent in the parade

There is an old photograph showing the village firemen in their uniforms, but sadly, this has been lost. If anyone has a copy we’d love to see it again

For anyone who has difficulty in picturing our local brigade, just think back to the BBC children’s programme Trumpton and their splendid crew of Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub. Unlike the Trumpton fire brigade, the Whitchurch fire brigade were all local volunteers, and the pump was fitted onto the back of a wagon. They didn’t have their own horse, so the local butcher’s horse was pressed into service. Before the fire brigade could be dispatched, the horse had to be sent for!

There are many newspaper reports of domestic and farm fires, and clearly the brigade provided sterling service in the village. Haystacks and ricks regularly caught fire

The installation of water mains only started in 1895 and were not completed until after 1903, so whenever the brigade was called out, they either had to carry their own water on the fire wagon, or to pump it from local streams or ponds. When the tithe barn caught alight in February 1900, the fire brigade had to stretch out their hoses quite a distance. In fact, such was the fire on the thatched-roof building that neither the building nor the considerable quantity of hay inside could be saved. The newspaper article in the Evening Express of 7th February 1900 describes in graphic detail the ‘Fire at Whitchurch Tithe Barn’

When a cataclysmic fire broke out on the Elm Farm (adjacent to the current Tesco petrol station on Manor Way) in October 1901, five horses were burnt alive and a considerable amount of harness and stored hay were consumed

From the beginning, the fire brigade undertook training, and in 1897 the volunteers were reported to be ‘making good progress’ with their drill. So much so, that a parish meeting was called for the purpose of agreeing to the purchase of fireman’s clothing, outfit and equipment. Goodness knows what they were wearing previously! Police Sgt Williams was in charge of the training and was paid £3. He was later voted a salary of £7 (later increased to £9) per annum as captain/instructor. The new equipment consisted of a pump, standpipe and hose

In an article in the Evening Express of 28th September 1903 we learn that:
On Saturday afternoon the annual inspection of the Whitchurch Fire Brigade took place in the ground attached to the Glanynant School. The firemen turned out in their full equipment, and were under the command of their captain (Mr MW Davies), Lieuts Hale & Parsons also being present
Several drills were gone through in a satisfactory manner, and the councillors present expressed themselves pleased with the appearance of the men, their smartness in going through the different evolutions and the condition and cleanliness of the appliances

All was not well however, as in 1909, the brigade went on strike after seeking a permanent headquarters. It was only after this that a fire brigade garage was built in Bishops Road (with parish council offices over). The brigade was even provided with better equipment

They had to wait until 1914 before the council purchased a shiny red Merryweather Fire Engine, just like the one in the photograph

By 1921, the parish council queried whether the fire brigade members were getting too old, and they all resigned! The council decided to organise a fully paid brigade with the captain (Mr Griffiths the butcher) paid a yearly salary of £15, and the other firemen paid £3-15s per annum. It all cost £71-10s each year

It didn’t last however, and not long after, the parish council requested Cardiff Fire Brigade to service the district

I wonder what happened to the 1914 Merryweather fire engine? It would be worth a fortune today

Does anyone have any more information about our local fire brigade, we’d love to hear?

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