Cutthorpe   Local History

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	Thanks to Anne Allsop, a descendent of Mr Herbert Needham, for this information, which was published in the local paper many years ago. Herbert Needham Mr Herbert Needham, born 1849, lived in Cutthorpe all his life and was well-known due to his basket and besom making business, his involvement in the Methodist Chapel, and participation in village societies including as a musician and cricket player. His wife was named Elizabeth and they had 12 children. Mr Needham began work at age 9 in a local colliery in about 1858, and at 14 began an apprenticeship as a basket maker with Mr Wagstaffe of Cutthorpe. At age 22 Mr Needham set up his own manufacturing business and when he retired at 65 his sons took over. In 1901 Mr Needham and family lived at Ingmanthorpe, in later years they moved to Abbey Farm. He was a lifelong member of Cutthorpe Methodist Church and was superintendent there for over 20 years, being succeeded by his son William. Mr Needham was a founder member of Cutthorpe Band (* SEE BELOW) and was bandmaster for 30 years, and was captain of the Cutthorpe Cricket Team for several seasons. Mr Needham died age 86 and his obituary was published in the Derbyshire Times in April 1935. Also published in the Derbyshire Times some years after was an feature about Herbert Needham's grandson, Douglas Needham, who was continuing the family business making heather besoms (brooms) for the steel mills of Sheffield, based in a workshop at Cutthorpe Old Hall. The article describes how this craft is carried on by only a handful of men. The heather is gathered from the Derbyshire moors and a photo of Mr Needham gathering the heather is included. In the workshop, a special iron clamp is used to hold the heather which is bound with twine using a thick-grooved cane needle. Ten to twelve besoms are made in a day. Mr Douglas Needham is quoted as saying "These heather besoms have been used in the steel industry for more than a couple of centuries to fetch the scale off the steel as it is being rolled at white hot heat. Only the tough tangle of heather will do the job".
	(*) Cutthorpe Band Information given to Liz Newbery by the Late Celia Butcher (nee Blissett) who was virtually brought up by her grandmother Bertha Needham in Cutthorpe: Celia said that the family used to get very upset when people referred to the band as a "brass" Band as it was in fact a Silver Band.
	More Information on the Needhams of Cutthorpe Liz Newbery is a descendent of the Needhams of Cutthorpe who now lives in Penzance, Cornwall. Liz has her own web site and has done a lot of research on the family history. To see this, click here.