“Wainstalls’ Waifs and Strays” - A talk by Kim Pearson

Kim Pearson tells the fascinating and sometimes sad story of over 250 young girls who came from Liverpool’s Brownlow Hill Workhouse and Kirkdale Industrial School at the end of the 19th Century to work in the worsted spinning mills owned by I&I Calvert in Wainstalls Village, on the hills above Halifax.

Kim has lived in Wainstalls for over 40 years and has spent many of them researching the history of the orphan girls, driven by the fact that she now owns the land containing the graveyard where several of them were buried following their deaths while employed in the mills.

A postive aspect to the story is that several descendants of the mill girls still live in Wainstalls today.

Why not join us for a fascinating look back at this very little known aspect of local history.

Organised by Halifax Civic Trust volunteers. All donations support the ongoing work of our volunteers promoting and protecting Halifax’s heritage and our Blue Plaques Scheme.