page_title: Healds Hall
section_title: The Cooke family
hierarchical_section_title: Healds Hall / The Cooke family
caption_attribution_description: English: Samuel Cooke (1801-1893) of Healds hall, Liversedge
context_page_description: Healds Hall is a house in Liversedge, Yorkshire, now a hotel. It is listed at Grade II on the English Heritage Register. It was built in 1764 and was a private residence for several notable people. In 1926 it became the headquarters and museum for the Spen Valley Literary and Scientific Society. It is now a hotel, restaurant and function venue.
context_section_description: Samuel Cook (1801–1893) bought Healds Hall in 1857. Samuel was born in 1801 in Sheffield in Yorkshire. His father was William Peabody Cooke who in 1795 had established a small carpet and rug making firm in Heckmondwike. He built up a successful business and in 1825 divided the firm to create separate units for the making of “Brussels” and “Kidderminster” carpets. He gave the controlling share of the “Brussels” business to his son, Samuel, who moved the undertaking to an old mill in Millbridge, Liversedge. William continued to make the Kidderminster rugs and carpets in Heckmondwike.
  Samuel Cooke named his business Cooke, Son and Co and was so successful that by 1833 – just eight years after starting – he was able to open a six-storey warehouse and sales office. In 1823 Samuel married Rhoda Hinscliffe and the couple had 15 children. They lived for many years in Millbridge and when Samuel bought Healds Hall in 1857 he was 56 years old and most of his children were married and no longer living with them. His sons James and William joined the carpet making business and it prospered further. The logo of the firm in 1890 is shown.
  Samuel died in 1893 and Rhoda his wife continued to live at Healds Hall until her death in 1900. After this the property was rented for some time. In 1926 the Cooke family presented the Hall for the use of the Spen Valley Literary and Scientific Society as a museum and headquarters. It served this purpose for the next forty years. It is now a hotel, restaurant and function venue.
caption: Samuel Cooke (1801–1893)
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