Here, Robin Longbottom examines how one 19th-century entrepreneur harnessed wind power

TODAY when we think of wind power, the many three-bladed wind turbines that have been springing-up across the countryside come to mind.

It is now about 30 years since they first became a feature of our landscape and we assumed that wind power in our area

was a very new and innovative development.

However, it may come as a surprise that in the mid-1870s an enterprising joiner and cartwright turned organ builder, built a windmill at West Closes Farm in Glusburn to power his saws, woodturning lathes and drills.

John Laycock was born in Glusburn in 1809 and although he began his working life as a handloom weaver, he later took an apprenticeship with an uncle to be a cartwright and then set-up in business in a large two-storey workshop at West Closes Farm just outside the village.

He had always had an interest in things mechanical and when he acquired an old organ that had been used at Ickornshaw Wesleyan Chapel he set to work to build an identical one.

The organ proved to be a success and was bought by James Hartley, the owner of Hayfields Spinning Mill at Glusburn.

His venture into organ building came at a very opportune time.

Church music had been provided by small groups of musicians, and John himself had once played the flute in Kildwick Church, but churches were now installing organs to replace them.

In addition to phasing out church musicians there was also a boom in church building, as large medieval parishes such as Kildwick were being divided-up and new parishes such as Cowling, Sutton and Steeton were being created.

Many new non-conformist chapels were also being built during this period and these required organ music to accompany their hymns.

Organ building was definitely the business to be in and in the 1840s John changed course from cart building to building organs full-time.

He built his first large organ for Cross Hills Wesleyan Chapel and soon gained a good reputation for his instruments.

By the early 1870s he was employing two men and a boy and in order to keep down the cost of production and “to get additional power to his machinery he erected a set of windsails with moveable shutters, which by a simple movement of levers can be opened or shut, and the whole thrown into action simultaneously”.

He also designed and built his own lathe with an eccentric chuck “by means of which he could turn out geometrical carvings of the most beautiful and delicate workmanship”. In his spare time he used the lathe to turn snuff and tobacco boxes, egg cups etc which were given as gifts to friends or donated to local bazaars.

Towards the end of his working life he took his foreman, Charles Bannister, into partnership and following his death in 1889 his son continued the partnership under the name Laycock and Bannister.

He was, perhaps, most proud of having built the organ for Bolton Abbey Church, which was funded by the Cavendish family and is still in use today.

Following his internment at Kildwick

Parish Church his memorial included a carved stone example of his first organ. It can still be seen to one side of the church car parking area.

The firm moved to new premises in Aire Street at Cross Hills in about 1900 and wind power at West Closes finally came to an end.

The Laycock family remained partners in the business up to 1939 when Charles Bannister’s sons took over control.