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We can be fairly certain that the photo above is of the first car in Coverdale. The woman to the left is Sarah Thistlethwaite, and with her husband, George (taking the photograph) they owned this vehicle which has no number plate, and can therefore be dated to earlier than 1905.
Photo courtesy of Norman Johnson.
This photo shows George and Sarah Thistlethwait outside the vicarage in Carlton (then 'Coverham Vicarage', the vicar being Rev Hutton Hall), in a De Dion Bouton, date probably 1908. it is a 6 or 8 hp cylnder model. AK indicates registration in Bradford, which is early as only 102 registered.
The driver and passenger may be Mr and Mrs Farnell . Alternatively, it might be Mrs Hutton Hall in the passenger seat with Emily Farnell taking the picture.
Photo courtesy of Liz Shehan
Thistle Cottage from the front before renovation, with Sarah in the doorway.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
Rear of Thistle Cottage with Sarah Thistlethwait, woman and child.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
Probably Sarah Thistlethwaite sitting in the car to the rear of Thistle Cottage before renovation.
The car is an early Benz (pre 1908) with radial spokes, and with pneumatic tyres.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
Early Benz undergoing repair, rear of Thistle Cottage.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
An early Model T Ford, c.1909
George and Sarah Thistlethwaite in front with Albert Farnell in back and Emily taking photo.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
Thistle cottage from the front (south) after renovation.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
Thistle cottage from the front (south) after renovation.
Photo courtesy of the Wensleydale Camera Club
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Thistle Cottage - Thistlethwaites, Farnells
and early automobiles
(slideshow changes every 45 seconds. Please click on a thumbnail to move on, or go back.)
Acknowledgements are due to the Wensleydale Camera Club who have allowed us to use some of the photographs from their collection. Further thanks are due to Charles Clough and Jim Evans of Carlton who helped identify the early cars and made helpful comments. Also to M. Worthington-Williams of The Automoblie who generously identified cars and provided some useful information about each.
Thistle Cottage - Thistlethwaites, Farnells
and early automobiles
George and Sarah Thistlethwaite of Girlington, Bradford bought part of a terrace of small cottages in the lower (eastern ) part of Carlton in the early 20th century. It seems that a member of their family already owned the end ( or eastern ) cottage in the terrace and that this had been named Thistle Cottage. The cottages then underwent extensive renovation to convert them into an up to date and convenient holiday home for use by the Thistlethwaite family and friends.
During their visits to supervise the building work George and Sarah seem to have travelled to Carlton by car and were often accompanied by their great friends Arthur and Emily Farnell. The two couples were such close friends that they had married at a double wedding in Bradford Registry Office in November 1887 and then went on honey moon together touring the Yorkshire Dales on tandems.
Whilst George’s occupation was that of dyehouse manager, Albert, a successful long distance cyclist, had in 1882, set up a business selling bicycles. By the 1890s he appreciated the business opportunities presented by newly invented automobiles. In 1895 became an agent for Daimler and in 1897 imported his first car , a Benz.
The Thistlethwaites and Farnells seem also to have been keen photographers . They not only recorded the transformation of Thistle cottage but also some of the cars owned by both families. We are fortunate that this photographic archive is now preserved by Wensleydale Camera Club who also own the copyright .
George and Sarah both died in the 1920s and Albert Farnell bought the cottage. Several generations of the Farnell family have enjoyed holidays in Carlton and some members of the family have at times made Thistle Cottage their permanent home.
It seems that now, in early 2017, the link connecting the house with the Farnell and Thistlethwaite families is about to be broken as Thistle Cottage is now to be sold on the open market.
Isobel Jenkins
