Late delivery as Yorkshire Post discovered in 101-year-old time capsule

Rev Richard Steel with a Time Capsule unearthed by builders

Builders discovered the Kilner jar under the foundation stone of the extension on what was the old Kirkheaton National School, as they demolished the building in the West Yorkshire village near Huddersfield.

Children from Kirkheaton Primary School joined locals and the Rector of Kirkheaton to open the capsule yesterday.

A copy of the Yorkshire Post, dated June 14, 1913, as well as a copy of the Huddersfield Chronicle and West Yorkshire Advertiser, a parish magazine from June 1913 and an order of service from the laying of the foundation stone were found in the jar.

Katina Bill, curator of Kirklees museums and galleries, said: “They were in great condition. The Kilner jar had held up perfectly. The thing that people I was with got most excited about was the cricket scores. They recognised some of the players. People got really excited looking at the newspapers. There were so many things that still seemed relevant.

“It’s a nice connection for people to relate to life and the people 100 years ago and how they lived because there are so many similarities in what they were concerned about.”

The former school was later used as a church hall which is currently being demolished

The Revd Richard Steel, rector of the church which owns the old school building, said: “The parish magazine told us that this (the laying of the foundation) was one of the most important things happening that month and that the graveyard of our daughter church at Grange Moor was being consecrated that month. We discovered that there was a rector, a church army evangelist and also a parish nurse which was really interesting.

“The Yorkshire Post was quite lovely. There were lots of wanted adverts, also: ‘Joshua Tetley beer now in a bottle’. It’s a huge square newspaper and you get to page eight before the news starts. When we opened the jar you could still smell the ink on the paper.”

“There’s a real physical, tangible connection with the past which I think is one of the most exciting things.”