William Edward Forster...

...settled in Burley in Wharfedale and with his partner William Fison bought Greenholme Mills and the surrounding estate in 1850. He had no children but adopted four orphans.

The mill provided work for the majority of local villagers and their children. The mill had a library and a school room, which was unusual for the times.

Forster was a great reformer and philanthropist who was greatly interested in the well being and education of his workers, believing that it was the duty of the wealthy to help the poor.

He became an MP for Bradford and was responsible for introducing The 1870 Education Act which introduced state and locally funded schools where voluntary schools did not exist. When l was training to be a teacher we learned that this was the start of the present education system in the UK, which we still enjoy today, where every child has the right to an education.

The building behind the two Cetic crosses (which were erected by his grateful villagers) is The Queens Hall: a building that was built for the villagers as a lecture room, the annexe was the first school in the village.

Forster was a great ancestor to this village and l feel a worthy addition to this week's challenge of 'Ancestors' for Mono Monday kindly hosted by MrsLinda.