Scrapbooks chronicle career of city's 'Fire King'

Devastating fires, including one that claimed the lives of 11 school children, are among the stories told in newly displayed scrapbooks charting the exploits of Leeds' 19th Century fire brigade.

The antique recollections were compiled by Henry Baker, the formidable superintendent of Leeds Corporation Fire Brigade.

Nicknamed "The Fire King" by local newspapers, Baker became a towering figure in Victorian Leeds, transforming the city's fire service into one of the fastest and most admired in the country.

The scrapbooks, on show at Leeds Central Library, document the emergencies Baker and his crews faced - including the 1891 blaze at a Wortley church schoolroom, where 11 girls died.

After he took charge in 1875, Baker was known to boast that it took his men just 50 seconds to be ready during the day and 70 seconds at night.

A 1906 profile in the Yorkshire Evening News described him as a man the people of Leeds "have a warm place in their hearts for", noting that beneath his stern exterior lay "a kindly heart as well as a dauntless spirit".

Throughout his 24-year career, he meticulously collected newspaper clippings, photographs and handwritten notes of the fires crews had attended.

Among them was the school fire on New Year's Day 1891, which later became known as the Wortley Snowflake tragedy.

The blaze happened during a children's performance at St John's Church where a group of girls were dressed as snowflakes in cotton‑wool costumes, each carrying a small handheld candle-lit lantern.

One of the costumes caught fire, with the flames quickly spreading.

The tragedy shocked the country and led to greater awareness of fire safety at public events.

Baker and his crew also dealt with the 1892 fire at Leeds New Station, which claimed the life of firefighter James Schofield.

One of the city's biggest and most destructive fires, the blaze broke out in the dark arches beneath the station, where railway companies rented out vaults for storage.

The intense heat caused parts of the station's structure to fail, leading to the collapse of tracks and platforms above.

One of the clippings in Baker's scrapbooks recounts how his brigade was praised by Lord Harewood for reaching a fire at Harewood House in September 1885 in just half an hour - beating the much closer Wetherby crew to the scene.

The report speculated that the Wetherby brigade was late because they "made several stoppages on the way, and did not even make a start until each man had lighted a cigar".

The scrapbooks will be showcased by librarian Helen Skilbeck during special treasure-handling sessions at Leeds Central Library on 9 May and 23 May, alongside other rare items from the city's collections.

Skilbeck said: "Superintendent Baker was clearly a very forceful and imposing character who quite rightly took a great deal of pride in his work and the accomplishments of his team.

"Thanks to his diligence and meticulous record keeping, we also have a genuine first-hand account of life in Victorian Leeds and the challenges faced by both firefighters and the people who lived and worked in the city at what was a fascinating and vibrant time."

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