About

"There is a history in all men's lives"
William Shakespeare

Ralph Coltman Jnr 1921

Oldham rose to prominence as an international centre of textile manufacture in the 19th century.

In the following decades it became more and more important for there to be a formal emergency service provision, not least due to the extra hazards the mills and machinery brought with them. The local Fire Brigade played a key role in the late 19th Century and throughout the 20th Century, before becoming part of the wider Greater Manchester Fire Service.

But have you ever wondered how a couple of local volunteers became an organised brigade? Who those people were, and where it all happened? Even if these aren’t questions you’ve pondered before – surely you’re intrigued now!?

Whilst sorting through family documents, the journals of Ralph Coltman were discovered and read by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren – who instantly knew that they needed to be transcribed and published in a way that they could be used for education and research into both the Oldham Fire Brigade and the local history of Oldham.

Ralph was born on 9th June 1899 and joined the Oldham Fire Brigade in 1921, following in the footsteps of his father (Ralph Coltman Snr) who had moved to Oldham from High Wycombe and worked as a 'Fire-Bobby'. He began to look into the history of the Brigade, as well as scrapbooking documents and journaling the calls, purchases and promotions within the Brigade – from the very beginning of the voluntary force, through the turn of the twentieth century and two world wars, to his own retirement in 1946, and beyond.....

These journals offer a unique insight into the workings of Oldham Fire Brigade as well as the local history of the borough and important historical milestones and incidents which only those involved were privy to.

Now his Great-Grandaughter Ellie has begun to meticulously type up these journals for all to read, with help from the rest of Ralph’s family, to gain an understanding of the significance of these documents.

This unique piece of local history is already being used for projects in local primary schools, and it is hoped that Ralph's hard work will be used for generations to come as a tool for education.

We invite you to read at your leisure, and hope you gain as much enjoyment and historical knowledge as we have.