Honouring Leeds's Victorian Fire Hero

Born and raised in Leeds, Jim (as he was known) dedicated his life to helping the local community. He served, along with his younger brother William, as an ‘on call’ firefighter for twenty years with the London, Liverpool and Globe Insurance Company Fire Brigade; he also provided fire cover for the Leeds Grand Theatre.

The nineteenth century was a period of unprecedented social and economic change. With intensive industrialisation, fires were common in cities like Leeds. This was also a dangerous time for firefighters, who were trained to fight fires with little consideration for risks to their safety.

On 13^th January 1892, a large fire broke out in the “Dark Arches” beneath the train station. The labyrinth of arches, over which run the railway lines, were rented out for storage. One firm was the soap manufacturer Joseph Watson & Sons, which stored 16,000 tons of highly combustible materials (oils, fats, pitch and resin) underneath the station, and which was later found to be the source of the fire’s ignition.

Newspapers described it as ‘The greatest fire Leeds has ever experienced’, with flames rising high above the station attracting crowds of spectators. Firefighters and engines attended from local brigades, with reinforcements sent from Bradford, York and even Derby. It took twenty hours to extinguish.

Conditions were challenging for the firefighters, with one remarking that the task of spraying water onto the flames ‘was almost like pouring water upon a duck’s back.’

Midway through operations, Jim replaced his brother William on duty. A few minutes later, the platform on which Jim was working collapsed, sending him falling into the burning furnace below. William told reporters that his brother “took the jet from me, and I never saw him again.”

Jim’s body was recovered the following day, after the fire had been extinguished. He was identified by the items found with him: four tunic buttons, a brass badge, axe head and the engine house key.

The following week, he was buried in the family plot at Beckett Street Cemetery. Some 20,000 people turned out to watch the procession. Jim’s coffin, draped in the Union Jack flag, wreaths and his battered helmet, was carried on the back of his brigade’s horse-drawn fire engine, and was joined by firefighters from across West Yorkshire. The choir of the Grand Theatre sang the hymn “Days and moments quickly flying” to close the ceremony.

A public fund generously raised money ‘for the memory of the man who … died a martyr at the recent fire in Leeds.’ A memorial, with the inscription “Always ready we may be, but for what, we do not know”, was erected in Woodhouse Cemetery. This stands as a permanent tribute to Jim and six other Leeds firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

On the 11^th January 2025, a plaque will be unveiled at the Dark Arches entrance to the Leeds Station, off Neville Street, to commemorate James Potter Schofield. The plaque is part of the Red Plaque Scheme, funded by the Firefighters 100 Lottery, that remembers fallen firefighters and honours their sacrifice.

This initiative is the result of a unique collaboration between West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Leeds Beckett University and the Fire Brigades Union. The research into the fire was led by Chris Smith, Honorary Historian of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Shane Ewen, Professor of History at Leeds Beckett University.

Chris says that the Red Plaque Scheme is an appropriate way to remember Schofield’s contribution to protecting local communities. “Jim was a proud Leeds man who worked to protect and serve the local community. It is a fitting tribute to honour his sacrifice close to where he fell. We are extremely grateful to Network Rail for supporting this unique project.”

Shane has also partnered with Brave Words, which runs community youth theatre programmes, to pay tribute to Schofield. “Working with young people is really important for sharing the stories of our fallen heroes like Jim”, says Shane, “and doing so through local history and drama is a unique way of doing so. I was thrilled to partner with Fran Cairns at Brave Words and the youngsters at Beeston Village Community Centre to develop a fitting tribute to Jim. It helps keep his legacy going while also involving the youth of Leeds in helping to shape the city’s cultural heritage.”

The red plaque ceremony will be held from 11AM on Saturday 11^th January.

Later that day, the performance of ‘Fighting the Good Fight – The Tale of Jim Schofield’ will be held at The Old Fire Station in Gipton. Spaces are limited so please contact Shane or the Old Fire Station if you’d like to attend.