John Hartley

Born in Halifax in 1839, he became known as an English poet and humorist who wrote in the Yorkshire dialect. Much of his work focused on ordinary people and the hardships of life in the district, often balancing warmth, sadness, and comedy.

He also wrote and edited the Original Illuminated Clock Almanack from 1866 until his death in 1915. Among his best-known works are the Yorkshire Ditties and the many pieces featuring the character Sammywell Grimes, whose misadventures gave Hartley plenty of room for wit and local color.

Today, he is remembered as a lively literary voice from West Yorkshire, especially valued for capturing the sounds, humor, and feeling of regional life in late 19th-century England.