THRIFTY Sam Copley bought Huddersfield for £1.3million – but his descendants don’t know where he got all the money from.

The Berry Brow barber and entrepreneur’s dedication to saving his town from “landlordism” back in 1920 has been honoured at Huddersfield Town Hall.

And one of his descendants flew in from Perth, Australia, for a reception and unveiling of an exhibition panel in his honour.

It tells how Huddersfield bought itself and the parts played in the story of Berry Brow man Sam Copley and Clr Wilfrid Dawson.

Martin Copley, is Sam Copley’s grandson and he came to Huddersfield for the first time for the unveiling of a plaque at the town hall. He was one of nine blood descendants of Sam Copley at the event – four were Sam’s grandchildren.

“Sam Copley was a modest man,” Martin said. “He certainly believed in saving everything – he’d put half the fee of a hair cut away and invest it.

“He never spent money on himself, he didn’t see the trappings of power, but quite where he got £1.3m from to buy Huddersfield nobody knows. It was a surprise to all of us he had got that money.

“He didn’t believe in landlordism, he thought it was a scourge and he did his best to eradicate it here in Huddersfield. That he was able to come here and liberate thousands of tenants of the town was a great example to the family.”

Mr Copley visited Huddersfield for the first time for the event and added: “We’ve had a lovely tour and I’m a very proud to descend from a man who came from this town.

“It’s a wonderful town with terrific pride and self-respect in its history, but I do feel terribly guilty that this is my first time here – it certainly won’t be the last.”

Philip Kaye, Mr Copley’s first cousin twice removed, carried out a lot of research into their family history and lobbied Kirklees Council for a permanent recognition for his ancestor.

His research revealed that Sam Copley was born in Berry Brow 1859.

Aged just 17 he emigrated to Australia with just five shillings to his name to work as a barber. He made his fortune in insurance and forming Copley’s Bank and invested in a fleet of buses.

In October 1919 he returned and bought the Ramsden estate – everywhere from Almondbury to Paddock and Fartown and Crosland Moor – acting as the middleman and later selling the town to the Huddersfield Corporation for no profit.

Clr Dawson played an integral part in the move, but none of his descendants had been traced to attend the event yesterday.

Also attending the event were Sam Copley’s granddaughters Jill Robertson, of Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Walker, of Dorset, and Camilla Connells, of London. Great-granddaughters Jane Gill, of Northamptonshire, Anna Black, of London, great-grandsons David Robertson, of Leicester and Giles Walker, of Leeds and Paul Connells, of Cornwall, also attended.

Relatives still living locally are Philip Kaye of Fixby and Helen Kaye-Watt, of Rastrick, who is a first cousin three times removed. She attended with her daughter Lydia, 12, and Joe, 10.