POLISH visitors from the town of Marki near Warsaw have made a pilgrimage to Ilkley to seek out their historical roots.

Their story began in 1883 when three Bradford industrialist, Edward Briggs formerly of Westwood Lodge, Ilkley, John Briggs of Hebers Mount, Ilkley and Ernst Posselt long-resident of Victoria Park, Shipley built a large worsted mill and workers’ community in Poland.

The mill was described by a newspaper at the time as ‘a second edition of Saltaire’.

The last Markians to visit Yorkshire were 100 Polish girls, sent by Briggs-Posselt partnership to learn factory skills in 1883.

Among this week’s visiting group of Marki town councillors and history enthusiasts was Marek Borkowski - whose grandmother was among those early workers at the Polish ‘Bradford Mills’ near Warsaw.

Another visitor was Antoni Widomski, president of Marki’s Volunteer Fire Brigade, along with volunteer fireman Dariusz Chmielewski.

The visit to Yorkshire was instigated by town councillor and esteemed Marki historian Zbigniew Paciorek and the leader of Marki’s town council, Tomasz Paciorek.

The group was guided by Ilkley resident, Dr Sarah Dietz, who will talk about her book British Entrepreneurship in Poland: A Case Study of Bradford Mills at Marki 1883-1939 at Ilkley Literature Festival in October.

The Polish party began their visit to Yorkshire with a tour of the Briggs’ Bradford factory, Briggella Mills, by the current owner Chaker Chamsi-Pasha.

Members of the Saltaire History Club warmly welcomed the Marki delegation on Wednesday when Trevor Hart showed the group round the World Heritage Site and Maggie Smith talked about her research Polish Journeys which explores the lives of Saltaire’s Polish employees.

Finally, joined by Kate Brown of Ilkley Civic Society, Tim Edwards welcomed the group to Westwood Lodge in Ilkley, the former home of Edward Briggs; founder of their Polish town.