 In the 19th century Rodley was part of the parish of Calverley.Part of the north-western end of the suburb is in what was, before the Local Government Act 1972, the Municipal Borough of Pudsey; a sign, next to The Owl public house on Rodley Lane, still notes this heritage in 2016.In 1820 Thomas Smith's Steam Crane Works was established and by 1888 it had gained a reputation internationally for the manufacture of cranes and lifting gear.