Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 28 December 1912

Review of the Year – Leading Local Events

The following are some of the leading local events of the year:—

 January.

2^nd – Mexborough’s first Lady Health Visitor, Miss A.E. Montagu, commenced her duties.

4^th – The latest type of elementary school opened at Adwick Road, Mexborough

8^th – Great ballot of coal miners, resulting in favour of a national stoppage.

17^th – Mexborough Urban District Council decided in favour of the scheme of public baths.

20^th – “Mexborough Times” published an article ageing the local authorities to combine in providing a service of trackless trolley omnibuses.

25^th – the Reverend Thomas Anderson, of 15 years past of the Mexborough Congregational Church, resigned owing to a doctrinal dispute with some of church deacons.

February

6th – Proposal to divide the Wath Urban District into wards for editorial purposes, made by Counselling T Tyas was defeated.

10^th – Mr Samuel Roebuck, of Wombwell, was appointed assistant general secretary of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association.

10^th – The Barnsley British Co-operative Society made a Jubilee grant of £500 for the establishment of a children’s ward at Mexborough Montagu Hospital.

12^th – The Labour Exchange for Mexborough was opened.

20^th – Great fears entertained of the stability of Hickleton Church, owing to mining subsidence.

20^th – Annual meeting of the Governors and subscribers of the Mexborough Montagu Hospital.

March

1st – The great national coal strike commenced.

1^st – Doctor R.F.Castle, Medical Officer of Health for Darfield, in his annual report, strongly criticises Darfield people for their insanitary mode of living.

2^nd – Think outcrops seem discovered in the Mexborough Brickyard, and extensively worked by strikers and their families.

4^th – The Reverend W.H.F.Bateman, Vicar of Mexborough, appointed to an honorary canonry in York Minster.

12^th – Soup kitchens established for the relief of the children of the strikers and others thrown out of work.

14^th – Mr J.F. Thompson, agent of the Manvers Main Collieries, Ltd, died at the age of 73.

19^th – Text of the Coal Mines Minimum Wage Bill issued.

21^st – Children’s hyacinth show and exhibition of fruit was held at Wath.

22^nd – Public distress fund for the relief of the unemployed opened at Mexborough.

24^th – Mr C Liddell, formerly under manager of Houghton Main, accidentally killed whilst cleaning a revolver.

26^th , 27^th and 28^th  – Riots at Cadeby

28 – New Institute opened at Conisborough.

28^th – inauguration of the new Free Christian Church at Mexborough celebrated.

30^th – Local elections.

30^th – Ballot of miners on the return to work.

April

11^th – General return of mines to work, as a six week stoppage.

14^th  – Wreck of the White Star line, “Titanic”; 1490 lives lost.

20^th – Barnsley won the English Cup Final in the replay with West Bromwich Albion at Bramall Lane.

23^rd – Mr J.H. Drew, of Horbury appointed surveyor to the Wath Urban District Council in succession to Mr H.C.Poole, resigned.

25^th – Local Government Board enquiry into the Darfield Cemetery scheme.

May

2nd – Institution of the Rev F.W. Shepard as vicar of Kilnhurst.

14 – The proposal to exclude betting news from the newspapers in the Wombwell Library was defeated.

23^rd – New Primitive Methodist Chapel opened at Goldthorpe.

24^th to 28^th – Big Scouting display at Swinton.

June

15^th  –  Publication of the bonus scheme for paying the minimum wage, established by the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries Ltd.

July

8^th  to 12^th  – Visit of the King and Queen to South Yorkshire. Visit of the King and Queen to Wentworth Woodhouse.

8^th – A Swinton youth named Oliver killed as a result of a blow in the boxing ring at Mexborough.

8^th  – Visit of the King and Queen to Conisborough Castle, and later a review of the National Reserve in Wentworth Park.

9^th – Terrible disaster at Cadeby Main; 89 men killed in two explosion.

9^th  – Visit of the king and queen to Silverwood Colliery and Elsecar colliery. Royal progress through Swinton, Mexborough and district to Woodlands model village and to Hickleton Hall.

11^th – Cadeby disaster week. Record circulation of the “Mexborough Times.”

12^th  – Funeral of Mr Douglas Chambers, manager of the Denaby Main mine; killed in the Cadeby explosion.

13^th  – Funeral at Doncaster of Mr W. H. Pickering, Divisional Inspector of Mines; killed in the Cadeby explosion.

14^th  – Great memorial services at Conisborough and Denaby. Sermons by the Archbishop of York.

16^th – Funeral of Mr Charles Bury, manager of the Cadeby mine; killed in the Cadeby explosion.

23^rd – Cadeby disaster inquest.

25^th Death of Mr G.T. Nicholson, of Rock House Conisborough.

29^th  – Mexborough Sunday School Unions annual excursion to Cleethorpes; room by rumour that the Trent Bridge was about to collapse

August

5^th – Bank Holiday – Opening of the Home Office Enquiry into the Cadeby disaster at Doncaster

5^th  – “Iron” Hague, ex-heavyweight champion of England, heavily defeated by Tom Cowler, at Mexborough.

6^th  – The Bolton Urban District Council decide to appoint a Lady health visitor.

12^th  – Appointment of Mr H.W. Smith as manager of the Denaby Main Colliery in succession to Mr Douglas Chambers, deceased.

15^th  – Death of Mr Thomas Baron, glass bottle manufacturer of Mexborough.

20^th – Death of General Booth, the great leader of the Salvation Army.

23^rd and 24^th – Remarkable rainfall throughout England; many floods.

25^th – James Burns, the Manvers Main rescue man, fatally “gassed” during salvage operations in the exploded district of the Cadeby mine.

September

11^th  – Death of Mr Tom Schofield, of Mexborough, former secretary of the Mexborough Waterworks Company.

13^th – Darfield Urban District Council received the sanction of the Local Government Board to the Cemetery scheme.

19 – Denaby Colliery shaft accident. Two men injured

27^th – The last bodies recovered from the Cadeby mine; final meeting of the inquest jury on the Cadeby disaster.

29^th – Reverend W.J. Harris, newly appointed Congregational Minister at Mexborough, opened his ministry

October

1^st – Unpleasant exchange in the Wath Council on matters relating to Councillor Hallatt’s property.

3^rd – Local Government Board Enquiry into the application of the Swinton and Mexborough joint Gas Board for sanction to borrow £20,900 on gasworks improvements and extensions.

4^th and 5th – First Musical Competition Festival held at Mexborough.

9^th – Manver’s trammers strike for one day.

17 – Montagu Hospital teas another huge gathering

18^th  – Schoolboy killed at Wath by motor car

22^nd  – Boy killed at Swinton by a train – car

29^th  – At a special sitting of the Doncaster County Court, Judge Allen awards £122,000 in compensation in connection with the recent Cadeby disaster.

November

1^st – Dedication one double all panelling, presented to Mexborough Parish Church by Mr G.M. Saunders, of London, in memory of his son.

5^th  – Further unpleasant exchange in the Wath Council.

12^th  – Countess Fitzwilliam opens a three days Church bazaar at Wombwell.

16^th  – Publication of notice of the Mexborough and Swinton tramways company’s intention to promote a bill in parliament to introduce the service of trackless trolley on Nicholson, for Mexborough, Swinton, Wath, Bolton and Goldthorpe, Conisbrough and Denaby.

18^th – Mexborough and District Trades and Labour Council attain their majority

December

5^th – The Home Office Enquiry into the Cadeby disaster concluded