Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 3 November 1893

Feeding the Children

Free Breakfast Fund, Roman Terrace

A very enjoyable evening’s concert was given on Friday last in the Board school, presided over by Mr. J. E. Cliffe. The Kilnhurst Brass Band who gave their services played lively selections on route from Kilnhurst and gave two splendid selections during the evening. The following local vocalists also gave their services: Mrs. J. Lloyd, Mrs. J. Parkes, Miss A. M. Rowson, Messrs. J. Sheridan, T. Rowson, J. E. James, W. Elliott, Swallow, B. Rowson, J. and W. Harrison, accompanists, Mr. D. Arnold and Mr. A. Davies.

The proceeds amounted to £1 18s. 0d. The committee were able to give a free breakfast to about 370 poor children on Wednesday morning. Great credit is due to the committee for the very satisfactory manner in which the arrangements have been carried out.

Swinton Relief Fund Committee

Balance Sheet October 25th to October 31st. Cash received: To balance from last week £1 12s. 4d.; A. H. D. Acland Esq., M.P., £4 12s.; J. and J. Charlesworth’s Weekly contribution £3 10s.; A Friend (Hyde), £1; Mr. J. A. Bower, weekly, £1; No. 1 book 16s.; No. 2 book £1 11s. 6d.; No. 3 book £1 2s.; No. 4 book £2 9s. 2d.; S. and R. Independent £1; Hattersley’s men, two weeks, £3 15s. 6d.; Coroner’s jury 12s.; total £23 0s. 6d.

Cash paid: Beef, Vegetables, &c., for 5,000 pints of soup £20 14s. 7d.; Balance in hand £2 5s. 11d. Distribution of soup on Saturday, October 28th and Tuesday, October 31st. 2,500 children fed each time.

Children’s Breakfast Fund

Thanks to the hearty way the staffs of the Mexborough Board Schools and of the Denaby Main Colliery Schools have taken up the matter of caring for the innocent but suffering children, the needy ones have been to some extent looked after again during some of the bitterly cold mornings of this week, and only lack of funds has stood in the way of nearly 1100 children having a substantial meal every morning, for we are convinced from personal observation that there is a deep need for it. Mr. S. Hart has divided between the Mexborough schools £1 10s. 6d., which he has received from Messrs. Foster, Porter and Co., London, 10s. 6d.; Watts and Co., Manchester, 10s.; I. J. and G. Cooper, Manchester, 10s. Mr. J. A. Mawson has distributed three pounds of tea, received from Messrs. Mandams. Messrs. Gosling, Richardson, Lyons, and possibly other milk-sellers whose names we have not received have given milk. The caretakers of the various schools have risen early in the morning in order to have the steaming tea and fragrant cocoa ready for the little ones at eight o’clock prompt, and all without reward other than comes from the performance of acts of kindness. The members of the School Board have been ready to help in every possible way, and even the reporters have had a hand in ministering to the wants of the children.

Doncaster Road

The children attending this school are all of tender years, and they come in many cases from homes where the pinch is keenly felt. Here the head mistress (Miss Davidson) and her subordinates, assisted by Messrs. Dixon and J. E. Cliffe, members of the School Board, are working indefatigably. Breakfasts have been given every morning this week to 132 children, and from the appearance of many of them we can readily credit the mistress’s statement that she really believes but for the care exercised over their needs at school many of them would have succumbed to starvation. A large number of the little ones are likewise ill-clothed, and it is quite distressing to see them shivering in the cold.

Mrs. Hart has again contributed 2s.; Master John Harry White, Doncaster road, out of his own money box 1s. 6d. On Tuesday, Mrs. Wm. Adams, Doncaster road, gave a full and substantial breakfast to 130. On Wednesday the staff of the above school gave a breakfast of bread and cheese and coffee to the older scholars, and coffee and rice pudding and bread and butter to the younger ones. Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Elvidge, Pitt street, supplemented breakfast by two splendid puddings.

On Thursday, Mrs. Mawson, confectioner, gave a full breakfast to 130. Contributions of bread, jam, coffee, tea, butter, &c., have also been kindly given by Mrs. John Chambers, Hall-gate; Mrs. Walter Holmes, Church street; Mrs. Shaw, Hirstgate; Mrs. F. Ward, Church street; Mrs. Rothery, Hirstgate; Mrs. Grainger, Doncaster road; Mrs. Woffindan, Church street; Mrs. Allen, the Waterworks; Mrs. Carruthers, Bank street; Mrs. Schetish, Pitt street; Mrs. Bilsbrough, Doncaster road; Mrs. Hornsby and friends have also kindly continued their services gratuitously. Mrs. Turner, Church street, and Mrs. Chambers, Hallgate, have made gifts of clothes.

Central Infants’ School

120 odd have had three free breakfasts here, and Miss Wikeley (the head-teacher) desires to acknowledge the kindness of Mr. Nesbitt, of the Royal Oak Inn, who is subscribing five shillings a week to this school breakfast fund, Mr. Nettleton (Doncaster) three pounds of tea, and Mr. Mackie 10s.

Garden Street Schools

The parents of 269 of the 600 children attending these schools are among the unemployed, and the children here are beginning now to feel the pangs of want more keenly. The sight of the poor “bairns” wending their way to the schools with mug in hand, and high expectation stamped on their faces would move the stoutest heart, and to see them arranged in orderly fashion in the well warmed schoolrooms is a sight worth rising an hour before one’s usual time one of these cold mornings to see.

Mr. Hudson and Miss Stringer, the respective head-teachers, extend a hearty welcome to any visitor. By 8 o’clock the steaming tea, or fragrant cocoa and buns are being handed round by willing hands. One of the teachers of this school instanced the case of a little chap who on receiving his cocoa and bread was making for the door with them. Being stopped and questioned, he said he was taking them for his mother.

Messrs. Goodall, chemists, kindly subscribed 10s. 6d. per week towards the breakfast fund here. £5 10s. has been brought by the children of the employed parents, including twopence from two little girls who wanted to help the fund and did it by going without their usual pen’north of spice last Saturday.

Central Schools

Mr. Wm. Crompton, the headmaster, writes: “On my behalf and that of my teachers I wish through your columns to acknowledge with many thanks contributions towards our free breakfasts. Besides gifts of money from various friends including 10s. 6d. the proceeds of collections at Congregational Sunday School, we have to thank Messrs. Goodall, Hardy, and Mawson for gifts in kind.

Denaby Main

Three hundred and sixty children from the Mexborough side of the village have had three breakfasts this week from the breakfast fund, besides other help through the labours of the head-mistress, Miss Logan, and Messrs. Dixon, Marriott, Hutchinson, Croft, and others. Further help is very much needed for the colliery schools, and any of the gentlemen named above will be glad to receive it.

Mr. John Clayton, grocer, High street, Mexborough, is going to give a tea on Thursday next to all the children of the unemployed in Mexborough, Denaby Main, and Roman Terrace.

The Kilnhurst committee have distributed 1,500 loaves, and 250 gallons of soup during the week, and this has been supplemented by 1,600 loaves from the Co-operative Society. Breakfasts have been given to the children twice this week, and the committee suggest giving three breakfasts during next week. The committee have received from Thrybergh Hall miners, £10; Mr. J. Clayton, £1; Right Hon. A. H. D. Acland, £2; Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, £1; from the Sun per B. Pickard, £5; Rev. R. A. Gatty, £1; Daily Chronicle, £5; Horniman and Co., £5 5s.; proceeds of football match, £1 2s. 1½d.

The following is a statement of the Kilnhurst Relief Fund in account with the military tournament in Thrybergh Park: Gate money received £23 19s. 1d., programmes 7s. 5d., refreshments £5 13s. 10d., paid to military £10 15s., advertising £3 0s. 10d., refreshments £5 10s. 4d., carriage 8s. 9d., sundries 3s. 4d., balance profit £10 2s. 1d. The balance of £10 2s. 1d. is divided as follows: £7 10s. to go to children’s breakfasts, and £2 12s. 1d. to go to general relief fund.