THE FEATHERSTONE ........CHRONICLE....... ........1086 to 1885........: 1866 to 1868

A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE

1866 to 1868

1866 NEWS ITEMS

JANUARY The cattle disease rinderpost had broken out nationally and strict rules were imposed on the movement and slaughter of cattle. It was reported in the first few days of the plague many local farmers had suffered losses. At Mr Goodworth's farm eight cattle had died and two had recovered. Mr Lake had lost three, Mr Atkinson had lost two with one recovered, and at Mr Howard's farm four had died, three had recovered, and another three in treatment but healthy had been slaughtered.

A Mutual Cattle Plague Insurance Association was set up by the Wentbridge and District farmers. One shilling in the pound was charged on the value of all the stock insured, and it was estimated this would cover about 14% of the losses. Members of the committee for Featherstone were Mr Lake and John Marshall, and for Purston Mr D Longstaff JP and Mr C Stephenson.

MARCH The 15th and final penny reading was held at Purston School. In total there had been 86 readings, 14 recitations, 63 songs, 38 piano solos and duets, 25 glees and seven vocal duets. The Pontefract Advertiser commented "The entertainments have hitherto proved very successful, and fill up a want so often felt in a village, viz an evening of blended instruction and amusement near home, and at a nominal price".

Purston National School was used for divine service after a licence had been granted by the archbishop. The first service was conducted by Revd T Hinde Vicar of Featherstone, Revd B Hinde Curate of Featherstone, and Revd S King Vicar of Cantley, Doncaster. It was intended to have a service every Sunday night. All the seats were free and the weekly offertory would be the means of defraying the expenses. The Revd T H Hall would conduct the first few services and the Revd B Hinde would then take over.

MAY A large quantity of linen put on a hedge to dry was stolen. It was the property of Mr G D Brown of Featherstone and had been put out by his servant. When she went back for it 24 items worth over £3 had gone.

Israel Lodge, a farmer of Featherstone, charged Joe Longbottom his servant with absenting himself without cause on the 14th of May. He was engaged at £12 per annum and victuals but had not worked since that day. The Bench said Longbottom was liable to three months imprisonment but as his master was willing to forgive him he was ordered to return to work and conduct himself properly. (Joe Longbottom was evidently a "servant in husbandry" ie hired for a fixed period.)

Israel Lodge was also the keeper of the Lord Nelson public house. He was sent for from Pontefract when two little children under five years old were playing with matches in the inn yard. They started a small fire which spread to a stack containing seven tons of straw. Mr Lodge realised it was too late to send for the fire engine so he directed efforts to preventing the fire spreading to the inn which was partly thatched. Fortunately the wind was away from the building and the thatch, protected by wet sacking and blankets, was unharmed. The stack was entirely destroyed together with a winnowing machine and some timber.

JUNE James Williams, a collier of Purston, had been drinking in the Heywood Arms. He left on a horse and at the Weeland Turnpike Road near Purston Buildings he was seen to fall from his galloping horse hitting the back of his head on the ground. He was carried to his lodgings and Dr Wood was sent for. He died four days later. The jury at the inquest held at the New Inn, Purston, returned a verdict of accidentally killed by a fall.

AUGUST The Wentbridge and District Cattle Plague Association decided to wind up its insurance scheme. Only 3% of the cattle insured had died so it was proposed to return 15s in the £1 to the 292 contributing farmers.

SEPTEMBER At the Wentbridge Brewster Sessions the following licences were granted:

W Howard Bradley Arms

Israel Lodge Lord Nelson

William Adkin Heywood Arms

John Pearson Travellers' Inn

John Waller New Inn

NOVEMBER This advert appeared in the Yorkshire Post. It is likely they were the same trees offered in previous years.

DECEMBER William Gower was charged with embezzling £7 5s 6d. He was named as an assistant overseer at Featherstone, and it was alleged he had booked 10s per week for 21 weeks to Thomas Hutton, who had only paid him £4 4s 6d. Mr Jefferson, defending, said Gower was the overseer not an assistant, and therefore could not be charged under the Poor Law Act as a servant of the township of Featherstone as he received no salary. The case was adjourned.

When the case was reopened the prosecution asked for another adjournment, but Mr Jefferson said the case should be dismissed because Gower was charged as overseer not servant, and his term of office expired on March 25. The case was dismissed.

1867 MINERS' STRIKE

In August 1867 the miners went on strike for better wages. Those at Snydale Colliery were sacked and men brought in from other districts to take their place, and they were housed at Purston. Alfred Barnes, Michael Ryan and William Riley were three of them, and after an evening in Pontefract they were attacked on their way home by six men including Hiram Walsh, Solomon Page and Jeffrey Walsh. In court the three men were fined a total of £12.

Virtually nothing is known about Purston Colliery other than it was in Little Lane. It is shown on the 1849 map of the area and it was still in existence in 1867. It must have been a very small undertaking because in the 1851 census there were only 17 colliers in Purston and they had to be shared with Manor Colliery down Wakefield Road. In 1861 this number had dropped to six so presumably Manor Colliery had closed.

There was also trouble at Purston Colliery. John Dyson charged William Bates with assaulting him at Purston. He was a collier working at Purston Colliery and a non-union man. He went into a public house in Purston and was abused by William Bates who was a society (union) man on strike. He called him a thief and other offensive names, wanted him to fight and threw an earthenware pot at him which hit him on the cheek. The sentence was two months imprisonment with hard labour.

Ellen Ward charged Mary Bates with assaulting her in Purston. She said her husband had come to work at Purston Colliery, and on going into the village she had been mobbed by persons beating tin kettles. The defendant shook her by the shoulder and hit her with a stick. Mary Bates got one month imprisonment with hard labour.

Harriet Norton summonsed Annie Edwards on a similar charge saying she had been obliged to claim the protection of the police. Police Sergeant Grimshaw said he had cautioned the defendant who was one of the ringleaders of the disturbance. She received six weeks with hard labour.

The Bench said if any further incidents were proved they would inflict the highest penalty the law allowed, and directed the police to keep a sharp lookout. None of the defendants appeared and warrants were issued for their arrest.

This Ordnance Survey 1849 map shows Purston Colliery and Purston brickyard.

1867 NEWS ITEMS

JANUARY John and James Gill were in court for refusing to quit the New Inn in Purston when being requested to do so. John was fined 20s and costs or one month in jail, and James 10s and costs or 14 days in jail.

MARCH The innkeepers of Purston decided not to open on Sundays. The Leeds Mercury commented "Purston is likely to become an important and populous village in consequence of the collieries in the neighbourhood, and the step taken by the innkeepers is one which does them great credit. They have done it without compulsion, and it is to be hoped other villages and towns will do the same".

JUNE Messrs Moxon and Bramley were summonsed at the West Riding Petty Sessions for having failed to report their accounts as surveyors of Featherstone parish to the magistrates by April 1. (The surveyors collected the highway rate and arranged for the repair of the roads.) Mr Moxon said on the day in question he was under a subpoena to appear at Liverpool, and on the following court day he had to attend a funeral, but he had left his accounts.

The Bench thought he should have considered the passing of the accounts more important than a funeral. Mr Moxon said he had only levied one rate during his period of office, and had been unable to collect some small sums due in that rate through fear of annoyance from some persons who were behind in their payments. Only a short time ago his kennel of dogs had been poisoned.

He had found the roads in a vile condition and had got them in good repair, but through having only one rate a balance was due, which the party who were against him wished him to pay out of his own pocket. If a 10d or a 5d rate was made during the next year all arrears would be covered.

He would advance the balance due from his own pocket if proper security was given him for its repayment. The Bench suggested he should convene a meeting and get the matter settled as soon as possible or they would be obliged to fine him.

JULY John Green was charged with deserting his family thereby leaving them chargeable to the parish of Featherstone. He had left them for six weeks last year and they had been kept by the parish. He was ordered to repay the sum at ten shillings for the first week and then five shillings a week until it was all paid back.

AUGUST A Pontefract Advertiser editorial read "Some time ago an excellent example was set by the five public houses (in Purston and Featherstone) being closed on Sundays. The owner of one of the three public houses in Featherstone is on the point of withdrawing the licence as he considers that two public houses are sufficient for the needs of the small population. We understand that this step would have been taken many years ago, at the suggestion of the vicar, but for the fear that another public house less under control would forthwith be opened by persons not unwilling to turn a public benefit into a source of private gain. It is hoped that this step in the right direction will not however in the present instance meet with such a discouraging return."

SEPTEMBER William Hodgson aged 32 was found dead in a field in Purston. He was subject to fits and it was supposed he had died in one.

A Post Office advertisement showed the postman left Pontefract at 6.20am to deliver at Park View, Monk Royd, Purston, Streethouse, Snydale, Ackton, Featherstone and Featherstone Green, returning to Pontefract at 6.40pm in summer and 4pm in winter.

NOVEMBER John Abbott and George Turner were charged with driving at a furious pace in Featherstone. Sergeant Jabez Grimshaw said he called on them to stop and found Abbott, with a cart and two horses, and had reins for only one; and Turner had no reins and no name on his cart. Abbott was fined five shillings and ten shillings costs; Turner was fined ten shillings and ten shillings costs.

DECEMBER Mary Allen alias Nichols age 29 was sentenced to four months' hard labour for stealing a number of articles belonging to George Lumb at Featherstone. Henry Newall age 30 was up for the same offence but was found not guilty.

1868 FEATHERSTONE COLLIERY DEAL

In May 1868 George Bradley leased the coal under 948 acres of his Ackton Hall estate to George Shaw, a rich Sheffield man. The lease was granted for 60 years for the Stanley Main seam with the option of taking a lease on the Haigh Moor seam below.

George Shaw agreed to pay a royalty of 6d on each ton of coal, and after seven years a minimum rent of £1,000 a year. Shaft sinking began right away.

1868 NEWS ITEMS

FEBRUARY A poor rate of one shilling in the pound was applied for by the overseer of Featherstone, but he was refused on the grounds all of the last rate had not yet been collected. The new rate was granted a week later.

APRIL officials appointed for the new administrative year were:

Featherstone Overseers John Parker Jnr and James Baldwin Fearnley

Constables Amos Hepworth and John Hewitt

Purston Overseers J Nelstrop and James Rowlandson

Constables George Chappel and Joshua Woodhead

On Easter Monday the new Purston Cricket Club played Ferrybridge in a two innings match. Ferrybridge scored 101 in one innings and Purston could only manage 16 and 17 in their two innings.

Joseph Wood of Featherstone was sentenced to 5 years' penal servitude for an unnatural offence (probably the Offences against the Person Act 1861 "The abominable crime of buggery").

MAY James Marsh, a collier age 38, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for stealing eight pigeons the property of Richard Wright of Featherstone.

JUNE The cricket club quickly improved and both Whitsuntide games were won. On June 10 a game was played in Purston Hall park in which all 22 players were from the Purston club. The players and umpires were entertained to dinner in the Junction Inn by Revd T H Hall. After dinner speeches made reference to a need for a public room. The National School could not now be used because it was licensed as a place of worship. Mr Hall offered a "noble donation" towards providing a meeting place, and it was hoped other landowners would join in such a scheme.

OCTOBER Church services were now established at Purston National School. There were two services every Sunday. In the morning there was Litany conducted by Revd B Hinde, Curate of Featherstone, and in the evening there was a full choral service conducted by Revd Hinde and Revd Hall. Mrs Hall was the organist and there was an "excellent little village choir". The Pontefract Advertiser commented "The organ, suitably adapted to the size of the room, is an instrument of no ordinary merit. The appearance of a devout congregation assembled for the Harvest Thanksgiving in a pretty building, tastefully and appropriately decorated with wheat, barley, grapes and flowers, had an effect which could be surpassed in very few churches".

The Purston National School annual treat was attended by 120 pupils. Football, cricket and other suitable games were played in a nearby field. The ban on meeting in the schoolroom evidently did not extend to the pupils because tea was provided there by James Tasker of Purston. The evening's entertainment was by Newton's Phantasmagoria Lantern. The school was now one of the largest and most efficient in the neighbourhood and there were 140 children on the roll, of which 80 to 90 were regular attenders.

Elizabeth Knappy, a married washerwoman age 28, was sentenced to three months imprisonment for stealing a skirt, two napkins, two pinafores, a nightgown and two knives, the property of Francis Briggs of Featherstone.