A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1878
AFTERMATH OF ASSAULT ON PC THURLBY
William Brooks alias Monisher was in court in February accused of being the ringleader in the attack on PC Thurlby last year. It
was said Brooks left the district after the attack but had now
returned, and he was identified by the policeman and his brother as the
man who was arrested but was rescued by the mob and beat the constable
on the head with his walking stick. Brooks was sentenced to four months with hard labour.
Two weeks later Joseph Bytheway, who had served four months in prison
for the same offence, was released. At his trial a number of witnesses
had claimed he was at his lodgings at the time of the attack, but the
magistrates believed PC Thurlby who identified him. A public meeting was
held in Purston and a petition was sent to the Home Secretary praying
for his release from prison but he declined to interfere.
Joseph Bytheway was met at Featherstone Station by a crowd of up to 700
plus a band. Bytheway was carried shoulder high to the Junction Hotel
where he was presented with a purse containing £8 11s 6d collected
locally. Two resolutions were passed. The first was "That this meeting
sympathises with Joseph Bytheway for having to suffer for an offence
that he was not guilty of committing; and further we believe he has
returned again to his home without a stain upon his character".
The second was "That in the opinion of this meeting the West Riding
magistrates at Pontefract were not justified in sending Joseph Bytheway
to prison for four months for an alleged assault upon Police Constable
Thurlby, seeing that a number of respectable witnesses were brought
forward on his behalf; and further, that we enter our indignant protest
against the incoherent manner in which the evidence of PC Thurlby was
taken, believing that Bytheway was not guilty of the offence that he has
had to suffer for".
GEORGE BRADLEY IN TROUBLE AGAIN
Nelson
Glassell and Daniel Baskyfield summonsed George Bradley in April for a fortnights
notice. They said they had been engaged at Manor Colliery at 4s 6d a day to
clear the roadways. There were only ten men employed at the time. When that was
done they were told to get coal at 3s 6d per yard plus 1s 7d per ton. They
turned these terms down and did byework at 5s 2d per day but were then
discharged. Baskyfield wrote to the government inspector saying the pit was
unsafe and the inspector stopped it working. The deputy steward said the men
had not been discharged, they had been offered the same terms as the men at
Snydale. The pit had stopped work because it was flooded. The Bench dismissed
the case.
A Dr Jessop
said he had been summonsed by George Bradley to give evidence but he did not
know why. George Bradley refused to say why he had been summonsed. Dr Jessop
said he had been put to great inconvenience and he ought to have been 100 miles
away, and he should claim a sovereign for the annoyance he had been put to,
which he would put in the poor box. George Bradley gave a sovereign to the
clerk of the court saying he would be sorry to keep a sovereign from either the
poor or Dr Jessop.
The
consecration of Purston Church of St Thomas was held on June 18 by the
Archbishop of York. The church was lighted by gas, and the total cost had risen
to over £6,000. The east window and organ had been presented by Mrs Hall.
After
the
service a public luncheon was held in the schoolroom, admission by
ticket
costing 3s 6d. The Revd Burgeon spoke of the interest taken in the new
church by Mrs Hall, and in reply Percy Hall said no one was more pleased
to see its completion than his mother.
Later at 5pm 478 persons sat down to tea in the schoolroom (ticket
one shilling) provided by Mrs Tasker of Purston "who fully maintained her
reputation for good teas". Several owners of property had given tickets to
the occupiers of their cottages to enable them "in these desperate
times" to have a thoroughly enjoyable treat.
The Ordnance Survey map shows the original roadway from Pontefract Road and the footpath from Victoria Street with the entrance to the church from a footpath near the vicarage. The postcard of the church shows it as it is on the map.
The Ordnance Survey map shows the original roadway from Pontefract Road and the footpath from Victoria Street with the entrance to the church from a footpath near the vicarage. The postcard of the church shows it as it is on the map.
DR BUNCLE'S MEDICAL REPORT
Dr Buncle, the
medical officer of health, in his report for 1877 published in June said "Building has gone
on rapidly, principally in South Featherstone, the class of houses being built
for the most part of a very questionable kind, and which nothing will stop
except the bye-laws, which I trust will soon receive the confirmation of the
Local Government Board.
He considered the population had reduced since 1875
because of the depression of trade.
A total of 99
deaths were recorded in 1877 of which 45 were infants under one year old. A
large number of gentlemen put this down to improper feeding of infants,
drugging them with soothing syrups, and the general neglect of the mothers. He
agreed these were causes of the deaths but he said sanitary defects, polluted
wells, bad or no drainage, and overcrowding were all to blame.
He said in a few years
with good water, and other sanitary arrangements, there would be a greatly
diminished infant mortality. Measles, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and diphtheria
had all broken out during the year.
1878 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY Samuel
Fothergill summonsed members of the Badsworth Hunt for damaging wheat, clover
and grass crops in fields at Purston. After much evidence had been given by
both sides the Bench said it had not been proved any wilful or malicious damage
had been done. Fox hunting was allowed by the Common Law and the case was
dismissed.
MARCH An
inquest was held at the New Inn, South
Featherstone, on Mary
Moorhouse age four. She was playing in the street and apparently fell down in a
fit. A post mortem examination by Dr Buncle showed she had suffocated because a
large marble was fast in her throat.
Friend Senior sued Thomas Herring Lassey, proprietor
of Purston Colliery, for £5 in lieu of a fortnight's notice. He had been
engaged as manager at £2 10s a week plus coals. He had been asked to riddle
some coal (to get rid of the small stuff) but on saying it was not his job he
was discharged. For the owner it was said the engagement was as a working
manager, and it was the manager's duty to give a helping hand when required.
The Bench gave a verdict for the full amount.
The attendance
for the Guardians for 1877-78 was George Bradley (Ackton) 1, Joseph Fearnley
(Featherstone) 23, John Waller (Purston)
23.
APRIL
Featherstone Main Colliery check lodge brought an action against Francis
Hirst for £7 7s 6d which it was said he had collected from the colliers in
order to pay the checkweighmen £2 2s a week. It was said Hirst was appointed
treasurer and secretary at 1s 6d for each job per week in July 1876. In
September 1877 he had collected over £26 and had paid out £19 leaving the
amount claimed outstanding. He had been sacked from the pit and replaced by
George Butterfield. The 200 colliers paid 6d a week, and a special collection
had to be made to pay the checkweighmen's wages. (Note: The case was adjourned and at a later hearing he was acquitted. Maybe he had paid up.)
Four South Featherstone men and women were summonsed for fighting on the 9.15pm train from Tanshelf. At Featherstone they had to be
separated by station staff and PC Davidson. One witness said that particular
train was known as the drunken train.
The Local Board met to consider the report of Mr Hudson, civil engineer, on a drainage scheme. It provided for drainage from South Featherstone, Purston and Streethouse to a site to be purchased from Mr R Winn of West Hardwick and then into the River Went which would be widened. His scheme was accepted, and arrangements made to negotiate the purchase of the land.
Purston Colliery was put up for sale.
The Local Board met to consider the report of Mr Hudson, civil engineer, on a drainage scheme. It provided for drainage from South Featherstone, Purston and Streethouse to a site to be purchased from Mr R Winn of West Hardwick and then into the River Went which would be widened. His scheme was accepted, and arrangements made to negotiate the purchase of the land.
Purston Colliery was put up for sale.
MAY Edwin Goddard, late overseer for Featherstone, was
brought from Middlesbrough charged with embezzling £168 1s 2½d belonging to the township of Featherstone. In his defence it was said he had been made bankrupt
and all his property had gone in liquidation, therefore he had no means of
raising the money. There was a precedent in law there could be no imprisonment
as the defendant could not be punished for what he had not the power to
perform. The Bench discharged the prisoner.
Three
Featherstone colliers claimed a fortnight's notice money from John Shaw. They said
they were employed getting coal at 1s 7d and 11d for slack (per ton). They had
riddled a tub full of slack and were going to send it out but were told by the
deputy to throw it in the gob (waste area). They refused unless they were paid
for it as usual and were sent out of the pit. Thomas Hopton, checkweighman for
George Bradley who received 6d per ton of coal brought out of Featherstone Main
Colliery, said the tub in question was brought out two weeks later. The defence
was it was the practice at that pit to throw away the slack and rubbish unless
there was no gob and the men in question had been given notice to do this. The
case was dismissed.
JUNE An inquest was held into the death of a baby named Elijah Griffiths Walker, the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Griffiths. Drs Wood and Buncle said death was from want of proper nourishment and the body only weighed six pounds. The mother and grandmother were severely censured.
JUNE An inquest was held into the death of a baby named Elijah Griffiths Walker, the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Griffiths. Drs Wood and Buncle said death was from want of proper nourishment and the body only weighed six pounds. The mother and grandmother were severely censured.
AUGUST An
athletics festival was held in Purston Hall Park. A silver cup and £20 in prizes were given by John
Shaw. A Featherstone brass band entertained the crowd.
At the
brewster sessions it was said there were ten licensed houses in Featherstone
selling on or off the premises and another two in Purston. Three new
applications for Featherstone were refused but were granted a few weeks later.
The owner of
seven houses in Featherstone was summonsed by the Featherstone Local Board of
Health for providing only one privy and no ashpits. He was ordered to erect two
more privies within 14 days.
Robert Knappy age 36, sexton at the cemetery, fell to the ground and died immediately. Dr McMaster of Whitwood made a post mortem examination and told the inquest the cause of death was a burst artery near the heart. The jury returned a verdict to that effect.
Robert Knappy age 36, sexton at the cemetery, fell to the ground and died immediately. Dr McMaster of Whitwood made a post mortem examination and told the inquest the cause of death was a burst artery near the heart. The jury returned a verdict to that effect.
SEPTEMBER John Newey, a miner, had a child called Hannah by Mary Harper. The
mother and six months old baby went to live in Staffordshire and he refused to
pay maintenance. When she was two years old Hannah was brought back to
Featherstone for her father to look after. She had ailed from birth and had
never walked.
In order to
keep the child quiet her grandmother gave her a mixture of laudanum, magnesia,
aniseed, arrowroot, peppermint and sugar mixed in water. Later Dr Buncle had to
be called. He found the child could be roused but immediately fell back
stupefied, and she died shortly afterwards.
At the inquest
Dr Buncle said that Hannah was very badly nourished weighing only 9lbs. The jury
returned a verdict of manslaughter against Jane Newey the grandmother.
Robert Burton of Purston was charged with having brutally assaulted his wife. He was found guilty and fined £5. His wife (not named) applied for an order of separation under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1878 saying he had mistreated her all their 23 years of marriage, and she could not bear his conduct any longer. She was granted a separation order and he had to pay her 6s a week.
Robert Burton of Purston was charged with having brutally assaulted his wife. He was found guilty and fined £5. His wife (not named) applied for an order of separation under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1878 saying he had mistreated her all their 23 years of marriage, and she could not bear his conduct any longer. She was granted a separation order and he had to pay her 6s a week.