1913

A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE 

 1913

THE COUNCIL

JANUARY  The council decided not to pay any more to Lowther's Hospital (the almshouses at Ackworth) because the Purston resident was receiving an old age pension of 5s a week. It was said other authorities had declined in similar circumstances.

   There was still no sanatorium for tuberculosis patients so it was agreed to provide them with sputum flasks and inhalers.

  It was decided to ask the county council to tar the road from Nostell View to the end of the new houses in Pontefract Road, Purston. Cr Poppleton expressed the hope the council would hurry up with the private street works in North Featherstone because the streets were in a wretched condition.

  Cr Murphy proposed the council support the Acquisition of Land (Public Authorities) Bill. This would make it easier for the council to buy land needed for improvements. The council had had an instance in the housing question of how difficult it was to obtain a site. Cr Hough seconded and said public representatives knew of the exorbitant figures asked for land required by public bodies. Under this Bill they would get land at a reasonable price. Other members wanted to delay a decision which angered Cr Hough. He said they had been discussing the housing scheme for years but they had not yet started building. In the end the resolution was passed without a vote.

  The Local Government Board wrote to ask at what rent it was intended to let the first council houses? Cr Maxwell said the rents should be fixed so there would be no call on the general rate fund to make up a deficit on the housing scheme. Cr Poppleton suggested 7s a week to begin with. Cr Maxwell said the cost of building materials had gone up since the scheme was first costed and now they didn't know what the houses would cost. In the end it was decided to tell the board the rent would be 6s a week, but this could be quickly altered if necessary.

  The West Riding Insurance Commissioners had decided the smallpox hospital up Little Lane was not suitable to be used as a sanatorium. Cr Holiday pointed out the question of using local amenities was to be taken up again with the county council because it would be a long time before a sanatorium was built, and Purston's hospital, if not ideally situated was better than consumptive persons remaining at home.

  A report on scarlet fever showed there were 170 cases in 1912 of which 160 were taken to the isolation hospital at Ackton. There were four deaths. The epidemic was of a mild character and popped up all over Featherstone and Purston without any apparent connection between the cases. 

  Dr Buncle said every precaution, such as disinfecting, and keeping children off school, was taken. Cases returned from hospital were isolated as much as possible. He had threatened prosecution to a family in George Street for allowing so many children and adults to enter the house after he had given a warning, and a warning bill was posted at every affected house afterwards. The same thing occurred in Granville Street, resulting in ten cases there from a slight rash in the first place.

  Overcrowding was an important factor in spreading the disease, two families in a house with four, and in one case five, children in a bed, all contracting it one after the other within a short period. Neighbours had flocked to affected houses, but not so much after the bills were posted. One woman had unknowingly borrowed a pillow from an affected house with the result there were two cases in her house. There had also been some infection brought from Pontefract.  Dr Buncle said he hoped the worst was now over.

FEBRUARY  Dr Buncle reported on the cost of making the smallpox hospital into a sanatorium. The clerk was instructed to thank Col Shaw for his kind offer to help to defray the expenses and to find out if it included the cost of the necessary alterations as proposed by Dr Buncle, and full nursing staff, and for what period. 

  Cr Maxwell said he was still in favour of the council house scheme, but he wanted to know exactly where they stood before they committed themselves to further expense. They were given £175 as the probable cost of each house, but the land and drainage worked out at £43 per house, so he thought the total cost per house would be more than £175. Cr Poppleton agreed.

  Crs Hough, Scholes and Murphy spoke strongly against any further delay, saying they had been discussing this matter for three years and they ought to get on with it. A letter from the Local Government Board was read out which sanctioned all the loans asked for in connection with this scheme except the money required for the actual building work. Before this money was approved the board wanted to see the tenders for the houses. The council decided to finalise the specifications for the houses and obtain tenders as soon as possible.

  Cr Scholes raised what he said was a vital matter to public health and asked the nuisance inspector how long after the removal of a patient was a certain house disinfected. The inspector said the council's instructions were unless a patient was dangerously ill no removals be undertaken after 1pm on Saturdays. The case referred to was not notified until 2pm on Saturday. Even so he arranged removal to hospital at 3pm and the patients bed, bedclothes and clothing were removed, but the house was not disinfected until Monday morning.

  Cr Scholes said people were allowed to go into the house from Saturday afternoon onwards without any precautions being taken, and there was actually another bed in the same room from which the patient had been removed. The inspector admitted this was true, but said he had stretched a point in removing the patient after 1pm, and he did not think he was acting outside the council's instructions in leaving the disinfecting until Monday.

  Cr Scholes said when his son was taken to hospital he (Scholes) was not allowed to go out of the house until he had been disinfected, and here was a house left for more than a day without attention. After some discussion the council agreed the disinfecting should be done the same day.

  The whole council (except Cr Ibbotson who did not wish to stand) were appointed (by themselves) to act as trustees of Bailey's Charity and bring it into a combined scheme.

MARCH  A letter was read from the Local Government Board agreeing to the smallpox hospital being used for tuberculosis patients but only until July 13, and subject to certain conditions. Dr Buncle reported on a proposed visit to the hospital by an inspector from the LGB so it was decided to defer further discussion on this matter.

  Cr Murphy asked about the council house scheme. The surveyor said he had not yet had time to do anything about this. If they wanted it hurrying along they would have to provide him with some assistance. He hoped the council would have patience. Cr Scholes said "I am glad the surveyor said patience. If ever there have been patient councillors they have been on this council". The chairman said even if they provided assistance it was still the surveyor's responsibility to do the council house scheme work. The surveyor said he had the private street works to deal with and he had only one pair of hands. He hoped to be able to report some progress next month.

APRIL  The council had to consider criticism about the lack of a footbridge at the Church Fields railway crossing (to the cricket field), and the need for a mortuary. It was decided Crs Darlington, Holiday, Maxwell and the surveyor would inspect and report on the suitability of any land owned by the council for use as a mortuary. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company had already agreed to provide a footbridge if they made the double track into four tracks as they had been contemplating for some time. In the meantime the council suggested a census be taken to see how many people used the crossing.
  The county council were considering not renewing the cinematography licence for the Palace Cinema. Featherstone Council considered if an outside toilet for men only was provided the licence would be granted.
  A tender from Messrs H V Smith and Co for tar spraying of about 1,000 yards of  the road from Nostell View to Leatham's Lodge at a penny three farthings a square yard, totalling £116 12s 4d, was accepted subject to the approval of the county council. Cr Darlington said the portion of the road to be tar-sprayed was very dusty in summer. The work was in the nature of an experiment, and if it proved a success the council might go further.
  Cr Scholes moved the rate for the next six months be 2s 3d. Cr Darlington seconded and said it might be a high figure but Featherstone's share of the costs of Ackton Hospital was equivalent to 6d on the rates. He had hoped they would be able to reduce the rates this time, but the hospital expenditure seemed to be growing instead of becoming less. More patients than ever were being sent, and increased accommodation for another 20 patients was required. 
  Cr Maxwell asked the chairman (Roslyn Holiday) if Ackton Hall Colliery were willing to contribute anything further towards the cost of the upkeep of Ackworth Road being worn by the heavy traffic between the colliery and Ackworth Pit at present being sunk. The agreement ended on 31 March 1912 but the traffic had gone on much longer. The chairman said the sinking of the shaft was taking longer than was thought of at first. Because of this he promised the company would pay sufficient to leave the road in a better state than it was before the traffic started. Cr Maxwell then suggested they could manage with a 2s 2d rate, but it was decided to stick to 2s 3d.
  The two photos below of Ackworth Road are from the Featherstone Library Collection.

  

  The Normanton and District Joint Isolation Hospital committee sent a notice saying the precept for the half-year would be £411, and in future some cases sent would be charged an extra 50s. Cr Holiday explained in septic fever cases anti-toxin was now used. This was very expensive, but it had undoubtedly saved lives. The charge for ordinary scarlet fever cases was only 1s 6d a day, but in the one in 12 cases where the anti-toxin was used the extra 50s would be charged.   

  It was stalemate over the proposed site in Girnhill Lane for the council houses so the surveyor was instructed to look at a site in Green Lane to see if a suitable drainage system could be installed.   
  The election for the council resulted as follows.
South Ward - Joe Poppleton 113, Tom Leadbeater 148, Tom Turton (Labour)  89
Purston Ward - E Hough 175, Tom Waller 277, Tom Amison 132
The other wards were not contested. The total number of voters on the register in the South Ward was 386 so 90% voted.
  Cr Darlington moved a vote of thanks to the chairman for his conduct of the business over the past 12 months. Cr Maxwell seconded and it was carried with applause. Cr Holiday said it was an honour to be chairman, and he thanked the members for the loyal support they had given him. Thanks were also given to Crs J Poppleton and E Hough who had been defeated in the election.  
  The main item for the first meeting of the new financial year was the election of a chairman. Cr Murphy proposed Cr Evans but there was no seconder. Cr Waller proposed Cr Holiday and Cr Maxwell seconded. Cr Evans proposed Cr Darlington. He said he had not a word to say against Cr Holiday who had given the utmost satisfaction as chairman, but he did not think it right any one member should monopolise this position. Every member should have a chance of filling the post. Cr Leadbeater seconded. 
  Cr Waller said he had no doubt Cr Darlington would make an excellent chairman, but he had supported Cr Holiday because he was a county councillor and chairman of the West Riding District Councils' Association and he would have more influence than any other member of the council. Cr Darlington said they all knew Cr Holiday had done very good service and he (Cr Darlington) would be the last person to contest with him so he withdrew his nomination. 
  Cr Evans said the position should not be monopolised and Cr Darlington should stand. Cr Darlington said if you won't withdraw my name I will let it be put to the meeting. Four members voted for Cr Darlington and six against. Cr Holiday was then elected chairman unanimously. 
  It was agreed all the committees should be comprised of all the council members, but when it came to the education sub-committee Cr Murphy said it was a question of getting anyone to stand; it was not very pleasant being a member of that committee. It was eventually agreed Crs Oakley, Edwards, Evans, Maxwell, Scholes, Protheroe, Murphy and Leadbeater would be on the committee along with co-opted members Revd H S Rogers, Messrs A Higgins, H V Chapman, A Cuttle and Mrs Buncle.
  The council asked the Licensing Authority to make it a condition of renewing the licence for the Hippodrome that it be disinfected.
  The Local Government Board wanted to know what progress had been made on the housing scheme. The surveyor said the plans were ready but had not been traced. This had to be done before sending them to the quantity surveyor. If the site was changed the plans might have to be altered. Cr Murphy said the scheme ought to go ahead with all speed. They had been messing about with one scheme or another too long already. Cr Maxwell said the specification was too high, and no contractor would take the job on under the present specification because he could not make it pay.
  Cr Darlington protested at the matter being raised at the annual meeting. The clerk said he had received a letter from the LGB and he considered it was very urgent. It was agreed to leave it to the relevant committee.
MAY  With no progress on the proposed Girnhill Lane site for the council houses the surveyor was asked to give further consideration to the alternative Green Lane site and another one in Wakefield Road.
  Thanks were expressed to the Coronation Club committee for their offer of a shield for swimming to be competed for annually by boys attending the elementary schools.
JUNE  Messrs Bentley offered a site for council houses and the Council decided, with only Cr Murphy voting against, to accept it. An application would be made to the LGB to withdraw the present scheme up Girnhill Lane, and the surveyor would be instructed to prepare another scheme for the new site.

  This plan shows Lot 3 offered to and accepted by the Council as the site for the first council house scheme.

   It was agreed to give Miss Lee, the health visitor, a £5 a year rise to £85. Cr Oakley was against and he said £80 was enough. Cr Holiday said they were satisfied with her work during the past two years and she was entitled to the rise, and her appointment was one of the best things the council had done. Cr Waller said seeing how many applications there were for the post at £80 he thought it was sufficient. Miss Lee said later some council members had tried to damp her enthusiasm for the work, but they would not succeed. She would still work as earnestly as she had done in the past.    
  The sub-committee appointed to consider sites for a mortuary proposed one near the South Featherstone sewage farm. Cr Murphy said this was too far out of the way, surely the council could find room for a mortuary in the council yard. The chairman said the sub-committee had considered a body might be taken in a decomposed state from water, and in hot weather it would be inadvisable to have such a body near to dwelling houses. Cr Murphy thought this difficulty could be overcome, but the recommendation was accepted and the surveyor was instructed to prepare plans for a mortuary at the sewage farm.
  A letter was read from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company after the council had complained about goods trains (coal wagons?) being stood at the Church Fields level crossing and causing long delays. The letter merely stated the goods superintendent's attention had been drawn to the matter. Another letter from the same company said there was an unobstructed view both ways at this crossing so the directors were not prepared to construct either a subway or a footbridge.
   Cr Murphy proposed the Board of Trade be informed the crossing is dangerous and would they do something about it. He also said persons were having to wait up to half an hour before they could get across. The proposal was carried unanimously. 
  The county council informed Featherstone Council Alderman Shaw and County Councillor Holiday would represent the county council on the Featherstone education sub-committee.
JULY  The Local Government Board said there would be an inquiry into the council's application to borrow £4,929 for private street works in North Featherstone. The council were also awaiting a reply about changing the site for the housing scheme and then they could go ahead.

  The surveyor gave a report on the Snydale sewage scheme which was now completed. He said he had put a little window of coloured glass in the cottage at the sewage works which he hoped the council would accept as a memento of the completion of the scheme. The chairman moved the council accept the window, and said the new sewage scheme was a great success.

  A special meeting was held to discuss a letter from the Local Government Board accepting the change of site for the housing scheme. This enables the council to purchase a site near Purston Church  of 11 acres, 1 rood and 35 poles at a price of £900. The purchase would be completed on 1 November next and three months notice would be given to the present tenant.

  Negotiations would begin with the Hon J C Lister for rights of way over the strip of land at the west side of the housing site in accordance with a letter from Mr Holiday last May. An application would be made to the LGB for a loan of £1,000 to cover the cost of the land and legal costs, and to cancel the loan for the now defunct Girnhill Lane site none of which had been used.

AUGUST  The clerk read a letter from Mr H Briscoe, secretary of the Coronation Working Men's Club, asking the council to accept the shield offered last May and now made. The donors hoped it would encourage boys to learn swimming and would help to foster a healthy exercise. Mr Topliss and Mr Earnshaw attended the meeting to present the shield to the council. 

  Mr Topliss said the members gave it as some little appreciation of the great kindness of the gentleman who had presented the baths to Featherstone, and they trusted it would encourage boys to learn swimming. The members would also be pleased to present six medals to the boys who won the shield. The chairman thanked the donors and hoped the boys would appreciate the gift.

  There was a letter from Featherstone Working Men's Club saying they intended presenting a rose bowl for the swimming competitions. The chairman said they were very much obliged for this gift. They could not spend public money in this way, but it was dear to the heart of all of them to encourage swimming, and to try to see the very best use was made of the baths presented to them.

  Now the Snydale sewage works was completed the council decided to pay Mr Chesney £100 for the work he had done over his normal duties. They had applied to pay the money out of the loan for the sewage scheme, but the LGB, while not questioning the reasonableness of the proposal, said it could not be done that way because Mr Chesney was a salaried official.

  Mr Chesney had submitted a sketch plan of the new housing site showing 149 houses. This was approved and he was told to proceed with the preparation of proper plans.

  It was decided to accept the tender of £5,523 from Mr J D Nadin of Sheffield for the North Featherstone private street works, subject to the LGB sanctioning the loan, and subject to Mr Nadin being prepared to delay the commencement for a few months to allow the council to serve the necessary notices.

  The health visitor, Miss Lee, was arranging a Mothers' Encouragement Exhibition for October. The council agreed she could hold it in the Lister Baths free of charge providing the covering of the swimming pool had been completed.

  A reply was received from the Board of Trade concerning the danger at the level crossing at Church Fields. It said the board did not have any statutory powers to require a company to carry out such work (a subway or footbridge), but they had sent a copy of the letter to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company for their observations.

  The Urban District Councils' Association had written to the council giving them the opportunity to invite the association to Featherstone for the 1914 conference. The Council chairman said we might invite them to view the quarry from the muckstack. It was decided not to give an invitation.

SEPTEMBER   Mr Wright, from Featherstone Working Men's Club,  brought the rose bowl the members had promised for the swimming gala plus three silver medals. He said the club members hoped the trophy would encourage the schoolchildren because a knowledge of swimming might not only save their own lives but they might be able to save the lives of others.

  Cr Maxwell, acting as chairman, thanked Mr Wright for the fine gifts, and Cr Scholes proposed a vote of thanks to the Green Lane, Coronation and Central Working Men's Clubs for the trophies and medals. (The Central had also promised a silver cup and a silver medal.) They showed the public of Featherstone had risen nobly to the occasion in offering every encouragement to children to learn swimming. Cr Scholes said he would give a medal to go with the council's coronation shield, and Crs Protheroe, Edwards and Murphy said they would do likewise. Cr Maxwell said he would give a medal for graceful diving.
  It was decided the council's coronation shield would be competed for by the schoolgirls in the district, and the Coronation Club shield by the boys. The rose bowl would be an open trophy for boys and girls. Each trophy would be held by the winning school for one year. The education sub-committee would be asked to instruct the teachers to present the pupils under proper supervision.

  There was a letter from the Local Government Board agreeing to a loan of £933 at 3½% interest for 80 years to enable the land to be bought for the housing scheme.

OCTOBER  Dr Buncle said there was a severe epidemic of measles which was still spreading. It had been brought into the district from Castleford via Ackton Hospital. He said people were extremely careless allowing children to mix with other children before they were free from infection. If this continued notices would be placed on the doors as in scarlet fever cases. The situation regarding tuberculosis patients was now much better. Those who were able to walk attended Pontefract Dispensary and others were sent to the West Riding Sanatorium.

  The surveyor was instructed to prepare a scheme for the conversion of all privies into water closets under the Public Health Amendment Act of 1907. The proposal was the council would pay half the cost but Cr Maxwell said this was not fair on those who had already done the conversion. It need not be done compulsorily if the largest property owners would take the lead and make the conversions which others had already done to their property.

  It was agreed to insure the schoolchildren's swimming trophies and to provide cases for them to be on show in the schools.
  The Local Government Board had agreed to loans for the housing scheme as follows.
£25,950 for the erection of the houses to be repaid in 60 years
£1,000 for sewers to be repaid in 30 years
£3,300 for street works to be repaid in 30 years
The interest rate would be 3½%. Mr W H Fearnley was appointed as quantity surveyor.

  There was another letter from the Board of Trade about the railway crossings. The railway company had stated they did not think there was any undue risk to pedestrians if reasonable care was exercised. The letter claimed Featherstone Council had admitted there was not a great use made of the Church Fields crossing, and there was an excellent view in both up and down directions. There was also good visibility at the Halfpenny Lane crossing with a gate house and a gate-keeper in attendance. Cr Darlington said he had known that crossing for 28 years and he had never seen anyone in charge. Cr Maxwell said there never had been. The clerk stated the letter was wrong in saying the council had admitted there was not much traffic at the Church Fields crossing. He had never said so. It was decided to reply to the Board of Trade pointing out the errors in the letter. The photo of the Halfpenny Lane crossing and the gatehouse is from the Dr Gatecliff Collection.

   The clerk reported on legislation for 1913 and said there was one provision which meant they could have continued to use their own smallpox hospital instead of joining in with the one at Glass Houghton. Cr Darlington said they had a smallpox hospital lying idle; it was time they got rid of it. Their contribution at £15 to the joint scheme was a flea-bite compared with the cost of keeping their hospital in good order.

NOVEMBER  The council decided to do a deal with the Hon J C Lister. He needed to lay a water main from Ackton Hall Colliery to the new pit at Ackworth and the Council wanted a mortuary. They agreed to accept £1 a year for an easement for allowing him to lay the main on land not his, providing his Ackton Hall estate gave the land for the mortuary and land to enable the access road to be widened.
  It was agreed the council would pay for local people with tuberculosis, not covered by National Insurance, who received treatment in residential institutions. 
  An offer by Ackton Hall Colliery to supply electricity to the Lister Baths at 6d per unit was accepted.
  Cr Scholes presented a silver cup on behalf of the Central Working Men's Club. This had already been won by George Street School swimmers. He said there was also a very fine case to hold the cup.
  Once again the Board of Trade wrote to say they had no power in the matter of provision of subways or bridges at the Church Fields or Halfpenny Lane crossings.

DECEMBER  The Purston Charity Committee decided to give 4s to each of 34 needy persons who did not receive the old age pension, and 2s each to 14 needy pensioners.

  It was agreed to increase the weekly wage of Percy Rothers (the rates collector?) to 30s to include the use and upkeep of his bicycle.
  Mr Ingram, who had a butcher's shop in Station Lane, was requested to take his water by meter after allegation of his wasting it.
 The firemen and horses had been called to a fire at Newstead Hall which was outside the council's district. The council agreed to pay the expenses of £1 10s 7d. The Home Office had sent a letter to the council to draw their attention to the danger from fire arising from the indiscriminate stacking of celluloid goods. The council agreed to pass the information on to the local traders.

MEDICAL REPORTS FOR 1912

   Once again it was August before Dr Buncle published his report for the previous year. During 1912 197 people had died in the Featherstone district, but Dr Buncle considered those Featherstone folk who died in the workhouse, asylum and hospitals should be added on. This brought the total up to 225. 

  Out of every 100 births 13 babies died before their first birthday. Ackton was worst and one out of five babies died. In an attempt to reduce this the health visitor had given lectures to the mothers and these had been well attended. Also all the unwholesome privies and ashpits had been demolished, and every house in Ackton now had access to a WC. This had reduced the death rate for babies to 12 in a hundred in Ackton.

  There had been several serious outbreaks of scarlet fever during the year but only five deaths occurred from the disease. He called it "The most extensive and severe epidemic that has ever occurred in the district during the whole 37 years I have been medical officer of health". The picture palaces were more to blame for spreading the disease than the schools. Overcrowding was also a factor. The district was never free from this pernicious disease but it was much milder than the previous year.
  A resident tuberculosis officer, Dr Mackenzie, was now stationed at Pontefract and all the cases were under his direction. The council and Dr Buncle had hoped to utilise the Little Lane smallpox hospital for tuberculosis patients, but after a visit by doctors from the Local Government Board and the county council all hopes of that were dispelled because they said the expense would be out of all proportion to the benefits.
  Dr Buncle congratulated the nuisance inspector, Mr Sagar, on his careful attention to unsound food and diseased carcasses, Miss Lee for her baby show and lectures, and Mr Chesney on the completed Snydale sewage works. He hoped the housing scheme would make some progress because there wasn't a house to be had anywhere in the district. 
  Mr Sagar's report said eleven pigs were slaughtered in the allotments but only two were fit for food. The others had to be destroyed. There were still 73 insanitary privies and 200 cases of overcrowding.
  Miss Lee, the health visitor attacked the use of pobbies (a long tube bottle) and dummies. She said dummies caused adenoids later in life.
  She said some people were entirely unfit to bring up children, but this was not altogether their fault. She said the schools left the girls entirely ignorant of the responsibilities of wifehood and motherhood. She had started lectures for girls over six and sometimes the grandmothers brought their granddaughters. She asked grannies to corroborate what she was saying because a granny who had 14 children and buried nine would have a great influence over the young mothers. Some of the mothers were disheartened. One woman told her she was kept poor with having children and burying them.
  Miss Lee said those who were compelled to live in back-to-back houses must have the worst time of all. Imagine wash day on a wet day in one room. The smell of soap, steaming clothes, a creaking mangle and a screaming baby. Can anything more trying be imagined. It is no good blaming the women if they become careless at times. How many women would be otherwise if they had to live in the same circumstances?
  During the year 56 babies were born to parents who lived in lodgings. Another 58 were born in back-to-back houses. What chance in life had the babies born under such conditions?

MISS LEE'S EXHIBITION

  In November Miss Lee, the health visitor, organised a Mothers' Encouragement Exhibition in the Lister Hall (the baths in the autumn and winter months).  There were six classes for babies and six for the best long and short baby's clothes. There were 28 babies entered but the clothes entries were disappointing. The hall was decorated with plants loaned by Cr Protheroe and also flowers.

  Roslyn Holiday presided and said it was a great pleasure to welcome Alderman Broadbent and Dr Moore from Huddersfield. They had no connection with Featherstone, but they came because of their great interest in encouraging mothers to take greater care of their babies. Many mothers, perhaps from ignorance, did not know what was best for their babies, and this exhibition was surely a step in the right direction. The council were very grateful to the ladies who had organised it and to Miss Lee who acted as secretary.

  He was pleased to see so many babies present, and he trusted the mothers had not brought them because prizes were offered, but with a view to learning something about the care of children. He then introduced Ald Broadbent who had done much work to reduce infant mortality.

  Ald Broadbent said they had nothing of this sort in Huddersfield, and a baby show was a new thing to him. He spoke at length about his work in Huddersfield and ended by urging the mothers to take great care of their babies; the best baby in England might be in that hall.

  The judging was done by Dr Moore, Dr Buncle and Mrs Priestman of Ackworth. At the end of the judging Dr Moore said every baby was worthy of a prize, but of course some had to be singled out. The exhibition was a credit to the mothers present and to the promoters. The Express report said the babies were judged on health and clothing ie it was not just a bonny baby contest.

The awards were:

Boys up to six months

George Luther Matthewman, Sun Inn Court, North Featherstone

Ralph B Asquith, Station Lane

Girls up to six months

Maud Bullock, Green Lane

Doris Farrar, Dora Villas, Featherstone Lane

Boys between six and twelve months

William Winston Wood, Helens Street, Streethouse

Bertram Lockwood, Warren House Farm

Girls between six and twelve months

Gladys Blackburn, Ackton Hall Lodge  

Winifred Butcher, Sharlston (born in Featherstone's council district)
Boys between one and two years
John Mountford Hills, Normanton View, North Featherstone
Harold Coule, Featherstone Lane
There were no entries for the girls' section so the judges gave a special prize to Sam Scoltock of Dora Villas, the youngest of 21 children.    
  There were other prizes for the most comfortable and hygienic baby's cot, and the most simple and useful baby's toilet basket, but there were no entries. Prizes were won for the best set of infants long clothes, best set of shortened clothes, best mended garment, and best darned sock or stocking.

EDUCATION

   At the March meeting of the education sub-committee it was reported Mr Cowey, headmaster at North Featherstone Lane Senior School, had been granted a £10 a year rise.

  The county council report on swimming instruction praised the progress made by Featherstone children. The clerk said there was no better report in the Riding.

  Featherstone was the only education committee in the district without a Care of Children Committee, so some of the committee members undertook to see the parents of children notified by the education authorities doctor as suffering from some defect.

  It was agreed to charge the teachers for the use of a school for their meetings. The usual fee was 12s 6d. The Revd Rogers thought they should be allowed the use for a nominal sum but he didn't receive enough support.

  In April the clerk pointed out girls were now leaving school as soon as they got their papers from the attendance officer. This was irregular, although it was allowed in the case of boys with a view to their being allowed to go to work as soon as possible. Really, all cases should come before the committee, who had to decide whether the employment was beneficial. 

  The chairman, Mr Maxwell, asked how the committee were to decide this, and Mr Rogers asked what would happen if the committee went on strike? The clerk said the Knottingley committee recently had a case before them of a girl of 13 who it was intended would help in a public house bar. That was not beneficial employment. As to the committee going on strike - the cases would go to Wakefield. It was agreed to make boys and girls alike (leave as soon as possible) and authorise the clerk to refer any case he thought fit to the committee.

  Mr Murphy complained there were many cases where the schools were let for meetings, dances etc and the cleaners were miserably paid for their services. The committee decided the caretaker should receive not less than 5s.

  At the May meeting it was decided to accept the resignation of William Boffey, the attendance officer, who was very ill. (He died a few days later.) the county council suggested two lady persons should be appointed  to do this duty and the committee agreed.

  In June it was announced two trained nurses had been appointed - Miss Jackson from Hunslet and Miss Marshall from Brighouse. One month later the clerk told the committee they were doing very good work and he hoped the committee would support them in their efforts to increase school attendances. The committee agreed to prosecute the worst cases and issue a warning to others.

  Miss Alexander asked for a rise. She said two years ago she was recommended for a £10 rise but she only got £5. Her present salary was £110. In six years it had only gone up £5. During the past three years she had had to deal with many more scholars. Mr Murphy said there was not another teacher in the district doing the same amount of work for the same salary. It was agreed to recommend a rise of £10.

  The chairman said he did not see any good work being done by the report on Featherstone National School (North Featherstone) going to the Press. Mr Leadbeater objected and said all public matters should go to the public. Mr Murphy agreed and said the report showed the patching up of the premises had not fulfilled the requirements of the inspectors, and the children and teachers were suffering as a result of the cheeseparing.

  The report was published and it said the managers were to be congratulated on the very substantial improvements made to the premises. The main room had been partitioned, the roof underdrawn and ventilators installed. The premises had been cleaned and repainted, new desks had been provided and new toilets built. The playground had been enlarged and asphalted. Most children were in the infants, and the few seniors had widely different attainments.

  The seniors were taught in two groups, and the report suggested the groups should be split into two to put pupils of equal ability together. It said the girls had a bad habit of promiscuous answering. (No doubt the old meaning of confusedly mixed.) 

  The teachers got a good report, but some of the younger girls were said to be at a lower level than they ought to be, and in the youngest class too much time was spent on teaching reading, writing and numbers. The children were restless for want of suitable handwork occupation. (It is difficult to see how the report matched what Mr Murphy said.)

  In September the committee recommended a large number of teachers for a rise. Miss Dawson at Regent Street was only getting £48 a year and was recommended for another £3. The two headmistresses at Regent Street were recommended for an extra £5. Mr Higgins voted against. He said the prevailing opinion in Featherstone was £125 was enough. He personally thought it should be £120. (Miss Tupman's salary was £120 and Miss Cockerham's £125.)

  A report on Purston National School said some of the desks were obsolete. Some were too high, and some had narrow seats too far from the desk. These faults produced some restlessness in the children. In one room two teachers were teaching two different classes, and in another one teacher had a very large class containing both Standard II and III. In spite of this the children were doing well.

  The tenders of Featherstone Main Colliery and the gas company for the supply of coal and coke were accepted. A tender of 19s was accepted from Mr Lucas for staining and varnishing Mr Cowey's room.

  Mr Murphy and Mr Scholes said they had reason to believe some of the headteachers were not taking the interest they ought to in the forthcoming children's swimming competitions. Such an attitude was not fair to children who were anxious and capable of competing. Mr Scholes said after the Coronation Club had promised six medals in addition to a shield there was now a possibility of them being asked to supply only four, and something else in place of the other two. This was because some teachers said they could not raise a team of six.

  The chairman spoke strongly on this subject, and it was finally decided the clerk should write to all the headteachers requesting them to take a practical interest in the competitions, both before the events and at the events themselves.   

THE MINERS AND THE DOCTORS

  The National Insurance Act of 1911 caused a problem for the miners and doctors. For many years the local miners, married or single, had had 5d a week deducted from their wages into a sick fund and in return they received medical care for themselves and wives and children. Now workers had to pay 7d a week National Insurance which entitled them to medical care and sick pay, but the medical care did not include the rest of the family.

  The doctors said they had received 13s a year for each worker from the sick fund, now they would only get 6s 6d from the National Insurance Fund. They could not see their way to attend wives and children for less than 4½d a week per man. The miners refused to pay this and decided to have ballots.
  At Ackton Hall Colliery the married men were asked if they were in favour of employing their own medical staff. There were 167 votes in favour and 1,149 against. The single men were asked to say if such staff were appointed would they be willing to allow them to be their doctors under the Act. 953 were in favour and 204 against.
  At Featherstone Main Colliery the men were simply asked to say yes or no to form a medical staff. 1,486 voted in favour and 275 against. At Snydale Colliery only the married men voted on the proposal for their own medics and 321 were in favour and 43 were against. The Express reported at least one Featherstone doctor then agreed to take the married men's families at 3d per week providing the single men paid 1d a week. In February the doctors offered to treat wives and children if the married men paid 4d and the single men paid 1d. The members of the colliery sick funds were sticking out for 2d and 1d.
  Dr Steven asked the Featherstone Main men to attend a meeting in the Drill Hall. Tom Leadbeater, a deputy, presided and 200 miners turned up. Mr Leadbeater appealed for a fair hearing for the doctor. Dr Steven said he had heard since coming into the meeting the men did not want to pay him any less than he had received in the past. That should help them to come to a decision.
  He said he would have been quite willing to carry on under the old system but it was impossible to contract out of the Act, so he had placed his name on the doctors' panel which the Act required. The working expenses of himself and Dr Finch had gone up over the past few years; their drugs bill was 33% higher. If he went away for a holiday he had to pay five or six guineas for a locum tenens. He and Dr Finch were not laggards; they worked 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. Under the Act he received 6s 6d a year per patient and this included a great deal of clerical work - two or three hours a day. If he paid for the clerical work he would not be left with anything like 6s 6d per patient.
  Previously he had received 13s for married and single men, and the working youths had paid 2d a week. He offered to take the latter for 1d a week, and the least he could accept for attendance on families was 4d a week. He did not ask the married men to pay all the 4d. He thought there were very good reasons why the single men should be asked to pay 1d a week. This week he had amputated a finger for a single man. That made the fourth case of accident this week, and he thought the single men ought to pay the penny to ensure treatment in case of accident.
  Dr Finch and he had treated over 700 accident cases last year. There was no law in the world to compel them to attend such cases, unless of course they were the men's doctors under the Act. He wished to ensure prompt attention in cases of accident whoever the man's panel doctor might be, and he thought the payment of a penny was very reasonable.
  Dr Steven pointed out he had attended a number of poor widows, several men who had very little to live on, and some old age pensioners, and never asked a copper. He also had to give the men sick notes to claim money from their sick and accident funds. This could only be done if they came to an agreement, and he considered the terms he had asked for were not unreasonable.
  Mr Jepson said about three years ago when the men agreed to fresh terms, the doctor informed them his drugs bill had gone up 33%. Did this mean they had gone up another 33%. Dr Steven said yes, and his drugs bill last year was £160.
  Mr Jones said three years ago Dr Steven got a substantial rise from the colliery sick fund, and now the workers wanted to do what was just. He understood the doctors would get 8s 6d a year per man and he had not yet been told where the other 2s went to. He was instructed by the underground men to object to more than 2d for the married men and 1d for the single men, but they were willing to discuss the matter. They had nothing against Dr Steven, but before any agreement was come to the men must have another vote. He had no power to vote for any resolution.
  Mr Kirkbride pointed out the surface men had agreed to the 3d and 1d, but they had been outvoted by the underground men. After what Dr Steven had said about the treatment of accident cases he thought the terms were reasonable.
  Mr Bramley said they had been beating about the bush for three weeks and he moved the meeting appoint a committee to meet the doctor with power to settle. But the meeting eventually broke up without anything definite being decided.
  A few days later the Ackton Hall Colliery men met in the Featherstone Hotel. Dr Steven explained to treat the wives and children he wanted the married men to pay 3d and the single men 1d. The men's representatives offered 2d and 1d, and in the end Drs Stephen and Thomas accepted this for a trial period. The Featherstone Main men agreed to pay the 3d and 1d, also for a trial period.
 
                                                      THE BURIAL BOARD
   At the October meeting of the Burial Board there was a letter from Revd J C H Bevington of Beeston, Nottinghamshire, formerly United Methodist minister in Featherstone. Just before he left he had requested payment of 2s 6d for conducting a funeral service in the consecrated part of the cemetery. This request led to much discussion by the board and the taking of counsel's opinion. The opinion was Mr Bevington was not entitled to payment. The board also sought the advice of the Home Office. Their reply was two fees should be collected, one for the vicar and one for the minister conducting the service. The board had decided to take the Home Office advice and since then two fees had been collected in those circumstances.
  The board's clerk said Mr Bevington had found out about this decision and had written saying as the board had found their own counsel's advice valueless he was awaiting receipt of his fee. The clerk had replied the resolution of the board only applied to future fees and therefore did not affect Mr Bevington's case. He suggested Mr Bevington took them to court for his fee when he would find the counsel's opinion was not valueless.
  Mr Bevington wrote back saying it was satisfactory to know he had succeeded upon the main question, but the matter by no means ended there. He must receive the fee due to him. His letter went on at great length on the pros and cons of the case. He wanted to know what had become of his fee and said he would take his case to the Home Office, the auditors, the Press, the Liberation Society and the Deputies of Protestant Dissenters, and if necessary he would take legal action. He would not be satisfied until the board yielded.
  After a long discussion the board decided they had no power to collect the fee claimed by Mr Bevington. The advice from the Home Office was only an opinion and it was quite possible if it went to court the opinion of the board's counsel would be found to be correct. It was decided to await Mr Bevington's next move.
  The annual meeting of the board took place three weeks later in Regent Street Infants' School. The chairman, Mr J Sutherton, said he would be pleased to privately answer questions on the burial fees controversy. The board had nothing to fear from public discussion but he did not think they would be in order discussing it at the annual meeting. The meeting however decided otherwise, so Mr Sutherton reviewed the situation.
  He said because the bishop had walked round part of the cemetery and performed some sort of ceremony that part was consecrated. He did not know if any special virtue was attached to this ceremony; to him all the cemetery was consecrated as being the resting place of the dead.
  He went over the facts as reported at the last meeting and said the board's counsel recommended when a Nonconformist minister conducted a service in the consecrated part only one fee should be collected, and it should go to the minister, not the Revd Stebbing. The board would have been glad to act on this advice, but when they stopped the vicar's fee on the next occasion he threatened action.
  Mr Bevington also claimed a fee and the board were between the devil and the deep blue sea. The board also ran the risk if they collected two fees of a ratepayer bringing an action, so they contacted the Home Office and were advised they had to collect two fees. This resolution only governed future cases, but Mr Bevington demanded payment. They were now waiting to see what he would do.
  An extension to the cemetery would be opened before long, and he hoped they would not get the bishop to come again. The bishop did no more by walking round the ground and saying something. No more than he should by walking round and shaking a whitewash brush. If they decided to keep all the new ground unconsecrated then they could bury in any part of it and pay one fee.
  A ratepayer pointed out there were only two fees to pay if they had another minister to conduct the burial service. The chairman replied "We don't all want the vicar of the parish to bury our dead; we've too much respect for our dead" (loud applause). There had been a suggestion of subscribing to pay Mr Bevington's fee. The board could not pay it out of the rates, and he (the chairman) would not give a copper towards any subscription. In any case he was against giving in to Mr Bevington who had already won on principle. What was wanted was an alteration in the law.
  It was a scandalous thing that Mr Stebbing, without so much as lifting a pen, should get 10s for every headstone of a certain kind put up, and £1 in other cases. The vicar had a good enough salary without taking all these perquisites out of someone's ribs.
  Mr S W Mason pointed out if the vicar died before 1915 the headstone fees would not have to be paid. But the vicar might live for another 20 years so the fees would go on. Mr Mason said he stood out at the time against the present ground being consecrated, but the rest of the board went against him. If Mr Stebbing was a man he would forgo his fees in such cases as that of Mr Bevington.
  Mr S Batten said not until the great blood-sucking Church of England was disestablished and disendowed would such monstrosities of the law be done away with. Mr J Holroyd asked if it was right the vicar should receive half a crown for doing nothing? He sat at home, lit his pipe, put a glass of whisky on the table, and got paid while another minister did the work. Did any man call that right?
  Another ratepayer said the chairman could have stated the case without introducing bitterness against the Church of England. The chairman said he was sorry if he had introduced bitterness, but with such men as Mr Stebbing to deal with he had to speak strongly. He did not retract anything he had said as to not having any part of the new ground consecrated.
  Mr Leadbeater said rather than risk a law action for a paltry half a crown he would be prepared to collect it. The chairman pointed out it was not a question of one half a crown; other cases might crop up of similar burials which took place before the board decided to collect two fees, and they had no power to collect two fees for the burials which took place before the resolution was passed. The Vicar of Pontefract set the Vicar of Featherstone an example by always foregoing the fee when a Nonconformist minister did the work.
  On the motion of Mr Mason, seconded by Mr Pashley, the meeting, with only one vote against, recommended the board not to have any portion of the new ground consecrated. The chairman pointed out the consecration ceremony cost the board £20, saying these bishops do not work for nothing.
   The church-goers held a meeting in St Peters Mission room. Mr W H Fearnley acted as chairman and he said as church people they must defend their faith. He appealed for them to stick up for their rights, and to insist part of the cemetery extension be consecrated according to the rites of the church. He asked Mr Norton to move the following resolution. "That this meeting of church people of Featherstone and Purston condemns the recent action of the Burial Board in their attack on the faith and practice of the church, and pledges itself to use every lawful means to secure consecration of the burial ground."
  Mr Norton did and then said although certain members of the Burial Board had used personalities he did not wish to be personal or vindictive. He found it difficult to understand why men connected with other places of worship should make these scurrilous attacks on the church.
  He said far from being a blood-sucking church the Church of England had by its educational work done more for this country than any other agency. The annual meeting was out of order discussing the consecration question. They were also wrong about the headstone fee. The present system came to an end in 1915 whatever happened. Fully two-thirds of burials took place in the consecrated part, and this itself was sufficient argument for part of the new ground to be consecrated. Mr T Simpson seconded the resolution. He said they should be proud of their church and would use all the means they had in their power to see they had equal rights in the new burial ground. They did not wish their dead to be buried elsewhere. Many persons who did not really belong to the Church of England were baptised, married and buried by the clergy. He suggested a petition should be drawn up to support their claim.
  The vicar said he agreed with their aims and he trusted Mr Simpson's suggestion would be taken up. He could be made responsible for the burial of every person in the parish if they wished to be buried in the consecrated side and gave him 48 hours notice. It was because of that responsibility a fee followed. He had not been in the parish three months when he gave up his right to fees in the unconsecrated part. The fees for the consecrated part were part of his income and he had a legal right to them.
  He was sorry persons would now have to pay two fees but it was not his fault; they should blame the Burial Board. He was ready to take all burials in the consecrated part and then there would only be one fee to pay. The resolution was then put and was carried with applause.

OLD FOLK'S TREAT

   For the fourth time the Adult School committee provided a new year treat to the old folk of Featherstone, this time to welcome in 1913. The Express explained the first effort was funded entirely by the committee for about 130 persons. Mr Holiday suggested the scope of the treat should be widened and he offered assistance with material things and also gave financial help. The committee then decided to make a public appeal, the success of which enabled a treat to be put on for about 400 people of 60 years or over.

  There were 40 inmates present from Pontefract Workhouse who had previously lived in Featherstone or Purston. The tea was held in the Drill Hall which had been decorated with flags and bunting. Mrs Shaw and Mrs Darlington both helped with the tea.

  Afterwards Mr J Blades moved a vote of thanks to Mrs Shaw and paid tribute to the interest she and her husband showed in Featherstone. Last year Col Shaw had donated five guineas, and then gave another £2 5s to prevent there being a deficit on the accounts. This year he had given the full £7 10s as a subscription. Mr Blades said as long as the public were willing to support them they would continue to provide these treats.

  Mr Darlington said Col Shaw was confined to his house and could not attend. He thanked the committee for their appreciation and said Col and Mrs Shaw were always ready to show practical sympathy to such causes.

  After tea each man was given an ounce of tobacco, and each woman received two ounces of tea. The oldest couple present, Mr and Mrs C Thompson of North Featherstone Lane were presented with a pair of slippers each. Their ages were given as 82 and 84. (This was a rise of ten years from last years treat.)

  The committee had also received six dozen packets of cocoa and 18 dozen chocolate cakes. The latter were shared between the workhouse, Carleton Cottage Homes, and the women present.

  Mr Buxton admitted all those present to the evening performance at the Hippodrome free of charge. For many of them it was the first time they had been to a cinema. Afterwards the manager, Mr Hudson, said Mr Buxton had done that night what he promised when the Hippodrome was opened - that he would always be ready to help any good cause in Featherstone.

THE TERRITORIALS' DINNER  

  A Few weeks after the old folks' treat Col Shaw was involved in another event, this time for the Featherstone Company of the 5th KOYLI (Territorials). Arrangements were made for 140 but only 60 turned up plus 20 invited guests.
  The chairman, Capt Mackenzie of Featherstone, read the annual report. This showed drills had been well attended and musketry improved. At camp Featherstone had most representatives. As this was the fourth year of the territorials many men's time had expired so some of them would be leaving. No doubt if ever they were wanted they would put on His Majesty's uniform. They were 132 strong at present and it was hoped others would come forward to fill the places of those who left. 

  Col Shaw said how proud he was to be the honorary colonel of the battalion. It was the duty of every man to defend his country, but how could he do this if he did not know how to shoot? If the army was called abroad there would only be the Territorials to defend the land. He suggested a smarter uniform should be provided, which would make a better impression on the girls at the annual camp in Bridlington. He announced sanction had been given for a new drill hall in Featherstone which had been a long time coming, but they had succeeded at last.

A DRAYMAN'S SUICIDE

  An inquest was held in February in the Gospel Hall to inquire into the death of  Allen Hewitt aged 38 of Purston Buildings who was described as a well-known drayman for a Featherstone grocer.

  Oliver Hewitt, a brother, gave evidence of identification and said Allen had lived with him, but the last time he saw him was at 5.30am on Monday 17 February and he did not know where he had been up to his death on the following Saturday and he could not account for his absence. Allen had had a fit two years ago and he had been a little strange since then.

  Arthur Jackson of Freeman's Buildings said he saw Hewitt going towards the Church Fields railway crossing at 7.55am on the Saturday. Hewitt looked ill and said he was indisposed and had some pain.

  Sam Rusling, a foreman platelayer, who lived in Station Yard, said the driver of the 7.25am train from Goole to Wakefield told him he had knocked a man down. Sam said he found the body about 300 yards from the crossing.

  George Lupton of Goole, the engine driver, said as he approached the Church Fields crossing he saw a man inside the gate near the lines. He sounded his whistle and when he was 70 yards away Hewitt was facing the train and moved closer to the lines. He whistled again. Hewitt seemed about to cross the lines then he stopped. When the train reached the crossing he rushed in front of it. He was hit by the train which was travelling at about 30mph. The rails were greasy and it took the train 300 yards to stop. The coroner asked him if Hewitt was trying to dodge the train or get in front of it. The driver replied Hewitt had no possible chance of getting across when he set off.

  John Robert Jaques, a Featherstone grocer, said Hewitt had worked for him for over 15 years. He said on Wednesday the 12th Hewitt could not account for money paid to him in Ackworth the day before. He did not deny having received it but said he hadn't got it, adding he had only 3d in the world.

  He said to Hewitt "Now Allen, you must have it and you'll have to give it to me". Hewitt still did not make any definite admission so Mr Jaques said he would inform his mother and the police. He said he did not really mean to tell the police and he was now glad he hadn't.

  Nothing more was said until Saturday when he told Hewitt he was deducting the 18s from his wages. There was also a missing £2 which Hewitt agreed could be deducted at 5s a week from his wages. The coroner asked him about the fit two years ago. Mr Jaques said "He's not been the same man since then. At times he could not give clear answers, and occasionally his mind seemed to be affected. When I asked him about the missing money he did not seem to realise the gravity of the offence". Hewitt had been with him for so long he did not like to think ill of him. He said he thought he had been a bit short since the fit; I don't think he realised the seriousness of taking money.

  The coroner said the evidence was the deceased had seen the train some distance away and he did not move until the train was by the crossing. If the jury found it was suicide it was for them to say what the state of his mind was. If they thought he did not appreciate the nature of the act of stealing they could say he was of unsound mind. If they thought he was afraid of facing the music the verdict must be felo de se (felon of himself or just plain suicide).

  The jury decided it was suicide while of unsound mind. Once again they raised the question of providing footbridges at Church Fields and Halfpenny Lane crossings. They also said it was about time Featherstone had a mortuary like other local authorities. The coroner, Major Arundel, said "You elect the members of the Urban Council, don't you".   

THE ROVERS IN A ROUGH CUP FINAL

  Tommy Sides's Featherstone NUFC and George Johnson's Featherstone Rovers NUFC joined forces last year. The combined club reached the final of the Yorkshire Junior Cup in March and qualified to meet Castleford on Easter Monday at Wakefield Trinity's Belle Vue ground. 

  About 5,000 spectators gathered, a record for the competition, many of them from Featherstone, and the gate receipts were £87. The Express reported it was a cup-tie of the old order and Castleford in particular could not play without indulging in questionable tactics. It was not to the credit of junior football in this district that the referee, Mr Longbottom of Halifax, was obliged to stop the game on account of rough play when there were still ten minutes to go.

  During the second half especially the game was pretty rough. Cockerham of Castleford was sent off for kicking Joe Lyman after he had scored a try, and on another occasion the referee had to stop the game and give both sides a lecture. Joe Lyman scored all four tries for Featherstone and White converted one of them, and the Rovers won 14-2.

  Mr Fillan of Huddersfield, the president of the Yorkshire County Union, said the game had been all that could be desired if they left out perhaps one or two little incidents which took place towards the close. He was sure such a robust cup-tie such as they had seen that afternoon was very invigorating and pleasing. Harry Brown, the Rovers captain had been injured so Dyer received the cup and winners' medals from Mr Fillan.

THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS

  There were about 300 children attending the North Featherstone Lane Primitive Methodist Church and they had to meet in the chapel. it was decided to build a separate room for the Sunday School and Mr Walmsley, who was associated with the original building in 1901, gave a generous gift (amount not specified) towards the cost. Land was purchased and a boundary wall built and there was £170 left over towards the estimated £1,370 cost of the building, not including furnishings. Mr W Hamilton Fearnley was the architect, and the building contract was given to William Horner of Pontefract.

  The foundation stone was laid in March, but there was a downpour of rain at the appointed time so the congregation moved into the chapel. Revd E W Challenger acted as chairman and said it was a day they had long anticipated. He said Col Shaw was unable to attend because of illness but he had promised to forward a cheque. Roslyn Holiday was also missing but he had sent a cheque for £10.

  Sir Joseph Compton-Ricket MP said he was sorry he had heard about four or five accidents to local miners recently, but he was glad they had not proved fatal. These accidents indicated why a miner made such a deeply religious man, and why he went to church regularly. He was therefore not surprised to hear of the success of Methodism in mining districts. After others had spoken they all went outside where a number of stones were laid. Then they all went back inside for tea.

  A large number of donations were announced which totalled over £210. There was also £172 raised from a recent bazaar and other donations promised but not yet to hand. The photo below below from the Featherstone Library Collection shows the multitude of children at the Sunday School.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

  The annual vestry meeting for Featherstone parish was held in North Featherstone Church in March. The accounts were better than in previous years, but the vicar, Revd F G Stebbing, said they were still not good enough. They ought to get at least 20s per Sunday in the collections, and if they didn't they would always have to appeal for outside help. However, they had managed to turn an adverse balance of £43 into a credit of just over £1.    

  St Peter's Mission had made a profit of £8 and their organ and building fund had reached £101. The vicar said he had been approached by Mr Newton with a view to wardens being legally appointed for St Peter's and he had agreed.   

  Mr W Hamilton Fearnley said he wished to retire from the position of parishioners' warden. He did not want another year's experience like last year. He said he had enough to do as organist and choirmaster. He had got into trouble last year for saying there were often more men in the choir than in the congregation. Twelve sidesmen were appointed last year, but twice he had to leave the organ to take the collection. In spite of his wish he was re-elected. The vicar said he had seen the Rural Dean that day, and probably by next June St Peter's would have their own curate, and then he and Mr Freeman would be able to tend the other part of the parish.

  Mr Daniells, referring to the trouble between the two churches, said St Peter's workers had no feeling against Mr Stebbing personally, but they thought St Peter's had been neglected. Now wardens had been legally elected he trusted they would work together and the present year would be the best they had ever had.

  Mr Fearnley appealed to the St Peter's people to help in raising £250 which he said was necessary for repairs to the tower and porch at All Saints' Church, which were in a dangerous condition.

  Mr Daniells said they were pretty full-handed at St Peter's. They intended building a new church there, never mind repairing the porch and tower. Mr Fearnley said it was wonderful the way the Methodists raised money and they were an example to church people. The repair of the parish church should be a parish matter, and not confined to North Featherstone people.

TRESPASSING WITH GUNS? 

  In April four Cutsyke miners were in Pontefract Court charged with game trespass on the Ackton Hall Estate. They were Fred Hemingway, Walter King, John Milburn and Archibald Gunn.  Hemingway and Milburn were also charged with using threats to Anthony McHale and George Garlick.

  McHale said while he and Garlick were walking in the wood, Gunn and Milburn came and asked them for a spade to get a ferret out. McHale said "We're here to stop that game". The two then ran away, and when they were followed Milburn called out "Stop back, there's some men on the hill with a gun. They will shoot you if you come any further".

  McHale said when they reached the top of the ridge Hemingway and King pointed guns at them. Milburn and Gunn ran up to Hemingway and King and picked up another gun and pointed it at them. Hemmingway said "Get back or I'll blow your head off". So they went back and the four defendants went away.

  Later McHale identified three of the defendants. George Garlick agreed with the evidence McHale had given, and James Purdon the gamekeeper said he was present when McHale identified the three.   

  All four claimed they were not there at the time stated, and produced witnesses. The Bench agreed there was doubt about King and Hemingway being involved so they were dismissed. The other two were fined 10s each for game trespass, but the charge of threatening behaviour by Milburn was dismissed.   

  DOGS IN THE SHEEP

  In May Charles Summers, a Featherstone miner, was in court charged with keeping a dog without a licence and keeping a dangerous dog.

  Thomas Chapman of Huntwick Grange Farm said at 6.30pm on the 13th he saw two dogs worrying his sheep and he chased them off. Ten minutes later they returned and got among the sheep again so he shot one dog and shot at the other. One lamb had to be destroyed and another had been bitten. There was Summer's address on the dead dog's collar. In cross-examination it was admitted the dogs were 100 yards from the sheep when shot at but were making for the sheep.

  Supt Ackroyd said Summers claimed the dog which escaped belonged to a man at Royston, and after making inquiries the charge of keeping a dog without a licence was made. He asked for the dog which ran away to be destroyed because after once tasting warm blood the dog would do the same thing whenever it got the chance. All previous cases of this sort proved this.

  Charles Summers said he got the second dog from a dog trainer at Royston with a view to buying it. He did not know the Royston man did not have a licence for it. The Bench ordered the second dog to be destroyed and ordered Summers to pay £1 compensation to Chapman and the costs for all the charges.

ACKTON HOSPITAL EXTENSION

  Ackton hospital was now too small for the demands placed on it so the Joint Hospital committee decided it would have to be extended. An inquiry was held in August in Normanton by the Local Government Board to consider the application.

 Mr H C Jones for the county council said from 1901 to 1911 the population of the area served by the hospital had gone up by 10,000, and since the last census it was estimated another 3,000 people had moved to the district. The hospital had two scarlet fever blocks of 12 beds each, one typhoid block of eight beds, and four isolation wards of two beds each making a total of 40 beds.

  Because of the amount of infectious disease the hospital had been overcrowded for a long time past. The greatest number of patients had been 104, with 64 suffering from scarlet fever, 30 from enteric fever, and 10 from diphtheria. During the present year some diphtheria cases had to be refused admission. Also, there was not enough room for the staff, and some had to be accommodated for a time in the porter's lodge. 

  The proposals were to enlarge No.1 scarlet fever ward by four beds, to build a new pavilion for enteric fever cases consisting of two wards with six beds in each, two more isolation wards of two beds each, and another 12 bedrooms for the staff. If the hospital was full, 14 nurses and 10 household staff were required which meant the accommodation was seven beds short. During the epidemic of 1909 when there were 88 patients and 37 staff there was great inconvenience.

  Mr Greaves of Altofts said the original cost of the hospital was £250 per bed, and it actually turned out to be double that. Mr Jones said the cost was shared by the various authorities according to the population as determined in the census. The inspector thought that was an equitable arrangement. The inspector then closed the inquiry and said they would visit the hospital.

ANOTHER LEVEL CROSSING ACCIDENT

  One Monday night in October at about 9pm Tom Rose and a lady friend were going over the Church Fields crossing when they saw a man lying across the lines on the Purston side. The man was afterwards identified as Frank Amison aged 60 who had been lodging in Victoria Street. The woman (not named) went for a doctor, and the man, who had lost his left foot, was taken by ambulance to Dr Finch's surgery and then to Clayton Hospital. Rumour had it Frank Amison had been turned away from his lodgings that day.

  The stationmaster, Mr R S Bailey, was not informed of the accident until the next day. He said if he had been told at the time he would have done everything possible to assist in Mr Amison's removal. He said from the times known it must have been the goods train which passed the crossing about 9pm which caused the injury.         

  After an operation at Clayton Hospital Mr Amison was said to be comfortable, but nothing further was reported about the incident.   

1913 NEWS ITEMS

JANUARY  The miners went to work from home wearing their pit clothes, which got Herbert Cotton into trouble. In court John Livesey, a deputy at Ackton Hall Colliery, said he found nine lucifer matches in Cotton's waistcoat pocket. Herbert Cotton said he was very sorry, he had worked in the pit 15 years and this was the first charge against him. He was a non-smoker and on the day in question he had gone to work in a fresh waistcoat and he forgot to search the pockets.

  The chairman said there had been terrible disasters in the mines, and it had been suggested miners should wear clothes with no pockets or have them stitched up. The management had asked the Bench to deal leniently with the defendant and they would only fine him 5s. This was not a sufficient penalty for an offence of this nature and he hoped the defendant and others would take care.

  

FEBRUARY  A draft scheme for combining all ten Featherstone charities was published. There would be six trustees. Four (one a woman) to be appointed by the council, and two (one a woman) to be appointed by the Featherstone representatives of the Guardians of the Poor. Revd Frank Stebbing would also be a trustee as long as he remained Vicar of Featherstone. This scheme did not yet include Bailey's Charity.

  At a Burial Board meeting it was announced William Horner of Pontefract had withdrawn his tender for the laying out of the cemetery extension because he had made a mistake of £50. The next lowest tender of William Sawyer of Snydale was accepted. He had quoted £593 10s.

  The Hippodrome put on a series of plays instead of the usual variety acts and films. The first week was a success so different plays were put on in a second week.

  Cr E Hough said he would oppose Col Shaw in the West Riding County Council election. He had tried three years earlier but had failed by 271 votes. He was the Labour member of Featherstone Council for Purston and secretary of the newly formed Osgoldcross Labour Party. He decided to withdraw the day after the nominations.

MARCH  Messrs Tetley of Leeds bought the Junction Hotel from the Waller family who had run it for over 80 years.

  PC Peasant was in Station Lane when he saw Albert Whittle of no fixed abode who told him he had stolen a jar of jam from a wagon belonging to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. He said he had eaten some of it and had slept in the wagon. He had been in service in Streethouse but he had left and had nowhere to go. In court the Bench sent him to prison for 14 days.

  

  The Featherstone Conservative and Unionist Association held its third annual dinner in the Featherstone Hotel. There were about 90 present. Mr Campbell-Johnson, the prospective Unionist candidate for Osgoldcross, was the chief speaker. He said the sitting MP, Sir Joseph Compton-Ricket (a Liberal), had, at a meeting in Featherstone dared the Labour Party to put up a candidate at the next election. 

  He (the speaker) considered if there were a three-cornered fight the chances of the Unionist Party would be rosier. About votes for women he said Sir Joseph had said women had not the brains to vote. The evening ended with musical entertainment.

APRIL  Col Shaw was elected unopposed as county councillor for Featherstone and Purston. He was then made an alderman on the county council so a by-election had to be called. Roslyn Holiday got 1,386 votes and Mr E Hough 750.    

  A benefit match was held on the Rovers ground for Jack Randall of Featherstone who played for Hunslet. He had been off work since last season because of a rugby accident. The teams were Hunslet v John William Higson's XIII. Randal and Higson both learned their rugby at George Street School, along with Billy Jukes, and all three were part of the Hunslet team which was the first to win all four Northern Union cups in one season.
  
  Featherstone Council had appointed eleven councillors to replace the overseers and churchwardens of Featherstone, Purston and Ackton on Bailey's Charity. Whitwood Council had done the same. A meeting of the new trustees was held and voted in favour of bringing this charity into the combined scheme.

  The Roman Catholic Church had over 250 members in Featherstone. They moved their meeting place from a warehouse to the old Salvation Army Hall in Green Lane. 

  An inquest was held on Joseph Percy Lockwood of Crossley Street. Fred Hillyard, his step-father, said Joe became ill and Dr Steven was sent for. He became worse so Dr Steven sent him to Clayton Hospital. Dr M Horan said Lockwood was in great pain when admitted and was operated on for an intestinal obstruction. 
  Lockwood became worse so the surgeon Mr Thompson was consulted. It was decided to operate again and Dr Horan administered the anaesthetic, but Lockwood died before the operation started. A post mortem showed all the organs were badly diseased. The cause of death was shock and valvular heart disease. 
  The coroner said it was a very curious case because Lockwood had been strong and healthy until suddenly being taken ill. The jury agreed with the medical evidence and said the operation and anaesthetic were properly carried out.

MAY  Ackton Hall Colliery workers voted 1,002 to 56 to back the union in a possible strike to deal with the non-union problem.

  Revd Stebbing was only conducting one burial service if there were two funerals on the same day. The Burial Board decided to request him to perform a separate service for each person interred.

  William Boffey, who had just resigned as attendance officer for the schools, died aged 70. He came to Featherstone from West Bromwich about 48 years earlier to work at Snydale Colliery where he became a deputy and checkweighman. He was a keen supporter of the Yorkshire Miners' Association and local Liberalism. He had been the "kiddie catcher" for many years.

  Revd E W Freeman resigned as curate. At St Peter's Mission Church he commented strongly on the indifference to church life and church work which existed in some parts of the parish and said he had never had a more depressing experience. 

  The Hippodrome was under the new management of Jack Harris. He put on a tea for poor children. He intended catering for 100 but so many applied he doubled it to 200. The tea was followed by a short picture performance.

  The aged miners' homes at Ackton had not yet been built and the cost had gone up from £500 to £600. An alternative plan costing £95 for each home was prepared and put to the committee, but they decided to stick to the original idea. 

  The Burial Board decided in future no fees would be paid to Revd Stebbing unless he or his deputy conducted the service for burials in the consecrated part of the cemetery.

JUNE  A pony and light flat cart belonging to Mr H Darnton, a joiner of Post Office Road, took fright in the Station Yard and dashed down Station Lane and up Purston. It came to a stop after hitting a wall near Briggs Row. Hundreds of people saw its mad dash and some of them had narrow escapes.

  John Spencer Woodworth aged 27 of Featherstone Lane, a boilersmith at Ackton Hall Colliery, fell from the roof of the boiler house and fractured his skull. He had been stripping the roof in order to replace it when a wooden beam gave way, He was taken to Clayton Hospital where he died the same day. The inquest jury decided he fell because the woodwork was ancient and defective.

  A horse and wagon were stood outside Mr Newsome's shop at North Featherstone when the horse bolted. Mr C Davison, a postman, jumped into the back of the wagon, reached for the reins and brought it to a stop.

JULY  Thirteen Featherstone men and boys were in court for playing toss in Back Gordon Street. They were all fined.

  Dr Thorpe had been assistant to Dr Thomas for about seven months. He lodged with his wife at Mrs Hardcastle's in Stanley Street. He had been in indifferent health for a week but was able to go out on the Saturday. The next morning he took worse and Dr Thomas was sent for, but Dr Thorpe died at 2.30am shortly after Dr Thomas arrived.
  The doctor had been a very good attender at St Peter's Mission Church and had been held in high esteem by other workers there. At the funeral the St Peter's choir sang a hymn at the house and another at the service held in the cemetery chapel. 

One of the cemetery chapels. A photo from the Featherstone Heritage Group.

    An inquest was held on Harriet Allen aged six of Halton Street who was taken ill one night and died at 8.30am the next morning. Dr Steven said a post mortem showed death was from status lymphaticus which was impossible to discover in life, but invariably caused death, usually very sudden. The verdict was natural causes.

  The Featherstone Main Colliery annual trip was to Blackpool. One train started from Cutsyke and one from Knottingley to take 1,200 people. They arrived back in the early hours of Sunday morning.

  John Poppleton lodged in Purston. His landlord (not named) went to the police to complain about his behaviour. PC Wadsworth went to the house and found Poppleton drunk and disorderly and swearing at the landlady. He refused to leave and in throwing him out the constable was kicked on the legs. Poppleton was fined 12s 6d for being drunk and disorderly and 10s for the assault.

  A lorry ran out of control near Purston Church and demolished a lamppost. The driver, from Liversedge, left his name and address at the police station and continued his journey.

AUGUST  An amusement caterer at the feast left three horses in the Jubilee field. They went missing so he informed the police. He received a telegram from Stairfoot near Barnsley saying the animals were there. The Express report on the feast included "The first visit paid by an aviator to Featherstone will be long remembered".  
                   
  St Peter's Church choir plus guests and two ladies went on an outing to New Brighton. On the return journey they were stranded at Mirfield. Appeals and protests proved useless so they had to spend the night in the station waiting room. Next morning a landau was obtained for the ladies but the others had to wait for a train to Wakefield. 
  Other feast outings were to Blackpool by St Thomas's Church choir, and to the Dukeries by the Purston Wesleyan Bible Class. The annual concert for the Convalescent Fund raised £14.

  It was announced Featherstone Rovers would again be playing on the Featherstone Main Colliery Athletic Grounds (the cricket field) during the coming season. Purston White Horse Club had decided to disband. Their headquarters were at John Waller's Junction Hotel, but he had left and interest in the club had fallen to such a level it was not considered prudent to carry on.

SEPTEMBER  The first schoolchildren's swimming gala was held at the baths by the Featherstone Encouragement of Swimming Committee. Roslyn Holiday presented the prizes and paid tribute to the work done by Mr Bilson who was the baths manager.

  Patrick Taylor, a labourer of no fixed abode, was in court for being drunk and disorderly in Featherstone. He said he had been ill and had to give up his job a few days earlier. He produced his insurance card which had only one stamp missing. Supt Ackroyd said the prisoner had complained of a pain in his side and suggested the hearing should be adjourned so the prisoner could go to the workhouse infirmary for examination and treatment. Taylor said he wouldn't go to the workhouse on any account and there were three weeks sick pay due to him. He was imprisoned until the end of the day's hearings.

  Mr J T Longstaff had taken over as secretary to Featherstone Brass Band and found they owed £100. He persuaded Col Shaw to donate £25 and Roslyn Holiday gave £20 and so far he had raised £90 of which £70 had been sent to the firm which supplied the instruments. Another £10 was needed to pay for the uniforms.

  There was another swimming gala at the baths for the swimming certificates. The children had to dive in and swim 25 yards to qualify for the Featherstone Council certificate. Two days later they had to dive in, swim two lengths breast stroke and one length back stroke for the West Riding County Council certificate. Six years old Doris Bilson gave a life saving demonstration by "rescuing" her father Mr S Bilson.

  Two boys were fined 1s 6d each for climbing a six feet high fence around the orchard at Ackworth Road, Purston, and stealing apples.

OCTOBER  Arthur Rands of no fixed abode was in court for obtaining a sovereign under false pretences. He was employed by John Henry Copley, a Featherstone carting agent who had sold hay to Mr Shaw, an Ackworth farmer. Rands went to Shaw and said Copley had sent him for a sovereign on account. He was given it and signed a receipt. When Copley found out he informed the police and Rands was arrested in Dewsbury. Rands told the police he got the money for a pig deal. He was sent to prison for one month with hard labour.

  Arthur Spencer of Hall Street, Purston, was a surface worker at Featherstone Main Colliery. He was oiling the creepers on the washery when he was caught in the cog wheels and killed. Nobody saw the incident and the inquest jury decided it was accidental death. The deceased was the organ blower at Purston Wesleyan Chapel.

  A miner's wife age 37 had been taken to the asylum. Her husband was left with six children and earned £3 3s a week. He was asked to pay 5s a week towards his wife's maintenance. 

  The Northern Rugby League Committee expelled J Leak (Featherstone Rovers) from the Northern Union "owing to repeated offences of foul play".    

  In celebration of the centenary of Wesleyan Foreign Missions a rally for Purston, Ackworth, North Featherstone and Wragby was held in Purston Wesleyan Chapel.

  Mr and Mrs Burns were caretakers at North Featherstone Lane Infants' and Junior Schools. They received £91 a year and asked for a rise because they had been getting the same wage for the past 14 years. The education sub-committee decided to recommend a rise to £95. Miss Maxwell, headmistress at Featherstone National School, also wanted a rise. The clerk said he thought she was getting £95 a year, but any recommendation had to come from the school managers. It was said the managers had not met for years but it was agreed to send the claim to them.

NOVEMBER  James Millington age 52 of Featherstone was knocked down by a cyclist on Castlesyke Hill and was taken to Pontefract Dispensary suffering from several broken ribs.

  The Local Government Board held an inquiry into the council's request to borrow £5,806 for private street works in North Featherstone. Mr Haigh, the council clerk, said the streets were in a deplorable condition, and the work needed carrying out as soon as possible. There were no objections.

  An inquest was held on Howard Davison age 14 of Church Lane, North Featherstone, who was a trapper at Ackton Hall Colliery. William Yates, a pony driver of Halton Street, said he was driving a pony and tubs and he saw Davison kneeling and scraping muck from underneath a door. He whistled and shouted but Davison did not get up and open the door and he was caught by the pony and tubs. He released him and Davison did not seem to be hurt much and he walked to the pit bottom. 
  Dr Thomas said Davison did not appear to be serious and he sent him home. When he was called at 4pm Davison had been dead about half-an-hour. Death was due to shock from internal injuries. David Protheroe, the colliery manager, said the boy was in charge of a ventilation door and had to look out for approaching tubs. Mary Jane Davison, his mother, said she did not blame anyone for the accident. The jury decided it was death by misadventure.

  Ernest Johnstone was declared bankrupt. He had recently kept the Bradley Arms Hotel and had liabilities of £271 - a deficit of £140. He said he had been landlord of other inns before taking the Bradley Arms last January and he had done nothing to cause the owners to give him notice to quit. The locals could have a gill of beer and hear music for a penny.
  Carters Brewery said Johnson was in the habit of going on a spree with the takings and visiting a woman in Barnsley. Johnstone denied all the allegations and said he had been turned out to make way for a brother-in-law of the sergeant of police who had been injured at work.

  While PC Braithwaite was on duty in Hall Street, Purston, he noticed flames and smoke issuing from a wooden shed at the back of the street. It was owned by Alderman Thornton of Pontefract and used by Dan Holroyd of Station Lane, a tripe dresser. The constable raised the alarm and the fire brigade turned out. The blaze was soon under control but a gas engine was badly damaged. The loss (uninsured) was put at £20.

DECEMBER  The hospital collections at Featherstone Main Colliery during the year had raised a record £131. It was shared between Clayton, Pontefract and Leeds hospitals.

  Three Featherstone miners were fined for drinking beer on the footpath in Station Lane. They had bought it from an off-licence. Supt Ackroyd said he hoped these cases would put a stop to the practice of fetching beer from an off-licence and then drinking it on the pavement.

  The Purston Charity Committee agreed to give 4s each to 34 persons in Purston who did not get the Old Age Pension, and 2s each to 14 who did get it.

  Isaac Cooper and his wife Cecilia Matilda lodged with William Thorpe in Ivy Street. In court William Thorpe said he took them in as lodgers last October and told them he would not charge them rent providing they looked after his wife who was an invalid. During the last few weeks he had noticed articles were missing. He asked the Coopers about them but they denied all knowledge of them.
  He then missed his boots and the Coopers denied knowing anything about them so he informed PC Ellis who went with him to Gledhill's pawnshop where he recovered his missing articles. John Brookman, assistant at Gledhill's, said he received the goods from the Coopers who said they were theirs. He had lent them 23s for the goods. 
  The Coopers pleaded guilty to theft and Mr Cooper asked for another chance saying he had been working badly for weeks and had not been very well. He would pay for the goods to be replaced. He was not lazy. His mother said her son had not been well for some time. He did not get a big wage. She asked the Bench to be lenient with him for the sake of his child. The Bench were not impressed and sent Mr Cooper to prison for two months with hard labour. His wife was bound over for six months.

  John Waller "Purston's grand old man" gave 20 poor and aged persons in Purston parish four pound of beef each.