A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
The Great War 1916
JANUARY
The education sub-committee said children must not attend school if they
had ringworm or eczema. The attendance officer and school nurse, Miss
Baker, said some mothers took not the slightest steps to carry out her
instructions as to treatment. Mr Maxwell said in gross cases of neglect
the police should be informed.
Mr Murphy said it was a pity there was not a care of children committee as at Castleford. It was agreed to ask the county council to establish a centre for the treatment of such children. The Featherstone Council was asked to make a room available at the baths. The council refused this request but said the mortuary could be used.
It was reported at the council meeting Dr Jane Clayton of the Local Government Board had visited the district regarding maternity and child welfare. She said she was very pleased with her visit and all that was being done, and the district for its size was the most up-to-date of any she had examined. The council increased the medical officer's salary to £120 a year. The council approved the action of the clerk in letting the Lister Hall at a charge of 10s for the Old Folks' Treat, and free of charge for the presentation of Christmas gifts to the children of soldiers.
Mr Murphy said it was a pity there was not a care of children committee as at Castleford. It was agreed to ask the county council to establish a centre for the treatment of such children. The Featherstone Council was asked to make a room available at the baths. The council refused this request but said the mortuary could be used.
It was reported at the council meeting Dr Jane Clayton of the Local Government Board had visited the district regarding maternity and child welfare. She said she was very pleased with her visit and all that was being done, and the district for its size was the most up-to-date of any she had examined. The council increased the medical officer's salary to £120 a year. The council approved the action of the clerk in letting the Lister Hall at a charge of 10s for the Old Folks' Treat, and free of charge for the presentation of Christmas gifts to the children of soldiers.
An application from
a tenant in one of the new council houses to take a married couple as
lodgers was refused. In another case permission was given to a woman
tenant, who was about to marry again, to have her brother and his family
as lodgers conditionally that when she married, the brother and family
must leave.
The seventh Old Folks' Treat was enjoyed by about 500 guests. Nearly 600 invitations had been given, and parcels were sent to those unable to attend. There were 18 Featherstone and Purston inmates of Pontefract workhouse who were driven to and from the Lister Hall in one of Bullock's buses.
The seventh Old Folks' Treat was enjoyed by about 500 guests. Nearly 600 invitations had been given, and parcels were sent to those unable to attend. There were 18 Featherstone and Purston inmates of Pontefract workhouse who were driven to and from the Lister Hall in one of Bullock's buses.
The guests
fed off 150lbs of pork pies, ham, tongue, pressed beef and a great
variety of sweets. After tea each man received 1oz of tobacco and each
woman half a pound of
tea. One and a half gross of chocolate cakes were given by Rountree of
York. The evening ended with a concert at which the highlight was Mabel
Alexander's pierrette troupe.
The annual meeting of the Featherstone and District Association for the
Prosecution of Offenders was held at the Elephant Hotel in Pontefract.
There were 70 present out of the nominal 207 members, but 126 hadn't
paid their subscription. Thirty-six cases of damage had been taken to
court during the past year and all had been won. Another 16 juveniles
had paid compensation to avoid going to court.
The distress dommittee announced they had only £17 in hand in the local fund and only £19 for the Belgian refugees. In reply to the county council about the Liqueur Traffic Order the committee said there is an improvement and there is very little drinking among women.
Sergeant M Toole of Earle Street received the Distinguished Order Medal for imperilling his life to save men who were gassed in a mine tunnelling under the German lines. He arrived home to find the street decorated in his honour.
Five soldiers on leave visited North Featherstone Lane Junior Mixed School to thank the pupils for all the parcels they had sent for Christmas. The school had received 55 letters of thanks from the front.
The distress dommittee announced they had only £17 in hand in the local fund and only £19 for the Belgian refugees. In reply to the county council about the Liqueur Traffic Order the committee said there is an improvement and there is very little drinking among women.
Sergeant M Toole of Earle Street received the Distinguished Order Medal for imperilling his life to save men who were gassed in a mine tunnelling under the German lines. He arrived home to find the street decorated in his honour.
Five soldiers on leave visited North Featherstone Lane Junior Mixed School to thank the pupils for all the parcels they had sent for Christmas. The school had received 55 letters of thanks from the front.
FEBRUARY
The council members were each supplied with a copy of the Local Government Board's circular re The Military Service Act 1916 (conscription) and it was agreed Messrs Darlington, Maxwell, Scholes, Murphy, Evans and Thomas Holliday
(a North Featherstone farmer) should make up the local tribunal to be
established under the Act. The clerk said others could be appointed but
it was the last day for this to be done.
Cr Poppleton said the shopkeepers should be represented. Cr Scholes
said what about Mr Maxwell? Cr Poppleton said he didn't represent all
the shopkeepers. So Crs Scholes and Edwards proposed Cr Poppleton but he
refused on the grounds one of his sons was appealing against military
service and he (Cr Poppleton) did not want to have to vote for his own
interests. Of his other sons one had gone and the other was going. He
was not prepared to propose anyone else so the matter was dropped.
James Scholefield admitted in court taking a box of 52 matches into
Ackton Hall Colliery. James Dainty said he found the matches. Scholefield said "I would rather have a finger chopped off". The chairman said "Exactly, these matches are only fit for a German mine, not a coal mine". He imposed a fine of 31s.
Thomas Pedley was charged with absenting himself from work at Ackton
Hall Colliery. Mr Clayton-Smith said this kind of case was becoming rather frequent, and in the interests of munitions work the company were compelled to bring this charge. They claimed 7s 6d a day from the defendant.
There was an agreement between the union and management absentees should
be dealt with by a committee of eight - three from management and five
workers - who had the power to fine defendants from 2s 6d to 12s, the fines to go to the distress fund.
The defendant refused to go before the committee and said he wouldn't
have anything stopped, wasn't bothered about the country, and didn't
care if the ---- Germans came tomorrow.
Thomas McTrusty, the manager, said all previous cases had been settled
amicably, and the defendant's was the first direct refusal. He had been
away more than one-third of the time. The chairman said he was sorry he
could not send the defendant straight to the front line. Mr McTrusty
said the defendant said the first man to put a rifle in his hands would
be shot by it. He was fined £3 7s 6d.
A charity event was held at the Lister Hall for Mrs Trevelyan, one of Featherstone's war widows - with four children. A total of £4 15s was raised.
An inquest was held on Doris Prodger age nine of Pretoria Street. Her mother had gone to a neighbour, and after a few minutes the child ran to her
with her clothes ablaze. The flames were put out by a hearth rug and
she was taken to Pontefract Dispensary where she died three days later
from shock. She had been reaching for a teapot and there was no
fireguard, but the coroner said the Children's Act did not apply because she was over seven years old. The verdict was accidental death.
Two pony drivers were charged with damaging a street lamp. James Haigh, clerk to the council, said
he had been instructed to prosecute because a great deal of damage was
being done. The lads had been throwing a rope over the bracket of a gas
lamp so they could swing on it. The bracket broke so they went to
another and broke that. One was fined 18s and the other 15s 6d.
A Featherstone Main Colliery surface worker from
Pontefract was taken to court for absenteeism. The company said they
were greatly troubled by surface workers staying away. Out of 350 men 60
regularly stayed away, and this absence was serious seeing the company
were contractors to the Government. He was ordered to pay 5s 3d a day
for 17 days,
The Featherstone Main Colliery Athletic Cub announced to date their
cigarette fund had sent 597 parcels of tobacco and cigarettes to 211
soldiers at a cost so far of £65 5s. Featherstone Rovers played a charity match and raised £16 18s 9d for the shirt and sock fund.
MARCH
North Featherstone Lane Junior Mixed School raised £5 in a Red Cross box in the school. £2 was sent to Dr Finch in Malta for his hospital, and £3 went to Stapleton Hospital to buy four reading lamps and a small billiard table.
Driver Frank Bowen of the Royal Field Artillery died in a French hospital of diabetes. He left a widow and three young children
in Leeds Terrace. A funeral was held for Private Albert Hirst aged 24
of Post Office Road. He was in the KOYLI and had to have an emergency
operation for appendicitis at Nottingham Military Hospital but he did
not survive. At the family's request the funeral was non-military.
The Featherstone Tribunal for the Military Services Act held its first meeting. There were five appeals against military service. One, a colliery accountant, was allowed, the others were refused. No names were given.
A special performance was held at the Palace for the widow and family of Private J Aston of Ivy Street. The total raised was £18 4s.
The special constables were called out to tour the district and give
warnings of raids by Zeppelins and ensure no bright lights were showing
to guide them to their targets.
Miss Maxwell, ex-headteacher at Featherstone National School, was appointed assistant clerk at 12s 6d a week by the council. It was agreed the teamsters and stokers at the destructor be paid 8s 9d a day.
The clerk said he had received instructions from the police about what should
be done during air-raids. The chairman said there had been some remarks
about the lights at the collieries. He said a man was kept at the
telephone from dusk to dawn and the lights would be put out if warning
of an air-raid was received. The collieries were not getting special
treatment and were not menacing the safety of the district to make
money.
The sanitary inspector asked the council to
appeal about military service for the scavengers because if they were
called up it would affect the public's health. The chairman asked if they could supply some conscientious objectors and Cr Scholes said they hadn't had one yet.
APRIL
The education sub-committee were told 11 pupils at North Featherstone Lane Senior School were not attending at all. The clerk said they all had a doctor's note and there was little chance of getting them back to school, but the committee told him to prosecute the worst offenders. The attendance officer said the Belgian children were poor attenders at Purston School and they were often without boots. Mr Darlington said the parents should be given a week's notice and then be prosecuted if necessary.
Maurice Farrington, a Green Lane hairdresser, and Alfred Copley, a butcher in Station Lane, were both fined £1 for allowing a bright light to be shown. Supt Ackroyd said the special constables had done their best to see the Lighting Regulations were carried out, and he felt bound to bring these cases to let the public see these regulations must be obeyed.
The Ackton Hall Colliery joint committee published a balance sheet of
their efforts so far. A total of £10,543 had been raised of which the
Hon J C Lister had contributed £6,619. Payments so far to the dependents of soldiers was £9,043 and contributions had been made to other causes.
The council decided to keep the rates at 2s 1d. The Ackton Hospital Committee wrote to the council to say when the weather was inclement, discharged patients must be conveyed to their homes in closed conveyances.
There were no council elections and Roslyn Holiday was re-elected
chairman. The Urban Councils' Association had been asked to find jobs
for conscientious objectors for the good of the country. They wrote to
the councils to see if such persons could be used as firemen
or similar work. Cr Holiday said it would not be right for these men to
take the place of those who had enlisted, and those left might not wish
to work with them and might make it unpleasant.
The Featherstone Tribunal heard an appeal from Mr Holiday on behalf of
seven men who he considered vital for the running of the colliery and
cokeworks. The recruiting officer agreed to exemptions in all these
cases providing the
men remained in their present employment. Mr Holiday said the colliery
had done everything they could to induce men to join up, and 500 workers
were in the Forces. Women would be employed in some positions, but they could not replace the seven named.
Sydney Batten applied on behalf of his son A G Batten who managed a
shop in Castleford and repaired bicycles in Featherstone. He was blind
in one eye. Mr Scholes
said they cannot take a man with one eye. The chairman, Peter
Darlington said they are fond of sending out notices calling men up - even those who have been rejected.
There was a disagreement at the Featherstone Parish Church vestry meeting when Mr Fearnley, upset about the vicar, F G Stebbing, having lived in Wakefield for more than a year,
asking when he was coming home. He said it is time we had a resident
vicar of the parish. The vicar said he had to leave Featherstone for
health reasons, and he did not think Featherstone would suit him as to health.
MAY
An inquest was held on Thomas Harold Toplis aged 17 of Church Lane who
was a pony driver at Featherstone Main Colliery and was found dead under
a full tub. No one could explain how the accident happened and the jury
returned a verdict of accidental death.
The council had been asked by the Local Government Board to consider a maternity centre. The health visitor, Miss Lee, was given permission to visit such centres in other districts to find out about the general procedure.
JUNE
William Cook of Green Lane provided the following information to the Express. Over 600 men had enlisted from Featherstone Main Colliery and 15 of them had been killed. All the dependents were supported by the workers, and about £114 a week was raised of which £77 was spent. The surplus was being banked until the end of the war when it would be decided what to do with it.
The total raised so far was £7,134, wives and parents totalling 335 received 2s 6d a week and 714 children received 1s a week. The colliery company gave 3s 6d for wives and 6d for each child.
At the Council's highways and sanitary committee meeting the health visitor brought up the constant problem of parents of children suffering from measles allowing them to mix with other children. The clerk was instructed to write to the mothers concerned.
At the full council meeting the clerk read letters from the mothers apologising if they had disobeyed instructions. The chairman said the council did not wish to be hard on these people, but it should be understood the health visitor's instructions in these cases must be carried out.
The Featherstone Tribunal heard another plea from Mr Holiday for workers who he considered vital for the running of the colliery. They all received exemption. There was a request from Mr Watson for the gasworks workers. He said the works would come to a standstill if these men were called up. They were also exempted.
There were also exemptions for Featherstone butchers. Mr J S Higgins, the secretary of the local butchers' association said there were 14 butchers shops in Featherstone and he did not think that was too many because the miners were a meat-eating people and would have meat if it were 2s a pound.
Mr Higgins later complained to the Express his remarks were taken out of context. The Express printed "It ought not to be necessary to point out the furthest wish of either the chairman, Peter Darlington, or Mr Higgins is that meat should reach this price, and no intelligent person should for one moment think so".
The total raised so far was £7,134, wives and parents totalling 335 received 2s 6d a week and 714 children received 1s a week. The colliery company gave 3s 6d for wives and 6d for each child.
At the Council's highways and sanitary committee meeting the health visitor brought up the constant problem of parents of children suffering from measles allowing them to mix with other children. The clerk was instructed to write to the mothers concerned.
At the full council meeting the clerk read letters from the mothers apologising if they had disobeyed instructions. The chairman said the council did not wish to be hard on these people, but it should be understood the health visitor's instructions in these cases must be carried out.
The Featherstone Tribunal heard another plea from Mr Holiday for workers who he considered vital for the running of the colliery. They all received exemption. There was a request from Mr Watson for the gasworks workers. He said the works would come to a standstill if these men were called up. They were also exempted.
There were also exemptions for Featherstone butchers. Mr J S Higgins, the secretary of the local butchers' association said there were 14 butchers shops in Featherstone and he did not think that was too many because the miners were a meat-eating people and would have meat if it were 2s a pound.
Mr Higgins later complained to the Express his remarks were taken out of context. The Express printed "It ought not to be necessary to point out the furthest wish of either the chairman, Peter Darlington, or Mr Higgins is that meat should reach this price, and no intelligent person should for one moment think so".
JULY
Revd H S Rogers appealed for eggs and fruit for wounded soldiers. At the next children's service he received 300 fresh eggs, 90 bananas and 70 apples, all of which were taken to Pontefract Barracks.
The Featherstone and Purston Voluntary Aid Detachment made a street collection and raised more than £32 for Stapleton Hospital and the Red Cross.
Ackton Hall Colliery asked
the Featherstone Tribunal for exemption for 40 workers at the coke
ovens and for them to be given munitions badges. These were granted except for six young men who had not been working there long. The Manager, Mr McTrusty, appealed on their behalf and exemption was granted.
An appeal was made on behalf of Isaac Hayward age 32, commission agent
and organiser of the Featherstone Main Colliery cigarette fund. He had
been passed for home service only and was willing to do work of national
importance although it would mean him giving up the cigarette fund. He
said he was receiving about 40 letters a week from grateful soldiers. He
was granted exemption.
Other exemptions
were for J J and Abe Bullock for conveying girls to munitions work, and
Horace Beckitt who had four brothers serving and was needed on the
farm.
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| Bullocks charabanc with a load of munitions workers. A photo from the Featherstone Library Collection. |
AUGUST
The Local Government Board wrote to the council to see if any progress
had been made about a maternity centre. The health visitor told the council the district was so large there would have to be three clinics,
which meant three afternoons a week for a doctor and herself. The worst of it was the persons they desired to meet would not attend clinics. She thought more could be done by house-to-house visitation as at present.
Cr Evans said the scheme would mean lots of expense and no results. The chairman said it was important to preserve child-life, and if the scheme could be made to work the question of expense ought not to weigh. The health visitor said instead of visits from grandmotherly persons who knew nothing about it, these mothers have got to be made to understand they are dirty and slovenly, and officials would be best in these cases.
Mr Maxwell said these mothers are too idle, not too ignorant, to look after their children. The chairman said more should be done to instruct the older schoolgirls and young women. It was decided to reply to the Local Government Board the council were anxious to start a clinic, and would do so as soon as there was a prospect of success.
An inquest was held on John Wright aged 38 of Moor Road, He had been wounded while in the Army and been given a medical discharge. He then went to work at Ackton Hall Colliery. He began vomiting blood and was taken to Clayton Hospital where he underwent an emergency operation for a stomach ulcer. but the surgeon did not find one. He died soon after. A post mortem showed there was no shrapnel in his body and he had died from a ruptured blood vessel in his left lung.
Military funerals were held on separate days for John Wright and George Major who had died from his wounds in Lewisham Hospital. The military band attended from Pontefract Barracks and a firing party fired volleys over the graves.
An inquest was held on John Richard Asquith aged eight of West View. George Wood age ten told the inquest some boys were fishing in the mill pond. Sam Asquith went paddling but he went too far and slipped. John went in after him and also went under. Peter Kelly of Mill Cottages said he was told two boys were in the water. He saw Sam about 12 feet from the edge and attempted to get him, but he fell into a deep hole. He could not swim but he managed to struggle out. He then got Sam out with the aid of a clothes prop while standing in five feet of water. Sam recovered after artificial respiration. Tom Webster said he dived in and found John in eleven feet of water.
The coroner said John drowned trying to save his brother, and had it not been for Kelly no doubt there would have been an inquest on two brothers. The jury agreed and said the gallantry of Kelly and Webster should be brought to the attention of the Royal Humane Society.
Cr Evans said the scheme would mean lots of expense and no results. The chairman said it was important to preserve child-life, and if the scheme could be made to work the question of expense ought not to weigh. The health visitor said instead of visits from grandmotherly persons who knew nothing about it, these mothers have got to be made to understand they are dirty and slovenly, and officials would be best in these cases.
Mr Maxwell said these mothers are too idle, not too ignorant, to look after their children. The chairman said more should be done to instruct the older schoolgirls and young women. It was decided to reply to the Local Government Board the council were anxious to start a clinic, and would do so as soon as there was a prospect of success.
An inquest was held on John Wright aged 38 of Moor Road, He had been wounded while in the Army and been given a medical discharge. He then went to work at Ackton Hall Colliery. He began vomiting blood and was taken to Clayton Hospital where he underwent an emergency operation for a stomach ulcer. but the surgeon did not find one. He died soon after. A post mortem showed there was no shrapnel in his body and he had died from a ruptured blood vessel in his left lung.
Military funerals were held on separate days for John Wright and George Major who had died from his wounds in Lewisham Hospital. The military band attended from Pontefract Barracks and a firing party fired volleys over the graves.
An inquest was held on John Richard Asquith aged eight of West View. George Wood age ten told the inquest some boys were fishing in the mill pond. Sam Asquith went paddling but he went too far and slipped. John went in after him and also went under. Peter Kelly of Mill Cottages said he was told two boys were in the water. He saw Sam about 12 feet from the edge and attempted to get him, but he fell into a deep hole. He could not swim but he managed to struggle out. He then got Sam out with the aid of a clothes prop while standing in five feet of water. Sam recovered after artificial respiration. Tom Webster said he dived in and found John in eleven feet of water.
The coroner said John drowned trying to save his brother, and had it not been for Kelly no doubt there would have been an inquest on two brothers. The jury agreed and said the gallantry of Kelly and Webster should be brought to the attention of the Royal Humane Society.
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| The mill pond on Wakefield Road. A photo from the Tony Lumb Collection. |
The Featherstone and District Cow-keepers' and Dairymen's Association said they were going to put up the price of milk to 5d a quart.
SEPTEMBER
The education sub-committee appointed Mr R H Rogers as attendance officer for the duration of the war. Tinley Simpson, headmaster of George Street School, was approaching 65 and said he would like to carry on. The committee agreed subject to the approval of the county council. Permission was given for him to stay until 21 November 1917.
Joe Poppleton, a much esteemed Featherstone tradesman, and his family
had a nerve-trying experience. His third son Frank was serving in France
and he received a field-card from his son dated 8 September which said
he had been wounded and admitted to hospital. The next day a letter
arrived from his son's lieutenant saying Frank had been killed on the
3rd.
Joe thought about it and decided the field-card was in his son's
handwriting and so the lieutenant must be wrong. He wrote straight back
to clear it up, but then a letter arrived from Frank saying his wound
had practically healed but he was staying in hospital for a little longer.
The Featherstone Tribunal said it was a rule where men were granted an
exemption from military service providing they did work of national
importance, they had to report personally or in writing each month to
the recruiting officer to say they were still in that work. Peter
Darlington said all single men, except those badged, had been called up from Featherstone Main Colliery.
Private William James Goodwin of Gas House Lane was awarded the
Military Medal for gallantry while on sentry duty under heavy fire.
OCTOBER
Cr Poppleton protested
at the council meeting about the altering of the Sunday collection at
the post office from 5pm to 4.40pm without proper notice having being
given. He said because of that he had missed posting several important letters. Other councillors said a notice had been placed in the post office but it was so situated
it was impossible to read. Cr Murphy said the office was the worst
lighted place in Featherstone. It was unanimously agreed to complain to
the postmaster at Pontefract.
The Featherstone tribunal had more cases to deal with, mainly from those in a trade. Miss Phipps, who had an off-licence, appealed on behalf of George William Phipps who was in sole charge of the business. He was willing to do work of national importance. Mr R P Husband, the military representative, said "Selling beer is not of national importance".
Mr Clayton-Smith said "But drinking beer is of great national
importance". Peter Darlington said "And a source of revenue". A
conditional exemption
was granted on obtaining work of national importance, but whether or
not that meant he could continue in the shop was not said.
Two farm workers were granted exemptions. Mr Husband said if all single young men stayed at home the Germans would have possession of the farms.
The military were able to appeal against exemptions given by the committee, and they did so in a lot of cases. One of these was Mr J S Higgins, a butcher. Mr Martin, for Mr Higgins, said it was not
in the national interest Higgins should be in the Army. He was serving
the national interest by supplying a necessity of life to mine workers.
Mr Husband said there were 16 butchers in Featherstone. Mr Martin pointed out Higgins served over 200 families a week, and said Featherstone was not too well supplied with butchers. The exemption was allowed to stand.
Mr Husband was also after David Vaughan, Dr Steven's dispenser. He
said Vaughan had left Dr Steven's employ once and Dr Steven had managed
without him then. Dr Steven pointed out Vaughan had come back to allow
Dr Finch to join the Army. There were 1,500 cases of minor accidents a
year, and Vaughan did much of the dressing
of wounds. The military had taken his chauffeur so Vaughan had to do
that job as well. There were now only two doctors in Featherstone and
one for half a day. Peter Darlington said there were ten doctors in
Pontefract. The exemption was allowed to stand.
The night drivers and the throwers-out were in dispute with the council. The former wanted 36s a week and the latter 9d a load,
and they said they would give two weeks notice if they didn't get it.
After two meetings the council offered 5s a day plus an increased
war bonus of 3s 6d, and offered the same increased bonus to the
throwers-out. By that time the men had stopped work. The finance
committee recommended upping the bonus to 5s and said if the men did not
accept that their jobs would be advertised.
All war charities had now to be registered, and any non-registered charity appealing to the public could be fined £100.
The Electrical Distribution of Yorkshire said they would proceed with their scheme as soon as possible after the war ended.
Henry Cooper died aged 50. He had been headmaster of Purston National School for 20 years. He originally came from Ormskirk and became a popular lay reader at St Peters' Mission Church.
Ackton Hall Colliery had now raised £14,798 for the dependents fund and had delivered 2,962 free loads of coal. There were 21 dependents of soldiers living rent free.
Ackton Hall Colliery had now raised £14,798 for the dependents fund and had delivered 2,962 free loads of coal. There were 21 dependents of soldiers living rent free.
NOVEMBER
There were
accusations of profiteering at a mass meeting of miners held at the
Hippodrome. The following resolution was passed unanimously.
"That this meeting of the Featherstone Main, Ackton Hall and Snydale
miners strongly protest against the wicked exploitation of the people's
food by individuals, and urges the Government to take over, at once, the
full control of the necessities of life, so the consumer may buy at fair prices".
The council decided the expense of laying
a floor over the swimming pool at the baths was too expensive
considering the probable use during the winter months. The postmaster
wrote to say why the Sunday collections had been altered and the matter
of a more prominent display of notices was receiving attention. The
clerk said there would be no council elections next year.
The death was announced of Private William Atkinson in a German
prisoner of war camp. All the German villagers turned out for the
funeral and every respect was shown. Another death was that of Private
John James Luckman who was 19. He had given a false age so he could
enlist when he was just 17.
Miss M L Cockerham died at her home in Darley Dale. She had been headmistress at Regent Street Girls' School for 26 years and had to leave recently because of illness.
Miss Alexander's North Featherstone Lane Junior Mixed School held a sale and raised £34 for the shirt and sock fund and Christmas
gifts for local men in the front line. The sale included 1cwt of
potatoes brought in ones and twos by the scholars. To date they had
raised over £100.
There
were air raids by Zeppelins and people could hear the gunfire and the
bombs exploding, but there was very little damage and none in
Featherstone.
If the
Zeppelins were after the Ackton Hall/Featherstone Main complex they
missed by a mile. This was one local bomb crater that did no damage. A
photo from the Featherstone Library Collection.
The death was announced of Colonel John Reginald Shaw aged 49 who for
many years had been connected with Featherstone Main Colliery. He was Mayor of Pontefract, a County Justice of the Peace, a County Alderman and Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding. The Express said there were no finer athletic grounds for colliery workers than those Col Shaw had provided for the men at South Kirkby, Featherstone and Hemsworth.
He had been an urban councillor at Featherstone and became the county councillor for the Featherstone Division. The funeral was held at the family's burial ground at St Gregory's Church, Kirkdale. Featherstone was represented by Roslyn Holiday. On his return the council passed a vote of condolence with Mrs Shaw and stood in silence in Col Shaw's memory.
DECEMBER
The health visitor, Miss Letitia Lee, reported to the council the clinic and maternity centre held in the Adult School in Green Lane was now open every Monday. Applications to have lodgers in the new council houses were refused.
The gas company proposed lighting some street lamps and said J Jones, a lamplighter, would be at the police station from four to ten each evening so he could put them out if there was an air raid warning. Cr Maxwell said it was a waste of time, but the chairman said they were bound to appoint a responsible person or the police would not allow the lamps to be lit.
A fatal accident occurred to Alice Mary Bell aged four of Henry Street. Her mother went to a shop and Alice ran out of the house with her clothes on fire. A neighbour wrapped a carpet round her and sent for Dr Stephen. She was sent to Pontefract Dispensary where she died later. She told her mother she had been lighting some paper at an oil lamp on the table.
The gas company proposed lighting some street lamps and said J Jones, a lamplighter, would be at the police station from four to ten each evening so he could put them out if there was an air raid warning. Cr Maxwell said it was a waste of time, but the chairman said they were bound to appoint a responsible person or the police would not allow the lamps to be lit.
A fatal accident occurred to Alice Mary Bell aged four of Henry Street. Her mother went to a shop and Alice ran out of the house with her clothes on fire. A neighbour wrapped a carpet round her and sent for Dr Stephen. She was sent to Pontefract Dispensary where she died later. She told her mother she had been lighting some paper at an oil lamp on the table.