Mexborough, Denaby and Manvers

July 1887

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer July 8, 1887

Mexborough, Denaby and Manvers

50 years ago the country about Mexborough was in a highly cultivated state, the principal occupational of the few people who lived there about being agriculture.

Its modern history is about contemporary with the reign, for soon after the Queen ascended the Throne, boat building was started, ironworks were erected, glass bottle making was commenced, and the population began to increase rapidly.

About five and 20 years later the Denaby Main and Manvers Main Collieries, two of the largest in South Yorkshire were open, and there sprang up in their immediate vicinity populous villages. Close the Denaby Main Pit, where a few score of persons were scattered about in 1837, there are now living close upon 2000 people. With a radius of 3 miles of Mexborough there is now a population of more than 20,000 and there are 7,500 inhabitants in the parish itself.

The local Board was formed in 1866, the school Board in 1875, and the Burial Board in the same year. The market Hall, which cost £4000, was opened in 1878. The Water Works belong to a company, which was formed in 1877.

In 1869 the Parish Church was restored and enlarged that a considerable cost, and the Wesleyan, Congregational, primitive Methodist, and free Church messages are also erected centuries of their own.

The prosperity of Mexborough as such has fluctuated with the state of the coal trade, which is unfortunately at present in anything but a satisfactory condition.