January
In January 1896 the year began as usual
with the Cricket Club Annual Ball being the social event of the year and the Council meeting being ‘lively’.
But then came a Violent Miner and a Brutal Assault and a case dismissed when the ‘Toy’ was stopped
Young men are fined for kissing and annoying Train Passengers and a man brought to justice when his dogs savage a cat
Then there’s the Hansom Cab Driver from Sheffield who falls from his Carriage and loses his rugs
But the story of the month has to be the dangerous Cartload and what the miner says when he discovers it’s dynamite!
February
One of the stories from February 1896
was the joint funeral of a young Conisborough couple who died within 24 hours of each other leaving 4 orphaned children and witnessed by the biggest ever crowd at a funeral
Three men are convicted for being drunk with one sent to prison for a month’s hard labour
The Council have their usual lengthy, heated debate this time about Gas Lights and the Dole
There’s a conviction for a Traction Engine offence and Conisborough F C are saluted in verse as the ‘boys of Castle Town’
March
In March 1896 a famous Denaby resident known as the Bonesetter passed away
There was another brutal assault at Conisbrough and the lamp keeper get prosecuted at Cadeby Main
whilst we hear of the New Offices built for the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company
Two Conisbrough gentlemen escaped the Little Bytham Train Crash
and we have advertisements for the local chemist and brewers
the state of the footpaths are once again under discussion as the bickering on the Parish Council continues
and there’s entertainment at the Wesleyan Church
April
The highlight of April 1896 was the Fancy Dress Ball at Conisborough, a truly remarkable event held at the Board School with an incredible menu and a full list of participants
A parochial tea is held at St Peters Church Sunday school and we include one of the songs and a video to capture the times
There’s in a remarkable story of a Denaby housekeeper who pawned 34 items from the house and received a custodial sentence in return.
There was strange goings-on at the Conisborough School Board and a Conisborough shopkeeper who held a gambling school for boys at the back of his shop
A turbulent year on the parish council comes to an end as we find there’s an outbreak of swine fever at Denaby Main
Conisborough Town F.C. win the Charity cup and we include a poem to herald their success
May
In May 1896 there was a fascinating trial
over thefts at Denaby Main Post Office
and a young man is implicated
there are two more fatal accidents at the colliery
and an accident to a 16 stone fireman, who fell off the fire engine after a photograph session
The Council meet and discuss Scavenging and Urban Powers
We see the incredible extent of the colliery as one of its ships, the Cadeby is grounded in Eastern Europe
There’s a lecture on a famous Wesleyan Minister and the church holds its Sunday School Anniversary
and the Denaby Main cricket team is not having a good month.
June
In June 1896 we get a taste of live 120 years ago
As typhoid fever breaks out at Denaby Main, an active 32-year-old woman dies with ‘ great internal pain’
a teenager is knocked down by a train at Accommodation crossing and Conisborough streets are to be renamed
Denaby’s Rev Roseveare accepts a living at Great Snoring
and a sixteen -year-old is sent for trial at the assizes after an alleged criminal assault at New Conisborough
there’s collections for Sunday school outings and the Micklefield disaster
July
In July 1896 Typhoid deaths were in the news
as 2 screenmen from Denaby Main died on the same day
and a 15 year old dies at Denaby Main
there were assaults between Men and men and women and the men were usually let off!
A woman is refused a ticket and told to wait for the next train
The Denaby Minister goes to Great Snoring and a London Minister takes his place
The Wesleyans vote on a new Organist and Choir
The Council and Ratepayers debate Urban Powers, Allotments,
Footpaths and the Fireman’s clothes
August
In August 1896, after 2 years of struggle Cadeby Main at last found the Barnsley Bed and the thick seam of Coal that was to make them one of the largest Coal Producers.
WH Chambers tells the good news to the ‘Times’
Family Assaults take place between Husband and Wife and Brother in Law and Conisborough Notes bemoan the name of New Conisborough
A man dies after injuring his hand with a rusty nail
and ‘Salty’ Thompson is in the News again this time for getting married
September
In September 1896 there were several cases where the Colliery prosecuted the workmen for breaches of Colliery Rules
And just as many prosecutions for Drunkenness !
The Coal Trade figures showed that Denaby Main was the largest pit in Yorkshire and as big as the dozen pits in West Yorkshire put together
There were two cases of drowning, including a six year old boy -‘looking for fishes’ and two cases of Mushroom stealing
A cyclist is fined for riding a bicycle in dark without a lamp, although his mate did walk in front with one !
A union collector is stoned by a man and women and a farmer assaulted by trespassers on his land.
A collier’s troubles get worse as he is in court for assaulting his wife, goes to prison for not paying the costs of the previous case and has all his furniture taken
-but his wife will go back to him when he gets an home!
October
In October 1896 another pit death sees the latest victim, a 13 year old crushed against a girder, whilst another young pony driver is prosecuted for driving 30 tubs without a brake
And the carelessness of two trammers sees the death of a pony, whilst another pony driver is pulling down roofs to get off work early!
There’s a drowning accident when two Conisborough men go boating
And concerts by the Liberals and the Co op, and Singing at the Cricket Club dinner
A poacher is caught with nets, 3 rabbits and a ferret and the Royal Mail is disturbed when a horse bolts
There’s a new Baptist church in Conisborough, a foreign mission by the Wesleyans and a Magic Lantern lecture tells of the Oppression of the Jews
November
In November 1896 a railway worker fatally turned and his crowbar hit a passing train
And a fall of roof caused concern that a miner’s back was broken
There’s more breaches of colliery rules
And more assaults and violence to a wife
Schoolyard games cause a painful death to a 9 year old Denaby schoolboy
Captain Jones leads his firemen into action with their new fire engine
And 50 minutes later they arrived at Micklebring !
There’s a Liberal Tea , the failure of the Musical Society, Father Kavanagh expounds the merits of the Institute and a lecture on the history of the Alphabet.
December
December 1896 includes a fascinating and descriptive report of a visit
to both pit top and underground
of Cadeby Main – the largest Colliery in Yorkshire
Then there’s the inquest into the death
of a 13 year old at Denaby Main
Further breaches of rules results in the injury to another pit lad
and the dangers of disobenience
There’s the weekly list of drunkards from Denaby and Conisborough
and an assault on the landlord of theReresby Arms
We include a report of the Weslyan Bazaar
where’s there’s prizes for the best stalls
showing fancy and plain goods, plum loaf, cheese cake and tarts
and washing and a millinery competition – exclusively for gentlemen!