January
The ‘Times’ in January 1897 takes us round the streets of Conisborough on Christmas Eve – when there was 18 butchers in the township!
And values were different when a man is fined 50 shillings for a 1p mottying offence
and a pony driver 20 shillings for wounding a pit pony
Then there’s one month’s imprisonment for pawning a coat and waistcoat and the same for non payment of maintenance to a wife.
A chip shop owner is prosecuted for running a competition guessing the number of peas in a jar – with 3 spice fishes as prizes !
The parish council debates the Postal Facilities and the fire brigade
There’s unsafe lamps and a drowned horse
While rabbit poachers catch the headlines
and another burning fatality when a young miner carries a candle
February
In February 1897 there is a Railway fatality and a detailed inquest reveals the hazardous journey from home to work the men undertook each morning
There are severe floods affecting Denaby and Conisborough and the whole of the Dearne Valley
We have music and concerts and a Dinner and Social after the pits play each other at Football
There’s more cruelty to Pit ponies, an attempted suicide,unlawful wounding and prosecutions at the pits
And detailed Parish Council and School Board meetings
March
In March 1897 there’s the sensational story of the man who sold his wife for a gallon of beer !
Music Hall Artistes who were regulars at the Reresby fight each other when they got home
There’s yet another Pony cruelty offence and we are told there are 142 ponies down Denaby Pit
A 15 year old, after only working few months is fatally caught in the machinery at Cadeby but the Assurance Company paid out after a few hours
There’s another fracas at the ‘Drum,’
preparation for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
and we feature Denaby Parish Church football team who are carrying all before them
April
In April 1897, a ‘warm afternoon’ at Conisborough tells of a young man on an innocent country walk with three friends,
who was ‘soundly thrashed’ – or were they in search of conies?
The lack of a Conisborough Water supply rears it’s head again and we include an fascinating 3,500 word transcript
of the Parish Council meeting and the ‘Times’ editorial on the matter
Both reveal how Doncaster took the Thrybergh reservoir and laughed in their faces and include descriptions of the water Denaby was using
There is to be a improved billiards room at the Institute which ‘will compare favourable with any other in the district.’
there’s an Accident at Denaby Main and a Fatality at Cadeby Main,
the usual cases of damaging fences and Prohibited drinking
And a Magic Lantern evening at the Band of Hope
May
In May 1897 the Pit Boys dispute came to a crisis and they struck bringing Denaby Main to a standstill
At meetings they berated their Union Representatives and brought in a new Champion
Then 244 are summoned to Rotherham Police court, and march playing Tin Whistles and singing Comic Songs
Another man dies at the pit and at a Wake the corpse is set alight !
there are more assaults and a daring attempted robbery at the Hill Top where the thief goes in through the Chimney !
Another Bosdin D Clarkson fence is damaged
and we include a Concert by the Denaby Orchestral Society with videos from You Tube to capture the times !
June
In June 1897 the townships plans for the Queens Diamond Jubilee are detailed with an appeal for a New Cottage Hospital and celebrations with Punch and Judy, Comedian and Clowns for the Children and a sumptuous tea for them and the elderly
There’s a new Catholic Church planned for Denaby Main and a New Infants School for Conisborough
The Parish Council debates street lighting especially on Park Road where there are only 11 houses
WH Chambers awards prizes for the Technical Class for their success in the Pitman Shorthand exams
There’s another fatal accident at Cadeby with a 16 year old orphan hit by falling stones
and there are assaults, abusive language and trespass cases at the courts
July
In July 1897 the Parish Council was concerned with Ashpits, a pipe in the Holywell Spring (a main drinking supply) burials and acquiring a Conisborough registrar
whilst the Sanitary Committee was alarmed at an outbreak of enteric fever in Denaby
There’s more visitors to see Conisborough & the Castle and the Colliery Workmen’s trip is to Hull while the teachers go Roche Abbey
The Jubilee celebrations have left a legacy; the desire and need to raise funds for a Cottage Hospital
and a Jubilee Celebration Dinner – one of the best ever set before Conisborough gentlemen -is held at the Eagle and Child
August
There was a major courtroom battle over a boys death and whether the miners were allowed to leave work as he didn’t die at the pit
Then we have the full debates of the Council as they discuss a possible water famine, the allotments and the pasture’s bridge
and the School Board as they review the Inspector’s visit and a deaf and dumb child
The miners take their vacation to Hull and Liverpool
The Stone is laid for a new Catholic Church – St Albans
and we include atmospheric music from the Wesleyan Anniversary and a visit by the Orchestral Society to Sprotborough Hall
There’s a Trap Accident involving the Kilner family, and a drowning fatality of a eight year old, and the usual Assaults and petty thefts of the times
September
In September 1897 there was a case of heartless cruelty to a child at Conisborough
and another child gets sent to Wakefield after a fight and her parent’s refusal to pay the resultant fine
there’s a game trespass at Melton and a case of a Conisborough hawker
caught with 20 pairs of conies (rabbits) which he had bought off a man who got them from another man without a receipt or name
There’s a glimpse of St Leger day and the children who waited at Denaby crossing
and a man who was drunk on his bicycle, who suffered a somnolent robbery
The case for Urban powers takes another step as Denaby & Cadeby Main top the list of coal producers once again
October
In October 1897 great interest was taken in the death of a 14 year old boy,thrown from his horse after a couple of lads were ‘larkin’
Another teenager dies at the Pit after only 5 weeks working there
A case of two miners fighting underground is dismissed and a house robbery under strange circumstances is reported
There’s a New Vicar at Conisborough and the Explosives Company is wound up
Another suicide is reported and there’s danger from a Traction Engine and dangerous dog
The Parish Council debate the Holywell Spring, the Railway Bridge, allotments and the length of the Firemen’s hose !
November
The highlight of the quiet month of November 1897 was the Conisborough Cricket Club’s Annual Dinner
The ‘sumptuous repast’ included 7 different meats followed by tributes to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
There’s another burning fatality and a Corporal in Court for a Mining Offence
A shopkeepker strikes a young girl with a whip and youths are prosecuted for firework offences
Denaby Parish Church are the football club in the news with 15 goals and a player’s fractured leg in the two games reported
December
As the Christmas festivities approached in 1897, once again disaster overtook the local community as the winding rope shaft was near to breaking, throwing 1500 out of work for the weeks before Christmas
W.H. Chambers and C Holmes exchange words before 9 days later a new shaft was obtained, installed and working
The Parish Council met, decided the water question and applied for Urban Powers but it was to be many years before both issues were resolved
A Conisborough Butcher’s summons his “domestic” with baby for stealing from him – and admits he had ‘thrashed’ her and chased her with a knife
A dead infant is found on the highway, wrapped in paper and a traction engine causes problems, without lights, creating steam and obstructing the highway
A new vicar is inducted and a new Church agreed