Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 28 December 1912
Review of the Year – Leading Local Events
The following are some of the leading local events of the year:—
January.
2nd – Mexborough’s first Lady Health Visitor, Miss A.E. Montagu, commenced her duties.
4th – The latest type of elementary school opened at Adwick Road, Mexborough
8th – Great ballot of coal miners, resulting in favour of a national stoppage.
17th – Mexborough Urban District Council decided in favour of the scheme of public baths.
20th – “Mexborough Times” published an article ageing the local authorities to combine in providing a service of trackless trolley omnibuses.
25th – the Reverend Thomas Anderson, of 15 years past of the Mexborough Congregational Church, resigned owing to a doctrinal dispute with some of church deacons.
February
6th – Proposal to divide the Wath Urban District into wards for editorial purposes, made by Counselling T Tyas was defeated.
10th – Mr Samuel Roebuck, of Wombwell, was appointed assistant general secretary of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association.
10th – The Barnsley British Co-operative Society made a Jubilee grant of £500 for the establishment of a children’s ward at Mexborough Montagu Hospital.
12th – The Labour Exchange for Mexborough was opened.
20th – Great fears entertained of the stability of Hickleton Church, owing to mining subsidence.
20th – Annual meeting of the Governors and subscribers of the Mexborough Montagu Hospital.
March
1st – The great national coal strike commenced.
1st – Doctor R.F.Castle, Medical Officer of Health for Darfield, in his annual report, strongly criticises Darfield people for their insanitary mode of living.
2nd – Think outcrops seem discovered in the Mexborough Brickyard, and extensively worked by strikers and their families.
4th – The Reverend W.H.F.Bateman, Vicar of Mexborough, appointed to an honorary canonry in York Minster.
12th – Soup kitchens established for the relief of the children of the strikers and others thrown out of work.
14th – Mr J.F. Thompson, agent of the Manvers Main Collieries, Ltd, died at the age of 73.
19th – Text of the Coal Mines Minimum Wage Bill issued.
21st – Children’s hyacinth show and exhibition of fruit was held at Wath.
22nd – Public distress fund for the relief of the unemployed opened at Mexborough.
24th – Mr C Liddell, formerly under manager of Houghton Main, accidentally killed whilst cleaning a revolver.
26th , 27th and 28th – Riots at Cadeby
28 – New Institute opened at Conisborough.
28th – inauguration of the new Free Christian Church at Mexborough celebrated.
30th – Local elections.
30th – Ballot of miners on the return to work.
April
11th – General return of mines to work, as a six week stoppage.
14th – Wreck of the White Star line, “Titanic”; 1490 lives lost.
20th – Barnsley won the English Cup Final in the replay with West Bromwich Albion at Bramall Lane.
23rd – Mr J.H. Drew, of Horbury appointed surveyor to the Wath Urban District Council in succession to Mr H.C.Poole, resigned.
25th – Local Government Board enquiry into the Darfield Cemetery scheme.
May
2nd – Institution of the Rev F.W. Shepard as vicar of Kilnhurst.
14 – The proposal to exclude betting news from the newspapers in the Wombwell Library was defeated.
23rd – New Primitive Methodist Chapel opened at Goldthorpe.
24th to 28th – Big Scouting display at Swinton.
June
15th – Publication of the bonus scheme for paying the minimum wage, established by the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries Ltd.
July
8th to 12th – Visit of the King and Queen to South Yorkshire. Visit of the King and Queen to Wentworth Woodhouse.
8th – A Swinton youth named Oliver killed as a result of a blow in the boxing ring at Mexborough.
8th – Visit of the King and Queen to Conisborough Castle, and later a review of the National Reserve in Wentworth Park.
9th – Terrible disaster at Cadeby Main; 89 men killed in two explosions.
9th – Visit of the king and queen to Silverwood Colliery and Elsecar colliery. Royal progress through Swinton, Mexborough and district to Woodlands model village and to Hickleton Hall.
11th – Cadeby disaster week. Record circulation of the “Mexborough Times.”
12th – Funeral of Mr Douglas Chambers, manager of the Denaby Main mine; killed in the Cadeby explosion.
13th – Funeral at Doncaster of Mr W. H. Pickering, Divisional Inspector of Mines; killed in the Cadeby explosion.
14th – Great memorial services at Conisborough and Denaby. Sermons by the Archbishop of York.
16th – Funeral of Mr Charles Bury, manager of the Cadeby mine; killed in the Cadeby explosion.
23rd – Cadeby disaster inquest.
25th Death of Mr G.T. Nicholson, of Rock House Conisborough.
29th – Mexborough Sunday School Unions annual excursion to Cleethorpes; room by rumour that the Trent Bridge was about to collapse
August
5th – Bank Holiday – Opening of the Home Office Enquiry into the Cadeby disaster at Doncaster
5th – “Iron” Hague, ex-heavyweight champion of England, heavily defeated by Tom Cowler, at Mexborough.
6th – The Bolton Urban District Council decide to appoint a Lady health visitor.
12th – Appointment of Mr H.W. Smith as manager of the Denaby Main Colliery in succession to Mr Douglas Chambers, deceased.
15th – Death of Mr Thomas Baron, glass bottle manufacturer of Mexborough.
20th – Death of General Booth, the great leader of the Salvation Army.
23rd and 24th – Remarkable rainfall throughout England; many floods.
25th – James Burns, the Manvers Main rescue man, fatally “gassed” during salvage operations in the exploded district of the Cadeby mine.
September
11th – Death of Mr Tom Schofield, of Mexborough, former secretary of the Mexborough Waterworks Company.
13th – Darfield Urban District Council received the sanction of the Local Government Board to the Cemetery scheme.
19 – Denaby Colliery shaft accident. Two men injured
27th – The last bodies recovered from the Cadeby mine; final meeting of the inquest jury on the Cadeby disaster.
29th – Reverend W.J. Harris, newly appointed Congregational Minister at Mexborough, opened his ministry
October
1st – Unpleasant exchange in the Wath Council on matters relating to Councillor Hallatt’s property.
3rd – Local Government Board Enquiry into the application of the Swinton and Mexborough joint Gas Board for sanction to borrow £20,900 on gasworks improvements and extensions.
4th and 5th – First Musical Competition Festival held at Mexborough.
9th – Manver’s trammers strike for one day.
17 – Montagu Hospital teas another huge gathering
18th – Schoolboy killed at Wath by motor car
22nd – Boy killed at Swinton by a train – car
29th – At a special sitting of the Doncaster County Court, Judge Allen awards £122,000 in compensation in connection with the recent Cadeby disaster.
November
1st – Dedication one double all panelling, presented to Mexborough Parish Church by Mr G.M. Saunders, of London, in memory of his son.
5th – Further unpleasant exchange in the Wath Council.
12th – Countess Fitzwilliam opens a three days Church bazaar at Wombwell.
16th – Publication of notice of the Mexborough and Swinton tramways company’s intention to promote a bill in parliament to introduce the service of trackless trolley on Nicholson, for Mexborough, Swinton, Wath, Bolton and Goldthorpe, Conisbrough and Denaby.
18th – Mexborough and District Trades and Labour Council attain their majority
December
5th – The Home Office Enquiry into the Cadeby disaster concluded