Mexborough & Swinton Times, August 7, 1936

Obituary
Denaby Catholics Losses.
Passing of Two Well-Known Personalities

St Albans Catholic Church, Denaby, have during the past seven days lost two of their most devoted stalwarts. Last Friday the death occurred in Fullerton hospital, Denaby, of Mrs Elizabeth Setters. Wife of Mr Arthur Setters, of Cusworth Street, Denaby, at the age of 61 and on Monday the church lost its oldest parishioner in Denaby its oldest inhabitant by the death of Mr John Carr of Doncaster Road, Denaby, who was 96. Mr Carr was one of the very few people now living who claim to have been present in 1879 when a vision of our Lady is said to have appeared on the wall of the church at Knock, Ireland.

Mr Carr worked for more than 50 years at Denaby Main colliery, and had been there several years when he suffered a severe injury down the pit. In 1879 his injury was causing him considerable inconvenience and he went over to his native Ireland – he was born in County Galloway – and during his stay there he visited Knock, and it was while he was paying this visit that he witnessed the supposed vision.

His son, Mr Matthew Carr, told a reporter this week that his father used to say “Our dear lady did everything but speak to us. It was raining ‘heavens high’ at the time”. There was a young priest at Knock at the time, a Father, Kavanagh, and during the apparition Father Kavanagh had to leave to visit his parents urgently, and directed Mr Carr to stay at the place as long as the vision lasted, and then to come and tell him what happened and how long it lasted. This Mr Carr did and the priest replied: “I am not surprised. I have seen sights in my own room”. The vision, Mr Carr used to say began about 8 o’clock and ended at midnight. A great many people saw it, but a young woman next to Mr Carr declared that she could not see it, and he replied “you have not the faith”.

Never Went to School,

Mr Carr, who never went to school (he never had the chance, working in the fields when 9 to buy the boots he wore) came to England when quite young, and tried jobs in Warwickshire, Cheshire and Yorkshire in the fields before beginning work in the mines at Manvers Main colliery. He afterwards went to Denaby about 75 years ago when Denaby was only a small village with just a few houses along the main street.

There was no Catholic Church in Denaby at the time, the Catholics having to walk to Wath, but Mr Carr began to try to obtain a church. For free years he collected money and secured the use of the old school in Doncaster Road, and when the Catholic community had grown to 100 and had £47 in hand they secured a priest.

Mr Carr finished work about 1912, and had been ill for the past eight years. He was married in Leicestershire, and of his six children only two remain, Mr Matthew Carr and a daughter, Mrs Emma Cox, of Downton, near Rotherham.

Mrs setters, a native of Chesterfield, had been ill about a month. She went to Denaby about 30 years ago and particularly since 1920 had been a very energetic and loyal worker for the Catholic course. She was a member of the confraternity of the blessed sacrament, of the Ladies’ Parochial committee, of the Altar Society, and of various social committees connected with St Albans.

She collected hundreds of pounds for St Albans, and in her efforts to raise money she travelled to many neighbouring townships and villages where former Denaby people are now residents.

Mrs Setters leaves a husband, and three daughters (all married and living in America) and two sons, one of whom Mr Williams Setters, accompanied by his wife, is at present crossing the Atlantic returning to England from a holiday. As he left New York before Mrs Setters death occurred it was not possible to inform him of the fact before Tuesday.

A tribute to Mrs Setters work for the parish was paid by Father J. Holohan, parish priest, at the annual Church garden party on Monday. Father Holohan said that Mrs Setters had been a noble example. She was always willing to give of her time and what she possessed for the good of the church and the schools and though she was no longer with them she would always remain in example of what a parish worker should be.

Father Holohan conducted all the services at the funeral of Mrs Setters on Wednesday. The chief mourners were Mr Setters (husband), Mr and Mrs A. Setters (daughter-in-law), Mr M. Gallagher (brother), Arthur, Betty, Kathleen, Ellen and Margaret Setters. There were also members of the Woman’s Confraternity and members of the congregation. The floral tributes included those from the family, neighbours, friends and the Reresby Arms.