Ex-Ald. Roberts Dies at Home

Mr. Ben Roberts, former country Alderman, J. P. And Conisbrough Urban Council, died on Sunday at his Doncaster Road, Conisbrough, home, aged 76.

A member of the West Riding magistrates bench until he was 75, Mr. Roberts served for 30 years on the West Riding County Council, 12 years as a County Alderman.

His health had been failing in recent years. But it was only in the past two weeks that he became seriously ill. He died at home on Sunday, leaving two sons, a daughter and 6 grandchildren. At a Conisbrough inquest on Tuesday, the Doncaster district coroner, Mr. K. D Potter, recorded a verdict of “death from industrial disease”. A funeral service was held yesterday (Thursday) at Denaby parish church, followed by cremation at Doncaster.

Mr. Roberts, who lost his wife aged 77 in May this year, began his working life at Cadeby colliery.

N.U.M. Official.

As a young man he championed the rights of the working man and was soon appointed to union committees. In the course of time he was to hold most of the official branch positions in the N.U.M. Mr. Roberts worked underground for 25 years and later became the men’s checkweighman until he retired in 1957. He won a seat on Conisbrough Urban Council and was four times chairman of the local authority. During his years on the County council, Mr. Roberts served on the County health, highways, finance, civil defence and other committees, and was chairman of the local taxation committee at one time and vice-chairman for 25 years.

For 15 years he served on the standing joint committee and was a one-time chairman of this and of the mental-health deficiency committee.

On the formation of Conisbrough Urban Council Road and Home Safety committee, Mr. Roberts was appointed chairman, a post he relinquished some years ago, although he served on the committee until quite recently.

In addition to many local government posts, Mr. Roberts also found time to serve on a visiting house committee and hospital committees (before the changeover) at Wakefield, Conisbrough and Mexborough. In all his endeavours. Mr. Roberts was encouraged by his wife, who spent many years in the nursing profession.

Mr. Roberts was a keen churchman and in Denaby Main served at the parish church as a Sunday schoolteacher.

He leaves a daughter, Mrs. Joan Mason, of Belper, and two sons, Mr. Benjamin Alan Roberts, a Conisbrough businessman, of 156. Doncaster Road, and Mr. Wilson Roberts, deputy town, clerk at Ely, Cambridgeshire.