Mexborough and Swinton Times July 5, 1929
House-Owner Living in a Railway Coach.
The successful plea of “greater hardship” was made at the Doncaster Petty Sessions on Tuesday by Mr. C. R. Marshall, on behalf of Mrs. Liversedge, for possession of a house at 7, Orchard Street, Mexborough, at present occupied by John Batty. Mr. Marshall said that a similar application was made a few months before in order to give defendant an opportunity of finding another house. Mrs. Batty appeared.
The Clerk (to Mrs. Batty) : You have had two months in which.to find a house.
Mrs. Batty: I cannot get another house. I will get one as soon as I can.
In reply to the Clerk, Mrs. Batty said she had a family of three children, the youngest of whom was a girl aged 12 years.
Mr. Marshall said he had a good deal of information about the case. The house was protected by the Rent Restriction Act, and the application for possession was made on the ground of greater hardship to Mrs. Liversedge, who is at present living in a converted railway coach with two rooms with her mother who was confined to bed, and she had two boys aged 10 and 13 years. The rent of the house occupied by defendant was 5s. 3d. per week, and 11d. rates. Defendant had two sons, a daughter aged 13 and a lodger who paid 28s. per week. The girl of 13 worked part-time for a tradesman. Mr. Marshall offered to prove that there was an advertisement in the “Mexborough and Swinton Times” offering houses to rent at 13s. per week, which he thought defendant could pay.
The Bench made an order for possession in 21 days.