Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 13, 1909
An Interesting Conisborough Personality.
Undivided In Death.
Man and Wife Both Expire Within A Few Hours.
For the death of a man to be followed on the next day by the death of his wife is a very unusual condition of things. However there was such an occurrence at Conisboro’ last week end. Mr. Riley Mitchell died on Saturday, whilst on Sunday Mrs. Mitchell breathed her last.
The late Mr Riley Mitchell was a very well known personality in this neighbourhood. At the time of his death he, with his wife, was living at Mona House, Conisboro’, the residence of Mr. C. Keys, who is Mr. Mitchell’s son-in-law. If the deceased had lived until May 10th next he would have been eighty years of age. He died on Saturday last after an illness of about a fort-night’s duration. His wife, who was 71 years of age, had put forth her beet exertions in nursing her aged husband, and the strain was apparently too great for her and on Sunday she also died.
Mr. Mitchell was the brother of the late Mr Joseph Mitchell and was well connected in this district. His father was twice married, the deceased being the only son by the first wife His mother died when he was but a few months old. He was born at Worsboro’ Dale After his mother’s death he was brought up by his grandfather and grandmother who were living at Sheffield.
He was in Sheffield at the time of the disastrous flood of nearly 70 years ago, and remembered having to clear out of the house as the waters came down. In the early forties he came to Mexboro’, and was employed at the Works there in connection with the old South Yorkshire Railway. He was then in his teens, and learnt to become a boilermaker which was the trade he followed throughout the rest of his life.
He remembered Mexboro’ when it was quite a tiny place, and when visiting the town as an old man he often interested his acquaintances by describing things as they used to be years ago, and pointing out the many and great alterations that had been made since the days of his boyhood.
Fifty-five, years ago he married Miss Mary Carr, of Rawmarsh, and for sonic years after his marriage he resided in Mexborough.
Eighteen years ago he came to Conisborough and worked as a boiler-maker in connection with the sinking of the Cadeby Pit. He followed his trade at Conisborough until ten years ago when he retired.
At the time that Cadeby Pit was being ‘sunk the bridge that crosses the Don there at the present time had not been erected, and the workmen had to cross the Don by means of a raft. One day there was a rush for the raft, and it became overcrowded. Mr. Mitchell who was then about 65 years of age, was afraid that the raft would sink. Coolly taking of his spectacles, he put down the basket he was carrying jumped off the raft, and swam to the opposite shore, a no mean accomplishment for one, of his advanced years.
When the new head-gear was erected at Cadeby Pithead, he was one of those working on the structure. When it was completed he climbed to the top and stood right at the apex of the ironwork, on a platform only a couple of feet wide, and 110 feet above the ground level. This would be considered a plucky thing for a young man to do. For an old man it was an extraordinary feat.
Right up to the time of the fatal seizure which laid him low, Mr. Mitchell was a remarkably active man. He was of a rather excitable disposition, and was not without his eccentricities. When he was well over 70 he was not only a good walker, but would indulge in a sprint when he felt in the mood for doing so. He could tell many an interesting bits of local history and had a keen recollection of the events of his earlier days. He well remembered the great disaster at Old Oaks in 1866 and was a member of one of the rescue party who descended the pit after the occurrence. He was a most interesting personality, whose familiar figure will be much missed in Conisboro’
Many years ago Mr, Mitchell administered a sound thrashing to a man who was known as the “Terror of Mexborough.” This individual’s name was ,Cliff–no ,relation we hope, of the present worthy councillor.
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell were both buried at Conisboro’ on Wednesday afternoon, the Vicar, the rev. W. A . Strawbridge, conducting the double funeral service