Is the Denaby Recreation Ground Private?

August 1882

Mexborough and Swinton Times, August 25.

Is the Denaby Recreation Ground Private?

Michael Manning, John Taylor, Steven Whitehouse, John Pole and Joseph Wilson, men of varied age, had been found gambling with cards in Denaby on August 5.

Policeman Kendall said that he found them in the evening playing close to a footpath, and saw money pass between them. The men work in the colliery, and the land on which they were found is enclosed and belongs to the company, and is lent by them as a recreation ground for the miners.The path runs along from end to end of Cliffe View.

Mr Hickmott defend them, and said that they were not, as charge, upon the public highway, and pointed to cases later dismissed in which it was proved that land at Parkgate was private property. It was shown by the police that the public were allowed to go on the ground, and that there were several approaches to it.

Mr Hickmott called Thomas Dainty, one of the miners, who proved that the ground belonged to the company, that it was fenced in, that no one save the miners had a right to go on it, that those who did get to it had to get over the palisadeing or break the gate locks, and that the alleged footpath was a private way to Mr Spooner’s farm.

Whitehouse, one of the defendant, confirmed the evidence, saying that there was a fence on one side of the ground and a set of houses occupied by the Colliers on the other side; and Manning said the like.

Then the magistrates dismissed the case in order that fresh summonses might be taken out.