Mexborough and Swinton Times January 24, 1936

 King George V  dies

On 20th January 1936 King George V passed away.

King George V was the King who visited Conisborough Castle the day before the Cadeby disaster.

The Mexborough and Swinton Times recounted the days:

(picture is King George V on his visit to Conisborough in July 1912)

Echo of Cadeby disaster

A brilliant and distinguished house party welcomed the late King and Queen Mary, when they visited Wentworth Woodhouse in July 1912, a visit which coincided with the appalling disaster at Cadeby Colliery.

The Royal visitors were the guests of the Earl and Countess Fitzwilliam. They arrived in Doncaster on Monday, July 8th and left Wentworth for London on the following Friday stop

On Monday their majesties drove from Doncaster to Conisborough, where they stayed to inspect the castle and for tea, and proceeding to Wentworth the king inspected the national reservists.

Disaster Intervenes

On Tuesday South Yorkshire was gaily bedecked in order to receive their majesties on their way to Woodlands and Hickleton Hall, where luncheon was taken.

Then came the evening gloom when the news of the Cadeby disaster spread. In deep and sincere sympathy the King and Queen visited the colliery.

During the afternoon they motored from Hickleton to a Elsecar Colliery, where, for the first time in history, a reigning monarch descended a picture. The traditional magnificence of hospitality at Wentworth Woodhouse was well maintained, and the King and Queen expressed great pleasure at the manner in which they were received. Their first visit to South Yorkshire was a very memorable one.

There must have been over 20,000 people lining the roads and fields surrounding Conisborough Castle, children playing a big part in the demonstrations. It was a thrilling moment when, in response to a signal, Richard Feirn, Castle caretaker, ran up the Royal Standard. Not for 700 years had the standard flown over the grey Castle. There was a subdued roar as the Royal cars could be seen weaving their way through the trees. Some 3,600 children of the Denaby and Conisborough schools assembled inside the castle gate and Mr W Lowry Cole, C.C., agent to the Countess of Yarborough, owner of the castle, was presented by the Earl Fitzwilliam to their Majesties.

The Earl add an amusing experience when earlier in the afternoon the “locked in” to see that everything was in order and was refused admittance by a sturdy policeman who suspected him of being a Pressman. “I didn’t know who he was,” muttered the discomforted officer to a bystander, “Why didn’t he wear a blooming badge?”

Retrospect

A report in our files of July states:

“His Majesty, was dressed in light grey and looking uncommonly well, extended his brown bowler hat in one continuous acknowledgement of the rolling cheers of the multitude, and bowed from side to side as with dignified mien and measured step he escorted his Queen to the castle. Queen Mary bowed graciously acknowledgement of the great reception accorded the Royal pair, and bestowed special notice upon the children who were ranged around, almost at her feet.”

As the party disappeared into the castle the crowd broke out almost spontaneously into the National Anthem, and after a lull of five minutes there was another roar as the King was seen at the summit of the castle. He stood for some moments admiring the view (“which never looked better than that afternoon”). He was not, however, accompanied by the Queen (“who had not recovered from a recent injury”). Her Majesty going straight to the Royal Pavilion. The stay occupied about half an hour, and the party then went on to Hooton Roberts.

At Cadeby

The King visited Cadeby colliery shortly after the disaster, fresh from his Elsecar experience. Earlier in the day he had addressed a gracious message to those bereaved, and they arrived at the colliery offices shortly before 7.30. They alighted in silence the received by Mr W.H.Chambers, managing director of the Company, and Mr J.R.R. Wilson, of Leeds, the only mines inspector to survive the second explosion.

Their Majesties asked many pertinent questions about the disaster, and the King seemed as though he had suffered a great personal loss.” The Queen emerged with bowed head. It was rumoured that the king himself desired to descend the pit, but this, of course, was deemed inadvisable. It was, however, one of those unconfirmed rumours which of necessity arose at that time. The Archbishop of York visited Cadeby on Wednesday.