Mission Work Amongst Denaby Miners

At the annual meeting of the Deaconess Society, held recently at Doncaster, the feature of the meeting was a review of the work done at Denaby by Sister Annie Gorman, who has laboured amongst the reputed community there for the past three years.

The Chairman, Mr. Hobson, said Denaby was in the Doncaster Oxford Place Wesleyan circuit, and they were, therefore, responsible for it, but he knew no more difficult work.

The Rev. J. W. Whincup said that some time ago in a Christian paper, Denaby was described as the “worst village in England,” and he could assure them that at the present time the needs of Denaby were as great as ever. Sister Annie Gorman had done a magnificent service, but still there was more to do. Somehow they did not seem to touch the people as they ought to, and in the very near future their task would become greater, for very soon the population would reach 20,000.

The balance in hand was £10 6s. 1d. In addition he had various promises of subscriptions from the Colliery Company and others.

Sister Annie Gorman said that if ever a place needed help that spot was Denaby. Very seldom was a Nonconformist minister seen there, and, in fact, during her residence had she met either a Baptist or Primitive Methodist minister. On the other hand the Church of England clergymen were very active, and sometimes the curate and her clashed in their visits. Once or twice she had been “blown up” because the curate’s call was previous to hers. (Laughter.)

The difficulty of the work lay in the fact that the population—some 9,000 souls—was a moving one, and, in consequence, very few members were for the most part infirm, aged, or invalid.

The recent coal strike there had increased the hardships under which she laboured, but the slack time at the Glass Works was greater in its effect. One week accidents happened every day, and one day there were four fatalities. One young woman asked her for the loan of her boots to visit Doncaster Races.

The Sister appealed for financial as well as other help, and, in doing so, expressed the view that a resident Nonconformist minister was practically a necessity. (Applause.)