November 2025 was a busy month for the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study. Four new posts were added, bringing the total number to 419. I also gave two talks about the early history of the Irish in Batley and the parish – one via Zoom to the Society of One-Place Studies; the other in-person to Batley History Group. If you missed them, I will be repeating the Irish and St. Mary’s talk next year with bookings already made for it, along with my other talks.
To start off with, I wrote a light-hearted piece about Buffalo Bill and A Right Royal Celebration for Batley’s Schoolchildren, a celebration in which the children of St Mary of the Angels participated. I describe, and include a photograph, of the special commemorative medal presented to all the schoolchildren, so that if you have one in your family you can identify it and know more about its history.
In a change of tone, with November being the month of Remembrance, one of the new posts was about James Edwards, one of the parishioners commemorated on the parish’s World War One War Memorial.
In the May Queen section I have added a piece about the 1952 ceremony when Patricia Anne Cain was the May Queen (as shown in the photograph to the left). It includes names of many others involved in the procession that day, which was a historic one in terms of its format that year.
The final post for the month was the parish history snippets piece for November 2025. These snippets cover a variety of events and people from the parish from years gone by, and can be found in the Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section. Even if you have seen them on the Bulletin, it is worth checking them here as some have links to more detailed pieces I have written.
Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* posts, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.
If you want to know the background, and what is involved in a one-place study, click here. Otherwise read on, to discover a wealth of parish, parishioner and wider local Batley history.
Postscript:
I may not be able to thank you personally because of your contact detail confidentiality, but I do want to say how much I appreciate the donations already received to keep this website going. They really and truly do help. Thank you.
The website has always been free to use, and I want to continue this policy in the future. However, it does cost me money to operate – from undertaking the research to website hosting costs. In the current difficult economic climate I do have to regularly consider if I can afford to continue running it as a free resource.
If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, it would be very much appreciated.
Please click 👉🏻here👈🏻 be taken to the PayPal donation link. By making a donation you will be helping to keep the website online and freely available for all.
Thank you.
As a professionally qualified genealogist, if you would like me to undertake any family, local or house history research for you do please get in touch. More information can be found on my research services page.
Finally, if you do have any information about, or photos of, parishioners from the period of the First World War please do get in touch. It does not have to be War Memorial men. It could be those who served and survived, or indeed any other men, women and children from the parish.
I would also be interested in information about, and photos of, those parishioners who were killed in World War Two, or others from the parish who undertook any war service and survived. This can be as broad as serving in the military, or work in munitions factories, the Land Army, even taking in refugees. This is an area I’m looking to develop in the future.
I can be contacted at: pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com
1. About my St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church War Memorial One-Place Study;
Batley’s Public Buildings and Institutions
2. Batley Hospital: The First 50 Years – 1878 to 1928
3. The Early History of Batley’s Public Baths
Batley St Mary’s Population, Health, Mortality and Fertility Information and Comparisons
4. 1914: The Health of Batley School Children Generally, with a Particular Focus on St Mary’s School Children
Batley Statistics and Descriptions – Population, Health, Mortality, Fertility etc.
5. 1914: Borough of Batley – Town Information from the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
6. Batley and the 1921 Census
7. Batley Population Statistics 1801-1939
Biographies: Men Associated with St Mary’s Who Died but Who Are Not on the Memorial
8. Thomas Gannon
9. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend
Biographies: The War Memorial Men
11. Edward Barber
12. William Barber (Memorial name spelling)
13. Herbert Booth
14. Edmund Battye
15. Dominick (aka George) Brannan
16. Michael Brannan
17. John Brooks
18. Michael Cafferty
19. Patrick Cafferty
20. John William Callaghan
21. Lawrence Carney
22. Martin Carney
23. Thomas William Chappell
24. William Colbeck
25. Michael Cunningham
26. Thomas Curley
27. Peter Doherty
28. Thomas Dolan
29. Thomas Donlan
30. James Edwards *NEW*
31. John W. Enright
32. Mathew Farrer
33. Thomas Finneran
34. Michael Flynn
35. Thomas Foley D.C.M.
36. Martin Gallagher
37. James Garner
38. Harold Gaunt
39. James Gavaghan
40. Peter Gavaghan
41. Thomas Gavaghan
42. Henry Groark
43. James Groark
44. Michael Groark (also known as Rourke)
45. James Griffin
46. William Hargreaves
47. Michael Hopkins
48. Patrick Hopkins
49. Michael Horan
50. James Hughes
51. Lawrence Judge
52. John Leech
53. Michael Lydon
54. John Thomas Lynch
55. Patrick Lyons
William McManus – See William Townsend below
56. Thomas McNamara
57. Clement Manning
58. Patrick Naifsey
59. Austin Nolan
60. Robert Randerson
61. James Rush
62. Moses Stubley
63. William Townsend, also known as McManus
64. James Trainor
65. Richard Carroll Walsh
66. Arthur William Bayldon Woodhead
Biographies: Those who Served and Survived (this includes a list of those identified to date and who will later have dedicated biographical pages)
67. Patrick Cassidy
68. James Delaney
69. Thomas Donlan (senior)
70. Thomas Gannon
71. Michael Rush
Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
72. Cemetery and Memorial Details
73. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .
During This Week
74. During This Week Newspaper Index
75. 1914, 8 August – Batley News
76. 1914, 15 August – Batley News
77. 1914, 22 August – Batley News
78. 1914, 29 August – Batley News
79. 1914, 5 September – Batley News
80. 1914, 12 September – Batley News
81. 1914, 19 September – Batley News
82. 1914, 26 September – Batley News
83. 1914, 3 October – Batley News
84. 1914, 10 October – Batley News
85. 1914, 17 October – Batley News
86. 1914, 24 October – Batley News
87. 1914, 31 October – Batley News
88. 1914, 7 November – Batley News
89. 1914, 14 November – Batley News
90. 1914, 21 November – Batley News
91. 1914, 28 November – Batley News
92. 1914, 5 December – Batley News
93. 1914, 12 December – Batley News
94. 1914, 19 December – Batley News
95. 1914, 24 December – Batley News
96. 1915, 2 January – Batley News
97. 1915, 9 January – Batley News
98. 1915, 16 January – Batley News
99. 1915, 23 January – Batley News
100. 1915, 30 January – Batley News
101. 1915, 6 February – Batley News
101. 1915, 13 February – Batley News
103. 1915, 20 February – Batley News
104. 1915, 27 February – Batley News
105. 1915, 6 March – Batley News
106. 1915, 13 March – Batley News
107. 1915, 20 March – Batley News
108. 1915, 27 March – Batley News
109. 1915, 3 April – Batley News
110. 1915, 10 April – Batley News
111. 1915, 17 April – Batley News
112. 1915, 24 April – Batley News
113. 1915, 1 May – Batley News
114. 1915, 8 May – Batley News
115. 1915, 15 May – Batley News
116. 1915, 22 May – Batley News
117. 1915, 29 May – Batley News
118. 1915, 5 June – Batley News
119. 1915, 12 June – Batley News
120. 1915, 19 June – Batley News
121. 1915, 26 June – Batley News
122. 1915, 3 July – Batley News
123. 1915, 10 July – Batley News
124. 1915, 17 July – Batley News
125. 1915, 24 July – Batley News
126. 1915, 31 July – Batley News
127. 1915, 7 August – Batley News
128. 1915, 14 August – Batley News
129. 1915, 21 August – Batley News
130. 1915, 28 August – Batley News
131. 1915, 4 September – Batley News
132. 1915, 11 September – Batley News
133. 1915, 18 September – Batley News
134. 1915, 25 September – Batley News
135. 1915, 2 October – Batley News
136. 1915, 9 October – Batley News
137. 1915, 16 October – Batley News
138. 1915, 23 October – Batley News
139. 1915, 30 October – Batley News
140. 1915, 6 November – Batley News
141. 1915, 13 November – Batley News
142. 1915, 20 November – Batley News
143. 1915, 27 November – Batley News
144. 1915, 4 December – Batley News
145. 1915, 11 December – Batley News
146. 1915, 18 December – Batley News
147. 1915, 23 December – Batley News
148. 1916, 1 January – Batley News
149. 1916, 8 January – Batley News
150. 1916, 15 January – Batley News
151. 1916, 22 January – Batley News
152. 1916, 29 January – Batley News
153. 1916, 5 February – Batley News
154. 1916, 12 February – Batley News
155. 1916, 19 February – Batley News
156. 1916, 26 February – Batley News
157. 1916, 4 March – Batley News
158. 1916, 11 March – Batley News
159. 1916, 18 March – Batley News
160. 1916, 25 March – Batley News
161. 1916, 1 April – Batley News
162. 1916, 8 April – Batley News
163. 1916, 15 April – Batley News
164. 1916, 22 April – Batley News
165. 1916, 29 April – Batley News
166. 1916, 6 May – Batley News
167. 1916, 13 May – Batley News
168. 1916, 20 May – Batley News
169. 1916, 27 May – Batley News
170. 1916, 3 June – Batley News
171. 1916, 10 June – Batley News
172. 1916, 17 June – Batley News
173. 1916, 24 June – Batley News
174. 1916, 1 July – Batley News
175. 1916, 8 July – Batley News
176. 1916, 15 July – Batley News
177. 1916, 22 July – Batley News
178. 1916, 29 July – Batley News
179. 1916, 5 August – Batley News
180. 1916, 12 August – Batley News
181. 1916, 19 August – Batley News
182. 1916, 26 August – Batley News
183. 1916, 2 September – Batley News
184. 1916, 9 September – Batley News
185. 1916, 16 September – Batley News
188. 1916, 23 September – Batley News
187. 1916, 30 September – Batley News
188. 1916, 7 October – Batley News
189. 1916, 14 October – Batley News
190. 1916, 21 October – Batley News
191. 1916, 28 October – Batley News
192. 1916, 4 November – Batley News
193. 1916, 11 November – Batley News
197. 1916, 18 November – Batley News
195. 1916, 25 November – Batley News
196. 1916, 2 December – Batley News
197. 1916, 9 December – Batley News
198. 1916, 16 December – Batley News
199. 1916, 23 December – Batley News
200. 1916, 30 December – Batley News
201. 1917, 6 January – Batley News
202. 1917, 13 January – Batley News
203. 1917, 20 January – Batley News
204. 1917, 27 January – Batley News
204. 1917, 3 February – Batley News
206. 1917, 10 February – Batley News
207. 1917, 17 February – Batley News
208. 1917, 24 February – Batley News
209. 1917, 3 March – Batley News
210. 1917, 10 March – Batley News
211. 1917, 17 March – Batley News
212. 1917, 24 March – Batley News
213. 1917, 31 March – Batley News
214. 1917, 7 April – Batley News
215. 1917, 14 April – Batley News
216. 1917, 21 April – Batley News
217. 1917, 28 April – Batley News
218. 1917, 5 May – Batley News
219. 1917, 12 May – Batley News
220. 1917, 19 May – Batley News
221. 1917, 26 May – Batley News
222. 1917, 2 June – Batley New
223. 1917, 9 June – Batley News
224. 1917, 16 June – Batley News
225. 1917, 23 June – Batley News
226. 1917, 30 June – Batley News
227. 1917, 7 July – Batley News
228. 1917, 14 July – Batley News
229. 1917, 21 July – Batley News
230. 1917, 28 July – Batley News
231. 1917, 4 August – Batley News
232. 1917, 11 August – Batley News
233. 1917, 18 August – Batley News
234. 1917, 25 August – Batley News
235. 1917, 1 September – Batley News
236. 1917, 8 September – Batley News
237. 1917, 15 September – Batley News
238. 1917, 22 September – Batley News
239. 1917, 29 September– Batley News
240. 1917, 6 October – Batley News
241. 1917, 13 October – Batley News
242. 1917, 20 October – Batley News
243. 1917, 27 October – Batley News
244. 1917, 3 November – Batley News
245. 1917, 10 November – Batley News
246. 1917, 17 November – Batley News
247. 1917, 24 November – Batley News
248. 1917, 1 December – Batley News
249. 1917, 8 December – Batley News
250. 1917, 15 December – Batley News
251. 1917, 22 December – Batley News
252. 1917, 29 December – Batley News
253. 1918, 5 January – Dewsbury District News
254. 1918, 12 January – Dewsbury District News
255. 1918, 19 January – Batley News
256. 1918, 26 January – Batley News
257. 1918, 2 February – Batley News
258. 1918, 9 February – Batley News
259. 1918, 16 February – Batley News
260. 1918, 23 February – Batley News
261. 1918, 2 March – Batley News
262 1918, 9 March – Batley News
263. 1918, 16 March – Batley News
264. 1918, 23 March – Batley News
265. 1918, 30 March – Batley News
266. 1918, 6 April – Batley News
267. 1918, 13 April – Batley News
268. 1918, 20 April – Batley News
269. 1918, 27 April – Batley News
270. 1918, 4 May – Batley News
271. 1918, 11 May – Batley News
272. 1918, 18 May – Batley News
273. 1918, 25 May – Batley News
274. 1918, 1 June – Batley News
275. 1918, 8 June – Batley News
276. 1918, 15 June – Batley News
277. 1918, 22 June – Batley News
278. 1918, 29 June – Batley News
279. 1918, 6 July – Batley News
280. 1918, 13 July – Batley News
281. 1918, 20 July – Batley News
282. 1918, 27 July – Batley News
283. 1918, 3 August – Batley News
284. 1918, 10 August – Batley News
285. 1918, 17 August – Batley News
286. 1918, 24 August – Batley News
287. 1918, 31 August – Batley News
288. 1918, 7 September – Batley News
289. 1918, 14 September – Batley News
290. 1918, 21 September – Batley News
291. 1918, 28 September – Batley News
292. 1918, 5 October – Batley News
293. 1918, 12 October – Batley News
294. 1918, 19 October – Batley News
295. 1918, 26 October – Batley News
296. 1918, 2 November – Batley News
297. 1918, 9 November – Batley News
298. 1918, 16 November – Batley News
299. 1918, 23 November – Batley News
300. 1918, 30 November – Batley News
301. 1918, 7 December – Batley News
302. 1918, 14 December – Batley News
303. 1918, 21 December – Batley News
304. 1918, 28 December – Batley News
Electoral Registers 1918-1921
305. 1918 Batley Electoral Register, North Ward, Polling Districts A and B – Naval and Military Voters
Guest Contributions
306. Memories of Skelsey Row – by Brian Foley
Maps and Photographs
307. A Description of the Parish Boundaries
308. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
309. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
310. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
311. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
312. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933
Miscellany of Information
313. A Bitter-Sweet Remarriage
314. A Colliery Accident with Tragic Consequences
315. A Description of the Parish of St Mary of the Angels in 1950
316. A Grave Disturbance in Batley
317. A Part of St Mary of the Angels in Batley Cemetery
318. A “Peace” of Batley History
319. An Appeal to Ireland to Build a Catholic Church in Batley
320. A Potted Early History of the Irish in Batley, the Building of St Mary of the Angels Church, and the Parish Priest’s Fatal Accident
321. A St Mary’s Parishioner in the Holy Land
322. A St Mary’s School Sensation
323. A St Mary’s School Trip Souvenir
324. Batley’s Secret Irish Society and the Ammunition Seizure
325. Batley St Mary’s First Torchlight Procession
326. Batley St Mary’s Second Torchlight Procession
327. Buffalo Bill and A Right Royal Celebration for Batley’s Schoolchildren *NEW*
328. “Daddy’s Death and then Triplets”
329. Heritage Impact Assessment: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Convent, Batley
330. Hot-Cross Buns and the Yorkshire Tea-Cake Dilemma. Plus A Suggested Meal Planner for Batley Families in 1917
331. Into the Valley of Death – One of the Six Hundred
332. “I’ve Done it for Love” – A Batley Murder
333. St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church – 1929 Consecration Service
334. The Consequences of a Refusal to Work in 1918
335. The Controversial Role Played by St Mary’s Schoolchildren in the 1907 Batley Pageant
336. The Deaths of the Smallpox Hospital Caretakers
337. The Debate Over Grave-Diggers’ Holidays
338. The Earliest Published Account of Batley St Mary’s Church and Schools
339. The Great War: A Brief Overview of What Led Britain into the War
340. The Unholy row between St Mary’s Church and the Batley and Birstall Irish Clubs
341. Thomas Ate My Rat
342. William Berry – A Beautiful Voice Stilled
343. Willie and Edward Barber – Poems
Occupations and Employment Information
344. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
345. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
346. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
347. Occupations: Limelight Operator
348. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
349. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
350. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
351. Occupations: Rag Grinder
352. Occupations: Willeyer
School Log Books
353. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1913
354. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1914
355. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1915
356. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1916
357. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1917
358. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1918
359. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1919
360. Boys’ School – Log Book, 1920
361. Infant School – Log Book, 1913
362. Infant School – Log Book, 1914
363. Infant School – Log Book, 1915
364. Infant School – Log Book, 1916
365. Infant School – Log Book, 1917
366. Infant School – Log Book, 1918
367. Infant School – Log Book, 1919
368. Infant School – Log Book, 1920
369. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1913
370. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1914
371. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1915
372. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1916
373. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1917
374. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1918
375. Mixed Department – Log Book, 1919
376. Mixed Department- Log Book 1920
The Bulletin of St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick – Parish History Section
377. March 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
378. April 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
379. May 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
380. June 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
381. July 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
382. August 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
383. September 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
384. October 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
385. November 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
386. December 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
387. January 2024 Bulletin History Pieces
388. February 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
389. March 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
390. April 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
391. May 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
392. June 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
393. July 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
394. August 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
395. September 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
396. October 2025 Bulletin History Pieces
397. November 2025 Bulletin History Pieces *NEW*
The Families
398. A Death in the Church
399. St Mary’s Schoolboys Wreak Havoc in a Batley Graveyard
The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
400. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
401. 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips
402. 1925 May Queen: Agnes Judge
403. 1929 May Queen: Mary Collins
404. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
405. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
406. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
407. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
408. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
409. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
410. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps
411. 1951 May Queen Ceremony: Mary Harkin
412. 1952 May Queen Ceremony: Patricia Anne Cain *NEW*
World War Two
413. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
414. Thomas Egan
415. Michael Flatley
416. Frank Higgins
417. Edward Lynch
418. William Smith
419. Bernard Stenchion




