Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
One parishioner found herself before the local magistrates. Although the newspaper spelling was Catherine Garenr, I suspect this is an error and the surname should read Garner.
UNSHADED LIGHTS.
Fines for Breaches of the Regulations at…Batley.Offences under the Lighting Regulations continue to be dealt with in the Police Courts.
At Batley Borough Court on Monday Catherine Garenr, rag sorter, Spa Street, was summoned for a breach of the Defence of the Realm Order as to lights, and was presented by her father.
Constable Pickles said that at 3 a.m. on Monday, August 28th, he was in Commercial Street with Sergt. Tomlinson, when he saw a brilliant light shining in Spa Street. He went to then house and found the door open and a gaslight burning. There was also a light in the bedroom and no blind down. He knocked at the door and there was no answer. Several minutes later defendant came out of an adjoining house. When told she would be reported, she made an insulting remark and banged the door.
Sergt. Tomlinson supported the constable’s statement. There was a noise of two women and a man quarrelling next door. There was a young man going way to France, and there had been drinking and carrying on. —Asked why his daughter had not appeared, the father said she was working, but suffered from heart disease.
The Magistates inflicted a fine of 6s.
What the report fails to mention is Catherine’s brother, James, was one of those missing in action on 1 July 1916, the opening of the Battle of the Somme. The family at this stage did not know his fate. His death was not officially notified until 1917.
Batley Insurance Committee met to look at a special report on the “appalling increase” in the Borough of those suffering tuberculosis, with 215 cases registered in Batley. These included 32 (14 per cent of the total) being in the densely populated centre of town from Hick Lane along Bradford Road, up Branch Road, Upper Commercial Street, New Street, Wellington Street to the bottom of Hick Lane. Another area where it was prevalent was:
CROSS BANK AND CARLINGHOW.
If we turn to the fourth district —Cross Bank and Carlinghow, as far as Carlinghow Lane and Carlinghow Hill —we find there are 32 cases from this neighbourhood, of these 28 being from Cross Bank proper, that is the district round the Catholic Church and including Victoria Street, again the district where are situated the cheapest class of houses.
Past To Present Genealogy 