Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual I have put in bold the names of those connected to the parish who served with the military. And, as ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
St Mary’s parishioner Ellen Elizabeth Groark, sister of Memorial men Michael, James and Henry, was in the Local Police News column:
Batley Court-Monday
RECOGNISANCES BROKEN. —Ellen Elizabeth Groark, rag sorter Fleming Square, Batley, pleaded guilty to being drunk and riotous in Churchfield Street, Batley, on Sunday. —Constable Sugden said she also used bad language, and when she went into her house she commenced to break up the ornaments. —Inspector Ripley reported three previous convictions, and said that in December last she was bound over to abstain from liquor. She had previously broken her recognisances, and he suggested that in addition to any penalty the Bench might inflict, defendant should be made to enter into recognisances to be of good behaviour for another year. —She was fined 20s. and bound over in the sum of 20s. to keep the peace.
Others also featured including Michael Flatley, Ann Tulley and Michael Guider :
TO-DAY’S BATLEY POLICE.
For obscene language in Smithies Moor Lane, White Lee, Michael Flatley, piecener, 26, Ambler Street, and Percy Hey, beamer, 22, Woodwell Street, were fined 10s. 6d. each. They were severely reprimanded by the magistrates for giving wrong names to the police.
Ann Tulley, married woman, 44, Victoria Street, was summoned by Michael Guider, 39, Victoria Street, for obscene language. Complainant said he was standing at his door when the woman made use of bad language, He called Eliza Sharman as a witness. —Fined 20s.
The Death Notices contained the following:
HUNT. —On the 17th inst., aged 32 years, Catherine, wife of Martin Hunt, 29, Richmond Street.
In schools news:
War Savings in Batley Schools
War Savings week is an appropriate time to announce that the enthusiasm of Batley School children for war savings cards has resulted in the numbers issued at the various schools reaching the following totals….
St. Mary’s Girls 1….
This number was way behind some of the other totals. For instance Carlinghow had the following: Boys 35; Girls 27; Infants 40. And this was not untypical.
The news about serving St Mary’s men now started to come in this week – deaths, injuries and missing men:
In the War Office casualty lists one St Mary’s man, Martin Gallagher, appeared:
Batley. —M. GALLAGHER, K.O.Y.L.I.
Amongst the injured was John Foley:
Sergt. JOHN FOLEY, K.O.Y.L.I., son of Mr. John Foley, and brother of the late Pte. Tony [sic] Foley,1 Batley’s D.C.M., has been wounded in the right foot, but is now progressing favourably in a London hospital. He is 30 years of age, and before enlisting was a miner at Messrs. Critchley’s West End Colliery.
Families were also appealing for news about missing relatives, including the mother of Thomas William Chappell:
NEWS WANTED.
Mrs. Chappell, 14, Ward’s Hill, Batley, has heard nothing from her son, Corpl. Thomas Wm Chappell, of the 1/4th K.O.Y.L.I., for a fortnight, and, naturally, she is very anxious, especially as she has received a letter from one of the lad’s chums saying he is “sorry to hear of Thomas William’s death.”
Corpl. Chappell, who is 25 years old, worked in the dyehouse at Branch Mills (Messrs. J., T. and J. Taylor’s).
Any news of him will be gratefully received by his mother and family.
The Leonard family suffered a double blow with the death of their daughter Annie, and the reports that son Edward Leonard was missing:
HEAVY BLOW FOR A CARLINGHOW FAMILY
Son Missing and Daughter Dead
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard, of North Bank Road, Carlinghow, Batley, have suffered a double blow. Their daughter Annie died yesterday from (it is suspected) picric acid poisoning, and last night a wire was received to the effect that their son, Private Edward Leonard, who was in the heavy fighting on July 2nd, has not been seen since.
Private Leonard, who was in the West Yorkshire’s, was a single man, and before joining the Army acted as confidential clerk to Messrs. Bodenheim and Carlebach, rag merchants, Dewsbury.
Miss Annie Leonard, who was 24 years of age, went into the National Shell Factory at Garforth some time ago, but returned home on June 25th complaining of sickness. Her face was very yellow, as if she had been working amongst picric acid, and on Wednesday Dr. Fox was called in. A specialist was also consulted, but the young lady grew rapidly worse and died yesterday.
An inquest will be held next week.
And the family of Herbert Hardy, step-father of St Mary’s man Michael Cunningham, after over a year of awful uncertainty received the news they dreaded. Although, in the absence of any concrete information or body, there would still be that nagging doubt. The piece read:
PRIVATE HERBERT HARDY NOW REPORTED DEAD
Previously missing since the battle for Hill 60 official news has now been received of the death of Pte. Herbert Hardy, 31, Balk Street, Batley. Pte. Hardy, aged 39, had previous to this war served six years in the Army. He went through the Boer War and obtained a medal. He also possessed the coveted cross-guns for marksmanship. When this war broke out in 1914, he was on the National Reserve, and at once rejoined the Colours. He went to France with the 2nd K.O.Y.L.I., in April 1915, and was reported missing a month later. Since then Mrs. Hardy has made unsuccessful efforts to trace him. On Wednesday, however, in response to a letter, the War Office notified her that in the absence of further news, and considering the lengthy period her husband had been missing, the Army Council had regretfully concluded that he died on or about May 9th, 1915. She has received the usual expression of sympathy from the King and Queen.
Pte. Hardy was well-known in the district. He was son of the late Mr. Wm. Hardy, Dewsbury, who was for many years a foreman at Messrs. Oates’ mill. Deceased worked for Messrs. Midwood Bros., flock merchants, Dewsbury, in the dyehouse. He was also well-known in Batley. Sympathy will be felt with his widow, the mother of six children, who on the day she received the news of her husband’s death, also heard that her eldest son, Pte. Michael Cunningham, Duke of Wellingtons, had gone to the Front. The latter, 20 years of age, enlisted a month after his father. He was previously employed at Soothill Wood Colliery.
Footnotes:
1. Should read Thomas Foley.
PastToPresentGenealogy 