This week’s Batley News contained several pieces relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual I have put in bold the names of those serving with the military. And, as ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
The Batley St Mary’s swimming team were in action again, amidst some controversy, and success.
BATLEY’S YOUNG SWIMMERS
Keen Contests for the Talbot Shield and Hirst Cup
Batley Public Baths were a scene of great excitement yesterday afternoon, when teams of young swimmers representing the elementary schools of the Borough competed for the silver shield presented by Mr. Edwin Talbot, J.P., C.C., and the handsome silver cup given by the late Councillor George Hirst, J.P., a former Mayor of Batley. The children from the respective schools attended to cheer on their champions, and every inch of space was crowded by spectators.
The judging was carried out by Mr. G. R. H. Danby. Director of Education, Councillor Aldam Greenwood, and Mr. Boshell, and Mr. C. Sedgbeer, instructor for the boys, acted as starter. The girls were in charge of Miss Greenwood, their instructress.
Ten teams entered for the Talbot Shield, but at the last moment Hanging Heaton withdrew. St. Mary’s R. C., Purlwell and Park Road won their heats in good style, and contested keenly in the final. The St. Mary’s lads swam splendidly, and finished first amid a storm of cheers, but unfortunately were disqualified owing to William Gallagher, who was placed No. 2, diving off before Thomas Leach (No. 1) had completed a length. It was a great disappointment, but the judges awarded the Shield to Purlwell, who finished second. It was also claimed that one or more of the St. Mary’s team had not exhibited the true breast stroke, and this departure from correct form was also noticed in other of the competing teams. In addition to receiving the shield, the Purlwell lads will each be the recipient of a silver medal.
Seven teams of girls competed for the Hirst Cup, and the final was entered by representatives of St. Mary’s R. C., Purlwell and Batley C. E. A keen struggle ended in the teams winning in the order named. Besides carrying off the cup, the Catholic girls each received a silver chain, pendant and brooch.
It is interesting to record the following previous successes: —Talbot Shield, Park Road School 7 times. St. Mary’s 5. Purlwell 4, Batley C.E. 2 and Mill Lane 1. Hirst Cup: Higher Grade, Batley C. E., Purlwell and St. Mary’s 5 times, Healey 2, and Park Road 1.
During the season now closing the number of certificates awarded is indicated in the following list:—Parish Church School, 26 boys and 22 girls, 17.2 per cent. of the number on the rolls: Brownhill, 5 boys, 2 girls, 5.3; Carlinghow Boys, 22, 11.0; Carlinghow Girls, 7, 4.0; Healey, 8 boys and 5 girls, 6.6; Park Road Boys 36, 14.9; Park Road Girls, 11, 5.5; Purlwell Boys, 33, 11.6; Purlwell Girls, 16, 5.6; St. Mary’s Boys, 44, 44.0; St. Mary’s Girls, 16, 4.8; Staincliffe C.E., 26 boys, 20 girls, 18.6; Warwick Road Boys, 14, 8.6; Warwick Road Girls, 8, 4.1; Gregory Street Girls 2, 1.8; Hanging Heaton, 7 boys, 3 girls, 6.5; Mill Lane, boys 17, girls 3, 9.2.
Details of swimming competition: —
TALBOT SHIELD.
First Heat. —1, St. Mary’s R. C., William Gallagher, John Phillips, Thomas Leach; 2, Staincliffe, James Ingham, Haigh Dufton, Lawrence South; 3, Carlinghow, A. H. North, L. Goodall, W. Longbottom.
Second Heat. —1, Purlwell, Isaac Jackson, Ronald Haigh, Arthur Brearley, Eric Hall;1 Mill Lane, Cyril Almond, Harry Ramsden, Stanley Lockyer; 3, Healey, Harry Gill, Geo. Tattersfield, Willie Garner.
Third Heat. —1, Park Road, Donald Buckley, James Buckley, A. N. Other; 2. Batley C.E., Will Ackroyd, Willie Wood, Harry Saville; 3, Warwick Road, Joe Lumb, G. W. Turton and Thomas Pratt.
Final. —1. St Mary’s (disqualified); 2. Purlwell; 3. Park Road.
HIRST CUP.
First Heat. —1, St. Mary’s R.C., Mary Daley, Teresa Lynch, May Hull; 2, Staincliffe, May Swallow, Mabel Oldroyd, Mary Ockerby.
Second Heat. —1, Purlwell, Olive Baines, Una Shaw, Alice Earnshaw; 2, Mill Lane, Elsa Senior, Alice Copley, Elsie Jones, Nellie Lumb.2
Third Heat. —1, Batley C.E., Lily Millman, Lizzie Gibson, Emily Robinson; 2, Park Road, Amy Kershaw, Ivy Kayman, Evelyn Pitt; 3, Warwick Road, Nancy Ward, Ruth Lumb, Evelyn Robinson.
Final. —1 St Mary’s, 2 Purlwell, 3 Parish Church
There was one death in the Family Notices column, where the funeral was conducted by a St Mary’s priest, as follows:
BATLEY
BLACK. —On 5th inst., aged 37 years, Christopher Black, W.R . Asylum, Wakefield.
A parishioner came before the magistrates:
TO-DAY’S BATLEY POLICE.
For failing to comply with the order of the Guardians to contribute 2s. a week towards the maintenance of his father, an inmate of Staincliffe Institution, Willie Maguire (21), colliery labourer and single, of Ambler Street, Batley, was summoned by Mr. Joseph Lister Sutton, Relieving Officer, Dewsbury. The order had been for 2s. per week and two other members of the family, who had been contributing, were now excused. An order for 3s. a week and costs was made.
A letter from Michael Manning, a prisoner of war, appeared in this week’s paper:
OUR PRISONERS-OF-WAR
A Batleyite Starving in Germany
(Special to the “News.”)
Seaman M. W. Manning, Royal Naval Division, of 39, Bradford Road, Batley, who formerly worked for Messrs. G. H. Hirst and Co., Ltd., writes a pathetic letter. He has been a prisoner in the hands of the Germans over three years, and is one of the unfortunate men who have been employed by the enemy on the Russian front. When his letter left a few weeks ago he was working at a sawmill in a wood, and the parcels of food sent for him by the Prisoners of War Committee were not reaching him regularly.
“For the last eight weeks,” he writes, “I have only received four parcels, and if they wish to starve me they are going the right way about it.”
The poor fellow evidently does not know that parcels are sent him every week. The fact that he is away from a camp – he says he is fifty miles in the interior – no doubt accounts for the irregular delivery of food which is dispatched for him from London.
We are doing everything for him that can be done on this side.
The final piece for this week was the news of the death of Pte Matthew Farrar.
BATLEY SOLDIER DIES OF WOUNDS
A Native of New Street Whose Mother Resided There 70 Years.
Private Matthew Farrar (36), Border Regiment, whose mother now resides with her daughter, Mrs. P. Travis, at 8, Woodwell Street, Batley, has died of wounds in a casualty clearing station in France. The information is conveyed to his mother in a letter from the Sister-in-Charge, who writes: “It is with much regret I tell you that your son died in this hospital a short time after admission on October 3rd. Your poor lad had sustained fatal wounds in the head and leg, and was quite hopeless.” This message was confirmed on Tuesday by receipt of the official notification from the War Office.
Pte. Farrar was formerly employed at Messrs. J., T. and J. Taylor’s Blakeridge Mills. A few years ago, however. He went to Canada, returning home at Christmas, 1913, after a stay of 17 months. Since then he had been employed as a cloth finisher at Messrs. G. H. Hirst and Co.’s Alexandra Mill. He joined the Forces in August, 1916, and went to France last January. He was connected with St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
His mother, who has several grandsons with the Forces (one of whom has been killed), is 71 years of age, and has lived in New Street for 70 years.
Footnote:
1. Four boys were named for Purlwell, and four girls for Mill Lane Girls.
Past To Present Genealogy 