Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper. The names of parishioners serving in the military are in bold.
Three parish deaths featured in the Family Notices column.
BATLEY
COLLINSON. —On 10th inst., aged 65 years, Alice, wife of Thomas Collinson, Taylor Street.
MANNING. —On 12th inst., aged 62 years, Bridget, wife of Martin Manning, George’s Terrace.
LANG. —On 13th inst., aged 47 years, James Lang, 3, Bunker’s Lane.
On Monday, Michael Cafferty appeared before the Batley Borough Court magistrates.
For being drunk and incapable in Cemetery Road on Saturday night, Michael Cafferty, Mill employee, of Sheards Fold, Wellington Street, Batley, against whom there were four previous convictions for similar offences, was fined 10s.
Two 10-year-old parishioners were in the Children’s Court on Monday, charged with rabbit stealing. Though not named in the newspaper, I have identified them as Edward Daly, son of James Daly; and Patrick Howley, son of Michael Howley.
STOLEN RABBITS. —In the Children’s Court a 10-years-old boy, of Churchfield Street, pleaded guilty to stealing two Dutch rabbits, value 2s. each, from Armitage Colbeck (14) of Zion Street, Batley. A New Street lad of 10 admitted receiving one of the rabbits, knowing it to have been stolen.—Complainant kept tame rabbits in the back-yard, and they were quite secure on December 1st, but when he went on Saturday, two were missing, a hole being found in the netting large enough to admit a boy’s hand.—When interviewed by Constable Wade, the Churchfield Street boy admitted stealing one rabbit last Thursday and the other the following day. His New Street friend showed him where they were and “shaded” him while he got them. Afterwards he gave him one, and the boy sold it again for 6d. The ten-years-old boy when charged with receiving the stolen rabbit admitted the offence and said “I thought I would like some rabbits as I had had some before. I drew his attention to them, and he said ‘Let’s pinch them,’ and I said I didn’t care if we did. He got one on Thursday and the other on Friday, and I was tempted to have one.” This lad’s father, who attended in khaki, said his boy had not admitted the offence to him, though he had questioned and thrashed him. He added “There has been more trouble since I joined the Army than ever before. I can’t understand it. It isn’t giving me much encouragement after 26 months in France.”—Inspector Ripley said this boy had twice previously been convicted.—Mr. W. J. Ineson: I quite appreciate what the father says, and I sympathise with him.—The Mother: I think the boy must have got into bad company at picture palaces. I have nothing else to blame for it.—Mr. A. W. Taylor: Why don’t you keep him away from them?—I do when I can.—The actual thief was bound over on probation for 12 months and ordered to pay costs, while the recipient was ordered six strokes of the birch, the probation officer promising to keep an eye on him.
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