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.
Parishioner Francis Conlin was amongst a bunch of teenagers before the magistrates.
A SILLY AMUSEMENT.
Windows Broken at Valley Mills
Batley Lads Fined for Stone ThrowingAt Batley Court on Monday, six boys were charged with doing 8s. damage by breaking windows at Messrs. Wrigley and Parker Bros. Valley Mills. Defendants were Francis Conlin (17), hurrier, Upper Commercial Street; Shaw Crossland (16), piecener, Bankfoot Street; Herbert Heward (16), piecener, Bankfoot Street; Herbert Underhill (15), piecener, Wilson’s Buildings, Bradford Road; Copeland Hampston (14), 9, New Inn Yard; and John Read (15), hurrier, Bankfoot Street.
Heward, Hampston and Read pleaded “not guilty,” and the other three “guilty.”
Evidence was given by Wm. Phillips, Messrs. Wrigley and Parker’s night engineman, of 9, Churchfield Street, Batley, who said he was getting his supper at 9.20 p.m. on July 4th, when, on receipt of a message, he rushed into the yard and saw a gang of youths running away. He caught Hampston and told him he had been breaking windows, but the lad, although he admitted throwing stones, said he had not broken any windows. Witness handed him to Constable Davidson. The lad gave a wrong name and address. Twelve windows were broken.
Joseph Bennett, 15, Back Jacob Street, night foreman in the willeying department, said he was at supper when he heard several windows broken. He at once went to Phillips, who caught one of the boys.
Constable Davidson said he was on duty in Field Lane, when he saw a gang of youths leaving Valley Mill yard, and Phillips was holding one. Witness afterwards interviewed all of the defendants. Hampston said he gave a wrong name and address because he was afraid.
Heward said the night after the offence they all went to Mr. W. A. Parker’s house at Hanging Heaton to apologise, but he was out. “Three boys went up again,” added defendant, “and said we would pay for the damage.”
Conlin, on oath, said the three lads who had pleaded “not guilty” were innocent. There were four other boys concerned, but they had got off.
A letter testifying to Read’s good character was read from Mr. Milton Hirst, headmaster of Park Road School.
Inspector Ripley said there had been many complaints from Valley Mills respecting damage done there, and police had often been engaged in watching the premises.
The Chairman (Mr. W. H. Childe): It is a silly way of amusing yourselves. We don’t want to interfere with your natural bent so far as sport is concerned, but we must put a stop to doing damage. You will all be fined 10s. each, including damage and costs.
A footnote to this story. Francis Conlin was killed in a tragic accident in May 1941, after being knocked down by a lorry in the Hick Lane crossroads area of Batley
Batley Tribunal continued their deliberations about military exemptions. Two parishioners were mentioned – Michael Merriman and James Patrick Loftus.
BATLEY TRIBUNAL
The Claims of the Army and Industry in the Balance.
Over 100 Employees of Messrs. J., T. and J. Taylor Under Review.Batley Tribunal on Monday reviewed the exemption certificates of 108 employees of Messrs J., T. and J. Taylor, Ltd. Nineteen exemptions were withdrawn, four cases were adjourned and the remainder were granted temporary exemption to October 15th….
Temporary exemption to September 1st was granted in six new applications from Messrs. Taylors. The men concerned were:—
….Michael Merriman (24), single, Cii, oil recovery department.…
Messrs. Newsome, West and Co.’s Employees.
The exemptions of sixteen employees of Messrs. Newsome, West and Co., Staincliffe, were reviewed. Mr. W. H. Wigglesworth (one of the directors) represented the firm…
The following were given temporary exemption to October 15th:—
….J. P. Loftus (31), married, rejected, spinner…
These military service medical fitness classifications represented different levels of suitability for service. Cii meant Michael Merriman was free from serious organic diseases, able to stand service in garrisons at home, and was able to walk five miles, see and hear for ordinary purposes. James Patrick Loftus had previously been rejected for military service.
The Roll of Honour section included tributes from the family of Willie Barber on the first anniversary of his death:
BARBER. —In Ever Loving Memory of our dear brother, Private Willie Barber, 1st-4th K.O.Y.L.I., Killed in Action in France, July 22nd, 1916.
Sleep on, dear brother, in a soldier’s grave,
Your life for your country you nobly gave,
No loved ones near you to say good-bye,
But in God’s keeping you safely lie.
From his loving sister and brother, Effie and Joe.
And:
BARBER. —In Loving Memory of our dear son and brother, Private Willie Barber 1st-4th Batt. K.O.Y.L.I., Killed in Action Somewhere in France, July 22nd, 1916.
He went away in perfect health,
He looked so young and brave,
We little thought how soon he would
Be laid in a lonely grave.
Sleep on, dear lad, we shall never forget
The sacrifice thou gave;
Thy youth, thy love, aye, even thy life,
For what — why, a soldier’s grave.
Greater love hath no man than this, that
to lay down his life for his friends.
From Father, Mother, and Family, No. 3, Devon Street, Batley
Finally, in the In Memoriam section, the parents of War Memorial man Edward Leonard, remembered their daughter Annie 12 months after her death. She was a munitions worker at Barnbow who died from picric acid poisoning caused by her work with shells.
LEONARD. —In Loving Memory of Annie Leonard, daughter of William and Emma Leonard, died July 21st, 1916, North Bank Road, Batley.
“Thy will, O Lord, not mine.”
PastToPresentGenealogy 