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.
Another St Mary’s parishioner, John Thomas Brannan, featured amongst the list of prisoners of war following the German Spring Offensive.
A Batley Catholic Reports “Quite Well”.
“I am quite well,” writes John Thos. Brannan (32), 2nd Yorks. and Lancs., in informing his wife, who lives at 36, Peel Street, Batley, that he is a prisoner. He was captured on March 21st, and passed through Limburg clearing station. He was brought up at Cross Bank Roman Catholic Church and Schools, and played with St. Mary’s Football Club. When he enlisted he was a miner at Batley Collieries and a member of the Irish National League Club.
This week a parishioner was sent to prison:
John Daley (47), a Batley miner, was at Dewsbury Borough Court on Saturday sent to prison for 14 days for refusing to work whilst an inmate of a Staincliffe Institution. The master (Mr. I. L. Lonsdale) and an attendant said Daley was admitted to the Infirmary last March, and for a short time was under Dr. Fitton, who later certified him capable of doing light work. Last Friday Daley was taken to the laundry to do some light work, but he refused. The Master added that the authorities had had previous trouble with defendant, whose excuse at Court was that three months ago he fell from a ladder and was not fit for work.
On Thursday the King and Queen visited Batley. The Rev. Fr. Lee was amongst a select group of Batley citizens presented to, and shaking hands with, the Royal couple at the Town Hall. Also invited to the Town Hall to witness the presentations were Mr. J. Deasy of the Irish National League Club, and his wife.
Away from Royal visits, less glamorous matters also occupied John Deasy this week. He was a Batley member on the Dewsbury Board of Guardians, whose responsibilities extended to the operation of the local poor law, including Dewsbury Union Workhouse and the attached Infirmary, which was operating as a Base Hospital for wounded servicemen. The newspaper documented two of his contributions. The first, about a shortage in tobacco supplies at the Base Hospital, seems surprising with today’s smoking restrictions.
Mr. J. Deasy (Batley) said the contractor for tobacco, Mr. J. Walker, of Liversedge, was unable to supply the full quantity ordered. The Stores Committee was receiving only 3lbs. per week instead of 6lbs. He moved that the Master be instructed to purchase the weekly deficiency in the open market.
Mr. J. Crowther (Morley) seconded, and the motion was adopted.
The other involvement was:
A lengthy report of a special meeting of the Association of Poor Law Unions, held in London, and attended by Mr. G. Blacker and the Clerk, was included in the printed minutes.
Mr. Deasy, in moving a vote of thanks to those gentlemen, said it was a good report of a day’s work where nothing was done. (Laughter.) There would be about 700 delegates at the meeting – a costly business – and the only practical outcome was the urging of the Executive Council to proceed with the preparation of a general scheme for submission six months hence. He criticised the constitution of the Council, which consisted of ministers of religion, clerks to Guardians, and landowners, without a single representative of labour. He hoped in November there would be a real change in the composition of the Coucil. When he read the report he felt sorry the representative of that Board had not said something to show that Dewsbury was still to the fore in the matter of Poor Law administration.
The Rev. F. Mitchell seconded the resolution, which was acknowledged by Mr. Blacker and the Clerk.
The Batley Tribunal met the previous Friday afternoon to consider military exemptions, including 28-year-old Richard Kelly, of 32, Victoria Street. A spinner medically classed as Grade 2 for military service, he was given grace until 1 July.
Past To Present Genealogy 