This is the round-up of news about St Mary’s parishioners from the 14 December 1918 edition of the Batley News. As ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
There was one parish death in the Family Notices:
BATLEY
Higgins. —Dec. 5, aged 2 months, Eileen, daughter of Joseph Higgins, 16, Back Richmond Street
The General Election took place on 14 December 1918, the first in which women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification could vote, along with all men over the age of 21. Who would get the Batley Irish vote was discussed.
The Irish to Vote for Mr. Turner
At the meeting in Cross Bank Roman Catholic School, Mr. John Deasy, president of the Batley Irish National League Club, who occupied the chair, said he had great faith in the Labour Party as distinct from the Socialist Party. As to the question of Ireland, he had received a telegram from Mr. T. P. O’Connor urging Irishmen in the constituency to vote for the Labour candidate. He estimated the Irish vote in the constituency at 2,500, and in his opinion that figure would represent the majority in the election. Up to this election Mr. Gerald France had been a loyal and consistent supporter of the Liberal Party Home Rule, but now that he claimed to be in favour of Home Rule for three provinces of Ireland and said Ulster “should be allowed to please herself,” local supporters of the Irish movement had no option but to throw in their vote for Mr. Ben Turner, and hoped their efforts would bear fruit. [Applause.]
The final piece this week was a court case.
DEWSBURY CONSTABLE ASSAULTED
Batley Rag Sorter’s Bad Record
Ellen Elizabeth Groark (21), rag sorter, 7, Fleming Square, Batley, pleaded guilty at Dewsbury Borough Court on Tuesday to a charge of having been drunk and disorderly and assaulting the police. At 9.40 on Saturday night Constable Hutton found the woman in a drunken condition in Union Street. He spoke to her about her conduct, and asked her to go away, but she declined, and was taken into custody. On the way to the police station she indulged in bad language, and struck the Constable in the mouth.
The Chief Constable said there were four previous convictions against defendant.
The Chairman said it was a great pity to see one so young in the dock. She would be fined 28s. 6d.
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