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.
A marital dispute was played out in Batley Police Court :
OH! THOSE QUEUES!
Batley Miner “Brays” His Wife for Not Making a Better Dinner
“He said I had a dinner not fit for a pig, and I had stood an hour in a queue in rain for it,” complained Bridget Donegan, East Street, Batley, who in the Batley Police Court to-day asked for a separation order against her husband. Patrick Donegan, miner, Balk Street, on the ground of his persistent cruelty. Defendant did not appear.
Mrs. Donegan said on February 20th her husband thumped her and “brayed” her head against the wall, because she remonstrated with him for hitting their eldest daughter. He then turned her out, and when she returned he told her to clear out again. She was getting frightened of him. He once threw a jug of water over her and repeated the assault after she had changed her clothes.
Mr. Whitworth Taylor (for Mr. H. Whitfield) said defendant had offered to pay his wife 15s. a week. He would not attend Court as he said “he did not want showing up.”
The Bench granted a separation order, and ordered defendant to pay costs and allow his wife 25s. a week. Mrs. Donegan to have the custody of the children.
Another parishioner was in court this week.
John Hannan, Borough Road, Batley, with 23 previous convictions, was ordered to pay 19s. 6d. for having been drunk and disorderly on February 24th.
Finally for this week, the Family Notices column contained a death linked to the parish, with the funeral being conducted by Fr Lea. Widow (Mary) Emma Clissitt had been a housekeeper and domestic servant at the presbytery for over three decades, including for Fr Lea.
Clissitt. —March 2, aged 85, Emma Clissitt, died in St. George’s Home, Leeds.
Past To Present Genealogy 