These are the history pieces which appeared in the Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick’s bulletin during August 2025. As the parishes are jointly administered and a single bulletin produced, the history pieces are not solely focused on St Mary of the Angels, although St Patrick’s was not formed as s separate parish until 1905. Prior to that it was part of St Mary’s.
As part of the St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study I have written in more detail about some of these events, and where this is the case the link to the fuller piece is included.
02/03 August 2025
On Friday 08 August 1903 a letter from St. Mary’s Parish Priest Father Lea and his curate Father Russell was published in the Dublin Leader defending their part in the dispute between the parish and the Batley and Birstall branches of the Irish National League Club. Staunch teetotaler Father Russell preached about the curse of the demon drink and, within 6 months of his October 1902 arrival in Batley, had secured over 1,000 temperance pledges. Taking it further, he and Father Lea wished to prohibit the sale of intoxicating drink on Sundays and limit Sunday opening hours, with the assertion that broken hearted mothers and wives had approached them about their sons and husbands spending all their money in the two clubs, which they went to on Sunday morning instead of going to mass. The priests had overwhelming support from their parishioners and the numbers attending mass swelled as a result of their anti-drink campaign.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
To read more about the summer of 1903 dispute between the parish and the Batley and Birstall Irish National League Clubs please click here.
09/10 August 2025
The incessant rain on the morning of Saturday 11 August 1951 meant the St. Patrick’s garden party and sports event planned at the Smithies Moor Lane sports field for the afternoon was shifted at the last minute to the schoolrooms. The children’s sports had to be abandoned, but the event included games, competitions, and displays by Kilmurry’s Irish Rovers Pipe Band. Stallholders included Hilda Power, Kathleen Taylor and Teresa Maguire (flower stall); Mrs. T. Prendergast (hoop-la); Miss J. Taylor (brandy snap); Mrs. M. Buckingham and Mrs. A. Blanchfield (treasure hunt); Mrs. L. Smith (ice-cream) and Mrs. B. Duffy (bran tub). It was rounded off in the evening with a “crazy night” arranged by the Children of Mary at which there were more games and novelty dancing.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
16/17 August 2025
On the afternoon of Saturday 17 August 1907, 400 St Mary’s school children accompanied by six nuns, six teachers and the wives of those men from the parish’s Catholic Children’s Treats Committee who organized the trip, boarded 12 wagonettes bound for Roundhay Park. On their arrival tea was served and sports events followed. Those not participating in the sports played games or were taken to the lake. Each child who attended was presented with a special commemorative plate, as a reminder of the first ever annual outing away from the parish area for the children of St Mary’s school.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
For more details about this event, including a photograph of the commemorative plate, please click here.
23/24 August 2025
At around 6am on the foggy morning of 22 August 1914 Private Austin Nolan of the local Territorials, the 1st/4th King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was killed whilst guarding the Steel Tubular Bridge over the River Trent. The bridge was on the Great Northern main railway line at Newark and, whilst walking along it, Private Nolan was hit by train which killed him instantly. His body was returned home for burial in Batley cemetery on the afternoon of Tuesday, 25 August 1914, the first military funeral of the First World War to be held there. He is commemorated on the St. Mary’s War Memorial behind the altar rails.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
Austin Nolan’s detailed biography can be found here.
30/31 August 2025
At the end of August 1944, the children of St Patrick’s Infants’ School said good-bye to their teacher Miss Margaret O’Carroll. Born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, she was described as one of their most efficient and popular teachers. It was reported that she intended returning to Ireland after being at the school for 26 years.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
Past To Present Genealogy 