These are the history pieces which appeared in the Batley St. Mary of the Angels and Birstall St. Patrick’s bulletin during January 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 a 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.
03/04 January 2026
On 4 January 1950, 160 Birstall St. Patrick’s pupils were recalled to school to receive gift parcels from the Australian Food for Britain Organisation. The intention was for these goodies to have been distributed before Christmas, but delivery was delayed. However, if the children were expecting them to be full of sweets, toys and treats, they were to be sorely disappointed. Given out by Fathers J. W. Moloney and B. O’Reilly, each parcel weighed 6lbs and contained one-pound tins of dripping, cheese, beef and steak, a packet of pastry mixture and a 2lb tin of apricots. At a time of rationing, these would have been a really welcome addition to the family food pantry, though perhaps less of a delight to the little recipients.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
10/11 January 2026
This week in 1952 St. Mary’s Amateur Operatic Society received praise for their production of the musical “A Country Girl”. Produced and directed by Miss E. Sharpe, singing honours went to Nora Riordan, playing Marjorie, whose voice was described as rich, very melodious and reaching a high standard of tone and quality. Marie Judge, as Nan, sang delightfully and was full of energy. Peter Sheridan, as Barry, shone for his easy style of comedy. Others in the main cast were Jim Predergast, Leonard Moore, Joseph Kelly, Kathleeen Munns and Moira Kelly. The supporting cast included Kathleen Ashwell, Norman Riley, Michael O’Hara, Jack Mann, Nellie Moore, Eileen Walker, Frank Scanlon and Peter O’Hara. The chorus included Agnes Moran, Kathleen Sheridan, Margaret Grace, Bernard Talbot, Gerald Walford, Joe Armstead, Peter Senior and Peter O’Hara. Dancers included Jean Gooder, Emmie Sharpe, Kathleen Scally, Eileen Talbot, Rita Stubley and Stella Whelan.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
17/18 January 2026
Though influenza and the common cold were waning in Birstall this week as compared to the previous fortnight, many were still indisposed. It meant that a concert in aid of St. Patrick’s church on Sunday evening, 22 January 1933, was only sparsely attended. Attendance at Mass on the past two mornings had been extraordinarily small for the same reason, with an estimated 250 parishioners affected by colds and “flu.”
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
24/25 January 2026
On 25 January 1915, 69-year-old Mary Leach (née Halligan) died. Born in County Mayo, she came to England when aged 6. A prominent figure amongst the Batley Irish community, at the time of her death she was the oldest licensee in town with experience dating back to 1868. She was the long-time landlady of the Foresters Arms, situated off Commercial Street, which she ran with her husband John. She took over the license in her own name after his death in 1894. “Owd Mary” as she was known, was something of a character. Although she let customers know she was “the boss”, geniality always permeated her commands, and during her nearly half-a-century association with the trade she never had a black mark against her. In fact, a former police superintendent once declared that Mrs. Leach was as good as six policemen in the Churchfield Street district of Batley. She left one surviving son, three daughters, 36 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Father McBride officiated at her funeral.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
31 January/01 February 2026
As January 2001 drew to a close, many local Catholic schools were facing the future with a clean financial slate. Earlier that month, to mark the end of the Jubilee Year, the Rt. Rev. David Konstant, Bishop of Leeds, cancelled all school building debts owed by Roman Catholic Schools in the Diocese, amounting to almost £2 million. In his letter, he explained that unpayable debt was a great evil which led to terrible hardship and quickly spiralled out of control. It meant that St. Mary’s school no longer owed the diocese its debt of about £1,500, whilst St. John Fisher had its debt of between £10,000 and £20,000 wiped clean. St. Patrick’s had no debts.
Jane Roberts – Parish Historian, Website: https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk
Past To Present Genealogy 