Edward VII.
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22nd January - DEATH OF QUEEN VICTORIA.
Parish Magazine - OVER 1,000 PEOPLE IN SKELTON CHURCH -
The Queen died at Osborne House, Isle of Wight. The body remaining there till February 1st, when it was conveyed to Windsor, the funeral being a military one, taking place on the 2nd.
The body finally placed in the mausoleum by the side of the late Prince Consort.
2nd February - On Saturday at 2 o'clock the time fixed for the funeral of our late beloved Queen the Memorial Service
was held in our Parish Church.
The shops were closed and the mines rested and by general consent the day was observed as a day of rest and quiet.
The bells rang a muffled peal, the minute bell being to toll clear every other round for an
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hour before the service.
The Church proved too small to contain all who wished to enter, some hundreds we are told failing to secure admission.
On the Church doors being opened, the seats were speedily filled, except those reserved for the Urban Council, Volunteers,
Church Lads Brigade, Free Gardeners, Oddfellows and Shepherds [Lingdale]. It is estimated not less than 1,000 persons were
present during the service.
29th January - NORTH SKELTON BAND.
A Brass Band has been formed in connection with the Hope to Prosper Miners' Lodge, North Skelton and had its first parade on Saturday.
2nd February - LETTER FROM SCHOOL LAD.
Dear Daddy Wiseman,
I am 12 years of age and I should very much like to become a member of your Family Circle, in which I take a great interest, as my father takes the Whitby Gazette every week.
I am in the 6th Standard at the Stanghow Lane Boys School and I like my teacher very much.
I also attend the Wesleyan Sunday School, having received many prizes for regularity. We are going to have a magic lantern by Mr Earl of Redcar on Wednesday in the above place of worship.
We have 6 hens and we had a pig, but we killed it a few weeks before Christmas. It weighed 20 stones.
From your loving son.
William Robert Snaith, 39 Park Street, Skelton in Cleveland.
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5th February - TWO YOUNG GIRLS ATTEMPT SUICIDE.
Sarah Cooper and Martha Smith were placed in the dock at Guisborough Police Court before Mr W H A Wharton and other magistrates.
They were charged that on the 4th inst, in the Parish of Skelton, they had taken laudanum with intent to commit suicide.
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Emily Richardson, of Skelton, stated that last Saturday night she was in company with the two girls, when they told her that they would go down the fishpond to drown themselves.
She told them not to do it.
Yesterday Sarah showed her a full bottle of laudanum, labelled 'Poison'
She also showed Emily a letter, written to her mother, in which she stated that she was forced to poison herself, as she was tired of her life.
Martha Smith was with her and said she was going to do the same, but she gave no reason.
Phoebe Ann Cooper, the wife of John Cooper, 47, of Coral Street, Lingdale, stated that Martha was staying at her house and yesterday morning she and her daughter, Sarah, told her that they were
going to Redcar to enquire about a situation.
She did not see them again till 6 p.m., when she saw them both standing at the yard door.
Her youngest daughter showed her an empty bottle, from which they had taken laudanum.
Dr Stephenson of Boosbeck said that he was called in about 6.30 and found the two young women suffering from opium poisoning.
He gave them emetics and adopted other remedies, which brought them round.
They were both very ill, but Sarah Cooper was the worst.
The bottle was produced in Court and would have held one ounce of laudanum, half of which was more than sufficient for a fatal dose.
The girls were committed to York Assizes for trial.
The result of that trial is not presently known. They would seem to be the same two girls who were fined for brambling on 7th September of this year, so perhaps all ended well.
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Herbert William Knaggs who lived at 30 Cleveland St in 1901.
[Contributed by his Grandson, John Knaggs]
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7th February - SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.
The Ratepayers of Skelton and District were keenly engaged in the election of a School Board for Skelton and Stanghow.
The district is a wide one and includes 9 villages, so the taking of a complete poll in stormy weather is difficult, but booths have been placed in the most convenient centres.
The poll closed at 8 p.m. and the ballot boxes removed to the Drill Hall, Skelton [bottom of Green Rd].
The result announced at 10 p.m.-
Elected - Thomas Petch, Farmer, Barns Farm, 1098.
George Whitbread, Deputy Overman, Lingdale, 904.
Alfred Willow, Miner, Skelton, 963.
Thomas Ranson, Mines Manager, N Skelton, 785.
James Thompson, Under Manager, Margrove Park, 734.
Rev J L Ellis, Rector, 654.
James Braithwaite, Deputy, Boosbeck, 620.
Not elected - Thomas Shepherdson, Miner, N Skelton. Isaac Scarth, Gentleman, Stanghow.
R T Wilson, Platelayer, New Skelton. William Cawthorne, Stores Manager, Boosbeck.
George Fox, Tailor and Draper, Skelton. Rev A F Chappell, retired.
18th February - MINERS' CONCERT AT NORTH SKELTON.
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On Saturday, under the auspices of the North Skelton Lodge of the Cleveland Miners' Association, a concert was given in the Institute for the benefit of Mr R Bell's orchestral band.
The Committee have been indebted to this band for free assistance at their several concerts and social evenings.
Mr Joseph Toyn presided over a large attendance.
Two very fine overtures were played by Mr J W Walker of North Skelton, while Mr R Bell played a Violin solo.
Mr G B Hobbs, of Saltburn readings; Vocalists Mr J R Cole, Mrs Todd, Miss R Todd and Miss Burnell of North Skelton; and others performed with Miss Todd at the pianoforte.
23rd February - ELECTRICITY WILL BE CHEAPER THAN GAS.
A special meeting of Skelton and Brotton Council voted not to oppose a Bill in Parliament promoted by the Cleveland and Durham Electric Power Supply Company.
The Company did not wish to create a monopoly or interfere with the rights of Councils.
They intended to lay down generating plant in Durham and Cleveland, which would be the latest improved machinery to supply Electricity at the rate of 3d per unit.
28th February - BESSIE WHARTON OF SKELTON CASTLE PLEADS FOR THE LADS IN THE BOER WAR.
Sir,
FOR THE FRONT.
May I again appeal through the your columns to the ladies of Cleveland who are already sending comforts to the soldiers at the the front.
I hear from various sources of the great need for helmets, socks, comforters and shirts, as the cold weather is now coming in South Africa.
I most earnestly appeal to the wives and mothers of Cleveland to help those who have so long borne the burden.
31st March. - NATIONAL CENSUS.
The population of the Urban District of Skelton and Brotton was 13,240.
The area of the urban district was 4310 acres, with a rateable value of £63,354.
Totals for each village were:-
Boosbeck and Lingdale 3001.
Stanghow 1220.
Brotton 3323.
Kilton 445.
Moorsholm 446.
The total for Skelton was 4796.
This breaks down into:-
Old Skelton - 1529.
Skelton Green - 1578.
North Skelton - 1244.
New Skelton - 445.
The census produced the following statistics.
In 1901 there was no one in Skelton over 90 years of age and only 7 people over 80.
The oldest person was 87.
In fact, only 81 people [1.5%] were over the age of 70 and [one of these was 74 and still working down the Ironstone mine.]
A third of the population was under the working age of 13.
There were approximately 1200 working men in Skelton at this time and 978 of these were employed at the local Ironstone mines.
There has been a myth in this area that many of these miners originated from the failing tin mines of Cornwall, but the statistics do not
bear this out.
Only 38 people [0.7%] of both sexes were born in Cornwall.
Whereas, there were 174 residents who gave Norfolk as their place of birth and over 300 from East Anglia as a whole.
Presumably poor agricultural wages and increased farm mechanisation there and the promise of definite work and housing
in this area drove them to uproot.
219 people had been born in County Durham.
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4 South Tce. Military Convalescent Home
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The mine managers and overseers tended to be those who had earlier experience of the coal mines.
51 females were registered as Dressmakers with 14 people as Boot and Shoe makers and 16 working in drapery.
There were public entertainments at Skelton Institute and elsewhere and, lodging with local families, there were 11 actors and actresses as well as 2 musicians.
98 people were listed as Servants, but these included farm workers who were living in.
4 policemen were named.
165 persons were registered as Boarders.
CONVALESCENT HOME.
For Boer War soldiers, wounded in the War and requiring recover after operations.
At 4 South Terrace, Skelton.
The matron in 1901 was a Scotswoman, Mable French.
She lived there with her husband Tom, a blacksmith, and their adopted daughter, Edith Martin age 2.
There were eight patients at this time :-
Tom Thursgood of York, age 23, serving with the 9th Lancers.
Walter Watson of Leeds, age 24, with the 2nd West Yorks Regiment.
Fred Jones from Staffordshire, age 30, with the 19th Prince of Wales Own.
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Rigwood, Saltburn Lane, Skelton.
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Arthur Jones, from Dewsbury, age 22, with the Kings R Rifles.
Charlie Palmer of Cambridgeshire, age 26, with the Army Ordnance Corps.
Arthur Clements of Guisborough, age 21, with the 19th Prince of Wales
Own.
Jim Horan of Northumberland, age 36, with the Northumberland Fusiliers.
Tom Hawkey of Cornwall, age 32, serving with the 2nd West Yorks.
RIGWOOD was occupied at this time by Edward Hamilton, a bachelor aged 44, who was land agent to Skelton Castle
Estate.
In the national census of this year he classed himself as a
"Gentleman". He occupied Rigwood with 2 single aunts, Elizabeth and
Augusta Dyason. They had 6 servants:-
Annie Hardwick, 30 year old cook;
Eliza Taylor of Boulby, parlourmaid, aged 32;
Annie Sanderson of Grinkle, housemaid, aged 22;
Betsy Sanderson of Grinkle, kitchenmaid, aged 19;
Henry Surtees of Norton, coachman, aged 30 and Richard Smytheyman of
Redcar, groom, aged 27.
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Farmworkers houses, High St, Skelton.
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Surtees lived in Rigwood Cottage with his wife
Annie from Cumberland and their two babies. Smytheyman was a boarder with them.
The houses pictured, 137 to 145 High St, were built at Home Farm by the Whartons of Skelton Castle for their
farmworkers, about the same time as the Wharton Arms, 1878.
They appear on the census for 1881.
In 1901 the farm house to the right was occupied by the Farm Bailiff, Jeremiah Wilks from Castleton, a widower age 66 and his daughter
Ellen.
Number 143 by George Bannister from Suffolk, a waggoner age 39, with his wife and 5 children.
141 by John Hudson of Loftus, a cartman age 48, with his wife and daughter.
139 by Alonzo Tate, a horseman age 53, with his wife and 4 children.
137 by Thomas Wood of Borrowby, a shepherd age 46, with his wife and 7 children.
John Beagarie of Richmond, aged 22, is boarding at Bridge House Guisborough Rd with head gamekeeper, William Agar and his wife.
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Estate farmworkers pay office,
Home Farm. High St, Skelton.
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He is a
"Wesleyan Evangelist lay preacher."
SKELTON CASTLE was occupied by William H A Wharton, aged 48, his wife Elizabeth aged 46 and their daughter Margaret aged 6. They had 20 servants in the castle:-
Butler - Frederick Stonor, aged 37 from Holborn,
Middlesex.
Valet - Dennis Toyn, aged 33 from Rosedale.
Governess - Celia C Hood, aged 21 from Kirkby Fleetham,
Yorks.
Housekeeper - Jessie C Collins, aged 43 from Stovington,
Sussex.
Lady's maid - Sarah J Lewis, aged 30 from Ricardine Glos.
Cook - Lilly Winnall, aged 27 from Bradford.
4 Housemaids - Janet Messer, aged 33. Mary Foster, aged
25 from Stockton. Mary Trevor, aged 24 from Malton. Jane Blenkinsopp,
aged
20 from Stockton.
2 Kitchenmaids - Mary Mclow, aged 25 from Berwick and
Mary A Leadsome, aged 22 from Penby, Salop.
Scullerymaid - Eliza Mothersill, aged 17 from Stockton.
3 Laundrymaids - Eleanor Pritchard, aged 33 from Reading,
Berks. Ellen Millington, aged 22 from Flint. Florence Blackwell, aged
17 from Sheffield.
Schoolroom Maid - Jessie Greenwell, aged 19 from Dudley,
Worcs.
2 Footmen - John Mellor, aged 29 from Ireland and Daniel
Livingstone, aged 19 from Scotland.
Hallboy - John J Elliott, aged 14 from Nenthead,
Cumberland.
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47 residents gave their occupation as teacher or assistant teacher. Many of these were still in their teens.
5th May - SGT ARMSTRONG. Parish Magazine -
On Sunday morning there passed away one whose familiar figure was well known in Skelton.
As verger of the Parish Church for 17 years, Sergeant Armstrong was well known by nearly everybody.
In earlier life he had reached the rank of Sergeant in the Royal Artillery and served with his regiment in the Crimean War.
He was on duty up to the last.
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7th May - CHURCH LAD'S BRIGADE - A meeting was held in the Church Rooms on Tuesday to form a detachment for
Skelton of our Company of the C.L.B.
The military name and organisation do not mean that the brigade "is playing at soldiers". They have a more serious purpose -
teaching the great lessons of order, obedience, discipline voluntarily submitted to and to turn out into the world strong, true, upright, Christian men.
The Squire took the chair. Some members of the Boosbeck detachment, in uniform, were present with their officers.
It was decided to limit the number to 25 or 30 members, who will be chosen out of the recruits for enrolment in about
6 week's time after a certain number of recruit drills have been held.
Proficiency in drill, attendance and behaviour will secure the first places.
Recruit drill is held in the Church rooms on Tuesday evenings at 7.30.
21st May- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN NORTH SKELTON.
At the Guisborough Police Court, James William Atkinson, a miner, was charged in custody with an aggravated assault on his wife, Sophia on the 30th March.
Sophia said that she was his second wife and had only recently married him.
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Atkinson had no excuse to offer and was fined £2 15s costs.
June - RAILWAY STATION -
Parish Magazine - Events begin to show that "all things come to him who waits".
The sites of station, station yard and master's house, the necessary approaches have been pegged out for months.
They have now been fenced round and the platelayers of the Company have received orders to lay the rails into the yard and make connections with the main line.
It has been announced in the local paper that the tender of Mr Porteous of Guisborough to build the station has been accepted and the contract signed.
The plans give a station master's house of pretty design, of a rather unusual style in England, after a Norwegian pattern, in which timber is largely used
instead of the familiar brick or stone.
This will stand on the west side of the line, while the warehouse, weigh office and sidings will be in the square enclosure on the east side.
The passenger platforms will run paralled to the main line starting from the white gates and running southward towards North Skelton.
Waiting rooms will, we expect, stand on the near side with a shelter on the far sided across the line.
The path from Long Acres Mine to North Skelton is being diverted so as to pass round the station buildings instead of through the middle of them.
13th June - SCHOOL BOARD - MANY CHILDRENN OFF SCHOOL FOR 'SPRING CLEANING'.
Mr Thomas Petch presided at the monthly meeting of the Skelton and Stanghow School Board held at Lingdale.
The School Warden, Mr J Dixon, reported that the number of children on the books was 2,006, with an average attendance of 1,548, a percentage of 77.1
Spring cleaning had kept many children from school.
The Summer holidays were fixed to run from 28th June to 29th July and August Bank Holiday.
21st June - BROKEN LEG IN LONG ACRE MINE.
John Chapman of Skelton has been admitted to the Skelton Green Hospital suffering from a badly broken leg, whilst following his occupation in the Long Acre Mine.
2nd July - YOUNG GAMBLERS OUT OF POCKET.
Stephen Peel, George Stevenson and John Holiday were charged with playing pitch and toss on the footpath between Skelton Green and Skelton Ellers on the 23rd June.
Fined 6 shillings each including costs.
9th July - CAUGHT 'NAPPING' IN AIREY-HILL LANE SKELTON.
David Newby, Thomas Lightburn, Robert Glasper, Thomas Austin, James Newby and Herbert Crame, all young Miners, were charged with playing cards, 'Nap' in Airyey-hill Lane on the 30th June.
PC Boynton and PC Beaver proved the case. All were fined 5s, with 5s 6d costs.
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11th July - BROKEN LEG IN PARK PIT.
Local Gazette report.
Frederick Robinson, aged 22, a Miner living in 'Crosthwaite place', Skelton, employed in Park Mine, was knocked down by a fall of stone and sustained a fracture of the right leg below the knee.
3rd August - THE CLOTHES LINE MENACE.
A formidable deputation waited upon the Council yesterday with a view to inducing them to modify the terms of the notice that they had issued.
They did not obtain much satisfaction as the Chairman and the Clerk pointed out the Law on the subject and let them see that the Council could not make new Laws.
Clothes lines left out after dark constitute a public danger. The Board might not press so severely on the miners if they see the danger is averted and reasonable care taken in the daytime.
3rd September - MINERS' ARMS DENIED A FULL LICENSE.
Daniel Isaac Clissold, the owner and occupier of the Miner's Arms Inn, Skelton Green, applied for a full license, the house being only at present licensed for the sale of beer and wine.
Mrs Walker, the owner and occupier of the Green Inn on the other side of the road opposed and the application was refused.
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September - SPECIAL TRAIN TRIP.
Parish Magazine - We are in correspondence with the North Eastern Railways to use a special train to Scarborough for our annual trip for the members of our choirs and Sunday School Teachers.
Next year, when we may expect that the NER will have exhausted all the tricks of their procrastinating policy, have built
the long promised station and are willing to give Skelton some facilities, we might, perhaps visit the Lakes or Scotland.
or even the Isle of Man.
September - NEW LIBRARY OPENED.
Parish Magazine - A Library has been opened for the use of members of the Skelton Literary Institute.
A considerable number of new books has been provided and the trustees of the old Free Library have also place their stock at the disposal of the committee.
No additional charge is made for the use of the library beyond threepence for copy of catalogue and library card. A class on mining, conducted by Mr G Whitbread, has been arranged for Wednesday Evenings.
24th September - EXPENSIVE BRAMBLES.
Elizabeth Watts was charged by PC Boynton with damaging underwood in Claphow Wood, Skelton on the 7th.
She had been brambling and had trampled down the shrubs. Ordered to pay 6s 6d including costs and damages.
George Pearson was fined the same amount for a similar offence on the 29th August.
Sarah Cooper, Martha Smith and Henrietta Hardwick fined 7s 6d for same on the 7th.
Two North Skelton girls, Mary Bradley 7s 6d and Sarah Embleton 9 shillings for same offence on the 9th.
30th September - NEW RIFLE RANGE AT SKELTON.
Miss Moss of London opened the new rifle range at Skelton. She was presented with a 'knife' made out of an empty cartridge case by Sgt D T Petch of G Company, Skelton.
December 10th - BOOSBECK CHURCH. The Church Parish of Boosbeck was created with its own Vicar.
Previously it had been part of the Parish of Skelton.
18th December - MINE DEATH - RUN OVER BY TUBS.
An inquest was held in the Miner's Arms, Skelton Green on the body of George Gill, age 62, a Mines Overman.
He died in the Skelton Miners' Hospital on Monday from injuries received in North Skelton Mine a week previously.
On the 9th December deceased was helping a lad named Rice to push a set of 10 full waggons "to get them to land at an incline bottom", when he caught his foot in the heel of the points and fell.
He was found with his arm across the rail and one of the wheels of the last waggon resting on it.
He was taken home, where Dr Thorney attended him and found a deep laceration of the right arm, the bone being splintered at the elbow joint.
He had also sustained internal injuries.
Becoming worse the doctor had him removed to the Hospital, where he died.
The doctor gave the cause of death as peritonitis set up by the internal injuries and shock from the laceration of his arm and a verdict of accidental death returned.
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High St, Skelton. Chemists Corner about 1901.
[Photograph kindly donated by Alan Ward, the great grandson of the old gentleman standing on the corner.]
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