SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY

1896.


Skelton from the Hills.

15th January -
MAGIC LANTERN SHOWS.
North Skelton - Instead of the usual Band of Hope meeting, a Magic Lantern Entertainment was given.
The pictures were illustrative of the story of Little Nell taken from the Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens.

Judy Last informs us that:-
My grandfather, Albert Tuck, was Postmaster and ran the General Stores in Vaughan Street, North Skelton in the late 1890s after taking over the family business from his father, Edwin Tuck, (who had been running the Grocers shop in Boosbeck since the late 1870s).
At one time Albert was in partnership with his brother-in-law, John Thompson and the Stores was called Tuck & Thompson at that time.
My father, Alexander Tuck, who was born above the Stores in 1897 often told me of watching the Magic Lantern slide shows.


21st January -
HARE COURSING.
Skelton and Kilton [Cleveland] Meeting. The draw for this meeting, which has been revived after 37 years, took place tonight at the Duke William Hotel.
There is an abundance of game and the 16 dog stake quickly filled.
Meet on Wednesday morning at Lumpsey Pit, Brotton Station at 9.30 a.m.
The Skelton and Kilton Stakes for 16 dogs of all ages at £2 10s each. Winner £20, second £7, 3rd and 4th £2 10s.
2 of the races were -
Mr R Cross, N Skelton butcher's Hollybush IV against Mr T Petch's Laughing Stock.
Mr R W Stevenson's Lady Revi against Mr W Wilkinson's Coatham.
20th March. -
MINE DEATH - SUFFOCATED BY 'CARBONIC ACID GAS'.
Longacres mine. William Hodgson, a deputy aged 43 was killed.
An inquest was held at the Wharton Arms, Skelton, by Mr Richardson, coroner.
The deceased was in the mine with his mate William Cuthbert, when a rush of "black damp" put his light out.
He came back to Cuthbert for a light when Cuthbert's went out also. Both men tried to get out of danger, but took a wrong road.
Cuthbert fell, exhausted, and when he came to he shouted for help. Hodgson was found kneeling with his face to the doors, dead.
Mr Passling, a mine deputy, said deceased had been warned not to go beyond a certain point. A verdict of suffocated by carbonic acid gas was returned.

20th May -
VOLUNTEERS INSTRUCTOR.
Colour Sergeant Webb, of the Richmond Depot of the 19th Regiment has been appointed instructor to the Skelton Company of Volunteers.
21st June. -
FLOWER SERVICE.
Parish Magazine - "Flower Service. This Sunday is looked forward to as one of the great events of the year.
The bunches of flowers were very fine, stocks and pinks being well to the fore, together with a fair proportion of roses, canterbury bells, sweet williams and pansies.
The South aisle of the Church was well filled with parents and other friends, while the centre of the nave and great part of the North aisle were packed with children bearing bouquets of flowers.
After the Service the flowers were quickly arranged by the teachers in different parts of the Church.
At the close of the Evening service above 80 bunches of flowers were carried out to the sick and aged in Skelton, New and North Skelton and Skelton Green.
Whilst the remainder were sent on Monday morning to Guisborough Union, Saltburn Convalescent Home, Middlesbrough Infirmary and Middlesbrough Union.


27th June -
CHOIR TRIP TO SCARBOROUGH.
Parish Magazine.
We left Boosbeck Station at 8.15. Special carriages had been engaged in which the party were comfortably seated.
A stop was made at Brotton for friends who had preferred the shorter walk.
After stopping at Loftus, we went merrily on our way, passing through some of the prettiest railway scenery in England.
After a stay of 20 minutes at Whitby, we moved on passing through the romantic scenery of Robin Hoods Bay, The Peak, and Hayburn Wyke and the 'Brighton of the North' was duly reached.
After the inner man had been satisfied at the breakfast rendezvous the party dispersed to spend the day as inclination prompted them.
The Scarbro' lifeboat was viewed by some and the tale of a gallant rescue early in the year was heard from the old salt in attendance.

Boosbeck Railway station with steam train.

Others made for the North Cliff, where a Band was playing.
Some made for the beach and donkeys were the order of the day. Some vain members of the party visited the flattering photographers.
Some older friends could not resist the attractions and enticing words of the brilliantly got up jockey's, who kindly drove them round the town and 'shewed' them all the sights.
Boys at peril of life and limb were seen careering along the roads on high-spiritied steeds.
The majority at some time of the day found their way to the Aquarium. Here a programme to suit all tastes had been provided.
A ten hours' constant entertainment, beginning with acrobatic and swimming performances, up to vocal and instrumental concerts.
At 8.30 we all met at the Station. The return journey was enlivened in many carriages by singing of all sorts and descriptions and we arrived back at 10.30 p.m.


3rd July -
PINCHING HANDKERCHIEFS - A YEAR'S GAOL.
At the York Assizes, John Mohun, aged 21, and Joseph Smith, aged 18, both pleaded guilty to breaking and entering the dwelling house of James Kidd, at Skelton Green, on the 20 April last, and stealing 3s 9d each, 8 handkerchiefs, a pair of stockings etc.
Mohun, who had 11 previous convictions against him, was sent to gaol for 12 months and Snaith whom the Court thought had been influenced to 1 day's imprisonment.

5th July -
CONVALESCENT HOME FUND.
Parish Magazine. The Committee of Friendly Societies in connection with Grange Convalescent Home have arranged for a Club Walk and Church Parade in aid of their object on Sunday afternoon.
It is arranged that the |Boosbeck Free Gardeners shall meet at their Lodge at 1.30 and the Skelton Free Gardeners at the Free Gardeners Hall, Skelton, at the same time.
The two companies will then march to Dr Merryweather's corner on Boosbeck Road, where they will join up at 2 o'clock.
The united procession will then parade to Skelton High Green, Park Street, Prospect Place, Green Rd and by the High St to the Parish Church, where they expect to arrive at 3 pm. After the procession will be reformed and visit Robinson Street, Dixon Street and Yeoman Street, proceeding thence to New Skelton and North Skelton.
Offerings will be collected on the road and in Church for the object of the Fund.


6th July -
JUVENILE GARDENERS.
On Saturday the Rose of Sharon Juvenile Lodge of the National United Order of Free Gardeners held their 4th annual tea, procession and sports in fair but boisterous weather at Skelton.
A procession of the Master and deputy-masters, 8 girls in white, each carrying a basket of flowers, Skelton Brass Band, 3 juveniles carrying brass garden tools and members of the lodge paraded the principal streets of Skelton.
Finally it arrived at the Wesleyan school room when about 160 juveniles sat down to an excellent tea and then adjourned to the Recreation field for racing and prizes.

10th August -
SEWERAGE SYSTEM TO THE SEA COMPLETE.
At the monthly meeting of the Skelton and Brotton District Council, Mr Balfour Civil Engineer reported that the new sewer and sewage outfall works were completed with the exception of a few minor details along the line of pipes.
The subsidence near the halfway house has been made good and the whole of the drains in the Councils district connected with the mains. The sewage is now turned on and has been running through the pipes about a fortnight and the streams are no longer being polluted.
The contractor, Mr Carrick, was making compensation to owners of land and gardens for damage done to crops etc.

20th October -
WORRIED SHEEP.
George Birkbeck, of Framwellgate, Durham was charged with being the owner of a dog which damaged 5 sheep on Wet Furrows Farm, North Skelton, the property of Bolckow Vaughan and Co.
Robert Graham said he was called to the field on Sunday the 11th and saw several sheep worried.
Arthur Shepherd said he saw some men setting a dog at the sheep. One was being worried by the dog and was very lame.
William Laws, shepherd on the farm, said the man with the dog gave his name as Wilson from Middlesbrough, which proved to be false.
A vet said he thought 3 of the sheep would die. Ordered to pay £2 10s damages and all the costs.

25th October -
CROP GROWING COMPETITION.
The Permanent Nitrate Committee of the Cleveland Chamber of Agriculture offered prizes for crops grown with the aid of nitrate of soda and other fertilizers.
2nd prize for of £3 for best crop of potatoes was won by R Stephenson of Trout Hall Farm,
Skelton with a variety called Reading Giants.
Weight per acre was 12 tons 4 cwts with a balance in favour of nitrates of 1 ton 14 cwt.

NEW BUTCHER'S SHOP - A new shop was built for Young, butchers, 124 High St.

1st December -
DRUNK PC ASSAULT.
Jabez Gott of Skelton was charged with being drunk and disorderly outside the Royal George Hotel and on the same occasion assaulting Holden Stevenson by striking him in the face without any provocation.
Fined half a crown and 8s 6d costs for being drunk and 5s and 17s 6d for the assault.

8th December. -
MINE DEATH, ROOF FALL.
Skelton Shaft. Fred Whitwood aged 28 died from injuries received on 27 November, when his leg and arm were severely injured by a fall of stone.
8th December -
CRICKETER.
George Goulton Lynas (7 September 1832 to 8 December 1896) born Coatham, Redcar, N Yorks and died in Skelton in Cleveland.
He had been a first-class cricketer as a Right arm fast bowler for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

15th December -
HOUSE SALE - £87.
On Saturday at the Wharton Arms Hotel, Mr Pallister auctioneer, offered for sale a freehold dwelling at No 22 William St, New Skelton. There was a good attendance and bidding was brisk. The property was finally sold to Mr William Clark for £87.

22nd December -
SKELTON UNIONISTS.
A meeting in support of the Unionist candidate, Colonel Ropner, was held at the Drill Hall, Skelton, when Mr W H A Wharton presided over a crowded audience.

23rd December -
SHEEP SCAB.
Superintendent Clarkson reported an outbreak of sheep scab on the 10th on the farm of Mr J Maughan of East Pastures, Skelton. There were 165 sheep on the farm and 31 had been attacked.
The ones affected had been bought at Stockton market.

31st December -
LABOUR AT SKELTON.
A meeting under the auspices of the Independent Labour Party was held in the Drill Hall, Skelton yesterday. It was not intended to put forward a candidate at the forthcoming election.


Band and crowd on Boosbeck Road with nurse watching on from the Miners' Hospital doorway.

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