SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1875 ~ 1876

Skelton "Park Pit" - Ironstone Mine.
 1875 - 1st April. Opening of the railway line from Saltburn over the Skelton Viaduct.
Iron ore from the newly opened mines at North Skelton and Longacres could now be taken quickly to the furnaces at Middlesbrough.
A Mr William Gladders drove the first train.

Skelton Park Pit. 20 May.
John Jefferson a platelayer aged 26 was killed when he was crushed by tubs.

9th July. Isaac Edward Pollard, age 10, the son of a miner had been sent to live with friends at Lingdale, because there was no school at N Skelton, woke at midnight and asked for a drink of cold tea. Afterwards became very sick and died.

9th July. William Raynor was sent for trial at York Assizes for misappropriating money.
He was treasurer for a presentation fund at South Skelton mine for the late manager, Mr White and bought a watch for £10 10s, but altered receipt to £20 10s.

10 Sep. James Gladders, landlord of the Duke William, fined for permitting drunkenness on his premises.


Railway Viaduct. In the distance on the right the chimney and pithead of Longacres Mine.
 James was the brother of William Gladders, noted above as the first passenger train driver to cross the Viaduct to Skelton.

19th Nov. South Skelton Mine. John Ellis, a boy working as a driver in S Skelton pits slipped and fell under a wagon.
His leg was severely torn and though he was taken home and progressed for a time, mortification set in and his leg was amputated. He afterwards died.

3rd Dec. George Ridgard assaulted Jane Husband at Skelton, slapping her and knocking her teeth out and calling her insulting names. She owed him 5 and a half pence and could not pay. Fined 40s.

31 Dec.William Bennett of Skelton was sent to gaol for six months with hard labour for assaulting his landlady, Elvina Warner, with a poker and fined £1 for assaulting her husband William.
Two other men were also lodgers at the house and they were reprimanded for not assisting Mrs Warner.


This photograph was clearly taken between the years 1872, when the distant Railway Viaduct was opened and 1878 when the new Wharton Arms was built. See Page 1850-1857 for a map of this area. One of the two buildings lower left, would be the old Wharton Arms and the road to the right of these led into a sandstone quarry. Behind the top "road" showing cart tracks where the man is standing was another quarry from where stone was led left to Swilly Lane and right to Stackgarth Lane. The Halfpenny Bridge, built 1869 can be seen in the distance.
[This picture was kindly contributed by Peter Appleton, August 2006.]

Church Lane, Skelton.
The cottages are said to have been stables for churchgoers in earlier days.
[Postcard kindly contributed by Julie Felgate. ]
 Middlesbrough Football Club was started by the local cricket club for something to do in the winter. To become over the coming years a growing and intense centre of local tribal tendencies.

1876 - Slater's directory gives the following people in Skelton for this year:-

Clergy and Gentry - Reverend Philip Ahiea.
Under steward for Squire Wharton of Skelton Castle - George Stubbs.
All Saints church - Rev John Gardner LL.D, Rector, Rev J W Waithman, Curate.
County police station - Sergeant Robert Hawe.
Postmaster, Baker and Confectioner - George Arthur
"Letters from all parts arrive at a quarter past eight morning and are despatched thereto at half past five evening"
Schoolmaster - William Francis. 'Wesleyan School', Green Road.
The Education Act of this year introduced attendance committees where there were no School Boards and placed a duty on parents to ensure their children were taught the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Architect/Surveyor - Benjamin Broadbent.


All Saints Church, Skelton.
 Baker - William Stokoe.
Blacksmiths - William Carter.
Boot and Shoe Makers - Joseph Husband, William J Hodgson, William Knaggs, John Lewis, Thomas Lowe, William Smith.
Butchers - George Lawson. James Lofthouse, John Lofthouse, Robert Wilkinson.
Cartwrights and Joiners - Mark Carrick, Leonard Wilkinson, James Wood.
Chemist and Druggist - Alexander Ellis, Thomas Taylor.
Farmers - George Andrew, [Whitehouse], George Codling, Stephen Emmerson [Hollybush], Robert Petch, Thomas Petch, William Wood [Trout Hall].
Insurance [Royal] - Matthew Wilson.
Fruiterers and Greengrocers - George Ridgard.
Gardeners and Seedsmen - John and Matthew Brooksbank, William Harker.
Grocers - John Leonard Bearpark, Skelton Coop Society Ltd, John Dixon, [also 'seed, guano, hop and provision merchant'], William Langstaff, Edward Henry Stobbs, George Tiplady, [NewSkelton], Joseph Wilson.
Hairdresser - Henry Ward,

Long Acre Ironstone Mine- Opened 1876
 For more information on Long Acres, click here.
 Innkeepers - "Duke William", Jas Gladders, "Green Inn" John Lightfoot, "New Inn" Henry Hutchinson, "Old Royal George" Noah House, "Whartons Arms" Jas Elliot.
Ironmongers - Thomas Robinson.
Mineowners:- Skelton Park Pit and Carling How, Bell Brothers.
Bellscliffe, N Skelton and Longacre - Bolckow & Vaughan
S Skelton - Thomas Vaughan.
Joiners and Builders - Robert Carrick, George Slater, Joseph Thompson.
Drapers - William Blackett, William Knaggs, James T Wood.
Miller - Nathaniel Stonehouse.
Milliners and Dressmakers - Mary Dormand, Thomas Wheaton, James Thompson Wood.
Painter - John Gowland [also plumber], Thomas Pattinson, John Ridsdale, William G Tate.
Professor of Music - Robert Bell
Saddler - Thomas Pattinson
Tobacconist - Thomas Frank
Shopkeeper - Joseph Barker, George Todd, Robert Ward.
Stone masons - John Husband, George Lamb, William Mclean, James Sharpe.
Surgeons - Atkinson S C, Samuel Mccutcheon. James Merryweather.
Tailor - James Jaques, John Lowe, Thomas Moor & Co, John Wood.
 Veterinary surgeon - Lancelot Barker. [left employment in this year]
Watch and clock makers - Richard Batters.
Wine and spirit merchants - Thomas Robinson
Valuer Thomas Taylor.
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