3rd January - SKELTON SOCIETY FOR THE PROSECUTION OF FELONS.
This society, which has been in existence for 93 years, held their annual dinner on Friday at the Old Royal George Inn, Skelton, when a large number of persons sat down to a splendid dinner provided by Mr Noah House. Mr J Dixon was in the Chair.

7th January. - FATAL BLASTING AT MINE.
Thomas Hart , a miner aged 51, was stemming a hole at Long Acres Mine and had got twelve inches of stemming on the charge of powder, when by some means the charge exploded, killing him. His mate Harland was injured. An inquest was held at the Wharton Arms, Skelton by the Coroner, Mr A Buchanan.

14th January - SKELTON COFFEE PALACE.
An important addition has recently been made to the various amusements at the Skelton Coffee Palace in the shape of a new bagatelle table, which has been presented by J T Wharton Esq at a cost of £20.
The rooms were opened some 2 years ago to meet a "felt want". Refreshments are supplied at cheap rates. There is a smoke room, chess, draught and dominoes and a well-supplied Reading room.
There is also a covered shed for quoit playing which is lighted with gas every evening. We are sorry to learn that so far the scheme has been financially a failure.

2nd February - SNOWBALLING DRUNK.
Thomas Vintres was charged by Inspector R Clarkson with being drunk and riotous on the 22nd in Vaughan St, North Skelton. PC Calvert said defendant was swearing and wanted to fight. Defendant said the whole affair arose out of snowballing and he was sorry. It was his first time before the Bench and he would take care that it was the last. Fined 5 shillings and costs.

9th Feb. INQUEST.
"An inquest was held at the Bull's Head Inn, North Skelton before Mr William Robinson, Deputy Coroner, touching the death Zachariah Wilson, who died from injuries received on Saturday last by being run over by the

14th February - WEEKLY MARKET FOR SKELTON.
Letter to Editor of Northern Echo.
Gentlemen - Some centuries ago Skelton had its weekly market, when there would not be a third of the people in the Parish there are in it now. I am glad to see that the Chairman of our local Board is moving in the matter. I hope every member and ratepayer will give him their cordial support. We are 4 miles from the nearest market and it is high time that we had one. I understand our worthy Squire is willing to conced the Green, which can at an easy cost be made to answer the purpose contemplated. Yours truly, An Old Miner.

15th February - DRUNK POLICE ASSAULT.
3 brothers, Henry, James and Thomas Mitchinson and Daniel Collingwood were charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting the poice at Skelton on the 12th.
PC Brough said that whilst trying to apprehend Henry, the other 3 came up and tried to release him. Thomas said, "Let the b------ have it." They then ill-used him, knocked him down and kicked him. With the assistance of another officer he got them locked up. Fined £2 and costs or a months hard labour.

15th February - ASSAULT WITH IRON SPRAG.
John Plummer, a Horse driver at Skelton Park Mines was charged by John Harbottle, Manager with fighting in the mine on the 28th January.
J Jackson, a "dog-whipper" said that Plummer had taken 2 wagons more than he should have done. He remonstrated with him and brought a horse to take the wagons away, but Plummer pulled them over a pair of points to prevent him doing so.
A disturbance took place and defendant kicked Jackson, who then went for the overman. When he returned 2 men were leading Joseph Mallet away. Plummer was further charged with malicious wounding and Daniel Crawford gave evidence that he had hit Mallet with a sprag. [heavy metal bar that the horse-drivers used to jam the wheels of an ironstone tub to stop it moving]
Sergt Dickinson said he arrested Plummer who said "It is a bad job, but he should have let me be."
The wounded man was insensible and the doctor unable to give the extent of his injuries. Case was adjourned and bail not allowed. At the next hearing Joseph Mallet said the "dog whipper" sent him to get the two wagons back.

15th March. - SHOEMAKER BANKRUPT.
In the Matter of a Special Resolution for Liquidation by Arrangement of the affairs of Thomas Lowe, of Skelton, in Cleveland, in the county of York, Shoemaker and Shoe Dealer. The creditors of the above-named Thomas Lowe who have not already proved their debts, are required, on or before the 29th day of March, 1881, to send their names and addresses, and tbe particulars of their debts or claims, to me, the undersigned, George Edmund Pybus, of Stockton-on-Tees, Chartered Accountant, the Trustee under the liquidation, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of the Dividend proposed to be declared.....

25th March - SALLY ANN.
The members of the Salvation Army in Cleveland are extending their operations. At Brotton they have taken over the old Primitive Methodist Chapel. Stations have also been opened at Lingdale, Skelton Green, Skelton and on Sunday a place will be opened at Saltburn. A large number of "rough diamonds" have joined the Army.

16th April - NORTH SKELTON READING ROOM.
A Concert was given in Mr Horn's Assembly Room in aid of the above institution which has recently been established. Glees, duets,songs and readings were efficiently rendered by a fairly good audience.

18th April - FATAL ACCIDENT AT MINE.
John [George] Bringloe, a miner, aged 36, at Bell Bros Park Pit Mines, Skelton met with a shocking accident on Saturday last. The poor fellow was in the act of "barring" some stone, when by some means the timber overhead fell upon him.
He was immediately taken up and restoratives administered to him, but he died before they could get him out of the pit. He leaves a wife and family.

20th April - TEMPLE DAMAGE.
Hannah Temple, a married woman, was yesterday at the Guisborough Petty Sessions, ordered to pay 1 shilling and the costs for wilfully damaging a door belonging to Joseph Wright, at Skelton on the 18th.

In the last ten years the number of houses and people had trebled and in last 40 years had multiplied tenfold.

The total population of Skelton, Skelton Green, North Skelton and New Skelton was 4791,
Of these 955 worked in the Ironstone mines.
These 955 miners included 48 boys aged 15 or under and 10 of them aged just 13.
One 10 year old was working as a "trapper boy".
300 gave Durham as their place of birth, 234 Norfolk, 129 Devon Cornwall, 106 Lincolnshire, 65 Northumberland and 64 Suffolk.
There were only 4 people aged over 80, the oldest woman being Anne Steel,age 87 and the oldest man was retired plumber, William Gowland aged 80.

New mines were opened and mining techniques and machinery were improved.
Although the miners were paid by the ton produced , they did not benefit greatly by improvements in output, as the mineowners reduced the rate paid.

30th April - SWINDLER.
John Woodward, a miner of Lingdale and employed as a back overman at South Skelton Mine was charged with obtaining £2 15s 3d from his employers.
He was suspected of carrying on a system of swindling by making out pay notes for men who did not exist. Remanded and bailed on two sureties of £100.

25th May. - FIRST MINERS DEMONSTRATION.
A local miner records that there was a - "First demonstration held at Boosbeck, speakers were Mr.A.McDonald, M.P., F. Burt, M.P., Charles Bradlaugh, M.P."

3rd June - EXPENSIVE BRIDGE.
The Surveyor recommended that the Home Beck footbridge, which was swept away during last winter should be replaced. It would be greatly utilised when the Board Schools were opened. He suggested a more substantial bridge at a cost of £7, but the Local Board opted to replace the one destroyed for £2.

3rd June - WELL UNWELL.
The Medical Officer reported to the local board that Well Number 20 on Boosbeck Rd, Skelton Green had water that was turbid and had an unpleasant smell.
The total solids were in excess and the albuminoid ammonia more than should exist in a passable water. It was undoubtedly subject to sewage contamination and unsafe. Orders were made for its closure.

8th June. - ROAD AND BRIDGE MAINTENANCE.
At the Guisborough Highways Board it was resolved to ask for £8 for the repair of the bridges at Waupley, Skelton Ellars and Upleatham.
A letter had been sent to Lord Zetland asking him to present it to a Highways Committee that was then sitting in the House of Lords.:-
"That whereas under the present Poor Laws rural districts are compelled to contribute towards a common fund for the mainenance of paupers, most of whom belong to the towns and larger villages in the Unions and whereas in the ending March 25th 1880, upwards of £9,000 was expended from this said common fund in this Union of Guisborough______
Highways can be more economically maintained under Highways Boards instead of under parochial management."

15th June - PARENTS FINED.
Thomas Laws, John Simpson, William Somhouse, Cuthbert Taylor, John Pinkney, Joseph Codd and William Lowe, all of Skelton and North Skelton were prosecuted for not sending their children to school.

17th June - TRAMP DEAD.
An unknown tramp aged about 48 was buried in Skelton Churchyard. He had been found in a field at Moorsholm. There were no marks of violence and he had several pawn tickets in his pockets for articles pledged in the name of a woman called Thompson.

18th June - TRUANTS.
"In the Skelton and Stanghow district one quarter of the children do not attend school and in some parts of this locality fully one half are absentees. Boys from 10 to 13 years of age are wandering about doing endless mischief to the ratepayers when these unfortunate individuals have to contribute nearly one shilling in the pound to uphold the law for the education of the people."
Letter to local Gazette.

20th June - RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.
The 1st North York Rifle Volunteers arrived at Redcar on Saturday for 8 days training and are encamped on the race-course. The have come in from Northallerton, Richmond, Bedale, Catterick, Wensleydale, Reeth, Guisbrough, Skelton and Stokesley.

21st June - DAMAGE BY BOYS.
At Guisborough Police Court 5 boys from Skelton, Thomas Smith, James Baxter, William Baxter, Arthur Cole and William Ceall were summoned for damaging a lock and certain cartridge cases at Skelton Park Pit.
William Barker, a gamekeeper for Skelton Castle said he knew all the lads who ran off and he found a pointed stake and a piece of slag that had been used to force the door to a disused powder magazine.

28th June - PINCHING CLOTHES.
Mary Ann Cawes was remanded on the 23rd on a charge of stealing a quantity of wearing apparel, the property of Jane Anderson, a widow who lives in Dixon's Yard, Skelton. The Police have recovered a good part of the property.

1st July - The Local Volunteers name was changed to the 1st Yorkshire North Riding Rifle Volunteer Corps.

July. 12th July - PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL, NORTH SKELTON.
The foundation stone of the new chapel was laid on Monday by the Manager of North Skelton Mine, Mr George Robinson. Memorial bricks were laid by other people, who placed a donation on them.
This was situated on the corner opposite the present C of E Church, and was the only building there at the time.

14th July - PRIVATE SCHOOL.
It was suggested at the School Board that a private school that had been opened by a Mr Carr, late of Guisborough, could be affecting the attendance at the Board schools.

15th July. - GENERAL DEALER BANKRUPT.
In the Matter of Proceedings for Liquidation by Arrangement or Composition with Creditors, instituted by William Stokoe, of North Skelton, in the county of York,General Dealer. Notice is hereby given, that a First General Meeting of the creditors of the above-named person has been summoned to be held at the offices of the South Durham and North Yorkshire Wholesale Traders' Association Limited, 134, High-street, Stockton-on-Tees, in the county of Durham, on the 30th day of July, 1881, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon precisely......

18th July - NEW ROAD GIFT.
On Saturday last Mr John Thomas Wharton of Skelton Castle gave to the Skelton Local Board the very handsome sum of £2,000 for the purpose of making a new road from New to North Skelton.
The present road is in a most deplorable condition and debatable whether it could have been made much better with repairs. It will be a great boon to the whole Cleveland district.

20th July. - SKELTON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW.
The fifth annual show of the above Society was held on Tuesday in a field pleasantly situated at Skelton belonging to J T Wharton Esq, Skelton Castle.
The weather in the morning, although favourable to agriculturists, was unfavourable for the show, for until noon there was an almost continual downpour of rain, which kept away a large number of intending visitors.
The number of entries was about the same as last year, but the quality of the various animals exhibited was considered to be a great deal better, especially in the class for cart mares, for which there were 16 splendid entries.
The foals were also an excellent class; indeed the horse department we have never seen better representated at shows of much larger pretensions.

12th August - OLD MAWERS SCHOOL SOLD.
Thomas Mawer, who died in 1773, left 20 pounds for the education of the poor of Skelton. 4 to 6 Green Road had been purchased for this purpose. See plaque in old Church on page for this year.
Tenders for the purchase of the old School were laid before the School Board and Mr Martin Robinson's £81 was accepted, subject to the approval of the Education Department.

17th August. - CHILD KILLED AT PIT.
Anthony William Harwood, age 8, was buried in Skelton Churchyard. Killed in Fogga, North Skelton pit by being crushed between the buffers of some mineral trucks.

2nd September - NO TELEGRAPH.
Mr E Hamilton called the attention of the Local Board to inconvenience to the inhabitants caused by the fact of their being no telegraphic communication at Skelton and moved to memorialise the Postmaster General at an early date.

8th September - NORTH SKELTON INFANT SCHOOL PLANNED.
At a meeting of the Skelton School Board the Clerk, Mr Bradley, reported that the plans had been approved for the North Skelton Infant School and that application had been made to the Loan Society to borrow the sum of £580. The usual questions being read, it was resolved as in previous cases that the payment of the loan extend over 50 years.

13th September - DRUNK IN CHARGE.
George Chippenton was charged by PC Edwards with being drunk whilst in charge of a horse at Skelton on the 30th. He observed the defendant with 2 others drunk in charge of a horse and trap.
He allowed them to proceed on their journey but shortly after his attention was called to a trap which had been upset on the road side. At the spot he found the occupants, Chippenton, his brother and a young woman lying on the road drunk and seriously injured.
Fined 5 shillings and costs and James Chippenton and E Saunders fined the same for being drunk.

20th September - MINE ACCIDENT - ARM OFF.
On Monday John Husband, aged 19, employed at Messrs Bell Bros Skelton Park Pit met with a serious accident. He was driving some waggons in the mines when he slipped and fell in front of them.
The wheels passed over his arm, nearly severing it. He was removed to the Miners Hospital, Guisborough and attended by Dr Merryweather.

21st September - RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.
On Tuesday the 1st North Riding of Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers held their Annual competition for the cup and money prizes at the Park Range, Skelton. Wimbledon targets and regulations.
5 shots at each target with distances of 200, 500 and 600 yards. After the prize giving the men sat down to a substantial dinner at the Wharton Arms Hotel, Skelton.

30th October - BLOODY POACHING AFFRAY.
At Guisborough Police Court 5 miners, George Hardy, Clay Purdy, William Baxter, Charles Mayes and Charles Bright belonging to Charltons Houses and Boosbeck were charged with night poaching on land owned by Squire Wharton at Skelton. William Pennington, gamekeeper was watching with the under gamekeeper and PC Brough.
Shortly after 8 o'clock and saw the prisoners prowling about in a suspicious manner and going through Park Wood. Mayes who was in the rear turned and attempted to hit him with a bludgeon. He warded off the blow and caught hold of him to recognise later.
On getting out of the wood he saw the under keeper and PC Brough being attacked with stones and bludgeons.
He ran to assist and the prisoners made off leaving the policeman seriously injured.
Next morning he found stones covered in blood, bludgeons and nets.
William Barker the under-keeper corroborated and showed his arm which had been shockingly injured.
Supt Clarkson said PC Brough would not be fit to appear for a week and the prisoners were remanded until then.

29th November - NORTH SKELTON MINES SUCCESS.
At the technological examination in practical mine surveying held at Peases West Collieries in July last, T Prest of North Skelton Mines has obtained a first class certificate together with a prize of £3 and bronze medal.