"The storm which commenced with a fall of snow on January 7th, may be said to have continued without intermission until the 17th March.
The heaviest snow fall of the year in the North of England took place on the 16th and 17th of March, and human life was lost and many thousands of sheep perished.
For several days together trains have been snowed up and house and villages have been cut off from their neighbours. Cutting through the snow drifts has fortunately employed many of those who have suffered so much from want of work this winter."

Skelton is declared a rectory and the new rector is the Rev Robert James Ellis of St John's College, Cambridge.

27th Jan. The following stood for election to stood for election to Skelton and Stanghow School Board.
Alfred Brighton, a checkweighman, of 17 Vaughan St, N Skelton.
William Carter, blacksmith, of High St, Skelton.
James Chisholm, mining engineer of Wet Furrows, N Skelton. George Hobbs of 29 Park St, Skelton.

William H A Wharton became the master of Cleveland Foxhounds

John Charlton's book "Twelve Packs of Hounds" records -

The season of 1870 the Hounds were hunted by Mr Watson Dixon, the hon. secretary to the hunt, and then Mr JT Wharton, of Skelton Castle, became master.

Mr Wharton resigned at the end of his third season and was succeeded by Mr R A H T Newcomen, of Kirkleatham Hall, who kept them for five years.

18th Feb. Death of Rev John Gardner. London Gazette.
"All persons having any claims or demands against the estate of the Reverend John Gardner, LL.D., Rector of Skelton, in the county of York, and lately residing at 5, The Circus, Bath whose will was proved in the Bristol District Registry of the Probate Division of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice on the 19th day of March, 1886, are required to send particulars of such claims or demands to us the undersigned, on or before the 1st day of July, 1886.....

20th Feb. Priscilla Martin of North Skelton fined 10 shillings at Guisborough Police Court for stealing two shillings worth of beef from George Robson's shop [butchers, 2 Boosbeck Rd].

10 Apr. John Dixon of 54 High St, Skelton in Cleveland, a Seed, Guano, Hop and Provision merchant, was examined in Stockton Bankruptcy Court with losses of £9,061 10s 9d. Adjourned.

1887 - Building of Skelton Green School at top of Skelton bank.
It was enlarged in 1892 and 1900.
It appears that prior this 20 Boosbeck Rd had been used as a school.
Tom Curnow in his History of Skelton says that when a Mr Allison bought this house in the 19th century one of the rooms contained 4 school desks and the walls had been used as a blackboard.
Evidently, he says, 8 children paid three pence a week to learn the three R's.

20 Sep. London Gazette. Bankruptcy.
Charles James Clift, a Printer, Stationer and Newsagent of Skelton in Cleveland was examined at the Court House, Bridge Rd, Stockton on Tees

1888 - 21 January - Death at his residence in Algiers of mineowner John Bell, aged 70, of Rushpool Hall, Skelton.
In 1890 a memorial window was placed at the east end of the south aisle of Skelton All Saints Church.

10 May. Longacres Mine. William Hollingsworth was killed.
A local newspaper describes his death occurring - "While barring down stone a large fall took place which drew out some timber, and it fell on him."
At the 1881 census he was living at 40 Richard St, North Skelton and had been born in Knaresborough, Yorks.
He was by that time a widower, age 47.
He had five children and their places of birth show how miners sometimes moved around - Joseph, aged 18 in 1881 and born in Bradford, Yorks;
Fred, aged 14 and born in Brotton;
George. age 12, born Skelton;
Harriet A, aged 10, born Skelton;
and Arthur, aged 9, born in Osmotherley.
What happened to these orphans at that time is not known.

30th June. London Gazette. Following Area infected by Swine Fever.

1889 - First elections for County Councils. Prior to this Education, provision for the poor, public health etc had been the responsibility of local Boards.

The North Riding of Yorkshire had 202 police officers.

26 April. Daniel Clemmit, a miner aged 53, was killed in Skelton Shaft Mine.
A heavy fall of roof after firing a shot which had knocked out two props; he was attempting to set them when the roof gave way.

2nd May. London Gazette.
Notice is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, George Taylor and Alfred Harris, carrying on business as Drapers and Grocers, at Skelton-in-Cleveland, in the county .of York, under the style or firm of Taylor and Harris, has been dissolved, by mutual consent, as and from the 2nd day of May, 1889. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Alfred Harris....

4th Dec. Thomas Snaith, deputy overman in mines, was sentenced to six weeks in prison with hard labour for embezzling money from the Skelton Cooperative Society.

24th Dec. George Beattie was assaulted by James Mitchell, who hit him on the head with a lamp while on the way from N Skelton to Park Pit.

William, born the 1st Feb 1852 was the son of Thomas Tate and Harriett Andrew.
[The image of the Memoriam Card, a typical feature of the Victorian Age, and this information has been contributed by Alan Ward, a native of Skelton.]

Middlesbrough Football Club founded, to grow, over the coming years, into a great centre of this area's tribal instinct.