SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY


1898 to 1899

Carnival at New Skelton. Dairy Farm in background.

1898 - 15th April. Skelton Park Pit. Charles Scupham, a horse leader aged 17 was killed. "When coming out-bye with a set of full tubs, down a gradient of 1 in 36, he either slipped or caught his foot against a sleeper and fell in front of the tubs, and three of them passed over him crushing him so severely that he was killed instantly."

The Church Rooms were built at the bottom of Green Road.
Parish Magazine -
Through the kind thoughfulness and generosity of the Squire, this most useful building has been erected and placed at the disposal of the Church for Sunday School, Band of Hope and other meetings.
Until now the Church had no place of its own, with the exception of the Drill Hall, which was allowed free for the Boys' Sunday School.
The building measures 50 ft by 22 ft inside and is divided into two rooms by a moveable partition.
The partition is constructed of leaves 3ft broad, which can be unshipped in a few moments and used for table tops.
The place is lighted with incandescent gas lights and comfortably warmed by means of two tortoise stoves.

Tippet's Chapel, New Skelton.
[Picture of Miss M Tippet donated by Owen Rooks, native of New Skelton.]

The Green and Skelton Mother's Meetings have an amalgamated mothers' meeting on Wednesday afternoons - entrance by the North door out of the Infant's School.
The Boys' Sunday School meets here at 9.45 and 1.45.

A Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in New Skelton.
Prior to this the local Primitive Methodists met at 8 Thomas Street, New Skelton.
The corrugated iron building later became known as "Tippet's Chapel", after a Miss Maud Tippet, one of its chief organisers.
See page 14 of Emails.

1899 - 28th July. North Skelton Mine. William Allanby, a driver aged 19, died as a result of injuries received on the 7th July.

Railway Timetable 1898.

"He was riding in-bye on his horse, against the rules and was crushed between the timber supporting the roof and the horse, causing very severe injury to his back."

17th October. Longacres Mine. . Ralph Johnson, a miner aged 31 was killed. "He was turning away a place, the roof of which was supported by timber, and had fired a shot, which knocked out the piece of stone and punch prop supporting the baulk. He went into the place and did not notice this, and the top suddenly fell upon and killed him."

The railway viaduct over Skelton Beck had been completed in 1872 and a passenger service started in 1875

But the train did not stop in Skelton, as this timetable shows.

The local populace campaigned loudly way into the next century, before they obtained their own station at Hollybush.[1902].
In the meantime most had to travel a mile or two by foot or horse to board a train at Boosbeck, Brotton or Saltburn.
As can be seen there were first class or third class compartments on the carriages.
One could travel from Boosbeck to Saltburn via Skelton, 3rd class, in 22 minutes or so, about 4 miles, for 7 old pence. [about 3 pence in 2006]

To travel from Boosbeck to Darlington return, about 80 miles, took 2 hours each way and cost 3 shillings and eleven pence, and must have been far beyond the average ironstone miner's family means.

11th October - Beginning of the Boer War in South Africa.
The British, who occupied Cape Colony, declared War on the Boer [Dutch/German] colonies of the Traansval and Orange Free State, allegedly over the taxation and denial of rights of British citizens who had gone there to exploit the gold mines.
A speedy victory was expected, but the Boers used guerilla tactics, which were difficult to combat in the large areas of land involved.
The War continued until 1902.


Skelton Institute First Right.

The school leaving age was raised to 12.

Notable drought with extended heat waves in the summer of this year.

4th November - Skelton Literary Institute was opened.
The £2,000 cost was paid for by the Whartons of Skelton Castle.
Parish Magazine -
The building is the gift of the Squire.
It contains a handsome reading room on the ground floor, with large billiard room containing two tables on the first floor, together with a room for library and in an adjacent building providing a large lecture hall with two committee rooms behind the platform.
The Squire reserves the right to resume possession of the buildings if they are used for sectarian or political purposes or if not governed and regulated for the poor and benefit of all parishioners alike.
The Institute will be managed by a president, treasurer and secretary together with a committee of 14 members, consisting of 2 Churchmen,


The Rooks brothers of 8 Thomas St, Skelton in 1899,
Probably at the Confirmation of the youngest Allan.
Thomas, left, served throughout the First War and survived.
James, right, was medically discharged with TB and took his own life in 1919.
Alan, in front, was killed on the 14th September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.
2 Methodists, 2 Conservatives, 2 Liberals, 2 farmers, 2 tradesmen, 2 miners - one half of whom are to be elected annually.
The names to be laid first before the Squire.
A goodly crowd gathered round to witness the ceremony.
The Chairman, the Rev R J Ellis proposed a vote of thanks to the Squire and read a letter from Mrs Wharton, expressing her disappointment at not being able to open the Institute being forbidden to leave her room and saying she trusted it would be a lasting means of establishing sociability and good feeling among our friends and neighbours, adding, "will you tell the miners from me how great and earnest is our wish to sympathize with them in their joys and sorrows".
The letter ended with a touching appeal to all to help a subscription she was starting for the wives and children of those gone to fight for our Queen and Country.[Boer War].
The Squire replied to the votes of thanks and spoke very strongly against gambling and bad language, which he regretted was so very common in our villages.
A tea was held in the Drill Hall at which something over 500 sat down.

19th November - Sunday. Collections were made in aid of the wives and children of our soldiers [including reservists] and sailors who are called out on account of the war in South Africa in all our churches.
Calling out the reserves has intensified the interest felt by all classes in those who have gone out to fight our battles, for it means calling out men who are engaged in different occupations side by side with and who are living in many cases with their wives and children in our streets.
When the bread winner is called to leave his work and join again his old regiment it means not only leaving wife and children, who may never see him again, but leaving them without his wage to live upon, dependent upon the much smaller allowance paid to a soldiers's wife.
And even this is not paid in the case of a large proportion who are not, as it is called, on the strength of the regiment.
The same applies to regular soldiers who have married without leave.
England demands that this time the wives and children and, alas,in some cases, the widows and orphans, shall not be left unprovided for and that the heart of the soldier shall be cheered as he bravely bears the hardship and peril in the field that we "at home are taking care of the wives and kids".
Besides the collections we hear that the members of the St John Ambulance Associations in the Parish have contributed over £12 for Red Cross work in succouring and nursing the wounded at the seat of war.
And at the "set off" on Monday, when our people turned out in their hundreds to see off the reservists from Saltburn Station, they gave a practical turn to their cheering by subscribing upwards of £5 , which they handed to the wife of the married one.


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