SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1909 ~ 1910
The Halfpenny Bridge.
Built 1868/9. Demolished Dec 17th 1974.
This iron structure crossed Skelton Beck to Saltburn,
It was a toll bridge, hence its name, and about this time the Bridge Keeper was Richard Gospel M Brough, who was a retired Skelton Police Constable.
He lived at the Bridge House with his wife Helena, from Scarborough, and his daughter, Esther,a dressmaker, born in Skelton.
Kelly's Directory of Skelton continued:-
Rushpool Hall - Joseph Walton. MP. D.L. J.P. [Reform and National Liberal clubs London].
Rigwood - Edward Hamilton J.P.
White House - Gilbert B Jackson, Private residence.

NEW SKELTON. Stanghow Lane School - Thomas Rixham, Headmaster.

New Skelton. [Dairy Farm top right.]
Stanghow Lane School - Miss M Fisher, Headmistress.
[Room for 647 children with an average attendance of 229 boys and 210 girls]

Stanghow Lane - Mrs Elizabeth Longstaff, Shopkeeper and Beer.

Infants School - Miss E A North, Headmistress.
[Room for 207 children with an average attendance of 150]

7 William St - Edgar Linford, Hairdresser.
19 William St - John Naisbitt, Boot Repairer.
29 William St - Robert George Seller, Insurance agent.
William St - David Eli Grainger, Boot and shoe dealer.
3 John St - Walter Palmer, insurance agent.
11 John St - William Kay, Grocer.
John St - Rev William Learoyd, MA. Curate.

Winston Churchill, then Liberal President of the Board of Trade, speaking at Rushpool Hall, Skelton on 9th August 1909.
Dairy Farm - George Black.
Cemetery - William Richardson, Clerk to the Burial Board.

Dec 24th - Local miner records in diary - Paddy White was injured at South Skelton Mines.

1910 - January - Parish Magazine -
Mrs Herring desires to thank all parents, friends and teachers for the beautiful gold pendant and chain, also half a dozen dessert spoons she has been presented with, on the occasion of her leaving the Skelton Infant School to undertake the charge of the school at North Skelton.

15th January - STALE-MATE GENERAL ELECTION.
Voting took place from now until 20th February and produced a hung Parliament. Arthur Balfour's Conservatives with their Liberal Unionist allies had most votes, but Herbert Asquith's Liberals had a majority of 2 seats.
Asquith formed a Government with the support of the Irish Party.
The Labour increased their seats from 29 to 40.
The local MP for Cleveland, Herbert Samuel, Liberal, retained his seat.

Girl Guides movement started by Lord Baden Powell.

4th February FIRST STREET LIGHTS.
Placed in the High St.

2nd March - CHURCH LADS BRIGADE.
The Annual Concert in aid of the Skelton Brigade Camp Fund was held in the Institute. The Camp this year will be held at Bridlington in June.

Skelton Infants School, 1910.
Only child identified is Hope Gott, second from the Left on second row from back.
[Photo kindly contributed by Hope's Grand Daughter, Barbara Dobby of Carlton Miniott, nr Thirsk, N Yorks. She also attended the School in 1959.]
 7th May - DEATH OF EDWARD VII.
"A chill, bronchitis, and heart failure were the three successive steps which in hours brought his all too short reign to an end."
He was succeeded by George V.

13th May. MINE DEATH.
Longacres Mine. Thomas Marshall, a miner aged 39,was killed.
"He was engaged in barring down some stone from the face when another large stone suddenly burst a-way from between two backs, and falling on him inflicted injuries from which he died in a few hours."

Major Edward Hamilton of Rigwood was elected to the North Riding County Council for Skelton North and served until 1931.

3rd August - OLD CHURCH FUND.
A Garden Fete and Bazaar was arranged by Mrs Wharton and held in the Castle Grounds.
The object was to provide funds for the preservation of our old Church and Churchyard.

29th October. London Gazette.
"A Separate Building, duly certified for religious worship, named WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL, situated at Skelton, in the civil parish of Skelton, in the county of York, North Riding, in Guisborough registration district, was, on the 28th October, 1910, registered for solemnizing marriages therein, pursuant to 6th and 7th Wm. IV, c. 85."



19th December. - GENERAL ELECTION DEADLOCK.
Parliament had been dissolved on November 29th and at the General Election little change resulted. As in January of this year, the Conservatives had most votes but the Liberals has a majority of one seat. Herbert Asquith, Liberal, again formed a Government with Irish support and remained Prime Minister until resigning in 1916. Labour gained 2 more seats to reach 42.
Herbert Samuel, Liberal, won the local Cleveland seat and remained our MP until 1918.

During this year the Anglo Saxon cemetery at Hob Hill was excavated. [See page 2 for what was found.]

5 houses and a shop were built in Charlotte St, New Skelton.

10 houses were built for a Mrs Elliot in Boosbeck Rd.
Next Page - 1911.
Previous Page - 1909.
Contents Page.