SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1919 ~ 1920

Plaque from Stanghow Lane School, New Skelton.
1919 - Stanghow Lane School, New Skelton commemorated old pupils who died in the war on this plaque.
[Now in De Brus, School, Skelton.]

This bears the following nine names which do not appear on any of the other Skelton memorials and presumably they are men who went to school in Skelton, but had moved away by the time of the War.

ALCOCK H.
BECKLEY L.
BEWICK N.
CARVER R.
CHALLIS H.
DUNN S.
GODSMARK William E.
["Soldiers Killed in the Great war" shows that he was 3109 Pte Godsmark of our local Battalion. the 1/4th Yorkshire Regiment and that he was killed in action on


RAOB "Jewel" and its owner, Herbert W Riddiough with his wife, Annie Eliza.
[Photographs were preserved by their daughter Doris "Dolly" Glover and kindly contributed by their Great Great Granddaughter, Julie Riddiough of Brotton.]
 the same day as his brother 3159 Thomas A Godsmark, also killed in action. This was the 16th of September 1916 during the Battle of Flers de Courcelettes, a part of the Battle of the Somme.
The family had moved to Lingdale, N Yorks.
The brothers have no known grave and are remembered in France on the Thiepval Memorial.]

NAISBITT H.
RODGERS C.

The Hospital at the Wharton Hall was finally closed after 4 years of tending the war wounded.

Four million men returned to civilian life after the war and work was hard to find.

Dec 18th - Robert Husband was killed at South Skelton mines.

1920 - The new rector at Skelton All Saints Church was Robert Warner Wheatley. BA. Rural Dean of Guisborough.

February - The Provincial Grand Lodge of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes was formed in Skelton.
The RAOB have three tiers of organisation, Grand Lodge, Provincial and Minor Lodge.
The Skelton Lodge called themselves "Old Royal George". The Royal George Inn was at one time called this and the Lodge may well have originated there, but records show that it was run from a Working Mens' Club.

Skelton Fire Brigade 1920's.
Middle row, right, John R Hewling.
Front row, right, John Hewling.
Robert Warner Wheatley BA.
Rector of Skelton 1920 to 1947.
Rural Dean of Guisborough.

The Skelton Lodge existed until at least 1926.
The medal shown here is called a "Jewel" and belonged to founder member, Herbert "Bert" Willie Riddiough, who lived at Hobdale Tce, Skelton.
Herbert was a second degree member or "Primo". The RAOB have 3 other ranks 1st [Brother], 3rd [Knight of Merit] and 4th [Right Honourable].
Herbert had been born in Shipley, Yorks and had come to this area with his wife Annie Eliza about 1899.
They had at least 10 children and later moved to Brotton, N Yorks.
He died in 1950, aged 74, and is buried with Annie in Brotton Cemetery.

Skelton Celtic Football Team 1920 - 1921.
[Photograph kindly donated by Alan Ward, son of Frank, the player on the left of the middle row.
 6th February -
The Clerk of the local Council reported the receipt of a letter dated the 3rd of February 1920 from Mr Frank Ranson on behalf of the inhabitants of North skelton.
This requested permission to erect a Memorial to the men who have fallen in the War.
Mr Wharton had promised a site between the Wesleyan Church and Mr Dowson's shop on condition that the same be passed over to some public body and asking the Council to the this responsibility.
The Memorial would be of White Sicilian Marble and 11 feet 3 inches in height.
It was proposed by Mr Gott and seconded by Mr Watson that consent be granted and it was carried unanimously.

Skelton Celtic Football Team.
Names reading left to right are:-
Players, back row - Bob Copeland, Joe Williams, Fred Appleton.

Middle Row - Fred Tilley, Bringloe, Harry Davis of the New Inn. Players are Frank Ward, George Skipper, Ticker Ward.

Front Row players - Bob Fawcett, Gerard Sussans, Joe Robinson, Jimmy Reynolds and Sandy Bright.

Next Page - 1921 TO 1922
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