SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1927 ~ 1935

Two early buses that would have been seen in Skelton at this time.
Both vehicles were owned by John Dobson of Charltons, N Yorks. Note the "Charltonian" name.
The one on the left, with an "Edmond" body, was new in 1928 and from Feb 1929 was granted a licence to ply the route Saltburn - Skelton - Lingdale - Castleton - Danby.
The bus on the right is a Chevrolet of May 1929 and was photographed in Saltburn ready for the same journey.
Permission to show these photographs has kindly been granted by John Dobson's grandson of the same name.
John, an old Skeltoner, who has contributed other valuable items to this site, published a book about the family firm in 2005.
Called the "Charltonian", it describes in great detail these early days of public transport.
The driver of the bus on the right is his Dad, Bill Dobson.

Ramsay-MacDonald
1927 - Trades Disputes Act made General strikes illegal.

2nd July. London Gazette.
Whitehall, Imperial Service Medal.
His Majesty The King has been pleased to award the Imperial Service Medal to the following officers: —
Home Civil Service - Knaggs, Robert, Postman, Skelton in Cleveland, Sub-Office, Saltburn by the Sea.

1928 - Women got the same voting rights as men.

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.

21 December. London Gazette.
CLEVELAND GAS.
(Application for Special Order under Section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act 1920.) Notice is hereby given that application is intended to be made to the Board

Petrol driven "Rail Trolley" manned by local employees of the North Eastern Railway Company, who looked after the line between Saltburn and Brotton. The only one identified is Thomas Rooks of New Skelton.[third from right in the back row] He was a platelayer and had served through the First War in the Northumberland Fusiliers. The photograph, which was taken some time in the 1930's, has been kindly contributed by Thomas' son, Owen Rooks.
of Trade by the Cleveland Gas Company (hereinafter referred to as " the Company ") whose principal office is at Skinningrove, Carlin How, in the North Riding of the County of York for a Special Order (hereinafter referred to as " the Order ") under Section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act 1920 for all or some of the following purposes (that is to say): — 1. To empower the Company to acquire the portion of the undertaking of the Brotton Gas Light and Coke Company Limited (hereinafter called " the Brotton Company ") within the part of the Parish of Brotton in the Urban District of Skelton and Brotton hereinafter described.....

1929
29th May - NEW SKELTON PARACHUTIST KILLED.
Corporal Sidney Ronald Wilson, aged 25, single, whose home was at New Skelton, Cleveland, N Yorks was killed while practising parachute exercises at Andover Aerodrome, Hants. He was the first parachutist to lose his life there.
He was on 12 Squadron and was an aerial gunner. He crashed to his death on Monday night due to his not pulling the cord.
Flying Officer Frank Carpenter identifed the body and added that he was 40 yards away from where he fell to earth and he saw him leave the machine without the parachute opening.
Flying Officer Horace John White said he was piloting the machine in question and about 6.20 p.m. he took Wilson up to practise.


North Skelton Cricket 1928 to 1929.
He believed that he had not dropped before. At a height of 1,900 feet he throttled the engine down and the man to get out would have to climb down a ladder, which he did, jump first and then pull the rip cord ring which released the parachute.
He knew Wilson had his hand on the ring, but seemed a little tremulous.

30th May - GENERAL ELECTION.
With rising unemployment and memories of the General Strike of 1926, Labour under Ramsay Macdonald won most seats in the General Election even though they had less of the total national votes.
Labour 287, Stanley Baldwin's Conservatives - 260 and Lloyd-George's Liberals 59, resulting in a hung Parliament.
Skelton was part of the Cleveland constituency and here, contrary to expectations, a Labour candidate, William "Billie" Thomas Mansfield, the miners Trade Union leader, was elected.

October 24. Wall Street Crash in USA followed by world wide depression.

Col W H A Wharton and foxhunt meet about this time at Skelton Castle. W H A Wharton, is shown in this beautiful sketch by Joseph Appleyard hunting in Apple Orchard Woods with the Cleveland pack. He would have been 73 years of age at this time.

Robert Tatton-Bower.
Cleveland MP 1931 to 1945.
The church in North Skelton was completed. Col Wharton gave the land and £1,100 toward the cost.
Prior to this services had been held in a corrugated iron building that stood opposite. This had been paid for by the Whartons and was afterwards used as a church hall and was demolished in 1999.

South Skelton mine, known locally as 'Van's Pit' from Thomas Vaughan who started it, is bought by Dorman Long and Co and modernized.

1930 - The government introduced a works programme to counteract economic hardship but 2 million out of work by the end of the year.

Football, World Cup started.

James Howe was elected as County Councillor for Skelton South and served until 1931.

1931 - Independence granted to Canada, S Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Grave economic problems. Bank of England warns of bankruptcy due to cost of unemployment benefits.
National coalition government formed under Ramsay Macdonald.

27th October - GENERAL ELECTION.
The Labour Party split over the issue of budget reductions and an election was called.
The Coalition National Government won with a majority of Conservative MPs.

Skelton Cross Green in 1931.

Stanley Baldwin's Conservatives 470. Henderson's Labour 48. Herbert Samuel's Liberals 32. Simon's National Liberal's 35. R MacDonalds National Labour 12.
The Labour MP for Cleveland, William Mansfield, lost his seat by a narrow margin and was replaced by the Conservative, Commander Robert Tatton-Bower, an ex Royal Navy boxing champion.

At the National Census of this year Skelton, [including Lingdale, Boosbeck, N Skelton] had 1830 inhabited houses. [Old Skelton 689 and N Skelton 376].

The population was 7520 [Old Skelton 2629. N Skelton 1509] with 3837 males and 3683 females.

The Primitive and United Methodists are re-united with the Wesleyans to form the Methodists.

In the last ten years there had been hardly any change in the number of houses and the population had decreased by 1425.

Boosbeck Rd, Skelton Green. Miners Hospital on the Left.

Margaret Ringrose Wharton was elected for Skelton North as North Riding of Yorks County Councillor and served until 1949.

N Skelton and Park Pit were working, but South Skelton on stand by, due to lack of demand for iron ore.

1932 - The whipping of children under 14 is banned.

1933 - Taking advantage of the fear of Communism and the economic depression Adolph Hitler came to power and was appointed Chancellor of Germany.

Germany left the League of Nations.

3rd January - Passenger train services ceased to North Skelton [Hollybush] Station.

In the Skelton area the proportion of the workforce the proportion of the workforce registered as unemployed under the National Insurance scheme reached 91 percent.

Pageant at Skelton Castle 1935 to celebrate George V Jubilee.

1934 - The Church organ in Skelton All Saints was rebuilt at a cost of £385 to commemorate the Jubilee of George V.

1935 - Ramsay Macdonald resigned and Stanley Baldwin headed the National Coalition with a strong Conservative element.

6th May. Jubilee of George V. Street parties and celebrations were held all over Britain.
In Skelton locals performed a Pageant celebrating British History in the grounds of the Castle.

September - Prime minister, Baldwin, published a circular entitled Air Raid Precautions.
The Government clearly sensed a threat ahead, but at this stage local authorities were only asked to consider plans to protect their people in event of a war.

Skelton Cross Green about this time.
14th November - GENERAL ELECTION.
The National Government, now led by the Conservative, Stanley Baldwin, won with a large, but reduced, majority.
Conservative - 386. Clement Attlee's Labour - 154. The Liberals, who were now led by ex-Cleveland MP, Herbert Samuel continued their decline with just 21 seats held.
In Cleveland the Conservative, Robert Tatton-Bower retained his seat and as this was the last election until after the Second World War he remained the MP for Cleveland until the Labour take-over in 1945.
Next Page - 1936 TO 1937.
Previous Page - 1922 TO 1926.
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