Archived Extracts

  The District Coroner (Mr. D. Whittingham) held an enquiry into the circumstances connected with the death of Samuel Mayfield at the house of Mr. Kesteven, the Peacock Inn, Hucknall Huthwaite, on Friday afternoon. The deceased, who worked at the Silver Hill Colliery, belonging to the Stanton Coal and Iron Company, was injured there on the 22nd December, and died on Wednesday last. Mr. J. Hey, manager, represented the company.
  The coroner, in addressing the jury, said that some time ago it was his painful duty to conduct an inquiry at that house into circumstances connected with the death of a little child; but of the many cases that had come under his notice he had seen nothing to equal the deplorable wretchedness and depravity connected with the present case. He had visited the house where the deceased had died, and had never in his experience seen anything so appalling as he then witnessed. The state of destitution really beggared description, and he could not sufficiently describe the state of misery which must exist in the house, and the exceeding immorality of the people living there. He thought that when the jury visited the place they would agree with him that he had not exaggerated the case, for it would touch their hearts when they saw poor little childre lying on a bundle of rags without a particle of bedding close to the corpse, which lay in the house place. He understood that the woman and these children had been sleeping there since Wednesday, and there were several other persons in the house. He asked the jury not only to view the body, but to go through the house and see the state of matters which he had described. There was nothing upstairs but rubbish, and how the people could have lived under such circumstances he could not understand. The him it seemed a sad thing that poor little children should be brought into the world to suffer as there poor little things must have done.
  The jury, having visited the house, stated on their return that the coroner had not exaggerated the case in the slightest degree.
  The evidence of a woman named Barlow, who had been living with the deceased for the last 16 years, went to show that he came home on the 22nd of December, having met with an accident in the Silver Hill pit, in which he sustained five broken ribs. He complained that his "butties" would not let him place the tub in which he was loading coal in the position he wished, saying that had they allowed him to do so, the accident would not have happened. The reason the deceased did not marry her, was that he was already married, and his wife threatened she would imprison him if he did so, although that woman was herself married before her marriage with the deceased. In further evidence the witness stated that she and the children had slept with the deceased in the houseplace since he died.
  The Coroner observed that he could not imagine such a condition of things, and asked the woman why she allowed the little children to be placed so near the corpse; in reply to which she said "he" (meaning the deceased) would not hurt them.
  John Underwood, living at Stanton Hill, one of the "butties" in the pit, described the accident to the deceased, from which it appeared that Mayfield was loading coal in No. 8 stall, which was on an incline of three inches to the yard. He pulled the tub nearer to his work, but in doing so evidently miscalculated the distance between the tub and the prop behind him, the consequence being that the tub caught him in the side and crushed him against the prop.
  A loader named Samuel Hickton gave corroborative evidence, and Mr. Josiah Ball, employed as underviewer at the pit, stated that deceased had been used to the work he was engaged in at the time of the mishap.
  The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."

  This match was played on the ground of the latter on Saturday last, and resulted in a victory for Hucknall by 5 goals to 2. ... Teams:-
Church: Turner (goal), J.G. Ellis and F. Beardall (backs), L. Allsopp, Burton, and Sprittlehouse (half-backs), T. Hill, captain, and W. Smith (right wing), Boardman and G. Bradder (left wing), B. Hill (centre).

  The general halfyearly meeting of the above society was held in the Independent schoolroom, Mount street, on Monday evening. Mr. S. Stevenson presided, and there were a good attendance of members. The forty-seventh halfyearly report was read by Mr. E. Straw, secretary, from which it appeared that the society was in a flourishing condition. Having recently purchased the business premises from Mr. Charles Plumbe, a new grocery and provision store has been opened in New street, besides which the society have branches in Cursham street, Mount street, Parliament street, Bullfield, Kirkby, and Hucknall Huthwaite. During the past halfyear thirty new members have enrolled and sixteen withdrawn, making the present number on the register 1012. The receipts for the halfyear from the various stores amounts to £8113, an increase from the previous halfyear of £532, which considering the severe depression in trade is very satisfactory. After paying wages, officers salaries, a nett profit has been realized of £582 14s. 2d., which the committee proposed to be returned to members in their purchases at 1s.8d. in the £ and 10d. to non-members, leaving a balance of £5 8s. 2d. to be carried to the reserve fund, which now amounts to £578 10s.6d. After the report had been passed it was unanimously decided to have the tea and entertainment at Easter as usual. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought a very interesting meeting to a close.