South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 22 August 1942
Obituary
Councillor W. M. Starkey
Thurnscoe Trade Unionist
Trade Unionism lost an ardent worker by the death on Saturday in Mexborough Montagu Hospital of Coun. Walter Major Starkey, of 22, Houghton Road, Thurnscoe. He was 66. Coun. Starkey had lived at Thurnscoe for nearly 50 years, coming from Bloxwich, Stoffordshire. As a young man he was an active member of Thurnscoe Wesleyan Chapel, and organised special P.S.A. services to raise money for the Organ Fund.
He volunteered for service in the last war, serving with the York and Lancaster Regiment, and was with the Army of Occupation in Germany. He returned to England in 1919 and took up Trade Union activities and public work.
He became secretary of Hickleton Main Yorkshire Mineworkers Association branch in 1921, and held that position up to the time of his death. A keen supporter of Trade Union principles, his biggest fight was the Hickleton Miners’ Appeal Case, which began in 1937 and finally ended in the House of Lords in 1940. An expert on the Workmen’s Compensation Act, he made himself conversant with every anomaly, amendment and test case decision, and could quote from them all.
Coun. Starkey inaugurated on behalf of Hickleton Main workmen, the Hickleton Main Home Coal Leading Scheme, and had a share in the decision to erect the pithead canteen.
Coun. Starkey was one of the first members of Thurnscoe Urban Council, and was chairman in 1923. 1930 and 1935. When Thurnscoe and Bolton Urban Councils were amalgamated in 1937 he was elected to the new Dearne Urban Council — and was chairman in 1939. He had been chairman of Dearne Education Committee for nearly seven years, and before that was vice-chairman for 15 years. He had served on the Don Valley Public Assistance Board for over 30 years. Other bodies of which Coun. Starkey was a member were Essential Work Order Committee, Tribunal for War Service, Montagu Hospital Board of Management, Wath and Swinton Hospital Board, Wath, Bolton and Thurnscoe Gas Board, and Mexborough Schofield Technical College Governors.
Coun. Starkey leaves a widow and two sons. The elder son. Marcus is serving in the Fire Service at York, and the younger, Wesley, is in the R.A.M.C.
The Funeral.
The funeral took place at Thurnscoe on Wednesday. At a service in the Methodist Central Hall, Thurnscoe, the Rev. T. Mealing, a former pastor, who conducted the service, spoke of the work of Coun. Starkey. ‘What work he has done,” said Pastor Mealing. “You can instance service after service in which he was engaged. We can sum up his work in half a dozen words: not for self but for others. His was a crowded life. I have been told his last thoughts were for the men of Hickleton Main, and his wishes were that the men should make wise and far-seeing decisions. Now his work is done, but the influence of his work continues.”