Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 27 February 1904

Public Recognition at Mexboro’
A Hundred Heroes Entertained
Historic Gathering

The movement to accord to the local soldiers, Reservists and Volunteers, who went from Mexboro’ and the surrounding districts to fight in South Africa, a public welcome on their return home, which was originated in the columns of the “Mexboro’ and Swinton Times” in November last, attained a satisfactory consummation on Wednesday night.

From the moment that the author of the movement converted it from the newspaper agitation into a public undertaking, there was little doubt of its success. The need for according the brave fellows who went to the front from this district some sort of recognition, as other towns and districts had done, was everywhere admitted, and the generous public of Mexboro’ and the surrounding district readily gave the wherewithal to insure a satisfactory completion of the movement.

It was something in the nature of a surprise to the committee which was formed to carry out the scheme to find that the number of men to be entertained was nearly a hundred. They had based all their calculations, financial and otherwise, upon a roll-call of about half that number, and it was, moreover, nearing the day fixed for the entertainment when it became apparent that there was so large a muster of local heroes. Nothing daunted, however, the committee nailed their colours, as it were, to a hospitable motto, “Let ’em all come,” and all whose names and addresses were sent to the secretary were invited to the recognition banquet. A hundred and two invitations were, as a matter of fact, sent out, and a hundred and one soldiers from the front sat down to dinner, or even at the last moment, men who had not sent in their names, or who had not sent their addresses with their names, turned up, and they were not turned away. One result of this magnificent muster was humorous in its way. The long room at the Montagu Hotel, where the banquet was spread, was only just able to hold the soldiers’ guests, and the committee were completely crowded out. Unable to sit down to dine, they accepted the situation philosophically, and enlisted as waiters, carvers, and handy men, carrying their hospitality to the extreme limit. By a triumph of engineering, room was found at the festive board for Mr. T. Carruthers, J.P., Mr. J. H. Kellev, the Rev. W. H. F. Bateman, and the Rev. T. Anderson. The soldiers of the garrison were:—

Barnsboro’—Pte. J. H. Wordsworth.
Bolton-upon-Dearne—Lieut. Albert Kirkham, Lee; Corporal Braddock.
Conisboro’—Corpl. J. Brown, Gunner Jas. Abell, Sergt. W. Downing, Pte. E. Gregory, Corpl. G. W. Haywood, Corpl. W. Dunn (Masbro’), Pte. Geo. H. Goulding.
Denaby—Pte. W. Handby (Thurnscoe), Pte. G. Jackson, Pte. F. Letting, Pte. J. Dixon (Woodhouse), Pte. D. Jones, Sergt. D. Brough, Pte. A. Hague, Pte. H. Matthews, Pte. John Wain, Corpl. F. Hague, Pte. Joseph Corbett, Pte. E. Prendergast, Pte. Walter Hewitt, Pte. P. Benton, Pte. H. Goodlad, Pte. E. Conroy, Staff-Sergt. Farrier H. Watson (S. Kirby), Pte. E. Wheater (Mexboro’), Pte. Geo. Woodbridge, Pte. Michael Coyne, Pte. T. Roper, Pte. Jno. Ward.
Goldthorpe—Pte. G. Berry, Corpl. Ed. Ash, Pte. A. Gavin, Pte. W. Judge, Pte. W. Russell, Pte. J. McKenna, Pte. E. Sharp.
Kilnhurst—Sergt. W. Rix, Pte. Enoch Fisher, Bugler Catton.
Mexboro’—Pte. J. Brindle, Sergt. A. W. Maggatt, Corpl. C. Biggins, Corpl. J. E. Candlin, Pte. W. Wroe, Corpl. G. Antliff, Pte. A. E. Yates, Pte. Hale, Pte. Hy. Mooney, Sapper E. A. Wallwork, Pte. Walter Wright, Pte. Geo. Atkinson, Pte. J. Lythgoe, Pte. J. Lovatt (Wombwell), Corpl. J. J. T. Greaves (Doncaster), Pte. Richard Dyer, Pte. John Newell, Pte. R. Sharp, Pte. T. Cutts, Pte. Geo. Percival, Pte. A. Lewman, Pte. E. Gavin, Pte. Edward Simpson, Pte. S. Barker, Pte. J. L. Hobson, Pte. T. Oliver, Pte. E. Sander, Pte. Thomas Brock, Pte. W. Clarke, Pte. W. Ager, Pte. C. Rowland, Pte. E. Starkey, Pte. Holmes, Pte. J. Lyons, Pte. A. E. Johnson, Trooper W. S. Pettitt, Pte. Kennell.
Swinton—Lce.-Corpl. J. Colton, Lee Sergt. ——, Corpl. H. Carr, Trooper T. Gunter, Pte. J. Smith, Pte. W. Williams, Pte. R. Williams, Corpl. J. Beams, Sergt. J. Henshaw, Lce.-Corpl. Heywood, Pte. T. Wilson, Pte. Wm. Davis, Pte. A. Challoner, Trooper Eustace Nicklin.
Thurnscoe—Pte. Edward Elliott, Pte. Brown, Pte. Wood, Pte. Oakston, Pte. A. Pasley.

Trooper Peter Waddington, of the 1st Life Guards, now stationed at Windsor, wrote expressing his regret at being unable to be present, owing to his squadron training, and Corporal J. Baines, of Thurnscoe, was reluctantly absent owing to the orders of the doctor, in whose hands he has the misfortune to be at the present time. Letters of regret for non-attendance were received from Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell and Captain H. S. Witty, both of whom had other engagements, and Mr. Thomas Weston, of the Eresby Arms, who generously paid the cost of the entertainment of the guests from Denaby and New Conisboro’.

Mr. Weston wrote: “In reply to your committee’s kind and pressing letter, inviting me to attend the Reservists’ dinner to-night, I beg you to excuse me, and hope you will do so with a good grace. I much regret not being with you all on the present occasion, but I don’t feel I could attend any public function for some time yet. My dear son corresponded with several of the Reservists while they were out at the front, and I was in great sympathy with them, and I am sure if I were with you I should feel it keenly and be much upset. Wishing you all a pleasant and enjoyable evening, I enclose a cheque to comply with my promise to defray the cost of the entertainment of the men from Denaby, and remain, yours faithfully, T. Weston.”

Mr. Amos Thompson, of the Montagu Arms, himself a member of the committee, had announced that he would give the town’s soldier guests the best spread that had been put on the table at the Montagu during his connection with the house. His amiable wife was equally determined to break record, and the result of their joint determination was a dinner fit for a prince. Needless to say, everything was provided in profusion, the menu being as follows:—Soups, gravy, and tomato; fish, cod and oyster sauce, filleted soles; joints, roast beef, roast and boiled mutton, York ham and tongue, roast veal; removes, rabbit pies, roast goose, roast and boiled fowls, roast ducks; game, pheasants, guinea fowls, jugged hare; sweets, plum and fig puddings, rhubarb tarts, jellies, Charlotte Russe and Gâteau apricot, trifles and jelly cakes, velvet creams; cheese and celery; dessert.

When the cloth was cleared, Mr. Thomas Carruthers, J.P., Chairman of the Recognition Fund Committee, presided, being supported by Mr. J. H. Kellev (Wath), the Rev. W. H. F. Bateman, M.A., the Rev. T. Anderson, Councillor Herbert Platt (vice-chair), Messrs. J. E. H. Drabble (treasurer), Dr. Gardener, Walter Turner, Joseph Dykes, Jno. Clayton, Councillor A. Goulding, T. Wigmore, T. Chambers, Geo. Marshall, F. Holt, Geo. Bennett, A. Thompson, E. Wragg, J. F. Heald, W. P. Turner (who kindly acted as accompanist), W. C. Buss, and Hugh Dellow (secretary).

The Chairman proposed the “King,” which toast was enthusiastically honoured, the National Anthem being sung with great heartiness.

The Vice-Chairman proposed “Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the other members of the Royal Family.” The toast was drunk with enthusiasm, “God bless the Prince of Wales,” being sung lustily.

Mr. John Clayton proposed “The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces.” He wished, he said, to say something about the doings of the Army and Navy in years gone by, and he proposed to relate an incident which occurred in New York about 15 years ago. In a saloon there were assembled an Englishman, a Frenchman, a Spaniard, and an American. The American gave the toast of the “Stars and Stripes of Bold America,” the Frenchman drank, “Here’s to the Eagle of France,” and the Spaniard’s toast was “Here’s to the ragged flag of Spain.” Modest John Bull waited until they had all had their say, and then he said: “Well, we beat the stars and stripes, we took the bold eagles of France, and we used for our own convenience the ragged flag of Spain.” (Loud laughter.)

If they looked into history they would see that forty years after there was the celebrated duel between the “Chesapeake” and the “Shannon,” in which the British frigate rendered the American cruiser helpless after a half-an-hour’s battle. With reference to the Eagle of France, if all the eagles captured from the French army had been live eagles they would have been enough to devour the British Army. So far as the ragged flag of Spain was concerned, they knew what happened to the Spanish Armada; they knew what occurred at Trafalgar, when the Spanish fleet was combined with the French in a futile attempt to destroy Nelson, and they knew that the Spanish nation would have non-existence to-day but for the Peninsular War, in which Great Britain fought to preserve the independence of Spain. (Applause.) When Spain was at her best some 300 years ago, their forefathers met them, and always came out on top. The spirit which had carried old England through in the past was the spirit which animated the Englishman of to-day, and so long as that spirit, which impelled the lads from Mexboro’ to go for the Boers when challenged, existed, he thought old England might look her enemies in the face and say, “Let them all come.” (Applause.)

The toast was drunk with immense enthusiasm, “Rule Britannia” being afterwards sung with great heartiness.

Sergt. Dalby, L. and Y. Regt., responded. He could not, he said, speak too highly of the Reservists. In October, 1899, the Reservists of his own regiment were called up. It was said on all hands that there would only be about half the men respond, but he knew that when they went out every man turned up. (Applause.) He could not say too much about the Reservists. In the fighting line the old soldier was the backbone of the regimental strength; he was the man who was thoroughly disciplined, and nothing put heart into the recruit so much as the steadiness of the veteran. (Hear, hear.) As they were aware, he was the recruiting sergeant at Mexboro’, and he thought it would be useful if he said he would be glad to see any of their friends who were inclined for a military career. (Laughter.) Well, he himself did not regret an hour of his military service, and he was sure that no other soldier, conducting himself properly and behaving himself, had any reason for discontent. (Hear, hear.) He was absolutely sure that there was not a man in the room, whether he had lost a leg or an arm for his King and country, who, if he was called upon to-morrow, would not willingly go and chance the other. (Applause.)

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