Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Friday 13 December 1918

Death Robs Thurnscoe.

After an illness lasting only a few days, Councillor William Riley, landlord of the Butchers’ Arms, Thurnscoe, and formerly of Wath-upon- Dearne, died yesterday, at Thurnscoe, from pneumonia.

Councillor Riley was for many years up to the time of his death a member of the Wath-upon- Dearne Urban District Council, and was in attendance at the Council meeting last week. He was the first working-man member to become its chairman, and had such a thorough grasp of the work, and so ably carried out his duties that his name was put forward as a permanent county J.P.

He was formerly the Wath Main representative on the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, and by his tactful manner in dealing with matters which cropped up between the men and the management avoided any undue crisis.

He held many public offices, being at one time a Guardian the Poor, the Rotherham Union, secretary of the Wath Hospital Sunday Committee, chairman of the Wath War Relief Committee, secretary of the Aged People’s Treat Committee, etc. He was a genial personality, straightforward in all his dealings, and a man who will be missed.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 16 December 1918

Wath Councillor’s Funeral.

Amid many manifestations of regret, the funeral took place at Wath Cemetery yesterday afternoon of Councillor William Riley, late licensee of the Butchers’ Arms, Thurnscoe, and a member of the Wath-upon-Dearne Urban District Council.

There was a large attendance, which included, besides the relatives of the deceased, members and officials of the Wath Urban District Council, members of the Fire Brigade, lodges of the R.A.0.B. in the district, the various friendly societies, officials from the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, Barnsley, and local branches; guardians of the poor from the Rotherham Union, the management of the Wath Main Colliery (of which the deceased was secretary, being delegate for the men to the V.M.A. for many years), Wath Hospital Sunday Com mittee. Aged People’s Treat Committee, and War Relief Committee.

Many wreaths were sent, and after the funeral ceremony, which was conducted Mr. J. Parkes, the ritual of the R.A.0.B. was observed.