Methley Urban District Council

Amalgamation Process 1929/30

Meetings had been held with both Castleford and Rothwell District Councils with a view to possible amalgamation as other mergers were taking place elsewhere in order to consolidate essential services.
At the monthly meeting of Methley UDC in November, 1929 Councillor Whittaker put forward a resolution to amalgamate with Castleford suggesting that it would be more advantageous to negotiate at the present time than to wait.  He put forward a number of advantages which included current areas of community links with that town rather than Rothwell.

• ·Methley people mostly do their shopping in Castleford.
• ·Expected population increases in Castleford to say, 45000 would create better    facilities.
• ·Castleford market was second to none in the County and its continued success could lead to cheaper rates.
• Public baths at Castleford were available and now being used by Methley Schoolchildren.
• Castleford had a public library of good standing which included a reading room.
• Child welfare services which included the Maternity Home and the services of two full time health visitors.
• ·Castleford had a Technical School and Evening Schools, their Education Committee having more influence than Methley.
• The Fire Brigade would also be at the disposal of Methley. At present Methley takes second place in an emergency.
• Both districts along with Whitwood were linked up for Parliamentary, Poor Law purposes and representation on the West Riding County Council.
• Both areas share the same water source

Councillor Richardson (chairman) said that nothing new had been put forward and intimated  that the County Council would arrange a conference on the matter, he said that he expected the village would get a fair deal wherever it  merged.
He also expected that the village would have the opportunity to object to any proposals that did not suit.  The Chairman added that the Council had yet to debate if it wished to cease being a local authoruty.   Councillor Whittaker repeated that the Council could get the best terms if it entered into a merger voluntarily.

Major Briggs said that on analysis, no useful purpose could be served by proceeding at present.   He added that the biggest problem at the moment was sewage disposal and he suggested that Methley would best be served by Rothwell in this matter.  He also said that rating had to be considered and at the present Castleford was the more heavily rated of the two authorities.   He said that arguments regarding markets, library and swimming baths did not affect possible amalgamation as Methley people would still use these facilities.   As regards the supply of utilities he did not think that this would affect any decision, also matters relating to Fire Services came under the County Council.   Mrs Briggs added that special health and maternity services could not be treated at Castleford in any case.  Councillor Hyatt added that because other authorities were amalgamating it was not justification that Methley should do the same.

A counter proposal by Mrs Briggs that the County Council be approached was carried and Councillor Whittaker’s resolution fell to the ground.

Methley did of course merge with Rothwell, I suspect largely as a result of the contribution by the power broker of the group – Mr DHC Briggs, Mineowner.  His arguments of sewage and rating I think carried the day.

Members of the Council met on the fourth Monday in each month at 4.30pm at the Red House. In 1927 the Urban District Council consisted of :-
DHC Briggs       -   Chairman
Wm Askew       -    Vice Chairman
Robert Booth,  Robert Bullimore,  John S Richardson,  George Bullen,  Arthur Ellis,  William Hyatt, Mrs Elizabeth Briggs,  Geo P Hollings,  James A Hodgson,   Geo W Purser.
Officers were :-
Robert Wigin     -    Clerk
Percy R Farrer   -  Treasurer
CC Hargreaves  -    MOH

Fleet Beck   - Scene of Crime

The background to the following mystery was made by Peter Thorpe of Leeds whilst researching his family history.    Peter had earlier had a letter published in the Yorkshire Evening Post seeking further information.
The mystery concerns one William Lawson Chatham a one time coachman to the Earl of Mexborough whose body was found in Fleet beck in the August of 1909. Given the date of death, a search in the pages of the Pontefract Express revealed the following in their report of the inquest held on 20^th August…… 

Gruesome Find in Fleet Beck
A farmhand named Sidney Thompson who is employed on the Clump Cliffe farm, made a gruesome discovery while at work in the potato field on the farm least week-end.  He noticed an unusually bad smell coming from the Fleet Beck which runs alongside the field, and on going to see what could be the cause of it found the dead body of a man in a horribly decomposed state lying in the beck.   He at once informed the police, who had the body conveyed into the village.  An inquest was held on the remains on Friday by Mr. P.P. Maitland and from evidence given it would seem that the body must have been in the beck for some weeks.   It was much decayed and had the appearance of being attacked by rats which infest the beck.  The Jury returned a verdict of ‘Found Drowned’.  The body is believed to be that of a man named William Chatham of 9 Walden Street, Castleford who has been missing from his home about six weeks.
Pontefract & Castleford Express  - 27^th August, 1909

 Peter’s research into this aspect of his family could have ended there, until he made contact with members of the family including William Chatham’s grand daughter and Mr. Arthur Chatham of Farsley.    William’s great grand daughter then contacted Peter with some startling revelations.   He was to learn that the body of the man found in the beck was NOT that of William Chatham , and that he had died of non violent causes in Pontefract Infirmary in the 1930s.   The same source of information added that the funeral arrangements were carried out by his son George and that William was buried in Castleford cemetery with other members of the family in attendance.   His grand daughter (Cissie Godfrey) through her daughter also reported that as a young child she remembered William Chatham as an old man.

But whose body then was found in the beck, and how was it initially identified at the inquest?     It was now revealed by Cissie that the body of the man found in the beck was a tramp living a ‘simple life’.   A man, who it is alleged that William had taken pity on being cold and wet and offered his coat in an act of kindness.    It would appear that the coat contained some form of identity relating to William which the jurors at the inquest accepted given the decayed state of the body.
The inquest held on the 20^th August was only one day after the corpse had been found and the death certificate issued.    Quite clearly the authorities would have wanted the remains to be interred as quickly as possible - thus giving very little time to complete more extensive enquiries.

One has now to ask how did the jury come to their conclusion :-
Was it natural causes?   If so, how did the body get into the beck?
Was it murder most foul? There would be little motive in ending the life of a tramp unless in argument or disagreement.  Equally importantly, lack of enquiries would not be able to confirm the body was that of a tramp or other person.
Why, one has to ask, did the corpse lay there undiscovered for so long?  Didn’t Woodrow boys cover the beck as much as we did during the 1940’s and 50’s?
Where, you might ask was William Chatham during this time?   Peter Thorpe had learned during his enquiries that his forbear was prone to disappearing from time to time so his absence was not unusual. However, we never did find out how long it was before he returned to the fold, sadly, sadly it was known that his wife died before his return.  

We will never know the whole truth, the water rats of Fleet beck had destroyed all of the evidence.  One thing is certain, he could not have drowned – the flow in Fleet beck would not be deep enough in the month of August. Unless…………

Wartime Methley

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