1904 - January

January 27, 1904

The 21st annual ball under the auspices of the Newark Rowing Club took place in the Town Hall.

The committee of this flourishing club has earned quite a reputation for the skill which they show in making arrangements for the various functions which they hold throughout the year, and for Thursday night they decided to depart from their usual practice of holding an ordinary evening dress dance, and make it a fancy dress event.

The members were given the option, however, of boating or evening wear, but elaborate costumes representative of various races and periods were very much in evidence, and it would be difficult to say which sex secured the prize for the originality of its ideas.

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Mr Tryner Lynn, Stodman Street, Newark, has on view in his window a Pedal straw hat of the silk hat shape, which it is claimed was worn by the great Lord Palmerston in the 1850s. It is an interesting sample of headwear.

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Mr William Baker, Collingham postman, commenced his duties as rural postman on the January 25, 1864 and his 40 years service, therefore, expired on Monday last.

It is approximately estimated that during that period Mr Baker covered a distance of something like 250,000 miles which, roughly speaking, is equal to about ten times round the world.

The performance, although perhaps not unique as a record, is certainly worthy of publication.

Mr Baker is 65 years of age and possesses six good conduct stripes, and in all probability will be presented with the Imperial Medal for long service. This is a much coveted honour, and there are, we believe, very few who hold it. 
 

January 20, 1904

Some practical suggestions for dealing with the tramp difficulty were recently made in an article contributed to the Police Review by the Chief Constable of Newark.

Mr Challen says that the wayfarers roughly fall into three classes: The bona fide working man temporarily on the road in search of work; the travelling workman; and the professional tramp.

The Chief Constable's experience is that a tramp is a man who first assumes the guise of a meek, reluctant beggar, and pretends to be looking for work, but should opportunity present itself he frequently alters his role, often menacing and terrorising females and residents of lonely districts.

He thinks little of setting fire to a hay stack if its owner refused to help him, or of garrotting a passer-by for the few shillings he may have in his pocket, and then kicking his victim into a state of unconsciousness to avoid pursuit.

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The Newark Hospital annual ball which is the most fashionable event of the season took place in the Town Hall.

For a time the corridors were choked with arriving guests, who were somewhat impeded in their way to the cloakrooms by the officials in charge of the entrance.

Fifteen minutes grace was allowed the late-comers and then the band of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, under Bandmaster H. Holmes, struck up the music.

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On Friday night the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs J. C. Wright) entertained a large party of children at the Town Hall.

The practice of inviting the young folks to a ball early in the New Year has been followed by successive mayors for some years.
 

January 13, 1904

Owing to recent disastrous fires in schools both at home and abroad, the headmaster of the Lover's Lane Council School, Newark, Mr S. A. Hildage, has wisely instituted a fire drill for his scholars.

The school bell is rung four times and on hearing it the children, no matter what they may be doing, at once take their places in the aisles which divide the desks and march in lines direct through the central half half and into the playground.

The drill is practised every day, and is already carried through without the slightest hitch.

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At a recent meeting of the Barnbygate Wesley Guild, discussion took place on why so many people in Newark attended no place of worship.

The chairman, the Rev J. Britton, said they had at heart the interests of the people among whom they lived, and if they found that a great number of people did not attend any place of worship, they should like to take the matter up, and secure a number of them either for their own church or for some other.

If they got them to attend their church, they should be thankful, and if they went to some other church they should still be thankful.

Their aim was to bring people into direct contact with the preaching of the word of God.

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The annual invitation ball under the auspices of the Newark Squadron of the Sherwood Rangers Imperial Yeomanry took place at the Town Hall and was largely attended.

The lady patroness was Lady Elinor Denison, who took tickets for a party from Ossington Hall, but unfortunately the inclement weather precluded their attendance.
 

January 6, 1904

In Newark, for the past quarter of a century at least, the name of Matterson has been a household word.

Among the homes of the poor it is a name revered and held in honour; and no less is it esteemed and respected in the residences of the rich.

After half a century of arduous and strenuous labours in relief of suffering humanity, the genial Dr Robert Timothy Matterson retires from active practice to enjoy the quiet serenity of the evening of life.

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A football match is to be played at Kelham Hall between teams representing the Brethren of the Sacred Mission and the Newark Thursday FC. The Brethren have earned a reputation as doughty opponents on the football field and their visitors are taking a strong 11 to meet them.

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A daring and successful robbery took place at Mrs Crosby's Post Office in Leadenham. Admittance was gained through the Post Office window. Once inside the thief chiselled open a drawer in which were kept some postage stamps and a little change.

He abstracted the whole, the amount of which is not known, but, fortunately, was not large. So quietly did he do his work that none of the inmates of the house heard a sound.

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The annual dispensation of Mr S. Pinnington's charity took place on New Year's Day when 40 widows and poor people were the recipients of the several proportionments of beef, coals and tea.

As the commodities were somewhat cheaper this year, the trustees were fortunately able to deal out with a more generous hand those necessaries of life which mean so much to those the charity was originally intended to benefit.