In The Line Of Duty

 

    2nd Lieutenant James Scott 

The Story Of A Soldier Who Settled In Bentley

I am always delighted when someone takes the time and trouble to send in a piece of research or start me off on a story quest for my blogs. This time I am indebted to a gentleman (who doesn't wish to be named) who purchased a number of items of memorabilia and some WW1 medals pertaining to a 2nd Lieutenant James Scott.

 

Fortunately for me the purchaser looked into Mr Scott's military history and background before contacting me, so most of the leg-work had been done. What I received were scans of Mr Scott's military papers, photos of his medals, himself and his mother, newspaper reports and other information I could use to expand on. So this article is very much a joint effort between myself and my contributor. I hope you find it of interest. 

_____

2nd Lieutenant James Scott was from Wombwell near Barnsley, but following WW1 he made his home in Bentley, running a successful business and becoming Section Leader of the Bentley Special Constabulary. This is his story.

Contents

• The Scott Family
• Occupations
• The Great War 1914 - 1918
• The Scott Boys Go To War
• In The News
• 2nd Lieut. James Scott
• Gallipoli
• Officer Training
• 2nd Lieut. James Scott
• Cadre And Colours
• The End Of Military Life
• War Medals
• Post War Life
• The Move To Bentley
• The Camplejohn Family
• Marriage And Children
• James Takes Over Park Garage
• A Special Constable
• The List
• Royston Avenue Bombing
• The Medal
• An Untimely Death
• James's Family Move On
• Additional Information
• Special Constable List
• Further Research

The Scott Family

James Scott was born on the 14th of February 1894 in Swinton near Mexborough. His parents were James Benjamin Joe Scott (1861 - 1921) and Violetta Doris Scott (nee Askin, 1862 - 1935). James B J came from Barnsley and Violetta from Swinton.

Two photos of Violetta Scott

James B J and Violetta married on the 29th of March 1880 in Mexborough. They lived in the Dearne Valley all their lives and brought up thirteen children, of which James was number eight. The children of James B J and Violetta are listed below:

1. Mary Ellen (b.1880, in Swinton)
2. David (b.1882, in Mexborough)
3. Walter (b.1884 in Mexborough)
4. Sarah (b.1885 in Mexborough)
5. Annie (b.1887 in Swinton)
6. Frank (b.1890 in Swinton)
7. Reuben (b.1892 in Swinton)
8. James (b.1894 in Swinton)
9. Mark (b.abt 1896 in Swinton)
10. Luke (b. 1898 in Swinton)
11. John (b.1900 in Darfield)
12. Matthew (b.1904 in Wombwell)
13. Violet (or Violetta) (b.1906 in Wombwell)

As can be seen from the children's birth places, the family moved around the Dearne Valley area quite a bit, but by 1904 had settled in Wombwell. The map below from 1896 shows the places that the Scott family lived in.

The places the Scott family lived in around the Dearne Valley are highligeted on this 1896 map.
Wombwell in red, Darfield in blue, Swinton in green, and Mexborough in purple.

The 1911 census shows the Scott family living at 14 Queen Street, Wombwell, but by 1914 they had moved to 48 Barnsley Road. The photo below is a modern shot of 48 Barnsley Road (on the very left of the picture), and below that is an old shot of Barnsley Road from the opposite direction; note, the church tower is in both photos.

Google Streetview image of Barnsley Road, Wombwell

Barnsley Road, Wombwell, possibly taken during WW1

Occupations

Father James B J is shown on the 1881 census as a blacksmith, however, this profession would be left behind with the coming of the coal mines. In each of the three following census returns James is shown working as a colliery joiner above ground. 

At a time when collieries provided employment for fathers and sons alike, it was probably inevitable to find that most of the Scott sons followed their father into colliery work. 

The following details taken from the 1901 and 1911 censuses show the occupations of those who went into colliery work:

• David - Colliery horse driver, underground (1901)
• Walter - Colliery horse driver (1901) Coal miner, hewer (1911)
• Frank - Engine driver, colliery (1911)
• James - Banksman, colliery (1911)
• Mark - Pony driver, colliery (1911)

The three youngest sons, Luke, John and Matthew were all still at school in 1911. 

The other son, nineteen year old Reuben, had joined the Royal Navy as a stoker and was listed in Portsmouth in 1911.

The only other sons to break away from the colliery were David and James. David joined the York and Lancaster Regiment of the Army in 1902. His brother James however, managed to get a trade as a motor mechanic sometime between 1911 and 1914.

With the exception of David and James, the other Scott boys currently working in the colliery probably thought they had jobs for life in 1911, with their younger brothers no doubt set to follow in their sibling's footsteps, but war was looming and this meant that a very different path was taken by the Scott brothers, a path that some would not return from. 

The Great War 1914 - 1918

Before we reach the military history of James Scott in any detail, we should take a brief look at what happened to the Scott brothers and their brothers-in-law during World War One.

The Scott Boys Go To War

David

As mentioned earlier, David joined the Army in 1902, so by the time war broke out he had already served fourteen years. Records are inconclusive, but it is possible he was number 3349 in the 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, and later number 423306 in the Labour Corps. A newspaper article states he was part of the original expeditionary force and fought at Mons in Belgium and in France, but the David Scott with the above service numbers did not go to France in time to fight at Mons. David survived the war, married and lived in Wombwell.

David Scott

David Scott's Medal Index Card

Walter

Walter also joined the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1902, however, it seems he initially joined on short service for three years (according to his attestation papers). The 1911 census says he was back working as a coal miner by 1911, but according to a newspaper report, he was back in the Army by 1914 and part of the force in Mons, but just like his elder brother, finding records proved near impossible. Walter also survived the war.

Walter Scott

Reuben

As we saw earlier, Reuben was in the Royal Navy, having joined in November 1910. However, he was discharged from the Navy in June 1913 for attempting to strike his senior officer. In fact, his record from May 1912 leading up to this decision a year later is one of 'disobedience', 'refusing to work', and time in the cells.

Reuben Scott

Reuben Scott's Naval Service record
area highlighted in red is enlarged below

Section of above record, showing sanctions and final
SERVICE NO LONGER REQUIRED order

It seems this wasn't the end of Reuben's misdemeanors. In September 1914 Reuben joined the 13th (Barnsley Battalion) York and Lancaster Regiment, but was discharged one month later for not declaring his previous service in the RN. This is shown in the attestation form below:

Reuben Scott's attestation form
area highlighted in red is enlarged below 

Reuben clearly answers 'no' to question 11 on the above form, and then
reaffirms his answer underneath

Determined to join the war, Reuben used his mother's maiden name of Askin to gain entry to the Royal Field Artillery later in 1914 as Gunner 44566. This time his deception was not uncovered and he went on to serve his country. Sadly, Reuben was killed in action on the 20th of July 1917 in France. The following Soldier's Effects Register is proof of Reuben's use of the alias 'Askin'.

Soldier's Effects Register
area highlighted in red is enlarged below

  

Reuben's two surnames appear on the record,
as well as the name of his father, James Scott

Reuben Askin's (Scott) Medal Index Card

Reuben Scott was buried at La Clytte Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, Belgium. Below is an image of his war grave, which bears the name 'Askin'.

War grave of Reuben Askin (Scott)

Mark

Mark Scott joined the Army in January 1917. He enlisted with the Army Service Corps, as part of the 43rd Railway Supply Depot; his service number was T4/254789. He had only served twelve weeks when he was killed on April the 5th 1917, whether or not he was killed in action, is not specified. He was buried at Bray Military Cemetery, Bray-sur-Somme, Picardie, France.

Mark Scott's Medal Index Card

Mark Scott

Luke

Luke Scott joined up in 1914, and like three of his other brothers he enlisted with the York and Lancaster Regiment (13th Bn), his service number was 17534. He was wounded twice - in July 1916 and in July 1918 - but he survived the war. On the 4th of November 1916 he was charged with Desertion, for which one of his medals was 'forfeit'; however it was later 'restored' as can be seen on his Medal Index Card (below).

Luke Scott's Medal Index Card

Luke married Alice Bennett Pettinger shortly after returning from war, they had two children, and Luke worked as a miner. Luke died in 1984.

Luke Scott

As well as having six sons at war, the Scott's also had two sons-in-law in the Army during WW1.

James Cottingham

James was born in 1888 in Barnsley; he married Sarah Scott in 1907 and worked as a coal miner. He joined the York and Lancaster Regiment (14th Bn) as a Private. Despite being wounded in May 1916, James survived the war. Sadly, his younger brother Willie was not so lucky and was killed on the 1st of July 1916 at the age of 21. James and Sarah continued to live in Wombwell and had three children. Sarah died in 1960 and James in 1961.

James Cottingham

John William Hepplestone 

John was born in 1881 in Barnsley, he married Annie Scott on the 11th of May 1906 and worked as a railway platelayer. He and Annie had four children and lived in Barnsley. John enlisted with the York and Lancaster Regiment (14th Bn) on May the 11th 1915. He was killed in action on the Somme on the 1st of July 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

Roll of Honour

John W Hepplestone

In The News

All eight of the sons and sons-in-law of James and Violetta Scott were featured in a news story printed in the Mexborough and Swinton Times on the 3rd of November 1917 (see transcribed version below image).

'We have previously had occasion to refer to the fine patriotic record of the family of Mr. and Mrs. James Scott, of 48 Barnsley road, Wombwell. Since we did so, that record has been further improved. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have given six sons to the Army and have also been represented by two sons-in-law. Two of the sons and one of the sons-in-law have been killed; one of the sons has obtained a commission, and another has been wounded. Two of the elder sons, David and Walter, both of the York and Lancaster Regiment have served sixteen years in the Army, and went out to France with the original expeditionary force. They were both present at Mons, and since then have fought unscathed through the principal British engagements in France. Gnr. Reuben Scott (R.F.A...), who joined in 1914, was killed in action recently. James enlisted in the Y. and L. in 1914 and has recently been gazetted second lieutenant with the same regiment. Mark Scott joined the A.S.C. last January and was killed during the summer. Luke the youngest, aged 19, joined the Y. and L. in 1914, and has been wounded. Pte. W Heppinstall [Hepplestone] (Y. and L.), a son-in-law, who has served both in Egypt and France, was killed on or about July 1, 1916, on the Somme. The other son-in-law, Pte. Jas Cottingham, is serving in France with the Y. and L.' 

Having looked at the family background of James Scott, it is now time to focus on his own story.

2nd Lieut. James Scott

James Scott

James was posted to the York and Lancaster Regiment (6th Bn) after joining up at Wombwell Town Hall on the 27th of August 1914. The unit he joined was part of the newly formed K1 (Kitchener's original army) and came under the orders of the 32nd Brigade in the 11th (Northern) Division. His regimental number of 20006 suggests he one of the original members of this unit.

James Scott's Attestation form dated 27th Aug 1914

Gallipoli

After completing his training, in July 1915 James would have sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli on the Aquitania. During August 1915 James and his Battalion were involved in the Gallipoli Campaign. The losses were heavy and James was wounded during the last full scale battle on the peninsula, on the 21st of August.

The extent of James's injuries isn't known, but they must have been treated on site (or nearby) as he was not returned to England. According to a report in the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times on the 13th of November, James had been wounded for a second time whilst on operations in the Dardanelles. 

James probably wasn't badly injured as he was still with the 6th Bn when they were evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt in December 1915. He remained with the Battalion until the 1st of July 1916, when they moved on to France without him.

Officer Training

There is a gap in the record for the rest of 1916 and early 1917, except that he was abroad between the 1st of July 1916 and January the 25th 1917 (according to his Officer handbook), but on the 10th of March 1917 James was transferred to the 13th Officer Cadet Battalion in Newmarket, where he remained until the 31st of July that year.

Pages from James Scott's Officer's handbook

2nd Lieut. James Scott

James received his Commission Certificate on the 1st of August 1917 - he was now 2nd Lieutentant James Scott.

James Scott's Commission Certificate (image joined from two scans)

On the date James completed his course with the OCB he was appointed to a commission in the 3rd Battalion York and Lancaster Regt. At the beginning of September he was posted to the 1st Bn York and Lancs who were serving in Salonika. He left England on November the 18th and by the 22nd he was at No 2 Rest Camp at Le Havre in France.

On the 17th of December 1917 2nd Lieut. J Scott joined the 1st Bn in Salonika on his first posting. Two days later Scott, another officer and 30 others were sent to the Isolation Camp at Dragoe as they had recently come from Summerhill Camp, which had been placed in quarantine due to an outbreak of Spanish flu. James re-joined the Battalion on the 7th of January 1918.

Report on James Scott's qualities as an officer
(centre section is enlarged below)

Centre section of above report

Cadre And Colours

Sometime during the following year James joined the Cadre Battalion of the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment (Grimsby Chums), who were engaged in training American units. He was still with them in April 1919 when a programme for the presentation of Colours lists James as the receiving officer from Major General H C C Uniacke, CB, CMG. The ceremony, arranged for the 28th of April 1919 had to be postponed until November the 2nd due to inclement weather, and took place at Sanvic near Le Havre. The programme was not re-printed, so it is possible that James was still the receiving officer at the re-scheduled ceremony.

Programme of the Presentation of Colours

Lieut. J Scott mentioned in the above programme

The 10th Battalion Cadre was disbanded on the 8th of June 1919, but James didn't leave Le Havre until the 23rd of June, when his leave began.

The End Of Military Life

Following the end of James's leave, on the 8th of July 1919, entries in his cheque book stubs suggest he was serving in Cologne with the Army of the Rhine. The last cheque he drew was dated the 11th of February 1920. He ceased being paid as a serving officer on May the 22nd 1920, as his Protection Certificate bears out. 

James Scott's Protection Certificate 1920

War Medals

This trio of campaign medals, awarded to 2nd Lieut. James Scott, consists of the 1914-18 Star, The British War Medal 1914-18, and the Allied Victory Medal. They were affectionately known as 'Pip, Squeak and Wilfred', by those who received them.

James Scott's war medal trio (front)

James Scott's war medal trio (reverse)

The 1914-15 Star

A bronze medal issued to those who had fought in any theatre of war between August 1914 and December 1915. The star was not awarded alone; the recipient had to have received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The plain reverse has James's name, rank, unit and number impressed on it.

20006, Cpl J. Scott.
York & Lanc R
'Pip'

The British War Medal 1914-18

A silver or bronze medal awarded to officers and men of the British and Imperial Forces who either entered a theatre of war or entered overseas service between August 1914 and November 1918. The front depicts the head of King George V. The recipients name, rank, unit and number were impressed on the rim of the medal.

The British War Medal
1914-18 'Squeak'

2. Lieu. J. Scott

The Allied Victory Medal

Each of the allies issued their own bronze victory medal with a similar design. The front depicts a winged classical figure representing victory. The recipient's name, rank, unit and number were impressed on the rim of the medal.

The Allied Victory Medal
'Wilfred'

2. Lieu. J. Scott

James Scott's Medal Index Card

James and two of his fellow soldiers (unknown)

Post War Life

Once 26 year old James had been discharged from the Army in 1920 he returned home to 48 Barnsley Road, Wombwell. It's not clear what work he undertook, but as he had previously been working as a motor mechanic before the war, it's very likely he went back to that trade. Electoral registers show that James was living in Wombwell until late 1922 or early 1923. It is the 1923 electoral register that shows he had moved to Bentley, the move would be a permanent one, and this is where we continue James's story.

The Move To Bentley

The first time we see a record of James in Bentley is in 1923, when he was listed in the electoral register at number 54 Askern Road. He appears to have been lodging with a couple by the name of Walter and Annie Thompson.

54 Askern Road was the first home in Bentley for James Scott.
The house is the one with the horse on the gate.
Google Streetview image

Work was just a few doors away for James, for he was employed by Thomas Septimus Camplejohn, omnibus proprietor, at the Park Garage, 66 Askern Road. It is also possible that James worked for the larger Camplejohn Brothers bus company of Darfield whilst he lived in Wombwell. 

The Camplejohn Family

It is worth taking the time to look briefly at the Camplejohn family as the future would bring closer ties between them and the Scott family. 

Thomas Septimus Camplejohn was one of eight children born to William and Elizabeth Camplejohn of Darfield. William and Elizabeth lived for about twelve years on Alderney in the Channel Islands, and that is where Thomas was born in 1872. Thomas's elder brother Anthony had a number of sons and it was some of these who started a company running charabancs, called Camplejohn Brothers. Below is an entry from a 1926 phone book which shows Thomas's Bentley business as well as that of his nephews in Darfield.

The two Camplejohn businesses from 1926

Camplejohn Brothers went on to become a major bus company in the areas of Darfield and Barnsley. Below is pictured one of the company's buses.

One of  Camplejohn Brothers early buses 

  

Camplejohn bus tickets

Thomas Camplejohn came from a mining background; after which he went into the grocery business, running a shop in Snape Hill, Darfield. His move to Doncaster seems to have been made sometime after 1915, when he was found to be living at 44 Silver Street. From the electoral registers it seems that he co-owned the Picture House, known as the Empire Palace, on Church Lane in Adwick. The other co-owners were James and Anthony Camplejohn, his nephews who went into the charabanc and bus business later on.

The Empire Palace Picture House, Adwick 

Thomas was married to Sarah and they had seven children between 1897 and 1914, four girls and three boys, all born in the Darfield or Barnsley areas.

Thomas and his family moved to Bentley in 1921 where they are listed at 128 Askern Road. He set up his own charabanc business and by 1924 had moved into premises above his garage at 66 Askern Road where he employed James Scott.

Thomas Camplejohn's entry in Kelly's Directory 1927

Charabancs were popularly used for worker's outings and preceded the motor coach. This photo below of an Arksey club trip to the Nottingham Goose Fair in the 1920's, could very well picture a charabanc hired from Mr Camplejohn's establishment.

Arksey trip to the Goose Fair in a charabanc possibly hired from Thomas Camplejohn

Marriage And Children

Now settled in Bentley James Scott's thoughts probably turned towards marriage and a family, in 1923 he was 29 years old and had a steady job. Actually, he didn't have to look far to find love, his employer's eldest daughter caught his eye and the pair were married on her 26th birthday - the 5th of November 1923 at St Peter's Church in Bentley.

Marriage Certificate of James and Lucy Scott

James's new wife was Lucy Doris Camplejohn and their first address was at number 14 West End Avenue in Bentley. It was while the couple were living at this address that their two children were born - Alec was born in the summer of 1924 and Margaret was born in the spring of 1927.

James and his family lived at West End Avenue until 1929 and then moved to number 16 Tennyson Road, which was nearer to the garage on Askern Road where James worked.

They stayed at that address until 1934 and then moved to 32 Mill Gate until 1936.

James Takes Over Park Garage

Thomas Camplejohn continued to run the Park Garage into the 1930's. In 1931 he made an application to run coaches to destinations such as Yarmouth. So it seems that by the 1930's Thomas had progressed from running charabancs to running motor coaches. 

By 1936 Thomas was 64 years old and thoughts turned to retirement. Son-in-law James took over as proprietor of the Park Garage, but seems to have ceased operating coaches in favour of running a general motor repair business instead. 

Park Garage, listed under James Scott in the 1939 phone book

Records show that Thomas Camplejohn retired to Kilpin near Howden in East Yorkshire. He died on the 20th of December 1954 in St Bartholomew's Hospital, Goole.

Entry from the 1939 National Register showing the Camplejohn's at Kilpin

James and Lucy moved into the premises over Park Garage at 66 Askern Road, where they can be found on the 1937 electoral register for the first time. The following is a page from the 1939 National Register, with the Scott's section cropped and enlarged below (the blocked out sections relate to persons who may still be living).

1939 National Register, the Scott's entry highlighted in red

Cropped out section from the above page

66 Askern Road today, the former Park Garage is now a tyre fitting business

A Special Constable

A medal, a list, and a newspaper cutting that were among the items once belonging to James Scott, told of his service in the Special Constabulary.  

Bentley Police Station was situated at the top end of Arksey Lane, near to Playfair's Corner, so it would have been here that James came to work in his role as part-time volunteer policeman. Unfortunately the station is closed now and undergoing conversion, but here is a photo of the building in recent times:

Google image of the former Bentley Police Station

There is no way of knowing when James joined the Specials, but by the outbreak of the Second World War he was Section Leader at the Bentley Station. 

The List

The following piece of paper contains the names of the men in his section and was presumably written by James himself. By checking all the addresses on the list against various electoral registers, it was possible to date this list to the war years sometime after 1939, but before 1945.

James Scott's Special Constable List

Note: As this list might be of interest to family historians, please find a full transcription and further information on the men listed here at the end of this article.

Royston Avenue Bombing

Being a Section Leader in the Special Constabulary meant that James would almost certainly have attended the horrific scenes following the bombing of Royston Avenue in December 1940 in which a number of people died. 

Scene after the bombing of Royston Avenue

A further scene of devastation from Royston Avenue 

As a former soldier in WW1, James would have been well placed to assist in the rescue and recovery work following the bombing, but just what his role was we can only guess at.

For more on the Royston Avenue bombing go to When Hitler Came To Call.

The Medal

James was awarded a long service medal for his time as a Special Constable. To be awarded the medal one would have been required to serve at least nine years in the force, or for three years during war time. It isn't known how long James was a Special as he served during the war years, but I'm inclined to think it was for longer than three years.

Special Constabulary Long Service Medal
awarded to James Scott

An Untimely Death

There is a saying that 'only the good die young', and in the case of James Scott that seems to be true, for it was during the closing months of WW2 that he became ill with bowel cancer and saw out the remainder of his days in St George's Nursing Home, Thorne Road, Doncaster. 

James passed away on the 9th of February 1946 at the age of 51. This exemplary soldier, mechanic, Special Policeman and British Legion member, was taken far too soon and left Lucy a widow. The following is a copy of his death certificate and probate record:

James Scott's Death Certificate

Detail from the above certificate

Probate Record

Following James's death the following was printed in a local newspaper:

James was buried in Arksey cemetery, but at the present time the grave has not been located.

In an interesting aside, Bentley VC winner, Lance Corporal Thomas Bryan, who ran a grocery store in Bentley and lived not far from James Scott, at 44 Askern Road, died just three months before James. His CWCG memorial is also at Arksey cemetery.

The grave of Thomas Bryan VC

James's Family Move On

Following James's death in 1946, his widow Lucy stayed on at 66 Askern Road until 1952. Her son Alec had married Ruby Joyce Beard in London in 1945, but was listed as living at Lucy's address for the first two years of their marriage. Just who ran the garage below isn't known, it may have been Alec, but he disappears from the records until 1957, where he and Ruby were found at number 79 Fairfield Road, Bentley. 

Lucy moved to 18 Newbold Terrace in 1953 and was still at that address when available electoral register records run out in 1962. 

Lucy died in May 1987. It is not known what happened to her daughter Margaret. 

__________

So, we have reached the end of James Scott's story, and it has been a privilege to examine the life of a man so devoted to his country. I am grateful to the contributor who first discovered James by purchasing his medals and papers. Without him taking the time to research the items he had bought the story may have never been told. I have been honoured to continue that research and bring as much to the story as possible.

Bentley Village, a History is proud to honour the memory of James Scott, the man from Wombwell who fought for his country, made Bentley his home and served the local community as a Special Constable.

Rest in Peace

 

Additional Information

Special Constable List

James Scott's list of Bentley Special Constables (above and below) was an interesting little research project in itself. I was able to discover where each man had lived, and the names of their wives during a time period of roughly 1939 to 1945. This may be of interest to family historians.

The handwritten list below has been fully transcribed, and the additional information I found, included afterwards.

Special Constabulary

Doncaster Division

Bentley Section

Section no. 2

Section Leader; James Scott 128221

Park Garage

Askern Rd

Bentley

D.S. 263. Veasey, John Heritage, 22 Old Hall Rd, Bentley

D.S. 232. Froggatt, Benjamin, 22a Cooke St, Bentley

D.S. 257. Smith, Thomas Daniel, 33 Arksey Lane, Bentley

D.S. 252. Raynor, Thomas, 20 Finkle Street, Bentley

D.S. 240. Hoult, George, 43 Cooke Street, Bentley

D.S. 266. Bailey, Leonard, 31 Alexandra Rd, Bentley

D.S. 260. Bailey, Percy, 66 Winnipeg Rd, Bentley

D.S. 269. Hartburn, Sidney, 10 West End Avenue, Bentley

D.S. 234. Wright, Percy, 3 Rosslyn Crescent, Bentley

D.S. 241. Cross, Samuel, Back of York City Bank

D.S. N. Philipson

D.S. J. Bowes

D.S. W. Abel

Further Research

The following information has been gathered from electoral registers.

John Heritage Veasey

John's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Winifred.

Benjamin Froggatt

Benjamin's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Harriett Ann.

Thomas Daniel Smith

Interestingly, James Scott's list has Thomas's address as 33 Arksey Lane, but the electoral registers all give 32 Arksey Lane as the correct address. Thomas's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Florence Irene.

Thomas Raynor

In 1939 Thomas is listed at 41a Cooke Street, Bentley, but by 1945 he had moved to 20 Finkle Street, as on the list above. Thomas's wife was named as Rose Edith.

George Hoult

George's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Nellie.

Leonard Bailey

Leonard's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Rose.

Percy Bailey

Percy's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Agnes.

Sidney Hartburn

Sidney's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Annie.

Percy Wright

Percy's address did not change between 1939 and 1945, his wife was named as Elsie.

Samuel Cross

Further research led me to find out that Samuel Cross, who lived at the 'Back of York City Bank' was actually listed at number 3 Arksey Lane in 1939. Number 3 was a bank at that time and is currently the premises of Richard Walker, Funeral Director. According to the Special Constable list Samuel lived behind the bank, possibly in part of the same building. By 1945 Samuel and his wife Annie had moved to number 11 Arksey Lane, the former home of another name on the list - William Abel.

N Philipson

This could be Norman Philipson of 41 Alexandra Road in both 1939 and 1945. No wife was listed on either register.

J Bowes

This could be John Bowes of 11 Laburnum Place in both 1939 and 1945. His wife was named Virginia.

W Abel

This could be William Abel of 11 Arksey Lane in 1939 (the house that Samuel Cross would move into by 1945). In 1945 William is listed at 2 Daw Wood Villas. His wife was named Lilian Ivy.

__________

Many thanks to my anonymous contributor who very kindly shared his purchases and research with me. 

Alison Vainlo 2020

The Big Drum

Bentley Hotel, Aka The Drum

The Story of Bentley Hotel

The large, imposing building of The Drum (formerly Bentley Hotel), has been a favourite watering hole for Bentley residents (and those further afield) for decades. Situated on Watch House Lane, in the West End of Bentley, this former hotel was demolished in 2014 and new commercial premises have replaced it. 

Here we look back at the history of The Drum and recall the memories of some of those who have called it home, and those who frequented its hospitality over the years. 

Contents

• Inns Of Bentley
• Land Acquisitions By The Brewery
• The Bentley Hotel
• Landlords
• The Greenwoods
• Arrival
• The Live-In Accommodation
• The Public House
• 'The Drum'
• Attics And Cellars
• The Garden
• War And Peace
• Departure
• A New Era
• Function Rooms And Clubs
• Music Clubs
• Other Clubs and Events
• The Gym
• Bruce Woodcock
• Bodybuilding:
• Brian Taylor
• Dayo Audi
• Demise Of The Big Drum
• Gone But Not Forgotten

Inns Of Bentley

Inns and public houses have always been at the centre of any village or town and Bentley is no exception. The earliest records of a public house in Bentley go back to at least 1831 when an inn by the name of The Grey Horse lay on the main road between Doncaster and Selby, just opposite the village green. Today, this is the present Chapel Street and Cooke Street and the inn is now called The Bay Horse. 

1827 Enclosure map showing the old route through Bentley

Following the 1827 Enclosure awards many roads were altered, and in Bentley this meant that an extension to High Street was built, making a direct route to Askern Road and Selby beyond. This cut out the old dog-leg route past The Grey Horse (see map above), which lost its prominent position on the main highway. Whether this affected trade or not isn't known, but as it is the only inn in Bentley to survive to present times is testament to its resilience.

The Bay Horse about 1910

As Bentley expanded in the 19th century, The Grey Horse was joined by other inns, firstly The Druids Arms in about 1841, and The Railway Hotel (latterly The Railway Tavern) in about 1861.

It is entirely possible that all these three hostelries existed long before they began to show up in records as many residences were apt to sell the excess beer they made, and beer houses sprang up in most villages. It was when these premises started to sell their ale in a more business-like way, and give the hostelries names, that they started to be identified in census and trade records etc.

As most of these early public houses began life as private residences, their buildings have been replaced over time with something more fitting for social gathering. Unfortunately there are no records to show what the original Grey Horse building looked like, but in the case of The Druids Arms there are some early photos of the original building (see below). 

Druids Arms original building

Another old photo of the original Druids Arms building

The photos above probably date from the 1890's and very much illustrate how residential buildings were utilized as inns. 

The old Druids Arms was demolished, probably at the turn of the century, and a new building, set a little further back from its neighbours, was put in its place.

The 'new' Druids Arms in 1910

The photo below clearly illustrates how the old building was replaced. The houses on the left, which can be seen in the second of the old pictures above, still exist, while the new Druids sits in its new position, slightly further back from the roadside. The photo below is of an Infirmary Demonstration, a kind of fund raiser for local hospitals, which was held in 1910.

The new Druids Arms building in its new position in 1910

Land Acquisitions By The Brewery

In the late 19th century Bentley was on the brink of expanding from a rural village into a township, and with a colliery soon to be at its centre, land for building was much sought after. Housing on Bentley Road was almost complete, and soon the area to the west would be filled with narrow streets of terraced houses which would be known as the West End of Bentley.

The map below shows south west Bentley in 1904. Residential building on Bentley Road (to the right) is still not complete and the area to the west remains undeveloped. Watch House Lane and Pipering Lane were little more than rutted farm tracks at that time. 

South west Bentley in 1904 with Bentley Road and the railway bridge on the right

Prior to development of the West End of Bentley parcels of land were being auctioned off to those with interests in property. The map below shows the area between Bentley Road and Watch House Lane had been acquired by Jenkinson and Burton, builders. Roads such as Broughton Avenue, Royston Avenue and West End Avenue would be developed here. 

Land ownership in Bentley's West End marked on a map of 1895.
Map courtesy of Carol Ann Ackroyd

  

Looking at the map above, to the west of Watch House Lane you can see another plot of land has been attributed to John Smith's Tadcaster Brewery. Part of this plot would become the site of the Bentley Hotel. The map actually dates from 1895, but has been later altered to show these land acquisitions.

On the 21st of October 1911 five plots of land came up for auction in Bentley, one was the land and buildings belonging to the Railway Inn (latterly The Railway Tavern) on Church Street, and a further four plots, all adjoining each other were in the position shown in pink on the above map, labelled with the brewery name. 

Advertisement of property and land auction.
Image courtesy of Lee Morling

 

The plots are illustrated in document images provided by the current owner of the old Railway Tavern, which is now a private residence.

Plots of land for sale in 1911. Lot 1 is the Railway Inn.
Image courtesy of Lee Morling

John Smith's brewery bought the Railway Inn, and going on the evidence from the altered 1895 map, it looks like they bought all four of the Watch House Lane plots too. 

The Bentley Hotel

Two years after the site was acquired by the brewery, The Bentley Hotel opened for business in October 1913. The architects who designed the hotel were Messrs Bromit & Thorman, while the contractors Messrs Mullins & Richardson of Doncaster carried out the building works. The outside walls were of green glazed bricks on the ground floor, with rough cast Derbyshire Spar above, on the upper floors.

The hotel and grounds covered an area of 13,200 square yards and the building cost about £9000 to build. Behind were gardens complete with two full size bowling greens. The map below shows the area the hotel covered in 1928. The land to the right which formed lots three and five on the auction documents are now allotments, which suggests the brewery sold these plots off, but kept lots two and four for the hotel and grounds. The hotel gardens backed on to Pipering Lane, making them very substantial indeed.

!928 map of Bentley Hotel grounds

The interior of the hotel contained a billiard room with two full sized billiard tables, a music room which could seat 300 and a commercial room. The interior walls were of Italian Terrazzo work, with the furnishing said to be on an 'elaborate style'. The building was heated with radiators and hot pipes, and it was lit partly with electric and partly with gas.

The hotel was fitted out with guest rooms on the first floor and accommodation for the landlord and his family situated mainly in the right side of the building.

From the first floor up was a central light well. Built to allow extra light into the cavernous building, it was open to the sky above a leaded roof over the ground floor below. Windows around the light well allowed light into the interior rooms of the upper floors. This light well could only be seen from above the building (unless you were inside the upper rooms), and this Google Earth capture from 2002 shows how it looked.

The light well at the centre of the hotel.
Google Earth image from 2002

Landlords

The first landlord employed by John Smith's to run the new Bentley Hotel was a Mr Ernest Wood Hutton, who remained in charge until about 1917. There then followed a succession of landlords (and landladies) who took on the tenancy over the years leading up to World War II and beyond. These can be traced via the electoral registers, and while it's not a comprehensive list, the following names have all served the Bentley Hotel, roughly between the dates given:

• 1913 - 1917 - Ernest Wood Hutton
• 1918 - 1925 - Arthur William and Jane Norman
• 1926 - 1928 - Harry and Annie Atkinson
• 1929 - 1932 - Herbert and Edith Strangeward
• 1933 - 1934 - Herbert and Mary Martin
• 1934 - 1935 - Henry Edward and Dorothy Bennett
• 1935 - 1936 - Clarence and Mary Needham
• 1936 - 1942 - Richard Henry and Mary Alice Drury
• 1942 - 1956 - Dorothy Greenwood
• 1956 - abt 1961 - Dennis John and Iris Walker
• abt 1962 - ? - James W and Alice J Clark
• 1975 - 1981 - John Alan Clarke.

The landlady we know most about is Dorothy Greenwood, who ran the Bentley Hotel from 1942 to 1956. Thanks to her daughter Janet Barker who wrote an autobiography of her time growing up in the hotel, we are given an insight into life inside the Bentley Hotel during and after the war years. 

The Greenwoods

In Parallel, a book by Janet Barker.
My own copy

I purchased my copy of In Parallel some years ago now and it was only when I started to put this article together that I decided to draw on Janet's memoirs and pass on some of the fascinating details she gives of the building during her time there. Not wanting to breach any copyright laws, the details given here are mostly of the building and are my own interpretation, with nothing copied directly from the book (details of where to obtain the book are given at the end). 

Arrival

The Greenwoods, Harry, his wife Dorothy and their eight year old daughter Janet, who were originally from Hull, moved into the Bentley Hotel in May 1942. Just three weeks later Harry died leaving his widow to take over the tenancy from her deceased husband. 

By 1942 the hotel was no longer a residential premises for guests, so with the help of a 'live in girl', Georgina Radcliffe, Dorothy ran it as a public house, mainly for the local community.

The Live-In Accommodation

Staff accommodation at the hotel was situated on the first floor, to the right hand side of the building. There were two long kitchens, one of which would have been used for providing hotel guests with meals. A long table in the centre of the room would have been where the guests ate their meals. Each kitchen had a huge black range and two ovens. The Greenwoods used just one of the kitchens as a combined kitchen and sitting room. Across the landing there was a residents lounge, unused in the Greenwoods time there.

The first floor also held the old hotel bedrooms, a corridor of numbered doors, some of which were now used by the family and Georgina. A large bathroom and separate toilet were also situated on this level. 

Watch House Lane with the Bentley Hotel on the right showing the windows of the living accommodation

The Public House

In the 1940's there were two bars on the ground floor, a men's tap room and a lounge. The tap room was where darts and dominoes were played and beer was a penny a pint cheaper than in the lounge. Hatches behind the bar were used for outside 'jug and bottle' sales. 

The lounge boasted a large hexagonal mahogany bar and mirror backed shelves. There were also round tables and tub chairs on the carpeted floor. 

A ladies' tap room was where the weekly meetings of the dubiously named 'Death and Dividing Club' were held. The members contributed cash to pay for funerals, Christmas and days out in the summer.

The billiards room was also on this level, as well as the music room, which was now called a concert room. The concert room had a stage with a painted backdrop and dressing rooms on either side.

A club room with a capacity of 400 was on the left side of the first floor; rarely used in the Greenwood's era, the room could only be reached by a metal staircase outside the building, which is visible on the photo at the top of this article.

'The Drum'

There are a couple of theories as to why the Bentley Hotel came to be nicknamed 'The Drum' by the locals, but it does seem as though this nickname goes back quite a long way. 

According to Dorothy Greenwood, she was told that the locals used to be entertained by a very popular drummer in the concert room, and that's where the name came from. Her daughter Janet often called it 'The Big Drum', probably due to its vast size.

Another story is that a brass band used to practise upstairs and all the locals could hear was the sound of the drums.

It wasn't until 1978 that the brewery eventually replaced the Bentley Hotel sign with one that said 'The Drum'.

A photo of The Drum with it's replaced signage from 2013.
Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

 

Attics And Cellars

The attics, despite being forbidden territory to the young Janet Greenwood proved too much of a temptation to explore when her male cousins visited. She describes creaking floorboards, peeling paint and several gloomy, spooky rooms. The rooms were dusty and unfurnished apart from some built in cupboards. There was also a built in food lift, which served each floor of the hotel, from attic to cellar. The young cousins used the lift, which was on a pulley rope system to send secret messages to each other. 

The cellars were accessed by a flight of steep stone steps, and it was here that the beer barrels were stored. An electric pump ran continuously to remove the several inches of flood water always present in the cellars, which was a consequence of mining subsidence. The cellar also housed the boiler room, complete with furnace to keep the hotel in hot water, and radiators heated.

The Garden

As mentioned earlier, the hotel's substantial grounds had once boasted two bowling greens, but by the time the Greenwoods took over the running, the bowling greens and most of the rest of the rear grounds were no more than an overgrown meadow. 

The photo below is taken from an aerial shot in 1953, and although small, Bentley Hotel and its substantial grounds can be seen in the centre.

Aerial photo of the Bentley Hotel in 1953

Traces of the garden's former grandeur could be seen in the old benches, now overgrown and rotting, that used to border the bowling greens. Trees, which had obviously been planted in a symmetric arrangement were still there, but now they were unkempt and neglected. 

At the Pipering Lane end of the garden stood an old stable with a loft above. In an adjoining yard a covered well could be found, before a gate led out onto Pipering Lane itself. 

Nearer to the hotel the family kept a small vegetable plot, but the rest of the garden was largely neglected.

In the 1950's John Smith's sold off the bottom end of the garden to a construction company, which can be seen on this map from about 1970:

The builder's yard at the back of the Drum in about 1970

 

War And Peace

It cannot have been easy for Dorothy Greenwood running a public house during war-time. Apart from the difficulties war brought, mostly in the form of shortages, which meant the premises had to close for a few days every time they ran out of stock, the very fact that she was a woman, single handedly in charge of a large public house, brought its own challenges. Constantly feeling the need to justify herself to the male bosses at the brewery made her job that much harder. However, Dorothy stuck to her guns and ran the pub to the satisfaction of the brewery, even if they did seem to constantly scrutinise her running costs.

During the war years Bentley Hotel was the base for the local Home Guard. They would meet in the billiards room on Monday evenings, and the back garden was used for their drilling. They erected a kind of rugby goal to practise hurling their dummy grenades, much to the amusement of Janet and her cousin who used to watch from an upstairs window. After the war the Home Guard held a Victory Dance in the concert hall where they presented Dorothy with a silver brooch as a sign of their regard.

Once Victory in Europe was declared a huge party was held in the club room of the hotel. Customers and local residents crowded up the outside stairs and into the usually deserted room. Thanks to Christine Pemberton, a photo of this party has survived and is pictured below:

End of War party at the Bentley Hotel in 1945.
Photo courtesy of Christine Pemberton

Another photo of the same party was taken in the back garden of the pub. Christine Pemberton kindly provided one copy of it, and Joanne Lloyd Clark sent in another. Joanne's version came in three parts and when joined together make a slightly clearer photo than Christine's, which was smaller.

The whole photo of the VE Day party.
Photo courtesy of Joanne Lloyd Clark

Here is each section of the above photo, which shows the detail to its best advantage:

Left side of the above photo.
Courtesy of Joanne Lloyd Clark

Centre section of photo.
I believe Dorothy Greenwood is stood to the left of the cake, in the apron.
Courtesy of Joanne Lloyd Clark

 

Right side of photo.
Courtesy of Joanne Lloyd Clark

I also include Christine Pemberton's version of this photo as it shows more of the rear of the pub than Joanne's.

VE Day Party. 
Photo courtesy of Christine Pemberton

Departure

In November 1956 Dorothy Greenwood left the Bentley Hotel, remarried and went to live in Wheatley Hills. Her daughter Janet was planning her own wedding too, so new horizons were beckoning them both. 

It was also time for a new era at the Bentley Hotel as the 1960's drew nearer.

A New Era

Other landlords came and went during the following years, The Walkers' taking over from Mrs Greenwood in 1956, and then the Clarks' in the early 1960's. Maurice Foster was landlord for a time, but by 1970 he was in charge of the Druids. Records of later landlords are not so easy to find, but no doubt they all left their mark in some way.

The main rooms of The Drum must have been refurbished and remodelled many times to keep up with current trends, and this undoubtedly extended to the many function rooms as they were brought back into use.

Function Rooms and Clubs  

During the years Dorothy Greenwood ran the Bentley Hotel, the function rooms lay largely unused, however, new incumbent managers saw the potential in putting these rooms to use in a variety of ways. 

There seems to be little documented officially about these clubs and gatherings, but memories collected from the Arksey & Bentley Bygone Years group on Facebook recall a number of social activities available to the locals, which we will look at here. 

From now on I refer to the building as The Drum, as by this time the nickname was firmly established.

Music Clubs

A Jazz club started up in the 1950's. This was held in the large club room upstairs, accessed via the metal stairs on the exterior of the building. 

In the 1960's regular Country and Western nights were held in the function room at the back of the pub. The stage area featured a painted mural which can be seen in the following photo from a private party in May 1969.

Country and Western mural on the stage area in 1969.
Photo courtesy of Peter Hartill

In the mid to late 1970's Northern Soul was very much on the scene, and The Drum was the place for Northern Soul in the Doncaster area, with regular gatherings on Friday and Sunday evenings.

Apart from these clubs, a regular disco was held in the back room and hosted by Ed Jones.  

Other Clubs And Events 

The Drum was very much the hub of the community in the sixties, seventies and eighties, with events such as dog and rabbit shows being held there. A training class for dogs was also run upstairs by a Mrs Fox in the sixties.

A karate club also existed in the eighties; and then there were the more usual pub pursuits of snooker and pool. As the premises had a room on the first floor containing two snooker tables, a snooker club was formed there.  

The Gym

Bruce Woodcock

Prior to Dorothy Greenwood leaving the Drum in 1956, a famous local boxer, Bruce Woodcock approached John Smith's brewery about opening a gym in one of the first floor rooms. According to the book In Parallel, agreement between them could not be reached and the gym idea was abandoned. However, evidence shows that Mr Woodcock did open his gym, the very same month Mrs Greenwood left! This image of an invitation card to the opening dates from 1956:

Bruce Woodcock's Gym invitation card from 1956.
Unknown source

 

As you can see a date in October has been crossed out, which may account for the difficulties getting permission from John Smith's.

Bruce Woodcock was born in Doncaster in 1921 and was brought up in Balby. He held the title of European Heavyweight Champion from 1946 to 1949, but was unsuccessful in the 1950 World Championship. He later became a boxing trainer and ran a pub in Edlington. Bruce Woodcock died in 1997 at the age of 76.

Signed photo of Bruce Woodcock to Frank Heath of Bentley.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Heath

 

Bodybuilding:

Brian Taylor

Apart from hosting a famous boxer, The Drum was also the base for two prominent bodybuilders. 

In late 1979 local man Brian Taylor took over the old boxing club from Pete McMahon and opened a health studio there in March 1980. 

Brian was successful in various competitions - his titles included Mr International, Mr Yorkshire, and Mr North East Britain. In 1976 Brian competed in the NABBA Mr Universe (amateur) contest in the United States, where he came 6th in his class. 

Brian Taylor
Photo courtesy of Kim O'Connor

Often described as a fitness 'fanatic', Brian tragically died at the age of 38. A mild heart attack in May 1980 was followed by a much bigger one on June the 30th that year, which proved to be fatal. Brian collapsed at his home in Broughton Avenue, Bentley. 

It was reported in the press that it was the strain of running his health studio coupled with training late into the night that led to his untimely death. However, according to his daughter, Tracey Taylor, the actual cause was 'hardened arteries'.

One such press story was this one covered by The Sun newspaper (below). The image is of quite low resolution and difficult to read, so please find a fully transcribed version on the Scrapbook page.

For the Scrapbook page go to Scrapbook.

Brian Taylor's death published in The Sun, 1980.
Image courtesy of Kim O'Connor

Many thanks to Kim O'Connor and Tracey Taylor.

Dayo Audi

Another professional bodybuilder to train at The Drum was Dayo Audi (Dayo Audifferen). Dayo was a competitor and trainer in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Turning professional in 1999, he holds titles in regional, national, European and World competitions.

In 2009 Dayo staged his first Strongman event at the Doncaster Dome called Raw Power Sunday. The event was England's Strongest Man and it was part of the World's Strongest Man Qualifying Tour.

No further information regarding his training at The Drum could be found, but he is remembered among some of the locals.

Demise Of The Big Drum

By the late 2000's the Drum's heydays were over. The financial crisis of 2008 saw the pub industry decimated as people with less disposable cash to spend stayed at home with their cheap supermarket beer instead.

Almost every pub in Bentley closed down, only the Bay Horse remains. The Druids Arms was converted into flats, The Railway Tavern is now a private residence, the Magnet, on Askern Road was demolished and new flats were built on the land.

By 2013 The Drum was vacant and up for sale. It was soon acquired by a construction company, and probably for reasons of the problems with subsidence, the decision was taken to demolish the pub and re-develop the site.

The Drum, acquired by Coen Construction in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Colin Hardisty

    

In late 2013 the building was starting to be picked apart. The roof tiles were the first to go as can be seen in these photos from Colin Hardisty:

In March 2014 the Drum was finally demolished. The following six photos were taken by Ian Barber during the demolishing process.

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Photo courtesy of Ian Barber

Today a retail unit stands on the former site of The Drum, and the area has been renamed Railway Court. The image below is taken from Google Streetview.

Retail unit on the former Drum site.
Google Streetview

Gone But Not Forgotten

For one hundred years The Bentley Hotel, affectionately, then officially named 'The Drum', occupied a corner of Watch House Lane. Providing a place of entertainment, community events, business or just a place to escape the domesticity of home. The Drum is fondly remembered by all who knew it. Times may have moved on but memories remain, and hopefully this article will help keep those memories alive a little longer.

__________

The book In Parallel by Janet Baker can be obtained at Amazon.co.uk via the following link:

In Parallel, A Yorkshire Childhood

Alison Vainlo 2020