From the D&S Times, December 10, 1966

FIFTY years ago, the D&S Times was getting mileage out of one of those local questions that always cause controversy. An article began: “Is Bedale in Wensleydale? This question was asked at the monthly meeting of Masham Rural Council on Wednesday.”

Cllr T Reynolds was seeking direction from the council before going to a meeting with publicity representatives from Hawes, Leyburn and Aysgarth who were compiling a tourist guide to Wensleydale. Bedale had asked to be included in the guide.

“Some councillors contended that Bedale was too low lying to be in Wensleydale while other members suggested that Bedale was too high lying to be in the vale of Mowbray.

“Cllr ES Bulmer said: ‘Are we not being too parochial in this? If Bedale is not on Wensleydale where is it?

“Cllr WE Wilkinson said that it could properly be described as ‘a gateway to Wensleydale’ but Cllr Reynolds contended that the same could be said of Thirsk or Ripon, and no one would suggest that either of these places was a part of Wensleydale.”

After much tooing and froing, “the council finally agreed to leave the matter in the hands of Cllr Reynolds”. He said he would oppose Bedale going in the Wensleydale guide.

In other news, a proposal to relocate Darlington auction mart to land near Waterfall Terrace near the village of Barton was rejected because of a lack of sewerage. Well known local builder Edgar Lawson was behind the scheme. The mart, said the D&S, owned land at Neasham and it was expected that its eventual location would be there – 50 years later, the mart is still ensconced in Darlington.

The most touching item in the paper was an In Memoriam inserted by Laura, the widow of George Windross, who had died a year earlier. This poem crops up in various forms but none as artful as this:

Behind my smile there's many a tear

For the husband I lost and loved so dear

I miss you more than anyone knows

As time goes on the emptiness grows

The tears in my eyes I can wipe away

But the ache in my heart will always stay.

December 9, 1916

“ONE of the saddest tragedies that ever occurred at Hawes and which cast a deep gloom over the town, happened on Wednesday night when the wife and child of Mr MJ Blades, of Dyers Garth, Hawes, school attendance officer, were found drowned in the Mill Dam above Hawes bridge, within a few yards of their home,” reported the D&S.

Dyers Garth is a narrow yard on the east side of Gayle Beck which flows through the middle of Hawes.

The wife, whose name was never given, was 43-years-old, and the son, James, was just nine months.

The tragedy occurred on the night of the parochial tea and entertainment, and Mrs Blades was last seen at 7pm shouting across the water to her sister-in-law about attending. By 10.30pm, she hadn’t arrived, and the alarm was raised.

"Getting over the wall near the beck, her brother, Thomas Chapman, picked up a white shawl near the water’s edge which he recognised as belonging to the child," said the D&S. The sluice gate was opened to let out the water, and the bodies were discovered.

“The boy was clasped close in the mother’s arms and both were quite dead,” said the D&S.

The inquest heard that Mrs Blades was perfectly happy with life – “she had no near relatives in the war and in fact she had no trouble of any kind” – but she did suffer occasional fainting fits “that might be brought on by coming suddenly from a warm room into the cold air”.

The jury ruled out suicide and concluded that on her way to the tea, carrying her child, she had slipped, banged her head and fallen into the beck.

December 8, 1866

LADY Charlotte Jane Dundas, 63, the youngest sister of the Earl of Zealand, had died at St Nicholas Hall, Richmond, and she was to be buried at Marske in Cleveland.

“The funeral cortège was attended to the Richmond railway station by a large number of persons, principally the poor of the town and neighbourhood who had derived many comforts at her ladyship’s hands,” said the D&S. “Her loss will be keenly felt during the winter months by the poor of Richmond and district, among whom she was a regular visitant and dispenser of coals, blankets etc.”

The best story in the paper, though, was from the Rotherham area and concerned bridegroom John Sellers who reached the altar in Wath church.

“After much persuasion, John answered the first question by saying I will, but afterwards preserved dead silence, and notwithstanding the entreaties of minister and friends would not answer another word,” reported the D&S.

“The minister and clerk thought at first he must either be deaf or dumb, but without assigning any reason, John forthwith hastened out of the church. He proceeded to the Star Inn close by, where in consequence of the novel scene becoming known throughout the village, a mob of women and children soon gathered, and made the place too hot for him. He then sought refuge at the White Bear Inn, but then he was as compelled to retire, and followed by the women and children through Wath and Melton, he made the best escape he could.”