There can be no doubt that recent generations see South Elmsall and South Kirkby ward being a traditional Labour area, as long as many recall. Indeed as a former coal mining community there are many families who have passed on the commitment to never vote Tory, but this was not always the case, and some locals may be surprised to find their family name appear in the annals of local conservatism, indeed for one period of the not too distant past South Kirkby’s parish council was chaired by a Conservative for many years.

The Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express of Saturday the 21st of August 1920 reported on the resignation of Mr William Henry Shilling, from the parish council in South Kirkby. Mr Shilling, who was School Master of the South Kirkby Church School, had been Chairman of the parish council for over twenty years, and sat on the council for twenty four years. His resignation was hastened due to ill health. At the time of his resignation he had also overseen the school for thirty nine years and was reported to have transformed education in what was a rural village. Mr Shilling was also commended for the countless hours he spent supporting the families locally who had family serving in the First World War, so much so that “no picture in his home is prized more highly than a certificate, bearing the autograph of Queen Alexandra, which testifies to this fact”. Following the war Mr Shilling chaired the War Memorial Committee, which ensured that every local who gained a military distinction during the war was presented with a gold watch. He also oversaw the erection of a war shrine in the churchyard at All Saints, South Kirkby and a memorial tablet inside the church.

So committed to improving the education of the youngsters of South Kirkby, was Mr Shilling, that when he was appointed a Magistrate and required to take the day off work, from the school, he quipped to the Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express of Saturday the 2nd of October 1920 that “this is the first time in nearly thirty years that I have asked for a day off”.

The local Warde-Aldam family, of Frickley Hall and Hooton Pagnell Hall, were from a Liberal heritage, with long ties to national politics, but by the 1920’s were staunchly Conservatives. Colonel St. Andre Warde-Aldham stood as a Conservative candidate in the General Election, as did Ralph Warde-Aldham. Unlike her husband (Colonel St. Andrew Warde-Aldham) and son (Ralph Warde-Aldham), Julia Warde-Aldham did not stand for national election, but did give up large parts of her life to civic duty and conservatism. During the First World War she was the driving force behind turning Hooton Pagnell Hall into an auxiliary military hospital, for which she received the MBE and Royal Red Cross, Second Class. Estate records show that Julia was also actively involved in the Doncaster Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association and the Primrose League, which was a major Conservative political society of it’s day.

Surprisingly the only criticism I have ever received, whilst undertaking years of heritage and history research to rediscover and defend our local heritage assets, was from a local who said that I shouldn’t be the one doing the work, because it was the Conservatives who saw the buildings of the area of importance become at risk and unloved. The irony here is that the Warde-Aldham family gave up their land, time and even financed many local initiatives such as the Warde-Aldham Cottage Hospital in South Elmsall, which saved the lives of many miners and their families, and the South Elmsall and Moorthorpe War Memorial, to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and even the War Relief Fund and War Memorial Committee, from Moorthorpe Miner’s Institute, overseen often by the irrepressible Mr Shilling, Chairman of the parish council.

An “appeal to purchase goods produced within the Empire” was made by Mrs MacDonald Brown to members of the South Kirkby branch of the Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association, in July 1925. As reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on Wednesday the 8th of July 1925, this meeting was held at the home of Mrs H. D. Clough, Divisional Secretary of the Hemsworth District Women’s Conservative Association. Mrs Askham presided, supported by her Hemsworth Agent, Mr Mitchell. May of 1927 saw the South Elmsall Women’s Conservative Association elected a ten person committee, as reported in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer on Thursday 12th of May 1927. Mrs V. Whittaker was elected to the Chair, Mrs L. C. Goodall as Secretary and Miss A. E. Howard as Treasurer.

In February 1928 it was announced that neither the South Elmsall Conservative Association nor the South Kirkby Conservative Association would put forward a candidate against Labour’s Gabriel Price, in the forthcoming election to County Council, but had selected a number of candidates for the Hemsworth Rural Council and parish council elections. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Friday 17th of February 1928 noted that, should Gabriel Price be elected as Alderman, the Conservatives would put forward Mr C. E. Russell for the subsequent by-election that would occur. The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer of Friday 17th of February 1928 named Mr C. E. Russell as candidate for the Rural council, along with Mr W. Lofthouse and Mr F. Briggs. All three were also joined as candidates for the parish council along with Mr Hardy, Mr H. Askham, Mr T. H. Bailey, and Mrs H. Askham, Mrs A. Hutt, Mrs C. Nelson and Miss Tasker. However, as soon as March, this nomination fell by the wayside, when Mr Russell withdrew “owing to pressure of business”, as reported in the Leeds Mercury on Friday 23rd of March 1928.

Also in February 1928 the annual meeting of the South Kirkby Conservative Women’s Association saw the election of Mrs Askham to Chairman, Miss H. Tasker as Vice-Chairman, Miss Buck and Mrs Bower as Literature Secretaries and Miss G. Handley as Secretary and Treasurer, as reported by the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer of Thursday 23rd February 1928. The Leeds Mercury reported on Friday 23rd of November 1928 that a Conservative Carnival Ball was to be held at the Church Hall in South Kirkby.

In April 1931 the “popular Secretary of the South Kirkby Women’s Conservative Association” was married at South Kirkby All Saints Church. South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Friday 10th of April 1931 reported that Gwendaline Mary Handley, who was the daughter of Fred Handley of Stockingate Farm, and the deceased Mrs Handley, married Edwin Law, son of the late Mr and Mrs Law of Mill Lane, South Kirkby Gwendaline was known locally for her local charity work. A reception was held at the couple’s new home, Moor Villa, on Doncaster Road in South Elmsall. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Wednesday the 6th of May 1931 reported that Gwendaline had been Secretary of the association for five years, and was presented with a fine clock and painted jug as gifts by her association colleagues.

The funeral of Mrs Warde-Aldham, of Hooton Pagnell Hall, was attended by the great and good, amongst them was Mrs W. Reaves, representing the South Elmsall Women’s Conservative Association, as noted by the Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express on Saturday the 25th of July 1931.

Indeed the local Conservative movement seems to have been a big hit with women locally, in what remained at the time a rural area. The South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times noted on Friday 28th October 1932 that at a whist drive held at the Church Hall in South Kirkby, by the South Kirkby Women’s Conservative Association nine tables were occupied. Winners were reported to be Miss Hirst, Mrs Bunter, Mr F. Palmer and Miss R. Ferguson (Agent). Mr F. Palmer was Master of Ceremonies.

That being said, there were some grumbles, including a local apparent scandal in May of 1933, when it was reported in local press that there had been no political address given at a recent whist drive and dance event, held by the South Elmsall Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association, at St. Mary’s Church Hall, South Elmsall. The South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Friday 26th of May 1933 published a letter, written by the Secretary of the Hemsworth Division Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association, Emily Lindley Wood of Hampole, that this was all just local mischief making. The same newspaper reported on a garden party hosted by Mr and Mrs W. Thorneycroft at their Hamphall Stubbs Hall, for the South Elmsall Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association. Mrs Vincent, of Hemsworth Lane Ends performed the opening ceremony, deputising for Mrs Hodges of Barnburgh, who was ill. Mrs Nigel Leatham, of Ackworth, was noted as President of the Hemsworth Division Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association, who gave thanks for the hard work of the South Elmsall branch.

June 1935 was a sad time for local Conservatives, with the passing of Mrs Ann Elizabeth Askham, of Rectory Farm, South Kirkby. Ann was “one of the oldest inhabitants of South Kirkby” and part of the Askham family dynasty who had owned the farm for over 250 years, according to the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Friday 28th of June 1935. Ann was the wife of the late Henry W. Askham, who had occupied Hague Hall Farm, South Kirkby, when the couple married. A devout Methodist, Ann was a member of the Northfield Methodist Chapel and Sunday school, which she raised a prominent part in raising the funds for their construction. Mrs Askham had been President of the South Kirkby Women’s Conservative Association for “many years” and was one of the founders of the South Kirkby Welfare Clinic, of which she was Vice-Chairman. She was laid to rest in Moorthorpe Cemetery.

In August 1936 the sad passing of a tower of local conservative life in the village of South Kirkby was reported, in a tragic accident. The Bradford Observer reported on Friday 28th of August 1936 that 75 year old Mr Shilling, of Wellside, South Kirkby, had died following being struck by a gate in heavy winds. Mr Shilling spent 36 years as the School Master at South Kirkby Church School, retiring in 1923, shortly before the closure of the school. Mr Shilling, who as mentioned previously was a mainstay on South Kirkby parish council, also acted as Chairman of the South Kirkby Joint Burial Committee that brought about the new Moorthorpe Cemetery and Chapel, in 1906. A beloved member of local village life, Mr Shilling was also Choirmaster at All Saints Church in South Kirkby, where he donated a font, stained glass window and pulpit as memorials to his late wife, Florence Evelyn Shilling (nee Waterton). Mr Shilling was also a Pontefract Magistrate for two decades. On his retirement, in 1923, Mr Shilling was presented with a gold watch by former scholars and Reverand H. M. Wellington, as reported at the time by Leeds Mercury on Tuesday 13th November 1923.

Later in 1936 a “prominent” local Conservative defected to the Labour party. The Leeds Mercury of Wednesday 18th of November 1936 reported that Charles Russell, who had been the Vice-Chairman of the defunct South Kirkby Conservative Association for many years, was well known in the area for his conservative views. It was noted that the South Kirkby Conservative Association had become defunct in 1929. Despite this apparent cessation of the association the women locally were still going strong. The South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times noted on Friday 16th December 1938 that another whist drive had taken place at South Kirkby’s Church Hall, with a “good attendance”. Prizes were given by Miss Theaker of South Kirkby and Mr E. Ford of South Elmsall. Among the winners were Mrs Ramsden of South Elmsall and Mrs Dunn of South Kirkby.

Post World War Two, conservatism in South Elmsall and South Kirkby seems to have had something of a lull, but continued in nearby Hemsworth, where to this day the Conservative Club still exists. However, it was not over forever. The South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Saturday 16th January 1971 published a letter written by a G. E. Kidd, a member of the South Kirkby Conservative Association, outlining the failures of the Labour party, whilst they were in power nationally. Some areas highlighted were the number of people out of work, lack of job security and a rise in the cost of living.

In the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Saturday the 14th of February 1976 W. Stones, Chairman of the South Elmsall Conservative Association, wrote in depth about the importance of councillors being able to receive expenses or a salary, to allow for working people to contribute to local council matters, without financial loss. “Do we want the concept of persons with time and money to devote themselves to local government? I, for one, don’t”.
In November 1975 the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times reported on the appointment of a number of local Magistrates, with well respected local Conservatives among the newly selected. Their Saturday the 8th of November 1975 edition noted that Mrs D. Hoyle, who had lived in South Kirkby for five years, following her retirement from showbusiness (her performance alias being Paula Sherwood) and had thrown herself into local community life as a volunteer with Citizens’ Advice in Moorthorpe, was active with Meals on Wheels, was a School Governor in South Kirkbyu and a committee member with Hemsworth based Save The Children. Along with her husband, Christopher Hoyle, she was a Director of Wombwell Diesel Company. Mrs Hoyle, was Secretary of South Kirkby Conservative Association, along with sitting on the Hemsworth Women’s Conservative Advisory Council, and Hemsworth Area Conservative Executive. At the time of publication Mrs Hoyle was on South Kirkby Town Council’s newly formed Consumer Council.

In this most brief of dives into the records it is clear that our area once had a thriving Conservative tradition and the Conservative and Labour parties co-existed quite peacefully, though the events of the miner’s strike brought this to an end.