Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevOLD LIBERALS
The membership included many influential townsmen, amongst whom were Messrs. Henry Aizlewood, Henry Bray, Wm. Beatson, Wm. Cormack, John Crosby, E. T. Harrop, Sam Liversedge, Frederick Mason, Edward Nightingale, Edward Norris, F. Parker Rhodes, William Shephard, John Shephard, Geo. Wragg, SamI. Whittington, Henry Wilkes, etc. With a committee and member. ship of such well-known men, it was not surprisiog that the Association quickly became a live and influential force in the town. Whilst agitating and pressing for a Member of Parliament for Rotherham it did not neglect the political education of the electors; it also played an important part in the decisions of the Liberal Party in South Yorkshire. The Association first found a home in rooms over the shop now occupied by the Royal Tailoring Company, at the corner of Howard street. A few years later, the accommodation being found inadequate, a removal was made to more commodious premises over Messrs Duncan Gilmour’s in College street, these remaining the headquarters of the party up to three years ago.POLITICS IN THE SEVENTIES
Recalling some of the political meetings of those days, one held in 1877 seems to me to be of particular interest. At the request of a number of influential Liberals, His Worship the Mayor (Alderman Morgan) was prevailed upon to convene a town’s meeting in the Drill Hall to give the people of Rotherham an opportunity of expressing their views upon the threatening aspect of affairs in the East, as such affairs under the Government of Mr. Benjamin Disraeli (afterwards the Earl of Beaconsfield) were tending to disturb England’s neutrality and involve us in war. The result was the largest indoor meeting ever held in the town. The Drill Hall was filled to overflowing, all the seating accommodation on the floor and in the gallery being occupied early and all available space packed with people anxious to hear the speakers. Before the day of the meeting the Liberal Committee received a request from Messrs. H. C. Tayler and W. H. Sheldon, joint honorary secretaries of the Conservative Association, that the platform should be equally divided. This reasonable suggestion was readily agreed to. In those days the Tory party made even a bigger display of Union Jacks than they do now, and their half of the platform was extensively decorated with them. I thought the display was overdone and suggested removing some of them, but I was quickly told by Sergeant Tresham, caretaker and drill instructor at the Rotherham Drill Hall, that if I wished to do so I should first have to cross his dead body. On the day of the important event it leaked out that a deputation from the Conservative Association had visited Wentworth Woodhouse and pre vailed upon Earl Fitzwilliam to attend the meeting and speak in support of the Government. This came as a great surprise to the Liberal Party, the Earl having always been a stalwart in the Liberal cause. next »
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