Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevQUARTER SESSIONS REVIVED
Rotherham Quarter Sessions were revived whilst I was in office. As far back as 1639 these Sessions were held in the town, and continued up to the year 1880. When Sheffield obtained its Quarter Sessions those of Rotherham were discontinued. Owing to the efforts of the chairman of the County justices (Mr. George Wllton Chambers), they were resumed in 1883 and continued until finally abandoned in 1891. The Corporation, having taken a hand in the matter, were fortunate in securing their resumption just as the town was on the point of becoming a county borough. It seemed in keeping with our promotion that we should renew independent Quarter Sessions and rid ourselves of the fetters of the Counly Council.A WEDDING
A most pleasurable function during my second year of office was the marriage of my eldest laughter to Dr. F. C. Collinson. The wedding of a mayor's daughter is not an ordinary event, and when added to that the fact that the bridegroom was a popular young and rising professional man, the interest taken by the people can be understood. Owing to this event happening on the first Wednesday in the month my colleagnes, with a deference I highly appreciated, postponed the Council Neeting until the following day. Amongst the guests it was our pleasure to welcome was Sir W. H. Holland (afterwards Lord Rotherham) the M.P. for the Division.ALDERMANIC BENCH
Whilst Mayor in my second year (1901), the retirement of Alderman John Mason took place, I was elected to fill the vacancy, and have now served in that capacity for a quarter of a century, which is a record. for the Rotherham Corporation. How is it that some people object to the aldermanic bench and advocate every member should come before the electorate periodically? They seem to forget the bench exists to provide places for men of wide experience and long service and to ensure some continuity of policy. The word itself implies the civic elders, not necessarily in age, but in capacity, knowledge, and responsibility. To its occupants it has the advantage of saving the expenses of recurring elections, in the old rlays elections were not quite as costly as now. For instance, in Alderman Clarke’s first contest in 1884 the expenses were: £7 6s. 0d.;Sorsby, £2 16s. 0d. I suppose a contest to-day is cheap at £40.MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been' . What might Rotherham have been today if our forefathers had given more thought to the future and planned its lines of development with a broader outlook. As one passes along its busy, crowded streets the mind dwells on what we see and hear. Though few of us can conjure up what the town looked like sixty years ago, to the intelligent observer there are still many objects that make a retrospective glance interesting. For instance, turning out of Bridgegate into Corporation street, we are reminded of the days when this was a pleasant walk on the banks of the river, and when a few old- fashioned cottages, picturesque in a way. stood on the site now occupied by Enright’s garage. Situate in a part of the town that was fast growing in importance, it needed no prophet to foresee that those and other properties in Millgate would soon have to be wiped off the map. Interesting though such buildings were by reason of their associations they had to retreat before the ever increasing demands for street room, and in the early part of the present century the Corporation wisely took steps to acquire these and other properties.REFLECTIONS
Looking back over the years, one sees the opportunities that offered themselves and were missed - for effecting important street improvements at a comparatively small cost. For instance, nearly the whole of the south side of High street has been rebuilt during the last thirty years. When the Sheffield and Rothenhani Banking Company (now Deacon’s) built their present premises an opportunity presented itself for widening the thoroughfare and defining a building line, which all other newly-erected premises would have been cornpelled to adhere to. Had this been done, we should have now had a High street worthy of its name. One of the objects in establishing the Improvement and Property Committee in 1900 was, if possible, to avoid such errors in the future. When one thinks seriously, we we see that it matters a great deal to all of us if we have to put up with inferior buildings, which tend to deprave our general taste in atchitecture. It is easy to get so accustomed to ugliness as to fail to notice it, and, what next »
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