Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevMAYOR AND FOOTBALL
When Mayor in 1918-19, my position enabled me to do a good turn for the Rotherham County Football Club, who were anxious to gain admission to the Third Division of the Football League. It was necessary to bring to bear all the influence possible to attain their ends. At theinvitation of the committee of the club, accompanied by Mr. T. Nelson and Mr. Roper, I attended the meeting of the League in Manchester to say a few words in support of their claims. In referring to the few remarks I offered on their behalf, the 'Athletic News' afterwards said: 'The defeated were amazed at Rotherham’s success. Well, Rotherham have a Mayor who is an advocate of football. Just for the moment he is the best Mayor we know. It is not often the League is honoured with the appreciative views of the head of a municipality on the value of football, and the speech of the Mayor of Rotherham will not readily be forgotten'. It was one of the most impressive events of the gathering.Alderman Gummer championed the claims of Rotherham County, but he went a great deal further, and paid a tribute to football which, coming from such a source, we consider ought to have the widest publicity, especially at the present time. It was not so much as a spokesman for the club as the Mayor of the town that Alderman Gummer appealed for support, He referred to the drab lives that men had to live in industrial centres, and went on to say that there was no attraction that could come up to football. It made them have something to look forward to, and as Mayor of the town he thought anything that could be done would have the effect of appeasing any dissatisfaction and unrest. . . . He thought they would be a credit to the League. The League honoured Rotherham by electing the County to the Second Division.
FREEMEN OF THE BOROUGH
In 1913, it was suggested that the honorary Freedom of the Borough should be conferred on AId. D. L. Winter and myself. Much as I should have appreciated this high honour I did not consider my record and services deserved such distinction. The borough had never been lavish in its distribution of municipal honours. It had reserved them for those citizens of prolonged and conspicuous service to the town, and there were at this time only two names on the list of Freemen, Sir Chas. J. Stoddart and Lord Rotherham. It seemed to me right that such honours should be limited to a select number of recipients and obtainable by no othermeans than those of true service. It is their extreme rarity that makes them the more valuable. I was of opinion that the public work I had done during the quarter of a century did not merit such a reward, and felt compelled to discourage the Council going forward with their proposal. Yet, no form of honour is more coveted than this, which is granted by the direct representations of the people, who have benefited and are thankful for the services rendered. It has no intrinsic value; it relieves the recipient of no responsibility of his share of payment for local amenities, nor does it allow, as some people imagine, his free entry to any place of amusement in the borough. It is a distinctive honour bestowed by those best fitted to know and judge, and as one writer has described it, 'It is a final seal of a life devoted to the public good. It is the hall-mark of self sacrificing industry. No terms are too high to be used in the description of its significance' Ten years later, that is on June 5th, 1923, the Council resolved, on the motion of Alderman Geo. Caine, seconded by the Mayor (Councillor A. R. Habershon), That Ald. David Llewellyn Winter and Ald. Geo. Gummer, being persons who have rendered eminent services to the borough within the meaning of the Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act, 1885, be admitted as Honorary Freemen of the County Borough of Rotherham. We were both more than grateful for their appreciation and good will. The Freedom was conferred upon us at a special meeting of the Council held in the Assembly Rooms on the 28th of June, 1923. and witnessed by a large and distinguished next »
©2004