Old Images of Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Historic Book

Extract from:

“Doncaster in 1864 (1865,1866,1867,1868,1869); its vital statistics, town improvements, markets, railway system &c. Communicated to the Doncaster gazette”

by William Sheardown

Published 1865

Pages 37-38

THE POST OFFICE .

In May , a second London and the first Sheffield and Rotherham mails were despatched at 1.15 p.m. instead of 1.0 p.m. thus giving 15 minutes additional time.

The despatch to London is now 10.45 a.m. 1.15 p.m. and 8.15 p.m. The delivery of the afternoon London and Sheffield day mail , commenced at the same time , fifteen minutes earlier.

In February , a letter-box was fixed in Queen Street, on the Balby Road, for the accommodation of the residents in that increasing neighbourhood.

In July, the receiving-house , in Cleveland Street , was made an office for sending and receiving money . On Saturdays the accommodation is extended until eight o’clock , p.m. This arrangement is a great relief to the principal office .

Crowle has been added to this postal district .

STREETS AND ROADS .

The very wet weather in December was unfavourable for the maintenance of the good order the roads had been kept in during the other part of the year . The beautiful effect of the avenue of trees on the South road has been marred by the felling of many of the young trees on the road side , beyond the toll – bar ; they were of small commercial value , but they would , in a few years , have made the approach to the town , for nearly six miles , without its parallel .

The streets have been kept in good order ; the flagging , ordered in 1867 , in New – street , commencing at Mr. Hopper’s shop to the Wool Market , has been relaid , and the path widened ; the flags on the west side of Duke Street have also been re – laid ; and some new road – crossings have been put down .

A foot – path , with stone curbing , has been made in Carr Lane , leading from Cemetery Road to Balby Road , opposite to St. James’s Cottage .

A new street , thirty – feet wide and 960 feet in length has been opened on a close of land of five acres and two perches , on the Thorne road , recently purchased for £ 1,790 . at the sale of a portion of the Wheatley estate , by Messrs . John Elwis , Henry Shaw , John Athron , and Harold Arnold . It has been divided into eleven building parcels for houses either detached or semi – detached , not more than two are to be erected on each plot ; the former not to cost less than £ 700 . each , for the latter not less than £ 1,000 . the pair . The houses are to be set back from the road thirty feet , with a south westerly aspect . Two wells have been sunk on the line of the new road , through rock – sand , to a depth of about thirty – six feet , and give a plentiful supply of fine soft water . The new street , which is to be called Avenue Road , will connect the Thorne turnpike road with the low Wheatley road .

Page 54

A fifteen inch main sewer pipe has been laid in Catherine Street , for a part of the distance where a twelve inch pipe has been continued to the end .

Man-holes , a novelty in drains in this town , were ordered at the junctions and bends , to gain access to the sewers , with out having to open the ground . A twelve inch sewer is ordered for half the distance of Elsworth Street , the Board of Health to execute the work on condition that a strip of land extending across the ends of Fitzwilliam and Milton Streets , to give the public a right of access to Upper Oxford Street , be accorded .

An extension of drain pipes has been made in Regent Square , and a sixinch pipe has been laid in Church Lane . The main drains in Hallgate and St. Sepulchre – gate are defective having very slight fall ; this greatly interferes with the house drainage on each side of the streets .

Page 55

The problem of a copious supply of pure water for the use of the inhabitants has yet to be solved ; but the difficulty must be soon met by a determination to find a remedy , if possible , for the pollution of the river , from which the town is supplied with water for domestic purposes . It cannot be permitted that our people are to be poisoned by drinking from a stream converted into an open sewer , from the drains of large towns and the refuse from manufacturies and chemical works .

Dr. Ramsey , the president of the health section of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science , held in Birmingham , observed that ” to provide an ample supply of pure water is now understood to be one of the first duties of the guardians of the public health . ” The difficulties of procuring what is so necessary an element would appear to be insurmountable – either by the quality of the water , the insufficiency of the supply , or the engineering difficulties .

Page 61

FIRE BRIGADE .

During the year there have been fires at the following places :

January 21. – Messrs . Mawe and Son , High – street .

February 5 , Mr. Holmes , farmer , Bentley .

June 2 , Mr. Barratt , pork butcher , Baxter – gate .

June 9 , Mr. Brown , saddler , High – street .

June 11 , Mr. Barker , Marr .

June 14 , Mr. Peter , Red Lion Inn , Market

July 3 , Mr. Littlewood , Hampole .

September 14 , Mr. Blacker , Hatfield place .

Page 62

Although it is now nearly two years since any new powers were obtained for lines of railway in the neighbourhood of Doncaster , the town has not yet received the full benefit of the railways , for which powers have already been procured . Great advantages have accrued to the town from the easy access already secured to North Lincolnshire , to the Gainsbro ‘ district , and to the country passed through by the new Wakefield line ; and so soon as the new line to York , passing through Selby , and the new line to Hull , passing through Goole , are completed , further advantages to the town will result .

Rich warp lands in the neighbourhood of Goole and the east side of the river Ouse , are practically cut off at present from convenient communication with the Doncaster markets . In the course of the year 1869 , it is fully expected that these lines will be completed ; and as , in the meantime , the docks at Hull are being very greatly enlarged , so as to accommodate the coal traffic of the South Yorkshire district , it may be fully expected that an increased activity to the traffic of this neighbourhood will be the consequence .