4th October 1919
The Abingdon railway men came out on strike on Saturday, and no trains were run until Tuesday at 1 O’clock, when one was run to London, stopping at all stations.
A white leghorn pullet belonging to an Abingdonian laid an egg last week weighing 4 1/2 oz, and measured in circumference 8 3/4 inches.
At a meeting of the Abingdon Town Council last week it was decided to obtain a field of about 40 acres, on the Marcham Road, at £4 per acre, to be let out in allotments. The Finance Committee’s recommendations as to the wages of the Corporation employees were as follows: Skilled men, 55s; semi-skilled, 50s; unskilled, 45s. Hours per week, 47. All workmen after twelve months’ service to be given a week’s holiday in the year, in addition to Bank Holidays. Employees to be allowed full wages in sickness for six weeks.
11th October 1919
The Abingdon Michaelmas Fair was revived after the War on Monday and Tuesday this week, and the usual weekly cattle market was held this year on Monday. The fair paraphernalia occupied the Market Place and High Street, and there was a large crowd of visitors from the neighbouring villages.
Harvest Festival.— St. Helen’s Church was nicely decorated Sunday last, and there were large congregations, especially at Evensong, when the anthem was “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem,” the solo being ably rendered by Mr Lewington. The Rev. H. T. Maitland was unable to preach as announced, being prevented by the railway strike.
A Town Council bye-election caused by the death of Councillor W. F. Matthews, was held Thursday last week, the candidates being W. Bernthall, organising secretary and for several years Liberal agent for the North Berks Division, and Mr J. T. Tate, of the firm of the Pavlova Leather Factory, the largest Abingdon ratepayers. Although the burgess roll had nearly 2,790 electors, only 1,336 recorded their votes. Five polling stations had been made in consequence of the increase of the voters through the addition of women voters, but the voting was slow. The Mayor declared the result as follows Tate, 906; Bernthall, 437; majority, 479.
The tenders for provisions at the Abingdon Workhouse for the ensuing three months, were accepted as follows: — Bread, 8 1/2d. per 4-lb loaf; flour, £2 6s. 6d. per sack; beef. 1s 3d. per lb.; beef suet. 1s per lb; mutton. 1s 3 1/2 d per lb; and milk, 3s. per gallon during October, 3s. 4d. during November, and 3s. 8d. during December.
The St. Michael’s Church congregation held their National Festival social gathering on Wednesday in the Roysse Room Borough Buildings, when about 150 were present. Music, games, refreshments, etc., made a pleasant evening’s entertainment.
The Abingdon Pig Club has been re-started, and at a recent meeting the balance sheet was produced showing that the expenses for the existing last year had been £4 6s 9d., whilst the bank balance on August 11th this year was £62 16s 1d. The chairman stated that there had been a loss on the feeding stuffs, which as artificial feeding stuffs would not keep very long and had to be sold at a loss.
25th October 1919
The graded supplies at Abingdon Cattle Market on Monday last, included 26 beasts and 79 sheep, 76 of which came from the Witney Market.
The death is announced at Liverpool last Thursday, of Dr. Samuel Wilson MacLellan, a promising Liverpool physician, who took his M.B. degree in 1906. Death was caused through deceased fracturing his finger when gathering blackberries whilst on his honey moon. He was married at the end of last August at St. Helen’s Church, Abingdon, to Miss Nora Cullen, second daughter of Mr Edwin Cullen, of Stert Street, who was during the war doing prominent service at the Front in France as a V.A.D. hospital nurse. Deceased was also on active service in France as Captain in the R.A.M.C., and won the M.C. for bravery in the front line in France.
Mrs Leach, an aged widow, of Radley Road, Abingdon, was last week taken to the Union Infirmary with a throat cut wound,self-inflicted with a razor. It appears that she had been afflicted with acute sciatica and attempted suicide.
At the Pavlova Leather Works a weekly social evening is being arranged for the employees during the coming winter months. The first of these series took place last week when the employees were well represented, and it was thoroughly enjoyed.
Sir Henry William Bliss KCIE died at his residence, The Abbey, Abingdon, aged 80. He was a British civil servant of the Indian civil service who served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1890 to 1892 and the Madras Legislative Council from 1893 to 1898.
Thankyou for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette. The picture of the station is from an Ebay Postcard about 1915. The fair programme was from a Buckingham newspaper.
