"BATTLE OF SKELMANTHORPE"
More of a mass brawl than a battle
The Illustrated
London Clipper
Saturday, November 21, 1874 Price one penny
Conflict with Navvies at Skelmanthorpe
Tuesday, November 10th, 1874 On this date occurred the famous Skelmanthorpe “Native and Navvy War.” A few single-handed battles had been fought on the previous Saturday, Sunday and Monday. One result of these battles was that the natives who worked on the line were turned away from the works. This aroused the ire of the Skelmanthorpers, so about 20 of them went down to the Station Bridge, threw some stones at some navvies working there, and then up Old George’s Cutting, and again threw stones at the navvies, who then came out armed with mattock shafts and spades. The natives then ran down Shelley Common, the navvies after them. The Skelmanthorpers then assembled at top end of town to the number of about 100, and marched up Shelley Common, and stoned the navvies as far as Luke Hill. There were soon about 200 men, women and children, the women filling their aprons with stones for the men to throw. The navvies now rushed down Luke Hill at full speed. The natives were backing towards top of common, where there were plenty of stones. But, lo! Coming up Shelley Common was a whole regiment of navvies well armed. The natives were between two lines of fire, and not being under any kind of discipline they rushed pell mell across the fields towards Stroke Lane ; young and middle aged women with their handkerchiefs flying in the air, screaming, panting, and blowing as they rolled through hedges and over walls. The navvies behind, swinging their pick shafts and howling like maniacs, were a sight not easily forgotten. They followed the natives to the top of Stroke Lane. In the afternoon the navvies assembled on Shelley Common, and the natives went up to meet them. After some fighting, the natives falling back, Sergeant Batty now put in an appearance, and persuaded the navvies to go back. A telegram was sent to Huddersfield for some police, and 17 arrived at Kirkburton in the afternoon, and, headed by a sergeant , marched in procession to Shelley Woodhouse, but the war was over.
