Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 01 July 1932

Obituary – Mr. Robert Snow

Former Manvers Main Secretary

Death Last Night

We deeply regret to announce that the death occurred, at ten o’clock last night, at his home at Adwick-on-Dearne, of Mr. Robert Snow. Mr. Snow retired two and a half years ago from the post of secretary to the Manvers Main Collieries Ltd., which he had held for thirty years. He was then in his 82nd year. Mr. Snow was born at York. son of Mr. Robert Snow, of that city, who had interests in the coal trade and for a time was connected with Garforth Colliery.

Mr. Hobert Snow junior, as a youth, entered the offices of the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company at Chesterfield, and later held other posts in the coal and iron industry in London and South Wales, before, in 1873, he began his intimate association with South Yorkshire on entering  the service of Davy Brothers, engineers, Sheffield, with whom he remained till he became secretary of the Manvers Main Collieries in 1930, at the time when Mr. David Davy was chairman of both undertakings. He saw the Manvers Main Company pass through a period of steady expansion. Soon after Mr. Snow’s arrival the company acquired the Adwick-on-Dearne estate of Earl Manvers and Mr. Snow went to reside at Adwick, where he remained in residence till his death.

He saw Mr. Arthur T. Thomson succeed his father, the late Mr. J. F. Thomson. as general manager of the collieries, and Capt. G. C. H., Davy succeed his father, Mr. David Davy, as chairman. He. succeeded to a number of the public appointments of Mr. J. F. Thomson, including that of Guardian of the Poor and rural councillor for Adwick. He continued to serve on the Doncaster Rural Council after the termination of the Board of Guardians in April, 1930, and maintained his active participation in local government even after his retirement from the service of the Manvers Main Collieries.

He was for many years chairman of the Adwick-on-Dearne Parish Council, the parish’s representative on the Bolton-on-Dearne Education Sub-committee, and a churchwarden. He served also for a long period on the Doncaster and Mexborough Joint Hospital Board, and presided over it for a time. He served on most of the committees of the old Board of Guardians and of the Rural Council, and was for a time chairman of the former Doncaster Union Assessment Committee, since superseded by the Don Valley Assessment Committee. , He lent his whole-hearted interest and support to all the village activities of Adwick-on-Dearne, and was the president, among other things, of its cricket club. He remained vigorous, a noteworthy personality, after his retirement.

His death closes a long and useful career of public and industrial service, and the district generally. and Adwick-on-Dearne in particular, is left to mourn the passing of a notable figure.