South Yorkshire Times, April 1st, 1944
Whateley House Effort
Railwaymen’s Gift Presented to Montagu Hospital
Mr. W. P. Turner (left), President of the Hospital, receiving the deeds
from Mr. D. S. Humphrey’s, J.P., inspirer of the Whateley House Fund.
Also in the picture (left to right) are Mr. A. R. Martin (Hospital chairman),
Mr. R. Dayson (hon. treasurer) and Mr. A. W. Youngs (Secretary-Superintendent).
By raising over £2,000 to buy Whateley House for post-war extensions to Mexborough Montagu Hospital, Mexborough, Wath and District Railwaymen’s committee had the distinction of raising the largest individual sum ever realised by voluntary efforts for the Hospital. The title deeds for the house were handed over to the Board of Management at the Hospital on Saturday. A surprise presentation which followed was the gift of a new bicycle to Mr. David S. Humphreys, prime mover in the railwaymen’s efforts, in recognition of a splendid achievement. The bicycle wax purchased with subscriptions by members of the Board and a few railway friends of Mr. Humphreys.
Mr. A. R. Martin, who presided, said it was a red-letter day in the history of the Hospital. The handing over of the deeds would mark the beginning of a new era in the life of the Hospital.
Referring to important developments at the Hospital in the past year, Mr. Martin said the income last year was £33,000, a marvellous result when they considered that people in the area were working people. Although their expenditure last year was over £30,000, he believed that this year it would be still higher. They could not measure the saving of human lives in money.
Mr. Martin went on to refer to the fact that in the last year many friends of the Hospital had brought to a successful completion many efforts for the Hospital and said that Whateley House would be the key to the future of the Hospital. When it had been settled that they were to have Whateley House they negotiated with the Council a piece of land adjoining it. The land, which they got for £810, would not have been any use for extensions had they not had Whateley House.