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Another Grand Old Man

August 1937

Mexborough and Swinton Times August 10 1937

Another Grand Old Man

We hear this week or another of Mexborough’s grand old men.

Mr Thomas West is 91 and seems to have a successful claim to being the second oldest man in Mex-borough (though one cannot be sure; these fellows carry ninety years odd so nonchalantly that if they do not admit it, one never knows the truth).

Mr. West, who now lives with his daughter, Mrs. H. Batty, at 46, Cemetery Road, was born at Hill Somershall, Derbyshire, on August 6th, 1846. At six he started work and was rewarded with 1s. a week. Then at ten he improved himself; got work at a brickyard and was paid 9s. a week for carrying 4,000 bricks a day by hand.

Later, he went farm labouring, but soon found himself at Wath (then very much the Queen of Villages) working at Stanley’s oil works. While he was here the first Manvers Main pit was sunk, and Mr. West was one of the first to buy the coal that was drawn. He paid 8s. for a ton.

At thirty he came to Mexborough, and since his retirement he has kept his hand in by gardening. He has two daughters living, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren