Mexborough and Swinton Times, February 17, 1939

Death Spoils Party Plans
Septuagenarian Loses Daughter and Brother
Lived For 50 Years in Mexborough

The tragic deaths within 24 hours of each other of her brother and her eldest daughter, have caused Mrs. Martha B. Severns, of 24, Cross Hall Gate, Mexborough, to abandon the plans she had made for the celebration of her 80th birthday during the summer. Mrs. Severns, who is herself in perfect health, had hoped to arrange a mammoth birthday party for her numerous relatives, but she feels that with the deaths of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Tomlin, of South Elmsall, and of her brother, Mr. John Hill, of Wombwell, “the spell has been broken,” and the party would not be the happy event she hoped.

Mrs. Severns is the daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Hill, erstwhile foreman at the Darfield quarry, and for many years proprietor of the Rising Sun Inn at Darfield. In such good health is she that, although her daughters who live near her repeatedly offer to help she insists on doing all her own housework. Mrs. Severns’ home is as spotless as one would expect from such a fine old lady; she still does her weekly wash and can regularly be seen in a precarious position on the window sill cleaning the upstairs windows.

Huge Family.

If this family party had taken place it would have been a tremendous affair, for Mrs. Severns has eight surviving children, over 30 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, the eldest of whom is 13. Mrs. Severns told a “Times” reporter that she has had a hard but exceedingly happy life. She was never able to attend school at all regularly, for most of her school years were spent in looking after her younger brothers and sisters. She came to Mexborough over 50 years ago. She has lived in the same house in Cross Hall Gate for 48 years.

Incidentally her son, Mr. Joseph Severns, has been given a “Child’s School Book” belonging to Mr. John Hill, of 13, Station Road, Wombwell, who died last week. The book, the like of which is rarely seen nowadays, was apparently issued to all schoolchildren by “the School Attendance Committee of the Union of Barnsley in the County of York.” On the first page is the ‘ name and address of the pupil, signed by the then headmaster at the Darfield School, Mr. George Hoyle. On the succeeding pages is a complete record of the pupil’s attendances at school.