Mexborough and Swinton Times December 10, 1937

“Joey” The Jackdaw
Acquisitive Tricks Of Mexborough Pet

“The Cardinal rose with a dignified look,
He called for his candle, his bell, and his hook!
In holy anger and Pious grief,
He solemnly cursed the rascally thief.”

From “The Jackdaw of Rheims.”

Although a passionate admirer of “The Ingoldsby Legends,” the schoolmaster could never feel any sympathy with the worthy Cardinal who was prepared to go to such lengths to express his annoyance with the Jackdaw of the Cathedral city of Rheims. Then came the day when the schoolmaster not only sympathised with the Cardinal but envied him his vocabulary.

On that day a jackdaw, not from Rheims, but from the nearby house of Mr. Matthew Hobson, in Simpson’s Place, Mexborough, flew in through his study window and removed from his desk a valuable gold fountain pen. The schoolmaster was not unnaturally perturbed, and set up a “hue and cry.” The pen was found some time later in the rafters at the school.

This was undoubtedly a day the schoolmaster will never forget, but it was just one of a long series of similar days for “Joey,” for such is the jackdaw’s name. I had heard a lot about Joey’s exploits, so on Tuesday I determined to see him for myself: I must confess that it was with a twinge of doubt that I entered the house, having first secreted those items which I thought would gain favour in a jackdaw’s eyes, such as a tie-pin and a fountain          pen. It was however, a very meek and mild Joey

Sound asleep on the back of the best armchair, for I was told that he recently had his wing broken. He was taken last Thursday to the Mexborough Animal Clinic, where an expert veterinary surgeon expressed the opinion that three bones in the ring admit together and upwards Joey would not fly again

A Foundling.

Joey. I regret to say, is a foundling, About three and a half years ago he was found fresh from his cradle in Conisbrough Castle grounds by Mr. Hobson’s small son, who took him home.

Having had no experience in the rearing of small jackdaws. Mr. Hobson was on the point of destroying the little mite when, by a curious coincidence he saw a photograph in a newspaper of a man feeding jackdaws on a skewer

Mr. Hobson adopted this method. and Joey soon became a regular gourmand. He has conquered his inherent love of worms and similar tit-bits and now he scorns anything but the very best—such as green peas, beans. etc.

Joey is a great favourite with the children, but not so much so with the Education Authorities. Mr. Hobson laughingly told me of a visit he had received from a school attendance officer, who asked him to keep the bird away from school. Apparently Joey was in the habit of flying in at classroom windows and snatching away the children’s pens and pencils when they put them down, and hiding them. Another favourite trick of his is to march up and down the piano keys at singing and dancing time. The officer alleged that Joey was distracting the children’s attention from their work.

In the house, Joey is a pest, but a lovable pest. He cannot bear to listen to bird imitators on the radio and it was in a fit of pique following such a broadcast that Joey irrevocably smashed the family wireless set by pecking at the receiver. He has also become an expert at walking along clothes lines and removing the pegs so that the newly washed article dropped the earth. However all these traits are born with patients by the neighbours and Joey is far too well like to be chastised

Other Tricks.

Fortunately, all his tricks are not as destructive as these. He has acquired the art of opening a box of matches and removing each match separately, and he is equally adept at tearing the paper from a cigarette carton and taking out the cigarettes without harming them. Joey has also been known to throw a family gathering into confusion by turning off the gas at inopportune moments, and it is always left to him to turn the light off last thing at night.

Joey is a stickler for good manners, and if any male comes into the house without first removing his hat, Joey is on him in a trice and off comes the hat.

Some idea of Joey’s popularity can be gained by from the display of enthusiasm shown some time ago when the bird returned after being missing for nearly two years. The Hobson’s backyard was crowded with children and adults, welcoming Joey back and anxious to see whether he was any the worse for his adventures.

So ends the story of Joey the jackdaw, but it makes one realise what an inestimable boon to a town is a Free Animal Clinic. At the Mexborough clinic, a skilled veterinary surgeon attends every Thursday afternoon to examine cases similar to that of Joey. The clinic has not yet been in operation for a six months, but already 200 animals have been examined and expertly treated.