Old records reveal efforts to curb bad behaviour in Barningham

A three-year labour of love has shed light on some unruly Teesdale youths from the turn of the 20th century. Reporter Alex Metcalfe investigates

BARNINGHAM’S Ann Orton has spent countless hours transcribing the minutes of the village reading room committee from 1892 to 1922.

Among the mundane business of the day, the 69-year-old uncovered some interesting vignettes offering a view of the era’s attitudes towards bad behaviour.

She said: “The thing above all that caused the most problems was the behaviour of the boys and youths and it was not good.

“In 1895 they were accused of knocking the chairs, dirtying the room and unnecessary spitting and in 1907 a special meeting was convened about certain youths using bad language.”

Among those under fire from the minutes were “Ogden the postman” for interfering with Mr T Robinson while he was reading.

And Mr W F Thomas “bore witness to having heard things very annoying indeed”.

The account added: “Mr Metcalfe had heard filthy language by Ogden and the Rectory Boy.

“Mr Dennison had heard very bad language in the Room.

“Mr Todd said there was not the slightest doubt that the conduct of youths complained had been dis- graceful but that it must be stopped and that the committee must put an end to it.”

Reading rooms were brought about to provide a space for men and boys of the village, usually the working classes, to sit and read newspapers, magazines or books from the day or to play games to keep them out of the pub.

There were many hundreds of reading rooms around the country, mostly kept going by fundraising committees who organised dances and concerts.

Mrs Orton added: “There is not a lot of general information about reading rooms out there – there tends to be a lot on more specific reading rooms.

“Women and girls were allowed to use the library but that was only open for an hour once a week – apart from that there was a female cleaner but it was very much male dominated.”

Barningham’s Reading Room started in 1864 when Sussex Milbank hired a furnished room in the village for three nights a week.

But by 1866 this was deemed too small and Sussex converted a cottage to do the job just around the corner from the Milbank Arms.

The minutes from later years uncovered how Sir Powlett Milbank inherited the princely sum of £679,000, 18 shillings and sixpence from the Duke of Cleveland.

There were also notes about the arrival of a billiard table and how newspapers were offered to members after they’d been read by Sir Fred Milbank.

“The odd things I found were the things they did not put in and the things they did,” she added. “When they decided to admit ladies we only found out because they’d ordered in a lady’s magazine – there was no discussion or resolution in the minutes – it just seemed to happen.”

Mrs Orton suspected the book itself came from the Milbank family, with pictures and snippets of information from Milbank Arms landlord Neville Turner helping her research.

A member of the Barningham History Group, she has compiled work on the history of her home at the old village chapel and a biography of Alexina Milbank. Writing out “proposed, seconded and carried” countless times can become repetitive and Mrs Orton admitted some of the content in the minutes didn’t make for the most riveting reading.

“I’ve been battling away at it when the mood takes me,” she said.

“I’d have a go, do a few pages and then think ‘I’ve lost the will to live’.

“The first secretary they had, E Luther Stubbs, was one of those who would use 20 words even if he could use just one.”

With the growth of television, radio and cinema, the role of reading rooms gradually diminished.

Cottages now sit where the reading room once welcomed men and boys to play the modern games such as Billiards and Reversi, recently marketed by Mattel under the trademark Othello.

Mrs Orton added: “Something I always found interesting was that Barningham is a small tucked away village but we have always been up to date with the latest trends.

“It would be used for dances from 9pm until 4am – apparently Sir Fred vetoed that as 9pm until 2am but, still, they must have had some stamina.”

With this painstaking project behind her, she said she would like to look into the history of The Band of Hope – a Christian and temperance society which operated in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Ann Orton’s research is available to buy from Barningham Local History Group for £8 to members, £10 to non members. Contact 01833 621024.