Broughton as it was pre md-1930s
Little detail is given in much of the early minutes, making it difficult to understand how the parish was run early 20th C.
The main tasks seem to be as rate collectors, presumably for a bigger authority, perhaps Malton Rural District Council. Much time also was given to running the two parish cottages, known as the White Cottages because of their lime wash. They sat on the bank on th south side of the B1257 just to the west of Main Street. Other than the rent from these cottages, there is nothing in the minutes to explain how the parish got any funds.
Guardians
“Rate collector” and “overseer” may have been one and the same. Some posts attracted a salary – the 1899 minutes record that the assistant overseer’s salary was increased by one pound to £4 per annum. They were appointed each year by the Guardians. One of their tasks was to collect rent from the lettings of the two cottages. There is nothing in the minutes to explain who the Guardians were or whether their role was solely connected with the cottages. It was in 1907, when the auditor’s recommendations were followed, that two books were bought for the use of the overseers. The year before a Mr Warren, previously an overseer but also clerk, was paid ten shillings for “extra services to the parish”.
There are no minutes from 1910 until 1922 (unless removed from the book, but there is no indication of any removal). At the 1922 meeting it was agreed that “the chairman demand (underlined) the Parish Minute book.” Was there some sort of fall-out among Broughton’s leading lights? Or had it simply been put aside during the First World War? Over the years the minutes include a District Auditor’s stamp. It is not until 1928 that the minutes first mention funds – “the parish were 1s 1d to the good which was considered satisfactory”. The first district audit stamp is dated 3rd Oct 1929. By 1931 there was a Rating Committee and for many years a Housing Committee. A financial statement (PDF, 989k) signed by Arthur Ford, and dated 7th February 1929 shows the Parish had £13-5s-10d.
Open sewer
Over the years there were problems with an open sewer. At a special meeting with the Sanitary Inspector in March 1923, he proposed a 6” wide pipe 125 yards long with provision for a man hole to be built. It was not until 1933 that the Sanitary Inspector’s attention was again drawn to the sewer when it was agreed to cover the ditch with sanitary pipes. The parish was responsible for repairing stiles on public footpaths as well as the village pumps.
“Dangerous corners at Broughton” led the parish to approach the North Riding County Council. In 1934 the North Riding offered to buy “a strip of land of 93 sq yds which the parish agreed to sell at 1s 6d per sq yd, subject to the approval of the Ministry of Health. The meeting felt it was no use refusing as North Riding needed the land for road widening purposes. In 1935 the minutes record the sale of the land for £6.19s 6d. The piece of land would have been in front of the parish cottages. In 1936 the minutes say income tax was due but it was thought the parish might “escape if we pointed out our expenditure was heavy”. The parish had to pay for repairs to its two cottages to prevent them being demolished. By 1937 the minutes record representatives being appointed to the Rating Authority with a representative on the Amotherby Parish Hall.
Second World War
The Second World War featured in the minutes in the early 1940’s. It was agreed not to apply for an air raid shelter as “the village was not suitable”. Provision of firefighting equipment was “most urgent” as the first bombs were dropped “in the vicinity”. It was agreed to buy 3 stirrup pumps (bought for £1 each). Three fire teams were appointed to man the pumps. A request was also made for a length of hose and appliances for dealing with a larger fire. But the “authorities” could not supply these and the cost was too expensive for the parish to bear. As there was only one private telephone in the village the chairman was instructed to write to the Postal Authority with a view to getting a kiosk installed. The parish also wanted an “authorised place” from which to sell postage stamps. Again the “authorities” could not help.
The parish was still making requests for a telephone kiosk in 1945 when it was noted that the only one in the village – at the home of Wilf Paulin of Flowery Bank – would not be accessible in an emergency if he was away. The nearest telephone was half a mile away. In 1942 there was a “Salvage Drive”. The parish agreed to do “all possible to make arrangements to have it collected from house to house.” The chairman was appointed Salvage Steward, confirmed by the Malton Rural District Council. Salvage was to consist of papers, rages, bones, metal, rubber, tin hats. Mr G Raines offered a shed for storing the paper while the metal was dumped on the green at the approach to Broughton Lane.
In 1945 the councillor representing Broughton and Ryton resigned from the Rural District Council. Ryton failed to find a replacement and Broughton elected its chairman Mr Arthur Ford to the position.
Housing needed
It was around this time the parish applied to Malton RDC for 6 houses, four 3 bedroom and 2 small ones for old people. The minutes jump from 1946 to 1950 with those for 1951 on a loose page. This suggests that at some point pages became detached and are now lost. In 1952 the parish decided to erect a notice board. By 1956 it was so wealthy it was decided to ask the District Auditor if “some of it could be used for a village hall seeing as there was no place to have meetings or any functions.” It was also decided to erect a bus shelter with a site later agreed with the North Riding Surveyor. From where and when the parish became so wealthy is missing from the minutes. There seems to be no old accounts book which might have provided some answers.
It was July 1957 before a decision that parish funds could pay for the bus shelter at a cost of £75. A seat was bought with surplus money from the Coronation funds. It was also agreed to ask the Auditor if public seats could be bought out of parish funds. It was 1959 when they were told this would be in order. By 1963 the Auditor was asked for the go-ahead to spend money on repairs to the bus shelter as well as the provision of more seats – two were later bought.
In 1967 attendances at meetings was down to only three, A Ford, C J Lund and K G Potter. It was noted “it was near impossible to get the people to a meeting now.”
New Parish Meeting formed
On 30th April 1968 a special meeting was called following the death of the chairman Arthur Ford who was Chairman, secretary and treasurer from 1922 to 1968. He was also the Rural District Council representative from 1924-1967. He was succeeded by C T Lund of Manor Farm. Malton Rural District Council clerk Mr T Hicks asked the parish councillor C T Lund if he would call a special meeting, which was held at Manor Farm, to appoint the necessary officers to form a new Broughton Parish Meeting. Mr T King was appointed chair with Mr C T Lund appointed secretary and treasurer. It was agreed that as the funds of the “Broughton Sports Committee” were exhausted, the bus shelter be transferred to the ownership of the Broughton Parish Meeting Committee. This was the first reference to a sports meeting and the first suggestion that the bus shelter was paid for other than out of parish funds. In 1968 the minutes show the parish funds balance being £83.3s 10d. The following year they rose to £87.11s 0d.
In 1970 the parish representative was asked to approach Malton Rural District Council about widening the main village street because of the increase in use by cars driven mainly by residents of Manor Park Estate. Concerns were expressed about the safety of children. The following year the Highways Authority said it would put this in hand when land could be bought and funds were available. In 1972 steps were taken to alter the parish boundary as the 25
houses in Manor Park were in Swinton Parish.
Street widening
On the right is a photo of Paul Luck riding Beauty along Main Street in 1976 before the road was widened.
In 1972 a £5 donation is agreed towards the restoration of Amotherby and District War Memorial. In 1979 a donation of £6 was given to the newly formed Broughton and Swinton Play Group.
The death in 1977 of the chairman Mr T King saw the retirement of Mr C T Lund as clerk and treasurer.
The new chairman was Jeff Paulin whose late wife Margaret was chosen as clerk with Mr Lund’s son Richard taking over as treasurer later that same year.
The old minutes are to be found in a series of PDF documents which are listed under Minutes, 20th C.
AGW 2011
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