South Yorkshire Times August 15, 1959

Ha’penny Newspapers

Wombwell Recollections of 70 Years in Trade

The enforced hiatus in publication of the “South Yorkshire,  Times”—the only break, incidentally, since the first issue -has revived in the minds of some of our old readers their early impressions of the sale of newspapers in the town.

The character chiefly remembered by the oldest inhabitants is the late Mr. Godfrey Stocks, grandfather of Mr. Edgar S. Wroe. ironmonger, of High Street, Wombwell, who was a notable figure in the town in days gone by, and who some can still visualise doing his newspaper rounds on a three-wheeled bicycle! But in more “recent” times — from the turn of the century—there were five Wombwell brothers who for many years combined in a newspaper business which embraced Wombwell, Lundhill, Hemingfield, Tingle Bridge and Darfield. These were the Rollin brothers, three of whom are still living in Wombwell. Their business was sold in 1920 to the Mattocks family who are still in business in High Street.

Mr. William Rollin (74), of 13, Jardine Street, Wombwell, told a reporter that he started as a newspaper seller when he was seven years old. Associated with him were Thomas and John (both now dead), Richard (71) of 32, Jardine Street, and Fred (69) of Rimingtoa Road, Wombwell, They were sons of the late Mr. Thomas Rollin, who was employed at Wombwell Main Colliery.

His Nightly “Round”

Mr. William Rollin went to the National School in Church Street, Wombwell, and after school every night did his newspaper round on foot. The only evening paper then sold in Wombwell was the “Leeds Evening Express” which was transported from Leeds to Wombwell by train. Mr. Rollin recalls that the train journey took three and a half hour’s and it was half past six in the evening before he could collect the bundles from Wombwell bottom station (now Wombwell Central).

The Sheffield “Green ‘Un” was sold on Saturdays, and the first Sunday newspaper to appear in the town was the “Sunday Week”. This, incidentally, always arrived on Saturday evening, and the boys were able to be off on their journeys early the next morning.

Mr. Rollin recalls that when they first started the rounds, they sold four dozen papers each evening, and the progress of the business was such that when they finished they were selling twenty-five dozen a day. In those days the population was comparatively sparse, and with the farmsteads and houses being somewhat scattered it meant a long walk each day. The papers were sold for a ha’penny each, and their profit was three ha’pence a dozen.

Mr. William Rollin left school at 13 to start work as a lamp carrier at Wombwell Main Colliery, but he continued his newspaper job, working eight hours at the pit and going home at four o’clock in readiness for his newspaper round. At the pit he was paid 8s. 4d. for 6 days work. He spent 35 years at Wombwell Main Colliery, retiring on health grounds in`1934.

He was born at Broomhill and was brought to Wombwell when four years old. He and his wife (nee Ellen Shephard of Shipcroft, Wombwell, have been married for nearly 53 years, and for the whole of that time have been regular readers of the “Mexborough Times”, They have three sons and four daughters.