Mexborough and Swinton Times July 17, 1938

“Natural Causes”            

Mr T.W. Small of Wombwell

Mr. Thomas William Small (73), licensee of the Ash Inn, Barnsley Road, Aldham, Wombwell, died suddenly on Wednesday of last week. Up to the day before his death he was in normal health. A widow and three sons and four daughters (all. married) are left.

An inquest on Mr. Small was held by the District Coroner (Mr. C. J. Haworth), at Barnsley on Friday. The widow (Elizazbeth Small), said that about 1 a.m, on Wednesday her husband woke her up and complained of feeling sick. He was breathing heavily, and vomited. He died at 3-20 the same morning.

Doctor William O.Maxwell, of Wombwell said he first saw the body at 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning. A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Small and had a stroke due to haemorrhage of the brain, and that it wa sa purely natural death

There was evidence of an old injury to the leg, but this had no bearing on death. A son, Mr Fred Small, said he was satisfied with the evidence.

A verdict of “Death from Natural Causes” was returned.

Native Of Bucks.

Mr. Small was born at Addenham, in Buckinghamshire. His father was a farm worker, and he was the eighteenth of nineteen children.

Before he was nine years of age he started work on the land, but continued “schooling” in his “spare time.” Through overcrowding in the home he decided to strike out on his own and, with the blessing of a devoted mother, came north—the first time he had ever been in a railway train!

Some time prior to that an uncle (grandfather of Mr. Frank Collindridge, M.P. for Barnsley), had settled in Wombwell, and it was to live with his aunt in “Fatticake Row” (Kent Row), and to get work in the pits that he came here.

His first job in the district was at the pottery plant at Darfield Main, but after the ’85 strike he moved to Cortonwood Colliery and remained in and about the mines of Wombwell for the remainder of his working days.

It was in 1924 that be left Darfield Main to take over the licence of the Ash Inn.

Mrs. Small, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Parkin, was born in Wombwell, her father being Jonathan Parkin, who was employed in the highways department Wombwell U.D.C. for many years.

The couple celebrated their Golden wedding exactly a year ago.