Mexborough and Swinton Times November 25, 1938

Wombwell Couple’s Pride
Three Sons Bandmasters

Left to right: Mr. Leonard Newman, Mr. Harry Newman, Miss Edith Newman and Mr. Herbert Newman.

A Wombwell couple have the distinction of having three sons who are bandmasters. The parents are Mr. and Mrs. Richard Newman, of 6, King’s Road, Wombwell, Mr. Newman being caretaker of King’s Road Council Schools. All the sons are in the Salvation Army, to which organisation their musical talent is devoted voluntarily.

Mr. and Mrs. Newman also have a daughter who is a Salvation Army Officer.

The three sons are Mr. Harry Newman (28), married, bandmaster at Dover; Mr. Herbert Newman (27), married, bandmaster at Cleckheaton; and Mr. Leonard Newman (22), single, bandmaster at Wombwell. All graduated through the corps band at Wombwell, Harry playing the tenor horn, Herbert the euphonium, and Leonard the cornet. Mr. Harry Newman has been at Dover for ten years, and Herbert at Cleckheaton for four years. Mr. Leonard Newman became bandmaster at Wombwell some twelve months ago when Mr. Bramwell Arlington, of Wombwell, was appointed leader of the famous Chalk Farm Band.

Miss Edith Newman is stationed at Shiremoor, near Newcastle-on-Tyne. She passed through the Army Officers’ Training College about twelve years ago, and has since had charge of various corps in Scotland and the North of England.

The father, Mr. Richard Newman, has been associated with the Salvation Army in an official capacity for about thirty years, and for 44 years as a member.

At Wombwell he has had charge of the Sunday School section for 24 years with a break, and has also held the offices of senior Sergeant-Major andTreasurer.               He was treasurer of the local corps when the hall in Station Road was erected and the Army moved out of temporary quarters in Hawson Street. Mrs. Newman has also been associated with the Army for a similar period, and is an active worker in the Wombwell Corps.          Their eldest son. Willie, formerly an active Army worker at Wombwell, is now in business at Bradford.

Mr. Newman said that when he joined the Army he had never been in a Sunday School in his life. Now it is his “life.” “I am thankful for the good influence the Army has had on my children,” he said.

Mr. Newman says that after 44 years he finds that Army work fills his life.

Both he and Mrs. Newman say that if they had their time to come over again they would never think of changing their loyalties.