SNAITH POLICE STATION 1897 to 1974
THIS BUILDING AND THE COURT HOUSE BEHIND ARE PRIVATE RESIDENCIES.
PLEASE RESPECT THE PRIVACY OF THE OCCUPANTS.
In 1816, The Wesleyan Methodists rented a piece of land off
Back lane Snaith (now Court Road) from the Mitten Family and built a chapel.
In 1845, The Wesleyan Methodists acquired a much larger
strip of land ( two acres) from Mary Shearburn of Snaith Hall. This land was between George
Street and Cowick Road, an area called Cowick Fields. In 1848 they built a
school on this land and then in 1862 a new very grand chapel.
This meant the chapel on Back Lane was now redundant. An influential group of magistrates, meeting in December 1862, decided that a court
building in Snaith was urgently required. Mary Shearburn of Snaith Hall had
the solution. She would pay for the conversion of the former chapel into a
courtroom, which opened in 1863.
The courtroom was also used as a meeting place for other organisations.
Just a couple of examples:
1866 - a bazaar was held to raise money for the restoration of Snaith
Church. It was held on 4th July ( the day of the annual Snaith
Agricultural Show) and the following two days. 1875
- December- A meeting of a Bible
Society.
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The West Riding of Yorkshire County Constabulary was formed
in 1856 and by the following year there was a county-wide police force. Snaith
had locally appointed police officers before 1856, but now they were part of
the county force. In the second half of the
century, the number of police officers increased and Sergeants were appointed.
In 1867, Peter Sheard was a sergeant
based at the court house.
On the 1861 census, William Braithwaite is listed as a
Jailer.
In 1891 James Punton
moved from Brighouse to Snaith to take up the new post of Inspector of Snaith.
Because of limited space for the police force and outdated
facilities within the courtroom, it was agreed in 1895 that a new courtroom and
police station was needed.
1871 saw the introduction of compulsory photos of people found guilty of a crime. 1879 saw the introduction of prosecution by THE STATE as opposed to local prosecutions.
The ownership of the site was transferred to the West Riding County Council and a survey was made in May 1896. It was decided to construct a new courtroom with cells and increased provision for the police force, including a police house. The building would be built during Queen Victoria’s 60th anniversary as Queen, 1897.
In April 1897, two memorial 1897 stones were laid by Mr
Ralph Creyke, chairman of the magistrates and county councillor, Mr George
Dunstan. The building was completed in December 1897 and the magistrates took
their seats for the first time on Thursday 27th January 1898. Major
Frank Henry Eadon of The Lodge was the Chairman of the magistrates and one of
the magistrates was Mr Roderick Shearburn of Snaith Hall, which was very
fitting as it was his Grand Mother, Mary
Shearburn, who had been instrumental in the old courtroom being on that
site.
On the 1911 census Evan Vaughan (a native of Flintshire was the Inspector, living at the new Police House. He was 46. His wife, Monica from Garforth was 30. Retired Inspector James Punton(61)was still living in Snaith with his wife Mary and 2 children (4 of their children had died) .
In 1956, Harry Smith moved to Snaith as one of two Police Constables, based at the Police Station. He lived at one of the two police houses on Pontefract Road. ( nos 40 and 42) Also based at the Police Station and residing in the Police House was a Sergeant.
