Mrs Sarah Leach
Botwell Sisterhood and Labour Party
Botwell Sisterhood and Labour Party
31st March 1939 Advertiser & Gazette
Mrs S. E.Leach well known Labour and religious worker in the Hayes district for many years. Mrs Sarah Elizabeth Leach died at the age of 68 at Middlesex Hospital in Sunday 26th March 1939.
Mrs Sarah Leach came to Hayes in 1913 and moved to 7 Eastcote Lane, Northolt in 1933.
She was a member of the Botwell Infant Welfare committee since its inception and Chairman of Hayes Labour Party Women's section for several years.
For a long time she was President of the Botwell Sisterhood and president of West Middlesex Brotherhood Federation.
She was an elected Hayes Labour Party repressentstive on the Uxbridge Board of Guardians until its functions were passed on to Middlesex County Council,
In her earlier years Mrs Leach was a Sunday School teacher.
her sympathetic character endeared her to all among whom she worked.
Mrs Leach's funeral was held at Northolt Parish church on Wednesday 5th April 1939
NOTES
Robert John Leach, 1 Clarevillas, Clarendon Road, Hayes, (Engineer). Chairman of Hayes Labour Party and Labour Councillor in the 1920's (first elected 1920)
Vice Chairman Hayes UDC 1921-1922 and 1924-1925. Chairman 1922-1923 and for six months 1925-1926.
BOTWELL BROTHERHOOD
Hayes or Botwell Brotherhood, a non conformist interdenominational religious grouping, was founded in or around April 1908 with Mr J.T. Catherwood as Honoray Secretary, Rev F. Robinson as President.
Meetings of Botwell Brotherhood were initially held in the Wesleyan Chapel in Morgan's Lane, Hayes, Middlesex.
The Botwell Brotherhood Hall finally moved to it's own Brotherhood Hall in Neild Road , Hayes opening in November 1915. Botwell Brotherhood moved to a new Brotherhood Hall in Coldharbour Lane in 1932.
Botwell Sisterhood was established in 1910
At the 1912 annual meeting of Botwell Brotherhood over 100 people attended, reports were read on the Brotherhoods Benevolent society, Coal and Sick club.
After the 1912 reports Uxbridge and Hayes Brotherhood Orchestra played and Thomas Chellew(London) presided, supported by Mr J. H. May (Harlesden), Mr Wolseley Hutt (Baritone- Queens Hall) Mr A. Maud (Uxbridge). Percy Langton (Founder of Hayes Labour party) and Miss Olive Langton (piano) others involved included Mrs Ward, Mr Backhouse,
BOTWELL BROTHERS:-Mr Catherwood, Mr Warr, Mr Gardner, Mr Loader, Mr Langton, Mr Mardlin, Mr Brown (Junior), Brown (Senior), Reeves, Nicholls, Nightingale, Bristowe, Winter, Darby, Oakley, Jeremy, Rogers, Dix, Catherwood, Brown Junior, Darby, Brown (senior), Winter, Bosher, Chandler, D. Brown, Bristowe, Pullin and Langton.
Other names associated with the Botwell Botwell movement in 1914 included
Mrs Austin, Mrs J. Matson, Mrs Lovell, Mrs A. Maison, Mrs Kemp
also involved Mr Jabez Osbourne of Uxbridge.
BOTWELL BROTHERHOOD BRASS BAND
Botwell Brotherhood Brass Band established around 1912. It was reported at the January 1915 annual meeting of Botwell Brotherhood that they had managed to repay the £10 cost for musical instruments for the Brass band and the President congratulated the band on "the splendid progress it had made considering the very unsettled state of things at present, and also taking into consideration that the War had taken away six of its most active members". The Band later became the Harlington Silver and is now known as the Denham Hendon Brass Band, and enjoy considerable susses. They now rehearse at Denham.
Southall Brotherhood had been established circa 1907 and meet in the Wesleyan Hall, Southall, under the leadership of Mr T. J. Owens.
Their seems to have been a strong Welsh connection to the Brotherhood Movement in West Middlesex.
Uxbridge (active circa 1912 and Yiewsley Brotherhood active circa 1915, Harefield Circa 1914.
Mr F. Read of West Ealing Brotherhood stated "The Brotherhood should see that there were Christan statement and Christan Labour leaders, so that they could make clear and sure progress. (Botwell Brotherhood 27 February 1920).
"Among the problems which the Brotherhood must apply itself to was unemployment, industrial reform and the re population of the rural areas".
Rev Tom Sykes
Daily Express Editorial 30th May 1910
"Puritan manifesto of non conformist anti socialists atheists received applause when denying Christ before Christian congregation and pagan seditious permitted to supplement the worship of god on Sunday afternoon.
Preparations were already being made in a campaign of insult against the late Sovereign no other class of meeting can the non conformist find today where blackguardly abuses his country is so lavish as with a free church Sunday afternoon men's meeting or PSA"
This editorial was denounced by Percy Langton in the local paper.
Botwell Brotherhood was also quick to recognise the dangers of "jingoism" at the start of World war One, one letter to the local paper states....
"Do they believe all the lies and calumnies spread by the daily Liar and Daily Distress against the German nation who are the nearest allied to us by both blood and principle. What can the Brotherhood say of those pathetic and unauthorised meetings between British and German solders on Christmas Day 1914 ? Will they not agree that such an occurrence in itself condemns the war by blundering ambition have no enmity and are jolly fellow on each side" (Botwell Brotherhood February 1915).
"Nothing did more harm to religion than people going to worship looking as if the they were going to the dentist".
Rev Tom Sykes, Brotherhood - National Secretary 1922
Picture Botwell Brotherhood Hall 2002 for sale. The Botwell Brotherhood had dwindled to just five members and closed circa 2001.
