Jeremiah Netherwood

Jeremiah Netherwood was associated with the Society for 50 years. He exhibited at the 1876 show, when living in Warrengate, and for a few years after that date. He is recorded in the Gardeners Chronicle article of 1882 as being the Secretary of the Society and having a fine collection, many of which were raised by John Hepworth, who judged the shows on many occasions.

Jeremiah was born in Wakefield around 1837 and his father was a cordwainer. By 1881 he was employed as a County Court Bailiff which occupation he continued with until his retirement in 1924 at the age of 87, (see below left), despite the introduction of the Old-Age Pensions Act in 1908.

In 1887 he had appeared in court himself for committing a misdemeanour which is unlikely to have reached the courts in the 21st Century (see below right).

Although his showing days were relatively short he was in great demand by the Society in a judging role and the minute book shows that he was asked to carry out this duty in 1924 when at least 87 years old.
At the time of his death in 1926 he was living with his son in Cross Church Street, Normanton, just a few hundred yards from where the Society held a number of shows 80 years later.