EVENTS Bridgtown LHS are hosting a talk by Katherine Page entitled ‘Bridgtown before 1860’ this Wednesday, 17th May at 10am at the Bethel Chapel, Union Street, Bridgtown.
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday with our researchers also on hand ready to give advice and support.
REQUESTS June Wollaston called into the Base on Tuesday with her family tree that links in with the Handel Whitehouse (b1867) son of Charles Whitehouse and Emma Kitchen and she goes back another two generations to George Whitehouse who married Lucey Brindley at Bednall on 10th May 1790. June requests if anyone can help her to go back even further.
June also is connected to the Warrender family mentioned in last week’s newsletter and has brought in photographs and a range of Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates going well back into the 1800s and enquires if anyone else has any connection with these Warrenders (Albert Snr, Fred, Reginald, Grace, Albert Jnr & Stanley). There is also a link with the Griffiths family.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Fred Harley Snr, Alice Harley & Fred Harley Jnr at Elwell’s Farm c1930 plus Alice Harley, Fred Harley Jnr, Fred Harley Snr & wife Alice. Also one of Connie Richards and one of the Cheslyn Hay WMC as seen from the bowling green in the 1940s and 3 photographs of the model of Hawthorne Cottage built by Graham Collins for our 2011 Exhibition and a copy of the Memorial Service with photograph of Brian Cowley. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Whitehouse family tree going back to George Whitehouse marrying Lucey Brindley as mentioned above. A copy of the 1952 Cannock Rural District Official Guide including the histories and photographs of Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Saredon & Shareshill.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
18th May 1967 Results of the Cannock Rural District Council Elections in Cheslyn Hay in a very close contest with W G Craddock, R A R Elsmore, W G Mytton, H Roberts, D A Stanton and R Edmunds.
19th May 1917 The Sunday School Anniversary at the Salem United Methodist Church. Full details.
MEMORIES We complete the interview with Albert Edward Wood of 37 Leveson Avenue dated 1st October 2002 with stories relating to Henry Hawkins Longhouse Tileries, Mr Williams, Dick Plant, Constance Carpenter and Swallow Raincoats in Cannock.
WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES Over the years we have gratefully received Personal Collections from families which we have always kept separately from our normal archives. Many of these Collections are donated after bereavements and they contain family photographs, letters, personal items and memorabilia that must have meant so much to them and we are privileged to be able to keep such memories alive to be shared with everyone who have a common interest in Cheslyn Hay and its inhabitants over the years. The Collections are under the following names and can be viewed at our Base on Tuesdays – Craig Bailey, Pamela Bate, Les Belcher, Geoffrey Boulton, Hilda Bowdler (Walker Family), Jim Brevitt, Edna Brown (2 volumes), Joe Cadman, Peter Cadman, John Cartwright, Jack Dawkins, Devereux Family, Roy Handley, Ethel Harley, Hawkins (3 volumes), Hawkins Colliery (Records), Hawkins Photographs (inc Harriman & Wootton families), Hawkins Autograph Album, David Leach (M54 construction), Roger Moore, Joan Perks, Ann Plant, Ivor Plant, Janet Smith, Isaac Stokes (Photograph Album), Victor Taylor, Malcolm Tonks, John Turner, Freda Walley, Whitehouse (Family Tree), Laurence Wood, Wootton (inc Family Bible).
MICK FELLOWS Mick passed away at home on Thursday, 11th May, aged just 67 after bravely fighting his illness for quite some time. Mick has a long history with our Society and together with his wife Lesley, who is also our treasurer, he has been an integral part of the success of our development from its inception in 1994. His computer knowledge in our early days was invaluable but I, personally, will always appreciate his friendly and sociable outlook that I believe was his main strength. We had a common bond together through our support of Walsall FC and even in his latter days it was always a real pleasure to exchange memories with Mick as he would always be able to prompt some long forgotten incident during the ‘good old days’ to make us smile. A truly good friend and one we’ll all miss at the Society. Our thoughts go out to Lesley and the family.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

7th May 2017
EVENTS Chat n Char this Thursday, May 11th in the Salem starting at 10.00am and Roger’s theme this month is ‘Eboracum, Jorvik, Eoforwic; a history of York.”
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday. Everyone welcome.
REQUESTS No requests received this week.
RESPONSES Jean and Andrew have been able to provide plenty of information for Sue on her Handel Whitehouse family including a copy of the marriage certificate dated 31 Dec 1887 of Handel Whitehouse and Emily Walker as well as a Family Tree. Also Pauline Turner adds that her grandfather Handel Altree was named after his uncle Handel Whitehouse and we have photographs of this Handel’s family in our archives.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington A court case of Isaac Elwell for gross cruelty (1883), Life of Mrs John Naylor, wife of the Reverend Naylor (1922), court case of Albert Victor Crutchley for aggravated assault on Elsie Foster (1930), a road accident involving Harold Wollaston (1931) and an inquest on Gladys Doreen Smith of 23 Coppice Lane (1951). Copy of any Newspaper Report £1.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
11th May 1967 Mr Brian Trevor Turner, a miner, of 2 Mitre Road killed in a road accident. Full details.
11th May 1967 The funeral took place at Church Road Methodist Church, St Anne’s-on-sea, Lancashire, on Saturday, of Mrs May Warrender, of 21 Hatherton Street, Cheslyn Hay widow of Mr Albert Warrender.
11th May 1967 A local Salem newsletter introduced by the Cheslyn Hay’s Methodist minister the Rev Gordon Jenkins and Mr I Stokes.
11th May 1967 Details of the funeral of Mrs Janet Mary Ridgeway, wife of Roland Ridgeway, of 10 Sutherland Road
12th May 1917 Information on how Cheslyn Hay is boldly dealing with the food problem, and is setting an example to the whole of Staffordshire.
12th May 1917 The Salvationists of Cheslyn Hay, celebrating their third year’s work at Cheslyn Hay on Sunday.
12th May 1917 A football match was played on the Barn Flat Ground on Saturday,when teams from Leacroft Colliery and Great Wyrley Colliery competed. The proceeds of the match were for Wilfred Garrett, of Station Street.
MEMORIES This week we continue with the interview of Albert Edward Wood of 37 Leveson Avenue dated 1st October 2002 which started in our newsletter 6th November 2016 covering his schooldays with
Miss Smiley, Mr Cadman, Mr Bale, Mr Baxter and Fanny Ford, the music teacher as well as stories of his mates Reg and Harry Plant, Trevor Baker from Saredon Road and Tony Brough from Station Street. Also many stories of the railway and people he remembered naming Mr Hudson, Roland Ridgway, Godfrey Devereux, Albert Thacker, Dick Benton, Mr Paradine, ‘Trotty’ Jukes and Albert Podmore.
WWI COMMEMORATION This May we commemorate the death of 13623 Thomas Carver of the 1/6th (TF) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment, who was killed on 12th May 1917 aged 41, son of Charles and Jemima Carver, of 2 Station Street, Cheslyn Hay, and buried with honour at the Fosse No 10 Communal Cemetery Extension, Sainsen Gohelle.
GENERAL NEWS For anyone searching for two old Cheslyn Hay books that have out of print for some time, we now have one ‘Pubs & Publicans of Cheslyn Hay’ at £5 and a ‘Cheslyn Hay Lives Vol 2’ at £4 available. Please contact me at the address below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Our friends at the Museum of Cannock Chase are celebrating VE Day with a one day exhibition on Saturday, 6th May from 11am – 4pm. Free admission.
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday. Everyone welcome.
RESPONSES Moss certainly stirred up the memories of our members when he recalled the Powney family. Ray Franks points out that the father was named Hayden who died aged only 59 and continues with the history of the family, which he knows very well. Trevor Bickley also adds more information as he went to school with the granddaughter, Jane Powney.
But the best response came from Rosemary Read, who we have been trying to help in contacting Keith for the last two years as he was the best friend at Cheslyn Hay Infants School of her late husband, Tony. Now they are delighted to be in touch with one another.
Vi has answered the query of the Dunn family with details of Edna M Dunn giving all of her dates. Vi also gives her final response, together with Jean, to their research on John Thomas Morgan from Burntwood stating that his birth cannot be traced and suggests that he could have been born under a different surname.
Our researchers, Andrew and Jean, have also found complications on the Handel Whitehouse enquiry from Sue Harwood as there are two Handel Whitehouses born close together in 1866 and 1867 and Marriage Certificates have been forwarded to Sue but more family information is needed first.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
5th May 1917 A full and interesting report is given on the unveiling of a Roll of Honour.
5th May 1917 News was received on Monday morning last from the Chaplain in France by Mr and Mrs D Potts, of the Lord Nelson Inn, Cheslyn Hay, that their nephew Sapper William Potts had been killed while in action in the trenches. Full details given.
5th May 1917 ‘Talk and scandal of the village’ was a description of the conduct of two women Bertha Pearson and Ruth Kingstone in Queen Street in a truly remarkable court case.
5th May 1917 At the Cannock Police Court on Monday, the extraordinary conduct of a miner was investigated by the magistrates involving Lewis Masefield, of Rosemary Road, and William Stanley, a pit boy, living at Pinfold Lane, Cheslyn Hay.
BRIAN COWLEY Brian’s funeral is on Thursday 4th May at the Salem at 10.30am. Unfortunately we cannot cone off the car park as it is also Polling Day there, so I would suggest everyone ‘double park’ around the back of the church, or even park at the car park at the Dog (Talbot Inn) where refreshments have been arranged on return from the Crematorium.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Our AGM next Thursday, 27th April starting at 7pm when I will be stepping down after 17 years as Chairman for a more progressive committee to be elected with more IT skills and newer ideas. At 7.30pm Peter Cadman will then give a talk on ‘The City of York’ which will interest all those booked on Roger’s coach trip in July.
OUR SALEM BASE is open to everyone every Tuesday from 9am – 2pm to browse through our 8,500 photographs as well as our extensive library with 165 volumes, mainly of local records. Our researchers are also on hand ready to give advice and support.
REQUESTS From a new member, Sue from Birmingham, who emails ‘I am interested in finding out about my family history. My great grandfather Handel Whitehouse was born in Cheslyn Hay in 1866 but he later moved to Bridgtown where he was a milkman and my mom remembers he also delivered coal. I’d love to find out more about him and his family. I have quite a few certificates so I’ll get what I know together and perhaps someone could help me or I can pay you a visit. I have seen names come up on your Facebook page that I recognise so it’s very exciting.’
After a visit last week from the Dunn family of Glasgow who have researched their family history thoroughly, they just needed details of one of Oscar Dunn Jnr’s siblings, Edna M Dunn, as they have no record of her at all. Our local researcher, Vi, will now research the local records.
RESPONSES After Joan Harley Muegge’s request from Adelaide we have had three responses. Firstly from Derek Moore who remembers the family well when they lived in Rosemary Road and Glenda emails giving details of the family connections and having photographs of them all together and Bill Harley giving the full history of all the family.
The newspaper report last week of the tragic cot death of a baby prompted members to recall that Mrs Christmas was a well respected teacher at the Great Wyrley High School in the mid sixties.
Following the request from the new owner of Saredon Hall Farm, we were able to provide him with websites as well as the detailed information on the hall, referred to as Great Saredon Hall c1700 with the cowsheds and outbuildings going back to the 1500s.
Finally errors have been pointed out from the recent mention of the local bus routes in the fifties. Apparently it was not the No 11 bus but the No 17. It turned into Station Street and not Station Road, it was the Colliers Arms and not the Miners and the Bridgtown to Wolverhampton bus that Derrick could not remember was the No 56.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Marriage certificate of Lavinia Stokes & William Shilton (1886) and a summons to Donald Kingston & Dorothy Barsby with newspaper report (Nov 1952).
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington A Gilpin’s employee, George Dawson, of Churchbridge absconding with large sums of money (1867), George Parker, a schoolmaster of Wedges Mills charged with horse stealing (1867) and Thomas Henry Parker of Wedges Mills in court (1898).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher.
27th April 1967 A further development of approximately 113 houses on the Littlewood Estate with full details.
28th April 1917 Information on the Old Nook Colliery, Cheslyn Hay, has re-commenced working after being idle for over 30 years.
28th April 1917 On Saturday evening the Talbot Bowling Club starting their new season with details of members.
28th April 1917 A football match in aid of the local Red Cross funds was played on the Barn Flat Grounds, on Saturday afternoon, when teams from Churchbridge Works and the local Institute competed with a match report.
MEMORIES From Moss Fisher who is currently scanning photographs of Park Street (The Lot) for our archives and he recalls some of his own memories of the area recollecting his youth with the Powney family.
BRIAN COWLEY Brian sadly passed away on Monday 17th April. Aged just 65, Brian has been an invaluable member of our committee providing notable displays at our Annual Exhibitions gained from painstaking research on both Mount Pleasant and Saredon Road, where he lived. A schoolteacher for most of his career his interests ranged form local history to music, with jazz in particular, but above all Brian will always be remembered for being the thoroughly decent and gracious gentleman he was and someone whose company we have enjoyed over the past three years. Our thoughts are with Sandra and the family.

EVENTS Last chance to put your names down for Roger’s trip to York on Thursday, 13th July at £21 per head including entry into the Minster with a free guided tour to include the Museum, Treasury and the Crypts. All 53 seats have been booked on the first coach but if Roger is to reserve another one he needs another 20 people interested. Please contact Roger 01785 212412. Deadline Monday 8th May.
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and although it is Easter we will be open as usual on Tuesday. This week we welcome Carol from France researching the Sayers.
REQUESTS From Joan Harley Muegge in Adelaide ‘My family migrated out here in 1949 and my grandparents are Lammis Reginald Harley and Ethel Harley nee Birch. My father is John Harley, born in Cheslyn Hay, went to the local school and left England when he was 12 yrs old and I was wondering if there is any Harley relatives about who knew my Dad or Grandfather. He had a cousin, Donald Harley, who he was in contact with until Donald died and my Dad passed away nearly 3 years ago.’
A request from the new owner of Saredon Hall Farm, Saredon Road, Great Saredon. He emails that the house is old and a grade 2 listed building and would like to find out the history of the property and some old photographs if possible.
RESPONSES Following Judith’s request on her Stokes family, we have had responses from our members who are direct descendants of Inkerman Stokes and others, relating to Edith Alice Stokes, George Handel Bailey, Thomas Bailey, Eliza Brough, Trevor Stokes, Hannah Stanton, Annie Rock, Joseph Inkerman Stokes Sarah Ann Parker.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Local historian David Battersby has donated over 20 years of Cheslyn Hay & Great Wyrley newspaper cuttings to our archives as well as two lists of Gilpins employees, one from the 1880s & 1890s and one from 1936 – 1962 with their departments. Also the Order of the Memorial Service cards for Edna Brown (1935 – 2017) and Roger Wollaston (1940 – 2017).
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington Consultation to erect a Toll Gate on the side of the Turnpike Road near Church Bridge across Walk Lane leading to Walk Mill and Wyrley Bank (27 Oct 1827), plus items relating to Paul Henry Hawkins, Fred Holloway of 44 Low Street, George Mason & Gladys Willington of 12 The Hutments, Middle Hill, Herbert Joseph Harris of 20a The Hutments, Middle Hill and Harriet Hawkins. Copy of any Newspaper Report £1.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
20th April 1967 Mr D F CaveOne hundred and fifty people turned up at Monday night’s inaugural meeting of Landywood Estate Residents Association to pledge their support for its formation with full details.
20th April 1967 Tragic death of a three months-old baby, Karen Ann Christmas, found dead after the cot had apparently tilted on the stand.
20th April 1967 Hawkins CC versus Himley including G Wesley, C Collins, R Cooper, R Taylor, A Hassall, G Illidge, D Hewitt, W Cadman, V Parkes, A Jones, K Beeston, T Deeley and T Grundy.
21st April 1917 William Parry, of Low Street, advertising for small contracts in connection to sewers, road making, laying turf, excavating land and other similar work.
21st April 1917 Discussions for a “Roll of Honour”.
21st April 1917 Complaints of intruders on the allotments.
21st April 1917 Henry Morris and Ellen Morris, of Station Street, Cheslyn Hay, arrested, charged and found guilty.
21st April 1917 James Edward Whitehouse, High Street, Cheslyn Hay, in court for trapping birds with witnesses Mr Shorter and Mr Enoch Pearson.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Chat n Char this Thursday, 13th April starting at 10am as usual in the Salem’s Main Hall with the title ‘A Day at the Races’ with Roger adding ‘you can wear your best hats if you want to!’
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and this week we are holding a get-together of different lines of the Farnell family from 10am onwards with our researchers on hand to help. There will be at least five of the family attending but it is open to everyone.
REQUESTS Judith has just discovered our history group through the internet and emails about her research on her Stokes family ‘Up to now I have been looking in the wrong place as I thought it was Heath Hayes as my Mum used to go and stay on a farm with her Aunt Marinder Stokes who lived there. I am one of the great granddaughters of Lavinia Stokes but my mum and her sisters and brothers have all passed on now but I remember asking about family history so when I found the mention of Inkerman and Marinder Stokes etc I knew we have the same family.’ So Judith is appealing for any help we can provide.
RESPONSES Our researchers have turned up plenty of information for Julie on her Morgan family but it has become more complicated than expected. Elizabeth Morgan (b1864) moved to America in 1910 with her second family and she died there. We are still trying to unravel the marriages however but we have discovered more information on them to pass on to Julie.
The list of donors subscribing to the building of St Mark’s listed last week has prompted members acknowledging the generosity of their forefathers.
And Roger Betts emails ‘Recent references to Methodist chapels in Landywood remind me that I still have a prize awarded to my mother, Alice Whitehouse, in 1906 for “regular attendance” by Upper Landywood Primitive Methodist Sunday School. The prize was a 433 page tome on H.M. Stanley’s travels in Africa. She was 5 years old at the time!’
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
13th April 1967 Activities at the Cheslyn Hay’s Salem Youth Club.
13th April 1967 Celebration of the golden wedding of Mr Daniel Smith and Mrs Caroline Smith with details of their lives.
13th April 1967 Two of Cheslyn Hay Working Men’s Club’s long serving members died during the weekend. Both were former presidents. Albert Parker and Harry Lockett with full details of their lives.
14th April 1917 Meeting of the Cheslyn Hay Local Relief Committee and Red Cross Society listing the net proceeds of Miss Scragg’s concert and all the garments forwarded on.
14th April 1917 On Easter Monday, a football match was played on the Barn Flat Ground, Cheslyn Hay, between a local team picked from the Old Coppice and Great Wyrley Collieries, and a team from the 16th Leicester’s. Full details with all the local players named.
MEMORIES Further to Peter Cadman’s reference to the buses that travelled along the A34 Mike Birch and Derrick Middleton add their own recollections of different buses and their routes.
EDNA BROWN (nee DAVIS) Details of Edna’s life after she had passed away on Tuesday, 28th March, aged 81.
ADRIAN HAWKINS Son of Major Harold Hawkins MC of The Crescent in Low Street and although he moved away several years ago to Stroud he will probably be remembered as part of the group Johnny Tremayne and the Liberties in the sixties. He died last week in Stroud.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net