EVENTS

OUR SALEM BASE  is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.  All welcome

REQUESTS  Geoff Stokes is looking for any descendants of Beatrice Gertrude Holland (neeHickman), the wife of his great uncle Joseph Holland, who was tragically killed in WWI for any information.  Also for any descendants of the two married Hickman sisters - Julia Nixon who lived on the Watling Street in Bridgtown and Caroline Elizabeth Preece of Cross Street. Also the Cannock Chase Mining Museum are working on their new coal mining gallery and require some photographs from our archives of the Salem church choir plus any depicting community life with hobbies such as pigeons and gardening, sport, music and health and welfare.

RESPONSES  Following on from Beryl Holt’s request for details on the death of Private William Richard Bradford, one of our members responds stating that William was his great uncle and provides all the information required. Following on from Peter Cadman’s enquiries on his Warrender/Brough family line Chris called at the Base on Tuesday with photographs and all the required information. And both Jamie and our researcher Vi provide the married name of Joe and Lizzie Dutton’sdaughter Beryl.  She married Ronald W Abley locally in 1961.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS  Photographs of Hawkins Junior Rescue Team with Colin Rigby, Harry Thomas, Stan Morgan, Albert Emery, Alf Newman, John Barker, Dave Pennington, Reg Whittingham, John Edgington & Graham Bradshaw, a St Johns Ambulance one with Freda Walley, Jack & Arthur Davies, Al Hall Snr & Jnr, Joe Shorter and Mr Hill enjoying a pint at the WMC, Freddie Thomas playing bowls, Knights General Store in the 70s, Princess Anne at the High School and a marvellous snap of children being fed outside the WMC during the General Strike of 1926.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS  

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington.  Copies available at £1 per report.  Various reports covering court cases and stories from 1885 – 1925 with the following local people -George Bill, James Pearson, Charles Jones, James Seabridge, George Sperring, Lewis Yates, William Bills, Thomas Whitehouse (7 Feb 1885), Enoch Marshall (24 Feb 1885), Sarah Ann Quinton, Herbert Street, Francis Quinton (4 Sept 1885), John Quinton (29 Aug 1890), Albert Lockett, Job  Boulton, Herbert & John Price (31 Aug 1901), Wm Hartwell, Ernest Kingston, Thomas J Green (14 Sept 1901), Thomas Henry Turner, Dorothy & Clara Louisa Turner, John Humphries, Joseph Shorter, John Skitt, Henry Whitehouse (20 June 1902), John Lovatt, George Alfred Whitehouse (5 Dec 1903), Walter & Alfred Thomas Bedworth, Harry Jones (14 Oct 1910),  John Glover, Thomas Whitehouse (25 Apr 1913), Samuel Parbrook, Elizabeth Parbrook, Doctor Blakemore & PC Ballance (four reports – 7 & 14 Aug, 23 & 24 Oct 1925).

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher 

21st December 1963  The funeral of butcher Herbert Perks and an outline of his life.

21st December 1963  D Brough, chairman of Cheslyn Hay Parish Council on Wednesday described the vandalism around the village.

20th December 1913  A report of many aspects of the Pinfold Lane School, its development, accommodation for a caretaker, increasing numbers of pupils and the even content of the lessons.

MEMORIES  More from Nance (Annie) Altree who we interviewed in 2002 recalling the Primitive Methodist tennis club the preachers at the Zion chapel, Bert Kingston, Mr Weetman, her jobs atWilfred B Hawkins, and working with her two cousins, Lizzie and May Altree, who were dressmakers and also as a maid at Birmingham and the bus and tramcar services back to Cheslyn Hay  WORLD WAR ONE COMMEMORATION PROJECT  Following last week’s appeal we have received full details on three names on our War Memorial - Joseph Thomas Holland, John Ridgway and Job Whitehouse.

GENERAL NEWS  

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS This week’s Chat ‘n’ Char is another Entertainments Special and Roger is calling it ‘Come Along to Spend a Penny!’ Thursday 12th December at the Salem starting at 10am.
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm. All welcome and particularly anyone who remembers the local bobby PC John Humphries.
REQUESTS The Berkswich History Society are preparing a book for next year on their local heroes from the Great War and after a google search they have contacted us on information on Pte Bradford who died in March 1917 aged only 18. Their chairman Beryl refers to a request in one of our newsletters dated 2nd October 2011 and asks for more details.
RESPONSES Gill replies to the enquiry concerning the caretakers of the Mount Zion Chapel, Lizzie & Joe Dutton saying that they did adopt a daughter and her name was Beryl and although Gill went to her wedding in Cheslyn Hay about 1963, she cannot recall her married name. Does anyone remember Beryl’s married name?
Andrew has been able to help Peter with his Warrender family, with updated details. Sarah Ann Carver died in 1937 whilst Albert Edward Warrender lived until 1953 and Andrew is sending on a Descendant Chart of the Warrenders he has on the Cheslyn Hay Database. Also Jean is forwarding copies of their probates.
All three of our researchers have been involved with Keith’s request on his Jackson family giving details of Robert’s baptism plus all the information of his five siblings and together with Jean gives details of the most probable marriages and deaths of William Jackson. Also Vi adds information on Robert in Brinsford whilst Bernard from Sacramento believes the William Jackson (b1776) is in his family tree and offers to exchange information.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS One of the Sutherton family of The Lot c1900, Hettie Cascarino and her mother Elizabeth Hawkins, the wedding of Jack and his cousin Josie Wootton and guests from the Parsons, Snape, Hartshorne, Strefford and Street families, two of Les and Lol Wood and one of the Rev Thomas Seymour of 1885.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Print outs of the Browell family of the probate details of Wm Henry, Elizabeth and Eric J, the death of Ernest W, and the birth, marriage and death of Jessie.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington. Copies available at £1 per report. From 1912 are the court cases involving James Lawson, Thomas Henry Pearson (13 September 1912), Arthur Kingston, Henry Bate, Thomas & Hamar Dawkins, George Horton (11 October 1912), Beatrice & Ada Pearson, William Holt (aka Smith), Herbert Hales, Frank Lees (25 October 1912). Also news stories of A Haycock and Joseph Ward (20 September 1912) and Fred Altree and AE Elwell (13 September 1912).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
13th December 1913 A concert took place at the Talbot Assembly Room, for the benefit of the Cheslyn Hay Victoria Brass Band Music Fund and the story covers the involvement of P Carpenter, George Shepherd (Huntington), George Goodwin (Landywood), I Smith and the unfortunate problem of T Watkiss the Walsall Humorist. It also includes the full programme with F Perks, E Perks, J Hawkins, A Hawkins, S J Greenfield, T Askey, H Pritchard, J Wesley, P Bates.
MEMORIES More recollections this week of Nance (Annie) Altree who was interviewed in 2002 with stories of ‘Tompter’ Pearson, Mrs Shorter, Jellyman, Bown’s Farm, the Bricklayers Arms, the Colliers Arms, John England Hart, Bert Kingston, Harry Rogers, Gertie Handley, Miss Scragg the headmistress, Mrs Saunders, Fred Altree, the Shirley family, Eliza Pearson, the Barn Flats, Dundalk Lane, Cheslyn Hay United and Benjamin Carpenter, Mr Dakin and his son Kenneth of Low Street.
GENERAL NEWS Another 122 sightings of local scenes of Cheslyn Hay in November on staffspasttrack. Salem 20, High Street 19, Brittania Picture House 18, Woottons Post Office 17, Hacketts Butchers Shop 15, Albert Hawkins Shop 14, Garrett’s Shop 12, Walter Hackett 7.
AN APPEAL We are working on a project for the commemoration of the start of the Great War and we are trying to contact as many living relatives of the families belonging to the 57 names that are on our war memorial from WWI.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am, but we are closing early this week at 2pm for our monthly Committee Meeting. All welcome.
REQUESTS From Keith Sault who asks for help on William and Robert Jackson and emails ‘I have made quite good progress with my family tree, but have been stuck on William Jackson (b1776) and Robert (b1816). I was hoping to obtain their marriage certificates but to no avail and I have found three death certificate references to a William but cannot pin down the correct one. I know from the census records he died between 1841 and 1851. I found a marriage for a William and Sarah 1801 but no docs reference. Robert Jackson is with wife Mary in 1861 and with Mary’s sister in 1871. I have sent off for the death certificates for these two but I cannot find any reference to any marriage.’
And Roy James is puzzled by the George V post box outside the shops in Glenthorne Drive, which means it is pre 1936, but then it was Hackett’s Farm and just fields.
RESPONSES Vi has provided Linda with all the details she wanted on the Browell family including when William Henry Browell and his two sons Eric James and Ernie were born and their deaths together with all their probate details as well as William’s wife Elizabeth (nee Rogers).
Brian’s enquiry about was it Charles or John Wood who was Harriet’s father has met with immediate responses from Andrew and Jean, as there are two Harriet Woods born in the same year. One is the daughter of John and Elizabeth and the other of Charles and Elizabeth. Also they have found the connection with Frederick John Ridgway and the Wood family as well as the marriages with Thomas Withington and William Kingstone.
Peter Cadman raises an interesting question on his Brough side of his family tree. The mother-in-law of Herbert Brough (Peter’s first cousin, twice removed) was Sarah Ann Carver born in Cheslyn Hay in 1879 and was married to Albert Warrender (b abt 1879). They lived at 15 Hatherton Street and they both died in 1911 aged 32 and the query is ‘How, why or from what cause?’ Their daughter, Doreen, married Herbert Brough and Albert had a brother, Longford Warrender, and Peter is in contact with his descendants in the USA, and he also has 16 pages of the Warrender family history.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington. Copies available at £1 per report. John Lovatt, Arthur Brough, Sam Whitehouse (5 Oct 1894), Albert Lockett, Job Boulton, G Mason, Herbert & John Price (31 Aug 1901), Arthur, Henry & Wm Bate, John Davis, Wm & Henry Lockett, Richard Wesley (14 June 1907), Harry & Mary Ann Russell, Mary Ann Parkes (28 June 1907), Harriet Dawkins (4 Sept 1908), Henry Morris, George Bedward (30 Oct 1908), Andrew Haycock, John Sammon, Henry Russell (11 Dec 1908), Jesse Brough, Henry Kingston, Wm Lockett, Fred Preece, James Seabridge, Thomas Somerton, Wm Whitehouse, Wm Wright, Henry Morris, Wm Bate, Joseph Ridgway (25 Dec 1908),
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
7th December 1913 Full details of the Cheslyn Hay Working Men’s Club annual bowling section supper involving Frank Worsey, T Lloyd, P Hudson, Mrs E Evans, H Starkey, E Morris, Frank Bowen, G Parkes, J Evans, W Hodgkiss, W Steventon, J Hewitt, P Rhodes, J Lees, W Marshall, W Evans and L Stanley.
MEMORIES This week we continue the recollections of Nance (Annie) Altree who was interviewed in 2002 talking about her time at school, day trips to Tong and Brewood, Sunday School and the local shops that existed in the 1920s together with stories of Mr George Wootton, Mrs Naylor, Jack Naylor, Kath Greensill, Sarah Jane Hawkins, Rosa Hawkins, ‘Gaffer Tom’, Mrs Jones, Sydney Hawkins Mrs Chetter at Mount View Cottage, and the ‘Granny Tree’.
GENERAL NEWS Our old friend Stella Mitchell is on the programme ‘Off the Beaten Track’ on ITV next Friday 6th December at 8pm on ITV where she will show Christine Bleakley around ‘The Land of the Lost Content’ Museum which she owns.
APPEAL We have had the offer of a 1957 Remington Grey Typewriter, in excellent condition and in its own case, for our archives but we would prefer to donate it to anyone else who would be more interested in it. Unfortunately Stella has too many of these typewriters at her museum but what she is very keen on obtaining is any early catalogues from the 1960s such as Freemans etc. Contact me via the email address below please.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS The Great Wyrley LHS Exhibition on Saturday was a most enjoyable day and the event was a real credit to everyone who was involved.
This Tuesday the infants of Moat Hall School are being shown round Linda’s Victorian home ‘The Gables’, once occupied by the Browell family and it has always been appreciated by the school as, not only being educational, but enjoyable.
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm. All welcome and this week we have members viewing the Wood collection of photographs from Upper Landywood to add names and information.
REQUESTS Brian Hughes from Blackpool asks us to find the birthplace of Mary Ann Wood who was living in Cheslyn Hay in 1861 and who married Henry Ridgway in 1880.

And David from Australia emails ‘I am trying to get information on James James born 1806/7. His father was James but we think it was Joseph. He is listed in the 1841 census as being 35 years old and married to Anne Sutton who later died. He remarried my relative Nancy Crutchley, daughter of Isabella Horton and Henry Crutchley. He also owned a pub called the Castle Inn in Wolverhampton.
Also our researcher Andrew asks for help on the Hemmingham Families of Chesland Hay. There is an Edward Hemmingham of Cheslyn Hay burial in 1741, his wife ‘Sa’ burial in 1731 having a daughter also ‘Sa’ burial same year in1731. Isaac Hemmingham has two sons Thomas (1734-1737) and William (1736-1737). John Hemmingham has five children – Edward (d1731), William (1733-1741), Thomas (b1736), a daughter ‘Do’ possibly Dorothy (b 1737) and Ann (d 1738). However there is missing data in the period up to 1744 and Andrew has also found errors, so has anyone researched or have connections with this Cheslyn Hay family?
RESPONSES Replying to Marion’s request of a few weeks ago, Beryl (nee Stokes) states that she is linked to Marion’s Stokes family and that Walter is her father and her mother’s maiden name was Massey. Marion is now arranging a trip up from South Wales to meet up with Beryl at our Salem Base to exchange photographs and information.
Our researchers Jean and Andrew have been working on Cristine Shorter’s enquiry starting with the details of her g-g-g-grandparent Joseph Shorter and his two marriages. First to Sarah Baker in 1787 and they had five children and then to Ann Whitehouse in 1799 having eight more. Also details of Cristine’s g-g-grandfather Jabez’s birth and baptism at the Salem, his marriage to Charlotte Austin and information on the Austin family, plus details of their children which then links on to our Shorter family tree extending to 246 pages!
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Catalogued for next week.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS The invitation, hymns and details of the wedding between Janet Mary Plant of Cheslyn Hay and the Rev David A Hewitt at the Salem 27th October 1953. Also the mention of Gaskin last week prompted Duncan Brough to forward a copy of the letter summoning his father in law, Joseph Owen Roadway, to his trial as a witness having been the first person to see him leaving the the gas tanks as mentioned on page 73 of the book Gaskin by Paul Bedford.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington. Copies available at £1 per report. Once again some reports at random.
Richard Joseph Sargeant, William Edward Edge, (18 Aug 1911), Clarence Hawkins (1913), William Fletcher, (30 July 1915), John Hart (26 Jan 1917), William Stokes (23 Aug 1918), A Brown, B Elwell, E Sambrook, Sid Norman, N Harwood, W Brough, E Whitehouse, W Belcher, J Allsopp, H Horton, S Belcher.(24 May 1935), A Perks, Mrs Chalkett, Mr Richards, Miss Fletcher, J Dace, Miss Westwood, J Ford, Miss Woollaston, R Greensill, Miss Greensill, (5 Jul 1935), Philip James Kent, William Edward Richardson (14 Mar 1935), G Benton, E Moore, S Whitehouse, F Perks, A Thompson, H Cadman, J Baker, J Wesley, W Mason, C Baker, (30 Aug 1935), C Emberton, W Pearson, E Westwood, F Whitehouse, E Lockett, J Dutton, W Dutton, R Smith, J Hewitt, C Taylor, W Lloyd (27 Mar 1936), Richard Jones (27 Mar 1936), G Barker, J Titley, J Middleton, M Lockett, P Horton, T Perks, J Boswell, R Carpenter, P Lockett, L Pearson, P Dace, P Worsey, H Thornley, W Savage (17 July 1936), Mr Alfred Hawkins & Mrs Hawkins (nee Appleby), (23 Jan 1938).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
23rd November 1963 Three stories covering the dispute concerning a proposal from Cannock Rural District Council to use land in Rosemary Road as a tip, the Golden Wedding of retired Police Sergeant Edward Ballance and his wife Florence Ballance of Chapel Square, with full details of his police career and the funeral and life of Victor Kier Blackley of 56 Station Street, Cheslyn Hay.
22nd November 1913 One story of a Social Evening at the Red Lion hosted by Mr and Mrs G H Seedhouse involving B W Greensill and George Pee.
MEMORIES are of a well known village character who died earlier this year – ‘Floss of the Wool Shop’ (7 May 1818 – 19 May 2013). It is of the life of Florence Maud Tudor, born in the Falklands and her time in Cheslyn Hay telling the story of her happy childhood days and the tragedies she had to face later.
GENERAL NEWS The mention of Eric Pee and his lifelong interest in the Buffs in ‘Tales of Cheslyn Hay’ prompted Pat Hogan to search for a silver trophy that was presented to Eric to honour his 20 years service as Secretary to the Coppice Lodge. Eric had been looked after by the Hogan family in the last few years of his life and Pat thought it would be fitting for this award to be handed back to the Buffs. With our help we have arranged this and Pat is duly obliging. Apparently there has only ever been one other similar award to this one and the Buffs are delighted to accept it.
If anyone wishes to join the Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society, membership is £5, or if more details are required of the names that appear in this week’s unabridged Weekly Newsletter and their involvement in the above stories, they will be willingly supplied by request to the email address below -
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Remembrance Sunday is today and we will be laying our wreath at the Cheslyn Hay War Memorial this morning.
Roger is providing another entertaining ‘Chat n Char’ morning this Thursday with live ‘Musical Memories’. Everyone welcome starting 10am at the Salem Lecture Room.
We will be at the Great Wyrley LHS Annual Exhibition on Saturday, 16th November at the Great Wyrley Sports and Social Club on the Walsall Road from 10am – 4pm.
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm. This week we have a visitor browsing through the Thomas / Ridgway photographs and records. All welcome.
REQUESTS An email received from Cristine (nee Shorter) ‘I live in Australia and stumbled across your very interesting website yesterday. My g-g-g-grandparents were Joseph and Ann Shorter. I am related through their youngest son Jabez and his youngest son John who emigrated on the ‘Western Monarch’ in October 1879. John’s oldest son Arthur was my grandfather and his oldest son John was my father. I have some family information as my g-grandfather John was a keen writer and kept a few diaries and letters but I would be interested in the descendants of Joseph Shorter and also whether you have any information on Joseph and Ann’s parents. My main interest however is my g-g-grandfather Jabez’s family. He married Charlotte Austin and they had seven children including my g-grandfather.’
Another request and an interesting story comes from our researcher Andrew who asks if anyone is researching the Ash family. Edward Ash and Catherine baptise two children Edward and William of Chesland Hay on the 20 Nov 1747 on our CD but according to familysearch the mother is Hannah. So which is correct? We know there is Edward Ash of the Lodge, Chesland Hay and Hannah is his wife having 6 children – Dorothy 1749, Thomas 1750, Benjamin 1752, Mary 1754, Serjeant 1755 and Hannah 1759. The interesting part of the story is that Sarjeant Ash (b1755 in Cheslyn Hay married Lydia Smith and they lived at the Lodge) was a silversmith and goldsmith and he set up a business Ash & Sons in Westminster but it was his second son Claudius Ash (1792-1854) who became famous as the pioneer in dentistry and the first person to create false teeth made from porcelain.
RESPONSES Our researchers have been able to trace the Bills back to Benjamin Bill in 1785 where the family were still living in Wedges Mills and Katherine phones to say that Denis Fortunatus Bill is her g-g-grandfather. Details of baptisms and marriages have all been provided and forwarded to Sue together with the marriage certificate of Benjamin Bill and Ann Stringer on 18 September 1808.
Also Andrew adds to the Stokes family tree with another two births in 1767 and 1772 – both in Cheslyn Hay.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Marriage certificate of Simeon Tufft and Lucy Brough
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington. Copies available at £1 per report. This week include print offs of stories after researches on the following – Benjamin Twist, John Brown (28 Dec 1839), Mary Hall (20 April 1850), Joseph Clewley, Boyden (19 July 1856), Mr Clewley (9 Feb 1878), Edward Evans, John Startin, Edward Pee, Joseph Smith (8 Feb 1884), William Carter, Reynolds Beddon (2 Jan 1885), Lydia Bird, Elizabeth Brough (9 Jan 1885), Charles Kendrick, David Brough, Maria Walker, Rhoda Ridgway, George Collier, Joseph Kendall, Thomas Quinton, Thomas Tudor, Fanny Ecclestone, Sarah Hall, William Crutchley (4 Sept 1885), Jane Archer, Mrs Henney, William Perks, Henry Barrett, John Russell, William Jones (30 Oct 1885), C Clewley (29 Sept 1888), James Perry, Annie & Eliza Southerton, Elizabeth & Mary Moore (12 Apr 1901), William Bird, Richard Henry Lockett, William Holt, George & James Fletcher, John Clewley, William Somerton, Handel Turner (8 Nov 1901), Thomas Preece, FJ Green (17 June 1904), Percy Carpenter, Richard & John Wesley, Harold Brough (19 Mar 1910).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
16th November 1963 New licensees of the Talbot Inn of Cheslyn Hay.
15th November 1913 Details of an address by the President I Smith at the Working Men’s Club and Institute on the passing of one of their members.
15th November 1913 Acclamation of the footballing career of Arthur Potts of High Street, Cheslyn Hay and his recent match playing for Manchester United.
GENERAL NEWS Tickets for the play ‘Gaskin- Behind the Yellow Doors’ are now being sold at £7. The play covers the gruesome Hednesford murder during WWI and is at the Rose Theatre in Rugeley for two nights only – Friday and Saturday 15/16 November. Tickets available via boxoffice@towerplayers.co.uk or 07825775705. Not suitable for anyone under 16.
MEMORIES of Mrs Hetty Cascarino (nee Hawkins) this week. They include her recollections of Mrs Brevitt’s fish and chip shop in Rosemary Road, the two Miss Thomases in their shop at the top of High Street selling cakes and a variety of other goods and Mr Fereday the chemist, Effie Shorter and Gertie Dan who had a shop selling old-fashioned hats in the High Street. Also memories of her first job at the wood factory at the top of Littlewood Lane, Wilfred Hawkins, Mr Arnold Hawkins’s greenhouses, working at a hospital with Betty Pearson and at Eliott Lucas’s.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am onwards but we are closing at 2pm this week as we have a meeting. All welcome.
REQUESTS Sue emails ‘I was interested to read in the newsletter of 20th October that a photograph including Denis Bill has been donated to the Society. Denis Fortunate Bill is my g-g-g grandfather and Lorraine has often asked me to trace this side of the family and I wonder if you could tell me if he was a Cheslyn Hay man and more importantly if he appears on our inter-linking family database.’
Back to the Stokes’ as Marion is trying to build up a photo gallery of Henry and Hannah Stokes family and she says ‘If there is anyone locally that has old photos of Henry, Hannah, their children, their children’s weddings etc and they would be prepared to let me have copies, I would be delighted and happy to pay any costs.’
RESPONSES The mention of Joe and Lizzie Dutton brought back many memories to our members with stories of their time at the ‘little chapel’ Mount Zion, and also they had an adopted daughter and she is believed to be still living around the Cannock area.
Also for Julie – and for our records – we now have the full details of the renowned Mrs Wilkes who worked in Fereday’s Chemists.
Plus a renewal of an old friendship from their schooldays at Rugeley Grammar during the 1940s. It has been re-established because Roy Smith of Cannock also remembers Malcolm and the daily trips to Rugeley on the old steam train as well as Mrs Kingston in the booking office. Both are now in touch via email.
Our researchers Jean and Andrew have provided the answers to David’s request on Henry Crutchley and Isabella Horton. They married at St Lukes in Cannock on 8th March 1807 and both Jean and Andrew list all the seven Crutchley children with dates etc plus an illegitimate child and we have the descending tree of one of their daughters Dorothy Crutchley on our Family History Database.
Marion adds more information on the Stokes family going back to Moses Stokes (b 1834) with mother and father John and Rebecca Stokes. Then we had a response from Mrs Phyllis Hallchurch (nee Thomas) who is 96 with her memories of the Stokes family. Phyllis has always thought that the two Ikey Stokes were of different families adding many of her personal memories of them together with the Plant family. And Marion adds to this by saying ‘Ronald Plant was indeed my mothers cousin and died aged 22 in March 1944.He was an air gunner in the Royal Air Force. It was only two days ago that my sister and I made the journey to Lincoln Cathedral to find him in the commemoration books.’
An email received from Sandra, daughter of the recently departed Stanley Pratt – ‘As you have already been informed, my dear father passed away on the 6th 0ctober, at the age of 90, and I miss him very dearly. He was such a good father and a very kind and feeling man. Having the books you sent us really made his last birthday special – he wanted all of his guest to share them with him! He very much wanted to visit Cheslyn Hay again, but due to his poor health it was not possible, but we spoke and thought many times together about our old home and the people we knew. We have many English friends nearby and we keep up all the old traditions, so Dad’s funeral contained English elements, such as the verse from Rupert Brooke – ‘If I should die, think only this of me, That there’s some corner of a foreign field, That is forever England.’ It is strange that he was born on the 6th, married on the 6th, and died on the 6th, but perhaps it is only a reflection on the interesting man that he was. A special best wish to all the people in Cheslyn Hay, my father, and I, were – and will remain – in our hearts, a part of the old village, that formed our lives. God bless, Sandra.’ And Sandra adds that she would love to hear from anyone who still remembers them from Cheslyn Hay.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS The Kingston family tree linking in with the Roberts, Haywood and Appleton families, a newspaper cutting of the death of Mr Charles Moore Snr of 20 Park Street, the history of Mount Vue Cottage in Landywood, individual memories of Doug Barrett and Alan Brown, plus newspaper reports and details of the connection between the Hawkins family and Enoch Powell.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington. Copies available at £1 per report. Newspaper cuttings of two tragic deaths of the Perry family from The Lot – William (Dec 1910) and Edward (June 1922) plus the death of the Cheslyn Hay postman Charlie Tomlinson killed in WWI (Sept 1915).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
2nd November 1963 Mrs Marion Homeshaw JP, taking the chair at the opening of Salem Methodist Church ‘Autumn Fayre’ makes known her concerns that ‘within the next few years there would be 750 new families in this area.’ Also attending the occasion was Mr William J Garrat MBE and the Rev G J R Jenkins, Mr I Stokes and Mr J Price.
8th November 1913 Details of the custom to have a large bonfire on the green, and this year Mr William Whitehouse and Mr S Morgan organised the event with Mr W Shorter.
MEMORIES This week are from a 2002 interview with Hettie Cascarino (nee Hawkins) recalling her earlier years with memories of Pinfold Lane School, the Palladium Cinema, the Nook Colliery, the WMC and Hawkins Club with names including Elizabeth (nee Crutchley), Thomas Hawkins, Harry Harvey, Miss Scragg, Mrs Allan, Mrs Holmes, Camilla Gripton, Alec Turner and Harry Dace.
If anyone wishes to join the Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society, membership is £5, of if more details are required of the following names that appear in this week’s unabridged Weekly Newsletter and their involvement in the above stories, they will be willingly supplied by request to the email address below -

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net