Our annual membership of £5 is due at the end of March and you will receive the full unabridged weekly newsletters every Sunday at 9am. You are also entitled to free research facilities through our own researchers who have full access to our local records and also you can exchange information with any of our 250 members who are researching their own family tree. Appeals, requests and straight forward look-ups we are pleased to do free of charge. Details for membership are available through Paypal or through my email address below.

EVENTS We welcome Philip Claytonas our first speaker of 2015 this Thursday, 29th January at the Salem at 7.30pm and the title of his talk is ‘The Curly Wyrley and the Local Canals’. £1 including refreshments.
Roger has booked two coaches for this year’s trip on Thursday, July 9th and it is to Chatsworth House. Total charge is just £20 for the day, so please book your places through Roger on 01543 372856.
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and this week we have a visitor interested in George Lunt and his family.
REQUESTS Ted Broadhurst is related to the Winfers of Cheslyn Hay and requires information on William Edward Winfer (1898-1973) on Jennie (or maybe Jane) Preece and Frances Reeves.
And a request, which we are dealing with, from Adrian Leo in Australia who asks for photographs of any Altree people, particularly those close to Albert Henry Altree born 1852 in Churchbridge.
After Tuva’s providing details from her family bible last week, Gillian responds with full information of John & Emma Hawkins and all the children as well as another John Hawkins, father of Jabez (1821-1890).
REQUESTS Following on from Roger Winfer solving the mystery of the upbringing of Jack Matthews Winfer, Jean Mills adds more about the background including Joseph Golding and William Russell in the late 1800s.
Reg Marriott emails from Weston-super-Mare responding to a request from Kesia Appleton in November stating that his grandfather Samuel Marriott and his aunts Betty and Iris are all part of Kesia’s family and would like to exchange information. Dorothy, one of our members, is also connected to the same Marriott/Grose/Whitehouse/Dace family and we hope to arrange a meeting at our Base sometime next month.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Four photographs of the Homeshaw family including Mr & Mrs George Homeshaw, Dora and James. Also Private Edward Morris who was killed in WWI as well as Amy Martin of A E Transport, two photographs of the Green Bus Company and their staff and one of Holmleigh’s backyard in 1955. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTES/DONATIONS Marriage records of William Brough & Emma Hicken (2 Jul 1895) and Thomas Williams & Rose Hawkins (2 Jul 1895).
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington Court cases involving Alfred & Hannah Hall, Lucy Benton, Samuel Bullivant, James Insall, Thomas Waterfield (28 Feb 1914)
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
29th January 1965 Details and names of the recently formed Methodist Youth Club.
29th January 1965 Cheslyn Hay Parish Council resistance to the Cannock Urban Council new proposals to boundary changes.
29th January 1965 Funeral and the life of Mr George Henry Wright of 25 Mitre Road, affectionately known as ‘Squire Wright’.
30th January 1915 The death of William Holcroft of Dunduck Lane, Cheslyn Hay and details of his family and his remarkable life.
30th January 1915 Details of the annual choir supper of the Salem Church with full names.
MEMORIES This week are from Denise Earle on the South coast who adds a few more Turner snippets from her memory bank of her time here at Cheslyn Hay including Desmond (Lawrence Desmond) John (Bernard John), Laurence & Constance Susan Elizabeth, Ethel & Marion Turner. Also Albert Bullivant, Ethel Jones, Maureen & Clive Jones, Bevan’s shop Shirley’s Chip Shop. Kate Whitehouse and her daughter Joan. Denise would appreciate any up to date information on any of these people mentioned. Two of our members Ray Franks and Dave Leach respond to Denises’s request from last week with their own stories and connections to the Turner family.
SAD NEWS This week we have lost two more of our members. Reg Searle of Cannock, who always attended our Speakers evenings, passed away after a short illness and Arthur Davies died at his home in Ontario on Friday morning. Although Arthur emigrated in 1957 he frequently returned to visit his family and friends in Cheslyn Hay and always made a point of calling into the Base to recall old times. He was 82.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS No events organised for this week.
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday.
REQUESTS One of our members wishes to contact Roger Whitehouse who was born early in 1947, son of Albert Whitehouse (b1919) and Francis Turner. Albert’s parents were Samuel James Whitehouse and Beatrice (nee Pee) who were married at St Marks in Great Wyrley on 14 July 1907. If anyone knows Roger I would like to forward him details of our member so that he can email him if he wishes.
Denise Earle sends in a request from Braintree asking for a photograph of the L & J Turner, Painters & Decorators, building on the corner of Pinfold Lane and the High Street, which was her grandfather’s business. We are arranging for the photograph to be sent on but I have also listed the photographs we also have of her family, to which Denise replies ‘Thank you for your response and I am really excited to hear you have additional photographs. My Nan Turner was a formidable lady – a real Hyacinth Bouquet of her time. I can remember her clearly answering the ‘business’ telephone ” Cheslyn Hay 456 – Constance Turner speaking”. The Turner family were quite well known at the time and this house probably played a large part in that! I can also remember my Dad’s tales of how he had lots of things other kids couldn’t get because of rationing and how he was therefore never short of friends!
We had an enquiry at the Base this week from Tuva who has just started to research her family tree from the 1881 Census and the Hawkins’ Family Bible. Both of her families are of Cheslyn Hay origins – the Hawkins and the Williams. Names in the bible are John Hawkins (b1847), Emma (1850), James (1866), John (1868), Rose (2 Jul 1873), Florrie (26 Apr 1875), Lily (5 Aug1878),
Edith May (29 Jan 1881), Wilfrid (9 Aug 1882), Alice Ada (1 Nov 1884). Has anyone any links with these two families?
RESPONSES It is always rewarding to receive such an email as from Roger Winfer this week and it states ‘I have solved the Jack Matthews Winfer mystery’ going on to explain who his parents were and who brought him up.
Following Peter Cooper’s request of last week I was able to confirm that Robert Thomas Rowley was the Methodist minister here at the Salem from 1916-1918, and we have been able to send on full details on his career in the ministry before and after his term here. In response Peter has now provided a photograph of him for our archives. However, what is even more important, our correspondence has solved a long standing mystery. There is a Reginald Rowley on our war memorial and it is a name we have not been able to connect with Cheslyn Hay but it now appears that it was the minister’s son and never lived here, as he was in Capetown whilst his father was in Cheslyn Hay. He had joined the South African Infantry and was killed and buried in Kenya after a conflict with the German forces at Taveta.
Finally after the passing of George Lunt, our members still remember his chips and his batter bits!!
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Two Mystery photographs of Cheslyn Hay people – one with Duncan Brough, and the other one Horace Brough. Also a Glenthorne class photograph from the 1970s with only half of the class named. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Letterheadings, Invoices and Certificates from Martins Garage & Transport/Warstone Haulage Services/Green Bus Company of Walsall Road in Great Wyrley plus a 5 page history of the Green Bus Company. Also an invoice from Bertram Hackett of High Street, caterers for Weddings and Parties.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington A full report of the funeral of William Rogers, founder of the Cheslyn Hay WMC, with a list of the mourners (10 Jan 1914), and the Annual Meeting of the Cheslyn Hay Junior Imperialists with the elected committee of PH Ashworth, AR Knox, Osmond, Clarence & Leslie Hawkins, Clifford Devereux, F Poole, C Bates, H Horton, J Williams, J Hampton, J Brown and F Lawson (28 Feb 1914).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
22nd January 1965 Report of the Cheslyn Hay Salem Women’s Own meeting.
22nd January 1965 The funeral of Miss Violet Westwood, of 10 Hatherton Street, Cheslyn Hay, and details of her life.
22nd January 1965 Report of the last passenger train to serve the Cannock Chase area through Cheslyn Hay.
23rd January 1915 A meeting of the committee of the Prince of Wales Fund and in conjunction with the Red Cross Society to form a Local Relief Committee. A
23rd January 1915 Details of the 128 recruits who joined the colours fromn Cheslyn Hay.
MEMORIES The completion of Kath Walmsley (nee Perks) memories with names of her schoolfriends and her life during the war.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS No events this week.
OUR SALEM BASE Our Salem Base is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and everyone welcome for research or just pop in for a coffee.
REQUESTS Peter from Pembrokeshire has sent this email in for our Guest Book page ‘Would anyone kindly be able to tell me if a Mr Rowley was a Methodist minister in Cheslyn Hay in the early 20th Century. His children would be Eunice, Phyllis, William and Thomas. William Rowley was my grandfather. Any information gratefully received. Thanks.’
Also George Lunt emails ‘I am contacting you to see if you have any information or photographs on the fish and chip shop as it was my granddad George Lunt who owned it. Unfortunately he passed away before Christmas and I would appreciate any information at all.’ We have photographs but has anyone any memories of the shop or of the Lunt family to help George?
After confirming with John Davison that Jack Winfer was in the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), John adds ‘I am still curious about his middle name – Matthews – and his parents,when one considers his whereabouts in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. The 1911 Census for Robert and Ann Winfer records 6 children from the marriage – with 4 still alive in 1911. I believe the 4 alive in 1911 and all listed in the 1911 census were Uriah (served in WW1); Robert (killed in 1917 in WW1); Mercy (married William Shelley) and in the 1911 Census at Bridgtown; and William living with Robert & Ann in 1911. Of the 2 dead children one was Charles (1880-1909) and another may have died young and missed the census returns. Maybe I am well off beam here but I smell a bit of a mystery about Jack. Maybe the Winfer researchers in the society can put me right?’
RESPONSES
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Eight photographs of the three generations of the Martin family and their business involvements with their own Garage and Transport in Great Wyrley and the Green Bus Service in Jacobs Hall Lane. Plus Lionel Bennett with the Norman Wright Band and an excellent photograph of the Pinfold Lane School itself from the early 1900s and the best we have in our archives. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington More court cases involving the following – Thomas Whitehouse, Abraham Spellman, Joseph Arrowsmith (20 Aug 1886), William Lucas, Elizabeth & George Collier, Sarah Mears (8 Jan 1886), Charles Richard Walton (Headmaster of Pinfold Lane School) (28 Sept 1888), Joseph Holmes, Edward Smith, Mr Crutchley (30 Sept 1893). Full details available on request and £1 for a printed copy.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
15th January 1965 A full report of theclosing of the Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay Station with interviews of local people.
16th January 1915 At a meeting of the Red Cross Society and the work involved with our volunteers in the trenches.
16th January 1915 John Turner, of Cheslyn Hay, was in court with details of his case and his sentence.
MEMORIES This week are the recollections of Kath Walmsley from an interview dated 6th April 2010 involving school teachers and events from the 1930s right through the war years and into the fifties with stories and plenty of names of local people and characters.
APPEAL We have just received two excellent photographs of Ernie Holmes who lived all of his life in Wharf Cottage in Mount Pleasant until he died in1962 but with Ernie there are a young man and two ladies but we need someone to identify them for our archives and this year’s book. Available at the Salem any Tuesday.
VOLUNTEERS We have 58 years of the Cheslyn Hay Electoral Roll photographed between 1918 – 1990 and of these years 43 have been indexed and transcribed ready for inclusion to our overall database by our Volunteers with a further 9 being currently worked on leaving 6 years only to be completed. Then our next project will be to concentrate on the Great Wyrley Burial Records.
FAMILY HISTORY With the recent enquiries on the Benton Family Tree, Andrew has now produced this tree to include 2149 individuals going back to Henry Benton (b1566) in Kings Norton. The line moves to the Lichfield area in 1616 but by the early 1700s all events are centred around St Lukes Church in Cannock and the family are in Cheslyn Hay by the mid 1700s. It has 270 pages including the index and can be obtained for £20 via the email address below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Roger’s Chat n Char is on Thursday, 8th January at 10am in the Lecture Room at the Salem and the theme of the morning is ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’!
OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday. All invited.
REQUESTS None this week as we rarely get requests over the Christmas period.
RESPONSES More research from Jean, Andrew and Vi prompted Jean to visit the Walsall Archives and she has come up with all the definitive answer to Neil’s enquiry on Leslie Harold Benton. Neil has then put all the results of our researchers together with his own local information and has now produced a detailed A4 sheet of the background to the Benton and Hassall’s families. Neil also thanks Alan Willetts for his response and emails ‘Re my father, Bernard Hassall, he died four years ago of a heart attack in bed in his caravan down Wales. He was still in the haulage game and had a yard at the top of Progress Drive in Bridgtown with his wife Barbara, whose daughter, I believe runs it now. To the end he was the social butterfly he had always been, enjoying life and whiskey (down the Old Wyrley Hall) a bit too much.’
More information comes through on the Williams family and this time from Jenni in Australia and Maureen Evans with stories of Tom Williams, Rosa Hawkins, Emma Thomas,Marion Homeshaw (b1911 nee Garratt), Joseph Hemingsley and Elsie Morris. Also Andrew has provided more input into the Williams family tree.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Five photographs of the Roberts family – William (b1907), Joseph Lloyd (b1911), Wilfred (b1918), Rex (b1926), Gladys May (nee Venables b1907), Susannah (nee Errington b1914) as well as Len Bowker at the Plant Pit and one of the Gingham Girls Troupe with only the Dawson sisters named. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Three letters involving Churchbridge Motors, Martins Garage and Transport and a request to the Ministry of Transport for more fuel during the war years. Percy Bickford School reports from the Landywood Council School in the early 1950s and two columns of an obituary on Graham Martin, MD of the Green Bus Company.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
8th January 1965 Activities of the Cheslyn Hay Over 60 Club with names of all the participants.
8th January 1965 The recently formed Cheslyn Hay Youth Club staged a successful concert at the Salem with full details.
9th January 1915 On Thursday evening about 150 old folk were entertained to an excellent tea at Salem Schools with full details and names.
9th January 1915 A list of recruits left the township to join the colours and they were toasted at the Rose & Crown. All are named including one who did not return.
9th January 1915 The annual gathering in connection with the Cheslyn Hay Sick, Accident and Dividend Society took place at Salem Schools with full names and details.
MEMORIES From the 1934 Pinfold School Magazine with details of the careers of recent leavers including Mary Leach, Margaret Hall, Emma Thornton, Greta Kingston, Nellie Mason, Rose Perks, Amelia Wilson, Dorothy Stearn, Dorothy Edvane, Grace Bosworth, Brenda WhitefootConnie Richards, Winnie Platt, Joan Barlow, Doris, Brenda and Beryl Goodall, Hazel Altree, Ethel Birch, Doreen Williams, Joan Thompson, Lily Timmins, Violet Turner, Edith Ewers and Nora Lockett.
GENERAL NEWS Last month in December, we have had another 133 sightings of our local scenes on staffspasttrack. High Street 22, Salem 22, Hackett’s Butcher’s Shop 21, Brittania Picture House 19, Garbetts Shop 17, Wootton’s Post Office 13, Walter Hackett 10, Albert Hawkins Shop 9.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS  None this week

OUR SALEM BASE from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and this week we have Susan (nee Ridgway) who has researched her family tree looking at the Ridgway photographs we have in our archives and we have over 100 of them.

REQUESTS   Neil Benton emails from Slaithwaite in Yorkshire – ‘Whilst trying to Google The Lord Nelson Inn I came across the Cheslyn Hay website and was delighted to see that you may have information pertaining to the family tree of both the Benton and Hassell families.  My g-grandfather was, or so I believe, the landlord of The Lord Nelson Inn sometime after the Great War.  It is all very sketchy and something I knew frustrated my father, Les Benton, greatly.  My father used to take the Mens Keep Fit Class at the Leisure Centre in the 80’s and 90’s and owned Leslyn Transport.  My father’s uncles, Bernard, Frank and Colin Hassell, were very reluctant to divulge information regarding their oldest brother Leslie Hassell, who I believe was born out of wedlock and consequentially raised by another family member (possibly a sister?) Elsie Benton, who lived off the High Street in Bloxwich.  At some point, for even more reasons unknown, he adopted the name Benton .  My mother (Linda Benton, one time landlady at The White Horse on Mount Pleasant, remembers Bernard Hassell Snr living in flats on Hunter Road in Cannock.’  Neil adds that he is researching his family tree for his own children and would appreciate any information on the Bentons and the Hassells.

Mike Rowledge is also researching his family tree emailing ‘It contains a Simeon Tuft (1813-1892) who seems to have spent all or most of his life in Cheslyn Hay.  Googling him led to your site, and searching on your site gives 6 results for him on your weekly newsletters.  I’ve found his 1892 Death Index record and 1851-1891 census entries (but not 1841), 1837 marriage to Lucy Brough, and 1836 conviction for poaching. Is there more information about him available via yourselves?’

RESPONSES   We were able to look into Sylvia’s last week’s request on more information on her grandfather, Sgt Leonard H  Bowker, and his military career and it is certainly has provided an interesting story.  Apparently Leonard H Bowker never enlisted but on 19th February 1919 he received the Victory and British Medals with his Service Number of 1084 and thanks to the efforts of our WWI Researcher, Jon Barton, he discovered that a Leonard H Smith enlisted on 22nd August 1914 with the same Service Number.  So he registered under the name of Smith and his award of the Military Medal is therefore recorded and named L H Smith.  No wonder the family has never come across his medal.  However we have a photograph in our archives of Leonard Bowker with all of his medals!

More information has been found in our archives to help Derek Bullock in his search for information on his Bullock/Smith family.  We have got a 10 page combined history of both the Bullocks and Smiths together with photographs and even a mention of Derek himself of owning a BSA Gold Star motor cycle in the 1950s!

Now a response from our French émigré from off the Bonk – Alan Brown, who is, of course, fluent in French, but now with questionable English from how he remembers it!

We moved “up” (!) to 61 Low St   from “down” Station St in…June 1964, on the back of a Ben Tarbuck‘s coal wagon.  Cheslyn Hay must be the only place where you could move upwards to a street named “Low”. 12th Dec 1914: “A fine specimen of the swine kind” : they doe mek jernallists like that no moo’er.  Many thanks Mike B for that porker corker. Nine ‘undred an three pound in wairte!  They’s a bonloada scratchin’s theer ah bet. Finally, what a delight to read of Lynne’s recollections.  I can taste that peppermint custard now.  Merci Madame Cartwright & co.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS   This is typical of one of the many reactions we get from the new photographs handed in and it comes from John in Reigate and we can all imagine our own delight in the same circumstance.  ‘Can’t believe you have a photo of my g-g-grandmotherElizabeth Hall (1834-1911)!  Please send me a copy’

This week we have more names added to the John Martin Collection of photographs of the Pinfold Lane School – Warren Adshead, Ruth Allan, Craig Aston, Michael Ball, Jason Barlow, Jason Bayliss, David Bedward, Melanie Bird,  Wayne Bolger, Dominic Bradburn, Roger Brown, Sonny Burke, Matthew Caine, Joanne Cartwright, Paul Cash, Rachel Clarke, Michelle Clenton, Darren Cookson, Stuart Cresswell, Dean Cumberledge, Chloe Dolman, Carl Eades, Craig Fielding, Matthew Ford, Richard Green, Jason Harlow, Victoria Harris, Wayne Hewitt, David Hill, Heather Hill, Christopher Hollis, Ian Hollis, Carla Holloway, Lloyd Holyhead, Lisa Horton, Nicola Horton, Richard Horton, Stuart Humphries, Mark James, Andrew Jones, Leslie Jones, Paul Lever, Debra Mayer, Louise Moody,Trevor Moore, Phillip Nash, Rachel O’Connor, Nina Pearson, Michelle Perks, Nicholas Palmer, Emma Powis, Claire Reeves, Emma Reynolds, Yvonne Roe, Louise Rudge, Neil Sambrook, Kelli Selvey,  Joanne Skelding, Richard Sleigh , Jenny Smith, Christopher Sprague, Lee Stewart, Richard Swain, Carl Taylor,  Susan Walker, Hayley Webb, Adrian Whitehouse, Christian White, Victoria Whitmore, Nicola Willetts, Mark Williams, Claire Woollaston and Rebecca Woolley.   £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington  More court cases involving Henry Russell (24 Aug 1894), Ann, Annie Elizabeth & Lizzie Banks (10 & 17 May 1895), Charles Bates, Isaiah Bate, David Brough, John Wilkins and Francis Rowe (17 May 1895).

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
19th December 1914  A good company assembled at the Working Men’s Club, on Monday and Tuesday evening, the occasion being a Crib Tournament for three good prizes offered by the Competition Committee.  After enjoying the various games Mr T Bickley, one of the committee, announced the results as follows: – First Prize: Mr William Wesley(for Mr J Pratt), Second Prize: Mr Ernest Holmes, Third Prize: Mr J Wesley.

MEMORIES   The Cheslyn Hay School magazine began in 1928, the brainchild of Mr Ernie Carter.  Each edition contained news of school events, sports records and scholars’ contributions but news of past pupils was also welcomed and reported and these excerpts are taken from the 1934 edition.

We find that quite a few of the boys were abroad in the forces.  Driver Joseph Roberts of the Rocket Troup and Guardsman Harry Benton met up in Egypt , where Harold James was also stationed.  Cyril Hand of The 11th Light Battery R.A., Don Stacey, a trouper in The Royal Dragoons, Bombardier Horace Parr and Alfred Newell and Sidney Hulme of The South Staffordshire Regiment were all stationed in India .  Harry Jukes was also in India , but was recovering from Enteric Fever, an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Alfred Benton had recently been recruited into The Grenadier Guards.

At home some of the lads were working in the local pits.  Frank Ridgway was at Mid Cannock Colliery; Ray Worsey was at Hilton Main Colliery.  David Warnsby was now working at the colliery after giving up farming and Wilfred Thomas was on the staff at Harrison ‘s Colliery.  Ben Warnsby had also left farming and was working at Goodyear, Wolverhampton alongside Roy Hickman andReg Kirby.  Steven Turvey however, was still farming and had moved to Four Crosses, William Plant was working on Mr Noden‘s farm and Sidney Dunn had a position at Mr Morris‘s poultry farm.

Working locally were former Head Prefect Robert Perks, who was at Glenthorne Stores in High Street, and Harry Poxon who worked at Mr Shorter’s.  Two of the lads were working with their fathers, George Felton was bricklaying and Stanley Robinson worked on his dad’s motor lorry.  Arthur Baker had become a decorator and Herbert Whitehouse was working at the L.M.S. Goods Department, Walsall .  Glen Ridgway and Tom Cooper worked at Messrs Stanton’s and Joseph Simms was sole proprietor of two family butcher establishments in Wolverhampton .  Bert Berry was working in Wolverhampton too, at ‘Efandem’, as was ‘old girl’Florrie Wood.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS   Our Chat n Char morning this Thursday, 11th December, at the Salem at 10am including Roger’s Christmas Bazaar.  So don’t forget your old pennies!

OUR SALEM BASE  is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday.  Everyone welcome and this week we will be showing a 10 minute video made 40 years ago of a trip around Low Street and the village presented to us by David Harrison.  Also the last chance to see the Cliff Cartwright Photograph Album.

REQUESTS  Just received from an email from Sylvia Hadley in France – ‘I am hoping that you can help me find out more information regarding my grandfather Leonard Henry Bowker of Wedges Mills.  I know he served in both the Boer War and WWI and on my mothers birth certificate his occupation is listed as a soldier in the 12th Lancers.  I know he joined the Army Service Corp on 11th June 1900 but was discharged on 14th June 1900 as he was found to be under age.  I believe he was involved in the army with horses but I have very little factual evidence about him and I know no one who has any more details.
RESPONSES    There has been a flood of emails in response to Andrew Winfer’s request of 16th November with our researcher Andrew referring to the Winfer/Winter family tree going back to Henry Winter (b1753) of Shareshill and David Whitehouse confirms that he was the grandfather of the splendidly named Druscilla Winter/Winfer.  And with the help of the Ecclestone, Wright and the Winfer families all the marriages and answers have been provided for Andrew.
I think he had an interesting army career but would like to know more as I am putting together some interesting bits about the family history on a disc for my grandchildren and their future families.Following a recent enquiry from Frank Powell on his grandfather, also Frank Powell and later licensee  of the Royal Oak in Norton Lane , there are several gaps filled in on his WWI service record but Frank still needs confirmation that the Frank Powell on the memorial plaque is his grandfather.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS  Elizabeth Winfer (nee Hall 1834 – 1911), Ernie Whilton and Agnes Zillah Fryer, Jack Winfer in WWI uniform, a group photograph of the Ecclestone family - George, Edie (later Whitehouse), Edith Druscilla, Florence (nee Winfer) andBill Whitehouse.  And one of the Mid Cannock Mines Rescue Team including Roy Pearce (Wedges Mills), Len Pearce (Littlewood Lane), George Mears (Coppice Lane) and Fred Thurstance (The Nook).  £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS   A 1955 Deed of Apprenticeship offered to Joseph and James Wise by Cornelius Whitehouse.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington  Court cases involving Mary Ann Hitchins, Harriet, William, Lydia & Stephen Whitehouse, Daniel & Mary Ann Parkes, Edward Hawkins and Seth Bryan (30 June 1893).

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

12th December 1914   More news with the Belgian refugees and the Relief Committee and the Red Cross Society naming all the organisers and helpers.

12th December 1914   A news story of Mr Williams and his son and their 903lbs pig.

MEMORIES  Following on from Dooglebug Dave’s recollections, more stories on  Effie Craddock, Bill Craddock and  ‘Cogger’ Newman who kept the pub known as ‘Coggers’.  We also have photographs in our archives of these people.

This week, however, we have the memories of Lynne Gourlay (nee Belcher) who emails from Canada referring to the advertised reunion of pupils from Cheslyn Hay Primary School in the sixties with Lynne relating memories of Mrs Jeavons, Miss Kinsey, Mrs Price, Miss Perks, Mr Blount, Mr Jack Martin, Joy McLachlan, Margaret Tonks, Elsie Tonks, Susan Winfer, Linda Plant, Margaret Goodman, Richard Bowring, Adrian Sneyd, Nigel Barrett and David Beech.  Also Lynne reminds everyone of theoutdoor toilets, milk monitors, chocolate covered marshmallows, National Savings Stamps, jars of malt, the school nurse, school dinners, puddings of chocolate sponge with peppermint custard, the school curriculum including Christmas and Easter, nature walks up Pinfold Lane, school sports and Bonfire Nights.  And as Lynne says ‘Lots of happy memories.  I just wish all children could be as fortunate.’

APPEAL  With our ‘Activities Programme’ with the schools, Joyce and Joanne have found that one of the main attractions is rug bodging.  The children love it but we are limited to the number of rug bodgers we can provide as they cost us £20 each to buy.  So has anyone got any of these ‘bodgers’ tucked away in the loft that they would care to donate to our ‘instructors’ to ‘educate’ the children as to what chores we had to turn our hands to in our childhood!

GENERAL NEWS  Last month in November, we have had another 189 sightings of our local scenes on staffspasttrack.  Garretts Shop 38, High Street 29, Hackett’s Butcher’s Shop 25, Brittania Picture House 24, Albert Hawkins Shop 24, Salem 21, Wootton’s Post Office 19, Walter Hackett 9.

KAREN GAMMON and EVELYN LUNT (nee BIRD)  Sad news on both who have recently passed away.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday.  Everyone welcome. 

REQUESTS   Sheila nee Ridgway and her sister Caroline were unable to attend last week’s school reunion and Sheila emails  saying they would love to hear from anyone who remembers them both when they went to Pinfold Lane and Great Wyrley schools She recalls many names – John Bailey, who used to play football, Tony Cascarino, John Moore and Wilfred Barker.  Sheila also says she heard that John Parsons, who was very handsome and the village ‘hunk’ had passed away, and was this true?  Before she married in 1966 and moved away, she said everyone in Cheslyn Hay knew everyone else and asks ‘Does anyone remember Doctors Malone andWilliams, PC Weekes and also the little shop Mifi owned?  It would be great to hear from anyone who knew these people from yesteryear.’

RESPONSES   Re last week’s request for Enoch Cadman‘s parents, our Peter Cadman has been able to provide all the research information that Beverly required with information on passenger lists, Enoch’s war record and on the conflict in Cambrai itself.

Our researcher, Daz, has been able to provide Craig with the information he requested for Thomas Woodings and has offered to escort Craig to his grave.

And for Sheila (nee Hicks), we certainly do remember the Gingham Girls.  They were a big part of our more recent village history – and a part that we are very proud of.  We have two volumes of photographs of our Carnivals and there are many, many photographs of this troupe.  Plenty of them are named but sadly there are many more not named and we would appreciate it if anyone, including Sheila, would visit us at the Base to identify more members of the troupe.  Also Cliff Hooper is still about on the village.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS  Three photographs – Fred Thurstance on the Rec, Alf Thurstance on the slackeys and Cliff Giles and Malcolm Birchon the Nook marlhole pool.  £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS  A letter dated 22nd August 1933 of ‘grateful  thanks from the MD of the West Cannock Colliery to Alf Newell of Hawkins Colliery for his rescue work at his No 5 Upcast Pit.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington

Court cases involving Isaiah & Catherine Bowen (11 Oct 1889), Handel Whitehouse, Mary Davis & Sarah Westwood (20 May 1892), Elizabeth Sayer, Benjamin & Elizabeth Dutton, Henry & Elizabeth Bate (22 Jan 1895).

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
4th December 1964  Presentation to  the National Coal Board Civil Defence instructor, Mr Dennis Brough, with details of his life and career.
4th December 1964  The removal of eighty caravans and the itinerate dwellers by 15 police officers.
5th December 1914  Smoking Concert at the Lord Nelson with names of all involved.
5th December 1914  Disapproval for the licensed houses to be closed at 9 o’clock.

MEMORIES    We have had an incredible response to our evacuee Dave Malster’s recollections from last week with stories ofMervyn Brough, Effie Craddock, Mrs Mount, Joe Rowe, Handel Altree,

Anne Collins, Sylvia Webb, David Leach, Mac & Eva Brown

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net