EVENTS  Our 12 month programme has now been finalised and will be distributed to all of our members shortly but we have a special event next month with the appearance of actress and performing historian, Lesley Smith.  Lesley is the curator of Tutbury Castle but is perhaps better known as the resident historian on the television programme ‘Most Haunted Live!’ as well as presenting and featuring in many other television shows.  It is a ticket only occasion and members and their families can prebook their places before April 30th by contacting either Malcolm on 01922 410021 or 07794418295 or Roger on  01785 212412.  Date is Thursday 31 May starting at 7.30pm at the Salem Schoolroom and tickets are £5.

OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday.  Everyone is welcome to view our archives and photographs with our researchers available to help with any enquiries.

REQUESTS  From Neil Anstee of New Zealand who emails ‘I write to you for some assistance please. With my parents having recently joined a Cannock Reminiscence Group, I thought it would be interesting to find out more about our family tree of theAnstees and the Kirkhams.  This spur has once again given me an opportunity to regain my lost  impetus to enquire whether any progress has been made regarding my family search since I emailed you last year.  My family and I are returning to the UK in mid-May and would be pleased to discuss any options available to us at that time.’

RESPONSES   Last week in Jeanette’s appeal for information on her relative Julia Jones, we now have details of where she was in service.

We have been able to help Judy Desha from Australia with a series of photographs of relatives going back 100 years and we are planning to exchange photographs over the coming weeks as Judy has several of them, mostly containing unidentified Cheslyn Hay residents.  She is also planning a holiday over here for next year.

Following a visit to our Base last month to further her interests in her Sambrook family tree, Stephanie Hazelwood, has now been connected with a member who is researching the same line of Sambrooks.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS   We have been donated the family history of Enoch Holland who lived at 166 Station Street, and was a direct descendant of King Henry VII including newspaper cuttings with a photograph of the family chest in black oak dating back to 1469.

Also an undated newspaper report covering the histories of the local pits and pubs as well as mentions of local characters Albert Tomkinson, Tom Bentley, Albert Deakin, William H Barsby, Sam Watson, Mrs Frank Wallace and some Jellyman stories.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington  From the year of 1857 we have newspaper reports involving Edward Turer, William Jones, Eusebius Bullivant, Israel Deakin, Richard Jones Jnr, John Baker, William Sayer, William Jones, Joseph Tonks and Joseph Whitehouse.

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

Cannock Chase Courier – 13th April 1918   News has been received by Mr and Mrs William Shorter, of High Street, Cheslyn Hay, that their son Gunner Jack Shorter, has been killed in France, with full details.

13th April 1918   In loving memory of Thomas Marshall of 164 Station Street, Cheslyn Hay.

WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES  From an article written by Pat Everiss in October 2005.

Random selection of payments from the overseers’ accounts for the poor between 1766 and 1800, with full information on Edward Ash, Robert Derry, Francis Warrilow, Elizabeth Wilcox, Solomon Horton, William Titley and Samuel Cooper.  

APPEAL  An interesting email received this week from Roger Betts on how our local accents may have changed over the years.  

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS  No events arranged for this week.

OUR SALEM BASE is open to all comers from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday.

REQUESTS  Jean Morley emails ‘I have got a bit confused with my Whitehouse’s side of the family and wonder if you could clarify things for me please.  David Whitehouse kindly sent me his information on Henry Whitehouse, my grandfather, but I’m afraid I’ve gone adrift with regard to his father, Jeremiah (1836-1875), and grandfather John etc, so I would be grateful for any help so that I can update my family tree.

Gill Crabtree from Nottingham visited our Base last week and produced a photograph of Joseph Harold Butler (1889-1953), who married Cecilia Dickens, and was father of Frances C Butler, and says ‘Joseph Butler is a younger brother of my Grandma, Mary Ann Butler and it would be lovely to be able to contact any descendants.’

Just received this enquiry from Horace Taylor (b1939) who wishes to locate the burial plots of his grandparents as well as his Auntie Kate Taylor, who never married and died very young with TB.  A quick glance at our Cheslyn Hay cemetery records shows that his grandparents Harry and Annie Taylor were both buried there on 10 March 1944 and 13 June 1955 respectively when they were living at 6 Queen Street in Cheslyn Hay but Horace would welcome any more information on his Taylor family and in particular on Kate.

Jeanette Jones emails from America and asks for help in ‘locating my husband’s Cheslyn Hay family ties?  His g-grandparents were John William Jones, registered as from Cannock, and Emma K Butler Jones, who listed herself and her two teenage boys, John W Jones Jr and George Jones, as being from Cheslyn Hay.  They emigrated to America in 1910 on board the Freislander from Liverpool to Philadelphia and they sailed separately six months apart.  Also, g-grandfather Jones’ obituary listed a daughter, Mrs Julia Jones Arrowsmith who never left Staffordshire and I’d appreciate any information on her at all as finding out about her life and family is of paramount interest to me.’

RESPONSES  David Whitehouse has immediately responded to Donald Parbrook’s enquiry emailing with details of Lydia Dace‘s marriage to John Whitehouse extending that family down to the present day via Edward, William, Jeremiah and John.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS   An excellent researched story of William Usher Parnaby by Paul Ford.  This WWI soldier who committed suicide in the Razza has been a source of mystery to ourselves for a number of years as to why, after living such a sad and tragic life, he was given such a ‘wonderful send off with full military honours’ when 1,000 Cheslyn Hay people lined the streets to witness his funeral.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington  An incredible story from the Daily Mirror (8 April 1953) relating to 12 year old Frank Conlon, the ‘last of the racing Conlons’ and living in the hutments at Holly Close, Landywood.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher

Cannock Chase Courier – 30th March 1918  On Saturday afternoon the semi final of the Red Cross Society Competition took place on the Barn Flat Grounds with Mr John Benton, of Wedges Mills, in charge of the game.  The other semi-final between Cheslyn Hay Institute and Brownhills Villa will take place this Saturday afternoon with Mr Reaney, of Bridgtown, to officiate.

30th March 1918  Advertisement   Details of Vegetables and Seeds and prices at J Kingston’s.  58 High Street, Cheslyn Hay.

MEMORIES  Once again we are privileged to receive more wonderful excerpts from the diary of ‘Auntie Kath’ as related by Diana covering the spring of 1961. Kath Wootton was married to headmaster Isaac (Jim) Stokes.  Snippets include news of Raymond Hawkins, Jack Plant, Dr Malone, Archie Pearce, Gladys Baker, George Plant, Mr Kerry and events at the Salem including  Millie’s sewing meetings.

WWI COMMEMORATION researched by Bob Brevitt  This April we commemorate the death of G/13948 Edwin Morris with full details.

WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES  A look into our archives after last week’s mention of Katie Boyle opening the Quinton Shopping Centre in 1967 revealed posters advertising the event with all ‘special offers’ from all of the shops.

Also a mention of the passing in January of the great England and Albion footballer Cyrille Regis, who was also a celebrity at our 1978 Carnival when he crowned 15 year old Diane Perks as the Carnival Queen and we have two photographs of him in our archives RE-CAR-217 & 336.  Typical of the man he was, he conducted himself on the day in an exemplary manner, with good humour and was generous with his time, leaving an indelible impression on everybody on how a professional sportsman should always behave.

GENERAL NEWS  Anyone wishing to become a member for the annual fee of £5 and to  receive this newsletter with full details under all the headings every Sunday morning please contact me through my email address below.  Many thanks.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS This month’s speaker is the recommended Cas Bailey, with her talk ‘If you can’t stand the heat – get out of the kitchen!’, all based on real life funny events during her time as a policewoman ‘on the beat’. This Thursday, 29th March, at the Salem starting at 7.30pm. Admittance £1 including refreshments.

OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and this week we look forward to a visit from Diane (nee Whiles) from Derbyshire who is tracing her family roots around our area, visiting the family graves and also where her Whiles family lived at 9 Bungalow, the Hutments on the Walsall Road, and later at Barncroft. Anyone who has any knowledge of Geoffrey Whiles, Enoch Whiles or Annie Cleobury will be most welcome and Diane would like to speak to anyone who has any knowledge of the Isolation Hospital. Also, following the recent interest in the Sambrook(e) family, Geoffrey Sambrook is updating his findings on his Sambrook family this Tuesday. Geoff has connections with Ollie, Alfred, Percy, Ernest and Bertha Sambrook as well as his Hitchens line on his mother’s side that includes Vera, Nellie and Roy Hitchens. Once again anyone with information of these families are invited. Hopefully we may find a link with the recent Garth’s enquiry on his Samuel Sambrook’s relations as we have now discovered that Samuel’s brother, Oliver George, was living in Station Street in the 1911 census.

REQUESTS Donald Parbrook is researching the story of his grandfather, Reverend George Parbrook. George was born illegitimate as George Brevitt in September 1884 to his mother Miss Harriet Brevitt (later Parbrook) of Rail Road, Cheslyn Hay. He later changed his name to Parbrook, his step-fathers name by which he had become known. Having carried out a Y-DNA test on familytreedna.com Donald believes George’s father was almost certainly a Whitehouse. He has then tried to use ancestry.co.uk (and their DNA test) to isolate the most likely Whitehouse family group focusing on those living close to Harriet in 1881 census records. Through this work in cross verifying DNA matching relatives together and to the 1881 census he is most interested in John Whitehouse (1813) and his wife Lydia Dace (1823), who lived in White Lion Yard in 1881, and their descendants. If any members have more information on that family he’d be happy to be in contact.

RESPONSES A comment from Rosemary Read, after we mentioned her grandson’s visit to the grave of Tony’s father, Fred Read, last week revealing how tough life must have been during those war years.
Gary Crutchley requested in our newsletter of 3rd December 2016 ‘I am a direct descendent of William Crutchley (b abt 1780) who was married to Sarah Poyner (b abt 1779) and who was involved in the early days of Salem Church’ and Judith responds this week stating that she also is a direct descendent of them as well and ‘would love to compare notes’. Email addresses have now been exchanged as will, no doubt, more family history.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS A 1972 Map of Cheslyn Hay with details of the conversion over to natural gas in March & April donated by Don Kingston.

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

Cannock Advertiser – 21st March 1968 Story of Lynne Yates campaigning for a better football pitch for her team, the Talbot FC.

21st March 1968 The theme of the Salem Wesley Guild, Cheslyn Hay, was “Has religion a place in schools?” with full details.

21st March 1968 An appeal to retain the vehicle repair facilities at the Post Office Garage, Low Street, Cheslyn Hay, for vehicle servicing and repair work. Mr B W Cook, Mr K L Horton and Mr R J Dickin of Talbot Motors, involved in the matter.

Cannock Chase Courier – 23rd March 1918 The Local Relief Committee and Red Cross Society, Mr R Brough, acting secretary, reported that he had received a very interesting letter from Mrs Agnes S Chatterton, of High Street complimenting them on their war effort on behalf of her family and her parents Mr and Mrs M Hampton.
23rd March 1918 Discussions regarding repairing the Tramway Road and Major Hatton agreed to do so.

MEMORIES Although last week’s recollections were taken out of Olive Mary Whitehouse’s typewritten book they were not her own recollections as I stated, but they were taken from one of the chapters recorded by her family. Entitled ‘Ron’s Memories’ it was written by her younger brother, Ron Whitehouse, during the war years after Olive had left home to serve in the WAAFs.

GENERAL NEWS The passing of Lady Katie Boyle last Tuesday at the age of 91 will be remembered most fondly by many of our local residents as she was the TV celebrity who opened the Shopping Centre on the Quinton fifty years ago on 6th July 1967.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS  No events scheduled for this week.

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

REQUESTS  Janet Smith (nee Leach) was a member of the Gingham Girls with Letitia Bowater and would love to hear from anyone who can remember her to recall all those wonderful times.

RESPONSES  In response to Garth Sambrook’s enquiry, we have found several Sambrooks who were employed at Gilpin’s in the late 1800s, but not Garth’s grandfather, Samuel Sydney Sambrooke (1838-1925).  But Alfred and Joseph were employed at the factory and we believe that they were Samuel’s brothers.  We also have in our files a detailed account of Olive Mary Whitehouse who ‘lived in’ at Samuel’s old address of ‘The Firs’ as a domestic servant in 1938/39 and she gives a full description of the layout of the entire house.  Garth informs us of the oral history of his family that has been passed down to him before all of his sons left England for Canada around 1905 and when his wife, Emma, passed away in 1913, he left the edgetool industry to go into the licensing trade, buying public houses around South Staffordshire.  Our researcher Sue confirms that he never owned The Firs though, as the property was sold in November 1909 showing Samuel Sambrook as the tenant, but still paying £35 per annum, which was a substantial sum of money.  We have now connected Garth with one of our members who is related to the family through her g-grandmother Sarah Ann Sambrook.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS  More reports from Dr Alan Jones’ research to add to our Edalji file including newspaper reports on the heated dispute between Shapurji and James Morgan of Upper Landywood, a letter from Mrs Charlotte Edalji disputing the £400 cost to cover the necessary repairs to the vicarage on Shapurji’s death plus a court case in 1900 when two men assaulted George Edalji.  Also the last will and testament of Royden Cedric Sharp.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington   Fred & Elizabeth Deakin of Walkmill Lane, Cheslyn Hay found guilty in a 1966 Daily Mirror report.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher

Cannock Chase Courier – 16th March 1918  Miss Camilla S Gripton organised a Fancy Dress Ball in aid of the Red Cross Fund together with Mr G Whitehouse, of Station Street.

16th March 1918  Election of officers at the Working Men’s Club with number of votes cast for Mr F J Altree, William Hall, J Wesley, T Gaskin, W Hemingsley, E Thompson, J Foster 64, J Hawkins and A Hawkins.

16th March 1918  Private A Denny, a local soldier, who has been wounded in a German air raid in France with details.

MEMORIES  The mention of Olive Mary Whitehouse in this week’s ‘RESPONSES’ reminds me that we haven’t including any of her ‘Childhood Memories’ for over two years now, so it is now fitting that we recall what life was like for a hard working local mining family between the wars. Truly hard times.

WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES  We have just now collated all 19 photographs donated by Ivor Plant of Ross-on-Wye and added them to our Collection Archives (IP-COL-01 to 19) and they include several of the Plant family namely George Henry & Agnes Maud, Jim, Alice, Joan, Gwen, Marion, Bill, Sybil, Clive, Sarah, Charlie, Ray and Linda Plant, Mrs Hughes, Basil “Bovril” Dace, Anita Bradbury, Pearl Bailey and Barnes’ little boy.  Also two photographs with workmates at Gilpins and a presentation group of 21 unknown men, plus an outing from the Robin Hood with 25 unnamed people as well as various snaps of the Plants in their garden at 63 Littlewood Lane, haymaking time, at work on the Hawkins Colliery Engine and George & Agnes’s Golden Wedding Anniversary.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS  No events arranged for this week.

OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday with our researchers on hand to help with any enquiries.

REQUESTS  Garth Sambrook emails from Canada ‘My grandfather Sambrooke was born at a home that his father owned called The Firs on the Straight Mile in Calf Heath and I am now interested in learning more of it’s history.  My g-grandfather was an Edge Tool Maker and I’d also like to find out where he would have been employed.’

RESPONSES  John Scott responds to last week’s Shareshill enquiry with details of William Pinson and John Pitt being church wardens as well as the date of the installation of the clock face and six bells.

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

Cannock Advertiser 7th March 1968  Full details of the development of The Crescent Estate, Rosemary Road, Cheslyn Hay.

7th March 1968  Details of the will of Miss Emma Gertrude Thomas of 3 Chapel Square, Cheslyn Hay.

7th March 1968  Story of the organising of the carnival this year with an amalgamation with the Landywood Residents Association.  

Cannock Chase Courier 9th March 1918  Frank Worsey, of Cheslyn Hay, found guilty in court.   Also for a similar offence Thomas Lockett, of Cheslyn Hay.

9th March 1918  A large company assembled at the weekly meeting of the Local Relief Committee and Red Cross Society, on Friday evening, at Salem Schools with discussions involving Private J Waltho, who is a Prisoner of War.  Also details of the awards given to Col Sergeant Tom Lockett, of 13 Saredon Road.

9th March 1918  The contributions made by the Women’s Working Committee towards the war effort.

9th March 1918  A story of a Football Carnival on the Barn Flat Grounds on Good Friday.

9th March 1918  A concert took place at Salem Methodist Church, on Sunday evening last, when there was a very large audience present.  Artistes all listed.

MEMORIES  A new member, Steve Westley, emails from Oxfordshire with his memories which include Alan Brown, Alan andKeith Bickley, Letitia Bowater, Alf and Gladys Richards (nee Dunning), Gwen Lunt, George Lunt, young George Lunt,Gordon Lunt and Ken Spooner.

WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES  The Lawrence ‘Lol’ Wood Collection (LW-COL-1 to 60) is another collection which has been catalogued more than 30 years after his death in 1981 and has now been added to our archives .  The Wood family have lived in Upper Landywood for over 200 years and amongst the 60 photographs are Mr W Bloor, founder of ‘Blowers’ Club, several of the Wood family including Irene, Christine, Les and Lol himself, Margaret and Mary Snape, Ida Hartshorne, Mary Walker, and many family group photographs, all around Landywood and individuals such as Polly and Isabel without any surnames.  Any help in naming them would be welcomed and this Lol Wood Collection is now available at our Base any Tuesday.

Anyone wishing to become a member for the annual fee of £5 and to  receive the full unabridged newsletter with full information every Sunday morning at 9am please contact me through my email address below.  Many thanks.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS  Roger’s Chat ‘n’ Char this Thursday, 8th March, with the theme of ‘Frank’s Favourites’ starting at 10am in the Salem’s Main Hall.  Everyone welcome.

And our Peter Cadman is giving a talk to the Lichfield Probus on our behalf this Tuesday.

OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday to all and sundry from 9am – 2pm.

REQUESTS  An email from Jeff Pinson, who has traced a large number of his Pinson family to Shareshill back to the 1600s, states that a William Pinson’s name is on a plaque as Church Warden next to the small redundant clock face and Jeff asks ‘Can you approximately date the clock or when William was the Church Warden, so I can place him in my family tree.  I have two candidates William born 1667 or his grandson born 1720.’

RESPONSES  Frank Wood’s enquiry for connections with his ancestor Jack Matthews Winfer (1897-1970) drew an immediate response.  Jean Mills is able to provide a photograph of him with more family information and our researcher Vi has provided full details of Jack Winfer’s parents and his birth together with all of his Cheslyn Hay connections.   And John Russell Davison emails ‘Drusilla Winfer was my g-grandmother via her marriage in 1880 to William Russell (b1862 Cheslyn Hay) and Nora Dora Winfer (b 1878) was a half aunt of my mother’ and he gives a full story of the family migrating north to continue working in the mines after William had fallen out with the pit owners in Cheslyn Hay.  William’s mother was Eliza Stokes and his grandmother was Ann(e) Lockett (b 1816) who lived in Red Lane, Cheslyn Hay.’  Frank now has both John and Jean’s details to exchange information.

Our David Whitehouse responds to Barry Weetman’s appeal for information on his grandfather John Henry Whitehouse and Hannah (nee Weetman) of 102 Littlewood Lane with all the details requested including John Whitehouse (b1842) & Fanny Taylor and their children Pearl, Ruby, Jessie, John Henry Jnr, Donald Ewart, Doris, Kathleen, Winston Morley & Gladys Mary.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS   (PL-HIG-173)  No17 Walsall Corporation Cannock to Heath Hayes bus passing Hackett’s shop in the early 1970s.   £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS  Following the renewed interest in pigeon flying, Les Rogers has donated a 1959 British Homing World Bird Map showing the different pigeon routes all over the UK and the continent from Norway to Spain!  And Rob Perks has handed us a cavalry sword from the First World War period for our displays.

OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington  ‘A Disgraceful Case’ described by the judge as he sentenced John Daniels and Florence Phillips of Coppice Lane to the maximum sentences allowed (B’ham Gazette, 30 June 1930), Albert Victor Crutchley of High Street imprisoned for assaulting Miss Elsie Foster, John Godfrey Devereux remanded in custody for a serious offence, Charles Mitchell, High Street,  found guilty, plus three court cases involving Elizabeth Bungay, of Streets Lane, Landywood, John Perks, Arthur & Tamar Bradbury, Joseph Dorricott, May Cliff and Ethel Bungay and Rose Hannah Kingston & Elizabeth Farrington.  Full details available at £1 per copy.

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

Cannock Advertiser  29th February 1968  For the first time, Cheslyn Hay Working Men’s Club held a supper party for the old people last week with details of 88 years old Mr Robert Handy, Mrs F Walker, Mr B Evans, Mr L Lees and Mr J Brough.

29th February 1968  The funeral service of Cheslyn Hay business woman, Mrs Edith Ellen Elwell with details of her life.

29th February 1968  Full story Cheslyn Hay mothers refusing to take their children to the local welfare clinic with Mrs S Parkes, Mrs M Perry of Chapel Square and Mrs A Parr of Littlewood Lane.

Cannock Chase Courier  2nd March 1918  Lieut W Chatterton, son-in-law to Mr and Mrs Hampton, of High Street awarded the Military Cross.

2nd March 1918  Richard Benton, of Landywood and Thomas Lockett, Queen Street, Cheslyn Hay, were summoned and found guilty with witnesses Ada M Turvey and Stephen Turvey.

2nd March 1918 Story of an award to Col Sergeant Major Tom Lockett, son of Mr and Mrs Job Lockett, of Saredon Road.

2nd March 1918  A meeting was held on Monday evening at the local Institute, in connection with the local Red Cross football competition with a report byMr A Elwell, Secretary.

HOUSE HISTORY  More up to date information on last week’s history of  18 Low Street from the 1891 census onwards with information on Richard Jenkins, Ann Baker, Fred Pearson & Edith Ann Pearson, Bill and Kath Mansell and their daughter Jane as well as Bobby Bell.  

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

EVENTS Roger has now organised this year’s Annual Chat n Char coach trip. It is to the World Museum in Liverpool to see the Terracotta Army and the date is Thursday 12th July at £25. As Roger says ‘First come, first served with members taking preference’. Phone Roger on 01785 212412.

OUR SALEM BASE is open from 9am – 2pm every Tuesday and this week we welcome four ex-Gingham Girls to sort out photographs and archive material to create a Cliff Hooper Collection.

REQUESTS From Frank Wood who asks if anyone has any connections to his ancestor Jack Matthews Winfer (1897-1970) to add to his family tree. Jack Winfer’s mother was Nora Dora Winfer and grandmother Druscilla Winfer.

RESPONSES Our researcher Vi has provided more information on John Henry Whitehouse with full details of his life.

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS We have added another collection to our shelves with the Cliff Giles Collection (CG-COL-1 to 28) which includes all the Giles family at 13 Cemetery Street with Phyllis, Frank Giles Snr, Frank Jnr, Doris (nee Chetwynd), Gladys (née Webb), Maureen (née Bladon) & Cliff Giles, Phyllis Payton (née Giles), Pat Brown (née Giles) with Sian, Doreen Jones (née Webb), Ray Jones, Ted & Rose Bladon and John Whitehouse. £1 per 7×5 Photographic Print.

ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS History of the Whiles family of 9 The Hutments, Great Wyrley and a marriage certificate of George Mason & Jane Hall (5 Feb 1893).

EXTRACTS FROM LICHFIELD MERCURY researched by Adrian Baillie

Friday 18 May 1894 CANNOCK PETTY SESSIONS. Arthur Gripton, Jeremiah Whitehouse, Frank Rowe and James Bate all Cheslyn Hay men found guilty in four separate cases. Full information available.
Friday 21 September 1906 CANNOCK PETTY SESSIONS. SECOND COURT. John Cross, Cheslyn Hay, miner, was found guilty and fined with costs.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher

Cannock Chase Courier 23 February 1918 Working Men’s Club raising funds for the Red Cross funds involving R Brough, C T Lawson, Harry Morris, Miss Doris Savage, Mrs F Smith, Mrs T Lawson, Mr W Eccleston, Mr T Gaskin and Mr T Hand.

23 February 1918 Details of the Friends of Great Wyrley Parish Church raising money to get new heating apparatus.

MEMORIES Local residents who take the opportunity of visiting the Salem, which is now open throughout the week for coffee mornings, are always pleasantly surprised at the splendour inside the church. Not only for the stained glass windows and the organ but of the highly polished pews, numbered 1 to 46. Mary Horton recalls attending church in the 1940s sitting in the Horton family pew, number 19, which her family had paid for at least three generations. Mary remembers that the Minister and the families of the Hawkins’s and the dignitaries would be seated in the five gated pews at the rear. If you have never taken time to visit the Salem please drop in for a coffee as Ruth will make you most welcome. Meanwhile we are currently searching for a record of these pew holders in the Salem log books, so can anyone remember the number of their family pew?

HOUSE HISTORY An enquiry for the address of 18 Low Street, later becoming 18 & 20 Low Street (1 & 2 The Crescent) has resulted in publishing the entire history of the buildings together with all the occupiers from 1820 onwards.
WWI COMMEMORATION This March we commemorate the death of 488375 Harold Smith MM of the 79th Field Company of the Royal Engineers who was killed on 3rd December 1917 aged 21, son of James and Emily Smith of 49 Low Street, Cheslyn Hay, and buried with honour at the Bleuet Farm Cemetery.

WHAT’S IN OUR ARCHIVES Details of a fascinating visit to the Salem revealing a board a little larger in size than a house door, but made like one, being of tongue and groove construction, with a slit in it for an indicator made from lead which told the men pumping the organ how much wind was available. The board would have acted as a screen between the men pumping the organ and its workings. Written in pencil were the directions starting from the bottom, ‘STOP’ and at stages going up the word ‘BLOW’ and at the very top the instruction ‘BLOW LIKE HELL’. And then a list of graffiti, drawings and names and addresses scrawled into the board from over 100 years ago which are listed.
DAVD BATTERSBY There will be a private cremation for the family at Stafford on Thursday, 1st March, which will be followed by a Service of Thanksgiving at St Luke’s in Cannock at 12.30pm. David will be a terrible loss to many people in our local communities as he has held lifetime interests in bee keeping, philately and St Luke’s Church as well as being a leading authority in the histories of all our local areas and the Gilpin’s family. I have had the privilege to have known David, since his retirement as a director from Linford’s, as a personal friend for almost twenty years and I will greatly miss his support and advice on so many things but above all I will miss his companionship with his warm and understated humour. A true gentleman that has left a void that will not be replaced and our thoughts and sympathies are with Barbara and the family.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net