Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society

Our Salem Base will be open as usual this Tuesday from 10am – 3pm and also the following Tuesday 27th December but only from 10am – 12.30pm. This is mainly for those who cannot make it on our normal Tuesdays and in particular for those who are visiting their relatives over Christmas – but everyone is welcome.
A couple of requests this week come from people researching the Buckler family tree and concerns Jonathan Buckley who married Eliza Walker in 1871.
And responses to previous queries have produced details of when and where William Henry Startin was buried and where the Davisons lived in the 1911 census. Also more memories on the Beardsmore family of Dundalk Lane including mentions of Bill Barsby, George Chetter, the Poxons and the Kendalls. Plus more on Ben Thompson, the bookie, and the Brough/Whitehouse connections.
Mike Belchers column of ‘What Happened 50/100 Tears Ago’ include news of William Gilpin Senior & Company Ltd in liquidation, and a full report of the tragic death of Josiah Dawkins, a miner of Queen Street. Also news of the Cheslyn Hay Salvation Army who were moving from their base in Hill Street to new premises. And news of the Cheslyn Hay Allotment and Cottage Gardener’s Association. Fuller reports of these stories can be obtained by contacting me at the below address.

There will be no Newsletter next week – so a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our readers!!!!!!

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Our Salem Base will be open as usual on Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.
This weeks Requests include tracing the family of William Henry Startin of Rosemary Road who died in Cheslyn Hay in 1910  and an enquiry on Ralph Hall Davison and Annie Sowerby Davison.
Responses include the Bowring enquiry and confirmation of links on the Whitehouse, Brough and Tuft families as well as two newspaper articles on the death of William Henry Reaney down the local pit.  Plus details of the Henry Pearson, Sarah Whitehouse and Henry Dace recently requested as well as full details being provided on the Rev William Edward Maiden and Mildred Whitehouse, and the Rev Oliver Harry Thomas. Also details of the Farmer family tree.  We are researching stories for next year’s book and we already have drafted out a chapter on the 1980s, so if anyone can add any stories or events – no matter how trivial – that happened during this time around Cheslyn Hay and support it with photographs we would appreciate them for the book or for our archives.  Also any stories passed down through the family containing anything of interest will be welcomed.
‘What Happened 50 Years Ago’ column include the annual presentation of bowling prizes held at the Cheslyn Hay WMC with Mr F Worsey, Mr F Bowen, Mr J Evans, Mr H Marshall, Mr S J Perry, Mr P Hudson and Mr C Holloway all mentioned in a full report.
Memories this week are from Peter Cadman and entitled ‘Things Aint What They Used To Be!’ recalling life in Cheslyn Hay in the fifties with stories about Ron Mayou, Ethel Horton, Annie Wesley, Joe ‘Badger’ Wesley, Tim Perks, George Lunt and Hilda Hicken.
The full Newsletter can be available on request.

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And ‘Speakers Night’ is also this Thursday 8th December as well where we have the full 24 piece Salvation Army Brass Band to entertain us with Christmas carols and songs at the Salem.  Should be a great night and the doors will be open at 7pm.
Our Sallem Base will be open on Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.
Requests this week come from David Whitehouse in Canada involving the Reverend and Mrs William E Maiden who were the nephew and niece of Oliver Harry Thomas as mentioned on p 97 of ‘The Bygone Days of Cheslyn Hay’ book.  And David says it seems that Kate Thomas, sister of Oliver Harry, married Henry Whitehouse in 1895 and had a daughter Mildred May born in 1897 in Cheslyn Hay and Mildred married William E Maiden in Cannock in 1921.
Also David Powell recently found a reference to the death of his great grandfather, William Henry Reaney (1868 – 1923) in a mining accident and requests more information. David does not live in the area any more but mentions that his grandfather was Frank Powell (1894-1972) was the landlord of the Royal Oak in Norton Lane.  Also someone called in to the Pet Shop this week and asked if anyone can recall a family named Bowring who had a shop in the 1940s in Cheslyn Hay, possibly in Low Street.
And Peter Cadman follows up with information on David Whitehouse’s request of last week is trying to work out if their two family trees converge at Lucy and George Whitehouse.  Rhoda Brough b 26 Dec 1792 (nee Whitehouse) was Peter’s g-g-g-grandmother, but he has been unable to trace the Brough line any further back. David states that Lucy was born in 1800, but the Lucy (Brough) in Peter’s family tree was born in 1817 and her mother was Rhoda Brough (nee Whitehouse) and Peter asks could they be the same people as those in Davids tree?  More confusingly, the Lucy in Peter’s family tree did marry a Simeon Tuft on 10 Sept 1837 but he doesn’t know if they had a daughter Mary Ann, who in turn had sons called Josiah and Oliver.
Peter Cadman also adds in his email ‘with his memories of Tom Beardsmore with his father, Joe Cadman and his Aunt Clarice Biddle.
And in response to the recent Cheslyn Hay Lives book, Ron Whitehouse points out that the bookmaker mentioned on p34 was Ben Thompson and not Thomas and gives fuller information on him and his family.  And Mac Tonks is more than happy to respond to Lynn on her request for information on John and Arabella Winifred Piatt. remembering them from the 1940s.
The Story of Belsen has been added to our WWII archives and is written by Captain Andrew Pares plus a copy of the Residential Lists of Cheslyn Hay residents and tradesmen from the Cannock Chase Blue Book of 1916.  Also a potted history of members of the Perks, Baker, Smith, Follows and the Simms families as recorded in 1948 and goes back a further 100 years.  And a newspaper report of the death of John Henry Powell of the Parachute Regiment in WWII.

What happened 50 Years ago covers the life story and the death of John William Steadman of 1 Station Street Cheslyn Hay. Also a report on the Cheslyn Hay Wesley Guild Speakers Night involving Mr W E Simpson, Mr W Pearce, Ian Bickley and Miss Ann Allsop.
Another 104 sightings on staffpasttrack in November as follows – Salem 21, Brittania Picture House 20, Walter Hackett 16, High Street 13, Albert Hawkins shop 10, Garretts shop 9, Hacketts butchers shop 8, Wootton’s Post Office 7.
Fuller information of the above stories can be obtained via the email address below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

This week’s memories column is by Gladys Hughes (nee Fallows) recalling the times when her family rented the 28 acres of Sunshine Farm from Mr Arnold Hawkins from 1940 – 1954.  Her parents were Lilian and Bill, and she mentions Kathleen Ferrier, Robert Easton and Heddle Nash when they would visit the farm.  Gladys also mentions Mr Hawkins whose house  backed on to the Rec, Jean Johnson, the singer, Ruby Hackett, and the Youth Club with the Reverend Hicks, Mr Hudson and Mr Roland Ridgway.  Also mentioned are Sam Marshall, Jack Palmer and Norman Wright of the Norman Wright Ace Accordian Band.

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Our Base at the Salem will be open as usual on Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.
Four requests this week.  Stephanie requests details on the history of Cheslyn Hay allotments and when they were formed.
Anna (nee Brevitt) from Cairns in Australia has contacted us re her dad Frederick John Brevitt and mum is Kathleen Jones and Anna says she comes from centuries of Brevitts from Cheslyn Hay’.  So do these names fit into anyone’s research from these two well known families?

Marion from South Wales has responded to the information on Howard Benton and the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ as well as the records that were made over 40 years ago.

New photographs this week include some of Churchbridge Coaches and their drivers (1950s – 70s), different members of the Webb family, some of Joe Baker, Roy and Jim Bate, Will Perks, Sadie Perks and Joe Lawrence, Charlie Benton and Ethel Merchant, the Staceys and Dennis Westcott, Cheslyn Hay WMC of 2002, Lawrence Delaney, three day trips from the Dog fifty years ago including the families of the Perks, Illidge, Smith, Pearson, Chambers, Altree, Horton and Davis.  An early local football team where only Sid Perry, Tom Perks and Jim Rogers are named and a Landywood trip to Blackpool with Ralph Cheshire, Harper, Norman Hughes, Frank Webb and Ray Farrington.
And the Staffordshire Lawn Tennis Association Handbook of 1957 showing details of the Salem teams has been handed in for our archives.
In Mike Belcher column of ‘What Happened Fifty Years Ago’ there is the tragic death of  Ian William Wood of 42 Low Street, Cheslyn Hay.  Also Headmaster Mr Jack Martin introducing a new alphabet and reading project. Plus the dedication service at Cheslyn Hay Salem Methodist Church on Sunday of a memorial window to Mr Thomas Spooner. .

And Lynne has been tracing the Daces but is now working on her mom’s family tree, the Piatt’s.  She has managed to trace them back to their origins in Lancashire but emails ‘have any of your members information on John Piatt’s first wife, Arabella Winnifred or his second wife Gladys M Wilson.  John and Arabella lived at 76 Low St. and we visited the Cheslyn Hay cemetery on Sunday to try and locate the graves of John and Annie Dace and Arabella Piatt but although we could not find these we did come across the well kept grave and stone of John H Powell.  John was the first husband of our mom Winnifred Grace Piatt.  He was a private in the Parachute Regiment and died of his wounds from the invasion of Normandy.  Mom went on to marry Jack Dace (P.O.W.)  and she never spoke of John, as the pain must have been too great, but she held many momentos of him of which were unknown to us until after she passed away.  I am now trying to research my husband’s grandmother’s family Florence Ellen Dutton (1887 -1958) and I wondered if you can help me with birth dates for her children and any past history of her family.  Florence married John Edmund Dace and her parents were Alfred and Maria.
Plus David Whitehouse from Canada is currently tracking the descendents of George and Lucy Whitehouse and says ‘I believe my g-g-grandmother is Ann Whitehouse who married first James Whitehouse in 1818 and second Joseph Baker in 1824.  When Ann married James the witness is shown as Rhoda Brough which of course would be her sister and that is why I believe this Ann is the daughter of George.  On page 223 of the ‘Bygone Days of CH’ book there is information to William Baker (b 1850) that states he was the son of Joe Baker and Ann Whitehouse daughter of George and Lucy (b1800).  It does say that William’s parents were ‘probably’ and wonder if you have any information to support that.  I find it improbable but not impossible that Ann was having children at 50 and therefore doubt this connection somewhat.  Also I have connected Josiah Thomas to the same family.  In the 1901 census Josiah is shown as a minister at Methodist New Connexion, which peaked my interest and had me looking for some mention of him in the book.   On page 97 there is mention of him and his brother Oliver.  Josiah and Oliver were sons of Mary Ann Tuft, daughter of Lucy Brough who was daughter of Rhoda Whitehouse who of course was the daughter of George and Lucy.’
After the mention of Dundalk Lane, last week, Barbara from Birmingham asks whether anyone remembers the Beardsmore family and their smallholding where her Uncle Tom grew massive chrysanthemums?  They also had a very smelly toilet a long way from the house and Tom’s wife (nee Ridgeway) went to live at 8 Zion Close when the cottages were demolished.
Memories this week is on Nellie Pee, owner of the shoe shop in Station Street.
All enquiries welcomed or more detailed information of any of the above notes available through the email below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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