Events
This time last year we were all busy getting ready for our Annual Exhibition, it has always been  the high point of the History Society’s Year.  All the hard work of our Committee members and friends under the direction of Roger Moore culminated into an unforgettable day. Lets hope we will all be able to meet again next year for the show stopper of all shows.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher

Cannock Advertiser  24th September 1970  Cheslyn Hay’s first-ever pop festival on Saturday turned out to be a loser financially for the organisers.  Full details.

24th September 1970  Story of chrysanthemum growers in Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley having a tough season with all the prize winners.

24th September 1970  Cheslyn Hay Parish Council is planning to double its fees.  Full details.

24th September 1970  Glenthorne Primary School, Cheslyn Hay, is to introduce an updated alphabet based on the sound of words with spelling taking second place to pronunciation.

Cannock Chase Courier  25th September 1920  It has been suggested by those who do not always believe “that a woman’s place is in the home” that an institution should be provided where the women of the township might assemble with the sterner sex. It has been suggested that the Male Voice Choir held at the Club, might be a mixed choir, so that the wives and daughters of the members could take part. Full story.
 
England 1603 – 1660  by Peter Cadman
suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Our Salem Base…Closed
We would to thank all our members for their emails of support  during these uncertain times. We will be back open as soon as restrictions are lifted.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher

Cannock Advertiser  17th September 1970
Details of the newly appointed vicar, Rev John Craig, at St Marks.

17th September 1970
Tragic story of Mrs Leonida Pratt of 13 Station Street with a verdict of death by misadventure recorded at the inquest.

Cannock Chase Courier  18th September 1920
Details of the final of a snooker competition at the local Working Men’s Club between Mr. A. Horton and Mr. Geo Hall.

18th September 1920
The visit of the famous Manchester United of the First Division to Hednesford in a friendly match in recognition of Charlie Moore of Cheslyn Hay.

Requests
Ted Showell has emailed us with the following request. We have looked in our archives but we haven’t any Photographs of Cemetery Street perhaps one of our member can help.
“Hello, can you possibly help, The 1911 census shows my forebears living at no. 7 Cemetery St. Cheslyn Hay and I am hence trying to find a photo, picture or drawing of the  houses there at that time. Do you know of  any book or whatever where there could be  one.? It is a longshot I realise but one never knows.

Golden Wedding Anniversary
Congratulations to our members  John and Anne Kelsall who are celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 26^th September.  Full details.

suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Our Salem Base…Closed

Last Tuesday’s was our first meeting for almost six months, and it was a tremendous success. Unfortunately, it was short-lived when the Government announced the ‘Rule of Six’ which means we have had to close again. However, Tuesday’s turnout showed that the members will support us as soon as they get the opportunity, so a big thank you to those who were able to attend and let’s hope its not too long until we can reopen again.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher

Cannock Advertiser    

10th September 1970   Memories of Mr. Albert Bullivant of 7, Cross Street, Cheslyn Hay, from his three and a half weeks holiday in Toronto.
10th September 1970  The re-opening of  Old Wyrley Hall with the mystery remaining as part of village folk-lore of the ghost residing there.  Story also includes its past history with the Lunt family and the Lord and Lady Cherrington.

Cannock Chase Courier 

11th September 1920  Full report of the Cheslyn Hay United v West End Amateurs football match.

Memories

Full answer to one of our members question  “Where was the boundary / perimeter of the Wyrley Bonk?”

England 1603 – 1660 by Peter Cadman

Next period of the Civil War including the local connection of Boscabel House.

suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Our Salem Base   We are pleased to say that we will be re-starting our Tuesday meetings on September 8^th.  The safety and well-being of our members and volunteers is paramount to us. We will be complying with all Government Guidance on Covid and the Salem’s own safety measures. Our opening hours will be reduced to allow us to sanitize the tables and chairs before and after use, therefore we will be open from 10.00 am until 1.00 pm. All visitors will have to wear face coverings at all times and although we aren’t allowed to use the kitchen, we are looking at ways in which we can provide hot and cold drinks. For those who want to browse our photo albums, we will be accessing them via a laptop and our researchers will be available to help with family and local history questions as always. Unfortunately, our Chat N Char and Speakers Evenings will not take place for the foreseeable future.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher

Cannock Advertiser  27th August 1970  Story of the standard of the  Cheslyn Hay Boy’s Brigade being found  in the larder at the church hall.
27th August 1970  New development for the expanding Cheslyn Hay including a new school was discussed at the Parish Council meeting.  Also a new name for a new cul-de-sac was chosen by the council christened Zion Close.
Cannock Chase Courier  28th August 1920  Comments and criticisms of the start of the housing scheme at Cheslyn Hay with a quantity of bricks having been deposited at Coppice Lane.

28th August 1920  Mr. Charles Bickley a well-known inhabitant of Cheslyn Hay, passed away at his residence in High Street.

England 1603 – 1660 part 3 by Peter Cadman

General News  This week we have lost two of our members, Marie Diver nee Hogan who kindly donated a watercolour picture to the society last month has sadly recently passed away in Ireland.

Phil Evans another long standing member has also passed away. Phil will be greatly missed he was a lively and entertaining contributor to our Tuesday meetings at Salem and our monthly Chat n Char. I shall miss his witty emails and newspaper articles he regularly sent to me and the biscuits he always kept us supplied with.

suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Our Salem Base
We are hoping to be able to resume our Tuesday Morning meetings very soon. We are liaising with Salem to enable us to reopen our base whilst following all the Government guidelines and health and safety regulations. It will mean a strict control on the number of visitors , and the wearing of face masks whilst maintaining social distancing would  be compulsory. We would be grateful if we could have some feedback from our members on whether or not they would attend with the new regulations in place.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher
Cannock Advertiser
13th August 1970  Story of Mr. Benjamin Hawkins who has a detailed model of a pithead, made by his father over 60 years ago in his back garden in Station Street.

Cannock Chase Courier  14th August 1920   Chat from Cheslyn Hay  Bowling match at the local Working Men’s Club with Sutton Park Club.

14th August 1920  Cannock Town Football Club  Marshall, a Cheslyn Hay player will no doubt prove a very useful centre forward from Stafford Rangers.
14th August 1920   The first new burial ground for the district was provided by the Great Wyrley Council, but no lavish expenditure on a chapel or laying out of the ground was embarked upon and only a galvanised iron chapel was provided. At Cheslyn Hay a more progressive council was in existence and “Gods Acre” was provided of which the parishioners were pardonably proud.  A substantial chapel was provided, and the ground was laid out, and a number of trees were planted. 

England 1603 – 1660 by Peter Cadman part 2
General News   We have received a email from CHAPS Re National Miners Memorial
Last year the group Chase Arts for Public Spaces launched the project to build a National Miners’ Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas Staffordshire – home to over 380 national memorials.  Its purpose is to remember all those men, women and children who have worked in the coal industry in the UK, to recognize their bravery and the sacrifices they made. It also remembers all those miners who fought in both World Wars – 45 of whom received the Victoria Cross for their actions. We have to raise £100,000.Locally, almost £20,000.00 has been raised – fantastic!  Some is through personal donation, some from a wide variety of fund-raising events, all held before lockdown! This memorial is for miners from all parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland –.
We want to keep to the original date for the unveiling and dedication of the memorial – June/July 2021 – which is why we need to move on with fund raising. Two weeks ago the artist Andy de Comyn and 2 members of CHAPS [Mike Mellor & Len Prince] were interviewed at the NMA by the BBC. The piece went out on Midlands News – here is the link:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223324439038791&id=1220000405&sfnsn=scwspmo&extid=WL9YQx744Es9XAIZ&d=n&vh=e

suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Time Capsule
In recent weeks as you have been driving around the village you will have noticed that work has been taking place on the War Memorial with vans and cranes in much evidence. We are  pleased to say that the work has now finished .
On Wednesday 22nd July,  Cheslyn Hay Local History Society installed a ‘Time Capsule’ inside the newly repaired war memorial.   We have put some of our publications, small artifacts and a usb in the capsule, these items  we hope will give a picture of the history of the village and our current way of life. We included a letter for future villagers to read , an abridged version is printed below.
“Greetings to the future generations who have uncovered this document. Over the last hundred years, Cheslyn Hay transformed  from a mining community of about 2,500 inhabitants to a commuter/dormitory town with the population almost tripling. On Wednesday 22nd July, the Cheslyn Hay Local History Society placed a number of items inside the newly repaired war memorial in Cheslyn Hay which was unveiled on August 14^th 1921.   These items give a picture of the history of the village and the current way of life. Cheslyn Hay Local History Society hopes that the village continued to thrive and that the readers of this document are living happy and healthy lives in Cheslyn Hay”.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher
Cannock Advertiser  6th August 1970
Story of fourteen years-old Letitia Bowater as a queen of “mime” by winning through to the finals of a holiday competition for the second time.
6th August 1970   Details of a full-scale pop festival organised by The Landywood Estate Residents Committee for September 19th with over 1,000 tickets being printed.
Cannock Chase Courier  7th August 1920   Cheslyn Hay Tennis Club entertained and defeated the Chase Terrace Club by 156 games to 92. 
7th August 1920   Chat from Cheslyn Hay
Details of the cricket match with Cannock second eleven in “The Dell” on Saturday afternoon.
Also the result on the Barn Flat Ground of a foot race between S. Newell and E. Farnell.
Information on the athletics events at Wheaton Aston where local athletes competed.

The Isolation Hospital at Cheslyn Hay has been renovated and painted through out at the small cost of £154.

Donation
One of our members Marie Diver nee Hogan who now lives in Ireland has kindly donated a beautiful large framed water colour of Mount Pleasant Cottage and a smaller framed map of Staffordshire. We hope to be able to exhibit these at our next Local History Society Exhibition when Covid allows us to meet again.  
suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com

Well, Well, Well, by Malcolm Podmore

Long-standing Society member, Phil Evans, posed the question “When did the Town Well in Cross Street discontinue its provision of water to village folk?”

Malcolm Podmore responded with the history of the Cheslyn Hay Waterworks, which was opened in 1904, supplemented with the larger houses having their own wells, but with the majority having to fetch water in buckets from one of the three public pumps in the village – which were sited in Mount Pleasant, the High Street and Cross Street.  A detailed and interesting history of each of these three pumps are given.

What Happened This Week 50/100 years ago…by Mike Belcher
Cannock Advertiser  30th July 1970  Full details for the one-way system at Cheslyn Hay.

Cannock Chase Courier  31st July 1920  Outcome of the concert recently held in the grounds adjoining the Working Men’s Club, in aid of T. Hood, T. Tudor and W. Brough. 

England 1603 – 1660 by Peter Cadman  The article begins with the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 with specific mentions of White Ladies Priory, Boscobel House and Moseley Old Hall in our local area.

suewashington.cheslynhayhistory@btinternet.com