Centre Display in Preparation

MORE PICTURES ON EVENTS PAGE

LAUNCH OF NEW BOOK 

EVENTS We start off this year’s new Speakers Programme with a recommended talk entitled ‘Perceptions of Prostitution in Victorian Lichfield’ and Linzi Cooke is the speaker. This Thursday, 25th May, at the Salem starting at 7.30pm. Admission £1 including refreshments. Everybody welcome.
OUR SALEM BASE is open as usual every Tuesday from 9am – 2pm.
REQUESTS An email request arrived this week from Steve Rochelle. ‘My father served in the South Staffordshire Regt from around 1950-53. Whilst serving in Northern Ireland and Singapore/Hong Kong he knew a Chef by the name of Lote from Cheslyn Hay. I guess there aren’t that many Lotes in Cheslyn Hay so I assume the recently closed Lotes Butcher’s shop have to have connections to this Army cook. So I wonder if you have any information on how to contact the family?’ I have contacted Paul & Janet Harper (nee Lote) from the shop but it isn’t Janet’s father, Jack, as, although he was in the South Staffs, his only overseas posting was in Gibraltar. It is also doubtful that it was his younger brother as he only served in WWII. The only conclusion as Steve suggests it might be a cousin that lived in Cheslyn Hay.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS Ernie Carter’s cane and the original keys of 1882 to the Pinfold Lane School!
OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington From the local newspapers in the year of 1892 with stories and court case involving W Slaney, C Brough, J Mills, T Jukes, J Harrington, E Jones, E Stanton, J Ingram, W Baker, W Savage, J Smith, C Hawkins, W Jones, Henry Benton, George Pearson, Maud Steadman, Henry Challinor, William Jones, Joseph Pearson, George Pearson, William Westwood, Handel Whitehouse, Mary Davis, Sarah Westwood, Oliver Whitehouse, Mrs Whitehouse of the New Inns, W Crutchley, W Rogers, Edward Smith, Rev Shapurji Edalji, Thomas Sambrooke, James Farnell, W J Devereux, J H Whitehouse, TJ Green, J Groutage and F Biddle. Copy of any Newspaper Report £1.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO by Mike Belcher
25th May 1967 The New Horse Road problem again.
26th May 1917 Working Men’s Club Bowling Green opening ceremony with names.
26th May 1917 The visit of Mr David Clegg, of Blackpool, who has given over 5,000 recitals on the organ in the principal cities and towns of the British Isles, the Continent and America, to Salem Church, on Tuesday.
MEMORIES This week we look at the reminiscences of Ruth Mills, a popular character on the village who kept a shop in Station Street, next door to Nellie Pee’s shoe shop.
MICK FELLOWS FUNERAL is on Thursday, 25th May at the Strawberry Lane Cemetery in Landywood, starting at 10.30am and afterwards at Fishley Park.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.netQ

EVENTS Our guest speaker this month is Jack Brown with a talk (and demonstration!) on the ‘History of the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance’. This Thursday, 31st July at 7.30pm at the Salem. £1 including refreshments.
OUR SALEM BASE This Tuesday, 29th July, we have a reunion of all pupils who attended Pinfold Lane School in the 1940s starting at 10am throughout the morning. We expect a decent turnout so anyone coming please spread the word. The coffee pot will be on and Joanne is baking the cakes!
Base is also open as normal for general enquiries etc until 3pm.
REQUESTS Pete Whipple from Minnesota has made contact through our Facebook Page requesting help in locating his long lost grandfather William Bird (1860-1932). He emails ‘I have Mary Ann Satchwell (1858-1946) as spouse to William Bird, and George Bird (b1826) as father, Elizabeth Millward (b1831) mother. William immigrated to the US in December 1890 but returned to England abt 1932 to visit relatives and died but I do not have an exact date nor cause of death or where he is buried. William’s siblings are: George Albert Bird (1847-1922), Edwin Bird (1849-1929 Australia), Thomas E Bird (1851-1940 USA), Rosanna Ester Bird (1855-1907) and Lizzie Bird (b1868).
And another request from Facebook from Elaine Taylor who emails ‘I’m researching my family tree and I’ve found that my g-g-grandfather lived in Cheslyn Hay with his grandparent Moses Lockett and is it true that there was once a Locketts Lane? Moses had the Colliers Arms and most of my family were miners and their names followed on such as Moses, John, Job and Harriet. Also William Henry Lockett was licensee of the Red Lion from 1912 to 1922 and any information or photographs would be great’.
Pete Foxton from West Sussex pleads for more information to confirm or deny his findings and emails ‘I am researching my wife’s g-grandfather, William Hubery (b Wolverhampton c1859) and his brother James (b W’ton 1854) but I cannot find them pre 1881 censuses or BMDs. The trouble is the Hubery name gets spelt in different ways from Aubrey to Youbury and I’ve found him and James on the censuses from 1881 to 1911. On William and Sarah Connor’s marriage certificate in 1880 (Huldbury) his father is James and a miner. Before then I have nothing of his family in the name of Hubery. Also the Youbury/Oldbury family seem to vanish from census records after 1871 and the Hubery name does not feature before 1881 so I am wondering if the name changed.’
And the fourth request comes from member Stuart Pearson who offers his research on his Pearson family to anyone interested and he says ‘I am wondering if Andrew Pearson, who has done so much work on the Pearson family, may be interested in the links I have made back to John Pearson in Cheslyn Hay and one day we may find our illusive James Henry Pearson who was last spotted in the 1911 census. He did not, as I was told by the family, die in WWI but the family was in uproar around 1900 with splits which were never healed and ones I would like to heal albeit too late.’
RESPONSES Following on from the thoroughly enjoyable Wollaston ‘get together’ of last Tuesday when four strains of the family readily exchanged information, Wendy Manns, who was unable to attend, emailed details and information of all of her own Wollaston family.
Bernard Jackson from Sacramento emails ‘I noticed that you mentioned that you were sorting out two separate lines of the Clewley family and I wanted to mention that my g-g-g-grandmother, Sarah Jackson (nee Cartwright) remarried after her husband Joseph’s death to Joseph Tuft, a butcher. Their daughter Lucy Catherine Tuft (b1845) married Charles Clewley (b1837) and inherited part (and purchased part) of the old Jackson farm at Holly Bush Hall. Charles and Lucy Catherine had Hamer (b1866), Beatrice (b1874), Arthur (b1876) and Annie (b1878) Clewley.’
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Cliff Titley (b1923) and Kay Titley (1925 – 2013) plus half a dozen of truly excellent prints off glass negatives from the local photographer Charlie Barker of New Street in Great Wyrley. They are taken around 1910 and are of the Great Wyrley Cricket Team, two wedding photographs, six miners coming off shift at the Plant Pit, a teacher and his assistant with nine lads with spades on an allotment and a family of husband and wife with 8 daughters and one son (does this ring a bell with anyone’s family tree that’s local around the 1911 census?!)

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
31st July 1964 A story on the sewage disposal works at Cheslyn Hay.
31st July 1964 More on the pavilion in the village recreation ground.
31st July 1964 Problems with the Cheslyn Hay Salem Methodist Schoolrooms.
31st July 1964 Proposals for an area of four and a half acres of land at the corner of Mill Lane and Lodge Lane.
31st July 1964 A road accident in Cheslyn Hay.
1st August 1914 The seventeenth Annual Flower Show in connection with the Cheslyn Hay Horticultural Society took place with a full sports and athletics meeting at the Barn Flat Grounds. All races, winners together with the runners ups and those placed are named.
1st August 1914 The farewell sermon of Rev W J Teague.
MEMORIES From Don Savage who recalls many memories of cricket, the Isolation Hospital, the ‘wooden huts’ and Dr Tomkinson.
TONY MYTTON We have just received more sad news that another member has sadly passed away this month. After attending Pinfold Lane School Tony went to Rugeley Grammar School before settling into a career with Bowmakers where he toured the world, but his heart remained in Cheslyn Hay staying here until 1976 when he moved to Penkridge, but was a regular visitor to our Exhibitions. He was aged just 74.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

HS-MYS-110

EVENTS There is a Military History Show at the Cannock Chase Museum at Brindley Heath this weekend – 17th &18th August.
OUR SALEM BASE is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm. All welcome. Last week we received a visitor, Angela Rustidge, from the south coast, who kindly dropped in to identify one of the Mystery Photographs, MYS 110, shown on our website as that of her mother Mrs Wright with Betty Kingston and baby Carol. This week we look forward to meeting Jenni (nee Homeshaw) from Australia who is also researching her Homeshaw roots as well.
REQUESTS
RESPONSES More information has been forthcoming from our researchers on the Joseph Stokes request. He was born 2 Jan 1894 and Andrew has traced him to Isaac Stokes and Priscilla Candell on our database and encloses a Pedigree Chart going back to George Whitehouse and Lucy Brindley on Joseph’s mother’s side. Andrew also adds that the Joseph Stokes in WW II is the son of Harry Stokes (b1882 son of Henry Stokes and Hannah Tuft) and Alice Ada Bird Hawkins (b1889 daughter of Godfrey Dorrington Hawkins and Matilda Bird) and they married in 1907 at St Mark’s.
David emails from Canada offering his help as he is working on the same lines and states ‘Jack would be John Plant who married Amy Stokes in 1921. As for Hawkins – Henry Stokes married Alice Hawkins so that may be the connection to the Hawkins family. Henry and Alice were the parents of Walter that she mentions. I would have to guess on Lizzie at this point as I do not have the document to prove anything, however if Marion has a date of the marriage I could easily confirm my suspicion. While the Stokes are in the Brough line they come back into the Whitehouse line when my great uncle married one of Joseph’s sisters.
With reference to the war records, Jean says that there are a few Joseph Stokes on the war records but they do not match up, but there is a Joseph Kempson Stokes of 18 Hill Street, Cheslyn Hay. But Jon, our Military Researcher, emails ‘I’ve looked at his Medal Index Card and his number is 214108 but no mention of /515. The number suggests he went into the army quite late in the war joining up late April/early May 1918 and 515 would relate to the 515th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery. Of note in Sept 1918 it was commanded by Prime Minister Lloyd George’s son, Gwilym. In this month it was joined by 2nd Lieutenant George Mallory who perished on Mount Everest with Sandy Irvine in 1924, so it is very possible that Joseph knew a famous mountaineer!
Finally Vi answers the enquiry of the maiden name of Walter C Stokes’s wife. He married Phyllis Skitt in Cannock in 1933.
Jenni emails her thanks to John Astbury from Melbourne for his information on George Homeshaw (b1844) being brought up as a Persehouse and adds ‘When I return to Hobart I can recheck James Homeshaw’s will of 1876 because he was a very fair man and I think there is a Pursehouse involved somewhere. James had a son with Hannah, named George (b1848) whose son George Robert Homeshaw was my grandfather.’ Jenni then provides us with a full Homeshaw family tree from 1799.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS Football photographs of Hawkins FC in 1978 and Cannock Schoolboys with captain John Bailey, Cheslyn Hay Table Tennis Club photographs with Mark & Simon Robinson, Steven Atherton, Gary Murphy and Andy Stuart and one of the Over 60s Club in 1976.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS/DONATIONS OLD NEWSPAPERS researched by Dave Washington Copies available at £1 per report. This week covers the last newspaper reports of 1910 including the court cases involving Edward John Glover, William Kendall, George & Helen Boycott and Richard Burton. Also the tragic death of Henry Dawkins, and stories of Ernest Whitehouse, Harry Jones, Albert Dawkins and F & R Altree.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 50/100 YEARS AGO ……by Mike Belcher
17th August 1963 The death occurred on Sunday of Reginald Clarence Pee, of 3 Coppice Lane, Cheslyn Hay. While on h oliday with his wife at Weston-Super-Mare, Mr Pee was taken to hospital, where he died. The funeral took place at Salem Methodist Church , Cheslyn Hay, on Thursday. Mr Pee leaves a wife, son, daughter and two granddaughters.
17th August 1963 ‘Glancing Back 25 Years to 13 August 1938’ Twenty-six badges and certificates were presented to Air Raid Precautions trainees at a meeting in a room at Salem Methodist Church, on Thursday by Mr A D Dallow (Clerk to Cannock Rural District Council). Mr Joseph Baker, who presided, said that he had a number of conflicting emotions such as he had felt when passing the war memorial. It seemed that the world had not learned a great deal from the last war. After two thousand years of war it was still necessary to have such meetings as that. Mr Dallow, in presenting the badges, said that the Rural District Council welcomed the co-operation of the Parish Council. He had a difficult job arranging for 18 parishes. He was delighted so many had passed out, as he knew it entailed a lot of hard work.
16th August 1913 Recently the King of Burgunda has been on a visit to Birmingham, and he took advantage of visiting places of interest in the district. His Majesty seems particularly interested in the works which surround the big Midland city. On Wednesday there was considerable interest observable at the Rosemary Tileries, Cheslyn Hay, when the King made a flying visit and inspect these flourishing works. His Majesty was accompanied by three of his Chiefs and his Tutor and had been to Walsall where he inspected the hame, chain and cart-gear manufactories’ of Messrs J Wheway and son. On arrival at the Rosemary Works, His Majesty was heartily welcomed by Mr A R Knox, who was accompanied by Rev W Rowley O’Keefe. The Royal parties were conducted by the courtesy of Mr Knox throughout the Tileries and they expressed their greatest satisfaction at the inspection. There was one kiln that contained 125,000 tiles, which was being opened just as the Royal guests arrived.
A pleasing feature of the visit was a boy named Whitehouse who was dared to make a salute to the King as he passed by in his carriage. The boy did so, in true military style, and as His Highness passed he noticed the boy, and returned the salute, and then handed the boy in a graceful manner, half-a-crown. His Majesty then went with the Manager around the various kilns and after inspecting the works he expressed his appreciation of what he had observed. He remarked that the work was carried on in a systematic manner and he was quite pleased with the visit.

On leaving the Royal guests expressed their pleasure at the courtesy of the Manager, Mr Knox and thanked him for the information offered respecting the Tileries, for he, the King said he had not seen a better Tile Works. It may be added that His Majesty is of an extremely retiring disposition. He shows a lively interest in motors and informed the party they were much used in Uganda as the main roads were in good condition. Two of the Chiefs spoke English fluently, but the other one could not do so. The visit was most successful from a business point of view.

16th August 1913 On Friday last, one of the oldest citizens passed away, Mrs Elizabeth Bullivant, who has resided in High Street for over 50 years. Deceased who was widely known, has been ailing and practically kept to her bed since last Easter. There are not many citizens who did not know her for she is stated to be one of the oldest citizens in the township. The remains of the old lady were laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon at the Great Wyrley cemetery when the Rev S Edalji performed the service.

16th August 1913 A serious accident occurred on Wednesday evening to a little girl named Annie Huxley along the line leading from the Great Wyrley Colliery to the Churchbridge Works. The girl who is but six years old was seen along the line when the tubs were going along and although the driver of the horse shouted to the child one of the tubs came into contact with the child’s arm and badly injured it.
It was deemed necessary to convey the little girl to Wolverhampton Hospital where on arrival it was found necessary to have the arm amputated. It may be added that the driver did his utmost to prevent the accident but he could not get to the unfortunate child in time to save her.
MEMORIES
GENERAL NEWS
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am, but we are closing at 2pm this week for a meeting.

All welcome.Another request from Bernard in America who emails ‘I was wondering if anyone at the Cheslyn Hay LHS would have a database of graves at the Rushall Cemetery.  I think it is called St Michaels and I learned yesterday that Joseph Jackson Snr is buried there. He was born about 1752, married Lucy Davidson in Dec 1774 and died in 1813.  He was Joseph Jackson Jnr’s father and as you were so successful in finding Joseph Jackson Jnr (1789-1837) and his (my) family, that I hope you might help.  As you may recall you discovered the Jackson family living and farming in Holly Bush Hall area.  Joseph Jackson Jnr was married to Sarah Cartwright (eventually after Joseph died, Sarah married Joseph Tufft).  This Joseph Jackson would be his father who was married to Lucy Davidson in Walsall in December, 1774. They were apparently, the first Jacksons to migrate to Holly Bush from Bentley near Bloxwich where they had 5 children and then they had four more at Holly Bush. Nine kids…wow!  What I want to determine is if the grave of Joseph Jackson is truly at Rushall and see if there are other Jacksons buried there as I am hoping to find his parents or siblings.  His wife Lucy Jackson (nee Davidson) (1750-?) may be there as well.  Can you assist me?’

After locating the graves for Mike Birch’s grandparents earlier this month, David from Canada who has links with this Birch family tree emails ‘I do not have Michael showing in my database. Frederick and Clara Birch had nine children and so far I have only managed to extend three of those lines. Those would be his aunts and uncles so hopefully he would be invaluable to me in bringing all those lines into the present. I did manage to locate a picture of Frederick and perhaps he may be able to confirm that is actually him.

‘Responses this week comes from Marcia (nee Perks) who remembered Harold Corns as he worked part time in the offices at J Wood & Son in North Street, Bridgtown when she worked there and she relates her memories there. But our researchers Andrew and Jean provide much more information with the Corns family originating from South Africa and Harold’s wedding to Annie Alice Douglas and the Wollaston line going back to the early 1800s including Eleanor Wollaston and Simeon Frank Perks. Once again this links up with Andrew’s major project of the combined Cheslyn Hay family trees database. And for Jill from Brisbane, our researcher solves the problem and separates the two Wood lines. and his wife is where the confusion lay, and Jean takes the line back to 1786 and James was the illegitimate child of Mary Wood and he was baptised on 12 October 1835 in Cheslyn Hay.   Archive additions and artefact donations this week include the Thomas WoodMary Ann Dacefull history of the Rev George Henry Parbrook (1884 – 1956). Also a school report for a 12 year old Olive Whitehouse signed by Ikey Stokes and Ernie Carter dated 23 December 1936 as well as Olive’s Sewing Bag  beautifully embroidered with her name and a note confirming that it has kept Olive’s knitting and sewing in it for the past 76 years.

And in our newspaper research this week we cover the news stories, events and court cases of the first six months of 1906, mentioning Edwin Handy, Wm Perks, Wm Shaw, James Walker, James Hemmingsley, Joe Baker, Samuel Brough, George Moore, Annie Alice Douglas, Isaac Stokes, John Felton, Charles Lockett, Wm Henry Steadman, Miss Jones of Hillside, Wm Thomas Summerton, George Mason and PC Hulme.  Also court cases where Albert Hawkins, Wm Morgan, Wm Perks and Job Whitehouse were all prosecuted for selling ‘short measure’ in their shops and cricket matches involving W Lawson, W Horton, JV Greensill, G Whitehouse, R Evans, E Marshall, G Wootton, E Field, A Hamblett, J Bullock, R Shorter, D Smith, F Bown, AE Elwell, G Allen, A Wollaston, W Pearce, B Dutton and E Pearson. Copies available at £1 per report. In Mike Belcher’s ‘What Happened this Week 100 Years Ago’ there is a story of a cycling accident in which the rider W Butler was badly injured and had to be conveyed to hospital by Mr G H Seedhouse.

Also our ‘Memories’ come this week from Olive (nee Whitehouse) who recorded her ‘Childhood Memories’ twelve years ago and it is in response to last week’s request for anyone who can recollect the plane crash and the pilot baling out over Cheslyn Hay in WWII. Olive recalls the night in question very well and explains what day to day life was like during the Second World War through the eyes of a teenage girl and written in a light humorous way. Full details of any of the above reports can be available by request to this email address below. trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

Coffee morning on Thursday, 13th September at 10am at theSalem. Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm for enquiries and help on research. Norma from Canadaemails with an enquiry. ‘My paternal grandparents were Frances Ellen Jones, (b 1863 either in Wolverhampton or Walsall ) and William Henry Bowen (b 1858 in Worcestershire).  William’s mother was Mary Bull and Frances ‘ father was Robert Jones.  I think Robert was from Wolverhampton .  William and Frances married at St Mark’s Great Wyrley c1888.  I have a cousin somewhere named Molly Holland who is related to Frances in some way and she, Molly, married a man named Ramsbottom from Lancashire .  There is a town named after the Ramsbottoms, they owned a cotton mill there.  She was matron at the hospital in Bolton at some time in her life.  Also in the 12th August 2012 Newsletter there was a mention of Marjorie Bull from Hill Street and I wondered if anyone might know if she was connected to my Bulls?  My father was Frank Bowen (b 2 Nov 1905 C/Hay) and my mother was Fanny Elizabeth (Onions) Bowen (b 20 Nov 1905Walsall ). My dad grew up in Cheslyn Hay and was a member of the Cheslyn Hay Working Man’s Club, involved in the darts and bowls teams and he worked at Abbey Drop Forgings/Elliot Lucas in Bridgtown and we lived inUpper Landywood .’  Can anyone add anymore information – or does anyone remember Frank Bowen or any of the family?

Just received an email from Maureen (nee Brown) who used to live in the High Street and is coming over fromGermany to visit us at our Exhibition on Saturday 29th September and would love to meet up with any of her old friends.

Our researchers have produced family trees and information for Alf on his quest of last week for his grandmother Caroline Baker and her whereabouts after she was living at Landywood in 1911 and we are now looking in the Red Books and Directories.

And regarding Iris’s bible of the Chackett family Andrew has provided a family tree back to Thomas Chackett marrying Mary Cook on 5 October 1786 and although our researchers point out they were mainly a Cannock family, we have two members who have provided details of the Chacketts marrying into their family trees linking up with the families of Withington, Trubshaw,Clark, Jellyman, Barnes and Dace 

Additions to our Archives this week include a ’50 Star Players’, including our own Charlie Mooreof Manchester United, in full colour in a booklet issued in 1924 with the Adventure comic that ran from 1921 to 1961, a Church of England Temperance Society Juvenile Declaration signed by S Moore at the Wyrley Branch dated 10th October 1905, and the final letter signed by Mrs M N Cartwright to the parents on the closing of the old Pinfold Lane School in July 1985.

For the first time there was no coverage of any Cheslyn Hay stories of this week in the local papers from 1962 or 1912, so we include a more personal story.  On the 13th September 1912, Gladys, later wife of Harold Westwood, Cheslyn Hay butcher, was born and we pass on our best wishes to her and her family as Gladys celebrates her 100th birthday on Thursday.

Memories this week are of the old Pinfold Lane School from Glenys (nee Baker), and beautiful ones they are as well including recollections of teachers Miss Thomas, Miss Rowe (Mrs Jeavons), Mrs Corona Price, Mr Berry and Mr Blount.  Glenys also includes stories and reminiscences of Bert Hackett, Adrian Hawkins, Kathleen O’Neal, the policeman’s daughter,Fay McClachlan, Judy Dace, Janet Illidge, Keith Moore, Sandra Moore, Ann Whitehouse, Kenneth Beeston and Beverley Ponder.

More information of any of the above stories or items, or if anyone wishes to join (£5 annual membership) and receive the complete Weekly Newsletters please contact me below.                 

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net