Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.

Requests this week come from Norma (nee Bowen) in Canada who cannot get any further on her family tree being stuck on her paternal grandparents’ side. Norma appeals for information on William Henry Bowen b 10 Aug 1858, Mary Bull and Frances Ellen Jones b 10 Aug 1863.

And Pat Boden from Cyprus has picked upon a request about the Paddock family two months ago and emails ‘I am looking for a link from my Paddock family of Walsall to perhaps another Paddock family who originate from Essington. At least one of the family, a wife of, came from Landywood and I am wondering if you could link me with any Paddocks from your area. My Paddocks were, up to my grandfather, in the building trade. I have them from around 1800 to modern day. My mother was Marion Paddock, daughter of Joseph (1890-1960) who was son of Phineas (1862-1933) who was son of Phineas (1824-1901) who was son of Edward (c1800-1876) and that’s as far I can do from 2000 miles away. Edward was born in Harding, his wife was Sarah Allsop (c1806-1868). I would like to find Edward’s siblings and confirm his parents as I believe his father could be another Phineas, and then further back. Besides Phineas being popular in these Paddocks and another unusual name that crops up is Hezekiah. I would appreciate any help for any information.’

From recent researches, it appears that our researchers, Jean and David, they have the same great grandparents, as Ellen Dace is Jean’s great grandfather and Edmund Dace’s sister. Does anyone else link in with them?

A touching response comes from Janet after reading Mike’s Newspaper Reports of ‘This Week 100 Years Ago’ concerning the tragic suicide of Joseph Evans of Coppice Lane, a fortnight before he was due to marry Janet Wood. Janet reveals that this was her grandmother and unravels a mystery from 100 years ago.

And Pam replies to the enquiry of the Smith family of Lodge View ffrom last month.

New photographs received this week include the Pheasant family, Edgar Hackett outside both his father’s old butcher’s shop and his home in Low Street before they were demolished in the 1960s, Gladys Baker & Alf Richard Ford, a 1960 production of ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ with Joan Reynolds, Glenys Hammond and Gail McLachlan, and five photos of ‘Tony’ the Hawkins Loco and its history.

And for our Archives we have had donated the records of the Salem Tennis & Bowls Club, formed in 1923, together with names of committee and members – all in excellent order. Last entries are in 1967. Together with a plaque ‘Walsall & District League Award in 1964′. Also a brick incribed ‘Hawkins Colliery’.

Barbara (nee Chilton) emails her memories of her childhood having coming across our site by accident. She recalls the Hawkins’ cricket matches with her parents Margaret and Arthur Chilton, Joe Cadman, Jean, Frank and Lynda Hemmingsley, Sid Thacker, Boyd Price and Paul Whitehouse. Also her schooldays from the late fifties and early sixties with teachers Mr Davies and Ken Handley. As Barbara says ‘Great memories.’

In Mike’s Newspaper reports from 50 and 100 years ago, he covers the death of Charles M Wilcox (62) of 17 Cross Street in 1962 and the activities of the Salem Church in 1912.

The full newsletter now goes out to over 250 addresses. To become a member and receive it weekly it is £5 which is up to April 2013 – so please contact me at the below email address. Also please contact me if you require more information on any of the items above – free of course.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

We welcome the Black Country Poet Trevor Johnson who will entertain us at our Coffee Morning this Thursday, 10th May at the Salem starting at 10am. Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.

We’re still looking to do researches for any Cheslyn Hay descendants, so please contact us through the email address below. In the meantime we have an enquiry on the Pearson family tree with John Pearson who was born 4th Dec 1939 in the Rugeley area, the son of Henry Pearson. Our researchers have certainly been able to supply an incredible amount of information to resolve Keith’s complicated enquiry from last week. They have provided family trees of William Perry going back 200 years and tying in with families and information on Susannah, Sarah and Thomas Whitehouse, Kezzia Smith, Ellen Turner, Amy Brevitt, Sarah Woodward and Hannah Marshall. Full details can be obtained by contacting me at the email address below.

Archive Additions and Artefacts donations this week include the Minutes Book of the Cheslyn Hay Social Class dating 1900 – 1917, ten programmes covering events at the Schools, Salem and Mount Zion from 1951 – 1969. Plus Certificates of St John Ambulance Association and a newspaper cutting on the ARP Branch at Cheslyn Hay.

In Mike’s column reporting on the news from the local papers of 50/100 years ago, there is a full report of the Cheslyn Hay Carnival being resurrected in 1962, plus the Cheslyn Hay WMC Snooker and Billiards Annual Supper and Prize distribution with 40 players and guests attending. The officials and all the prize winners and runners-up are mentioned.

In April there were 107 sightings of our local scenes on staffspasttrack They were – Brittania Picture House 26, Salem 20, High Street 17, Hacketts Butchers shop 17, Albert Hawkins shop 12, Garrett’s shop 6, Walter Hackett 5, and Wootton’s Post Office 4. And a report of Stella Tileries very successful first season in the Bloxwich Combination Div 2 with a match report and details of the season and players Arnold, Craddock and K Morgan.

100 years ago there was a tragic suicide of a 23 years old miner Joseph Evans of 27 Coppice Lane , Cheslyn Hay. Full details of his suicide and the events leading up to it with a report of the inquest and evidence given by fiancée, Janet Wood of Shareshill. Thomas Wooton was also in attendance.

Peter Cadman’s memories continue this week on the the growth of Cheslyn Hay in the sixties and what life was like then. One of our members went to the dedication of the mines memorial in Hednesford this week and remarked on our moving the service was. She had a brick engraved with her father-in-law’s name on it and added that the book on the memorials is very good, at only £5 and full of interesting facts and very useful to anyone searching family names.

 trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net   

1 Comment »

Our Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm for all enquiries and research.

An enquiry has come in this week on the Perry family tree concerning James Edward Perry and his ascendants – William (b1865), James (b1833) and James (b1801). It involves Susannah Parbrook (1838) and Sarah Wootton (1845) together with Joseph and William Whitehouse in the 1800s.

Responses from last week include an incredible reply to Lyn Lockley’s request of last week where we now have full details of Frances Lockley and her parents and all of her siblings with information on Charlotte (nee Butler) and George Smith, Thomas Boon and Emma Morgan. Also more information on the Israel Deakin enquiry.

New photographs received this week include several Westwood photographs working around the butchers shop including the Blowers and Frances West, four Darby and Joan Club events with Harriet Whitehouse, the Bakers and the Plants, Primary School Dog Trial in 1978, a Salem Garden Party of 1930, a 1960 Concert with Gail McLachlan, Glynys Hammond and Joan Reynolds, the 1st Cheslyn Hay Scouts Annual Camp of 1989 (all named) and two weddings with guests – Herbert Baker and Gladys Whitehouse (1920), Gilbert Hammond and Gladys Baker (1944). Plus six photos of the Franks and Turner families.

Plus two certificates for our archives of the Cadman family – death certificate of Oliver, buried alive down Hawkins pit in 1941 and the marriage of John Thomas in 1871.

In Mike Belcher’s report on ‘What Happened this Week 100 Years Ago’ includes a parade with the Cheslyn Hay Victoria Brass Band and a meeting at the Working Men’s Club and Institute with a speech concerning ‘The Hospital and its Work’ listing the work and expenses of the hospital throughout the year. Mr Joseph Heminsley and Mr Isaac Smith, Brough brothers, J Hood, George Ridgway and son Wilfred were all involved.

Also details of the first Talbot Bowling Club competition of the season with the full results of matches and finals with club bowlers P Hunter, S Parbrook, R Marshall, W H Lockett, W Heminsley and A Cope all taking part.

Margaret’s memories of the local shops follow on from last week with details of the shops in Landywood Lane, High Street and Pinfold Lane recalling names such as Wilfred B Hawkins, Fred Lockett, Sidney Hawkins, William Perks, Herbert Perks, George Wootton and Stan Pratt.

Following on from our AGM on Thursday, Peter Cadman introduced a new project where he will interview anyone from Cheslyn Hay at our Base any Tuesday for the purpose of writing their biography to be printed using our Graphic Designer and Printers. He suggests all you need to bring to the base is your photograph album and your memories. Our own photographs are also available at no cost and we will not charge for the writing etc. Costs of publishing will be kept to a minimum and we suggest just 20 copies to be printed and then you will have your own life story in print for all of your future generations! First step is to contact me via my email address below or telephone 01922 414772.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

This Thursday, 26th April we hold our AGM at the Salem Schoolroom starting at 7.30pm. The AGM will be a short affair as it will be followed by a presentation by Bob Brevitt and Darren Butler at 8pm on ‘Where We are Going’ covering three aspects of what they have been working on and the future of the Society. Free of course. Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday for help, research and enquiries from 10am – 3pm.

Lyn from Portsmouth is tracing her Lockley family. Her g-grandfather James Henry Lockley (b1866) married Charlotte Butler (1876 -1906) of Cheslyn Hay but he cannot be traced after 1910 after which his sons were sent to various institutions and are listed in the 1911 census as : William Henry (b1895 – injured in WWI) – The Reformatory, Norton Boys Home, Saltley, Birmingham; George (b1899 – killed WWI) to the Industrial Boys School at Werrington, Stoke; Joseph (b1900) – Union Workhouse, Ivy House, Cannock and his daughters: Violet (b1897) – with the Rhodes family, Toys & Fancy Goods Dealer in Market St, Hednesford and Frances (b1904) – adopted by the Derry family. Can anyone add any information or photos for Lyn?

Following on from the Ellison/Cope enquiry we have had enquiries from someone tracing their family tree including the names of Elizabeth Olive Ford and Alfred Jeffries (b1858) who lived in Pelsall. And re the Pitt enquiry our researchers have named all four possible children who died in Cannock between 1895 and 1912 as well plus full details going back 200 years and pointing out a descrepancy in the tree with Annie Bradbury and Annie Lottie Sykes Stourbridge.

Our researchers also provides information on Israel Deakin (1828 – 1901) and family and incredibly have traced the line back to 1666 !! This research linked together several names including John Perks, Matilda Lyons, Thomas Mountfor Farmer, Ann Day, Elizabeth Lisset and Elizabeth Massey.

And Joan from Canada passes on her thanks to our researchers for their help in getting her past the stumbling block in her family tree and emails ‘I now understand that my great uncle Wilfred Pearce did not come to Canada with the rest of the family because he had already married Jessie Evans and had a daughter Hilda Evans Pearce. We have now located photographs of this family and their grocery shop at 13 High Street.

For our Archives this week we have received two newspaper cuttings – one dated 27 February 1959 of Harold and Gladys Westwood in their butcher’s shop and one of the wedding of Gladys Baker and Flt Sgt James Hammond in 1944.

And in Mike Belcher’s column of Newspaper reports from 50 and 100 years ago there are reports of the flying of model aeroplanes on the football pitch at Cheslyn Hay with the rulings of Mr W G Mytton and Mr D Brough, the chairman.

And in 1912 there is a full report of the opening of the Cheslyn Hay Bowling Club with T Whitehouse, Percy Carpenter, Dr Syree, WH Browell and Isaac Clewley.

Also a meeting and concert of the Cheslyn Hay branch of the West Staffordshire Women’s Association, with Mrs Minnie Hawkins, A Hampton, Margaret Pratt, C M Gripton, A Twigdon, Carrie Whitehouse, K Morris, Miss G Bown, Miss B Lockett, Miss Pass, Miss Utting, Miss C Whitehouse Miss F Thomas, Miss Devereux, Miss A Hampton, S Holcroft, Miss A Elwell, Miss K Horton and Miss M Hudson.

There was also a football match arranged to be played on the Barn Flat ground for the benefit of Mr George Pee who met with a bad accident it is to be hoped the general public will give their support for this cause. Included in the report are Syd Smith, W Baker, J Wesley, R Wesley, Harry Whitehouse, Percy Bown and H Westwood.

This week’s Memories come from Margaret Matthews with stories of Tom and Esther Harvey, George and Maud Plant, George ‘Bovril’ and Bertha Dace, Bill and Kathleen Kendall and the Middleton family, ‘Ollie’ Shorter, Albert ‘Bus’ Stanton, Bill Smithyman, Bill Middleton, Jack Chetter, Effie Goodman, Albert Hawkins, ‘Granny’ Potts, Keelings butcher’s shop, Bill Brough’s the barbers, Marjorie Pee, the Rev Kerry, Fred Altree, Ena Jenkins, Wootton’s, Police Sergeants Ballance and Smith, Miss Rosa Hawkins, Tom Plant, Brown’s fruitshop, Thacker’s scrapyard and Harriet Hawkins fish and chip shop in Mount Pleasant.

The funeral of Mrs Joan Perks, President of the Cheslyn Hay Branch of the Royal British Legion, will be held at 1.00pm on Thursday, 26th April at the Salem Methodist Church.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

For fuller details of any of the above stories – or if anyone wishes to join (£5 from 1 April – 31 March 2013) and receive the full unabridged Newsletters please contact me at the above email address.

No Comments »

This week the Bridgtown LHS have Mike Hewitt with ‘Tales of Old Cannock’ at their Coffee Morning on Wednesday 18th April at the Bridgtown Community Centre at 10am.

And next Saturday, 21st April, St Georges Day is being celebrated at Harrison’s Club in Wharwell Lane Great Wyrley with events all day from 10am.

Our Base at the Salem will be open as usual this Tuesday from 10am – 3pm.

Two requests this week. One from George who is tracing his Pitt family tree and has a query with his grandparents George Pitt and Annie (nee Bradbury). They had six children, all born in Cheslyn Hay – Harry (b1897), Frank (b1900), Florence (b1902), Annie (b1906) and Arthur (b1909) but there was a child that died and George is asking for more information.

And new member Barry asks for help on his Deakin family and emails ‘Isiah (Israel) Deakin’s (1828-1901) daughter, Edith Emma (1851-1908) married my maternal g-grandfather Peter Thomas Powell in 1869. I believe Israel was a coal miner, but I’m eager to find out at which pits. In the 1880/1890 Kelly’s Directories he is listed as a shopkeeper in Landywood but I have no idea where the shop was and in the 1881 census his address was ‘lane from Walsall Road by Wes Chapel to Cheslyn Hay’. I feel he was married twice, firstly to Matilda Lyons and then to Lucy Felton but where did his forebears originate and what happened to the rest of his family? Also where was he buried?’

And once again our four researchers have provided Joan from Canada with all the information she required on her Wilfred Pearce (b 18 March 1887) son of Enoch and Charlotte. Plus all the details, addresses, burials and relatives including Jessie Evans, Frederick Craddock, Colin Sambrook and Barbara Marsh.

And Judy is surprised at the similarities between her g-grandfather George Ellison who moved from Shropshire to Hollybank Cottages in the late 1800s to work for Squire Vernon and Vi’s own grandfather mentioned last week and I have now connected Judy and Vi together to exchange information.

Finally Peter Cadman has been exchanging emails with Liz who has now a contact in Australia and they are developing the Cadman links ‘down under’.

New photographs this week include the Merchant photographs, the wedding of Silas Brevitt of the Lot and Mabel Watson and guests, plus Baker photographs and one of Winnie Evans from Landywood.

In Mike Belcher’s newspaper reporting of 50/100 years ago stories are covered of the Cheslyn Hay Over 60 Club in 1962 with their activities together with all of their committee and many of their members named. Also in the same week a full report of the Woodman Bowling Club and a presentation as well as details of a match against the Castle of Bridgtown.

100 Years ago the Outdoor Relief Committee were raising funds for different projects and at a Council Meeting there was a dispute over who should pay for the removal of a large tree blown over on to the allotments.

Memories this week are from John Whitehouse who was born on 8th August 1931 at 3 Cemetery Street recalling his schooldays and the war years, mentioning the Pinfold Lane schoolteachers and how the war interrupted his education.

Fuller information can be obtained by contacting me at at the email address below and if anyone wants to join, our researchers will gladly provide all the information and research from all of our local records free to members. Membership is £5 per annum. Details via -

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

Coffee morning this Thursday, 12th April at the Salem at 10am and Trevor Bate gives a talk on ‘Life as a Local Newspaper Reporter in the Sixties’.

Our Salem Base will open this Tuesday as usual from 10am but we will close early at 2pm this week.

We have had a request Joan Hayes from Canada who emails ‘I have definitely hit a brick wall in my tree regarding my great uncle Wilfred Pearce and I hope you can help me. Wilfred (b 18 March 1887) in Cheslyn Hay was the son of Enoch and Charlotte Pearce (nee Pearson). His brother Andrew Pearce (my grandfather) and sisters Hilda and Nellie Pearce emigrated to Canada with their mother Charlotte in 1919 but as far as I know Wilfred never came to Canada. I am thinking that possibly he had already married and I did find a registration of marriage for a Wilfred Pearce and Jessie Evans in Kings Norton in 1912, but I am not sure if this is the correct Wilfred. I found a picture of Wilfred in the ‘Bygone Days’ you sent me and also his name was mentioned a couple of times. I know Andrew and Wilfred were only two years apart in age and I remember my grandfather speaking fondly of him often, but I do not remember Wilfred coming to Canada even for a visit. I believe he passed away in 1971 but I would be very grateful if someone could help me figure this out. I have had wonderful help from several of your members in the past and now I definitely feel a connection to Cheslyn Hay. Thank you so much.’

And after providing the response for the Ellison family this week, Vi asks ‘does anyone else remember the garden parties at Hilton Hall in the 1950s? As a child I spent at lot of time at my uncle William Morris‘s at North Lodge but the M6 cuts through the estate now. The tower in Hilton Park, which can be seen from the A460, is dedicated to Admiral Vernon who commanded the navy at the battle of Portobello. I visited the tower in the late 1950s but when Squire Vernon sold the Hall it was bought by Charles Pickard from Pelsall who sold it to an order of nuns. After the nuns left there was a big sale of fixtures and fittings and I went along with friends and we had a great time wandering all over the Hall from the kitchens to the attics.’

Judy’s requests on her Ellison and Cope families have brought immediate responses with details of the Ellison family at Holly Bank Farm, and William Cope (b1789 in Saredon) who married Ann Phillips and family trees supplied. Names mentioned are Ann Hood and the Wood family of Landywood. There is also an update to the Perry family of the Lot.

New photographs this week include one of the War Memorial and the Talbot c1930.

And additions to our Archives include details of a 1786 Family Bible of the Perks/Martin families with the first entry being the birth of Mary Jones born 31st May 1784, daughter of John and Elizabeth Jones. Also the birth certificate of Silas Brevitt, daughter of Mary Brevitt, born 1899.

In Mike Belcher’s column of what happened in the local newspapers of 50 years ago there are stories of the Ladies Day at the Cheslyn Hay Salem Methodist Church with Miss Marjorie Pee and Miss Ann Alsopp as well as the details of tragic accident and death of Mrs Fanny Hawkins of 96 High Street, Cheslyn Hay.

And 100 years ago there is a story of the miners returning to work after their strike and working throughout the Easter holidays. Also Charles Brough being summoned and details of the court case. Plus the annual teacher’s gathering in connection with Salem Church Sunday School with Mr and Mrs Sydney Hawkins, the Rev A Colbeck, John Horton, T A Hawkins, Geo Wooton, W Westwood and George Pearson.

Peter Cadman recalls his memories from the sixties with the changes in Cheslyn Hay and the development of new housing. He also has memories of Norman and Gladys Beeston, their son, Ken, Oscar Dunn, the Craddocks, the Dunns and Arnold & Ethel Horton, Len Pearce, Edna and Bernard Pearce, Lorraine and Charlie Vernon, Jim Brevitt and his family, Sid Boswell and John (Jack) Bailey. Also the families of the Harveys, Harold Peach, Eddie Somerville, the Pee family and the Moores, relatives of Charlie Moore, the ex Manchester United footballer.

Throughout March there were 59 sightings of our local scenes on staffspasttrack They were – Brittania Picture House 16, Salem 14, High Street 11, Hacketts Butchers shop 6, Albert Hawkins shop 4, Wootton’s Post Office 3, Garrett’s shop 3 and Walter Hackett 2.

Sad news this week of the passing of two well respected ladies off the village – Mrs Mary Perks and Mrs Joan Perks. Both were born in Cheslyn Hay and both will be sadly missed. The funeral of Mary of Low Street is on Wednesday 11th April at the Salem at 10.30am but the funeral of Joan, retired schoolteacher of Norton Lane Great Wyrley, is to be announced.

Full details can be obtained by contacting me at the email address below.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

This Tuesday at our Salem Base we look forward to welcoming a visitor from Bournemouth with a friend researching the Cadman family tree which also touches the Baker family and Peter Cadman will also be present.  All welcome and we are open from 10am – 3pm.

We are always appealing for requests and in particular specific ones where anyone has ‘hit a brick wall’ with a particular name or branch of their family tree.  We have four researchers to help and all local records available so please email us with your problems!  This week we have Judith from Redditch who has been researching her Ellison family tree.  They lived at the Holly Bank cottages at the top of Broad Lane in Essington from the 1880s to the 1950s and her g-grandfather worked on the Hilton Estate in the 1800s.  Judith is also interested in the Cope family who were living in Saredon in 1754 before moving to Shareshill and then onto Great Wyrley.  Is there anyone else researching the same lines?

We also have many photographs in our Mystery Volume and this week we are appealing for information on one photograph around 100 years ago and all we know is ‘The Perry family of the Lot’.  We believe one of the ladies is Clara Brough and we are looking for more information. Following last week’s request for identifying the photographs of  Cliff Baker and his family, a family member is calling into the base this Tuesday to name them.

Many photographs have been copied this week with plenty of old characters off the village including George Farnell, Herbert Baker, Wilf Hemingsley, Dick Benton, Tony and Johnny Bebb, Barbara Edmunds, Charlie Barnes, Herbert & Gladys Baker, William Wootton and the Wootton family, the Walleys, Blacklees Farm, school teachers at Great Wyrley High School, a Carnival parade with a large whale being towed down Low Street and a 1912 Maypole Dance at the Salem. Plus 34 Birth, Marriage and Death certificates have been received all relating to the Whitehouse family.  

In Mike Belcher’s newspaper reports this week, he covers the Britannia Hall, old Cheslyn Hay professional footballers, the Male Voice Choir with Ernest Amphlett and singers of international repute who sang at the Salem , namely Heddle Nash, Kathleen Ferrier and Robert Easton, and David Clegg played on the organ. Also the bowling teams and the Cheslyn Hay Brass Bands. And in this week exactly 100 years ago there is a report of the wedding of Mr Fred Goodman and Miss Effie Shorter with full details. 

For more information of any of the items above please contact me via –  trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net    

No Comments »

If anyone wishes to join, membership is now due for the 2011/12 membership.  Just post a £5 cheque made out to CH&DLHS and post to Darren Butler, 7 Forest Way , Great Wyrley, Walsall   WS6 6HU or if local, any member of our Committee.  For more details please email me at the address below or telephone 01922 414772.

Judy Farrington is this month’s speaker on Thursday 29th March at the Salem at 7.30pm.  Her talk is called ‘Granny’s Bag’ and is pure nostalgia.  £1 entrance and all welcome.

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm and last week we had another 12 visitors researching their family trees.  No requests this week, but further to the last week’s mention of the Polish camp in Landywood, we are looking for any photographs of the camp or of any of its cadets or soldiers.  We welcome any requests for anyone or anything as long as they have a local connection.
An immediate response for Margaret’s request for the Paddock family and it has come from Australia with a complete family tree.
And the enquiry for Henry Baker (b1840) in Lichfield who married Clara Beebee is answered by Vi who also has them both in her Thornhill family tree.
And further to the John Thomas Bevan researches, Jean adds that his partner should be Bertha Wilcox with further details of marriages etc.
We have had seventeen old photographs donated of the Cliff Baker family but without any names on any of them.  There are clues such as ‘Uncle Jim’ or ‘Allens Lane’ on the back of the photographs and they seem to be all local and we are appealing for some help.
To add to our archives we have received a book of South Staffordshire Council Publication of ‘Reviewed’ by Paul Collins which includes chapters on Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Shareshill, Hilton, Saredon and Featherstone.  Also four newspaper cuttings of various events of the Cheslyn Hay Over 60s Club and a Waltho, Jennings, Baker family tree and two cuttings of Jennie Lee with the Labour Blossom Queen Glenys Hammond.
In Mike Belcher’s column of ‘What Happened this Week 50 Years Ago’ he covers the publication of the will of Miss Maud Evelyn Edalji with all full details.
And 100 years ago there is a full, and amusing, advertisement for the Brittania Hall Picture House and its new programme.

Also a meeting of The Distress and Relief Committee discussing local cases and how the families are to be fed whilst the coal strike continues with mention of the support of Mr Croxton of the Cheslyn Hay WMC.
Memories this week are from snippets from members responding to last week’s items including Peter Cadman recalling the Herbert Baker and the Hammond families, as well as Mr Plant of Station Road, Joe (Badger) and Vera Wesley, Coleen Horton, and Freda Walley.

Also Bill Willis and Arthur Davies remember the Polish camp with a couple of stories plus the experiences of working at the Monkey Muck!  For more details please email me at
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

This Tuesday at our Salem Base we welcome a visit from Olive (nee Whitehouse) from Ipswich who has provided so many marvellously nostalgic ‘Memories’ for us over the last twelve months. If anyone remembers Olive from the old days, she would love to meet up with them to share even more memories! Open from 10am – 3pm as usual.

Julie adds plenty of information to last week’s request with details of the photographs concerning the Wilkes, Little and Bevan families and adds an enquiry of her own. She cannot trace the wife of the John Bevan in question and would appreciate any information at all on this Bevan family.

And further to the above Wilkes information, the grandson of Beatrice Allen Perry (nee Wilkes) has been in contact with details of the Perry family.

Also a very plausible answer to the Royston Festival Sports of 1914 concerning Albert Williams (b1883) has been given to almost solve the query and the complex research from all of our researchers have found Isaac Hemmingsley from 1775 with a detailed family tree that’s brought up to date, covering many Cheslyn Hay names with direct links to Dorothy Crutchley, Isabella Horton, Enoch Marshall, and James Benton.

And last week’s mention of Phin the barber prompts some local information ‘Phineas Baker was the son of Henry Baker and he lived at 18 Low Street’ and continues with details of his life.

Archive additions this week include a family tree of direct descendants of Isaac Hemmingsley including the Benton, Crutchley, Emminsley & all spellings, Gaskin, Hodgekiss, Jones, Marshall, Whitehouse and Wood families.

And in Mike’s column of ‘What was in the Local Papers of 50 and 100 Years ago’ cover the death and funeral of Alison Hawkins, an exhibition of old artefacts from villagers and a letter to the editor relating to memories of the old ‘Blunder and Thunder Tub’ which was the name for the old Brittania Hall from the days of Mr Thacker and George Turner.

And 100 years ago, a full report of the ‘Official Opening Recital and Concert’ on the ‘unveiling’ of Salem’s new organ.

More memories from the prewar schooldays come from Olive (nee Whitehouse) with stories of Mr Ernie Carter, Freddie Ford, Marion Lockett and how life was then around Ball’s and Whitehouse’s farms and in Bluebell Wood.

Fuller information on any of the above items are welcomed and can be obtained by request via my email address below.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm and everyone is welcome to research, browse or to seek our advice.

Jennifer Rayner from Western Australia has seen the report of the death of John Henry Powell, who was WWII paratrooper and wishes to have copies of photographs of him and the newspaper cutting. She says ‘John was my great-great uncle and my great-grandmother Amy Boycott (nee Dean), was John’s half-sister (Amy Powell’s daughter from her first marriage). My grandfather, John Boycott, still has fond memories of his ‘Uncle Jack’ and I’m putting together our family history.’

Dorothy appreciates all the feedback she has received on the Perks/Whitehouse/Biddle saga and the information on Mary Ann Whitehouse and Elizabeth Ann Biddle but she queries whether John Perks is the same person who marries Mary Ann Lawson in 1902 and then appears to marry Elizabeth Ann Gripton in 1919. And Dorothy adds that she remembers a Mr Perks who was a manager of Burtons in Cannock when she was a child and her mother said he was a relation. Was he named John?

Ann Curtis is related to the Whitehouses and Edmunds and emails ‘My g-grandmother was Mary Ann Bagley who married John Whitehouse. They lived in Landywood/Cheslyn Hay but Mary died in 1928 and is buried in the cemetery in Cheslyn Hay. I know that my g-grandad John then went on to have a second wife, Kate, and produced another child named John Whitehouse who must have been born around the early 1930′s. So is the Kate in question actually a Kate Sutton? Does anyone have any information on John Whitehouse’s birth or what happened to him? Did he stay local? And were there any more children? Ann would be grateful of any information at all.

Last week’s newsletter struck a chord with John Russell Davison with the mention of the Lockett family trees. Six years ago John corresponded with several of our members re Ann Lockett (b 1815? in Cheslyn Hay) who married his ancestor Joseph Russell in Walsall in 1833 with Moses Lockett as a witness. The couple lived in Back Lane, Cheslyn Hay in 1841 and Ann lived there for many years after Joseph’s death in 1850 and John wonders if any more information has been found since to throw any more light on either Ann or James Russell and he adds that he has no confirmed parentage for either.

A response to Amanda’s appeal from last September’s Newsletter has been received this week from Diane (nee Masefield) who is the g-grand daughter of Bernard and Matilda Masefield who had two sons Arthur and Lewis. Lewis married Bridget Walsh and they lived in Cheslyn Hay and had seven children. Bridget died in 1949 but Diane has all the information and photographs and wishes to be in touch with Amanda.

Julie answers Darren’s request as she has Pearsons in her line and is able to take his line back to 1769 including links with Ann Brockhouse, Ann Beach, Michael and Sarah Evans and Bridget Burke. She also has ties with the Morgan line and adds ‘I also have a story from a long ago newsletter entitled ‘A Lively 10 minutes at Cheslyn Hay’ which tells the story of May Pearson nee Lockett and an encounter with the bailiffs!’

And our researcher, Andrew, has worked on the Pearson Line for Darren for a few hours this week and has also taken the line back to the 1700s and has produced a tree with the descendants of the direct line families which are available on request.

Peter Cadman supplies the information on the death of Liz Scott’s relative as Oliver was his grandfather’s James Henry Cadman’s brother.’ There is also full information of the pit disaster in a book on the Cannock Chase coalfields in WH Smiths.

And Keith Bickley’s response last week to the Perry family has prompted David from Canada to contact him as they are connected to the same tree. And David also adds that he has now located descendents of four children of Kate Tuft which extends the line into Australia .

After Sam Haycock had donated the family tree of Alice Sophia Baker (1862-1934) Violet comments that Alice married a Russian Jew and she has photographs of her very interesting family.

New photographs received this week include a photograph of Meshack Bailey and Clara May Brough wedding in 1920 with nearly all guests named, plus individual ones of Clara and Meshack, and the wedding of Roy Craddock and Jean Stacey, some of the Hitcheners – Harry, George and Flossie, and Len and Willoughby Crofts Jnr as well as Len, Edna and Philip Smith, Jack Bailey, a photo of the Tonks, Piatts and the Daces in Low Street, a WMC coach trip in the 1940s, three snowy scenes of Landywood Lane in 1947, Station Street in 1980 and Moons Lane before the estate was built, one of Bowns Farm and one of Delamere.

And for our archives we have accepted a selection of delightful royal memorabilia has been handed in including a handkerchief with portrait picture of George VI, and three embroidered handkerchiefs of Old England ‘United Thy Stand’, a BLA 1945 Souvenir and one of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition and a bunting of 1937 Coronation with pictures of George VI and Elizabeth. Also the family tree of the descendants of John Pearson from the 1770s including the Dawson and Lockett families. Plus an envelope stamped 3 July 1916 from Philip Walley to his sweetheart from the trenches in France and signed by Mr Walley certifying ‘on my honour that the contents of this envelope refer to nothing but private and family matters.’ Plus a booklet on a compact history of St Mark’s Church written by Margaret Winfer, a Souvenir Brochure ‘Festival of Faith’ celebrating 150 Years at St Mark’s, a Festival of Flowers programme of July 1995 and a 1994 Summer Concert programme of the Chase Orpheus Choir.

In Mike Belcher’s column of ‘What Happened 50/100 Years Ago This Week’ includes details of the death of Frederick Wooton in 1962 with an outline of his life. But in March 1912 there are stories of the prosecution of Jack Norman, as well as a full blown Council Meeting to deal with the allotment holders W Baxter, Job Whitehouse, T Whitehouse, H Morris, D Brian, John Perks, Thomas Hawkins, Joe Stokes, J Hassell, Jim Rogers, S Smith, HW Smith and H Perks.

Also 100 years ago Catherine Roberts passed away at her residence in High Street. And the friends of Salem Church are looking forward to the re-opening of the church next month and to hear the new organ which is being installed at a cost of £500. And a full report of the Cheslyn Hay United and Bridgtown football match including the naming of both teams.

And our old friend Olive (nee Whitehouse) now living in Ipswich is reliving life as it was in Cheslyn Hay before the war in the next couple of weeks in our ‘Memories’ feature and she sets the scene with her family including relatives Edie and Bob Titley, Hannah (nee Crutchley), Sarah and Fred Reynolds and Judah Ball.

And finally Steve Gwilt is compiling a book on Park House and is appealing for anyone who have memories, reminiscences, stories of the house and in particular of visiting Dr McAinsh at his surgery there. Anything welcome! As it will be for our archives as well.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

Graham Sutherland is our Speaker on Thursday night, 23rd February at the Salem at 7.30pm. Graham comes highly recommended as his talk is ‘Drainpipe Trousers to Rock & Roll’ – real nostalgia! £1 and everyone welcome.

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm and we welcome the Wilkes family this week.

Requests this week come from Glenys (nee Baker and daughter of Gladys) from Congleton is tracing the Baker and Whitehouse family trees and will be visiting the Base in the next couple of weeks. Jane Ray has picked up an old enquiry off our website (March 2009) and emails ‘I am the daughter of and . Clarence and Margaret were my dads brother and sister and they lived in what they called the Company buildings. My nan was a But further to Pauline Turner’s response (Aug 2011), I have a photo of , who had a daughter Sarah Ann Tricklebank who was related to my nan ‘. And Jane plans to visit the base in the near future.Barbara nee RichardsHerbert ParsonsLockett.George TricklebankNancy Richards (nee Carpenter)

Also another old enquiry from last May prompted an email ‘I saw an article in the Cheslyn Hay & District local History Society about an dying in the Hawkins Pit in 1938. Can you tell me if this Oliver Cadman was married to Dora Cadman of 10 Gorsey Lane Cannock as I have a will which states he died at the pit in 1941. If so he was the husband of my grand aunt and I would be glad of any information or pictures.’ Oliver Cadman

And Tony Allsop has noticed the amount of marriages taking place between the and families and his tree has more than its share but asks ‘Does anyone have and married in Cannock in 1920 in their tree?’ WhitehouseThomas Frederick J WhitehouseMaud A Howell

New member Darren called into the Base this week for the first time to research his family tree of the and . We were able to provide him with another three generations of the Lockett branch taking them back to 1765 and spanning nine generations. Darren is now looking at the Pearson side which joined with the Locketts in 1906 when his g-grandfather Harry Pearson married his

Locketts Pearsons

g-grandmother May Lockett but he has not got further back than his g-g-grandfather George Pearson (b 1855). Can anyone help?

And we have had some excellent responses from recent queries. We have been inundated with information on the Wilkes family including Thomas Edward Wilkes who was killed down the pit and the tragic case of Elsie. Almost included in the information are Elizabeth Benton, Reginald Atkins, Eunice Wilkes, Mary Fellows, James Edward Perry, Clara Brough and all of their families.

Plus details on the John Perks/Mary Ann Whitehouse enquiry have been forthcoming including information involving Ann Taylor, Joseph Edwin Lawson, Elizabeth Martin, PriscillaButler, Susanna Hartill, Elizabeth Ann Biddle, Frederick Wiliam Gripton and many more with the Perks line going back to 1666 and the Hartill line to 1730.

And following on with the William Leadbeater/Rhoda Ridgway more fascinating information has come to light and re the Richard Franks enquiry. Full details of his, and his brother’s, service records have been provided to gether with photographs of their father and his life around the area and the pubs that he kept. And finally information of the Stan Stacey trophy of 1938 have been provided.

Life Histories of William Perks (1875-1959), Henry Baker (1825-1886), Alice Sophia Baker (1862-1934), Thomas Haycock (1770-1848) and James Haycock (1803-1865) compiled by Sam Haycock have been added to our archves this week and David Whitehouse who has traced his family tree and various lines through many generations has forwarded all of his links and connections with local families including the families. Atkinson, Bailey, Biddle, Bird, Bourne, Bowring, Brough, Brown, Cadman, Cattell, Collier, Collinswood, Cooper, Devine, Farnell, Follows, Gorman, Groom, Harriman, Hawkins, Hemmingsley, Henney, Hicken, Hodge, Horobin, Horton, Jefferies, Jervis, Jones, Kendall, Knowles, Lakin, Lawson, Leadbeater, Lealand, Littleford, Maiden, Mallard, Marshall, Moffatt, Moore, Nightingale, Parbrook, Pearson, Perks, Perry, Poole, Poyner, Preece, Price, Read, Rhodes, Ridgway, Roadway, Robbins, Rogers, Salmon, Sharples, Simmons, Smith, Stanley, Stilgoe, Stokes, Strefford, Sutherton, Taylor, Thacker, Thomas, Timmins, Tompkins, Tucker, Tuft, Walker, Wallace, Weetman, Westwood, Whitehouse, Wood and Yates

In Mike Belcher’s ‘What Happened 100 Years Ago This Week column include an offer from the Old Coppice Colliery to exchange a portion of land with the Council with discussions taking place with Mr E J Pearson, George Pearson and Mr W Rogers. Also under the auspices of the Gladstone League of the Cheslyn Hay Group, a public meeting was held in the Primitive Methodist Church Cheslyn Hay attended by Messrs T Weetman, S J Lawson, D Brian, B Williams, T Lawson, T Hawkins, W Brians, J Shorter, W H Westwood, George Bull, E Pearson, G Roobottom, D Price, J Stokes, W Wesley, J Wesley, R Evans, G Wooton, A Thomas, S H Harvey and the secretary Mr F J Altree.

And Memories this week come from Peter Cadman from the sixties recalling characters such as Tony ‘Tunny’ Price, Frank Hemmingsley and George Cadman.

Finally, following many requests from people after buying Cheslyn Hay Lives Volume Two wanting Volume One, we have had a reprint of another 50 of last year’s book and can be obtained via the email address below or telephone 01922 414772. As can more details on the above items.

Membership renewals are due at the end of March and for anyone interested the annual fee is £5 and includes photographs at half price, some discounted books and any uncomplicated research is free. Available for our members is our Family Tree base, which we now have 62 separate Family Trees with 27000 names and increasing all the time, 7500 photographs, all indexed with 8500 names and we are now cataloging all of our archives to include all names. Cataloging is a mammoth task, and currently we already have 70000 names on our database which will be added to at an enormous rate thanks to our volunteers who are indexing all newspaper reports from 1830 onwards. Also as you see from our above Weekly Newsletter, which is a very shortened version of the members one, the enquiries and responses we receive are overwhelming and they provide interest to ‘Old Bonkers’ from all over the world.

If you wish to join please make out a cheque for £5 to ‘C.H.&D.L.H.S.’ and post to Darren Butler, 7 Forest Way, Great Wyrley, Walsall, West Mids WS6 6HU.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »

Our Salem Base is open every Tuesday from 10am – 3pm where we have all the local records available for research. Everyone welcome (tea and coffee served between 11 – 12pm!)

Various requests this week with a more unusual one from the family of Stan Stacey who have one his trophies and wishes to know what it was for. The engraving is ‘W&DWAFL’ followed by ‘Jun Cup R U’ with the date 1937-8.

And Amanda is after the full name and details of Bird mentioned last week who played football for Stella Tileries in 1962.

Fred Millington from France has traced some Haycocks back to Northern France in the 1800s and I have put him in email contact with Sue to hopefully add to the Haycock family tree.

Denise is researching the Wilkes family tree. Violet Wilkes was born in 1905 and just had one child Arthur Holmes Wilkes in 1926 with no father named on the birth certificate. Violet is thought to have died in the 1930s, but her sister Beatrice married a Perry and they lived at 4 The Lot and raised eight children William, James, Beatrice, Rosannah, Thomas Edward, Elsie, Hilda May and Violet. Does anyone know of this family?

And by a pure coincidence with the name of Wilkes, Monica emails in the next day with this request ‘My mother is Eunice Chambers (nee Wilkes of Bridgtown) and she has been telling me about Bridgtown carnival in Coronation year of 1953 and how my dad Len Chambers decorated a trap so that it became a golden coach and they entered it in the carnival pulled by a horse and it won 1st prize. They then set off to Cannock where they intended to enter Cannock carnival later in the day but the horse lost a shoe and they didn’t make it.’ The family treasured a photograph of this event for years but unfortunately it has been lost and despite researching the local papers Monica has been unable to obtain another copy. So can anyone help Monica?

The mention of Elizabeth Ann Biddle last week prompts Dorothy to email that ‘She was the sister of my grandfather James Biddle And I think that Elizabeth’s second husband was John Perks. They married in 1919 but John Perks first wife was Mary Ann Whitehouse who was my g-grandfather Moses’ sister (daughter of Edward Whitehouse and Ann Taylor). Is there anyone who can confirm or deny this for me please?’

Christine from London is having difficulties in researching the Franks family tree and only knows that Richard Franks served and died in WWI and his name is on the war memorial in Cheslyn Hay. Christine also believes that Alfred Franks was a publican at the time of his wedding in 1931 although he was a plumber and plasterer in Bridgtown in the 1911 census.

We’ve had a decent response to the Roland Ridgway enquiry and Andrew has forwarded Roland’s family tree to Kevin as he descends from the Whitehouses in two ways. The full details of this tree are laid out over several generations linking in the families of Parker, Wood, Brough, Whitehouse and Brindley. Also Violet explains why Roland was registered twice. And Elaine responds to David’s request from Canada as she has two Harriet Bakers in her tree plus other names that are mentioned and she is confident that their trees must link up. Also Lisa from Cannock also has some Whitehouse connections with David and they are now in contact with each other to exchange information.

New photographs this week include two Interschool Sports photographs of the Space Hopper races at Glenthorne School in June 1980 and a photo of 70 members of the WMC anniversary of 1932 with none named.

In Mike Belcher’s column of ‘What Happened 50 Years Ago’ there are stories of Cheslyn Hay resurrecting the Carnival again, the Cheslyn Hay Women’s Own club members Annual Party, with Mrs W R Kerry, Mrs H Perks and Mrs K Hackett present. Plus a serious pit accident involving a young man named George Thomas, son of Mr John Thomas of Hatherton Street.

In ‘Memories’ this week are a couple of welcome snippets pulled from the memory banks of some ‘old bonkers’ with stories of Mr & Mrs Joseph Stokes and William Stokes (1862-1918) as well as the Ridgways and Sammy Jellyman at Glendons garage in Shareshill.

Plus a few reminiscences from Lesley Marsh (nee Bickley) in Leominter who married Geoffrey Marsh, curate at St Marks and son of the Rev Ernest Marsh. Lesley recalls her old schooldays with Mr & Mrs Clark, Brook House and also maternal grandad, Thomas Williams, pit deputy at Littleton.

We have also great pleasure in supporting the Cheslyn Hay High School in their project in sculpting a 7ft statue made of local clay and it will stand outside our Community Centre. Colleen Horton left a sum of money for it and two teachers at the school are overseeing the work to be ‘unveiled’ in June. Ipstock are providing the clay and we are helping with the photographs that the school have requested .

More details of any of these stories – or indeed any enquiry concerning to Cheslyn Hay I will be delighted to hear from you via the email address below.

trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

No Comments »