From the Chair
Our winter programme finished with a very interesting talk from the Museum of Cannock Chase on coal mining, the speaker being ably assisted by 2 or 3 members of the audience with experience of the pits. So, it is time to look forward to summer visits.
We have again had a varied and successful series of talks, which are reported on below, and I was pleased to see numbers of attendees on the up again after the lockdowns. It was interesting to note many new faces, some perhaps only coming for one talk of particular interest to them, but others becoming regulars.
And, as always, suggestions from members (and offers to be on the committee!) are most welcome.
Abbots Bromley Hospital – A talk by Mithra Tonkin
In the Middle Ages, the religious institutions – monasteries and nunneries – provided both spiritual and physical wellbeing, looking after the poor and the sick. With the dissolution of those establishments, there was nowhere for the sick and poor to be helped. This vacuum was filled by the introduction Laws which made the local parishes responsible for the care and wellbeing of their residents. These were of no help to the itinerant poor who were quickly moved on so that the parish would not be responsible for them.
Often, local gentry would establish a dwelling place for the needy poor in the parish with the wherewithal to finance the arrangement into the future, such as land which would generate an income. Poor houses were also established by trade guilds to care for their members in later life. The Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, is such an establishment set up for retired soldiers in the late 17th century. The oldest establishment is St John’s in Winchester which was founded circa 1100.
Abbots Bromley Hospital was founded in 1705 by Lambert Bagot, the second son of Edward Bagot of Blithfield Hall. Lambert did not marry. On his deathbed, he dictated his will. He knew he was dying and started his will by saying that he was weak of body but of sound mind. This latter statement was important because it prevented the will being challenged. The will was witnessed by two members of the clergy and his doctor which also mitigated against any challenge. In his will, be bequeathed the wherewithal to found two almshouses for the needy poor men in Abbots Bromley. This included not only the purchase of the homes but also land which would provide the funds to maintain them and their residents.
The Hospital is run by Trustees who are responsible for maintaining and improving the accommodation. In 1938 an internal water supply was provided and in the 1960s each property was provided with its own indoor toilet. Until then, there was a communal outhouse.
There was a damp problem and this was addressed in 2012 by providing controllable central heating to replace earlier electric storage heaters and by extending the properties within the constraints of being listed buildings. In the 1990s, two bungalows were built to accommodate disabled residents. The design was not particularly good and they have been recently improved. The new design has received recognitionThe demographic of the residents has changed over the years and now there is neither a gender nor age limit. The accommodation is there for the residents of Abbots Bromley who are in need.
David Smith
The Suffragettes of Lichfield – A talk by Jono Oates on 7 November 2022
Jono gave an informative and entertaining talk about the formidable ladies of the suffrage movement and their battle to gain suffrage for women and their struggles from the mid-19th century to its successful conclusion at the end of the First World War,
The British suffrage movement and its determined members stopped at nothing to win equal rights.
Women’s rights issues are nothing new and are as prevalent today as they were 75 years ago. Back then, however, one defiant group of women decided they had enough of archaic rules and lack of equality. They took their fight nationwide and eventually won women’s voting rights.
The suffragettes were very active in Lichfield and one of the more notable members being Jane Gray. In November 1919 she made history by becoming the first female councillor on Lichfield City Council, before going on to become the first female Mayor and Alderman of the City.
Betty Hyde
A History of English Folk Music by Bill Durose – A talk and sing-along on 5 December 2022
Folk is music by the people, for the people. Bill Durose, a former teacher and folk musician, gave us a lively tour through the history of English folk music, punctuated by performances on his instruments (guitar, melodeon, concertina) and energetic sing-alongs. Songs, and particularly ballads, were originally a means of transmitting news or telling stories. An example is ‘Joseph Baker’, who was a famous runner from Delamere in Cheshire. Ballads gradually changed as they were passed from one singer to another, like a game of Chinese whispers, and although they cannot be used as a source of historical hard facts, they preserve stories about people, places and professions now gone; for example, the ‘knocker upper man’, who went round a town or village, particularly in the mill and coal towns of the north, getting people out of bed for work, before the days of alarm clocks.
Morris dancing is another aspect of the folk tradition. It was first recorded around 1500 and was originally called morisco. It is believed that it may be based on north African dances used to ward off evil spirits. Different localities have different styles of dress and dancing. Cotswold Morris men wear white, and carry handkerchiefs, with bells on their legs. On the other hand, Lancashire Morris dancers wear clogs and blacken their faces. There is a strong local Morris tradition, which includes a tune called ‘Vandals of Hammerwich’ and, of course, the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. The reindeer horns used by the dancers have been dated to 1065.
Cecil Sharp, born in 1859, was one of the first to recognise the importance of preserving the folk tradition. He travelled around the country recording music on wax cylinders. He also travelled through Appalachia in the United States to record the music he found there, as he was especially interested in tracing the links between British and American folk music. In many instances, the American songs preserved an older tradition. He first became aware of the Morris tradition when he saw and heard Morris dancers in Headington Quarry near Oxford, and he recorded many of the dances as well as the tunes.
Sharp’s work was the basis of the folk revival which began in the 1950s and gathered pace in the ‘60s. It was accelerated by the availability of cheap instruments coming from eastern Europe. Artists like Bob Dylan, Donovan and Joni Mitchell began by singing traditional folk music, but also wrote songs like ‘Blowing in the Wind’, which sounded like folk but contained contemporary material, often political. Ashley Hutchings was a key figure in Britain, helping to found not only Fairport Convention, but also Steeleye Span and the Albion Band.
We ended with a rousing chorus of ‘Slag Alice’, which none of us will ever forget! Marty Smith
Armitage: The History of a Parish – A talk by Richard Ewing, Monday, 9 January 2023
Richard’s talk was comprehensive and authoritative, yet refreshingly uncomplicated and easy to follow. He began by briefly describing his early years in the village and acknowledging the help of Bill Wright’s book, Notes for a History of Armitage.
The talk had as its spine a simple map of the parish and as he progressed, new builds and developments were added. The first picture simply showed the boundaries of the parish and the streams running through it, the named ones being Dunny’s and Shropshire Brooks. Mention was made of Neolithic barrows near King’s Bromley Lane.
Handsacre Hall was the first important building to feature. Now demolished, people lived there only 60 years ago and it is still possible to walk round the site. To the north of it was St Mary Magdalene’s Church, the site of which is covered by the railway near the bridge in Lichfield Road. There was also a mill, still in use in 1681.
In the early 1200s, the Pope decreed that everyone must attend church, which resulted in St John the Baptist being built at Armitage. This, and the comparative lack of good farming land in Handsacre, led to people moving west and Armitage becoming the more prominent of the two villages.
Richard then told us of some of the notable buildings in the area – Hawksyard Hall, Hood Lane Farm, Birchenfields Farm, Hall House, Church Farm – describing their methods of construction and updating his map as he did so.
In the eighteenth century came the transport links – the first toll road in 1729, the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777 and later a second toll road and the railway. This period also saw the beginnings of industry: clay and gravel pits and the first proper brick factory and, as the population swelled during the following century, six schools and two chapels were added to the map. Handsacre Hall was extended and Armitage Lodge built. Electricity arrived in 1929.
By 1955, Armitage’s population was three times that of Handsacre but the balance was somewhat redressed by the construction of the Coal Board estate (1965) and, later, the Shropshire Book estate. Richard ended, map fully updated, on a note of regret that more of the old local names had not been used on these estates. But not everyone has Richard’s love of history or of his native area!
Phil White
Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust
On Monday, 6th February RHS members and visitors gathered to hear an interesting talk, with illustrations, from two of the leading members of the above trust. They were Christine Bull, Environmental Director, and Bob Williams, Director of Financing.
It had been hoped that James Brindley, famous canal engineer, would be making an appearance. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it. Perhaps he’s subcontracting with HS2?
Bob Williams started by giving a broad outline as to how the canal system in the country got under way. In the late 1700s men in the forefront of industry and science were coming up with the beginnings of the industrial revolution. In particular, there were the famous members of the Lunar Society such as Josiah Wedgwood, Matthew Boulton, James Watt and Erasmus Darwin. When people such as these were producing products, services and materials they needed a quick, safe and economical method of transportation. Canals became the preferred option and Acts of Parliament were sought to get the various canal projects under way.
Brindley was one of the main engineers involved in the rush to get the system up and running. He envisaged a system where goods could be transported from the north-west to the south-east and from the south-west to the north-east. Known as Brindley’s Cross, the centre would be in the traditional England centre of transport – Lichfield.
The first effort was in 1758 when there was a chance to construct a canal from Lichfield to the north-east coast. It made no progress as it was deemed too expensive.
However, Acts of Parliament were granted in 1792 and 1794 for the construction of canals, mainly carrying coal, between the West Midlands and the Coventry Canal at Huddlesford. The latter section is now known as the Lichfield Canal.
In total, some 4,000 miles of canals were constructed, of which about half remain. The fortunes of the canals gradually waned and in 1954 the Lichfield canal was legally abandoned.
Over several years the Lichfield and Hatherton canals were abandoned and mainly buried. The good news from all that is that the canals and most of the locks are still in place and in remarkably good order.
The Restoration Trust was formed in 1988 by enthusiasts who had a vision to restore both stretches of the canal to navigation. Their vision over the years has shifted emphasis to include the restoration as public amenities for boating, walking, angling, etc. Apparently, only 10% of canal users are in boats.
There is great emphasis on the environmental advantages of the restored system which will benefit people and the natural history of the route.
The Trust is completely run and operated by volunteers and these include work parties from corporate bodies and scouts, guides and Duke of Edinburgh Award participants. They are also working on improvements to woodland and aquatic habitat.
There is a constant requirement to maintain what has already been restored as well as the heavy work of exposing the canal bed and its many locks. Constant fund raising and applications for grant aid are required to keep the project on track. If the money and facilities were readily available the restoration could be completed in as little as four years.
Problems are continually encountered such as housing development and new road and rail (HS2) works.
Any visit to the southern outskirts of Lichfield will reveal much of the work which has been carried out so far. Half of the 7 ½ miles of the route is ready for water and some sections have already filled from rain and stream overflows.
The talk was well received by the audience and an opportunity to buy Trust souvenirs and join the organisation was made at the conclusion.
Further information on the Trust can be found on their website or their Facebook page.
The speakers also suggest watching an online article at cruising thecut.co.uk/2019/08/28vlog-digging-deep/
Roy Fallows
Staffordshire History Network Meeting. February 2023
The aim of the Staffordshire History Network is to be a mutually supportive network of groups and local societies with an interest in the history of Staffordshire. It brings together museums, historical groups and societies, civic societies, research groups, Friends’ groups and heritage sites from across the county to share ideas, best practice, news, and training.
Somehow, I managed to find myself at this session in February. After a foggy start, the drive, which I am glad to say I didn’t have to do (thank you Sarah Elsom), took us up into the glorious countryside of the Staffordshire Moorlands and then into Leek town. We entered a rather imposing old building with a large copper dome, the Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery. Once inside we had a welcome warming ‘cuppa’ and were introduced to the team for the winter networking meeting.
We were told the Nicholson was built in 1884 by Joshua Nicholson, a wealthy silk manufacturer in the town. It was designed to be a public library, art gallery, museum and art school and was also a venue for concerts, lectures and events. It is one of the few buildings of that era in the county that still fulfils its original remit.
The main theme of the meeting was about planning and developing touring exhibitions. Chris Copp, Collections Manager (Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service), gave an overview of the process of developing and delivering the touring exhibition, ‘A case for the ordinary: Staffordshire asylums and the patient experience’ which was on display here.
Chris informed the meeting that the next exhibition, ‘Keeping the Lights On: a history of Rugeley Power Station’, will be held at Rugeley’s Red Rose Theatre from 1st May – 12th June 2023. It will then ‘pop-up’ at other venues, when the dates have been confirmed.
Once the formal part of the session was over, we were able to view the excellent asylum exhibition, catch up with members from other societies and wander round the museum. The artefacts on display demonstrated the importance of the silk weaving industry in the area. There were also smaller displays. one of ‘Tortoiseshell’ pottery and one of early mechanical toys. The museum is well worth a visit.
Oh! I forgot, there was also a taxidermized wallaby. Its body was found in the 1990s on the wild moors north of Leek. His forebears had escaped in the 1930s from a private zoo on the nearby Swythamley estate and had formed a small wild colony – from which he is presumably descended. No other wallaby has been spotted since, so it must be assumed the colony has died out. Unless you know better! Helen Sharp