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PROGRAMME1 Sept Shropshire Writers, by Gordon Dickins6 Oct AGM and talk by John Challen Blists

Hill Ironworks3 Nov Memories of the Coalport Branch by

Neil Clarke – joint meeting with theFIGM, Glass Fronted Meeting Room,Coalbrookdale

1 Dec Christmas Dinner5 Jan More Broseley Memories, Joan Griffiths2 Feb Shrewsbury to Bridgnorth by Boat by

Ron Miles2 Mar Annual Wilkinson Lecture, Our

Wilkinson Heritage, by Vin CallcutFurther details from Neil Clarke 01952 504135.

NEW MEMBERS

The Society would like to welcome the followingnew members:

Tony Cullis, SheffieldJohn Dennison, TelfordRose Hewlett, Frampton on Severn, GloucesterChris Luty, BroseleyMs A Williams, Broseley

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Annual General MeetingThe Society’s AGM will take place onWednesday, 6 October when the agenda willinclude the election of the committee. Anyoneinterested in putting their name forward shouldcontact secretary Dot Cox on 01952 883568 for anomination form. This will be followed by a talkon Blists Hill Ironworks given by John Challen.

PREVIOUS MEETINGSThe Life and Times of George PritchardIn May Michael Pope gave an illustrated talk onGeorge Pritchard, who lived from 1793-1861, andthe influence he and his family had in the Broseley

NewsletterNewsletter of the Broseley Local History SocietyIncorporating the Wilkinson Society

August 2010

CONTENTS

Programme page 1

New Members page 1

Forthcoming EventsAnnual General Meeting page 1

Previous MeetingsThe Life and Times of

George Pritchard page 1 A Walk round Broseley’s Jitties page 4 Derwent Valley and the Arkwright Mills page 4

Obituary Frank Dawson page 6

English Heritage Archive Catalogue page 7

Severn Gorge Countryside Trust page 7

What’s On? page 7

Bookshop page 8

Future Publications page 9

Mailbox page 9

MEETINGSMeetings of the Broseley Local History Societyare held on the first Wednesday of each month at7.30 pm at the Broseley Social Club, High Street,unless otherwise announced. Car parking isavailable at the back of the Club.

Members are requested to be seated by 7.30 pm toallow speakers a prompt start.

Visitors are welcome but are asked to give adonation towards Society funds.

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area in the 19th century. To set the context, hehighlighted some of Britain’s achievements duringthis, the Victorian era, in particular the expansionof the Empire and the many impressive buildingswhich were constructed throughout the world.

This age also saw a proliferation of civic and publicbuildings being erected in every community andBroseley was no exception. Throughout this periodthe Pritchard family were involved in supportingmany of these projects, one of which was thereplacement church for the old St Leonard’s.Completed in 1845 and renamed All Saints, it wasbuilt in the perpendicular style and was the grandestVictorian church in Shropshire.

The Victorians were also aware of the importanceof education and in 1870 the Education Act waspassed which laid the foundation for freeelementary education for all children. Broseley,however, was well ahead of Parliament for in 1854the foundation stone for a school for both boys andgirls was laid on land given by Lord Forester justoff the High Street. The building of this schoolwas due mainly to the efforts of the Rev’d CanonForester, Rector of Broseley, and the generosity ofthe Pritchard family. The building still standstoday, but is now a public library and health centre.It is against this backdrop that George Pritchard’sfamily became such a well-known and well-lovedpart of the Broseley community. George’s fatherJohn was born in Sutton Maddock. He trained asa solicitor and after his marriage in 1791 moved toBroseley. Once settled in Broseley his reputationsoon attracted the attention of George Forester ofWilley Hall who, in 1794, appointed him agent forthe legal affairs of the Willey Estate.

In 1799, in addition to his law business, JohnPritchard set up a banking business in Broseleyand Bridgnorth in conjunction with Valentine

Vickers. At the time there was no bank in Broseleyand John based it next to what is now the SocialClub, the house at the top of the High Street thenoccupied by the Pritchard family. When ValentineVickers retired the banks were taken over by Johnand his sons George and John junior, both ofwhom had followed their father into the legalprofession. In 1844 John junior married JaneGordon. Her brother George was also a banker andattorney and became a partner in the firm ofPritchard, Gordon and Co. They were later joinedby William Nicholas and George Potts. Thebanking side of the business was eventually takenover in 1888 by what was then Lloyds Bank.John Pritchard senior, who by then had gained therespect and affection of the whole community,died in 1857, “a liberal benefactor of the poor”according to a memorial tablet in Broseley Church.

John senior’s son George was born in 1793, theeldest of seven children. In 1821 he married andsettled in Broseley where he became involved inalmost every organisation both in the town andthroughout the Borough. A magistrate and DeputyLieutenant for Shropshire, a Justice of the Peacefor the Boroughs of Much Wenlock andBridgnorth, he was also Mayor of the Borough ofMuch Wenlock. He was a trustee and treasurer ofa number of Provident Societies, a generoussubscriber to the Severn Valley Railway and asupporter of almost every charitable undertaking inthe district. In 1848 he was elected chairman of theMadeley Poor Law Union and later became HighSheriff of Shropshire. A true public servant.

It is obvious from his philanthropic activities thatGeorge Pritchard was a committed Christian.When in the early 1840s is was decided to build anew church to replace the old St Leonard’sGeorge, who at the time was living at the Lawns inChurch Street, offered a site near his house. This,however, was considered unsuitable and the newchurch was built on the site of the old one. Thisnew church, designed by Harvey Eginton ofWorcester, was built by William Exley and Sons ofBroseley and, despite the fact that this companyowned a brickworks, was built of stone. When thetarget of £8,000 for its construction had not beenreached it was George Pritchard who put his hand

The Pritchardresidence andbank in theHigh Street;it is now theSocial Club

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the water did prove undrinkable and the fountainquickly fell into disuse. Some 20 years later asmall boy was drowned when he fell in whilstthrowing stones down the well. In 1936 theDistrict Council removed the wall and railingsfrom around the monument and filled the well in,although the actual monument itself was onlydismantled in the early 1950s.

Another suggestion was the installation of astained glass window in Broseley Church. It wasdecided, however, rather to build a church furtherdown the Gorge in Jackfield to replace the oldRed Church, and in 1862 the foundation stone forthe Pritchard Memorial Church was laid.Designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield of London itwas built to showcase the range of local materialsavailable and is architecturally one of the mostdistinguished buildings in the Severn Gorge. Inhis will, George Pritchard left money to supportthe Jackfield curacy, provided that Jackfieldbecame a separate parish. This wish was carriedout, although later it became a part of the unitedbenefice with Broseley.

While George Pritchard had devoted his life to hisnative Shropshire, his brother John had muchwider ambitions. In 1853 he, together with HenryWhitmore of Apley Hall, was elected Member ofParliament for the Borough of Bridgnorth and Johnbecame part of the social and artistic scene inLondon. As well as owning property there heacquired extensive lands and property in theBridgnorth area. This included Stanmore Hall,described by one of his detractors as “a very meanlooking square built brick house”. John laterdecided to rebuild the Hall in the Frenchrenaissance style using red Broseley bricks and redand blue tiles.

in his pocket. The church was consecrated in 1845and as part of the celebrations George gave a partyfor Sunday School children and teachers in a fieldnext to his house at which over 1,000 peopleenjoyed the entertainment he provided.

Then in 1861 tragedy struck. George contractedtyphoid fever and, according to a report in theWellington Journal of 28 December of that year,“medical skill was unavailing and this trulyphilanthropic gentleman sank to his rest. . . . theloss of Mr Pritchard is irreparable.”

After his death various proposals were made as toa suitable memorial for such a well-loved man.One of them was the provision of a drinkingfountain in the centre of the town and an appeal forfunds for this raised almost £3,000.

The scheme, however, was strongly opposed by DrFrederick Hezekiah Hartshorne of Alison House,Church Street. Some time before this DrHartshorne had sunk a well adjacent to hispremises and provided a supply of free water tolocal residents, whereas previously they had had togo to the Down Well in Dark Lane to fetch theirwater. He also claimed that the fountain couldnever supply drinkable water because of theunderlying ironstone bed. What was not known atthe time was that George Pritchard had beenpaying Frederick Hartshorne £10 a year forallowing public use of his well, a situation whichonly came to light after George’s death when thelocal Committee refused to take over thesepayments.Despite Hartshorne’s objections, the project wentahead. He was, however, to have the last laugh as

The Pritchard Memorialfountain in Broseley Squarewas erected after GeorgePritchard’s death in 1861All that is left today is theplinth, below. The well haslong since been filled in

Jackfield Churchwas built as a

memorial toGeorge Pritchard

using all localmaterials

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John, however, did not have the same regard forthe public’s welfare as his brother George. In 1865he alienated the local people when he withdrew hissupport for the Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton andStaffordshire Railway, saying that it would passtoo close to the Hall, destroying “its beauty,comfort and privacy”. Conversely, when StLeonard’s Church in Bridgnorth was almostcompletely rebuilt in the 1860s, John funded theconstruction of the south aisle in memory of hisbrother George who had recently died.

With John’s death in 1891 came the end of thePritchard family’s connection with Broseley. Butthe memory of them, and George Pritchard inparticular, remains as this inscription in BroseleyChurch testifies. “He trod in the steps of hishonoured father, and as a good neighbour, as aprotector of the fatherless, and widow, as an ableand upright magistrate, and as a considerateguardian and benefactor of the poor, he so entirelygained the affection and respect of all around him,that the church at Jackfield, and the monument inthe public street of this place, were erected bypublic subscription to perpetuate his memory.”Photographs courtesy of Michael Pope

A Walk round Broseley’s JittiesOn a perfect summer evening in June over 50members of the Society gathered at BroseleyCricket Club for a walk around Broseley’s historic

jitties. The walk was led by Michael Pope, DotCox and Janet Robinson, who shared some of theirlocal knowledge of the area, and was enhanced bythe playing of the audio tour which is part of theofficial Broseley Jitties Trail and which explainshow some of the jitties got their name.Those who could not make the walk, but did notwant to miss the fun, remained at the Cricket Clubwhere a short video, based on the audio tour, wasscreened.

Members were in for a pleasant surprise after thewalk, when they were treated to a glass of wine anda buffet supper provided by Vin Callcut incelebration of a milestone birthday.

Thanks to the guides, to Vin and the weather formaking this such a lovely evening.

Both the Broseley Jitties Trail leaflet and the audiotour may be downloaded from the Society’swebsite www.broseley.org.uk, click on Town Trail.

Derwent Valley and the Arkwright MillsIn July Society members enjoyed a trip to theDerwent Valley in Derbyshire where their firststop was at Cromford, the site of the firstsuccessful water powered cotton spinning mill.This mill had been built by Richard Arkwright in1771 to take advantage of his newly developedwater frame which could spin yarn continuouslywithout the need for skilled workers.

Richard Arkwright was born in 1732, the son of apoor family, who had no formal education. Thisdid not stop him, however, from eventuallybecoming the first person to create the modernfactory system, combining power, machinery,semi skilled labour and raw material to form afinished product.

His initial trade was as a wigmaker. This involvedtravelling around the country collecting people’s

The south aislein St Leonard’sChurch,Bridgnorth,was paid for byJohn Pritchardin memory ofhis brotherGeorge

Dot Cox(somewhere in themiddle) leading agroup around thejitties on a perfectsummer evening

ChairmanGill Popepresenting

railenthusiast

Vin Callcutwith a

suitablydecorated

birthday cake

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hair and it was whilston these travels that helearnt of the attemptsbeing made to developnew machines for thetextile industry.Always with an eye tothe main chance,Arkwright enlisted thehelp of two associatesand built the firstspinning frame. Thismachine involvedthree sets of paired rollers turning at differentspeeds. These rollers produced yarn of uniformthickness while a set of spindles twisted the fibrestogether. This process resulted in the production ofthread much stronger than that made with a spinningjenny, and without the use of skilled labour.

This spinning frame, however, was too large to beoperated by hand. After experimenting with horsepower, Arkwright decided to use water power andin 1769 patented what became known as the waterframe. In 1771 he built the first mill for producingcotton thread using this new machinery.The site which Arkwright chose to set up this waterpowered mill was at Cromford in Derbyshire. Thissite was some way from the main markets forcotton, but it was on recognised packhorse routesand, most importantly, had an ample year roundsupply of water.

Although the water frame did not need skilledworkers to oversee its operation, the whole cottonmaking process which subsequently evolved didrequire a substantial amount of semi skilled labour.With not enough local people to fill these jobs,Arkwright brought in workers from all over thecounty, preferring weavers with large families sothat the women and children could work in hisfactory while the weavers worked at home turningthe yarn into cloth. To house this influx ofworkers, he built workers’ cottages as well as localamenities such as shops and schools. Although thework was long hours in what today would beunacceptable conditions, he was known to paygood wages and insisted that any children heemployed should be able to read and write.

Cromford Mill proved a real success story and by1789 the factory site had been considerablyextended. By 1791, however, partly because thecentre of the cotton industry had moved toLancashire, the mills gradually decreased theiroutput until around 1850 they closed altogether.Some of the buildings were later used as a paintfactory but were then abandoned for over 30 years.The site has now been taken over by the ArkwrightSociety and plans are in hand to put the buildingsback into working use and establish a visitor centrefor what is now the Derwent Valley WorldHeritage Site. Already one of the buildings, whichwas partly destroyed by fire in 1890, has been putto use housing an exhibition of Arkwright’s lifeand work.

Before moving on to the nearby Masson Mill, therewas time for a brief visit to Cromford church. Thishad been founded by Arkwright, originally as achapel. After his death in 1792, it was completedby his son, also Richard. The original building hada very distinctive square shape and was describedin early records as “a stone built preaching box”.It was later ‘gothicised’ by enlarging the chancelarch, remodelling the windows and adding a tower.

Richard Armstrong created themodern factory system

These warehouses were part of the expansion of CromfordMill and were built in 1785

Cromford churchwas described inearly records as

“a stone builtpreaching box”.

It was later‘gothicised’ byadding a tower

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supplying the material for the skipping ropes ondisplay in the museum shop.Although Arkwright was known as a goodemployer and paid above average wages, theworking conditions must have been appalling.One can imagine the dust from the cotton gettingeverywhere and the noise would have been mindboggling – no wonder the workers quickly learntto lip read. And, of course, the machines had to bekept working whatever happened, which was whychildren were employed – not only were theycheaper but they were small enough to get underthe machinery to carry out repairs while it was stillworking.

Thanks to Richard Sells and Michael Pope fororganising such a fascinating day. There was somuch to see and not enough time to see it all –perhaps another year!

OBITUARYFrank Dawson

It is with great sadness thatNewsletter reports the death inMay of Frank Dawson. Manyof you will remember Frankfor the talk on John Wilkinsonhe gave to the Society in 2004and the very memorable visit

the Society made to his home at Castle Head thefollowing year. Castle Head was, of course, thehouse which John Wilkinson built overlookingMorecambe Bay in Cumbria and where he wasonce buried before being re-interred in nearbyLindale Church. David Lake, who had beenworking with Frank regarding the Society’spublishing of his book John Wilkinson, King ofIronmasters, recalls what a remarkable careerFrank had enjoyed.

Masson Mill was built by Arkwright in 1783 andis the oldest mill in the world in continuousproduction until 1991. It has now been restored asa working museum open to visitors, and memberswere given a fascinating tour of the machinery,from the cotton bale breaker, to the scutcher and onto the carding machine which combs the cottonfibres into one direction. From there the fibres arespun into yarn and stored on huge bobbins beforebeing sent on to the looms for the weaving of thefinal cloth.

As well as looms from Lancashire and Yorkshire,which weave traditional cloth, there were also themuch more versatile Jacquard looms which weavemore complex types of cloth and take several daysto thread. And it wasn’t just cloth that was woven.There was also a loom producing a range of finecrocheted products, as well as a braiding machinewhich is currently being used to make jute rope,

RichardArkwright’sMasson Mill wasbuilt in 1783 andwas incontinuousproduction until1991. It is now aworking textilemuseum

Looms brought in from Lancashire and Yorkshire

This jacquard loomcould weave

complex patternsbut took several

days to thread

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In 1978, with an Arts Degree from the OpenUniversity, a Diploma in Education from theUniversity of Leeds, and 20 years’ teachingexperience in both this country and in Africa,Frank Dawson went to live and work at CastleHead, the 18th century home of John Wilkinson.There he and a group of friends established aprivate short stay residential field study centre forboth teenage and adult students.

Frank knew nothing of John Wilkinson when hefirst moved to Castle Head, but folk memories ofthe activities of the family led him to research theirlives and fortunes. He became so interested that heeventually directed and taught short study courseson the Wilkinson family and for some 12 yearsgave an annual public lecture of aspects of theirlives at Castle Head. On his retirement in 1997 hecontinued to research their lives, gathering furthermaterial from private and public archives up anddown the country.Frank and his wife Fev were high achievers, bothin teaching and school construction in Ethiopia andin building up Field Studies and Wilkinson Studiesat Castle Head. It was a delight to enjoy theircompany and that of their three daughters. Frankfrequently came to Broseley to talk at Societymeetings, to meet fellow authors Ron Davies andBarrie Trinder, and to join in such occasions as ourvisit to Brymbo in 2008.

Frank’s sudden illness came as a shock to bothhim, his family and his friends and Neil Clarke andI were fortunate in being able to visit him at CastleHead shortly before his death. It was a privilege toknow Frank and, along with Society members, Iextend my deepest sympathy to his family.

ENGLISH HERITAGE ARCHIVE CATALOGUEEnglish Heritage’s historical archive catalogueis now online and people in the West Midlandswill be able to search for more than a millionhistorical photographs and documents relating tohistoric buildings and archaeological sites heldby English Heritage’s public archive, theNational Monuments Record (NMR).Photographs, plans, drawings, reports andpublications covering England’s archaeology,architecture, social and local history can now be

accessed at www.englishheritagearchives.org.uk.Order online or contact tel: 01793 414600 oremail: nmrinfo@english-heritage.org.uk.

SEVERN GORGE COUNTRYSIDE TRUSTThe Severn Gorge Countryside Trust (SGCT) hasfinally moved from its cramped accommodation inJockey Bank to purpose built offices in DarbyRoad, Coalbrookdale. The Trust, which managessome 260 hectares of land on both sides of theGorge, works to balance the conservation of thisarea with allowing full access to the public so thatthey can explore and enjoy the paths and trailswhich have been waymarked through the woodsand meadowland. In particular the circular routesthrough Dale Coppice and Lincoln Hill have beenmarked to correspond with the booklet,Coalbrookdale, 3 Historic Woodland Walks*written by Michael Pooley, while a kissing gatewill be replacing the current barrier at the RoughPark entrance to Dale Coppice.

In addition to this, and as part of accessimprovements to the woodlands, volunteers haverecently installed a bench on the Rope Walk at theentrance to Lydebrook Dingle; this will befollowed by signage and interpretation boards andhas been funded by Natural England and the BigLottery Fund.

*For availability of this and other booklets in theseries contact the Trust, tel: 01952 433880, email:staff@severngorge.org.uk or visit their websitewww.severngorge.org.uk.

WHAT’S ON?Severn Gorge Countryside TrustNight Owls and Bats WalkTuesday 31 August, 9.00 – 11.00 pmMeet at Coalport Village Hall 8.45 pmA night walk to look out for owls and bats aroundthe Silkin Way area; terrain includes steps anduneven ground. Please wear sensible clothing andfootwear. Under 16s must be accompanied by anadult. Sorry no dogs. Booking required tel: 01952433880, email cadiprice@severngorge.org.uk.Museum of the Gorge, IronbridgeInspector Drake and the Black Widow28 August, 4 and 11 September, 7.30 pm

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The first of a series of evening events at this venue.Performed by Sundial, a professional companytouring children’s plays in schools, performingVictorian Music Hall shows and 1940s varietyshows. Tickets £10, concessions £7.50 fromIronbridge Visitor Information Centre tel: 01952884391 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk.

John Randall Day SchoolJohn Randall Primary SchoolQueen Street, MadeleySaturday 4 September, 10.00 am – 4.30 pmCost: £5.00 includes buffet lunchA day school to celebrate the 200th anniversary ofthe birth and the 100th anniversary of the death ofJohn Randall who was born in Broseley in 1810.

Talks will cover all aspects of Randall’s life fromhis birth and early years in Broseley, through hiswide ranging interests in geology and history andhis skills as a china painter, to his death as arespected writer, publisher, local politician andFreeman of the Borough of Wenlock. Speakerswill include George Baugh, Neil Clarke, RogerEdmundson, Shelagh Lewis, Hugh Torrens andBarrie Trinder. Further information or for ticketscontact shelagh@madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk

Gorgeous Contemporary Craft FairSaturday and Sunday 9 and 10 October10.00 am – 5.00 pmEnginuity, CoalbrookdaleShropshire Guild of Contemporary Craftshowcasing the best in contemporary crafts.Admission £2.50 (children under 12 free)Further details on www.shropshireguild.co.uk orIronbridge Visitor Information Centre tel: 01952884391 or www.ironbridge.org.uk.

Blists Hill Victorian TownGhostly Gaslight, Saturday 30 OctoberFireworks Night, Saturday 6 NovemberTickets in advance only from Blists Hill orIronbridge Visitor Information Centre, adults£9.00, children £5.00 for each event; combinedfamily ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for bothnights £48.00. Parking limited, Park and Ridefrom Telford available. Passports not valid forevening events.

BOOKSHOPCharles & Kath Bartlam,Photographers of Court Street,Madeley, edited by Alan J Heighwayand Peter Wilson. 182 pp ofphotographs, paperback.

Charles Bartlam and later his wife Kath ran aphotographic studio in Court Street, Madeley,from 1905-48. This book reproduces just some ofthe 2,500 photographs which have survived andincludes pictures of outdoor events, studioportraits and weddings. Not all the people in thesephotographs have been positively identified and inpublishing this book the authors hope that readerswill help them put names to faces. To anyoneliving in the Madeley area during this time, thiswill be a trip down memory lane not to be missed.

Price £10.00, further details from Shelagh Lewis,Madeley Living History Project, tel: 01952 567288,email: shelagh@madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk.

Public Sculpture of Herefordshire,Shropshire and Worcestershire, byGeorge T Noszlopy and FionaWaterhouse. 448 pp, 250 b&willustrations, hardback. The latestvolume in the Public Sculpture of Britain seriespublished by Liverpool University Press.

Further information from LUP, 4 CambridgeStreet, Liverpool L69 7ZU, tel: 01517 952149, orwww.liverpool-unipress.co.uk.

A Shropshire Squire, Letters & Diary(1812-1825) of John Clavering Wood,Esquire, Marche Hall nearShrewsbury, edited by GerardBenjamin and Gloria Grant. 200 pp,illustrated, hardback, includes foreword,introduction, endnotes, biographical notes,appendices, family tree and detailed index.

The letters and diary of John Clavering Wood(1778-1835), spanning 1812-1825, show just howdiverse were the interests of a Shropshire countrygentleman during the early 19th century.

Available from the Shropshire Family HistorySociety or from Booka Bookshop, Oswestry, tel:

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01691 662244. Further details available fromhttp://ggbooks.wordpress.com/books/a-shropshire-squire/.An article on how A Shropshire Squire came to bepublished appears in the Summer issue of SalopianRecorder tel: 01743 255353 or email:Alison.Mussell@shropshire.gov.uk.

FUTURE PUBLICATIONSJoan Griffiths, whom many will remember as theauthor of Broseley, the People and the Past,* isonce again busy on records of the town. Onerecently completed project has been to compile alist of the inscriptions on the gravestones in AllSaints’ Churchyard as well as the plaques insidethe church. The dates on these run from 1770-1925 although the graveyard itself was closed toburials in 1875, apparently by order of QueenVictoria. No formal plan of the graveyard appearsto exist, and many of the stones have been movedto the edge, but the author has clearly indicatedwhere each stone now is; there is also an index ofsurnames for easy reference. It is hoped that thiswill be published in the near future and that profitsfrom sales will go to the Church.

Another of Joan’s projects is to computerise thecomplete cemetery records. These are currentlyheld by the Town Council and date from 1885 tothe present day. Once completed, it has beensuggested that access to them could be madeavailable to the public when the cemetery chapel isopened as a visitors’ centre.

Perhaps of even greater interest is her plannedbook on the history of all schools (includingSunday Schools) in the Broseley area from 1863.This includes records kept by the variousheadmasters of Broseley Boys National School inBridgnorth Road. These records give afascinating insight into the lives of the children,one entry in November 1885 reporting thatattendance was poor on that day, 68 pupils beingabsent of whom 46 were ill with mumps. All itneeds now to turn it into a valuable resource is tofind a publisher!

*Copies of this book are available from E Davis,Broseley High Street or from Joan Griffiths, tel:01952 883074, price £15.95.

MAILBOXFollowing Anna Wharfe’s request for informationon the Davis family and the Dunge Brickworks(May 2010 Newsletter), Valeria Hackett writes:

I am the daughter of Lilian Ivy Davis and the greatgranddaughter of George Davis 1828-1903.According to information I have the DungeBrickworks were acquired some time after 1811 bya Richard Hartshorne. He leased it to a RichardPoole from 1818 to about 1845 when the lease wasacquired by George and Francis Davis. Itremained in George Davis’s family until it wassold to a Major Donald Prestage in 1919.According to our family tree as researched byTrevor Instone the Thomas Davies who marriedRebecca Potts was two generations before Georgeand Francis Davis and the only link between thefamilies seems to be several generations backbetween the brothers Francis Davis, baptised 1699,and John Davies, baptised 1701.Valerie Hackett

Clive Edwards also replied to this request:Edmund Lloyd married Mary Potts (a relative ofyour Potts?). Their daughter Rebecca Lloyd, bornabout 1829 and died in 1902, married GeorgeDavies/Davis. He was born about 1828 and diedon 7 June 1903. George and his brother Francisowned the Dunge Brick and Tile Works.

George’s first child, James Edward Davis, born 26May 1850, married Emma Matilda Meredith.They are my great grandparents. James moved tothe Wirral and the Broseley Davis’s lost touch withour branch, but re-established the connection a fewyears ago. Trevor Instone, deceased, has written abook on the Middle/Broseley Davis’s.Clive Edwards

I refer to the correspondence in the May 2010Newsletter regarding the Last Supper Plaquesmade at Coalbrookdale.

I worked at the Coalbrookdale Works from about1963 to 1966 where my job in the Cost Departmentinvolved me occasionally going down into thefoundry. I can distinctly remember the Last

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Supper Plaques being made and sometimes used towatch them being cast. They were made onlyoccasionally, normally for presentations to VIPs orfor special events and were made by my wifePauline’s uncle Fred Pace from Broseley. Iremember being told that he was the only man whocould make them then as it was a very delicate andskilled job.  Fred was close to retirement in thosedays  and I know that he had worked as a floormoulder at the Coalbrookdale Works for  manyyears.Derek Bradburn

As the manager at Maws Craft Centre I amkeen to gather information about the Maws familyand the tile factory.

This is such a lovely place and so often people go tothe Tile Museum thinking that they are at Maws andmiss out on visiting here.  Others are quite amazedat how big the factory used to be and that it wasonce the largest encaustic tile factory in the world.

I know there is a lot of information here and thereabout Maws and the tile factory but I should like topull some of it together and bring it back home.My aim is to have an exhibition here telling whatit was like as a factory and its journey from therethrough to it becoming a Craft Centre wherepeople live and work.  I should also like to be ableto put stories and pictures up around the walls ofthe courtyard.

If any of your readers have information regardingthe tile factory, the Maw family and people whoused to work for Maws I should very much like tohear from them.Diane RixomTel: 01952 883030Email: diane@mawscraftcentre.co.uk

I was surprised recently to find that the churchin Broseley is called All Saints, although possiblythe fourth on the site. My great great great greatgrandmother Sarah Bill was married in St Leonard’sBroseley  to Thomas Sheward, and four of theirchildren were baptised there. Can anyone tell meanything about St Leonard’s? I should like to cometo visit it if it survives and also to explore Linley

Brook, Stockton Church at Norton and Broseley,where the Bills and the Shewards were to be foundfrom c1780 to at least the mid 19th century.Jacqueline Roberts

When St Leonard’s was rebuilt in 1845 it wasrenamed All Saints so the present parish church ison the site of the old St Leonard’s.  I am not surewhy it was renamed because all it does is causeconfusion. There is a little bit about the church onhttp://www.broseley.org.uk/church.htm and alsoin the Victoria County History http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22876#s17Steve Dewhirst

I am a Maw descendant and have beenresearching my ancestors. My paternalgrandmother was Sidney Ruth Maw (b 1877),daughter of Charles Maw (b 1835), son ofSolomon Maw (b 1805 Owston Ferry), son ofGeorge Maw (Kelfield 1770), son of George andAlice. Here we reach a brick wall.

However, we have recently come across a paintingwe didn’t realise we had. It is a watercolour  ofRochester Castle by John Hornby Maw, the brotherof my great great grandfather Solomon Maw.What is really interesting is what is written on theback. “This drawing of Rochester Castle done onthe spot by J H Maw (many years ago) was sold atthe sale of Dr Hartshorn’s effects, Oct 15, 1878and given by J H Maw to Martha Standeringat Barratts Hill House, Broseley, Oct 16 1878.J H Maw hopes it will not be allowed to go out ofthe family.”

This implies that Martha Standering is related tohim, although we have not so far come across herin our research. The painting has remained withinthe Maw family, although I am not actually a directdescendant of John Hornby Maw. A search onGenes Reunited found five trees with a MarthaStandering born in Owston, the  little village inLincolnshire where J H Maw was born. However,Standering is perhaps more likely to be her marriedname as she was obviously living in Broseley in1878. If she did originally come from OwstonFerry, it is quite a big coincidence that she alsoended up in Broseley, unless they are closely

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by the church for this long ago.Lian Dutton

I think it will be very difficult to trace any records ofThomas working at Ridding Farm.  It would havebeen run by a tenant farmer and the farmer wouldhave employed Thomas direct.  The ForesterEstate may have records of the farmer himself.These are now deposited at Shropshire Archiveshttp://www.shropshire.gov.uk/archives.nsf  so youshould contact them to see if they have anything inthe records.  I believe that the records themselvescan only be viewed with the permission of LadyForester. The other contact would be ShropshireFamily History Society http://www.sfhs.org.uk/.Steve Dewhirst

Thank you for publishing my request forinformation on my great great great grandfatherJames Clarke in your May 2010 Newsletter – Igained some fantastic information. I should alsolike to congratulate you on the Broseley historywebsite which has been a valuable research tool formy family history.Leighton Boltonmachiavelli41@aol.com

Thank you for your suggestion as to where tolook for 76 Caughley, the house where mygrandfather was born (May 2010 Newsletter). Youwere so helpful and I did find the house, downPound Lane, past the Round House to CaughleyCottage. I had an old photograph of the house andsure enough that was it. It was wonderful to seeand we were also able to meet with some distantrelatives in Broseley. I also found the house of mygreat great grandfather on Hockley Street, so thatwas a bonus.Debbie Curto

related. If that is the case I am surprised that noneof us Maw descendants have come across her!

I have looked at the trade directories on your siteand have found a Frederick Hezekiah Hartshornewho was a surgeon – presumably the doctor whomJ H Maw says he bought the painting back from.But who is this Martha Standering whom he thengave it to in 1878 in the hope that she would keepit in the (presumably Maw) family?Margaret and Roger Stevens

I cannot find mention of any Standering in myrecords. The only conclusion I can draw is thatMartha was visiting when the painting waspresented to her. It is strange that John Hornbyseems  to have bought back his own painting.Presumably originally it would have been a gift toDr Hartshorne. John Hornby is listed in thecensus as living at Barratts Hill in both 1871 and1881. In 1861 the house was occupied by GeorgeMaw and his brother Arthur. However Casey’sdirectory lists him at Barratts Hill so presumablyhe was away at the time of the census. One of theMaw family (probably George) had a son calledHornby as there was a treat at the Maw’s NewJackfield works for his coming of age on 10th May1883.

Hartshorne was quite a common name in Broseleyat the time.  Dr F H Hartshorne lived on ChurchStreet and died on 18th August 1878 and was oneof the local doctors.Steve Dewhirst

I have been tracing my family tree back toBroseley in the 1840s. I believe my great great greatgrandfather, Thomas Dutton, lived in Lower Riddingon Rough Lane in 1841 and worked on the Riddingsfarm. He and his wife Elizabeth Johnson weremarried in Barrow church and she died in 1840. Irecently visited Broseley and walked down RoughLane and asked some residents about Riddings Farmand they suggested I write to Lady Forester to see ifthere are any records of workers on the farm.

Do any of your readers have any information aboutthe farm and its workers? I have already contactedthe local vicar but he said there are no records held

CaughleyCottage in

Pound Lanewhere Debbie

Curto’sgrandfather

was born

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how the material was found is the subject of anarticle in the Summer issue of Salopian Recorderwhich is available from Shropshire Archives.Gerard Benjamin (co-editor with Gloria Grant)http://ggbooks.wordpress.comSee Bookshop on page 8 for further details of thispublication.Editor

I am researching James Clifford, lord of themanor of Broseley during the late 16th and early17th centuries.  Any information concerningJames, his family and their involvement with coalmining would be of interest to me. I would alsolike to know more about Priory House which Ibelieve he built, and what Broseley was like duringthe period 1550-1630.

The Clifford family were primarily based inFrampton on Severn and Fretherne inGloucestershire, and I hope to write a book onthem covering the period 1550-1700 which will, ofcourse, include a chapter on Broseley.Rose Hewlett

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chairman Gillian PopeSecretary Dot CoxTreasurer Jim CooperCurator David LakeMembership Janet Robinson Secretary 26 Coalport Road

Broseley TF12 5AZ 01952 882495Programme Secretary Neil Clarke and Journal EditorNewsletter Editor Jan LancasterPublicity Michael Pope Richard Sells Sheila KeenanWebsite www.broseley.org.ukEmail steve@broseley.org.uk

Newsletter is sympathetic to the concerns of certainof its correspondents who are reluctant to see theiremail address appear in the public domain. If thereis anyone who does not wish their contact detailsto be published, they are welcome to make use ofthe Society’s email address steve@broseley.org.uk.Any respondent without access to email may passon information to any member of the committee.

To see this Newsletter in full colour visitthe website at www.broseley.org.uk.

Printed by Madeley Print Shop© Published by Broseley Local History Society

I am a descendant of Anfrid de Benetala but allI can find out about him is that he died some timeafter 1128.  I should be very grateful if any of yourreaders know where I could find furtherinformation on him.Joyce West

You might like to try http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22875 whichgives some details and sources.  You could alsocontact the Benthall family at Benthall Hall.Steve Dewhirst

Your readers may be interested in a recentlypublished book entitled A Shropshire Squire,Letters & Diary (1812-1825) of John ClaveringWood, Esquire, Marche Hall near Shrewsbury.

The book portrays J C Wood of the 350 acreMarche estate near Westbury as, among otherthings, a keen horticulturalist but he also invested,with other local gentry, in the mining of feldspar atMiddletown Hill which was supplied to the Spodefactory. Though not local to the Broseley area, onediary entry records his calling to see John Rose ofCoalport; unfortunately he was out.

The diaries and letters only came to light in NewZealand relatively recently and their publicationhas been a labour of love, since the diarist is mygreat great great great grandfather.  The story of

One of the swing posts on the Broseley JittiesTrail describes how James Clifford, Lord of

the Manor of Broseley, encouraged immigrantworkers to build their squatter cottages in

Broseley Wood in the late 16th century

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