WHGMag12 Layout 1 - Wellington History Group · I was told recently that in the Abbey Church in Shrewsbury was a tomb that had been in the old Wellington parish church. Not the present

Quite a number of history-related things have beenhappening in Wellington

since our last issue.Firstly, our editor was humbled

last October to receive a plaquefrom the Town Council inappreciation of his services inpromoting Wellington's history,which is all the more pleasing asour president received a similarhonour some years ago.

In common with othertownships, there is a growingacknowledgement that the futureprosperity of Wellington is closelylinked to making good use of itscolourful Past ... but care needs betaken to ensure 'correct' (asopposed to misunderstood ormisguided) historical facts andinterpretations are used for thebenefit of the town, its residents,businesses and visitors.

The pages in this issue not onlyreveal more information aboutprevious events but also what hasbeen happening in the way ofmaking modern history. Wellingtoncertainly looks and feels a muchmore loved-and-looked-after townthan it has for many a year and, ifall goes according to plan, theaddition of three HistoricWellington boards (like the onebelow) with information andillustrations supplied by our editorwill soon be erected in keylocations, thanks to approval byTown and Borough councillors.

WellingtoniaNewsletter of the Wellington History Group,

rediscovering the past of Wellington in Shropshire

Issue 12: First Half 2012

HELLO, AGAIN!

Only £2.00

IN THIS ISSUE******************

Page2. William & Anne

Charlton4. T.C. Eyton's Railway

Interests 6. O, listen to the band7. Oddments8. Knight of the Road9. Noticeboard

10. In the News: 191212. You Ask13. Early Photographers14. Blackshirts in

Wellington, 193916. In the News: 196218. Backwoods of The

Wrekin Forest: Limekiln Woods

20. Making History

The Charlton Tomb:a moving account

See page 2.

Visit us at www.wellingtonhistorygroup.wordpress.com

'He's an example of whycertain people should be

awarded posthumous Ph.Dsin recognition of their

achievements.'To whom is our presidentGeorge Evans referring?

See page 9.

Iwas told recently that in theAbbey Church in Shrewsburywas a tomb that had been in

the old Wellington parish church.Not the present building but theearlier one demolished in 1789. Iwas interested to know about thetruth of the story and more details.

In his book The Story of theParish Church of All Saints, writtenI suspect about 1946, Cecil Lowetells of this tomb. Cecil Lowe,apart from being well known inthe town, was a Church Warden atAll Saints for many years.

'On the North side of the chancelhad been the alabaster tomb ofWilliam Charlton of Apley (died1544) and his wife Anne (died1524)... It was ... removed to the Westend of the North aisle of the AbbeyChurch, Shrewsbury.'

The tomb of William and AnneCharlton of Apley not just asimple memorial to a couple, butan impressive altar tomb to animportant couple and placedprominently inside the church. Butwho were they?

The one thing I did know wasthat their daughter Alicia,sometimes named Elizabethmarried Thomas Eyton of Eytonupon the Weald Moors in 1525; themarriage is commemorated in oneof the windows at St Catherine’sChurch Eyton (see next picture).

2 Wellingtonia: Issue 11: Second Half 2011

It would appear that a noblefamily lived at what we know asApley, in the years after theNorman conquest. Probably thefamily derived their name fromthe area where they lived; acommon practice in those dim anddistant days. There was nocommon spelling of the placename – not surprising as fewcould write or read, and thelanguage was a mixture of whatcould be called Norman andSaxon. It seems that Walter deAppel and John de Appel areknown about 1177 and 1189 and afew years later a Walter de Elpoleis mentioned, later still a Walter deEppele and a Walter de Apley arenoted in contemporarydocuments.

Historically, though Apley hasoften been referred to as a manor,it was technically a berewick (anoutlying estate) of Wellington,indeed, it is one of five Wellingtonberewicks held by Edwin Earl ofMercia in 1066; the others arebelieved to have been Dothill,Arleston, Walcote and Aston.

It is not known how or whenthe ‘Apley family’ was supersededby that of the Charlton family butit must have been before 1327because one of the first acts ofEdward III reign was to grant alicence to Alan de Cherlton toembattle his Mansion at Apley.

During the 14th century

Charltons were one of the mostimportant Shropshire familiesincluding in their ranks a Keeperof the Privy Seal and laterGovernor and Chancellor ofIreland. The estate at Apley passedfrom father to son almostcontinuously through theturbulent times, including theWars of the Roses, where theyappear to have been on the‘winning side’.

Though they never rose to suchprominence again, they continuedto hold Apley, almost withoutinterruption, until 1954 but itwould appear that the inheritancewas not always a father to sonlineage; and they didn’t alwaysuse the Castle as their primaryresidence. Some records suggestthat William and Anne had elevenchildren, 7 sons and 4 daughters;two of these children, Richard andElizabeth married an ‘Eyton’; theyoungest son, Alan, became Vicarof All Saints in 1535 and it isthrough the son Robert that theestate passed into latergenerations.

Cecil Lowe tells us that thetomb of William and Anne was inthe chancel of the church but thenit was removed outside to thechurchyard, no doubt when thechurch was being rebuilt. It islikely that he retold the story fromearlier records. There are twodescriptions of the tomb publishedin 1825, by my calculation withinten years of the tomb being movedfrom Wellington.

One description deservesconsidering (Neale): 'A finemonument was removed fromWellington Church in 1788 and stoodmore than thirty years in thechurchyard of that parish. It iscomposed of alabaster ... The sides ofthis monument consist of a series offive canopied niches, within the first,at the head of the tomb ... is an angel

WILLIAM AND ANNE CHARLTON Geoff Harrison

A sixteenth centurytomb, originally resting in

the parish church atWellington, was moved to

Shrewsbury Abbey.This is its story.

3

holding a shield ... Within the secondniche is a friar or pilgrim. In thecentre compartment are two angelsbearing a shield. The fourth nichecontains another friar and towards thefoot of the monument is an angelbearing the arms of Horde single' (thefamily name of Anne).

This first description of 1825 isnot the same as a second in that itdoesn’t include any commentabout 'a friar curiously carved on thebottom of his foot'. (Owen &Blakeway).

Looking carefully it is easy tomiss this carving on the sole of his‘left boot’; it is very delicate. Ileave it to the reader to interpretwhat the image may mean – amonk/friar but the ‘hangingnoose’ or is it more likely a rosary?

Both these descriptions of 1825are obviously made after the tombwas re-sited in its present position

because neither provide anydescription of features on the sideagainst the Abbey wall.

One must be grateful that CecilLowe is not here to see the tombtoday – he would I imagine, bevery disappointed; or indeed thoseother writers of the early 19thcentury even more so.

William is alone, Anne his wifeis no longer by his side, she wasremoved some little time agowhen there were, so I was told,attempts to renovate the tomb;after nearly 500 years they areseparated. Not only is Annemissing, the tomb itself is in apoor state of repair and there isreal damage. I will not describethe tomb but leave thephotographs to tell the story.

Even in the present state of dis-repair the tomb shows some

www.wellingtonhistorygroup.wordpress.com

features which give indications asto the richness and ornate natureof the tomb when it was originallyplaced in the chancel of All Saints– truly a rich monument to a richand powerful family.

Further research suggests thatthe modern damage has beencaused by severe floods in 1941and 1947, the tomb sitting in 'atleast a foot of water. This is of coursedisastrous for alabaster ... 'At a morerecent time the 'effigy of Annesuddenly collapsed into the hollowtomb chest ... it does look like therewas a historical weakness in thealabaster'. She now resides by theHigh Altar.

Postscript from the Vicar of AbbeyChurch of the Holy Cross,

ShrewsburyThe Charlton tomb is not in ahappy state, attempts to renovateit around 2002 ended in failureand it will be necessary to unpicka rather opaque trail of insurance,loss adjustment and failedrestoration promises before anynew restoration can berecommenced.

The 2002 budget set a totalrestoration cost at c.£19,000, so it isprobably at around £20,000 now.The Abbey is indeed a grandbuilding, however it serves acommunity, part of which isdetailed as the third mostunderprivileged in Shropshire – itisn’t wealthy.

If anyone has any ideas onGrant Funding to go towards therenovation I should be pleased fortheir advice.

Revd. Paul Firmin

4 Wellingtonia: Issue 12: First Half 2012

The Shropshire UnionRailways & Canal Company

Thomas Campbell Eyton hadjoined the committee of theShrewsbury Canal in 1836 and,like his father and grandfather,played an active part in themanagement of the canal.

In its last decade as anindependent company, heoccasionally chaired meetings; andin July 1845, he was one of threecommittee members deputed toattend meetings with theEllesmere & Chester CanalCompany to discussamalgamation and railwayconversion.

Two months earlier, theEllesmere & Chester Co. hadabsorbed the Birmingham &Liverpool Junction Canal, whichincluded the branch from NorburyJunction, via Newport toWappenshall, where it joined theShrewsbury Canal. TheShrewsbury Canal became aconstituent member of the new

combined company formed on 3August 1846 – the ShropshireUnion Railways & CanalCompany.

The word order in its title andthe use of the plural wereindicative of the intensions of thenew company.

There were plans to build 155miles of railways, includingconversion of most of theCompany’s canal routes.

However, in spite of hisinvolvement in the initialdiscussions on amalgamation andconversion, Thomas CampbellEyton did not at first become amember of the board of directorsof the newly-formed ShropshireUnion Railways & CanalCompany, chaired by the Earl ofPowis.

The SUR&CC was leased to theLondon & North Western Railwayin 1847 and, of its grandiose plans,only the railway from Shrewsburyto Stafford (constructed jointlywith the Shrewsbury &Birmingham Railway as far asWellington and opened in June1849) and the line from Hadley toCoalport (opened in June 1861)were built.

The latter necessitated theclosure of most of the ShropshireCanal, but the Shrewsbury Canaland the Newport Branch werekept open by the LNWR.

Eyton clearly maintained hisinterest in the SUR&CC, beinglisted as a director in Bradshaw’sRailway Shareholders’ Guide &Directory of 1869.

The Wellington & SevernJunction Railway

Like five other local businessmen,Thomas Campbell Eyton was adirector of the railway authorisedby Parliament in 1853 that tappedthe mineral wealth of theCoalbrookdale Coalfield.

This was the Wellington &Severn Junction Railway, whichran from a junction on theShrewsbury & BirminghamRailway at Ketley to Horsehay(opened 1857) and Lightmoor

(opened 1858), aiming to link upwith the proposed Severn ValleyRailway.

Eyton was amongst thepromoters of the lines that linkedthe W&SJR to Coalbrookdale,Buildwas, and Much Wenlock(1862-64) and to Craven Arms(1867).

The early success of thesedevelopments can be gauged fromthe enthusiastic words of WilliamGregory Norris, manager of theCoalbrookdale Company, in hiscomments (1876) on the transportof goods from Horsehayironworks:

The system of delivering by canal[i.e. by wagon to WappenshallWharf] both for home and foreignconsignments continued until theopening of the Birmingham &Shrewsbury line, when Wellingtonbecame the trans-shipping station;and continued so until the opening ofthe Wellington & Severn JunctionBranch, when the conveying

T.C. EYTON'S RAILWAY INTERESTS Neil Clarke

In a previous article, Idescribed how, duringthe late 18th and early

19th centuries, three successivegenerations of the Eyton family

were involved in thepromotion, construction and

management of the ShrewsburyCanal.

This canal, built fromDonnington Wood to the

county town, passed throughthe Eyton estate and servedWellington from wharves atTrench, Wappenshall, Eytonupon the Weald Moors and

Long Lane. At the same time membersof the family also joined

turnpike trusts engaged in theimprovement of local roads.And from the late 1840s, thefamily’s interest in transportwas taken further by Thomas

Campbell Eyton (1809-80), whobecame involved in the

development of railways in thisarea…and beyond.

T.C. Eyton, 1809-1880.

accommodation was such that ironcould be rolled, loaded and intoBirkenhead before it was cold!

By 1869, Thomas CampbellEyton was no longer a director ofthe Wellington & Severn JunctionRailway; but another Wellingtonbusinessman was – John Slaney.

The Stafford & UttoxeterRailway

At first sight, it seems odd thatThomas Campbell Eyton wasassociated with a railway in an

area over 20 miles from his homebase and where he had noapparent landed or businessinterests.

However, the promoters of theStafford & Uttoxeter Railway sawtheir railway as a link in thecarriage of livestock from CentralWales to the East Midlands. Astheir 1862 prospectus stated:

The cattle traffic from Shrewsbury,Welshpool, Oswestry and Newtownand other places in Shropshire,Montgomeryshire and North Walesinto Leicestershire is veryconsiderable. The proposed line willeffect a saving of 13 miles betweenShrewsbury and Leicester, ascompared with the present imperfectroute via Rugby.

So is it possible that ThomasCampbell Eyton’s interest inagriculture, particularly livestock,is a clue to his involvement withthis railway?

The prospectus also mentionedthat the traffic in limestonebetween the StaffordshireMoorlands and the Shropshireiron industry would benefit fromthe shorter route; and abusinessman like Eyton wouldhave been aware of theimportance of the local iron tradeto the commercial prosperity of

East Shropshire and his owninterests.

The railway between Staffordand Uttoxeter was authorised byAct of Parliament in July1862: itsregistered office was inWellington; Eyton was chairmanof the company and Robert DanielNewill was the company’ssolicitor.

The Wellington connection wasextended further when JohnBarber was commissioned in 1863to survey a branch from theStafford-Uttoxeter line to Abbot’sBromley (which was in fact neverbuilt).

In the event, the Stafford &Uttoxeter Railway proved to be avery impecunious affair. Thelivestock traffic never fullymaterialised; the junctionarrangement at Stafford was notconducive to transfer traffic flowsvia the Shropshire Union line; andthe London & North WesternRailway and North StaffordshireRailway were not cooperative.

Thomas Campbell Eytonremained chairman until 1875(five years before his death) andNewill solicitor until 1878.

The Stafford & UttoxeterRailway was sold to the GreatNorthern Railway in 1881.

www.wellingtonhistorygroup.wordpress.com 5

This seal was created when theWellington & Severn Junction

railway was incorporated in 1853.Ironbridge is depicted because it wasintended to connect the line to that of

the Severn Valley Railway.


O, listen to the band! Howbeautifully they play. That,or something like it (my

memory isn’t what it used to be) isa line from the musical workwritten by Lionel Monkton,Soldiers In The Park and expressesthe delight felt by music lovers onhearing the strident tones of a topclass brass band.

In my case, I am afraid it was acase of Oh, no, not listening to theband again! For these are theconfessions of a youngster forcedinto becoming a compulsory brassband groupie.

My father, Cecil Greatholder,was a lover of music of allpersuasions, classical, operatic,orchestral, dance band and, aboveall, brass band. Cecil worked atwhat was then Joseph Sankey andSon Ltd, in Hadley. In fact, in the1930s, thousands of people fromthe Wellington area worked atSankeys. He had learned to playthe drums and was a member ofwhat was in those days thenationally-acclaimed SankeysBrass Band.

He had met my mother, CeliaDunn, at The WrekinConservatives fete at Orleton Hallin Wellington and they werepersuaded to dance together bythe MP, Captain Baldwin Webb.My mother told me that when shefirst took him home for Sundaytea she was shocked when hestarted ‘playing’ the cups, saucers,plates and bottles on the tablewith his knife and fork. Heproduced quite a catchy rhythm –

but it wasn’t really appreciated byhis future in laws.

They married in 1936 and Icame along in 1940. Sankeys wasinvolved in important war work –and the band grew in strength,recruiting brilliant brass bandmusicians from all over thecountry. And of course, part oftheir remit was to keep up thenation’s spirits by playing onradio programmes like Workers’Playtime, often broadcast fromthe canteen at Hadley.

The years after the war endedwere golden ones for the brassband fraternity – no weekendpassed without there being acontest or a concert somewhere inEngland – and the broadcast datesjust kept rolling in.

They may have been goldenyears for the musically minded,but they were anything but goldenfor an energetic 8 year-old. For,where the band went – so did thefamilies of the musicians. Hardly asummer weekend went bywithout us climbing aboard one ofSmith’s Coaches and heading offfor a contest. And the addedbonus of going to a contest is thefact that you get to hear the sametest piece of music played by 20 or30 different bands.

If the band wasn’t taking partin a contest, then it was playing ina public park somewhere. Andwhen the band played in a park,young Michael Greatholder wastold to sit on the bench and listento the band. There was no runningaround kicking a football or

playing gameswith otheryoung bandfollowers. Wehad to sit thereand behaveourselves whilethe band playedon. And on.

I lost count ofthe times theband played inThe Quarry atShrewsbury.Suffice it to say

that the two sessions of play,usually 3pm to 4.15 and then 6pmto 7.15 were attended by hundredsof people either sitting on thewooden benches or picnicking onrugs.

The other thing that reallymade me mad was that youngsterswho were in the park for a Sundayafternoon out would climb up therailings around the bandstand andimplore MY dad to let them have abang on his drums. I could onlyfume from afar. After theafternoon session we would strolldown to Sidoli’s Café, which wason the corner of Barker Street, fora ham salad tea in the upper room.I really couldn’t stand whatpassed for salad cream – but bythen I was in no mood to enjoyanything.

I suppose the nearest I got toenjoying these outings was whenwe went to places like Belle Vue inManchester. After the band hadplayed we stayed to watch afireworks display and then headedhome. On the way, the coachwould stop at a pub and thethirsty bandsmen and their wiveswould troop inside, leaving uskids to sit on the coach and awaitour reward for being good littlechildren – a packet of Smith’sCrisps and a bottle of Vimto.

There was a particularly largeeuphonium player in the bandwhose name, I think, was Ossie.After an extended visit to the baron one occasion he returned to thecoach, jammed himself in the aislebetween the seats and in a verybasso profundo voice informedeveryone that ‘Jesus Wants Me ForA Sunbeam’.

As I grew up I came to quitelike brass bands – but despite allthe efforts of my dad I still can’tread a word of music. By the timeSankeys decided that the bandwas no longer flavour of themonth, dad had made over 100broadcasts. His proudest momentcame when Sankeys played in amassed brass band concert at theRoyal Albert Hall in front of theirmajesties. It was dad’s roll on thedrums to start the national anthemthat led to him bragging allthough his life – I made the Kingand Queen stand up!

O, LISTEN TO THE BAND Mike Greatholder

Sankey's Castle Works Band, pictured in 1937, withCecil Greatholder on the extreme right.

Brewery, also in Wolverhampton)wanted to buy the brewery itself.

He wasn't interested in havinga brewery in Wellington but he didwant to increase the number ofpublic houses which could beprovided with ales from hisWolverhampton-based brewery.

It's not unusual to come acrossitems of historic interest quiteby chance, nor to receive copies

of small documents which, inthemselves, have little or no worthbut are important because theyshed some light on the almost-impenetrable gloom we know asThe Dim and Distant Past.

This Apley Castle Estatereceipt is a good example andproves that even the wealthy (inthis case, the Duke of Sutherland)had to pay other property ownerssmall amounts by way of rent onland which had been leased tothem.

The Items included in the Salecomprise, as seen in thiscomprehensive listing, is just asmall sample of the wide range ofinformation contained in the SaleParticulars relating to the formerShropshire Brewery, which stoodon Holyhead Road.

The 1912 sale included anumber of tied public houses inaddition to the brewery itself. Infact, it was these pubs which werethe prime reason why WilliamButler (of the Springfield Brewery,Wolverhampton, not – at this time– connected to Mitchells & Butlers

This report appeared inCharles Dickens’s monthlymagazine Household Words

and is an extract from Dickens’Dreadful Almanac: A terrible Eventfor Every Day of the Year edited byCate Ludlow and published byThe History Press:An accident occurred on theShropshire Union Railway, on the 29thult. [May 1852], from the negligence ofa fireman. At Shrewsbury station, a man lighteda fire in a locomotive which waspresently to be used; without shuttingoff the steam or throwing themachinery out of gear, he left theengine unattended in a shed.

When the steam got up, thelocomotive slowly left the shed, andmoved down the rails upon which atrain for Stafford was then proceeding.

The engine gradually increased itsspeed, till on descending an inclinenear Wellington it is supposed that itwent at the rate of seventy miles anhour.

Three miles farther on, atDonnington, the Stafford train hadstopped. The runaway engine dashedinto it, and the two hindmost carriageswere smashed to pieces.

Thirteen persons were hurt, three ofthem so badly that they could not beremoved from the place.

A coroner’s inquest has found averdict of ‘manslaughter’ againstJoseph Thompson, the man who hadnegligently left the engine unattendedin the shed.

Talking of trains, did you knowthe Duke of Wellington dislikedrailways because: 'They encourage the working classes

to move about.'

7www.wellingtonhistorygroup.wordpress.com

Butler put the ShropshireBrewery (without the pubs) backon sale in 1913 ... with the provisothat no beer should be brewed onthe premises! Who on earth wouldbuy a non-brewing brewery? Noneother than 'pop' man O.D. Murphy... and the rest is history! Cheers!

RUNAWAY TRAIN

ODDMENTS

WELLINGTONIA ON SALERespected chartered accountants

Tranter Lowe are now sellingcopies of Wellingtonia from their

office in Tan Bank (below).Please pass word around.


My father Bill Perry of theCycle Shop, Park Street,Wellington, was awarded

‘The Order of the Knight of theRoad’ by the News of the World.The award was given to peoplewho carried out good deeds on theroad.

I recall it was in August 1955when we were coming back toWellington from Hodnet. We hadbeen on the Battery Round, as wecalled it, collecting electricaccumulators which were used topower wirelesses (radios) inhouses as far away as MarketDrayton.

Dad charged the batteries upand returned them the followingweek, when he collected thedischarged ones. This is beforepeople had mains electricity andcars.

It was about 10 o’clock onenight as we turned out of Hodnetonto the Wellington road when wenoticed a man with a motorbikeand side car on the grass verge bythe junction.

My father pulled up to see if hecould assist; the motorbike had apuncture in one of the tyres. Theman and wife had two smallchildren who they had wrapped

up and were asleep under thehedge.

The family was foreign andspoke very little English but myfather made them understand thathe would take the wheel away andrepair it for them. We arrivedhome and, while he repaired thepuncture, my mother prepared aflask of hot tea and a bottle of popand biscuits for the children. Wetook the wheel back and set it upfor them to continue on theirjourney. They were extremelypleased but explained they had nomoney to pay for the repair. Dadgave them our name and address.

We thought that is the last wewould hear about the event as myfather had done many good deeds

like this before for which he neverreceived or expected payment. Itwas a great surprise when hereceived a letter from ErnestYoung, the registrar for News of theWorld’s Knight of the Roadawards, asking for confirmation ofthe event. One of the members ofthe Executive Council was GroupCaptain Douglas Bader DSO, DFC.

The scheme began in 1928 andwas intended to reward andpromote considerate driving androad safety, whereby 'winners'were given a lapel badge, whichwas upgraded to a car badge in1936 at which time the terms ofthe original scheme werereorganised.

In the letter, it says that 'the aimof our Order is to restore something ofold world chivalry and kindness toour roads, in the hope that this willmake for road safety.'

I still have the award’s carbadge and certificate, and myfamily is very proud of them. Theonly other similar certificate wehave seen is in Marston’s Breweryat Burton upon Trent. Do anyother readers have one of thesecertificates?

Bill Perry carried out manygood deeds for the communityover his working life at the CycleShop; perhaps we should write abook of all that we know and havebeen told by his customers.

KNIGHT OF THE ROAD Dorothy Vickers

Dorothy Vickers(nee Perry) recalls anunusual family event.

Left: old photo of Bill Perry'sCycleShop in Park Street, Wellington.


NOTICEBOARD

OUR PUBLIC TALKS 2012Admission is free but donations are invited after each event.

* * *Wednesday June 20th: Allan Frost HISTORY OF ORLETON HALL

The talk will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Civic Offices at Wellington.

*Thursday July 19th: Meet at 7:00 at Lych Gate, Church Street

VISITS TO ALL SAINTS PARISH CHURCH AND ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH

*During October: WELLINGTON LITERARY FESTIVAL

See Press for details of talks or visit www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk

* * *Also, watch local press for details of our other events.

Well-known local historian KenJones died peacefully at the SevernHospice, Shrewsbury, on 2ndFebruary, aged 90. His well-attended funeral in Little Wenlockchurch bore witness to theaffection felt for Ken and therespect everyone had for him.

In 1968, he joined the newly-formed Friends of the IronbridgeGorge Museum group, wassuccessively its Secretary,Chairman and Vice President, andacted as a guide to visitors to theMuseum sites.

He was also a member of theBoard of Trustees of the Museum,serving on the academic andcuratorial committees, and latterlybecame a Vice President.

It was in recognition of 40years’ service to the Museum Trustand the Friends that Ken wasawarded an MBE in the Queen’shonours list in 2010.

Ken made a significantcontribution to the study of thesocial history of the CoalbrookdaleCoalfield. Beginning with therecording of reminiscences offormer employees of the Coalport

China Works in 1976, he spent

the next 30 years creating a unique oral history archive, recentlyacknowledged as being of nationalimportance.

In 1998 Oakwood Presspublished The Wenlock Branch, andin 2009 The Dog Rose Press(Ludlow) published Pitmen,Poachers and Preachers, whichexamines life and the Poor Law inthe Madeley Union of Parishesfrom 1700 to 1930. Ken alsolectured widely on the oral historyof the Coalfield.

HISTORY GROUP CONTACT DETAILS

Please address all correspondence to:

WHG Secretary: Joy Rebello, 6 Barnfield Crescent,Wellington, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 2ES.

Tel: 01952 402459. email: [email protected]

Other officers of the Wellington History Groupcommittee are:

President: George Evans.

Chairman: Geoff Harrison.

Treasurer: Wendy Palin.

Wellingtonia Editor: Allan Frost.

DISCLAIMER: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct at the time ofgoing to press. Wellington History Group cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor do opinionsexpressed necessarily reflect the official view of the Group. All articles and photographs are copyright of the authorsor members of the Group and must not be reproduced without prior permission and due credit.

NEW LIBRARY NOW OPEN

Unforeseen problems held up theopening of Wellington's newlibrary (see last issue). Good news... the public was admitted for thefirst time on Monday 2nd April2012. We are grateful to MarilynHigson (above) who, as a keyplayer in the 'Library ServicesTransformation Project', has donemuch to promote local history andprovide an excellent range offacilities at the new library. Sheretired after the library opened; wewish her well. Below: the'Community History Centre'.

KEN JONES, MBE, 1921–2012

First of a series of dances heldat Forest Glen with 100 guestsattending. The room prettilydecorated and “in the nocturnalhours looked particularlycharming with its artistically-disposed and scintillating lights’.

'BILLY’S ESCAPE' - Porters atWellington Station attempted toput a billy goat on a train boundfor Hodnet but were frustrated bythe goat being ‘ignorant of modernmeans of transport’. It waseventually put in the guard’s vanwhere it calmed down, but as soonas the train started it dashed outthrough an open window andalong the lines, pursued by theporters. But ‘in that ludicrousmethod of defence inseparablefrom goats … kept his pursuersaway’. It was subsequently caughtand put back on the train.

Town churches alluded to theTITANIC DISASTER in their services:

Parish Church – alterationswere made to services toharmonise with the tragedy.Praised courage especially bandwho carried on playing. Chopin’sFuneral March played at the end ofthe service.

Christ Church - services solemnwith prayers for the bereaved.Parishioners and townsmenpresent who were intimatelyacquainted with some of thosewho had been lost and somesaved. The warning of danger wasrepeated thrice (if reports werecorrect) went unheeded and noalteration was perceived. Evenafter the impact no one realizedthe danger, and thought it safer toremain on board than take to thelife boats. Some passengers wereindulging in games and recreationeven though it was Sunday. ‘Verymuch awake and alive to thepleasures of the world, but asleepand dead to eternal things’. Thelesson to be learned - Be Prepared.

St Patrick’ RC Church – praisedthe heroism of the millionaire andthe stoker, the man of letters andthe uneducated who gave place tothe weaker and met their doom‘like the men they were’.

Wellington CongregationalChurch – Sermon on the ‘SilentSorrow’.


JANUARY

WELLINGTON HIPPODROME in TanBank features several times duringthe year following its reopeningtowards the end of this month (seeadvert below).

MARCH

Boots for the Children:–Theproprietors of the WellingtonHippodrome deserve the thanks ofthe community for a display ofexceptional generosity. They madeknown their intention of devotingthe whole of the proceeds fromThursday's entertainments to acharitable purpose and, afterconsultation with the differentclergy and ministers of the town, itwas decided that this should takethe form of the presentation ofboots to necessitous children whoshould be nominated by acommittee for the purpose. Theresult has been a pronouncedsuccess, as the receipts amountedto over £15. Mr. Robert Watt, thecourteous and enterprisingmanager of the Hippodrome,deserves the utmost credit notonly for his personal interest in the

beneficient enterprise, but also forthe admirable programmearranged for the special occasion.

APRIL

EASTER HOLIDAYS AT WELLINGTON –it was generally anticipated thatthe Easter holidays at Wellingtonwould be marked with unusualquietude due to the strike [Thisstrike was the National Coal Strikewhich began on 26th February andcalled for 'a minimum wage for allmen and boys working undergroundin the mines of Great Britain'. Itended on 11th April 1912],disappointing railway facilitiesand unsettled weather. On thewhole, however, there was little tocomplain about.

A football match between tookplace between Wellington andShrewsbury, and many walkedfrom Shrewsbury, while othersturned up in a variety of vehicles.

The manager of theHippodrome arranged a specialexhibition of a sacred descriptionfor Good Friday, and manyattended church services.

The Wrekin was visited bypeople from neighbouring places,with The Cottage and Forest Glenproviding for their comport. Hatsand caps were blown in the wildweather ‘and the ladies found itoccasionally difficult to so controltheir attires as to keep them withinthe recognized standard ofgracefulness’.

IN THE NEWS: 1912 Joy Rebello and Shelagh Nabb

These are the localreports during the year

which witnessed catastrophicevents surrounding themaiden voyage of RMS

Titanic and Captain RobertFalcon Scott's BritishAntarctic Expedition.

arranged by Mr. and Mrs. J.O.Pointon, and they gratuitouslysupplied excellent refreshments tothe numerous guests whichassembled. Prizes for the whistdrive were given by Mr. T.G.Boulton, Messrs. Hobson & Co.,Messrs. McClure, Messrs.Kynaston & Jarvis, and Mr. E.A.Ensor. The dancing whichfollowed proved exceedinglyattractive, and was greatlyenjoyed. Mr. W. Rogers, whogenerously gave his services, waspianist, and not only dischargedthe duties with marked ability, butdisplayed excellent judgment inthe selection of the music itself.The total proceeds – £6 15s – havebeen paid into the JOURNAL fund.

Still another successfulgathering organised for the sameobject in Wellington has to berecorded. A smoking concert ofunusual excellence was given atthe Charlton Hotel, whererefreshments were gratuitouslyprovided by Mr. and Mrs. Pullenon an unstinted scale, and theyalso deserve credit for theirkindness and thoughtfulness. Mr.H. Richardson presided, andamong voluntary vocalists andinstrumentalists were:–Mr. J.Finney, Master Finney, Messrs. T.MacLindon, J.W. Rogers, A.F.Emery, W.H. Cooper, T.G. Boulton,Tom Ellis, and W.H. Allen, whilethe accompanists were Mr. TBriton and Mr. J. W. Rogers.

Criticism of any of theselections would be quite out ofplace on such an occasion as this,but it needs only a glance at thenames just recorded to be assuredthat the whole concert was of thevery best. The printing incidentalto the affair was given by Messrs.Hobson & Co.

WELLINGTON COTTAGE HOSPITAL:Work began on the construction ofthis much-needed facility for thepeople of the town; it had beenmade possible by the generosity ofthe late Mrs. Ann Bowring inmemory of her fishmongerhusband, John Crump Bowring.

Ann had died precisely twoyears (24th May 1910) before thefoundation stone (right) was laidby Lord Forester, in 1912.

www.wellingtonhistorygroup.wordpress.com 11

The Death of Mr. John Jones(68), clerk to the Poor LawGuardians for many years, wasannounced. A large number ofrelatives, old friends and formercolleagues attended, personallytestifying to the respect which thedeparted gentleman was held. Theceremony was conducted by theRev F. .W Argyle, Vicar of ChristChurch.

MAY

MR. ROBERT GWYNNE wasappointed to succeed Mr. JohnJones. A meeting of guardians wasattended by Mr. E. Holmes(chairman), the Revs. W.P. Nockand L.V. Yonge, Messrs. T. Crump,A.B. Harper, W. Owen, J.Brothwood, T. Taylor, J.H. Jones, R.Cadman, R. Topham, R. Bevan, T.Osborne, Watkin Jones, R.Gwynne (clerk) F.W. Frost (masterof the Workhouse), W.A.R. Ball,and H. Manning (relievingofficers). A message of condolencewas sent to the deceased's family,and regret at Mr. Jones's demisewas expressed.

TITANIC FUND–Wellington andneighbourhood were among thefirst to respond to the appeal forfinancial assistance for those whohad been bereaved by the Titaniccatastrophe, and it will be seenfrom the subscription listpublished elsewhere that there hasbeen a steady contribution to thefund not only from this localitybut also from various parts of thecounty as well.

... a whist drive and dance wereheld at the Forest Glen (Wrekin)Pavilion; the function was

Wrekin Air CrashCan anyone answer this for areader? I have checked my copiesof the Wellington Journal for theWWII years but can find nomention of this incident.

"We lived at Eversleigh, MillBank with the Gwynne family. Onenight my parents, having found that Iwas awake, took me into their room toshow me a two- engine plane with oneengine on fire. It flew into the side ofthe Wrekin and exploded.

The next day was Saturday orSunday; I went up the Wrekin to lookat the crash site which had an armedguard round it.

We were told it was a GermanBomber which had been hit during araid on the Midlands. It was thoughtit was flying on a reciprocal bearing,i.e. the compass was pointing east/west but they has mis-read it aswest/east, so instead of heading forGermany across flat lands they wereheading for Wales until The Wrekingot in the way.

I have contacted Mr Gwynne whois unable to shed light on the matter,and would be most obliged if anyonehas any ides of the date."

The Isolation HospitalWe have had several enquiriesabout this hospital, which stood tothe east of Limekiln Lane nearSteeraway Farm (see map on page19).

I am currently researching thesubject with a view to writing acomprehensive article and needanyone who has informationand/or photos to get in touch withme as soon as possible.

The origins of the hospital areas follows: in 1903, WellingtonUrban District Council built theSmallpox Isolation Hospital onland belonging to Lord Forester.The intention was to protect the

town's population from smallpox,and other contagious fevers orillnesses. I have not yet foundproof that it had any patients.

The hospital lay at the end of adriveway running eastwards fromLime Kiln Lane. It was a two-partbuilding linked by a corridor andsurrounded by gardens. Tenantcaretakers resided here from theoutset, the first of whom seems tohave been carpenter/joinerWilliam Edwards.

Mystery PhotosHELP!

We do our best to answer yourquestions but there are times whenwe simply don't have an answer.

The two photographs on thispage have us stumped, and wereally would appreciate your help.

The one above, was taken byWellington photographer W.Cooper Edmonds (see next page),probably between about 1903 and1910.

It appears to show theconstruction of a reservoir orpossibly a pool connected withsewage processing. The floor ofthe excavation features rows ofearthenware pipes (presumablyfor water filtration), and the bricktower implies that a short bridgeto the side of the pool was to beadded.

The photo below features arather grand building, probably aprivate residence, and appeared(to no avail) in the Shropshire Star.Various suggestions have beenforthcoming as to its name andlocation (including that it was TheLido Hotel in Haygate Road) butnone have yet proved correct. Inall honesty, there's no guaranteethat the property was in oranywhere near Wellington!

If you know where either photowas taken or have informationwhich could point us in the rightdirection, please let us know.


Please send us yourquestions on the history todo with our area and we'll

do our best to answer them,or at least pass them on inthe hope that our readers

may be able to help.

YOU ASK Allan Frost


We owe a great debt ofgratitude to the earliestphotographers in

Wellington and the wonderfullegacy of images they left in theirwake. But dating them can be aproblem.

Many old photographs bear thename of its taker, so the list asidecan be a starting point inascertaining age. Note that the1904 advert for W. CooperEdmonds says he can reprint fromnegatives taken at the New Streetstudio during the previous 25years. Does anyone know if any ofthese (and other negatives bythese illustrious photographers)have survived and, if so, wherethey are?

There were others businessestaking photographs (Hobson'sStationers in Market Square, TomAustin's newsagency in ChurchStreet and A.E. Bourne at his'Emporium' in New Street, forexample) but these weren't theprincipal players.

Until the 1890s, mostphotographs were taken in thestudio and featured people,individuals (like that on the rightof Gamekeeper Birrell – doesanyone know his forename?),couples and marriage groups.Thereafter, outside photography

became commonplace asequipment became more portable,and that's when we start to getgreat pictures of scenes andoutdoor events. As photographywas a dark art to the generalpublic and camera ownershipconfined to professionals andwealthy amateurs, these littleworks of art were cheap, highlycollectible and often became thefoundation of family heirlooms.

PostcardsPrinting the word 'POSTCARD' onthe rear of photographs seems tohave started in the 1890s, andsometimes the rectangle printed toshow where a stamp should beaffixed mentions the value of thestamp to be used. Until about1902, there was no dividing line,which was introduced to start theconvention of recipient's name andaddress to the right, while the leftwas where the message should bewritten – a useful indicator of aphotograph's age.

However, postmark datesshould be treated with caution:they are notoriously unreliable asmany cards were sold over aperiod of several decades!

If you'd like to see a numerousand varied collection of intriguingpostcards dating from the 1890s toabout 1917, many in studio colour,covering Telford and its environs,see my book In and Around Telford100 Years Ago.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHERS Allan Frost

List of PhotographersAll dates are approximate, and allstudios were at 10 New Street nowpart of Heron Foods) unlessotherwise stated.1870–1888 Samuel Ellis (also awatchmaker since at least 1863).Became Ellis & Co.1891 A.R. Maytum.1894 J.T. Rawlings.1890s–1943 A.E. Bloomer (alsoExpress & Star photographer/reporter (originally at Ketley) atHolyhead Road, then WatlingStreet). E&S office in Tan Bank.1899–1902 John Joseph PaulBowler.1903 W. Edmonds (Manager forJJP Bowler).1904–1930 W. Cooper Edmonds(sometimes Edmunds). From about 1910: WellingtonJournal & Shrewsbury Newsphotographers. Office in

Church Street.


There has been somecontroversy as to whetherSir Oswald Mosley, Leader

of the British Union of Fascists anda supporter of Hitler's Germany,visited Wellington in 1939 to speakin the town square. George Evansand Reg Dunn were there at thetime and confirm his presence,and his inability to speak becauseof the fierce opposition he faced. Anew witness of the event is MrsKatherine Perkins, mother of ourTown Clerk. Here are George's andKath's accounts.

George EvansI was born on 21st June 1923 andwas about 16 years old when Iwent with my friend Bill who wasson of the local police inspectorinto Wellington to see Mosley.

Bill's father was concernedabout his son's safety and insistedhe stood behind some gates acrossthe entrance to Hobson's shop inthe square. I stayed outside with agroup who had come to see theexcitement.

The Square was full as were thesurrounding streets. Communistsand trade unionists and Dawleyminers were very stronglyrepresented and were determinednot to let Mosley speak.

Sir Oswald parked his Morris10 car in front of the black andwhite building in the Square(where Subway now is situated)and set up a platform with loudspeakers. He was guarded by agroup of tough looking men inblack shirts, who just stood thereimmobile and threatening.

When Mosley started to speak,the miners and others heckled himvery loudly so Mosley just turnedup the volume on his loudspeakers. I tried to listen but couldonly hear a few words over thegeneral din. J C Lloyd's Groceryshop fronted onto the square andthe salesgirls threw tomatoes andold cabbage out of the upstairswindows at the Blackshirts.

I did not see any supporters inthe crowd. It was quite violent,and they just quietly melted away.

I think his car was turned overand several members of the crowdthrew punches at the Blackshirts(me included!). The BUF grouptried to get away up the small sidestreets but were unable to breakthrough the crowds. In the endthey left running up Market Street.

Mosley was staying at the CockHotel. The mob followed him upNew Street and broke one of thehotel's windows with a stonehurled as the BUF leader retreated.

Kath PerkinsMy name is Katherine Perkins andI was born on 4th August 1920. Ihave always lived in and aroundthe Trench area and it was at‘Ellerslie’, Trench Road, where Iwas living in 1939. At the tenderage of 19 years, I had recentlyjoined the staff of the LilleshallCompany at the New Yard, St.Georges, and was proud of mynewly found independence andthe money in my pocket.

On a Saturday in the Autumnof that year, as usual, I hadplanned to visit Wellington.Usually I met a friend or twothere, but on this occasion I had togo on my own. This was becausemy friend Joanie, who was atelephonist, had beenunexpectedly asked to work anextra shift that evening. We hadplanned to see the film of Daphnedu Maurier’s book Rebecca at theGrand Theatre in Tan Bank. Therewere two cinemas in the townthen, the Grand andthe

Town Hall in Market Street. TheClifton Cinema was being builtbut not yet open.

I went to Wellington on thatSaturday by bus to see the secondshowing. We alighted at the busstation in Queen Street and Iheaded for the cinema. Lots ofpeople were in Wellington but Ididn't really know why. I saw thefilm and came out of the cinema.The Police were there. It was lateafternoon. There were hundreds ofpeople in and around the Square,which I had to cross to get back toCharlton Street.

There was a shop run byBaxters in the Square which Ithink is now Subways. OswaldMosley was trying to set up a stalloutside this shop, but wasn'thaving much success. I did notknow anyone and just wanted togo home. I could not get downStation Approach to catch a trainbecause of the sheer number ofpeople. I kept trying to getthrough to the bus stop inCharlton Street, but it was verydifficult.

I saw a banner in the Squareput up by Mosley with wordsbearing a slogan, written inGerman, referring to the Nazicause. I remember some peoplecame out of the shops and tried topull it down. Eventually I thinkthey did. I could not see much ofwhat was happening round thebanner because there were somany people, but I saw themthrow fruit and old vegetables

BLACKSHIRTS IN WELLINGTON, 1939 Phil Fairclough

Sir Oswald Mosley

15

from the high windows and fromthe crowd. I could see Mosleyquite clearly and hear all the noise.It was quite clear from whatpeople were saying it wasdefinitely Mosley . He had a suntanned skin and swarthycomplexion, wearing a khakicoloured jacket. He had a tuft ofblack hair on the top of his head.

They were trying to place astall in front of the banner to manit with Mosley's supporters. Somewere speaking in German and Icould not understand them. Theywere trying to position themselvesbehind the stall but in front of thebanner. This was the safest placein view of the large crowd ofangry people gathering in theSquare.

I learned later that Mosley hadalready visited Shrewsbury to tryto canvass support without muchsuccess. He thought he would tryWellington as it was fairly near.The Police were doing a good joband were out in large numberalong the old A5.

I felt, however, that the largenumber of angry people hinderedthe Police in their effort to keeporder and control thedemonstration. They were alsodoing a good job in StationApproach. Crowds of people weregetting off the trains and comingto see the entertainment. ThePolice were meeting them at theStation exit and sending themback.

Angry Wellington people madesuch a mess of Mosley's stall thathe gave up and left under a Policeescort. I just wanted to get home. Ithink I must have been the lastperson to get on the lopsided busbound for Trench. I was worried itwould break down under theweight of passengers andremember an affectionate mansaying, ‘Come on duck, there isroom for a little 'un.’ I sat on hislap which was frankly not verypleasant, but lots of others had todo the same to make room. He gotoff at Haybridge and I got his seat.

When I got back home mymother and dad were waiting atthe bus stop with two neighbours.They had heard about the incidentand told me I should not have

Oswald Mosley camefrom the very heart ofthe British

Establishment, was married tothe daughter of Lord Curzon,Vice Roy of India, and relatedto Queen Elizabeth, the QueenMother.

His homes were RollestonHall near Burton on Trent andBetton Hall, Market Drayton.

Mosley fought in thetrenches during the first WorldWar, and flew with the RoyalFlying Corps.

These experiences led himto reject 'the old gang' ofpoliticians who had led thecountry into war. He becamedetermined it should neverhappen again.

He was electedConservative MP for Harrowaged 23 years and representedthe constituency from 1918 to1924. Strangely for a man of hisaristocratic background, heswitched to Labour andrepresented Smethwick (1926 to1931), reaching ministerialrank.

He presented his Keynsianideas on reflating the economy

and reducing unemploymentthrough public works but wasvoted down, 29 votes to 210. ata meeting of his fellow LabourMPs. Aneurin Bevin, thestandard bearer of the leftwing, was one of the few MPsto vote with him.

Mosley resigned andformed a new political party(the 'New Party') and becameleader of the British Union ofFascists.

His opposition to the warled to his imprisonment underDefence Regulation 18b. He washoused in F Wing of Brixtonprison under quite harshconditions.

Many people still regardMosley as a very controversialfigure, who sought to bring amuch more nationalist andauthoritarian government tothe United Kingdom.

Does anyone else remember his orany other visit to Wellington?

We would like to hear fromspectators like Katherine, or

anyone actively involved on eitherside of these 1930s confrontations.

July 1939. This Fascist gathering at Earl's Court Exhibition Hall was deemed tobe the largest indoor meeting in the world.


Who Was Sir Oswald Mosley?

gone to Wellington on my own, orto the later showing of the film.

I told them I had no idea aboutwhat was going to happen, butstill got a good telling off. One ofthe neighbours had gone out onhis motor cycle and side car to

Wellington to rescue me. He wasthe Postmaster at Trench and hisson became a Lieutenant Coloneland war time writer.

They offered me a cup ofOvaltine, which I did not take, Ijust went to bed and fell asleep.

JANUARY

Two sisters aged 13 and 10 andtheir 14 year old brothercommitted a number of shop-breaking and larceny offences.They got into premises in NewStreet Wellington by going overrooftops and dropping 12 ft into ashop. They broke into Barlow’sshop and stole toys and otherarticles valued at about £12. 0s. 2dand they had previously brokeninto a Co-op and stolen cigarettes,biscuits and fruit juices. The boywas sent to a remand home toawait a place in an approvedschool and both the girls were puton probation for 3 years.

FUNERAL OF PREBENDARY JAMES

PHILLIPS ABBEY (above), vicar ofChrist Church for 48 years. MrAbbey left a book in which he hadentered the subject of everysermon – well over 6,000 – he haddelivered since 1905. He preachedhis last sermon a few days beforehe died and by a coincidence notonly was there not another pageleft in the book, but there was notanother line.

The naming of the new Catholicschool in Wellington elicited aletter to Wellington Journal

objecting to the use of ‘Blessed’because Robert Johnson hadconspired against the Crown(Queen Elizabeth I). He had beenexecuted in 1582 following hisarrest two years earlier andsubsequent trial.

WELLINGTON URBAN COUNCIL

decided to install ticket vendingmachines (as seen above) at theirWrekin Road and Foundry Roadcar parks, following arecommendation by their trafficsub-committee. The car parks weredeemed too small to justify theemployment of attendants andticket vending machines wereinstalled for a trial period. Thegeneral public was placed on trustto purchase a car park ticket soldat one fixed price.

Wellington was believed to bethe only town in Shropshire with“Trust the Motorist” machines,which brought in £193.10s.6d. inthe first five months.

FEBRUARY

WREKIN HOSPITAL’S fine new£60,000 out-patients’ department,which includes well-equippedoffices, minor operations theatre,X-ray room, gymnasium andphysiotherapy department, wasopened by Prof Sir ArthurThomson, Chairman of theBirmingham Regional Board.

This move started as long agoas March 1955 whenrepresentatives of 69 organisationshad a public meeting called by theWrekin Trades Council with theintention of starting a campaignfor the establishment of a new andmodern hospital for EastShropshire.

In 1956 provision was to bemade for new out-patient facilitiesfor the area was to be made at theWrekin Hospital. This was to servetwo purposes – to deal with caseswhich did not require the servicesof a fully-equipped hospital andmeant that many people could gettreatment near home.

In addition to these newfacilities, Wellington Rotary Clubdonated equipment worth £320 fora special room dedicated to theneeds of geriatric patients.

Called The Rotary Room, it is aplace where elderly patients can


IN THE NEWS: 1962 Joy Rebello and Shelagh Nabb

The annual Nativity Play at the Vineyard Children's Home, produced by staffwho also made the costumes, was staged in the Sunday School building at Tan

Ban Methodist chapel in January. Including the choir (who sang carols), animalsand birds, the cast numbered 53, of which there were at least 14 speaking parts.

SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC: Despitedoctors proclaiming that theSmallpox risk is 'quite minute',thousands of residents throughoutShropshire flocked to their localclinics to receive vaccinationsagainst the dreaded disease.

This long queue formedoutside the Haygate Road Clinicin January 1962 and was typical ofthose springing up all over thecountry.

Dr. Tom Hall, county MedicalOfficer, declared that the massvaccination of 2,500 people inWellington 'was not a veryeconomic enterprise and did notreally contribute anything to thesafety of Shropshire.'

meet, and spend time withrelatives and friends watchingtelevision, or listening to the radioor records.

After the opening ceremony,attendees were entertained by anexhibition of Scottish dancing byMr. Rennie and his party; DonHarris played the piano; Sid Jonesgave a Shakespearean recitation;and a conjuror also appeared.

MARCH

15-year old singing star HELEN

SHAPIRO who was appearing atShrewsbury visited blind 21-yearold Iris Bray at Urban Gardens.Iris, a great fan, was disappointedthat she was not well enough tovisit the show, and her mother hadasked manager Norrie Paramourto spare 5 minutes. He replied,‘We can spare an hour – and havethe kettle on’.

Popular BBC Radio meet-the-people magazine ‘DOWN YOUR

WAY’, hosted by microphone-


wielding Franklin Engelmann,was broadcast from Wellington onthe Light Programme between 5and 6 p.m. on Sunday March 25th.

MAY

COMPLETION OF HIGH STREET FLATS

AND MAISONETTES - A total of some78 dwellings. Building work inprogress for more than 18 monthsmarked the beginning of theUrban Council’s plan forredevelopment in High Street.When complete, the buildings willbe in 'island' form from St. JohnStreet to High Street, encircled byroads. Apart from 8 dwellings, allare complete and most occupied.

These are in place of thecottages and houses which had forso long been part of this area andthe modern block will providehomes for more people and add tothe ‘new look’ which was rapidlydeveloping in the town.

JUNE

SANKEY OF WELLINGTON SPORTS AND

SOCIAL CLUB continued to providea programme of Friday Night JazzSessions, with a variety of dancebands–including that ofHumphrey Lyttleton.

Many parts of The WrekinForest have few visitors.This is very good for

wildlife but I often think that a lotof walkers who are keennaturalists are missing out. Mostvisitors to The Wrekin Hill simplywalk up the main path I call thePilgrims’ Way to the top, look atthe vast panorama of the view andcome down again, perhapspausing for refreshments atHalfway House. That’s fine andmost enjoyable but there are otherwoods in the forest where hardlyanyone goes.

Most of the animals, birds,insects and plants whose homesare in these quiet, secluded woodswould be horrified if the manyjoggers and bikers who think ofThe Wrekin as a ‘Green Gym’,simply a good place to take theirexercise and keep fit, invaded theirterritory. Wild creatures prefer tostay wild. They would also beunhappy to meet some of theuncontrolled and excitable dogsthat race around the main paths.

South-east of The Wrekin arethe Ercall and Lawrence hills, ofwhich I have written previously inWellingtonia. South of Ercall Woodis Wrekin Golf Course and south-east of that is Limekiln Wood, afascinatingly varied collection ofgeology and wildlife habitats.

If you walk in here, do be verycareful to keep to the paths,whether they are official rights ofway or those used by others.There have been, over severalcenturies, mines and pits openedup to access the minerals lyingbeneath the woods. These pits aredangerous and great care isneeded, especially when leaves areon the trees, as most of them havebeen filled with assortedvegetation and they occur atirregular intervals. You could falldown a pit and not be seen for along time, perhaps too long. Keepto human paths; some of thetracks are made by other animalsthat may be far shorter than youand perhaps just looking for grassor worms. Please don’t frighten

the creatures, tread on the plantsor get yourself hurt.You may liketo obtain a modern map tocompare with the one opposite.

One access to Limekiln Wood isfrom Golf Links Lane. There’s aspace for parking where thetarmac veers right to the golf clubhouse ('CH' on the map) car park.An ancient Holloway heads south,crossing the golf links near the siteof ‘the Dormie House’ to join theHatch farm track. Left (east) afootpath takes you to the oldreservoirs that used to supplyWellington. These pools aresometimes fished. Prince's StreetSchool used them for ponddipping in the 1950s and 1960s;great fun and much learning.

Further on are the old limekilns, where the carboniferouslimestone from under the woodwas burned to produce quicklime,slaked with water to produceslaked lime. The kilns are worththe trouble of finding amongrampant vegetation. Slaked limewas used for enhancing cropgrowth on farms; other limestonewas for flux in the iron furnaces.Iron ore, coal and lime wereplaced in the furnaces and the coalignited. Air was blown into thefurnace and the iron melted. Limemixed with impurities in the ore,separating them from the molteniron, which could then be pouredinto moulds.

Near the kilns are the fewremaining houses of the hamlet ofSteeraway, once a very busy place,with extensive quarries and minesin the narrow strip of limestonestretching south-east from thekilns. Most of the mines have beencapped and closed but there’s oneadit that is still open to thosebrave (or foolhardy) enough toenter. There are gaping holes inthe tops of the kilns which arevery dangerous. Children workedin the mines and quarries until adamning report of their dreadfulconditions was published by mineinspectors; that virtually closedthe whole complex.

To read a much fuller report of

the old hamlet of Steeraway, findan article by Wellington HistoryGroup’s chairman, Neil Clarke. Hehas researched the extensive coaland lime workings in the area andthe network of transport,including jinny rails that deliveredthe processed lime to farms andfactories. It’s currently out of printbut he might be able to organise areprint; otherwise there’s a copy inWellington Library.

South from Steeraway is a trackto Hatch Farm, roughly parallel toa footpath in the middle of thewood and the old Hollybush Lane,now usually called Golf LinksLane. The limekilns are on yourright and a footpath takes youthrough Steeraway farm to ShortWood. Further on, the stony trackgoes between Limekiln Wood andBlack Hayes, with an adit underthe track, a very spooky place.Further still, just before the trackcomes to fields on the right is thesite of the old Gamekeeper’scottage, opposite which is an olderhouse site, the scene of a novel byHesba Stretton and in mymother’s time home of a poor oldwoman called ‘Old Annie’ and hermany children.

Now back to the old reservoirs.Through the middle of the wood isa footpath designated as theHutchinson Way until it reachesthe limit of T&W Boroughownership, turns right and joinsthe main track. Well hidden withinthe wood was once the home of arecluse we called Jungle Jim, nowdemolished. ‘Jim’ reportedly met asticky end. I found him a friendlychap, though he had a big chip onhis shoulder.

If, instead of turning right tofollow Hutchinson Way you keepstraight on it’s a lovely walk alongthe sandstone woodlands to thefields at the top of Maddocks Hill,with narrow paths; straight onthrough the huge Camptonitequarry or right to join the lane tothe Hatch. This area is privatelyowned but there are no ‘Keep Out’notices and the paths are clearlywell used.


BACKWOODS OF THE WREKIN FOREST: LIMEKILN WOODS George Evans

To really understand thiswoodland takes many visits,searching for variations of geology,plant life and archaeological/historical sites. I have taken yearsand only know a little.

19

Extract of map of Limekiln Wood from the sale catalogue of the Right HonourableLord Forester's Dothill Estate, Shropshire, sale, 25th September 25th, 1918.Circled numbers indicate Lot numbers, of which 33 = part of New Works Farm102 = The Hatch smallholding, 103 = Cottage and Croft, 108 = Steeraway Farm,110 = Wellington UDC's former Isolation Hospital, 123 = Woodland area and124 = Short Wood. Wrekin Golf Course lies between Ercall and Limekiln Woods.



NEW PEACE GARDEN

Along-held wish by ourpresident George Evansbecame a reality at the end

of March 2012: the creation of aPeace Garden whereby ordinarypeople of all races and creeds mayplant a flower in memory of aloved one (or two).

The garden lies alongside thenew Wellington Civic & LeisureCentre in our impressive newCivic Quarter development(below).

George is in the abovephotograph, taken at the inauguralceremony, standing next tooutgoing Wellington TownMayoress Lesley Street (who haswitnessed and supported manyremarkable events during her yearin office). Telford & WrekinBorough Councillor ArnoldEngland (Cabinet Member withresponsibility for Leisure & Well-being) kneels in front.

29TH FEBRUARY 2012OK, so it took town leaders 768years to come up with the idea ofintroducing a Wellington CharterDay which, God Willing (to quotethe town motto) will become anannual event.

Rob Francis (right), the manbehind many popular publicevents in the town, plucked upcourage to ride a real horse intoMarket Square to read AllanFrost's modernised version of thelargely unintelligible originalMarket Charter which was dated29th February 1244. He even wentso far as to dress up in periodcostume ... he does this every yearwhen he adopts Dr. WilliamWithering's eighteenth centurygarb at the Midsummer Fayre(which he also masterminds), sono eyebrows were raised.

For those who have an eye foraccuracy, it was not the town itselfwhich was granted the charter butrather our Lord of the Manor,Giles of Erdington, for which hepaid a sum of money to Henry III.To raise cash, Henry and hissuccessors sold – sorry, introduced– 3,300 charters during thethirteenth century in a fruitfulCash for Benefits scheme.

A market charter did not givethe right to the recipient to holdmarkets, only to raise tolls atmarkets. Many markets, like thatat Wellington, existed long before1244. The Charter simply imposeda charge on market traders.

So, Wellington leads the way incelebrating the introduction of anunpopular form of extortion byGiles and his successors.

Three cheers for King Henry!

MAKING HISTORY

THE 1244MARKET CHARTER

(modern version)

Oyez! Oyez! Pray listento the Charter for Gilesof Erdington, Lord of

the Manor of Wellington in theCounty of Shropshire!

Giles already has a similarCharter allowing markets in hislands, including those atShawbury and Besford.

This new Charter is grantedand permits him to benefitfrom a Market in the Manor ofWellington every week onThursdays, and also from a Fairin the same Manor every year,to last three days, to wit on theeve before, the day of and theday after the Feast of Barnabasthe Apostle.

Wherefore, having receiveddue consideration and oaths offealty, we wish both Giles ofErdington (said Lord of theManor of Wellington) and thepeople of his demesne peaceand prosperity.

Given by our hand, in thepresence of ten Witnesses, atMarlborough on the 29th dayof February, in the year of ourLord, 1244.Signed by Henry Plantagenet,King of England, the Third of

that name.Three Cheers for King Henry!

Documents

WHGMag12 Layout 1 - Wellington History Group · I was told recently that in the Abbey Church in Shrewsbury was a tomb that had been in the old Wellington parish church. Not the present