This is the only account of the building of a new public swimming baths in the town of Stoke. It fully describes all the difficulties of first finding the right site, the additional funding and the huge several events that were imployed to finishing off the baths to add to the donation of £500 made by Mr. Herbert Minton the head of the factory in London Road Stoke.
That’s entertainment is not a history of the building, it’s a complete package of several disciplines’ which will attract local inhabitants, students of theatre history and development, social history of the period and how this addressed itself in theatre attendance. Not only that, but Dr. Talbot also expands his work by using examples within the limits of theatre development at the time. For most shows they consisted of several short plays followed by community singing. Many stars of the day also appeared at the theatre in a wide range of acts from opera to recitations but also included a two nights performance of Paganini, the international violinist in 1833.
The study of the early theatres captures the moment by illustrating the type of acts which trod the boards in its early years, then, gradually, to the demands of society moved forward towards music and even promenade concerts and the involvement of local musicians and minstrels even attracting the Sutherlands from Trentham as Patrons. It is also a fine example how the class-society of Newcastle, a weathy professional town operated and how servants were treated.
This study illustrates the challenges of competition and how that was tied into the social fabric of the town, followed by improvements in transport from the mid-1900s. In fact, it is a complete social history combining theatre, localities, social habits, and class distinction which was an integral part of society for most of the theatres existence.
A5 size 76 pages and loads of photographs includes the price of UK postage
Within the traditions of the Anglican Church attention was made to the provision of small churches, frequently built of corrugated tin and run by local Lay Readers especially for the poorer areas of a parish.
In the case of All Saints Mission it was a brick building, a large chapel with raised platform and a room for meetings etc at the side. It was opened in a former joiner’s workshop in 1894 and run by Church Army Captains until the First World War when all Church Army Captains went to serve their country leaving no one in charge so it closed the following year. It remained closed until 1919 when Mr Arnold A. Wain, a licensed preacher was asked to re-open the Mission and take charge.
The building was by then dilapidated with no congregation, so Mr. Wain walked with streets and back-allies of Boothen even standing on a wooden box preaching the gospel to hopefully encourage his future congregation. Following Mr. Wain the duty was taken over by Mr. Sam Calligan of Foden Street until it finally closed in October 1967. During his tenure the building went through a period of change, such as electric lighting, new floors, platform and heating even started a youth club in the adjacent room in 1949 continuing until 1958.
The Mission was always well attended where people found common support in difficult times of unemployment, illness, and poor inadequate housing. In those days Churches and Mission had large Sunday Schools, and the familiar site of the Annual Anniversary walks around that part of Stoke brought with it a welcomed admiration of the work of the Mission. Mr. Wain was always invited to preach on Anniversary Sundays. In his time, he was known as one of N. Staffs outstanding orators and preached with authority and conviction.
This is a good story of social interest of the period and shows that despite many poor areas of Stoke had a ministry adapted to their needs.
Two pages
A list of all known dieses at the time and the number of deaths relating to each in Biddulph 1789
Excel spread sheet
The name of Margaret (Molly) Leigh of Burslem has been vilified by the press and so-called amateur historians who have taken pleasure in perpetuating the myth that she was actually a witch coming up on a regular basis.
Hardly a month goes without a further slant has been added to these ridicules theories in attempt to draw attention to the writer as an authority where history is concerned. Nothing could be further from the truth.
So, in attempt to place on record the actual FACTS I have studied these and present and with my own research provide a true account re Margaret Leigh the supposed witch buried at St. Johns, Burslem 1st April 1748 and the copy of her will dated 25th March 1748 written just one week before her death. In my experience over many years this was normal practice. The explanations I give destroys all the exaggerations and wrong information in an attempt to be known as an authority on the subject and further stretch the imagination to include their theories.
This article is there for all to make up their own mind on this subject. Two pages
court record 1461-1483 Edward lV six pages A4 transcrived from original Latin
The route from ancient times to the town of Stoke and the Potteries was via Hanford along what is the A34 to a point where the present Rookery Lane turns off. From there the road continued up Brisley Hill, now called Trent Valley Road, through the village of Penkhull and down Honeywall – an arduous road especially for packhorses taking the products of Stokes’ potworks to the south.
In the late 1780s it was decided to create a turnpike road with toll gates from what is now the Black Lion at Trent Vale to Campbell Place in Stoke and was opened in 1791 creating new opportunities for traders. In all probability to exploit this new development probably the owner of Black Lion Farm which stood on the opposite side of the A34 to Rookery Lane built the Inn, the Black Lion on a prestigious corner of the important London to Carlisle Road, the A34, and the new Turnpike Road, London Road and subsequently erected the Black Lion c1792/3.
As soon as the Inn was established it was a location that identified other nearby properties for adverts for land and houses whereby all included the Black Lion on the Turnpike Road. As the name Trent Vale had not become established, the Black Lion was frequently advertised as near to Newcastle or Hanford or near the town of Stoke and soon became the only inn and social venue of the district.
This is an Excel sheet listing all known diseases of the time, the number of deaths and their ages.
An important contribution to life and death in the 18th century listing then all known diseases and how many people died as a consequence. It’s a good study for listing the main causes of death in different areas which in many cases was a direct result of either living or manufacturing conditions. A useful document to study for humanities subjects.
Little if anything has ever been written about a small, corrugated steel-built cinema that stood facing the A34 at Trentvale opposite to the entrance of London Road called the KOZY and created an interest and determination to find out about as much as possible as Richard lived only a matter of yards away for a few years.it was opened on 14th September 1922, at a time following the end of WW1 when the Trent Vale district was starting to develop with more social housing and estates both at Trent Vale and nearby Hanford.
This account covers most of the ups and downs of a small local cinema and how it evolved as part of the community. Between films the scree would be moved for short live shows, magicians, dancers, ventriloquists and more to attract more bums on seats.
It became a second home to many mostly within walking distance and on a number of occasions the building was hires out for special occasions such as lectures or specific films for certain groups. A good read for those keen to learn more about provincial cinemas of the early 20th century.
This is a reflection of my early life of a child at Boothen Infants School followed by its continuation at Boothen All Saints Junior school until the age of eleven. It covers many areas of my early education and the important role of the teachers in shaping me and the other children to value and appreciate the world that we were born into.
Under the Poor Law of 1834 there were no benefits it was simply if you had no money, no home, no job you would apply to be admitted into a workhouse. The objective was to enforce the worst conditions they could in the hope that those desperate would do anything to remain out of the workhouse. Here families were separated by gender and a minimum age necessary for the maintenance of ‘decency’ whereby children were segregated from adults in order to dissuade them from a life of indolence and mendicancy and kept from what was considered ‘sluggish sensual indolence’.
Vagrants or casuals were travellers from town to town, perhaps we could call tramps. The 1834 Act was designed to stem the drain of resources as a deterrent, but vagrants dominated the flow of poor inmates. In 1837 workhouses became obliged to provide temporary overnight shelter for any destitute person, forcing guardians to arrange special accommodation for this category. Initially, vagrants were housed in infectious wards, stables and outhouses anywhere until purpose built vagrant wards were built at the edge of the main workhouse site, frequently having its own access from the highway to avoid contamination with other inmates.
Vagrants would arrive late in the afternoon waiting for admission and their personal belongings removed. The number of beds available for vagrants was frequently limited and late-comers found themselves turned away. In better-regulated wards, they were stripped, bathed and their clothes disinfected, and a bread and water supper were served.
This was the way in which people were treated if they became a burden upon the parish and in turn taxed the local residents based upon the value of their home. Many think the of survival today with increasing costs everywhere, but in reality, nearly two hundred years ago life then was beyond imagination. Read more about times then for those who had nothing except the clothes they stood up in. Yes, the poor law did make some difference to those who came knocking but inside you were treated less than human.
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