As partr of a local project the 1861 census is a valuable tool as this lists all the details available to the time of people. In the small community of only 147 on the census tells us of the many family connections there are and if each of those families worked in the local coal mine.
However, its interesting to note that most of the managers came from different areas and not ‘home grown’
The 1871 census follows on with this study of Ball Green, its family relationship as well as its relationship with itself as the majority worked together in the local coal mine.
It is interesting to use along with the other census returns to both follow families throughout time and also to obtain a visual of how and when other occupations started to appear in the village. Make a good project for a local history group or local school to draw conclusions.
This return of 1891 shows an increas in the number of inhabitants as it lists 220
It is an interesting document to use along with other census returns to both follow families throughout the series and also to obtain a visual of how and when other occupations started to appear in the village. Make a good project for a local history group or local school to draw conclusions.
Ballgreen was a mining village in a quite rural district to the north of Stoke-on-Trent. As a result, the vast majority of residents were employed within the mining industry. In many families three generations were employed including grandparents.
In this census of 1901, there have been huge increases in the number of residents over the previous ten years amounting to 449. The whole community has changed with the demand for coal increasing but how many other occupations have arrived and what about the community facilities such as schoolteachers, shop keepers and publicans. How have these changed the community landscape.
It is an interesting document to use along with other census returns to both follow families throughout and also to obtain a visual of how and when other occupations started to appear in the village. Make a good project for a local history group or local school to draw conclusions.
As an additional resource that compliments census returns; the Rates Valuation is a wonderful addition to enable and identify in a rational and economic way as to the ratable value of a property and linked into the data in particular the occupations of those in the census returns. Make a good project for a school/college to identify the status of people as indicated by property size and ratable value as well as a local history study group.
These two collections first cover the period of 1888/9 and 1900. They are both publications of the district of Stoke-upon-Trent giving a full outline of the town and who is who and a summary of the events during the years mentioned.
The 1900 directory is the only account of the proposed new theatre in the town under the name of The Gordon Theatre. This gives full details of the design decoration size and the facilities that it provides to attract the well-to-do of the town in an attempt to provide entertainment at Stoke rather than its inhabitants having to travel to the town of Hanley. Makes a good read.
Staffordshire Directory 1912
This comprehensive directory lists all the towns within Staffordshire firstly with a brief history of the place. This ten follows the usual pattern of listing the Authorities, Religious Institutions, Schools followed by details of both commercial listings and well as notable individuals and their address. Very comprehensive. All seperate jpeg pages.
This record is a complete directory and explanation of each word found within the Domesday record on 1086. With its use the words explain the meaning and put the words into context of the day.
At six pages this document is a result of much research by Dr. Talbot and presents a unique record of both the entry for Penkhull, and to place this into context with that of its neighbouring settlements, shows that the village of Penkhull was the largest in wealth because of its land in the district containing around eleven hundred acres.
Over the centuries, there has been an argument as to why the town of Newcastle under Lyme was not mentioned, all of which can be dismissed as here it is recorded under Trentham which the entry of Domesday there is a description in medieval terms of measurement and wealth and importantly who was the tenant under the Lordship of King William. Certainly, an important and impressive document to any study of Domesday containing all the areas of the necessary research to provide a conclusive document.
With the closure of Hanley’s Theatre Royal in 1961, both Stoke, and the North Staffs Amateur Operatic Societies found them-selves without a venue. The North Staffs went to the Queens Theatre, Burslem and Stoke Society to a much larger venue, the Gaumont in Piccadilly Hanley, just across the road from the Royal. The Gaumont opened in 1929, at the height of the silent moves had a large stage, fly-tower, dressing rooms and orchestra pit with an electric organ, creating it as a dual-purpose venue so small acts and other entertainment including The Regent Girls could perform live by flying the screen into the tower. This enabled the Gaumont to stage the odd one-night stand just a few times a year which included some of the best entertainers around the circuit to packed houses of over two thousand.
This accounts give a details story of how the Stoke Amateurs presented many musicals with full orchestra and set with 17 lines. With their record of high attendance at each show convinced the Rank organisation to present pantomimes and other one and two night stands once the Theatre Royal closed proving that it could become a full working theatre with its Grade II* status meaning its future was secure. A great read for theatre lovers.
Barnum and Bailey ‘s Greatest Show on Earth came to Stoke in 1898 and sadly the leading elephant had to be executed – by strangulation!
Sounds a strange title but it is a fact that the only method agreed by the USA with regards to the execution of elephants was by this method. The most interesting thig is what actually happened to it once the elephant was dead. A great and interesting read.
Buffalo Bills Wils West visited twice to Stoke on Trent. Potteries folk came in their thousnds to see one of the worlds most amazing events of the time, ever to be witnessed in a poor, hardworking towns like Stoke untill Buffalo Bills Wild West Extravaganza arrived at the County Cricket Ground, Shelton in August 1891 for six days. It travelled the city in its pre-show exhibition with all the razzermataz expected and probably attracted tens of thousands over its six day run. For those who have seen the film Annie Get Your Gun the title roll of Annie Oakley was to to be seen in action at the old County Cricket Ground. And yet it’s from this background and just the name of Col. Bill Cody that brought thousands from the far-flung corners of North Staffordshire to the first event in the Potteries. When the Deadwood coach was finally brought into the arena, first there was uproar from the crowd as the story of this part of the performance had been circulated previously. The coach was drawn by four mules, and a feature in the afternoon’s entertainment was an attack upon it by Indians, and in the rescue by no less than Buffalo Bill.
In addition, which enriching the potteries folk there was a buffalo hunt, a representation of the attack on a settled cabin by Indians, and Indian settlement and illustration of the old post express being attacked. The last suing and riding of the bucking horses by the Cowboys was an exciting scene which the applause of which could have shaken the very foundations of the cricket ground. Here Buffalo Bill took part and showed himself as an expert in shooting. The skill and pluck of the Cowboys was truly surprising. Altogether the entertainment was most satisfactory. In the evening there was another big gathering, of Indians around a campfire bringing the day to a triumphant end enriching people of the Potteries and raising their inner-being as never before.
The Empire situated in Longton has for many decades been just a memory, destroyed by fire whilst up for sale. One of the most interesting items to come my way was an unpublished work by the late Rev. V.G. Aston who, during his curacy at a nearby parish became the local Actor’s Church Union Chaplain.
On one such occasion visiting the theatre he decided to catch the main attraction which was when wrestling challenges were offered to anyone in the audience live on stage, with a financial reward of £5 if they wone the fight – which in those days was an established form of entertainment, similar to what frequently happened at fairgrounds. The events turned out to be an audience punch-up – a great read in early music hall entertainment.
In the early 1950s children’s cinema matinees had become the norm and for the town of Stoke it was the ABC (Associated British Cinemas). Over a thousand children packed into the ‘ABC Minors Club’ at the old Majestic Cinema in Campbell Place, where children would hand over their precious six pence for a seat in the stalls and for the better-off nine pence for the circle. In the 1950’s these Saturday matinees became popular throughout the UK.
This article is a personal reflection of the author on the Saturday morning matinee at the Majestic cinema in Stoke. Quite a few surprises, even a letter from the once cinema manager who was called Aunty May who I traced living in Devon since retirement.
Memories kept flooding back regarding so many activities held, fancy dress, Christmas party, on state for a free ticket to celebrate the birthday children and much more. So, if interested in what the 1950s children got up to in those days, a great read and an eye opener.
At the height of cinema growth in 1914, and with luck the area in Campbell Place had been cleared from the old pottery pot-bank and vacant for commercial development. And so, the thought of a brand-new purpose luxury cinema in the middle of Stoke town became a reality and opened on Monday 13th April 1914.
The new Majestic in the town of Stoke was one of the most popular of the four cinemas in the town. Designed with the best architecture and facilities of the time, even had its own orchestra not just a solo piano as most picture houses to accompany silent movies. It also boosted ‘upturn seats’ and the best ventilation system available (remember people smoked a lot in those days)
As such it was a success from the day of opening, the staff all in uniforms and a welcoming steward at the door. In fact, they all formed a kind of a second family if you were to attend twice a week as films changed on a Monday and Thursday. This article of two pages will no doubt bring back many memories of early cinema days. Contains four pahes of information on the advancement of cinema history with first talkies then in the mid-1950s the re-opening of the Majestic by the Lady Mayoress and many civic dignatories of CinemaScope in June 1955 which was sadly closed only a few years later as a result of many former patrons turing to television.
This is an accout phenomenal success, Rock around the Clock, released in 1954 and show first in the Potteries at the Gaumont Cinema in Hanley. To packed houses, dancing is the isles, it was like a musical revolution never seen since the 1920s.  Bill Haley and the Comets recorded Rock around the Clock and created nothing less than a cultural revolution in the USA and Europe. This film and its music will go down in history as the one song that gave total freedom to the art of dancing.
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