pop 1/c Shelton population 1701
£3.00Shelton Population 1701
Female 257 Male 243 Total500 Population 500 Families 108 average4.6
pop 1/b Seabridge 1701 Parish Listing
£3.00Seabridge Population
Female 38 Missing 1
Male 77 Females 19 Total population 77 average 4.1
pop 1/a Clayton
£3.00pop 1/a Clayton
Female 53 Male 52 Total 105 Population Families 26 average 4.0
pop 1 Parish Listing for Stoke-upon-Trent 1701.
£3.00The first census that recorded the name of people nation-wide, was in 1841. What is less known in that a very similar, but less known record of people in defined areas within district parishes was the Marriage Duty Act of 1695. This listing could well be as a direct result of this Act or maybe have been drawn up for other reasons.
There are numerous reasons why this parish listing was carried out, so as a result of idle curiosity, some in conjunction with the Compton Census of 1676 which objective was to prepare an estimate of the population whilst others drawn up to comply with the Marriage Duty Act on 1695, and still others were compiled by the demographer Gregory King of Lichfield.
Registration or Marriage Duty Act of 1695. Operated until 1706. This tax on parish register entries was levied for carrying on the war with France. It was on a sliding scale according to status, with a basic rate of 2/- for a christening, 2/6d for a marriage and 4/- for a burial. As the Parish was the only form of organisation at the time, the duty to comply was applied to parish churches. Every parish had to compile a list of each family listing all resident in the property including lodgers and also the status of the head and sometime the occupation. The form was to list every person from the head of the family down including their status, gent, widow etc. In many ways it is not dissimilar from the early census returns without the occupation. There were no addresses listed as at such an early date they were not yet part of the structure of society. This accurate record covers the town of Stoke, Boothen, Penkhull, Clayton, Seabridge, Shelton, Hanley and Shelton. It is almost certain that the listing was compiled by or on behalf of Thomas Allen, who was the rector of Stoke-upon-Trent from 1697 to 1732
This is an incredible asset to any generalist researching these district as it supersedes the census return of 1841 by 140 years.
por 8 Spittals Workhouse, Stoke – The burials of paupers.
£3.00Until 1869 burials for paupers were buried in the churchyard of the parish church, St. Peter ad Vincula in the town of Stoke over one mile away in a patch reserved for the class of pauper. The district churches of Penkhull and Hartshill had not yet being established and the nearest parish church of St. Giles, Newcastle-under-Lyme, was not within the parish of Stoke as a consequence no paupers were buried there from the Spittals Workhouse.
Because of the near capacity of Stoke Churchyard being reached, it was found necessary to create a new burial ground for paupers, leaving what space remaining in Stoke for local people. A cemetery created for the specific use of paupers from the Spittals workhouse was opened in 1869 on land opposite to the entrance of the workhouse on London Road (then a single carriageway) and bounded on the far side by the Newcastle canal. The burial ground was subsequently enlarged in 1900 on additional land purchased from the Duke of Sutherland. There are no records available to indicate the number of burials over a period of fifty years of its use except those held by the General Registrar and these are not available for public examination.
Four x A4 pages 1600 plus words. Great study for students or individuals.
per 1 Christmas in the workhouse. Were children as victims of the misfortune?
£3.00An article compiled from factual information on how Christmas was celebrated in the two potteries workhouses, one Stoke upon Trent, and Wolstanton and Burslem situated at Chell. Yet another great contribution in social history.
An article compiled from factual information on how Christmas was celebrated in the two potteries workhouses, one Stoke upon Trent, and Wolstanton and Burslem situated at Chell. Yet another great contribution in social history.
four x A4 pages
mis 30 The Barracks at Newcastle started as a militia stores.
£3.00Origins of this old building, the Newcastle under Lyme Barracks is reminiscent of a buy-gone age and remains much as it was when built. The first mention of significance is found in Keates Directory of 1882/3, nearly thirty years after the date that it states the barracks were built – 1855. An opening of a donation list commenced with the donation of £100 from the North Staffordshire Colliery Proprietors followed by numerous pottery owners and people of importance totalling twenty-eight who donated a total of £595, a huge amount in 1842.
Moving on in 1881, there were eleven resident families under the leadership of Sergeant Major William Dickinson, 3rd Staffordshire Militia, aged forty-nine, and his wife Mary aged forty-three occupied No.1 The Barracks. They had four children, the eldest was James aged fourteen, a tailor’s apprentice in the town. There were two families with five children, Joseph Payne, aged forty-three, Colour Sergeant 3rd Staffordshire Militia, and his wife Jane and five children aged from ten months to eight years. The second was John Walton, Colour Sergeant 3rd Staffordshire Militia, aged forty-two and his wife Jane aged thirty-five. Their children were aged from one year to 13 years of age.
Its a facinating study to read of its development from 1855 until the Militia finally left the barracks. Four pages long and a facinating read of an important feature of the town of Newcastle under Lyme.
mis 27 Stoke Wakes – the Annual Potteries Knees-Up.
£3.00By the 1840s the annual Wakes festival became an intrinsic part of the Potteries calendar as each town was described as “full of jollity”.
The “wake” of the Parish of Stoke in 1847 was, in reality a continual series of pleasure fares, and merrymaking, for the towns of Stoke, Fenton, Longton, Hanley and Shelton. Even by then Hanley had become the centre of attraction. Here were tents, sideshows, stalls, food, and drink outlets and shows with performances every thirty minutes with their own individual gimmicks to attract a person to spend just 2 pence.
It was until recently that it was fashionable for those considering themselves the ‘upper classes’ of society to speak of the sovereign people as the “unwashed”, but in the potteries save and except stray collier in his working dress it would be difficult to find a man, woman, or child, when from their employment, with an unwashed faces or unclean hands as they are all well dressed and scrupulously clean in their Sunday best as they promenaded around town centers and above all wanted to be seen as such. Four x A4 pages full of atmosphere.
mis 23 Potters Holiday – Streets and roads deserted.
£3.00In reality there has been no potters holiday for a number of years as the industrial landscape of the Potteries of thirty years ago has long gone as there are no longer a pottery industry to speak of, no coal mines employing thousands or the Michelin at its height employing over seven thousand employees. To be correct prior to the 1970s the title was the wakes weeks but then lost its significance as all the large industries and the schools of north Staffordshire voted to change the date from the first two weeks in August to the last week in June and the first week in July to become new the potters holiday. Why, because the weather patterns had changed, and early August became consistent with bad weather. Before the 2nd World War there was only one week’s holiday and that was with no pay until 1937. Two weeks holiday came after the second world war.
But what were the origns?, Well, you’ve read it here first in the Sentinel remember for press reports in 1838 the wakes in Stoke was described as an ancient festival. In fact it dates from Anglo-Saxon times probably the 6th century when the junction of the Trent and Fowley formed a religious site for pagan worship which incorporated the festival of Lamas, a holiday celebrated on the 1st August.
However, by the late 18th century the religious aspect had been lost and became a time for holidays and enjoyment in all its varities for the working people of Stoke-on-Trent.
More than 136,000 people decided to take a holiday as the fear of it being their last for some years was dominant in their minds. Over 34,000 left the potteries on the Friday and on the Saturday, 52,000 travelled by special trains, 35,000 by ordinary service and 15,000 by coach, car, or cycle. This was even though the weather predictions were not good, but the threat of rain impaired the cheerfulness of the crowded platforms. Three pages x A4
mis 22 Penkhull Cottage Homes celebrate Christmas.
£3.00From the early days of the workhouse, Christmas was celebrated with the prospect of additional fare of roast beef and plumb pudding with a little entertainment for the children whilst the adults had additional tobacco for the men and tea for the women. As early as 1899, pressure was placed on the Spittals Workhouse by the Local Government Board in London that children should no longer be brought up in Workhouse Institutions where they were exposed to many of the undesirables of society. It was finally accepted that individual large homes, grouped together, each under the control of a ‘house mother’ was to become the norm where children could have the experience of a home and attend local schools and churches along with other children.
Mother used to get us to write a letter to Santa with three items we would like but Mother said we might be lucky and get just one. Most would ask for writing or drawing set or perhaps a toyshop, little things like that or a game, but it was not an expensive one like today.
An insight into life in a children’s home in the 1940s. Great educational aid.
Three x A4 pages
mis 21 Nicholls Row & Rose Cottage – St. Thomas Place. their history
£3.00The land discussed here was Doody’s messuage comprising of all the land and other properties from between Kirkland Lane and St.Thomas Place.
A long barn stood facing Penkhull New Road. This was converted by Spode into ten small terraced houses, going by the name of Ten Row. There was another large property, standing back from the highway and facing St Thomas Place. This now forms four cottages converted from one. Unfortunately, the records are not very conclusive. It could have been assumed that this building, long and narrow was a barn or a group of stables, but evidence from the manor court rolls point to the fact that it was more likely to have been one dwelling house owned by Thomas Doody.
A further entry then provides the necessary evidence: a dwelling house has for many years been subdivided into and occupied as four dwelling houses, which servants belonging to the family of Josiah Spode and his late father now deceased. This conversion must have taken place after 1811 and before 1827. Further evidence of this is contained in records for November 1858 when the owner James Dean finally paid off the mortgage on the cottages: All those four several dwelling houses situate in Penkhull, lately converted out of a certain dwelling house known as Doody’s Messuage. The next record is dated June 1899 when the court records make note of the fact that Richard Nicholls, a timber merchant from Stoke had died the previous year.
The 1841 census records Richard Nicholls, By 1851, Richard senior was listed as a grocer from Stoke who with his wife Anne, aged 53, had handed over the timber business to his son Richard. Twenty years later in 1871, Richard junior was the only son left at home living with his widowed father. From the document dated 1899 the row of cottages was purchased at some date before then.
Three A4 pages. This illustrates how Penkhull started to develop from the early 1800s.
man 0 How to understand the manor courts and how they operated with dates etc.
£3.00The use of manorial court records which most of them dealt with the transfer of messuages from one person or another. They provide a unique record of events, transactions, valuations, and surveys for a period extending over five-hundred years. The study over the centuries of these records stored in the National Archives has been limited to a few isolated quotations found within the Historical Collections of Staffordshire in addition to those found in Thomas Papes’ history of Medieval Newcastle-under-Lyme and John Ward’s history of Stoke-on-Trent.
From the outset for those readers who are not familiar with the term Manorial Court, its functions and responsibilities it is necessary to first refer to its function as not to confuse any reader with the functions of a Crown or Magistrates court. I know that even some local amateur historians have failed to grasp the basic difference and as ‘fools rush in’ they have gone into print only to prove just how little they know or understand of the subject.
The manor court was the lowest court of law in England, feudal law and governed those areas over which the lord of the manor had jurisdiction; it applied only to those who resided in or held lands within the manor. The manor of Newcastle-under-Lyme in which the Township of Penkhull stood was as such. The court was to meet every three weeks throughout the year, although meetings could be more irregular than this. This was the court baron or manorial court, which all copy holders, a term used to prove they had a copy of the original court records that recorded the transaction known as surrender and admittance. Within Penkhull, those were the current owners of the original seventeen ancient messuages listed at the time of Domesday. These courts dealt with copyhold land transfers, managing the open fields, settling disputes between individuals and manorial offences. There was, in addition, a twice-yearly court leet, held after Michaelmas and after Easter, which all residents of the manor were obliged to attend. Business included a view of frankpledge, at which all men over the age of twelve were bound to appear and make their “pledge” to keep the king’s peace. A suit roll was kept for the homage sworn by tenants; if they were absent, a fine would be imposed. In addition, the court leet dealt with the election and swearing of the jury, election of constables and the presentment of offences, including those relating to matters of Crown jurisdiction franchised to the manorial lord (e.g., brewing and baking for sale). However, there was often an overlap in the type of business conducted in the court baron and court leet. In a large manor, the steward would summon the court by instructing manorial officers to fix a notice to the church door or have it read out in church. While in theory all men over 12 attended each court, it is likely that in practice only the manorial officers, offenders, jurymen, witnesses, litigants and pledges and those involved in land transfers came to the court.
Although the manor court was the lord’s court, and everything was done in his name, it was usually presided over by his steward, who was appointed by the lord, or the steward’s deputy. For those of Newcastle it was almost on every occasion the steward’s deputy. In addition to the steward, there were other officers of the court.
Before attempting to read any of the records it’s important that you first read this document containing five pages so there is a lot to understand. Once you have read and then apply this to one entry you will then understand how they worked.
Remember this are all my copyright. It has taken over twenty years to acquire this massive archive a little at a time because of the costs charged by the National Archives. In addition, all those prior to 1701 were in Latin so I have to have them transcribed at a further cost. I would not attempt to add up what it has cost me over two decades also with travel to the National Archives and pay for accommodation many times.
inn 6 The White Lion Inn, Honeywall
£3.00The White Lion Inn has at various times in its history has had the name Hotel tagged on. It commenced life as a coaching inn situated near the top of a steep hill called Honeywall commencing from the town of Stoke-upon-Trent, a road which dates from prehistoric times. The inn is shown on Yates’s map of 1775, and the 1777 Duchy of Lancaster Map on which it is recorded as in the occupation of Mr Thomas Appleton. Records for the Justices of the Peace at Stafford record the issuing of a licence to sell wines and spirits from the mid-18th century.
Thomas Appleton had established himself as a property owner as early as 1762 and was involved in numerous mortgage transactions over the following years, mostly concerning three cottages and stables, two of which were rented out while he occupied the other. Although no direct name is given to the property, I think it safe to assume that these three cottages would be the origins of what is now the White Lion Inn of today. The view from the front of the inn points to the conclusion that this could originally have been three cottages later converted into one.
In 1861 it was owned by Richard Stone who sold the plot of land at the rear of the inn to Frederick Bishop to enable a new road to be built from Honeywall to Princes Road, thereby opening up the area for housing development from 1865. Note the name Stone Street.
Probably as a direct result of the development of the nearby allotments housing estate towards the end of the 18th century, The White Lion was extended as can be seen from the red brick addition. By 1914, the inn was occupied by Harvey Howell, and owned by Burton Brewers, and described as the White Lion Inn with stables and garden. The annual rent paid by Mr Harvey amounted to £60, and the rates amounted to £48. If compared with those of The Beehive, it is obvious that The White Lion was a much more substantial establishment than The Beehive just across the road.