18
Jan
2018
Thomas Bissell
Thomas Bissell of Lyndon Green was born in about 1699 and left a will dated 28 Sep 1763 and executed in 1765. Continue reading →
08
Jan
2018
WW1 Artworks
Molly Evans‘s scrapbook contains a number of artworks, created not only by professionals like British artist Ernest Procter or Flemish artist Joseph Dezitter, but also by her fellow servicemen, patients and herself. Continue reading →
05
Jan
2018
John Thompson
John Thompson was a locksmith from Coseley in the parish of Sedgley, near Dudley. He was probably baptised on 24 Feb 1716/17 and was buried on 27 Apr 1807, both in All Saints Sedgley. This would have made him 90 years old. Continue reading →
01
Jan
2018
Isaac Whitehouse
Isaac Whitehouse, a farmer in Coseley in the Parish of Sedgley, was born in about 1711 the son of Joseph Whitehouse. He died in 1786. Continue reading →
28
Dec
2017
Joseph Whitehouse
Joseph Whitehouse, nailer, of Coseley left a will written on 14 Mar 1727/28. He was probably baptized on 11 May 1682 in All Saints Sedgley, the youngest son of Thomas Whitehouse, a yeoman and nailer. Continue reading →
27
Dec
2017
Thomas Whitehouse
Thomas Whitehouse, Yeoman of Coseley in the Parish of Sedgley left a will, probate 13 Feb of 1710/11. Continue reading →
19
Dec
2017
Richard Shaw of Sedgley
Richard Shaw of Cinder Hill in Sedgley left a will dated 5 Jan 1753/4. This gives a number of strong indications that he is the grandfather of the Rev Thomas Shaw-Hellier. Continue reading →
18
Dec
2017
Joseph Dezitter’s Pictures of Bergues
During the First World War, Joseph Dezitter (1883-1957), a Flemish artist, was mobilised and participated in the Belgian campaign where he was seriously wounded in 1914. After recovering he joined the ambulance auxiliary services in Northern France. Travelling between military hospitals, he took the opportunity to paint the places he visited. Continue reading →
16
Dec
2017
Friends’ Ambulance Unit, Dunkirk
The Quakers ran the Friends’ Ambulance Unit including the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Dunkirk for most of the duration of the First World War. One of its purposes was that members of the Society of Friends should be able to carry out their patriotic duty without having to serve in the Military on conscientious grounds. However, it also recruited from beyond the Quaker community. Continue reading →
13
Dec
2017
Ernest Procter’s WW1 Drawings
Ernest Procter (1886-1935), an artist and member of the Newlyn School, was probably the most prolific and well-known of the Quaker artists serving at the Friends’ Ambulance Unit during the First World War. Continue reading →
12
Dec
2017
Richard Brettell
The history of the Brettell family of Brettell and Amblecote just north of Stourbridge touches on a couple of the families discussed in this site – notably the Bendys of nearby Shut End and the Trysull branch of the Barneseley family. Continue reading →
12
Dec
2017
Photo Books and Calendars
A few years ago we stared to print photo books and calendars for ourselves and close circle of family and friends. Each one contains the best pictures featuring people we met, places we visited and events which happened in the previous year. Continue reading →
07
Dec
2017
Xmas 1917 at the Queen Alexandra Hospital
Molly Evans spent the last Christmas of World War 1 in Dunkirk, France working as a VAD nurse at the Queen Alexandra Hospital run by the Friends’ Ambulance Unit. 100 years on we would like to share her personal account of the events which happened that day. Continue reading →
26
Nov
2017
Edward Grove of West Bromwich
Edward Grove of West Bromwich left a will, written in 1634 and executed in 1641, that gives a long list of children and children in law. It is a very useful will in getting to grips with a few of the families discussed on this web site – notably the Darbys, Willetts and Russells of Rowley Regis. Continue reading →
22
Nov
2017
John Jesson
John Jesson married Amy Darby on 22 Jan 1609 in St Mary’s Handsworth. Amy is mentioned in her father Thomas Darby’s will of 1607 and her spinster Aunt Ann Darby’s will of 1612. Amy Jesson’s grandfather was therefore Edmonde Darby who left a will of 1598. Continue reading →
19
Nov
2017
Benjamin Willetts
The Willetts family lived in and around Oldbury. It is one of the most repeated names in the Parish Register of St Giles’ Rowley Regis in the 1700’s. One branch, the descendants of Joseph Willetts, butcher, seems to have accumulated wealth, attested to by a number of wills. Significantly Joseph was married to Amphillis Russell a member of the Russell family of ‘the Portway’ in Rowley Regis. Continue reading →
08
Nov
2017
Studley Court Hospital, Stourbridge, 1914-1915
Studley Court Hospital in Stourbridge was opened in Nov 1914 as a direct response to the outbreak of war. The building is now owned by the council and forms part of Mary Stevens Park. Continue reading →
05
Nov
2017
Job Clifton
Job Clifton was baptised on 23 Dec 1734 at Christ Church Oldbury. His father was also called Job Clifton. Continue reading →
02
Nov
2017
W Ellery Jephcott
W Ellery Jephcott (1880-1960) was a journalist and local historian of the Smethwick and West Bromwich area. Continue reading →
02
Nov
2017
Thomas Downing
Thomas Downing was born in Smethwick and baptized in All Saints, West Bromwich on 20 Mar 1825. He was the younger brother of William Downing, the wealthy Smethwick maltster. Continue reading →