18th Century

May

2025

George Bissell of Yardley, died 1738

George Bissell left a will Probate, Worcester, 26 Jun 1739 in which he describes himself as a gentleman. He names his children as John, Joseph, Thomas, Mary and Sarah. His will would suggest his wealth was probably based on ‘iron’ and ‘ironmongery’ interests. Continue reading →

Apr

2025

Thomas Roades Showell

Thomas Roades Showell was born in 1736 in Yardley, to the east of Birmingham, and died in 1786, aged 49. He left a neat copper-plate written will, in which he describes himself as a victualler. At his death, he owned a number of properties and was most notably the proprietor and licensee of the Talbot Pub in Yardley. Continue reading →

Jan

2025

Anna Maria Onions, née Bacon

Anna Maria Onions of Oldbury is recorded as being buried, aged 55, at All Saints, West Bromwich on 27 Nov 1816. This is contradicted by the Cheshire Bible that records her date of death (not burial) as 27 Nov 1817. Continue reading →

Jan

2025

John Onions, Ironfounder of Oldbury

John Onions died on 22 Jan 1814 and left a will, Probate Worcester 15 Jun 1814. In the All Saints, West Bromwich Register, his burial, ‘John Onions of Oldbury’, is recorded on 26 Jan 1814, aged 50. Continue reading →

Sep

2024

William Breakspear, Blue Boar, Chipping Norton

William Breakspear was buried in Chipping Norton on 30 Nov 1838. His age is recorded as 91. He was the father of John Breakspear who predeceased him by eight months. Continue reading →

Apr

2024

Jemima Shaw, wife of Rev Harry Downing

Jemima Shaw was baptised in All Saints, Sedgley on 18 Jan 1746 the younger sister of Thomas Shaw-Hellier some 14 years his junior. She married Harry Downing on 9 Sep 1766 in Lapley. Continue reading →

Apr

2024

James Shaw, Artist, 1736-1784

James Shaw was baptised on 6 Sep 1736 in All Saints, Sedgley and was the younger brother of Thomas Shaw, who later became Rev Thomas Shaw-Hellier in 1786. James Shaw studied and became an artist and died in London in about 1784. Continue reading →

Aug

2023

Mary Bendy (née Hayward), died 1755

Mary Hayward was born in about 1673 and became the second wife of William Bendy, marrying him on 17 Mar 1697 at St Benedicts, Wombourne. She is the grandmother of Mary Shaw, the wife of Thomas Shaw-Hellier. She lived the last thirty years of her life as a widow at Shutt End, Kingswinford and died in 1755. Her will was granted probate in 1758. Continue reading →

Feb

2023

Thomas Clifton, died 1729

Thomas Clifton, a nailer from Halesowen, died about 31 Dec 1729 and left a will, held at Worcester, probate dated 9 Jan 1729/30. He is very likely the grandfather of Job Clifton (1734-1815). Unlike his putative grandson he is literate and signs his will. Continue reading →

Dec

2020

Richard Evans’ Rummer and Toddy Ladle

Two items engraved in similar script bear the monogram ‘RE’ and are presumed to have belonged to Richard Evans (1797-1859). They are a late eighteenth century glass rummer and a slightly battered silver Toddy Ladle, hallmarked London 1727. Continue reading →

Mar

2019

Thomas Elwall of Ettingshall, Sedgley

Thomas Elwall, yeoman of Ettingshall, died in early 1716 leaving a will written in 1712. Here he lists his four children as Thomas Elwall, Edward Elwall, Elizabeth Gibbens and Mary Elwall. The following sequence of baptisms can be found in the All Saints, Sedgley Parish register viz. Thomas (bap 21 Aug 1673), Edward (bap 9 Nov 1676), Elizabeth (No Baptism found), Mary (bap 22 Oct 1670) Continue reading →

Feb

2019

Chester Racecard, 1766

This early Racecard comes from the archive of the Evans family, later of the Red Lion Inn, Wolverhampton. It may have belonged to John Evans. It is evidence of an early interest in horses and a foretaste for the extensive stable kept by the Evans family in Wolverhampton. Later the family were certainly keen sportsmen, but they also required the stable for the major Coaching Inn running the stages from Wednesbury to the Red Lion and on out to Albrighton. Continue reading →

Jun

2018

Ambrose Birch of Rowley Regis

Ambrose Birch was buried on 17 Feb 1729/30 in Rowley Regis and left a will, probate 20 Jul 1730. He was the father of Catherine Darby, the great grandmother of Emma Clifton. Continue reading →

May

2018

Adam Read, Barber Surgeon of Dudley

Adam Read was a Barber Surgeon in Dudley, who lived from approximately 1658 to 1717. He left a will dated 20 Jan 1716/17, which clarifies a number of points about his life Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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