Areley Kings Village History Group Update – Summer 2016

Future Group Meetings

14 September [10am] Introductory presentation on the Historical Environment Report for Areley Kings, a report from the Heritage Lottery funded WWI project and more work on the Rear view of Areley House ‘walk’ project

Welcome to the summer edition of ‘Update’ – the newsletter from 12 October [10am] Areley Kings Village History Group. Talk on Martley Parish and its historic connections with Areley Report on July’s meeting Kings following the June visit to St Last month, we held our first evening meeting at the village hall Peter’s which was well attended by both members and visitors. The main 9 November [10am] feature was a talk by our chairman, Eric Halsall on Areley Kings and Fun meeting - ‘Show & Tell’ – the Somme, commemorating the centenary of the battle. Eric gave a members are invited to bring along most knowledgeable and moving talk, providing a vivid descriptive a treasured object or photo of context in how the war was viewed at home, the hardship suffered personal or local interest and give by troops and illustrated by a large collection of photographs. He a short talk to the group then spoke of his research into the lives of the Speake brothers from Interesting Fact Areley Kings who both fought in the Great War, with photographs According to the 1911 Census from his visit to the French battlefields and of the memorial where Arthur Joyner ran the Model Bakery the name of Reginald Speake, who died at the Somme, is recorded. in Areley Kings. In 1916 he was reported as being charged with *A list of the fourteen men from Areley selling bread from his cart without Kings who died in WWI can be found weighing it, as required by law – on the group’s website. There is also a he was fined by magistrates. short essay on the life of Kenneth

Hemmingway who died in WWI and Contributions whose parents lived at Broomy Hill, Areley Kings after the war [by Eric We would love to hear from you! Tell us about your stories and Halsall] research of your family or home; if

Picture of Reginald Speake’s medals [Thanks to Glynn Booton] you have photographs or drawings, we would love to see Eric’s talk was followed by a report from Bev Haywood on the them! So please get in touch.

group’s great progress since it started last Autumn. To date, the group has 45 paid up members, 92 followers of its Facebook page and hundreds of visitors to the website. The committee has organised several talks and two trips so far, and the walk project is well underway, with over £1,000 of funding raised for the proposed boards. Bev thanked members on behalf of the committee for their support then gave a brief outline of the Autumn programme.

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Stories of Areley Kings – Richard Mucklowe Group Website & Facebook Don’t forget to visit our website William Mucklowe, a merchant living in Worcester first acquired regularly and remember that estates in Areley Kings in 1529 and these were inherited by his son members have privileged access to Richard Mucklowe the following year. Richard, according to a the Resources and Research pages number of documents donated by the Lloyd family of Areley Hall where the notes of our talks and to Birmingham Museum, was involved in a number of law suits and links to useful websites can be disputes over his lifetime. found. If you are a member and yet to receive the password, please The most serious of these took place in 1530 where Richard was get in touch. If you want to charged with manslaughter. An accusation was brought against contribute something, have an idea for an article, or even notice a him that on May 22nd he struck Richard Gower with a dagger at mistake, get in touch with Bev, our Diglis in the parish of St. John’s, Worcester. Gower appears to have group secretary. died instantly. The various documents relating to the affair give no information as to the cause of the quarrel. Richard was arrested and tried before the Bailiffs of Worcester and a jury of 14 persons. His brother Peter, and Thomas Middlemore, a mercer of London, stood bail for him, and on July 6th he made an agreement with his uncle, Simon Ryce, and John Packington, placing his estates in their hands, including those at Areley Kings, until they should be recompensed for the costs and settlement of his trial. The case seems to have dragged on for some time, but was finally settled by the payment of View of Beach Road

100 marks by Richard to Joanna, widow of the deceased. Contact Us [Taken from a paper presented by Miss Olive Lloyd to the Worcestershire Email us at: Archaeological Society in 1941] [email protected]

Or telephone our Group

Stourport Bridge Secretary: 01905 621417

The first bridge over the River Severn at Stourport was completed in Stourport Civic Society 1775. Until this time the only way of crossing the river was by ferry For those interested in the past, at Redstone. Unfortunately, the first bridge was destroyed less than present and future of Stourport. It 20 years later by winter floods. After some delay, an iron single is a membership organisation, span replacement was completed in 1806 but in 1870 this bridge was holding monthly meetings with a replaced at a cost of £7,000 by the one we use today. programme of speakers and visits. For more information, contact From 1850 until 1893 anyone wanting to use the bridge had to pay a Pauline Annis 01299 826363 toll at the house on the Areley Kings side of the crossing– for pedestrians and riders on horses this was 1d. Those living on the Areley Kings side objected strongly and a petition was organised attracting over 3,000 signatures. When the toll was eventually abolished a carnival was organised with sports and a torch-lit procession. According to Isaac Wedley, the first person to cross the bridge was Mrs Jane Lane, a resident of Areley Kings who was escorted across, proudly riding in her donkey cart. Aerial view 1940s

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Introduction to researching family history Useful links & resources Part 1 – Free resources Book: The Passing of Mitton by

Isaac Wedley [1921]. Available at When first looking at your family history you should always start the Hive Worcester. A collection of by collecting all the available information you can about your stories about 19th century forebears. Ask family members for certificates, photographs and Stourport stories. Then, before investing in a subscription to one of the large genealogy websites such as Ancestry, it may be worth trying the Website: www.findmypast.co.uk free resources available. The first of these is www.freebmd.org.uk. Subscription genealogy website with millions of searchable This allows you to search the indices of births, marriages and deaths collections of records, partnered in England & Wales and order the certificates [fee payable] from the with The National Archives General Register Office - www.gro.gov.uk. These certificates can provide lots of useful information such as dates and places of birth, Wills & Probate records: Lots of as well as parents’ names. Worcestershire wills are on microfiche at the Hive in The second is www.familysearch.org, the genealogy website of the Worcester – fully indexed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Free registration enables you to access millions of records and build a basic family tree. The types of information that can be found in these records includes all the English census returns, non-conformist records, many parish registers and bishop’s transcripts, marriage bonds, land tax assessments, workhouse records, court records, probate, and many others.

And don’t forget trying a ‘Google’ search – a combination of names with places, dates or occupation can lead to articles in books, newspaper reports or online forums. It can be sometimes surprising what results pop up on your screen!

Finally, a trip to the Archives department at the Hive in Worcester William Mucklowe [1598 -1686] is well worth a visit. Not only are there many records on microfiche Owner of Areley Hall including local parish registers, wills, maps and newspapers, there Website: www.sog.org.uk – are also trade directories and old phone books, and a library card website of the Society of allows you free access to Ancestry on their computers. Genealogists, the National History Family History Centre. Searchable catalogue of documents, courses and information on their visitor centre in London

Book: Stourport-on-Severn – Images of England by Anna Carter [2000]. Great book, full of pictures of old Stourport and area

www.areleykingshistory.wordpress.com Areley Kings Village History Group Update – Summer 2016

Future projects and meetings Group Resources

In 2017, as well as a programme of great talks, the committee are planning to organise two trips – to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in June, and to Redditch in October, to visit Bordesley Abbey and the Needlecraft Museum. There are plans for two evening meetings and, as well as completing and launching the Areley Kings Historical Walk, it is hoped to start a ‘Buildings & People’ project, with members helping to map the historic buildings The group is gradually building a of the village and investigating the families that lived in them, using library of books, articles and census returns, maps and tithe records. resources that may be helpful to

The committee are also keen to encourage members to do their own members. If there is something research and give short presentations to the group. Ideas include a that may help you with your interests please visit the website or report on the 1992 archaeological dig that took place on Dunley speak to the group secretary. And Road; investigating the Areley Kings Workhouse with examination if you have books or similar items of the Martley Union’s Minutes held at the Hive; a talk about the you might be willing to lend to monument inscriptions at St Bartholomew’s; a history of the others let us know and we can add National School; and finally, a history of Stourport Boat Club. If it to our list. you are interested in any of these or any other ideas please talk to a * A list of both exterior & interior committee member and we will help get you started. monument inscriptions at St

Bartholomew’s Church Stourport Civic Society’s Local History Award 2016 * Transcribed baptism, marriage In June, the Stourport Civic Society presented for the first time and burial records from the parish awards for essays on local history and our group is delighted to records [1539–1850] of St report that first and second place were taken by members of our Bartholomew’s own group. * Several committee members have Bev Haywood took top honours with her illustrated article on ‘The full subscriptions to the main Haywoods of Stourport’, chronicling her husband’s family history and genealogy websites such as featuring many photographs provided by Mary Wehner, another Ancestry & Find My Past. If you group member. Members of the family worked at the Baldwin have a query or have hit a brick wall with your own research, foundry, owned shops in the town, were staunch members of the contact us to see if we can help. Methodist Church and rowed on the river. She was presented with an engraved pewter plate. [Essay available to view on our group website] * Annotated 1839 tithe map of

Areley Kings with lists of field Runner up was James Allaway, an names, owners and occupiers of

Associate group member of the group land who lives on the Isle of Wight, with his * Ordinance Survey maps of essay on the James Bullock and family, a Areley Kings for 1881, 1901 & 1921 shepherd who lived in Areley Kings

Photo – a Bullock family wedding * Several wills of Areley Kings residents, such as Thomas Crane [needing transcription] A booklet containing the winning entries will be held at Stourport Library. The Local History Award will be next awarded in 2018.