May 2008 Newsletter
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Newsletter Newsletter of the Broseley Local History Society Incorporating the Wilkinson Society May 2008 MEETINGS PROGRAMME Meetings of the Broseley Local History Society 7 May ‘You try and stop me!’ Part II. A walk are held on the first Wednesday of each month at around Coalport and Jackfield, led by 7.30 pm at the Broseley Social Club, High Street, Ron Miles. Meet at 7.00 pm at Jackfield unless otherwise announced. Car parking is Tile Museum 4 Jun Summer Evening at The Lawns, Church available at the back of the Club. Street, and installation of the plaque Members are requested to be seated by 7.30 pm to commemorating John Wilkinson allow speakers a prompt start. 28 Jun Trip to Gloucester Historic Dockyard and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Visitors are welcome but are asked to give a Railway donation towards Society funds. 12 Jul Wilkinson Bicentenary Day School at the Long Warehouse, Coalbrookdale CONTENTS 13 Jul Trip to Brymbo, the site of just one of Programme page 1 John Wilkinson’s ironworks New Members page 1 10-13 Jul A Cast Iron Case, a pageant at The Lawns, Church Street, set around the life of Gift Cards page 1 John Wilkinson Forthcoming Events 3 Sep The Realities of War. Further wartime May walk page 2 memories with Ray Johnston and Janet Summer evening and installation Doody of plaque page 2 1 Oct Annual General Meeting, followed by Visit to Gloucester page 2 talk on Milestones by Tony Keegan 5 Nov A talk on John Wilkinson, given by Wilkinson Bicentenary Day School page 2 Michael Berthoud Trip to Brymbo page 2 3 Dec Annual Christmas dinner A Cast iron Case, a Pageant page 4 John Wilkinson Tokens page 3 Further details from Neil Clarke 01952 504135. John Wilkinson Plates page 3 NEW MEMBERS Previous Meetings The Society would like to welcome the following Shropshire Workhouses page 3 new members: John Wilkinson and his Marcus Branson, Broseley transport interests page 4 Mr and Mrs Poyser, Coalport South Staffordshire Ironmasters page 5 David Turner, Wyke Local History Exhibition page 5 Lynne Wilkinson, Bishop’s Stortford Broseley in Bloom page 6 Haycop Conservation page 6 GIFT CARDS The Genus Crocus page 6 Membership of the Society makes an unusual gift, so next time you need a present, why not buy one What’s on? Page 7 of the gift cards now available from the Society? Bookshop page 7 These incorporate a picture of Broseley Church Mailbox page 8 and cost 50p plus £5.00 for a single subscription or Booking forms page 13 £8.00 for a couple. 1 FORTHCOMING EVENTS Wilkinson Bicentenary Day School May walk – ‘You try and stop me!’ Part II Date: Saturday 12 July Date: Wednesday 7 May Time: 9.45 am – 4.30 pm Time: 7.00 pm Venue: Long Warehouse, Venue: Meet at Jackfield Tile Museum Coalbrookdale Join Ron Miles as he finally completes his guided Cost: £10.00 to include copy of the day’s tour of Jackfield. proceedings on publication A Day School presenting recent research into the Summer Evening and Installation of Plaque life and achievements of John Wilkinson. The Date: Wednesday 4 June programme will include the talks The Wilkinsons Time: 7.30 pm at Bersham, by Steve Grenter; Iron Ships in Green Venue: The Lawns, Church Street, Broseley Fields: Wilkinson’s Legacy 1777-1833 by Richard A Summer Evening at The Lawns where a plaque Barker; Wilkinson’s Trade Connections by Eric commemorating John Wilkinson will be unveiled Alexander; The Importance of the Women in John by children from John Wilkinson Primary School. Wilkinson’s Life by Frank Dawson. Members and invited guests will be entertained by the Shifnal and District Chorale which will be There will also be a choice of activities in the early singing pieces composed by Henry Knight. Drinks afternoon; a field trip to local Wilkinson sites, a and nibbles will be available. guided walk to the Iron Bridge or a visit to the Museum of Iron (this will carry an extra charge). Visit to Gloucester Date: Saturday 28 June Tea and coffee will be available but lunch is not Cost: £20.00 per person included. However, there are several restaurants Dep: 8.00 am Broseley Square and pubs within easy reach. 8.10 am School Road, Coalbrookdale Further details from Neil Clarke, 01952 504135. Ret: 7.15 pm Coalbrookdale To book complete the form on page 13 and send 7.25 pm Broseley This year’s summer outing will be to Gloucester it with your payment to Michael Pope, Rivendell, Historic Dockyard and the Gloucestershire 2 Dark Lane, Broseley, TF12 5LH. Cheques to be Warwickshire Railway. The Dockyard has a made payable to Broseley Local History Society. This event is sponsored by Broseley Local History Society, variety of attractions including the chance to visit the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and Friends, the National Waterways Museum, Museum and Art Shropshire Archives and Wrekin Local Studies Forum. Gallery, Mariners’ Church, Gloucester Cathedral Trip to Brymbo and Gloucester Regimental Museum. The price Date: Sunday 13 July includes group admission to Gloucester Historic Dep: 10.00 am, Broseley Square Dockyard museums. Ret: 5.15 pm The return trip will include a half hour journey on Cost: £8.50 per person the award winning standard gauge Gloucestershire To round off the Society’s Wilkinson Weekend, Warwickshire Railway. From the main station at there will be a visit to Brymbo, the site not far from Toddington the scenic ten mile run will end at Bersham which was purchased by John Wilkinson in Cheltenham Racecourse. 1792. The blast furnaces and foundry which he built there were the basis for Brymbo Steelworks, an Further information from Vin Callcut, 01952 enterprise which closed only in 1990. The Brymbo 882508, or to book complete the form on page 13 Heritage Group has offered to lead a tour of the site, and send it with your payment, by not later than which includes John Wilkinson’s old No 1 blast 31 May to Michael Pope, Rivendell, 2 Dark Lane, furnace, his contemporary foundry, the drift mine Broseley, TF12 5LH. Please enclose an sae if and agent’s house, and the more recent machine acknowledgement is required. Cheques to be shop. The Heritage Group will supply tea and coffee made payable to Broseley Local History Society. but participants should take a packed lunch. 2 Further details from David Lake, 01746 762813. plaques such as the one to be installed at The To book complete the form on page 13 and send it Lawns in June. ‘Proof’ Token No 1 is to be with your payment, by not later than 13 June, to auctioned, others will be available direct from the David Lake, Avebury, Stocking Lane, Nordley, Society from mid-May, cost £8.00 each (for UK WV16 4SY. Cheques should be made payable to 1st class recorded post add £1.99). To purchase Broseley Local History Society. Bookings will be contact Vin Callcut email: [email protected] refundable until 13 June. or phone 01952 882508. For members purchasing tokens at a Society meeting the cost will be £6.00. A Cast Iron Case - a Pageant Dates: 10, 11, 12 and 13 July JOHN WILKINSON COMMEMORATIVE PLATES Time: 7.30 pm Thurs – Sat, 2.30 pm Sun Well known Broseley Venue: The Lawns, Church Street, Broseley potter Elspeth Soper of BROADS, Broseley’s amateur dramatic society, Willey Furnace Pottery will be staging A Cast Iron Case, a pageant centred has made a limited number around the life of John Wilkinson. Local school of plates commemorating children will also be involved and, with a grant John Wilkinson. The design having already been received, this promises to be is based on that of the new an exciting and colourful event. issue of the Wilkinson tokens described above JOHN WILKINSON COMMEMORATIVE TOKENS and the plates are available To celebrate the bicentenary of Well known potter Elspeth from Willey Furnace the death of John Wilkinson a Soper working on one of Pottery at a cost of £43.00 the John Wilkinson new issue of tokens is being commemorative plates each (plus £4.99 for UK struck. The tokens will bear his 1st class postage), with a percentage going to the effigy and dates on the obverse commemorative plaques fund. To purchase email with an enhanced forgemaster, [email protected] or phone 01952 updated to the bicentenary year 2008, on the reverse. 884379 or mobile 07790 347007. As with the originals, the names of significant towns will be inscribed on the edge, these being PREVIOUS MEETINGS BROSELEY BERSHAM BRADLEY WILLEY SNEDSHILL. Shropshire Workhouses When in 1775 the Royal Mint stopped striking In February, Lance Smith gave a talk on small denomination coinage in silver, John Shropshire Workhouses, with particular reference Wilkinson was one of the first of the leading to the Broseley and Madeley areas. industrialists to issue their own tokens. Perhaps In this talk, Lance said that under the Old Poor not surprisingly, his own image appeared on the Law each parish had been responsible for its own obverse, with various designs on the reverse. He poor and aid was funded through local rates. also decided against using silver, preferring Although the distribution of aid was usually at the instead to use copper from mines in which he had discretion of an appointed unpaid overseer, it an interest. Thousands of tokens were minted from could be contracted out. An example of this was 1787-1798 with 75 different varieties of genuine the hiring of a William Micklewright who, in 1772, ones now being catalogued, not counting the 57 was paid £100 for providing for all the poor of the designs of forgeries.