Newsletter Newsletter of the Local History Society Incorporating the Wilkinson Society

May 2002

6 Nov The Great Exhibition of 1851 , talk by Chairman John Freeman David de Haan, Programme Director of Secretary Dot Cox the Institute. Treasurer Steve Dewhirst 4 Dec Annual Christmas dinner. Curator David Lake 8 Jan More Memories of Old Broseley. Membership Janet Robinson 5 Feb Quarter Sessions Records, talk Secretary 26 Rd by John Shearman. Broseley, TF12 5AZ 5 Mar The Annual Wilkinson Lecture, Today 01952 882495 Broseley, Tomorrow the World! given by Journal Editor Neil Clarke David Lake. Newsletter Editor Jan Lancaster For further information, contact Neil Clarke Co-opted Member Michael Pope (01952 504135). Website: www.broseley.org.uk Email: [email protected] Thirty Years Old The Broseley Local History Society, formerly Meetings the Wilkinson Society, celebrates its 30th birth - day this year. The original Society was started Meetings of the Broseley Local History Society with a preliminary meeting held at The Lawns are held on the first Wednesday of each in July 1972. On 2 August the first general month at 7.30 pm at the Broseley Social Club, meeting was held at which the following com - High Street, unless otherwise announced. Car mittee was elected - John Dugdale (President), parking is available at the back of the Club. Martin Sylvester (Chairman), Colin Hardwick Members are requested to be seated by 7.30 to (Secretary), Dennis Mason (Treasurer), Ralph allow speakers a prompt start. Pee (Curator), John Cragge and Neil Clarke Programme (Committee members). 5 Jun Jubilee Summer Soiree, at Rivendell, 2 Previous meetings Dark Lane, Broseley, by kind invitation At the April meeting Janet Doody gave a talk on of Michael and Gillian Pope. Please see her research into the Irish community in details on page 6. Broseley in the second half of the 19th century 3 Jul The Wilkinson Trail in - Part II. and drew attention to some of the differences Summer walk led by Neil Clarke. Full between this and the community in . details on page 6. Although near neighbours, the two towns Provisional programme to March 2003 attracted very different types of immigrants 4 Sep Memories of Old Broseley. and subsequently developed equally different 2 Oct AGM, followed by The Severn Gorge types of communities. Bridgnorth’s economy Countryside Trust, talk given by Jim was agricultural, and immigrants to that town Waterson. formed a tight knit community based around

1 the Catholic church and schools sponsored especially in the spheres of science and engi - by the Acton family. Broseley on the other neering. Among such geniuses John Wilkinson hand, being an industrial town, attracted immi - stands out as one of the great men of history, a grants with industrial skills who were less giant of industrial and commercial enterprise dependent on patronage and more entrepre- alongside a century of such giants. neurial. Because they had no central focus such In her talk, Diana put forward some ideas as to as a church or school, these people integrated why 18th century England provided the unique more readily into the local community, an context in which the entrepreneurial expertise example of this being the china painter William of a man such as Wilkinson could flourish so Evans, who married a Broseley woman, also a spectacularly - the new thinking of the china painter, and lived in Duke Street. Enligh tenment, the excel lent education provided 1851 saw a big influx when the number of Irish by the Dissenting Academies, the interchange households rose from 12 to 40. These were of ideas through such groups as the Lunar mainly labourers with the women and girls Society, the wealth created by the growing working as pitbank girls or in the brickyards, empire, the challenge to the establishment by but there were also skilled workers. One of the the French Revolution, the relative social mobil - most interesting groups of these were boot and ity and the ease of raising capital. shoe makers who began to form a distinctive The entrepreneurs who emerged during the group of several families, living along Harris’s 18th century had to depend on aggressive use Green and King Street. Some of these people of their talents in an unremitting hands-on situ - were master shoe makers, employing others in ation as investors, managers and makers, a the trade. combination that lent itself not to sentiment, but 1861 saw another population influx when the more often to ruthlessness. Diana showed that railway was built, but these immigrants were John Wilkinson was such a man, whom few mostly transient and had little lasting effect on could match for energy and flair. the town. A Schoolboy Perspective The population of Broseley in the second half of the 19th century was about 4,500, and although In April this year pupils from L’Ecole Jules the number of Irish inhabitants was not known, Romains, in the town of Ambert in the it seems likely that they quickly became inte - Auvergne, visited Ironbridge on a school grated into the community, as there are few exchange. David Lake was one of those who recorded incidents of racial disharmony. This helped show them something of the Ironbridge was in contrast to Bridgnorth where, possibly Gorge and, to keep them occupied during their because of the closed nature of their community , second weekend, set a competition for them - an there did appear to have been a certain amount essay, to be written in English, on “How the of racial tension. was built”. The winner was Georges Tarris whose his essay - an impressive At the May meeting the Annual Wilkinson piece of understanding and fluency in a foreign Lecture, entitled The Spirit of the Age - Ideas and language for a French 12 year old of Movements of the 18th Century and John Wilkinson Lebanese/Moroccan parentage - appears was given by Diana Clarke. John Wilkinson’s below, with all its original spelling and con - life spanned a century of tremendous change. struction! While every era has its own part to play in the making of history by producing its men of It’s the first iron bridge in the world. It’s influence, the 18th century in England seemed 223 years old and from his construction to to spawn more than its fair share of geniuses, now it didn’t have any problems. The

2 Iron Bridge was built because two towns an important financial supporter of the were trading by boat and the river was scheme, from the beginning throughout. The very dangerous and a lot of people died. question remains of course as to why, if he The river was very dangerous because it were so urgent that the Bridge should be built had strong currents and high tides. (note : in iron, he did not undertake the construction the IronBridge crosses the ) of it himself. One answer may be that the And one of the towns were producing scheme came to fruition precisely at the Iron so they made an iron bridge. You moment when his own iron-making opera - have to pay a toll to cross it. The tions were at full stretch. Orders were begin - IronBridge crosses the river between ning to flow for Watt’s New Steam engine for Madeley Wood and Benthall. The archi- which he supplied all castings. Lucrative gov - tect was commissioned in 1775 : Thomas ernment contracts for his cannon were Pritchard and the builder Abraham increasing rapidly. And his brother William Darby, started the construction in winter was off to France leaving the whole responsi - 1778 and finished in summer 1779. The bility for managing the Bersham works on his builder won the gold medal of the royal shoulders again. The Darbys were the obvious society of arts and the architect died choice, perhaps the only other before its achievement. The pieces were with the capability in the area, their compre - associated like a construction game (they hensive works close to the fit into other pieces) and were fixed with Bridge site. Far from seeking to overstretch bolts and screws. To fix the pieces, espe - young Abraham III into financial ruin, there cially the arches, they had to put 2 wood may even have been an element of patronage posts up to hold the arches up and one in Wilkinson’s relationship with him once the crossbean to support them and for the main agreements had been reached. builder when he had to fix them together. We have also received a further letter from The dimensions of the bridge are 100 feet* David de Haan, Programme Director of the span, 40 feet high above the river, and a , addressed to John Freeman width of 94 feet. The ribs of the bridge are in which he says: mearly 80 feet long. There is 284 kilos of My aim in sharing ideas about the Bridge is to iron! further the discussion, debate and hopefully *(note : 100 feet is equivalent to 30 metres tease out new evidence - some of which has so 1 foot = 30 centimetres) happened around the Timewatch programme. The Mystery of the Iron Bridge . . . continued Much more was recorded than ever got to the final TV programme, as you might expect, in Further to the exchange of correspondence which there was of course due recognition of regarding the Timewatch programme published Pritchard and Wilkinson in the wider scheme in the March issue, we have received a letter of things. In the event, the BBC concentrated from Frank Dawson of Cumbria in which he on what makes good television and only also expresses some concerns about the content focussed on building the half-scale model. As of the programme. Perhaps more interesting, you so rightly say, there are always (at least) however, is his suggestion as to why John two sides to any story and they are worth Wilkinson had not been involved in the actual exploring, so I hope this is really the start construction. This is the relevant extract from rather than the end of lots of discussions. his letter: I enjoyed the Society’s website and would be It is clear that Wilkinson was the major cat - happy to come to a future meeting, either as an alyst for the building of the Iron Br idge and

3 observer or even a speaker. You are absolute - which was taken from the Janet Butler ly right that we should strengthen the links, Archive. and maybe we can mend some of the unneces - I purpose being here untill the 21st, then sary rifts that go back now almost into folk proceed to Bersham, Broseley, Bradley and to memory! your House to be ready for Q rday. You may be aware that some years ago I did a Meanwhile I shall consider the Contents of talk to the Wilkinson Society about the por - your last Favour of the 1st inst. traits of the . Perhaps it may be of interest if we can share some of the other find - If a new Engine must be had at ings about the Bridge that have emerged from Chacewater and that Expense prove a the recent historical survey. There is also a lot BugBear it may induce Me to take a part - of new archival evidence about Wilkinson that there is not I think for Me any other Motive is in the depositions relating to a Chancery without Work - Mr Wilson has said nothing to proceeding in the 1760s. Me yet upon that Adventure. Before I can see you - Mr Bolton will have made (most proba - Donation of historical documents bly) his report on this Mine. Les Pugh, who recently moved to I had occasion to go over to Chester & from Broseley, has donated a number of histor - Bersham last Week - I saw your son of whom I ical documents to the Society. These belonged recd a very good account and from what I to the late Mrs Thomas and related to the histo - could observe he was deserving of that ry of her family. Report.

The collection includes documents dating from I really have a high opinion of James and 1798 to the 1940s. They include various though he may not be in the most fashionable Conveyances, Title Deeds, Indentures and way at his Age I think him in a much safer Mortgage Documents. A number of receipts are Road to useful Life. also in the collection, including some relating to the cholera epidemic in 1832. More recent Apedale Drift Mine documents include a scrapbook with leaflets The Apedale Drift Mine, just north of and cuttings from the 20th century as well as Newcastle-under-Lyme, ceased production various documents relating to the Second a couple of years ago and is now the nearest World War. visitable Mining Experience. The Society is planning a coach trip there, the suggested date The items have been catalogued by Paul Luter being Saturday 21 September. Anyone interested and are at present being copied. As some of the should contact David Lake, tel: 01746 762813, documents are of historical importance the without delay so that we can ascertain the Society intends lodging them in the County level of interest and whether this is a suitable Records Office in Shrewsbury where they will date. be conserved and openly available for researchers. It is also intended to put copies of The Slip the documents in Broseley library. “Life has taken a crazy turn for the 800 people in this village by the swiftly flowing Severn. From the Archives The village has gone topsy-turvy. Whole houses We are indebted to David Lake for this lurch drunkenly, line props and garden walls extract from a letter from John Wilkinson to have heeled over, apple trees look more like James Watt, dated Castlehead, June 5th 1784, weeping willows.”

4 So begins one of the first reports on the Jackfield from Birmingham to Shrewsbury, a service slip which occurred in 1952 when the clay hill - which, as well as passengers, carried 10,000 tons side on which part of the village stood began to of coal a month. But the deputy stationmaster slip, “cracking walls and toppling the houses had to chop 20 feet from the dangling end of the over to crazy angles”. station’s wooden platform! By 8 April that year, the News Chronicle was Five families had been evacuated to requisi - reporting that the main road through the village tioned homes higher up the valley and two had cracked down the middle and the village hundred more might have to leave at any time. was in danger of being cut in two. On 12 April the Wellington Journal reported A notice warned motorists that they used the that although Salthouse Road in Jackfield was road at their peril. The Post Office stopped all now extremely dangerous to traffic, the “top” mail vans running into the village, and the post - road was still being used, albeit with difficulty. mistress was instructed not to accept parcels. Five houses had already been evacuated and a Deliveries of letters were made by a postman on number of others were badly affected. a bicycle who had to ride along the edge of the Workmen were still busy on the stretch of railway line by the Jackfield Halt, where h u n - cracked and potholed road. dreds of tons of ash were being used as ballast Five bursts in the gas mains had resulted in a for the rails. Pear Tree Cottage, the first house flexible pipe being laid above ground to bring to be evacuated in Salthouse Road, had been the supply to the village, while water was being split in two with one part of it leaning at an brought in through over-ground pipes supported angle of about 70 degrees. by wooden blocks which had to be jacked up each week. Despite advice being sort from some of the country’s experts, no practical way had been Despite dangerous subsidence, railway gangs found to stop the landslip and on 7 February were able to keep open the Severn Valley line 1953 the Birmingham Gazette reported that “all hope had gone for the sliding village”. Anyone interested in joining the Alderman Tom Wedge of Wenlock Town Broseley Local History Society Council said that they would gradually rehouse the people to a new estate being built in is welcome to come along Broseley. He said that it had been very hard on some of those who had already had to move. to a meeting. Some had sunk their savings into their homes, which had been completely lost, and now had Further details may be obtained from to pay 25s 6d or 29s 6d for a council house. “But,” he added, “they are enjoying the modern the Membership Secretary conveniences they didn’t have before. And in Janet Robinson their new estate they know they will never be 26 Coalport Road flooded again.” Broseley Publications TF12 5AZ John Wilkinson, Ironmaster Extraordinary, Tel: 01952 882495 by Ron Davies or from any member of Copies of this book, which was reviewed in the November issue of the Newsletter, are still the Committee available. This very readable, concise account

5 of the life of this genius of our early industry Jubilee Summer Soiree includes 24 pages of specially drawn line Date: Wednesday 5 June, 2002 illustrations. Time: 7.30 pm Copies are available from Venue: Rivendell, 2 Dark Lane, Broseley Cost: £3.00 per person David Lake Stocking Lane Michael and Gillian Pope have kindly offered to Nordley host a Jubilee Summer Soiree and have invited WV16 4SY members of the Society to their home Rivendell, Tel: 01746 762813 2 Dark Lane, Broseley. A light supper will be Cost: £6.95 provided and members will be able to enjoy P&p: £1.50 the garden. This has a number of interesting Cheques should be made payable to Broseley features from an historical point of view, Local History Society. including the old water cistern which was orig - inally built to provide a water supply for Summer Walk Broseley. Cars can be parked in the car park at the top of Dark Lane. Date: 3 July Time: 7.30 pm To facilitate catering arrangements members Place: Meet at Telford Town Centre (Brown are asked to return the form below, with their Elm Car Park, next to Focus DIY store) payment, to Janet Robinson by not later than Walk: Southwards along the Silkin Way to Friday 31 May. Southall and return via Stirchley village (and the Rose and Crown pub!) to the Town Centre by 10.00 pm Distance: About 3 miles

The first walk in this series covered sites associ - I/we will be attending the Summer Soiree ated with John Wilkinson in the north Telford and enclose payment of £3.00 per person. area, including his ironworks at Snedshill, Hollinswood and New Hadley and the Name(s): between Wrockwardine ...... Wood Inclined Plane and Snedshill. John Address: Wilkinson was one of the leading promoters of ...... the Shropshire Canal (authorised in 1788), the treasurer of the Company (1789-1793) and ...... became its biggest shareholder...... On this second walk, we continue the theme of John Wilkinson and the Shropshire Canal and Payment enclosed: £ ...... will examine further remains of the canal between Snedshill and Southall Bank, including Please return to: Janet Robinson Randlay Pool (reservoir), Hinkshay Pool 26 Coalport Road (basin), Southall tunnel and junction and the Broseley TF12 5AZ stone aqueduct on the Coalbrookdale Branch. by not later than 31 May. Cheques should be made payable to Broseley Local History Society.

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