NNWFHS JOURNAL October 2009 Haunchwood Colliery c. 1880 The pit was located just off Whittleford Road and was in use between 1732 and 1925. It was part of the Haunchwood House estate. In this view it had just been taken over by Sir Alfred Hickman, the South Staffordshire coal owner after the failure of the previous owner. Did your ancestor work here? For more on the Warwickshire Coalfield see page 14. NUNEATON AND NORTH WARWICKSHIRE FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY JOURNAL www.nnwfhs.org.uk October 2009 Price £2 (first copy free to members) i NNWFHS JOURNAL October 2009 Contents The opinions expressed in articles in the Journal are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the Important stuff to read & note Page 2 views of the editor or of NNWFHS. Editorial Page 3 Chairman‘s report Page 4 Copyright notice. The Good Old Days Page 5 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, When is free not free at all? Page 6 recorded or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Nuneaton & North Warwickshire Family History Society. Family Weddings Page 8 Personal data. Notices and Hints Page 10 The Society holds personal data on our members – identity and contact details provided on Thomas Shilton, Baker Page 11 application and renewal forms. Under the Data Protection Act 1998 we can hold sufficient data to run the Society, but no more. The data must also be accurate, kept up to date and not held for longer than necessary. Some notes on coal mining in Warwickshire Page 14 To comply with the Act we will hold documents supporting current membership. This will Gunner Albert Harris Page 16 usually be the last completed application or renewal form. Earlier documentation will be destroyed. In the event of a member not renewing by the due date, previous documents will Coventry & Warwick Assizes Page 18 be held for a further four months in case of late renewal. My ‗Great‘ Great Grandma Page 19 For ease of administration, an up to date copy of your personal data will be held on an electronic database with your consent. It will be assumed that you agree to this unless you Christmas get-together Page 20 tell us otherwise. If you do not agree to us holding such data electronically please contact the Membership Secretary. Data held electronically will be subject to the same retention policy as clerical data. Publications Page 21 New Members & their interests Page 22 ii N Warks Family & Local History Day Page 23 NNWFHS JOURNAL October 2009 Committee members and their contact details Chairman: Peter Lee, PO Box 2282, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6ZT Telephone: 0121 7638 1090 email: Nuneatonian [email protected] Secretary: Jacqui Simkins, Langley Mill Farm, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B75 7HR Telephone: 0121 311 0455 email: [email protected] Treasurer & Membership: Kate Keens, 44 Turnberry Drive, Thornhill, Nuneaton, Warks, CV11 6TT Telephone: 024 7637 6442 (between 6 and 8pm only please) email: [email protected] Publications editor & Vice Chairman: Pat Boucher, 33 Buttermere Avenue, Nuneaton, CV11 6ET Telephone: 024 7638 3488 email: [email protected] Journal Editor: John Parton 6 Windmill Road, Atherstone, Warks, CV9 1HP Telephone: 01827 713938 email: [email protected] Publications Manager: Robert Butler, 16 Dovecote Close, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 2EP Telephone: 0121 743 8526 email: [email protected] Website Co-ordinator: Pat Boucher Committee & IT consultant: Craig Langman North Warwickshire Co-ordinator: Celia Parton, 6 Windmill Road, Atherstone, Warks, CV9 1HP Telephone: 01827 713938 email: [email protected] Trips: Dean Elliott, 8 Shelley Close, Bedworth, CV12 9HE Email: [email protected] Help Desks & Journal Distribution: Val Pickard, 108 Lister Road, Atherstone, Warks, CV9 3DF Telephone: 01827 711 863 email: vpickard1@talktalk,net Microfiche Lending Librarian: Carol Hughes, Millstone, Mill Lane, Wolvey, Nr Hinckley, Leics. LE10 3HR Telephone: 01455 220 408 email: [email protected] Committee and Editor emeritus: Raymond Clay, 6 Cheveral Place, Nuneaton, Warks, CV11 5SF Telephone: 024 7634 9721 email: [email protected] Committee: Alan F Cook Telephone: 07813615522 (mobile) email: [email protected] 1 NNWFHS JOURNAL October 2009 Important stuff – please read and note This is a formal notice to all members of NNWFHS that the 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Society will take place on Tuesday 10th November at 7.30pm at the Library, Nuneaton. A copy of the full agenda will be displayed at the preceding research evening and be available at the AGM. All paid up members are entitled to vote at the AGM and are cordially invited to attend. AGENDA 1 Apologies for absence 2 To receive the minutes of the 2008 AGM 3 To receive and adopt the Chairman‘s report 4 To receive and adopt the Treasurer‘s report and inspected accounts 5 To receive and adopt the Membership Officer‘s report 6 That the constitution of the Society be amended as follows (subject to final agreement on wording being reached at the October meeting of the Society's Committee - please see website after mid-October for final and full agenda): a. Clause 3 - Affiliations: "The society may, from time to time, affiliate with local or national organisations whose objectives are deemed by the committee to be compatible and mutually supportive." [Note: the committee has agreed, in light of recent developments, to recommend withdrawal from FFHS.] b. Clause 4 - Membership: add "f) The committee shall have the right to refuse or remove membership at any time. Any person/organisation so affected shall have the right to appeal to one meeting of the committee, or body appointed by the committee for such purpose." c. Clause 5 - Management: addition to existing clause ―A committee shall consist of…Nominations must be accompanied by name of both proposer and seconder who shall also have been members for at least one full subscription year. The Society reserves the right to instigate formal checks on any individual wishing to join the committee. If there are more…‖ [Additional item is in italics.]" d. Clause 5 - Management: That the Society's secretary shall be termed "Secretary" and not "Minutes Secretary" as at present. e. Clause 6 – Constitution: The constitution may only be changed at an AGM or an EGM of the society of which 14 days notice to all members has been given by means deemed relevant at the time - the journal, the website or other suitable means. The notice is to include a resolution setting out the terms of the proposed alterations. The resolutions must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present. 7 To elect the officers and committee of the Society for the period 2009-2010 8 To receive any other business relevant to the AGM 9 Announcements Following on from that ... Have you enjoyed your time with the Society? Would you like to put your experience to good use? Can you help us to do better? New committee members needed! If you are interested in devoting a little time and effort to help the Society and your fellow genealogists and would like to give it a bash have a word with any committee member. 2 NNWFHS JOURNAL October 2009 Editorial ours! Easy! (Not). My brother thought this was a tall order. ―Easier to rob a bank‖ he As you will have gathered from the last said. My brother-in-law (a solicitor) opined that Journal, Ray, our editor, has been in hospital. wresting anything out of the Treasury Solicitor He is now out of hospital and feeling much would be an uphill struggle. better. However he feels that in the It took a year of research to prove a common circumstances he is unable to continue as ancestor. At that point the Treasury Solicitor Journal editor. Last June, Jacqui Simkins handed over all the documents and left me to stepped in at short notice to complete the July administer the intestate estate. The next step Journal, but is much too busy with other was constructing an accurate family tree of commitments to continue. So now you are those entitled to a share of the estate under stuck with me. the rules of intestacy. This was relatively easy I started family history in pursuit of money. On on our (Harry‘s mother‘s) side of the family, but our way back from holiday Celia and I called in on his father‘s side no one had come forward. on my mother. She met us on the doorstep ―They won‘t‖ said my mother darkly ―because waving the local paper. ―I‘m entitled to some they know!‖ ―Know what?‖ I enquired. ―Harry of this‖ she said pointing out an advertisement was not his father.‖ It was apparently common by the Treasury Solicitor asking for relatives of knowledge in the family (but not to me) that the Harry Price, who had died intestate, to come lodger was involved, and was last seen forward. ―Who is Harry Price?‖ we asked, legging it over the back fence! having never heard of the man. ―He‘s some Finally, after two years (and a few legal bills) I sort of cousin of your Dad‘s. He worked for us was able to distribute the money. One family once. He wasn‘t much good. He owes me.‖ member (whose branch of the family had not I telephoned the Treasury Solicitor the bred so prolifically as the rest of us) got a half following day and was informed that my share. Others got varying amounts ranging mother had no claim as she was not a blood down to as little as £32.