Comments for The Hanleys

Comment on New Hanley History by Stan Whitehead

Stan Whitehead — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:47:09 +0000

Hi Malcolm,
It was nice to see a reference to the Home of the Good Shepherd. I have pleasant memories of my stay there during the war and all the attendant drama. I was resident there from about 1940 to 1944 and was a soloist in St Gabriels choir. The Master and Matron were very kind and looked after us very well….but very strictly.
Seeing your notes has evoked great memories.

Stan Whitehead

Comment on Pond Restoration by Big Dave

Big Dave — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:05:51 +0000

Hi Rob

The Ewe and Lamb was in the Welland Road – I’m not sure when it closed, but it was still open when we moved here just over 30 years ago.

Comment on Pond Restoration by Rob Shaw

Rob Shaw — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:26:37 +0000

Was nice to come across this site and articles about the pond and Hanley Swan. I spent a few happy child hood days here when visiting relatives (Cox family) in cottages in welland Rd. The bakery was still open and i see on google that the whitewash sign on the gable end can still be seen. I always remember a water pump in the back of our relatives cottage–dont know if its still there. could anyone confirm if there was another pub at the end of welland road other than the Swan over the other side

Comment on Comment by Gary Jones

Gary Jones — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:41:56 +0000

Re:” THE HANLEYS ” puplication by Malcolm Fare (2nd. Edition)
The missing name in the cricket team photo on page 147(end of front row) is that for myself
ie. Gary Jones being at that time a guest player for Hanley on more than one occassion. I later strenthened my ties with Hanley by marrying a local girl at St Gabriels Church in 1961

Comment on Pond Restoration by Garry Pattison

Garry Pattison — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:37:32 +0000

I am very pleased with this news and to learn the beautiful pond is now restored to its former glory.
I have a special relationship with the pond,having left the pub late one evening in February 1958 in a very relaxed frame of mind and walking straight into it,having to be rescued by my drinking companions.

Comment on Queries by margaret coop

margaret coop — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:07:16 +0000

I am trying to find references to the Severn family before Enclosure Acts in Worcester

Comment on New Hanley History by Philip Crawford

Philip Crawford — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:53:30 +0000

Many thanks Malcolm: I will contact them. The Home was originally a boys’ only home, but I understand they opened a girls’s home in Malvern with the same name. See
http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/4690441.print/
Regards, Philip.

Comment on New Hanley History by Malcolm Fare

Malcolm Fare — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:35:06 +0000

If anyone has records for the Home of the Good Shepherd, it will be the Children’s Society (www.childrenssociety.org.uk). As far as I know, it was exclusively a boys’ home.

Comment on New Hanley History by Philip Crawford

Philip Crawford — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:31:14 +0000

I would appreciate it if anyone has any ideas where I might locate any records for the Home of the Good Shepherd.

I am researching a lady was born in the home in 1897, and sometime between 1901 and 1911 she was adopted by George and Hannah Williams on a farm in Longdon Heath, Upton.

I would like to locate her adoption records.

The lady died in 1996, and I do know her real mother and father. The record are required as her adopted family may be entitled to a portion of her estate.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Philip Crawford.

Comment on Comment by Barry Turbutt

Barry Turbutt — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:12:21 +0000

An excellent site with lots of information which is always up to date. I don’t know how you find the time to do it all.

Comment on Queries by Val Metcalfe

Val Metcalfe — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:09:37 +0000

Mary Ann (Banks) b near Yarm & Mark Higham b Eydon Northants. She was ladies Maid to Louisa Haigh at Whitwell Hall, he was a Groom at Whitwell for her father. They both moved to Hanley Castle with Louisa on her marriage to Sir Edmund Lechmere in 1858. Mary Ann is said to have had her portrait painted as Madonna with Child for the Lechmere family and by 1861 was head of a school for local (?) girls in Hanley (see the 1861 census). After their marriage at Hanley Church in 1864 they ran The Oak/Royal Oak at Barnards Green, where their 3 children were born. Later the family returned to Darlington.

I have read the history of the Lechmere family on your site and can also confirm that Mary Ann & Mark said the Lechmere`s were very good people and who gave them a dinner service on their marriage, which they treasured rather than used !

If anyone has any historical knowledge of Mary Ann & Mark Higham I`d be very pleased to hear from them.

This is one of the best web sites I`ve ever seen, very readable and comprehensive. Brilliant.

Comment on Queries by Sally 107 Severn End House Bladder, Ann Head Widow

Sally 107 Severn End House Bladder, Ann Head Widow — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:38:48 +0000

I am investigating family history and have found the Williams Family living in Hanley Castle at the time of the 1891 census but then disappearing by the 1901 census. John Joseph Williams and his family(Catherine – wife, and children Mabel, Margaret, Grace, Dora, Clement and Stanley) lived at Church End and the 2 adults were school teachers. My mother was unaware of some of the children so her interest in them makes me ask if anyone may have any more information? Perhaps the school in this area? we know that the older members of the family ended up in Liverpool.

kind regards

Sally Hardman

Comment on New Hanley History by Malcolm Fare

Malcolm Fare — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:11:17 +0000

Hello Betty
I have talked to a couple of people who remember the war years in Hanley Swan when your husband Ronald was at the Home of the Good Shepherd: Norman Brown, son of the owner of the village stores, and Ted Brooks, who lived at 1 Glanford, where his sister still lives. Ted remembers two boys from the Home particularly: Brian Kelly and Steve Ashby. Steve was later adopted by someone in Gilberts End and went on to become a mechanic in Malvern, but died of a heart attack in the 1970s. No one knows what happened to Brian.

Other memories include Tummy’s sweet shop in a shed opposite the village stores, Alfie Wilks and his War Ag vehicles, playing 30-aside football on the village green and scrounging gum and chocolate from the Americans at Merebrook and Blackmore camps. Ted recalls a local lad called ‘Taffy’ Jones from Gilberts End who was in the Home Guard. One night on sentry duty outside the village stores he saw a white shape coming up the bank of the pond and believed he had seen a ghost, only to find out it was a swan flapping its wings.

I would be interested to learn what happened to Ronald after he left in 1943. Does he know the names of any of the other boys at the Home and what happened to them? Do you have any photographs of people in the village?

Regards
Malcolm Fare

Comment on New Hanley History by Betty Jones

Betty Jones — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:34:12 +0000

I am looking for any information about The Home of the Good Shepherd in Hanley Swan. My Husband, Ronald William Jones was in the Home from approx. 1938-1943. He was 11 when he left Hanley Swan & has very fond memories of the Village. If anyone has any memories of that time, especially during the war years. I would be very grateful. Also any information about St.Gabriels during that time. My Husband was a choirboy & has lovely memories of Miss Pitt. the Choirmistress, also Reverend Jones. Can anyone help? Thank You.

Comment on Comment by Philip Scriven

Philip Scriven — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:16:54 +0000

My grandfather Herbert Scriven was born in a cottage near the pub at Hanley Castle in 1892.His father William Scriven was born there circa.1870 and William’s father also William was born there in the 1840s. I would be interested to know if there are any family members still in the area or if any one locally can assist please Thankyou

Comment on Queries by Admin

Admin — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:29:01 +0000

If you can help Chris, please leave a comment and I will forward your email address to him

Comment on Queries by Chris Scott

Chris Scott — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 11:20:51 +0000

Hi,
I am querying if it is possible to find any information on Francis W Jenkins, known as Frank, who lived in Hanley Castle and was married to Alice Birt. Frank was born in 1895 and on the 1911 census he lived at Gilberts End. Alice Birt lived at 39 Quay Lane n 1911.
I understand that he probably worked on an estate as he had a cottage by Cliffey Wood.
My connection is my wife’s father, George Spencer, was Alice Birt’s cousin.

If there is any information about them that you could let me have I would be very grateful.

May I take this oppurtunity to say what a great site this is, I came across this quite by chance and have got a lot of info from it, especially with regards to the Brush family another side which we have.

Many thanks,

Best regards

Chris Scott

Comment on Comment by John M Saunders

John M Saunders — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:01:38 +0000

An excellent website, really pleased to see the Census information for the villages. My wife Jenny is the grt grt grandaughter of George Dovey b 1819 and married to Eliza Devereux, he later married Jane Colley in 1853, Their son Joseph b 1863 was Jenny’s grt grandfather, Joseph was married to Rosanna from Coaley, they left the Hanley area between 1891 and 1901 and moved to Cheshire.

We would like correspond with any of the Dovey family still around Hanley or anyone who has an interest in family history of the Hanleys.

We visited the village a few years ago and met a lady who was a Dovey in the Bakery.

Congratulation again on the quality of the site

John and Jenny Saunders