This Goblins Pit thing seems to be unstoppable. The irrepressible Kate from Lichfield Lore has been on the case this afternoon. First of all, she points out that Goblins Wood is marked on the Yates Map of 1798. Thus I think the Gobbins Pit thing can be nailed as a transcription error. I never thought to look at Yates, Kate proving to me the value of checking your own resources before looking for new ones. Consider me suitably cardiganned…
Clearly significant before Bullings Heath or Walsall Wood. Download the whole of this remarkable map from my 'Unfolding the map' post.
Kate also found a reference to Goblins Pit Historic Environment Record at the Heritage Gateway, which seems to be largely derived from the sources already cited here, including the above Yates map and Brian Rollins work.
Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler – stirling Panoramian (whose comments I occasionally get round to answering there – sorry Peter!) has also pointed out in the comments to ‘Goblin it up…’ that a railway nearly came through Goblins Pit, or at least, within the vicinity.
Found in a number of Newspapers a Planning Application by South Staffs Railway to create an extensive Railway network with Branch Lines. The route mentions hundreds of places, but locally of interest, from the Newbury Herald Sat Nov 15th 1845…
…Birchills, Ryecroft, Cart-bridge, Coalpool, Shaver’s End, Moss Pit Green, Sheffield, Sheffield Common, otherwise Birches Green, Four Crosses, Cole Heath, High Heath, Goblin’s Pit, Goblin’s Pit Wood, Walsall Wood, Sheffield and Walsall Wood…
I assume that the line did not come to fruition?
All the best Peter
Followed soon after by:
Since found that the Bill did not come through Parliament. It may have been in opposition to GWR.
History may have been different if it had gone ahead!
Regards Peter
More bizarrely is the following, again from Kate. Now, at the outset, neither of us have a clue what’s going on here and contributions, opinions and abuse are welcome. This is well odd. It comes from an 1888 Mormon publication (anyones ears twitching at the Derry link yet?) called ‘Vision: A Magazine for Youth’ published by Herald Publishing House in the US. To refresh the memory, The Derry Journal can be found on Sue Lote’s site (you’ll need to scroll right down).
Hi Bob
I’m not really sure what’s going on here. It’s a story called ‘The Poor Widow’s Offering’ and it appeared in an 1888 church mag produced by the Latter Day Saints.
I haven’t read it through but it seems to be set in an old thatched cottage at Goblin’s Pit, Walsall Wood. It also references Green Lane and tells of childish legends of goblins roaming at night!
What’s interesting with things like is did legends give rise to the name, or did the name give rise to legends?
Hopefully this link will take you there but if not give me a shout! http://www.archive.org/stream/visionamagazine01saingoog#page/n440/mode/1up
Cheers, Kate
The ebook interface is horrid, so I’ve screen grabbed the relevant pages. Click on them for readable versions. This really is worth persevering with, and rather weird. What do you folks think?
Page 1 - click for a legible version.
Page 2 - click for a legible version.
Page 3 - click for a legible version.
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Cast thy question upon the Blog, for thou shall find it after a few days…Ecc 11:1
Pedro
Hi Bob
speechless! This is an amazing revelation !…..I am delighted!
Millions of thanks to all concerned.
David
Great piece of work, thanks to all involved. GREAT.
Fascinating story! Obviously, it is written through the eyes of a keen religious man for a keen religious audience (this becomes even more apparent in later instalments), but it is nonetheless a vivid peek into a bygone, rather harsh, Dickensian world, except the characters’ names are not quite so illuminating!
I’ve found episodes 2, 3 and 4 later on in the volume, which appears to be a collection of Mormon church magazines for 1888, and will forward (all I could do was download as picture files; would not let me save as pdf). It seems the next section is in the 1889 “annual”, but I couldn’t find a free version. I’ve also found some of the family in the 1841 Census, but not yet Charles Derry himself.
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More info on Goblin’s Pit, and an interesting connection.
The Yates Map shows Goblin’s Pit, and the Heritage Gateway says it was a Marl Pit, probably taken to be so from the work of Rollins.
The info below comes from extra sources that have been placed on the National Archives Newspaper site and dated 27 March 1830….
To be sold by auction…
Lot 1…220 Oak trees, and 9 Ciphers, growing in a small coppice at Goblin’s Pit, near Walsall.
Lot 2…220 Oaks and 10 Ciphers growing in Large Goblin’s Pit Coppice, near Walsall.
Lot 3…239 Oaks and 6 Ciphers growing in the said last mentioned coppice.
The above timber is very sound, and of large dimensions, and is within 300 yards of the Wyrley and Essington Canal. It may be viewed on application to Mr J Strongitharm, of Shaver’s End Walsall
The interesting thing about the above information, beside the idea that it would be called both Pit and Wood over the years, is the name Strongitharm. I believe that the man mentioned here is related to the George Strongitharm who was in partnership with William Harrison at Butts Limeworks in 1826.
Was there a bit of lime here? The suggestion of Marl comes from Rollins, as an alternative to coal.
George Strongitharm had a brother named John, born 1802, but I’ve nothing to connect him to Shaver’s End.
There is a record of the poll for the Election of 1841 at the Polling Station for Walsall Foreign. The names are listed in alphabetic order, and I take it that they would be those who owned property and were allowed to vote.
John Strongitharm appears alongside George, John at a house in Wolverhampton Lane, and George at Warehouse and Lime Works in Wolverhampton Lane.
They both voted for Gladstone. William Harrison of Stafford Street also appears on the list but did not vote.
By the way it seems that John could have got about a bit?…
…Description /10 Filiation order requiring John Strongitharm of Walsall to pay maintenance for the bastard child of Emma Whitehouse residing at Cannock; with notices of appeal against same; endorsed ‘Quashed’ Jan 1846
(where is Wolverhampton Lane?)
HI Pedro
perhaps the lane from Brownhills through Pelsall to Wolverhampton?
I can’t see that spreading marl on to a marl soil will improve or sweeten it..but lime does !
I wonder when the farm near to Goblin Pit in Green Lane began..might have been the start of turning heathland into arable land,or into land suitable for rearing cattle ( Bulling?)
David
HI Pedro
1841 census;Staffs/Walsall/borough/district 16 shows..just about…
John Strongitharm ( also misread by ancestry transcriber as Jno Shairitham…faded writing and Victorian script!!)..living in Blue Lane, Birchills , aged 35…lime miner
One of only four people in UK with that name. Blue Lane Walsall is quite close to Wolverhampton (Road)Lane and has the town’s fire station there. I hope this helps.
cheers
David
I am researching my Kimberley family tree. William Kimberley and his wife Mary (Stokes) were Hucksters on the 1841 and 1851 census as Walsall Wood Common – Jigs Nook – near Goblins Pit/Wood. The Thomas Kimberley who was the first child recieved into the new St John church in 1836 was a grandson of William and Mary. His father was Thomas Kimberley baptised 9 June 1816 St Mathew -who became a toll house keeper. His uncle was John Kimberley baptised 22 May 1817 St Matthew. John Kimberley became a canalboat man transporting coal and limestone from Walsall Wood to Wolverhampton until he jumped ship and ended up a brewer in Sedgley.
I have a Thomas Kimberley on the 1801 Mollesley Dole receiving 4 pennies. I am hoping he is related to my William but cannot find paperwork to support this.
In April Chaz Mason (Clayhangar Marsh Log) kindly walked me around the fields and we think we found the field where the hucksters cottage would have sbeen. If anyone out there is looking at Kimberley research or STOKES research – I am interested.
HI Yvonne
Jigs Nook or Pigs Nook?..I came across this and it is difficult to decipher the flamboyant mid Victorian handwriting…..look in local quiz one or two for some information.Do you have an exact location, please, I would be very interested
regards
David
Hi David
If you look at the O of Goblins Pit on the circle on the Yates map that is where the archivist at Walsall family history office marked my a-z in 2005 as being Jigs Nook. She used the street index from the 1841 census & 1846 tythe
Hi Bob
An interesting link which we may have missed..your blog article..a filthy business, july2011′ shows grange farm plan and particulars…field 64 details and description show another name for that piece of land…and the lost cottages were owned by mr Cooper at that time…
Regards
David