Wonder what became of the clock? Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Handwriting whizz in the house at all? Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
As I alluded yesterday when I featured the image of the Chasewater pump house, reader and friend of the blog Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe has been slaving over a warm scanner yet again to share with us some wonderful postcards from her late father’s personal collection, and all of these have a Chasetown theme.
They are all, as ever, beautifully prepared.
Ruth has previously sent scans of some remarkable postcards of Brownhills, a stunning large set of Aldridge, and another bunch from Aldridge and Stubbers Green. All lovingly scanned and explained. Contributions like this make compiling this blog such a fun thing to do, and I can’t thank Ruth enough.
Ruth had this to say:
Hello,
It’s been a while but I have returned to the scanner and I thought you might like to see these Chasetown postcards – all from Dad’s collection.
The High Street, Chasetown photo busy with children is addressed to Mr(s?) J Harrison, Aldridge Lodge, Walsall, and I think the postmark reads Burntwood De 20, 05.
Church Street Chasetown is addressed to Miss Doris Fox, 41 (maybe 4d?) High Street Cleethorpes and the postmark is Chasetown Au6, 13. And I just love the message:
Dear Doris, We are glad you got in safe and that you like the place. You must not stop out late and catch cold, you must take plenty of emulsion, and let us know everyday how you are going on, you must get that fresh air your self not send it on a P.C. We had to pay Penny for 1st P.O. Keep plenty of clothing on.
I can’t read the signature – over anxious parent perhaps!?
The other two images are not posted but the High Street, Chasetown scene with the gentlemen in flat caps I would guess is later than the same scene with lots of children as there are telegraph poles and cars in the distance. This one has “W. Nicholls, Newsagents & Stationer, Chasetown” printed on the back.
I don’t remember Chasetown much but I hope these spark some memories or are of interest.
Best wishes
Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe
As I said before – Ruth, I can’t thank you enough. The card of the pump house alone has been possibly the best such contribution for years, and these are all lovely cards. Cheers for your efforts and time.
No doubt these will be popping up on the Burntwood FB group uncredited. Manners, people, manners…
You guys know the drill – please comment here or BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers!
A lovely card. Thin Pedro might like this one. Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Emulsion? Yuk! Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
This view hasn’t actually changed much… Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
A real photograph indeed! Anyone know about the company involved? Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Straightened, so the water isn’t lost. Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
RSS - Posts
Addressee Mr J Harrison is easily found in the 1911 census: John Harrison, 60, caretaker, born Sharnford, Leics. He lived at Aldridge Lodge with his wife of 10 years, Sarah, 50 and their only child Leonard John Harrison, 8. He was not related to the colliery grandees.
In 1881 he was at Fairview, Hammerwich (next was “The Hall”) where he was a gardener, with his first wife, Mary. In 1891 John and Mary were at Hammerwich Road (next Meer Ash Farm), John still a gardener.
By 1901 John had remarried and moved to Bosty Lane, Aldridge, where he was also a gardener. This could have been Aldridge Lodge, which was an outpost of the Great Barr Estate and is now at the eastern end of the Aldridge Airport Open Space.
I think I remember emulsion in my childhood. It came in a bottle containing some kind of oil and something like kaolin – a chalky powder. Left to stand the two components separated and it looked very unappealing. If you shook the bottle you got a homogeneous fluid that looked a bit like milk. This was taken for tummy upsets. To be honest it seemed more likely to cause such problems, yummy it was not!
Hi Bob
These are super postcards indeed. The Junction image…New Hudson and BSA..I wonder if they were velocycles or real cycles. Somewhere I have seen this same view, showing bunting and a street parade of some sort..possibly a chapel event.Did Chasetown have Wakes as Brownhills and Walsall Wood did. I wonder if any images exist of these events
A huge thanks to Ruth and yes, and tummy upset soon evaporated at the threat of emulsion.
Kind regards
David
The only local Doris Fox I can find was Doris Annie Fox, born 1896, Norton Canes, where she lived at Burntwood Road in 1901. In 1911 she was at Beech Tree Road, Cannock, aged 14, with father John, a colliery manager, and mother Ann Maria.
Maybe she went to Cleethorpes, at the time a popular holiday destination for northern folk, to find employment, perhaps in service, or at a hotel. Or perhaps to recover from some illness.
As for the signature, I wonder if it is something added by a child. It seems to begin with “c l” and the last latters could be “May”. Perhaps Clari (short for Clarice or Clarissa?) May. In the 1911 census this is not an uncommon combination of names, but none is clearly related to Chasetown or nearby.
Scott’s Emulsion, Imitated but never equaled…
Building up the bones, and bringing sturdiness and health.
….when it is added that the materials selected are the finest procurable, it is easy to understand that Scott’s Emulsion cures lung trouble.
….enriches the blood, provides the right food for muscles, bones and brain, and in this way brings the plumpness, vigour, vitality of robust health.
….you may safely give Scott’s to a two week old baby or the strongest adult, with an equal certainty of excellent results.
…coughs, colds, bronchitis, whooping cough, croop and all throat and lung troubles.
…it is no exaggeration to say that Scott’s Emulsion has saved the lives of countless children.
Oh, and Bob, don’t forget to look for the fisherman on the packet!
Here he is on the towpath!
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=scotts+emulsion&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=C6w7VPGCG4WY7gbihoGoDg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=768&bih=928#facrc=_&imgrc=BIFSeZVfTq2MCM%253A%3BJIAKjrqi50Vy6M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sheaff-ephemera.com%252F_Media%252Fscotts_british150.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sheaff-ephemera.com%252Flist%252Fpeoplefish_album%252Fscotts-emulsion-3.html%3B485%3B750
With regard to what happened to the clock, in my lifetime I can remember about 3 of them, as you see from the photo they were originaly in the middle of the road where the ‘painted island ‘ is now, but as traffic increased in both volume and size, they kept on being knocked down. As a remedy for this a new one was installed on the footpath by where the Walsall bus stops now, but this also kept being hit, also it could never keep time and was also removed. I do remember a story once, don’t know if it was true or not, but one Sunday morning all of the locals sitting on the bench outside the park at 12pm waiting for the Junction to open noticed a Hedgehog sitting on top of the clock, they were all amazed as to how it got there,!!!!!! apparently as the tale goes , someone had climbed up there the night before and put it there, to prompt the discussion for the following day.
There were times when the Junction went through landlords like a dose of Scott’s Emulsion.
1889 The Junction Inn…British and foreign wines imported…Finest cigar, good stabling…dinners supplied on the shortest notice…good sized room to let for meeting purposes…John Horton proprietor
1893 Licensee Abnar Yarnall
1895 temporary authority was granted to Mary Evans from Abnar Yarnall
1913 licensee was Benjamin Burton
1928 application for renewal and for full transfer to James Wilkinson
1932 licence transfered from William Thomas Perrins to Thomas Doody..
… licence transfered from Thomas Edward Doody to Charles William Faulkner.
1933 licence transfer from Charles William Faulkner to Harry Anslow
1938 licence transfer from Harry Anslow to Arthur Taylor
Where was Aldridge Lodge. Would it be situated where we now find Aldridge Lodge Farm, off Bosty Lane?
Ruth suggests the postmark reads Burntwood De 20, 05.
If it is 1905 it could be at the time Aldridge Lodge starts to go downhill.
Aldridge Lodge is just before you get to the farm on the track from Bosty Lane.
Wilfred Nicholls was trading as a newsagent from 4 High Street, Chasetown during the years 1924-1932 (dates from Kelly’s Directories).
Garland Lawson, High Street, Chasetown ran a newsagent during the 1910’s (1916-1921 Kelly’s Directories). Garland Lawson born Cannock (1886-1964) married during 1908 to Dora Alice Hobson born Dudley (1883-1964). Garland and Dora had two children: Marjorie born 1910 and Dorothy born 1912, both were born in Chasetown
Ernest George Lawton, (1872-1934) 59a High Street, Chasetown, Ernest was born in Darlaston and married during 1909 to Blanche Ethel Goode Jackson (1874-), Blanche was born in Catshill Mountain USA. George ran this business as a general letterpress printing shop during the 1910’s and 1930’s. Taken over by his wife during the 1940’s. These premises could be accessed from New Street where there was also an old blacksmiths workshop at the rear of the premises. Ernest and Blanche had no children. I found Ernest on the back of an old post card as the printer, but don’t remember where from
Caddick’s American Studios, Chasetown, opposite the Uxbridge Arms, opened for short seasons in Chasetown during the late 1890’s and early 1900’s, for photographs of family and outdoor premises. A travelling photographer setting up in Brownhills and Chasetown, during 1899 and 1902 (I found two old adverts)
Looking at the maps from 1885 to 1938 Aldridge Lodge can be seen behind the wooded area that now hides Aldridge Lodge Farm.
Here seen from Hayhead Wood…
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/30327720
If you take a trip up the track leading from Bosty Lane on Google Street view, the 1885 pattern of old oaks can still be seen.
In 1834 Whites Directory it is described as the seat of the Rev Thomas Burrowes Adams, being one mile to the south of the village on elevated ground with 200 acres and panoramic view.
In 1890 it was the residence of Frederic Fuhrmann Clarke Esq (Solicitor and Registrar of the County 1825- 1901)
In 1911 Aldridge Lodge was occupied by John Harrison, born about 1851 and was a caretaker and married to Sarah Harrison and a son Leonard.
The High Street in Cleethorpes is a short street so what is the number on the postcard.
It must have changed a huge amount since Doris was there!
Pingback: Hunting Lodge | BrownhillsBob's Brownhills Blog
Pingback: It’s not Christmas without the cards | BrownhillsBob's Brownhills Blog
Bob, I’m on the “Memories of Burntwood and Chasetown” group on Facebook. The clock you mention got crushed by a truck – will email you the oix