Postcard view of the Grove Colliery, from whence Grove Cottages were probably names. Image from the book ‘Brownhills and Walsall Wood on old picture postcards’ by Jan Farrow.
While I’m busy today, here’s an interesting family history enquiry from Jo Clifford, who’s tracing her family which seems focussed on the Pelsall area – and I know we have lots of the Pelsall Contingent in.
Jo wrote:
Dear Bob,
I’ve been researching my family history (which is centred, for generations, around Pelsall, Bloxwich and Shelfield) and, during the course of my investigations, I came across your blog. I am not sure if it actually covers the areas I’ve mentioned exactly but I found the parts about the history of the area completely fascinating all the same.
I know it is a long shot but I wondered if you, or any of your contributors, know anything about the Watson family that were registered as living in Watson’s Lane in Pelsall in the 1901 census, at Wolverhampton Road in 1911 and at The Grove Cottages, Norton Road, Pelsall in 19030 [sic – think that’s 1930 – Bob] probate documents. The head of the family was an Enoch Watson who was a coal miner. His wife was Clara Jane.
They had many children but my direct ancestors were Harry Watson and his wife Edith (nee Nicholls) who lived at Irene Villa, Green Lane, Shelfield in 1911. Harry was a solicitors clerk at Enoch Evans & Son in Walsall (I think his boss Enoch Evans was once Mayor of Walsall and Harry was a pallbearer at Enoch’s funeral). Edith is sometimes listed as a school teacher and their children, Harry Charles, Madeline, Donald Eric (I believe Donald may have once been struck by lightning and suffered an injury that led to him dying of diabetes in 1929 but I am not sure if this is true), Joan Edith and Jean Yvonne.
Harry was my great grandfather but I know almost nothing about him.
Apologies if your expertise doesn’t cover this area but I live in Suffolk and don’t know your part of the UK at all (yet).
Many thanks, in advance, for any info you may have or any direction you could point me in.
All the best,
Jo Clifford
If you can help, please do – and thanks to Jo for a fab enquiry. Please comment here, seek me out on social media or even email on BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers all!