On 4th December 2019 the Court Rolls group met again to continue with the work commenced a number of years ago. A book was printed in 2017, entitled "Court Rolls of Romsley 1279-1643", on our findings and a review appeared in The Local Historian (Volume 49 No. 2.). I add a short quote from that review:

"The abundance and wealth of detail contained in the Halesowen and Romsley records have already attracted the international attention of historians such as Zvi Razi, R.H. Hilton and R.K. Field and also the American sociologist G.C. Homans, which have made Halesowen and its hinterland 'one of the most famous of all medieval villages', rivalling Ladurie's Montaillou and Beresford's Wharram Percy. This splendid new edition is bound to extend that interest further locally, regionally, nationally and internationally."

Wonderful to think we live in a village with such excellent records of medieval times, when the most important things for your family were how to grow or raise food and keep your home warm on the long cold winter nights. The fields of that time in many cases are still around our village.

Such a wonderful review spurs our group, led by Julian Hunt and Michael Hall, to carry on to find out what more information we can discover. It was thought that we had covered most of the records involving Romsley, but when Julian started to look at the Halesowen documents they included not only Hunnington but more Romsley items.

Many thanks to Robert Deeley's legacy that the History Society received, we are able to continue with our research.

Anyone who wishes to join us is very welcome, you do not have to be a member of the History Society.

Jean Cockin