Romsley & Hunnington History Society -

Meeting Report - April 2019

There were 36 members present at the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday 23rd April. Mary Bodfish gave a talk on The Early Years of the Soho Foundry.

Last year we visited Soho House, the home of Matthew Boulton. Mary's talk was interesting as she told us the history of his factory and its production of steam engines and the partnership of the three great engineers, Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdock.

In 1795 Matthew Boulton chose the site of the factory, on his land, near the mill at Hockley Brook, Handsworth. At first he made small metal goods and silverware but when he met James Watt and later William Murdock, the factory expanded making steam engines to pump water out of mines. The sons of Boulton and Watt worked at the foundry too, and it became world renowned, using the canals around Birmingham to transport the goods.

The employees were well cared for. Apprentices from Charity Schools were trained at the works and the workers were provided with homes, gardens and pig sties! The Foundry was eventually bought in 1895 by the Avery Company, and parts of the factory can still be seen today. Mary illustrated her talk with many fascinating photographs.

The History Society's Annual Outing on 11th September will be a guided tour of Historic Bromsgrove. There will be meetings of the Court Rolls Group on Wednesday 18th September and Wednesday 9th October. The Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 28th May followed by Slides of Stourbridge, a talk by Julian Hunt. The meeting on the 25th June will be Remembering the Swinging 60's by Ray Sturdy. Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - March 2019

There were 48 members present at the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society held on Tuesday 26th March. The speaker for the evening was Richard Simpson who gave a talk on, The Life and Works of Edward Burne-Jones.

Edward was born in Birmingham in 1833. His father was a mirror maker but sadly his mother died a few days after his birth. He went to King Edward's School, Birmingham. He loved reading and art but generally hated the rest of his school life. He went to Exeter College Oxford where he met William Morris and became involved with the Arts and Crafts movement known as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, another member, had a great influence on Burne-Jones, who became an artist whose romantic pictures were full of imaginative detail.

He married Georgiana MacDonald in 1860 but he also had a mistress, his model, Marcia Zambaco. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1855. He designed tapestry and became well known as a designer of stained glass windows, many of which can be seen in St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham. There is also a window in St. Kenelm's Church, said to be of the style of Burne–Jones.

He was one of the most well-known artists of the 19th century and many of his works are proudly displayed in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. He was made a Baronet in 1894, due to the influence of William Gladstone. He died in 1898. Richard Simpson illustrated his interesting talk with slides.

The Society's Annual Dinner will be held at Blakedown Golf Club on Friday June 7th. The next meeting of the History Society will be on Tuesday 23rd April at 7.30pm, in the Church Hall, when Mary Bodfish will give a talk on, "The Early Years of Soho." Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - February 2019

There were over 60 members present at the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday 26th February. The speaker was a swashbuckling Cavalier (alias Max Keen), who gave a talk on, "Prince Rupert of the Rhine, King Charles First's Pirate Prince." Max admitted that Prince Rupert was his favourite hero of all time and he gave a very enthusiastic talk, complete with dog, on a person, few of those present knew anything about.

Prince Rupert, nephew of King Charles the First, was born in Prague in 1619. His ambition was to be a soldier and from a young age he fought in Europe after spending his boyhood in Holland. He was a very self-willed, determined youth and when he came to England, proved himself to be a loyal Royalist and fought for his uncle, King Charles First, in the Civil War. However, although he was war wise his military tactics were questionable and he had mixed success in his battles.

One of his chief victories was in Worcestershire at Powick Bridge, where he defeated the Parliamentary Army. He knew the area well, visiting Stourbridge and Lye. He even took part in the burning to the ground of Birmingham, which was just beginning to evolve as an industrial centre.

He made a clever, dashing figure, and although he had mistresses, he never married but did have illegitimate children. He also had a deep affection for his large white poodle, Boy, who used to join him on the battle fields and eventually got shot.

In later years he became the Lord High Admiral to the King, sailing to Ireland, the West Indies and South Africa where he earned the nick name, King Charles's Pirate Prince. He became Governor of the Hudson Bay Company and had Rupert's Land named after him.

He also had many interests in Science and Art, and was said to have a charismatic personality. He died from pleurisy in 1682 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His life was amazing and high powered. It was not difficult to see why this fascinating Stuart was Max's favourite hero and as ever, Max's performance and slides enthralled us throughout the evening.

The Annual Dinner will be held on June 7th and the next meeting of the Society will be on Tuesday 26th March at 7.30pm in the Church Hall, when Richard Simpson will give a talk on Edward Burne-Jones - His Life and Works. The meeting on Tuesday, 23rd of April is a talk by Mary Bodfish, Early Years in Soho. Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - November 2018

There were 43 members and visitors at the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday, 27th November. The Speaker was Paul Harding with Helen Lees and the title of his talk was,"Everyday Life in Victorian England." Paul, with his usual humour and wit, admitted that Victorian times were his least favourite era and it soon became clear why this was so.

There were great divisions between the rich and the poor. Many people had moved from the country to the towns and cities to work in the new factories, hoping for a better life. This overcrowding had produced a housing crisis. Many small houses were built in terraces with a yard at the back, with a wash house and two outside toilets which served up to 44 households. Conditions were dreadful!

However, the proud Victorians strove to keep their houses clean, even scrubbing their front steps. On Monday was the ritual of Washday. The fire under the copper had to be lit early to provide the hot water to wash the clothes, which were hung out to dry in the yard, in the shadow of the factory chimneys, just the place for clean washing!

They cooked on a range, but in poor families there was very little to cook, while in rich homes Mrs Beaton dictated how her extravagant recipes should be carried out. In the factories there were many health and safety hazards and there were frequent accidents. You weren't safe at home either, as there was constant danger from arsenic in the wallpaper. One great innovation however, was the fact that all children had to go to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic.

We all probably remember listening to members of our own families, who were born in Victorian times, which wasn't so long ago, speaking about the hard times, compared to life today. These tales were confirmed by Paul's very interesting talk which he illustrated with many authentic artefacts. We all went home, glad that we lived in the 21st Century!

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 26th February at 7.30pm in the Church Hall, when Max Keen will give a talk on, "Prince Rupert of the Rhine, King Charles 1st's Pirate Prince." Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans.

Meeting Report - October 2018

There were about 44 members present at the Romsley and Hunnington History Society meeting on Tuesday 23rd October, when Max Hunt gave a talk on, "Shelsley Walsh, The Story of a Village." About sixty years ago I remember sitting on a grassy bank amid noise and fumes watching a variety of cars attempt to climb up a very steep hill at Shelsley Walsh, in the fastest time. It was therefore very interesting to hear Max Hunt's account of how the smallest parish in Worcestershire evolved.

It was mentioned in the Doomsday Book when it was just a quiet clearing on a wooded slope. The Walsh family owned the land and built the Court House. Sir Richard Walsh became involved in the Gunpowder Plot when he pursued the plotters but failed to take them alive! The Manor was bought by the Black Country industrialist Thomas Foley who used the timber from the trees to make charcoal for his iron industry and a forge and water mill were set up and the village became industrialised.

The Manor then passed to the Dudley- Wards and in 1890 Montague Taylor bought the freehold. With the advent of the motor car, in 1901 he established the Midland Automobile Club. Hill Climbing became popular. In 1905 the first Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb took place and over the years it became quite an event. Apart from the War Years, it has taken place annually ever since and in 1932 the BBC's very first Sporting Outside Broadcast came from there. Eventually it became an international event with many well known racing drivers taking part.

Today the Hill Climb still takes place in the summer and Shelsley Walsh becomes alive with the roar of motor engines. The old Mill has been restored by a band of enthusiasts and still grinds corn and the little village welcomes visitors from everywhere. Max's talk was fascinating and was illustrated with some beautiful photographs.

The next Court Rolls meeting is on Wednesday 5th December and the next meeting of the History Society is on Tuesday 27th November at 7.30pm in the Church Hall when Paul Harding and Helen Lee will give a talk on, "Victorian Everyday Life." The first meeting in the New Year is on Tuesday 26th February when Max Keen will give a talk on, "Prince Rupert of the Rhine: King Charles 1st's Pirate Prince." Everyone is welcome

Pat Evans