In 1643, during the English Civil War, Burton Bridge was the scene of what is probably the most famous local battle; ‘The Battle of the Bridge’. Thomas Tyldesley, a supporter of Charles I and a Royalist commander at the time having the rank of Colonel, led a cavalry charge across the bridge to attack Burton, which had become a Roundhead stronghold.

The event is reported to have been witnessed by Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. It is largely because of the success of this attack against the odds that Thomas Tyldesley (above) was knighted. A plaque to commemorate the event was erected on the replacement bridge by the Burton Civic Society in 1993. It is still there today but goes largely unnoticed.

The bridge was also documented to be the site of a battle in 1322, between Thomas Plantaganet, Earl of Lancaster, who owned among other things Tutbury Castle, and the forces of Kind Edward II.

The medieval bridge, described by Robert Plot in the 1680s as ‘the most noteworthy example of civil building in Staffordshire, or perhaps even, the whole of England’. By 1790 this had changed to ‘a bridge of not very stately appearance’. There was no footpath, but at every buttress of the wall there was a recess to provide a passing place which was becoming an increasing problem.

The Nineteenth Century

The first picture has made its way into many publications and, though a pictorial representation from 1800, it has proved to be a useful resourse in tracing the course of the old bridge, famous in its heyday for its thirty-six arches. The course of the river can also be seen to have changed quite a lot since this time.

The above painting of them Old Trent Bridge was painted in 1840 and, although anonymous, provides an excellent insight. Most of what is there can be authenticated so it seems to offer a fairly accurate picture of how the bridge appeared at the time viewed from the Stapenhill end.

The above image shows the painting ‘Burton Bridge’ by John Harden (1772-1847). Although quite a lot of artistic license has been applied with, for example, Scalpcliffe hill being completely relocated and wooded, the fact that it is accurately dated as 1844 makes it a nice inclusion here.

The above 1857 painting of Burton Bridge by William Wilde, though not very detailled, illuminates a couple of very interesting features. Firstly, the separate footbridge, and secondly, the lock gate with a few boats in a key on the other side.

Although not of great quality, the above image shows an excellent view of the Old Trent Bridge and is one of the earliest surviving actual photographs.

The above is one of the most illustrative paintings of the ‘old’ Burton Bridge.

…and the orignal picture on which the painting is based, which provides one of the best surviving images of the bridge towards the end of its life.

Above, a lovely picture thanks to Robin Clay that shows the bridge perfectly as it approached the end of its life.

Above shows the commencement of the new replacement bridge in 1863. The foundation stone close to the initial site, which can just be made out on the left, was laid by Mr John Richardson, the High Bailiff of Burton. To the right is the old bridge still in use. In-between is Bridge Steet with building which still exist.

Finally, a remarkable photo capturing the brief period when both Trent Bridges co-existed. The newly finished straight bridge can be seen in its familar place, although only 40 feet wide before being later widened to twice its width.  On the north side, to its right in the photo, the old bridge with its much less direct course can be clearly seen.

A new bridge was apparently under consideration in 1840, and in 1853 plans for one were submitted by the county surveyor, James Trubshaw, who described the existing bridge as enjoying ‘the threefold distinction of being the longest, the most ancient, and the most inconvenient structure of its kind in the United Kingdom’. Nothing was done until 1859 when the Midland Railway Company, which wanted to lay tracks across the west end of the bridge, promoted an Act which authorised its demolition and the construction of a new bridge, forming a straight line between the existing ends and straddling Broad holme. The medieval bridge was gradually dismantled after the new bridge was opened in 1864.

Designed by the Midland Railway Company engineer, J.S.Crossely, the 1864 bridge was paid for by the Marquis of Anglesey, as lord of Burton manor, and the Midland and other railway companies. Under the 1859 Act responsibility for its maintenance passed from the Marquis to the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, and it remained their joint responsibility until the Derbyshire side of the river was transferred to Staffordshire in 1894. The burden later passed to Burton corporation under an Act of 1896.

On the 23rd of February, 1863, the foundation stone of our present Trent Bridge was laid, and on the 22nd of June, 1864, a general holiday was proclaimed and the opening ceremony was performed by the Marquis of Anglesey at the head of a long and imposing procession, consisting of the yeomanry, the volunteers, principal inhabitants of the town, followed by many others. The bridge, unlike its predecessor, ran in a straight line across the river. It is 460 yards long, and consists of two causeways each five feet wide, and a roadway 20 feet wide. Each side of the bridge has a wall 3 feet high. There are 29 arches.

For a very brief period after the new bridge was completed, both bridges existed before the old bridge was demolished. The below photo shows BOTH bridges with the brand new one just completed and the old one to its right.

Originally 40 feet wide, including footways of five feet on either side of the road. The bridge was widened on its north side; this was completed in 1926.

The bridge as shown above, shows Burton before the arrival of the tramway system. This photograph is also taken a few years before the Ferry Bridge was built making it the only option to the Stapenhill Ferry for crossing the river.

The trams arrived, making for this proud posed photo which later became the subject of a Burton postcard.

Notice that there is only one set of tracks. Winshill and Stapenhill trams had to co-ordinate in both directions so as not to end up in an embarassing head-to-head.

The above photo from 1908 shows what a tranquil place the ‘Swan Junction’ could be.

The tram is clearly approaching, but will it suddenly veer for Stapenhill or Winshill?

Before the bridge was widened and with the trams still in service, the increasing variety of modes of transport added to the confusion.

… and the bridge still remained much used by pedestrians.

The much needed bridge widening was completed in 1926 making it twice as wide.

The above photo shows the view from the bridge looking up Bearwood Hill in 1910

Following a serious tram accident in 1919 where a tramcar ran out of control down Bearwood Hill over-turned after being de-railed at the sharp corner at the bottom, the Winshill end of the Trent Bridge was modified to provide a straight run.

For many years, Bearwood Hill up into Winshill felt like an extension of the bridge.

The widening is simply taken for granted now as today’s traffic simply flows into the Winshill filter lane. Trees and pedestrian area now effectively break up the view up Bearwood Hill making it feel like a much more minor route.

From bicycle delivery boy to boy racers in ‘modern’ sports cars – everyone enjoyed the space just after the widening. Some must have questioned whether it was really necessary.

As time went on, it got busier and can be seen here being shared by bicycles, hand carts, horse drawn cars, motor cars, early lorries and electric trams.

Note also, the substancial barriers to protect foot pedestrians from such a commotion.

Even I can just about remember the distinctive shelter as a boy, and on rainy days, timing a dart across the road to catch an approaching number 3 or 4 bus up into Winshill, although everything around it was a little different. The overall impression is that this end of the Trent Bridge used to me much wider than currently which of course, it can’t have been.

By far the majority of photos of the Trent bridge are taken at the more picturesque Winshill end. Below is a much rarer photo from the Bridge Street end in taken in 1928 in the short period between the widening of the bridge in 1926 and closure of the Tramway system in 1929. It is still a very recognisable view.

The bridge remains one of Burton’s most characteristic features.

The first recorded Burton postmark was in 1722 although the nearest sorting office was in Lichfield. Burton would not get its own until Post Office for well over another hundred years!

The first public telephone service available in Burton was 1895 when the National Telephone Company speculatively rented a shop in New Street. The National Telephone Company was eventually absorbed by the GPO and the combined exchange finally moved into new premises in New Street in 1905, built by R.Kershaw Limited which, just two years earlier, had built the Fire Station across the road.

The building thankfully still survives but has struggled to find modern usage.

Select page to view:

• Postal Service
• Telephone Service

The first recorded Burton postmark was 8th October 1722. It arrived at its destination in London two days later. The postage cost, based on mileage, was sixpence (6d) which the recipient had to pay on delivery.

The postmark appeared as BURTON REF 1, which continued to be used until 1768.

Up until 1765, Burton mail from London only travelled as far as Lichfield where it had to be sorted.

In 1765, a number of Staffordshire Members of Parliament, including the MP for Burton, presented a petition to the General Post Office in London complaining both about the service and the high charges added by Burton postmaster, William Stratham. The London to Lichfield postal charge was 4d, but Mr Stratham applied a 2d charge from Lichfield to Burton which was thought of as very unreasonable. It was customary at the time to reply the same day and a further 1d was charged for the return journey. This meant that Burtonians were paying 3d more for the same service available in Lichfield or Derby. In 1765 therefore, the Post Office conceded and introduced a new sorted bag for Burton, avoiding the excess charge. The new bag however, still had to be collected and returned to Lichfield although postmaster Stratham was allowed an extra £60 a year to provide a man and two horses for both Lichfield and Derby.

Horse delivery continued until the Mail Coach System was introduced in 1796 when Burton at last enjoyed its own direct mail service. The route ran through Lichfield-Burton-Derby-Nottingham-Newark; Newark provided the link to the Great North Road which ran up to Edinburgh. The coaches ran to a tight schedule and postmasters at each office signed for each collection and despatch, recording the time.

The earliest recorded local collection service within Burton was 1816. It did not however, prove to be viable and was fairly short-lived.

The post office in 1818 was at the George Inn in High Street. In 1834 it moved to the Three Queens Inn in Bridge Street but was moved back to High Street in 1841. It still stood next to the George in the later 1850s.

Above shows an 1859 Buron upon Trent postmark and a One Penny stamp of the time. With several collections a day, this was probably being sent to someone else within the town to be read later the same day.

The above stamp, with a Burton postmark dated 9th August 1861, is a Six Penny ‘Lilac’. For half a shilling, this would almost certainly be for a package rather than a letter.

In 1874 the main post office at 162 High Street had Mr Gibson Bowie as Postmaster, William Stone as chief clerk, nine clerks, two stampers, one porter, eight letter carriers and nine rural messangers on the staff. By this time, aside from the main post office, there were ten ‘receiving houses’. These were situated at Newton Road (bottom of Bearwood Hill), Bridge Street, Horninglow Street, Derby Turn, Victoria Cresent, Station Street, Moor Street, Uxbridge Street, Orchard Street and Branston Road.

In 1877 the office was moved to a new building on the site of Parker’s Almshouses on the east side of High Street which was later to become the Constitutional Club.

In 1905, it moved again to new premises in New Street. These were built by R.Kershaw Limited which, just two years earlier, had built the Fire Station across the road. At the time, there were 12 sub-postoffices in Burton.

By 1912, there were 19 sub-postoffices distributed around the town but also, a combination of 38 wall and pillar boxes strategically distributed around the town. A few original ones survive characterised by having the Edward VII insignia on the front. Though most of the original sites are still in use, most boxes have been replaced. It was not uncommon for someone to call for the doctor by sending a postcard! Before you scoff however, there were eight collections every day except Sunday, when there were only two. Letters posted in the morning would often reach their local destination before lunchtime and very often, replies were received on the same day. No local post would of course, ever leave Burton unlike todays logistics.

Messenger boys were also available for delivering urgent messages or parcels for which they would receive three farthings.

The building can still be seen little changed over 100 years later, alongside some delighful modern architecture (?!).

The General Post Office has been the subject of a number of early Burton postcards.

There was at the time of course, a much stronger relationship between the postal and telephone services. The first public telephone service available in Burton was 1895 when the National Telephone Company rented a shop in New Street. In 1898, the General Post Office opened an exchange for trunk calls, enabling calls to other towns, when it was still in High Street. The first local telephonist, Miss Clifton, transfered to the Post Office at this time but there was not enough work to have her full-time employed for telephones alone so she also worked as telegraph operator – there were after all, only around 150 telephones in Burton! The annual subscription for a telephone service was £3 3s and calls cost 1d each making them too expensive for the vast majority.

The first telephone system installed in Burton aside from the telephone exchange was incidentally, the Fire Station whilst still in Union Street. Although it is not enormously useful to have the only telephone at least their telephone number was easy to remember; it was ‘1’.

The service was moved to the New Street with the GPO. A few years later, the National Telephone Company was absorbed by the GPO and a combined exchange was opened in New Street across the road from the main post office building.

In time, the telephone exchange outgrew the New Street premises and a new large exchange was established in Fleet Street.

Select page to view:

• General History
• Penal System

In 1629, the county Justice of the Peace, who was appointed by means of a commisssion to ‘keep the peace’, appointed Constables. Constables in turn appointed common warders to apprehend rogues and vagabonds. The warders appear though, to have been over zealous and were asked later the same year to show greater respect to poor people. Beggars from outside the parish remained a problem in the 18th century and keeping them out of town was one of the duties of the crier in 1711.

There was a watch by 1646 and a watch house by 1678. Watch duty was a liability imposed on inhabitants, and in 1711 it was supervised by the crier. By 1723 the bellman was paid 10s. a year out of town lands money, and that was still his salary as night watchman in 1788. A night watch was established by subscription in 1793.

Burton vestry engaged a man in 1737 to drive out vagrants. His services were discontinued in 1747, most likely for financial reasons, but he was re-appointed in 1749, presumably because they discovered in his absence that he fulfilled a useful role.

A ‘bang beggar’ was employed by the Burton township in 1826, and his duties in 1828 were to remove street beggars, examine lodging houses, and assist the constables in apprehending prostitutes.

A treble bell was rung at St. Modwen’s church in the market place for 15 minutes at 7:00 am every morning in the earlier 1800s; this is thought to have been a curfew bell. When largely discontinued in 1867 it was still being rung at 5.45 am and 7.45 pm every evening between Michaelmas (Christmas Day) and Lady Day; Lady Day being New Year’s day but up until 1752 when the Julian Calendar was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, this was actually January 14th.

From at least 1875 the feoffees of the town lands paid for the ringing of the morning bell, and continued to do so until 1916. The evening bell was again being rung on some weekdays between Michaelmas and Lady Day until the late 1880s.

In 1728 the vestry agreed to defray the costs of prosecuting felons by levying inhabitants in Burton townships in what was one of the earliest agreements of its type in England. The order, however, was revoked in 1730. Burton had a voluntary association for the prosecution of felons in 1802. From 1807 the vestry paid its clerk to assist the annually elected parochial constable.

In 1819 it appointed its first salaried police officer, Richard ‘Dick’ Roe, who by all accounts, was a “tall powerful fellow” – an impression not easy to deduce from the most common portrait of him shown here.

His starting salary of 30 guineas a year; he also received £5 from the parochial constables out of their own pockets. The salary was increased to £70 in 1826, when the post was redefined as constable and police officer. This was an impressive salary at the time.

Dick Roe also a publican and used to keep the Wheatsheaf Inn, at the corner of Station Street and High Street. Tales are told of a large iron ring fastened into the fireplace to which he used to forcibly chain prisoners after they had been apprehended by him until they could be legally attended. Some concern was expressed however in 1836 about Dick Roe’s conflict of interest in his two roles. As a result, he was asked to stop selling alcohol at local race meetings and other public events and to concentrate on his police duties. He was described as ‘highly efficient’, however, in 1837 when the vestry applied to the feoffees of the town lands for financial help to pay his salary after the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 prevented him from being paid out of the ‘poor rate’.

Some policing equipment of the time can be seen below. The images are courtesy of Arthur Roe, a local historian and actual descendent of Richard Roe. They show handcuffs of the time together with a variety of Burton police truncheons and a police rattle, a predecessor of the police whistle, used to call for help from other police officers. They were once on display in Burton Museum before it was closed

As one of Burton’s celebrated characters of the time, when he died in 1853, he was buried in the old churchyard, and a monument was erected to his memory by public subscription.

What was classed as the manorial gaol was situated below the Royal Oak public house in the market place. A few othe Burton pubs had 1d (one penny) a night cells that they made available.

After the closure of the manorial gaol in the earlier 1830s, there was no secure place of detention until a police station with cells was built at the corner of Station Street and Guild Street. The Police Station was built by local builder, Thomas Lowe in 1848. It had already been implicated that all towns would have to provide a police station. This finally came into force in 1856.

The aformentioned Richard Roe was promoted from Town Constable to inspector and was provided with police constables.

Before motorised transport became available, Burton Police used to patrol and attend incidents on horseback. By 1896, the Burton police force had grown to a Superintendent, James Gilbride, three sergeants and twenty-four constables.

The force can be seen above on parade in George Street at the rear of the Police Station around 1898. At the front is the recently appointed Police Superintendent W. Moss.

The Station Street, Guild Street, Union Street junction is just about recognisable here with tramway now running past the police station. The present day George Street entrance is just before the shops on the right.

The Staffordshire county force continued to provide officers for Burton after the town became a county borough in 1901. A new police station with cells was opened behind the new magistrates’ court in Horninglow Street in 1910.

Few photos exist of the Burton Police force but the above one taken in 1920 gives a good flavour. Don’t worry, the rope is nothing to do with the penal system at the time; the picture is in fact, the Burton Police Force Tug-a-War Team. At the time, the was an annual battle between different factions of the town and the police team was always one of the most formidable.

And another elusive shot of a Buron policeman on duty in a still very recognisable 1927 Station Street.

In the late twentieth century, the 1910 police station and magistrates court, having become an annex of a new modern complex but remain very much in use.

FORMS OF PUNISHMENT

Gallows and Instruments of Punishment
There is recorded to have been a gallows on Burton meadow dating back to 1012 – before the Norman invasion. In 1293 the Abbot successfully claimed the right to use a gallows. There was a gallows on the parish boundary with Tatenhill by 1395. The bridge which carried the road south from Branston village over the boundary brook was for this reason, known as ‘Gallow Bridge’. There may also have been a gallows in the Middle Ages on the boundary between Burton Extra and Horninglow. In 1757 land off Derby Road was known as ‘Gallows Flat’ which led to speculation that this was the site of a gallows.

Gallows also existed at the present day sites of the Derby Turn, Horninglow Road, and at the bottom of Scalpcliffe Road in Stapenhill (now Brizlincote). The latter is thought to be the site of the last hanging to take place in Burton.

Stocks mentioned in 1280 probably stood in the market place. The stocks in 1608 were inside the market hall, but later recordings in 1619 and 1708 indicate that they were outside next to the market cross. Stocks were also positioned at Bargates at the Horninglow Road end of High Street. The earliest record of the use of these was in 1610. There were still two pairs of stocks in 1826 but probably only one by 1839, when a pair stood on the Hay near the south-west end of Burton bridge.

Burton apparently had a pillory in the late 1570s. This was a wooden framework with a hole for the head and holes either side for the wrists holding the male or female offender so that they could be publically ridiculed. It was only erected when needed. Its last recorded use was in 1739, but I am sure there are still those that would be in favour of its re-introduction!

There is a Burton cuckstool mentioned in the 1590s; this was a form ‘ducking stool’ often used as a punishment for a nagging wife; I have not yet managed to establish its whereabouts. There was also a whipping post in the early 1610s to which offenders were strapped to receive lashes on the back. A new cuckstool was made in 1711, when there was still a whipping post in operation.

A wooden cage was made in 1622 and stood in the market place serving a similar role to pillory stocks where prisoners could be publically displayed where they could be taunted and ridiculed. Its last recorded mentioned was in 1720, when a payment was made for its removal, suggesting that it was in use until around this time.

Jail and House of Correction
There seems to have been a secure place of detention in Burton by the mid 1270s. It is recorded that a man who had committed murder in Alrewas was brought to Burton for detainment. In the early 1300s, there was a secure lock-up in Burton market place called ‘Helle’, no guesses for guessing what its nickname was. Although occupied by a townsman, it is likely that offenders were retained on the Abbot’s orders.

There was a prison in the mid 1550s, and repairs to the town gaol were made in 1641 and again in the late 1680s. What was called the Jail House or Prison House in 1762 stood at the south east corner of the market place. Together with the adjoining bowling green. It was let that year as an inn but the landlord had to agreed to guard prisoners in a cell and would be accountable to the lord of the manor if a prisoner escaped. Although still used as gaol in 1792, the building was let in 1795 to a brewer, John Sherratt, who used it as an inn, which later became known as the Bowling Green. It was demolished in or shortly before 1834, when a house called the Priory was built on the bowling green itself.

There is a ‘black hole’ lock-up mentioned in 1718. This is thought to have been on the same site as the 14th-century ‘Helle’. It was intended for temporary detention; a boy is known to have been detained there for a period of seven days in 1736. It was still in use in 1789.

Until 1729 the nearest house of correction to Burton was that at Walsall. One for Burton parish licensed that year was opened in part of the workhouse in Anderstaff Lane (now Wetmore Road). The Burton house of correction is last recorded in 1738, and may have been closed soon afterwards in order to avoid the implications of the 1740 Vagrancy Act.

COMMISSION OF THE PEACE
In the late 1840s petty sessions were held weekly in the Angel Inn and by 1851 in the combined county court house and police station at the corner of Station Street and Guild Street.

Borough magistrates were first empanelled in 1887, meeting weekly in the same place as the petty sessions’ justices but on a different day.

Sessions were transferred in 1910 to a newly built impressive magistrates’ court house in Horninglow Street. At this time, six strokes of the birch was common for such crimes as ‘stealing food’.

A separate quarter sessions for the county borough was granted by royal charter in 1912. It was abolished under the Courts Act, 1971, but Burton remained the meeting place for petty sessions. An office block for the magistrates and their clerk was added to the court house in 1991.

COURT OF RECORD AND COUNTY COURT
By 1585 a weekly court of record for the recovery of debts, called the Genters court, was held on Fridays.

Apparently still held in the earlier 18th century, the court later fell into disuse but had been re-established by 1794, when it was styled a court of requests. The upper limit of debts within its competence was 40s. in 1841, when it met every three weeks. The court apparently still met in the mid 1850s, although its function had been taken over by a county court held in Burton from 1847.

From 1848 the County Court met in a building also used as a police station at the corner of Station Street and Guild Street. The present Court Court House in Station Street, pictured below, was built in 1862.

All a long way removed from the present day magistrate’s court.

Burton has a long history of barrel rolling competitions with the first one held on 5th May 1933.

This involved twelve men representing different breweries racing down the streets of Burton on Trent trying to keep a beer barrel under control.