Branston Depot History

Below is a short history of what most Burtonians simply know as Branston Depot. With thanks to John Sarson.

During World War One, as a part of the National Factories Scheme, HM Government commissioned the Enfield Small Arms Factory to design a National Machine Gun Factory to be built on 150 acres of open fields along the North side of Burton Road in Branston. Amongst the reasons Branston was chosen was that it was out of reach of enemy aircraft. The site was being used at the time by the Burton Golf Club who moved to Bretby and also as Woodwards Farm.

The Factory was built by local builder Thomas Lowe & Sons and was started in 1917 but not fully finished before the First World War ended in November 1918. Gun making machinery, much from the USA, was installed on the site but it was never used to produce machine guns although it was used to recondition about 1000 of them. The distinctive long brick wall fronting onto Burton Road was built by German prisoners of war who were housed in local brewery maltings buildings.

A large three storey office block was built near to the site entrance which featured a four faced clock on the top of it. The clock required winding regularly and although it is still in working order today the practice has fell into dis-use. Only one of the four large warehouses which were originally planned was constructed and had north facing roof windows to give an even light throughout the day.

The site had an internal railway system connected to the nearby Birmingham and Derby Junction railway. It also had a fire station situated on the left side of the main entrance which was demolished in 1995/6. The site also had a joinery, c6 air raid shelters, a pump house, a vehicle workshop and many other buildings totalling 118 in all. There was a rifle range running parallel to the Birmingham and Derby Junction railway line at the rear of the site which had a large brick wall and embankment at the target end of it (the range was closed in 1965).

Questions were asked in Parliament on the 3rd May 1920 about the future of the site and it was advised that a tender to purchase it for £550,000 had been made by M Girardot to turn it into a car factory but this offer had been declined. The Government offered to sell it to him for £600,000 but he had also declined. Subsequently, a bidding process went to sealed bids with Crosse & Blackwell making an offer of £612,856 and M Girardot offering £576,000. The bids were opened on the 29th April 1920 with a sale being agreed to Crosse & Blackwell.

Crosse & Blackwell finalised the purchase from the Disposals Board of HM Government in April 1921 after a dispute about the removal of machinery pledging to turn the Factory into the largest & best equipped food preserving plant in the British Empire. They called it their Chief Factory on the labels of their products.

Alongside the purchase of the Factory Crosse & Blackwell also purchased Branston Lodge next to the Leicester line railway bridge in Burton Road as a residence for their single female workers (demolished in the 1960’s). They also built 26 houses along Burton Road for the use of the Factory foremen which were designed by Sir Aston Webb and known as the ‘Wayside’ Houses.

Crosse & Blackwell closed their Factory at Soho Square in London and commenced production of pickles at Branston in 1921 employing c600 people of which two thirds were women. Mrs Caroline Graham & her two daughters, Miss Evelyn & Miss Ermentrude are attributed with producing the Branston Pickle recipe at Branston Lodge and production of it started at the Factory in 1922. Most of the fruit & vegetable ingredients were sourced from Covent Garden in London and over half the production returned to London, much being for export.

During 1924 Crosse & Blackwell became under financial pressures and considered the Branston Factory was too costly and decided to move production back to London and completely finished production at Branston in January 1925. This precipitated a large loss of employment and many local people boycotted Crosse & Blackwell products for a considerable time.

In 1927, Mr Martin Coles Harman, a London financier, the owner of Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel at the time, formed the Branston Artificial Silk Company to produce Rayon. He initially employed a small staff with many being recruited from Courtaulds, some of whom who were housed in the Wayside Houses.

In 1927/8 a large chimney was built at a cost of £17,500 to carry away the unpleasant fumes from the Viscose manufacturing process which used Carbon Disulphide. The chimney was 360 feet high and had a 45 foot diameter at the base and 21 feet 9 inches diameter at the top and had a two foot sway. It was believed to be the second tallest chimney in the country at the time and considered to be a local wonder. It was built by Thomas Richardson and after construction had started it was found necessary to strengthen the foundations which lay on silver sand with 49 concrete piles. The chimney was built of perforated bricks which were twice the size of a normal house brick.

The Branston Artificial Silk Company started production in a blaze of publicity and expected to employ upto 4000 people but, in fact, it never exceeded 500. Amongst other things, it was famous for its buzzer which signalled the start and end of the day and lunch break and could be heard over much of Burton and beyond.

On the 23rd July 1929 the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward V111 / Duke of Windsor) visited the Factory on a visit to Burton and was presented with an artificial silk scarf which had been woven at the Factory and embroidered with the Princes initials in purple & gold together with white ostrich feathers.

The Branston Artificial Silk Company had ceased production by the end of 1930 and the Factory closed down. The administrators arranged some short term leases until July 1937 when the War Office (Ministry Of Defence, MOD) took over the site to supply mostly clothing and some small equipment to the Army. The distinctive chimney was demolished in 1937 as it was considered to be a hazard to aircraft and a landmark for any possible future enemy action. The remaining three large warehouses which were originally planned were built making four altogether with a total area of almost one million square feet all of which were heated and had fire sprinkler systems. Some other smaller buildings were also built at his time.

Six luxury houses, including tennis courts, were built for the use of senior Officers in Hill Road adjacent to the buildings at the southern side of the site. These houses were demolished in the early 1990’s as part of the Regents Park development. 12 semi-detached houses were built in Lonsdale Road and 22 were built in Mellor Road for lesser ranks all of which were sold to the local ESDC Council in 1977 and remain today. The 22 Mellor Road houses were purchased for £177,000. The Mellor Road and Hill Road houses were accessed through the main site entrance. The houses in Lonsdale Road were accessed through another secure gate near to the Leicester railway line bridge.

The roads within the site were named after senior military officers, Wilcock Road, Wall Road, Cleave Road, Gartan Road, Dibble Road, Stephens Road, Mellor Road, Harvey Road, Jephson Road.

Some of the buildings were as follows :

No 2 — Large warehouse, (c255,000 square feet internal, 199,549 cubic metres) 700 vehicles, including the Green Goddesses (258,925 square feet when re-built in 2007- see below)

No 4 — Large Warehouse, (221,214 square feet internal). MAFF flour and sugar.

No 5 — Large Warehouse, (220,008 square feet internal). Commercial stocks for the Prison Service

No 6 — Large Warehouse, (257,750 square feet internal, 123,145 cubic metres) Prison Dept clothing/equipment/riot gear

No 16 — Radiac building. Dosimeters, Prison Officers uniforms.

No 25 — Home Office newly purchased vehicles, including awaiting bodies to be modified.

No 37 — G1 Division. Mechanical parts for Emergency Road Vehicles.

No 45 — Three storey Office block.

No 50 — Vehicle Workshop.

No 51 — Fire Station

No 52 — Gatehouse

No 70 — Electric Sub Station in Mellor Road

No 121 — Pump House

During the Second World War the site was used as an Ordnance Depot for the supply of clothing and other small equipment to the Army including, clothing material, overcoats, roped soled sandals, bootlaces, enough boots upto size 15 to kit out much of the Army, buttons, belts, caps, under clothes, de-mob suits, wellingtons, etc. Qualified tailors were employed to inspect uniforms received from production factories such as Davisons in Derby. Many sundry items such as air raid sirens, fire bells, hand stirrup pumps, whistles, regimental flags, etc, were also stocked.

The site employed more than 2000 people during this time who were searched at random as they left the site. This number reduced to around 1000 people after the war. The site also had a Personnel department and Medical Centre with its own doctor and nurses.

A large bus station was situated on the opposite side of Burton Road (between the entrance to Paget School and the entrance to the Toad Hole) which was distinguished by its surface of cinders and rows of metal pole barriers for the various bus routes. A second smaller bus station opened in the late 1950’s which was accessed at Jephson Road through a security gate.

There were a number of large forklift trucks on site and also c12 BEV’s which were small but powerful ride on traction vehicles used to pull trolleys around the site.

Two railway lines running North to South either side of warehouses 5 & 6 accessed all four of the large warehouses. British Railways shunted the wagons from the main line into sidings on the site from where two MOD engines undertook the site shunting. The site included an engine shed.

In 1962 the War Office (MOD) decided to close its Branston operation and move most of the work to the Central Ordnance Depot (COD) at Bicester, Oxfordshire and over the following two years all the stores were transferred and the remaining 100 people lost their jobs.

In 1964 Branston Depot was taken over by ‘Ordnance Disposal and Storage’, a civilian run complex of the War Office (MOD). The main function was the receipt and issue of ammunition components for Royal Ordnance factories and the storage and preservation of machine tools with nearly all of it being transported by train. It also handled used brass gun shells, metal and wooden ammunition boxes. The Depot remained open until April 1975 when the site was again closed.

The Supply & Transport branch of the Home Office took over the site on the 22nd September 1975. A change of policy from storing equipment at strategically widely scattered sites such as hangars on airfields to one of central storage led to 11 small storage sites around the Midlands being closed and the items being consolidated at Branston.

From September 1976 large warehouse No 6, with the use of some racking stored 17,500 pallets plus some bulk storage area, was used to supply 18 prisons, borstals and detention centres around the Midlands with most of their needs with the exception of foodstuffs. The store included a large stock of textile material used in the manufacture of clothing at prison workshops. Other items such as wardrobes, chest of drawers and bed headboards were also received from prison workshops. By April 1987 36 prisons around the Midlands were being supplied.

From March 1976 warehouse No 2 was used to store 405 Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) ‘Green Goddess’ fire engines. This number rose to 462 before they were moved to a third party contract warehouse at nearby Marchington in 1991. Also included were support vehicles such as pipe carriers, hose layers and Land Rovers. These Green Goddesses were used by the Military from November 1977 to January 1978 to provide fire cover around the UK during the Fire Service national strike. The Green Goddess’s have since been disposed of altogether by HM Government with many going to African countries. Some were believed to have been sold through the British Car Auctions at Measham.

From the late 1970’s until 1993 warehouse No 4 was used by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (MAFF) to store sugar and unfinished flour for use in any future national emergency. The stock was rotated regularly with upto six vehicles a day being handled. The sugar was managed by the British Sugar Company and the flour by Rank, Hovis, McDougall.

During the 1970s 80s, local Auctioneers Arnolds held disposal sales around four times a year in warehouse No 4 when members of the public and others could purchase items no longer required by the Home Office.

One of the smaller buildings was given over to store items on behalf of the Womens Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS). Other buildings were used to store all manner of things such as petrol cans, polling station booths, riot equipment, etc.

One of the smaller buildings (No 16) was designated as the Radiac building where dosimeters were received from suppliers, checked and stored. This equipment was used by the Police, Royal Observer Corps, Fire Service, County Emergency Planning Officers & other various Government Departments to test for low levels of radiation. A radiation plaque was put on the wall at the entrance to the site which caused much consternation amongst the local people who thought the site was being used for storing nuclear bombs.

Building No 16 was also used to receive, inspect and store Prison Officers uniforms for both men and women. Around 21,000 uniforms were stored to supply every prison in England and Wales as well as the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and two Prison Training Schools.

The staff working at the site considered the pay to be good for women but poor for men compared to jobs in the local breweries. Many of the staff were members of the Transport & General Union (T&G).

The site was used by The Royal Navy, The Royal Air Force, HM Customs & Excise to train dogs to seek out drugs and is still occasionally used as a dog training centre in 2013. The site was used as a training location for Prison Officers, Prison Service Industries & Farms Gardens staff. The Royal Navy Midlands recruiting team was based at the site. The Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service used the site as a training base.

There was a large canteen with men being served on one side and women on the other. It has a large dancehall as a part of the Social Club run by the employees and there was also a bowling green. Dances were held regularly on a Saturday night from the early 1960’s and proved to be very popular until they died out in the 1970’s.

During the 1990’s most of the open land (84 acres) was sold for housing development with the c850 house ‘Regents Park’ estate being built on it. The link to the national railway system was removed. The remaining area on which most of the buildings stood was divided between an area for the Home Office use and an area for sub letting.

In 2002 many of the smaller brick buildings on the Home Office area (now the Ministry of Justice, MOJ) were demolished and a large 19,000 pallet modern high warehouse was constructed. It is primarily used as a supply facility for the prisons in England & Wales which supplys them with most of their needs with the exception of foodstuffs. Some items are also supplied to prisons in Northern Ireland. A smaller building (No16) is used as a records archive.

The vehicle workshop (No 50) is still used to service and modify/adapt vehicle bodies to MOJ specific needs. There are around 70 MOJ employees at the site in 2013.

In 2004 the four large warehouses were leased from HM Government by D.I.Y. chain B&Q for 5 years at a reputed cost of £13m for use as a distribution depot for kitchens & white goods (fridges / washing machines / cookers, etc) and employing over 400 people. Third party contractors including TNT, CEVA and Wincanton (from February 2013) operated the premises on behalf of B&Q. In February 2006 a major fire destroyed No 2 warehouse as well as inflicting damage to some nearby houses and causing millions of pounds worth of damage in total. The warehouse was the same warehouse which housed the Green Goddess fire engines and was later rebuilt. The lease to B&Q was renewed for another 5 years in 2009.

In 2012 plans were submitted by the current land owners, Bedell Estates Jersey, for the four large warehouses and certain other smaller buildings to be demolished and replaced with c450 houses, although this is unlikely to happen for a few years. The large office block (No 45), the canteen building and the pump house (No 121) are Grade 2 listed buildings and are not planned to be demolished.

The Ministry of Justice is a separate area from the possible housing development and will continue to use their part of the site.

Although much of the site remains intact after its numerous uses, it is the role as the Branston Pickle factory for which it is now most fondly remembered.


 

 

1873 – Rolleston Hall Celebrations

In 1873, just two years after the great fire that almost destroyed it, Rolleston Hall was the site of great festivities. Around one hundred and twenty guests celebrated the superbly restored hall at the occasion of the marriage of Sir Tonman Mosely’s son, Oswald.

The event was attended and reported by the Derby Mercury and below is a transaction from the detailed report that appeared in an article dated Wednesday, August 20th, 1873.

On Tuesday last the tenantry of Sir Tonman Mosley Bart., were invited to dine at his residence to commemorate the restoration and improvement of the hall; also the marriage of his eldest son, Oswald Mosley Esq. Our readers will undoubtedly remember the serious fire which occurred here almost two years ago. Its owner has now built a noble mansion on the site of the old one, Messrs. Giles and Brookhurst being the architects.

At half past two o’clock on the above day about one hundred and twenty sat down in a commodious marquee which had been beautifully decorated by Mr Buck, head gardener, to a splendid repast. Grace having been said by the Reverend Canon Ram, the dinner commenced in good earnest, under the presidency of their worthy landlord, who was supported on the right by his eldest son, Oswald Mosley Esq., Drs. Belcher and Wolfenden, Messrs Radford, Stretton, M Walker, S Walker, D. Walker, Hodgkinson and Strutt; and on the left by the Rev. Canon Ram and Messrs. Holbrook, Giles, Crump and Pakeman.

The vice chairs were respectively filled by Tonman and Ernald Mosley, Esqs. The bill of fare was a most sumptious one, and we need scarcely add that ample justice was done to it. During the dinner the company were enlivened by Mr Stagg’s efficient quadrille band, which played the following selections in a highly creditable style:

  • Overture ‘Zampa’
  • Valse ‘Blush Rose’
  • Piano Fantasia
  • Quadrille ‘Grand Duchess’
  • Valse ‘Christine’
  • Cornet Solo
  • Galop ‘Cliquot’
  • Viola Solo
  • Valse ‘Beautiful Spring’

On the cloth being drawn, Sir Tonman proposed the healths of the Queen (Victoria), Prince and Princess of Wales and the Royal Family, which was most enthusiastically received.

The next toast was given by the Reverend Canon Ram, who said;- “I hope you will be somewhat forbearing with me this evening, although I shall endeavour to make all hear. I am quite aware that a great strain upon the voice is requisite for such a numerous assemblage, and especially under a tent.

At the same time, the circumstances under which we are met today would make anyone strive to use every effort for the occasion. I do not for one moment expect I can do justice to the toast of the day, which is entrusted to me… Long life, prosperity and happiness to our host (Loud cheers) But permit me to add I am sure it gives us all very great pleasure to see Sir Tonman in his proper place, and that it is at the head of a large and opulent tenantry. Indeed such a sight as the present is a truly English one, for now can be seen at one view the real backbone of our country, viz., the agriculturists and landlords side by side”.

This was drunk most cordially, the band playing’Musical Honours’ and the ‘Fine Old English Gentleman’.

SIR TONMAN MOSLEY then rose and addressed the company as friends, neighbours and tenants, stating that he was much obliged to his friend the Reverend Canon Ram, for the kind manner in which he had proposed his health. He could scarcely find words to express his feelings. The Canon had spoken of him as a proud landlord, and indeed he was proud as anyone could be of such a respectable and honourable tenancy (Cheers) He trusted he would always be proud of his tenancy, but not proud of himself (Cheers) Such gatherings as the present were a source of great pleasure to him. Landlords and tenants to be successful must pull together. Although he wished to avoid politics he could not let the opportunity slip. There had just been an election, and he was proud to see on the present occasion voters of both sides, for he always wished his tenants to vote according to their consciences (Loud cheers)

He would be very sorry to use undue influence with anyone; and he might safely add that when he met a tenant, it never entered his head as to the political opinions of that tenant (Cheers) At the same time he would add that if a tenant were undecided in his political opinions he considered the landlord was the best tutor for him. He would never canvass, and he trusted that now the Ballot Act was passed the old system of canvassing would become a thing of the past. Again, he thought landlords should not endeavour to influence their neighbours’ tenantry in such matters (Cheers)

With respect to the Game Laws, he had faith to believe that tenants would always protect sufficient game for the sons of their landlord.

Landlords had brought the punishment on themselves by binding their tenants under such severe restrictions and having the produce greatly damaged by the game.(Cheers)

Lastly there was a cry for long leases. He was against treating land as a commercial commodity. In such cases the land would be given to the highest bidder under stringent leases, and do away with all the good feeling that had previously existed. He would conclude by proposing all their healths coupled with the name of Mr Holbrook, their esteemed steward (Cheers.) He asked for the latter gentleman to be excused standing as he was suffering from the effect of an accident.

MR HOLBROOK said that he was very pleased to hear Sir Tonman Mosley explain his views with respect to landlord and tenant so clearly. A good understanding put them on a firm footing for years to come(Cheers) He had the honour to propose the healths of Mr and Mrs Mosley, and congratulate them on the occasion of their marriage, and to take the opportunity of presenting him with the offerings of the tenantry of Rolleston, Needwood and Tutbury.

These had taken the form of a beautiful timepiece, silver tankard, and silver tea and coffee service. He concluded by asking the company to drink long live and happineass to Mr. and Mrs. Mosley.

This was immediately followed with musical honours.

OSWALD MOSLEY, Esq. was received with loud cheers. He thanked all of them for the presents they had so kindly given Mrs. Mosley and himself on the event of their marriage. He was sorry that his wife was unable, through illness, to be present that day. His father, however, had given him a cordial invitation to Rolleston Hall, which he should from time to time accept, especially in the hunting season (Cheers)

He was sorry that last year he was not so frequently in the field, but the fact was hunting did not agree with love-making (Cheers) He added that he was not an orator, but they would accept the best thanks of himself and wife for the kind manner in which their health had been proposed and received.(Loud cheers)

The next toast was given by the CHAIRMAN, who said, “Gentlemen, it falls upon my lot to propose the Bishop and Clergy, coupled with the Rev. Canon Ram, our worthy Rector. He was not going too far when he said, that the Canon had, by his assiduous work made himself many friends in Rolleston and neighbourhood (Cheers) He had learned from many sources of the efficacy of the rector’s service among the tenantry, who was in that position that he could serve them both spiritually and temporally. He had known him ever since he could remember, hence he claimed him as one of his oldest friends”.

The above toast was then drunk with cheers and musical honours.

The Rev. CANON RAM responded by stating that he was grateful to Sir Tonman for the kind manner in which he had proposed his health. He went on to say that the baronet had done him justice when he said that ‘best intentions were not wanting in his work’ (Cheers) He referred to his old associations with Rolleston, how that some years before Sir Tonman could remember, he spent many happy hours fishing in Rolleston brook with the late squire, the host’s brother. It was owing to the kindness of Sir Oswald that he now held the position of Rector of Rolleston. Such a position naturally brought pleasant and unpleasant remembrances. During the five years he had been amongst them as their pastor, he trusted he had served them faithfully, and he hoped all good feelings and blessings would continue to crown the hall, church, and yes, and every house in the parish, as proof of God’s mercies to them.(Hear hear). There were persons now- a -day who tried to separate classes, but he considered such meetings as the present one went far to put down their evil attempts, He must, however, conclude, but when once on his feet and among his friends, he was like the Irishman who was asked the secret of being such a good speaker, I put my heart to the tip of my tongue, and then I can’t help it. He must, however, say one word more, and that was something which was very pleasing to them, viz., to propose the health of Lady Mosley (Loud cheers). He knew it would be well received. The tenantry had only to look at her, and then listen, and they might rest assured that her influence with Sir Tonman was always used when required on their behalf. Indeed all of them would be very poor creatures without their wives, daughters and sisters. He then, amidst loud cheers, proposed ‘The health and happiness of the Lady Mosley, as wife and consort of Sir Tonman Mosley, Bart’. (Loud cheers)

After musical honours had been accorded, Sir Tonman rose, and in a short humorous address, thanked them on behalf of his lady, whom he had on this occasion deserted for the first time in her life; she had declined to thank his friends for their good wishes. He trusted she had not made up her mind to desert him altogether (Renewed cheers) he quite agreed with the Canon as to the value of wives, and he trusted that all his friends present who had not entered the matrimonial state would immediately fix their attention on a suitable lady, and get married at once. (Cheers)

Dr. BELCHER then rose, and in a pithy speech proposed ‘The health of Tonman and Ernald Mosley Esqrs,’ the younger sons of their worthy host. He trusted the tenancy would fill their glasses and do their duty by the toast. (cheers and musical honours)

TONMAN MOSLEY Esq., replied as follows; The Reverend Canon Ram has made a pointed remark in his speech which has given me a new and very humble opinion of myself. He said “All men without wives were poor creatures, and still more so if they had no sisters or daughters” Now I have no wife, no sister no daughter, therefore pray pity me, for I must be a very poor creature indeed (Laughter and cheers.)

Again I can assure you I tremble in my shoes, for my father in his speech says thast the sooner men get wives the better for them; and I of course conclude from that he must have someone in his eye for me! I humbly offer you my sincere thanks for myself and my younger brother, and I trust you have all been happy and will spend the remainder of the day in perfect enjoyment. In a short time I hope to be called to the bar, and I ask you after I have so done to get into as many lawsuits as you possibly can and put a corresponding number of guineas into my pocket (Cheers.) One more point;-My ambition may induce me in course of time to become a candidate for your votes as a member of parliament. In that case I have no doubt all of you will give me your support, and place me at the head of the poll. I feel most deeply the honour which has conferred upon me is being entrusted to a toast which ought never to be left out, and is always received with great eclat. My toast, gentlemen is one you will all respond to most heartily, viz.,”The Ladies”(Cheers.) Gentlemen, they are our better halves, but dear me I must beg your pardon, as I ought to have said your better halves. Still I beg to propose the health of your wives, your daughters and your sisters. At the same time I think you will agree with me that an able orator by late reputation, is the fittest person to answer for those whose absence is our loss and whose health we shall drink most heartily (Cheers.) I therefore call upon Mr. Samuel Walker, who is considered an orator in this neighbourhood, to respond.

MR S. WALKER immediately rose and said he wished to contradict Mr. Tonman Mosley upon one point in his speech, viz., that of being an orator; and he thought the compliment of returning thanks might have been placed in abler hands, as he was suffering from overwork, the result of canvassing in company with Messrs. Higgot and Hopkins, when they had had many strange questions put to them relating to the gun tax, tenants rights, school boards, ladies as voters &c. But he must revert to the toast viz., “The Ladies” He had tried housekeeping and bachelorship for five years, but could endure it no longer, so took unto himself his better half, and had no hesitation in stating that it was the best day’s work of his life. He now had his slippers placed for him every evening, and his bed warmed when required, and many things which a bachelor could not expect, and did not deserve. He hoped that Mr Tonman would soon follow his example and so become a useful member of society.

SIR TONMAN next proposed the healths of the master workmen who had been employed at the hall during it’s restoration, coupled with the name of MR GILES, who responded as follows- Gentlemen- this is indeed a very happy gathering through the generosity of Sir Tonman. He has spared no trouble or pains to secure a pleasant afternoon for us, and I can safely add that during the restoration of the hall, it has been his constant endeavour to make all who were employed on the works very comfortable. He (Mr Giles) had never undertaken a work that had given him so much pleasure, and it mainly arose from the frankness and generosity of their noble employer. He begged to offer the best thanks of his co-workers for the manner in which their healths had been proposed and received, and he trusted Sir Tonman and her Ladyship would live for many many years to enjoy it’s beauties, conveniences and pleasures (Loud cheers.)

Music and songs now became the order of the evening, among which we noticed ” The Old English Gentleman” by Messrs. M and S Walker ; Turn of the tide” by Mr. Pakeman; “John Barleycorn” by Mr. G Hanson: “Paddy’s courtship” or “The Whistling thief by Mr. Strutt; Men of Merry England”, by Mr. Hodgkinson; and “Nought else to do” by Mr.Greatorex. The latter was highly amusing and well executed, and caused great laughter.

The company broke up about half past seven o’clock after singing the National Anthem.

We need scarcely add that the afternoon was spent in a most enjoyable manner and nothing was wanting to add to their happiness that money would procure.

The oldest parishioner of Rolleston who was present said that he “had never seen such doings in all his life.” We trust such gatherings may become more frequent, and may we add annual ones. Sir Thomas kindly threw his grounds and gardens open, and was lustily cheered by his tenantry from the marquee to the mansion.

The following day, the workmen, numbering 165, were invited to dinner, which was equally sumptuous to that of the previous day The “Roast Beef of Old England” was punished by a class of men who well know how to do their duty with a knife and fork , accompanied with copious draughts of nut-brown ale , and fine selections of music which on such occasions improve the appetite and assists digestion. No comment is needed as to the justice they did to the good things.
After the cloth was drawn,

SIR TONMAN briefly proposed the healths of the Queen and Royal Family.

THE REVEREND CANON RAM, after a telling speech, proposed the healths of Sit Tonman Mosley, Bart., the Lady Mosley, and |Mr. And Mrs. Mosley, to which the worthy baronet responded, followed by Mr. Mosley and Mr. Tonman Mosley.

On the retirement of Sir Tonman Mosley from the chair, speeches and songs followed in rapid succession. A little momentary unpleasantness was occasioned at times by two or three amateurs endeavouring to give their fellow workmen a specimen of their musical prowess simultaneously . Of course this created much mirth, and the cases had to be referred to the chair, which was now ably filled by Tonman Mosley Esq.

MR BRATT made a speech which will not be easily forgotten by those who had the advantage of listening to his oratory.

The proceedings came to a close by the chairman expressing his best thanks to them for their excellent conduct during the afternoon, and trusted they had all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, leading them to believe this was only the first of similar entertainments. The marquee was momentarily filled with loud cheers and good wishes for their noble master.

On Thursday a large company of visitors were invited to an entertainment, and to witness the sports of the Rolleston, Tutbury and Anslow schools whom the liberality of Sir Tonman Mosley would not permit to be overlooked. The following were amongst the number; Sir Henry Every, The Masters Every, Rev. Rowland and Mrs Mosley and family, the Rev. Canon, Lady Jane and the Misses Ram, Mrs Stone, Mrs.Fox, Miss Isobel Mosley, Miss Penelope Mosley, the Misses Bott (3) Miss Wearg, , Mr/ and Mrs. Willoughby Wood,, Mr. and Mrs Wm. Bott, Mr and Mrs Rumboldt, Mr. and Mrs. N Curzon, and the Masters Ewart.

Also the annexed were among the number as resident at the Hall for the week; Mr. Mosley of Beaumaris, Anglesea, Miss Foster, Miss Halliwell, Miss Rigby, mr & Mrs Campbell, Mr. Lucas Broadhurst, Mr Lindesay Young, &etc.

The Rolleston and Anslow children arrived first, and were conducted through the gardens. At two o’clock the Tutbury children, under the control of the Rev. H. Clunn, Miss Bray and Mr. Parrick, started from their respective schools, the route being by High Street and Burton Street. The youths belonging to the Endowed School halted at the residence of Miss Mosley (Sir Tonman’s sister) and sang “The Red, White and Blue” and “Musical Honours” in a highly creditable style, under the able guidance of their respected master, Mr. Parrick. Many of the inhabitants turned out to listen to the songs and witness the procession of the children who were bent on an afternoon’s pleasure.

Miss Mosley very kindly thanked the master, teachers, and pupils for their courtesy. The girls, who waited in the Burton-street during this show, now proceeded in excellent order towards Rolleston, amidst cheers of the crowd. On approaching the Hall Gardens, it was understood by the excessive “Hurrahs” that it was a gala afternoon at Rolleston. Mr. Buck met them at the reservoir, and led them through most refreshing shady walks through in the garden, and finally to the front of the Hall, explaining, as they proceeded, the various orchard and hot-houses, with their uses. He earned and received many hearty thanks by his thorough and genuine kindness from both teachers and scholars. In about ten minutes they took their places on the croquet ground for singing. The company quickly congregated around the little band to hear the following songs which were executed in such excellent tune and time that praises were awarded in all directions:

  • God Bless The Prince of Wales
  • The Spider and The Fly
  • The Red, White and Blue
  • Work

Musical Honours followed with the words:

Sir Tonman is our faithful friend,
And that we all do know,
He always helps us cheerfully,
Which nobody can deny,
The Lady Mosley we do thank,
For all her kindnesses,
We wish them every happiness,
And so say all of us.

SIR TONMAN MOSLEY expressed his best thanks to Mr. Parrick and gave orders for the pupils to be conducted to the Park , in which the following games were prepared;- Cricket, Football, Bag racing, pole climbing, wheelbarrow races etc., Prizes were awarded by various gentlemen who witnessed the sports. Mr. Tonman Mosley superintended the cricketing, while Mr. Mosley undertook the racing and Mr. Ernald the football.

At five o’clock the bell rang for tea, to which they immediately responded. Mr. White, butler, was exceedingly kind throughout the evening, and most anxious to do everything possible for the enjoyment and comfort of the children. Many thanks are due to him for his attention. Grace having been sung, they set to work in earnest to clear the tables of the tempting eatable commodities, consisting of buns, ginger bread, plum cake, preserves, grapes, currants, gooseberries &c. Half an hour sufficed to see the end of this department.

After the Grace had been sung, Sir Tonman entered the marquee, accompanied by the Lady Mosley and The Rev. Canon Ram.

The Reverend Canon, in speaking to the children assembled asked them whom they had to thank for their tea. Their answer was “God.” The rev. gentleman said it was a very good answer, and he was glad to hear them award the praise to God. He then asked who they were next indebted to. Their answer was “Sir Tonman.” He gave them good advice, in which he cautioned them against bad company, and concluded by asking for three cheers for Sir Tonman and Lady Mosley, which was given in a thoroughly English style. Mr Tonman, in a short address, informed the children of the very great pleasure it afforded Lady Mosley and himself to meet them in such pleasing circumstances. He had invited them to tea and games to commemorate the restoration and improvements to his residence, Rolleston Hall. He had trusted that they would all be good children, not only for that afternoon, but for many future ones. He was glad to see such a goodly number present but was sorry to be obliged to hear that some were absent, not being allowed to come through irregular attendance at school. He went on to show that as a rule the parents were the cause of the irregularity, and it was greatly deplored that in these enlightened times they did not take a far greater interest in the future welfare of their children. A child now-a-days without education was no-where in the world. Again he was proud to refer to the fact that in each of the schools present instructions in the Holy Bible formed part of the daily routine. He remembered well the words of his father to the effect that school instruction was quite valueless without it was based on God’s word and he should use his influence to maintain those principles. “Shut out the Bible from the school and you will undermine it’s true utility.” He thanked the teachers for the excellent discipline which their children exhibited, and concluded by trusting that this meeting was only a fore runner of many similar ones. (Loud cheers.)

The children then sang several songs and dispersed to enjoy the several amusements prepared for them. At a later hour dancing commenced in good earnest, and was kept up till dusk. Mrs. Smythe, the Anslow schoolmistress,collected her little band the first, and they were well attended by the gentry, previous to their departure, with nuts and biscuits. Later on the Tutbury schools were arranged in front of Mr. Stagg’s quadrille band, and after musical honours for their host and hostess, sang the National Anthem. Mr. Parrick addressed the children, and thanked Sir Tonman and Lady Mosley for their great kindness, and trusted Mr. And Mrs. Mosley would follow in their worthy parents’ footsteps especially with regard to the aid they most generously bestowed on the schools . He concluded by calling for cheers for the above. On arriving at Tutbury, they proceeded to the residence of Miss Mosley and sang a song or two, after which the order was given to dismiss. The Rolleston children, under their efficient master and mistress Mr Eley and Miss Ellis, were dispersed later on in the evening. Such a day’s enjoyment has seldom, if ever, been accorded to these schools.

The following evening a ball was given. Through the liberality of Sir Tonman all the servants of the neighbourhood (200) were invited to the hall. Carriages arrived in rapid succession at eight o’clock, and the respective occupants were escorted to the cloak room by Mr. White. Tea and coffee were set out in the smoke room, and all new arrivals were invited to refresh themselves preparatory to the dance. At nine o’clock the strains of Mr. Stagg’s efficient quadrille band were heard, and a general movement was made towards the saloon, which was in itself worthy of a visit. It was illuninated with two sun lights, and as the company arrived in their various coloured costumes the effect was exceedingly pretty. This room was most tastefully decorated with flowers, evergreens. flags and shields under the able superintendence of Mr. Buck.

The motto “Mos Legem Regit” came out most prominently on the North Wall. The floor deserves a word of notice, being of the very best oak, polished, all of which has been grown on the Rolleston Estate. The stewards of the evening were Tonman Mosley, Esq., and Mr. White, who were quite at home with their duties.

At a quarter past nine o’clock the ball was opened by Mr. Kirk and the Lady Mosley, followed by Tonman Mosley, Esq., and Mrs. Stevens. About 150 joined in this, it being the well known country dance “Triumph”. Mr Cornish’s perfect mastership of the cornet deserves special mention.

The next was a Polka in which Mr. Joseoh Barton had the honour of dancing with her Ladyship. The following was the programme which was well carried out, and a Scotch Reel or two were added by special request :-

  • Country dance “Triumph”
  • Polka “Sultan”
  • Country dance “Valse”
  • Schottische “Moldovian”
  • Quadrille “Christmas Echoes”
  • Polka “Jolly Dogs”
  • “Pop Goes the Weasel”
  • Galop “Cliquot”
  • “Spanish Valse”
  • “Patanella”
  • “Scotch Reel”
  • Country dance “Tempete”
  • “Polka”
  • Country dance “Haste to the wedding”
  • “Galop”
  • “Lancers”
  • “Sir Roger de Coverley”

At one o’clock the company sat down to an excellent supper, which was set out in the marquee. The tables were laden with good things, and bore ample proof that the week’s festivities had not drained the vineries. Grace having been sung, about half an hour was occupied with toasts.

Mr. Abby proposed the healths of Sir Tonman, the Lady Mosley, and mr. And Mrs, mosley, which was responded to by Tonman Mosley Esq,.who asked for a little fore bearance as it was the fourth speech he had been credited with in the past few days .

He said that nothing would have given his father greater pleasure than to have been present on this occasion, but lameness prevented him. He hoped they would all thoroughly enjoy themselves and dance to their hearts content, He concluded by proposing the health of all his father’s servants, who had been most severely taxed with over work during the week, coupled with the name of his esteemed friend, Mr. White,

This was drunk most cordially with musical honours, led by Mr. Parrick,

MR. WHITE acknowledged the compliment in an able manner.

After Mr. Stagg had said a few words on behalf of the visitors, the company, like giants refreshed, returned to the charge, and the small hours of the morning smiled on the throng. Slowly and reluctantly the company broke up to return to their homes by the morning light, and to regret the fleeting haste of our old enemy, Time.

On Saturday about 100 of the old parishioners were invited to tea on the lawn. Various amusements were engaged in and the garden and grounds thrown open.
Thus ended a weeks festivities, the like of which has never been seen by the present generation of Rolleston.

We conclude our report by by sincerely wishing that the worthy owner and his lady will live long to enjoy each other’s friendship in their princely mansion.


 

 

1857 White’s Directory of Derbyshire

In the early 1800s, a number of publishers produced county directories, a sort of forerunner of the Yellow Pages, which have become a valuable source of historic information. Among the most popular were Bradshaw & Parsons Directory of Staffordshire, Bagshaw’s Derbyshire Directory and White’s Directory of Derbyshire.

Below is an extract from the 1857 Whites’s Directory of Derbyshire. Burton upon Trent, at this time lying in both Staffordshire and Derbyshire with the county line being formed by the river Trent, appeared in the Derbyshire edition. It was organised by Town and each was described in some detail so providing an invaluable record. The Burton upon Trent entry is fully transcribed below, surrounding townships were in separate sections, I have included Winshill as an example:

BURTON-UPON-TRENT is an extensive parish, principally in the Offlow Hundred, Staffordshire, and partly in Repton and Gresley Hundred, Derbyshire. The entire parish comprises 7 townships, viz. : Burton-upon-Trent, Burton Extra, Branstone, Horninglow, and Stretton, in Staffordshire, with Winshill, and part of Stapenhill, which are in Derbyshire, with about 10,000 acres of land, and in 1851 had 2,250 houses, and 12,373 inhabitants, of whom 6,189 were males, and 6,184 females. The manor of Burton-upon-­Trent, with several hamlets, was granted in the 37th Henry VIII. to an ancestor of the present Marquis of Anglesey, who is lord of the manor, principal owner of the soil, and te impropriator of the great tithes of the whole parish. The east and west sides of the parish swell gradually into hills, and have a strong red loamy soil, suitable for the growth of barley and wheat, the former of which is extensively cultivated, and sold to the numerous malting establishments at Burton. The rest of the land is chiefly meadow, forming rich loamly pastures, which are often flooded by the waters of the Trent and Dove, which latter flows on the north side of the parish.

A well-built market town of considerable antiquity, is pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Trent, which here flows in two broad streams, and is crossed by an ancient stone bridge of 36 arches, in the centre of which is a stone which marks the boundaries between the counties of Derby and Stafford. It is in 52o 53’ north latitude, and 1o 35’ west longitude, and is distant 11 miles S.W. of Derby, 13 miles N.E. of Lichfield, 24 E. of Stafford, and 125 N.W. of London by the road, and 129 by the railway. The town of Burton has been considerably improved during the last 25 years, several New Streets have been made, many old buildings removed, and handsome houses erected on the sites. The principal streets are, High Street, Horninglow Street, New Street, Station Street, Lichfield Street, and Bridge Street; the former is the principal thoroughfare, been well flagged and paved, and contains many handsome houses, shops, and excellent inns; it is of considerable length, and runs paralell with the river from north to south. In 1851, it had (including Burton Extra and part of Horninglow) 1604 inhabited houses, 50 uninhabited, and 22 building; with 7,934 inhabitants, of whom 3,943 were males, and 3,991 females. Burton has long been celebrated for the excellence of its ale, and immense quantities are sent to all parts of Great Britain, to many foreign countries, the East and West Indies, Australia, and to all parts of the world. During thc reign of the second Catherine of Russia, great quantities were exported to the Continent, it being the favourite beverage of that queen, but this trade was extin­guished by the Berlin Decree, which shut out our manufactures from the Continent, but the taste for pale ale has greatly increased in this country, and most of the brewers are now employed in supplying the home market. The first Brewery established here was in 1610, but 30 years ago the number was only 5, it is now 19; and a greater extent of business is done at some of the older establishments than was done by the whole town at that time. The superior properties of Burton ale is partly attributable to the excellent hard water which is obtained from the neighbouring hills; and Dr. Darwin ingeniously supposes that some of the saccharine acid in the malt combines with the calcareous earth of hard water, and forms a sort of mineral sugar, which is convertible into spirits. Most of the breweries have also very extensive malting establishments, the consumption of which during the season, 1855-56, amounted to 1,216,000 bushels, of which quantity 704,000 bushels were made in the town. The cotton spinning and power-loom weaving were carried on to a considerable extent by Messrs. Peel & Co. till within the last few years. One of the factories is now occupied by Mr. John Taverner, tape manufacturer; another is used as stores by the brewers, and the others are unoccupied. There are also three Iron foundries, and an Engineer and Millwright’s establishments here. The river Trent is Navigable for barges up to the town, and the canal, which connects that river with the Mersey, opens a water communication with all the principal towns in the kingdom. The town has several times been inundated by the Trent, particularly in the years 1771, 1792, 1795, and 1798, when most of the streets were laid under water.

The New Sewer, formed in 1843, is a very great improvement to the town of Burton, and has effectually removed those continual nuisances so detrimental to the health and com­fort of the inhabitants. Previous to the year 1788, High Street was not paved, nor had it a sewer of any kind, and the centre of the street was so low that it fanned a general receptacle for the refuse water from all the houses. At intervals, stepping stones were placed to enable persons to cross. In that year, an act of parliament was obtained for paving, repairing, cleansing, and lighting the town, and for removing and preventing nuisances, soon after which, a sewer of about two feet diameter was formed from the Bridge to High Street, but not being properly constructed, was continually stopping up for want of a regular fall. In 1843, however, it was determined to employ an engineer to see how far it was practicable to carry out the sewerage, so as effectually to drain the town; the result was satisfactory, and the Feoffees liberally responded to the wants of the town, by a grant of £400. The sewerage extends a distance of 2,159 yards, and the most sanguine expectations of the projectors have been fully realised. Each time a boat passes into the lock, which may be estimated at 12 times a day, the lock full of water is turned down the sewer, from Bond-end Wharf to the Bridge, by which means no filth can possibly accumulate, or offensive effiuvia be omitted.

The Town Hall, in the Market Place, is a commodious structure, created in 1772, by the late Lord Paget, father of the Marquis of Anglesey, the present owner of the manor, to whose ancestors it was granted in the reign of Henry VIII., and all such privileges, liberties, and franchises belonging to the same, as had heretofore been enjoyed by the abbots of Burton. In the exercise of these privileges, the lord of the manor appoints a steward and a bailiff, who retain their office during his pleasure. The steward presides as judge in a court for the recovery of debts under 40s., called the Genter’s Court. This court was judicially acknowledged by the Court of King’s Bench, on an informa­tion in the nature of a quo warranto, brought by the attorney-general in the reign of Queen Elizabeth against Thomas, then Lord Paget, who claimed the same as a prescrip­tive right in the abbots of Burton beyond the memory of man. The Genter’s court is held in the Town hall every third Friday, and has exclusive jurisdiction over the manor. The bailiff, John Richardson, Esq., in right of his office, is coroner; he has also a concurrent juriadiction with the county magistrates as a justice of the peace, but being a practicing attorney, he does not act in that capacity. In addition to the Genter’s court, the lord of the manor annually holds a Court leet and view of frank-pledge, at which the election of officers takes place, among whom are six decimers, and three constables. The Market is on Thursday. Here are four annual Fairs—held on Candlemas day, April 5, Holy Thursday, and October 22 to 29. The latter was granted by King John, and is noted for the sale of horses and cheese, A Hiring for servants is held on the Monday after New Michaelmas day, and a Feast on the nearest Sunday to Street Modeven’s day. Races were formerly held here, but have been discontinued some years.

The Gas Works, in Station Street, were erected in 1832 by a proprietary of £20 shareholders, at a cost of £2,500, and were leased at that time for a period of 21 years, to Mr. Samuel Sanders, since which period they have, by an act of parliament, come into the hands of the Town commissioners, who, in 1854, erected New works, in Anderstaff Lane, the original works having become too small for the requirements of the town. The Birmingham and Derby branch of the Midland railway has a convenient Station on the west side of the town, and communicates with the North and South Staffordshire, the Burton and Leicester and other lines.

The Bridge is the most interesting object of antiquity which the town possesses, and is supposed to have been erected by Bernard, Abbott of Burton, about the year 1174; others assign the erection to a much earlier period, Its zig-zag form stretches across the two steams of the Trent, and the adjoining low meadows, which are subject to inundation, a distance of 1,545 feet, and has 36 arches, three of which are entirely blocked up, and five more of them are only visited by the water in the time of floods, From its extreme narrowness and unnecessary length, many serious accidents have occurred, and it is a matter of consideration with the inhabitants how the danger shall be obviated. A battle was fought upon the bridge in 1322, when Edward III. obtained a decisive victory over the Earl of Lancaster; and it is supposed that the chapel which formerly stood at the end of the bridge was built to commemorate this victory. Mass was frequently said, in order to raise funds to defray the expenses of the bridge.

The Abbey appears to have been a place of some magnitude, from the few vestiges that are still to be seen. Tanner says: Ulfric Spot, finished and endowed, A.D. 1004, an abbey here for monks of the order of Street Benedict. It was dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary and Street Modoven, and valued 26th Henry VIII., at £267 14s. 5d. per annum. But on the record in the first fruit’s office, the yearly valuation of this monastery is given at £501 7s. The Abbey and its dependencies were exempt from all exactions, duties, and services, except trinodas necessitas, the erection of fortresses and bridges, the repairing of highways, and the repelling of invasions. The abbot and convent surrendered this house Nov. 14th, 1539, and in 1541, Henry VIII, who, after robbing it of part of its estates, refounded it as a Collegiate Church, dedicated to Jesus Christ and his mother Mary; and granted for their support, the manor of Burton, and thirteen other manors, & Co., belonging to the monastery. This Church was but of short continuance, for it was dissolved in 1545, when all the lands and endowments of the same then worth £356 16s. 3d. per annum were conveyed by the said king to Sir William Paget, an ancestor of their present owner, the Marquis of Anglesey. The seal of this college is one of the most beautiful specimens of that style of engraving now extant. It represents our Saviour and his disciples at the last supper, with the arms of Ulfric, the founder, at the bottom. On the margin is a Latin inscription, signifying it to be.

The common seal of the dean and chapter of the collegiate church of Christ, at Burton-upon-Trent. Several abbots, at different periods, were re­turned as members of parliament, and they were empowered to hold a weekly market, collect tolls, and institute fairs. The Church was a handsome structure, 228 feet long and 52 feet wide, ornamented with an elegant tower at each end. The cloisters measured 100 feet square. Portions of the walls are still visible near the present Church, and the dormitory, fraytor, and all the other buildings, were on a scale of proportionable magnitude. The anicient mansion called the Abbey House is said to have been that part of the building which formed tbe private residence of the abbot, it is now occupied and held on lease by Thomas Thornewill, Esq., who has, at great expense nearly restored it to its pristine beauty, which had been destroyed by modern additions and repairs. The porter’s lodge is now converted into a blacksmith’s shop, and fragments of the wall which surrounded the abbey and its extensive gardens may still be seen. There are two other houses in the grounds, called the Priory and the Manor; the latter is occupied by the Marquis of Anglesey’s agent.

The Parish Church, dedicated to Street Modwen, is a handsome structure with a fine tower and was built in 1720, on the site of the ancient Church, which had been greatly dilapidated during the parliamentary war. It has 8 bells, a set of musical chimes, and a good organ, erected in 1771. The Churchyard is now very spacious, 1½ acres of land on the margin of the Trent being added in 1830, by the Marquis of Anglesey. Several stone coffins have been dug up; one of which is placed in an upright position, on the margin of the Trent, and a lid ornamented with rude sculpture is placed against the wall on the south side of the Church. The Marquis of Anglesey is impropriator and patron of the living, which is a perpetual curacy, but is now called a vicarage, value £192; the Rev. Samual Stead, M.A., incumbent.

Holy Trinity Church, Horninglow Street, is a beautiful edifice, in the florid Gothic style of architecture. It is partly built of brick cemented so as to correspond with the stone buttresses, pinnacles, and other ornamental portions of the building. The interior is exceedingly neat and has a richly foliated Gothic window of stained glass, with representa­tions of Street Peter and the four evangelists. It was built in 1824, by the executors of the late Isaac Hawkins, Esq., at a cost of £7,000, and will accommodate about 1,000 hearers; 700 sittings are free. There is an endowment of about £80 per annum from Queen Anne’s bounty, and from a small sum in the funds from other sources. The Marquis of Anglesey is the patron, and the Rev. Peter French, M.A., is the incumbent.

Christ Church, New Street, is an elegant cruciform structure in the early English style, with a tower surmounted by an elegant spire. It was consecrated in September, 1844, and was built at a cost of £2,750, raised by private subscriptions and a grant from the In­corporated Society for building churches. It has 600 sittings on the ground floor, and 400 in the galleries, and the whole of the sittings both free and appropriated, have carved stall ends; but the latter have small low doors. The living is a perpetual curacy, value £200 in the patronage of the vicar, and the incumbency of the Rev. William Morgan, B.A., who resides at the parsonage, a neat house in the Tudor style, erected between the church and its schools. Catholic Chapel, Guild Streetreet, is a neat brick building, erected a few years ago, the Rev. Thomas Telford is the priest.

Independent Chapel, High Street, occupies the site of a nonconformist meeting-house, built in 166l, when the Rev. Thomas Bakewell was ejected from the rectory of Rolleston. This chapel, however, was rebuilt about 80 years ago. The present edifice is in the Gothic style, and was rebuilt in 1842, at a cost of £2,200. The front is of hewn stone, and has a large window of beautiful proportions, filled with Gothic tracery which gives it a chaste and noble appearance. The interior fittings are all of oak, and it will seat 600 persons. The Rev. Daniel Horscraft is the pastor. The Wesleyan Chapel, Horninglow Street is a neat brick building, rebuilt in 1813; it is neatly fitted up with galleries, and the body of the chapel has been recently pewed; attached to it are two neat houses for the ministers. The Particular Baptist Chapel, Station Street, was erected in 1793, and was considerably en­larged and beautified with a Grecian portico, in 1842, at a cost of £1,150. The General Baptist Chapel, Burton Extra, was opened in 1825; Zion Chapel, (General Baptists) Union Street, was erected 1855; it is a handsome brick building, capable of seating 600 persons. The Primitive Methodist Chapel, Station Street, is a neat brick building, erected in 1829. And the Wesleyan reformers have a small chapel in George Sunday Schools are attached to all the churches and chapels, and are numerously attended.

The Free Grammar School, Friar’s walk, adjoining the church-yard, was founded in 1520, by William Beyne, Abbot of Burton, who built a school house on ground belonging to the Abbey. The endowment consists of a farm of 120 acres at Orton-on-the-Hill, in Leices­tershire, let for £250 a year, and 111 acres of land at Breaston, let for £202 per annum. The head masteter receives two-thirds of the rents arising from the lands, and the second master one-third. The former has also £3, and the lattir £6 a year, from the bequest of Elizabeth Paulett. The school is free to sons of parishioners, with preference to those who apply for classical instruction. The number is limited to 65. The present school was built in 1834, atthe cost of £600. It contains an ancient carved oak desk, supposed to have been in use ever since the foundation of the school. The Rev. Henry Day is Head master, and Mr. Henry Hodson, second master.

Allsopp’s Charity School is endowed with land now let for £24 per annum; left by Rd. Allsopp, in 1728, for the instruction of 30 poor boys. Six of the scholars are clothed out of the rents of the land now let for £6 a year, left by Francis Astle, in 1735. The feofees of the Town Lands are trustees of this school and the 30 poor boys are now instructed at the large and handsome National Schools, (Christ Church) Church street, erected in 1844, at the cost of about £1000. They form a handsome building in the Tudor style, and will accommodate about 400 children; the average attendance is 130 boys, and about the same number of girls, and 100 infants.

The National Schools, (Holy Trinity) Horninglow Street, were built by subscription, in 1827, and are supported by voluntary contributions; about 100 boys and 70 girls receive instruction; and an Infant school was erected in 1846, by subscriptions, and a grant of £100 from the National Society, in Anderstaff Lane, the average attendance is about 95.

The British Schools, Guild Streetreet, were built in 1843, on land given by the Marquis of Anglesey, at the cost of about £900, raised by subscriptions, and a Parliantentry grant of £274 12s. 19d. They are substantial buildings, and comprise a good house for the master and mistress, and two spacious rooms for about 160 boys and 100 girls.

The Burton Literary Society, High Street, commenced in 1844, has a reading room and a library of about 1,100 volumes on various scientific and interesting subjects. It is supported by a subscription of 20s. per annum from the first class, and a quarterly subscrip­tion of 2s. 2d. from the second class, and 5s. per annum the third class. The former have the privilege of attending the reading room at all hours of the day, the other from 5 o’clock in the evening until 10; but the latter have only the use of the library. The reading room is well supplied with London and provincial newspapers, and the most popular periodicals of the day; Mr. S. Simnett, Secretary and Librarian.

Natural History Society and Museum, High Street, established in 1842, contains a valuable collection of British and foreign birds, insects, fishes, fossils, minerals, and antiquities. This interesting exhibition is at all times open to the public free.

The Self-supporting Dispensary, in High Street, is a valuable institution, established in 1830, by which means the poor have the best medical and surgical aid, for the small charge of a 1d. a week, and also the privilege of choosing their own surgeon. The total receipts for the year ending Oct. 31, 1855, was £657 7s. 6d. The disbursements £653 16s. 3d. Mr. Thomas Ash is the dispenser.

The Savings’ Bank, established in 1818, is held at the Town Hall, which is open every Saturday, from 2 to 3 o’clock. The amount of deposits for the year ending 20th Nov. 1855, was £36,078 1s. 8d., and the number of depositors 1,352, of whom 24 were charitable and 29 friendly societies. The respective balances of 763 depositors did not exceed £20. 354 not exceeding £50, 131 not exceeding £100, 37 which did not exceed £150, 13 not exceeding £200, and 1 which exceeded that sum. William Coxon, actuary.

The Permanent Library, at Mr. R. R. Bellamy’s, Bridge Street, was commenced in 1838; it is supported by a number of shareholders and upwards of 70 subscribers, and contains 2000 volumes. The shares are £10 each, and an annual subscription of 16s. Subscribers, not being shareholders, pay 21s. a year.

Young Men’s Christian Association, Guild Streetreet, established about 11 years ago, has a reading room, and library containing about 1,400 volumes. Mr. John W. Lomas, Secretary.

Petty Sessions are held every Tuesday, at the County Court House, and Police, Station, Station Street. The magistrates for the district are—Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart., Robt. John Peel, Esq., Michael Thomas Bass, Esq., M.P., John Bott, Esq., Charles Walter Lyon, Esq., and Henry Allsopp, Esq. Mr. Jno. Thornewill, clerk to the magistrates; Jno. Anderson, inspector of police; here are also two constables.

The Stamp Office, High Street, is at Mr. Samuel Whitehead’s; it is open from nine to five o’clock.

The Inland Revenue and Corn Returns’ Office, Market Place; Mr. Ambrose Martin, supervisor.

The New Small Debts Act, or County Courts.This important act, which superseded the Court of Requests, came into operation on the 15th March, 1847.

Burton-upon-Trent County Court is held at the Court House, Station Street, Monthly, and the district comprises the following places:Anslow, Barton Blount, Barton-­under-Needwood, Branstone, Bretby, Burton Extra, Burton-upon-Trent, Castle Gresley, Catton, Caldwell, Church Broughton, Church Gresley, Coton in the Elms, Drakelow, Dunstall, Egginton, Foston and Scropton, Hanbury, Hatton, Hilton, Hoon, Horninglow, Linton, Lullington, Marston-upon-Dove, Milton, Newton Solney, Osleston, Repton Rolleston, Rosliston, Stanton and Newhall, Stapenhill, Stretton, Sutton-on-the-Hill, Swadlincote, Tatenhill, Thurvaston (Upper), Tutbury, Walton-upon-Trent, Wichnor, Winshill. J. T. Cantrell, Esq., Judge Philip Hubbersty, Esq., Wirksworth and John Thornewill, Esq., Burton-upon-Trent, registrars. George Ley, High bailiff, Burton-­upon-Trent.

THE BURTON-UPON-TRENT POOR LAW UNION, formed in 1837, comprises 53 parishes and townships, of which 40 are in Derbyshire and 13 in Staffordshire, with an area of 90,652 acres of land, and a population of 31,843 souls. The following is an enumera­tion of the parishes and townships in the county of Derby, viz: Ash, Barton Blount, Bearwardcote, Bretby, Burnaston, Castle Gresley, Catton, Caldwell, Church Broughton, Church Gresley, Coton-in-the-Elms, Dalbury with Lees, Drakelow, Egginton, Etwall, Findern, Foremark, Foston and Scropton, Hatton, Hilton, Hoon, Ingleby, Linton, Lul­lington, Marston-upon-Dove, Mickleover, Newton Solney, Osleston and Thurvastan, Rad­bourn, Repton, Rosliston, Stanton and Newhall, Stapenhill, Sutton-on-the-Hill, Swadlin­cote, Trusley, Twyford and Stenson, Walton-upon-Trent, Willington, and Winshill. The 13 parishes and townships in the county of Stafford are, Anslow, Barton-under-Needwood, Branstone, Burton-upon-Trent, Burton Extra, Dunstall, Hanbury, Horninglow, Rolleston, Stretton, Tatenhill, Tutbury, and Wichnor.

The Union Workhouse, erected in 1839, is a handsome brick building, ornmented with stone, situated at the west end of Horninglow Street. It was erected at a cost of £8,300, and, with an additional sum of £700 expended for furniture, will make a total of £9,000. It contains ample accommodation for 400 inmates, and is well ventilated and supplied with fittings of the most substantial character. The present number of in­mates is 165. William Coxon in clerk and superintendent registrar; Alex. and Jane Phillips, master and matron; William Freeman, schoolmaster, and Emma Oakden, schoolmistress; Robt. R. Bellamy, registrar of marriages; John Killingby, relieving officer and registrar of births and deaths for the South district; Gervase Smedley, relieving officer, and registrar of births and deaths for the North district: Richard Stone, Esq., of Derby, auditor; and John Dawson, porter. The following is a list of the surgeons : Robert Shirley, Belcher, Burton-upon-Trent district; Robt. John Bell, Mickleover; Benjamin Miller, Barton-under-Needwood; George Ambrose Cope, Etwall; H. Edwards, Tutbury; George Lowe, Rosliston; Arthur Hewgill, M.D., Repton; and Spencer Thomson, M.D., Gresley district. The average weekly cost of the in-door paupers for the half-year ending March, 1856, was 2s. 5¾d. for food, and 3½d. for clothing.

WINSHILL township and small village, upon a declivity 1½ miles E. by N. from Burton-upon-Trent. to which parish it belongs, contains 1,150 acres of fertile land, 88 houses and 405 inhabitants, of whom 196 were males and 209 females, in 1851; rateable value, £2,313. The Marquis of Anglesey is lord of the manor and principal owner. There is an extensive corn mill on the Trent bank, and a factory for manufacturing tape, occupied by Mr. John Taverner; also Bladon House, a respectable boarding school. This manor belonged to the monastery of Burton, and having been granted after the dis­solution to the first Lord Paget, is now the property of his descendant. The Anglesey Coal Company, established in 1856, have extensive collieries here, situated on the Burton and Ashby-de-la-Zouch road, 1¾ miles E. from the former, and 7¼ miles N.W. from the latter. The coal obtained here is of a superior quality for making coke for malting, and also for steel converting; it is likewise in great demand for household purposes. The men employed are assisted by a steam engine of 20 horses power. Messrs. Bond, Brailsford, Hunt, & Wigfall are the proprietors. In 1846, a small National school was built by subscription; it a neat brick building, and is licensed for divine service, as a Chapel of Ease to Holy Trinity. The Wesleyans have also a chapel here. (For Directory, see end of Burton.)

The Towns Lands consist of about 40 acres in small detached parcels, with several tenements, producing an income of £190 a year, including the rent of Finney’s close and the Workhouse garden. For a long period they have from time to time been conveyed together to trustees or feoffees, for the common benefit of the inhabitants of Burton. The feoffees are also entitled to the sum of £1,800, which has been accumulated from fines received on different renewals of leases for lives. The interest of this money, £84 a year, is applied with the other income. The rents of the town lands are collected by the town masters, (to whose office the constables of the preceding year, appointed at the Court-leet, succeed as a matter of course,) and are paid by them to the treasurer of the feoffees, at their general annual meeting, held annually on the 21st December.

CHARITIES,(under the management of the feoffees of the Town Lands). Mr. Finney gave a close in Anderstaff Lane, and directed the rents to be given in apprenticing yearly some poor boy. The close is let for £11 18s. 8d.

The Workhouse Garden, in Anderstaff Lane, is let for £5 8s. a year, in respect of which it had long been customary to furnish annually six coats for poor men, but the practice was discontinued about 30 years ago. The rent is carried to the general account of the town lands.

The Pavement House consists of a messuage, shop, two cottages, and 36 perches of land, the rents of which are appropriated by ancient usage to the reparation of the pave­ment of the inferior inhabitants in High Street.

The New Close is a piece of lands of about 20 acres, formerly part of the town moors. It is now let in leys or gates for depasturing cows, and the clear profits have been applied since 1815 for repairing the pavements in Burton and Bond End.

Daniel Watson, in 1779, left a stable, coach house, and stable yard, in Cat street, and directed the rents to be given to the poor on Whit-Monday.

Isaac Hawkins, in 1712, left £100 to be laid out in land, for the maintenance of some poor man in Burton. This legacy was expended in land called the Low Gate Piece, now let for £7 7s. a year.

Mrs. Almond’s gift. There appears to be no original writings respecting this charity. It consists of a farmhouse and 30A, of land at Aston, a close 6A. 2R, called Blackwells, at Rolleston, and an allotment in Horninglow of 1A. 1R. 19P. The rents amount to £71 18s. 8d. In addition to the above, there belongs to this charity a part of certain lands in Rolleston, which were received in exchange from Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart., for land belonging to this charity. The annual value of this land was £2 2s. a year, but through mistake the rents have been carried since the enclosure to the account of Parker’s almshouses. Of the above rents, £5 17s. is paid for weekly distribution of bread; £6 6s. to the poor of Horninglow, Stretton and Branston, in sums of 3s. each and under; and £29 17s. to the poor of Burton and Burton Extra, chosen by the feoffees in sums of 5s. each.

William Hawkins, in 1724, left a rent charge of £5 a year to be distributed in bread. This amount has for some time been paid, towards furnishing 12 poor women of Burton with gowns.

Richard Steele left a rent charge of 21s. per annum, which is divided equally be­tween the poor of Burton, Branston and Stretton.

Richard Caldwell, M.D., in 1582, left in trust with the bailiff of Lichfield £160, to be lent free of interest to clothiers of small wealth and ability, or else to other handicraft­men, dwelling in Burton-upon-Trent. The sum of £40 is lent from five years to five years, and the sum of £120 alternately, in four sums of £30, aud twenty of £6 for five years. The bailiffs of Lichfield go over to Burton at the time when the securities are to be renewed, and they receive applications for, and advance the loans.

The Almshouses in the Swine market, for five poor women, were founded by Elizabeth Paulett, in 1591. The endowment consists of 25A. 1R. 22P. of land at Fenny Bentley, and several dwellings and shops adjoining the almshouses, producing an annual sum of £81 17s. The same donor also bequeathed a rent charge of £10 a year, of which £1 is given to the almswomen, and the remainder as noticed, with the Grammar school. The rent charge was exchanged in 1795, for £333 6s. 8d., three-per cent. consols. Each of the inmates receive 6s. per week, paid quarterly, and a supply of coals out of the rents of the town lands.

Parker’s Almshouses, High Street, were founded in 1634, by Ellen Parker, who left £800 in trust to build 6 almshouses for 6 poor widows or old maids of Burton and Stretton. The property consists of buildings and land in Anderstaff Lane, Horninglow, and Rolleston, let for £54 5s. 3d. per annum. The inmates have each 4s. weekly, and about £6 added from the funds of the town lands.


LIST OF STREETS, & Co., BURTON-UPON-TRENT 1857

Abbey Street, High Street
Anderstaff Lane, Horninglow Street
Bank square, High Street
Bond End, Abbey Street
Bond Street, Green st
Bridge Street., Horninglow Street
Brook Street, Horninglow Street
Church Street, New Street
Cross Street., Station Street
Dale Street, Park Street
Derby Lane, Station Street
Duke Street., New Street
Fennell Street, High Street
Fleet Street, Abbey Street
Friar walk, Market Place
George Street, Guild Street
Green Street, Bond End
Guild Street., Horninglow Street
Hawkins Lane, Horninglow Street
High Street, Market Place
Horninglow Street., High Street
Lichfield road, Lichfield Street
Lichfield Street, High Street
Market Place, High Street
Moor Street, New Street
Mosley Street, Station Street
Orchard Street, New Street
Nelson Terrace, Station Street
New Street., High Street
Paget Street, Station Street
Park Street, High Street
Stanley Street, Mosley Street
Station Street, High Street
Union Street, Station Street
Victoria Crescent, Horninglow Road
Wellington Street, Derby Lane

MISCELLANY, consisting of Gentry, Clergy, Partners in Firms, and others not arranged in the classification of Trades and Professions.

Post Office, High Street; Mr. John Whitehurst, postmaster.

Letters arrive from:
Derby, Leeds, & Co., (1st mail) at 1 a.m., (2nd mail) at 11 a.m.
London and all parts, (1st mail) at 2 30 a.m., (2nd mail) at 1 p.m.

Letters despatched to:
Birmingham, Tamworth, & Co., at 10 15 am.
Derby, Leeds, & Co., at 12 noon.
London, and all parts, at 10 p.m.

Money Order Office, open from 9 to 6 o’clock.
Branch Post Office, at William Peace’s, Victoria crescent.


BURTON UPON TRENT DIRECTORY 1857

Adams Mr. Edmund, Station Street
Alcock Edward scripture reader, Horninglow Street
Allen Charles, clerk, Station Street
Allen Francis Chawner, clerk, Lichfield Road
Allen James, clerk, Station Street
Allen John, brushmaker, New Street
Allsopp Henry, Esq., High Street
Atkins Michael, coach builder, Station Street

Bagnall Ann, furrier, Horninglow Street
Ballard William, manager of gas works, Anderstaff Lane
Barratt & Son, gun makers, High Street
Batkin Henry, cutler, High Street
Baxter Mr. Benjamin, Horninglow Street
Bell Adam, clerk, Lichfield Street
Bennett Edwin, joiner, & Co.; Cross Street
Birch Mrs. Sarah, Bank square
Birkin Chamberlain, horse breaker, Guild Street
Bishop Mr. William, Station Street
Bladon James, lessee of the market, and inspector of weights & measures, Market Place
Booth Mrs. Mary, Horninglow Street
Bloor John, cooper, High Street
Brooks Moreton, gents., Lichfield Road
Broster George, tripe dresser, High Street
Brown Henry, bank manager, High Street
Bryan Jesse, slater, Anderstaff Lane

Carter Mrs. Elizabeth, Station Street
Carter Thomas, coml. trav., Abbey Street
Chappells John, national schoolmster, Station Street
Chatterton John, pawnbroker, Union Street
Child John, inland revenue officer, Horninglow Street
Clark Henry, timber & Co. merchant, The Priory
Cliff James, engineer, High Street
Cooke Mark, agent, Horninglow Street
Cox Thomas, clerk, Union Street
Coxon James, clerk, Guild Street
Crichley Rev. Thomas, curate of Christ Church, Union Street

Davies Rev. Samuel, (baptist) Alma house
Dawson John, porter, Workhouse
Day Rev, Henry, headmaster grammar school, Lichfield Street
Dilworth Richard, station master, (M. R.) Station Street

Earp Thomas, agent, Horninglow Street
Farmer Mrs. Ellen, Brook Street
Ford Miss Ann, Horninglow Street
Franklin William, dyer, New Street
French Rev. Peter, M.A., incumbent of Holy Trinity, Horninglow Street

Gates Mrs. Elizabeth, Lichfield Street
George John Joseph, building surveyor, Nelson Terrace
Goer Thomas, cheese factor, High Street
Gorton Thomas, assistant overseer, Mosley Street
Govan Andrew, farm bailiff, Station Street
Green Rev. Walter, curate of Trinity Church Union Street
Gregg Rev. John Robert, curate, Market Place
Gretton Miss Fanny, Horninglow Street
Gretton John, Esq., High Street
Grundy Richard, inland revenue officer, Horninglow Street

Hales Thomas, commercial traveller, Station Street
Hanson Thomas, bird preserver and fishing tackle maker, High Street
Hanson Mr. John Nicholas, Station Street
Harris Edward, brewer; Lichfield Road
Harris Mr. William, High Street
Haywood Rev. George, (reform) George Street
Heafield Thomas, clerk, Station Street
Healey John, clerk, Station Street
Hill John, brewer, Lichfield Road
Hill William, clerk, Station Street
Hill Robert, commercial traveller, Station Street
Hodgson Stanley, surveyor of taxes, Guild Street
Hodson Miss Ann, Horninglow Street
Hodson Henry, 2nd master Grammar school, Station Street
Hodson Mr. Thomas, High Street
Holloway Mr. Charles, Lichfield Road
Holmes Ed., assistant brewer, Horninglow Street
Horscraft Rev. Daniel, (Ind.) High Street
Hunter John, joiner & Co., Duke Street

Jackson Mr. Henry, Horninglow Street
James Ezra, sup. brewer, Horninglow Street
Johnson Eliza, berlin wool and fancy repository, High Street
Jefford John, clerk, Horninglow Street
Johnson Miss Elizabeth, High Street
Jones William Esq., M.D., Lichfield Street

Keenan John, trav, draper, New Street
Kenney Rev. Richard, (baptist) Lichfield Road
Kent William, maltster, Horninglow Street
Killingley John, relieving officer and regr. of births and deaths, Horninglow Street

Lander Thomas, land agent, Manor House
Lathbury Miss Elizabeth, Nelson Terrace
Leigh Henry B., Esq., Hunter’s Lodge

Martin Ambrose, supervisor Inland revenue, Market Place
Martin William Shubrick, managing brewer, New Street
Massey Richard, brewer’s clerk, Mosley Street
Miller Mrs., Union Street
Mathews John, head brewer, High Street
Mayberry Richard M., clerk, High Street
Meakin Francis Lewis, brewer, Lichfield Street
Meakin George, brewer, Abbey Street
Merry Charles, accountant, Station Street
Moor Mrs., Horninglow Street
Morgan Rev. William, B.A., incumbent of Christ church, Church Street
Morris Samuel Coates, Esq., Bridge Street
Morris William, manager, Station Street
Mortimer Joseph, grocer’s manager, New Street
Moth John, Inland revenue officer, Station Street
Moulder Mrs. Elizabeth, Horninglow Street

Ordish Mrs. Ann, keeper of museum, High Street
Osborne William, clerk, Horninglow Street

Parsons Fredk. Joseph., wine & spirit merchant, High Street
Peel Street John, Esq., Lichfield Street
Pendleton William, brewer, High Street
Payne Mrs. Maria, High Street
Phillips Alex. and Jane, master & matron, Workhouse, Horninglow Street
Poyser Thomas, Esq., Horninglow Street
Pratt Joseph, fruiterer, High Street
Pratt Miss Sarah, High Street
Proudman John, manager at Burton Brewery Co., High Street

Radford Mr. James, Lichfield Street
Ratcliff Samuel, Esq., Horninglow Street
Richardson Mrs. Caroline, High Street
Richardson John, solicitor, high bailiff and coroner for the borough, High Street
Richardson Mrs. Mary, Station Street
Robinson Rhd., accountant, Horninglow Street
Robinson Thomas, clerk, Lichfield road
Robinson Thomas, brewer; h. High Street

Salloway Mr. Edward, Horninglow Street
Salt James, carrier to Derby, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, New Street
Saunders Mrs. Mary, Horninglow Street
Shardlow William, carriers agent, Station Street
Shipley Samuel, inland revenue officer, Mosley Street
Shreeve William Henry, inland revenue officer, Lichfield Street
Simnet John, temperance hotel, Union Street
Small William, solicitor, Lichfield Road
Smith David, clerk, Horninglow Street
Smith Robert Thomas, accountant, Cross Street
Stanley Miss Mary, Horninglow Street
Stanley Mr. William Day, High Street
Stanley William, painter, Market Place

Staton John, plaster, cement, and gypsum manufacturer, Park Street
Stubbs Mr. Solomon, Guild Street

Taylor Miss Frances, Horninglow Street
Taylor James, woodman, Abbey Street
Telford Rev. Thomas, Catholic Priest, Cross Street
Thompson John, brewer, Horninglow Street
Thornewill Robert, ironfounder, & Co.,  The Abbey
Townsend Mrs. Susannah, Station Street
Townsend William, clerk, Lichfield Road
Tranmer Rev. Francis T., (Wesleyan), Horninglow Street
Treace John, commercial traveller, Station Street
Trease Mr. John, Horninglow Street
Turton Henry, Engineer, Station Street

Wall Richard, highway overseer, Station Street
Warham John Robson, ironfounder, & Co., New Street
Whitehead Mrs. Cath., Lichfield Street
Williams Mr. David, Hawkins Lane
Whitehead Samuel, solicitor’s clerk, and stamp distributor, High Street
Wilson, Rev. John, (Wesleyan), Horninglow Street
Wilson Bateman, clerk, Horninglow Street
Wood Halder, managing brewer, Guild Street
Wright Joseph, ironfounder, and inventor of the patent reciprocating vertical fire bars, Horninglow Street
Wright Joseph George, librarian Young men’s Christian association; Guild Street
Wright Joseph, merchant’s clerk, High Street
Wyllie Stewart Eaton, brewer, Lichfield Street
Wyllie William, brewer; h. Lichfield road

Yates Mrs. Elizabeth, High Street


BURTON UPON TRENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY, 1857

ACADAMIES (Marked ** take Boarders).

British, Guild Street., Jas. Samble and Anne Standley
Cleaver Mary, Horninglow Street
Cooke Jane, Horninglow Street
Dunwell William, High Street **
Dyche Mary Ann, Bridge Street
Free Grammar, Friar’s walk, Rev. Henry Day, head master; and Henry Hodson, second master
Graggs Mary & Jane, Horninglow Street
King Matilda, Station Street
Leedham Mary Jane, Horninglow Street **
National, (Christ Church,) Church Street, John Chappell & Ann Ford; Harriet Cox, infant mistress
Trinity, Horninglow Street., Henry Taylor & Sarah Ann Gould.
Infant’s, Anderstaff Lane, Mary Hoose
Union, Horninglow Street., William Freeman & Emma Oakden
Wragg Jemima, Market Place

ATTORNIES

Bass Abraham, Bridge Street
Coxon William, (& clerk to the Union,) Horninglow Street
Drewry James, High Street
Goodyer Henry, Guild Street
Perks John, Lichfield Street
Richardson & Small, High Street
Thornewill John, (and clerk to County Court, and to Magistrates,) Station Street, Green street

AUCTIONEERS

Leedham Fras., Nelson terrace
Wilkins Stephen, High Street
Bakers & Flour Dealers.
Burton William, Park Street
Coates Samuel, High Street
Dales John, Guild Street
Duker John George. New Street
Evans Thomas, High Street
Hicklin John, Lichfield Street
Insley George, High Street
Lee Francis, High Street
Mason John, Horninglow Street
Mason Joseph, Mosley Street
Mason Joseph, Station Street
Merrey Jas., New Street
Oxford Jas., Station Street
Patrick John, Station Street
Rice Thomas, New Street
Scattergood William, Horninglow Street
Sheavyn Samuel, Bridge Street

BANKERS

Burton, Uttoxeter, & Ashbourn Banking Co., (draw on Roberts & Co.) High Street.; Edwin Brown, manager
Savings’ Bank, Town Hall, (open every Sat, from 2 to 3); William Coxon, sec.

BASKET MAKER

Parker Isaac, High Street

BLACKSMITHS

Bircher Joseph, Anderstaff Lane
Brandon John, Horninglow Street
Brandon Thomas, Guild Street
Hill John, New Street
Johnson Richard, Station Street
Robinson George, High Street
White Charles, New Street

BOOKMAKERS, PRINTERS & CO.

Bellamy Robt. Raynar, (and Registr. of mars.) Branch Post-Office, Bridge Street
Darley William Butterfield, (and bookbinder, patent medicine vendor, and licensed to sell stamps,) High Street
Goodman Caleb, High Street
Whitehurst Jno., High Street

BOOT AND SHOE MAKERS

Adams William, Station Street
Bagnall George, Horninglow Street
Bagnall Richard, Station Street
Bagnall Thomas, High Street
Cartmall Charles, Anderstaff Lane
Cooper John, High Street
Dean George Port, High Street
Dean Philip, High Street
Dyche John, Bridge Street
Eaton John, Station Street
Foster William, High Street
Gilbert William, Station Street
Goodhead Hugh, Moor Street
Jackson George, High Street
Langley Charles, Union Street
Langley Robert, Horninglow Street
Norton Thomas, High Street
Nutt Henry, New Street
Port George, Mosley Street
Redfern Thomas, High Street
Rose William, New Street
Siddals Edmond, Victoria Cresent
Simnett John, Union Street
Smith Elijah, Cross Street
Smith Joseph, Horninglow Street
Walker William, Horninglow Street
Ward Richard, Park Street
Wardle William, Horninglow Street
Whitehead Jas., Market Place

BOWLING GREENS

Atterbury Jas., Bank Square
Buxton Thomas, Derby Lane
Mc George Jas. H., High Street

BRAZIERS AND TINNERS

Ash Jas., High Street
Barratt William, sen., High Street
Rattcliff Edwin, High Street
Redfern Benj., New Street
Slater Henry, Station Street
Wilson Robert, High Street

BREWERS AND MALTSTERS (Marked ** are also Exporters).

Allsopp Samuel & Sons, High Street **
Bass, Ratcliff, and Gretton, High Street **
Bell John, Lichfield Street
Cooper Charles, High Street
Eadie James, Cross Street
Hill Charles & Son, Lichfield Road
Ind Coope,& Co. Paget Street
Meakin & Co., Abbey Street
Middleton William, High Street
Nunneley Joseph, Bridge Street
Perks & Co., Horninglow Street
Salt Thomas & Co., High Street **
Saunders William, Horninglow Street
Thompson Jno. & Sons, Horninglow Street
Tooth Bros., Victoria Cresent **
Wilders Burton Brewery Co., High Street **
Worthington & Robinson, High Street **
Wyllie Brothers, High Street
Yeomans John, High Street

BRICKLAYERS AND BUILDERS

Bowler Joseph, New Street
Clark William, Bridge Street
Keates John, Wellington Street
Keates John D., Lichfield Street
Lowe Thomas, New Street
Mason William, Guild Street
Sidley Robt., Station Street
Yeomans George, Moor Street

BRICKMAKERS

Bradley George, Moor Street
Lowe Thomas, Ashby Road
Simnett Samuel, Station Street

BUTCHERS

Atkin William, High Street
Bell William, Lichfield Street
Hanson Samuel Wilson, Horninglow Street
Heath Thomas, High Street
Lea Jno, Horninglow Street
Moorcroft William, Station Street
Port Francis, High Street
Robinson Joseph, Station Street
Shutes William, Bridge Street
Smith John, New Street
Simnett Ed., Horninglow Street
Stanley William, High Street
Tivey William, High Street
Whitehead David, High Street
Wilson Charles, Guild Street
Woodward Thomas, Guild Street

CABINET MAKERS AND UPHOLSTERERS

Chambers Thomas, Lichfield Street
Hunt William High Street
Rowland Charles, Station Street
Wilkins Stephen, High Street
Woolley George, High Street

CHEESE FACTORS

Daniels and Goer, High Street
Etches Bros., Railway station
Kettle George M., Horninglow Street. Thomas Earp, agent

CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS

Brookes Hugh, High Street
Hallam Charles M., High Street
Lomas John W., High Street
Pountney William, High Street
Ratcliff Jas. & Samuel, High Street
Taylor Thomas, High Street
Townsend William, High Street

CHIMNEY SWEEPERS

Dolman Edward, Duke Street
Peach Jno., Station Street
Saltinstall Jno., New Street

COAL AND COKE MERCHANTS

Anglesy Coal Co., Winshill; Bond, Brailsford, Hunt & Wigfall, proprietors.
Appleby John, Station Street
Heath Joseph, Railway Station, Station Street
Jenkins Lambert, Railway Station, High Street
Walker William, Railway Station, Station Street

CONFECTIONERS

Bickley John, High Street
Coates Samuel, High Street
Lee Francis, High Street
Oxford James, Station Street
Scattergood William, Horninglow Street
Whittingham John, High Street
Wright William, High Street

COOPERS

Dearle Edward, Union Street
Ewers John, High Street
Jelly William, Cross Street
Johnson Chpr., Horninglow Street
Morris John, (and vat maker), Horninglow Street
Southerns Thomas, High Street

CORK CUTTERS

Cashman Michael, (and sock manufacturer) wholesale and retail, Horninglow Street
Wilders Henry, Market Place, Victoria crescent

CORN MERCHANTS

Bailey William, High Street
Douglas James, (and flour) Station Street

CORN MILLERS

Buxton John, Derby Lane
Wilson Joseph & Co., Burton Mill

CURRIERS AND LEATHER CUTTERS

Elliott Robert Spencer, (and Tanner), High Street
Marshall William, High Street
Pountney Thomas, Bridge Street

ENGINEERS AND MILLWRIGHTS

Capes & Burton, (and portable and steam engine manufacturers, Britannia Foundry, Horninglow Street

FARMERS

Greaves Elizabeth, Horninglow Road
Lathbury John, Whetmore House
Ordish James, Park Street
Parker Rd., (cowkeeper) George Street
Port John, Lichfield Road
Shutes William, Bridge Street
Wood William, Lichfield Road

FIRE AND LIFE OFFICES

Birmingham District, (Fire) William Nichols, Guild Street
County, (Fire) William Coxon, Horninglow Street
European, (Life) John W. Lomas, High Street
Industral & General, (Life) William Pountney, High Street
Mutual, (Life) C. Goodman, High Street
National Economic Hail Storm, John Riley, High Street
Norwich Union, William Scott Goodger, Bridge Street
People’s Provident, John Riley, High Street
Provident (Life) William Coxon, Horninglow Street
Royal Exchange, Henry W. Hodson, High Street
Scottish Amicable (Life) W. Dunwell, High Street
Star, Thomas Lowe, New Street
Traveller & Marines, John Riley, High Street
Times, Robert Thomas Smith, Cross Street
Unity, (Fire) John Riley, High Street
Yorkshire, John Whitehurst, High Street

FISHMONGERS

Appleby William, High Street
Wilson John, High Street

GARDENERS AND SEEDSMEN

Appleby William, Station Street
Heath Richard, High Street
Staley Thomas, New Street
Wardle William, Station Street

GLASS AND CHINA DEALERS

Abbott Richard, Bridge Street
Wildman Sarah, High Street

GREENGROCERS

Appleby Henry, Lichfield Street
Bagnall Richard, Guild Street
Bladon Mary, High Street
Brown Oliver, Park Street
Redfern Thomas, High Street
Young Robert, High Street

GROCERS AND TEA DEALERS

Adams John & Son, High Street
Bickley John, High Street
Birch Henry High Street
Brookes James, (wholesale & retail), New Street
Burton John, Guild Street
Buxton Joseph, Moor Street and Station Street
Buxton William, Park Street
Dales John, Guild Street
Dams Allen, Horninglow Street
Dickinson John, High Street
Dukes John George, New Street
Evans Thomas, High Street
Gane Elizabeth, New Street
Goodhead Samuel, Horninglow Street
Goodger William & Son, Bridge Street
Haddon Martha & Son, (John), Moor st and Horninglow Street
Hickling John, Lichfield Street
Hudson William, Horninglow Street
Killeen Charles, New Street
Lathbury Richard, High Street
Leedam William Whittingham, High Street
Mason John, Horninglow Street
Mason Joseph, Moseley Street
Mason Joseph, Station Street
Ratcliff Jas. & Samuel, High Street
Sanders Charles, New Street
Scattergood William, Horninglow Street
Streeter Harriet, Lichfield Street
Wayte Ann M., High Street and Lichfield Street
Whittingham John, High Street
Worsey Thomas, High Street
Wright William, High Street

HAIR DRESSERS

Bradley William, New Street
Foster Henry, Horninglow Street
Goodwin John, High Street
Hanson Thomas, High Street
Lakin Charles, Horninglow Street
Martin John, Station Street
Port Horatio, Lichfield Street

HATTERS

Hawkins John, Bridge Street
Kelsey John, High Street

HOOP (Wood) MAKERS

Riley Charles, Victoria Crescent
Riley William, Moor Street
Tunnadine Henry, Horninglow Street

HORSE AND GIG AND CAB PROPRIETORS

Eardley Ellen, Bridge Street
Teat Samuel, Horninglow Street

HOSIERS

Cooper John, High Street
Fitchett Benjamin, Horninglow Street
Herratt Samuel, (and toy dealer) High Street
Jackson George, High Street
Mansfield Ann, Horninglow Street
Roe Thomas, High Street

INNS AND TAVERNS

Anchor, Joseph Bowler, New Street
Angel Commercial Inn, Jas.
Atterbury, Bank square
Barley Mow, William Wood, Park Street
Bear Inn, Thomas Frederick Dugmore, Horninglow Street
Bell, Joseph Phillips, Horninglow Street
Black Horse, John Oakden, Moor Street
Blue Posts, Mary Yeomans, High Street
Boot, Fras. Whitby, High Street
Bowling Green Inn, Thomas Buxton, Derby Lane
Carpenters’ Arms, William Gretton, New Street
Coach & Horses, John Redfern, High Street
Devonshire Arms, William Appleby, Station Street
Dog, Jno. Carder, Lichfield Street
Dingo, Joseph Bircher, Victoria Crescent
Fox & Goose, Ellen Eardley, Bridge Street
George Inn, Henry Townsend, High Street
Guild Tavern, Ann Greves, Guild Street
King of Prussia, William Gibson, New Street
Lamb, William Milward, High Street
Leopard, William Swindale, Abbey Street
Midland Coml. Hotel, Michael Atkins, Station Street
Nag’s Head, John Ducker Keats, Lichfield Street
Old White Lion, Frederick Dickinson, Lichfield Street
Plough, Thomas Soar, Horninglow Street
Queen’s Commercial & Posting Hotel, John Witton Lees, Bridge Street
Rising Sun, Robert Smith, Horninglow Street
Royal Oak. John Hooper, Market Place
Sarcen’s Head, William Hoult, Bridge Street
Spirit Vaults, William Chambers, Bridge Street
Spread Eagle, Joseph Baker, New Street
Spread Eagle, Joseph Hill, Lichfield Street
Star, Sarah Meason, High Street
Swan, Thomas Johnson, Anderstaff Lane
Talbot, Martha Blood, Horninglow Street
Union Inn, James Gaunt, Horninglow Street
Wheat Sheaf, Edward Morrall. High Street
White Hart, commercial and posting Hotel, James Henderson Mc George, High Street
White Horse, Frances Woolley, High Street
White Lion, John Downing, High Street

BEERHOUSES

Annable Benj., Horninglow Street
Allard Samuel, Green Street
Appleby John, Station Street
Atkin Edward, New Street
Atkin Abraham, Victoria Cresent
Barnes Abraham, Cross Street
Beddows Thomas, New Street
Bircher William, Anderstaff Lane
Bond William, Station Street
Blant Joseph, New Street
Brailsford John, Guild Street
Cookes William, Union Street
Cooper Charles, High Street
Cross Thomas, Lichfield Street
Dyche Samuel, Horninglow Street
Elson George, Anderstaff Lane
Fern John, Lichfield Road
Finch George, Victoria Cresent
Fisher Peter, Duke Street
Goodhead James, Station Street
Harrison Joseph, High Street
Jeffcoat Enoch, Cross Street
Johnson Richard, Station Street
Johnson William, New Street
Marlow William, Guild Street
Orme Thomas, New Street
Orton Richard, Park Street
Robinson Fras., Lichfield Road
Sandars Samuel, Anderstaff Lane
Smith Henry, Moor Street
Southern William, Lichfield Street
Strettan Thomas, Anderstaff Lane
Stringer Elizabeth, Horninglow Street
Thacker John, Horninglow Street
Turner David, Victoria Cresent
Turner Edwin, Anderstaff Lane
Ward John, Abbey Street
Watson George, Mosley Street
Winfield Williams, High Street
Yeomans Thomas, Lichfield Street

IRONFOUNDERS AND ENGINEERS

Halbard Philip, (and stove grate manufacturer), Horninglow Street
Thornewill & Warham, New Street
Wright, Salisbury & Co., (and stove grate manufacturers) ,Anderstaff Lane

IRONMONGERS

Ash James, High Street
Barratt William, senior, (and letter cutter, stove grate, kitchen range, and cooking apparatus manufacturer), High Street
Bindley Thomas, High Street
Ratcliff Edward, High Street
Smith George, High Street
Wilson Robert, High Street

JOINERS AND BUILDERS

Bagnall Thomas, Mosley Street
Corder John, Lichfield Street
Deville Samuel, George Street
Dickinson Daniel, (and boatbuilder), Lichfield Street
Heath Richard, High Street
Hunter & Bennett, Duke Street
Mason Henry, Station Street
Sherwin Joseph, Union Street
Stratton John, Lichfield Street

LIBRARIES

Darley William B., (circulating), High Street
Permanent Library, Bridge Street, Robert Bellamy, librarian
Young Men’s Christian Association, Guild Street.; Joseph G. Wright, librarian

LINEN AND WOOLEN DRAPERS

Douglas George, High Street
Hawkins, Son, and Nephew, Horninglow Street
Jones William. High Street
Kelsey John, High Street
Ordish Walter Daniel, High Street
Robinson John, High Street
Sowter Thomas, Station Street
Styan John Chpr., High Street
Walker William, High Street

MILLINERS

Bladon Mary, High Street
Bryan Mary, High Street
Carter Elizabeth, Station Street
Evans & Ordish, High Street
Ewers Eliza, New Street
Fitzsimons John, High Street
Gaunt Diana, Horninglow Street
Glover Elizabeth, Market Place
Heginbotham Elizabeth, Lichfield Street
Jefford Ann, Horninglow Street
Jones Rebecca, High Street
Milner Lucy & Elizabeth, High Street
Morris Amelia, Station Street
Redfern Jane, High Street
Robinson Mary, (and silk mercer), High Street
Rose, High Street
Southerns Ann and Sarah, Horninglow Street
Wheatcroft Ann, High Street
Willsher Sarah Ann, Orchard Street

NAIL AND RIVET MAKERS

Jackson George Frederick, New Street
Renwick Thomas, New Street
Stringer Elizabeth, Horninglow Street
Whiteman, Brett, and Bartle, Horninglow Street

NEWSPAPERS

Burton Times, published every Saturday, by John Whitehurst, High Street
Burton Weekly News, published by Robt. R. Bellamy, every Friday, High Street

PAINTERS & CO.

Green John, High Street
Harrard Math., Anderstaff Lane
Newbold George, Lichfield Street
Rastall Joseph, Horninglow Street
Stanley William, High Street

PLASTERERS

Simpson John, New Street
Simpson, John, jun., Moor Street

PLUMBERS AND GLAZIERS

Fitchett William, High Street
Fletcher Samuel, Lichfield Street
Knight Frederick, New Street
Nichols William, (& gas fitter & coppersmith) Guild Street
Sandars Samuel, Station Street
Turner James, Guild Street

PROFESSORS OF MUSIC

Barratt George Paul, (and organist and teacher of the
pianoforte, thorough bass, harmony, and composition), Station Street

Day Lewis, Lichfield Road
Orme George, High Street

REFRESHMENT ROOMS

Doherty Laura, Maria, (and dealer in British wines), Station Street
Whittingham John, High Street

REGISTER OFFICES FOR SERVANTS

Doherty L. M., Station Street
Jackson George, High Street
Simnett William Henry, Guild Street

ROPE AND TWINE MAKERS

Elson James, High Street
Lowe John, Fleet Street

SADDLERS AND HARNESS MAKERS

Brooke William, High Street
Gibson Thomas, High Street
Newbold Thomas, High Street
Orme Thornas, New Street
Ward William, High Street

SHOPKEEPERS

Bannister S., Horninglow Street
Collier William, Cross Street
Cox Thomas, Moor Street
Dales Robert, Station Street
Dickinson Daniel, Lichfield Street
Elson George, Anderstaff Lane
Elson Thomas, Anderstaff Lane
Harris Jas. Kellem, Station Street
Heath William, High Street
Hurst George, New Street
Patrick John, Station Street
Merry James, New Street
Newell Henry Thomas, New Street
Renwick Thomas, New Street
Slater William, Moor Street
Talbot Jane, Park Street
Underwood Thomas, High Street
Walker William, Horninglow Street
Waterson Thomas, Anderstaff Lane
Woolley Wm, Horninglow Street
Yeomans Handel, Victoria Crescent

STONE MASONS (Marked * are Merchants).

Bassett David, Station Street
* Clark Thomas & Son, Green Street
* Clark William, Bridge Street
Harrison Joseph, High Street
Parker James, Horninglow Street

STRAW HAT MAKERS

Egginton Mary, Bridge Street
Gaunt Diana, Horninglow Street
Jones Rebecca, High Street
Jefford Ann, Horninglow Street

SURGEONS

Belcher Robert Shirley, Lichfield Street
Hawkeswotth Charles A., High Street
Leedam William A., High Street
Lowe George, Horninglow Street
Mason William, Horninglow Street

SURVEYORS AND LAND AGENTS

Grace Robert, Station Street
Spooner Thomas, Union Street
Whitehead Henry Egginton, Lichfield Street

TAILORS AND DRAPERS

Brunt and Ward, High Street
Dakin John, Horninglow Street
Dakin Joseph, Guild Street
Denston Moses, jun., Cross Street
Feakes William, Horninglow Street
Goodhead William, Union Street
Gothard William James, High Street
Jackson George, High Street
Leedam Charles, High Street
Mousley William, Lichfield Street
Marklew Edward & Son, High Street
Orgill Matthew, High Street
Orgill Thomas, High Street
Parry Richard, Victoria Crescent
Smith Thomas, Bridge Street
Webb John, High Street
Weston Charles, High Street

TIMBER AND SLATE MERCHANTS

Clark Thomas & Son, Green Street
Perks Charles & Sons, Lichfield Road
Riley William, Moor Street

TOBACCONISTS

Doherty Laura Maria, (and dealer in foreign & British
cigars, Meerschaum and other pipes), Station Street

Moger Joseph, Market Place

TURNERS AND CHAIR MAKERS

Gilbert William, Guild Street
Moore Charles, Guild Street
Noon William, Anderstaff Lane
Simpson Thomas, Guild Street
Simpson William, High Street
Summers Charles, New Street
West Thomas, Bridge Street

UMBRELLA MAKERS

Martin John, Station Street
Tong John, High Street

VETERINARY SURGEONS

Taylor Thomas, High Street
Wildsmith George, Market Place

WATCH AND CLOCK MAKERS

Sherwin Joseph, High Street
Steer John, High Street
Sutton John, Lichfield Street
Wilson Thomas, High Street
Worthington Thomas, High Street

WHEELWRIGHTS

Bailey Edward, Horninglow Street, Duke Street
Port Philip, Hawkins Lane
Sandars Samuel, Anderstaff Lane

WHITESMITHS AND BELLHANGERS

Barratt William, sen., (and locksmith), High Street
Mansfield Samuel, (and machinist) Horninglow Street
Webster George, High Street

WINE AND SPIRIT MERCHANTS (Marked * are also retaillers)

Lyon, Joule, and Parsons, Bridge Street
* Mc George, Jas. H., High Street
Morrall Edward, (ale and porter merchant), High Street
* Smith Edmund., Market Place
* Smith William, Horninglow Street
Worthington William & Son, (importers) High Street Railway Conveyance.


BURTON UPON TRENT TRANSPORT

Midland Railway Co.’s Station, Foot of Station Street.
Trains several times a day, to all parts; Rd. Dilworth, station master

Omnibus from the Queen’s Hotel meets every train

Carriers by Railway.

Midland Railway Co., (to all parts); Pickford and Co., agents

Water Conveyance.

Grand Junction Canal Co., (carriers by fly boats to all parts), Bond End; William Shardlow, agent

Carriers from the Inns.

Those marked 1 go from the Angel; 2, Bear; 3, Blue Posts; 3½, Coach & Horses;
4, Star; 5, White Horse; and 6, White Lion.
3 Alrewas, Harrison, Thurs.
4 Appleby, J. Fish, Thurs.
1 Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Thomas Broadhurst, Thurs.
6 Austery, Orton, Thurs.
2 Barton – under – Needwood, Geary, Tu., Thur. & Sat.
3½ Barton-under-Needwood, Bakewell, Thur. & Sat.
2 Birmingham, Boswell, Tues.
1 Church Broughton, Joseph Jackson, Thurs.
3 Church Broughton, William Cooke, Thurs.
1 Coton, Whetton, Thurs.
3 Coton, William Lester; Thurs.
Derby, James Salt, from New Street, Mon., Wed. & Fri.
5 Egginton, Baldwin, Thurs.
4 Gresley, Gilbert, Thurs.
1 Hanbury, Jas. Burnan, Thurs.
5 Hartshorn, Glover, Thurs.
6 Hartshorn, Cooke, Thurs.
1 Hatton, George, Locker, Thurs.
5 Hilton, Yeomans, Thurs.
1 Marchington, Parker, Thurs.
3 Newall, Thomas Taylor, Thurs.
1 Netherseal, John Mear, Thurs.
3½ Newborough, Easom, Thurs.
1 Overseal, Redfern, Thurs.
4 Overseal, Stewardson, Thurs.
1 Repton, Marshall, Thurs.
4 Repton, Maddocks, Mon. and Thurs.
3 Ticknall, Jas. Peace, Thurs.
2 Tutbury, Mayer, Mon. and Thurs.
1 Walton, Redfern, Thurs.
3 Yoxall William Mosedale, Thurs.
3½ Yoxall, John Upton, Thurs.


WINSHILL TOWNSHIP

Anglesey Coal Company, Ashby Road, Bond, Brailsford, Hunt., and Wigfall, proprietors.
Bailey Misses, boarding school, Bladen hill
Cooper Thomas, brickmaker
Croxall Ann, schoolmistress
Douglas James, flour factor, Alma House
Emery Henry, vict., Royal Oak
Finlay John, Esq., Trent Cottage
Fletcher David, shoemaker
Forman Robert, coal master, Bridge end
Hunt Sarah, shopkeeper
Lowe Thomas, brickmaker
Measham George, beerhouse
Morris Samuel, pipe maker, Bridge end
Plummer John, vict., Jolly Farmer
Sharratt Thomas, beerhouse
Shephard Joseph, brick maker
Siddalls John, brick maker
Taverner John, tape manfactr., Forge mills
Tomlinson Robert S., surgeon, Wood field
Toone Thomas, pipe maker
Wardle Frank, Esq., High Field
Wilson Joseph and Co., corn millers, Burton mill
Woodhead Mr. George, Bridge end

WINSHILL FARMERS

Fitchett Joseph & Richard
Hallam Charles
Hallam Francis
Henson Thomas
Hardy Richard
Newton William
Sale William
Taylor Thomas


 

 

Present Saint Modwen’s Church

Saint Modwen’s Church was built between 1719 and 1728 but the church history goes back very much further. The present church stands on the site of the church of the Benedictine Abbey founded in 1002 by Wulfric Spot. The abbey had a very large cathedral-like church which served both the monks and the people of the town. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, Burton Abbey was one of the very few that was not destroyed.

Over the next two centuries, it gradually fell into disrepair and disappeared as its stone was pillaged for other building work. Eventually, all that remained was the abbey church which continued to be used as a parish church, which can be seen in the below footprint. In its heyday, the enormous abbey extended down to include the current building labelled as The Abbey on the map.

By 1718, this too had become dilapidated and unsafe and it was decided to demolish it and build a replacement. The architect and builder William Smith, and his brother Richard, of Tettenhall were appointed by the parish vestry to build the new church. Smith had already worked on the impressive Saint Mary’s Church in Warwick and had built the church of Saint Alkmund in Whitchurch, Shropshire which was of very similar design. He was one of the most experienced church builders in the Midlands.

It was designed in a Classical style by the brothers Richard and William Smith of Tettenhall. The same design as Saint Alkmund’s was used which was based on a design of John Barker which itself was based on ideas by Sir Christopher Wren.

Work on the new church started in 1719. Their first job was to fit up a building known as the High Hall, which stood in the Market Place, for worship while the abbey came down and the new church was built. Unfortunately, neither William or Richard Smith lived to see the church completed; William died in 1724 and Richard in 1726. The church was completed by their younger brother Francis – ‘Smith of Warwick’, who had by now become more famous. He oversaw the completion of the church and addition of the churchyard walls. It was finally completed in 1928.

The church itself is built in red sandstone and comprises an aisled five-bay nave with galleries on the north, west, and south, an apse, and a western narthex with central tower, north and south gallery stairs, and internal porch. The west tower is of three stages and has a balustrade with urns and round windows with radial glazing bars. The apse has wide Doric pilasters at the opening and between the windows. The nave arcades have tall Doric piers without an entablature, the flat ceiling has a deep cove, and there are nave galleries cut across the high, arched windows of the aisles. The church retained its original altar rails and gated pews.

The main tower is 92 feet high to the parapet, over 100 feet to the top of the four vanes.

Churchyard
In the mid 16th century the graveyard lay to the south of the church. A lychgate mentioned in 1568 may be the church stile of 1682, and stone left over from the rebuilding of the church was used in 1727 to make a churchyard wall encompassing land to the south, east, and north of the church. In 1829 a railing fence was put up in front of the church. The same year the vestry leased land called the Arbour on the north side of the churchyard as an additional burial ground, and in 1830 an adjoining 1.5 acres was leased from the marquess of Anglesey.

In 1835 the churchyard covered 3 a. 25 p. New burials were restricted from 1856, and the churchyard was closed in 1866 when the municipal cemetery was opened. That part of the churchyard north of the church was vested in Burton corporation in 1939, and was converted in 1952 into a garden of remembrance for Burtonians who had died in the Second World War.

Alabaster Figure
An alabaster figure of a knight, dating from the late 15th or early 16th century, lay under the tower of the abbey church. Although already damaged, it was though important enough to preserve and move into the new church. When the church was completed, it stood under the west tower. Much admired, it was moved in the mid 19th century to a position where it could be clearly viewed from the market place.

By 1878 it had been moved to the garden of the Priory, a house in the south-west corner of the former monastic cloister. In 1924, it was presented to Burton museum but, when the museum was closed, like numerous items of Burton’s heritage, it mysteriously disappeared.

Pulpit
Christopher Wren had recommended that churches were planned so that everyone could see and hear the minister, especially when he was preaching. In accordance with this, the original pulpit was centrally placed. In this central position however, the pulpit completely obscured the Communion table from the rest of the church. That suited Anglican worship of the eighteenth century where communion was rarely celebrated and when it was, communicants would pass beyond the pulpit and gather round the table.

The galleries were part of Smith’s design and the pews are an integral part of the building. The columns stand on plinths that are panelled and integral with the seating. The church can seat over a thousand people in original Georgian pews!

A large chandelier was presented to the church by William Hawkins in 1725, in time for the completion. This, of course, was to be the only available lighting.

Font and Plate
The font has survived from the abbey church. It has an octagonal bowl from the fifteenth century – during the Tudor period. It is one of the few survivals from the medieval church.

The plinth is newer, dating from 1662, and bears the initials of the vicar, Rev. William Middleton) and church wardens of the day. The basin was later lined with lead and is covered by a nineteenth century wooden cover.

The plate in 1549 included two chalices and two patens, but only one of each pair remained in 1552. A silver chalice and paten were acquired in 1662. Anne, wife of Sir Henry Every, gave a paten in 1705, and Mary, widow of Sir Robert Burdett of Bramcote, in Polesworth, Warwickshire, gave a flagon in 1726 when she was living in Burton. In 1727 the minister, William Browne, gave another flagon and his wife Ann gave a paten. A further chalice was acquired between 1795 and 1830.

Church Organ
An organ was installed in the west gallery in 1771. It was built by Johann Snetzler who was one of the foremost organ builders of the time. The case was designed by James Wyatt. His design remains in the Royal Institute of British Architects. Iron columns were inserted into the west galley to bear the weight of the organ.

Anthony Greatorex (d. 1814) was appointed organist. His salary was met by public subscription until 1790, when, subscriptions falling off, it was met out of the church rates. Anthony was succeeded as organist by his son Thomas Greatorex (d. 1831), a distinguished musician, although his conducting and playing duties in London must have restricted his ability to perform in Burton. He resigned in 1828 and was succeeded by Charles Yates, who resigned in 1847 after the minister of St. Modwen’s had accused him of immoral conduct and professional incompetence and had employed a police constable to prevent him from playing in services.

A group of church singers under control of the organist was described in 1807 as “a set of industrious, hard working people, some of whom have large families and can ill afford any expense“. Consequently, their costs, estimated at 2 guineas a year, were to be raised by subscription, the Earl of Uxbridge pledged 1 guinea. They were replaced in 1847 by a volunteer church choir.

The cameo panel on the case, perhaps made by Josiah Wedgwood, is thought to represent the composer, George Frederic Handel, whose organ music was highly popular at the time. There is none of Snetzler’s original organ in the church today, although some of the pipes are believed to be in Trinity Methodist Church. The case was extended on each side to accommodate a larger organ which was installed in 1972, built by Hill, Norman and Beard.

An electrically operated organ was installed in 1900.

Clock and Bells
Five bells survived from the previous abbey church. These were re-cast into six in 1725, during the building of the new church, by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester. The largest tenor bell weighs 18 cwt. Two new small bells were cast at the same time to make a ring of eight bells. The Ringers Rules dating from 1726 are painted on the wall of the ringing chamber. These date from when the bells were installed but before the church was complete.

Despite the conspicuous rules. Disturbances caused by bell ringers led to the adoption in 1727 of rules governing conduct in the belfry: no ringing was allowed after 10 pm and only known and qualified ringers were allowed in the belfry, and only the sexton was to ring for sermons and services.

The tower clock was installed in 1785 at a cost of £203, half of which was donated by the Earl of Uxbridge. It was manufactured by the celebrated clock maker, John Whitehurst of Derby. The mechanism controls two clocks through a simple gearbox; one facing the market place, the other facing the memorial gardens.

Also installed at the same time as the clock were eight bells and a Carillon; this resembles a huge musical box with pegs on a rotating drum which depress levers which in turn operate hammers against the bells. The Carillon was installed to play a variety of tunes on the bells at certain times. In the early 20th century the chimes played a different tune on each day of the week. After the Second World War it only chimed on market days. The Carillon remains functional but until recently were only heard on special occasions. In 2010 pleasingly, its use was restored to play a tune every day at midday.

In the early 19th century the ringers were threatened with losing a third of their fee because they would ring only for their own pleasure and not for the church’s services. In 1829 they were paid £7 4s for ringing at services, the appointments of churchwardens, and on national holidays, and between 1829 and 1838 they also received £1 for an annual feast. In 1865 their fee was raised from £10 to £15 a year. In 1895 Francis Charrington gave £60 to pay for the ringing of the bells each year on Trafalgar day (21 October).

Vicarage
In 1808, the minister is known to have had a house in High Street. The minister still resided in High Street in 1851 but some time before 1860, this had moved to a house called Trent Bank at Bond End. This was described in the 1890s as “anything but compatible with the dignity which one associates with the principal minister of the town“.

In 1893 a house called The Orchard in Orchard Street was purchased as a vicarage house with money raised by public subscription and a grant from Queen Anne’s Bounty. That house, which had formerly belonged to Martha Thornewill, mother of the vicar, C. F. Thornewill, was sold to a union of the benefices in 1982 but was demolished in 1989. A new vicarage house was built in Rangemore Street in 1983.

Financial support for an assistant curate was provided by the Additional Curates’ Society from 1844 until 1877, but the bulk of the assistant’s income came from voluntary local contributions. One or occasionally two curates were still employed until 1910; thereafter however, the de-population of the town centre meant that there was no curate until the later 1950s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the curate lived in the former Christ Church vicarage house in Moor Street, renamed St. Modwen’s House. In 1994 the minister of St. Aidan’s in Shobnall Road, was appointed to serve also at St. Modwen’s as a town centre chaplain.

Parish Division
In 1824 the parish was divided into two districts, a southern one for the church of St. Modwen and a northern one for the newly built Holy Trinity church; the northern area was constituted a separate parish in 1842. Thereafter both parishes were subdivided by the creation of further ecclesiastical districts and parishes: Christ Church (1845); Horninglow (1867); Winshill (1867); Branston (1870); St. Paul’s (1873); Stretton (1873); All Saints’ (1898); St. Chad’s (1903); and Shobnall (1916). Holy Trinity and St. Modwen’s were united in 1969, as the parish of Burton-on-Trent, and in 1982 Christ Church and All Saints’ were united.

Despite the division of the parish, St. Modwen’s vestry continued to collect a single church rate for all the town churches. Compulsory church rates were abolished by an Act of 1868, and thereafter a voluntary rate was levied by St. Modwen’s vestry for St. Modwen’s, Christ Church, and Holy Trinity, with the addition of St. Paul’s from 1876. The system was changed in 1879 so that the churchwardens of each of those parishes collected their own rate from individuals, whilst the wardens of St. Modwen’s, on behalf of all four churches, continued to collect the rate from brewers and other firms in the town. Often known as the brewers’ rate, it raised over £411 in 1890, (but thereafter income began to decline as firms withdrew from the scheme and only a little over £209 was given in 1928. Bass, Ratcliff, and Gretton withdrew from the scheme that year to make individual contributions directly to each of the four churches, but St. Modwen’s continued to collect donations from other firms until at least 1954, when less than £23 was given in total.

Church Life from the Nineteenth Century
Services in 1829 were held on Sunday mornings and afternoons, with prayers on Wednesdays, Fridays, and saints’ days and the Boylston lecture on Thursdays. Communion was celebrated eight times a year, with about 70 attending at each occasion. The average Sunday attendance in 1851 was 400 at both morning and afternoon services, besides Sunday school children. A Sunday evening service started in 1860 was so well attended by 1892 that there were hardly enough seats. A children’s Sunday service, probably held weekly, began in 1871 but had ceased by 1892; by 1896 a monthly one had been reinstated. There was a harvest festival by 1877. Further liturgical changes were introduced from the late 1880s, and in 1887 the choir, which then numbered 38, was robed and provided with stalls and a vestry in the upper storey of the tower. Coloured stoles and a chalice veil were first used in 1889, when daily morning prayer was also begun. A New Year’s Eve watchnight service was held for the first time in 1892, and in 1895 or 1896 the celebration of communion was increased from two Sundays a month to weekly. A communicants’ guild, established in 1896, was reorganized in 1899 by the vicar, H. B. Freeman, as the Guild of the Ascension, modelled on one at Christ Church, Bath, where Freeman had been curate. It appears to have folded in 1918. In 1910 St. Modwen’s was described as having ‘a good medium service – not too high, and not too low’, a style still followed in the 1990s.

An unlicensed mission room was opened from St. Modwen’s in the mechanics’ institute in Guild Street in 1871. Run by a lay deacon from Lichfield Theological College, it was closed in 1876. A scripture reader was appointed in 1872, and was styled a lay assistant by 1893, when his duties included running weekly cottage meetings. The post was apparently abolished in 1902. A monthly service in what is called Wetmore Hall, a former Primitive Methodist chapel at the north end of Wetmore Road, began in the mid 1980s, after the transfer in 1969 of that area from Stretton ecclesiastical parish to the parish of Burton-on-Trent.

A parochial lending library of some 132 volumes was kept in the clergy vestry in 1829, but was little used. A monthly parish magazine was probably first started in 1872 and certainly existed by 1892; it continued in 2000.

A mothers’ meeting, begun by 1892, and a branch of the Mothers’ Union, in existence by 1899, were amalgamated in 1927. By 1893 there was a team of women district visitors whose duties included relieving the poor with money and medicines and ‘awaken[ing] the higher life of those they visit’; by 1924, however, they were employed mainly in distributing the parish magazine. A girls’ club, in existence by 1920 and known as the Guild of St. Modwen by 1937, was dissolved in 1970, when its membership included adult women.

A Church of England Young Men’s Association which was formed in Burton in 1846 was opened to all protestants in 1856. A Burton branch of the Church of England Young Men’s Society was formed c. 1878, with premises by 1889 in Friars Walk. Renamed the Parish Church Society in 1892, it was dissolved in 1913.

The former premises of Burton grammar school in Friars Walk were acquired in 1877 for use as Sunday schools and church rooms after the Grammar School was relocated to new premises in Bond Street.

Royal Arms
Royal Arms and Monuments Royal arms hung above the altar in 1829, and remained there until 1865. There were apparently two sets of royal arms in the church in 1869: those of Charles I (1625-1649) in the vestry, and those of George I (1714-1727) in the porch. Nothing further is known of the former, but the latter were still in the porch in 1962 but were later stored in the north gallery. A hatchment associated with the Peel family is also stored in the north gallery.

The Royal Arms were replaced in 1865 by coloured glass depicting the Crucifixion, given by the Marquess of Anglesey. At the same date new side chancel windows depicting the Annunciation, the Transfiguration, the Last Supper, and the Resurrection were given by the brewers Michael Thomas Bass and Henry Allsopp.

1865 Re-arrangement
There was a re-arrangement of the church in 1865. The apse was extended and three stained glass windows were installed. The pulpit was moved to one side and choir stalls were set up replacing the pews on either side of the old three-decker.

Lecturn
The fine eagle lecturn shown below standing in the isle, was given to Saint Modwen’s in 1886 in memory of Alderman John Yeomans.

Altar and Reredos
An Altar and Reredos (decorative screen behind the alter) was added in 1739 which required that the central east window be shortened. It was described after installation as “a beautiful altar piece of Italian marble“. It was gifted by Thomas Hixon, the manorial bailiff, who owned Sinai Park. He left £120 in his will for the purpose. It originally displayed the text of the Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.

A new communion table was installed in 1879.

Alabaster panels were added in 1889. These show Christ in Majesty in the centre. Also depicted are Saint Chad, Saint Peter, Saint Martha and, of course, Saint Modwen, offering their churches to the Lord. At the same time that the alabaster panels were added to the reredos in 1889, the sanctuary ceiling above it was cleverly painted to look like a mosaic.

In 1870 the congregation was allowed to elect a vicar by secret ballot. Shortly after appointment of the new vicar in 1870, the lecture was moved to Wednesday evening because attendance rarely reached twenty, and most of them were comprised of a group of old women from the almshouses. Again held on a Thursday morning from 1933, the weekly lecture was replaced in 1968 by one given four times a year and the annual payment was directed towards cleaning the church. By a Scheme of 1978 the trusteeship of Boylston’s charity was transferred to the vicar and churchwardens of St. Modwen’s, and the lecture ceased to be delivered c. 1982.

In 1884 the advowson was purchased from the Marquess of Anglesey by public subscription and vested in the bishop of Lichfield. Under the terms of the union of the benefices in 1982 the presentation was to be exercised jointly by the bishop of Lichfield and Lord Burton who were both patrons.

William Tate designed the brass altar cross given in 1889 as well as the candlesticks and processional cross given in 1895. At the end of each arm of the processional cross, seen below, are the Emblems of Evangelists.

In 1883 the three-decker pulpit was split in two: the pulpit was moved to the north-east end of the nave and the reading desk to the south-east end. Carved panels were added to the pulpit by Lord Burton in 1890. A new lectern was acquired in 1886. In 1887 stalls were made for the clergy and choir. In 1889-90 William Tate of London directed the redecoration of the whole interior of the church and the re-ordering of the sanctuary, including a mosaic ceiling in the apse and fluting to the apse pilasters. New furnishings included an oak altar and a brass altar cross; a reredos in alabaster and green marble, with carved panels showing Christ in glory flanked by various saints including St. Modwen, was given by the vicar, C. F. Thornewill, and his two brothers.

Despite its recent improvements, St. Modwen’s was described in the 1890s as “lonely and practically lamented“, lacking the patronage of the brewers that many of the newer churches in the town had attracted. In 1894, however, work began on restoring the church, including the removal of the font from the centre aisle to the south-west corner of the nave; much of the cost was defrayed by the brewers of the town. The architect, J. A. Chatwin of Birmingham, had proposed creating new vestries to replace the choir vestry on the first floor of the tower and the clergy vestry in the south porch, but the expense and local opposition meant that it was not until 1902 that new vestries were added, under the direction of Henry Beck, wrapping around the apse, and again paid for with brewers’ money. By 1904 the brewing families had given £13,000 for the restorations.

Vestries were added around the east end of the church in 1904. This resulted in the shortening of the remaining two apse windows and their glass was moved to the north and south aisles. At some time all the doors were removed from the pews, except for the wardens’ pews at the very back of the church.

A memorial to the dead of the First World War, in the form of a carved oak tympanum with bronze panels, made by Martyn & Company of Cheltenham, was erected in the west porch in 1920. It was extended in 1948 to a design by R. S. Litherland of Burton, as a memorial to the dead of the Second World War.

A Lady Chapel was created in 1956 at the east end of the south aisle.

In 1961 the decoration of the sanctuary was restored by Campbell Smith & Co. of London.

A sepulchral slab inscribed with a floriated cross, and dating possibly from the 14th century, was moved in 1968 from the south wall of the churchyard into the south porch.

Generally, the church has been altered little since it was completed and preserves nearly all its Georgian woodwork and is still a well used church in the centre of Burton.


 

 

Public Library

The first Permanent Library, at a property owned by Mr. R. R. Bellamy in Bridge street, was opened in 1838. It was supported by a number of shareholders and just over 70 subscribers, and contained around 2,000 volumes. The shares were £10 each together with an annual subscription of 16 shillings. Subscribers who were not shareholders were allowed to join for a Guinea (21 shillings) a year subscription making it a fairly exclusive club.

The Burton Literary Society, High street, commenced in 1844 and had a reading room and a library of about 1,100 volumes mostly, but not exclusively, of a scientific nature. It was supported by a subscription of £1 per annum for first class, 8s 8d for second class, and 5 shillings per annum for third class. First class had the privilege of attending the reading room at all hours of the day, second class in the evenings only from 5:00 to 10:00pm, third class only had restricted access. The reading room also had London and provincial newspapers available together with most of the popular periodicals of the day. The Secretary and Librarian was Mr S. Simnett.

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Guild street, established around 1846, introduced a reading room, and library containing about 1,400 volumes. Mr. John W. Lomas was Secretary. In 1867 the (Church of England) Young Men’s Christian Association was transformed into the Mechanics’ Institute. By 1868 it had a reading room and a library of 4,000 books, and by 1871 it had been moved to premises in Station Street.

In 1876, the Mechanics’ Institute and the Burton Literary Society were amalgamated as the Burton Institute. This moved to new premises in Union Street in 1879. A very tall in its day, narrow building of four bays designed in Italian Gothic style, by Reginald Churchill of Burton as seen above. The institute occupied the ground floor with a library of now nearly 8,000 volumes and a reading room; the second floor was occupied by the School of Art and part of the third floor by the School of Science.

The institute grew from 650 members in 1888 to 966 in 1896, when it was dissolved and its premises were acquired by Burton Municipal Corporation for use as Burton’s first Free Library, available to everyone. By this time, the collection had grown to 19,000 volumes together with an additional reference only section of 1,700 books.

Part of the building and 3,000 books, largely technical, was reserved as a subscription library. This had three levels of membership; first class at 21 shillings, second class at 10s 6d and third class at 5 shillings for an annual subscription, the different classes of subscription again being used to determine what hours of access were permitted.

In 1902, the Borough Librarian had salary of £120 plus an additional £45 for his additional duty of Secretary for both the Schools of Art and Design. If that wasn’t enough, he was also absent for some hours to fulfil his other duty as Museum Curator just up the road on the corner of Guild Street. At this time, the library was investing something like £50 a year on new books.

Aside from the main Union Street library, due to lack of space, branch reading rooms for newspapers were established at Uxbridge Street and Victoria Road schools which were open in the evening from 6:00 – 9:30pm.

Towards the end of its time, the Union Street library was hopelessly inadequate and the later librarian, Kenneth Stanesby spent most of his energy leading campaigns for a replacement library (added to his duty of ejecting schoolboys from playing in the lift which was a popular free entertainment of the time). The new Burton library was finally opened in 1976 at Riverside, off High Street on the redundant Bass Maltings site. The Union Street building was unceremoniously demolished in 1977.


 

 

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements to the following:

AbeBooks
for an excellent service in sourcing out-of-print books

Arthur Roe, local history enthusiast
for assistance with a number of oddments

Christine Thompson, Headmistress of Abbot Beyne school
for making archive material available and donating a copy of ‘Deus Nobiscum’ book

Colin Owen, retired author
for general help and assistance, and for sending me a signed copy of his book

David Swinscoe, historian
for information on removal of  image of St Modwen

Dr Paul Hegarty of Molson Coors
for help with Bass content.

Dr Robin Trotter, local historian
for his assistance with Saint Modwen’s church history

eBay
for proving to be an amazing resource of books, postcards, documents, photos…

Father Paul Farthing, Vicar
for his assistance with Saint Paul’s church and surrounding history

Gaye King, local historian
for Byrkley Park history

Geoffrey Thursfield, local historian
for a number of assistances and images

John Nutt
for help with Bladon Castle history

Ken Bell, retired corporation employee
for help with Burton Corporation transport

Les Simpson, local history enthusiast
for assistance with schools history

Marilyn and Ian Gilliver of Saint Peter’s Church
for their help and for even letting me wind the tower clock up!

P.M. White and J.W. Storer, author and tramway enthusiast
for help with Burton & Ashby Tramway history

Pam Charlton of Legal & Democratic Services
for help with Civic History and Town Hall

Richard Stone, local author
for a number of assistances and photographs

Robin Clay, Thornewill / Clay descendant
for various help and many images

Robert Cox, local author and fireman
for his assistance with Burton Fire Brigade history

Simon Kent, Deputy Justices Clerk
for help with Magistrates Court history

Stuart Haywood, local history enthusiast
for various assistances and his enthusiasm

… but disappointment from:

Freda Shepherd and Jenny Griffin of Burton High School Old Girls Association
for being outstandingly unhelpful

Burton Library
for denying web-usage of a large archive of donated local photographs

Burton Mail
for declining to assist

Burton Police Force
for declining to assist

Marstons Brewery
for declining to assist

The Magic Attic
for denying web-usage of a large archive of donated local photographs

Three Queens Hotel
for declining to assist

 


 

 

1860 Views

One of the delights of this website is rescuing items of historic interest in the nick of time and digitally restoring them so that they can be enjoyed for future generations; so it was with this collection of etchings produced at a time when the number of cameras in Burton could be counted on one hand.

The collection was produced during the early 1800s by G. H. Newbold, and published as a collection by Rock Brothers & Payne in January 1860.


Above: The original Trent Bridge and below, Salt & Company Brewery with nothing between it and the Trent.


Above: Bass & Co. Brewery and Allsopp’s Brewery both clearly visible from the Trent.


Above: Christ Church and National Schools. And below, (Saint Modwen’s) Church and (Friars Walk) Grammar School with the ‘Silverway’ branch of the Trent, commonly used for swimming, plenty wide enough for two boats to pass one another.


Above: The Abbey and Stapenhill (Saint Peter’s) Church and Scalpcliffe Hill or Mount Calvus as it was once known.


Above: Tutbury (Saint Mary’s) Church and Tutbury Castle


 

 

Rangemore Hall – General History

When Michael Thomas Bass II, grandson of William Bass, the founder of Bass Brewery, became head of the combined Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton Brewery, he had Rangemore Hall built in the late 1850s. During the rebuilding, the main road use to run outside the main house, it was diverted to accommodate the new buildings, that is why, what was once a straight road between the two public houses has a bend outside Rangemore Hall. In 1860 Michael Thomas Bass and his family moved in. The grounds and gardens were beautifully laid by a famous landscape gardener Edward Milner and it became the subject of a number of Burton postcards.

Rangemore Hall was reconstructed and extended by his son, Michael Arthur Bass, when he inherited it from his father. A large part of the estate was leased by the Duchy of Lancaster it was subsequently purchased outright by Lord Burton in 1884. The work on the house began in 1898, it was carried out in the Italian style of architecture. During the reconstruction it was fitted out with all mod cons of the time from electric lights to electric lifts. The walls in the dining room were made high enough to hang seven Gobelin tapestries. Below, is a view of the much used drawing room.

The billiard room, not the snooker room as would be the case in later grand residencies, because snooker had noy yet gained popularity. This room was well used by Gentlemen staying at the house after dinner. Staff and servants were taught to listen at the door when game was in play, and to enter after hearing a shot had been played so as not to disturb the players at an inopportune time.

And the very light and airy library.

When the work was completed in 1902, the extension was twelve times bigger than the original manor it was attached to.

King Edward VII made his first public visit to Burton on Trent since his accession to the throne, where he stayed at Rangemore Hall from Friday February 21st till Monday the 24th.  The King was accompanied by one of his well known travelling mistresses, Lilly Langtry, for whom a special one-bedroom flat with discrete access was prepared.

During his stay on the Saturday, he made a public visit to Burton and the brewery where he started a special brew to commemorate his visit, known as “The Kings Ale”. On Sunday, his Majesty attended a public service at Rangemore Church before returning to London on Monday morning.

Just beyond the lake, Lord Burton had a mound constructed and a gap cleared in the forest with two bullet-proof booths one on either side of the clearing connected by rail tracks. The mound was made of shale covered with earth and lawn. A local blacksmith who was persuaded by the Baron to work for him full time, made a magnificent stag out of iron and hide with beautiful head and horns. The servants in the booths would pull the stag along the tracks by rope for Lord Burton and his guests to shoot. The mound has long since disappeared.

Guests were often from very high society. The below Royal Party, for example, was taken on January 5th, 1907 in front of Rangemore Hall with guests including a return visit from King Edward VII, last there in 1902, together with Queen Alexandra. Tantilizingly, it also features Mrs Keppel, another of the King’s well-known mistresses, seated while Queen Alexandra (now deaf) stands behind. Also of note, Mres Keppel was the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker-Bowles, second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales.

Rear: Austro-Hungarian Ambassador, Lady Alice Stanley.
Back Row: Hon. Col. Legge, Marquis of Soveral, Duchess of Devonshire, Mr Hamar Alfred Bass, Lord Elcho, Miss Jane Thornewill, H.M. Queen Alexandra, Lord Burton (Michael Arthur Bass), Lady Mar & Kellie, Prince Henry of Pless
Front Row: Lady Noreen Bass, Miss Muriel Wilson, Lady Desborough, Lady de Grey, H.M. King Edward VII, Lady Burton (Harriett Bass), Princess Henry of Pless, Mrs Alice Fredrica Keppel, Miss Bunny Thornewill

Nellie Lisa Bass, seen above, inherited Rangemore Hall and the title of Baroness Burton after the death of her father, Lord Burton in 1909. For 70 years Baroness Burton divided her time between Rangemore Hall and her two Scottish homes. Rangemore Hall was becoming too large for her, she once complained of having to cut her servants to seventy. She sold it to Staffordshire County Council on 24th October 1949 for £40,000.

In 1944 the American GIs occupied Rangemore Hall until 1945, some have left their names inscribed on the walls and door of one of the outhouses behind the caretaker’s lodge.

The Baroness moved to Needwood House, still on the estate just one mile from Rangemore Hall, she still travelled to her Scotland homes, always taking her beloved Cairn Terriers with her. The Baroness Burton, born in 1873, led a very active life and died in 1962.

In January 27th 1954 Rangemore Hall was opened as ‘Needwood School for the Partially Deaf’ with 46 children all of whom have been transferred from other deaf schools. The average total number of pupils has been approximately 120 (the maximum number of pupils that could be taken in was 150). During the 1980s the number of pupils coming to Needwood was getting smaller, at the time it closed in 1985 the number of attendants was down to 26.

Just before the school’s closure, over 500 former pupils and staff came to the last grand reunion to say their farewell. The Hall still exists today as luxury apartments.


 

 

Local Government – General History

In the Middle Ages Burton was governed through a manor court which had jurisdiction over the abbey’s tenants in Burton itself and in the outlying settlements of Branston, Horninglow, Stapenhill, Stretton, and Winshill, all of which were tithings with their own frankpledges. In addition, there was a separate manorial court for the borough. When local government fell increasingly into the hands of parish officers from the late 16th century, the manorial tithings came to be styled townships, with Burton tithing (the area of the original settlement lying outside the borough) being renamed Burton Extra and the borough becoming Burton township.

From the earlier 16th century the borough benefited from a charitable endowment called the town lands, whose income supported a variey of public works and continued to do so even after improvement commissioners were established for the town in 1779. Following the town’s physical expansion in the earlier 19th century the commissioners’ powers were extended in 1853 to cover parts of Burton Extra and Horninglow, and when the commissioners were replaced by elected councillors in 1878 their area of competence was further extended to include Horninglow village and parts of Stapenhill and Winshill townships. Branston and Stretton remained separate.

The municipal borough created in 1878 became a county borough in 1901 and remained so until 1974 when it was reabsorbed into Staffordshire county council. Along with Branston and Stretton, the former county borough forms part of a district called East Staffordshire borough council, whose main offices are in Burton town hall.

MANORIAL GOVERNMENT
The abbot of Burton had a court by 1135, with powers of jurisdiction which included infangthief (the right to try thieves). Styled a hall moot (halimote) in the later 12th century, the court was attended by all the abbot’s tenants and not only those of Burton. The number of attenders is possibly indicated by the number of dishes of food (disci) which Abbot Nicholas (1187-97) agreed to provide at his own costs, and not as a charge on the kitchener: namely, 100 at Easter and 100 at Michaelmas, the dates presumably being those when the court met. Later there were both great and small courts for Burton manor alone, to which presentments were made by its constituent tithings of Burton upon Trent, Branston, Horninglow, Stapenhill, Stretton, and Winshill. Burton tithing presumably excluded the borough created in the 12th century, which probably had its own court, although not recorded until the earlier 14th century.

After Sir William Paget acquired the manor in 1546, Burton tithing was renamed Burton Extra, to distinguish it from the borough, and that name was also applied to the manor court which was usually called Burton Extra with members. Manorial government declined from the later 16th century as parochial officers became more active, and in 1726 it was to Burton vestry that a man who had been elected as constable at the manor court paid a fine because he was leaving the town and wanted to be relieved of the office. The feoffees of the Burton town lands, a trust established in the earlier 16th century, were also involved in town government, and improvement commissioners were first appointed in 1779.

Jurisdiction
The Crown acknowledged c. 1255 that the abbot had view of frankpledge at Burton, including Branston, Horninglow, and Stretton, for which right he paid the sheriff of Staffordshire 1 mark (13s. 4d.). The abbot was then fined for using the court since the earlier 1240s to deal illegally with cases of assault and of breaches of the assize of bread and ale. In 1293 the abbot claimed a view in the liberty of Burton, together with assize of bread and ale, and his jurisdiction extended into the Derbyshire part of the manor: in 1330 it was stated that the abbot had failed to exercise his right of infangthief at Stapenhill, that there was no gallows there, and that thieves had had to be tried at the hundred court. The right was confirmed for a payment.

The abbot’s powers were extended in 1468 when the king granted him the authority to return writs previously dealt with by the sheriff; the abbot was then to act as justice of the peace and the bailiff as coroner. Those powers were confirmed in 1527 and passed to the Paget family when it acquired the manor in 1546. The inhabitants of Burton manor were consequently exempt from serving on county juries, until the privilege was withdrawn in 1876. At the end of the 18th century the coronership was held by the deputy steward (later styled the high bailiff) of the manor. From 1872 a county coroner was employed as his deputy but from 1900 he was paid directly by the county council.
The abbot’s spiritual jurisdiction in the ecclesiastical peculiar of Burton included the proof of wills, and after the Dissolution the Paget family as lords of the manor retained probate powers until 1858.

Fees
A 20s. annual fee called the sheriff’s aid which the abbey was paying in 1535 may have been a survival of the mid 13th-century payment to the sheriff for the abbot’s right to hold views of frankpledge at Burton. The abbey also paid a fee called palfrey money, which Sir William Paget’s agents in 1546 believed was due to the bailiff of Offlow hundred; it had been 4s. a year but in 1546 was 6s. 8d. Only 9d. a year was in fact paid after Paget acquired the manor, and in 1585 the recipient was the sheriff of Staffordshire. The money was probably paid in lieu of the sheriff’s right to free fodder for his horses when visiting Burton on official business.

Manor Courts
There was a three-weekly small court for the manor by the earlier 13th century. By 1284 and in the earlier 14th century it was held on Saturdays, also the day for the twice-yearly great court or view of frankpledge in the earlier 14th century. There were four frankpledges each for the tithings of Burton, Branston, Horninglow, and Stretton and two each for Stapenhill and Winshill. The jury of twelve men sworn at the great courts in the early 14th century were evidently free men, and by 1383 there was also a sworn jury of fifteen neifs.

After 1398 there are no surviving court records until the earlier 16th century, when there are records of views and small courts. By 1565 the view was held in two parts: one for the tithings of Burton Extra (the non-borough part of Burton), Stapenhill, and Winshill, and one for those of Branston, Horninglow (and Wetmore), and Stretton. There were by then two frankpledges for each tithing. By 1583 Horninglow tithing had three frankpledges but the others still only two, and that arrangement remained in force in 1640, the date of the last surviving record of a view.

Court business declined from the mid 17th century as copyhold tenure was replaced by leasehold, and the courts probably became social affairs. Two great courts or leets, evidently for the combined manor and borough, were still held in 1773 and possibly in the early 19th century. By 1834 there was only a single leet, held in October. It was apparently still functioning in the early 1850s, but probably ceased after the improvement commissioners extended their powers in 1853.

Manorial Officers
Stewards The courts in the 12th and early 13th century were presumably held before the abbot’s steward, the officer responsible for supervising all the abbey estates. In the 1220s John of Stapenhill was described as steward of Burton, possibly an indication that he administered only Burton manor, and stewards later in the 13th century are also styled of Burton. Apart from occurrences in 1349 and the 1360s, there are no further references to a steward until just before the dissolution of the abbey in 1535: George Hastings, earl of Huntingdon, then held what was presumably the honorific office of chief steward of Burton, for which he was paid £6 13s. 4d. a year. The steward in 1585 was Ralph Adderley.

From 1604 until 1632 the steward was John Chetwynd, possibly of Rugeley, and from 1633 to 1641 Richard Watson.

By the later 18th century it was usual for the officer, by then known as high steward, to be a barrister. John St. John was appointed in 1770, in succession to William Ashurst, and was still steward in 1775. The office was held in 1804 by R. G. Clarke, and later by John Lane of King’s Bromley (d. 1824), Nathaniel Clarke (d. 1833), and, finally, Joseph Richardson (d. 1851).

By the earlier 1260s the steward had a clerk, whose duties were probably the same as those of the man called the keeper of the abbot’s courts in 1514. At the dissolution of Burton college in 1545, the clerkship was held by Nicholas Burwey, also described as understeward, at an annual fee of 13s. 4d. He kept his office under the Pagets, and his successor in 1585 received the same fee.

Deputy Stewards
As manorial business declined the duty of presiding over the court was undertaken by a Burton lawyer, styled the deputy steward by the later 18th century. When Abraham Hoskins died in office in 1804, he was succeeded firstly by Daniel Dalrymple, a lawyer and banker (d. 1805), and then by Hoskins’s junior partner and son-in-law John Dickenson Fowler. Fowler, who was knighted in 1815 when he presented a loyal address from the borough to the Prince Regent at Lichfield, died in 1839 and was succeeded by his law partner John Richardson, who was usually styled high bailiff. Richardson died in 1877 and was succeeded by the marquess of Anglesey’s chief agent John Darling (d. 1908), who remained in office until his retirement in 1889. The post then seems to have fallen into abeyance.

Hallswains
The office of hallswain recorded in the early 12th century possibly involved attendance at the manor court in some administrative capacity. By the 14th century the hallswain made presentments of offences which had been overlooked by the frankpledges. There was a hallswain for Stretton in 1395; each tithing may by then had such an officer, or the title may merely have been used on that occasion as an alternative for reeve.

Other Officers Manorial officers appointed to collect rents and to regulate the open fields and access to common land are treated elsewhere in this article.

MANORIAL BOROUGH GOVERNMENT
A borough was established in the 12th century, although borough status was not recorded until 1203, shortly after King John granted Abbot William Melburne the right to extend the borough in Horninglow Street. The burgesses were to hold by burgage tenure at 12d. a year and to enjoy the customs of free burgesses in any neighbouring borough. When Abbot Nicholas of Wallingford (1216-22) granted a charter confirming burgage tenure, it was stated that the Burton burgesses had chosen (elegerant) the liberties and customs of the burgesses of Lichfield.

The borough was represented at an enquiry by 12 burgesses in 1221 when neighbouring towns challenged its right to hold a market and fair. By the earlier 15th century there was possibly a council of leading inhabitants: in 1441 a local knight, two merchants, the town bailiff, and nine burgesses, in that order, appointed the bridge keeper. When a later bridge keeper was appointed in 1493, he was chosen by the abbot and senior manorial officers, together with 18 ‘goodmen’ (probi homines). There was a religious guild certainly by the later 15th century, but it seems not to have acquired any powers of government in the borough. In the earlier 16th century a common fund was established for the town, vested in feoffees and administered by wardens.

Borough Courts
A borough court existed in 1333 and 1394, but no records for it survive before September 1565, when a view of frankpledge was held at which a 16-man jury was empanelled and eight tithingmen were elected. The jury, known conventionally as the Twelve, comprised both burgesses and non-burgesses, the former numbering five and the latter 10 in 1634. The tithingmen, who probably represented wards in the town and who were styled dozeners by 1624, still numbered eight in 1640, the last year for which borough court records survive.

Although borough court business appears to have been subsumed into that of the manor court by the 18th century, the dozeners survived and in 1733 they were issued with eight new staves of office. Dozeners were still being appointed in the early 1850s, and some of their staves survived in Burton museum in the early 1940s.

Borough Officers:
Bailiffs

Two bailiffs were recorded in the late 13th century, but from the early 14th century there was normally only a single bailiff, usually holding office for two or more years at a time.

The bailiff in 1535 was Walter Charnels, who received as his allowance all the profits of the borough court (given as £3 6s. 8d.). When Sir William Paget acquired the manor in 1546, he continued to pay Charnels’ fee as an annuity but appointed a working bailiff who accounted for both the borough and Burton Extra.

Constables
The borough had two constables in 1307, and pairs of constables are found witnessing charters in the later 15th century. The two constables in office in 1493 were possibly assisted by three men styled valets of the coroner. In the later 16th and earlier 17th century the election of two constables was occasionally recorded at the borough view of frankpledge, but by then they had become more closely associated with the parish officers. In the early 18th century the constables attended meetings of the vestry for Burton township, although they were still elected at the manor court.

Bellman
The duties of the bellman given in bye-laws made by the borough court in 1574 were to ring the market bell and to clean the market place.

PARISH GOVERNMENT
By the early 17th century the borough and manorial tithings (Burton Extra, Branston, Horninglow, and Stretton) also corresponded to divisions within the parish, first called constablewicks and later townships. Stapenhill and Winshill also probably formed separate townships from the 17th century. Each township had its own parish officers and each became a civil parish in the later 19th century. Even after Burton, Burton Extra, and parts of Horninglow, Stapenhill, and Winshill were taken into Burton municipal borough in 1878 they continued as civil parishes, but in 1904 they were incorporated into a new civil parish called Burton-upon-Trent, co-terminous with the county borough created in 1901. That part of Horninglow which was not included in the municipal borough, and which was renamed Outwoods in 1894, remains a separate civil parish, as do Branston and Stretton.

Vestries
A vestry of about six men dealt with the routine affairs of Burton township, and met monthly from at least 1701. In 1710 meetings were held in the north transept of the parish church. In 1805 the vestry comprised a committee of about 12 men. The number was increased in 1824 to 24 men, who served in groups of six for each quarter of the year. Their main activity was the administration of poor relief. The committee was replaced in 1821 by a select vestry of 20 men, who retained the practice of serving by quarter. From 1830 a new arrangement required fortnightly meetings of half the members. The creation of a poor-law union in 1837 greatly reduced the business of the select vestry.

The other townships had their own vestries, although that for Burton Extra is not recorded before 1846 when ratepayers there met in various inns to choose parish constables and overseers. The Burton and Burton Extra vestries continued to meet until 1904, when their last responsibility for parish government passed to Burton corporation, which provided officers for the new civil parish of Burton upon Trent.

Parish Officers
Churchwardens There were two churchwardens for the parish in 1553. By the later 1650s someone from Horninglow was a churchwarden every third year, and it seems that by then the ‘country’ townships provided two wardens who served alongside two for the town, as was certainly the case by 1687. By the earlier 18th century the town wardens were chosen by the Burton vestry.

Clerks A parish clerk was paid 10s. a year by Burton college in 1544. A salary of 40s. charged on Sir William Paget when he acquired the manor in 1546 was still being paid out of manorial revenue in the earlier 1620s. In the late 18th century there were two clerks, one for the town and one for the country townships.

Parochial Constables
By the later 16th century the manorial constables for Burton borough had become parish officers. Parochial constables continued to be appointed after the vestry began to employ a salaried policeman in 1819: under an Act of 1842 overseers of the poor were required to give J.P.s the names of men nominated to serve as parochial constables and that practice was observed at Burton from at least 1845 until 1872.

There were constables for the other townships in Burton parish, including Burton Extra, by the early 17th century. As at Burton, unpaid parochial constables were nominated by Burton Extra ratepayers from at least 1846 until 1872.

Highway Surveyors Surveyors of the highways for Burton township are recorded only occasionally in the later 17th and early 18th centuries, and they may not have been regular appointments: responsibility for paving the streets fell mainly on the constables. The other townships evidently had their own highway surveyors in the 18th century. Burton vestry appointed surveyors from 1836 under an Act of 1835, and continued to do so until 1853, when responsibility passed to the improvement commissioners.

Poor Relief
Bequests were made to a poor man’s chest (or box) in the parish church in the 1550s and still in 1582, and weekly collections may have been taken as required by parliament in 1551. Two overseers for the poor recorded in 1606 were probably for Burton township, which certainly had two in 1701. The vestry continued to appoint two overseers until 1903, but on the creation of the new parish of Burton-upon-Trent in 1904 their appointment passed to Burton corporation. The ratepayers of Burton Extra similarly appointed two overseers from at least 1846 until 1903. Aldermen and councillors of the municipal (later county) borough continued to meet as the corporate overseers until 1927.

A bye-law against receiving strangers passed by the borough court in 1574 was presumably directed chiefly against poor vagrants. The poor in Burton township were being badged by 1701, and only those who attended church regularly and sat in special seats were to receive parish relief.

Expenditure The amount of money spent annually on poor relief in Burton township rose steadily from £76 in 1700 to £119 in 1719 and then more steeply, reaching £163 in 1723 and £194 in 1725. It was evidently the sudden increase in expenditure and the impetus given by the Poor Relief Act of 1722 that triggered the decision in 1728 to convert a barn on the west side of Anderstaff Lane (later Wetmore Road) into a workhouse and in 1730 to the appointment, as a temporary measure, of a salaried assistant to the overseers. Expenditure duly fell to £128 by 1731 and £88 by 1733. By 1776, however, it had risen to £294, and in the mid 1780s it averaged £525. A married couple were appointed as workhouse governor and governess in 1782.

By 1803 annual expenditure on the poor was £1,526, of which £790 was spent on out-relief (60 people permanently and 105 occasionally) and £690 on maintaining 65 inmates in the workhouse. A complaint made in 1805 by the vicar, churchwardens, and vestry about the mismanagement of funds led to the establishment of a standing committee to supervise the work of the overseers. Charles Hodson, who offered to act as vestry clerk for a year without salary evidently in order to drive through reform, described the system as ‘radically bad’; in 1806 he reported that the overseers continued to spend money on out-door relief rather than send paupers to the workhouse and that illegitimate children were the cause of ‘enormous expense’. The workhouse was duly enlarged, but out-pay seems not to have been significantly reduced. The town vestry clerk acted as a salaried assistant overseer and constable from 1807, at a salary of £40, raised to £60 when a successor was appointed in 1810. In 1817 the vestry instituted a roundsman system, placing unemployed men at work with employers in the town, and from 1832 all able-bodied paupers had to present themselves daily at the workhouse. Some paupers were probably set to work in 20 a. of garden land which the overseers rented from the marquess of Anglesey, apparently from 1820. Although the vestry ordered the overseers to give the land up in 1837, on the foundation of the poor-law union, they still rented land from the marquess in the mid 1850s and let it to the poor as gardens.

The annual expenditure of the overseers of Burton Extra township in 1803 was £281. All of it was spent on out-relief, but there was later a workhouse, probably in the Bond End area.

Poor’s Land Under the Burton inclosure Act of 1812, the commissioners were empowered to compensate inhabitants for the loss of their common rights by assigning a share of the inclosed land to trustees for the benefit of the poor of Burton and Burton Extra. The allotment was duly made (in advance of the full award) in 1816, when the trustees were assigned nearly 62 a., comprising Goose moor in Burton, Fleet green in Burton Extra, Branston green in Branston, and Horninglow moor in Horninglow. The trustees immediately sold the land and invested the capital, together with money paid by the marquess of Anglesey and three others for freeing their land from Lammas rights, in stock, which from 1822 produced £192 a year; 5/6 was assigned to the poor of Burton and 1/6 to those of Burton Extra. Under a Scheme of 1981 the capital was transferred to the Consolidated Charity of Burton upon Trent.

Poor-Law Union
When Burton-upon-Trent poor law union was formed in 1837, the workhouses in Burton Extra, Barton-under-Needwood, and Tutbury were closed and only that in Anderstaff Lane was retained in use. It was replaced in 1839 by one on the east side of Horninglow Street beyond Hawkins Lane, built to a design of Henry Stevens of Derby. That workhouse was, in turn, replaced in 1884 by a larger building in Dallow Lane (later Belvedere Road) in that part of Horninglow added to Burton borough in 1878. It was designed in a Queen Anne style and on a pavilion plan by J. H. Morton of South Shields and had a very tall clock tower. The infirmary of the 1839 workhouse was used as an infectious diseases hospital between 1885 and 1891, when the building was sold to Messrs. Bass, Ratcliff, and Gretton. From 1972 the Belvedere Road site was used for the new Burton district hospital. Parts of the 1884 workhouse (including the clock tower) were demolished in 1985 and 1993, but much of it remained in use, including the master’s house (dated 1882) and the entrance lodge.

The former workhouse in Anderstaff Lane was sold in 1847 and later became a brewery warehouse. The Burton Extra workhouse was sold in 1840.

TOWN LANDS
Origins

In 1547 the chantry commissioners were told that in 1529 George, Lord Hastings, and others had been enfeoffed of a burgage and land in the town in trust; under the terms of the trust the inhabitants of Burton were to elect two or three of their number each year to administer the profits as masters or wardens for the benefit of the town. Since 1529 the money had been used to support the grammar schoolmaster, provide parish armour, and pay subsidies. By 1546 there was sufficient land for the feoffees to need a surveyor, who was responsible for ‘the land employed to the use and profit of the inhabitants of the town of Burton upon Trent’ and who with five other men that year let 10 a. in Stapenhill ‘in the name and by the assent of the inhabitants of Burton’.

The two men, probably the churchwardens, who reported to the chantry commissioners in 1547 claimed that there was no chantry or guild land in the town beyond that already granted to Sir William Paget as part of his acquisition of Burton manor in 1546. Certainly Paget received the income from former guild land, which was managed by ‘the warden of the pyx’ of Burton borough and amounted to 38s. 101/2d. in 1546. By 1566, however, the guild land seems to have been amalgamated with the trust land, and in 1585 the equivalent of the 1546 income was recorded as income from what was called the town lands, then held by the townsmen.

Income
The income of guild and trust land together was £11 4s. in 1597, the first year for which a rental survives for the combined estate. By the early 18th century the rent from land, which in 1711 comprised 29 houses, most of them in the borough, and a small area of arable and meadow, was c. £39 a year; there was also interest on loans, normally between £6 and £8 a year. The annual income from land increased steadily during the century and was c. £90 by the early 1790s. It produced £190 a year in the earlier 1820s, when a fund of £1,800 accumulated from entry fines provided a further £84 in interest. In 1861 the land comprised 12 a. in Burton township (producing an annual income of £232), 6 a. in Burton Extra (£52), 13 a. in Horninglow (£246), and 14 a. in Newton Solney (Derb.) (£57); investments produced £58. In 1862 or 1863 the feoffees sold much of their unbuilt land in Burton to brewers and railway companies and invested the money, so that by 1884 their net income from rents and dividends was £2,362. Income had risen to £4,243 by 1910, £7,900 by 1927, £10,487 by 1938, and £11,599 by 1948.

Feoffees and Town Masters
The land was vested in trustees, known as the feoffees of the town lands in 1595, when they numbered ten and were headed by Henry, earl of Huntingdon. In 1619 they numbered eleven and were headed by Lord Paget. There were usually 13 feoffees from the 17th century, the number being periodically maintained by surviving feoffees making new enfeoffments in favour of co-opted members. An annual meeting took place on St. Thomas’s day (21 December) in a house on the west side of High Street, known by 1631 as the Town House. The feoffees still met there in 1769, but by 1784 meetings were held at the Crown inn.

Rents from the land were collected by two officers called the town masters, first recorded in 1595 and by custom chosen at the feoffees’ annual meeting. The masters accounted to the feoffees on St. Thomas’s day, and the money was placed in a coffer, first mentioned in 1578 and presumably kept in the Town House. By at least the earlier 17th century it was customary for the masters to have held office the previous year as the parochial constables, a practice apparently still followed in 1834. Thereafter, the retiring churchwardens assumed responsibility as town masters. The masters survived until 1866, when they were replaced by a single receiver, a change probably consequent on the vesting of the endowment in the Official Trustee in 1861.

Expenditure
Income from the town lands seems to have been applied in the late 16th century towards paying certain manorial officers: the earliest surviving town masters’ account, for 1595, includes the payment of wages for the herdman, swineherd, and moor keeper, as well as for the repair of the pinfold. The masters also paid the grammar schoolmaster’s salary, evidently because the feoffees administered the school’s endowment, and later the feoffees became the usual body in whom charities for the poor were vested. In the 17th and 18th centuries payments from the town lands were made to the crier and for the repair of the stocks and the market cross, and at least by 1640 the masters defrayed some of the expenses of the constables. An endowment for paving streets in the town, given apparently in 1581 and at first administered by the constables, was controlled by the feoffees by 1710. In 1711 it was stated that income was spent on defraying the expenses of the constables, repairing the market cross, pinfold, stocks, whipping post, and bridges in Cat Street and Horninglow Street, paying the wages of the pinner and the common servant, apprenticing poor children, and giving doles to the poor.

The funds in 1820 were stated to be for the common use, benefit, and profit of the inhabitants of the town, and could be used to relieve the imposition of levies on the inhabitants. The feoffees were also able to make discretionary charitable donations: apprenticing children, supplying coal to almspeople, clothing poor people, and distributing a dole to the poor on St. Thomas’s day. Grants for general benefit became more significant as the town began to expand from the earlier 19th century, and the feoffees made special grants to the improvement commissioners for public works. They gave £100 in 1833 and promised up to £400 in 1843, and in 1844 they loaned £300.

Consolidated Charities
In 1861 the town lands were vested in the Official Trustee, as were the endowments of the town’s other charities. When the charities were re-organised under Schemes of 1875 and 1876 as the Consolidated Charities of Burton-upon-Trent, the feoffees were replaced by a body of trustees and the town lands, together with two charities for town improvements (Pavement House and New Close charities), were reconstituted as the Town Branch of the new charity. After itemising limited capital expenditure on school building, a public library, and a recreation ground, the Schemes permitted fixed payments from the Town Branch for the purposes of education, health care, and emergency poor relief and then the application of the residue income ‘for the benefit and advantage’ of the town in erecting and enlarging buildings, or the execution of works ‘calculated to be of public utility’, or in promoting ‘the embellishment and ornament of the town’. The Consolidated Charities was re-organised under a Scheme of 1981, and in 1982 the Town Branch was established as a separate charity called the Town Branch Charities, although its income was still to be administered as part of the renamed Consolidated Charity. The Town Branch element comprised threefifths of the income, which was to be applied in sick relief, educational provision, and the improvement of ‘conditions of life’ by supporting recreational activities.

In 1997 there was a distribution under the last two headings of £121,223, made to schools and a wide range of community organisations.

IMPROVEMENT COMMISSIONERS
A body of improvement commissioners was established by an Act of 1779 for ‘the town and borough of Burton’, with powers to pave, repair, clean, and light the streets and enlarge and scour drains in the area covered by Burton township. The original 75 commissioners qualified as owners or occupiers of land worth £20 a year, heirs to landed estates worth £80 a year, or possessors of personal estates worth £500. Their successors were co-opted. In addition, there were ex officio commissioners: the high steward, deputy steward, and the feoffees of the town lands. The commissioners were empowered to levy a rate of between 2d. and 6d. in the £ and to borrow money and grant annuities; they were also allowed to appropriate the income administered by the town lands feoffees for paving the streets. Minutes survive from 1831.

Under the Town of Burton-upon-Trent Act, 1853, the competence of the commissioners was extended to include parts of the townships of Burton Extra and Horninglow, despite opposition from those places. Qualified if they owned or occupied land in the area covered by the Act rated for poor relief at £15 a year or if they possessed a real or personal estate worth £300, the commissioners were to be elected by all ratepayers; the only ex officio commissioner was the high bailiff. The 27 elected commissioners represented 3 wards: 18 for Burton-upon-Trent ward, 6 for Burton Extra ward, and 3 for Horninglow ward. Each ward was to be its own district for rating purposes, and the commissioners were empowered to levy a rate of up to 2s. 6d. in the £

In 1863 the commissioners adopted the Local Government Act, 1858, although it was not until 1866 that they first made an application to borrow money, thereby beginning to sit as a local board of health. From 1872 the commissioners acted as an urban sanitary authority under the Public Health Act of that year.

Under the Burton-upon-Trent Improvement Act, 1878, the commissioners’ area of competence was extended to include the remainder of Burton Extra township, a further part of Horninglow township (including Horninglow village), a small part of Branston township, and parts of Stapenhill and Winshill townships. The high bailiff was to remain an ex officio commissioner, and there were to be 30 elected commissioners, representing 5 wards: 9 each for Burtonupon-Trent and Burton Extra wards, 6 for Horninglow ward, and 3 each for Stapenhill and Winshill wards. Municipal (later county) Borough.

MUNICIPAL (LATER COUNTY) BOROUGH
Elections under the 1878 Act did not take place because a royal charter was granted in September the same year, making Burton a municipal borough. The charter authorised the election of 24 councillors, representing 4 wards: 6 each for Burton-upon-Trent, Burton Extra, and Horninglow wards, and 6 for a combined Stapenhill and Winshill ward. There were no ex officio councillors. Only nine former commissioners were elected as councillors in November 1878, but they included the brewers Henry Wardle, John Yeomans, and Sydney Evershed, each of whom was chosen as an alderman at the first council meeting. The other five coopted aldermen, making a total of two for each ward, were either brewers or builders, and one of them, William Henry Worthington, the former chairman of the commissioners, was chosen as mayor. The commissioners’ clerk and treasurer were retained in office.

By 1900 Burton had a population of over 50,000, enabling the municipal borough to apply for county borough status, granted with effect from April 1901. The electoral divisions were re-ordered under the Burton-upon-Trent Corporation Act, 1901, which created 8 wards, each returning 3 councillors: Burton ward (covering the historic town centre), Broadway and Uxbridge wards to the south, Shobnall, Victoria, and Horninglow wards to the west, Stapenhill ward, and a combined Wetmore and Winshill ward.

The first woman councillor was Miss Mary Goodger of Stapenhill House, elected as an Independent for Uxbridge ward in 1923; she became the first woman mayor in 1931. A complete list of mayors to 1974 is given in D. Stuart, County Borough, volume one (at pp. 51-2).

Politics
A working-class candidate stood unsuccessfully for Burton Extra ward at the first municipal election in 1878, his supporters causing a disturbance in Cross Street. The first successful working-class candidates were William Austin and Alfred Thornley, both elected unopposed for Burton Extra ward in 1892 and 1893 respectively. A Burton branch of the Independent Labour Party established by 1906 still existed in the 1930s, but it was eclipsed by the Labour Party which formed a branch in Burton in 1920. The first Labour and Co-operative party councillor, William Hutson, was elected in 1920 for Victoria ward, and Boaz Curtis was elected as a Labour supporter for Uxbridge ward in the same year. Hutson became the first Labour mayor in 1932. Conservatives, however, with the support of Independents, controlled the council until 1972 when Labour acquired a majority in the last elections held for the county borough.

The 1910 Council taken outside the Town Hall with Mayor, Thomas Jenkins at the centre and Alderman Charles Tresise, the previous Mayor, on his left.

POST-1974 GOVERNMENT
The county borough was abolished when local government was re-organized nationally in 1974. Burton was re-absorbed into Staffordshire county council, on which it was represented by four councillors, and became part of East Staffordshire district council, on which it was represented by 31 councillors out of a total of 60. The Burton councillors were ex officio charter trustees for the former county borough, and they elected a chairman who was styled town mayor. Their duties were mainly ceremonial. In 1979 the district council was reduced to 46 members, of whom 23 represented the area of the former county borough divided into 11 newly-constituted wards: the former Burton ward acquired the Wetmore area, a new ward called Eton was created out of the east side of Horninglow ward, and two new wards, Edgehill and Waterside, were created out of the southern part of Stapenhill ward. In 1992 the district acquired borough status and was renamed East Staffordshire borough council, with its chairman styled a mayor, and the Burton charter trustees ceased to function.

A wooden board with the names of the town mayors between 1974 and 1992 hangs in the town hall near the mayor’s parlour.


 

 

Mayors 1878..1927


1878-79 W.H.Worthington

In 1878, Burton was granted the status of County Borough and W.H.Worthington, one of the most prominent brewers in the town, was appointed its first Mayor. This was a natural progression since he was the chairman of the Town Commissioners at the time that Borough status was awarded.


1880-81 S.Evershed

Sydney Evershed was another prominent brewer who eventually, in 1905, merged to form the highly successful Marston, Thompson and Evershed brewery. He was elected to Parliament and became MP for Burton-on-Trent in 1886.


1882-83 G.H.Allsop


1884-85 T.B.Lowe


1886-87 E.Wright


1888-89 C.Harrison


1890-91 R.Wilkinson


1892-93 A.J.Coxon


1894-95 J.Parker


1895-96, 1900-01 J.R.Morris


1897-98, 1922-23 F.Thompson


1899-00 G.L.Blackhall


1902-04 A.J.Roberts

A.J. Roberts remained in office for two consecutive years and enjoyed the privilege of opening the new Tramway System in 1903 when he travelled on the very first tram from the Town Hall to Stapenhill Green.


1905-06 T.E.Lowe

Educated at Burton Grammar School and Ashville College, Harrogate, he joined Mssrs. Thomas Lowe and Sons in 1885, became a partner in 1887 and eventually Chairman.
Keen on sport, he was Hon. Secretary of Burton Football Club. He was elected a member of the Town Council in 1893; was made an Alderman in 1904 and was elected Mayor in 1905.
For more than 20 years, he was Chairman of the Gas and Electricity Committee; was appointed Govenor, and eventually Chairman, of the Endowed Schools and was Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Burton-on-Trent and later, County of Stafford.
Much of his spare time was devoted to music. He was conductor of the Burton Musical Society and took principal parts in the Operatic Society.


1907-08 C.A.Tresise

Charles Tresise ran a successful printers, publishers and newspaper company. The company continued as Tresise Printers long after his death.


1909-10 T.Jenkins


1911-12 Marquis of Anglesey

Sir Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey GCVO, was educated at Eton and the Royal Military College Sandhurst. In 1911 he became Mayor of Burton upon Trent at the age of just 26 making him by far the youngest ever mayor of the town. His end of his term was punctuated by the outbreak of WWI and he went on to serve in the Royal Horse Guards.


1912-13 T.Metcalf


1914-15 J.S.Rowland

Joseph S. Rowland was the principal of Rowland & Son, one of the most prominent auctioneers in Burton at the time.


1916-17 J.W.A.Bassett


1918-19 G.Hill


1920-21, 1921-22 A.H.Yeomans
Educated at Burton Grammar School, he learnt malting. He inherited his father’s Brewery but joined with Marston’s where he became Managing Director of what became Marston, Thompson and Evershed Ltd.
In 1917, he was elected to Burton Borough Council and was placed on the Justice of the Peace roll. He was elected Major in 1920 and held the post for two consecutive terms.
Being a keen rower in his younger days, he was Chairman of Burton Regatta from 1898 to 1920. He also played for Burton Football Club and became a long-standing committee member for the club.


1924-25 C.M.Livens


1926-27 A.Elliott


 

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