Category: Miscellaneous

Signing the pledge

A century-old Pledge Book from Handsacre Primitive Methodists preserves the signatures of dozens of local children who promised to abstain from alcohol. Their names open a fascinating window onto village life, the temperance movement and the ideals of the Band of Hope. Following many of those children into adulthood, this article reveals how the First World War transformed the lives of a generation that had begun with such youthful optimism.

Duck stone

A group of young men throwing stones in the road might seem an unlikely subject for local history, yet an 1899 court case preserves a fascinating glimpse of village life. This article explores the traditional game of duck stone, the mysterious alternative game called “kilto”, and how changing roads, bicycles and concerns over public safety brought an end to games once played in the streets of Armitage.

Sixteen years on the run

In 1789, agricultural labourer John Waltho disappeared after setting fire to his employer’s farm in Handsacre. Despite nationwide reward notices, he evaded capture for almost sixteen years before making the fatal mistake of returning to demand unpaid wages. This remarkable true story traces one of the parish’s most dramatic criminal cases, revealing how justice was pursued and punishment carried out in Georgian England.

The Handsacre World Champion Prune Eater

In 1970, Roy Hodgkiss, a Handsacre man unexpectedly became a world champion after taking part in a light-hearted prune-eating competition at a Lichfield bingo club. What began as a publicity stunt soon attracted local newspaper headlines and an official world record. This entertaining true story recalls an unusual moment when two parish residents found themselves competing for an unlikely place in the record books.

Armitage Ware colour samples

When Armitage introduced the world’s first coloured sanitary ware in 1927, it transformed bathroom design. Using rare surviving colour samples, this article traces the evolution of the company’s distinctive colour range, explains how salesmen used these samples to market Armitage products, and explores the changing fashions that shaped British bathrooms from the 1930s onwards.

The Coronation Carnival of 1937

How did Armitage and Handsacre celebrate the Coronation of George VI in 1937? Drawing on committee records, newspaper reports and surviving invoices, this article recreates a remarkable day of carnival processions, fancy dress, races, teas, torchlight parades and a giant bonfire. It also reveals the extraordinary planning behind the celebrations and offers a vivid glimpse of community life in the parish before the Second World War.

A shipwreck find

When divers explored the wreck of the Josephine Willis in the English Channel, they uncovered an extraordinary cargo of pottery destined for New Zealand—including a beautifully decorated water closet made at Armitage in the 1850s. The discovery sheds new light on Robert Hedderwick Penman, his short-lived pottery partnership and the company’s early export trade.

What’s in a name?

An unusual recruitment advert led to a surprising discovery about how Edward Johns & Co. helped shape the language of the bathroom. Company bulletins from the 1930s reveal why “lavatory” disappeared from its catalogues, why “washbasin” took its place, and how the firm debated the best name for the humble W.C.

Guilty or Not Guilty? You Be the Jury

Would you have convicted them? Three real court cases from Armitage and Handsacre challenge readers to weigh the evidence before discovering the verdicts. From an alleged theft of washing, to a dispute over a hedgerow and an assault involving wandering cows, the cases reveal how everyday disagreements reached the magistrates and juries of nineteenth-century Staffordshire, while offering a fascinating glimpse into village life and the workings of local justice.