Behind the banners, brass bands and annual processions lay a practical purpose. Friendly Societies helped working families protect themselves against illness, injury and death without relying on the workhouse. Their story shows how mutual support became one of the most important forms of welfare in Victorian Armitage and Handsacre.
Tag: Armitage
From Parish Relief to the Workhouse
The New Poor Law of 1834 transformed the way poverty was managed, replacing local parish relief with the workhouse. Yet the change was neither immediate nor complete. Using records from Armitage and the Lichfield Workhouse, this article explores how familiar village families experienced one of the most significant changes in nineteenth-century social welfare.
Earning a Living Repairing the Roads
Poor relief was not always a handout. Parish records show men and women earning wages repairing the roads, allowing them to support themselves while improving the community. Following the fortunes of Samuel Mills and others, this article reveals how work, hardship and parish responsibility were often closely connected.
James Conway
When ten-year-old James Conway lost his father in 1832, the parish faced a difficult decision. Rather than support him indefinitely, the Overseers arranged an apprenticeship with a carefully chosen master in Willenhall. His story reveals how parish apprenticeships could offer both relief for the parish and the chance of a secure future for a child.
William Marklew: Making a New Life
William Marklew came to Armitage in search of work, but before he could settle the parish first had to decide whether he belonged there. His story shows how the Old Poor Law affected working people who moved for employment, and how one brickmaker’s search for opportunity became the foundation of a family that remained in the village for generations.
When Hannah Waltho Died
The death of Hannah Waltho in 1791 left her family dependent on parish support, but the story did not end there. Overseers paid for her funeral, investigated her husband’s remarriage and eventually apprenticed William and Jane to begin new lives. Their story reveals both the hardships and the opportunities created by the Old Poor Law.
Hannah Greatrix and the Law of Settlement
When Hannah Greatrix was widowed in 1750, the law decided where she and her baby belonged. Forced to leave Yoxall and move to Armitage, perhaps to a village she barely knew, her story reveals how the Old Poor Law’s settlement rules could shape the lives of ordinary families, regardless of their own wishes.
The History of Armitage Pottery: People, Products and Place
The history of Armitage Pottery cannot be told through a single story. It has influenced the village, provided employment for generations of families, developed products known throughout the world and shaped the lives of countless individuals. Some of those stories fit naturally into the narrative of the company’s history. Others are smaller episodes, remarkable discoveries… Continue reading The History of Armitage Pottery: People, Products and Place
Ken and Alan Stott – The Brothers Behind Armitage Shanks
For fifty years Ken and Alan Stott worked side by side, guiding the Armitage pottery from a successful family business to Britain’s largest sanitary ware manufacturer. This article explores the brothers’ unique partnership, their service beyond the factory, and the practical common sense that enabled them to recognise opportunities, create new markets and leave a lasting legacy in British industry.
Edmund Corn and the Making of Armitage Ware
Between Edward Johns and the Stott brothers stood Edmund Corn, the driving force behind Armitage Ware. Potter, innovator and businessman, he guided the company through war, depression and industrial unrest while introducing new production methods, developing overseas markets and helping create the world’s first coloured sanitary ware suites. Under his leadership the Armitage name became known around the world, laying the foundations for the later success of Armitage Shanks.