General Chat

Anyone know/remember Hednesford in the 1920's. My Mum was born in a pub there in 1926 and I'd love to be able to find out which one (providing there was more than one of course). I've never been to the place so I don't know how big it is now, let alone then. Some surfing on the net tells me it has a race track, their football team won the FA Trophy and during WW2 there was a RAF training base there. Thanks Mick

Surely there must be someone out there knows Hednesford

Hi Mick, I don`t know Hednesford , but my sister lives near there. Can you give more details and I will see if she can help. Frances

Hednesford Is on th A460 from Cannock to Rugeley Roy

Hi both Frances and Sue... sorry I was away for half an hour watching Have I Got News For You..... My Mum was born in Hednesford in 1926 though she doesn't remember a lot about it... surprise surprise. Though she does know her father (ex naval CPO) was running a pub there and later moved to another pub in Lichfield Mick

Found this on Genuki for 1834, don`t know if the names of the inns will help. I will contact my sister tomorrow and ask her if she knows of any pubs in Hednesford. INNS AND TAVERNS Cock, Wm. Henshaw, Wedges mill Crown Inn, Thos. Leadbeater Roebuck, John Smith Royal Oak, Edw. Withnall, (& bricklayer) White Swan, Daniel Grocutt

Thanks for your help guys Mick

Hi Michael This is a bit belated but I've just seen your message .. I live in Hednesford so can fill you in a bit. Hednesford is about 2 miles from Cannock and sprang up in 1870s/1880s when coal was discovered as part of the Cannock Chase Coalfields. Prior to that it was just a farming community centred largely around the Cross Keys Inn, an Elizabethan building which still stands about a minute's walk away from where I am writing. This pub was on a main route through and had stables; many racehorses were bred and trained from the Keys and a few more surrounding stables; apparently the Hednesford Hills turfland was good for training (Hednesford Hills are still here and this is where the raceway is - it was once a reservoir I think). The horses went when the mining moved in and Hednesford itself sort of shifted from the Keys to a new small town centre (one street of shops, etc) about half a mile away when the railway came, to transport the coal. Most of the (older) houses where built aboout a mile away to accommodate the miners.Many still remain although lots of new housing has been built at different times ... and is still being built. I live near to the Keys in Old Hednesford, next door to, and part of, what was a pub called the Kings Arms (this closed in 1930s); think my house had something to do with being a blacksmiths a long time ago. A pub in Hednesford main street is The Uxbridge Arms; The Anglesey was another but has been closed about 20 years ago and made into offices (this was a originally a big house belonging to the Marquis of Anglesey who owned much of the land). Several pubs were built where the miners houses were built, including West Cannock Inn (may have had a different name), the Jubilee (may not be old enough), Hazel Slade (about a mile or so away), The Queens Arms (built about 1866 and on same road as Keys just at the bottom of my road), Plough and Harrow (probably built a bit later and also on same road but a bit further up) and The Trafalgar (about a mile away in a different direction, again must have had lots of miners' terraces around it as many are still standing) ... there may be more ... there were also some such as The Blue Lamp which closed a long time ago....There was also the Globe Inn which was situated at the canal basin (this is still there but has been rebuilt) and the Bridge Inn........ lots of pubs really! The miners were obviously thirsty! Hope this helps a bit, Deb

Hello again What surname did yor mom's father have? I have a book with a picture of the landlord of the Cross Keys in it c1925 - he is a William Martin..... Deb