Great Wyrley’s Memorial Garden: A Potted History

Some of the War Memorial Committee outside of the gates, 1921. Unknown.

This article is an amalgam of different parts of the forthcoming Heritage Lottery funded book on the Great Wyrley area during the Great War. It pulls together the information on what is now the Great Wyrley Memorial Garden, in order to give a straight-forward, single narrative of one of the townships most sacred spaces… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/wyrley-landywood/great-wyrley-memorial-garden-a-potted-history/

 

The Gift of Time (Part ONE)

An adventure with time to commemorate World Cancer Day. If Dr Who can put his personality in a watch to hide from monsters, what can an old watch reveal about its previous owners? As it happens a lot – on social conditions, family, work and the Great War… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/articles-other/the-gift-of-time-part-one/

Privates Walton and Parnaby: Driven to Despair (Part 4)

Cheslyn Hay c1926, the Red Lion is the white building dead centre of the photograph. (Britain from Above)

This part takes in the stories of Private Walton (who lies at Rugeley) and Private William Usher Parnaby (who is linked with Cheslyn Hay), two soldiers that were broken by the circumstances of a world they were caught-up in, powerless to do anything about, and a military machine that was incapable and unable to offer much in the way of sympathy or help… https://wp.me/P4ui4e-1oY

February – March 1916: The Dark Side of the Cannock Chase Camps (part 3)

The junction of Stafford Road/Cemetery Road, Cannock, and the White Lion pub, close to Lycett’s bayonet charge of March 1916! 2017.

This, the third part, looks at three bizarre, alcohol-fuelled incidents that date to February and March 1916 and involve Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley and Heath Hays. They involve theft, as well as threatening behaviour and the physical assault of policemen… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/february-march-1916-the-dark-side-of-the-cannock-chase-camps-part-3/

October 1915 – January 1916: The Dark Side of the Cannock Chase Camps (part 2)

The Newtown Bridge (Bloxwich) over the Stafford Rd has long since gone, the line of the canal, where William was found, can still be made out though towards Fishley. 2017.

This part covers the stories of Private Davill (Walsall) and Private Greenwood (Leeds), whose differing experiences open the dark side of the Cannock Chase camps in January 1916…
https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/october-1915-january-1916-the-dark-side-of-the-cannock-chase-camps-part-2/

From Brownhills to Brandwood: Thomas William James and the Pity of War

Thomas William James’ newly erected CWGC headstone (D Royle)

We have some brilliant news. Thomas William James, a fallen WWI soldier from Great Wyrley and Brownhills, has received his Commonwealth War Grave headstone after over 100 years. Thanks to Barrie’s efforts he has now been recognised. I can’t say I am not a little proud that Wyrleyblog contributed to it. Read his story, and that of how he finally got recognition… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/wyrley-landywood/the-harrisons-club-great-wyrley-war-memorial-history/from-brownhills-to-brandwood-thomas-william-james-and-the-pity-of-war/

Tracing A Cannock Tommy: The Thomas Bradley Williams Story

Yeomanry occupying observation post (Walsall Local History Centre)

This article returns the Blog to the Cannock area and to the First World War period, but what turned out to be a straight-forward question actually, in my view, has opened the door on an interesting piece of general social history and has also offered a solution to a personal mystery on the Cannock war memorial… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/tracing-a-cannock-tommy-the-thomas-bradley-williams-story/

A Man, a War, a Harp and a Monkey: The Frederick Wray Story

The Cross Keys, Hednesford, where Freddie attended the John Wesley lodge of the RAOB not long after the picture was taken. (HeathHaysHistory)

The title to this story is a little bit different and I am sure the mind is boggling as to just how a man, a war, a harp and a monkey could all fit together. Well, the first link is easy: the search for the man, Frederick George Wray, started with a bit of a mystery that arose from the war memorial in Hednesford. What happened then was that the mystery was partly solved through a moment of serendipity, however, the answer that moment of serendipity provided only served to take the story on – and to try to answer a question posed by a harp and a monkey! Confused? I will explain… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/a-man-a-war-a-harp-and-a-monkey-the-frederick-wray-story/

Ernest Rushton of Hednesford: Crying Wolf?

2 Heath Street, Hednesford.Home of the Rushtons and scene of the tragic fire. 2016.

Rushton seems the ideal patriot: he was a volunteer that joined-up in 1914, getting himself passed as fit to serve despite there being evidence that suggests he was not. While training, his family went through a trauma which left him, understandably, petitioning the officer-in-charge to be able to go home. That permission was refused… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/ernest-rushton-of-hednesford-crying-wolf/

The Cannock Area in World War One: The Deggs of Hednesford

Mr Phillips and Don the Dog raising money for the Tommies, 1914. (Cannock Library)

This is the story of John Henry Degg from High Town, Hednesford. John Henry epitomises the opening day casualty of the Battle of the Somme – one of 19,240 dead – but I wanted to show that he was a person and not just a statistic. I have also used his family experience in order to give some local (Great Wyrley and Cheslyn to Cannock and Hednesford) and general military and political background not only to the battle, but the entire war… https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/cannock/the-cannock-area-in-world-war-one-the-deggs-of-hednesford/