Dordon St Leonard's

Dordon St Leonard's St Leonard's is a small friendly church which is part of Polesworth deanery now joined with Coleshill in the diocese of Birmingham.

Our Area Dean is Louise Shaw. We welcome new members and visitors.

This week’s post is rather confusing as two members of the same family have identical names and so some of the newspaper...
03/09/2026

This week’s post is rather confusing as two members of the same family have identical names and so some of the newspaper articles I found could apply to either of them! However, their story gives an insight into conflicts within a community during the General Strike of 1926, tells us a little about Morris and Shaw’s use of land not used in brickmaking or coal mining, and local reactions to the 1898 Vaccination Act.
Albert William Jennings was born 11th November 1899 in Polesworth. He was the third child (of four) of Albert William and Minnie Jennings. Albert William was a Miner at Pooley Hall Colliery.
The couple’s first child Thomas Henry Jennings was born on the 17th February 1897 and was baptised in Polesworth in August, but sadly died in early November and was buried at Polesworth (see records below). On February 13th, 1898, the couple had a daughter Doris Mary who was also baptised at Polesworth (see record below). Losing their first child affected Albert William and Minnie greatly and his passing was remembered in the local papers for many years (see example below). Maybe a fear of losing their second child was the reason that the couple refused to have Doris vaccinated against Smallpox. The 1898 Vaccination Act was keen for all children to be vaccinated; however, many families became “conscientious objectors” and obtained a certificate of exemption. An article from October 1898 shows just how contentious the subject was (see article below).
By 1901 the family had moved to 54 New St, Dordon (see photos below). Albert William junior was baptised at Dordon on the 4th December 1901 (see record below). All three Jennings children, Doris Mary, Albert William and Ernest Leslie (born in 1904) would have attended New St School at the top of their road (see photo below).
After leaving school, Albert William Junior probably worked at one of the local mines.
He is mentioned in the local papers in October 1913 as he had been caught stealing mushrooms and was fined 1 shilling. Morris and Shaw owned farmland as well as brickworks and coal mines. The farms were mainly used for growing hay and for grazing the pit ponies on, however they were run by tenant farmers who diversified - and one farm cultivated mushrooms (see article below).
On November 22nd 1919 either Albert William junior or his father was assaulted after leaving his shift at Pooley Hall and was forced to hand over some of his wages (see articles below). We know that in 1921 Albert William senior was working for Morris and Shaw at Birch Coppice so whether it was his son working at Pooley at the time or whether he moved collieries afterwards is unclear. What is even more confusing is that so far Albert William junior cannot be found on the 1921 census.
In late 1923 Albert William junior married Gladys May Collins.
Gladys May Collins was born on the 23rd November 1905 in Drayton Bassett (see photo below). She was the third child (of six) of George Frederick and Laura Collins. George Frederick and Laura appear to have moved around quite a lot. Their first child Ivy was born in Drayton Bassett but their second child George was born in Mount Pleasant, Wilnecote, then Gladys May in Drayton Bassett. By1910 they were living at 30 Albion St, Tamworth with George Frederick’s parents John and Mary Ann Collins (see map below).
By 1921 the family had moved to 31 The Lynch, Polesworth (see photo below) and George Frederick was working at Pooley Hall Colliery. Gladys May seems to have stayed at home after leaving school to help her mother.
After Albert William junior and Gladys May married, they moved in with Albert William’s family; however, soon after Albert William senior and Minnie moved to 83 Whitehouse Road. The 1920s were a tough period for Miners and in 1925 Gladys May’s father was fined for trying to make some extra money by taking bets on races at Ascot (see article below). Albert William senior was a witness to an argument outside the Bull’s Head pub Polesworth between striking miners and those who continued to work (see article below).
By 1934 Albert William junior and Gladys May had four children: three boys (Kenneth, Leslie Roy and Ronald) and a girl (Maureen).
Gladys May was mentioned in the local papers in January 1942 as she was fined 5 shillings and 4 pence for not screening her torch properly during the blackouts (see article below).
In 1945 Albert William junior left the Colliery and worked at an asbestos cement works.
In December 1946 Albert William senior and Minnie celebrated their Golden Wedding, which was quite rare at the time (see article below). The couple now lived at 15 Whitehouse Road. Albert William senior died in 1951 and is buried in an unmarked grave in our churchyard. Three years later his son died in the George Eliot Hospital at the age of 54 (see photos below). There was an inquest into his death and pneumoconiosis, the miner’s disease, was present in his lungs; however, working with asbestos probably didn’t help (see article below). The danger of breathing in asbestos was not known about at the time.
Gladys May died on the 24th April 1985 (see article below).

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s grave tells the story of a man who made enough money to retire early and gives us the opportunity to delve i...
20/08/2026

This week’s grave tells the story of a man who made enough money to retire early and gives us the opportunity to delve into the history of Dordon’s first official pub.
Thomas Heathcote was born on the 29th May 1872 in the Victoria Road area of Tamworth near the Methodist church. He was the sixth of ten children of William and Anne Heathcote. Thomas was baptised at St Editha’s, Tamworth on the 21st June 1872 (see record and photos below). At the time of Thomas’s birth William was a Miner.
By 1881 the family had moved to Neville St, Glascote (see map below). After leaving school Thomas became a Miner. The 1891 census records that the family were now living on the Glascote Road. On the 28th December 1891 Thomas married Amy Cope at St Editha’s, Tamworth.
Amy Cope was the first child of Mary Cope who was at the time single. She was born on the 16th February 1870 and baptised at St Editha’s, Tamworth on the 22nd September 1870.
At the time of Amy’s birth Mary Cope was a General Servant to Thomas Patrick, a Market Gardener who owned 5 acres of The Leys in Tamworth (see maps below). The family lived at Field House, Kirkcowen Terrace which can be clearly seen on the maps. Interestingly Mary was allowed to continue working for Mr Patrick after Amy’s birth and Amy was allowed to live with them. This suggests that Thomas Patrick may have been Amy’s father - although his name does not appear on Amy’s birth certificate (see below). In fact, Mary Cope married Thomas Patrick a year later, on the 13th August 1871 at Tamworth (see marriage certificate below). Thomas Patrick was in his early sixties at the time and Mary in her twenties. The couple went on to have two more children: Ruth born in the Spring of 1872, and Thomas born in the summer of 1874. When Thomas died in December 1876, the Market Garden passed to Mary, his young widow.
After leaving school, Amy became a Tailor’s Machinist.
After Amy and Thomas married, they settled in Glascote where all four of their children were born (Amy, William, Annie and Thomas, born between 1893 and 1900).
By 1898, Thomas’s father William had left Coal Mining and had taken over the Anchor Inn in Glascote (see previous map and article). This may have influenced Thomas to also leave Mining and become Landlord of the Game C**k Inn, Birchmoor (see photo below). Unlike some Miners who became Landlords, Thomas does not appear to have continued working at the colliery, suggesting he could make a good living without supplementing his income.
In April 1905 Thomas and his family moved to The Gate Inn, Dordon (see photo and article below).
The Gate Inn was Dordon’s first official public house. It was built between 1850 and 1856. We know this as it doesn’t appear on the 1850 Tithe Map; however, in 1856 it is mentioned in the local paper as it was holding a sale of timber from the Short Wood (now known as the Shortwoods). The first Landlord was William Crossley; when he died in 1872 his widow Zilpah ran the Gate for a few months then put it up for sale. The sale details give us a really good idea of what the Gate was like. At the time it was the largest public space available to hold meetings - including inquests (see articles and map below).
By the time Thomas and Amy took over the Gate Inn the Church Hall had been built, but the Working Men’s Club and the Men’s Institute were not opened until a few years later, giving them a monopoly over drinking establishments for a while.
From articles in the local papers, we know that the Gate was used for many social occasions and gatherings including meetings of the Pig Club, Quoits Club, Pigeon Flying Club and Air Gun Clubs (see articles below). The Gate held many social events in the club room, including a party for the Church Lads Brigade in 1915 to celebrate their achievements getting ready to help the war effort (see article below).
The Gate Inn also held the lodge room of the Order of the Buffaloes (a group of men who met to do charitable work in the district). Thomas was a member of this and in fact was promoted or “raised” to a higher rank in 1927 (see article below).
We know that the Heathcotes kept ducks, as in 1914 one was stolen by George Jones from Long St who was fined (see article below).
The Heathcotes kept the Gate until 1922 when Thomas retired and the couple moved to The Limes, 204 Long St (see photo and article below). Thomas was only 50 when he retired which was very unusual for the time.
Sadly in 1930 the couple’s youngest child Thomas, who had married the previous year, tragically died following a motorcycle accident (see article below). Thomas junior has been subject of an earlier post (see photo below).
The Heathcotes lived at The Limes, Long St for the rest of their lives with their unmarried daughter Annie. Both deaths were reported in the local newspapers; in fact, Thomas’s death in 1956 made the front page of the Atherstone Herald (see articles below).

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s post includes details of two unmarked graves in our churchyard and also looks at details of two fatalities a...
13/08/2026

This week’s post includes details of two unmarked graves in our churchyard and also looks at details of two fatalities at Birch Coppice Colliery (sometimes known as Hall End Colliery).
Sarah Ann Howard (married name Gunnell) was born on the 4th March 1892 in Long St, Dordon (probably at her maternal Grandparents’ house at 35 Long St). She was the eldest of four children (all girls) of Alfred and Lizzie Howard. Alfred was a Miner.
By December 1893 Sarah had moved to Boot Lane, Grendon and she was baptised at St Nicholas, Baddesley Ensor (see photo and record below). In fact the family had moved to Nuneaton by 1896 where the third daughter Edith was born, and then by 1897 had moved back to Long St, Dordon where Florence Elizabeth the youngest child was born.
After leaving school, Sarah Ann became a Housemaid and moved to Station Road, Hinckley where she worked for Frederick Green and his family (see photos and map below). Frederick Green was a Bank Manager.
On the 25th May 1912, Sarah Ann married Leonard Charles Gunnell at St Editha’s, Polesworth (see record below). Leonard Charles had been a neighbour in Long St since at least 1911 and was lodging with Walter Congrave and his family at 29 Long St.
Leonard Charles Gunnell was born on the 19th March 1888 in Long Mitton near Stourport, Worcestershire (see map below). He was the second child (of four) of Herbert and Elizabeth Gunnell. Herbert was a Railway Porter. By 1901 the family had moved to 42 Minster Road, Upper Mitton (see map below).
By the age of 13 Leonard was working as a Tin Burnisher. However, by 1911 he had trained to be an Electrical Engineer and had moved to Dordon to work for Morris and Shaw at Birch Coppice.
After their wedding Sarah and Leonard Charles moved into 13 Watling St. As an Electrical Engineer, Leonard Charles was often asked to give evidence if any accidents occurred in the colliery. On January 3rd 1914 he was mentioned in an article in the Tamworth Herald following a fatality when Arthur Henry Rumming (aged 27) died of burns (see article below).
A few days after this article on a happier note the couple’s first child (of three) Charles Herbert was born on the 7th January 1914 and was baptised at Dordon on the 15th March 1914 (see record below). In 1919 the couple’s second child Leonard was born, followed by a daughter Irene Elizabeth in 1928.
The family were relatively well off and able to afford a motor car which was quite rare in Dordon in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Leonard Charles was fined £7 16 s and 2d in 1930 for dangerous driving when he pulled out from behind a timber lorry and hit a motorcyclist (see article below).
By 1934 Leonard Charles had been promoted to Chief Engineer at Birch Coppice. In June of that year, he was mentioned in several articles concerning the death of Ebenezer Thomas Murden, a Night Watchman at the colliery, who had drowned in the water tower. To this day it is unclear how Mr Murden came to drown; an open verdict was given at the inquest. Ebenezer Thomas Murden lived at 100 Long St and was buried in our churchyard in an unmarked grave (see articles below).
After leaving school, Charles Herbert the couple’s eldest son did not follow in his father’s footsteps but instead worked for George Ward in Boot and Shoe manufacturing (see photo and article below).
In 1937, Charles Herbert married Miss Nancy Musson at St Leonard’s Dordon; there are detailed accounts in local papers (see extracts below). The reception was held at Hall End Villas, the Gunnell family home, and it was reported that Sarah Ann had made the three-tiered wedding cake herself.
In 1939 Sarah Ann’s maternal Grandmother (who she was probably named after) Sarah Ann Gee died at the age of 87. Mrs Gee lived at 35 Long St. Her funeral was reported in the Tamworth Herald (see article below). The Gee family as well as the Howard family have lived in this area, particularly in Mancetter, since the 1600s. Sarah Ann Gee is buried in an unmarked grave in our churchyard.
By the early 1950’s Sarah Ann had developed heart problems and died on the 29th October 1954 of pneumonia and cardiac failure (see death certificate below).
Her death does not appear to have been reported in the local newspapers.
After retiring Leonard Charles moved to Hinckley; he died on the 8th May 1976 and was cremated in Nuneaton (see article below).

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s post covers several unmarked graves in our churchyard and also gives some details of one of the first bus se...
06/08/2026

This week’s post covers several unmarked graves in our churchyard and also gives some details of one of the first bus services to run in Hinckley.
William Broadhurst was born on the 6th of May 1890 in Dordon. He was the eldest of ten children of Henry and Ada Jane Broadhurst. Henry was a Coal Miner. By 1892 the family had moved to Watling St Road, Baddesley Ensor. William does not appear to have been baptised; however, three of his younger brothers were baptised at St Nicholas, Baddesley Ensor. William’s sister Lucy was born in the winter of 1894 but sadly died soon after birth and is buried in Baddesley.
The Broadhurst family moved back to Dordon sometime between 1904 and 1907. William’ s youngest siblings Robert and Ada Alice were born at 76 Long St, Dordon (see photo below).
When William left school, he became a Miner.
On the 23rd of September 1912 William married Annie Bassford at St Leonard’s (see records below). Annie was a close neighbour, living across the street at number 73.
Sarah Annie Bassford (she does not appear to have been known by her first name, but this was the full name she was registered with) was born on the 17th of November 1893 in Dordon. She was the fifth child of seven of Tom and Annie Bassford. The couple had started their married life in Warton where Annie’s older sisters Jennie and Gertrude were born; however, by 1887 the family had moved to Long St, Dordon. Although most of Annie’s siblings were baptised, there is no record of Annie’s baptism nor her older brother Tom’s.
In 1903 Annie’s father Tom died of a leaky heart valve (see death certificate below) and is buried in an unmarked grave in our churchyard (see burial record).
After leaving school, Annie became a Domestic Servant.
By the time of the 1911 census, Annie’s mother was recorded as still living at 73 Long Street with four of her children. Jenny and Gertrude were married by this date, and Annie was working as a Domestic Servant in Hinckley. Annie senior had taken in a lodger to help support the family and two of her sons were working as Miners. It is interesting to note on the 1911 census return Annie is recorded as having five children when in fact all seven were alive. She appears to have thought that once her eldest daughters were married, they did not need to be counted (see record below).
By 1911 Annie was working as a live-in Domestic Servant at Hamden House, Leicester Road, Hinckley (see map below). She worked for John Henry Chesterman and his family.
Fortunately, an article was written about Mr Chesterman in a local newspaper in 1967 describing how he had run a horse drawn bus service for many years from Hinckley. Luckily there is a photo of Mr Chesterman and his son who was a very young child when Annie was a servant (see article and photo below).
After William and Annie married, they settled in Dordon. William is mentioned in the local paper in 1913 after being fined 2 shillings and sixpence for riding a bicycle without a light (see article below). On September 23rd, 1913, Annie’s widowed mother married John Ray, a 54-year-old Miner (see marriage record below). The couple lived at 80 Long St; interestingly, Ann Ray is described in the 1921 census as being widowed for a second time - however there is no record of John being buried in Dordon and so far his death certificate has remained elusive. What we do know is that by the late 1920’s Ann was living off Parish Relief, which Tom Bassford, one of her sons, was expected to contribute to - but was in arrears in 1929 (see article below). Ann remained at 80 Long St until her death in 1938; she is buried in an unmarked grave in our churchyard.
William and Annie lived in Dordon until about 1917, their first three children: Grace, William and Gladys were all born in the village; however, the family then moved to Acresford, Leicestershire near Moira Colliery where William worked (see map and photos below). The 1921 census tells us that like many Miners, William was out of work as he was “locked out” for refusing to work for a smaller wage. This must have been a difficult time for the family as by this point, they had two more daughters: Alice and Cissie. Another daughter Joyce was born in Acresford in 1924. By 1931 the family had moved back to Dordon and were living at 74 Long St with William’s parents. We know this because William was accused of damaging a Rhododendron bush and was fined 10 shillings plus 5 shillings for damages (see article below).
In 1933, Jean and Joan the couple’s youngest children were born; sadly the twins were born prematurely and only survived 3 days (see death certificates below) - they are buried together in our churchyard in an unmarked grave.
On a happier note, in May 1934 the family are mentioned in the local papers as Grace the couple’s eldest daughter was married at St Leonard’s (see article below).
In 1934 Henry Broadhurst, William’s father died; his funeral was reported in the local papers (see example below).
By 1939 the family had moved to 43 Whitehouse Road (see photo below). William was still working at the colliery along with the couple’s only son William and their three daughters, still living at home, were all working in the Hatting Industry in Atherstone.
Later that year William Junior was married in Atherstone (see article below).
William Senior died on the 3rd of February 1955; Annie died three years later, on the 28th June 1958; both were aged 64. Neither death appears to have been recorded in the local newspapers.

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s post concerns members of families from the Amington and Belgrave area who by the 1940s had settled in Long S...
23/07/2026

This week’s post concerns members of families from the Amington and Belgrave area who by the 1940s had settled in Long St, Dordon.
Sydney Raymond Grice was born on the 13th April 1898 at 33 Belgrave Road, Belgrave (see map below). He was the youngest of twelve children of Thomas and Amelia Grice. Thomas was a Miner at Kingsbury Colliery (see photo below). Out of the twelve children, only Frederick the second son appears to have been baptised in 1880, when the family were living in Kettlebrook (see baptism record below). David Grice the couple’s third child was born in Normanton, Yorkshire showing that Thomas moved around for work.
In 1906 Thomas was mentioned in the local papers as he was accused of stealing a wooden measuring staff worth 3d (see article below). He was fined 10 shillings after pleading guilty. However, he appears to have been kept on in the colliery.
In 1911 the family were recorded as living at 362 Wilnecote Lane, also known according to Thomas Grice’s census entry as Belgrave Road (see extract of census and photos of the area below).
The 1921 census tells us that Thomas was still working at Kingsbury Colliery, and his elder brother Ernest was a Potter at Skey & Company; Sydney had no occupation (see record below). The family were probably struggling as they had taken in boarders.
In the summer of 1923, Sydney Raymond married Gladys Winifred Snead.
Gladys Winifred Snead was born on the 19th November 1904 at 31 Florendine St, Amington (see map below). She was the second of eight children of Thomas and Harriett Snead. At the time of Gladys’s birth, Thomas was working as a Bricklayer’s Labourer. Sadly, Harriett died a month after giving birth to Sydney the couple’s eighth child in December 1919 (see death certificate below). She doesn’t seem to have recovered from the birth and also had developed pneumonia (see article below). This meant that from the age of 15 Gladys ran the household and looked after her younger siblings. The 1921 census tells us that Thomas had been locked out of work at Pooley Hall Colliery where he was a General Labourer (see photo below) for not accepting the lower wages offered by the mine owners. This was common at this time; eventually the Miners and Labourers were forced to accept the lower wages and returned to work.
After their wedding, Sydney and Gladys settled in the Tamworth area and their first son Derek Raymond was born there on the 22nd July 1928. However, when Peter their second son was born on the 22nd July 1933 the family were living in Stratford Avenue, Aston where Sydney was working as an Electrician in a factory (see photos below).
We know that by 1949 the family had moved to 161 Long St, Dordon as Derek Raymond’s 21st Birthday was mentioned in the Tamworth Herald (see article below). Raymond’s wedding was also reported in the local papers in June 1952 (see article below). When the family moved to Dordon, Sydney Raymond found work as a Surface Labourer at the colliery.
Sadly, Gladys developed breast cancer and died on the 5th January 1955 (see death certificate and article below).
Sydney Raymond died eight years later, on the 29th May 1963 at St Matthew’s Hospital Burntwood (see probate record and photos below).

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s post takes us into the Cannock area and looks at a time when Dordon was expanding in the 1950s.Laura Melloy ...
16/07/2026

This week’s post takes us into the Cannock area and looks at a time when Dordon was expanding in the 1950s.
Laura Melloy (married name Ward) was born on the 21st May 1915 at 149 Bank St, Heath Hayes, Cannock (see photo below). Her birth certificate tells us that her mother was Honor Melloy, a Domestic Servant. There is no mention of a father (see certificate below). Laura was baptised on the 10th June 1915 at St John the Evangelist, Heath Hayes (see photo below). The whole family were active within the church. As was quite common if the mother was unmarried, Laura was brought up by her Grandparents, William and Honor Melloy. In fact, when Laura’s Grandmother (who was also called Honor) died, she is listed as her daughter not her granddaughter in the report (see article below).
Honor, Laura’s mother, got married in 1920 to Harry H Hughes and they lived nearby at Hednesford Road, Heath Hayes so she probably regularly saw her daughter (see photo below).
Laura appears to have lived at Bank St until her marriage to Samuel Michael Ward (known as Mick) in the summer of 1934.
Samuel Michael Ward was born on the 30th January 1914 at 149 Clifton Terrace, Littleworth Road, Hednesford (see photos below). He was the eldest of four children of George and Maud Ward. George was a Miner at Cannock Chase Colliery (see photo below). After leaving school Samuel worked as a Labourer in a Brickworks.
After marrying, Samuel and Laura moved to 121 Walsall Road, Cannock where their first two sons Michael and Peter were born. By 1943 the family had moved to the Tamworth Area as their third son Anthony’s birth was registered in Lichfield. By the 1950s Dordon was expanding rapidly and the Kitwood Estate was built to accommodate all the extra Miners moving into the village with their families, including Samuel and Laura. At the time, the houses would have seemed a big improvement on many of the houses in Dordon that still had outside toilets (see photos below). Samuel, Laura and their family moved into 2 Queensway, Dordon when it was first built.
Sadly, Laura developed breast cancer and died on the 17th February 1955 at home (see death certificate below).
Being left with three sons to bring up on his own, Samuel decided to return to Cannock and applied for a house transfer (see article below). He must have been successful as we know from the records he remarried in Cannock in 1957 and died there in 1974. His funeral and burial were at St John’s Church, Heath Hayes where Laura had been baptised.

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

This week’s post is connected to many others in our churchyard and gives a change to show photos of rural Warwickshire.H...
09/07/2026

This week’s post is connected to many others in our churchyard and gives a change to show photos of rural Warwickshire.
Herbert Walker was born on the 4th March 1884 at Bar Lane, Brinklow (see photos below). He was the third child of fourteen according to the 1911 census (see extract below) of Thomas and Letitia Walker. He was baptised on the 30th of March at St John the Baptist, Brinklow (see record and photo below). Interestingly, only the first four children were baptised at Brinklow; then the eleventh child - George Henry - was baptised in 1902 in Warton but the others do appear to have baptism records. In fact F***y the couple’s sixth child was baptised at Grendon All Saints as an adult in 1910 (see record below). F***y was the subject of an earlier post (married name Chetwynd -at the time of writing her post it was thought she was one of eleven, not fourteen) who died in 1919 at the age of 27 (see photo below).
Thomas Walker was a Plate Layer for the London and Western Railway; later he became a Foreman for the company. In 1892 the family moved to Stretton under Fosse (see photos below).
The family moved to Church Road, Warton in 1900 (see photo below). After leaving school, Herbert became a Colliery Lamp Cleaner. The family moved to Sandyways Cottage near Sandy Way Bridge (the spelling of Sandy Way varies on different documents- see map below) in the mid-1900s and it was there that sadly Letitia Walker died in 1909; she was buried in All Saints churchyard Grendon.
On Boxing Day 1905 Herbert married Hannah Elizabeth Wallbank at St Leonard’s, Dordon.
Hannah Elizabeth Wallbank was the eldest child (of seven) of Alfred and Clara Wallbank who were subject of an earlier post, and the elder sister of Alfred Wallbank also subject of an earlier post (see photos below).
Hannah Elizabeth was born on the 22nd October 1885 and baptised on the 29th November at Dordon (see record below). Alfred was a Miner. The family lived in Woodside Cottages, Church Road, Dordon.
After leaving school Hannah Elizabeth worked as a Domestic Servant for Thomas Tomson Corn Merchant and his family at Gwensley Cottage, Wiggington Road, Wiggington, Tamworth (see map below).
In 1903 Hannah Elizabeth gave birth to a son Albert Edward; he was baptised at Dordon on the 8th January 1904. There is no mention of a father on either the birth certificate which gives his date of birth as being the 20th April 1903 or on his baptism record (see records below). Albert Edward was brought up by Alfred and Clara and did not go to live with Hannah Elizabeth when she married Herbert. This was a common practice at the time.
When Herbert and Hannah Elizabeth first married, they lived in Church Road, Dordon; we know this as in 1907 the house they rented was up for sale (see article below). We know they were still living there in December 1908 as Herbert was mentioned in the petty sessions for being drunk and disorderly at the Old Swan Pub in Atherstone (see article and photo below).
In 1910 Herbert is mentioned in the local papers again, this time defending his brother-in-law Harry Wallbank who was facing a charge of housebreaking (see article below).
Herbert and Hannah had thirteen children between 1907 and 1927. Sadly, their first child died in early 1907 at the age of 11 months and is buried in an unmarked grave.
Their third child Herbert Cyril, born in 1909, died at the age of 14 months in 1911 and is also in an unmarked grave. Their twelfth child Ronald born in 1926 died at the age of six months and is also buried in an unmarked grave.
By 1911 Herbert and his family had moved to 72 Long St, Dordon. They were still living there in 1934 as their address was mentioned in an article when Reginald, the couple’s eldest surviving son, married Grace Annie Broadhurst - his next-door neighbour (see article below). However, by 1939 the family had moved to Holly View, Church Road.
On the 26th August tragedy hit the family again when Alfred, the couple’s seventh child, was killed in a rock fall at Birch Coppice Colliery. Alfred was the subject of an earlier post (see photos and article below).
Later that year, the family are mentioned in the local papers again as Alice, the couple’s eleventh child and fourth daughter, married Leslie Horace Garrett (see article below).
There was another marriage in 1943 when the couple’s son Thomas married Elsie Maud Kind in Atherstone (see article below).
The last entry I could find for the Walkers was when their youngest child Verna Marjorie was married in June 1947. There is a lovely write up in the Tamworth Herald with a description of the reception being held at the bride’s home with over 75 guests attending - which must have been quite a squeeze!
Herbert died on the 4th April 1955 and Hannah Elizabeth 10 years later in June 1965; neither death appears to have been reported in the local papers.

Copyright B Garratt on behalf of St Leonard’s Church.

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Church Road
Dordon
B781SN

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