The Staffordshire History Study day is an online event on Saturday May 4th, It is popular and does get sold out so you need to move quickly! To find out more click here
Next BALH Event
The next BALH online talks are on Wednesday April 17th and Tuesday April 23rd. Details are shown below. Members of Sandbach History Society can get a discount so the cost will be £3. Ask Aileen for the code by e-mailing her. Further details at https://www.balh.org.uk/events
The English Civil War and Nantwich
January is the time when Nantwich remembers the English Civil War and especially the Battle of Nantwich which took place in January 1644, 380 years ago. Nantwich was a Parliamentarian stronghold and was besieged by the Royalists until the latter were defeated at the Battle of Nantwich and the siege was lifted. This is remembered on January 25th, Holly Holy Day.
For more information visit Nantwich Museum in person or online at https://nantwichmuseum.org.uk/permanent-exhibitions/english-civil-war-battle-of-nantwich/
Memories of the summer of 2023!
On June 8th a group of 16 members of the Society visited Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum and had a very interesting talk and tour followed by a cup of tea and a piece of cake! This was the final meeting for the 2022/23 season. We will start again in the autumn with our first meeting on 2023/24 on Tuesday September 5th at 8pm in Sandbach Library when Graham Dodd of Nantwich Museum will talk about The Great Fire of Nantwich. We look forward to seeing you then.
180th Anniversary of Crewe Railway Works
The 180th anniversary of Crewe Works is coming up with exhibitions at Crewe Heritage Centre 1st July till 10th September at weekends and Bank Holidays. The theme is “How locomotives were a catalyst for change in Crewe”. For more information go to the Crewe Town Council website
Sifta Salt factory at Ettiley Heath
Sifta Table Salt was manufactured at the Ettiley Heath factory of Palmer Mann and Co. from 1919 until 1971 and Sifta Sam was the logo of the company. We have been donated two copies of the company’s staff magazine ‘Brine Works’ from 1938 and 1952. As well as company information the former provides some information about how the people in France viewed the inevitability of war with Germany a few weeks before the Munich agreement (“Peace in our time”) and the latter is a personal tribute to the founder of the company, John Mann, who had just died.
New Archives Centres approved by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Great news! Cheshire Archives and Local Studies have announced their application for funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the new archives centres at Crewe and Chester has been successful. The projects are now subject to planning approval being granted by Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils respectively. If these formalities are cleared satisfactorily, the next steps will be more detailed discussions between CALS and the Society regarding the collections and future working relationships at the new locations. For more information click on the link below for the press release.
Message from Englesea Museum – Books for sale
Hello. I’m writing to local history organisations in Cheshire on behalf of the Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism nr Crewe (www.engleseabrook.org.uk). We are a small museum and, as such, need to make a little space in our office and have had a small clearout. We have five copies of a book for sale which may be of interest to local history societies in Cheshire. The book is “Oil Paintings in Public Ownership in Cheshire”, ISBN 1904931901. The book measures : L 29.5cm x W 23.3 x D 2.5cm
The book sells for £39.99 new on Ebay and Amazon, and for £20 (used) on Amazon. Our copies are new and we are selling them for £10. The only “catch” is that they have to be collected, either from the Museum or from our Museum Director’s home in Alsager.
If you are interested please reply to me at [email protected].
Many thanks
Stephen Brown
Administrator
Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum
Staffordshire Archives
If you are interested in local history in Staffordshire, the council produces a regular newsletter. To obtain it go to https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKSTAFFORDSHIRECC/bulletins/329bb93
Proclamation of the new King
13 September 2022
The proclamation for King Charles III was delivered by the Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor David Marren at the council’s offices in Sandbach on Sunday and attended by more than 200 people.
Many members of the public joined the mayor, the vice-lord lieutenant of the county and civic leaders, to take part in the ceremony at Westfields, which included the singing of the National Anthem.
The proclamation concluded with the words ‘God Save The King’ – repeated loudly by all those present.
The ceremony was introduced by the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Joëlle Warren, MBE DL. It concluded with a short service of thanksgiving and prayers for the late Queen and the new monarch, King Charles III, led by the Archdeacon of Macclesfield, the Venerable Ian Bishop.
The Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor Marren said afterwards: “I want to express my sincere thanks to all those people who attended on this Sunday afternoon for this very important event.
“From a personal point of view, I can only say that my own feelings were of deep sadness but also of celebration, as we marked the beginning of a new era in the history of our country. It was a privilege to lead this moving ceremony for the people of Cheshire East.”
Among those attending were the council leader and deputy leader, Councillors Sam Corcoran and Craig Browne, leaders of other political groups, mayors from other towns in the borough, senior police officers and representatives of the military.
Chairs from many parish councils also attended and afterwards delivered the proclamation in their own parishes.
There were also many members of the public, including parents with young children, who came along to witness the historic event.
Following the proclamation, Union flags on council buildings have returned to half-mast for the period of national mourning for Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In the evening, St Mary’s Church, in Nantwich hosted a full civic service to pay tribute to the late Queen and to mark the accession of the new King. The service was led by the vicar, the Reverend Mark Hart and attended by the Bishops of Chester and Stockport, the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Lady Alexis Redmond, the mayor of the borough, Cllr Marren, and many other civic dignitaries.
Hundreds of people have already signed condolence books in council offices and churches around the borough and left their own personal messages of remembrance of Queen Elizabeth on the council’s special web page
Well-wishers laying flowers at council offices and churches are asked to remove any cellophane wrapping and not to leave any other objects.
The King has declared that next Monday – the day of the Queen’s funeral – will be a national bank holiday, meaning that a number of council services, with the exception of essential services, will be suspended, schools and libraries will be closed. The council will issue further information in due course.