My great great grandfather's brother, John Skidmore, was just 13 years old when he was killed with four others in a coal mining accident at Clattershall Colliery, located between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill in the Black Country.
How did the accident happen?
Was anybody held accountable?
Read MoreKilled in a Coal Pit
Brettell Lane, Amblecote in the Black Country was a transportation hub with interconnecting road, waterway and railway links and once a centre of the firebrick industry due to the fine quality of its clay. Bricks were made by hand by women and girls who worked long hours in exhausting conditions.
Read MoreAnother Brick in the Wall
A number of myths, narratives and assumptions about trap making have developed over the years. The repetition of these stories has reinforced a belief in their validity and have done a disservice to Wednesfield and the former trap makers. I outline and re-examine three of the narratives concerning the historical timeline,
the nature of the industry and the dismissal of traps as inhumane and a forgettable part of Black Country history.
Read MoreIt’s a Rat Trap and We’ve Been Caught
Wednesfield was once the world centre of the trap making industry. Once threatened by demolition, the home and business of John Williams & Son at 43 Taylor Street is now the last remaining site of a trap works in Wednesfield.
Read More43 Taylor Street – Wednesfield
The story of the business established by my great great grandfather, John Williams. John learnt the skills of trap making as an apprentice in Wednesfield and went on to build a successful business in Wednesfield which traded until 1966.
Read MoreJohn Williams & Son – Trap Makers
born into an inescapable poverty trap – loss of father – illiterate child labourer – stepfather in prison – teenage pregnancy – loss of 3 infant children in 3 months – stealing coal – loss of first husband in a work accident – a “lunatic” child – assaulted – 3 sons emigrate – grandchildren never seen.
Read MorePhoebe Stevens (1848 – 1913): A Life
The story of Francis Jeavons, a coal miner in Dudley in the 19th century and his involvement in an act of intimidation during a miners' strike in 1864.
Read MoreAn Explosive Event
The timeline of a long and bitter strike in Dudley and South Staffordshire in 1864. A reduction in wages resulted in a fight between miners and colliery owners with strong resistance against attempts to break the strike or against those who returned or tried to return to work.
Read MoreThe Miners’ Strike of 1864