The Broseley Local History Society

Incorporating the Wilkinson Society

Newsletter September 2000

Chairman: Frank Selkirk

Secretary: Dot Cox

Treasurer: Steve Dewhirst

Curator: David Lake

Membership Sec.: Janet Robinson, 26 Coalport Road,

Broseley, Shropshire, TF12 5AZ

01952 882495

Journal Editor Neil Clarke

Newsletter Editor: Nick Coppin, 01952 884398

Meetings usually take place each month on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm (unless announced otherwise).

**Please read the note regarding Meetings below.**

Indoor meetings will be held at the Broseley Social Club in the High Street unless announced otherwise. Car parking at the back.

Web Site: www.dewhirst.ndirect.co.uk E-mail: blhs@dewhirst.ndirect.co.uk or www.Broseley.org.uk

Programme for 2000/1:

Wednesday 6th September: Memories of Old Broseley.

Wednesday 4th October: AGM and slide presentation by Ron Miles.

Wednesday 1st November: Emigration from East Shropshire to North America by Donald Harris.

Wednesday 6th December: Annual Dinner (details to be announced)

Wednesday 3rd January: More Memories of Old Broseley.

Wednesday 7th February: The History of the Broseley Pipe Making Industry by Rex Key.

Wednesday 7th March: Broad Glass Production in East Shropshire by Paul Luter.

Wednesday 4th April: The Writing of Volume X of the Victoria History of Shropshire (Borough of Wenlock) by George Baugh.

Wednesday 2nd May: Visit to Ironbridge Power Station.

Wednesday 6th June: Annual Wilkinson Lecture: Cultural Influences in the Life of John Wilkinson by Diana Clarke.

Wednesday 4th July: Walk around Caughley led by Stephen Perry.

For further information, contact Neil Clarke (01952 504135)

Meetings

Meetings have been well attended; your committee greatly appreciate your support and look forward to its continuation through the new programme as outlined above.

We have one further favour to ask! Would members please endeavour to be with us and equipped with seats, drinks and other prerequisites for an enjoyable evening by the announced stating time (normally 7.30pm).

Our distinguished speakers, some of whom travel considerable distances to be with us yet make no charge to the Society, can then start on time and without interruption.

David Lake.

AGM Wednesday 4th October.

This is your opportunity to have a say in the running of the Society, the make up of your committee and the programme of meetings. It is usually quite brief and will be followed by a slide presentation by Ron Miles.

The nominations (as of 1st September) for the Committee posts are as follows:

Chairman: Frank Selkirk

Secretary: Dot Cox

Treasurer: Steve Dewhirst

Curator: David Lake

Membership Sec.: Janet Robinson

Journal Editor Neil Clarke

Newsletter Editor: Nick Coppin

Competition to design a new Logo for Broseley.

Design Brief.

1. Size - logo must not exceed 16 square centimetres in area.

2. Content - Broseley as an early Industrial Town, its iron-making, its clay industries, coal mining, its great men and women, its attractions as a tourist town, its active young population, its possibilities for the future - are all examples of what you could use to picture Broseley.

3. Clarity - you cannot get all these onto one logo if it is going to give a clear, readily understood picture which is essential so you must limit your choice of content.

4. Presentation - text or graphics or both are fine. Colour may be used in your design but the logo would have to be used in black and white and will be judged accordingly. Designs may be presented larger than the specifies size but will be judged on their clarity when reduced to that size. Entrants can show as many designs as they wish, on one or more A4 sheets, each carrying the name and address and where appropriate, the school of the entrant.

5. The competition classes will be as follows:

Group A: Primary School pupils,

Group B: Secondary School pupils,

Group C: non-school entrants.

6. The prizes for the winner of each Group will be £40. The decision of the Committee of Broseley Local History Society will be final.

7. The closing date. Entries must have reached the following address by 31st December 2000;

David Lake,

Stocking Lane,

Nordley,

Bridgnorth,

SHROPSHIRE,

WV16 4SY.

Old Map web site.

There is a new web site which you can use to look at the first edition 25 inches to the mile map for the whole country. The address is www.old-maps.co.uk

You get a list of county initial letters, select S, then all the counties with that initial, select Shropshire, then the town initials, select B, then all the towns with that initial letter, select Broseley! When the map to appears, you can pan around the area and it can then be printed out.

If you have access to the Internet why not try it. Best of Luck as I have had little success; my computer takes hours to access it and refuses to print it out!

Nick Coppin.

The Janet Butler Boxes

Mrs Janet Butler was one of the many of us fascinated by the character and achievements of John Wilkinson, Ironmaster of Broseley. When, as a mature student, she had to prepare a thesis, she naturally chose John Wilkinson as her subject.

Her research, especially into his relationships with his fellow 18th C entrepreneurs and engineers and with his employees, was remarkably diligent; the papers fill six document boxes.

Tragically Janet Butler dies before completing her project. Her executors donated the six boxes to the Ironbridge Institute at Coalbrookdale. John Powell, Librarian and Archivist, is a good friend of the Society and allows generous access to this important material. We are working steadily through it, preparing a more descriptive index than has previously been available and will report on progress and highlights of the material in due course.

David Lake.