Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group

This remarkable article is the result of painstaking research and offers a myriad of facts relating to Sutton Coldfield from the 13th century onwards.  The Warden’s Calendar for 1899 lists a commemorative event for every day of that year.   Kerry Osbourne has used this document as the basis to discover more about each event, thus enabling him to paint a small pen picture of each one. 

Of the 51 houses that Bishop Vesey is thought to have built, only a few remain visible in Sutton Coldfield and most of these have been sympathetically restored.  However, there could be others hidden behind 18th century façades in the High Street which may only reveal themselves as time goes by.  This illustrated article by Stella Thebridge gives a comprehensive picture of the situation.

This piece of research was inspired in part by the family tree for the husband of Yvonne Moore, i.e. Peter Moore, namely his Stonehouse and Walker families.  A transfer of the License of The Crown Inn, Four Oaks, was granted to John Walker in 1885 and this is where this brief history begins.

This PowerPoint presentation by Stella Thebridge has a superb array of photographs depicting Holy Trinity Parish Church, Sutton Coldfield, and its surroundings over a period of nearly 200 years.  In and around 2016, a major re-ordering of the church took place and Stella has produced this wonderful record to show how it looked before and after that time.  A script of her talk is usefully included for the benefit of anyone researching the history of this beautiful church.

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Headmasters of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School. Herbert Jerrard was Headmaster for nearly a quarter of a century (1902-26) and left the School in a much better position than when he was initially appointed. Although Boarders were no longer considered a viable option, pupil numbers were higher and increasing. He also saw the School through the traumatic effects of the First World War, during which time a total of 313 former pupils served in either the Royal Navy, Army or the Royal Flying Corps. Tragically, 64 ‘Old Boys’ were killed whilst on active service. An impressive list of medals were awarded during the conflict to these brave former pupils, amongst them being two Victoria Crosses.

(The Men who died during the Great War)   This project, edited by Yvonne Moore (a member of the Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group), assisted by Paul Harrison, Rob Rolfe and Dave Phillips, commemorates all those men listed, plus others who are not listed, on the Royal Sutton Coldfield War Memorial. However, this particular document sets out details of the project’s sponsorship and contributors, together with a key to the genealogy abbreviations and an interesting history of the Royal Sutton Coldfield War Memorial.  There are also two very moving war poems chosen by members of the project and an alphabetical index of the names to be researched. Volume One, follows and features those who died with surnames beginning A to C.

This article follows on from ‘The Hunt for the Forgotten Staff of Chester Road Railway Station’ on this website.  The Friends of Wylde Green Railway Station were anxious that the staff of their local station should be remembered in the same way and this piece of research reveals ever more interesting facts – this time about the station masters of those times.

This book, giving the history of one of Sutton’s old cottages from 1787 to 1995, has been available in Sutton Coldfield Local Studies Library for nearly thirty years (under Ref: BCOLQ728.370942496JOR).  During that time, the cottage has been put to good use, but its future now looks uncertain.  When you have read the book, a History Update 2024 will explain why.

This print appears to have been drawn by a Sutton Coldfield resident in 1859, probably a young lady.  An attempt has been made here to identify the event it depicts.  However, it still remains a mystery. Can you shed any light on it?

St. Mary’s Hall was one of the properties owned by Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School from the 16th century.  This article explores where it was situated and also looks at the well-known painting of the Old School in the Aylesford Collection and ask whether the building in the painting was St. Mary’s Hall or some other property.