The Wednesbury Workhouse and the Parish Poor 1750 - 1900 Presenter Keith Robinson Keiths talk will tell the the stories of people whose voices are often unheard. It will reveal the lives of those who were in the Wednesbury Workhouse and in that of neighbouring West Bromwich. It will look at the children who were […]

The Noble Descendants of Bess of Hardwick Speaker: Howard Connell Given that Hardwick and Chatsworth are both in the Midlands (albeit East rather than West) my topic is "The Noble Descendants of Bess of Hardwick". The lecture will seek to trace the ways in which this remarkable woman, who became the second wealthiest in England, […]

Apprenticeship Indentures and Assignments and three Overseers Account Speaker: Rhonda Niven In this presentation we will hear about the conservation of Apprenticeship Indentures and Assignments and Overseers Account Books of Bromsgrove St Johns. This project was carried out in 2022 by Rhonda Niven, Book and Paper Conservator at the Hive in Worcester as a result […]

The Mourning Brooch Speaker: Jean Renwick Jean Renwick’s talk reveals years of research behind her family saga, The Mourning Brooch, based upon the lives of real Yorkshire people who lived in the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. After inheriting a mourning brooch, Jean was intrigued to know who […]

The Rise and Fall of the World's Mightiest Glassmakers Speaker: Henry Chance Chance Brothers & Co Ltd was at one time the greatest glassmaker in the world, and one of Smethwick's foremost employers, providing the glass for the Crystal Palace, the Palace of Westminster and more than half the lighthouse lenses worldwide. It was particularly […]