AIMS
The aim of the Sedgley Local History Society (SLHS) is to promote an interest in the history of Sedgley and the surrounding areas which originally formed part of the greater Sedgley Manor in south Staffordshire.
A programme of monthly talks, held at St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street Sedgley, starts each September with the Andrew Barnett Memorial Lecture.
The last meeting, in June, is usually a guided walk through one of the nine villages that make up the Ancient Manor of Sedgley.
CONTACT US
For more information on the Society, or if you have any
contributions, suggestions, comments or questions please drop us an e-mail.
PROGRAMME 2011/2012
Meetings for the 2009/2010 programme will be announced on the home
page, but you can find the full programme here:
Note this document is a PDF download: to read PDFs you will need Adobe Reader - reliable, safe, and available free from Adobe at this site.
Visitors are always welcome! Unless otherwise stated, the talks take place in St. Andrew's Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley in the main body of the church.
Don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail if you've any questions.
SLHS ONLINE
A taste of what SLHS has
previously covered.
2010/2011 Programme (PDF format)
Society reaches its China Anniversary
The Society was formed in 1984 ‘over a cup of tea’!
Trevor Genge, now Sedgley’s leading local historian, suggested to Andrew Barrett, the retired headmaster of Redhall Junior School and keen researcher of the Manor’s past, that there might be enough interest in local history to hold regular meetings.
They were both well aware of disappearing buildings and the loss of local memorabilia. The first get together did not disappoint and a programme of talks and visits soon followed. The Society’s ‘home’ has always been St. Andrew’s Church in Bilston Street, Sedgley.
Andrew was committed to a public display of items and records. His enthusiasm was rewarded in November 1988 with the opening of the Sedgley Local History Museum. Unfortunately he died in 1989 leaving behind a legacy of unpublished work. In September of the same year the Society inaugurated the Andrew Barnett Memorial Lecture with a talk given by Dr. John West.
Membership has stayed near the fifty mark with some names ever present – Trevor Genge, Chairman and Ron Baker, Treasurer throughout the twenty years. Marie Bates was the Secretary for well over ten years before leaving Sedgley, while Bryan Hollies and Marjorie Ellis have maintained the Museum collection for around fourteen years.
The Society’s members have given talks, published books, written articles, photographed & drawn every nook & cranny throughout the Manor, collected an amazing array of items, campaigned on a wide range issues and encouraged a strong interest in recording the past & present for future generations.
The website is SLHS’s long-term project. It went online in April 2003 and has already attracted a ‘virtual’ membership willing to send material as well as request help. This method of accessing local history resources is still in its infancy, yet has quickly become a remarkable research tool.
Who can guess where this will lead the Society over the next two decades.
Three Men and a Cake
A Silver Anniversary needs a cake and the Society did not disappoint when celebrating at St. Andrew’s Church Sedgley on Thursday 12th November 2009.
Watched by over forty members and friends the cake cutting trio of (l. to r.) President Trevor Genge, Treasurer Ron Baker and Vice-chairman Bryan Hollies went to work after Chairman Geoff Harrison raised a toast to the next twenty five years of local history activities. Eddy Hickey snapped the action.
Before the reception guests listened to reminiscences from Trevor, Ron, Bryan and Marjorie Ellis, browsed through memorabilia and watched a short video made by Dennis Harper in December 2004 showing the closing days of Sedgley Local History Museum.
On leaving everyone was presented with a copy of Ron Baker's lithograph of Sedgley's National School, later All Saints Sunday School [demolished in 1966]. The evening was a great success.