 Exhibition of participants work with items from the Staffordshire Museum Collection on display at Staffordshire Place One, Stafford
A Sense of Place: Staffordshire Creative Residency at Baswich & Holmcroft Libraries
Over the last few months, the Libraries & Arts Service and Staffordshire Archives & Heritage have been working in collaboration with artists Juneau Projects & Creative Producer Charlie Birtles to deliver a creative wellbeing programme in two community managed libraries in Stafford.
Ben Sadler and Phillip Duckworth of Juneau Projects facilitated an engaging programme of creative workshops for local residents which explored what they love about where they live, the natural environment on their doorstep and connections with their local heritage. For initial inspiration, participants took part in a guided tour of the county’s museum and archive collections and were introduced to a rich collection of objects spanning 200 years of Staffordshire history, from toys, games and domestic items to textiles and fine and decorative art. The result was a selection of work which reflects the vibrant and diverse nature of the programme and the creative enthusiasm of everyone taking part. One participant said,
“I have enjoyed meeting others, visiting the museum archives, and being inspired and feeling valued. (After taking part), I feel very much happier, inspired and motivated, it’s given me a purpose, better than being alone or isolated.” Another commented that, “My mental health seems better, it gave me something to look forward to…nice to be out in the community using the library.”
We are delighted to announce that work created by participants is being showcased at the New Art Gallery Walsall as part of a regional exhibition of A Sense of Place until 26 November, alongside a local display at Stafford Library & Staffordshire Place One Foyer until 27 July. Both are free to attend and all are welcome.
With special thanks to Creative Health CIC, New Art Gallery Walsall, Library Volunteers and Midlands NHS Partnership Trust who hosted and supported the project throughout, and Arts Council England for National Lottery funding.
Two short films of the project is available to watch on YouTube via the button below and you can find out more in our new blog on the Archives and Heritage microsite.
 Female workers at Universal Grinding Wheel Co. Ltd., Stafford, 1920 (P2019.027.0008)
New course for adult learners
'Knowing where you stand: An introduction to local history'
We live in an age of information, in which the materials and resources needed to explore local histories have never been so accessible. Yet many people are unaware of the riches that lie close to their fingertips, in local archives and online, or lack the confidence to make use of them.
Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service and Keele University have partnered together to deliver a history course that explores these resources, teaches the skills needed to study them, and illuminates over a thousand years of Staffordshire history along the way.
Through a structured learning programme delivered by Keele University academics and using original source material from Staffordshire Archives and Heritage collections, you will explore the lives of those who came before us, gain insight into their everyday worlds and the cultural conditions that shaped their way of life. Participants will also learn how different types of source material shed new and varied perspectives on the past. The core of the course promotes awareness of available sources and teaches the skills needed to study them.
The course covers the 7th to the 21st centuries, divided into two terms. The first term runs from October to December 2023 and the second from January to March 2024; each can be booked separately and students are welcome to book just one or both terms.
The first term is focused on the medieval and early modern periods (7th to 17th centuries), and considers peasants and lords, monks and priests, and transformations in the densely inhabited countryside and growing towns.
The second term turns to the 18th through to the 20th centuries and examines urban and industrial lives, the creation of new forms of community and infrastructure, and an increasing diversity of religious expression.
The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in local history wishing to develop their knowledge and skills. Each term is priced at £100, a rate subsidised by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Staffordshire History Centre Project. The course will take place at Stafford Rugby Club, ST16 2TT
To book a place, please email hannah.grangesales@staffordshire.gov.uk
 Exploring our Place Names
The Staffordshire Place Names group were recently visited by Dr Jayne Carroll and Dr John Baker from the University of Nottingham where they talked through the meaning behind some of the place names our volunteers had found.
Matthew had discovered ‘Blubber Leas’ which had perplexed the group. Jayne told us that the word blubber often referred to wet lands or marshes or somewhere there was a spring, it was often found in Yorkshire and came from the word ‘bubble’.
Volunteer Ken also found a host of field names that were very unusual, including ‘Man’s Height in Water’ and ‘Hadkerchief’. ‘Cuckold’s haven’ was described by John as usually a nook of land that could be a place where suspicious shenanigans went on! The Place Names group meets every Wednesday afternoon and input date into an online database https://staffordshireplacenames.esdm.co.uk/
 10,200 early Lichfield wills, 1570-1599, added to Staffordshire Name Indexes
As readers will know Andrew George and Ann Fisher have been working remotely to index the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry wills. Ann has completed work on the period from 1791 up to 1810 (to be added to the online index once we have the Peculiar Court wills ready). Andrew has been working on the period before 1600. We are delighted to announce that his work for the period 1570-1599, a further 30 years and 10,200 entries, is now on the Diocese of Lichfield Wills index on the Staffordshire Name Indexes website. A huge achievement and a great resource.
Andrew has kindly given us an insight into the frustrations and rewards of his remote volunteering project.
This particular upgrade to the wills index has been long in gestation: firstly, the wills moved home from Lichfield to Stafford, then I retired and moved to Yorkshire, and to cap it all a pandemic struck. During lockdown, I was able to continue the work by accessing the images on Findmypast (the company kindly allowed special access for the wills volunteers), with final checking of queries against the originals more recently when onsite access resumed.
Remote volunteering using the online wills images brought its own challenges, as those who have tried to navigate the Findmypast site will recognize, but it also brought new opportunities. Anecdotal reports from the searchroom suggested that there were a lot of early wills on Findmypast with no inventory images. Working from the online resources I left a gap on my spreadsheet when there seemed to be no inventory for later checking against the original records. In my naivety I assumed that someone else would do the checking. In practice it has turned out to be me on various trips back to Stafford from Yorkshire!
As well as missing inventories, I have found many wills on Findmypast under seriously divergent surnames, or with no surname or date at all given, or a different date, often the date the will was made. I have also found patches where the file includes a nearby alphabetical will, with or without any of the papers it should have. One of the main benefits for users of this new addition to the index is that the notes column has tips for finding apparently missing wills or inventories. I have also noted if the will cannot be found online at all (at least by me!).
Good news. It should be much less long until another tranche appears! 1560-1569 will be along next year.
For a challenge try finding on Findmypast the will of John Warde, parson of Bloor, 1578. A clue is in the image above, or search for John Warde on the Name Indexes site.
 Paper flower workshop with artist Jennifer Collier, September 2021
Our County, Our Climate exhibition
This small exhibition explores memories of extreme weather events in Staffordshire through artistic responses. In 2021 local people were invited to participate in creative workshops in Stafford, Burton-upon-Trent and online. These included poetry, storytelling and paper art. Participants were asked to think about and record their experiences of extreme weather and climate.
Some of the work produced in the workshops is on display. The exhibition also features artefacts from the Staffordshire Museum Collection and copies of historic documents and photographs from the Staffordshire Record Office which reveal historic weather events recorded through diary entries and letters.
The exhibition will be visiting Stafford Library until Monday 31st July.
Keele University Summer School 2023
The History department at Keele has a long tradition of continuing education teaching many enthusiastic and brilliant people about the local history of Staffordshire and surrounding area. This summer we are offering our 46th Latin and Palaeography Summer School from Saturday 5 August to Thursday 10 August.
For full details visit the Keele University website.
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