Local Heroes

Place your comments here about Staffordshire's Greatest Figures

Amy
captain smith is my great great great great uncle !

Sam Clowes
this is my great great grandfather and i hope to follow his path in life

R.J.Mitchell and the Supermarine Spitfire
In the summer of 1992 I attended an engineering management course at what was the Cranfield College of Aeronautics,Bedford. Historians would do well to check if dining room is now as it was then and still decorated with the splendid murals which depicted so many Spitfires and portraits of R.J.Mitchell. Considering the illustrious location of this collection of pictures they are probably, (if not painted over) one of the finest tributes to the man and his magnificent flying machines.
Geoff Royle, Stockport

john rudge
when john rudge was at vale my grandad died in 1990 and was a massive vale fan we used to go to the games together and he turned up at the funral i was so proud he also sent me a letter and a sighned football which goes to say he was a gentleman and more than just a manager how many mangers in football wauld do that today
angela fox, smallthorne stoke on trent

Roy Sproson - Port Vale great
A branch of the Sproson family has lived in Wolverhampton at least since the 18th Century. I have a family tree for many Sprosons in this line.

Geoff Sproson, Stiperstones

REGINALD MITCHEL--THE SPITFIRE
AFTER VISITING HANLEY MUSEUM AND SEEING THE MkXVI SPITFIRE I WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE ONE THAT USED TO BE IN THE QUADRANGLE AT HANLEY HIGH SCHOOL ( TEMPORARY AT CHELL CIRCA 1949).UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE ON DUTY INTHE MUSEUM COULD ANSWER MY QUERY.IS THER ANYONE OUT THERE WHO KNOWS?
DON HIGGINSON STOKE ON TRENT

captain smith
There was nothing Smith could do. He had no choice in how many life boats were aboard or how many people on board. He was the captain of an ill-fated vessel on the morning of April 15,1912.
Lequita C. Logan Leesburg,Fl.

Another Descendant of Jervis
I've been told that i too am a descendant of Admiral sir John (or his sister?). I live in New York but My family is from Ecuador and they still have the flags and paintings which i believe were given to them when he passed. I'm trying to investigate how my ancestors came to be in Ecuador and my family is currently writing a book on this as well. I'll post again once it's complete.
Melissa Diaz new york

Dr Johnson's the Little Lexicon
He also had a very small dictionary about 2 inches by 4 inches named The Little Lexicon or Multum in Parvo, but no date (1825?) I have one but hard cover is gone and seemed to be binded by glue and handstiched. Do you know anything on this?
Remedios Rueda Ewa Beach, Hi

Vincent Riley - greats
Gerry Proudman wrote:I note on your website "Notorious People" that vincent Riley died in 1941. I was married in the RC church at Cobridge, on 22nd Feb 1951 and I distinctly remember my best man and I having a drink with Vincent,just before the wedding, was this a ghost?, my imagination?. He did die shortly after on top of a kiln.

Saving Walton`s Cottage
It was a delight to be with Tony Bridgett in Izaak Walton`s Fishing Hut on the River Dove during the filming of "Something To Treasure". A Treasured memory!I`m an angling historian with a museum of angling at Mortimers Cross Mill in Herefordshire.The Mill is a scheduled ancient monument in which I do guided tours.I get fewer visitors than Izaak`s cottage does every year and run my whole visitor experience at a financial loss but cannot understand how Izaak`s Cottage costs the council £41000. My whole operation here with 3 museums & a mill cost £14400 2007-2008 including food & council tax and rewiring one of the houses!! So whats going on???
Chris Partington Leominster

Palmer
...you referred to his first alleged victim George Abley who you said was poisoned in Rugeley. In fact he was allegedly poisoned in the Lamb and Flag in Little Haywood and his grave still stands in graveyard of St. Michael and All Angels, the Parish Church at Colwich.
Another Lovely Palmer Story: There is another lovely tale, unfortunately apocryphal, that is associated with the Palmer case. This story, started and was passed down through generation after generation, suggested that the inhabitants of Rugeley were absolutely horrified by the adverse publicity that Rugeley received before and during Palmer's Trial. The newspapers had a field day with several articles a day devoted to the case many being very disparaging about Rugeley. The Rugeley townsfolk believed that Rugeley's name had acquired worldwide notoriety and would be forever linked to the murderous actions of the by then infamous Dr. William Palmer.So outraged were the Rugeley’s inhabitants that it was decided to send a deputation down to London to petition Parliament to have the name of their town changed.The story goes that, after listening to their complaints, the Prime Minister smiled and agreed instantly saying, “Of course! Why not name it after me?” Unfortunately the then Prime Minister was called Lord Palmerston and the last name that Rugeley would wish to be called was Palmerstown!What a shame the story isn’t true!!
Other Possible Palmer Stories: The Jane Letters: - See the 25th letter which is particularly sinister!! / The Cross Keys Mystery –
Hope this proves of interest Dave Lewis (Author of ‘The Rugeley Poisoner’ published 2003.)

Sir John Jervis
mercedes jervis wrote:Thank you for this opportunity to talk about my family. What I have heard about this Admiral is that he was supposed to be my father's great great grandfather. The history was given by my ancestors from one generation to another. They said that John Jervis was the father of Joseph Jervis, who was desherited because of disobedience as he got married to an scotland lady, Rose Bruce. Then Joseph came to Ecuador with his wife and they had four children in this country: Thomas, Joseph, Charles and Francis. They were claimed by their aunts Mary and Sarah?? to get back to England but they didn't want to. I have searching a lot about this, but I already have known that John Jervis had no children, but his sisters did. The only thing I am very interested in knowing the true is because I almost finish my family book and I don't know really who was Joseph Jervis'father. Nobody knows that. We admire to this man who was a celebrity in England and feel much respect about him, but I also think that there are a lot people who claims for his descendants.

titanic
I was born in Tunstall now live in ALANTA Ga USA .They are doing a big story on the Titanic at the fish aquriem in Atlanta Ga and i looked it up where John Smith was born i am very proud being from Stoke On Trent when i saw the ship and the stories about him .I also recieve e.mails from BBC Staffordshire lov to all in Stoke on Trent
Alma Green Montgomery Atlanta GA USA

arthur berry
I've got a feeling some words are missing from Arthur Berry's ode. I have a copy of this somewhere, bought when I worked at the Vic in the late 70s. I think the words are missing just before the warning. By the way, the warning was not an add on, it was the punchline to the ode. Good to see it anyway, and to be reminded of that great man Arthur Berry, whom I met many times I'm pleased to say. ... DANIEL SHAW

Daniel James Jervis Wright.
My second middle name has been passed down to the oldest male of the oldest male in each generation. Since a kid I was always told the name originated from something to do with Jervis Bay in New South Wales, Australia. After looking on google earth at the area a week ago I noticed that a little town west of Jervis Bay was Wrights Beach. This has caught my interest greatly and am wishing to find out if I have any connection to Admiral, Sir John Jervis whom the Area was named after. If you have any info please forward it to me by email to [email protected] you DJJW

miral
CAPTAIN EJ SMITHHe said that even god could not sink the titanic

Ariel Bruce Rogers
I´m sorry not to have anything to add about Samuel Parkes. Only to say that my great grand father, Cap.William E.Rogers landed in Balaklava in 1854 under the order of the Duke of Cambridge.

Jerusha
Sgt John BaskeyfieldIs worth a mention in your list of great Staffordshire Figures. I believe a statue of this brave soldier has been errected outside your local Radio Station in honour of him.My uncle Mr Bill Townley was the person who first drew attention to the achievements of this brave local man. He did a lot of research, contacted the family, visited Arnhem and got a memorial plaque placed outside the local town hall.Bill townley also made an amateur video about Sgt John Baskeyfield called "Baskeyfield VC" in which several pottieries people featured.I think you should add this not so well known person to your list of greats so that people can learn about his brave actions.Regards Jerusha

John White
The family story passed down to me is that we are related to James Brindley. I have traced back to George Brindley who was born in 1801 in Flagg, Derbyshire. I know that James had two daughters so if there is a link it must be with one of his brothers. I would love to establish the connection and would be most grateful if you could consider sharing your family tree with us. It has been passed down by word of mouth through our family that James Brindley worked at some stage with James Watt on the steam engine. Can you throw any light on this?Many thanks,John White

Ken Buckley
A resident of Stafford, his book, "The Compleat Fisherman," has survived 300 publishings.

Ken Buckley
Long overlooked - Norman Wainwright - champion swimmer of England. Hanley native. Participated in three Olympic Games - plus. Check website prepared by his son-in-law: Norman Wainright. Great history.

Lyn Andrews
I am reasearching my mothers family. Hugh Bourne was a desendant of hers she was Enid Bourne born 1916 in Stoke does anyone know anything about this family?