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About Us

What is the Madeley Living History Project?

The Madeley Living History Project is a Madeley Parish Council initiative and a registered charity. The project began in September 2001 when it was funded for three years. It was then funded for a further three years until 2007 and will continue to run, on a part-time basis, until at least 2010. For the first six years the project was based in the Local Studies Room at Madeley Library but it has now moved to the Parish Council Offices in Jubilee House at the top of the High Street.

The project works with schools, community groups and individuals to celebrate the history of Madeley, Sutton Hill and Woodside. All materials generated by, or donated to, the Living History project will form a community archive for Madeley.

What does the Living History project do?

• The project's first initiative was an exhibition of Christmas Stories from older members of the parish and from year 6 pupils at Woodside Junior School

• Twenty-five local groups were involved in producing a Madeley Community Quilt, which is now on display in Jubilee House

• A schools' project entitled Old Town/New Town involved year 6 pupils from Sir Alexander Fleming primary School, Sutton Hill and William Reynolds Junior School, Woodside. Local people researched the history of Russell Road and the surrounding green

• Pupils from Haughton School produced ideas for a project logo and have made studies of local historic buildings

• The project manager has supervised the restoration of the grave of the 'Nine Men of Madeley' in St. Michael's Churchyard, Madeley and has produced a leaflet giving further details of the tragedy

• The project manager assisted the Madeley Local Studies Group to obtain and HLF grant for the restoration of the 'Turner Memorial' in St. Michael's Churchyard and supervised the works involved

• Residents of Sutton Hill have been helped to publish a book of reminiscences about moving to the estate between 1967 and 1971

• An information pack covering the Tudor & Stuart periods in Madeley, with special reference to the role of the Brooke family, has been produced for the Parish Church

• A Madeley Heritage Trail covering the major historic sites in the town

• A Parish Pubs booklet giving details of Madeley hostelries past and present

• The story of The Beeches Hospital (the former workhouse)

• Guides to the Madeley War Memorial and the Coalport Memorial Bridge

• A list of workers at Kemberton Pit, compiled by Dr. Ivor Brown, was published by the project

• A Churchyard Trail covering the monuments in St. Michael's Churchyard. The trail also covers the natural history of the Churchyard

• The Woodside Story

• A Taste of the Past historical cookery book

Current Projects Include

• A complete survey of the monuments in St. Michael's Churchyard, Madeley

• The setting up of an exhibition telling the story of King Charles dramatic escape after the Battle of Worcester and concentrating on his night in Upper House Barn, Madeley. The exhibition will be held at Coalport China Museum and the centrepiece will be the newly-traced replica of the tankard awarded by the king, to Francis Wolfe of Madeley, after the Restoration

• A bid to the Awards For All fund to conserve and publish the surviving photographic plates produced by Bartram photographers

• A series of leaflets covering past people, places and events in Madeley e.g. leaflets on Major Yate, on Lumley Hall and the Madeley Amateur Dramatic Society. It is hoped the series will include leaflets on the Rest Room and on Robert Moore

• A bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help restore and interpret various industrial monuments in the southern part of the parish

• Assistance to various Madeley community groups with their local history projects

• The organisation of one-off events aimed at children and interested adults

The aim of the project is to make sure that the history of Madeley is recorded before it becomes lost and copies of all the booklets we have published are available from Jubilee House - most are free or sold at a token price. I am always happy to talk to people who have memories they would like to share and, if you have photographs or other memorabilia, I can copy them and make sure the originals are returned. Feel free to drop in at any time or ring me on 01952 567288.

Shelagh Lewis - Project Manager