Meetings 2022
Hoole History& Heritage Society Meetings - 2022
Wednesday, 19th January
“Robert Lewis Jones: Chester General Station Manager” Robert Lewis Jones started out as the owner of the Chemical Works at Chemistry Lock. He moved to Flookersbrook and became the Station Manager at Chester, where he was in charge when a major rail accident occurred. As a result of this experience, he went on to make a noted contribution to synchronising clocks using electricity. Peter Elliott
A related article can be found on Peter's website here
Thursday, 17th February
“James Hampson Spencer: Chester’s, almost forgotten, 19th Century Stereoscopic Photographer” In 2013, during a research visit into ‘Life in Victorian Hoole’, Linda Webb and Monty Mercer made a chance discovery of prints of James Hampson Spencer’s photographs at the National Archives in Kew. Extensive research has been taking place into the life and work of this previously little-known photographer since then. His stereoscopic photographs provide a ‘window on the world’ of Victorian society during the last quarter of the 19th Century. Linda Webb, Monty Mercer
Wednesday, 23rd March
“The Neston Collieries 1759-1855” Our first external speaker for two years, Anthony, a local historian with a diverse range of interests focused on maritime and industrial history in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, brought the competitive story of these local collieries to our attention. He told the story of the use of remarkable construction and engineering ideas in successfully mining coal in this period. Individuals, as different as the engineer George Stephenson and Emma, Lady Hamilton (later, Nelson’s mistress), played a part in the story as did the dangerous, appalling conditions of work along with the living conditions and health of the individual miners and their families of Neston. Anthony Annakin-Smith
Saturday 23rd April
Members were invited to a talk at The Queen Hotel, by Trish Jones, entitled "The Voyages of the Sunbeam". This was organised by the "Thomas Brassey Society". Trish told the story of the 157ft yacht "Sunbeam" (considered to be the most beautiful schooner in the world at the time) owned by Lord Brassey (Thomas Brassey's eldest son) and his wife Annie. Annie Brassey, a keen photographer and anthropologist went on to write several highly popular books about their journeys. One particular global adventure they had was circumnavigation of the world with their family for eleven months which captured the imagination of the public at the time see: "A Voyage in the Sunbeam".
Tbursday 12th May
Our guest speaker for this occasion was Mike Curtis who will gave a presentation on “The 1737 New Cut of the River Dee”. The Dee estuary is unusual in that comparatively little water occupies such a large river basin. To improve access to the port of Chester, a new cut was, after several false starts, made through the Saltney Marshes towards Flint. However, the river diverted its course bringing unintended, irrevocable and unforeseen consequences over time and the shifting of the navigable portion to the Welsh coast. With the cessation of barge-transport of Airbus wings along the Dee there is now effectively no commercial shipping on the Dee.
Tuesday 7th June
The venue was a unique one: St Peter's Church, Plemstall. Society member Peter Elliott gave a talk on "Plegmund and his Well". Plegmund was Archbishop of Canterbury under Alfred the Great and is generally believed to have lived and studied in the vicinity of Plemstall, which is his day would have been an island in the Gowy estuary. The well associated with him is close to the church, which has very interesting architecture and memorials. Peter gave a description of the life and times of Plegmund and events involving Chester from that period. He also discussed Plegmund's impact on English literature, as well as some new research, including into the very peculiar circumstances of the restoration of the well in 1908. Before the talk, society members had the opportunity to inspect the graveyard and the Church's unique interior.