Keresley (incl. Keresley Castle)

That looks like the cottage in the grounds of the Beechwood hotel. No I don't think I knew her at all, but if she was a horsey person I could ask my sister, who is 12 years older than me, and she might have known her.

Thank you Disorganised it was the history of the house I was after, I've just found it here, also about Mrs Sanders history, it was a farm house when she had it, at first Akon House belonged to the priory, a former priest house, which tells you all about it here I used to go horse riding with one of my older sisters between the Beechwood side of the shops in Sandpits Lane, also did your sister ride at Penny Park as my other sisters twins had their horses there, also Youngs the wood merchants in Fillongley village in a field at the rear of their home, they used to hang around with Huckvales, Tamworth Road, also Martin Lynch, Coventry builders.

My sister did keep her horse in a field by Penny Park Lane for a while, she use to ride with Jean Knowles from Knowles' Farm. She was the sister of Roger the dairyman. They moved their horses to a field down by the pit though. I knew Nev Huckvale many years ago, but only through my friend Richard, who used to live in the house next door to the Corrie

Just a little info if anyone is looking into Keresley Manor. THE DIANA VENABLES VERNON CHARITY. By declaration dated 1926 Mr. and Mrs. Venables Vernon, of Keresley Manor, created a trust, in memory of their daughter Diana, with the £90 which she had possessed at the time of her death, in favour of poor children of Keresley and Coundon. This sum was invested in £161 10s. stock yielding £4 a year. Distribution apparently ceased for a time in the 1930s, and the charity's object was then thought in the parish to be the purchase of books for confirmation candidates. After 1939, however, the terms of the trust were regularly carried out, and in 1960 the income was being applied in yearly grants to poor children. I also found this... In 1833 it was reported that for many years 20s. had been given to the poor of Keresley as a charge on the Bell Close in Keresley. This charge had been mentioned in 1744, when the property was divided into two closes, Ecle Close and Poor's Piece, and again in 1819; but had not been paid since about 1821. In 1875 also nothing was received from this charity and by 1910, the Warwickshire Coal Company had discovered a possible liability to pay the 20s. charged on 'Eccles Closes'. No application had been made for the money, payment of which could not by then be legally enforced, and the charity apparently lapsed completely.

Just spotted on a picture I have of "The south prospect of the City of Coventry" dated 1732 that up on the top left hand corner is a big house marked as "New House". Could this be the one in Keresley, it is certainly in the right direction. I have tried to take a couple of pictures of it, sorry not very clear. This is about 1/3 of the view of the left hand side. The road at the front with the carriage on is labelled "The road to Warwick" and it says the Church is Bablake Church although I think it is St John's now.

Thank you Morgana for the link to the David McGrory article regarding the Sanders' connection. I am a Sanders and the couple referred to are, I think, Eli Sanders and Sarah Hixson whose son Montague was killed in WWI. They are there in my family tree but I would need to go back to the end of the 18th century to find a common ancestor. Eli was born in Keresley c.1861 and the family appear to have moved from Leicestershire in about 1847. The Sanders 'clan' moved from Crick to Sharnford in Leicestershire in the 18th century but came south to Nuneaton, Bulkington, Keresley, Bedworth, Exhall and Coventry in large numbers in the middle of the 19th. My grandfather Sanders was the youngest of 14; he was born in Coventry but his oldest sibling was 42 when he was born and half of his siblings had been born in Sharnford.

You're very welcome Mick, I learned both histories from this link of Mrs Sanders, also the house and the American army camp built during the war opposite, so got a lot from this link, Mrs Sanders whom I used to visit a few times with my friend who knew her well, perhaps you know Rose too, I recall Mrs Sanders being a petite lady, so sad she lost her son, which I didn't know until this link, when I last visited the house at the time I recall the floor boards upstairs were not safe to walk on, she lived on her own as I recall, what a lovely history of your family also of the house going along with it too being the oldest in the area. I wonder where all the other 14 children are now, and nice to see you are a Sanders too, lots of research to do with 14 isn't there especially with moving so many times as well.

The old Shepherd and Shepherdess pub dates back to before 1790, as it tells in the paper cutting. It was robbed by three men, and for their sins, were hanged on Whitley Common. This picture shows the pub as it was in the 1930's before the building we see today, being re-built in 1936. The cellars of the older pub are still there, but now under the front patio area behind the bus stop.

As this thread is talking about the pubs etc around Keresley. Maybe I should add this. The Old Hall on Tamworth Rd was originally known as Coundon Villa. It became a residential property in the 19th century, and owned by a ribbon manufacturer. The change came in 1947, when the Northampton Brewery Company purchased it, with intentions of turning it into a Hotel. It was in the 1960's that major alterations were done, and it was turned into a Pub / Steakhouse. After the fire a couple of years ago, the Old Hall has become empty. A new roof was fitted to protect what was left, but it has an uncertain future. Planning permission was not granted to turn it back into a hotel and after an initial show of work going on with a new fence, roof and garden work being carried out. This grade II listed building has now remained left and empty for a couple of months. The out-buildings are also empty and the whole area looks un-loved. Let's hope the present owner can find a use for it before it becomes too far gone to save..

I'm doing some work on Frank Stephen Hanson of Keresley House who was the driving force behind the Keresley Pit when work started back in 1911. I'm having trouble finding Keresley House on maps of the period, can anyone help. As far as I know at the moment the pit was sunk on land belonging to Keresley House so I thought it would be easy to locate. Might be me, trying to do too many things at the same time.

Hi Heritage It is on the right hand side before Fivefield Road opposite Hollyfast Lane going towards Tamworth. In 1911 he was living at "The Uplands" in Fillongley.

So it is, no wonder I couldn't find it, I was looking by the colliery site. I knew he was at the Uplands in 1911. Thank you for that, appreciated, although I am confused as the colliery (according to one source) was built on land belonging to Keresley House.

Just opened a new exhibition at Bedworth Heritage Centre - 'Spotlight on Keresley'. Going through old newspapers to include in the exhibition we found the following which might entertain. Note that it is almost three years before the First World War. Coventry Herald - Friday 27th October 1911 BATTLE OF CORLEY ROCKS RED CROSS DEMONSTRATION AT KERESLEY The possibility of an invading army finding its way as far as such a peaceful retreat as Corley Rocks seems somewhat remote, but there was an interesting demonstration on Saturday afternoon of the resources of that particular district in the shape of first-aid and hospital treatment should a battle take place there, and it would have been easy to imagine that the moral of "The Englishman's Home" had come true. The familiar red cross, which is the ensign of the merciful ministrations to the sick and wounded, was to be seen everywhere, and the explanation was that the Keresley and Coundon Detachment of the Warwickshire Red Cross Society were qualifying for recognition. It will be remembered that in August 1909, the Secretary of State for War issued to Territorial Force Associations a scheme for the organisation of voluntary aid for sick and wounded, in the event of war in the home territory. The British Red Cross Society took an active part in the organisation of voluntary aid detachments, and under the revised scheme issued in January this year the society is the body recommended by the War Office to the County Association for carrying out this important work. The medical organisation of the Territorial Force is sufficiently complete to meet the immediate requirements of the combatant troops on the march and in action, as it provides medical establishments and units which accompany the troops. It also provides general hospitals, but inasmuch as it lacks some of the medical units which are found in the expeditionary force of the Regular Army, it is incomplete. The units which it lacks are clearing hospitals, stationary hospitals, ambulance trains, and other formations, and this scheme has been devised by the Society, with the object of giving those members of civil population who from motives of patriotism and sympathy for the sick and wounded, are desirous of offering their services for the performance of these various duties, an opportunity of allowing themselves and their efforts to be organised and co-ordinated efficiently, so that the sick and wounded might derive the fullest possible benefit. The duties connected with this work would be the preparation of vehicles for removal of patients, the improvisation of stretchers, the conversion of buildings into temporary hospitals, the formation of a rest station for the sick and wounded in transit, the provision of a personnel to accompany them in transit, etc. For this purpose Voluntary Aid Detachments have been formed in every county of two classes - men and women - each member of which guarantees to do something from supplying beds for a temporary hospital to first-aid work, if need should arise. The men's detachment consists of a commandant medical officer, quartermaster, pharmacist, and four sections of twelve men. The women's detachment consists of a commandant, quartermaster, trained nurse, and 20 women, of whom four should be qualified cooks. The Keresley and Coundon Detachment has been recently formed, and it was with the object of securing recognition that Saturday's scheme was carried out. The War Office sent down an inspecting officer in the person of Major Milner, of Birmingham, of the Army Medical Service. The idea of the scheme was that a convey taking provisions to Birmingham had been attacked at Corley Rocks, and in the encounter had suffered a number of casualties. The Keresley and Coundon Detachment was therefore called upon to provide first-aid and hospital treatment. For this purpose the infants' school was turned into a hospital. Two of the classrooms were used as wards, and were fitted up with beds, while a third was used for stores. One end of the corridor was screened off for an operating room. Here one found an improvised operating table, and instruments which might be needed. It was, in fact, as completely equipped as possible for a temporary hospital prepared at short notice. Opposite the "hospital" in a field was a tent which served the purpose of a kitchen, where the necessary refreshment for the sustenance of the sick and wounded was prepared. The wounded were impersonated by youthful scouts, and their injuries were indicated upon cards attached to their clothing. When the information of the battle reached the headquarters the first-aid detachment proceeded to the spot (the scene of the imaginary battle was on Mr. Hillman's farm) with stretchers, followed by wagons, lent by Messrs. Sleath and Whittem. It was intended that the wounded should be discovered lying in the open, but owing to the heavy rain they were under cover. They received temporary treatment at the dressing station, and were then conveyed to the hospital for more elaborate attention. Although each one taking part was quiet in carrying out his or her particular duty, the demonstration was not without its humorous situation. The efforts of the kitchen staff to make a wood fire in the open field after a torrential downpour and boil two huge kettles of water, were responsible for a great deal of amusement, and there was a big cheer when the water in the first kettle boiled. The smiling faces of the wounded as they were jolted along in the wagons showed they were hardly in accord with the alarming injuries which they had sustained. All the work carried out was inspected by Major Milner. Those taking part were: Women's Detachment, Miss. A. Newbold; sisters, Miss. Helen Rotherham and Miss. J. Ratliff; trained nurse, Nurse Williamson; nurses, Miss. Ratliff's section, Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Lloyd, Miss. Turner, Miss. D. Hillman, and Miss. Lloyd; Miss Rotherham's section, Mrs. Percy Hill, Miss. M. Hillman, Miss. Mitchell, Miss. E. Turner, and Miss. Singer. The kitchen was in charge of Mrs. Alfred Kirby, who had the assistance of Miss. Barton, Miss. Phillips, Miss. Ida Courts, and Mrs. J. Twist. The Men's Detachment is not yet complete. Mr. C.H. Welton was the pharmacist, and the first-aid and carrying party included Messrs. Alfred Kirby, Harold Kirby, Lloyd and Hozier. The Scout signallers were also in attendance. Among those present were Rev. Walsingham, C. Kerr, Col. And Mrs. W.F. Wyley, and Miss. Radliff (who took a large share in organising the demonstration.) It should be mentioned that all the articles used had been supplied by those taking part, who have guaranteed to supply them in case of necessity.

Here's a photo from Britain from above. 1931 showing Keresley in the distance, area around Wallace Road was built before the war as many houses took hits during the blitz