Revolution House 1893

23 December 1893 the Derbyshire Times reported that the Revolution House had been handed over from the Chesterfield Brewery Co to a board of trustees. The trustees were trying to decide what to do with the property. One of the options was to open it as a lending library and reading room for the district. I don’t know if this ever happened, the library at the Swanwick Hall wasn’t opened until 1929 so perhaps the Revolution House was the first lending library in Whittington. If anyone knows then please get in touch.

NURSE CHEETHAM

 

Old Chesterfield Pictures had a post from Kev Walton with a newspaper article about Nurse Cheetham. She was the local midwife in Whittington from 1912 to her retirement in 1939.

The article got me thinking about Nurse Cheetham and how she had delivered over 5000 babies. She would have been present when many of our Whittington ancestors were born and must have been very well known in the area.

She wasn't born a local woman she came originally from Sherington Bucks, but she married James Albert Cheetham in 1896 and not long after the couple moved to Old Whittington, she had two children and became a midwife when she was 37 years old.

 

Derbyshire Times 28 July 1939

The Blacksmiths Shop

 

I have just updated the facebook cover picture ( https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064718707620) with this evocative picture of the old blacksmiths shop on High St at Old Whittington. 

It stood roughly where the old peoples bungalows are now. The photo is dated 1937 and was originally posted on Old Chesterfield Pictures facebook page by Alan Taylor.

REMEMBRANCE 1928

I couldn't resist posting this article from the Derbyshire Times 10th March 1928. The writer doesn't appear to have a very high opinion of the residents of Old Whittington and how they view the war memorial. I imagine at the time it could have been quite offensive to some! 

Would be interesting to have known who the author was and where he came from.