Village Publications July 2018

Village Publications and Memorabilia (July 2018)

The following is a list of publications that are associated with Rolleston or its historic families. It is an initial draft and the webmaster would appreciate additional information.

It is hoped facilities will soon be available in the village to house much of this material so that it it is easier to access.

Parish Registers

At long last the first Rolleston volume of transcribed Parish Registers has been published by the Staffordshire Parish Registers Society (SPRS). It was well worth waiting for and will be an invaluable resource for local and family historians. It covers the years 1569 to 1644. It was written by Mr. C. Geoffrey Harlow who, as well as transcribing details of baptisms, marriages and burials at St. Mary's, has provided a very useful introduction about the parish, the inhabitants, the hall, the church and the Grammar School. It is available, price £6 (cheques to SPRS), from the Secretary, 82, Hillport Avenue, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 8QT. It can be purchased on line from www.sprs.org.uk

Victoria County History Staffordshire: Volume X - Tutbury and Needwood Forest now available

This long awaited volume containing the history of Rolleston and Anslow has just been published (Spring 2008)

Books, Booklets and Reports

The Feudal Origin of the Rolleston Family of Staffordshire (to 1300AD) by Mr K A Rolston (published in 1995 and revised in 2000). Price £8.50. This is a superb piece of historical research tracing the Rolleston genealogy back to the Conquest. Ken is a descendant of the Rollestons of New Zealand and Ulster. Research on update to AD1600 is in hand by the author.

Wm Rolleston Benefactor of Rolleston in the 1670s (Feb 2004) - Mr K A Rolston. Copy given to the Salt Library.

The Rolston Family in Drumcree Parish, N Ireland 1787 - 1887 (Jan 1996) by Mr K A Rolston. 36 pages. Copy given to the Salt Library.

Biography of William and Mary Rolleston (1971) by Rosamund Rolleston. 147 pages. Emigrants to New Zealand. William was Superintendent of Canterbury, MP and Minister of the Crown in New Zealand.

Reprint of Axons Paper on the Early Moseleys of Manchester with commentary (Mar 2004) - Mr I G Bowen. Copy given to the Salt Library.

Some Mosley Families of Yorkshire from the 16C onwards (Jul 2003) - Mr I G Bowen. Copy given to the Salt Library.

The Land of the Dove (1999) by David J Ford. (published by Churnet Valley Books ISBN 1-897949-56-1). Contains a section on Rolleston, the Hall and the Mosleys with other villages along the Dove Valley.

The Staffordshire Encyclopaedia (2000) by Tim Cockin. (The Malthouse Press, limited edition ISBN 0-9539018-0-7). Contains entries & bibliographical references for Rolleston and other local communities.

Cat Refs to Rolleston and Variants of the National Archives at Kew (Jun 2004). Produced by Mr K A Rolston.

Cat Refs to Moseley/Mosley of the National Archives at Kew (Jun 2004). Produced by Mr K A Rolston.

Brooklyn Butchers in Chapel Lane 200 years (1998) - Mr I G Bowen.

The Victorian Diary of a Rolleston Lady by Anita Fernandez Young (Daniels) - a former Rolleston Parish Councillor (published by Dalton Books, Coventry ISBN 0-9528642-2-3). The fictional diary of a Victorian lady based on actual newspaper reports and other records takes an affectionate look at village life in the 19th century.

Walking through the History of Rolleston (1990) by Mr D Coxon. (published by Rolleston Civic Trust). Price £1.00. A short visitors’ guide. Online version available here. May also be available at village Newsagents.

A History of Rolleston Church (Oct 2003) - Mr A Burston, Price £10.00

Church Records 1569-1724 (Sep 2004) - Sheila Kendall and Ann & Arnold Burston.

A journal by Alan Partington celebrating 125 years of cricket. This well researched book by Alan, extensively illustrated with the help of Clive Baker, is an important addition to the village records. Of course it’s full of cricket but it sets the history of the Club against the development and changes in the village over the past 125 years. Get your copy (price £10) from the Club whilst stocks last (Nov 2014).

Copies of the following booklets edited by Mr I G Bowen and published by Rolleston Civic Trust were given to Salt Library and Burton Library. Further info from Rolleston Civic Trust.

The History of the Old Grammar School (May 2000) - Andrew W Eley. Price £3.00. Andrew is a descendant of a headmaster of the school.
The Almshouses and Other Charities in Rolleston on Dove (Dec 2000) - Ann & Arnold Burston. Price £3.00. As well as the Almshouses, there are sections on the Caldwells, the Mosleys and other local families, chapters on the Commemoration Hall and the Educational Foundation, and details of constables' accounts, overseers of the poor, the poor house and apprenticeships. The cover, based on a 19th century Simnett photograph, shows John Marshall, then chairman of the Almshouses Trust by the newly-restored gates.
St Mary’s Church Rolleston – Memorials in the Graveyard & elsewhere in the Church (Rev 2002) - Mr I G Bowen & Ann & Arnold Burston. Price £3.50. Work in hand to include memorials in the council graveyard on the outskirts of the village.
The Cauldwell Family of Rolleston (Nov 2001) - Mr I G Bowen. Price £3.00.
The Agards of the Dove Valley (Sept 2000) - Mr I G Bowen. Price £3.00.
The Listed Buildings of Rolleston (Dec 2000) - Mr I G Bowen. Price £10.00. Each of the thirty structures is described in brief. Each has an up to date black and white photograph by Geoff Hood and additional notes, photos, maps and sketches are included to give historical background. Notes are also included on related subjects. The sheets on each property/structure may be purchased separately. The compendium has been made by Idris Bowen.
Longford's Connections with Rolleston (Mar 2002) - Mr I G Bowen.
Moseley Emigrants to Virginia USA (Sep 2003) - Mr I G Bowen.

Other planned publications include:

The Moseleys of S.W. Staffordshire - Mr I G Bowen.
The Sale of the Mosley Estate at Rolleston 1919 - Mr I G Bowen & Mrs S Martin.
Rolleston Hall Gardens - Mr P A Martin.
A History of Rolleston on Dove Parish Council. To be published by the Parish Council. This has unfortunately been delayed by the death of its proposed author, Mr R A Woodbine, Parish Clerk for many years.

Rolleston Census Material

The 1841 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1851 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1861 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1871 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1881 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1891 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.
The 1901 Rolleston Census (2004) - Mr I G Bowen.

Copies given to the Salt Library.

The 1881 Census has been transcribed (hopefully without errors) into four pdf documents (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4).

Rollestonian

A complete run of the village magazine, “Rollestonian”, incorporating “The Parish Council Newsletter”, since its inception in 1982, has been deposited in the Local Studies section of Burton-on-Trent Public Library.

Copies of the Millennium colour issue of “Rollestonian” containing brief reviews of parish organisations and history may still be available from Rolleston Civic Trust.

Out of print

The following out of print works may be available in Burton-on-Trent library, or through the library lending system:

General:

The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (1798) by Stebbing Shaw. 2 vols. Vol.1 contains a chapter on Rolleston.
History of Rolleston and Tutbury (1949), by Charles Underhill. Reprinted by Rolleston Parish Council 1975. Copy given to the Salt Library.
Biblioteca Staffordiensis (1894) by Rupert Sims. Issued to subscribers only. Lists references to published material of local interest.
Portrait of an Irishman (1939) by Commander CH Rolleston RN Retired. (Methuen & Co, London). Re TW Rolleston of the senior branch of the Rolleston family who settled in Ireland. 48 pages.

Rolleston related books:

Family Memoirs (Privately printed 1849 - reprinted 2003) by Sir Oswald Mosley. A history of the family in relation to their Manchester and Rolleston estates.
The Natural History of Tutbury (1863) by Sir Oswald Mosley. Includes observations on the fauna and flora of the Rolleston estate in the 19th century.
A History of the Meynell Hounds and Country 1780-1901 (1901 2 vols) by J L Randall. Contains some observations on the Mosley family and the hunting country in the Rolleston area.
My Life (1968) by Sir Oswald Mosley. The opening chapter records Sir Oswald’s recollections of his childhood visits to Rolleston, leading to the sale of the Rolleston estate.
Churches of the Dove Valley (1985) by Sam Taylor. (J P G Taylor ISBN 0-9510465-0-0). Contains a short section on St Mary’s Rolleston on Dove.

Other publications/pamphlets that may be found occasionally include:

Rolleston Hall and Estate Catalogues, 1919, 1920, 1923 & 1924. Attempts to dispose of the estate were made during these years. The illustrated catalogues, together with their maps, give an overview of the village at that time.
Peeps into the Past and Present of Rolleston Church and School (1903) by E Wardle. A compilation of articles that had appeared in Rolleston Parish Magazine.
The History of St Mary’s Parish Church Rolleston (1960) by F A Slaney.
Rolleston Methodist Church - A Centenary History (1993) by J Lockley.
The History of Rolleston Club (1987) by C Wood. Produced for Rolleston Club’s 90th Anniversary Celebrations.

Village Videos

Mr John Parker has produced the following videos and are available from him direct (while stocks last):

Burial of the Time Capsule - This covers the whole ceremony carried out by the pupils of John of Rolleston Primary School on 13th November 2000
Millennium History Exhibition and Choral Society Christmas Concert
The Millennium Video (price £7 - UK format only) also available from Rolleston Civic Trust

Village Golden Jubilee Festival Videos

Two videos, produced by Grandee Video Productions, 'Rolleston-on-Dove Village Golden Jubilee Festival' depicting some of the events held during the Village Golden Jubilee Festival including the exhibition of bridal gowns in the Church, exhibitions in the Church Room and Marquees, the Bell Ringers, the Morris Men and The Mummers Play (as performed on the Croft in its entirety) - Duration 31 minutes, Price £5.00 - and the other 'The Mummers Play' only - Duration 16 minutes, Price £3.00 - are now available.

Filmed and edited by Dennis Reynolds. Further details from Arnold Burston

Contact Addresses

(Local Studies), Riverside, Burton upon Trent DE14 1AH

Arnold Burston, 9 Twentylands, Rolleston on Dove, DE13 9AJ (address as of July 2018)

The Civic Trust have kindly agreed to send any current 'publication', if available, anywhere for the appropriate postage. They do not provide a photocopying service for historical and out-of-print material.

The William , Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ.

Tribute to Mr Idris Bowen

Local historian, Idris Bowen, died on 17 December 2004. He helped not only myself (Village Webmaster), but many others, in their research into the history of the village and associated families, and his published work will hopefully be of enormous benefit in the future - and act as a fitting reminder of his valuable contribution.

The Idris Bowen Archive
Idris recognised, without acrimony or regret, that no one in the village was likely to pick up village history with the same extensive dedication, but he wished his unique historical archive to stay as one collection for the benefit of future village historians.

Although there was a case for keeping Idris’s papers in the village, the Staffordshire Record Office also wished to obtain them. After discussion with several of his collaborators Idris reached a compromise that pleased him greatly. It was agreed that the complete collection should be housed at the Lichfield branch of the Record Office where it would be more readily available to local residents. As a private donation it will receive priority cataloguing and be immediately available for consultation.

Before dispatch a copy will be taken of all material directly relevant to the village and this process is largely complete. This collection will be available through a general village archive to be established in St Mary’s Church as part of the planned building alterations. Through the generosity of the McLoughlins, assistance from several Rollestonians and support of the Parish Council this will be achieved at minimum cost.

It is intended that general enquiries concerning family history should be referred to Lichfield Record Office which will have the better facilities for studying and copying documents.

(this article appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of the Rollestonian)

* * * The major part of Idris Bowen's records have been catalogued by Lichfield Record Office and the list is available on their online catologue at www.archives.staffordshire.gov.uk. Select Archive Search and look under deposit no. DocRefNo 426. One example can be seen here.

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Last updated: 6 July 2018