Hixon History Society

At our September meeting, Michael Priest spoke about The Wolseley Family. In 1966, to mark the ninth centenary of the Battle of Hastings, many English newspapers searched for families who could say without doubt that they were in England from before the Norman Conquest. They found two families that could make this claim, and both families lived in Staffordshire: the Cliffords and the Wolseleys. The Wolseley family were given their estate by King Edgar in 975 AD as a reward for killing all the wolves which were ruining the King's hunting by preying on the deer. Folk legend claims the name relates to wolves and local water meadows (leys). A manor House was built in the 11th century by Edric Wolseley and Michael told us about the interesting history of successive baronets up to the present day. Sir Charles Wolseley was only 10 when he became the 11th Baronet in 1954. He married Anita Fried from Epsom in 1968, and then in 1987 he decided to return to Wolseley with plans to open a 45-acre landscaped garden park costing £1.7 million. But it never took off and the bank withdrew funding before the garden park was completed. Charles was made bankrupt in 1996 with debts of £2.5 million. He lost the 1,500 acre Staffordshire estate and the Wolseleys’ moved into a new barn conversion near Penkridge offered by friends, living in genteel poverty on a standard pension. Sir Charles Wolseley died in 2018 and his funeral took place at Saint Joseph and Saint Etheldreda Catholic Church in Rugeley. The historic estate grounds were restored in 1990 and now serve as the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust HQ and nature reserve, known as The Wolseley Centre. 

On October 6th we will learn about Reginald Mitchell his life and legacy from his great nephew Julian Mitchell. 

November 3rd there will be a talk by Carl Dudley on Staffordshire railways on the level…..and on the beer! 

All the meetings are at Hixon Memorial Hall and start at 8-00pm. 

The fee is £2-00 per person. All welcome. 

John Egginton