Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group

Helen Holbeche was one of seven sisters: Sarah, Jane, Elizabeth, Catherine, Frances, Helen and Mary. In their later years, apart from Mary, they all lived together at 58 High Street, Sutton Coldfield. In 1998, I discovered a small notebook containing Helen's recollections amongst other Holbeche family memorabilia kept by Mrs Helen Springall (her great great niece) at Keele University Campus.

On the Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group website you will find research entitled The 'Duncumb' Recipe Book, 1791-1800s.  At the time of that research, only a small fraction of the recipes in the book were transcribed. The following article will complete all of them, reproducing verbatim as far as possible.

There were three Elizabeths in the life of Shirley Farmer Steele Perkins of Moat House.  This was the youngest, his daughter, who led somewhat of an uneventful life EXCEPT for the fact that she was a botanical flower painter and wrote charming poetry.  The remarkable "Flora and Pomona's Fête -  her answer to Roscoe's"Butterfly Ball" -  deserves to be more widely read.

This document was transcribed by the Sutton Coldfield History Research Group and Edited with an Introduction by R.M. Lea.  In 1981, it was published by the University of Birmingham, Department of Extra Mural Studies  (ISBN 070440432X).  Now, 40 years later, it is still a useful and interesting record of the householders who lived in the five areas which made up Sutton Coldfield, i.e. Hill and Little Sutton, Moor and Ashfurlong, Walmley and Beyond the Woods, Maney and the Wild, and Great Sutton.  A wealth of knowledge can be surmised by an appraisal of these lists.

This is another useful tool for those researching the history of Sutton Coldfield.   It is not always easy to find the names and dates of past Wardens or Mayors and yet here they all are gathered together in one place..

The Antiquities of Warwickshire written by Sir William Dugdale in 1656 is a much-quoted source of information on Sutton Coldfield, but access to the original book is not easy.  In this article I have reproduced the whole text of Dugdale’s description of Sutton Coldfield under its several headings: Sutton, The Grammar School, Hill and Little Sutton, Maney and Warmley, Wigginshill, Langley, New-Hall, Pedimore, Curdworth, Minworth, Berwood, Dunton, Wishaw and Moxhull, to which I have added some notes.  By way of comparison, I have also treated in the same way much shorter accounts of Sutton Coldfield by John Leyland (1535/43), William Camden (1586) and Thomas Cox (1711/17)

I believe that it was written sometime in the late 1880s, during which time Richard was stationed in Bengal with The Royal Munster Fusiliers. He finally returned to the Holbeche family home at No. 3 Coleshill Street, Sutton Coldfield in 1891.

This, the Diary of Sarah Holbeche, is unlike any that you may have seen before.  It is not only a recollection of daily events during most of her lifetime but also includes many family photos, drawings, letters, calling cards and newspaper cuttings.  Beginning in 1802, it gives a birdseye view of life in Sutton Coldfield throughout much of the 19th century and will therefore prove to be a useful tool when researching the town's history.

On March 22nd 1791, Eliza Duncumb of Sutton Coldfield, daughter of Joseph Duncumb and, later, wife of Shirley Farmer Steele Perkins, was sitting somewhere in Moat House, her pen poised to begin her collection of culinary recipes. Perhaps there was a pile of suggestions in front of her. Two, coming from Doctor John Johnstone, were the first to be entered - he, possibly, being the family physician. These were remedies for 'a Soar Mouth or Canker'. Mrs Wills' recipe for 'Calves Head Hash' followed – nothing out of the ordinary for those days, although not to be attempted by today's faint hearted cooks! Here you will find just a small selection from Eliza' recently discovered manuscript, held by the New York Academy of Medicine Library.

As I was looking up some files, I came across a most illuminating work given to me some time ago by Roger Lea. It had been completely forgotten about. It has been a most worthwhile task to transcribe his work and I present it to you.