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David Wood has forwarded the following article from 1830s Goldenhill and he hopes people will enjoy reading it as much as he has enjoyed researching it.

Starting at 1834 the directory shows that there were 2 Coal Masters, John Henry Clive and Robert Williamson who were actually colliery owners and I suppose, major employers.

Mr. J. Collinson and William Edge were earthenware manufacturers, again, possibly major employers.

George Freakley was a Shoemaker who probably had a very good line in clogs too, my uncle who was a cobbler, was still selling clogs in the 1950s.

Isaac Gater was the village plumber, I would imagine his main line of business was lead piping, hand operated water pumps and septic pits.

John Lucock had an iron foundry, there are several mentions of a foundry at Latebrook and there is still a chimney at Woodstock just 50 yards away from where my Dad was born.

John Nixon was a tailor.

Robert Shufflebotham was a joiner and builder.

It appears that the Nelson Arms and the Red Lion were both owned by Obadiah Booth.

As well as the two inns or taverns, there were 5 beer houses without names.

Thomas Habberley, John Manwaring and William Wheeler were all blacksmiths.

Consider the fact that cars did not exist at that time and the railways didn't reach Stoke on Trent until around 1845, I suppose any travel or farm work was done with horses.

Only 2 shopkeepers, Arthur Glover and William Walton existed in 1834, this increased dramatically over the next 40 years.

Because there were only 2 shops most people either grew their own food or bought it directly from the farmers.

The 9 farmers were, Henry Clive, Thomas Edwards, George Mountford, John Nixon, Daniel Stubbs, James & William Tunstall, Hugh Turnock and James Wood.

St John’s church wasn’t built until 1842 but there is evidence that a Methodist church existed in the 1830s.

The population was around 1200, including the outlying areas.

The first school was opened about 1841.

Look out for 1851, coming soon, I hope.