Rainsbrook

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====== Longford History ======

This is an OCR copy of a printed paper, it is the only meeting minutes I have. More work needed to complete details.


===== Background =====


The first meeting took place at St Thomas Meeting Rooms, Hurst Road on November 22nd, 2004. A group of local people discussed the history of Longford, the meeting turned out to be a very enjoyable and successful evening. In the coming months we are hoping to research into various properties and people to find out more history from the 1800's to present time using the census and other means of information.

People present:- Polly ad Colin Davis, Ann Cooper, Rhoda Hackett, Jean  Busby, John Joblin, Roger Davis, Norman and Jean Stringer, Ken White and Robert Hanson.

The following points were discussed during the evening:-

===== Church =====

Longford church was built in 1872 by the affluent people of Longford because Foleshill 
church was overcrowded so was built as the chapel of Ease. The first meeting took place at 
Southfields which was owned by Woottons who owned the Hat Factory in Bedworth. 
Richard Masser (Masser Road is in Holbrooks) was chairman of the Parish Council of Foleshill and was also the local Solicitor.

The Vicar of Foleshill Church was Walter Raleigh Carr, he and supposedly other affluent 
people built the church, he then became vicar for both churches, Roger Davis has the minute 
book for that very meeting. Longford Church became a separate parish in 1908, the first 
vicar was [[lf:longford#new_longford|Rev Dore Rudgard]]

It has been recorded that some parishioners married on Christmas Eve and Christmas 
Day so they didn't have to have another day off work.

==== Sunday School ====

Children used to have to attend Sunday School Morning and Afternoon, when the Sunday 
School Treats came around people used to turn out in their hundreds to see the bright 
coloured banners and drays with children dressed up depicting scenes from the Bible


===== Longford =====

Longford as described as a Hamlet in 1730 and wasn't on the map until the 1800's Longford 
consisted of wealthy business people because of the Canal trade, Ribbon Weaving and 
Mining industries.

==== Canal Trade ====

James Brindley designed and built the Manchester Ship Canal this so impressed the 
Coventry Canal Company that they contracted him to design and build the Longford Canal 
There were two canals from [[https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/hawkesbury-canal-junction-sutton-stop|Sutton Stop]] to Longford with a lock built by Hackett's house 
but because the water level was too high and the canal companies found it financially
viable, it was decided to take the lock away from Longford and replace it at Sutton Stop and 
infill the other canal (there is a picture available of these two canals). This then made a 7 1/2 
mile run from Sutton Stop to the Coventry Canal Basin, following the contours. Thus the price
of coal reduced immediately. Longford Canal Bridge was altered to enable people to ride on horseback because it must have been originally a hump hack bridge. There is a plaque on the top of Longford Bridge which says "It was lonely in the winter when there were no boats", perhaps that was down to the canals freezing over, also the start of the Railways which took most of the trade away. 

The Water Board decided to house a lot of people who worked on barges in various parts of Longford.


==== Ribbon Weaving ====

There were lots of little cottages in Longford which housed Ribbon Weavers, for example the three storey cottages at the top of Hurst Road. People lived on the ground floor and first floor then the top floor of each cottage was joined to make a top shop, to get to the top the workers had to climb ladders as there were no stairs The bookies on the corner of Hurst Road was the engine house which held a steam engine to drive the looms, it is thought that Gennies flower shop was the overseer's house. There was a girl's school in the loft of number I Hurst Road the rest of the cottages were weaving looms The owner of the house next door to Gennies (to be researched) set up the engine house and paid the overseer and took a percentage off the weavers as he contracted the work out. 

The croft where the Coach and Horses stands now was cottages. The three storey houses in (Canal Road) in Lady Lane were also weavers' cottages but were told to move out.

At one time ribbon weaving was from Bedworth Bridge, Bedworth Road to the end of Longford Road Silk weavers were based from Foleshill Road to Cash's Lane and the original cottages in Cash's Lane have been preserved. The silk weaving factory is now based in Torrington Avenue Coventry. 

==== Mining ====
 

Norman Stringer's uncle used to own Lole's Coal Yard (near to the Longford Medical Centre) which was sold to Mr Bray. Norman's granddad used to take the coal as far as the Queens Hotel in Meriden which was transported by horsepower.
When he sold the coal he decided to sleep in the back of the wagon because carthorses automatically knew their way home! One day Sergeant Drakewood woke him up and asked if the horses could kindly walk in the gutter and not on the tram lines, also the local schoolboys used to hang on the back of the cart and [[lf:longford#old_longford|Mr Cook]] the Schoolmaster used to cane the boys if they were caught.
Granddad got really mad at this as one of the boys in question was his own Grandson and he made the boy hang on to the back of the cart so he would be seen by Mr Cook and wouldn't be caned.
Mr & Mrs Marlow's coal yard was also in Lady Lane next to the supermarket, all the coal was brilliant and burnt very well. Because there were a lot of collieries built from Exhall (Colliery Lane to Longford) the shafts would go down to 1/2 mile to get to the galleries below ground, some of the galleries were 900 ft long but not very high so sometimes the men would have to crawl through to get to the coal. There was a lot of subsidence especially in Hurst Road cottages. Two young labourers call Tap and Clem repaired the holes and cracks in the walls because the cottages were sinking a vast amount. A row of cottages in Union Place (by Oban Road) had to be pulled down due to subsidence 










===== People =====

==== The Hurst's ====

198 Longford Road was owned by Mr Hurst who was a vicious man in the 1860's and he also owned the Iron Works next to the Hurst Road Cottages now the Accountants.
The railings around Longford Church were made by his company. On the 29th May 1864 there was a girl called Sarah Dunn who worked as a maid in his home, she was 21 years old She was accused by him of stealing his Brandy, apparently she only had a few sips. When Mr Hurst found out about this he sent for the Police Inspector, the poor girl was so frightened of going to prison that she ran to her room in the servants quarters and slit her throat.
As the Police Inspector opened her door she fell on him and subsequently he was covered in her blood. The local people who were poor had a collection for Sarah and gave her a proper burial. This took place at St Lawrence's Church in Old Church Road. Her grave is very interesting reading as follows:-

//This stone is erected by public subscription in memory of Sarah Dunn, who was changed time for eternity on the 29th May 1864 aged 21 years
Shall not the judge of all the earth do right For it is written vengeance is mine 1 will repay sayeth the Lord.
Keep back thy servant also from presumption sins.// 


The Police Inspector was furious with Mr Hurst and he stated it was so unnecessary and cruel for him to do to a vulnerable person.
Mr Hurst lived in the house for approximately 40 years.
Another person to own the house was a Solicitor called Dr Masser, this gentleman was run over and killed outside the house by a horse and cart.
Dr Webster owned the house in the early 1900's, when he died his daughter lived there.
Mr & Mrs Stew have lived in this same house since the 1960's up to 2003, and have had a few ghostly experiences, for example they actually saw Dr Webster washing his hands in the kitchen.
The chandelier in the hallway used to shake (more research to he carried out on this).

==== The Stafford's ====

The Stafford's lived in the house by the hump back bridge which is now a home for Old People. At the back of the house were cottages which housed a cutter and sheds where fat from animals was rendered to make candles and soap, the land went back as far as Rowley's Green Lane. Soap was made to wash clothing as well as the body and was called best white but actually yellow in colour, this was sold in the shop measured as a yard long and cost 6d 

==== The Hanson's ====

The Hanson's lived a few doors away and used to be the Butchers and housed the first industrial creameries in 1702 There is a photo available.

==== The Woottons ====

The Wootton's lived in a massive house which took up most of Elmhurst and Pembury Road. They owned the I Hat Factory in Bedworth and have a road named after them. They had the most fantastic greenhouse which was so ornate in style that Mr Wootton grew orchids 








===== Places of interest =====
                                                                          
The Old Post Office in Longford Road is now a listed building (more research to be carried out), left to the post office doorway was a sweet shop run by a little old lady who left a fortune when she died. 

There was a large house in Vinecote Road (to be researched) but only one entrance which came to a dead end leading to Vine Cottage which was a farm.

Horseshoe Road used to have horse sales in the road.

The Old Goal was built approximately in 1880 but could have been built earlier because the drain pipes were found renovated on documents as far back as 1750.
 
The Whitehouse in Longford Square was originally one big house but was made into two houses in the early 1900's (to be researched further). 

Signal Road was Station Road and the house on the corner in 1960's was called "The Wine from the Woods", where you took a bottle and they filled it from the barrel. The cottages still exist to present time. The Station Master Mr Haywood lived in a house that was pebble-dashed outside, the station closed after the War due to subsidence. 

At the bottom of Signal Road the detached cottage belonged to Booths the Bakers, there is a plaque at the front of the house to state that the occupants had paid for the certificate in case the business set on fire, the fire brigade would look for the badge. 

Gertrude Cottage, there was a brick yard in Oban Road Union Place was the clay house where the bricks were made, the brick works were run by Philip Cook the Manager. Some of the local lads took a clay brick to school in a shoe box which looked like the Lock Ness Monster but in fact was a mis-shaped cavity in the clay. The boys in the class brcame very excited and formed a queue from the school to the brick works like a Caterpillar expecting to see a 1Oft monster but were disappointed as there was no such thing.

Corner of Union Place was either a shoe makers/repair. Mrs McKnight had a shop in Oban Road.

Woodshires Green was known as Witches Green perhaps they were put to the stake here along with Healers and Mediums (more research on this).

Grindle Road Cottages housed Watch Makers. 

Longford Cement works are now the apartments now called Waterside. 

There is a plaque in Wilson's Lane which denotes the boundary, one side is Nuneaton Bedworth the other side is Coventry. 


Chasewood Lodge used to belong to the McDonald's hence the name of the road

Foxford School was 99 years old and was demolished and replaced by Grange Hurst Primary School, this again has been demolished and a new housing estate has been built in its place. 

Union Baptist Church, there was a gentleman called Mr Whetstone and as people used to go to the Union Baptist Church, he threatened to cut his throat which he never did. This became the topic of conversation and people used to ask if he'd done it yet!!
 
Windmill Library was closed down in 1931 (later bombed in the war) and transferred to St Thomas's meeting rooms in Hurst Road, the Library was later transferred to Bell Green. The Old Library in Windmill Road is now the Kaleidoscope Nursery.

Tram lines ran throughout Longford and most other places in Coventry until after the war. 

A German company built the Gasometer at the gasworks in Foleshill which is now the site of the Football Stadium Arena. There was a film show shown at Windmill Road Cinema in the 1920's of the aerial view of Longford, in the WW2, it was rumoured that this film was used to plan the Coventry Blitz.

 









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