Thomas Bolland Langley, silk throwster, lived in Badsey probably for only about a year, but he left behind him a string of problems which helped to sound the death knell of Badsey Silk Mill. His career as a silk throwster lasted only for the length of time that he lived in Badsey. Before that, he was a man of the cloth. So just who was the real Thomas Bolland Langley?
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VILLAGERS DUG THEMSELVES OUT – Hold-up in delivery of Food Supplies
Brian Smith of Aldington has, for many years, collected items relating to old Evesham breweries. Here he describes ones connected with Sladden & Collier Brewery. In 1878, Julius Sladden took over the brewery belonging to Allard & Son in Evesham, and called it Sladden & Co.
Some time around 1820, Wingfield Gee, a silk throwster, moved from his native Cheshire to Worcestershire. He and his sons were associated with the silk mill at Badsey from around 1830 to the late 1840s.
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Wingfield Gee was born at Astbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, in 1788, the fourth of five children of Jesse Gee and his wife, Frances (née Harding). He was baptised on 7th September 1788.
In 1818, John Thorp, a silk manufacturer from Coventry, bought the old corn mill in Badsey and converted it into a silk mill. It remained in the Thorp family ownership for nearly half a century.
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BADSEY BALL IN BEHALF OF THE PATRIOTIC FUND came off on Friday night last in the Silk Mill, a room of which was fitted up and decorated for the occasion. The good things were furnished by Messrs Stratton and Knight, and gave general satisfaction. Upwards of 100 persons attended, and dancing was kept up till an early hour. The music was gratuitously afforded by the Evesham band.
After a recent “Reading Old Documents” workshop, Kerry Moreton took on the challenge of transcribing a 17th-century will which we had downloaded from the National Archives. This was for a yeoman of Badsey by the name of William Forrest. The Badsey parish records have very few incidences of the name Forrest or Forest, so it was not a common name in the village.
For four weeks from 18th September 1863, The Coventry Herald ran the following notice:
BADSEY, WORCESTERSHIRE
Freehold Silk Mill, Messuages, Orchards and Gardens
COUNTY COURT – JOHN MELEN v THOMAS BOLLIN LANGLEY AND RALPH SHAW
