History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passions of former days

   Winston Churchill ¹

I must especially thank Jill Guest who operates an intricate network of contacts and connections that reaches from Colley Lane Library to the Antipodes, and who helped me to acquire access to several of the photographs reproduced in these pages. Ken Webb very kindly allowed me to print his excellent montage of photographs that appears on the back cover; and Ken Bendelow, a friendly Green Flag man identified such cars as have been named in the captions to photographs.

Others to who I owe thanks are: Diane Banks, Muriel Bennett, the late Edna Blackwell, Jim Blackwell, Ruth Blackwell, George and Beryl Boxley, May Cartwright, Maurice Cole, Peggy Grove, Margaret Harrison, Harry Hodgetts, Sir Peter Laurence, Beteram Millward, Jill Oakley, Ken Oakley, Frank and Jean Rolfe, Ann Shuker, Alan Slater, Tom Turner, Harold White, Bryn Williams and Doris Woodhouse.

The staff of the Local History Archive at Coseley were most helpful in allowing me access to old copies of the County Express. Finally I must acknowledge - again - the friendly help, over a long time, of the staff of the Reference Section of Stourbridge Library.

Hatherton Lodge - Historical Associations
Hatherton Lodge was for a time the home of Noah Hingley, the Netherton ironfounder, who died there in 1877. His wife Anne Linton Hingley had died there five years previously. One of Noah's sons, Sir Benjamin Hingley, Bart. continued to live at Hatherton Lodge; he was a bachelor, and was looked after by an unmarried sister.

Sir Benjamin remained in control of Noah Hingley and Sons, Netherton, until his death, and apart from his active and prolonged business career, he led an equally long and active public life. He was a magistrate; he was for two years Mayor of Dudley; he gave generously to both Cradley and Halesowen churches; and he maintained his father's interest in High Town Ragged School.

In 1885, still Mr. Benjamin Hingley, he was elected M.P. for North Worcestershire as a Gladstonian Liberal. In June 1886, after the dissolution of Parliament on the Irish Home Rule question, he was returned unopposed, and he was re-elected at the General Election of 1892. He did not stand at the 1895 election, illness having caused him to give up much of his public work.

In 1893, he had been made a baronet, in recognition of his public services, his position in the industrial world and his work in the prevention and settlement of trade disputes.

Sir Benjamin died at Hatherton Lodge on 13th May 1905, in his 75th year. Although in failing health, he had been actively engaged in business until two days before his death. He was buried in Halesowen church yard. The baronetcy passed to his nephew, George Benjamin Hingley, then living in Droitwich.

Footnote: Noah Hingley is believed to have been born in Cradley Heath, and Sir Benjamin to have been born in Cradley. In her book, A Time To Dance, No Time To Weep, Rumer Godden (who was Noah Hingley's great-grand-daughter) said that the Hingleys were of Huguenot origin.