Slack's Lane, Hanley, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent

[england100]

Hi, could anyone help me out please by possibly telling me where about's this Lane was. It was there in the 1850's , a medicinal baths was built there, a pub, and housing. I don't seem to be able to locate it all.  Thanks for any help you can give.

[Zen rabbit]

Have looked but can't find it what was the name of the pub?

[england100]

Thanks for looking,  Slacks lane is mentioned on www.British History   - about the baths.  One of the trade dirctories mentions the Queens Head public house run by william Gill in 1830 Slacks Lane.  My GG aunt died in a house in Slacks Lane in 1850.  Sometimes it is referd to as being in Shelton, others in Hanley, but I pesume its the same Lane.  Thanks.

[Zen rabbit]

Ok we have some interesting possibilities here.
Essentially I have found two Queen's Heads one in Queen's St Shelton/Hanley (mentioned in the 1818 directory and "Copyhold potworks and housing in the Staffordshire potteries 1700 - 1832"
The other is on the other side of Hanley in Bryan St (not in Shelton which is close up to Hanley on its Southwest side) on the 1877 map run by a Richard Jones and running close to Slack field (now the multi-story carpark)

[Tittensor ONS]

You could look at the street on the 1851 census (although after her death).  It might name the pub?

Regards,

Paul

Tittensor One-Nane Study homepage: www.tittensor.com

[england100]

Zen Rabbit, Thanks very much, The one near Bryan street seems the most likely, my aunt died in Slack lane and it was shelton on the death certificate, but after her death her husband is living and dies in Bryan street - again regestered as shelton on the death certificate.  Why Shelton I don't know
but Hanley sounds most probable as most of the rest of the family lived in hanley.  I presume the Lane has long gone now and under the potteries development somewhere . I'll track down an 1877 map, Thanks for all your help.

[Tittensor ONS]

Hello again, re the discussion about Shelton/Hanley:

In his excellent book ""Copyhold Potworks and Housing in the Staffordshire Poteries 1700-1832", Peter Roden writes: "In the area of modern Hanley, boundaries are difficult to identify ... the township boundary between Shelton and Hanley ran right through the centre of modern Hanley. ... Even in 1843, Ward [in his history of the Borough of Stoke on Trent] comments that Hanley and Shelton "are not marked by any perceptible limits, and the dense seat of their united population is upon and about the ancient and now invisible line of demarcation" ...".  Properties in manor court are often described as "in Shelton and Hanley or one of them".  In the course of my research I have come across many examples of streets etc attributed differently at different times.

There are several other maps you could also try:
- Hargreaves 1832 map (Stafford Record Office D593/H/3/447) shows the detail of individual buildings
- Godfrey's reprint of the 1894 OS map (#12.13).

Looking in Roden (p.234) and comparing with a modern street map, Slacks Lane appears to be where the Bryan Street and Lower Bryan Street are today.  I remember seeing a list of street name changes somewhere - maybe in Stoke City Archives?

For information, my ancestor John Tittensor appears in the 1818 Parsons and Bradshaw Directory in Slack's Lane.  He was a traveller for the New Hall pottery.  Further details of the Tittensor potters on my web site (link below).

Regards,

Paul

Tittensor One-Name Study web site: www.tittensor.com

[Zen rabbit]

It is an excellent book for early records. Interesting about Shelton & Hanley and their nebulous border

[england100]

Thanks so much again, that's very interesting about the border between Hanley/Shelton . I'll have a look out for the book sounds as though it could be very useful.