Stoke Local History Group

toke Local History Group was founded by John Marshall in the summer of 2018, following the local community's restoration of the Joseph Levi Clock at Stoke Green two years earlier, which had heightened awareness of local history.
The group meets regularly at Stoke Library during the winter and holds outdoor events in the summer. Group activities focus not just on Stoke but also on the wider local history of Coventry. A monthly newsletter or journal, now known as Jabet's Ash, was created in September 2020.

Monthly meetings and newsletters

The newsletters are far more than simple "what's on" publications but contain in-depth local history articles and much more besides.

The year of publication can be selected below - then click the month, which will open a PDF file in a new browser tab, or in your own PDF programme, depending on your computer's settings.

2023

Read newsletters:	Newsletter contents:	Meetings / outings: (10:30am at Stoke Library unless otherwise stated)
January	Godiva: The Lady and the Legend -- 'Here we come a-Wassailing' -- Remembering Terry Hall -- Ball Hill - the thriving centre of a new Edwardian suburb
February	Spotlight on a little-known genius: the life and work of Frederick Lanchester -- Lady Godiva: the woman and the legend -- Park Cottage, an extraordinary house in Stoke Park -- What's in a name? Jabet's Ash - the new title of this Newsletter	Fri 3rd Feb Group member Iris Weir presents 'Godiva: The Lady and the Legend'.
March	A tale of two gates (and a garden) -- Former Coronet and Humber Works gain 'local listing' status -- Charterhouse set to open -- Andrew Carnegie's celebrated visit to Coventry, June 1914	Fri 3rd Mar Paul Nolan, from the Lanchester Archives at Coventry University, invites you into the world of Frederick Lanchester.
April	Charterhouse opens as city's latest heritage attraction -- A gift from Carnegie: Dippy the Dinosaur -- From village ale house to suburban Rose and Crown -- Plaudits for 1960s railway station	Fri 14th Apr Francesca Marsland, Heritage Engagement Coordinator for Historic Coventry Trust, with a brief history of the city walls and how the Trust has transformed the surviving gates.
May	Next stop: group visit to Lanchester Archives -- Jabet's Ash to get a story board -- Fancy a day out? Try Birmingham's Back-to-Backs -- Life in Coventry's crowded courts	Thu 18th May Group visit to the newly reopened Charterhouse, starting at 2pm.
June	Lanchester visit June 28th (cancelled) -- Group visit to Coventry's unique Watch Museum in Spon Street (Sat. 29th July, 11am) -- Stoke group's visit to Charterhouse -- Chace Hotel becomes a listed building -- 'The Siege of Coventry' and other stories in Lady Herbert's Garden	Wed 28th Jun Visit to the Lanchester Archives. (CANCELLED)
July	Watch Museum visit, Saturday 29 July, beginning at 11am -- Old Grammar School building faces new challenge -- The Old Grammar School, formerly the Hospital of St John -- Remembering Gosford Park Pool and the era of open-air swimming	Sat 29th Jul A visit to Coventry's unique Watch Museum in Spon Street.
August	New Coventry Cross unveiled in city centre -- Heritage Open Days, September -- Stainless Stephen: a national comic entertainer -- The Coventry Cross: a 16th century gift from Sir William Hollis
September	Chris Arnot talks about 'Coronation Streets: England Then and Now' -- A year of experiment with history group activities -- Kingsfield Orchard Heritage Open Days
October	Origins of Stoke Park and the impact of World War One -- Early leavers - famous folk who started life in Coventry -- Our meeting in December will take place on TUESDAY DECEMBER 5th	Fri 6th Oct Former features editor on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, Chris Arnot, talks about 'Coronation Streets: England Then and Now'.
November	Hidden Histories: Coventry's Jewish Watchmakers -- Ellen Terry's memorial chalice at the actors' church, Covent Garden -- How the sinking of the Lusitania brought grief to Stoke Park	Fri 3rd Nov David Fry and John Marshall on the origins of Stoke Park estate and the experience of some of its residents during the Great War.
December	Pattison School expands as neighbouring houses are acquired -- Old photographs of Stoke -- The sinking of the Lusitania -- More Stoke picture postcards	Tue 5th Dec Author Mark Johnson talks to us about Coventry's Jewish Watchmakers. (Note the TUESDAY date!)

Read newsletters:

Newsletter contents:

Meetings / outings:

(10:30am at Stoke Library unless otherwise stated)

January

Godiva: The Lady and the Legend -- 'Here we come a-Wassailing' -- Remembering Terry Hall -- Ball Hill - the thriving centre of a new Edwardian suburb

February

Spotlight on a little-known genius: the life and work of Frederick Lanchester -- Lady Godiva: the woman and the legend -- Park Cottage, an extraordinary house in Stoke Park -- What's in a name? Jabet's Ash - the new title of this Newsletter

Fri 3rd Feb Group member Iris Weir presents 'Godiva: The Lady and the Legend'.

March

A tale of two gates (and a garden) -- Former Coronet and Humber Works gain 'local listing' status -- Charterhouse set to open -- Andrew Carnegie's celebrated visit to Coventry, June 1914

Fri 3rd Mar Paul Nolan, from the Lanchester Archives at Coventry University, invites you into the world of Frederick Lanchester.

April

Charterhouse opens as city's latest heritage attraction -- A gift from Carnegie: Dippy the Dinosaur -- From village ale house to suburban Rose and Crown -- Plaudits for 1960s railway station

Fri 14th Apr Francesca Marsland, Heritage Engagement Coordinator for Historic Coventry Trust, with a brief history of the city walls and how the Trust has transformed the surviving gates.

May

Next stop: group visit to Lanchester Archives -- Jabet's Ash to get a story board -- Fancy a day out? Try Birmingham's Back-to-Backs -- Life in Coventry's crowded courts

Thu 18th May Group visit to the newly reopened Charterhouse, starting at 2pm.

June

Lanchester visit June 28th (cancelled) -- Group visit to Coventry's unique Watch Museum in Spon Street (Sat. 29th July, 11am) -- Stoke group's visit to Charterhouse -- Chace Hotel becomes a listed building -- 'The Siege of Coventry' and other stories in Lady Herbert's Garden

Wed 28th Jun Visit to the Lanchester Archives. (CANCELLED)

July

Watch Museum visit, Saturday 29 July, beginning at 11am -- Old Grammar School building faces new challenge -- The Old Grammar School, formerly the Hospital of St John -- Remembering Gosford Park Pool and the era of open-air swimming

Sat 29th Jul A visit to Coventry's unique Watch Museum in Spon Street.

August

New Coventry Cross unveiled in city centre -- Heritage Open Days, September -- Stainless Stephen: a national comic entertainer -- The Coventry Cross: a 16th century gift from Sir William Hollis

September

Chris Arnot talks about 'Coronation Streets: England Then and Now' -- A year of experiment with history group activities -- Kingsfield Orchard Heritage Open Days

October

Origins of Stoke Park and the impact of World War One -- Early leavers - famous folk who started life in Coventry -- Our meeting in December will take place on TUESDAY DECEMBER 5th

Fri 6th Oct Former features editor on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, Chris Arnot, talks about 'Coronation Streets: England Then and Now'.

November

Hidden Histories: Coventry's Jewish Watchmakers -- Ellen Terry's memorial chalice at the actors' church, Covent Garden -- How the sinking of the Lusitania brought grief to Stoke Park

Fri 3rd Nov David Fry and John Marshall on the origins of Stoke Park estate and the experience of some of its residents during the Great War.

December

Pattison School expands as neighbouring houses are acquired -- Old photographs of Stoke -- The sinking of the Lusitania -- More Stoke picture postcards

Tue 5th Dec Author Mark Johnson talks to us about Coventry's Jewish Watchmakers. (Note the TUESDAY date!)