Recieved 4/2/2005
Re: Cross Keys, Hedensford, Staffordshire
Hello from New Zealand, Bryan,
Just accessed your website re Inns. It may interest you to know that my gggrandfather was the WILKINS that was the publican in 1851. The license was passed on to my ggrandfather, William Henry WILKINS, when I'm not quite sure. He died while resident there, aged 30yrs, 1870. I think the "lease?' passed on to his wife, Mary Ann..John retired to Gloucestershire where he established a wine reselling business.
I am very interested in any old photos or other information that may be available about the Cross Keys Inn, its character today, and when John took over from Sarah Chafey. There was a fair parcel of land that John and Wm. Henry 'farmed'?, 222 acres to be precise according to the 1861 census. So my ancestors were in residence for a long time. I think my grandfather may have been born there.
Any details you can help me with would be greatly appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Ron Wilkins.
Can you help? If you can EMail Ron on and/or me (Bryan). Thanks