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This probably isn't the correct section for me to put this in but here goes: recently met up with a distant relative found by using this site and we got talking about where we both came from - Smethwick. Her family lived in Bearwood Road and next door lived "The Miss Hadley's" two spinster sisters, we know one of these sisters gave the land which became Hadley Playing Fields and is now Hadley Stadium. Can anyone help us out with the first names of these sister, DOB or death? We believe that the family originally came from near Wellington Shropshire and the name Hadley Court has cropped up. Help I'd like to sleep tonight!!
Thanks
Karen (Geralds wife)

Any idea of approximate birth years for these ladies?
Thanks

Hadley Playing Fields at the south end of Waterloo Road were opened in 1962; much of the site had long been used for recreation. The land was left to the corporation by Sarah Hadley (d. 1936) of the adjoining Bell House, which stood on the corner of Waterloo Road and Bearwood Road and was demolished in 1959 to allow for road widening and the laying-out of the playing fields.

?
Deaths Mar 1936
Hadley Sarah 86 Smethwick 6b 994

HADLEY, Mary Head Widow F 81 1830 Private Means Do Not know VIEW
HADLEY, Sarah Daughter Single F 52 1859 Private Means Smethwick Staffordshire VIEW
HADLEY, Mary Daughter Single F 45 1866 Smethwick Staffordshire VIEW
RG number:
RG14 Piece:
17949 Reference:
RG14PN17949 RG78PN1094 RD383 SD4 ED7 SN128

Registration District:
Kings Norton Sub District:
Smethwick Enumeration District:
7 Parish:
Smethwick

Address:
271 Bearwood Road Smethwick

Thanks very much folks, Lindsey which census year is this info from please? Karen

That looks good, but does not agree with the death I found.
A slip-up on paper somewhere?

1911 census - add the age to the birth year.

Probate for the Sarah Hadley patchem has found

Hadley Sarah of the Bell House 271 Bearwood Road Smethwick Staffordshire spinster died 15 February 1936 Probate Birmingham 19 May to Hugh Barham Carslake Solicitor and William Henry Thurman of Henshaw's Institution for the Blind. Effects £28755 0s 3d

Thanks patchem, yes I'm sure they are the family I am after, yes could just be an error with the death.
Getting a bit weary now and the brain didn't want to do any maths!!! Thanks
Karen

Londonbelle - thanks very much for that, looks like she could have left her money to a very worthy institute, not a bad old stick at all then, seems she liked to help other people.
Thanks
Karen

Mary's death & probate
Hadley, Mary of the Bell House, Bearwood Rd Smethwick spinster died 8 May 1916 Probate Lichfield Staffordshire 14 July to Sarah Hadley and Hugh Barham Carslake solicitors. Effects £18460 0s 9d

?
Deaths Jun 1916
Hadley Mary 56 Kings N. 6d 134

Gives birth 1860, not 1866...

Did they intentionally deceive?

Thanks again Londonbelle, wouldn't it be nice to know how they came to be so wealthy, maybe their father was a rich man, or they were very astute business ladies!
Once you get into something you just can't stop digging can you?
Thanks again
Karen

Mary their mother's probate

Hadley, Mary of the Bell House, Bearwood Rd Smethwick widow died 29 January 1912 Probate Lichfield Staffordshire 29 March to Sarah Hadley and Mary Hadley spinsters. Effects £19401 18s 6d. Resworn £20387 18s 6d

?
Deaths Mar 1912
Hadley Mary 87 King's N. 6c 624

I am finding their ages rather confusing, but this looks like 1881
Mary Hadley
Age: 46 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Head Gender: Female
Civil parish: Harborne County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England Street Address: High Park Rd Pth
Condition as to marriage: Windower (Widower)
Occupation: Land Proprietor
Registration district: Kings Norton Sub-registration district: Harborne
ED, institution, or vessel: 15 Piece: 2961 Folio: 44 Page Number: 25

Mary Hadley 46
Sarah Hadley 24
Mary Hadley 21

Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 2961; Folio: 44; Page: 25; GSU roll: 1341708.

??
1861 England Census about Joseph Hadley
Name: Joseph Hadley
Age: 40 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Relation: Head Spouse's Name: Mary Hadley
Gender: Male
Where born: Smethwick, Staffordshire, England
Civil parish: Harborne Ecclesiastical parish: St Matthew
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Occupation: Farmer
Registration district: Kings Norton Sub-registration district: Harborne
ED, institution, or vessel: 6 Household schedule number: 84
Piece: 2125 Folio: 128 Page Number: 20

Joseph Hadley 40
Mary Hadley 36
Sarah Hadley 11 this might be 7 or 4 or 11
Mary Hadley 1
Joseph Beresford 15

Source Citation: Class: RG 9; Piece: 2125; Folio: 128; Page: 20; GSU roll: 542921.


1871 England Census
Joseph Hadley Age: 50 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Relation: Head Spouse's Name: Mary Hadley
Gender: Male Where born: Harborne, Staffordshire, England
Civil parish: Harborne Ecclesiastical parish: St Matthew
Town: Smethwick County/Island: Worcestershire Country: England
Registration district: Kings Norton Sub-registration district: Harborne
ED, institution, or vessel: 9 Household schedule number: 59 Piece: 3086 Folio: 105 Page Number: 11

Joseph Hadley 50 Retired farmer
Mary Hadley 46
Sarah Hadley 21
Mary Hadley 11

Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3086; Folio: 105; Page: 11; GSU roll: 838895.

??
Deaths Sep 1871
Hadley Joseph 50 King's N. 6c 247

Gosh you two are working well, all this information found so quickly and such interesting stuff,so mother Mary was a Land Owner eh, looks like her husband died pretty young as she was a widow in 1881 aged 46.
Well my relative will be amazed that so much has come from our conversation about little old Smethwick, can't wait to pass it all on.
Thanks again.
Karen

This is the link to the Smethwick Heritage Centre

http://www.smethwick-heritage.co.uk/

We've been there. It's a really fascinating place even though quite small.