Chimney Sweeps’ climbing boys in Staffordshire
Community

Chimney Sweeps’ climbing boys in Staffordshire

When

Thursday, 17 September 2026, 20:00 – 21:00

Erasmus Darwin House

10 Beacon Street, Lichfield, WS13 7AD

Time

20:00 – 21:00

Price guide

Not listed — worth a quick ask

Get the full details

A talk by Steve Booth This talk looks at the nationwide problems caused by the use of climbing children to sweep chimneys and how well-intentioned individuals in Staffordshire worked hard to eliminate their use, ably led by Francis Wedgwood – grandson of the great Josiah and the family connection to the Darwin’s.

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This event was originally posted by Erasmus Darwin House. Visit their site for the latest details.

Event details on Near Here are aggregated from third-party sources and may change. Always verify times, location, availability, and any price directly with the organiser before travelling. See Terms.

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Lunar Lecture - ‘Anna Seward and the invention of pollution in the eighteenth-century West Midlands’
Talks & Lectures

Lunar Lecture - ‘Anna Seward and the invention of pollution in the eighteenth-century West Midlands’

The poet, Anna Seward (1742-1809), lived in Lichfield, had a close friendship with Erasmus Darwin, and knew other members of the Lunar Society. She travelled widely across the West Midlands, and one result was the poem, ‘Colebrookdale’, written in fact in two versions, which provides an insight into environmental and atmospheric pollution at a time when industrial activity was generally perceived by Seward’s acquaintances as something which brought benefits to all. Seward’s poetry though focused on the industrial town of Coalbrookdale in the Severn Valley, ranges across the urban geography of the West Midlands and uses the word pollution in the environmental sense that we apply it today. Her vision provides an early expression of anti-industrial sentiment, which became widespread later in the nineteenth century in the writings of John Ruskin and others. This talk analyses Sewards observations and places them in the context of her time. Dr Malcolm Dick OBE, FRHistS is a trustee of Erasmus Darwin House and Honorary Associate Professor in History at the University of Birmingham. He was formerly Director of the Centre for West Midlands History at the University and has written about the individual Lunar Men and the history of Birmingham and the Black Country. He has contributed to two websites on West Midlands history: Revolutionary Players https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/ and History West Midlands https://historywm.com/

Tue 30 Jun20:00Erasmus Darwin House
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The Friends of Erasmus Darwin House invite you to a guided tour of the garden and the new art work on show
Community
Around £10,

The Friends of Erasmus Darwin House invite you to a guided tour of the garden and the new art work on show

The Friends of Erasmus Darwin House Invite you to a guided tour of the garden and the new art work on show. The event will be held in the award winning herb garden and will include refreshments. Cost – we would suggest a donation of £10, but any donation is welcome_ The tour will include a focus on the medicinal properties of the plants in this physic garden and the new artwork in the House which reflects the plants in the garden. You will see Dr Darwin’s Medicine Chest which is recognized by Plant Heritage, a national organization. In addition are the separate Mrs Darwin’s Culinary Garden, The Dyer’s Garden, The Apothecary’s Garden and the Scented Garden at the back of the House. In the front of the House is a developing traditional border. To book a place please use the link below application to attend herb garden event

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Event details on Near Here are aggregated from third-party sources and may change. Always verify times, location, availability, and any price directly with the organiser before travelling. See Terms.