Our role in the region » Jill Kashi's local history blog

Making Connections

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:50:00 GMT

Last year, on a visit to the Modern Records Centre, I found photographs related to the brothers David and Reg Clayton, who had lived and worked at Tocil House Farm until 1967, when it became the property of the University of ��TV. I later found their oral testimony, recorded by the university in 2015, as part of the celebration of its 50 years of existence.

“…It is not to be…” The letters from William Hewitt to Louisa Mills, 1875

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 14:45:00 GMT

Amongst the substantial collection of documents held by the Modern Records Centre is material of interest to local and family historians. On a recent visit, I discovered a small bundle of letters, written in 1875 by William Hewitt, a 20 year-old student teacher at Saltley College, Birmingham.

Tocil House Farm

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:40:00 GMT

The Modern Records Centre contains a wide variety of resources of value to local and family historians, with helpful staff on hand if guidance is needed. My most recent visit there has been the starting point of a journey of discovery, learning more about what lay beneath the Tocil Residences.

Exploring the history of the local area

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 13:55:00 GMT

In 1927, Cecil Neale, former Headmaster of Westwood School, wrote "a few reflections" for The Coventry Herald. He clearly felt the area was at a turning point; the land had been sold by Lord Leigh to the Coventry Corporation and was about to become integrated into the city. "Westwood is in the melting pot," he wrote, "changing visibly almost each month."