1871 city gift proves fruitful

When Mary Stokes gifted a prime piece of land in the Black Country to the church in 1871, she never expected her generosity would lead to a cash windfall for her descendants.

Now 136 years later, the former St Jude's Infant School in Newbridge, Wolverhampton, is set to be sold for a considerable sum and the profits split between her relatives who were stunned to find themselves land owners.

The revelations came after church leaders tried to pass the site on to Wolverhampton City Council following the relocation of the school.

But they were shocked to discover an ancient law, which ruled if the land was no long used for educational purposes it must be given back to the previous owner.

The council was forging ahead with plans to redevelop the Riches Street site into a learning and resource and community centre.

But the Diocese of Lichfield, which ran the Church of England school, will now be forced to hand the land over to lawyers where it will then be sold to the highest bidder and the profits split between Miss Stokes' descendants as required by the 1841 School Sites Act.

Church spokesman Gavin Drake confirmed today: "As a result of the law, because the school is no longer being used, it reverts to her descendants."

International genealogy and probate research firm Fraser and Fraser are handling the sale, and say they have found a "sizable" number of delighted descendants of Miss Stokes.

Spokesman Andrew Fraser said family members had been traced from all over the country.

This extract from the Wolverhampton Chronicle from January 1871 refers to a soon-to-be-built school building in the parish of St Jude's. And historical records show Miss Stokes also laid the foundation stone for St Jude's Church in 1867 after giving £2,000 for it to be built.

Council bosses agreed in 2002 to merge the two separate infant and junior schools of St Judes with a new multi-million pound school building opening on Paget Road last year.

Are you one of the lucky land owners? If so call reporters on 01902 319446.

By Helen Cartwright