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Stoke-on-Trent has never been short of stories. Beyond the bottle kilns, famous pottery names and the federation of the six towns lie generations of unusual characters, curious customs and forgotten incidents that rarely appear in a standard history lesson.
Secret Stoke-on-Trent by North Staffordshire historian Mervyn Edwards explores that less familiar side of the Potteries. Instead of offering another broad chronological account, the book brings together small but memorable pieces of local history—the sort of details that can change the way you look at a familiar street, churchyard or town centre.
Secret Stoke-on-Trent: book details
- Author: Mervyn Edwards
- Publisher: Amberley Publishing
- Publication date: 15 March 2016
- Format: Paperback
- Length: 96 pages
- Illustrations: 100
- ISBN-13: 978-1-4456-5359-4
These details have been checked against the publisher’s listing. Prices, stock and available formats can change, so confirm the latest information with the retailer before ordering.
What is the book about?
According to Amberley Publishing, Secret Stoke-on-Trent draws on stories and images connected with the city’s past. Its focus is not confined to famous manufacturers or major civic dates. It looks at folklore, social customs, local entertainment, remarkable residents and incidents that might otherwise survive only in archives or family conversations.
The publisher introduces the book through a series of intriguing questions. Why did young girls in Longton once rush to touch iron railings when they saw the local rector? What happened during a body-snatching episode at St John’s churchyard in Burslem? Why did people in Hanley fear that the world might end in 1835?
Those examples reveal the book’s approach. It is less concerned with delivering one continuous account than with opening lots of smaller windows onto Potteries life. The familiar industrial story remains part of the background, but ordinary beliefs, behaviour and personalities move to the foreground.
Why the smaller stories matter
Local history can easily become dominated by prominent names, important factories and official buildings. Stoke-on-Trent certainly has plenty of those: Wedgwood, Spode, Minton, the growth of the ceramics industry and the 1910 federation all deserve their place. However, they cannot tell the whole story of the people who lived here.
A superstition repeated in one street, a night of public panic or a scandal remembered around a churchyard may appear minor beside industrial history. Yet these details show what people feared, enjoyed, believed and talked about. They make the past human.
They also help explain why the city’s six towns retain separate identities. Burslem, Hanley, Longton, Stoke, Tunstall and Fenton did not begin as interchangeable districts. Each developed its own institutions, industries, characters and collective memory before they became one county borough in 1910. Read our guide to the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent for the wider background.
Who is Mervyn Edwards?
Mervyn Edwards is a North Staffordshire local historian whose work covers Stoke-on-Trent, the surrounding towns and the industries and communities that shaped the area. His bibliography includes books on Potteries pubs, coal mining, individual towns and the changing local landscape.
That breadth is relevant to a collection like Secret Stoke-on-Trent. A book of disconnected curiosities could easily feel random, but an author familiar with the wider geography and history can place unusual episodes within their proper local setting.
Edwards has said that the book drew upon local ephemera gathered across many years. Ephemera can include material created for short-term use—programmes, advertisements, leaflets, tickets, notices and similar documents. Individually, such objects may look disposable. Collected and interpreted, they can preserve evidence that formal records overlook.
What kind of reading experience should you expect?
At 96 pages and with 100 illustrations listed by the publisher, this is a compact local-history book rather than a large academic volume. Its subject-led structure should suit readers who prefer to explore a few pages at a time. Photographs and other visual material are especially valuable in local history because they connect a story to recognisable buildings, streets and faces.
The format may appeal to:
- Stoke-on-Trent residents who think they already know the city well;
- former residents who enjoy reconnecting with the Potteries;
- family-history researchers seeking social context for local ancestors;
- younger readers discovering the character of the six towns;
- visitors who want more than a conventional attraction guide;
- anyone looking for a locally themed present.
It is worth setting expectations correctly: this is a collection of lesser-known stories, not a definitive history of every town, pottery manufacturer or period. Readers seeking a complete chronological account will need other sources as well. Its strength is the unusual material and the invitation to investigate further.
A useful starting point for exploring the city
One of the pleasures of local-history books is matching the printed story to the present-day place. A reference to Burslem can lead to a closer look at its churches, civic buildings and old town centre. A Longton story might prompt a visit to Gladstone Pottery Museum or a walk through streets once surrounded by ovens and factories. Hanley’s episodes sit within a centre that has changed repeatedly but still contains important cultural landmarks.
Some sites may have disappeared, changed use or become inaccessible, so the book should not be treated as a current walking guide. Nevertheless, it can provide ideas for responsible exploration. View buildings from public places, respect private property and check current visitor information before making a journey.
For more context, see our guides to Burslem, Longton and Hanley.
Preserving Potteries voices and memories
Published history is only one part of the local record. Family photographs, workplace memories, shop receipts, club programmes and stories passed down by relatives can all contain information that exists nowhere else. Once names, dates and locations are forgotten, even a valuable photograph may become difficult to interpret.
If you have old local material, add basic information while it is still known. Record who appears in a photograph, approximately when it was taken and where the scene is located. Keep original items safely stored and consider making digital copies. Local archives, museums and history groups may be able to advise when a collection has wider significance.
This is where a book such as Secret Stoke-on-Trent has value beyond entertainment. It demonstrates how apparently small fragments can contribute to a richer picture of the city.
Where to find Secret Stoke-on-Trent
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View Secret Stoke-on-Trent by Mervyn Edwards on Amazon.co.uk
The ISBN is 9781445653594, which can help when comparing editions or searching library and bookseller catalogues. New and second-hand availability may vary. Readers who prefer to borrow rather than buy can also check their local library catalogue.
Our verdict
Based on the publisher’s description and specifications, Secret Stoke-on-Trent is best viewed as an illustrated doorway into the city’s overlooked history. The short, varied subjects should make it accessible, while the local focus gives it particular relevance to Potteries families and former residents.
This article is an editorial overview, not a paid review, and Stoke-on-Trent Duck has not claimed to have independently verified every historical story within the book. The recommendation rests on the book’s documented contents, the author’s local-history background and its value as a prompt for further reading.
What local story would you preserve?
Stoke-on-Trent’s history is full of memories that never reached an official archive. If your family has a photograph, workplace memory or Potteries story that deserves to be recorded, contact Stoke-on-Trent Duck and tell us about it. The city’s history belongs not only in major institutions, but in the experiences of the people who made their lives here.
