For decades, the fields at Coulter Lane have been known simply as “The Fulfen”—a quiet, often muddy stretch of green that marks the edge of our town. But as the threat of a 250-home development looms, a team of local researchers and historians has uncovered a story so significant it reaches far beyond the borders of Staffordshire.

It is a story of a pioneer, a charitable promise, and a “Twin Legacy” that the current planning application completely ignores.

The Mystery of the Deeds: Who was Elizabeth Ball?

When we first looked at the original documentation for the “Old School House” on the corner of Coulter Lane, one name stood out: Elizabeth Ball. For a long time, there was a dilemma. We knew Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Barber (wife of the legendary Francis Barber) was a schoolmistress. But the dates didn’t quite line up with the founding of the school. Was there a mistake? Or was there something deeper?

The truth, we have discovered, is even more incredible. There weren’t just one, but two Elizabeth Balls, and their combined legacy created the very ground we are fighting to save.

The First Legacy: A Promise to the Poor (1770)

The story begins with Elizabeth Ball #1, a wealthy benefactor from Castle Bromwich. In 1770, she did something extraordinary. In her will, she left a massive endowment of £600 to build and maintain a school for the “poor children” of Burntwood, Fulfen, and Edial.

• The School House: £200 was used to build the very house that still stands on Coulter Lane today.
• The Endowment Land: The remaining money, and the ongoing funding for the school, came from the Fulfen Farm fields. For over a century, these fields weren’t just “empty land”—they were the “bank account” for Burntwood’s education. The rent from these fields paid for the books, the coal, and the salaries that gave local children a future. When Bloor Homes proposes to build on these fields, they are bulldozing the physical foundation of our town’s first charity.

The Second Legacy: The Global Pioneer (1797)

Twenty-five years later, the school found its most famous residents. Enter Elizabeth Ball #2—better known as Betsy Barber—and her husband, Francis Barber.

Francis Barber was no ordinary man. A freed slave and the chosen heir to the great Dr. Samuel Johnson, Francis is now recognised as the United Kingdom’s very first Black schoolmaster. By the late 1790s, Francis and Betsy moved to Burntwood to lead the school established by the first Elizabeth Ball. This wasn’t just a place they visited; it was their professional and domestic home. As Michael Bundock, the leading authority and author of The Fortunes of Francis Barber, recently confirmed to us:

“Francis Barber’s story forms an incredibly important part of British history… And the place that this important history was made is known to be Burntwood in Staffordshire, where he established a school in about 1797.”

The “Desktop Planning” Deception

While BAG has been uncovering national history, the developers have been busy with “Desktop Planning.” To justify building 250 homes and forcing a new bus route through our school gates, they’ve submitted reports that we believe are factually disingenuous:

• The “Ghost Town” Survey: They conducted their traffic survey at 1:15 PM. Any parent at Fulfen Primary knows that 1:15 PM is the quietest moment of the day. It ignores the 8:45 AM/ 3:45 PM “chaos” where the Rugeley Road junction turns into a single track, and it ignores the 55 MPH peak speeds we’ve recorded on the approach roads.
• The Visibility Trap: They’ve proposed a Zebra crossing hidden behind a “wall” of parked SUVs. On a road where frustration is high and distraction is constant, a “passive” crossing is a safety disaster waiting to happen.
• The Hydrology of the “Muddy Marsh”: The word “Fulfen” literally comes from the Old English for “Muddy Marsh.” You cannot engineer a wetland out of existence. Building a 13.6m plateau on a natural sponge will only push floodwater into the homes on Church Road.

Why Now? The April 2026 Turning Point

The Council’s own “Legal Timetable” (the LDS 2025) says they are publishing their New Local Plan THIS MONTH. That new plan moves away from unplanned sprawl and toward an infrastructure-led “New Settlement.” The developers are trying to “jump the gun.” They want to secure a “Yes” for Coulter Lane before the new, stricter rules come into force. This is procedurally premature and democratically unfair.

The Legal Line in the Sand

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, Lichfield District Council has a legal obligation to protect assets of significance to minority communities. By ignoring the Barber-Ball legacy—a cornerstone of Black British history—the Council is treading on dangerous legal ground.

We have handed the Council the facts. We have handed them the expert testimony. We have handed them the proof of the “Two Elizabeths.”

Conclusion: A 250-Year-Old Promise

Elizabeth Ball #1 gave this land to the children of Burntwood in 1770. Francis and Betsy Barber gave this land its global significance in 1797. Today, in 2026, it is our turn to protect it.

We aren’t just fighting for “green space.” We are fighting for the integrity of our history, the safety of our children, and the honesty of our planning system.

THE MISSION:

1. Share the Story: Most people don’t know the “Two Elizabeths” story. Let’s make sure they do.
2. Stand With Us: The Planning Committee meeting is coming. We need a sea of green to show them that Burntwood will not be silenced.

The Fulfen is not for sale. The history is not for rent. The battle continues. 🛡️✨