A new street paying tribute to a 19-year-old who was shot to death by soldiers in the 1842 Pottery Riots has been given the wrong name in a blunder by a housing developer.
The road had been built as part of a new housing estate in Burslem, in Stoke-on-Trent, by property developer St Modwen Homes.
After permission for the 216-home development was given the North Staffordshire Trades Union Council (NSTUC) had suggested some of the roads were named after people who took part in a series of protest in the area in the 19th century.
It had been agreed one of the roads would be called Josiah Heapy Close, after a teenager who was killed by soldiers while taking part in the protests.
However, blundering workers have since installed a sign incorrectly calling it Joseph Heapy Close.
It comes 180 years after his death in what was known as the Pottery Riots – a series of protests that swept through the area as factory workers took issue with poor work conditions, pay cuts, extremely long hours and the right to vote.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has pledged to replace the sign after the error was raised by the NSTUC and people living on the street, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Stoke on Trent Live.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has pledged to fix a road sign which had been named in honour of Josiah Heapy, who died in the 1842 Pottery Riots. However, it his name was erroneously spelt as Joseph Heapy on the sign (pictured)
The error has even found its way onto Google, which lists it as being Joseph Heapy Close, instead of Josiah Heapy Close as was intended.
An NSTUC spokesman told the publication: ‘August 16 sees the 180th anniversary of the Chartist protest in Burslem, when troops fired on demonstrators, killing Josiah Heapy.
‘To commemorate these events, the North Staffordshire Trades Union Council proposed that some of the streets in the new housing development on the Royal Doulton site be named after key figures associated with the events of 1842.
‘One street has been named William Ellis Grove, after the Burslem Chartist leader William Ellis, who was transported to Australia following the demonstration.
‘Another street has been called Joseph Heapy Close, presumably after the young man who was shot dead by the soldiers. However his first name was Josiah.
‘The North Staffordshire Trades Union Council is urging the council to correct this error, and ensure that the road is given its correct name of Josiah Heapy Close.’
The 1842 Pottery Riots took place in Stoke-on-Trent (pictured), when workers in the city went on strike
Residents living on estate, which was built on site of a factory that used to make Royal Doulton ceramics, say have hit out after the blunder.
One person said whoever made the mistake ‘deserves a good kicking up the backside for it’.
‘It’s not an insult to me personally, but it is to his family and memory,’ they added.
Another said: ‘My son actually looked on Google, so we know now – it was a mistake.
‘They should accept that, they should apologise, they should change it or do something to compensate.’
A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesman said yesterday: ‘We contacted the developer this morning to get a new street name plate installed to show the correct spelling.’