STAFFORDSHIRE 



STAFFORDSHIRE. 



Mi 



nre-iroos, "*!*'"*, ami iron safe*. gir extensive employment The 

 church, cratod by the late Karl of Dudley, is a handsome gothic 

 tractor*. The ut window i* filled with stained glaaa represeutiug 

 the twrlro aputllr*. The \\>lejii Methodist* and Roman Catholics 

 ha chapels, and there are National aud Infant schools. SArllon, one 

 of the pottery town*, population of the township 14,706, U included in 

 that of Hanky town given before. Shelton church is an elegant 

 gothic structure, erected in 1834. The tower U 120 feet high. There 

 are ehapeU for I'riuiitire and Now Connexion llethodUU and Inde- 

 pendent* ; National, British, Methodwt Now Connexion, and Infant 

 schools ; a School of Design ; a subscription library ; and a newi-room. 

 The town-hall and market place are used jointly for Shelton and 

 Hanley. The china and earthenware manufacture, chemical works, 

 brewing, and the making of abort and clogs, give extensive employ- 

 ment The North Staffordshire Infirmary U aituated here. Simulant, 

 population 2043, about 4 mile* S. by W. from Lichfield, has many 

 well-built houses. Tlie church, which *tand> on the top of a hill, U 

 an ancient cruciform structure, with a square tower. The Wesleyan 

 MetbodUU hare a chapel Halting, boot- and shoe-making, and the 

 manufacture of steam-engines and agricultural implements, give 

 considerable employment A cattle fair is held about the end of 

 February. Sou!* r id; population of the chapelry 8379, about 4 miles 

 W. from Birmingham, has very extensive glass-, iron-, and steel-work*, 

 smelting furnaces, chemical works, rolling-mills, Ac.; wrought-iron 

 boil, m are manufactured. Messrs. Chance's glass-work*, and Messrs. 

 Fox, Henderson, and Ca's engineering and iron-founding factories, are 

 at Smethwick. There are also works for the manufacture of patent 

 iron tubing, and patent enamelled hollow ware. Nail-making is carried 

 on very extensively, the nailors chiefly working in their own houses. 

 There are a clnpei of ease, a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity, 

 and chapels for Week-van Methodists, Independents, and Baptists. 

 Near Smethwick there is over the New Birmingham and Dudley 

 Canal an iron bridge, 261 feet long by 25 feet broad, and 68 feet high 

 from its base, containing in all about 700 tons of iron, t'iciiiford 

 Ktyii, or Kimjtirinfurtl, population 27,301, including the popula- 

 tion of Bricrly Hill before noticed, about 9 miles S. by W. from 

 Wolverhampton, is in a rich mining district The former parish 

 church, which is in the village of Kingswinford, was made a chapel 

 of ran about 1830, when the new parish church was erected at 

 Wordsley; in 1848 it was constituted a separate parish church, and 

 had a district assigned to it There are National schools. Talk-v'-tli'- 

 Hill, population of the township 11*73, about 6 miles X. by W. from 

 Newcastlc-under-Lyuie, is seated on a lofty bill, which affords an 

 extensive prospect The church, which was rebuilt in 1794, was 

 enlarged about 1S30, and the tower again rebuilt. The Wesley an and 

 Primitive Methodists have places of worship. There are National and 

 Infant schools. In the neighbourhood ore coal-mines and flour-mills. 

 Amwerfom, population 046, about 4 miles W.N.W. from Stone, 

 possesses an ancient parish church, a Roman Catholic chapel, and 

 National schools. Tcttcnhalt, or Tattmhull, population 3396, about 



1 miles W.N.W. from Wolverhampton, contains many good houses, 

 occupied chiefly by manufacturers and tradesmen of Wolverbamptou. 

 Lock*, keys, and fire-irons are made here. Malting and brick-making 

 ra carried on. The church, which is now a royal free chapel, was 

 anciently collegiate. It was enlarged in 1825, and rc-pewed in 1841. 

 There are endowed National and Infant schools. Tijiton, or Tibbin-jluii, 

 population 24,872, is about 2 miles N. by E. from Dudley, in the 

 heart of the iron and coal district It has risen into importance with 

 the advance of these branches of the industry of Staffordshire. A 

 considerable amount of heavy iron good* is manufactured for export 

 Railway iron-work, and the making of steam-eugine boilers, employ 

 several extensive establishments. There are several churches of the 

 Establishment; chapels for Wesleyan, Primitive, and New Connexion 

 Methodists, Independents, Baptists, and Unitarians ; several National 

 school*, and schools supported by Wesleyan, Primitive, and New 

 Connexion Methodist*. Trentham, population of the township 680, 

 about 4 miles S.S.E. from Newcastle-nndcr-Lyme, bos a church, 

 rebuilt in 1S42 by the Duke of Sutherland. In the centre of the new 

 burial ground, is a pyramidal mausoleum erected by the late duke for 

 the family cemetery. Trentham Hall is a splendid mansion in the 

 Italian style, considerably enlarged and improved under the direction 

 of Sir Charles Barry, who has added a fine Belvedere tower 100 feet 

 high. The pleasure grounds in the park are extensive, and beautifully 

 hud out ; the river Trent, which runs through the grounds, contri- 

 buting greatly to the beauty of the tcenery. The park is stocked with 

 deer. There are school* supported by the Duke and Duchess ol 

 Sutherland. \\'e>ltu*iitM, population of the township 4858, about 



2 miles N.K. from Wolvcrbampton, has a church of modern date, 

 built of brick; two cba|>els for Wesleyan Methodists; a chapel for 

 Independents ; and National schools. There is here ft large manufac 

 ture of keys, locks, hinge*, trai, files, rasps, 4c. Extensive collieries 

 and iron-works are in operation. Whittington, population 809, about 



3 miles E. by S. from Lichfield, has a square church of brick, with a 

 stone tower, surmounted with a lofty spire. There is a Free school 

 Whittington Hall is a largo ancient mansion, near the church. On the 

 Heath, which is an uninclosed sheep-walk upwards of 300 acres in 

 extant, Lichfield races are held IViltcnhall, population of the township 

 11,981, about 3 milrs E. from Wolverbampton, has an ancient parish 



church ; two new district churches ; chapels for Wesleyan and I'rimi- 

 tive Methodists, and Baptists; National and British schools; and .1 

 school supported by Wcsleyau Methodist*. The iron manufacture in 

 various branches is pursued here to a considerable extent : locks oud 

 padlocks of every variety are made ; numerous iron-foundries are in 

 operation. There are Tarnish-works and malt-kilns. Willenhall is 

 lighted with gas. YoxaU, or Yoj-haU, population 1496, about 7 milc.s 

 N.N.E. from Lichfield, on the right bank of the river Swerboru, an 

 affluent of the Trent, has an ancient gothic church ; a Roman Catholic 

 chapel ; and National and Free schools. Cotton-spinning, brick-making, 

 and malting are carried on. 



Diritiont jar Ecclaiattical, Legal, and Parliamentary Purpota. 

 The county of Stafford ia in the diocese of Lichfield, and constitutes 

 the archdeaconry of Stafford. Staffordshire is in the Oxford circuit : 

 the assizes and quarter sessions are held at Stafford, where is the county 

 jail County courts are held at Cheodle, Hanley, Leek, Lichfield, New- 

 castle, Hugoley, Stafford, Stone, Uttoxeter, Walsall, and Wolverhainp- 

 ton. The county lunatic asylum is at Stafford. The number of repra 

 seutatives returned to parliament by the county and places within it 

 was before the Reform Act 10, namely, two knights of the shire, and 

 two members each for the city of Lichfield and the boroughs of New- 

 castle-under-Lyino, Stafford, and Tamworth. By the Reform Act the 

 county was formed into two division*, and two members allot' 

 each. Wolverhampton, Stoke-upon-Tren, and Walsall were made 

 parliamentary boroughs ; the first and second to return two ui. 

 each, Walsall to return one member. The whole number of repre- 

 sentatives sent from the district was thus increased from 10 to 17. 

 By the Poor-Law Commissioners the county is divided into 17 unions 

 Alstonfield, Burtou-on-Treut, Chcadle, Leek, Lichfield, Newcastle- 

 under- Lyme, Peukridge, Seisdon, Stafford, Stoke-upon-Trent, Stone, 

 Tamworth, Uttoxeter, Walsall, West Bromwich, Wolstanton and 

 Burslem, and Wolverhampton. These unions include 259 parislus 

 and townships, and comprise an area of 743,278 acres, with a popu- 

 lation in 1851 of 566,284. 



Jfiitory, Antiquitict, etc. In the earliest period of authentic history 

 Staffordshire appears to have formed part of the territories of thd 

 Cornavii, or Carnabii. Under the Romans it was comprehended in 

 the province of Flavia Cicsariensia. The ancient roads, Watling-strcct, 

 Ryknield-street, and the Via Devana (Deva or Chester road) crossed 

 this county. Watling-street entered it at Fazeley, near Tamworth, and 

 ran west-north-west, a little to the south of Cannock and Penkridge 

 into Shropshire. The turnpike-rood from London to Shrewsbury falls 

 in with Watling-sti-eet on Cannock Chase, and coincides with it through 

 the remainder of its course in this county. The Roman towns of 

 Etocetum aud 1'euuocrucium wore on this line of Watliug-street : the 

 first was at Wall, 2 miles S.S.W. from Lichfield ; the second near 

 Penkridge village. Ryknield-street entered the county across the 

 Dove near Burton, and ran south-west by Burton and Alrowas to 

 Etocetum, or .Wall, whore it crossed Watling-street, aud turning 

 more towards the south, ran by Sutton Park and Perry-barr Common 

 into Warwickshire aud Worcestershire. The Ad Trivonain (On-Trcut) 

 of Richard of Cirencester, may be fixed between Branston andBurton- 

 upon-Trent. The Via Dovana entered the county across the Trent 

 near Ad Trivouam, and appears to have passed by Uttoxeter, and 

 through the Pottery district into Cheshire. Chesterton, 2 miles N.W. 

 from Newcastle, was probably a Roman station. There are traces of 

 camps or other military works supposed to be Roman at Ashwood, 

 near Kingswinford ; at Oldbury, between Birmingham aud Dudley ; at 

 Aldridge, between Sutton Coldfield and Walsall ; and in Arloy Wood, 

 near Over Arley on the Severn. Roman antiquities have been dis- 

 covered in various places. 



There are some ancient camps, of which it is doubtful whether 

 they belong to the British, Saxon, or Danish period. One of these, 

 called Castle Old-Ford, or Old-Fort, near Stonall, about 4 miles 

 8. from Lichfield, is very conspicuous. There are others in Beau- 

 desert Park, near Rugeley; on Abbots Castle Hill, on the Shrop-lmv 

 border, between Wolverhampton aud Bridgeuorth; and at Barr 

 Beacon, near Walsall. Tumuli are found in various parts of the 

 county. 



On the conquest of South Britain by tho Saxons, the county was 

 included in the kingdom of Mercia, or of the Middle Angles. When 

 Wulf here, king of Mercia, was converted to Christianity, the bishopric 

 of Mcrcia (which had been previously founded under the rule of i 

 and Oswio, the sons of Penda) was re-established, and fixed at Lich- 

 field. There are the traces of an ancient camp or fort, called the 

 Burgh, or Braff, near Maer. The Mercian kings appear often to have 

 resided at Tamworth. In the division of the island between the 

 Saxons and Danes, in the time of Alfred, Staffordshire was partly 

 included in the 1 tanclogh, or Danish territory, Watliug-street being 

 the boundary ; but the whole was recovered by Alfred's successors. 

 In the wars of Edward the Elder, son of Alfred, with the Danes (910), 

 a battle was fought at Tettenhall Regis, near Wolverhampton, in 

 which the Danes were beaten ; and in tho following year they sus- 

 tained another great defeat at VVednesfield : two years after Ethelfleda, 

 Lady of Mercia, sister of Edward, built forts at Tumwurth and Staf- 

 ford ; and next year one at Eadesbyrig, which some suppose to be 

 Wednesbury. Ethelfleda died at Tamworth in 920, at which town 

 Edward assumed the direct government of Mercia. Under Kdw.u I 



