STAFFORDSHIRE. 



of Cannock-heath to the vicinity of Stourbridge, and in 

 breadtli from Wolverhampton to Walfall. To t!ie north, 

 likewife, it abounds in the neighbourhood of Newcaltle and 

 the Potteries, Lane-End, Hollybrufh, Cheadle, and Ddl- 

 home. At Handlev-Green a very pecnhar fpecies is dug, 

 called the Peacock coal, from the prifmatic colours it dif- 

 plays. Limeilone is (till more abunda: t than coal. At 

 Scdnleyand Dudley-caitle hills, Rulhall and Haywood, 

 and on the norlh-eail moorlands, the quantity is imir.enfe. 

 The lime-works \ipon Caldon Low, and near the Weever 

 hills, are particularly extenfive. This itone is, in fome 

 places, of a marble quality, and capable of taking a fine 

 polilh. In other parts it is chiefly compofcd of trelmintho- 

 lopi, or petrified marine fubftances of the animal kind. 

 Iron ore is plentiful throughout the coal diilrift. Near 

 Wednefbury, Tipton, Billion, and Sedgeley, and to the 

 well of Newcallle, it is peculiarly excellent and abundant. 

 The ftrata are generallv ranged beneath a Itratum of coal. 

 Iron-works of great extent have been recently ellablifhed on 

 the banks of the Birmingham Canal ; and the trade is fo 

 rapidly increafing, as to afford a profpect of its precluding 

 the neceffity of any confiderable importation. Copper and 

 lead ore alio abound in this county. A copper-mine is 

 worked at Mixon, near Leek ; but a more important one 

 at Eclon-hill, near Warflow, on the eftate of the duke of 

 Devonlhire. This hill has likewife a confiderable vein of 

 lead ; and another of the fame mineral has been found near 

 Stanton-moor. In this part of the county, but parti- 

 cularly at Whifton, Oakmoor, and Cheadle, fmelting and 

 brafs-works are carried on to a confiderable extent. Quarries 

 of good free-llone for various purpofes are found in the dif- 

 ferent diftrifts. A durable kind for building, eafily raifed 

 in blocks of any dimenfion, is found a: Tixal. Alaballer 

 was formerly dug in great quantities, particularly on the 

 banks of the Dove ; but though it ftill exiils in plenty, very 

 few of the quarries are now wrought. This county alfo 

 yields various kinds of marble : that fpecies, to which the 

 name of rance-marble is given, abounds on Yelperfley Tor, 

 and the adjacent hills. Clays of every denomination are 

 abundant. Amblecot produces a clay of a dark-blue colour, 

 of which are made the bell glafs-houfe pots of any in Eng- 

 land. Glafs-houfcs have, in confequence, been ercfted in 

 the neighbourhood ; and great quantities of the clay are 

 fent to different parts of the kingdom. Potters' clay of 

 various forts is found here, particularly in the vicinity of 

 Newcaftle, where the potteries are chiefly carried on. Yel- 

 low and red ochre, and other earths ufed for colouring and 

 painting, are among the produdlions of this county. At 

 Darlalton, near Wednefbury, is a blue clay, which is fold 

 to glovers to dye a(h-colour. A black chalk is found in 

 the beds of grey marble in Langley Clofe ; and under a 

 rock near Hemley Hall is a reddifh earth, nearly equal to 

 the red chalk of France. 



The farms of Staffordfhire are of all extents, from fifty 

 acres to five hundred ; but the number of the fmaller has 

 been lately much diminilhcd. The rent of land varies from 

 Ip. to ^os. per acre, making the average about 25J. The 

 cultivated lands of this county are nearly all inclofed, not 

 more than icoo acres Hill remaining open. The fences in 

 the fouthcrn part are chiefly raifed from quickfets, among 

 which the white thorn is moft approved. 



Timber, Plantations, and Woodlands. — This county, not- 

 withflanding the great recent confumption, is abundantly 

 ftocked with wood of every defcription. Lord Bagot's 

 eftate, near Abbot's-Bromley, contains feveral ■ acres of 

 oaks, not to be furpan"ed m quality by any in the kingdom : 

 the timber in many of them is to the height of fixty or 



feventy feet. Chillingworth eftate ranks next to this for 

 the value of its woods. Thofe at Beaudelert, the feat of 

 the earl of Uxbridge, and thofe at Llimley, the property 

 of lord Dudley, are alfo very 'extenfive. Teddefley has 

 very confiderable plantations. Manlley wood is a coppice 

 of fine oak. Wrottefley, Fifherwick, Trentham park, 

 Sandwell park, Enville, and Hilton, difplay abundance of 

 well-grown trees of every defcription. 



Wajle Lands. — The extent of uncultivated lands in this 

 county is very great ; being computed by Mr. Pitt to 

 ainount to an hundred thoufand acres. The chief waflc 

 diilritts in the fouthern parts are Cannock-heath and Sutton- 

 Coldfield, with Swindon, Wombourn, and Fradley com- 

 mons. In the north are Morredge, Wetley-moor, Stan- 

 ton-moor, HoUington-heath, Carefwell-common, and Need- 

 wood forelt ; which lafl, however, has been in part recently 

 inclofed and cultivated. 



ManufaSures and Commerce. — Various branches of manu- 

 fafture are carried on to a great extent, particularly in the 

 fouthern parts of the county : the chief are hardware arti- 

 cles, nails, glafs, toys, japanned good?, and potters' ware ; 

 with produftions in cotton, filk, leather, woollen, and 

 linen. The manufafture of glafs is moft confiderable in 

 the vicinity of Stourbridge, where many fpacious glafs- 

 houfes have been built. The potteries occupy an extent of 

 ten miles, toward the north part of the county : thefe have 

 acquired great reputation from the ingenious Mr. Wedge- 

 wood. (See Potteries.) Wolverhampton and the neigh- 

 bouring villages are diltinguifhed for the manufafture of 

 locks : buckles, fteel-toys, und watch-chains, are among the 

 efteeir.ed produftions of that town. The ftaple manufac- 

 ture of Walfall and its vicinity is chiefly fhoe-buckles, clafps, 

 and fadlers' ironmongery. Nail-making, in many country 

 parifhes, is a fource of employment to great numbers of men, 

 women, and children. Bilfton furnifhes a variety of plated, 

 lackered, japanned, and enamelled goods. At Wednefbury 

 the gun-trade is extenfive. At Darlafton, Willenhall, and 

 the adjacent villages, tobacco and fiiuff-boxes are wrought 

 in various modes. Stafford and its neighbourhood exhibit 

 numerous articles in the cutlery and leather-trade : the hat 

 manufafture is alfo carried on there, and in fome other 

 towns, on an extenfive fcale. Tin and brafs are among the 

 common productions of the county. The cotton manufac- 

 tures at Rocefter, Fazeley, Tamworth, Burton, and Tut- 

 bury, are very confiderable ; as is likewife the filk-trade of 

 Leek, and that of tape at Cheadle and Teyn. The woollen 

 manufafture is but comparatively trifling ; moft of the raw 

 wool being fold into the clothing and flocking diftrifts. The 

 making of linen is moftly confined to private families, for 

 their own ufe. 



It is worthy of obfervation, that the original wooden 

 almanac of the Norwegians and Danes is flill in ufe in this 

 county, under the appellation of the Staffordfhire clogg. 

 Engravings of this calendar, fomething different from each 

 other, may be feen in Dr. Plot's Natural Hiffory of the 

 County, and in Camden's Britannia, by Gough. The prin- 

 cipal antiquities in this county are the cathedral at Lich- 

 field ; Tutbury caltle and church ; Dudley cafUe and 

 priory ; Ecclefhall caftle ; Croxton abbey ; Alton caftle ; 

 Wolverhampton church ; bridge and abbey, at Burton-upon- 

 Trent ; Darlefton caftle ; Tixal manor-houfe ; Hilton 

 abbey ; Rowton priory ; Uttoxeter church ; Carefwell 

 caftle ; Chartley caftle ; Heyley caftle. 



Authorities. — Hiftory, &c. of Staffordfhire, by the Rev. 

 S. Shaw, 2 vols, folio, 1798, &c. an unfinilhed work. 

 General View of the Agriculture of the County of Staf- 

 ford, by William Pitt, 8vo. 1808. The Natural Hillory 



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