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White's Directory of Staffordshire 1851

The information on this page was very kindly transcribed by Stephanie Cussons of Northwood, Middlesex

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In the directory the numbers next to individual names are the location of their residence, see key list below:
 1. Bradley
 2. Brierley
 3. Broad Lane
 4. Cinder Hill
 5. Can Lane
 6. Coppice
 7. Coseley
 8. Coseley Lane
 9. Cotwall End
10. Daisy Bank
11. Dark Lane
12. Deepfield
13. Dibdale Bank
14. Ettingshall
15. Fullwoods End
16. Goldthorn Hill
17. Lower Gornal
18. Upper Gornal
19. Gornal Wood
20. Gospel End
21. Gospel Oak
22. Hall Green
23. Highfields
24. Mamble Square
25. Mason's Bank
26. Mount Pleasant
27. Lady Moor
28. Old Park
29. Otley
30. Prince's End
31. Ruiton
32. Sedgley
33. Skidmore's Row
34. Sodom
35. Straits Green
36. Wednesbury Oak
37. Willingsworth
38. Wood Setton
39. Wallbrook

SEDGLEY PARISH is a large and populous district, in the centre of the great mining district of Staffordshire, lying betwixt Wolverhampton, Bilston, and Dudley, and extending to within two miles of either town. It is in the Parliamentary Borough of Wolverhampton, and in Dudley Union and County Court District. It contains 5170 acres of land, and has now about 27,000 inhabitants; its population amounting in 1801, to 9874; in 1811, to 13,937; in 1821, to 17,196; in 1831, to 20,577; and in 1841, to 24,819.

It is in two divisions, called Upper and Lower Side, which maintain their poor conjointly, but their roads separately, and are sub-divided into 9 constablewicks or hamlets, viz. -Sedgley, Gospel End, CotwallEnd, and Upper and Lower Gormal, in the " Upper Side;" and Ettingshall, Brierley, Coseley, and Wood Setton, in the "Lower Side."

Lord Ward is lord of the manor, and holds a Court Leet in October both for this manor and Darlaston; but the Rev. J. L. Petit has a large estate, and there are a considerable number of smaller freeholders and copyholders in this extensive parish, which abounds with excellent coal, ironstone, limestone, freestone, and clay for tricks. The coal and iron works are mostly at Coseley and Ettingshall, near those of Bilston, and give employment to a vast number of workmen. Several hundred hands are also employed at their own homes in making nails and fire irons. The main coal is here 10 yards thick, and is well suited to the use of the furnaces, the forges, and the smithies. The parish is now divided into fine ecclesiastical districts, viz Sedgley, Ettingshall, Coseley, and Upper and Lower Gornall, of which the first is a vicarage and the other four are perpetual curacies. All have churches, three of which were built in 1880, 1884, and 1841, as afterwards noticed. There are in various parts of the parish about 20 chapels, of which nine belong to the Old and New Connexion Methodists; three to the Baptists; three to the Primitive Methodists; and two to the Unitarians and Independents. Most of these are small, but several are large, new, and handsome buildings, especially the two Wesleyan Chapels lately built at Ettingshall and Ladymoor, in the church Gothic style, with towers. There are in the parish several Friendly and other Provident societies, one of which is the Coseley, Sedgley, and Tipton Benefit Building Society, of which Mr. Hammond is secretary. National Schools, attended by about 1000 day scholars, are attached to the churches, and there are also Sunday School attached to many of the chapels.

SEDGLEY VILLAGE is very extensive, and occupies an elevated situation on the high road, 3 miles S. of Wolverhampton, and the same distance N.N.W. of Dudley. The parish CHURCH dedicated to All Saints, was rebuilt during the years 1826, 7,8, and 9, by the Late Earl Dudley and Ward, at the cost of £10,880. It has a handsome tower, surmounted by a lofty spire, and containing 8 bells. It has upwards of 1300 sittings, of which 595 are free. The east window is of stained glass, representing ten of the apostles, and the aims of several of the principal families who subscribed towards the cost of this ornamental feature of the church. The living is a vicarage, valued in K.B. at £5, 12s 8½d and now at £513, having a yearly rent charge of £444 in lieu of tithes. Lord Ward is patron, and the Rev. Wm. Lewis, MA is the incumbent.

Here is a Roman Catholic Chapel, built in 1828, in the Gothic style, with a low tower, and a large burial ground. The Rev. Thos.Tysan is the priest. The National and Infant Schools attached to the five district churches are large and commodious buildings, and most of them have residences for the teachers; and several of them have been erected during the last ten years. The Wesleyan Chapels in the pariah are at Ladymoor (built in 1848,) Ettingshall, Coseley, Upper Gomal, Gospel-end, Bradley, Mamble square, Can lane, and Wallbrook. The Baptist Chapels are at Coseley, Coppice and Dark lane, the latter of which is called Darkhouse Chapel, and has a school built in 1833. The New Connexion Methodists have a chapel at Lower Gornal, and the Primitive Methodists at Sodom, Prince's-end, and Sedgley. The Unitarians have a chapel and school at Coseley ; and the Independents, Ruiton. In Can lane is a School, which was founded in 1832, for the education of orphans, whose parents died of cholera in that year, when the number of cases in this parish was 1349, and deaths 290; and £1031 was subscribed for the relief of the surviving sufferers. The school is supported by subscription for about 100 free scholars. Between Wolverhampton aud Sedgley is Sedgley Park, an ancient seat of the Dudleys, which has been long used as a Roman Catholic academy. Ellows Hall, on west side of the parish, belongs to J.L. Bickley, Esq., but is now unoccupied. On April 23rd, 1797, during a dreadful thunder storm, three houses in Sedgley were injured by lightning, but happily no lives were lost. Three BEINEFACTIONS belonging to the poor of the parish produce £13. 10s. per ann. which is distributed at Christmas, and arises from the following yearly doles; 70s. left by Thos., Mary, and Richard Bradley, and Capt. Dudley; 10s., paid by the overseers as interest of £l0, left by John Perry ; and 10s., from 4 ½ acres of land, purchased with the benefactions of Eliz. Pinson, Daniel Walter, and Anne Webb. The sum of £100, left in 1717, by John Jewkes, was laid out in land now let for £12 a year, which supplies 18 sixpenny loaves, every Sunday, to 18 poor widows. The poor have also 30s yearly in bread, left in 1811, by Edward Cox, out of two houses in Sedgley.

The following are the Villages and Hamlets in this parish, 'Locations and bearings from Sedgley.

BRIERLEY is a district of scattered houses, two miles N.E, of Sedgley.

BROAD LANE and LADY MOOR are adjoining hamlets, 2 miles N.N.E Sedgley, and within half a mile S.W. of Bilston. At Lady Moor is a handsome Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1848, and having a tower and clock.

CAN LANE is a long street of houses, 3/4 of a mile E.N.E. of Sedgley, where there is a Free School and a Wesleyan Chapel.

COSELEY is a populous, but straggling village and district, 2 miles E of Sedgley. Here is a handsome district Church, dedicated to Christ, and erected in 1830, at the cost of about £9000, raised by subscription and parliamentary grant. It is of brick, cased with stone, in the plain Gothic style, and has in its tower a peal of eight bells. It has lately been much improved, and has about 1800 sittings, more than half of which are free. The perpetual curacy, valued at £150, is in the gift of Lord Ward, and cumbency of the Rev. W. F. Vance, M.A., who is assisted by two curates. Three large National Schools, and two for Infants, are connected with church, and attended by about 600 children. Here is an endowed Presbyter Meeting House, now occupied by Unitarians. Attached to this chapel is a FREE SCHOOL, which was endowed in 1753, by Samuel and Sarah Timn and Jane Turton, with a house and land, let for £25 per annum. In 1809. £268 was received from the sale of the coal under this land. In 1755, Joseph Kettle left £20 to this school, for which 20s. a year is paid by the chapel trustees, out of the rents of the Coppice Estate, which belongs to chapel. From these funds, about 25 children are educated, and provided with books. The master takes other scholars. Both the chapel and school are about to be rebuilt. Here are also two chapels belonging to Wesleyans and Baptists; the latter built in 1809, and having a large congregation.

COTWALL END is a district 3/4 of a mile S.W. of Sedgley, occupied chiefly by nailers, and a few farmers.

DEEPFIELD has a number of scattered houses in the coal and iron district, 1 mile S.W. of Bilston. Here is a tunnel of the Birmingham Canal, 1090 ½ feet long, 25 broad, and 17 1/4 high from the surface of the water. Swift Packets from Birmingham and Wolverhampton call here four times a day.

ETTINGSHALL is a large mining village, about a mile S.W. of Bilston, with surrounding suburbs in Ettingshall Lane, Catchem's Corner,etc. extending into Bilston and Wolverhampton townships, but all now forming the church district Ettingshall. The Rev. J. L. Petit has a large estate here, which was anciently a park, but has long been disfigured by extensive coal and iron works, and quarries of limestone. A large number of houses, and a Wesleyan Chapel, which were thrown down or rendered untenable in consequence of the mining excavations under them, were rebuilt a few years ago on the adjoining pit banks, and now compose, with subsequent erections, Ettingshall New Village The CHURCH (Holy Trinity,) and the Parsonage House and Schools, were erected in 1834'5, at the cost of about £6000, and are constructed chiefly of timber, so firmly bound together that the buildings might stand, even if the ground beneath, which is undermined, should in places sink or be rent. The money for their erection was raised by subscription and grants. The perpetual curacy, worth about £400 per annum, is in the patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield, and incumbency of the Rev. Frederick Williams.

GOLDTHORN HILL is partly in Wolverhampton and Penn parishes, where new waterworks, are constructing, as noticed at pages 76 and 95.

GORNAL, (LOWER) is a village and ecclesiastical district of about 6000 souls, about 2 miles W. by N. of. Dudley. The inhabitants are chiefly miners and nail makers. The Church, (St. James) is a neat structure in the Early English style, built of excellent stone from the neighbouring quarries. It was commenced in 1815, but not finished till 1828, when it was consecrated. It was enlarged in 1837, and was entirely re-fitted in 1849 when a chancel was added, with stained glass windows, and the whole fabric greatly unproved and beautified. It has now 1000 sittings of which 400 are free. The handsome Parsonage House, and 8 acres of land were liberally given by the late Earl Dudley and Ward, The perpetual curacy has also an income of about £150 per annum, and is in the patronage of Lord Ward, and incumbency of the Rev. James Yates Booker. The National School, near the church, are attended by about 290 children. There are five chapels in the district belonging to the Baptists, and the Wesleyans, New Connexion, and Primitive Methodists; and schools are attached to the two first-named. The district 1 ½ mile long and 1 1/4 broad, and includes a large colliery, belonging to Lord Ward ; and Ellows Hall, now unoccupied.

GORNAL, (UPPER) is a rapidly improving village, about 1 ½ mile N.W of Dudley and near the lofty limestone hill, which is crowned by the ruins of Dudley Castle. It. gives name to an ecclesiastical district, comprising several adjacent hamlets, coal and ironworks, freestone quarries, and brick yards. The Church (St. Peters) is a small neat structure, in the Early English style, erected in 1841 at the cost of £2388. It has lately been improved by the addition of a chancel with a beautiful memorial window to the late incumbent, the Rev. S Montgomery. Here is a handsome Parsonage and National School, attended by about 140 children. The perpetual curacy valued at £150 is in the patronage of the Vicar of Sedgley, and incumbency of the Rev. A. P. Hughes. There is a Wesleyan Chapel here, built in the year 1832.

GOSPEL END, a district half a mile W. of Sedgley, has a Wesleyan Chapel built in 1846.

GOSPEL OAK is a scattered hamlet, partly in Tipton parish, 2 miles W. of Wednesbury. Part of it is now called WEDNESBURY OAK, from the seat and extensive coal and iron works of Messrs. P. Williams and Sons,

MASONS BANK is a village in the Coseley division, with a Methodist chapel, 2 miles N.W. of Dudley.

PRINCE'S END, a large village, partly in Tipton parish, 2 1/4 miles N. by E of Dudley. Here are extensive coal and iron works; a National school, built in 1844; and a Primitive Methodist Chapel, erected in 1841.

RUITON, is a village and district adjoining Upper Gornal, occupying a fine lofty eminence, which had formerly a beacon, and commands a most extensive prospect, in which the Malvern hills, (at the distance of thirty-eight miles,) the Wrekin, and many of the mountains of North and South Wales, may be seen, in a clear day, without the aid of a glass. The prebendary of Prees and Ruiton, in Lichfield cathedral derives part of his title from this place; and perhaps Prince's End, noticed above, may be a corruption of Prees End, as we find the said prebendary belongs to the tithes of the adjoining parish of Tipton. The Independent Chapel here was built in 1830; and attached to it are large schools, attended by 60 boys, 40 girls and 80 infants.

SODOM is a hamlet adjoining Can Lane, 1 mile E.N.E of Sedgley. It has a Primitive Methodist chapel.

WOOD SETTON, half a mile S.E. of Sedgley, is a scattered hamlet, occupied by farmers, fire-iron makers, &c. There are in Sedgley parish many smaller hamlets, etc as will be seen in the following enumeration.


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