A history of Walsall and its neighbourhood

Front matter

"To elucidate Local History, in the manner in which it ought to be elucidated, is to rescue the worthy from oblivion; to delineate the changes of manners ami the progress of arts; to call back to the fancy the pomp ami splendour of ages that are gone; to restore the ruined castle; to re-people the deserted mansion, and bid, for a moment, the grave render back its inhabitants to the fond eve of regret." Censura Literario, vol. i. p. 50. VIEW OK WALSALL in 1795 J-ro/ti a. drawing l>y Shaw. A HISTORY OF WALSALL @lnb ife QleiCjr}6ourr)oob : BY FREDERIC W.WILLMORE^M.R.C.S., Era., jjHem-bet of trjr HEilliam gait 3rcfja-alogiral Socictg. WALSALL: W. HENRY ROBINSON, STEAM PRINTING WORKS. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL ANII CO., STATIONERS' HALL COURT, E 188 7. TO TKE BURGESSES OF AVALSALL I DEDICATE THESE MEMORIALS OF THEIR ANCIENT BOROUGH.

(preface* T is with feelings of regret and, reluctance that I offer this "History of Walsall" to my fellow townsmen. Regret in relinquish ing a task which has pleasantly occupied short and scattered inter vals of leisure for several years past, and reluctance because I conceive that others with more capability and time at their disposed, would have accomplished the work more worthily and completely. For let it be at once acknowledged that there is still much to be done, and the future historian of the town will find a wide field remaining for minute examination, and ground yet untrodden, capable of yielding fresh facts and materials for study. A work of this kind may indeed well occupy a lifetime, for records of the past are constantly turning ■up from many a secret source, leading to new inferences, and not infrequently to the detection of error in old legends, or the destruction of antique traditions.

In some respects the history of Walsall may be regarded as, at first sight, deficient in interest. It boasts no ruined castle, whose crumbling walls might appeal to the imagination or to the sympathy of the student; no antique manor-house, with noble owner and ancestral race, who have taken a warm interest in the old town and its fortunes ; no rich cathedral, to testify

Preface

. VIII by its monuments, traditions, aud massive glory, to tlie splendour if a byegone past. Nor is Walsall directly connected with any of those great events, which have from time to time stirred the current of British history; whilst the men of mark u'hieh if has produced have not come prominently before the notice of the ivorld . The history of the tovm is less ambitious, but by no menus Jess deserving if minute attention, abounding iis it does in quiet incident a nil iu numerous facts of extreme interest and import to every true hearted nut ire. Important events hare, however, taken place in aud around it. Its burgesses have fought bravely for their rights, while its sons Jia re fought bravely for their king, and, impartial truth must also confess, sometimes against him. Its manorial rights have been fussed about from king to equerry, from duke to earl, from lord to lady ; while its church revenues have been appropriated by the avarice of monks iu a distant town, irith the approbation aud, assent of the cathedral dignitaries at Lichfield.

Its internal history, both civil and domestic, from, a period extending as far back as the reign of King John, is illustrated by the noble collection of documents belonging to the Corporation, by the Cottonian MS. in the British Museum, now in course of translation by Mr. Gillespie, by various deeds in the Public Record Office and other State Papers, and by the treasures of the Salt Library, at Stafford, all of which contribute to give us an intelligible, if disjointed, picture of the town during main/ centuries. Hitherto, little has been done to sift mid piece together this history, and it would be idle to demi that much time and patient research are needed before the materials can be thoroughly exhausted and correctly interpreted.

PREFACE.

. IX Iu the latter part of the last century, a native antiquary named Gee contributed, to the " Gentlemans' Magazine" two letters on the old church of St. Matthew, aud they possess interest as being the first distinctive writings on local matters thai we have left to us. Of this gentleman Shaw sq)eaks in the following terms. " Of the town and parish of Walsall (besides what I collected from an old chartulary in the British Museum) I am indebted for a. full account to a self taught genius, Mr. James Gee." In 1798 aptpeared Shaw's account of the manor, in his great work on tlie county of Stafford. This account has justly formed the basis of nearly all that has been written since on the sub/eel, but it is naturally incomplete, for he was not allowed by the civic authorities of that day to examine the valuable papers in the Town Chest, while the vast collection of national deeds, scattered, throughout tlie kingdom, were then practically inaccessible.

To the Mayor and Corporation Shaw specially expresses his thanks fur "the handsome plate of the town," a reproduction of which may be seen in this work. In 1813 the description of Shaw, a directory of inhabitants, a copy, gravely incorrect, of the great charter of incorporation, together with several miscellaneous articles, were published in one volume, by Thomas Pearce, of Hill Street, who held the office of Constable for tlie Borough. The book is valuable as a view of the town at that time, but it contributed no fresh matter, nor did it display any independent study. About 1830 a Mr. Chavasse, of High Street, brought out a small local history, and iu 1855 appeared the work of Mr. Gleic, which contains a valuable account of the charities of the town. This volume contains many loose, and some wholly inaccurate statements, and is more

PREFACE.

. X of a gossiping guide to the town than a succinct and clear history. The "Walsall Note Book" (1830), the "Walsall Observer" (1862), the "Midland Magazine" (1880), and the Walsall papers, all contain detached fragments of local history. Among antiquarians who hare contributed largely to these and other papers, and to whom I desire here to express my greatest obligations, are Mr. A. D. Aulton, Mr. W. C.Owen, and Mr. W. H. Duignan. To the wide knowledge and love for load Ionof my friend Mr. Duignan, I am especially indebted, and feel that no words can sufficiently acknowledge the value of his kindly help and numerous suggestions. To those many friends who have assisted me by the help of books, and by the loan of maps, plans, SfC, I also return my warmest thanks. Of these I may expressly mention the Free library Committee, who have allowed their Plan of the Town to tie reproduced ; Mr. J. Penderel Brodhurst, who has given me substantial help in the pedigree of Humphrey Penderel; the Hon. E. S. Parker- Jervis, who gave me access to his notes on the Hawe family ; Messrs. Marloiv $ Potter; the Town Clerk: Mr. J. B. Cooper; Mr. Mazzinghi of Stafford ; and lastly to my Printer and Publisher, Mr. W. H. Bobinson, for the unceasing care and, labour he has bestowed on the production ofthe work whilst passing through the press.

The labour of correcting the proof sheets was undertaken in a most generous manner by Mr. B. W. Gillespie, who, with his rich and tvidespread stores of knowledge, ripe judgment, and intimate acquaintance with the obsolete handwriting and phraseology of many of the old Town Records, has rendered me invaluable help.

PREFACE.

. XI One word, in conclusion, as to the method aud arrangement of the book, which has been here adopted. There are many ways of writing a local history, but each has to be determined, more or less, according to the special, facts which that history contains. I have chosen that, which appears to me to present, in the clearest and, simplest form, the various elements of our history, free from all superfluous elaboration, and from all matter which does not bear in a direct manner on the subject itself, and thus serve to elucidate it. I hare also found, it desirable, and even necessary, to incorporate in this work some of those events which hare occurred in the adjacent parishes, and which have in many, if not all instances, a bearing on the history as a whole. And now, imperfect as such an undertaking must ever be, I give the book forth to the public, in the hope that it will diffuse some little of that interest which, its pages have given to me, and that it may help to hand, down to others the plain unvarnished truths belonging to this our ancient town. F. W. WILLMORE. AValsall, September, 1887. CaBfe of Confute. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. PAGES.

Introduction

... ... ... ... ... 1 4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION ... ... ... ... 5 7 EARLY TIMES ... ... ... ... ... 7 39 (a) THE ANCIENT BRITISH PERIOD. (b) THE ROMAN RULE. (c) EARLY WALSALL. HISTORY OF THE MANOR ... ... ... 40 107 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH ... ... ... 108 157 HISTORY OF THE COEPORATION ... ... ... 158 208 HISTORY OF THE GEAMMAR SCHOOL ... ... 209 223 THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL ... ... ... ... 223 — 224 GENERAL HISTORY ... ... •■■ ••• 225 389 THE PRESENT CENTURY ... ... ... ... 390 — 435