DUDLEY, Worcestershire

"DUDLEY, a parish, market-town, and parliamentary borough in the lower division of the hundred of Halfshire, in the county of Worcester, 8 miles to the N.W. of Birmingham, 26 N. of Worcester, and 126 from London by the North-Western railway. It is situated at the northern extremity of the county, locally in the hundred of Offlow, Staffordshire. The South Staffordshire and West Midland railway has greatly increased the importance of this town, by opening up communication with all parts of the country through the London and North-Western and Great Western lines."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

Church History

• The following details of Dudley's Churches were transcribed from Kelly's Directory of Warwickshire, 1895 by Rossbret.
  The Parish Church of St Thomas, in High Street, is an edifice of Bath Stone, in the Gothic style, erected in 1817 at a cost of about £24,000, and restored by subscription in 1861-62, at a cost of £1,753; it consists of small chancel, nave, aisles, north and south porches and an embattled tower at the north-west angle, with a spire rising to the height of 175 feet, and containing an illuminated clock and 10 bells; the east window of painted glass, erected in 1821, by Mr. Blacker, of London, is illuminated at night by gas jets placed behind it; in 1875-76 the Church was reseated with open benches and choir stalls of oak, at a cost of £800, and was again restored and embellished in 1883; there are 1,200 sittings. The register dates from the year 1538. The living is a vicarage, tithe rent charge £350, gross yearly value £1,000, net £510, including 253 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Earl of Dudley, and held since 1892 by the Rev. Adam Gray Maitland, of the University of London, and surrogate.

  St Edmund's is an ecclesiastical parish, formed Oct. 15, 1884; the Church, situated at the end of Castle Street, and erected in 1724, is a structure of brick in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock; The ancient Church, which consisted of chancel, nave and aisles, was destroyed when the castle was dismantled in 1644, after which it lay in ruins, until rebuilt in 1724; there are 900 sittings, 400 being free. The modern register dates from the year 1844; the earlier register of this parish, incorporated with that of St Thomas, dates from 1540.

  The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value about £233, with residence, in the gift of the Vicar of Dudley, and held since 1871 by the Rev. Gilbert Bradley M.A. of University College, Oxford.

  Miss Fellowes's bequest of £200 to St Edmund's parish is invested, and the interest expended at Christmas by the Vicar and Church Wardens in food, clothing or fuel for the poor. This parish also shares in the amalgamated bread charities.

  St James' is an ecclesiastical parish, formed Oct 15, 1844: the Church at Eve Hill, erected in 1840, is an edifice of stone, in the early English style, and in 1869 was greatly improved by the addition of a chancel, organ chamber and vestry; it now consists of chancel, with organ chamber and vestry, clerestoried nave, aisles, and an embattled western tower containing one bell; the pulpit is of caen stone on clustered shafts of alabaster, and there is a stained east window; the Church affords 800 sittings, about 500 being free. The register dates from the year 1841. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value about £350, with residence, in the gift of the Vicar of Dudley, and held since 1885 by the Rev. Stewart Holland M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin. The parish of St James' shares in the amalgamated bread charities.

  The ecclesiastical parish of St John, Kate's Hill, was formed Oct 15, 1844; the Church erected in 1840, at a cost of £3,000 and renovated in 1873, at a cost of £2,255, is a building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, west porch and an embattled western tower containing 10 tubular bells. In the chancel is a memorial window to the late John Beddard esq. of Dixon's Green, and there are others to the late Rev. William Henry Vincent Crump, curate here 1878-82, and to the Wife of the late Mr. Edw. Truelove Terry, to whose memory the stone pulpit, erected by her husband, is also dedicated. The reredos of stone includes a cross and figures of the apostles, and there is a handsome brass lectern. The interior is surrounded by galleries on three sides, and affords 816 sittings, 480 being free.

  The register dates from the year 1840. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £400, net £320, with residence, in the gift of the Vicar of Dudley, and held since 1843 by the Rev. Edward Henry Lane Noott M.A. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Miss Fellowes's bequest of £200 to St John's Parish, is invested and administered in the same manner as in St Edmund's parish, and this parish shares also in the amalgamated bread charities.

  St Luke's is an ecclesiastical parish, formed Dec 5, 1876. The Church in the Wellington Road, built in 1878, at a cost of £4,800, and consecrated in the same year, is an edifice of brick in the early English style, and consists of chancel, with vestry and organ chamber, clerestoried nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and a turret over the chancel arch containing 2 bells. There are 600 sittings.

  The register dates from the year 1876. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners £200, in the gift of the Vicar of Dudley, and held since 1890 by the Rev. William John Down T.A.K.C.L. St Luke's parish shares in the amalgamated bread charities.

  St Augustine's, Holly Hall, is an ecclesiastical parish, formed Sept 16, 1884, from that of St Thomas. The Church, erected by subscription in 1884, at a cost of £5,600, is an edifice of red pressed brick with Horsham Stone dressings, in the early English style, and consists of chancel with aisle, nave, aisles, side chapel, organ chamber, north and south porches, vestry and a belfry containing one bell. There are sittings for 700 persons.

  The register dates from the year 1884. The living is a perpetual curacy, net yearly value £180, in the gift of the Vicar of Dudley, and held since 1888 by the Rev. Edward Arthur Cosens M.A. of Merton College, Oxford.

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Dudley from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

Land and Property

• The following details of Dudley's principle buildings were transcribed from Kelly's Directory of Warwickshire, 1895 by Rossbret.
  "The Cemetery, 5 acres in extent, was formed about 1850, the site being given by the late Earl of Dudley. It contains a mortuary Chapel and is under the control of the Vicar of Dudley.

  The Town Hall, in Priory Street, is a spacious building in the Gothic style, erected by the late Earl of Dudley, and purchased and reconstructed by the Corporation. The Police Station adjoining was erected by the County, and has been transferred to the Corporation.

  The Free Library and School of Art, at the junction of Priory Street and St James' Road, is an edifice of red terra cotta and brick in the Renaissance style, erected in 1884 at a cost of about £6,000 from plans by Messrs. Bateman and Corser, of Birmingham. The portion forming the Free Library is on the ground floor, and consists of a reading room, and a library containing 10,000 volumes. The Art Gallery in St James' Road has a good collection of pictures."