Lichfield in 1872

LICHFIELD, a city, four parishes, a sub-district, and a district in Staffordshire, and a diocese partly also in Derbyshire, Salop, and Notts. The city stands on a small affluent of the river Trent, on Icknield-street, near the intersection of Icknield-street with Watling-street, near the junction of the Wyrley and Coventry canal with the Grand Trunk canal, and on the Walsall and Derby railway, near its intersection by the Trent Valley railway, 16 miles N by E of Birmingham, and 16 SE by E of Stafford. Its site is a fine open vale, surrounded by fertile hills of moderate height and easy ascent; and the S part is divided from the Cathedral-close by a brook, spreading into a large pool or marsh, and crossed by bridges. The city never was surrounded by walls; and it therefore wants the compactness and density of most other old cities. Its outline is irregular; and some of the streets stretch away to a considerable distance from the main body. A ditch was at one time formed round the early precincts; but this has left no other trace than the name Castle-ditch, in the E. Most of the present houses are modern; and many of them are handsome, and occupied by gentry. The interior of the city, in a general view, exhibits convenience and respectability; and the environs have gardens, agreeable walks, and a diversity of pleasant views.

Institutions - The museum and library, near the Minster pool, was set on foot by John P. Dyott, Esq.; includes a newsroom; and, in all its departments, is free to the public, being supported by public rates. There is a flourishing working men's institution. The museum contains relics of the siege of Lichfield, relics of Dr. Johnson, portraits of the chief Lichfield worthies, and a collection of antiquities and objects of art; and the library contains about 2,000 volumes. St. John's hospital, in St. John street, was instituted, in the time of Henry III., by Bishop Clinton; was rebuilt, with the exception of its chapel, in 1495; is a gloomy structure, remarkable for the number and curious form of its chimneys; gives house-room and money-allowances to 13 old men; and has an income of about £350. Dr. Milley's or the women's hospital, in Beacon-street, was founded in 1424, and rebuilt in 1504; gives support to 15 aged women; and has an endowed income of £376. Andrew Newton's alm houses, for the widows and daughters of clergymen, were founded in 1798; include 20 comfortable dwellings, forming a neat building, in the Close; afford £50 a year, with house and small garden, to each of 20 persons; and have an endowed income of £1,239. Lunn's alms houses have only £11. There are a lunatic asylum, a dispensary, and a work house; and the last, at the census of 1861, had 117 inmates.

Other Buildings. The guild hall, in Bore-street, includes court-room, city offices, police station, and house of correction. The market-house and corn-exchange, in St. Mary's square, was built in 1850; is in the Tudor style; has an arcade along its entire front, leading into a spacious covered market; and includes an upper room, capable of accommodating from 600 to 800 persons. An ancient cross, erected by Dean Denton. stood on the site of this edifice; comprised eight arches, resting on massive pillars; and had, on two of its sides, about 5 feet from the ground, two brass crucifixes about 20 inches long. The house in which Dr. Johnson was born still stands on the W side of the market-place. A statue of Dr. Johnson, presented to the city, in 1838, by the Rev. James Law, chancellor of the diocese, stands in the market-place, opposite the house; is in a sitting position, 7 feet high; and rests on a square pedestal 10 feet high, the sides of which have bas-reliefs of various incidents in the doctor's life. A drinking fountain, at the corner of the museum building, was erected in 1862, and has sculpture representing Christ and the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. Both the Minster and the Stow pools are used as reservoirs by the South Staffordshire water-works company; and the houses, public conduits, and cathedral-close are well supplied with water from springing about a mile to the SW, under a trust devised by Hector Beane.

Trade: Lichfield has a head post office, two railway stations with telegraph, two banking offices, and two chief inns; is a seat of county courts and a polling-place. A weekly market is held on Friday; fairs are held on the first Wednesday of Jan., Ash-Wednesday, 12 May, and the first Monday of July and of Nov.; and industry is carried on in market-gardening, coach-building, malting, brewing, flax-spinning, and paper-making. The city was governed, from 1387 till the time of Edward VI., by a guild, consisting of a master, 4 wardens, and 24 brethren; was incorporated, as a borough, by Edward VI.; and is now governed, under the new act, by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors. It sent two members to parliament from the time of Edward I. till that of Edward III.; it began to send two again in the time of Edward VI.; and it has continued to send two till the present time. Its boundaries are the same municipally and parliamentary; comprise 3,180 acres; and include all St. Mary's parish, all the extra-parochial places of the Close, the Friary, and Fulfen, and parts of the parishes of St. Chad and St. Michael. Electors in 1833, 861; in 1863, 698. Corporation income in 1860, £920. Amount of property and income tax charged in 1863, £1,955. Pop. in 1851, 7,012; in 1861, 6,893. Houses, 1,456.

The District. The sub-district of Lichfield contains all the parishes and places noted in the preceding paragraph, and also the parishes of Whittington, Elford, Weeford, Shenstone, Ogley-Hay, and Farewell, and the extra-parochial places of Tamhorn, Haselor, and Freeford. Acres, 37,688. Pop., 15,628. Houses, 3,224. The district comprehends also the sub-district of Rugeley, containing the parishes of Rugeley, Longdon, Armitage, and Colton; and the sub-district of Yoxall, containing the parishes of Yoxall, Hamstall-Ridware, Pipe-Ridware, Mavesyn-Ridware, Alrewas, and BromleyRegis, and the extra-parochial places of Alrewas-Hays, and Kings-Bromley-Hays. Acres of the district, 71,613. Poor rates in 1863, £9,372. Pop. in 1851, 25,279; in 1861, 27,541. Houses, 5,848. Marriages in 1863,185; births, 935, of which 58 were illegitimate; deaths, 664, of which 236 were at ages under 5 years, and 28 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 1,819; births, 7,833; deaths, 5,216. The places of worship, in 1851, were 28 of the Church of England, with 11,781 sittings; 4 of Independents, with 1,139 sittings; 1 of Quakers, with 14 sittings; 8 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 1,158 sittings; 2 of New Connexion Methodists, with 350 sittings; 6 of Primitive Methodists, with 702 sittings; and 3 of Roman Catholics, with 640 sittings. The schools were 49 public day schools, with 2,821 scholars; 47 private day schools, with 1,066 scholars; 40 Sunday schools, with 3,139 scholars; and 3 evening schools for adults, with 39 scholars.

An 1872 Gazetteer description of the following places in Lichfield is to be found on a supplementary page.

• Freeford
• Friary
• Fulfen
• Haselor

[Description(s) from The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72) - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]