STOURBRIDGE - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

"STOURBRIDGE, a post and market town in the parish of Old Swinford, lower division of Halfshire hundred, county Worcester, 20 miles N.E. of Worcester, and 124 from London. It is a station on the West Midland branch of the Great Western railway, where the Stourbridge and Birmingham branch turns off, and is on the South Staffordshire branch canal and the river. Stour, which here separates the counties of Worcester and Stafford. It is a polling place for E. Worcestershire, and a petty sessions town.

The manufacture of glass was established here in 1557 by Henzole, a Lorraine refugee. There are coal, ironstone, and fire-clay in the neighbourhood, the mines of which appear to have been worked as early as the reign of Edward III. Iron bars, hoops, agricultural instruments, crucibles, nails, fire-bricks, and glass are made. There are two banks, a school of art, new corn market, assembly-rooms, and subscription library. The justices sit on Friday.

The town is divided into two ecclesiastical districts. The old town church is dedicated to St. Thomas, and is in the patronage of the bishop. A new church was erected on the other side of the town in 1860, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. There are National schools, a King Edward VI. free grammar school, founded by letters patent in 1553; and chapels and schools for the Independents, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics. A new church, dedicated to St. James, schools, and parsonage have been recently erected at Wollaston through the liberality of W.O. Foster, Esq., M.P., who has endowed the church, and maintains the schools in great efficiency.

The Poorlaw Union of Stourbridge comprises 14 parishes or places. The town is divided into three wards, governed by 27 commissioners. Market day is Friday. Fairs are held on the Monday before the 29th March and 8th September; the former used to continue for seven days as a horse fair, the latter is for horses, cattle, and sheep.

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