The first mention of this place upon record, is, that the pious Wulfrune, relict of Athelme, Duke of Northampton, in 996, built and endowed the church or monastery here, which was called from her name and title Wulfrunes-hampton, whence its present name. Wolverhampton stands on a rising ground, is a considerable manufacturing town, and the largest in the county: it has a weekly market on Wednesday, and one annual fair on the 10th of July.
The population of Wolverhampton has increased more than twofold since 1750; in that year the inhabitants were 7454, in 1801, 12,655, in 1811, 14,836, and now considerably exceed that number. The town is surrounded by gardens, and the air generally healthy: a navigable canal from Birmingham passes through it on its eastern side, and joins the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal at Atherley.
The parish is nominally very large, but, including only so far as its poor-rate extends, it does not exceed four or five square miles, and about 3000 acres: the country around it is well inclosed. The fine and highly-productive tract called Broad-meadows and Whitmore-ends, was, in the sixteenth century, literally a morass. Sir Simon Degge says, "this town is pleasantly situated upon a sandy (or rather gravelly hill, where, upon the Dean's-land, one Richard Best, first a stationer in London, and after a farmer of excise to the Rebels, built a very handsome brick house, and walled about a garden and orchard near the church." This house is now called the Deanery-hall, and is leased, with the other Deanery estates, to the Earl of Darlington: it is at present occupied by James Hordern, Esq.
A little north-west from this, in Tup-street, is a large handsome house, built by the Giffards of Chillington, with a chapel attached for the use of the Catholics in this town. Beyond this, is another spacious mansion, with excellent walled gardens, which commands a beautiful prospect to the west, and is the residence of the Molineux family: the Molineuxs came into England with Isabella, wife of Edward the Second, from Flanders, in 1307: George Molineux, Esq. an opulent merchant and banker, who was High-sheriff for this county in 1791, is the present owner.
Besides the two Churches, there is a Scotch kirk, a Roman Catholic chapel, and four meeting-houses for the Methodists and Independents.
In the south-east part of the town is a large brick mansion, with a moat round it, called Turton's Hall, built for the Leveson family, but now converted into a manufactory of japanned goods by Messrs. Wrighten: the moat is in part filled up. Plott says, "they have but four weak springs to supply so large a town, which are altogether behind the Cock Inn, called Pudding-well, the Horse-well, Washing-well, and the Meat-well; from which last they fetch their water for use all over the town, in leather budgets laid across a horse, and bringing to the other wells their tripes, horses, and linen."
The town was for many years supplied with water from these springs by the water-works erected by Dr. Wilkes, which have been long discontinued; and a plentiful supply is now obtained from numerous wells sunk a considerable depth through the solid rock upon which the town is built. There is likewise an excellent and never-failing spring called the Culwell, close to the town, on the road leading to Wednesfield, which is one of the sources of the little river Smestall, Wulfruna's-well, on Dunstall estate, a medicinal spring at Chapel Ash, another called Spa-well, between this town and Sea-wall, a fourth at Monmore-green, a fifth called St. Lawrence's-well, at Grazeley-brook, and an ancient arched well at Waddam's-hill, called Meg-a-doodle's- well, all noticed by Dr. Wilkes, are now neglected.
The first steam-engine that ever raised water in considerable quantity was erected near this town, a short distance from the half-mile stone on the Walsall-road.
On the 22d of April, 1590, a fire broke out in Barn (now Salop) street, which burnt 104 dwelling-houses and 30 barns, with a considerable quantity of corn: the fire was not extinguished till the 27th.
In the year 1743, wheat sold in Wolverhampton market at 3s, barley and peas 1s. 6d. and oats 1s. 2d. the bushel of 38 quarts. In the year 1800, wheat was 21s. per bushel, and hay £12. per ton; and in 1812 and 1813, wheat was as high as 25s. and barley 16s. the bushel.
An elegant structure, comprising a Public Library and News Room, has been recently erected in Queen-street, and many other improvements are in progress under the authority of an Act of Parliament. A permanent Library was instituted in the year 1794, and has been progressively increasing in number of books and subscribers. In the year from Easter 1790 to the same period in 1791, the poor-rate expenditure amounted to £2175. 18s. 3d. but it has since considerably exceeded that sum.
Wolverhampton is governed, under the county magistrates, by two constables; one chosen annually by the Dean's tenants, the other by the inhabitants at large.
Few towns possess greater local advantages than Wolverhampton for carrying on an extensive trade and manufacture; situated nearly in the centre of the kingdom, in the midst of the most productive coal and iron-mines, and having a free and easy access to the great rivers, Thames, Severn, Trent, and Mersey, by means of the different canals which surround it, every opportunity is afforded of conveying and receiving materials and merchandize. The skill and ingenuity of its mechanics, especially the locksmiths, have been known and established for ages, and though the manufactures of this town are very distinct from those of Birmingham, they have, owing to the superior wealth and fame of the latter, been generally (though improperly) classed under the head of Birmingham wares.
The articles peculiarly the manufacture of Wolverhampton, are principally those of heavy ironmongery, having the materials so essentially requisite for their cheapness, coal and iron, upon the spot. In this class are to be reckoned locks of every kind and description, in iron, brass, and wood; hinges, bolts, latches, screws, etc; all kinds of edge-tools used by carpenters, wheelwrights, cabinet-makers, smiths, etc; as axes, hatchets, hammers, gimblets, files, etc; also articles for domestic use, as box-irons, candlesticks, chafing-dishes, coffee and malt mills, fire-irons, rat-traps, etc; fine steel toys, as cork-screws, snuffers, nut-cracks, sugar-nippers, buckles, watch-chains, etc.
Another branch of manufacture, for which there is a great and permanent demand both for home consumption and foreign supply, is tin and japan wares: several hundred hands are employed in these various articles, and in forming the most elegant and expensive tea-trays, both paper and iron, plate-warmers, tea and coffee pots, caddies, inkstands, etc. To these may be added another class of manufacture in the brass-foundry line, which employs a great number of workmen in an almost innumerable variety of brass articles.
Amongst individual establishments of importance, is the chemical laboratory of Mander, Bacon and Co. for the manufacture of oil of vitriol, aquafortis, and other acids, spirits of hartshorn, Glauber and Epsom salts, and every other chemical preparation connected with medicine, manufactures, and commerce, for British and foreign supply. A glass-house has been established within these few years, where are made all descriptions of the best white glass.
There are several steam-engines, working various mills, one of which is upon a large scale, for the spinning of woollen yarn for carpets; at which, and also at another, considerable quantities of musket-barrels were ground and polished during the late war. A mill, called the Union Mill, was established about the year 1812, containing about 14,000 shares at £1 each, for the purpose of grinding corn and baking bread, and is found to answer extremely well. An indictment was preferred at the Assizes of 1814, at Stafford, against the proprietors, as an illegal combination; a verdict was, however, given in their favour, after a trial before a special Jury of fourteen hours.
In the adjoining villages and hamlets are made, in addition to the articles before-mentioned, great quantities of nails, chains, gun-locks, and many other similar articles. One of the most lucrative branches of trade formerly enjoyed by this town is now nearly extinct, viz. that of rich and elegant articles in steel, consisting of watch-chains, buttons, buckles, sword-hilts, etc: watch-chains have been made of the value of 20 guineas each, and buckles at 10 to 15 guineas a-pair, and not unusually sword-hilts at 50 guineas. These articles were generally sent to France, Spain, and Italy, but the French Revolution, and the wars which arose out of it, seem to have put a period to this business.
Wolverhampton is not remarkable for public buildings worthy of attention. The free grammar-school, founded in 1668 by Sir Stephen Jennings, Lord Mayor of London, is an excellent institution, and very liberally endowed, its revenues being upwards of £1200 per annum. In it are taught the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Dutch, and German languages, besides writing, arithmetic, drawing, etc; there are several masters, and though education may be obtained here gratis by the children of the inhabitants, but very few comparatively are sent. In 1626, the inhabitants of Wolverhampton obtained a decree of Chancery against the Merchant Taylors Company, which declares this school free for all England: in a subsequent cause, the management was vested in the Bishop of Lichfield, Sir E. Littleton, Bart. the Hon. Edward Monckton, and others, as trustees.
The present school (in John-street), is a handsome brick building, erected by the Merchant Taylors Company in 1794, with houses for two masters: the Rev. William Tindall is the present head-master. There are also two charity-schools, and an hospital for a priest and six old women.
The increasing communication between England and Ireland has of late years rendered Wolverhampton a great thoroughfare, it lying in the direct road from London to Holyhead, and about mid-distance. The intercourse with Manchester and Liverpool is also considerable, owing to constant conveyances between those towns and Birmingham.
Grazeley, situated near the road leading from Wolverhampton to Stourbridge, is the property of James Perry, Esq. The field called Ab-low-field took its name from a low or tumulus near Grazeley-brook, on which was planted a bush called Iseley-cross.
Near Grazeley is a very ancient place called the Lea, occupied for many generations by the family of Waring, but now part of the Grazeley estate. A short distance from Lea is Merrydale, the seat of William Hayrick, Esq. and nearer Wolverhampton, on the road to Worcester, stand the newly-erected mansion of the Rev. G. W. Kempson, one of the Magistrates for this county, and an elegant villa lately built by Mr. Jno. Mander, of Wolverhampton.
Dunstall Hall, an ancient castellated mansion, with a moat and gateway, one mile north-west of Wolverhampton, was formerly the property of the Wightwicks, but has been many years occupied as a farm-house: James Hordern, Esq. of Wolverhampton, lately purchased it with the demesne of 260 acres.
Stow-heath Manor, which comprehends the east part of the township of Wolverhampton, with Bilston, and part of Willenhall, was an ancient domain of the Crown, but now belongs to the Giffard and Leveson Gower families.
