WHITE’S HISTORY, GAZETTEER AND DIRECTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE, 1851

WOMBOURN is a large village, 4 miles S.S.W. of Wolverhampton, occupied chiefly by nailers, who work for the neighbouring manufacturers. The parish comprises about 4680 acres of light, loamy land, remarkable for the early produce of vegetables and corn; extensive gardens and nursery grounds having lond been cultivated here. It is divided into three liberties, viz., Wombourn, which has 1220; Orton which has 169, and swindon, which has 419 inhabitants. Lord Wrottesley is impropriator of the great tithes, and lord of the manor of Swindon, but part od the soil belongs to the Rev. William Dalton, B.D., Thomas Shaw Hellier, Esq., J.T. Hill Esq., and some smaller owners. The Church (St Benedict) was built by one of the Priors of Dudley, about 1170, and has a tower surmounted by a beautiful spire. It was repaired and furnished with an organ by Sir Samuel Hellier, Kt., who died in 1792. It was again repaired in 1816, and was enlarged and repewed in 1841. It contains an elegant monument by Chantrey, in memory of Richard B.  Marsh, Esq., of Lloyd House, with the figure of Grief weeping over an urn. It has other neat monuments, and a curious old sculpture, illustrative of the parable of the Good Samaritan. The vicarage, with that of Trysull annexed to it, is valued in K.B. at £12 12s 8d and in 1835 at £608. The patronage is in certain trustees and the Rev. William James Heale, M.A. is the incumbent and the Rev. William Plumptree  is the curate. The Vicarage House was rebuilt on a new site in 1840, with money borrowed on motgage of the glebe and tithes. A Sunday school was established here in 1805: and here now are National Schools, supported by subscription. A Wesleyan Chapel was built here in 1850. A parish feast is on the last Sunday in October. Thirty acres of land are let to the poor in 120 allottments by the Stewponey Society for the improvement of the labouring classes. The poor have two annuities of 20s , left by Edward Bird, in 1647, and Walter Woodhouse in 1687; and also the dividends of £127 11s 10d three per cent consols, purchased with £100, left by Sir Samuel Hellier in 1792.

Orton is a hamlet near the canal, 1 mile N. W. of Wombourn, and near it is the village of Ounsdale.

Swindon, commonly called swin, is a small village and manor, two miles S.S.W of Wombourn, on thre canal and the river Smestow, where there are two large corn mills; and an Independant Chapel, built in 1821, on land given by the late Isaac Richards. The mill on the heath was formerly a large iron forge etc. The heath was enclosed in 1796, and is now good turnip and barley land.

Marked 1 are in Orton, 2 Swindon and the rest in Wombourn or where specified.

2 Allen James, wheelwright
Anslow Esther Jane, milliner
Bannister William, cornmiller, Holbach
Bassano Henry, tailor
2 Beddard James, miller, Hollow Mill
Beddard Mrs. Ann
Bennett George, gentleman, Green hill
Brewster John saddler
Burge John, confectioner and agent
Carryer Henry, carpenter & shopkeeper
2 Cartwright William, tailor
Chinner William, brass founder at Dudley
Croydon Daniel, corn miller
2 Davis William, butcher
Glover Thomas, grocer & draper, Post Office
Grainger Henry, gentleman
Hayward William, butcher
Heale Rev William James M.A. vicar
Hellier Thomas Shaw, Woodhouse
Howell Joseph, blacksmith
Humphries John, police officer
1 Jones Whitmore, corn miller
Little Sarah, straw hat maker
Meredith Mr William, Smestow House
Meredith Thomas, scythe & nail manufacturer
Morton Alfred James, revenue officer
Peakman William, miller, Woodhouse
Plsbury John, gardener & seedsman
Potter Thomas, wheelwright
Pratt E. & R. corn millers, Smestow
Prior George, corn miller, registrar, parish clerk and organist
Pyatt William, nail factor & shopkeeper
Robinson Richard, land agent, Heath House
Sadler John, nail manufacturer
Sadler Thomas, nail manufacturer
Spencer Joseph, iron founder etc., Gravel Hill House
Tay Thomas, butcher
Wellings Frederick, wheelwright
Wellings Thomas, blacksmith
Westwood Mrs., Greenhill House
Wood William, plumber, painter etc.
York Thomas, plumber, glazier, etc.
York William, cooper

Inns & Taverns  

1 Cat Inn, William Blewitt, Bratch
3 Greyhound, William Jackson
2 Hincksford, William Reynolds
New Inn, Joseph Aston (& malster)
Old Bush Inn, William Morgan
2 Old Bush, Hannah Reynolds
Round Oak, Oliver Richards, Ounsdale
Waggon and Horses, Ann Aston

Beerhouses

Corns David
2 Hobson Jeremiah
Patten Edward

Farmers

2 Beddard James
1 Blewitt William
Bullock Samuel
1 Edwards Silvanus (& malster)
Hill John, malster
1 Jones Samuel
1 Jones Whitmore
1 Law Joseph
2 Meek William
2 Perry James
2 Perry William, Lodge House
1 Tongue Miss Mary

Shoemakers

Anslow Samuel
Corns Daniel
2 Preece John
Stephens Thomas