Kelly's 1876 Directory

“The Post Office directory of Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire” published by Kelly and Co., London, 1876, lists 152 residents of Cradley

CRADLEY is a township, and extensive and populous district of the parish of Halesowen, having a station on the Birmingham and Stourbridge section of the Great Western railway, situated 2 1/2 miles east from Stourbridge, 4 south from Dudley, and 9 1/2 south-west from Birmingham, in the Eastern division of the county, hundred of Lower Halfshire, Stourbridge union and country court district, rural deanery of Dudley, and archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester. The town itself lies a little off the main road ; it forms part of a populous mercantile and manufacturing neighbourhood, in which the iron trade is carried on in all its branches. The church, orginally intended for a Lady Huntingdon chapel, is a brick building, which was restored in the year 1874, at a cost of £4,000: has chancel, nave and aisles, and modern Gothic tower containing 8 bells and a clock. The register dates from the year 1798. In 1852 a grant of land was made by the sons of the late Rev. George Biggs (a former vicar of the parish of Halesowen) for the enlargement of the burial ground of this parish. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £300, in the gift of the rector of Halesowen, and held by the Rev. Joseph Hesselgrave Thompson, B.A., of Hertford College, Oxford. Attached to the church is a National school, under Government inspection. Here are places of worship for Unitarians, Baptists, Wesleyans, and New Connexion Methodists. The Unitarian school is supported partly by endowment and partly by annual collections. The extensive iron works of Messrs. Evers and Sons are in this district : the firm are engaged principally in the manufacture of superior qualities of iron, by the charcoal or wood coal process ; files, rasps, vices, anvils, hammers, nails, anchors, chain cables, and fire bricks are made, and here are the extensive works of Messrs. Harper and Moores, manufacturers of fire-bricks, clay retorts, and crucibles ; this firm are also proprietors of Stourbridge clay. Messrs. King Brothers are also proprietors of the celebrated Stourbridge clay, and have likewise extensive works for the manufacture of bricks and other fire-clay goods. The works of the Cradley Colliery Company are situated in the centre of the parish. One mile from the northern extremity of Cradley, in a romantic vale, agreeably diversified with plantations of firs, is a spring of salt water, called the Lady Well, highly esteemed on account of its medicinal qualities : in the summer it is very much frequented. There are a few handsome residences here : the Elms is the seat of W. P. Strawson, esq., the view from the grounds and windows of which is extensive and picturesque. Lord Lyttleon is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are the New British Iron Company, Jeston Homfray, esq., and the Old Swinford Hospital. The soil in general is a rich clay, producing all kinds of grain, and forming excellent pasturage ; and the lands on the north and west of Netherend (a part of the township of Cradley) abound with coal and ironstone. The area is 732 acres ; rateable value, £11,287; the population in 1861 was 4,075, and in 1871, 4,700.

NETHEREND, Colley Gate, Overend, Two Gates, and Coleman Hill are near the town.

Parish Clerk, Isaac Bloomer.

POST OFFICE.- Mrs Elizabeth Christopher, receiver. Letters arrive from Brierley Jill at 7.30 a.m.& 2.40 p.m.; dispatched at 8.35 a.m. & 6.35 p.m. The nearest money order office is at Cradley Heath

INSURANCE AGENTS.- Imperial, John Bloomer & G. Burford, Cradley Heath

PUBLIC OFFICERS :-

Excise Officer, Osborne Oliver, Clay Bank

Rate Collector, Ambrose Pearson, Two Lane ends, Colley gt

Registrar of Births & Deaths, Felix Smith, Halesowen

SCHOOLS :-

British, Samuel Bridge, master; Mrs Mary Bridge, mistress

National, Thomas Davies, master; Miss Ann Metheringham, mistress

Unitarian, James McIlwrath, master ; Miss Sarah Roberts, mistress

Railway Station, Richard Roach station master

CARRIERS TO BIRMINGHAM.- Simeon Wooldridge, to Crown inn, Broad st. on tues. thurs & sat, ; Lloyd, to Crown inn, Broad st. tues. thurs. & sat, returning at 5 p.m. ; to 'Spread Eagle', Spiceal st. tues. thurs. & sat. returning at 3.20 p.m

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.

Attwood Thos. Essington ho. Colman hl

Baker George Henry, Colley gate

Barnett Miss, Fair View lodge

Bloomer Isaac Parkes

Brougall James, Colley gate

Bullock Joseph, Colley gate

Buncher Rev. James [curate]

Cochrane Rev. Walter [Unitarian], Netherend

Cragh Thomas, Aston villas

Dakin Geo. Fdk. Clent view, Windmill hl

Forrest Joshua, Poplar cottage

Griffin William

Hingley Bardesley, Aston vils. Colley gt

Hingley Joseph, Linton house

Hingley Noah, J.P. Hatherton Lodge

Hingley Samuel, Fairview

Homer Joseph Benjamin, Chapel house

Homer Mrs, Colley gate

Homer Thomas, Colley gate

Homfray Jeston, Coleman hill

Kendrick Wm. West end, Colley gate

Lloyd Thomas Hemmings

Morgan Rev. Maurice [Baptist]

Mountford John, Colley Gate house

Mountford Richard, Highfield house

Smith William Robinson, Clyde house

Strawson William Pearson, The Elms

Thompson Rev. Joseph H. B.A. [vicar]

Thompson Wesley Hayes

Tucker Rev. Alfred [Wesleyan]

COMMERCIAL.

Adams Jabez, Bull's Head, Overend

Adams Wm. chair maker, Windmill hl

Arnett Sarah (Mrs), beer retailer

Attwood Eliza (Mrs.), hame maker & beer retailer

Attwood James, Fish Inn

Attwood William, butcher

Bayliss George, Bridge inn

Beasley Allen, chain maker, Two gates

Bennet Saml. beer retailer, Two gates

Bird Mary Ann (Mrs.), haberdasher &c

Bloomer Geo. Albert, draper, Colley gate

Bloomer Isaac Parkes, bldr. Windmill hl

Bloomer John, grocer, Windmill hill

Bloomer Joseph, grocer

Bloomer Mary (Mrs.), pawnbroker

Bloomer Philip, chain maker

Bloxley Peter, chain maker

Blunt Felix, shopkeeper

Blunt Thomas, chain maker

Brettell Edward, grocer

Brettell James, grocer

Bridgwater John, grocer & agent for W. & A. Gilbey, wine & spirit merchants

Brooks David, Black Swan

Bunn William, beer retailer

Burchell George, haberdasher

Cartwright Fanny (Mrs.), shopkeeper

Clewes T.M. & Son, hardware dealers, Park side

Clift Henry, boot & shoe maker

Coley Christopher, shopkeeper

Cook Hannah (Mrs.), Crown

Cox Thos. beer retailer, Windmill hill

Cradley Colliery Co. (Edward Jewkes, manager), coal masters

Crompton Henry, nail maker

Darby Joseph, tailor, Windmill hill

Deeley William, Rose &Crown

Dunn William, Blue Ball

Evers Samuel & Sons, manufacturers of charcoal rods, best & common nail rods, fencing rods & bars, small, square & round, also importers of swedish rods, Cradley iron works

Fellows Susannah (Mrs.), miller

Fellows Thos. beer retailer, Netherend

Finch Simeon, Old Two Gates

Foley Edward, farmer, Homer hill

Foley Martha (Mrs.), dress maker

Forrest Brothers & Co. manufacturers of horse nails & wrought nails, chain cables, anchor, crane & ship's rigging chains, spades, shovels & forks, anvils, vices & cart hames &c. & iron merchants. See advertisement

Forrest Richd. beer retailer, Windmill hl

Fox Thomas, maltster, Overend

Gadd Joseph, greengrocer

Gill Daniel, butcher

Griffin Wm. anchor ma. Victoria works

Grove John Haden, grocer, Colley gate

Harbach Ann (Mrs.), dress maker

Hawkeswood Benj. Sun, Colley Gate

Hawkeswood William Herbert, farmer, Overend

Hawkeswood James, butcher

Hill Albion, nail maker

Hill Christopher, shopkeeper

Hill Daniel, butcher

Hill John, boot & shoe maker

Hill Labon, haberdasher, Cradley forge

Hill Thos. beer retlr. Park Lane farm

Hingley Benjamin, grocer

Hingley James, beer retailer

Hingley James, butcher & farmer

Hingley James, chain maker

Hopkiss Hy. iron manufr. Lodge forge

Hodgetts Emily (Mrs.) polishing felt manufacturer, Park side

Homer Hill Colliery Co. Limited (A. Ebenezer Wenham, sec)

Homer Hy. greengrocer, Cradley forge

Homer Paul, general dealer, Park side

Hughes Harry, grocer

Hughes Isaiah, Holly Bush

Hughes Samuel. malster

Jones & Lloyd, manufrs. of chain cables

Jones Isaac, painter, Windmill hill

Jones Samuel, beer retailer

Jones Susannah. (Mrs) maltstr. Nethernd

Laister Thomas, farmer, Colley gate

Lane James, iron founder

Leonard Eliza (Mrs.) frmr. Cradley forge

Leonard Samuel, May Pole

Manning George, beer retailer

Mason Charles, farmer

Mears Frank, shopkeeper

Mole Jane (Miss), beer retlr. Colley gate

Mole Wm. Hy. blacksmith, Colley gate

Moore John, shopkeeper

Mountford, Homer & Mountford, iron merchants & manufacturers of wrought nails, chain cables, anchors, crane & ships' rigging chains, spades & shovels, anvils, vices &c. Cradley works ; & 6 1/2 & 7 Fore street, Limehouse, London e

Oliver William, maltster & beer retailer

Paddock Hannah (Mrs.), grocer

Parkes William, shopkeeper, Colley lane

Parrock George, draper

Partridge Geo. chain manfr. High park

Pateshill John, tanner, Park side

Peake Samuel, grocer

Pearson Ambrose, dairymn. & rate colletr

Pearson Amos, linen draper

Perry James, grocer, Two gates

Priest James, nail maker

Priest John, smith

Raybould Phoebe (Mrs.), shopkeeper

Roper Emanuel, White Lion inn, Colley gate

Shaw William, brick maker, Netherend

Sidaway William, shopkeeper

Southall John, nail maker

Southam Geo. nail maker, Windmill hl

South Staffordshire Waterworks Co. offices, 56 Union passage, Birmingham

Spencer Edward William, shopkeeper, Windmill hl

Stevens John, grocer, Netherend

Stevens Richard, The Windmill, Windmill hill

Tandy David, butcher, Colley gate

Tate James, shopkeeper

Tate Samuel, British Arms

Tate William, beer retailer

Taylor Geo. boot & shoe maker, Colley la

Taylor William, nail maker

Thompson Wesley Hayes, surgeon

Tibbetts Elizabeth (Mrs.), Shovel inn, Park side

Turner Richard, nail maker

Walker David, nail maker

Walker Felix, nail maker

Walker William, nail maker

Warr Samuel, brick maker

Willetts Zachariah, coal dealer, Colley gt

Worton Chas. nail maker, Windmill hl