The 1872 Post office directory lists 135 Cradley individuals
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, 3 south from Dudley, and 9 1/2 from Birmingham, in the Eastern division of the county of Worcestershire, hundred of Lower Halfshire, Stourbridge union and country court district, rural deanery of Kidderminster, 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. A court baron and a court leet are held here on the last Tuesday in October, at which the steward presides as judge, assisted by a jury. The church, orginally intended for a Lady Huntingdon chapel, is a plain brick building, with cupola and 1 bell, having a chancel, nave and aiseles, and a clock. The register dates from the year 1798. 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 Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Attached to the church is a National school, under Government inspection. The Unitarian school is supported partly by endowment and partly by an annual collection. The number of free boys is 30, fo girls 12. There are also Baptist, Wesleyan, and Ragged schools. Here are places of worship for Unitarians, Baptists, Wesleyans, and New Connexion Methodists. 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 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. There are likewise manufactures of files, rasps, vices, anvils, hammers, nails, anchors, chain cables, and fire bricks. Here are the extensive works of Messrs. Harper and Moores, manufacturers of fire-bricks, clay retorts, crucibles, &c.; 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 J. W. Aston, 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, fertile in 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 ; gross estimated rental, £13,072; 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 7.45 a.m.& 2.40 p.m.; dispatched at 6.45 p.m. The nearest money order office is at Cradley Heath
INSURANCE AGENTS.- Imperial Fire, J. Bloomer
PUBLIC OFFICERS :-
Excise Officer, Osborne Oliver, Clay Bank
Rate Collector, Richard Hawkeswood, Colley gate
Registrar of Births & Deaths, Joseph Smith, Halesowen
SCHOOLS :-
National, Thomas Davies, master; Miss Mary Ann Wooldridge, mistress
Unitarian, Thomas Henry Billingham, master ; Miss Annie Roberts, mistress
Wesleyan, Nicholas Yeamon, master
Baptist, master, vacant
Ragged, Mrs. Emma Field, mistress
Railway Station (Great Western), Richard Roach, station master
CARRIERS :- Simeon Wooldridge, to Crown inn, Broad street, Birmingham, on tuesday, thursday & saturday. Lloyd, to Crown inn, Broad street, Birmingham, tuesday, thursday & saturday, returning at 5 p.m. ; to Spread Eagle, Spiceal street, tuesday, thursday & saturday, returning at 3.30 p.m
Aston James Wood, The Elms
Baker George Henry
Barnett Miss, Fair View lodge
Buncher Rev. James [curate]
Cochrane Rev. Walter [Unitarian], Netherend
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
Morgan Rev. Maurice [Baptist]
Mountford John, Poplar cottage
Mountford Richard, Highfield house
Palmer Rev. Andrew [Wesleyan]
Smith William, Clyde house
Thompson Rev. Joseph H. B.A. [vicar]
Thompson Wesley Hayes
Wood (Mrs.), Colley Gate house
COMMERCIAL.
Adams Jabez, Bull's Head, Overend
Adams William, Blue Ball
Allport Henry, boot & show maker, Windmill hill
Arnett Sarah (Mrs), beer retailer
Aston J. Wood & Co. (late Wood Bros.), manufacturers of chain cables, anchors & rigging chains ; also crane, incline, pit & all other kinds of chains, iron & steel shovels, spades & forks, anvils, vices, scythes, hay & chaff knives, picks, hammers, nails, railway & mining tools, frying pans, bowls, ladles, use iron of all descriptions, Stourbridge fire bricks and clay, &c. &c. Cradley (postal address, Stourbridge). See advertisement
Attwood Eliza (Mrs.), manufacturer of hames of all descriptions
Attwood James, Fish Inn
Attwood William, butcher
Beasley Allen, chain maker, Two gates
Bellingham Geo. beer retlr, Two gates
Bennett Saml. beer retailer, Two gates
Bennett William, Victoria
Bloomer Thomas & Son, nail manufacturers, Colley gate
Bloomer Geo. Albert, draper, Colley gate
Bloomer Isaac Parkes, buildr, Colley gate
Bloomer John, builder, Windmill hill
Bloomer Joseph, grocer
Bloomer Philip, chain maker
Bloxley Peter, chain maker
Blunt Felix, shopkeeper
Blunt Thomas, chain maker
Brettell James, grocer
Bridgwater John, grocer
Bunn William, beer retailer
Clewes Thomas. & Son, mop maker, Park side
Cook Elizabeth (Mrs.), Crown
Cox Thos. beer retailer, Windmill hill
Cradley Colliery Co. (Edward Jewkes, manager), coal masters
Crompton Henry, nail maker
Darby Christopher, linen draper
Darby Joseph, tailor, Windmill hill
Deeley William, Rose &Crown
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 Thomas, Old Mogul, Netherend
Fellows William, miller
Finch Simeon, Old Two Gates
Foley Edward, farmer, Homer hill
Folkes Wm. beer retailer, Windmill hill
Forrest Brothers & Co. manufacturers of wrought nails, chain cables, anchor, crane & ship's rigging chains, spades & shovels, anvils & vices &c. & iron merchants, Windmill hill
Forrest Alice Helen (Mrs.), ironmonger, Windmill hill
Forrest Edwd. shopkeeper, Windmill hill
Fox Thomas, maltster, Overend
Gadd Joseph, cider retailer
Gill Daniel, butcher
Griffin William, anchor maker
Grove John Haden, grocer, Colley gate
Harper & Moores, coal masters, manufacturers of Stourbridge fire bricks of all descriptions, fire clay retorts, crucibles & glasshouse pots of all kinds, & proprietors of best glasshouse pot clay, Lower Delph works. See advertisement
Harper Reuben, beer retailer, Colley gate
Hawkeswood Richard. Sun, Colley gate
Hawkeswood William Herbert, farmer, Overend
Hill Albion, nail maker
Hill John, boot & shoe maker
Hill Thomas, farmer, Park Lane farm
Hingley James, butcher & farmer
Hingley James, chain maker
Hipkiss Hen. iron manfr. Lodge forge
Hodgetts Rubey Charles, polishing felt manufacturer, Park side
Homer Paul, general dealer, Park side
Hughes Harry, grocer
Hughes Isaiah, Holly Bush
Hughes Samuel, maltster
Jones & Lloyd, manfrs. of chain cables
Jones Isaac, painter, Windmill hill
Jones Samuel, beer retailer
Jones Susannah. (Mrs) maltstr. Nethernd
King Joseph & Co. coal proprietors & manufacturers of blue bricks, tiles &c. Netherend
King Brothers, manufacturers of fire bricks, glasshouse pots &c. & crucibles in clay & plumbago, & proprietors of Stourbridge clay; & at 36, 37 & 38 Lichfield street, Birmingham. See advt
Laister Thomas, maltster, Colley gate
Lane James, iron founder
Leonard James, farmer, Cradley forge
Leonard Samuel, May Pole
Markham Frederick John, grocer
Mason Charles, farmer, Overend
Mills Edward, wheelwright, Colley gate
Mole Fanny (Miss), beer retailer, 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 Edwin, contractor, Colley gate
Oliver William, maltster
Paddock Hannah (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Parks William, shopkeeper, Colley lane
Parrock George, draper
Partridge Geo. chain manfr. High park
Pateshill John, tanner, Park side
Pearson Amos, linen draper
Perry James, grocer, Two gates
Priest Ellen (Mrs.), shopkeeper, Colley la
Priest John, smith
Roper Emanuel, shopkeeper, Colley gate
Roper William, farmer, Windmill hill
Shaw William, brick maker, Netherend
Sidaway William, shopkeeper
Southall John, nail maker
South Staffordshire Waterworks Co. offices, 56 Union passage, Birmingham
Stevens John, grocer, Netherend
Stevens Richd. beer retlr. Windmill hill
Stevens Wm. beer retailer, Netherend
Tandy David, butcher, Colley gate
Tate James, shopkeeper
Tate Samuel, British Arms
Tate William, Bridge inn
Taylor Geo. boot & shoe maker, Colley la
Taylor William, nail maker
Thompson Wesley Hayes, surgeon
Tibbetts Elizabeth (Mrs.), Shovel inn, Park side
Walker David, nail maker
Walker Felix, nail maker
Walker William, nail maker
Warr Samuel, brick maker
Webb Thomas, plumber &c
Williams Thomas, linen draper, Windmill hill
Yates Ann (Mrs.), beer retailer
Yeomans Williams, tailor
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Post Office Directory (1872) p.1408
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Post Office Directory (1872) p.1409
