“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