|
Pigot & Company produced a
national commercial directory in 1828 which includes a
section about Wednesbury, Willenhall and Darlaston. I
have removed the entries for Darlaston and listed them
below. The section includes the following description of
the town.
Darlaston, a thriving and populous
village, in a parish of the same name, in the same
hundred as Wednesbury, is one mile from that town and
five from Wolverhampton. The coal mines in this parish
are very extensive, and the ironstone beneath the strata
of coal is of great value and considerable thickness.
The manufactures here consist of many small articles in
iron, as bolts, latches, hinges and locks of all
descriptions; besides which, iron hurdles for fancy
fencing, gates etc. are wrought in considerable
quantities; and on Darlaston green is the extensive
concern of Mr. Richard Bills, for the manufacture of
swarf iron, for fluted rollers etc. Here is one church
under the establishment, and a chapel each belonging to
the Wesleyan, independent and primitive methodists, and
a large national school. The living of the church is a
rectory, in the patronage of the Rev. C. Simeon, and
incumbency of the Rev. Samuel Lowe. The number of
inhabitants in the parish in 1821 was 5,585, consisting
of 2,862 males, and 2,723 females. |
