Wednesbury is situated in Sandwell. It is close to Walsall and has easy
access to the Black Country route and the main road network. This part
of the Black Country is well known for its engineering history and its
contribution to the Industrial revolution. There have been settlements
at Wednesbury for hundreds of years and it is one of the oldest areas
in Sandwell. The first mention of Wednesbury was recorded at the time
of the Anglo Saxon invasions. Wodnesbyri is the first known spelling
and is also found in the Domesday book as Wadnesberie. Woden was the
Saxon God of War and the word beorg means fort.
Wednesbury became
an important fortification in the Kingdom of Mercia. It is known to
have achieved independence from the Anglo Saxon kingdoms in A.D. 625.
Records
show that
two battles were fought with Danish invaders in A.D. 910 at Tettenhall
near Wolverhampton and at Wednesfield. A series of fortifications were
built by Ethelfleda, the daughter of Alfred the Great and Lady of
Mercia to provide more adequate defence against this incursions.
The
Domesday Book of 1086 details the following extract about Wednesbury:
"The King retains Wadnesberie with the appurtenances".
Wednesbury at that time included Bloxwich and Shelfield near Walsall.
During the reign of Henry II, the Manor of Wednesbury passed from Crown
ownership to a Simon de Heronville.
Mediaeval
Wednesbury
was very small, and its inhabitants would appear to have been farmers
and farm workers. However, in 1315 coal had already been discovered and
was being worked. Nail making was also in progress during these times.
William Paget was born in Wednesbury in 1505, the son of a nail maker.
He is noted as having risen to the position of Secretary of State, a
Knight of the Garter and an Ambassador. He was one of executors of the
will of Henry VIII.
Wednesbury
suffered
during the Civil War during to rivalry between various factions. In
1744 records show that John Wesley was assaulted during the Shrove-tide
riots of that year. This was a historic event in the history of
Wesleyanism. John Wesley was the 18th century evangelist and often
preached in the High Bullen area.
The
first turnpike road through Wednesbury was built in 1727 and others
followed soon after. With the arrival of the canals the town expanded
rapidly. Tramcars first appeared in the streets of Wednesbury in 1883
and were originally steam driven. Electric trams were introduced in
1893. The first electric tram ran from Wednesbury to Bloxwich. Trams
ceased to operate in 1939.
The
large increase in population during the industrial revolution saw
Wednesbury expand rapidly. Like all industrial areas of the West
Midlands the town has suffered from the closure of many factories and
workshops in recent years but improvements are constantly being made
and there are now modern shopping facilities and good local amenities.
Wednesbury was made a Municipal Borough in 1886 and together with
nearby Darlaston and Willenhall it used to form part of the Wednesbury
Borough before its incorporation into Sandwell.