HALESOWEN

Descriptive Notes:

Directories:
HALES-OWEN, a parish comprising the market town of Hales-Owen, in the Hales-Owen division of the hundred of BRIMSTREE, a detached portion of the county of SALOP, and the chapelry of Cradley, and the hamlets of Luttley and Warley-Wigorn, in the lower division of the hundred of HALIFSHIRE, county of WORCESTER, and containing 10,946 inhabitants, of which number, 8817 are in that part of the parish which is in the county of Salop, and 1759 in the town of Hales- Owen, 35 miles (S.E.) from Shrewsbury, and 120 (N.W.) from London.

This place is said to have been formerly a borough, though it does not appear to have ever returned members to parliament. King John, in the sixteenth year of his reign, gave the manor and the advowson of the church, which is stated to have been built prior to the Norman Conquest, to Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, who founded here a priory of Premonstratensian canons, which, from parts of the walls yet remaining, though concealed by brambles and weeds, appears to have been an extensive edifice, and from the gable end of the chapter-house, in which are some fine lancet windows, to have been in the early style of English architecture. At the dissolution, its revenue was estimated at £337. 15. 6.; some vestiges of the abbot's kitchen are still visible in a farm-house near the town..

Hales-Owen is more celebrated for having been the birthplace and residence of the poet Shenstone, than for any events of historical interest.

The town is situated in a fertile vale watered by the river Stour which has its source in the neighbouring hills, and surrounded with scenery of a varied and pleasing character. It consists principally of one street, in which are some respectable houses, and of some smaller streets containing humbler dwellings irregularly built. In the vicinity are several detached mansions, of which the Leasowes the patrimonial estate and residence of Shenstone, has been deservedly eulogized for the classic taste and elegant chasteness of style with which, during his lifetime the natural beauty of the grounds had been artificially heightened and improved.

The principal branches of manufacture in the town are, nails, and some few articles of iron. The manufacture of steel is extensively carried on at Corngreaves, and some coal mines have been recently opened in the parish. The small river Stour runs through the town, and the Netherton canal passes within half a mile of it. The market is on Monday, but is indifferently attended : the fairs are on the Mondays in Easter and Whitsun weeks.

The town is within the jurisdiction of the county magistrates; and a high and low bailiff, constable, and headborough, are annually appointed at the court leet of the lord of the manor. A court of requests is held every third week, under an act passed in the 47th of George III, for the recovery of debts under £5, the jurisdiction of which extends over the parishes of Hales-Owen, Rowley-Regis, Tipton, West Bromwich, Harborne, and the manor of Bradley, in the parish of Wolverhampton, in the counties of Worcester, Salop, and Stafford..

The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester, rated in the king's books at £15. 8. ll½ , and in the patronage of Lord Lyttelton. The church, dedicated to St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist, is a spacious structure in the Norman style of architecture, with later insertions, having a tower surmounted by a lofty spire: the interior contains a handsome monument to the memory of Major Halliday, and an urn to that of the poet Shenstone, who was buried in the church-yard in 1763. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists.

The free grammar school was founded under a commission for charitable uses, in 1652, and endowed with lands and tenements bequeathed by various benefactors to the parish, now producing more than £100 per ann., of which, £30 is paid to the usher, and the remainder to the master, who has also the school-house, with a good garden and six acres of land; there are about forty boys, who are now instructed in English grammar, writing, and arithmetic. Shenstone received the rudiments of his education in this school. At Honington, in this parish, a free school was founded, in 1684, by William Smith, and endowed with lands producing about £15 per annum, for the education of twenty poor children.

Dr. Adam Littleton, author of a Latin Dictionary and other works, who died in 1694; and William Caslon, the celebrated type-founder, who died in 1766; were born in this parish. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
The township of 'Halesowen' was in a detached portion of Shropshire (Brimstree Hundred), as were townships of Cakemore, Hasbury, Hawne, Hill, Illey, Lapal, Ridgacre & Warley Salop (all transferred along with the township of Halesowen to Worcestershire (Halfshire Hundred) in 1844 for civil purposes, and each a separate Civil Parish in 1866 in Worcestershire.
Also the township of Hunnington which was transferred to Worcestershire at the same time as the others in 1844. It was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 in Worcestershire. Ecclesiastically it was in the chapel at St Kenelm.
Also the township of Oldbury which was transferred to Worcestershire at the same time as the others in 1844. It was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 in Worcestershire and a separate Ecclesiastical Parish in 1715. It was ecclesiastically refounded 1841.
Also the township of Romsley which was transferred to Worcestershire at the same time as others in 1844. It was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 in Worcestershire. It was ecclesiastically in the chapel at St Kenelm until 'Romsley' became a separate Ecclesiastical Parish in 1841.
Halesowen included in Worcestershire (Halfshire Hundred) a chapel at Cradley which was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 and a separate Ecclesiastical Parish in 1812 being ecclesiastically refounded in 1841.
Halesowen included a chapel at Frankley which had a separate civil identity early and became a separate Ecclesiastical Parish in 1860.
Halesowen included a hamlet at Lutley, a hamlet at Warley Wigorn, each a separate Civil Parish in 1866, so that Halesowen was entirely Worcestershire from 1844.
In 1974 the Municipal Borough of Halesowen became a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley within the county of West Midlands.[25] [44]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO966836
7 miles West of Birmingham

Parish Church:
St. John the Baptist, Queensway

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester until 1921, Archdeaconry of Dudley & Diocese of Worcester (1921 - *) [25]

Hundred:
Brimstree until 1844; Lower Halfshire thereafter [25]

Poor Law Union:
Stourbridge [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Rowley Regis (Staffordshire); Oldbury; Smethwick; Harborne (Staffordshire); Northfield; Frankley; Hunnington; Romsley; Clent; Hagley; Pedmore; Lye; Cradley [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1559-1971	[5]
	Marriages	1559-1970	[5]
	Burials	1559-1971	[5]
	Banns	1762-83	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	General	1559-1643; 1737-61	[27]

The original registers are at Dudley Archives & Local History Service

Bishops' Transcripts:
Begin 1613 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [22]

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Parish Registers	Births / Christenings	1559-1643; 1736-1875
	Marriages	1559-1642; 1736-1881
Independent	Births / Christenings	1805-1821; 1831-1837

Register Copies:
On BMSGH microfiche [9] :
Part1: Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1717-36
Part2: Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1736/37-1754 CB 1754-61 CB 1754-61
Part3: Christenings 1762-1812
Part4: Christenings & Burials 1813-37
Part5: Marriages 1754-1837

At Dudley Archives & Local History Service [62] :
Microform: Christenings 1559-1971 Marriages 1559-1970 Burials 1559-1971
Originals: Christenings 1559-1948 Marriages 1559-1966 Burials 1559-1949
Transcripts: Christenings 1717-61 Marriages 1717-54 Burials 1717-61
Originals: Banns 1754-83 (with index)

At Society of Genealogists [68]:
Christenings & Burials 1559-1643, Marriages 1559-1642: Parish Register Society, vol. 66 - Published London : Parish Register Society, 1910 - Author Hobday, E (trans.)
St. John the Baptist : Christenings 1559-1601, 1609-43, 1652-1971, Marriages 1559-1601, 1609-43, 1653-1970, banns 1754-83, Burials 1559-1601, 1609-43, 1653-1971; MIs in the church (extracts), churchwardens' accounts (1487-89?), 1498-1582, 1612-41 [Microfilm.] - Published Salt Lake City : Genealogical Society of Utah, 1998
St. John the Baptist: Christenings & Burials 1762-1837, Marriages 1754-1837 [Microfiche.] - Published Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry 2005
St John the Baptist : Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1717-36 - Published , 1987 - Author: Halesowen Local History
St. John the Baptist : Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1736/7-54, Christenings & Burials 1754-61 - Published Birmingham, 1983 - Author: Thompson, Anne et al. (trans.)
St. John the Baptist : Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1736/7-54, Christenings & BurialsB 1754-61: Worcestershire registers, vol. 2 [Typescript.] - Published : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1983 - Author: Thompson, Ann (trans.)

Nonconformist:
At Dudley Archives & Local History Service [63] :
Congregational
Independent Meeting House; Microform Christenings 1805-37
Methodist
Birmingham Street: Christenings 1847-1983
Marriages 1930-82 (Register of closed churches)
Hasbury: Christenings 1848-90
Shenstone: Christenings 1917-58 Marriages 1933-54 (Registers of closed churches)
Zion: Christenings 1872-1977 Marriages 1934-70 (Register of closed churches)

At Society of Genealogists:
Independent chapel : Christenings 1805-37 [Typescript.]- Published , 1989 - Author: Cox, Janice V (trans.)

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
St. John the Baptist: (Church (extracts)) Society of Genealogists [59]

Census Records:
Access to all the censuses between 1841 and 1901 is now widely available on the library edition of Ancestry.co.uk at most record offices. You are strongly advised to book time on their computers before making a visit.
Many commercial organisations have issued CDs and DVDs covering all the censuses from 1841 to 1901.

Some repositories offer census details on microfiche as listed below:
1851 Census: Full transcript & surname index BMSGH microfiche
1841 Shropshire Archives
1841 Dudley Archives & Local History Service
1851-1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]
1851 census Worcestershire, vol. 1 Halesowen : transcript & surname index - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1996 - Author: Friend, A F Society of Genealogists
1871 census Greater Birmingham (part) plus Budbrooke, Dunchurch & Leamington surname & folio index plus images of the folios for pieces RG 10/2968-2974, 3076-3086, 3088-3089, 3119, 3134-3160 & 3187-3193 [CD-ROM] - Published Birmingham Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry 2004 - Society of Genealogists

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1660-1854 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Cradley: Abstracts of admissions and surrenders 1716-1903 [19th-20th cents.]; Account book re legal transactions 1842-90; Court roll 1716-1903 Halesowen: Abstracts of admissions and surrenders 1717-1915; Account book re legal transactions 1842-90; Court roll 1690-1701[2], 1715-80, 1783-1915; Manor suit rolls and court leet papers 1765-1821

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Churchwardens accounts 1498-1582
Churchwardens accounts book 1612-41

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Stourbridge Road C P School
Infants' Dept. Log Books - 1878 - 1923 - Ref: BA 1242 / 5

Tenter Street C P
Boys' Dept Log book - 1909 - 39 - Ref: BA 3929 / 3
Girls' Dept Log book - 1909 - 34 - Ref: BA 3929 / 2
Infants' Dept Log book - 1909 - 46 - Ref: BA 3929 / 1

A handlist of other records of schools and of other educational establishments held by Worcestershire Record Office for this parish can be found here.

Other Sources:
At Society of Genealogists :
Court rolls of the Manor of Hales, 1270-1307, part 1 & 2 : Worcestershire Historical Society [vol. 30] - Published Oxford : Worcestershire Historical Society, 1912 - Authors: Amphlett, John ed. & Hamilton, Sidney Graves ed.
Court rolls of the Manor of Hales, part 3 containing additional courts for the years 1276-1301 & Romsley courts 1280-1303 : Worcestershire Historical Society [vol. 41] - Published London : Worcestershire Historical Society, 1933 - Author: Wilson, Ronald Alyn ed.
Additional Court rolls of the Manor of Hales
Hearth tax returns for Dudley & Stourbridge 1664 - 1666 - 1674 - Published Kingswinford : P E Chandler, 1992 - Author Chandler, Peter (trans.)
Oldbury & round about in the Worcestershire corner of the Black country - Published Birmingham ; Wolverhampton : Cornish Brothers ; Whitehead Brothers Ltd, 1915 - Author: Hackwood, Frederick William

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 30th March 2008

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