Kingswinsford in 1841
Kingswinford, or more correctly, King's Swinford (Swinford Regis) is on the Northern division of Seisdon hundred, about 3 miles from Stourbridge (Worcestershire), on the road to Wolverhampton. It belonged to the Crown at the time of the Domesday Survey, hence its designation of King's Swinford. The old church has some ancient portions deserving of notice; and there has been a new church built at Wordsley in the parish, about a mile and a half from the village. There is a Independent chapel at Brierley Hill. There are some remains of a Roman camp in the village ; and Holbeach House, where the leaders in the Gunpowder Plot were taken, is also in the parish.
The area of the parish is 7,130 acres : the population in 1831 was 15,156 ; of whom 500 men were employed in the manufacture of iron goods in great variety ; 400 in coal and iron mines ; and 1,200 in labour of other kinds not agricultural.
There were in 1833, two subscription day and Sunday-schools, beside a number of private day-schools and several Sunday-schools. |