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Tipton (St. Martin)

TIPTON (St. Martin), a parish, in the union of Dudley, S. division of the hundred of Offlow and of the county of Stafford, 1½ mile (N. E.) from Dudley; containing 18,891 inhabitants. This place, sometimes called Tibbington, is situated nearly in the centre of a rich mining district, and has risen progressively from an inconsiderable village to its present size and importance, from the abundant and apparently exhaustless beds of coal and ironstone under almost every acre of its surface. The coal, which is of excellent quality, occurs in seams about thirty feet in thickness, and is extensively wrought at the Moat and Tibbington collieries, at which, within half a mile of each other, are four powerful steam-engines, pumping from the mines not less than 10,000 tons of water every twenty-four hours, exclusively of numerous other engines in the immediate neighbourhood. The ironstone is also wrought to a very great extent; in the parish are not less than twelve blast-furnaces with apparatus for smelting the ore, and on an average 1500 tons of wrought or malleable iron are made weekly.

There are twelve forges for the manufacture of wrought-iron articles of every kind, including boilers for steam-engines, iron-boats, fenders, fire-irons, hinges, nails, and tin-plates; aud several factories for soap, muriatic potash, and red-lead. The principal iron-works are those of Messrs. John Bagnall and Sons, at Toll-End, in which 250 tons of iron are made weekly; those of Messrs. Edward Cresswell and Sons, producing about the same quantity; and those of Messrs. Bramah, Barrows, and Hall, in which 400 tons are made weekly. In the Gospel-Oak works, belonging to Messrs. John and Edward Walker, the manufacture of iron and tinplates is largely carried on; and adjacent is a foundry in which bridges, immense quantities of cannon, &c, are made. These works together employ 350 persons, and the wrought-iron cannon produced in the establishment have been brought to such perfection as probably to supersede brass cannon, from their possessing more tenacity, when hot, than those of brass, and not being heavier, a great desideratum with artillery-men. In the Factory iron-works of Messrs. Richard Bradley and Son, boiler-plates, &c., are made. At the Moat forge, belonging to Mr. Thomas Spencer, every description of hammered iron is made for marine engines and other uses. The Park-Lane coal and iron works, the property of Messrs. Thomas Morris and Sons; and the Horsley iron-works, belonging to Messrs. Bramah and Co., are also extensive; and there are several others on a smaller scale. The consumption of coal in the parish, in manufactures, is upwards of 4000 tons per week. The various factories are lighted with gas from works at West Bromwich, 2½ miles distant; and the trade is much facilitated by the Birmingham canal, and several of its collateral branches, which intersect the parish, affording a communication with almost every line of inland navigation. A court leet is held annually by the lord of the manor, at which officers are appointed. The parish comprises 2095a. 2r. 7p., the greater portion being arable: the river Trent has its source within a few hundred yards of the western boundary.

The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £419; patron, J. S. Hellier, Esq. The present church, a neat structure of brick with a tower and cupola, was erected at a cost of £1500, in 1797, to replace the ancient edifice which had become dilapidated. St. Paul's church, to which an ecclesiastical district is annexed including Tipton-Green and a population of 7000, was erected in 1839 at a cost of £3700; of this sum, £2000 were granted by the Church Commissioners, and the remainder raised by subscription. It contains 1300 sittings, of which 770 are free in consideration of a grant of £300 from the Incorporated Society. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Incumbent of the parish, and has a parsonage-house; net income, £150. A church district named Ocker-Hill has been endowed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Primitive Methodists, Methodists of the New Connexion, and Wesleyans; and several national schools are supported by subscription, and the proceeds of a bequest of £650 by Mr. Solomon Woodhall, in 1796, for the foundation and endowment of a school, to which subsequent benefactions have been added. Mr. Sheldon bequeathed £40 per annum, to be distributed in bread to poor widows not receiving parochial relief.


Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.

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