Swinford, Old (St. Mary)

SWINFORD, OLD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Stourbridge, partly in the S. division of the hundred of Seisdon, S. division of the county of Stafford, but chiefly in the Lower division of the hundred of Halfshire, Stourbridge and E. divisions of the county of Worcester; containing, with the hamlet of Amblecoat, and the townships of Lye, Stourbridge, Wollaston, and Wollescott, 17,483 inhabitants, of whom 2220 are in Upper Swinford township, 1 mile (S. S. E.) from Stourbridge. The parish comprises by measurement 3212 acres, of which 869½ are in Upper Swinford. The inhabitants are partly employed in the making of nails, which is carried on to a considerable extent, and in various branches connected with the trade of Stourbridge. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £26. 6. 8.; net income, £781; patron, Lord Ward: the tithes, with the exception of those for Amblecoat, were commuted for land in 1780. The body of the church was rebuilt in 1843, at a cost of £4900, raised by subscription and the profits of sermons published by the rector, aided by grants from the Incorporated and Worcester Diocesan Societies: the edifice is of stone, and in the style of the 13th century; it contains 1432 sittings, of which 756 are free. There are also churches at Stourbridge, the Lye, and Amblecoat. The Blue-coat hospital here, founded by Thomas Foley, Esq., ancestor of the noble family of that name, and endowed by him with estates now producing nearly £2300 per annum, is a commodious brick edifice, somewhat in the style of a college, pleasantly situated on the road to Bromsgrove; the number of boys is 70, and they are all boarded. A school near Red-Hill is supported with endowments made by John Wheeler and Henry Glover, Esqrs., the former of whom granted property for the instruction of twenty boys, and the latter bequeathed £400, since laid out in land, for six boys; two scholars have since been added by the governors of Stourbridge grammar school, who are the trustees, and the boys on the foundation of both these charities are taught by the same master. What is left of Glover's endowment, after all necessary charges for the school are paid, is distributed amongst the poor of that part of the parish which is in the county of Worcester.