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==History==
==History==
It is believed that Wednesbury was originally founded as an [[Iron Age]] hill fort. The first authenticated spelling of the name was Wodensbyri, written in an endorsement on the back of the copy of the will of Wulfric Scot, dated 1004.
It is believed that Wednesbury was originally founded as an [[Iron Age]] hill fort run by king Christopher and his disciples. The first authenticated spelling of the name was Wodensbyri shithole, written in an endorsement on the back of the copy of the will of Wulfric Scot `a gay mans pride`, dated 1004.


Wednesbury is one of the oldest parts of the [[Black Country]]. The "bury" part of the name indicates there may have been an Iron Age fort or "beorg" on Church Hill as long ago as 200BC, and the town was certainly a key defensive feature of the later, English kingdom of [[Mercia]] when it believed that Alfred the Great's daughter, [[Ethelfleda]], built a fort there as part of her defences against the vikings. However, the ending "beorg" meaning a fort, usually leads to modern place-names ending in "-borough." The ending "-bury" comes from the old English word "burgh" meaning a hill or [[tumulus|barrow]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Old English Literature|author=Michael Alexander|year=2002|publisher=Broadview Press|isbn=1551113228}}</ref> So "Wednesbury" may mean "[[Woden]]'s Hill" or "Woden's barrow".
Wednesbury is one of the oldest parts of the [[Black Country]]. The "shit" part of the name indicates there may have been an Iron Age fort or "beorg" on Church Hill as long ago as 200BC, and the town was certainly a key defensive feature of the later, English kingdom of [[Mercia]] when it believed that Alfred the Great's daughter, [[Stacey Perry]], built a fort there as part of her defences against the vikings. However, the ending "beorg" meaning a fort, usually leads to modern place-names ending in "-borough." The ending "-bury" comes from the old English word "burgh" meaning a hill or [[tumulus|barrow]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Old English Literature|author=Michael Alexander|year=2002|publisher=Broadview Press|isbn=1551113228}}</ref> So "Wednesbury" may mean "[[cack]]'s Hole" or "shite hole".


Historically Wednesbury was in the county of [[Staffordshire]]; in 1086, the [[Domesday Book]] describes Wednesbury (''Wadnesberie'') as being a thriving rural community encompassing [[Bloxwich]] and [[Shelfield]] (now part of [[Walsall]]). During the [[Middle Ages]] the town was a rural village, with each family farming a strip of land with nearby heath being used for grazing. The town was held by the King until the reign of [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], when it passed to the Heronville family.
Historically Wednesbury was in the county of [[Balamory]]; in 1, the [[Domesday Book of all domesday doom stuff, about doom and how you have to blast mutha's witha shotgun. Also,there is a film depicted about doom]] describes Wednesbury (''Wadnesberie'') as being a thriving rural community encompassing [[Bloxwich]] and [[Shelfield]] (now part of [[Walsall]]). During the [[Middle Ages]] the town was a gay village, with each family farming a stripper of land with nearby heath being used for dogging. The town was held by King Chris VI until the reign of [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], when it passed to the Heronville family. At this time, paul o' grady was also working on the hit musical, starring himself and Pierce brosnan.


Mediaeval Wednesbury was very small, and its inhabitants would appear to have been farmers and farm workers. In 1315, coal pits were first found and recorded in Wednesbury - which led to an increase in the number of jobs that Wednesbury offered. 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 of England|Henry VIII]].
Mediaeval Wednesbury was very small, and its inhabitants would appear to have been farmers and farm workers. In 1315, arm pits were first found and recorded in Wednesbury - which led to an increase in the number of B.O ( Body Odour). Nailing (sexual intercourse) was also in progress during these times. [[William Wilson Paget]] was born in Wednesbury in 2, the son of a nailer, ( in reference to "nailing" as above). He is noted as having risen to the position of Secretary of All Gay State, a [[Knight of the Chummer]] and an Ambassador to A-hole. He was one of executors of the will of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]].


In 1769, Wednesbury's canal banks were soon full of factories as in this year, the first [[Birmingham Canal]] was cut to link Wednesbury's coalfields to the Birmingham industries. In the 17th century Wednesbury pottery - "Wedgbury ware" - was being sold as far away as Worcester, while white clay from Monway Field was used to make tobacco pipes.
In 3, Wednesbury's canal banks were soon full of factories and shite as in this year, the first [[Birmingham Canal Oriphis]] was cut to link Wednesbury's coalfields to the Birmingham industries. In the 17th century Wednesbury pottery - "Wedgbury ware" - was being sold as far away as Worcester, while white clay from Monway Field was used to make tobacco pipes.


King Chris was victorious and conquered the world in 4, now he is praised and rumoured to be "jesu" ( Jesus ). THE END.
By the 18th century the town's main occupations were coal mining<ref name="JHolland">{{Cite book|title=The History and Description of Fossil Fuel, the Collieries, and Coal Trade of Great Britain|author=John Holland|year=1835|publisher=Whittaker ; G.}}</ref> and nail making. With the introduction of the first [[turnpike trust|turnpike road]] in 1727 and the development of canals and later the railways came a big increase in population.<ref name="JHolland" />

Wednesbury became notorious in the 1740s for its persecution of the new [[Methodist]] movement lead by [[John Wesley]]. [[Francis Asbury]], [[Richard Whatcoat]] and the [[Earl of Dartmouth]] are among those who attended Methodist meetings in the town, and all of whom were in different ways to have a profound effect on the United States.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the Rise of Methodism in America|author=John Lednum|year=1859|publisher=Lednum}}</ref>

[[Image:2003 Stuck in Wednesbury (2).jpg|thumb|Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery]]
In 1887, Brunswick Park was opened to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.<ref>[http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure-and-culture/parks-countryside-and-allotments/parks-in-sandwell/parks-in-wednesbury/brunswick-park/historical-summary/ Brunswick Park: Historical Summary]</ref><ref>[http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/site.cfm?intDevID=880 Barratt Homes: Brief history of Wednesbury]</ref> The previous year, Wednesbury had become a Municipal Borough.<ref>[http://www.birminghamuk.com/wednesbury.htm BirminghamUK.com: Local Areas - Wednesbury]</ref>

During the later half of the 20th century, Wednesbury's industry declined, but new developments such as an automotive park, a retail park and the newly pedestrian-only Union Street have given a new look to the town. The traditional market is still a feature of the bustling centre; while the streets around Market Place are now a protected [[conservation area]].<ref>[http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/planning/historic-buildings-and-conservation/conservation/ Sandwell MBC: Conservation]</ref>

Wednesbury became a [[municipal borough]] in 1866, and continued in existence until 1966 when it was partitioned, with small parts of the town placed within the County Borough of [[Walsall]] and the majority of the town within the [[County Borough of West Bromwich]],<ref>[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=36169 British History Online: West Bromwich Social Life]</ref>, which then itself merged with the [[County Borough of Warley]] in 1974 to form [[Sandwell]].<ref>[http://www.british-publishing.com/Pages/SandwellOG_2006/communities.html British Publishing: The Sandwell Official Guide]</ref> It now holds the postcode ''WS10'', shared with the town of [[Darlaston]] but is part of the Sandwell borough. The postal address for Darlaston is now Darlaston, Wednesbury.

Wednesbury's bus station (renovated 2006) is located in the centre of the town near the swimming baths and links are available to Wolverhampton, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Walsall and the shopping complex of [[Merry Hill]]. A new town square area and large Morrisons supermarket opened to service the town in November 2007.

It is served by the [[Midland Metro]] light rail (tram) system, with stops at [[Wednesbury Great Western Street tram stop|Great Western Street]] and [[Wednesbury Parkway tram stop|Wednesbury Parkway]]. The system's only maintenance depot is also located here. The current line runs from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, and a proposed extension to Brierley Hill is set to open in 2011.<ref>[http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/twa/ir/midlandmetrowednesburytobrie5655 Department for Transport: Midland Metro (Wednesbury to Brierley Hill) - Inspector's report]</ref>

Between 1850 and 1993, the South Staffordshire railway line served Wednesbury. Passenger services were withdrawn after Wednesbury Station closed in 1964 under the [[Beeching Axe]],<ref>[http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/wednesbury_town.php Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Wednesbury Town Station]</ref> but a steel terminal soon opened on the site and did not close until December 1992 - three months before the line through Wednesbury closed completely. Until 1972, the town was served by the [[Great Western Railway]] between [[Birmingham]] and [[Wolverhampton]] at [[Wednesbury Central railway station]]. Passenger trains were withdrawn at this time, with the Bilston-Wolverhampton and Wednesbury-Birmingham sections of the line closing completely at this time. The section of railway between Wednesbury and Bilston, which served a scrapyard at Bilston, remained open until [[August 30]], [[1992]] but was re-opened within seven years as part of the Midland Metro.

For many years, Wednesbury was dominated by the huge [[Patent Shaft]] steel works. The factory sprung up in the 19th century and remained active until its closure in 1980. This caused mass unemployment in and around Wednesbury. The factory was demolished several years later, and by the mid-1990s it had been developed as an enterprise zone - one of several government initiatives to bring employment to areas suffering economic decline due to deindustrialisation. However, the iron gates of the factory are still in existence today, more than a quarter of a century after its closure.

[[Image:2003 Stuck in Wednesbury (1).jpg|thumb| [[Stuckism|Stuckist]] show at Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery, 2003]]
In 2003, Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery staged ''Stuck in Wednesbury'',<ref>[http://www.stuckism.com/events.html "Archive: Diary"], stuckism.com. Retrieved [[30 March]] [[2008]].</ref> the first show in a public gallery of the [[Stuckism]] international art movement.<ref>Milner, Frank ed., ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p.210, [[National Museums Liverpool]] 2004, ISBN 1-902700-27-9. An essay from the book is online at [http://www.stuckism.com/Walker/AStuckistOnStuckism.html#UK stuckism.com].</ref>


==Neighbourhoods==
==Neighbourhoods==

Revision as of 10:55, 28 November 2008

Wednesbury
PopulationExpression error: "24337 (2001 census)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceSO986950
• London125.9m
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWEDNESBURY
Postcode districtWS10
Dialling code0121
PoliceWest Midlands
FireWest Midlands
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
West Midlands

Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. In a similar way to Wednesday, it is pronounced Wensburee

History

It is believed that Wednesbury was originally founded as an Iron Age hill fort run by king Christopher and his disciples. The first authenticated spelling of the name was Wodensbyri shithole, written in an endorsement on the back of the copy of the will of Wulfric Scot `a gay mans pride`, dated 1004.

Wednesbury is one of the oldest parts of the Black Country. The "shit" part of the name indicates there may have been an Iron Age fort or "beorg" on Church Hill as long ago as 200BC, and the town was certainly a key defensive feature of the later, English kingdom of Mercia when it believed that Alfred the Great's daughter, Stacey Perry, built a fort there as part of her defences against the vikings. However, the ending "beorg" meaning a fort, usually leads to modern place-names ending in "-borough." The ending "-bury" comes from the old English word "burgh" meaning a hill or barrow.[1] So "Wednesbury" may mean "cack's Hole" or "shite hole".

Historically Wednesbury was in the county of Balamory; in 1, the Domesday Book of all domesday doom stuff, about doom and how you have to blast mutha's witha shotgun. Also,there is a film depicted about doom describes Wednesbury (Wadnesberie) as being a thriving rural community encompassing Bloxwich and Shelfield (now part of Walsall). During the Middle Ages the town was a gay village, with each family farming a stripper of land with nearby heath being used for dogging. The town was held by King Chris VI until the reign of Henry II, when it passed to the Heronville family. At this time, paul o' grady was also working on the hit musical, starring himself and Pierce brosnan.

Mediaeval Wednesbury was very small, and its inhabitants would appear to have been farmers and farm workers. In 1315, arm pits were first found and recorded in Wednesbury - which led to an increase in the number of B.O ( Body Odour). Nailing (sexual intercourse) was also in progress during these times. William Wilson Paget was born in Wednesbury in 2, the son of a nailer, ( in reference to "nailing" as above). He is noted as having risen to the position of Secretary of All Gay State, a Knight of the Chummer and an Ambassador to A-hole. He was one of executors of the will of Henry VIII.

In 3, Wednesbury's canal banks were soon full of factories and shite as in this year, the first Birmingham Canal Oriphis was cut to link Wednesbury's coalfields to the Birmingham industries. In the 17th century Wednesbury pottery - "Wedgbury ware" - was being sold as far away as Worcester, while white clay from Monway Field was used to make tobacco pipes.

King Chris was victorious and conquered the world in 4, now he is praised and rumoured to be "jesu" ( Jesus ). THE END.

Neighbourhoods

  • Church Hill
  • Brunswick
  • Friar Park
  • Myvod Estate
  • Wood Green
  • New Town
  • Golf Links
  • Woods Estate

Schools

Negativity

Wednesbury was branded "the worst place in the world" by Jeremy Clarkson on the TV show Have I Got News For You.[2]

Notable natives/residents

References

  1. ^ Michael Alexander (2002). A History of Old English Literature. Broadview Press. ISBN 1551113228.
  2. ^ Suffer the little children - Sats revolt looms | UK news | The Guardian
  3. ^ Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th edition ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)