Darlaston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Darlaston | |
  Darlaston shown within the West Midlands |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | Walsall |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| European Parliament | West Midlands |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Darlaston is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands of England.
Contents |
[edit] History
Archaeological evidence of the history of Darlaston has been destroyed by extensive coal and iron ore mining in the area. Darlaston was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 although a manor was constructed there. The de Darlaston family owned Darlaston and lived in the manor between the 12th century and 15th century. When the de Darlaston family died out, the manor was taken over by the Hayes family and renamed Great Croft. The exact location of the manor is not known. It is believed that the site is covered by the new ASDA car park, slightly south west of the original parish church, which is now the location for St Lawrence's Church.[1]
Due to being located on the South Staffordshire Coalfield, Darlaston became industrialised very early in its history. The first industries were cottage industries and anyone wishing the mine the coal had to apply for a copyhold from the lord of the manor. In 1698, Timothy Woodhouse was manager of the coal mines belonging to Mrs Mary Offley, who was the lady of the manor. In the first year he sold 3,000 sacks of coal and later went into partnership in his own business. Darlaston also had a windmill which is mentioned in a map of 1695. The mill continued to be in use until about 1860.[2]
The town grew in the 19th century around the nut, bolt and gun lock manufacturing and coal mining industries. It was highly industrialised with a population of 6,000 in 1841. Large areas of land were owned by the Birmingham Coal Company and the area was accessed by the Birmingham Canal and Grand Junction Railway.[3] In December 1839, the rector of the parish reported that there were approximately 1,500 homes in the parish of Darlaston, most of which were in poor condition and owned by working class people. The Rose family were identified as a wealthy family in the area during the 19th century as a result of Richard Rose's acquisitions of unenclosed land. Upon his death in 1870, his estate was valued at over £877. He bequeathed the land to his wife Hannah. His brother was identified as James Rose in an 1871 census and was listed as a latch, bolt and nut maker, employing 39 people, including 19 children. At the time of the 1881 census, James Rose was 55 and his business had expanded to employ 90 people.[4] James Rose died in 1901.[5] Construction of Darlaston Town Hall commenced on June 21, 1887 and it was completed in 1888.[6]
On January 1, 1895, Darlaston became an urban district, and the local board became Darlaston Urban District Council. In 1965, Darlaston became part of Walsall and in 1974, it became part of the metropolitan county of the West Midlands.[6]
Darlaston was subject to bombing raids in World War II. One such bombing raid targeted the Guest Keen & Nettlefolds' Atlas works on July 31, 1942 and completely destroyed All Saints Church. It was the only church in the Diocese of Lichfield to be destroyed by enemy action. A newly built church reopened in 1952.[7]
By the end of the 1980s, most of the industry in the town had closed and the town is now considered a ghost town, with an increasing high level of unemployment.
Many Victorian terraced houses were demolished during the second half of the 20th century, and the Urban District Council of Darlaston built thousands of houses and flats to replace them with. Since 1966, Darlaston has been part of the Walsall borough and is now in the WS10 postal district which also included neighbouring Wednesbury.
Bentley Old Hall stood in the north of Darlaston until the early 20th century. Its grounds were redeveloped as a housing estate in the 1950s.
Mining subsidence, which has taken its toll on many buildings across central England, has also made its mark in Darlaston. In 1999, a council house on the New Moxley housing estate collapsed down a disused mineshaft while its occupants were on holiday. The adjoining house also had to be knocked down. Since then, the council owned housing stock in Darlaston has broken away from Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and is now controlled by Darlaston Housing Trust. In 2001, two of the town's four multi-storey blocks of flats were demolished, and the remaining two where demolished 2004. Local elderly residents were deprived of their car parking facilities in Wesleys fold because of the demolition due to an oversight by Walsall council. Some of the town's council owned low rise homes have already been flattened by bulldozers, mostly because of subsidence, while many more are expected to be cleared.
The town is served by one large secondary school - Darlaston Community School - which has specialist Science College status.
[edit] Crime
Darlaston has been the scene of high profile crimes which have attracted massive media attention in the local press.
On 8 November 1992, a speeding drunk-driver at the wheel of a BMW ran over and killed two young girls in Herberts Park Road. He was remanded in custody for his own safety following threats of reprisal attacks on him by angry local residents. The driver, Janson Cartwright (20), was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving at Stafford Crown Court on 2 April 1993. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned from driving for five years. Ironically, Cartwright had received an award in 1987 for saving the life of an elderly woman who fell into a local canal.[8]
On 21 May 1993, divorcee Christine Reece (54) was found dead in a ground floor council flat on Glynne Avenue. The woman's fiancée was later found dead from an overdose. It was established that the woman had been murdered several days earlier by her fiancée Kenneth Gear, whose death was believed to have been suicide. The three-storey block of flats in which Mrs Reece lived was demolished in the early 2000s.
On 16 August 2000, Phillip Woods (19) was stabbed to death in George Rose Park during a funfair. Three men were later charged with murder but found not guilty.
On 9 October 2007, Bangladeshi-born Kalif Ahmed (31) was jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his 21-year-old wife Laily Begum, who was last seen alive in January 2006. Her body has never been found, but police were able to make a successful prosecution against Ahmed due to the blood stains found at his council house on Simmonds Place. The trial judge recommended that Ahmed should serve at least 20 years before being considered for parole, effectively meaning he will remain in prison until at least 2026 and the age of 50.
[edit] Public transport
Darlaston town centre was served by a Darlaston railway station until 1916, when it closed. Since 1999, there has been a Midland Metro stop on Bradley Lane in the Moxley area of the town.
Darlaston Town Centre is served by many bus services, all of which serve Darlaston Bus Interchange.
[edit] Famous residents
- Jimmy McIntyre, football manager was born in Darlaston in 1881 and started his playing career with the local football team.
- The athlete Mark Lewis-Francis was born at Darlaston in 1981.
- The town was also the home of footballer Billy Annis (1878-1944) who played 143 games in defence for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1898 and 1905.
- Mark Rhodes, runner-up in ITV's Pop Idol 2003 contest, is also from Darlaston.
- Darlaston is the home town of the professional boxer and former Midlands Welterweight Champion Stuart Elwell.
- Both Lewis-Francis and Rhodes were pupils at Darlaston Comprehensive School.
[edit] Neighbourhoods
- Rough Hay: a predominantly interwar council housing area in the north of the town close to the border with Willenhall.
- Moxley: an established private and council residential area in the west of the town close to the border with Bilston.
- Kings Hill: a mixed residential area near the town centre which includes many types of housing as well as several factories and business units.
- Woods Bank: a predominantly interwar council housing area in the south of the town close to the border with Wednesbury.
- Bentley: the most northernly area in Darlaston which was mostly developed after 1945 but is now included in the Walsall postal district.
[edit] References
- ^ Bev Parker. Beginnings. A Brief History of Darlaston. University of Wolverhampton. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Bev Parker. Early Growth. A Brief History of Darlaston. University of Wolverhampton. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ William Foot; Geraldine Beech, Rose Mitchell (2004). Maps for Family and Local History: The Records of the Tithe, Valuation Office and National Farm Surveys of England and Wales, 1836 - 1943. Dundurn Press Ltd., 101. ISBN 1550025066.
- ^ William Foot; Geraldine Beech, Rose Mitchell (2004). Maps for Family and Local History: The Records of the Tithe, Valuation Office and National Farm Surveys of England and Wales, 1836 - 1943. Dundurn Press Ltd., 102. ISBN 1550025066.
- ^ William Foot; Geraldine Beech, Rose Mitchell (2004). Maps for Family and Local History: The Records of the Tithe, Valuation Office and National Farm Surveys of England and Wales, 1836 - 1943. Dundurn Press Ltd., 103. ISBN 1550025066.
- ^ a b Bev Parker. A New Town Hall. A Brief History of Darlaston. University of Wolverhampton. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Bev Parker. Churches & Chapels. A Brief History of Darlaston. University of Wolverhampton. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Today's The Day - April 3rd. Blogspot (2006-04-03). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
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