BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?

Subject: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Mr Red
Date: 04 Aug 02 - 02:50 PM

Even as a Staffordshire man I have forgotten.
Warley was always Worcs and West Brom Staffs but Oldbury is on the cusp.
The music connection? a song wot I wrote about Blue Bricks - made in Staffordshire. I calls it --- (no apologies) Staffordshire Blues
I am documenting it with pics one is of a kerbstone with the makers name
P.W.BENNIT OLDBURY

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Aug 02 - 03:23 PM

I think you'll find Oldbury was in the little salient that Worcestershire pushed up into Staffs between Rowley Regis and Smethwick.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Oaklet
Date: 04 Aug 02 - 03:48 PM

I was born in Oldbury. Before the dratted boundary changes, it was definately Oldbury, Warley, Worcestershire. B68. Three Shires Oak Road was named after the Oak that reputedly stood at the boundary between Worcs, staffs and Warks, two miles towards Bearwood. (Down, jOhn in Hull.) Isla St Clair's manager taught at Bristnall Hall Comp. in Oldbury in the late 70's.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Trevor
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 05:27 AM

When I was a kid Oldbury didn't have Warley in the address - that came after Smethwick, Rowley Regis and Oldbury were merged. When I lived in Smethwick it was Staffs (41) and, just to confuse matters even more, the district of Smethwick that I lived in was Warley!

And I was always under the impression that the Three Shires Oak marked the boundaries of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and a little detached bit of Shropshire.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Mr Red
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 06:21 AM

No detached bits of Shropshire in my lifetime down that low. Dudley was always in Worcs. Didn't know they were called salients. Flint always had hanging bits and they were called "part of Flint" on the map. I still got some shots of Aldridge bricks
VICTORIS WORKS ALDRIDGE STAFFORDSHIRE
Thanks folks.
The song book is now a 20 meg PDF. The brick? a 2 meg side file. Only another 620 meg to fill.
That's a lot of bricks to drop.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Trevor
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 06:51 AM

In the eighteenth century Smethwick was part of the South Staffs village of Harborne. It was 1966 when Warley was formed and made part of Worcestershire. I remember the discussions about what the new borough would be called - one idea was that it would be named 'Watt' - imagine the fun when asked where you came from. There was a plan to incorporate a picture of Watt's steam valve in the new town's coat of arms. My school badge (Holly Lodge Boys) used the arms and I remember hearing that our headmaster was worried that boys would adulterate the picture (it looked a bit like a pair of testicles!). Lots of Smethwickians felt pretty sad at the loss of identity when Sandwell was formed as a Metropolitan Borough of West Midlands in 1974

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: GUEST,Oakley
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 08:59 AM

And worse when Holly Lodge became West Park College!

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 09:10 AM

Mr Red I'm sure Dudley was never in worcs, always staffs. I am studying Arthur Mee's Staffordshire as I write. Dudley's there , Oldbury isnt!

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Watson
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 05:27 AM

Much as I respect your opinion Greg, I have to say that Dudley was a small island of Worcestershire surrounded by Staffordshire.

As for detached bits of Shropshire - I have an old map that shows Halesowen as "Part of Shropshire locally situated in Worcestershire"

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 05:59 AM

It is all coming back to me.
the problem is........ pick a date.
Dudley was always Worcs. As far as I remember.
And as for Halesowen - again what years but yes it does ring a bell. The abbey there was the shroppie part.
I found a series of 1888 maps (not at my PC so cvan't remember ther URL) but it was a pretty instructive series. Dudley is a Worcs island. No Shropshire till you move west to the river Severn and Clesbury Mortimer (sic). Halesowen definitely Worcs then.
Oldbury - well you couldn't get any closer to Staffs and I bet they quarried the clay from just in Staffs and the smoke from the kilns - definitely Staffordshire smoke.
The real answer has to relate to the bricks and the likely times they were made. 1888 is near enough for my calculations. Worcs it is.
Thanks everyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 06:58 AM

Just found a 1634 map and Halesowen was definitely Shropshire then and the Abbey prominent.
Oldbury? Definitely Staffs in that year. So we are all right except the Dudley/Staffs connection - sorry Greg.
First pick you year.
I also saw a 1601 map and that was even wierder - same kind of info but 90 deg CW and it took a while to figure-out why "part of" Derbyshire was lurking at the bottom.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: greg stephens
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 07:01 AM

Well, I stand corrected on Dudley. The map in myArthur Mee Staffs book omits that Worcs island. But my Phil Drabble book makes it clear.And you can see why I was confused, I was involved with a pyrotechnics gig a while ago andwas told I was in Staffordshire, and I see I was! Dudley Castle is in Staffs, but Dudley is in Worcs.Complicated, isnt it.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Watson
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 07:05 AM

For many years, my postal address was

Sedgley
Nr. Dudley
Worcs.

But Sedgley was in Staffordshire - no wonder I grew up confused!

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: greg stephens
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 07:05 AM

Dudley is not the only interesting "island" in Staffs. My garden in Penkhull(Stoke), while totally surrounded by Staffordshire, is in fact technically part of Cornwall and I have a flagpole and flag to prove it.

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: Trevor
Date: 06 Aug 02 - 08:45 AM

Well, anybody who comes to Squilverfest will realise that in darkest, remotest Shropshire lurks a corner of Essex!

Subject: RE: BS: Oldbury - was it in Staffordshire?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 10:30 AM

What aboput that NuL corner that was just in Staffs but the locals paid no rates as a dispensation for supporting a long dead king. Still in force in 1994 but rescinded now I believe. Confused? that's just Knighton daze
I'll get my coat............