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Brownhills

  
 
 
 
Robert Pilot's
map of Staffordshire
in 1680
shows Brownhill →
 
 
Long before the Romans built Watling Street, some important ancient track ways crossed in the here. Remains of an ancient burial ground at Catshill have been unearthed and there was a reputed Roman watch post at Knaves Castle which has long since been destroyed

It is a comparatively recent name appearing over the last couple of centuries. The meaning refers to the hills’ appearance from a distance rather than the soil colour. For many centuries, mostly the area was uninhabited and the oldest known building is that of the church of Saint James

The name first appeared on maps and documents in the early 18th century. The lands belonged to the Hussey family, Lords of the Manor of Norton Canes. The area along Pelsall Road, then Wolverhampton Lane, was settled by coal miners and coal remained the main industry until the 1950's

The Wyrley and Essington Canal was opened in 1797. Norton Pool, now Chasewater, was built in 1799 as a reservoir for the canal system. In 1877 Brownhills Local Board of Health was formed, giving control of the town to a locally elected council. The first Board meetings were held at 14 Pelsall Road. In 1882 the Board Offices were built and the distinctive clock added in 1911. In 1894 Brownhills Urban District Council was formed, lasting until amalgamation with Aldridge in 1966 and finally being swallowed up into Walsall Metropolitan Borough in 1974

 
Brownhills, a locality in the south of Staffordshire; on the Birmingham and Derby railway, near Cannock Chase, 5¼ miles NNE of Walsall. It has a station on the railway, and a post office, under Walsall.
(John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales 1870 - 1872)
 
 
Coordinates:-   52.647°N   1.933°W
 
 
OS Grid Reference:-  SK045055
 
 
 
 
Brownhills from a residents view
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A website for a Surname Index of Ogley Hay on microfiche of the 1841 Census
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Take a walk around Brownhills and view the sights of
Chasewater
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Take a walk around Brownhills and view the sights of
the Chasewater Circle
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Did your ancestor work on the local railways?
Lots of railway information is to be found here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and information about Clyhanger by Websters Genealogy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and information about Clyhanger Brickworks by Websters Genealogy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Was your ancestor a coal miner living in Clayhanger in 1881?
You may find him on Clayhanger census 1881 as translated by Websters Genealogy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Centre hold the Registers of
Clayhanger Methodist Church Marriages 1972 - 1988
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Was your ancestor a coal miner living in Brownhills in 1881?
You may find him on Brownhills census 1881 as translated by Websters Genealogy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Centre hold the Registers of
Coppice Side Independent Congregational Church
Baptisms 1860 - 1976, Marriages 1865 - 1974
and Burials 1898, 1952 - 1976
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Do you have an ephemera from Brownhills?
 
If so, please submit them to us at enquiries@bfhg.org.uk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Have you got Gilbert family ancestors in Brownhills?
You may find them here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Was your ancestor one of the fourteen men killed in the Grove Colliery disaster in 1930?
If so, you will find him recorded here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Have you got Johnson family ancestors?
Is your ancestor Walter Johnson born 2nd August 1911?
Then you may find some of your family on this tree
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
All the information you could ask for is at Brownhills library
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brownhills Memorial Hall or "The Memo" as it is affectionately known locally was first built in 1927 for the people of Brownhills to commemorate the young men who lost their life during the war. It is now run by a group of volunteers as a non profit charitable organisation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brownhills Methodist Church website
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Centre holds the Registers of
Mount Pleasant, Watling Street Primitive Methodist Church
Baptisms 1876 - 1965
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Group holds the Registers of
Mount Zion Primitive Methodist Church
Baptisms 1938 - 1967
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Group holds the Registers of
Park View Methodist Church
Marriages 1964 - 1971
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are you related to a person with Brownhills connections?
Information on people from Brownhills as detailed by Spartacus Education and Wikipedia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The BFHG Photograph Album contains many photographs
of landmarks within Brownhills
 
If you have any photographs we can add to our album
please submit them to us at enquiries@bfhg.org.uk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Entries for Rugeley town as detailed in Pigot & Co.'s National Commercial Directory For 1828-29
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The BFHG Postcard Album contains many postcards
of Brownhills
 
If you have any postcards we can add to our album
please submit them to us at enquiries@bfhg.org.uk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Public Houses in Brownhills described by David Hodgkinson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Have you got Rogers family ancestors in Brownhills?
You may find them here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Parish website for
Saint James Church
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A website for the history of
Saint James Church
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A voluntary Look-up exchange is provided by Sue Lote for
Saint James Church Monumental Inscriptions
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A voluntary Look-up exchange is provided by Kaye Christian for
Saint James Church registers, Baptisms 1849 - 1931, Marriages 1854 - 1932 and Burials 1851 - 1914
 
 
 
 
 
 
Saint James Church Registers
 
 
Saint James Church Registers can be found at either:-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The BFHG has photographed and transcribed all the names on the Brownhills War Memorials in and out the Brownhills Memorial Hall
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The BFHG has photographed and transcribed all the names on the Brownhills War Memorial in Saint James Churchyard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walsall Local History Society hold the Registers of
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Silver Street
(Formerly High Street)
Baptisms Registers 1861 - 1908