HANDSWORTH - St Mary (was Staffordshire)

Great Barr, Sutton Coldfield, Aston, Birmingham, Harborne, West Bromwich

HANDSWORTH, a parish in the southern division of the hundred of OFFLOW, county of STAFFORD, 2.1 miles (N. W. by N.) from Birmingham, containing, with the hamlets of Perry-Barr and Soho, 3859 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Stafford and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, rated in the king's books at £13. 9. 2., and in the patronage of Wyrley Birch, Esq. The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, has lately received an addition of four hundred and fifty sittings, of which two hundred and fifty are free, the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and chapels having granted £500 towards defraying the expense: it contains two elegant marble monuments to the memory of Messrs. Boulton and Watt, the late celebrated proprietors of the extensive manufactory called Soho, at this place, who lived, died, and were buried here; that to the memory of Mr. Watt is placed in a handsome oratory erected purposely for its reception. The river Tame runs through the parish. A school was established in 1812, on the National system, at an expense of nearly £800, defrayed out of the fund of the Bridge trust; and is supported by voluntary contributions. [Lewis 1831]

HANDSWORTH with SOHO is an extensive parish, comprising the townships of Handsworth, Perry, Barr, and Birchfield, in the Southern division of the county of Stafford South Offlow hundred, West Bromwich union, Birmingham county court district, and diocese of Lichfield. The parish church of St. Mary is an ancient cruciform stone building, in the Norman style, with tower and 6 bells in it ire buried James Watt and Matthew Boulton, and it contains monuments of the Wyrlevs, Watts, Bourtons, Murdochs, and Whateleys; there are also several other marble tablets, and two ancient monuments with two recumbent figures placed in the north chancel bearing no date or name: the monument of James Watt is a statue in marble, by Sir Francis Chantrey, placed in a chapel; the great engineer is represented seated in a chair, in a contemplative attitude, and in modern costume, with a pair of compasses in his right hand, and a scroll on his knee bearing a sketch of the steam engine; the cost of the statue was 2,000 guineas: adjoining the chapel is a bust in commemoration of William Murdoch, C.E., a pupil at Soho, greatly distinguished as one of the introducers of gas lighting this bust is also by Chantrey, : the monument of Matthew Boulton, formerly a pupil at the Soho manufactory, is by Flaxman. The register dates from the middle of the sixteenth century. The living is a rectory annual value £1,500, with residence, in the gift of the Very Rev. John Peel, D.D., Dean of Worcester, and held by the Rev. Herbert R. Peel, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford. The district church of St. M ichael is a beautiful edifice of red stone, in the Perpendicular style, situated on Soho-hill ; it has nave, side aisles, chancel, and transepts, and a tower and spire 160 feet high. The register dates from 1856, baptisms; 1863, marriages.The living is a perpetual curacy, annual value £320, in the gift of the rector, and held by the Rev. George David Boyle, M.A. of Exeter College, Oxford. The church of St. James was built in the year 1840. The living is a perpetual curacy, annual value £200, in the gift of the rector, and held by the Rev. J. Sheldon: M A., of Trinity College, Oxford. The Bridge Trust school, erected in 1862 at a cost of £2 150, is a handsome Elizabethan building for the education of the middle classes; the Rev. J. M. Guest, M.A., of Pembroke College, Oxford, is head master. A new National school was erected in 1862, in connection with the district of St. Michael's. There are now three National schools in this parish-viz., St. Mary's, St. Michael's, and St. James's There is a chapel for Independents in Union-road. The parish extends over 8,000 acres, and forms a fashionable suburb to the north-west of Birmingham, and contains many handsome mansions and villa residences of the business men of Birmingham The population in 1861 was 11,450.

Soho was formerly the factory of the late eminent engineers, Watt and Boulton, but the works have been taken down, and the business removed to Birmingham. Here are two small breweries, two corn mills, red ad and nail manufactories. Soho Lake, a beautiful sheet of water of 20 acres, situated amidst wooded and fine undulating scenery, is a place of great resort, during the summer mouths, to the lovers of rowing ; pleasure Late of every description are kept by the proprietor, Mr. John Knibb.

Parish Clerk (St. Mary's), Henry Price.

POST & MONEY ORDER OFFICE & Post Office Savings Bank.-William White, postmaster, Soho street. Letters delivered at 7.30 a.m. & 3 p.m.; dispatched at 8.35 & 12.5 a.m. & 8.20 p.m. Wall letter box at the top of Wellington road, cleared at 11.30 a.m. & 8 p.m. There is a pillar box near St. James's church.

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS

Railway Station, near the bottom of Booth street, George Wanless, station master

Police Office (St. James's), John Richards, sergeant

Working Men's Club, Villa road, Rev. Herbert R. Peel, M.A. president; Mr Henry Cook, hon. secretary

PUBLIC OFFICERS:

Registrar of Births & Deaths for Handsworth & Perry Barr, Henry Price, Church road

Collector of Assessed Taxes, Saml. Sanders, Hamstead rd

SCHOOLS

Bridge Trust Grammar, Rev. James Merrick Guest, M.A. master

St. Michael's National, George Bennett, master; Miss Elizabeth Thompson, mistress

Handsworth National, Church hill, Edwd. Pillow, master

St. James’s, William Crockford, master; Miss Fanny Charlewood, mistress

CONVEYANCE. - Omnibuses to & from Birmingham daily, every half hour.