Walsall

 

The first mention of Walsall is in a will dated 1002; overall there are around fifty forms of the name including 'Walesho', meaning 'abode of the woods' or 'Wales'; and 'Wealhs halh' which may refer to an ancient chieftain. Due to this early discovery it is surprising to find no traceable reference to Walsall, in whatever guise, in the Doomsday survey of 1086.

Industry in Walsall

Walsall cannot claim to be as historically important in the same way as Birmingham (the second city) but nonetheless it is a town that grew and prospered with the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

 The census from 1801 records the population as 10,399. Today that figure stands at 266,100. Until the 1800's Walsall mined coal, ironstone and lime on a small scale, but with the burgeoning canal system and the railway this flourished, sadly at the expense of local countryside causing the origins of the ancient word 'Walesho' (abode of the woods) to vanish beneath miles of waterways, railway track, and, thirty years ago with the opening of the M6, tarmac.

Famous People

There are a number of famous names linked with Walsall's past, some leaving a deeper impression than others. Billy Miekle (1858-1943,) a credit draper by trade and a prolific and passionate chronicler of the town's history cites The Old Still in Digbeth (demolished in the 1960's) and mainly Elizabethan in origin, as the inn where Dr Samuel Johnson waited for coaches to Lichfield. Queen Elizabeth I and Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, are each reputed to have visited Walsall. And John Wesley, the famous eighteenth century Methodist preacher, was nearly lynched close to the Old court House in Lichfield Street by an angry mob that had taken exception to the tone of one of his sermons.

Outside the nearby library stands a monument to J H Carless VC born in Walsall 11th November 1896 and killed in action 17th November 1917. Despite being mortally wounded in the abdomen, he continued serving the gun at which he was acting as rammer, helping to remove casualties before collapsing only to get up and cheer on the new crew before dying of his wounds. The inscription reads that he 'set an inspiring and memorable example'.

Jerome K Jerome

Jerome K Jerome was the Walsall-born author of over forty books including the famous 'Three Men in a Boat' later made into a film starring Lawrence Harvey and Ian Carmichael. Jerome was born on the 2nd may 1859 at Belsize House Bradford Street, site of the present museum celebrating his life and which includes an ever expanding collection of memorabilia. Although his family left Walsall within a year of Jerome's birth he never entirely severed his connections staying in later years, so it is claimed, at a house in Park Hall, and having conferred upon him the freedom of the borough on 17th February 1927, the year of his death.

Sister Dora

(Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison 1832-1878) Although not indigenous to the area, she was in fact born in Yorkshire, after arriving here on 8th January 1865 the Walsall people adopted her as their own following a series of disasters in which Sister Dora showed her trademark compassion and dedication to those in need of nursing and care. At the Pelsall colliery disaster 22 men, all of whom eventually died, spent five days trapped in a pit cut off from the outside world by flooding, it was Sister Dora who cared for the grieving wives and families waiting at the pit-head for news, ensuring that they had at their disposal a supply of food, hot drinks and shelter. In the smallpox outbreak of 1875 Sister Dora single-handedly tended the sick and dying at the Epidemic Hospital. Then, when in October 1875 a furnace exploded at the iron foundry Jones & Son horrifically injuring 16 men, Sister Dora oversaw their care. On Christmas Eve 1878 Sister Dora passed away in her cottage in Wednesbury Road from breast cancer. St Matthews dedicated a stained glass window to her memory in 1882, and in 1886 a statue was unveiled on The Bridge making her the first female in this country, apart from a member of the royal family, to have a statue erected in her honour. In 1956 this was replaced by the bronze cast seen today, the marble original having been removed due to erosion caused by the elements and is currently on display in the Town hall, Lichfield Street. The General Hospital in Wednesbury Road known as the Sister Dora Hospital was demolished in the early 1990's leaving only the original archway as a reminder.

Town Wharf

This brand new development towards the top of Park Street incorporates The New Art Gallery plus an enviable retail park and Wharf 10 café-bar over-looking the canal. ¨

There can be no doubt that mistakes have been made over the years with many buildings of historical or simply aesthetic interest being torn down in the headlong pursuit of 'progress'. This is true not only of Walsall but many other towns and cities around the country. Hopefully these mistakes have been learnt from and we are currently seeing the re-emergence of Walsall as a place of enterprise as well as beauty, investment as well as accountability. A town proud of its past as well as looking forward to a bright and promising future.

Walsall is well placed in terms of a base from which to operate in the West Midlands. Junction 10 of the M6 motorway and the new Black Country route ensure that it has easy access to main road network. Walsall has recently attracted some well known national operators to the town. Examples of these include Rentokil, Blakemore Food Service and Poundlands European Headquarters. In fact recently over 50 companies have moved into the Walsall boundries.

Walsall is also known for its football team Walsall F.C. whos nickname is the Saddlers. Noddy Holder, lead singer of the rock band Slade was born in Walsall. Walsall's heart attack rate is one of the highest in the UK.

An extensive regeneration campaign is taking place in the area and new business parks and retail parks are contributing to the modernisation of the once tired infrastructure.