Hi Regarding Black Country, back in the 1960's I went to a talk by Wesley Perrins at Walsall tech,. He stated the name related to a large coal seam that came to the surface around Gornal, Pensnett, up to Moxley / Darlaston area, this resulted in all the area being a black colour. It was the coal, with iron ore and limestone all in the same area that started the industrial revolution in this area, and the name became linked to the new industry. When I was a lad you could find coal on the surface on Bentley common. There was a chap I worked with bought a new house that way on, when digging the back garden he found the coal seam, and for years his back garden resembled a open cast coal mine. Being from Walsall I'm not true Black Country, but did my apprenticeship at Rubery Owen Darlaston, at that one factory we employed over 5,000 people in engineering, next door was Garringtons who had heavy drop hammers for forgings, next was Richardson's ? nuts and bolts, then Bradley any Fosters blast furnaces for steel making, Wilkins and Mitchells made large presses, Wellman Smith and Owen overhead cranes, there where two more foundries, another forging firm, plus 2 or 3 I've forgotten, all with in a half mile radius, employing around 20,000 people.. Should add all those firms have gone, and so has most of the Black Country that was like for mile after mile, very hard to-day to get a feel for what it was. Brian NICHOLLS, MASON Walsall.

Thanks to Peter, Lin, Ann, Ruth, Brian, and Mick and anyone I may have forgotten for help in answering this question about iron works in this area! It sounds like it must have been a very industrialized area, and actually quite bleak. Life span with all the dust, smoke, soot, plus iron filings must have been reduced to say nothing of the crowded living conditions w/shared outdoor facilities and no running water. Wow. Does give me a far better sense of how they lived, however sobering. Time must have been quite tough. Thanks to all for helping me understand my DAVIES and HEIGHWAY families of Staff/Shrops. Marilyn Arnold DC ----- Original Message ----- From: "brian" <brian@kddpowercentre.com> To: <staffordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 11:27 AM Subject: Re: [STAFFORDSHIRE] 1881 -- The Iron Works, Moxley/Wednesfield > Hi > > Regarding Black Country, back in the 1960's I went to a talk by Wesley > Perrins at Walsall tech,. He stated the name related to a large coal seam > that came to the surface around Gornal, Pensnett, up to Moxley / > Darlaston > area, this resulted in all the area being a black colour. It was the coal, > with iron ore and limestone all in the same area that started the > industrial > revolution in this area, and the name became linked to the new industry. > > When I was a lad you could find coal on the surface on Bentley common. > There > was a chap I worked with bought a new house that way on, when digging the > back garden he found the coal seam, and for years his back garden > resembled > a open cast coal mine. > > Being from Walsall I'm not true Black Country, but did my apprenticeship > at > Rubery Owen Darlaston, at that one factory we employed over 5,000 people > in > engineering, next door was Garringtons who had heavy drop hammers for > forgings, next was Richardson's ? nuts and bolts, then Bradley any Fosters > blast furnaces for steel making, Wilkins and Mitchells made large presses, > Wellman Smith and Owen overhead cranes, there where two more foundries, > another forging firm, plus 2 or 3 I've forgotten, all with in a half mile > radius, employing around 20,000 people.. Should add all those firms have > gone, and so has most of the Black Country that was like for mile after > mile, very hard to-day to get a feel for what it was. > > Brian > > NICHOLLS, MASON Walsall. > > ****************************** > ATTENTION TO ALL:- When replying please remove the details that do not > apply to your mail and change the SUBJECT LINE for best useage of ARCHIVED > MATERIALS. > ------------------------------- > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > STAFFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message