Facts and Events about Pelsall 

985: King Ethelred granted a land charter to Lady Wulfrun. With this grant the Saxon settlement that had been on the site since the 7th century became known as “Wulfrun Heanton” “Heanton” is a Saxon word meaning settlement and many old English towns with the names ending in “Hampton” were originally Saxon settlements or “Heantons”.

 

994: Lady Wulfruna granted land at Bilston, Willenhall, and Pelsall, then known as “Peolshale” and else where to a monastery at Heanton, known today as Wolverhampton so that mass may be granted there for evermore.

 

1086: The Domesday Book describes Peolshale as ‘waste’ with half a hide (approx 60 acres) of arable land.

 

1269: Still part of Cannock Chase forest, and under Forest Law.

 

1286: Robert the miller is recorded as enclosing 2 acres of land (probably by the mill).

 

1294: 2 acres of land was appropriated by Phillip de Montgomery (Chief Forester) on which he paid no rent.

 

1300: Officially “disafforested” from Cannock Chase, and freed from Forest Law.

 

1311: The first church was built in the village.

 

1327: Eleven men of the village paid a total of £2 12s 0d, listed on Subsidy Roll.

 

1546: The village church was left with only 2 bells, after the visit of Edward VI; s reformation Commissioners had taken a silver challis and some vestments.

 

1563: 14 households are registered in the ecclesiastical census.

 

1593: William Horton gets the first licence to brew and bake, and opens the first recorded Ale House in the village.

1665: From the records of a Hearth Tax we can see there were 51 households, of which 14 were to poor to pay the tax.

 

1794: The Wyrley and Essington canal was built and completed.

 

1801: The 1801 census shows the village population as 477.

 

1831: The village population increases to 721.

 

1832: Pelsall Iron Works was established by Wolverhampton banker Mr Fryer, bringing employment to all in the village.

 

1845: A school was built, teaching by the ‘monitorial system’ for a total of 133 children.

 

1851: Village population grows to 1,132.

 

1859: Sees landowners applying for consent to the enclosure of the ‘Waste’ and for the lesess of Pelsall mines to build dwelling houses there.

 

1872: Pelsall Hall Colliery Disaster in which 22 men and boys lost their lives, Sister Dora comes to the village to comfort and console the bereaved.

 

1884: Several landowners tried to enclose part of North Common for their own use, but were advised against taking this course because of local opposition to the idea.

 

1892: Pelsalls largest employer, Pelsall Coal and Iron Company closes and goes into bankruptcy, hundreds become unemployed.

 

1894: The residents formed Pelsall Parish Council.

 

1897: Care of the village Commons became the task of the new Parish Council.

 

1901: Pelsalls population is now 3,626.

 

1909: Gas comes to the village.

 

1914: The country is at war and several villagers join the forces.

 

1918: The war is over but several villagers are lost in the battle, the village is grief stricken.

 

1924: Electricity comes to the village.

 

1925: Pelsalls first proper bus service.

 

1934: The village becomes part of Aldridge Urban District Council.

 

1939: The country is at war with Germany.

 

1945: Germany surrenders the war is over.

 

1966: Pelsall becomes part of Aldridge Brownhills Urban District Council.

 

1966: The village and the rest of the country celebrate winning the World Cup.

 

1974: Pelsall becomes part of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

1994: Our village is a Thousand years old.

 

2004: Pelsall Civic Society creates Pelsall History Centre.