The Poor Law Union

For several hundred years, towns and cities were governed by the Parish Vestry, which by its very nature favoured ecclesiastical matters rather than the day-to-day administration of the local area. A vestry meeting would be called by the churchwardens with the permission of the minister, in the parish church. The Vestry was the decision making body, named after the room where meetings were held.

Things began to change a little in the 17th century, with the introduction of The Poor Law, consisting of a series of Parliamentary Acts that defined how a parish would care for the poorer members of society, who were in need of financial or other assistance. The law was administered at Vestry meetings that were attended by the parish ratepayers who could vote by a show of hands.

In 1601 every parish was charged with the support of its own poor, and their relief was entrusted to Overseers, superintended by the Magistrates. The poor were classified as the "idle," who were to be made to work, and the "impotent," who were to be relieved. In 1691 the Overseers were compelled to furnish lists of the poor to be relieved at Vestry Meetings and the Justices were then to add any names they thought fit.

The constituted authorities had to perform their duty and open a workhouse for the poor, where they could receive food and shelter in return for work of some kind. West Bromwich workhouse in Stolley Lane was originally a nail warehouse that had belonged to Mr. Turton, who had opposed the workhouse scheme. On the 21st March, 1774 the decision was taken at a Vestry Meeting to enlarge the workhouse and add necessary workshops.

The Town Hall.

By 1829, the workhouse had fallen into a bad state of repair and so the overseers of both the old Parish Church and also of the new Christ Church were instructed to procure plans and estimates for a new building.

In 1834 under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act, the Poor Law was replaced by Poor Law Unions and the duties of the parish overseers were replaced by elected Boards of Guardians. Poor Law Unions often consisted of a number of small parishes grouped together for the more economical working of the Act.

The poor law union of West Bromwich consisted of West Bromwich, Wednesbury, Handsworth, Oldbury and Warley. Until 1857 the elected Board of Guardians met at the Dartmouth Hotel, under the chairmanship of the Earl of Dartmouth.

The old workhouse and surrounding land was sold-off and a new union building was erected in Hallam Street, which opened on September 25th, 1857. The building housed around 216 people.

The West Bromwich Improvement Act of 1854

By 1854 the streets were unlit, unpaved and the roads were in a bad state. A committee of 40 prominent inhabitants was formed to obtain the authorisation of parliament to correct the problem and establish a Local Board of Health. Committee members included George Frederick Muntz, M.P., Rev. James Spry, Rev. James Bradshaw, Rev Benjamin Willmore, Thomas Jesson, Henry Dawes (Charlemont), Thomas Davies, William Salter, John Chance, and Charles Bagnall.

This resulted in the formation of the West Bromwich Improvement Act of 1854, which incorporated the Improvement Commissioners and conferred powers for the paving, draining, lighting, cleaning, and improvement of the parish. Also for the construction of cemeteries and maintaining and regulating markets. Further powers were added by an Amendment Act in 1855, followed by another in 1865.

Thirteen members were to be elected and three others were to be appointed by the Staffordshire Quarter Sessions in each month of October. The Commissioners should reside within seven miles of the centre of the new urban district. The 16 Commissioners worked in seven committees, six meeting during the day and one at night. They were The Highway Committee, The Sanitary Committee, The Markets and Baths Committee, The Cemetery Committee, The Gas Committee, The Finance Committee and The General Purposes Committee. There was also a Free Library Committee, which consisted of commissioners and others, who were interested in the work of the institution.

The Highway Committee oversaw around sixty miles of roads within West Bromwich, five of which were declared to be main roads. Around seven miles of paving were laid along with around five miles of track for the new tramways. The Sanitary Committee carried out much work to ensure good sanitation for excellent public health, including night soil removal, drainage, a sewage scheme, a sewage farm, as well as the development of Dartmouth Park, covering 56 acres.

The Cemetery Committee dealt with the overcrowded church burial ground, and its enlargement, along with a public cemetery covering 16 acres, with chapels and an entrance lodge. The Market and Baths Committee oversaw the erection of a new swimming baths, with private baths for both sexes, which attracted around 27,000 bathers each year. There was also the building of a spacious market hall, 147 feet by 87 feet, fitted with 62 stalls, and 12 shops, along with an open market with pig pens and sheep pens at the rear. The Free Library Committee oversaw the building of the new library with 10,000 volumes, lent out at a rate of around 62,000 volumes a year. The reference section possessed around 2,000 volumes.

From an old postcard.

The new public buildings, including the Town Hall, were overseen by the Finance Committee and the General Purposes Committee. The new Town Hall was built by Messrs Trow and Sons, of Wednesbury. It opened on Tuesday, August 10th, 1875, and was presented a fine organ by Mr. Alexander Brogden, M.P. for the borough of Wednesbury.

When The Gas Committee was formed, the Staffordshire Gas Company, had a gas works at Swan Village. The Improvement Commissioners were not in a position to supply gas, but five acres of land was purchased in Oldbury Road, with the canal on one side and the railway on the other, so it was convenient for the transportation of coal. A gas works was designed by Mr G. W. Stevenson, which opened on the 1st July, 1880. Mr. Reuben Farley turned on the gas, and celebrated the event with a luncheon at the Town Hall. A private railway siding and a canal basin were built to receive coal, along with apparatus for washing and purifying the gas. In 1893 an additional gasholder was built. Nearly 22,000 tons of coal were required annually to produce the gas, which was distributed along 43 miles of gas mains, to 5,200 consumers.

From an old postcard.

Incorporation as a Municipal Borough

In 1882 a petition, signed by 1,053 householders was presented to the Privy Council, asking for the incorporation of the parish as a municipal borough. The Privy Council ordered that an official enquiry was to be held before the Hon. T. H. W. Pelham, at the Town Hall, on May 25th.

The arguments in support of the petition were accepted and a Charter of Incorporation was granted. The Town Council was to consist of a Mayor, six Aldermen, and 18 Councillors, divided among six electoral divisions or wards: Sandwell, Lyndon, Hill Top, Greets Green, Town Hall and Spon Lane.

West Bromwich was in the parliamentary borough of Wednesbury until the Redistribution Act of 1885,which made it a separate parliamentary borough in its own right. The first Member of Parliament for West Bromwich was Alderman Blades, who was succeeded by Mr. Ernest Spencer in 1886. West Bromwich became a county borough in 1890, making it independent of the county authorities.

From an old postcard.

From an old postcard.

In 1882 there was an epidemic of smallpox, along with a fever, which led to the setting up of the excellent Infectious Hospital, which opened in 1884. The management of the cemetery was improved and a mortuary was built at a cost of £360. A sewage farm was opened at Friar Park, covering 230 acres. It had two small roughing tanks, each with a capacity of 25,000 gallons. They intercepted sludge and solid matter, which was passed to the filtration areas.

Dartmouth Park was extended in 1887 to 1889, with the addition of 9 acres, including a large boating lake and an open bathing pond. There was also a boat house and shelter and new lodge at the Beeches Road entrance. Alderman Farley presented a kiosk that stood by the lake and in 1892 he presented the Greets Green Recreation Ground, which covered five acres. A lodge with a branch library and reading room and a District Fire Station were also added, along with a bandstand. Messrs Kenrick Bros. donated Kenrick Park, alongside Union Street, in 1895, covering 20 acres.

In 1888 a Commission of the Peace for West Bromwich was granted. 18 gentlemen were constituted as the first Borough Bench. 8 more were added in 1892 and 6 more in January 1893. The Borough Quarter Sessions was formed in 1890, when Mr J. W. Underhill became first Recorder of West Bromwich. It was also the seat of a County Court for the recovery of small debts, which led to the building of new Law Courts in Lombard Street. The memorial stone for the new building was laid in July, 1890. The architects were Messrs Wood and Kendrick. The building was designed to meet all the requirements for the magistrates sitting in Petty Session, the Recorder sitting in Quarter Sessions, the County Court Judge sitting for civil cases, and also the Coroner's Court for West Bromwich. There were also offices for the Registrar and cells for prisoners. The building cost about £5,000.

In 1895, the local police force consisted of Mr Thomas Whitehurst, who was chief superintendent, 2 inspectors, 4 sergeants, and 38 constables. There was also a sub-division at Hill Top. Some years earlier a volunteer fire brigade was formed, consisting of twelve officers and men, with a steam fire engine, tender, and all the necessary appliances. This was soon extended and more completely equipped.

High Street. From an old postcard.