Wolverhampton's Blue Plaques
 Dudley Road,  Frederick Street, Upper Villiers Street, Sunbeam Street, 
Goldthorn Hill, Stewart Street
Commemorating:
Ernest F.G. Cox

Sponsored by:
The Historical Diving Society

Location:
On the front of the Blakenhall Community Centre, Dudley Road
Ernest Cox was responsible for finding many of the ships from the German High Seas Fleet, that were scuttled in Scapa Flow on 17th June 1919. The total weight of the ships that were sunk was over 400,000 tons. The largest salvage operation in history was soon underway and the first ship was salvaged in 1924.
Commemorating:

The Fighting Cocks

Sponsored by:

Goldthorn Park and District Residents Association.

Location:

On the corner of Goldthorn Hill and Dudley Road.

The plaque commemorates the area which is known locally as the 'Fighting Cocks'. It was named after the now thankfully outlawed sport of cock fighting. There was a popular public house on the opposite side of Goldthorn Hill, which was also called the 'Fighting Cocks'. It was on the site of the Aldi Supermarket.
Commemorating:
Edward Lisle

Sponsored by:
The Lisle Family

Location:
The old Moxley Foundry at the bottom of Frederick Street.

Edward Lisle, the son of a railway worker, started manufacturing bicycles in 1869, at Moorfields. In 1876 he joined Mr. Sharratt and formed Sharratt and Lisle. In 1896 the Star Cycle Company was formed, and Edward collaborated with Thomas Parker to produce the 'Electric Dog Cart', an early electric car. The first Star car was built in 1897 and appeared in 1898. In 1909 the company changed its name to the Star Engineering Company, and set up the Briton Motor Company to produce the cheaper models.


Moxley Foundry, showing the plaque.
Commemorating:
Sunbeam Experimental Department

Sponsored by:
Imex Properties Limited

Location:
Over the entrance to Sunbeam Studios in Sunbeam Street.

 
In 1909 Louis Coatalen joined Sunbeam as chief engineer. He set up a competition department and Sunbeam began making attempts on the world land speed record. The first success was in 1922 when K. Lee Guinness clocked 133.75m.p.h. at Brooklands. In 1925 Malcolm Campbell pushed the record to 150.87m.p.h. The 1000h.p. Sunbeam was the first car to exceed 200m.p.h. at Daytona Beach in America, on 29th March 1927. It was driven by  Henry Seagrave and reached a speed of 203m.p.h. Major Seagrave received a Knighthood for the achievement.


The old Sunbeam Experimental Department in Sunbeam Street.
Commemorating:
Sunbeam Cars

Sponsored by:
The Torrington Company Limited

Location:
The Timken building in Upper Villiers Street.

The company was founded by John Marston. The first car was built in 1899 and shown to the public in 1900. Another car was built in 1901 and in the same year the Sunbeam Mabley was born. In March 1905 the Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Ltd was formed at Moorfield Works, off Villiers Street, with John Marston as Chairman. There were also satellite factories at Owen Road, Temple Street, and Ablow Street, where amongst other components car radiators were made. The group came under the control of Rootes Securities in 1935, and soon car production in Wolverhampton ended
Commemorating:
Gwen Berryman

Sponsored by:
The BBC, Pebble Mill, Birmingham.

Location:
123 Goldthorn Hill

 

Gwen Berryman, who lived in the house, played Doris Archer in the BBC's long running Archers programme, from 1951 to 1980.
Commemorating:
The Briton Motor Company Limited

Sponsored and Erected by:
Charles Weight

Location:
Stewart Street
Car manufacturer, Edward Lisle ran the Star Engineering Company. In 1909 the company phased out its cheaper models and set up a new company to produce them under a different name. The new company, called the Briton Motor Company was under the direction of Edward Lisle Junior. It continued to use Star's Stewart Street premises and its workforce. In 1913 the company moved to new works in Lower Walsall Street. After the first world war the company found itself in deep financial trouble due to increased competition. Sales fell, and in 1921 the company went into liquidation.