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Stourbridge Leasing

Did You Know?

Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. 

Stretching from Stourbridge in the south to Dudley in the north, this area was a major glassmaking centre for 400 years. Not only was it the lifeblood of the community, but it was also a substantial contributor to Britain's manufacturing strength and national wealth.

A bridge at the lower end of the High Street [the river has moved over the centuries] was certainly in existence during the 13th century because the name of Stourbridge occurred as Sturbrug and Sturebrige in a Worcestershire assize roll of 1255.

Surrounded by heath and hills suitable for rearing sheep and with a plentiful supply of clean water for washing wool, like many another English town, Stourbridge became a centre for producing woolen cloth. The local coal, limestone and fireclay had been exploited on a small scale from early times but it was the 16th and 17th centuries that saw the birth of the great industrial complex later to be called the Black Country.

The impact of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century was felt strongly in Stourbridge where the woollen trade declined - to fade away early in the following century - and the production of ironwork, edge tolls, nails, chain, bricks and heavy engineering took over.

The town's history dates back to at least 950AD when it is mentioned in a charter. In 1482 Edward IV granted the town the right to hold a weekly market and two fairs each year. Stourbridge developed into a prosperous market town,

Historically the town's economy has been based upon glass production since the early 1600s because of the rich natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining the furnaces, and the canal for importing fine Irish sand.

The name Stourbridge means 'bridge over the river Stour'. A much earlier name and a place where people used to cross the river was called Swinford, literally 'pig ford'. The district of Old Swinford still exists within Stourbridge.

The Stourbridge and Dudley canals were built around 1775 primarily to carry coal. The Canal eventually linked up with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, the Dudley Canal and the River Severn.

In the 19th century canal transport allowed the import of sand from Ireland and by 1861 all the glass factories had relocated to the canal side. The local census at that time showed over a thousand Stourbridge residents were employed in the glass trade.

Many skilled glasscutters immigrated from Ireland as the Irish glass industry declined. Stourbridge crystal was recognized as being among the finest in the world and pieces were often commissioned by dignitaries and royalty.

The area also had iron foundries. The Stourbridge Lion locomotive was built in the town 1828 and became the first locomotive to run on a commercial railway line in America. It now belongs to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.