Rowley Regis
Encyclopedia
Rowley Regis is a town in the Sandwell
metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county
and a part of the Black Country
in the United Kingdom. Being part of the Black Country, locals speak with the traditional dialect, though in a form regarded by many as the quickest and the hardest to understand.
, Old Hill and Cradley Heath
. These places were all within the ancient parish of Rowley Regis, which (despite being in the county of Staffordshire
) was in the diocese of Worcester
. The parish contained the manors of Rowley Regis and Rowley Somery, the latter being part of the barony of Dudley, but the extents of these manors and the relationship between them are not clear.
The village sits on Rowley Hill, which makes up part of the Rowley Hills
famed for the quarrying of Rowley Rag
Stone.
The present St Giles
Church on Church Road is not the first church. It was designed by Holland W. Hobbiss
and A. S. Dixon and was built in 1923. The previous church, built in 1904, was burned down in 1913 by Suffragettes campaigning for the vote in extreme ways. Prior to that, the second church, built in 1840, was found to be unsafe and condemned in 1900.
In 1966, Rowley Regis borough merged with the borough of Oldbury
and Smethwick county borough
to form Warley County Borough
and became part of Worcestershire
. Eight years later, in 1974, on the formation of the West Midlands Metropolitan county
, Warley merged with West Bromwich
County Borough to form Sandwell Metropolitan Borough
. It is now right in the core of the West Midlands conurbation
.
Rowley Regis railway station
opened in 1867 in the south of the then village, and remains in use to this day.
The town's grammar school
was opened on Hawes Lane in September 1962. The school's well-known former pupils include Pete Williams (original bass player with Dexys Midnight Runners
) and actress Josie (born Wendy) Lawrence
. In 1974, when grammar and secondary modern schools were replaced with comprehensive schools in Sandwell, the grammar school became Rowley Regis Sixth Form College. The last intake of grammar school pupils having been inducted the previous year. In 2003, it became an annexe of Dudley College
but this arrangement last just one year before the buildings fell into disuse. It was demolished three years later and the site was redeveloped as the new Rowley Learning Campus under Sandwell's Building Schools for the Future
programme, comprising St Michael's Church of England High School
, Westminster Special School and Whiteheath Education Centre, which opened in September 2011.
George Smith 1805-1874. Hangman
Period in office – 1849-1872.
George Smith was born in Rowley Regis in 1805 and was a prisoner himself at Stafford when he entered the “trade” as an assistant to Calcraft. His first job was assisting at the double hanging of James Owen and George Thomas outside Stafford Gaol on the 11th of April 1840. He learnt the job and was able to perform executions himself, principally in the Midlands. Smith’s most famous solo execution was that of the Rugeley poisoner, Dr William Palmer for the murder of John Parsons Cook, before a large crowd at Stafford prison on the 14th of June 1856. Smith was to hang a further 14 men and one woman at Stafford, the last in August 1872. He assisted Calcraft at the first private hanging in England (of Thomas Wells see below) in August 1868. He was renowned for his long white coat and top hat which he wore at public hangings. Smith's son, also George, assisted at 3 executions at Stafford prison. Initially, it is said that he was hired by the Under Sheriff of Staffordshire to save the cost of bringing Calcraft up from London. With the advent of a good rail network, Smith, like Askern and Calcraft, could operate much further a field in later years. George Smith carried out two private executions, the last at Stafford on the 13th of August 1872, when he hanged 34 year old Christopher Edwards for the murder of his wife.
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
and a part of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
in the United Kingdom. Being part of the Black Country, locals speak with the traditional dialect, though in a form regarded by many as the quickest and the hardest to understand.
History
The history of Rowley Regis began centuries ago when a small village grew around the parish church of St Giles approximately two miles south-east of Dudley. It began to develop as a town between the two world wars, when thousands of privately owned and local authority houses were built in the surrounding area. During that time, Rowley Regis became a borough and incorporated the neighbouring communities of BlackheathBlackheath, West Midlands
Blackheath is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England.-Establishment:Before 1841, Bleak Heath or Blake Heath was a small group of farm houses and inns on the turnpike road from Oldbury to Halesowen, within Rowley Regis...
, Old Hill and Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath is a town in the Black Country, located in Sandwell metropolitan borough, England. The name is usually pronounced "Craid-ley", not "Crad-ley", but in the Black Country accent, it may even sound like "Craig-ley Aith"...
. These places were all within the ancient parish of Rowley Regis, which (despite being in the county of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
) was in the diocese of Worcester
Anglican Diocese of Worcester
The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time...
. The parish contained the manors of Rowley Regis and Rowley Somery, the latter being part of the barony of Dudley, but the extents of these manors and the relationship between them are not clear.
The village sits on Rowley Hill, which makes up part of the Rowley Hills
Rowley Hills
The Rowley Hills are located in the county of West Midlands, England. The hills are made up of Turners Hill, the highest point in the West Midlands, Portway Hill and Darby's Hill...
famed for the quarrying of Rowley Rag
Rowley Rag
Rowley Rag was a volcanic dolerite stone quarried in the stone quarries of the Rowley Hills in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. During the 1980s and 1990s, the quarry on Rowley Hill in Rowley Regis was used as a landfill site...
Stone.
The present St Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
Church on Church Road is not the first church. It was designed by Holland W. Hobbiss
Holland W. Hobbiss
Holland W. Hobbiss was an architect in the Birmingham area of England. He also traded under the name Holland W. Hobbiss and Partners, and Holland W. Hobbiss and M. A. H. Hobbiss...
and A. S. Dixon and was built in 1923. The previous church, built in 1904, was burned down in 1913 by Suffragettes campaigning for the vote in extreme ways. Prior to that, the second church, built in 1840, was found to be unsafe and condemned in 1900.
In 1966, Rowley Regis borough merged with the borough of Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
and Smethwick county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
to form Warley County Borough
County Borough of Warley
Warley was a county borough and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation, England, and geographical county of Worcestershire. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis Warley was a...
and became part of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. Eight years later, in 1974, on the formation of the West Midlands Metropolitan county
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, Warley merged with West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
County Borough to form Sandwell Metropolitan Borough
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
. It is now right in the core of the West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
.
Rowley Regis railway station
Rowley Regis railway station
Rowley Regis railway station serves the town of Blackheath and the Rowley Regis area of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is located on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line...
opened in 1867 in the south of the then village, and remains in use to this day.
The town's grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
was opened on Hawes Lane in September 1962. The school's well-known former pupils include Pete Williams (original bass player with Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
) and actress Josie (born Wendy) Lawrence
Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence is a British comedienne and actress best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more recently her role as Manda Best in EastEnders....
. In 1974, when grammar and secondary modern schools were replaced with comprehensive schools in Sandwell, the grammar school became Rowley Regis Sixth Form College. The last intake of grammar school pupils having been inducted the previous year. In 2003, it became an annexe of Dudley College
Dudley College
Dudley College is a college of further education in Dudley, West Midlands, England.-History:In 1862 the Dudley Public Hall and Mechanics Institute was built. In 1896 this was expanded to become the Dudley Technical School, which became Dudley Technical College in 1926...
but this arrangement last just one year before the buildings fell into disuse. It was demolished three years later and the site was redeveloped as the new Rowley Learning Campus under Sandwell's Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
programme, comprising St Michael's Church of England High School
St Michael's Church of England High School
St Michael's Church of England High School is a secondary school located in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, England. It was built during the 1960s and relocated from there to its current site on Dudley Road in September 2010....
, Westminster Special School and Whiteheath Education Centre, which opened in September 2011.
Neighbourhoods
- Rowley Village
- BlackheathBlackheath, West MidlandsBlackheath is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England.-Establishment:Before 1841, Bleak Heath or Blake Heath was a small group of farm houses and inns on the turnpike road from Oldbury to Halesowen, within Rowley Regis...
- Whiteheath
- Portway
- Ross
- Brickhouse Farm
- Lodgefields
- The Green
Famous residents
- Josie LawrenceJosie LawrenceJosie Lawrence is a British comedienne and actress best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more recently her role as Manda Best in EastEnders....
- British actress, was educated at Rowley Regis Grammar School (1970–75).
- Pete Williams - Bass player with Dexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
between 1978 and 1981, was educated at Rowley Regis Grammar School (1971–1976).
- John Haden BadleyJohn Haden BadleyJohn Haden Badley , author, educator, and founder of Bedales School, which claims to have become the first coeducational public boarding school in England in 1893....
, centinarian and founder of Bedales School grew up spending time at his families country home "Foxcote" and visiting his uncle and cousins at Haden HillHaden HillHaden Hill is a residential area in the West Midlands of England, straddling the border of Halesowen and Cradley Heath townships.Its most famous landmarks are Haden Hill Park and the historic Haden Hill House, both of which were constructed during the 19th century.The River Stour flows through...
; Carlton PalmerCarlton PalmerCarlton Lloyd Palmer is a former English professional football player who played as a midfielder, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday.-Playing career:...
- Former EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Sheffield Wednesday F.C.Sheffield Wednesday F.C.Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
footballer (photographed below when he was Stockport County'sStockport County F.C.Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
player-manager in the early 2000s).
George Smith 1805-1874. Hangman
Period in office – 1849-1872.
George Smith was born in Rowley Regis in 1805 and was a prisoner himself at Stafford when he entered the “trade” as an assistant to Calcraft. His first job was assisting at the double hanging of James Owen and George Thomas outside Stafford Gaol on the 11th of April 1840. He learnt the job and was able to perform executions himself, principally in the Midlands. Smith’s most famous solo execution was that of the Rugeley poisoner, Dr William Palmer for the murder of John Parsons Cook, before a large crowd at Stafford prison on the 14th of June 1856. Smith was to hang a further 14 men and one woman at Stafford, the last in August 1872. He assisted Calcraft at the first private hanging in England (of Thomas Wells see below) in August 1868. He was renowned for his long white coat and top hat which he wore at public hangings. Smith's son, also George, assisted at 3 executions at Stafford prison. Initially, it is said that he was hired by the Under Sheriff of Staffordshire to save the cost of bringing Calcraft up from London. With the advent of a good rail network, Smith, like Askern and Calcraft, could operate much further a field in later years. George Smith carried out two private executions, the last at Stafford on the 13th of August 1872, when he hanged 34 year old Christopher Edwards for the murder of his wife.