Rushall, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
Rushall is a residential area of Walsall
in the West Midlands
of England
. It is centred around the main road between Walsall and Lichfield
, and was mostly developed after 1920. It was served by a railway station for about 100 years until the 1960s, though the railway which ran between Walsall and Lichfield remained open to goods trains until 1983.
The feudal lordship did not originally have its own parish church as the first mention of the church in 1220 describes it as a chapel of Walsall. However, the lords of Rushall were always independent and they secured the chapel's parish status. In 1440, John Harpur rebuilt Rushall Church on the chapel-site next to his Hall. It survived the Civil War to be rebuilt 1854-6. The old square tower remained until 1867.
Rushall is a village and parish on the Lichfield road, one mile (1.6 km) NE of Walsall, containing about 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land, abounding in excellent coal and limestone, the latter much celebrated for its superior quality, taking a polish almost equal to marble, and raised from mines nearly 80 yards (73.2 m) below the surface. The recent large increase in population has occurred chiefly in Ryecroft, on the north side of Walsall, where the inhabitants are chiefly miners.
The most attractive objects in Rushall are the ruins of the ancient Manor house, which, during the wars of the Roses, and of those between Charles I and Parliament, was strongly fortified and defended by a numerous garrison. During the civil wars, a Mr Pitt, of Wolverhampton, attempted to bribe Captain Tuthill to betray the garrison of Rushall, but his treachery was discovered, and he suffered death for it in 1640. Rushall Hall, a modern house, has been built near the ruins.
The manor anciently belonged to the family of Boweles, who passed it to that of Grobbere, and afterwards to the Harpurs, one of whom, John Harpur, Esq, endowed the vicarage, and rebuilt the church about the year 1444. Early in the 17th century, the manor became the property of the Leighs, from whom it passed to the late Rev Edward Mellish, whose executors, W & G Mellish, B Gurdon and W Tritton, Esqrs, are now the principal proprietors and lords of the manor.
Daw End and the Butts are two hamlets within half a mile of Walsall. The limestone mines of this parish are situated at the former, where there is a branch of the Wyrley & Essington Canal. Near to them and Walsall is the populous mining district of Ryecroft, where fine sand is got for the glass manufacturers, and an excellent loam for the foundries.
Rushall Hall today is substantially a 19th century structure, incorporating walls from the earlier building. At the time that the massive, still surviving, fortified gatehouse and walls were built in the 13th and 14th centuries the house itself was probably made of timber. The Leigh family succeeded to the Harpurs in the middle of the 16th century and took a leading part in county politics. At the start of the Civil War in 1642, Edward Leigh
was an MP and an opponent of the King. He fortified the Hall and joined the army as a colonel. His wife, left in command at Rushall, could not hold the Hall against the forces of Prince Rupert in 1643. The royalists in their turn were ejected after a short siege in 1644. During the 18th century the Leighs became absentees as were their successors, the Mellish and Buchanan families. The estate was finally sold off in 1945.
Limestone
of high quality lies near the surface at Rushall. It was exploited by the Romans and through the Middle Ages for building and agricultural purposes. The use of limestone as flux for smelting iron caused great expansion in mining during the Industrial Revolution. A new settlement grew up at Daw End, and the Hay Head and Linley workings were both on a large scale. The quarries in Rushall Hall's park flooded to become the Park Lime Pits - today a nature reserve. The Arboretum lakes, then also in Rushall, were similarly formed by quarrying.
In the south west corner of the parish, the areas of Butts and Ryecroft rapidly developed as suburbs of Walsall from the middle of the 19th century. The main settlement at Rushall was established on the Lichfield Road at the junction of Pelsall Lane, Daw End Lane and Coalpool Lane (Station Road) where a toll bar was set up after the main road was turnpiked in 1766.
At the start of the 20th century Rushall was a thriving village set round the Square. It was served by Anglican, Methodist and Congregational chapels and had its own Police Station and Court. Since 1945 Rushall Square has lost much of its character to road improvements. New housing developments, particularly around Barns Lane, have increased the population.
.
Kings Road Chapel in Rushall holds many events and activities for the local community.
Rushall also has one pre school, within Manor Farm called Piccolo Bambini, providing pre school education and learning to all children from birth to 5 years old term time and offers a school holiday club for under 8's. Click here for further details on Piccolo Bambini.
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
in the West Midlands
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....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is centred around the main road between Walsall and Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, and was mostly developed after 1920. It was served by a railway station for about 100 years until the 1960s, though the railway which ran between Walsall and Lichfield remained open to goods trains until 1983.
History
The first record of Rushall occurs in Domesday Book (1086) where its total annual value to its lord was assessed as 10 shillings. This was from a village of eight households and a mill. The name means 'a place in marshy ground where rushes grow' and the early settlement by the Saxons probably occurred to the north of Rushall Hall, where there are remains of a moated site. 19th century excavations found Saxon coins in earthworks in that area.The feudal lordship did not originally have its own parish church as the first mention of the church in 1220 describes it as a chapel of Walsall. However, the lords of Rushall were always independent and they secured the chapel's parish status. In 1440, John Harpur rebuilt Rushall Church on the chapel-site next to his Hall. It survived the Civil War to be rebuilt 1854-6. The old square tower remained until 1867.
Rushall is a village and parish on the Lichfield road, one mile (1.6 km) NE of Walsall, containing about 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land, abounding in excellent coal and limestone, the latter much celebrated for its superior quality, taking a polish almost equal to marble, and raised from mines nearly 80 yards (73.2 m) below the surface. The recent large increase in population has occurred chiefly in Ryecroft, on the north side of Walsall, where the inhabitants are chiefly miners.
The most attractive objects in Rushall are the ruins of the ancient Manor house, which, during the wars of the Roses, and of those between Charles I and Parliament, was strongly fortified and defended by a numerous garrison. During the civil wars, a Mr Pitt, of Wolverhampton, attempted to bribe Captain Tuthill to betray the garrison of Rushall, but his treachery was discovered, and he suffered death for it in 1640. Rushall Hall, a modern house, has been built near the ruins.
The manor anciently belonged to the family of Boweles, who passed it to that of Grobbere, and afterwards to the Harpurs, one of whom, John Harpur, Esq, endowed the vicarage, and rebuilt the church about the year 1444. Early in the 17th century, the manor became the property of the Leighs, from whom it passed to the late Rev Edward Mellish, whose executors, W & G Mellish, B Gurdon and W Tritton, Esqrs, are now the principal proprietors and lords of the manor.
Daw End and the Butts are two hamlets within half a mile of Walsall. The limestone mines of this parish are situated at the former, where there is a branch of the Wyrley & Essington Canal. Near to them and Walsall is the populous mining district of Ryecroft, where fine sand is got for the glass manufacturers, and an excellent loam for the foundries.
Rushall Hall today is substantially a 19th century structure, incorporating walls from the earlier building. At the time that the massive, still surviving, fortified gatehouse and walls were built in the 13th and 14th centuries the house itself was probably made of timber. The Leigh family succeeded to the Harpurs in the middle of the 16th century and took a leading part in county politics. At the start of the Civil War in 1642, Edward Leigh
Edward Leigh (writer)
Edward Leigh was a versatile English lay writer, known particularly for his works on religious topics, and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1645 to 1648. He fought for the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War...
was an MP and an opponent of the King. He fortified the Hall and joined the army as a colonel. His wife, left in command at Rushall, could not hold the Hall against the forces of Prince Rupert in 1643. The royalists in their turn were ejected after a short siege in 1644. During the 18th century the Leighs became absentees as were their successors, the Mellish and Buchanan families. The estate was finally sold off in 1945.
Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
of high quality lies near the surface at Rushall. It was exploited by the Romans and through the Middle Ages for building and agricultural purposes. The use of limestone as flux for smelting iron caused great expansion in mining during the Industrial Revolution. A new settlement grew up at Daw End, and the Hay Head and Linley workings were both on a large scale. The quarries in Rushall Hall's park flooded to become the Park Lime Pits - today a nature reserve. The Arboretum lakes, then also in Rushall, were similarly formed by quarrying.
In the south west corner of the parish, the areas of Butts and Ryecroft rapidly developed as suburbs of Walsall from the middle of the 19th century. The main settlement at Rushall was established on the Lichfield Road at the junction of Pelsall Lane, Daw End Lane and Coalpool Lane (Station Road) where a toll bar was set up after the main road was turnpiked in 1766.
At the start of the 20th century Rushall was a thriving village set round the Square. It was served by Anglican, Methodist and Congregational chapels and had its own Police Station and Court. Since 1945 Rushall Square has lost much of its character to road improvements. New housing developments, particularly around Barns Lane, have increased the population.
Demography
The Rushall-Shelfield ward had a population of 11,754, according to the 2001 UK Census.Sport
Rushall has a football club, Rushall Olympic which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier DivisionNorthern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...
.
Education
Rushall has one secondary school, Manor Farm, three primary schools and one KS4 centre.Kings Road Chapel in Rushall holds many events and activities for the local community.
Rushall also has one pre school, within Manor Farm called Piccolo Bambini, providing pre school education and learning to all children from birth to 5 years old term time and offers a school holiday club for under 8's. Click here for further details on Piccolo Bambini.