of a boiler made by the Cradley Boiler Co, of Cradley Heath, displayed in the
Black Country Living Museum. The name Cradley has Saxon origins, likely derived from "Crudda's lēah," meaning "Crudda’s clearing" or meadow. The Domesday Book of 1086 records the settlement as "Cradelei" or "Cradelie," then held by Ansculf de Picquigny for the crown. Cradley Heath was originally an area of
heathland between
Cradley,
Netherton, and
Old Hill, in the Staffordshire parish of
Rowley Regis. The residents of Cradley had grazing rights, subject to an annual payment to the
Lord of the Manor. This undeveloped heath was historically separated from Cradley itself by the River Stour and the Mousesweet Brook As on other commons in the
Black Country, cottages were built encroaching on the heath. These were occupied by
nailmakers, amongst other industries. Following the Norman Conquest, the manor passed through various hands, including the Earl of Wiltshire—who was beheaded during the Wars of the Roses—before being purchased by Sir Frank Lyttleton in 1564 and has the distinction of having the first Afro-Caribbean minister in Britain, Rev.
George Cosens, in 1837.
Mining Cradley Heath and the surrounding area lie on the
South Staffordshire coalfield. Ordnance Survey maps surveyed in 1882 show the town to be surrounded by collieries.; the High Street still features a prominent dip, a visible reminder of a major mining subsidence event that occurred in 1914 In October 1844, ten men including the 'butty' plus a boy aged 12 died in a coal mine explosion, two horses working underground were also killed. Several ironstone miners working below the coal seam managed to escape, but a further three working horses could not be rescued. At the inquest it was reported that the mine had been inspected hours earlier, tested for sulphur gas and declared safe. Verdicts of accidental death were given.
Industry From the introduction of machine-based nail-making around 1830, Cradley Heath developed two prolific industries – chainmaking and nailmaking – which would remain strong for decades afterwards. The area became world-famous for "hand-hammered" or "country-work" chain, often produced by women for use in agriculture and mining. Despite a lack of direct records, it is believed chains and collars were also produced here for export to the United States for the slave trade. Among the metallurgical companies that were active in the area was the
British Iron Company and its successor, the New British Iron Company, who operated a vast iron and steel works at Corngreaves from 1825 to 1894. The works expanded to include rivet and boiler shops and chain works; continuing under other owners until 1912. Innovation continued into the 20th century with the firm Samuel Woodhouse & Sons at the Eagle Works became the first British manufacturer to produce electrically welded chain It was only during the 1980s
recession that the iron-working industries based in Cradley Heath began to decline. Chain-making developed both as a cottage industry where outworkers produced smaller size chains in forges at the rear of their homes – women accounted for two-thirds of these workers – and in factories where both smaller and larger size chains were made. Much of the factory output of larger chain was for ship anchors. In 1903, Samuel Woodhouse & Sons at the Eagle Works on Corngreaves Road became the first British manufacturer of electrically welded chain. Over the summer of 1910, around one thousand local women led and organised by
Mary Macarthur of the
National Federation of Women Workers, and supported by the
Chain Makers' and Strikers' Association were involved in a ten-week-long Chainmakers' Strike. The women successfully campaigned for the implementation of the minimum rate of pay set by the Chain Trade Board – effectively doubling their wages. The dispute ended on the 22 October 1910 when the last of the employers agreed to pay the minimum wage. The triumphant strike led to the construction of The Cradley Heath Workers' Institute, built using surplus strike funds. Opened in 1912, the "Stute" served as a social and industrial hub for nearly a century By 1934 there were 68 chain-works and chain-shops in Cradley Heath; almost a third of the total for Great Britain.
Media Cradley Heath for a short while had a newspaper published in the town.
The Cradley Heath and Stourbridge Observer was launched on 26 March 1864. The seven-column, four-page broadsheet was published by Thomas Homer of Five-Ways, Cradley Heath each Saturday. On Saturday, June 4, 1864 the masthead was changed to
The Observer; Stourbridge, Cradley Heath, Halesowen and District Chronicle. The newspaper covered not only local news but national and international affairs too. A publisher based in High Street, Stourbridge had taken over by October 1864. The newspaper's title was changed to
The Stourbridge Observer - Cradley Heath, Halesowen and District Chronicle on 6 October 1866 and published under that name until 30 June 1888. The Royal Electric Theatre stood on Bank Street from 1913; it closed in 1988 and was demolished in 2006 to make way for a Tesco supermarket. The Majestic Cinema on Cradley Road opened in 1933 and was designed by Dudley architects, Webb and Gray in
Art Deco style. The cinema closed 30 years later and like many others was converted into a bingo hall, which in turn closed in 2000. The Majestic had room for 1,500 people, stained glass windows with heraldic patterns at balcony level and a
Christie organ. The appearance of the building has become rather shabby; the shop units are empty and it faces an uncertain future. ==Cradley Heath today==