About the name "New Invention":This place owes its strange name to a simple circumstance. The tenant of the first house erected there was annoyed by a smoky chimney, and he contrived an ingenious apparatus to remedy the evil. ... he invited every visitor to see his 'new invention' as he called it. ... it was applied to distinguish his house ... and others ... adopted it also.Hackwood states that the invention was "a hawthorn bush which was pushed out the top of his chimney." It has rich coal deposits and a significant mining past, with many extensive mines being located in the area during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including primarily 'The Sneyd Colliery'. One landmark that used to run near the village, having extensive ties with the coal mining history, is the
Wyrley and Essington Canal. The 'Curly Wyrley' was once used to transport coal via
narrowboat to fuel industry in the neighbouring industrial havens of
Walsall,
Wednesbury and
Dudley, seeing that New Invention, and
Black Country, coal played a key part in the success of the British Empire. The coal and industry has now disappeared and the canal serves as a pathway toward the factory lined towpaths of Walsall. There are also strong links to the area's lock and key making history, with two major factories formerly being located here, 'Yale' locks and 'Squires' locks. Yale closed during the 1980s and Squires was demolished during the mid-2000s, due to the age of the building, and relocated in
Essington. The urban development of New Invention mainly began during the 1950s; prior to this it was a largely rural settlement dominated mainly by farmland and rural collieries. However, following a population increase in Willenhall and a need for new housing, New Invention was developed. The most recent major housing development to be completed was the Coppice Farm estate, which was mainly built during the 1980s and early 1990s. Methodist preacher
John Wesley once stopped in the area after being stoned and forced out of Willenhall. In those days, New Invention was considerably more isolated from Willenhall than it is today. According to Wesley "I proceeded thence to New Invention, where I met with civility and kindness." Perhaps in recognition of John Wesley, part of the present day A462 road is named Wesley Road. ==Transport==