Oldbury, Worcestershire

Description
Oldbury, a town, a township, and an ecclesiastical parish in Halesowen parish, Worcestershire. The town stands on the Birmingham Canal, at the boundary with Staffordshire, 3 miles E by S of Dudley, 5 WNW of Birmingham, and 118 1/2 by railway from London. It has stations on the L. & N.W.R. and G.W.R., and a post, money order, and telegraph office under Birmingham. It is environed by a tract abounding in limestone, coal, and iron ore, and derives great importance from the working of these minerals. The town, with which is joined Warley, is governed by an urban district council of twenty members, and is a seat of petty sessions. The public buildings were erected in 1891, and contain the district council offices, a free library and reading-room, and a hall for concerts. The petty sessions are held in the court-house, which was enlarged in 1862. The church stands in the centre of the town, was built in 1840, and restored in 1867, is a commodious and handsome edifice in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles, and a tower. There are Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational, Evangelical, New Connexion and Primitive Methodist, Unitarian, and Wesleyan chapels. The cemetery occupies over 9 acres, and has two mortuary chapels. A recreation ground of 4 acres was laid out in 1885, and the Broadwell Road Park, presented to the town by Mr W. A. Albright, was opened in 1893. Extensive industry is carried on in furnace ironworks, steel works, railway carriage works, alkali works, chemical works, barge yards, brick and tile fields, corn mills, malting, brewing, and printing establishments, and edged-tool works. The township includes the town, and extends beyond it. Acreage, 1597 ; population, 20,343. The ecclesiastical parish is less extensive than the township. Population, 11,690, The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Worcester; gross value, £261 with residence. Patron, the Rector of Halesowen.