WOLVERHAMPTON, (Staffordshire) 11 m. S. of Stafford, 98 cm. 117 mm. from London, is a p. near 30 m. in com. and contains,
according to Sir William Dugdale, 17 great villages; wherein are but 3 small chapels of ease, not capable of a 10th part
of the inh. who have been commonly computed to be near 30,000 souls, and of these 7 or 8000 are thought of age to
communicate. In this p. K. Edgar founded a chapel of 8 portionaries, the chief of whom he made patron to them all, and
sole ordinary of the whole p. cum omnimodo jurisdictione, and thereby made the Ch. cum membris exempt from Coventry and
Lichfield; in which condition it hath ever since continued subject to no power, but the K. of England, and under him to
the perpetual visitation of the keepers of the great seal. Edw. IV. united the deanery of this Ch. to the deans of Windsor
for ever, in such sort, that the 2 colleges still remain distinct as before, having 2 several books of statutes, 2 several
seals, and revenues proper to each respectively. Within the jurisdiction are 9 leets, whereof 8 bel. to the Ch. The dean
is Ld.-borough of Wolverhampton, Codsall, Hatherton and Petshall, and of Ludley in Worcestershire; and hath all manner of
privileges bel. to the view of frank-pledge, felons goods, deodands, escheats, marriage of wards, and clerks of the Mt.
which is rated at 150 l. a year, as the whole is at near 300 l. a year. Each of the portionaries have a several leet. A
mon. was built here by K. Edgar's sister, Vulfruna, a pious woman; from whence this place, which before was only called
Hampton, had the name of Vulfrune's-Hampton, and by corruption Wolvershampton. Henry III. granted it the Mt. on W. (which
is reckoned the 2d in the Co.) and a Fair on June 29, since changed to the 24th. Here is a fr. sc. founded by Sir Steph.
Jennings, a native, who was Ld.-mayor of London in 1608; besides which, here is a ch. sc. for 50 boys, who are both taught
and cloathed, and another for 40 girls, some of whom are also cloathed. It is a populous, well-built and healthy T. in
spite of the adjacent coalmines, which is ascribed to its high situation, and 'tis said the plague was hardly ever known
here. The chief mfs. of this T. are locks, here being the most ingenious lock-smiths in England; and 'tis said a very fine
lock was made here, and sold for 20 l. which had a set of chimes in it that would go at what hour the owner pleased. Their
locks are made in brass, or iron boxes curiously polished. When they make 6, 8, or more in a suit, as they are bespoke,
they will order the keys so, that neither of them shall open each others lock, but one master-key shall open them all. By
this means, when the locks are set on, and the inferior keys kept by distinct servants, neither of them can come at each
others charge, yet the master can come at them all. Besides, the master turning his key in any of the servants locks but
once extraordinary, the servants themselves cannot come at their charge, and if they attempt it, the key will only run
round and hurt nothing. Some of the iron work is made in the T. but the chief part of it by the farmers for several ms.
round; for in this country every farm has at least one forge; so that when the farmers are not employed in the fields,
they work as smiths at their forges; and they bring all their work to Mt. where the great tradesmen buy it up, and send it
to London, from whence 'tis exported all over Europe. Mean time 'tis observed, that this T. does not increase in
buildings, like Birmingham, because 'tis Ch. land for most part, and consequently the tenure not sufficient to encourage
people to lay out their money upon it. Dr. Plot says, that in the Ch. there are 7 bells rung in peal, which must needs be
very unmusical. The pulpit is very ancient and of stone, and in the Ch.-yard is a very old stone-cross. The manor of this
T. anciently bel. to the Burnels, from whom it passed to the Hungerfords, who having forfeited it to the crown, 'twas
granted by Henry VII. in special-tail, to Tho. Howard D. of Norfolk. The only water with which this T. is supplied (except
from the sky) comes from four weak springs, of different qualities, in the hill whereon it stands.