Some history on Brockmoor in the County of Staffordshire

Staffordshire | Brockmoor

Brockmoor is a populous district, half a mile north-west from Brierley Hill, and was formed into an ecclesiastical parish, Sept. 18, 1844, from that of Kingswinford. The church of St. John, Brockmoor, is a cruciform building of firebrick in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, transept, west porch and a small western turret containing one bell: the stained east window is a memorial to the late Rev. William Atherton, a former vicar, and also commemorates the 60th year of the Queen's reign; it was restored during the period 1878-89, and affords 500 sittings. The register dates from the year 1844. In the churchyard is a monument, erected by public subscriptions, to seven workmen who met with their deaths from a boiler explosion at the works of Messrs. Brown and Freer, Brockmoor, 11th Oct. 1887. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £183, in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop of Lichfield alternately, and held since 1899 by the Rev. Charles Bell B.A. of the University of London. Here are also Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels. A large proportion of the inhabitants find employment at the extensive iron and coal works in this locality. The population [ecclesiastical parish] in 1901 was 3,836.

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"At the Police Court, on Thursday, before N. C. A. Neville, Esq., stipendiary, Charles Biddle, wheelwright, Moor Street, Brierley Hill, was charged with being drunk and disorderly, on the 15th inst. Police Constable Lafford said that at ten o'clock last Saturday night he saw the defendant in High Street, Brockmoor, very drunk. He was making use of bad language, and threatening a little girl. Witness asked him to go home, and he said should go where he liked. There were about one hundred persons present the time. Defendant said he was very sorry he had got into this state, and he hoped the Stipendiary would deal leniently with him this time. He had been there many times, and, with regard to what the officer had said, the little girl was his own. It was through the people troubling him. He should have gone home with the little girl if they had not interfered with him. The Stipendiary: On the 8th April you were fined 10s. and costs, or fourteen days. Defendant: Yes, sir; I will promise you if you will deal leniently. The Stipendiary: If I don't send you prison for month it will be the last chance you will have of paying a fine. You will be fined 20s. and costs, or one month, with hard labour. Defendant; I am much obliged. A few minutes after the case was finished Superintendent Woollaston said the defendant had just told him that he [defendant] should shoot the next policeman that ever interfered with him. He did not know what to with the man. Almost every Saturday night this was the game with him. The Stipendiary: You had better charge him with threats. After the other cases had been taken defendant was again brought before the Stipendiary. The Stipendiary: A complaint has been made to me since your case was heard, that you have threatened what you will do to the policemen. Is that true? Biddle: Yes. The Stipendiary: What do you mean? Biddle: There is no meaning in it. I was very excited, but did not mean anything in the least. Superintendent Woollaston: I merely told you for your own good, and asked you not to come. Biddle: I don't intend to come here again, and intend be a teetotaller. I should not be able to put it into practice because I am not coming again. The Stipendiary: You were convicted some time ago for assault on the police. Biddle: I cannot think why I commit myself in this way. I hope I am not going to be convicted for contempt of Court. The Stipendiary: If you get drunk, or if you are summoned, you threaten what you will do for the policemen. It is a very serious offence, but I should not like commit you for contempt of Court. It was a threat to the police officers, whose duty it was to summon you. I will take no notice of it this time, but it is a very serious offence, and you will be severely punished if you do such a thing again. You may go this time. Biddle then left the Court."
"A Threat To Shoot Policemen"
Dudley Mercury, Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, and County Express
June 22nd 1889 Page 5