WOLVERHAMPTON, market town ; municipal, county and parliamentary borough, Staffordshire, England, 125m. N.W. of London, on the L.M.S. and G.W. railways. Pop. (1931) 133,190. It lies at the north-western edge of the group of great manufac turing towns extending south-east to Birmingham, but there are residential suburbs to the west, where the country is well wooded. The situation is elevated and healthy. The church of St. Peter is a fine cruciform building, part being 13th century work, part 15th, part 17th, the remainder in 1865. A free grammar school, founded in 1515 by Sir Stephen Jermyns, occupies modern build ings (1876). There are a Blue Coat school (I71o) and a school of art. In the South Staffordshire coalfield, coal and iron are extensively mined. There are enormous iron foundries and the town manufactures ironmongery and steel goods, especially locks, machinery, tools, cycles, enamel and galvanized ware, papier-miché, rubber goods, chemicals, colours, varnishes, etc. Market gardening is carried on in the west and north of the town. An annual fair is held at Whitsuntide. The parliamentary borough of Wolverhampton has three divisions, each returning one member.
Wednesfield (pop. 9,333), and Willenhall (21,147) are neigh bouring urban districts, with populations employed in similar manufactures.
The town of Wolverhampton (Handone, Wolvernehamptone, Wollernehampton) grew up round the church of St. Mary, prob ably founded in 996 by Wulfruna, who endowed it with extensive lands. The estates are enumerated in Domesday. In 1204 John granted the manor of Wolverhampton to the church, and at the Reformation it was held by the dean of the collegiate body; in 1553 Edward VI. granted the college and manor to Dudley, duke of Northumberland, but Mary refounded the college and restored its property, and this was confirmed by Elizabeth. Henry III. (1258) granted the Wednesday market, which is still held, and a fair for eight days, beginning on the eve of the feast of SS. Peter and Paul (June 29). During the Great Rebellion Wolver hampton was royalist. In 1751 its chief and noted manufacture was locks. In 1848 it was incorporated a municipal borough and a county borough in 1888. It was first represented in parliament in 1832, sending two members, but since 1885 it has sent three.