WOLVERHAMPTON, Staffordshire, a market and manufacturing town, municipal and parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor Law Union, is situated In 52° 35' N. lat., 2° 7' W. long., distant 10 miles S. from Stafford, 123 miles N.W. from London by road, and 127 miles by the London and North-Western railway. The population of the municipal borough of Wolverhampton iu 1851 was 49,985 ; of the parliamentary borough, 119,748. The borough is governed by 12 aldermen and 86 councillors, one of whom is mayor; and returus two members to the Imperial Parliament. The livings are in the arch deaconry of Stafford and diocese of Lichfield. Wolverhampton Poor-Law Union contains 4 townships, with an area of 23,998 acres, and a population in 1851 of 132,603.
A monastery was founded at Wolverhampton in 996 by Wulfrana, sister of King Edgar ; and the town appears to have been named Wulfrana Hamton, after the foundress of the monastery, which by contraction and corruption has become Wolverhampton. The parish includes a circumference of about 30 miles. The town is situated on rising ground, and consists in general of substantial and well-built houses ; the streets are well lighted with gas. The public buildings are—a new exchange, opened in January 1852, containing a hall 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 50 feet high ; a town-hall ; a public sub scription library-hall, over which is a suite of rooms used for concerts and assemblies ; an hospital ; a dispensary; a theatre ; and a new market-hall. There are eight churches, four of which are of recent erection ; the oldest is that of St. Peter, a epacioue structure, erected
in the 14th century, and just restored. The pulpit is formed of a single stone elaborately sculptured, and there is a font of great antiquity, with curious bas-relief figures of saints. In the churchyard is a column 20 feet high, with rude antique sculptures. The Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, Baptists, English Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. There are a Free Grammar school; National and Infant schools ; an Endowed Blue-Coat school ; and a school erected and endowed by Mr. Barker, one of the iron-masters, for the children of his workmen. There is a general cemetery a short distance south-west of the town.
The district in which 1Volverhamptou is situated abounds in mines of coal, iron, limestone, and other minerals ; and the manufactures consist chiefly of fire-irons, tinned and japanned iron-ware, locks and keys, guns, files, screws, edge-tools, and a variety of other articles of hardware. Numerous extensive iron-foundries are situated in the vicinity of the town. There are several large manufactories of japan, papier-machd, and tin goods ; also several brass-foundries, chemical works, and coach and railway-carriage works. Brick-making, rope reeking, malting, aud tanning are carried on. The town is regarded as the capital of the Staffordshire iron district. The market is on Wednesday; a fair is held on July 10th. Races are held annually.