SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE WATER COMPANY.
December 1st, 1851. This new company gave public notice of their intention to apply to Parliament for a Bill to give to a large portion of South Staffordshire, together with the town of Dudley, a better supply of water. After considerable opposition they succeeded in obtaining the Bill in the main, and from that time our water supply has been given by that now very enlarged company.
March 2nd, 1852. Married Miss Cresswell, of the Priory Home, to Mr. John Beddard, Nail Factor and Iron Merchant.
Church Rates becoming yearly more deservedly unpopular, not only in Dudley but in the country at large, on March 24th, 1852, a severe contest took place this day in St. Edmund’s district parish, betwixt the Church party and the Dissenters. A Church Rate of 5d. in the pound was proposed by the Churchwardens, and 1d. in the pound by the Dissenters; the result of the parish poll was—
| For a | 5d. | Church Rate, | 112 votes |
| “ | 1d. | “ | 76 “ |
| —— | |||
| Majority, | 36 “ |
April 10th, 1852. St. Thomas’ parish was also most vigorously and successfully assailed against Church Rates, and, as the parish contains some of our large manufactures, it was at first doubtful which way a poll would terminate; but when it became known that Messrs. A. B. Cochrane and Samuel K. Blackwell were decidedly turned against the future imposition of the obnoxious Church Rates, it became a foregone conclusion that the Church party would lose the day, and be left to provide for Mother Church as well as they could.
The following hearty appeals were made to the ratepayers at this memorable Dudley fight for Mr. Samuel Cook’s innate principles of civil and religious freedom:—
TO THE RATEPAYERS OF ST. EDMUND’S DISTRICT, DUDLEY.
Dissenters,