1908.

CONTENTS.

Chapter. Page.
I.—Willenhall—Its Name and Antiquity [1]
II.—The Battle of Wednesfield [5]
III.—The Saxon Settlement [11]
IV.—The Founding of Wulfruna’s Church, a.d. 996 [17]
V.—The Collegiate Establishment [22]
VI.—Willenhall at the Norman Conquest (1066–1086) [27]
VII.—A Chapel and a Chantry at Willenhall [32]
VIII.—Willenhall in the Middle Ages [37]
IX.—The Levesons and other Old Willenhall Families [41]
X.—Willenhall Endowments at the Reformation [48]
XI.—How the Reformation Affected Willenhall [52]
XII.—Before the Reformation—and After [57]
XIII.—A Century of Wars, Incursions, and Alarms (1640–1745) [65]
XIV.—Litigation Concerning the Willenhall Prebend (1615–1702) [72]
XV.—Willenhall Struggling to be a Free Parish [77]
XVI.—Dr. Richard Wilkes, of Willenhall (1690–1760) [82]
XVII.—Willenhall “Spaw” [90]
XVIII.—The Benefice [95]
XIX.—How a Flock Chose its own Shepherd [103]
XX.—The Election of 1894, and Since [110]
XXI.—Willenhall Church Endowments [116]
XXII.—The Church Charities: the Daughter Churches [129]
XXIII.—The Fabric of the Church [135]
XXIV.—Dissent, Nonconformity, and Philanthrophy [143]
XXV.—Manorial Government [148]
XXVI.—Modern Self-Government [153]
XXVII.—The Town of Locks and Keys [158]
XXVIII.—Willenhall in Fiction [167]
XXIX.—Bibliography [175]
XXX.—Topography [179]
XXXI.—Old Families and Names of Note [184]
XXXII.—Manners and Customs [187]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Seal of Local Authority Title Page.
St. Giles’ Church [v]
Rev. Wm. Moreton [v]
Rev. G. H. Fisher, M.A. [v]
Dr. Richard Wilkes [v]
Moseley Hall [65]
Boscobel [65]
Bentley Hall [137]
Willenhall Trade Token (farthing) [166]
Borrow, George [169]
Borrow’s Birthplace [169]
Neptune Inn [177]
Bell Inn [177]
Old Bull’s Head [177]
The Plough [177]
Tildesley, James [185]
Tildesley, Josiah [185]
Pearce, George Ley [185]
Hartill, Jeremiah [185]
Austin, John [185]

I.—Its Name and Its Antiquity