Amblecote or Elme-li-cote
The name of the original Saxon owner of Amblecote, according to information contained in the Domesday Book, was Earl Alfgar III whose dates appear to be 1002-1059.
After the Norman conquest the manor of Elmcote in Staffordshire (Staeffordscir) was owned by William Fitz Ansculf of Picquigny (a commune in the Somme département in the Picardie region of northern France). William it seems held large estates in 11 English counties. His 14 Worcestershire manors included those of Frankley, Cradley, Pedmore and Hagley besides those at Northfield. In Warwickshire he owned Birmingham, Edgbaston, Aston, Handsworth and Erdington.
Bedcode, which later became Stourbridge, was in the County of Worcestershire. By the thirteenth Century the Manor of Amblecote was owned by the De Stafford family.
For more information about the De Stafford family during this period which has been condensed from Tudorplace.com click on their coat of arms (left).
In 1540 Amblecote passed into the hands of the Greys of Enville Hall, later to become Earls of Stamford and Warrington.
For more information about the Greys and the Earls of Stamford and Warrington click on their coat of arms (right).
Amblecote became a division of the Parish of Old Swinford and in 1845 a Parish in its own right. In 1894 Amblecote gained its own Parish Council and in 1898 was given the status of an Urban District Council.
Amblecote had the distinction of being the smallest Urban District Council in the country and remained so for the 72 years that it existed. It merged with Stourbridge Urban District Council to then become Stourbridge Metropolitan Borough in 1966. For a list of all the Chairman click the badge (left).
The County border was moved a mile north to include Amblecote and Wordsley as part of Worcester. Together with Stourbridge Amblecote became part of the DY8 postal district.
In 1974, Amblecote and the rest of Stourbridge Borough became part of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough and the Metropolitan County of the West Midlands.
The West Midlands County Council existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 and was abolished on the 31 March 1986. It was abolished along with five other metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council by the government of Margaret Thatcher by the Local Government Act 1985.
Arms of DMBC granted 1975
Arms of Stourbridge
granted 1917
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