The History of Amblecote
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.

Arms of de Stafford
For more information about the De Stafford family during this
period which has been condensed from Tudorplace.com

In 1540 Amblecote passed into the hands of the Greys of Enville
Hall, later to become Earls of Stamford and Warrington.

Arms of the Greys of Enville
For more information about the Greys and the Earls
of Stamford and Warrington

Amblecote became a division of the Parish of Old Swinford and
in 1845 a Parish in its own right.

Arms of Victoria

In 1894 Amblecote gained its own Parish Council and in 1898 was
given the status of an Urban District Council.

 
The Badge of Amblecote 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.

The Arms of Stourbridge granted 1917

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 Arms of Dudley M. B. C. granted 1975

The Chairman's Chain of Office

When Amblecote Urban District Council was dissolved in 1966
the outgoing Chairman presented his chain of office - in
perpetuity - to Holy Trinity. The badge had been given to
the Chairman in 1960 by Councillor Eric Mees, in memory of
his father who had been Chairman from 1928 - 1930. The badge
is made from an oval-shaped piece of flint glass cased with blue.
The glass plaque is surrounded by a guilt rim. Engraved on the
face of the badge are the council's name, motto and three
figures depicting local industries. Glassmaking in the upper
half, engineering lower left and brick-making lower right.

The motto "commune bonum" means for "the good of the community"

For a complete list of those holding the office of Chairman please

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