Editing Sutton Coldfield (section)

=== Industrial revolution, 1800–1900 ===
==== Municipal projects and change of government ====
The 1800s would prove to be another century of major change for the town, built upon the wealth it had generated in years before and the power that the Sutton Coldfield Corporation had. Dealing with a growing town, they sought to improve the quality of life for residents. The corporation was forced to fell trees within the town and sell the timber as means to fund the construction of schools and almshouses. In 1826, timber worth £1,116 3s. was sold.<ref name="Salzman" /> The first of these schools were founded during the 1820s. The corporation also constructed two [[almshouse]]s in Walmley in 1828 and a further two adjacent in 1863.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jones |first=Douglas V. |title=Walmley and its surroundings |year=1990 |publisher=Westwood Press |isbn=0-948025-11-5}}</ref> By 1837, there were ten almshouses in the parish under the ownership of the corporation, with others operated by charities.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wright |first=George |title=A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer, Volume 4 |year=1837 |publisher=T. Kelly |page=567 |location=Paternoster Row, London}}</ref>

The town hall at the top of Mill Street began to deteriorate throughout the 1800s and the decision was taken to demolish it in 1854. The adjacent workhouse and gaol were renovated to become the new municipal offices, and this was reconstructed in 1858 until 1859 to better suit its purpose. The new offices were designed by G. Bidlake.<ref name="freemason">{{cite web|title=SUTTON COLDFIELD MASONIC HALL – A BRIEF HISTORY |url=http://www.suttoncoldfieldfreemasons.org.uk/ |publisher=The Sutton Coldfield Masonic Hall Company Ltd. |access-date=6 November 2010}}</ref> A fire station was also constructed further down Mill Street.<ref name="freemason" />

During the 1830s, municipal corporations were investigated due to corrupt practices within the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. These inquiries led to the passing of the [[Reform Act 1832]] and [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]] which reformed boroughs nationwide. Despite the radical changes imposed by the Acts, the Sutton Coldfield Corporation was left untouched.<ref name="Beresford" /> It was not until April 1882, as a result of the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1882]], that Sutton Coldfield became a municipal borough. The old Corporation was replaced with a new structure consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen elected councillors. Six wards were created in the borough – Holy Trinity, Hill, Boldmere, Wylde Green, Maney, and Walmley – from each of which three councillors were elected.<ref name="Salzman" />

==== Arrival of the railways ====
For the majority of the 19th century, people travelled between Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield by horse-drawn carriage, a journey that took around 80 minutes.<ref name="freemason" /> Birmingham received its first railway in 1837 with a terminus at Vauxhall station, now [[Duddeston railway station]]. In 1859, an act of Parliament{{which|date=February 2025}} was passed for the construction of a railway line connecting Birmingham to Sutton Coldfield via Erdington.<ref>{{cite book|title=General Report of the Board of Trade on the Railway and Canal Bills of Session 1859|year=1859 |publisher=Board of Trade |page=52 }}</ref> Construction commenced in 1860 on the line which passed through Vauxhall station, although by this time it was being used only as a goods station. The line opened on 2 June 1862 with [[Sutton Coldfield railway station]] being the terminus. An act of Parliament{{which|date=February 2025}} for the continuation of the railway to [[Lichfield]] was passed on 23 June 1874, with construction starting in October 1881<ref name="showell" /> and services beginning in 1884.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lichfield City Station |url=http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/lichfield_city.php |work=Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands |access-date=6 November 2010}}</ref> The line was extended to [[Lichfield Trent Valley railway station]] on 28 November 1888.<ref>{{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |page=142}}</ref>

A proposed second railway line by the Wolverhampton, Walsall and Midland Junction Railway Company through Sutton Coldfield was met with opposition from residents who were concerned about the route cutting through Sutton Park. A meeting objecting to the proposal was held on 15 April 1872,<ref name="showell" /> however, construction was authorised on 6 August in the same year. The WWMJR company merged with [[Midland Railway]] in 1874 and construction commenced soon after. To calm objections from residents, Midland Railway promised cheap local coal and paid £6,500 for a {{convert|2|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch through Sutton Park.<ref name="wr">{{cite web|title=LMS Route: Water Orton to Walsall |url=http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/waterortonwalsall.htm |publisher=Warwickshire Railways |access-date=6 November 2010}}</ref> Services on the line began on 1 July 1879, with trains stopping at [[Penns railway station|Penns (Walmley)]], [[Sutton Coldfield Town railway station|Sutton Coldfield Town]], and [[Sutton Park railway station|Sutton Park]] in the town, as well as at [[Streetly railway station|Streetly]], [[Aldridge railway station|Aldridge]], and [[Walsall railway station|Walsall]]. Ultimately, the line connected the Midland Railway's [[Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway]] line to their [[Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway|Birmingham to Derby line]].<ref name="wr" />

The railways quickly led to Sutton Coldfield becoming a popular location for day excursions and picnic parties for the residents of Birmingham, escaping the pollution of the city for the landscapes of Sutton Park.<ref>{{cite book|last=McCulla|first=Dorothy |title=Victorian and Edwardian Warwickshire: from old photographs |year=1976 |publisher=B. T. Batsford |isbn=0-7134-3101-6|page=112 }}</ref> The 1863 edition of ''[[Bradshaw's Guide]]'' described Sutton Coldfield as "a place of no very particular note, beyond an occasional pic-nic excursion".<ref name=Bradshaw>{{cite book|last=Bradshaw|title=Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Hand-book of Great Britain and Ireland|year=1863|publisher=Old House|location=Oxford|isbn=9781908402028|pages=Section III, Page 21}}</ref>  In the [[Whit week]] of 1882, 19,549 people visited Sutton Park, with numbers dropping to 11,378 in the same week the following year. In 1884, there were 17,486 visitors, of whom 14,000 went on the Monday.<ref name="showell" /> In 1865, on a small eminence adjacent to Sutton Coldfield station, the Royal Hotel was constructed, hoping to capitalise on the new tourist industry the town was witnessing. The hotel was beset with financial difficulties and closed down in 1895, becoming Sutton Coldfield Sanatorium for a short period of time.<ref name="DVJCH" />

As well as becoming a tourist spot, Sutton Coldfield became popular with people who worked in Birmingham and also were able to live away from the pollution of the city and travel to the city and town by train.<ref>{{cite book|last=Simmons |first=Jack |title=The Railway in England and Wales, 1830–1914 |year=1978 |publisher=Leicester University Press |isbn=0-7185-1146-8|page=101 }}</ref> During the late 19th century, it was the wealthy manufacturers who moved to Sutton Coldfield, and it was not until the turn of the century that ordinary workers were able to move as well.<ref name="Beresford" />

In 1836, [[George Bodington]] acquired an asylum and sanatorium at Driffold House (now the Royal cinema), Maney, where he researched pulmonary disease.

==== Population growth and public facilities ====
The first census of Sutton Coldfield took place in 1801. It recorded that the town had a population of 2,847. The following census of 1811 recorded that this had risen to 2,959 with 617 houses. This was partially down to the construction of barracks to the east to accommodate the Edinburgh and Sussex Militias, the 7th Dragoon Guards and a Brigade of Artillery. By 1821, the population had further increased to 3,426<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith |first=William |title=A New & Compendious History of the County of Warwick|year=1830 |page=367 }}</ref> and then to 3,684 in 1831.<ref name="Salzman" /> The census of 1881 revealed that the population had increased from 4,662 in 1861<ref>{{cite book|last=McCulloch |first=John Ramsay |title=A Dictionary, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical: Of the Various Countries, Places, and Principal Natural Objects in the World |year=1866 |publisher=Longmans |page=246 |author2=Martin, Frederick }}</ref> to 7,737.

The increasing population of Sutton Coldfield parish was recognised in the mid-19th century and new [[ecclesiastical parish]]es were created from it to better serve the residents of the communities that made up Sutton. The first ecclesiastical parish to be created was Walmley in 1846, with the recently completed St. John the Evangelist Church becoming the parish church.<ref name="Bracken88">{{cite book|last=Bracken |first=L. |title=History of the forest and chase of Sutton Coldfield |year=1860 |publisher=Benjamin Hall|page=88}}</ref> Hill became the next ecclesiastical parish in 1853, with its church being St. James' Church in Mere Green.<ref name="Bracken87">{{cite book|last=Bracken |first=L. |title=History of the forest and chase of Sutton Coldfield |year=1860 |publisher=Benjamin Hall|page=87}}</ref> Boldmere parish was created in 1857, with St. Michael's Church becoming its parish church.<ref name="Bracken89">{{cite book|last=Bracken |first=L. |title=History of the forest and chase of Sutton Coldfield |year=1860 |publisher=Benjamin Hall|page=89}}</ref> Holy Trinity Church was further extended with a north outer aisle and vestries in 1874–9.<ref name="Salzman" />

The construction of Shenstone Pumping Station in 1892 {{fvsp|text=gave Sutton Coldfield its first tapped water supply|date=January 2025}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Potted History |url=http://southstaffswaterarchives.org.uk/Potted%20History.htm |publisher=South Staffordshire Water Archives |access-date=6 November 2010}}</ref> In 1870, W.T. Parsons began the publication of Sutton Coldfield's first newspaper ''Sutton Coldfield News''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boorman |first=Henry |title=Newspaper Society, 125 years of progress |year=1961 |publisher=Kent Messenger |page=144 }}</ref>

==== ''Ashford v Thornton'' ====
{{main|Ashford v Thornton}}
Sutton Coldfield was the focus of national attention in 1817 when a young woman named Mary Ashford was found murdered in the town. She had been attending a party in Erdington on the evening of 26 May 1817,<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |pages=1–2}}</ref> and had left with Abraham Thornton and her friend Hannah Cox, who left Mary and Abraham.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |pages=4–5}}</ref> The following morning, her body was recovered from a water-filled pit by Penns Lane, Erdington. Thornton was quickly traced and arrested for her murder.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |pages=7–9}}</ref> At the trial, Thornton provided evidence that it was not possible for him to have killed Mary at the suggested time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thornbury|first=Walter|year=1879|title=Old Stories Re-Told|edition=new|publisher=Chatto and Windus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFgBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP7|page=234|access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> As a result, the jury found him not guilty of her murder and rape, allowing him to walk free from the court.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |pages=32–34}}</ref>

Public response to the acquittal was that of outrage and a private appeal was brought against the verdict by Mary's brother, William Ashford.<ref>{{cite book|last=Megarry|first=Sir Robert|year=2005|title=A New Miscellany-at-Law: Yet Another Diversion for Lawyers and Others|isbn=1-58477-631-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exU2ejrCpNMC&q=ashford+v.+thornton&pg=PA68 |page=69 |publisher=Hart Pub. |access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Thornton was taken to London where he was tried at the King's Bench.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |page=46}}</ref> When Thornton was called upon for his plea, he responded, "Not guilty; and I am ready to defend the same with my body."<ref>{{cite book|last=Thornbury|first=Walter|year=1879|title=Old Stories Re-Told|edition=new|publisher=Chatto and Windus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFgBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP7|page=238|access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> He then put on one of a pair of leather gauntlets, which his barrister, William Reader, handed him. Thornton threw down the other for William Ashford to pick up and thus accept the challenge, which Ashford did not do. By Ashford not accepting the challenge under the [[trial by combat]] laws, Thornton was freed, although by this time he gained a notorious reputation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Sir John|year=1926|publisher=William Hodge & Co. Ltd.|title=Trial of Abraham Thornton |pages=55–56}}</ref> In 1819, a bill was introduced and an Act passed to abolish private appeals after acquittals and also abolish trial by combat.