This map shows the approximate positions of the Stourbidge glass houses discussed below shown on a section of an eighteenth century map. The road running approximately north-south is the Stourbridge Road, and that running approximately east -west just over half way up is Brettle Lane. This forms the boundary between the ancient parishes of Oldswinford to the south and Kingswinford to the north. All the area shown on this map is in Staffordshire, but the majority of the Oldswinford parish is in Worcestershire. There were many other glass houses in the area, but these were either window or bottle glass houses.
Said to have been built in 1618, it was one of two glass house in Amblecote before 1623 (the other was probably at Withymoor, run by Paul Tyzack and Abraham Bigoe in 1670; probably a broad-glass house). Later it was probably also called the Hooe. Holloway End was owned by Ann Thompson, otherwise known as Beare in 1650. Her daughter Ann married Daniel Tittery (d 1641 - and see below under glass making families) and their son Daniel was a glass maker living in the area in 1650. Their daughter Ann married Thomas Rogers (d 1680) who took the glass house over c 1650 and it remained in the Rogers family into the 18th century. Thomas, son of Ann & Thomas, made flint glass, broad glass and bottles. Thomas junior's inventory of 1719 survives (he was then described as a Whiteglassmaker). This included glass-making materials such as: Red lead, Half a Ton of Cullett [broken glass], one Ton and five hundred of Salt petre, Sand, kelp and Ashes (approx. 50 ton). A John Rogers was recorded as being a glass house 'founder' (one who supervised the melting of the glass) in 1673 and 1680.
A glass house was built on Fimbrell leasow, north east of Coalbournebrook before 1691, probably in about 1680. In 1691 it was leased by Thomas Bradley of Oldswinford, a glass maker, to Benjamin Batchelor, glass maker, of Coalbourenbrook at an annual rent of £30. Thomas Batchelor had trained under Paul Henzey and was making bottles and broad glass from 1691, but it is not clear if he was in partnership with Benjamin. In the early 18th century Dennis appears to have been making a wide variety of glass including drinking glass.
Thomas Henzy took a lease on this field west of the Stourbridge Road in 1692 and built a glass house there for his second son John (d. 1719). John produced flint glass, bottles and vessels there.
A second glass house west of the Stourbridge Road existed by the early 18th C. After being occupied by Jeremiah Minors and Edward Bradley, it was used by John Bradley for making flint glass. John let it in 1714. Between 1696 and 1698 the number of flint glass houses in the area had increased from five to six; this glass house is probably the additional one. Edward Bradley was recorded as having 'kelp' in 1701.
There is no evidence of the existence of this glass house before 1640, although Jeremiah Bague, said to be its builder, had connections with Oldswinford from 1619 when he married Susanna Henzey. Jeremiah Bague was involved in the Greenwich glass house and jailed for infringing mansell's monopoly in 1642. He presumably returned to Stourbridge soon after since the glass house was working by 1650. It continued into the eighteenth century and in 1706 it was said to be where Jerimiah Bague had lately lived. Bague's was the first in the area to be called a 'White' house.
Built by the white glass maker Edward Bradley the elder (d. 1716), on land bought by him in 1662. He sold it to John Wheeler in 1699. Edward married Ann Tittery (christened in Old Swinford 1656), daughter of Paul Tittery. The glasshouse was demolished in 1928.
Jerimiah Bague married Suzanna Henzie on 8th April 1619. He was clearly a man of some standing in Oldswinford, being described as 'Mr' when being chosen as churchwarden in 1634. There seem to be many variations of the name, and it is possible that he was related to the Bagget/Bagot family in Oldswinford. It seems very likely that there was also a son of the same name.
The Clellows may have been immigrant glass makers. It is a very uncommon name and appears in Oldswinford parish records from 1646 to 1713. A William Clellow, son of Richard Clellow was apprenticed as a (vessel?) glass maker in Bristol in 1678, but there is no sign of him staying in Bristol to practice as a glass maker (see Bristol pages). Like the Rackets who arrived at a similar date, the Clellows may have been involved with Bague's just across the parish boundary.
A Stephen Collier, glass maker joined a partnership in Bristol to make vessel glass. A Stephen Collier was living in Old Swinford in 1672 when he married and had children Sussanna and Stephen in 1685 and 1687. Son Stephen married Ann Rogers (presumably from Holloway End) in 1714 and it was probably he that went to Bristol.
The de Hooe (de Houx) were also a family of vessel glass makers and Jacob De Howe married Ann Tyzack in Oldswinford in 1625.
A glass making family of Italian descent, the Racket family of vessel glass makers occur regularly in Oldswinford parish registers from 1649 to 1684. Caesar Racket had a son Charles in 1649 who married into another glass making family, the Tyzacks in 1670, having children Caesar and Rebecca in 1671 and 1673. Julius Caesar Racket also maarried a Tyzack, Meriall, about 1667 in Kingswinford and they had children Paul, Rebecca, Julius Caesar and John christened between 1667 and 1680. Ajar Racket had daughter Jane in 1684. These same people and apparent relations are also recorded at other vessel glass making sites as noted on other pages. The family may have worked at both Bague's and Audnum based on the coincidence of dates.
A glass making family of French descent, of whom a number were probably vessel glass makers. Daniel 1 was probably the one who married Ann, daughter of Ann Thompson of Holloway End and they probably had children Daniel 2, Ann and Zachariah 1 who are not recorded as being christened in parish records. Son Paul 1 was christened in 1627 and Joshua in 1636. Daniel 2 had children Mary, Daniel 3, Paul 2, Thomas, and Joshua christened between 1647 and 1657. Zachariah 1 had children Zachariah 2 in 1656 and Zacharias in 1665. Paul 1 had children Anne in 1656 and Zachariah 3 in 1658. The family may have been involved in Holloway End from its opening. Joshua subsequently went to Newcastle on Tyne and then to Philadelphia. Daniel 2 probably also went to Newcastle. Daniel 1 was said to have been master of the Hooe glass-house, until his death in 1641 and to have founded Holloway End glass-house. As discussed above, the Hooe and Holloway End may have been the same.
Chandler,1994.
Guttery, 1956.
Harden, 1977.
Greenslade, Jenkins, 1989.
Tyzack, 1995.