Pigot & Co's 1828/9 Directory of Staffordshire


page 723

| ETRURIA | STOKE-UPON-TRENT | TUNSTALL | LONGPORT |
| BROWNHILLS | SHELTON |

ETRURIA consists principally of a regularly built street, chiefly inhabited by potters; situated on the sides of the canal, about a mile north-east of Newcastle. The late Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. built and named this place after the Italian Etruria, celebrated for the exquisite beauty of its earthenware, the remaining specimens of which served him as models for the improvement of his productions.
The Methodists have a chapel at the foot of Etruria bank, the village is a part of the vill or township of Shelton, and its population is made up therewith.

STOKE-UPON-TRENT, as its name implies, is pleasantly situated upon that river, in an extensive and populous parish, to which it gives name, about one mile and a half east of Newcastle, upon the sides of the Grand Trunk canal. The town contains many handsome houses, wharfs, warehouses and earthenware manufactories, and is deemed the parish town of the potteries. 
The church, which is and ancient building of stone, will be taken down when the new edifice, which is erecting under the auspices of the parliamentary commissioners, shall be perfected. The church contains a handsome monument to the memory of the late Josiah Wedgwood who was interred here in 1795. In 1815 a very handsomer and commodious national school, for the education of five hundred children was erected at this place, at the cost of nearly £1,000, chiefly raised by subscription. Here are also two meeting houses for dissenters. 
The first steam engine for grinding burned flint for the use of the potters was established here.
About mid-way between Stoke and Newcastle is 'Cliffe vill' the seat of John Tomlinson, Esq; and at Penkhull is 'the Mount,' the seat of Josiah Spode, Esq.
The market is Saturday and a wake is held the first Sunday in August annually. 
The whole parish of Stoke, by the returns for 1821, contained 29,223 inhabitants; and the parish, exclusive of its several extensive dependencies, 3,969 of that number.

TUNSTALL is a considerable village within the township of Tunstall Court, a liberty in the parish of Woolstanton, four miles from Newcastle, pleasantly situated on an eminence, deriving its name from the Saxon word, tun or ton, a town, and stall, an elevated place, seat or station.
The grand Trunk canal is within half a mile of the village; and the Harecastle tunnel, running nearly two miles underground, is within a short distance. A second tunnel, parallel with the first, has lately been completed here, at a cost of £100,000, which will much expedite the conveyance of merchandize.
Walter Sneyd, Esq. of Keel, is lord of the manor, and holds courts leet at certain periods, when a constable is chosen for the government of the town.
There is no church in the village, but £1,000 has been subscribed by some worthy and spirited individuals, in anticipation of being aided by government in the erection of one, the want of which being much felt. Thursfield, or 'New Chapel,' is a chapel of ease under Woolstanton, of which the Rev. John Lawton is the incumbent, and the Rev. Wm. Carter, curate. In this chapel was interred the celebrated canal engineer, James Brindley. The places of worship in the village are three chapels for the Methodists.
In this township abounds coal, ironstone, marl and fine channel coal; and the manufactories of earthenware are very extensive here. 
The market is on Thursday, which is well supplied with provisions and commodities, as well as with shoes, hats and other articles of wear.
Tunstall Court liberty contained, in 1821, 2,622 inhabitants, and Tunstall township, which is in the parish of Adbaston, 102 persons exclusive.

LONGPORT lies in a valley near Burslem, and contains some first-rate manufactories. It was formerly called 'Longbridge,' from a kind of bridge, or stepping stones, laid across the whole breadth of the meadows, which were afterwards removed, and from the Trent and Mersey canal passing through it, and its great improvement in buildings and population, it received its present name.

BROWNHILLS is a pleasant village, situate on the Liverpool and Manchester road through the Potteries, about half a mile from Newcastle-under-Lyme, has several good houses, and two extensive earthenware manufactories. At a short distance from the road there is also a manufactory of considerable magnitude, noted for its excellent blue tiles, quarries and conduit pipes, &c. which are quite vitrified, and of a beautiful dark colour. The many various strata of clay got here, which are of excellent quality, and in great abundance, seem particularly adapted for these articles. These works are now occupied by Messrs. Haywood, and contiguous to the Trent and Mersey canal, by which considerable quantities of this manufacture are exported to different parts of the kingdom: opposite is a much-admired hanging wood, called Bradwall Wood, belonging to Walter Sneyd, Esq.

SHELTON is a vill and township, contiguous to Hanley, containing some fine manufactories of porcelain, and has the advantage of a wharf upon the Trent and Mersey navigation. Here are some valuable charitable scholastic establishments, and extensive gas works. The township of Shelton, including part of Cobridge and Etruria, contained, be the last census, 7,325 inhabitants.