LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC
SERVICES.
Wrockwardine Wood was part of the
manor, and until 1884 the civil parish, of Wrockwardine. In spite of its isolation it seems to have
been treated exactly as the other constituent
townships, although special journeys had to be
made to relieve the poor. The township, later
parish, was in Wellington poor-law union 1836-
1930. (fn. 17)
Wrockwardine Wood C.P. was formed in 1884,
as part of Wellington rural sanitary district,
becoming a ward of Oakengates urban district on
its creation in 1898. (fn. 18) Wrockwardine Wood C.P.
was abolished in 1934 when it became part of
Oakengates C.P. (fn. 19)
The Granville hospital, Gower Street, was
built for its employees by the Lilleshall Co. It
opened in 1873 but by 1879 a smaller, eight-bed
building in Albion Street had been provided. An
ambulance service was added to the hospital's
facilities in 1917. (fn. 20)
CHURCH.
The inhabitants of Wrockwardine
Wood appear at times to have used churches and
chapels of ease nearer than the parish church 7
km. away. (fn. 21) In the early 19th century the success
of Methodism in the area apparently stimulated
Joshua Gilpin, vicar of Wrockwardine 1782-
1828 (fn. 22) and a friend of John Fletcher, the Methodist vicar of Madeley, to introduce cottage lectures
in Wrockwardine Wood. They were initially given
by Matthew Wishton and R. W. Kyle, curate for
Wrockwardine Wood, in a cottage in Furnace
Lane. (fn. 23) The National school, built near the glassworks and opened in 1831, was licensed for
preaching and held up to 250 adults. (fn. 24) Wrockwardine Wood church, built next to the school, was
consecrated in 1833. It was paid for by public
subscription of £990 and grants totalling £600. (fn. 25)
Wrockwardine Wood became a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1834. The patronage was the
Crown's until 1887 when it was conveyed to the
bishop of Lichfield, the patron in 1982. (fn. 26) The
living formally became a rectory in 1868, although
from the acquisition of the great tithes in 1847
Reginald Yonge frequently signed himself
rector. (fn. 27) In 1861 the southern part of the parish
containing part of the Nabb and Pain's Lane was
transferred to the new consolidated chapelry later
known as St. George's. (fn. 28)
The incumbent of Wrockwardine Wood enjoyed a stipend of £81 c. 1834. G. L. Yate, vicar
of Wrockwardine, had given up the small tithes,
other offerings, and pew rents from Wrockwardine Wood to endow the living. (fn. 29) By 1856 the
value of the living had risen to c. £140, augmentations totalling £1,000 having been made from
Queen Anne's Bounty to match private subscriptions and other grants in 1835, 1836, 1842 (two),
and 1849. Additionally, lands worth £300 were
given by Yate in 1842 and £770 by subscribers in
1849. (fn. 30) In 1847 Queen Anne's Bounty bought the
great tithes that belonged to Mrs. Cludde of
Orleton, on behalf of the incumbent. (fn. 31) By 1871
the living was worth c. £200 and by 1884 £230
including £89 in tithe rent charges and £9 in pew
rents and surplice fees. There were also 4 a. of
glebe, (fn. 32) whose rent was estimated in 1887 to be
worth £10. (fn. 33) By 1900 the living's value had fallen
to £180; it remained at that level in 1917. By 1932
it had risen to £360. (fn. 34)
In 1835 G. L. Yate acquired a third interest in
the glassworks manager's house, the rest being
bought in 1843 after the works had closed. (fn. 35)
Profits from R. W. Kyle's Sermons Doctrinal and
Practical (1837) were devoted to the house fund. (fn. 36)
Until the purchase of the house the incumbents
had apparently not resided near the church: Kyle
lived in Trench in 1837 and Henry Bagnall lived
in Priorslee in 1843. (fn. 37) The incumbents of Wrockwardine Wood seem usually to have had a curate. (fn. 38)
In 1843 there were two Sunday services, with
others at Christmas and on Good Friday, communion being given four times a year to 20
parishioners. On Census Sunday 1851 44 adults
worshipped in the afternoon and 82 in the
evening. (fn. 39) In 1889, in the wake of their building
restorations, Gilbert Todd (rector 1874-92) and
his curate were attempting to improve the character of the services and they formed a surpliced
choir. (fn. 40) A bell of 1891 was hung in the tower. (fn. 41)
In 1884 the Nabb mission was built on land
given by the Lilleshall Co., the building costs
being raised through subscriptions. The iron
building was enlarged in 1892 to provide 170
sittings. (fn. 42)
The church of HOLY TRINITY was built in
1833 to a design by Samuel and Thomas Smith of
Madeley. (fn. 43) Initially it consisted of a west tower,
nave, and chancel, of red brick with some stone
dressing. Of plain Georgian design with roundheaded windows, it had a large west gallery and
seated 610, 430 seats being free. (fn. 44) Much of the
initial seating was in square pews, which were
replaced by benches in 1889 when considerable
alterations, designed by Joseph Farmer of Shifnal, were made. (fn. 45) Between 1876 and 1890 the
chancel was enlarged and an apse added, also a
vestry and organ chamber. In 1902 four sandstone
balls surmounting the tower were replaced by
pinnacles. (fn. 46) In 1936 a choir vestry was built on the
west side of the tower. In 1970-1 extensive repairs
to the church were necessary after a fire. (fn. 47)
The registers are complete from 1833.
Land was given to extend the churchyard in
1897, 1921, and 1938, the last ground being
consecrated in 1943. The churchyard was levelled
in 1967. (fn. 48)