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While Staffordshire was mainly waste and uncultivated ground in Norman times, the moorlands in the north of the county provided good quality pastures for sheep. In the 14th century, Wolverhampton was a significant wool town. Over time, coal and iron became vital industries for the area, as well as timber, salt, lead, copper, marble, alabaster and millstones. The clothing trade also thrived around towns like Tamworth, Burton and Newcastle-under-Lyme. By the 18th century, the potteries had become famous because of the work of Josiah Wedgwood. 

Staffordshire has various claims to fame, like Marmite, the yeast extract product first made in Burton upon Trent in 1902. The same town is also considered by many to be the capital of beer brewing, Marston’s being one of the industry’s giants. Discovered near Lichfield in 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard is the most extensive collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found. 

Did your relatives go from rags to riches in Staffordshire during the Industrial Revolution?