This page contains a very short history of Wolverhampton. Many of the words in it are links, which appear as words in blue text. If you want to know more about that subject, click on the blue text. The page you get to will contain further information and may contain further links and references to published materials. There will not be a link back to this page but you can always use the back button on your browser.  You ought not to get lost!

Of course many links can and will be added as soon as we have the pages to make links to.  As always throughout this site, contributions are welcome.

Note that this history is basically that of the old borough of Wolverhampton.  Separate histories could be written of Bilston, Tettenhall, Penn and other places which are now within the City Council's area.  We already have here a history of Bushbury.  Histories of other parts would be welcome additions.

Little is known of the history of Wolverhampton before written records become available.  The Romans seem not to have established a presence here.

The earliest records show Hean Tun being granted by King Aethelred to Lady Wulfruna in 985; and then in 994 she founded a monastery here.

In the middle ages Wolverhampton gradually increased in importance, overtaking other local centres. It became a service center for the local agricultural community. Its relative prosperity was mainly founded on wool. The government of the town was largely in the hands of manorial courts and, later, such bodies as parish councils. The town does not seem to have been much affected by national affairs though many incidents in the Civil War took place in the vicinity.

The Church of England continued to be a dominant force, though there were many Roman Catholics in the area, who seem to have benefited from the tolerance of Wulfrunians.

The industrial revolution changed Wolverhampton entirely. Wolverhampton's only advantage in this respect was that coal and iron were available nearby. The town rapidly became engaged in various metalware industries, including lock making. This expansion was assisted by new roads, new canals and new railways. It also resulted in some people moving out of town as the old town became more crowded and insanitary.

Although industry became the major part of the town's economy, it still maintained a thriving market function, serving the needs of the town and a wide agricultural hinterland well into this century.

The government of the town came largely into the hands of statutory Town Commissioners. Wolverhampton got two Parliamentary seats as a result of the 1832 Reform Act. In 1838 the Wolverhampton Borough Council was created.

Under the pressure of industrialization the town population increased greatly, with many immigrants arriving, especially from Wales and Ireland. The influence of the Church of England decreased and that of many non-conforming groups, including Congregationalists, increased.

The economic base of the town moved from small scale engineering to heavier engineering, including the manufacture of bicycles, motor bicycles, cars, lorries, buses and aeroplanes. The town had a long association with railways and railway engines were made here.

Later in the 19th century the Borough Council took over the functions of the Commissioners and became the leading local government body. Piped water, gas and electricity gradually became available. Transport was improved somewhat by buses and trams. The town's road network was improved. Education, which had earlier been a patchwork of private provision, became more widely available. Public housing became available and the suburbs slowly expanded. Law and order was seen as a greater problem. The town was not without its notable events, including the visit of Queen Victoria, the industrial exhibitions and the floral fete.

After the First World War expansion continued, especially into the western suburbs.. The town suffered from the Great Depression but remained relatively prosperous. During the Second World War local industry became a target for bombing and many airfields operated in the area. The war resulted in more immigrants settling here, including many from Italy and Poland. After the war life appeared to be continuing much as usual and the demand for labour was met by more immigrants, this time mainly from the sub-continent and the Caribbean. But the town was badly hit by the industrial depression of the eighties, with factories closing and unemployment high. In the 90s the town largely re-invented itself, gaining some share of new industries and becoming an entertainment centre, much of the base of which was the rapidly expanding university.

In 2001 the town was designated a city.