The website of the
Black Country Society
Promoting interest in the past, present and future of our Black Country
Virtual Heritage Group - Recordings of meetings 2025
A New Home; a tale of efforts to secure a permanent and suitable facility for the internationally-renowned Stourbridge Glass collection. - A talk by Graham Fisher
Monday April 28th at 7.30pm
​
The rise of Stourbridge Glass and its subsequent decline bequeathed a unique legacy and an unparalleled assemblage of artefacts nowadays referred to as the Stourbridge Glass Collection. Graham, one of the founding Trustees of the British Glass Foundation, explains the significance of events within the Grand Scheme of conserving local heritage and explains how the Foundation is also helping maintain and develop the future of glassmaking in and around the area
Black Country Society AGM followed by "An Ecclesiastical Affair" - A talk by Chris Baker, Wednesday March 26th via Zoom
​
A story from 1870, about the Victorian Black Country parish of Pensnett where the errant clergyman had a flirtation with a pupil teacher at the local school, that led to scandal in the village, a clergy discipline trial, a series of anonymous broadsheets circulating in the village making all sorts of accusations, and a nationally reported libel trial. Wayward clergy, scandal and libel – all the hallmarks of a good story!
James Keir (1785-1820): Innovation, the Lunar Society and inventing the Black Country - A talk by Malcolm Dick Monday 17th February 2025 at 7.30pm via Zoom
​
James Keir (1735-1820) was a local industrialist, chemist and active member of the Lunar Society. He also managed the firm of Boulton and Watt for several years and lived at Hill Top in West Bromwich. Scottish by birth, Keir studied medicine at Edinburgh and was a close friend of Erasmus Darwin. He developed glass works in Stourbridge, coal mines in Tividale and a huge chemical works in Tipton. His remarkable study of the potential of Black Country, published in 1798, was the first to explore the economic significance of the region. He deserves attention as the inventor of the Black Country as an industrial region before the term was explicitly used in the 1830s and 1840s.
Public Art in the Black Country by Brian Carr
20th January 7.30pm
​
​In this presentation Brian Carr discusses his website featuring Public art throughout the Black Country (Dudleyartbc.com), talking about why he created the site, how it grew from a minor project to an all encompassing feature with back stories behind some lesser seen pieces