Disasters and Plots
1590-1696
There is little evidence remaining in Wolverhampton of the Tudor period, apart from 44 Exchange Street and 19 Victoria Street- two buildings still in existence. Known to date, there have been two recorded fires within Wolverhampton: 1590 and 1696. The sources of the fires too have been recorded, with the first beginning in Barn Street (now Salop Street); leaving 104 houses, 30 barns and a vast quantity of grain going up in flames. 700 people were homeless as a result, as the fire had lasted for 5 days. The second fire began on September 10th 1696 at around 4pm in the same street: Barn Street. It only took 5 hours for 60 houses to be destroyed, resulting in a cost of £8500 for the damage caused. This was a large amount of money during the latter part of the 17th century, and having learnt that the fires of Barn Street were costing a lot to repair damages, a fire engine was purchased in 1709. Of course this was no common fire engine, but one similar to the one on the left, with a box pump and leather hose upon two wheels, whereupon 6 men would pump the water (3 either side). However, as a means of preventing the rapid spread of any further fires, thatched roofing was banned in 1814 but a cottage with thatched roofing on Canal Street (later known as Rotten Row and now Broad Street) was still standing in 1871.
Before the second fire of Wolverhampton, the Gunpowder Plot was undergoing planning and advances, gaining support from fellow Wulfrunians (suprisingly as this isn't something commonly heard of despite the fact that many of the renegades were from the West Midlands, locally Bushbury which had many Catholic families, a great risk and danger which is often fogotten). After Queen Elizabeth I death, King James I took the throne, causing a huge Catholic plot to remove him from it. Wolverhampton, however, did not become involved with the plot until after the scheme at the Houses of Parliament took place. Holbeach House in Himley housed the conspirator leader Robert Catesby who took refuge after the act. Thomas Smart and John Holyhead from Rowley Regis were on trial held by a judge from Ludlow, and executed (hung) at around January 27th 1606 in High Green (the market place and now known as Queen Square) for allowing the King's traitors to take refuge in their homes.