Halesowen (medieval parish)

Halesowen (originally called Hale Manor) was a medieval parish in the West Midlands of England.

This former exclave of Shropshire is shown on old maps — here with a blue outline.

The ancient parish of Halesowen had extremely complex boundaries; Shropshire in red, Worcestershire in green. (Historic County Borders Project)

The townships of Halesowen, Cakemore, Hasbury, Hawne, Hill, Hunnington, Illey, Lapal, Oldbury, Ridgacre, Romsley and Warley Salop formed a detached part of Shropshire; the rest of the parish, consisting of the chapelries of Cradley and Frankley, and the hamlets of Lutley and Warley Wigorn, was part of Worcestershire.[1]

The Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 made the entire area part of Worcestershire. Each of these townships, chapelries and hamlets became a civil parish in 1866.

Subsequently

• Ridgacre, under the name of Quinton was added to Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1909, and has formed part of the Birmingham metropolitan district in West Midlands since 1974
• Halesowen (with Cakemore, Cradley, Hasbury, Hawne, Hill, Illey, Lapal and Lutley) has formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in West Midlands since 1974
• Oldbury, Warley Salop and Warley Wigorn became part of the County Borough of Warley (Worcestershire)[2] in 1966 and since 1974 the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands
• Frankley and Romsley do not form part of any metropolitan district; and are part of the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire; part of Frankley was added to Birmingham and is now known as New Frankley in Birmingham