Kingswinford - Definition

Kingswinford is a village in the West Midlands (county) but previously in Staffordshire.

Mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing. Positioned to at the western edge of the West Midlands it borders on a rural area extending past the River Severn, which explains recent changes. But its position at the edge of the Black Country and its long standing in the area means it has had significant influence in the past. This is illustrated by the influence in creating local workhouses-[1] (http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/Stourbridge/Stourbridge.shtml) which shows a population of 15,000 plus in the 1831 census.