Near Birmingham: Traces of Wednesbury's Print Heritage

I was in Wednesbury last week, being shown around by the Poet Laureate of the town, Brendan Hawthorne, who pinpointed these little traces of Wednesbury's past in printing. Ryder & Son published the Wednesbury Herald, a popular local paper, as well as Ryder's Annual, a trade directory. In 1888 The British Printer wrote that Ryder's Annual of that year was "pages of good reading and attractively displayed advertisements, is carefully printed, sells for one penny, and is worth six". 

The building where the press was housed is on the corner of Spring Head and what is now Wharfedale Street, the latter named after the Wharfedale printing press that would be heard clunking away in the print-shop behind.  

Ryder's itself was begun in 1878 by Robert Ryder (his son being James Edward Ryder), and the standing building was built on Spring Head in 1883. 

Interior of Ryder's, c. 1890. Held at Sandwell Archive (PHS/8). 

For more information visit the Wednesbury history site by Bev parker, here.

Advert for the Wednesbury Herald, 1884, from Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire.
Click to enlarge.

Sandwell M120 letter from Ryder to Hackwood.