Stourbridge, market town and township (ry. stations Stourbridge and Stourbridge Junction), Oldswinford par., Worcestershire, on river Stour, 5 miles SW. of Dudley and 11½ W. of Birmingham, 450 ac., pop. 9757; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-day, Friday. Stourbridge was anciently known as Bedcote. It has a county court-house, a market-house, a corn exchange, and a grammar school founded in 1553; it has also mfrs. of glass (introduced by refugees from Hungary and Lorraine in 1556), iron, and fire-bricks. These last are made from a peculiarly rich fire-clay, and are largely exported.

(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))