Black Country Country" by the Reverend William Gresley, who was then a prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral. He introduces the area as "that dismal region of mines and forges, commonly called 'the Black Country'", implying that the term was already in use. Gresley's opening paragraph stated "The scene of this story lies in that part of Staffordshire to which the constant exhumation of its mineral resources has long since given the well-known name of the Black Country", implying that the original Black Country may not have included Dudley which was in Worcestershire. He also stated that the 'Black Country was twenty miles in
Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop Bridge, Wolverhampton and Carter's Green in West Bromwich. The exhibit at the Black Country Living Museum combines pawnbroking with retail, as did many pawnbroking businesses in the 19th century. In the museum's reconstruction the unredeemed goods and other stock are sold in the front room, while pawning of goods was done in the 'pledge room' at the back. The shop window of the Pawnbroker's gives a good example of the types of goods that customers would 'pledge'. The display includes shoes, clothes, furs, musical instruments, children's toys and even a set of false teeth. Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop