Coven, Staffordshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coven is a village in the district of South Staffordshire, England, near the border with Wolverhampton. Together with Brewood it forms part of the parish of Brewood & Coven.[1]
Coven derives from the Anglo-Saxon cofum, the dative plural of cofa, which means either 'a cove' or 'a hut'.[2]
History
The first record of Coven (as Cove) is in the Domesday Book of 1086; when it was listed as being held by William de Stafford. Prior to the Norman Conquest it was held by the Saxon ceorl Alric.[3]
Iron-making was carried on at a furnace and two forges near to the village from the seventeenth century or earlier. 'The Homage' (circa 1679) is said to be the oldest brick-built house in Staffordshire. During the nineteenth century, John Smith operated a foundry in the village, where he produced stationary steam engines and locomotives.[4]
St Paul's Church, Coven was opened in 1857.[5]