An illustrated history of three Black Country settlements, integrated into one administrative body in 1894 with the formation of the now defunct Darlaston Urban District Council. It is an area famous in the 18th and 19th centuries for the manufacture of gun locks, the firing mechanism of a gun. The onset of the industrial revolution saw the transition of backyard workshops to a vast acreage of factories and foundries producing all manner of hardwares providing employment for thousands of local residents. The book reveals some unexpected secrets from history, such as Bentley's role in the escape of Charles II following defeat in the 1651 battle of Worcester and the remarkable survival of nine Moxley miners, trapped underground for more than a week before their historic rescue.