Wilden was part of the demesne of the Bishop of Worcester's manor of Hartlebury.
This was one of a number of ironworks in the lower Stour valley that depended on pig iron brought up the River Severn from the Forest of Dean and elsewhere.
Operation of the ironworks passed in 1669 with the rest of the older Thomas's Midlands ironworks to his youngest son Philip Foley, and he operated them until 1679, when he arranged for his brother to lease the works to Richard Avenant and John Wheeler, who had been his managers.
The forge lease was transferred to Richard Knight of Bringewood for its final years.
In 1870, Alfred Baldwin bought out his relatives to become the sole proprietor of the firm, but continued to trade under the old name.
In 1888 he brought his 21-year-old son Stanley Baldwin, who would later become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, into the business.
The firm was incorporated as E. P. & W. Baldwin Ltd in 1898, and gradually acquired other tinplate works, mainly in South Wales.
[1] The basis for this article includes unpublished sources, including certain Worcester Episcopal archives in Worcestershire Record Office; archives of Earl Baldwin (by his kind permission) also there; and those of the Foley family (also by permission) in Herefordshire Record Offices.