The name Sutton Coldfield is modern. In early days Sutton was often combined with in, on or upon Collefeld, Colefeld or other similar spelling. Coldfield is now generally regarded as referring to a large area of barren or waste land to the east of Barr Beacon but the Sutton part presents more difficullty.

The accepted view is that Sutton stands for South town; but south of where? Two obvious options, the Saxon town of Tamworth, the ancient Middleton are nowhere close to north of Sutton.To the north, almost directly, are Wall and Lichfield.

The Romans more or less bypassed the Coldfield ; their Ryknild Street travelled north from Droitwich passing along the eastern boundary of Sutton, to Letocetum, the Roman fort at Wall near Lichfield.

Following the departure of the Romans, Lichfield was settled upon by St Chad in the 7th century.The wild and barren Coldfield lay largely uninhabited for several centuries

At the beginning of the  Norman era the area was owned by Edwin, Earl of Mercia ( the grandson of Lady Godiva) but he was executed in 1071 and the lands reverted to the Crown. In 1086 the Domesday Book valued Sutton at £4. In 1126 Henry 1 exchanged Sutton for other properties with the newly created Norman Earl of Warwick and granted  rights of desmesne and  to enclose a deer park . In 1130 a hunting lodge ( the Manor House) was built in a prominent position overlooking Wyndeleye. The chapel in the Manor House was dedicated to the nowadays somewhat obscure St Blaise.With the hunting nobility came the requirement for local services and so began the development of the town.

The Manor Hill area surrounded by streams and pools was probably too small for a township. In 1300 the population was sufficient to justify the granting of a weekly market and annual fair. In about 1305 a new church was built on a hill north of the Manor and a  modest township grew around the Church.

The Warwicks did not maintain their interest in Sutton.They became only occasional visitors and they eventually let out the Manor and Chase to Sir Ralph Bracebridge of Kingsbury in about 1420. Richard Earl of Warwick was killed in 1471 during the War of the Roses and the town lost its illustrious patron and the Manor once again reverted to the Crown.

The Manor fell into disuse and was demolished about 1500. Leland on his visit to Southeton upon Colefeeld in 1549 found that  ' the town standynge in a barren soil fell dayly to decay and the market was clene forsaken'

And here enters centre stage,   Bishop John Vesey