 At first the village was simply known as Cannock Chase due to its proximity to the nearby forest, it was known as Chasetown by 1867.The first pit was sunk by the Marquess of Anglesey in 1849, when the Hammerwich Colliery opened at the base of Chasewater reservoir.Cannock Chase Collieries No.2 and No.9 opened in the 1850s to the west of the village where the Rugby club is sited today.