Thats a thought, I have a feeling Aston Brook and Hockley Brook were one and the sameInteresting the reference, "Passing Messrs Kynoch's manufactory the force of the torrent gradually lessens, but resumes with two-fold intensity at the other side of the bridge over Witton Brook." Would Witton Brook be a local name for the River Tame?
Sorted, thanks VivAccording to Wikipedia:
Hockley Brook rises just outside the city, in Smethwick, and runs through Black Patch Park and then through the city's Soho, Hockley and Aston districts, to its confluence with the River Tame, beneath Gravelly Hill Interchange. At the eastern end, it is known as Aston Brook, giving its name to Aston Brook Street.