THE CONDOVER HUNDRED.

The Condover hundred is bounded on the north by the liberties of Shrewsbury, on the east by the South Bradford hundred and the Wenlock franchise, on the west by the Ford hundred, and on the south by the hundred of Munslow. The land presents a considerable inequality of surface; the soil is various; in some places there is a good deal of gravelly loam and sand, and in other places a clayey soil prevails, lying upon the red sand stone. The Lyth hill stands within the bounds of this hundred, and the lofty heights of the Caradoc, Lawley, and Longmynd connect it on the south and west with the hundreds of Munslow and Purslow. The population of this hundred in 1801 was 5,818, and in 1841, 7,349, of whom 3,701 were males and 3,648 females. At the latter period there were 1445 inhabited houses and 73 houses building. This hundred comprehends the Condover and the Cound divisions. The Condover division contains the following townships and places, viz: Bayston, Betchcott, Betton and Alkmere, Castle Pulverbatch, Chatford, Church Pulverbatch, Churton, Condover, Cothercott, Dorrington, Frodesley, Lee Botwood, Longnor, Meole Brace, Newton and Edgbold, Nobold, Picklescott, Pulley, Smethcott, Stapleton, Sutton, Walkmills, Wilderley, Woolstaston, and Wrentnall.

The Cound division contains Acton Burnell, Berrington, Church Preen, Cound, Cressage, Harley, Kenley, Pitchford, and Ruckley and Langley.

ACTON BURNELL

is a parish and pleasant well-built village, seven miles S.S.E. from Shrewsbury, comprising 2,650 acres of land, and in 1801 had 272 inhabitants; in 1841 there were 54 houses and a population of 311 souls. Sir Edward Joseph Smythe, bart., is the land owner and lord of the manor, and resides at the Hall, an elegant mansion of white free stone, approached by a beautiful portico of the Ionic order; the pleasure grounds are tastefully laid out, and the park commands a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. Near to the Hall are the ruins of Acton Burnell Castle, which is memorable in history for a parliament held here in the year 1283, by King Edward I., on which occasion the lords sat in the castle and the commons in a barn. It was in this parliament that the statute known by the name of the statute of Acton Burnell was made for the purpose of enforcing the statutuno de mercatoribus. It appoints the mode in which a statute merchant is to be made, and by whom; fixes the manner of seizing and valuing goods for the payment of debts; in what case the debtor shall be imprisoned, and how maintained in prison; when sureties shall be compelled to pay the debts of their principals, and when they are to be exempted, &c. Sir Robert Burnell, who lived in the reign of William the Conqueror, had his seat here, and his posterity flourished in this vicinity for a long period. Philip Burnell, in the 54th Henry III., had the grant of a market on Tuesday, and two fairs in the year, the one on the eve, the day, and the day after the annunciation of the blessed Virgin, and the other on the eve, the day, and the morrow of St. Michael the Archangel. Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, is said to have repaired or built the castle here in the reign of Edward I. The walls of the castle are of immense thickness, and adorned with battlements and rows of curiously carved windows. A short distance from the castle stood the barn, where the commons are stated to have assembled when the parliament was held here, it is now a complete ruin, and the gables only remain. The Church is a venerable fabric dedicated to St. Mary; the living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £6. 10s., now returned at £350, in the patronage of Sir E. J. Smythe and incumbency of the Rev. Edward Arthur Wainwright. Adjoining the hall is a very beautiful Catholic Chapel, which has recently been considerably enlarged and improved at the cost of Sir E. J. Smythe. The family at the hall and a great portion of the tenantry usually attend divine worship here.

Acton Pigott is a hamlet with one farm and a few cottages, one mile north-east from Acton Burnell.

Charities.—Several sums of money left to the poor by different donors amounting in the whole to £20, were applied in repairing the workhouse, and the inhabitants agreed to pay 20s. yearly out of the rent of the said house, as the interest thereof, to be distributed in bread. Edward Bayley, in 1789, left a rent charge of 10s. yearly for a distribution of bread. Thomas Smyth, in 1673, left 5s. per annum for a distribution of bread, to be paid “out of his estate to the world’s end, if his estate should so long continue sufficient to make it good.” It does not appear that anything has been paid in respect of this charity for a long period.

Directory.—Sir Edward Joseph Smythe, bart., the Hall; John William Benbow, farmer; Edward Everall, shopkeeper; Eli Charles Moore, bailiff to Sir E. J. Smythe; Thomas Morris, farmer; Peter Perry, farmer and maltster, Acton Pigott; Thomas Reynolds, butcher; William Southall, vict., Nag’s head; Rev. Edward Arthur Wainwright, rector.

RUCKLEY AND LANGLEY

is a small village and chapelry in the parish of Acton Burnell, about one mile east from that place, and five and a half miles west from Much Wenlock. At the census in 1801 there were eighty-two inhabitants; in 1841, fifteen houses and a population of eighty-three souls. The chapelry contains 952 acres of land, which is the property of Sir Edward Joseph Smythe, bart., who is also lord of the manor. The chapel is an inconsiderable structure where divine service is performed only twice during the year. The living is a curacy subordinate to the rectory of Acton Burnell. Langley Hall, an ancient mansion of considerable extent, is now occupied as a farm house, and although much dilapidated it has an imposing aspect, and shows many traces of its former grandeur. King Charles during his troubles was for a short period concealed here; a fine old oak table, elaborately carved, is said to have been in the hall since the time of King Charles, and was used by that monarch as a dining table.

The Farmers are George Carter, Langley; Ellen Evans, Causway wood; Richard Farr, Mere Oak; John Grainger, Langley Hall; James Hartwright, Ruckley; Richard Stedman, Park gate; and Edward Sumner, Ruckley.

Betton and Alkmere is a small township in the parish of St. Chad, in the Condover hundred. The parish of St. Chad is partly returned in the Albrighton division and partly in the Ford division of the Ford Hundred, but is chiefly situated within the limits of the borough of Shrewsbury. The village of Little Betton, or Betton Strange, is pleasantly situated two and a half miles south from Shrewsbury, and was returned at the census of 1841 as having ten houses and forty-eight inhabitants. The land owners are Lord Berwick, and George Jonathan Scott, Esq., the latter gentleman resides at a good house embosomed in foliage usually called Betton Strange.

The principal residents are Joseph Cross, farmer; Thomas Elsmere, farmer; and John Scott, Esq., Betton Strange.

BERRINGTON

is a small rural village pleasantly situated four and a half miles S.E. by S. from Shrewsbury. The parish contains the several townships of Berrington, Brompton, Betton, Cantlop, and Eaton Mascot, which together in 1801 had a population of 603 souls; 1831, 684, and in 1841 there were 97 houses and 651 inhabitants. There was no separate return of the respective townships at the census of 1841. The township of Berrington contains 880 acres of land, with a fertile soil highly productive. Lord Berwick and Sir Edward Smythe, Bart., are the principal landowners, the latter is lord of the manor. The church is an ancient structure, dedicated to All Saints; the living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £10. 12s. 1d., now returned at £400 in the patronage of Lord Berwick, and incumbency of the Hon. and Rev. T. H. N. Hill. There is a national school in the village, where 45 children are educated. Betton is a small township with 564 acres, which is the property of Lord Berwick. Rateable value, £759. Brompton township has 864 acres, which is also the property of Lord Berwick. Within the bounds of this township at Cross Houses is situated the Atcham Union House, a spacious brick pile, calculated to accommodate 350 inmates. It consists of a centre and wings; the receiving wards and infirmary are now in course of erection at the back part of the premises, the estimated cost of which is £1,510; the old infirmary was taken down in consequence of its being too small for the accommodation of the patients. The average number of inmates in the union house is usually about 200. The average annual expenditure on the poor of the district for three years preceding the formation of the union was £9,768. Total expenditure of the union for the year ending March, 1850, £4,101. 5s., being 4s. 4¾d. per head on the population comprised within the union. Total number of admissions during the year, 586. Total number relieved during the year, exclusive of vagrants, 703. The union comprehends the following 43 parishes, viz.:—Acton Burnel, Alberbury, Albrighton, Astley, Atcham, Battlefield, Bauseley, Berrington, Cardiston, Church Preen, Church Pulverbatch, Condover, Cound, Cressage, Criggion, Eaton Constantine, Fitz, Ford, Frodesley, Habberley, Hanwood, Harley, Highley, Kenley, Leighton, Melverley, Minsterley, Montford, Pitchford, Pontesbury, Preston Gubbals, Ruckley, Shineton, Shrawardine, Stapleton, Sutton, Uffington, Uppington, Upton Magna, Westbury, Withington, Woolaston, and Wroxeter. The guardians meet three times during the month. Chairman: Sir B. Leighton. Vice-Chairman: Rev. H. Burton. Clerk: Mr. Thos. Everest. House Surgeon: Mr. F. Whitfell. Relieving Officers: Mr. George Jackson and James Hampton. Governor: Mr. Robert Rowlandson. Matron: Mrs. Rowlandson. The New Connexion Methodists have a small chapel in Brompton, which was built in 1836. Cantlop, a small township lying to the S.W. of Berrington, contains 681 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £839. The Earl of Liverpool and E. W. S. Owen, Esq., are the principal landowners. Eaton Mascot township contains 495 acres of land, which is the property of Mrs. Williams. The rateable value of this township is £690.

Charities.—John Churm, in 1629, gave £13, which was laid out in the purchase of a rent charge of 20s. per annum, issuing out of a piece of land called Leeberries. It is the practice to receive the payment once in three or four years, and distribute it with other money to the poor, in sums varying from 2s. to 5s. In 1723, Richard Wellings gave £20 for the good of the poor of Berrington. This money is now in the Savings’ Bank at Shrewsbury. Margaret Thompson bequeathed £6 to buy Bibles for poor children. This money is also in the Savings’ Bank. The interest on this and the preceding legacy amounts to 21s. yearly, and in respect of Thompson’s charity a Bible or prayer book is purchased for the use of the Sunday school, or given to some poor person of the parish, and the remainder is distributed among the poor.

Berrington, Betton, Brompton, Cantlop, and Eaton Mascot Directories.

Bromley John, farmer, Betton

Bromley William, wheelwright, Berrington

Cadwallader Mr. Richard, Brompton

Calcott Charles, farmer, Betton

Calcott Mr. Richard, Brompton

Caswell James, shopkeeper, Brompton

Clark William, farmer, Cantlop

Dilcher Edward, farmer, Brompton

Dixon Joseph, farmer, Betton

Elsmere Thomas, farmer, Berrington

Hill Hon. and Rev. T. H. Noel, Berrington

James Rev. William J., curate, Cantlop

Jones Christiana, blacksmith, Berrington

Lateward John, wheelwright, Berrington

Lawrence William, farmer, Cantlop

Lee Richard, farmer, Brompton

Massie Richard, vict., Bell Inn, Berrington

Miere Joseph, farmer, Berrington

Millward Miss, school teacher, Berrington

Newell Edward and Son, tailors and drapers, Berrington

Onions Henry, butcher, Cross Houses

Parker Thomas, farmer, Cotons

Poole Thomas, farmer, Berrington

Rogers James, vict., Golden Cross, Cross Houses

Rowlandson Robert, governor of Atcham union house

Sides Thomas, shoemaker, Cantlop

Vickerstaff Thomas, beerseller, Cantlop

Wigley John, schoolmaster, Berrington

Whitfield Thomas, corn miller, Cantlop

William Charles Arthur, Esq., Eaton Mascot

Williams Mrs. Sarah H. H., Eaton Mascot

CONDOVER

is a considerable parish, embracing 7,422a. 3r. 21p. of land, of which 6,632 are titheable, and the remainder tithe free. In 1801 there was a population of 1,451 souls; 1831, 1,455; and at the census in 1851 there were 1,550 inhabitants. The parish embraces the townships and hamlets of Condover, Dorrington, Bayston, Chatford, Boreton, Lyth, Ryton, Westley, and Wheatall. The rectoral tithes have been commuted for £1,303. 5s. E. W. S. Owen, Esq., is the impropriator. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £211. 5s. The village of Condover is pleasantly situated in a fertile vale, five miles south from Shrewsbury, on the road leading towards Church Stretton and Ludlow. It is a place of considerable antiquity, and retains the same name as entered in the Doomsday book. William the Conqueror gave Condover to Roger de Montgomery, who gave the church thereof to the abbey of Shrewsbury. Upon the attainder of the last Earl of Shrewsbury of that family, it was seized by King Henry I., and continued in the hands of the crown until the 11th of Henry III., when that king granted it to his sister, the Princess of Wales. It was subsequently granted to the Hastings, in whose family it continued till the time of Edward I., when Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, became possessed of it by purchase. From the Burnells it passed to the Lovells, and Lord Viscount Lovell forfeited it to the crown. King Henry VIII. granted it to Richard Cornwell for the term of his life, and afterwards to Henry Knyvett and his heirs male. George and John Isam, who had the fee of this manor, sold it to Thomas Owen, Esq., whose representative, Edward William Smythe Owen, Esq., a considerable landowner in this neighbourhood, is now the proprietor, and resides at The Hall, an elegant mansion in the Elizabethan style of architecture, built in the year 1598. It is surrounded by a park of considerable extent, beautifully diversified with picturesque scenery. The Owen family suffered much for their adherence to the royal cause during the civil wars.

The Church, which was appropriated to the abbey of Shrewsbury, is dedicated to St. Andrew. The living is a discharged vicarage, to which belong all vicarial tithes and a rent charge of £69, payable out of the Moot Hall estate. It is valued in the king’s book at £4. 14s. Edward W. S. Owen, Esq., is the patron; incumbent, Rev. J. W. Harden.

Bayston Hill is a pleasantly situated village on the road from Shrewsbury to Ludlow, partly in the parish of Condover and partly in St. Julien’s parish. A small District Church was built here about eight years ago, the necessary funds for which were raised by voluntary subscriptions. The structure consists of nave and chancel, and a square tower. The living is a perpetual curacy, enjoyed by the Rev. John Breese. Bayston township, at the census of 1841, is returned as having 148 houses and 1,193 inhabitants; Chatford township, five houses and 29 inhabitants; and Dorrington, 66 houses and 328 inhabitants. The above townships comprise the whole parish.

Charities.—Thomas Owen, justice of the Common Pleas, in 1598 charged certain lands, at Great Ryton, with the payment of 53s. yearly, and directed a distribution of bread to be made every Sunday after divine service. Henry Brickdale, in 1700, bequeathed £44, to be laid out in land, and the proceeds expended in bread, and distributed to six poor housekeepers every Sunday. This bequest, and certain gifts in the hands of the parish officers of Condover and Pulverbatch, amounting in the whole to £65. 17s. 6d. was laid out in 1709, in the purchase of a rent charge of £2. 11s. 8d., of which £1. 5s. 10d. is applied in a distribution of bread in Condover; 6s. 8d. is carried to the church rate, and the remaining part of the rent charge, 20s., is given in bread among the poor in Pulverbatch. William Haynes gave £1. 6s. per annum, which is charged on lands in Berrington. It is stated, in the Parliamentary returns of 1786, that Mr. Owen left land for bread to the poor, then vested in the Rev. Mr. White, and producing £2. 12s. per annum. Mr. White was the vicar of this parish, and he and his successors have always paid this sum, which, with the above, is added to the bread charity. Henry Haynes, in 1659, left a rent charge of 26s. per annum, issuing out of land at Netley, for the benefit of the poor. The owner of this property, Mr. Hope, in the year 1800, sold it to Mr. Edwards; but the charge was accidentally omitted to be mentioned in the conveyance, and Mr. Hope continues to pay the rent charge. Richard Plumer in 1811, bequeathed £50, in trust, the interest to be distributed on Christmas day yearly. This money is placed in the Salop bank, and the proceeds expended in bread for the poor. Benjamin Price, in 1797, gave the poor of the parish of Condover £50, to be given in bread; one-half exclusively to such poor as should reside in Dorrington, without regard to what parish they should belong. He also gave to the churchwardens and overseers of Condover, £500 stock three per cent. consols, in trust, to receive the interest, and purchase bread therewith for the most distressed poor, one-third of which interest, or £5 per annum, he directed should be yearly laid out exclusively for poor persons residing in Dorrington; and the remaining two-thirds in like manner for the poor residing in the remaining part of the parish. The sum of £50 above mentioned, was given away soon after the testator’s death. The dividends of the £500 stock ore applied in the purchase of bread, and given away on two different days in the year. Joseph Pryce, in 1824, directed his executors to invest £200, free of legacy duty, in public stock, and to apply the dividends thereof, as the same should from time to time be received, in providing a competent person to superintend the education of poor children residing at Dorrington. This sum of £200 was laid out together with the like sum belonging to the chapelry, in purchasing £453. 16s. 3d. stock, in the three per cent. consols, immediately after the testator’s death. The share of the dividends applicable to this charity, amounting to £6. 16s. 1d. annually, is paid to a person who keeps a school at Dorrington, who in respect thereof, teaches six or eight children without any charge. It is stated on the table of benefactions that Edward Owen left 12d. weekly to the poor. The churchwardens used to receive this charity at Condover Hall, but it does not appear that anything has been paid in respect of this charity since the year 1804. Benjamin Hodges gave £10 for the benefit of the poor, this sum was in the hands of the churchwardens, who paid 8s. yearly previous to the year 1805, since which nothing has been paid in respect of this charity. John Reynolds left £50, the interest to be given by the churchwardens among the poor. In 1786 this sum was vested in the overseers, who paid £2 per annum as the interest. The same interest was paid by the overseers to the churchwardens up to the year 1829. In that year the church was broken open and the communion plate stolen; and it was agreed, at a vestry, that the sum of £50 owing by the overseers to the churchwardens should be called in and laid out in the purchase of plate, which was accordingly done. The parishioners contend that this was money lent by the churchwardens to the overseers, out of the rents of the church lands, but as there is no entry in the churchwardens accounts to justify such a notion, it appears to us more likely to have been the produce of Reynolds’ charity, which was in the hands of the overseers in 1786, and which is not otherwise accounted for.

There are two parcels of land in the parish of Condover, which forms what is called the Church Estate, one parcel containing 6a. 3r. 23p. is situate in the township of Dorrington, and the other containing 8a. 2r. 29p. is situate at Mount Sion, in the same parish. These lands were originally given for the reparations of the church, and other things thereto appertaining. The land at Dorrington is let for £22 per annum, and the land at Mount Sion at the yearly rent of £9. The amount is applied by the churchwardens to the general purpose of a church rate.

Condover, Bayston, Boreton, Chatford, Lyth, Ryton, Westley, and Wheathall Directories.

Bowen John, shoemaker, Wheathall

Boyer Thomas, maltster, Condover

Bromley John, farmer, Bomere

Bromley William, farmer, Boreton

Brwyne Richard, wheelwright, Ryton

Carter John, rope maker, Lyth

Cloud John, maltster, Ryton

Crowe Mr. Henry, The Syche, Ryton

Davies John, wheelwright and beerseller, Bayston

Deakin Benjamin, grocer, Condover

Downes Edward, farmer, Weathall

Edmonds Edward, farmer, Lyth

Edmonds Thomas, farmer, Chatford

Edmonds Thomas, farmer, Lyth

Everall Miss Martha, Condover

Ferriday William, farmer, Condover

Frank Thomas, farmer, The Grange

Gittings Thomas, shopkeeper, Bayston

Goff Harriett, farmer, Chatford

Goff John, farmer, Westley

Gough Thomas, shoemaker, Condover

Hampton George, farmer, The Grove, Condover

Hampton Thomas, farmer, Condover

Hancocks Richard, bricklayer, Condover

Harden Rev. J. W., vicar, Condover

Hartshorn John, tin plate worker, Bayston

Heighway Mr. William, Ryton

Hickman Thomas, farmer, Ryton

Hotchkiss John, farmer, Condover

Hotchkiss Richard, farmer, Condover

Holden William, farmer, Bayston

Howells John, blacksmith, Bayston

Hughes Thomas, farmer, Ryton

Humphreys Mrs. Elizabeth, Condover

Hussey Richard, tailor, Condover

Jones George, maltster and shoemaker, Bayston

Jones Richard, farmer, Lyth

Jones William W., farmer, Wheathall

Jones William, schoolmaster, Condover

Loxdale John, Esq., solicitor, Lyth

Lucas John, farm bailiff, Ryton

Mansell Elizabeth, vict., Three Fishes, Condover

Meire Joseph, farmer, Norton

Millington Richard, surgeon, Ryton Fields

Millman Thomas, blacksmith, Condover

Morgan Thomas, farmer, Westley

Owen Edward William Smythe, Esq., Condover Hall

Olliver John, farmer, Bayston

Pincher Richard, wheelwright, Bayston

Probert Samuel, grocer, Wheathall

Roberts Thomas, farmer, Condover

Rogers Richard, butcher, Condover

Russell Mr. William, Ryton

Stewart Robert, Esq., Ryton Grove

Thomas Mrs. Ann, Condover

Thomas John, farmer, Ryton

Thomas William, saddler, Condover

Watters Miss Jane, Condover

Wilcox Philip, gentleman, Condover

Williams John, parish clerk, Condover

Wood Benjamin, vict., Condover Arms

Wood Richard, farmer, Pigeon Door

Wycherley George, painter & glazier, Bayston

DORRINGTON

is a township and improving village in the parish of Condover, six and a half miles N. from Church Stretton, and seven miles S. from Shrewsbury, having in 1841 66 houses and 328 inhabitants. It is expected a railway station will be formed at Dorrington, on the Shrewsbury and Hereford line of railway, now in course of formation, which will no doubt add greatly to the importance of the place. A new District Church has been erected at Dorrington; it exhibits the early English style of architecture, and contains about 300 sittings, the greater part of which are free. Its simple and unassuming exterior harmonises well with the retired and pastoral character of the surrounding country, and forms a very picturesque object from every point of view. It is built of free stone, and consists of nave, chancel, and transepts, with a tower surmounted with pinnacles. The interior decorations are neat and appropriate, and it has a groined roof; a vestry has since been added. The church was built by John Thomas Hope, Esq., at an expense of £3,000, and endowed with the sum of £3,800 by the same individual. An elegant and spacious parsonage house, commanding a beautiful and extensive view of the Lawley, Caradoc, and Longmynd hills, has since been erected by the munificence of the same respected gentleman, at a cost of £1,800. The living is a perpetual curacy enjoyed by the Rev. George Masters, M.A. The district embraces 545 acres. Convenient schools have also been erected in the village. Edward W. Smythe Owen, Esq., is lord of the manor. John Thomas Hope, Esq., and Mr. George Heyward, are the principal landowners. The Independents have a small chapel in the village; the congregation is under the pastoral care of the Rev. J. Beynon.

Beynon Rev. J. (Independent)

Bromley Thomas, farmer

Cavill John, nurseryman and seedsman

Clayton Francis, maltster

Cloud Samuel, schoolmaster

Crumpton Jonathan, brazier and tin plate worker

Evans Eleanor, agricultural implement maker

Evason Thomas, butcher

Farmer Thomas, maltster and vict., Grey Hound Inn

Farr James, cooper

Heighway Philip, saddler & harness maker

Heighway Thomas, vict., Cock Inn

Heyward George, farmer, Walford House

Hope John Thomas, Esq., Netley Hall

Hughes Thomas, plumber and glazier

Jones John, tailor

Jones Mr. Thomas

Jones Mrs. Mary

Maddox John, farmer

Masters Rev. George, M.A., Parsonage

Morgan John, draper and grocer

Pugh Thomas, blacksmith

Shakeshaft Mr. Edward

Snaxton Edward, maltster

Taylor Thomas, beerhouse keeper

Tedstone Richard, boot and shoemaker

Turner Edward, vict., Horse Shoe Inn

COUND

is a parish and small village delightfully situated six miles S.S.E. from Shrewsbury, and six miles N.W. from Much Wenlock. The township contains 1,406 acres of land, and in 1841 had 107 houses and 511 inhabitants. Rateable value, £2,006. Mrs. Thursby is the principal landowner and lady of the manor. The church is an ancient structure, consisting of nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a tower, in which is a peal of bells. It contains several monuments, one of which remembers Edward Cressett, D.D., bishop of Llandaff, who died February 13th, 1755. The pulpit exhibits an elaborate specimen of oak carving. The living is a rectory with the chapelry of Cressage annexed, valued in the king’s book at £33, now returned at £906. The patronage is vested in Mrs. Thursby; incumbent, Rev. Henry Thursby, M.A.

Harnage is a scattered village containing some respectable residences, one and a half miles S.E. from Cound: the township contains 1,642 acres of land, the principal owner of which is John Thomas Smytheman Edwards, Esq.; the population returns are included in Cound. Rateable value, £1,854. 6s.

Golding is an estate of 385 acres, the property of the Earl of Liverpool. It is rated as a separate township in the parish books at £441. There was however no distinct return of it as a separate township at the census of 1841.

Charities.—Thomas Langley, in 1694, left a rent charge of £2. 10s. per annum for a distribution of bread every Sunday in the year except two, “for which two Sundays better provision was made.” Thomas Bishop, in 1768, bequeathed to the minister and churchwardens of Cound £20, the interest to be given in penny loaves to the churchwardens on Sunday mornings. A further sum of £60, supposed to have been left by a person of the name of Sicke, for the benefit of the poor of the parish, with the above £20, was laid out in the purchase of £102. 4s. 9d. stock, three per cent consols. Mr. Dodd, in 1774, left £20, the interest to be distributed in bread to the poor. There is a sum of £100, three per cent consols, standing in the name of John Dodson Esq., which was purchased with £50, a legacy left by Richard Dutton, to poor housekeepers, and £10. 2s. 6d. added by John Dodson Esq.; of the dividends 30s. are distributed in Cressage and an equal amount among the poor of Cound. Richard Cheese, in 1808, bequeathed £50 in trust, and directed the interest to be distributed in bread to the poor on Christmas day. This bequest was subsequently invested in the purchase of £65. 18s., three per cent consols.

Marked 1 reside at Cound, 2 Harnage.

1 Thursby Mrs. Frances, The Hall

1 Thursby Rev. Henry, M.A., rector

1 Bowen Edward, schoolmst

2 Brazener Miss Ann

1 Burd Rev. George

2 Clayton Martha, farmer

2 Clayton William, farmer

2 Corbett Rev. Robert, curate

2 Cuckson John, vict., Fox Inn

1 Farmer Mr. Joseph

2 Granger Edward, farmer

Hill Richard, farmer, Golding Hall

2 Horton Thomas, farmer

1 Linell, George, farmer

1 Meire Thomas L., farmer

2 Norris John, farmer, Mosterley

1 Price John, farmer

1 Price Richard, farmer

1 Richards John, farmer

2 Woodcock Richard, farmer

CRESSAGE

is a chapelry in the parish of Cound, four miles N.W. from Much Wenlock, and eight miles S.E. from Shrewsbury. The village is delightfully situated near the Severn, in a fertile district, beautifully diversified with picturesque scenery. The township contains 1,900 acres of land, the gross estimated rental of which is £2,393. 12s. 3d. Rateable value, £1,995. 19s. 4d. At the census in 1841 here were 63 houses and 297 inhabitants. The principal landowners are the Duke of Cleveland, Sir George Harnage, Bart., and William Morris, Esq. Cressage is supposed to have derived its name from a venerable oak of gigantic proportions which stands near the village. Some time ago a fire was kindled in the hollow of the tree, by which it was greatly injured and nearly destroyed; it is supported by iron cramps, and there is now flourishing in the midst of the tree a young oak, raised from an acorn of the old tree. It was formerly called Christ’s Ache, Ache being the Saxon word for oak, and eventually became corrupted to Cressage. The shade of spreading trees we often find were chosen by the early missionaries as preaching places for the propagation of the Christian faith. Hence we have Bishop’s Oak, Postle’s Oak, and at Cressage, Christ’s Oak. The Chapel of Ease is a small unadorned structure, subordinate to the church of Cound. It was built in 1841 at a cost of £1,400, and contains 260 sittings. The funds were raised by voluntary subscriptions and grants from the government and diocesan church building societies. The original structure was situated in a meadow a short distance from the village, and from its dampness and dilapidated condition was totally unfit for divine worship. The Rev. George Burd is the curate.

This village is celebrated as the birth place of Thomas Lodge, who settled in London as a grocer, accumulated great wealth, and rose to the civic honour of Lord Mayor of London in the year 1562. Balswardyne Hall is a handsome mansion, the seat and property of Sir George Harnage, Bart.; the estate comprises 750 acres, and is partly in this chapelry, and also extends into the liberties of Wenlock, Leighton, and Harley. It was purchased by the ancestor of the present proprietor in the year 1541. By indenture bearing date January 13th, 1672, it was agreed on the part of the churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Cound, that 20s. yearly should be paid to the churchwardens and overseers of Cressage, as their proportion of the yearly produce of a legacy therein stated to have been left for the benefit of the poor, by the will of Dame Ann Eldred in the year 1671. Nothing appears to be known of this charity either in the parish of Cound, or in the chapelry of Cressage.

Harnage Sir George, Bart., Balswardyne

Brazier William, shopkeeper

Brookes Andrew G., surgeon

Carrington Margaret, vict., Crown Inn

Cross Decima, farmer

Dodson George, farmer

Dorricutt William, tailor, and post office

Edwards John, farmer, The Buildings

Hudson Edward, farmer

James William, joiner and shopkeeper

Langley Mr. Samuel

Lewis William, farmer

Mullard Edward, blacksmith

Mullard Michael, blacksmith and shopkeeper

Pinkey Joseph, farmer

Rogers Thomas, shoemaker

Studley Edward, Esq.

Tudor Joseph, butcher

Wild Sarah, vict., Eagle Inn

Williams Robert, saddler and harness maker

CHURCH PREEN,

sometimes called Preen Church, is a parish and small rural village five miles W. by S. from Much Wenlock. The parish contains 1,026 acres of land, the principal owners of which are F. T. Webster, Esq., and the Rev. Samuel Minton. In the year 1801 here were 84 inhabitants; 1831, 75, and in 1841, 17 houses and 101 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,026. 18s. 6d. Here was formerly a small cell of cluniac monks, subordinate to the priory of Wenlock. “In the 29th of Edward I., the cell of Preene was holden of the lords of Holgod, and that on a vacancy the lords of that castle had the custody of the same, and the prior of Wenlock in such a vacancy presented the custodes to the lords of Holgod, who being so presented received the temporalities.” The Church is remarkable for its length, and the chancel, which belongs to the lay impropriators, occupies more than half the space. It is situated close to the hall, and indeed the walls are so incorporated as to form a part of the mansion. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of F. T. Webster, Esq., and enjoyed by the Rev. Robert Armitage. No tithe or rent charge is paid to the perpetual curate, but a small modus is due from the landowners, and the living is also endowed with £800 royal bounty, and £200 parliamentary grant. The Manor House or Hall, an ancient mansion, originally formed part of the cell above noticed, is now the residence and property of Frederick T. Webster, Esq. The main portion of the land in this parish lies upon a sunny slope, the high grounds of which command some extensive and beautiful prospects. It is generally thought that coal abounds beneath the soil in this parish.

Directory.—Frederick T. Webster, Esq., The Hall. Farmers, John Aslop, John Dixon, John Everall Newhouse, and Edward Madeley.

CHURCH PULVERBATCH,

usually called Churton, is a parish and small rural village 7½ miles S.S.W. from Shrewsbury, and about half a mile from the turnpike road leading from Bishop’s Castle to the former town. The village is delightfully situated, and commands a most extensive and beautiful prospect over thousand of acres of land, with a fine undulating surface teeming with fruitfulness; the majestic Wrekin, Caradoc, and the Lawley are seen in the distance, and give an additional charm to the scene. The parish contains the townships of Church Pulverbatch or Churton, Castle Pulverbatch, Cothercott, Wilderley, and Wrentnall. In 1801 here were 439 inhabitants; 1831, 557, and in 1841, 543. Acres, 3,583. Pulverbatch was formerly a place of some consequence, and had a weekly market. We find Philip Marmyn in the 38th of Henry III. obtained a charter for a market to be held on a Monday, and a fair on the eve, the day, and the morrow of St. Edith. An annual fair is still held on September 27th, but the market has long been obsolete. A short distance south from the village formerly stood a castle, the site of which may still be traced. In the 6th of King John, William de Cantilupe was governor of this castle. It was afterwards the seat of the Botelers, and was a place of great strength. The escheat roll of the 6th of Henry VI., makes mention of a free chapel belonging to the castle, in the patronage of Edward le Botiler. The Church is an ancient structure dedicated to St. Edith. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £10. 13s. 4d., now returned at £566 in the patronage of Lord Kenyon; incumbent, Rev. George C. Guise. The township of Churton or Church Pulverbatch at the census in 1841 contained twenty houses and ninety inhabitants. The Hon. H. W. Powis is the principal landowner and lord of the manor.

Charities.—The poor of this parish have 20s. yearly from Henry Brickdale’s charity, noticed with Condover. It appears the poor of this parish are entitled to receive 6s. more in respect of this charity, the division at present made between this parish and Condover not being according to the directions of the donor. Ann Jaundrell, in 1777, left by will £20, the interest to be expended in bread for the poor. This gift was subsequently laid out in pewing the church, and a yearly sum of 20s. is paid by the parish as the interest thereof. The bread is distributed on St. Thomas’s-day. James Perkins, by his will, bearing date 11th July, 1790, charged his tenement and farm at Marton, in the parish of Chirbury, with the payment of £1. 6s. per annum to the minister for the time being of Church Pulverbatch, in trust, to lay out the same in the purchase of bread to be distributed every Sunday to six decayed widows, who should attend divine service at the church. There is a distribution of bread every alternate Sunday, with this gift and Brickdale’s charity, among the most necessitous poor. Richard Perkins, who died in 1798, left £1. 6s., charged upon his estate at Church Pulverbatch, to be distributed to the poor on New Year’s-day. The 26s. is annually expended in bread and given on the above day among the most deserving poor.

Bowen George, schoolmaster

Bradley John, shoemaker

Gittins Abraham, saddler

Gittins Richard, farmer

Guise Rev. George Clifford, The Rectory

Madewell Rev. Mr.

Oakley John, farmer

Rowson Orlando, butcher

Tibbey Richard, farmer

Woodcock Samuel, farmer and maltster

CASTLE PULVERBATCH

is a small village and township in the parish of Church Pulverbatch, pleasantly situated on the high road from Shrewsbury to Bishop’s Castle, nine miles S.S.W. from the former place, and eleven miles N.E. from the latter. The township contains 994 acres of land, and in 1841 here were 36 houses and 154 inhabitants. Rateable value, £912. 12s. 10d.

Directory.—Thomas Bromley, farmer; John Brunt, farmer and vict., White Horse Inn; John Clare, vict., Woodcock Inn; The Misses Gilpin; Thomas Jordan, shoemaker; Humphrey Roberts, blacksmith; John Savage, maltster.

COTHERCUTT

is a township with a few scattered houses, delightfully situated in a hilly district, commanding pleasing views of the surrounding country; the air is peculiarly dry and salubrious, and the situation is one of a retired and pastoral character. Not far from here is Stiperstone Hill, which rises an immense height, and is seen at a considerable distance. Upon this hill are several great heaps of stones, close together, called by the Britons Carneddan tewion. It is uncertain whether these were some of those alluded to by Giraldus Cambrensis in these words, “The last Harold on foot with a company of foot soldiers lightly armed, and furnished with such provisions as the country produced for them, went over all Wales, and made his way through it in so brave a manner that he left very few alive. In token and perpetual memory of this victory, you will find in Wales many heaps of stones, according to the ancient custom of the places where he gained an advantage, with these letters inscribed on them:—‘Hic fuit victor Haraldus; Here Harold was victorious.’” Cothercutt is situated eleven miles S.W. from Shrewsbury, and the township contains 560 acres of land. In 1841 here were six houses and 33 inhabitants.

The resident farmers are David Clayton, John Smith, and William Woodcock.

WILDERLEY

township lies about a mile from Church Pulverbatch, and ten miles S.W. from Shrewsbury. It contains 671 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £659. 1s. 4d. In 1841 here were 11 houses and 71 inhabitants.

The principal residents are the following farmers, viz., James Ambler, Richard Dovaston, Joshua Roderick, and Thomas Jarratt.

WRENTNALL,

a township with 927 acres of land, is situated about a mile N.W. from Church Pulverbatch; the scenery around is beautifully picturesque, and the situation one of quiet retirement. In 1841 here were 38 houses and 195 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,195. 8s. The Baptists have a small place of worship in the village. James Freme, Esq., is the principal landowner in this township, and resides at an elegant mansion most delightfully situated on elevated ground, commanding views of great diversity and beauty.

The principal residents are James Freme, Esq.; John Breese, farmer; and Benjamin Burgwin, farmer.

FRODESLEY

is a parish and village, eight miles south-east from Shrewsbury, containing 2,188 acres of land, and in 1841 had 39 houses and 214 inhabitants: population in 1801, 158; in 1831, 186. Rateable value, £2,322. 7s. 6d. This parish is bounded on the south by one of the Frodesley hills, which form a connecting link between the Caradoc, Lawley, and the Wrekin. Though it possesses little to recommend it to the notice of the antiquarian, it is a parish of ancient date, being mentioned in the Doomsday Survey as held by one Siward, a freeman; the manor is subsequently inserted among the fees of Philip Burnel. The principal landowners are Sir E. J. Smythe, Bart., and Panton Corbet, Esq. The Roman Watling street runs for about two miles through this parish, in a line with the present turnpike road from Atcham to Church Stretton. The Hall is an ancient structure in the Elizabethan style, of rough stone, with dressed quoins and mullions. It was formerly the residence of Colonel Scriven, a staunch adherent to King Charles I. The Lodge is of a later date, partaking somewhat of the same style as the hall, and was formerly surrounded by a well-wooded and picturesque park. About the year 1780 it was inhabited by Godolphin Edwardes, Esq., then the possessor of the greater part of Frodesley. The Church dedicated to St. Mark, a plain structure, was rebuilt in 1809. The interior is neat, and the chancel was recently entirely refitted and decorated with much taste by the present incumbent. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £4. 14s., now returned at £392, in the patronage of the Rev. T. L. Gleadowe, M.A., the present rector. The rectory is a commodious house delightfully situated and surrounded with shrubberies and pleasure grounds tastefully laid out. Major Herbert Edwardes, C.B., was born at the rectory, whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were severally rectors of Frodesley. A few years ago a coal mine was worked for a short period, but the bed of coal being very thin and of an inferior quality it was closed.

Charities.—There is in the parish of Frodesley a slip of land containing about one acre, formerly a part of the waste which is supposed to have been given for the use of the poor by Godolphen Edwardes, Esq., who was lord of the manor. Thomas Scriven left £5 for the benefit of the poor. This sum was expended in the reparations of the church some time ago, and the churchwardens pay 5s. yearly as the interest. The Rev. Francis Edwardes, rector of Frodesley, who died in the year 1767, left £20 for the benefit of the poor. These gifts are distributed by the rector among the most necessitous parishioners.

Directory.—Rev. Peter Downward, Longnor Green; Rev. Thomas L. Gleadowe, M.A., The Rectory. Farmers: Thomas Brereton, Frodesley Park; Richard Deakin, Edward Francis, Richard Hotchkiss, William Ison, and brick, tile, and draining pipe maker; William Jones, William Keight, The Lodge; Edmund Meredith, Frodesley Farm; and John Morgan.

HARLEY

is a parish and village, two miles north-west from Much Wenlock, and ten miles south-east from Shrewsbury, containing 1,955 acres of fertile land, the most considerable owner of which is the Duke of Cleveland, who is also lord of the manor. Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart., Samuel Meire, Esq., and Francis Oakes, Esq., are also proprietors. The soil is various, and wheat is grown here to a large extent. There are several plots of land of different dimensions in the vicinity of Harley that are in the parish of Wenlock, although surrounded by land in the parish of Harley. The parish in 1801 contained 221 inhabitants; 1831, 257; and in 1841, 219; at which time there were 47 houses. Rateable value, £1,828. 8s. 4d.; gross estimated rental, £2,070. 8s. The Church, dedicated to St. Mary, has a handsome tower in the perpendicular style of architecture, the nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1846 by subscriptions, the greater part of which was contributed by the Duke of Cleveland, and the present incumbent. The interior has a neat and chaste appearance, and the east and west windows are beautified with stained glass, the gift of the late Rev. R. Scott, B.D. The living is a rectory in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland, valued in the king’s book at £5. 12s. 1d., now returned at £290.; incumbent, Rev. John Gibbons, M.A. The pious and celebrated Benjamin Jenks held the rectory of Harley for 56 years; he was author of “Prayers and Devotions for Families,” a work at one time very popular. A neat monument has been erected to his memory in the chancel, he died in 1734, aged seventy-eight years. There is a monumental stone slab with brass ornaments and an inscription in the old English characters in the vestry, which was formerly placed over a vault in the church. The Rectory is a commodious residence pleasantly situated near the church, which from the east commands a picturesque view of Wenlock Edge, the beauty of which is much increased by an elegant pyramidal monument in the church yard. There are 46 acres of glebe land, 36 acres of which are situated contiguous to the rectory. Harley was the birth place of Silas Domville, one of the parliamentary committee in the time of the great rebellion. He was a lover of antiquities, and had some curious manuscripts.

Richard Corfield, by will 1715, gave to the poor of the parish of Harley the sum of £20, the interest to be distributed on St. Andrew’s day. This legacy when the charity commissioners published their report, was in the hands of Richard Woofe, who paid interest at the rate of four per cent.

Adney G., farmer & maltster

Bailey Adam, maltster

Bailey Thomas, farmer

Cartwright Mary, farmer

Cartwright Richard, farmer

Casewell William, shoemakr

Davies Richard, farmer and corn miller

Gibbons Rev. John, M.A., The Rectory

Gwinn William, wheelwright

Langford Richard, victualler, Unicorn Inn

Macham William, corn miller

Maddox John, farmer

Meire Samuel, farmer, Castle hill

Partridge Mr. Thomas, Harley Tower

Roberts Robert, blacksmith

Runners Thomas, farmer, Blakeway

Worrall Wm., farmer, Cressage

KENLEY

is a small parish and village with a scattered population four miles W. from Much Wenlock, which in 1801 contained 300 inhabitants; 1831, 281, and in 1841 there were 62 houses and a population of 294 souls. The parish comprises 1,794 acres of land, some of it tolerably good and others of an indifferent quality. Gross estimated rental, £1,305. 4s. Rateable value, £992. 1s. The Duke of Cleveland is lord of the manor, and owner of the whole parish. The tithes are commuted for the sum of £170. The church is an ancient structure, much dilapidated. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, and deanery of Salop, returned at £131 in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland, and incumbency of the Rev. H. R. Slade.

Directory.—Farmers, Ann Bailey, Thomas Bailey, Richard Bishop, Elizabeth Blakeway, Thomas Bryan, Richard Crowther, Thomas Evans, Thomas Hall, Henry Hamlet, Thomas Jarvis, and Edward Pattin; John Jarratt, blacksmith

LEEBOTWOOD,

a small parish and village on the road from Church Stretton to Shrewsbury, four miles N.N.E. from the former place, contains 1,294 acres of land, and in 1801 had 81 inhabitants; 1831, 223, and in 1841, 39 houses and 214 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,574. 18s. Panton Corbett, Esq., and W. Whitmore, Esq., are the landowners. The industrious poor of this locality find employment in the coal works, and the manufacture of bricks, which is carried forward in this parish. The church is an unadorned structure of considerable antiquity, dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of nave and chancel, with a small tower. The view from the church-yard is beautiful and extensive, including the celebrated Caer Caradoc hill. The living is a perpetual curacy, with the chapel of Longnor annexed, endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £600 royal bounty. The living is valued in the king’s book at £8. 1s., now returned at £135 in the patronage of Panton Corbett, Esq.; incumbent, Rev. Waties Corbett, M.A. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £104. 9s. 8d. The poor of this parish are entitled to participate the benefits of the charities of Sir Richard Corbett, which will be found noticed with Longnor parish.

Directory.—John Dickins, blacksmith; William Dodd, vict., The Pound Inn; Thomas Everall, farmer, The Park; William Heighway, farmer; Mary Lee, farmer; Richard Preen, shopkeeper; James Smith, coal master, and brick, tile, and draining pipe manufacturer; Thomas Wigley, carpenter.

LONGNOR

is a parish and small rural village in a well wooded and fertile country, the prospects of which are enlivened by rich pastoral landscape, rendered more delightful by its contrast with the majestic Carodoc and other hills. The village lies on the road from Shrewsbury to Ludlow, eight miles S. from the former place, and five miles N.N.E. from Church Stretton. The parish contains 790 acres of land, which is chiefly the property of Panton Corbett, Esq., who is also lord of the manor, and resides at Longnor Hall, a handsome brick mansion, built in the year 1670, by Sir Richard Corbett; the situation commands several fine views, and the pleasure grounds are tastefully laid out. The population of Longnor in 1801 was 177; in 1831, 244, and in 1841 there were 53 houses and 243 inhabitants. The church is a small structure situated in the park, with lancet windows, exhibiting the style of architecture prevalent during the 12th century. It was formerly a free chapel belonging to the abbey of Haughmond. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of Panton Corbett, Esq., and enjoyed by the Rev. Waties Corbett, chancellor of Hereford.

Sir Richard Corbett, by his will, dated 19th of November, 1764, devised for a term of 900 years, all his lands and tenements, on trust, among other things by sale or mortgage, to raise £100, and lay out the same on government or other security, and dispose of the interest yearly among the necessitous poor of Longnor. And upon further trust to raise in the same manner £700, and to apply of the interest yearly on the 24th of April £12 yearly among three industrious young or decayed tradesmen, actual housekeepers and shopkeepers, carrying on business and residing in the county of Salop, in equal shares, such persons to be appointed by the owner of the testator’s capital mansion at Longnor, and the residue to be disposed of yearly in clothing six poor boys and six poor girls of Longnor, Cardington, Leebotwood, and Frodesley. The testator also gave the further sum of £200, the interest to be disposed of in the instruction of poor children in the township of Longnor; and also such poor children of the tenants as should he thought proper objects in the parishes of Leebotwood, Cardington, and Frodesley. All the above legacies remain charged upon the estates of the testator, now in the possession of Panton Corbett, Esq., who pays the yearly interest, for the objects specified in the testator’s will.

George Corbett, by will, dated 5th of December, 1664, bequeathed £50, and directed the interest to be applied in clothing two poor persons. In a memorandum containing an account of the legacies and public money belonging to Longnor, the above legacy and the following gifts are noticed, viz.:—£2 given by a maiden relation of William Longford; Humphrey Corbett £3; Francis Walker £5; Mrs. Anne Corbett £20; Miss Elizabeth Corbett £10. It is understood that these sums are in the hands of the owner of the estate at Longnor, and that instead of paying interest yearly in respect thereof, four or five poor persons of the parish are permitted to occupy certain cottages rent free. The five cottages now occupied in this manner are valued at £13. 10s. per annum. The poor have also a yearly sum of 10s., bequeathed by Edward Bayley.

Corbett Panton, Esq., Longnor Hall

Corbett Rev. Waties, Longnor Bank

Carter Thomas, builder

Dayus Samuel, farmer, maltster, & veterinary surgeon

Edwards John, shoemaker

Everall Charles, shopkeeper

Everall Richard, farmer

Heighway Thomas, farmer

Hamilton Mrs.

Pugh Thomas, blacksmith

Scott Richard, farmer

Thomas Edward, corn miller

Wigley Richard, butcher

Wigley William, wheelwright

Wilcox Thomas, farmer

MEOLE BRACE

is a populous and delightful village situated about a mile S. from Shrewsbury, and indeed may be considered a suburb to that town, as there is a continuation of pleasing villas and good residences, occupied by gentlemen and tradesmen, who have by the exertions of honest industry acquired a tolerable share of the conveniences and comforts of this life, scattered on the road from Shrewsbury to the church at Meole. The best situation for viewing this pleasing village is perhaps on the bank, just on crossing the bridge. In the front is the little bridge thrown over the Rea brook, which meanders through the rich meadows, covered with fruitfulness and studded with plantations. The quiet requirement of Meole, with the church embosomed in foliage, and a distant prospect of Shrewsbury, with its turrets, spires, and a pleasing variety of objects, adds much to the picturesque beauty of the scene. The parish of Meole embraces the townships of Newton and Edgbold, Nobold, part of Pulley, and also extends into the borough of Shrewsbury, and in 1801 comprised 1,253 inhabitants; 1831, 1207, and in 1841 there were 209 houses and 1,195 inhabitants. There are 2,487a. 1r. 34p. of land in the parish. Rateable value, £7,375. 15s. The landowners in Meole are Mrs. Bather, Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis, James Loxdale, Esq., George Jeffreys, Esq., and others; the former is lady of the manor. The Church, dedicated to All Saints, is a neat brick cruciform structure, with a short tower at the west end. It stands on the site of an ancient edifice taken down in the year 1799. The living is a vicarage valued in the king’s book at £5, now returned at £389 in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Edward Bather. There is a National School in the village, which was built by the late Ven. Archdeacon Bather. It is supported by voluntary subscriptions and a small charge from each scholar; 120 boys and girls are educated in the school. John Davies is the teacher. The rectoral tithes, not purchased by the landowners, are commuted for £24. 1s. 6d., and the vicarial for £196. 19s. 1d. A neat almshouse has recently been erected upon an elevated plot of land near the turnpike road. It is a brick structure with stone finishings, and was built with funds bequeathed by the late Mr. Evans, who also bequeathed certain funds for the endowment. There are nine poor widows inmates; each poor person has a convenient low room and a bed room, with a small plot of garden ground, and an allowance of eight pound per annum. There is a respectable inn and Bowling Green kept by Mrs. Vicars, which is frequented by the tradesmen from Shrewsbury, who here spend a pleasant evening’s relaxation from business. There are collieries at Nobold and some other places, but no coal has been got at Meole for the last four years. The House of Industry noticed with the account of Shrewsbury stands within the bounds of this parish. There was formerly a castle at Meole, which in early times was the residence of the Mackworths; there are no vestiges of the structure left.

Andrews Thomas, farmer

Andrews William, farmer

Badger Joseph, beerseller

Badger Thomas J., Esq., solicitor, Kingsland House

Bather Rev. Edwd., vicarage

Bather Mrs. Mary

Blunt Mr. Henry

Bromley Robert, beerseller

Bullock Thomas, tailor

Burr George, lead merchant, Kingsland

Burr Thomas William, lead merchant, Kingsland

Craig Mrs. Elizabeth, Severn hill

Davies John, schoolmaster and assistant overseer

Darlington Thomas, shoe maker and parish clerk

Edwardes Lady

Edwards Mrs.

Evans Mr. John

Evans Mrs. Martha

Ford Mrs. Ann

Griffiths Thomas, butcher

Hale Miss Elizabeth

Hayward George, tailor

Hiles Timothy, corn miller

Hilditch Mrs.

Holbrook John, shoemaker

Homer Wm., land surveyor

Howells Charles, blacksmith

Hughes John, farmer and maltster

Hughes Wm., corn miller

Humphreys Rev. Henry

Jobson Thomas, farmer, Bank House

Kinaston Miss Eliza

Large Mrs. Elizabeth

Leake Mr. John, Port hill

Mancell Rev. Spencer Percival

Nevett Francis, farmer

Rowlands Benj., beerhouse

Rowlands Elizth., shopkr.

Rowlands Rd., wheelwright

Rowlands Simon, wheelwrt.

Smith John, Esq., Radbrook villa

Stephenson Mrs. Elizabeth

Vaughan Peter Fdk., farmer

Vicars Ann, vict., Bowling Green Inn

Ward Mr. Thos., Kingsland

Woodward Mr. John, Asylum

NEWTON AND EDGBOLD

is a small township in the parish of Brace Meole, about three and a half miles W.W. by S. from the parish church. In 1841 here were ten houses and fifty-six inhabitants; the rectoral tithes have been purchased by the land owners; the small tithes are commuted for £69 16s. 2d. The landowners are the Rev. Edward Bather, and George Jonathan Scott, Esq.

The residents are John Bather, Esq.; Jacob Brown, farmer and butcher; Richard Jones, farmer; and Thomas Morris, farmer.

NOBOLD,

another township, situated west by south of Meole, and three miles from Shrewsbury, in 1841 contained 44 houses and 187 inhabitants, the acres of which are included with Meole; the land owners here are Robert Parr, Esq., Mr. Berrington, William Henry Slaney, Esq., Mr. Richard Juson, the latter is also proprietor of the Corn Mill.

Directory.—Hartshorn Barney, shoemaker; Thomas Beacall, farmer; George Farmer, cattle dealer and farmer; Samuel Gammon, blacksmith; Elizabeth Griffiths, farmer; John Harris, wheelwright; Edward Heath, farmer; William Juson, farmer and corn miller, Red hill Mill; Thomas Ramsell, vict., Cock Inn; Thomas Ramsell, shopkeeper; Thomas Ramsell, beerhouse keeper.

PULLEY

is a township partly in Meole Brace parish, and partly in that of St. Julian’s, in the former in 1841 there were 77 houses and 295 inhabitants; and in the latter, three houses and 13 inhabitants. Mr. Timothy Hiles and the Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis are the principal landowners. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £64. 7s. 2d., and the rectoral for £63.

The principal residents are Miss Mary Flavell; James France, farmer; Thomas Griffiths, butcher; Samuel Hiles, farmer; James Hughes, maltster and farmer; John Mitchell, beerhouse-keeper; John Norris, farmer; Mrs. Woolaston, farmer.

PITCHFORD

is a pleasant village, containing some genteel residences, seven miles south from Shrewsbury. The parish contains 1,617 acres of fertile land; and in 1801 here were 220 inhabitants; 1831, 197; and in 1841, 35 houses and 186 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,868. 9s. Gross estimated rental, £1,998. 5s. The Earl of Liverpool is the landowner in this township. The name of the place arises from a spring, upon which a scum of a bituminous nature flows. Camden compares the scum of this well with the matter that is found in the lake Asphalites, in Palestine, and says there is a spring of the same kind in Samasota. This place was formerly the seat and inheritance of a family of the same name. In the 5th of Edward I. we find John de Pycheford held the manor by the service of one knight’s fee. The last of this family of whom we read is Ralph de Pycheford, who, in the time of Edward I., levied a fine to Walter de Langton, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and to his heirs of the advowson of the church and of lands in Albrighton “et de maner de Pycheford”. In the 15th of Edward II. that bishop was found to be seised of this manor at his death. The Church is a venerable fabric, dedicated to St. Michael, and contains a curious oaken figure in memory of a Baron de Pycheford, a crusader, in chain armour, who was buried here. There are also four handsome alabaster monuments to the ancient family of Ottley. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £6. 5s. 4d., now returned at £228, in the patronage of the Earl of Liverpool, and enjoyed by the Rev. Charles Powell Peters. Pitchford Hall, situated a short distance from the church, the seat of the Earl of Liverpool, is a fine and rare specimen of the old English mansion. The house is framed with timber springing into a variety of forms for its support, the interstices being filled with plaster and painted black and white. It is exceedingly picturesque in appearance, and the grounds are beautifully diversified and richly wooded. It was formerly the residence of the Ottley family. William Ottley was sheriff of this county in 1499, and again in 1513. The mansion, from its style of architecture, was probably built about that period.

Charities.—In the parliamentary returns of 1786 it is stated that Lucy Ottley, by will, in 1687, gave £20, and Sir Adam Ottley, by will, in 1693, £50 to the poor of Pitchford, and that there was a parish stock of £20 then vested in Thomas Ottley, Esq., in respect of which sums £5 was paid yearly. This payment continued up to the year 1806, when Thomas Ottley, Esq., died, and his estates became the property of the Hon. C. C. Jenkinson, afterwards Lord Liverpool. In the year 1807 there is an entry in the parish book of £5, received from him, “to exempt him from serving offices,” and that the same sum was paid annually up to the year 1815 inclusive, and from that time the payment was no longer made. In a letter written by Lord Liverpool to the rector, dated 10th March, 1830, in answer to an application upon the subject, his lordship states that he took no personal property from the Ottleys, and that the payment of £5 made by him for a few years after he succeeded to the estate was to exempt him from serving the parish offices, and that when he took the office of overseer in 1815, the payment of course ceased.

Directory.—The Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, Pitchford Hall; John Durnell, surgeon; Maria Hancock, shopkeeper; George Haughton, farmer; John Lindop, farmer, Stockbatch; Richard Lloyd, tailor; Rev. Charles Powell Peters, The Rectory; Elizabeth Snaxton, farmer; John Turnbull, agent to the Earl of Liverpool.

SMETHCOTT, OR SMETHCOTE,

is a parish and village pleasantly situated in a hilly country, eight and a half miles south-west by south from Shrewsbury. The tops of the hills have a bleak and barren aspect, but the lowlands are clothed with rich verdure, and finely timbered, which gives the scenery a very beautiful and picturesque appearance. A waterfall a little south from the parsonage and the scenery in its vicinity are peculiarly attractive, and the frequent resort of pleasure parties. The parish contains the townships of Smethcott, Picklescott, and the hamlet of Walk Mills. In 1801 there was a population of 338 souls; 1831, 366; and in 1841, 371. The township of Smethcott contains 1,049 acres of land, and at the census of 1841 had 27 houses and 129 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,218. 5s. At the Doomsday survey, Edmund held of Earl Roger Smerecote in Conodoure hundred. In the 1st of Edward I. it was reputed among the fees belonging to the barony of Montgomery, then in the tenure of George de Cantilupe. In the 9th of Edward II., Edward Burnele was seized of the third of the ville of Smethcott, with the liberty of common in the woods there, and had 48s. 3d. issuing out of lands in that manor. Upon the attainder of Lord Lovell, 1st of Henry VIII., Smethcott was given to the Duke of Bedford in tail, who, dying without issue, 5th of Henry VIII., it was granted to the Duke of Norfolk. The principal landowners now are W. W. Whitmore, Esq., and Richard Bromley, Esq. The Church, dedicated to St. Michael, exhibits the early English style of architecture, and was almost re-built a few years ago. It has a neat and chaste appearance. The expenses were defrayed by the liberality of the parishioners and the present incumbent. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £4. 9s.; now returned at £276; in the patronage of the trustees of Hulme’s charity; incumbent, Rev. R. J. Buddicom, M.A.

Charities.—By indentures of lease and release, dated 30th September, 1741, Henry Powis, lord of the manor of Wilderley, conveyed to the overseers of Smethcott a cottage and land on Smethcott Common, in trust, for the sole benefit and advantage of the poor of the said parish. There are now four cottages, with a little garden to each, and three closes, containing about an acre and a half of ground altogether. Two of the cottages were occupied by paupers, rent free, and the other two for three pounds per annum each. The land is let at £4. 10s. per annum, and the whole of the rents received are carried to the poor’s rate. All these cottages and premises, about twenty years ago, were in the occupation of persons who, having been long in possession, refused to pay rent, or give them up. By the interference of the magistrates, they were obliged to pay an acknowledgement, and afterwards a full rent was paid. It appears from the terms in which these cottages were given, that they were intended for the benefit of the poor, and therefore any rates received from the premises ought to be given away in charity, and not carried to the poor’s rate.

An entry in the parish book, dated 24th May, 1810, states, that the Rev. Henry Fletcher, rector of Smethcott, had that day transferred £200 navy five per cents, in the name of the rector, the Rev. William C. Curtis, curate, and Mr. Prestland, his attorney, in trust for the poor of this parish, for educating six poor children, and for relieving six of the most necessitous poor widows. Mr. Fletcher died on the 17th of February, 1830, and the sum of £10 was paid on account of this charity by his agent shortly after. Of the £10 received, £6 are applied in relieving the distressed poor, and £4 in educating poor children.

Betchcott is a small township in this parish, a short distance from the village of Smethcott, having 625 acres of land, 3 houses, and 32 inhabitants. Rateable value, £357. The Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis is the landowner.

Picklescott, another small township in the parish of Smethcott, has 531 acres of land, and in 1841 had 33 houses and 143 inhabitants. Rateable value, £435. 5s. There are a few scattered houses in the parish of Smethcott, usually called The Hamlets, which contain 427 acres, and in 1841 are returned as having 15 houses and 67 inhabitants. Rateable value, £270. 5s. 1d. The Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis is the landowner.

Those marked 1 reside at Smethcott; 2 Betchcott; 3 Picklescott; 4 The Hamlets.

3 Bromley Richard, farmer

4 Bromley Richard, farmer

1 Bromley William, farmer, New Hall

4 Bromley William, farmer, Underhill

3 Broxton William, farmer

1 Buddicom Rev. Robert Joseph, The Rectory

1 Davies Thomas, farmer

3 Gamble Edw., blacksmith

1 Gittins Robert, farmer

1 Groves William, farmer

4 Gwilliam Edward, farmer

4 Hill William, farmer

1 Hill William, joiner

3 Howell Richard, farmer

2 Massie Charles, farmer

1 Meredith John, farmer, New House

2 Parry John, farmer

1 Rogers Richard, farmer

1 Rogers Robert, farmer

3 Rogers Thomas, farmer and vict., Bottle & Glasses Inn

2 Rogers William, farmer

4 Savage Jn., farmer, Coppice

3 Thomas David, blacksmith

3 Thomas Samuel, farmer

1 Vaughan Thomas, shop-keeper and post office

3 Willings John, farmer

STAPLETON

is a parish and village, five and a half miles S.S.W. from Shrewsbury, comprising 870 acres of land, and in 1801 had 228 inhabitants; 1831, 235; and in 1841, 46 houses and 257 inhabitants. A short distance from Stapleton are the remains of an ancient barrow, which on being opened some years ago was found to contain a large funeral urn placed near the centre, the ashes it contained were no doubt the remains of a person of distinction in former days. The Hon. H. W. Powis, and John T. Hope, Esq., are the principal landowners. In the 18th of Edward I., Robert de Stapleton had a grant of free warren in Stapleton; two years after the king’s attorney brought a writ of right against the said Robert de Stapleton, for the manor of his name as being seizen of King Henry II., the king’s ancestor, but without effect, for the said Robert died seized of the manor, in the 49th of Edward III. The Church is a venerable fabric dedicated to St. Julian. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £6. 7s. 6d., now returned at £624, in the patronage of the Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis, and incumbency of the Hon. and Rev. E. R. B. Fielding. An ancient residence, now partly surrounded by a moat, exhibits a fine specimen of the domestic architecture of by-gone days; the walls are of great thickness, and the house contains some beautiful specimens in antique oak carving, which are in a good state of preservation. The moat, now partly filled up, is about 200 yards in circumference, and the width 36 feet. Netley is a small hamlet in this township. Netley Hall is a good house, the residence of John Thomas Hope, Esq.; a little west from it is the site of a British camp, some parts of which have recently been levelled for agricultural purposes, so that now only a part of it can be traced. In a field not far from here were found four peculiarly hard stones, with a sharp axe-like edge all round; they are known by the name of celts, and were used by the priests to slay the victims of their sacrifices.

Bayley Wickliffe, blacksmith

Allen John, farmer

Allen Mary, farmer

Bromley Jeremiah, farmer, The Moat

Bromley William, farmer

Cassels Robert, farmer, Netley

Clayton John, farmer, Shady Moor

Cook Robert, farmer, Shady Moor

Dickin Edward, farmer, Netley

Evans Thomas, cow keeper

Fielding Hon. and Rev. E. R. B., The Rectory

Gittings William, farmer, Netley

Hope John Thomas, Esq., Netley Hall

Jones William, joiner

Philips Thomas, farmer, Shady Moor

Richards John, farmer, Vinnels

Sankey Edward, farmer, Netley Old Hall

Sankey Humphrey, farmer, The Moat

Woodfin John, farmer

SUTTON,

a small parish and pleasant little village one and a quarter mile S.E. by S. from Shrewsbury, is watered by the Reabrook stream, upon the banks of which two corn mills have been erected. This parish was formerly an appendage to Wenlock priory, and extra parochial. At the general dissolution of religious houses in the reign of Henry VIII., it fell to the crown, at which time there was an hermitage here. The parish contains upwards of 703 acres of land, and at the census of 1841 there were 16 houses and 67 inhabitants. In 1801 there was a population of 45 souls here. The parish church is a very humble structure of primitive simplicity, dedicated to St. John; it stands on a gentle eminence, and commands some pleasing views of rural scenery. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford and archdeaconry of Salop, valued in the king’s book at £3, now returned at £17 in the patronage of Lord Berwick and incumbency of the Rev. Henry Hill. Divine service is performed once a month. A short distance from the church is the celebrated Sutton Spa. “The spring issues from a rocky stratum of ash-coloured clay or argillaceous schistus, containing (as appears by its effervesence with nitrous acid) a small portion of lime. Fresh from the spring the Sutton water is clear and colourless, and exhales a slightly sulphureous smell, which is most perceptible in rainy weather. It sparkles little when poured into a glass, having no uncombined carbonic acid in its composition. When first drawn its strong salt taste is evidently mixed with a chalybeate flavour; but the latter is wholly lost on exposure for a few hours, bubbles of air repeating slowly, and a reddish sediment lining the sides and bottom of the vessel. The Sutton water has by many been compared with that of Cheltenham, and supposed to contain nearly the same ingredients. It bears, however, a much closer resemblance to sea water, and has accordingly been found most beneficial in those cases for which sea water is usually recommended. In the case of scrophula, the superior merits of sea water have been universally acknowledged. A similarity of ingredients would naturally lead us to expect similar effects from the Sutton water; and I am happy to bear testimony, says Dr. Evans, that a twenty years attendance at the Salop Infirmary, as well as in private practice, has furnished me with abundant proofs of its success in the treatment of scorphulous affections; and in addition to the properties possessed by the Sutton spring in common with sea water, it enjoys an evident advantage in containing iron.” It is to be lamented that there are not any accommodations for the residence of invalids. The air is pure and salubrious, and as a site for building purposes the immediate vicinity is peculiarly romantic and interesting. There is a cottage at the Spa, where parties sometimes take tea, and a bath has been erected, which is open to the public on reasonable terms. All parties visiting the spring are allowed to partake of the water without any charge. The land in this parish is the property of Lord Berwick.

Directory.—John Bemand, farmer; Joseph Clay, farmer; George Davies, farmer; Thomas Pugh, corn miller; Edward Thornton, farmer.

WOOLSTASTON

is a village and parish five miles N. from Church Stretton, which contains 834 acres of land. In 1801 there were 101 inhabitants; 1831, 89, and in 1841 17 houses and a population of 84 souls. In the 9th of Edward I. Robert Burnel, bishop of Bath and Wells, had a grant of free warren in Wolfestantone. In the 34th of the same reign we find John de Sibeton had the privilege of free warren here, with the grant of a free market to be held on a Wednesday, and a fair to continue for three days. Upon the attainder of Lord Lovell in the time of Henry VII. this manor was given to Jasper Duke of Bedford, but he dying without issue, Thomas Duke of Norfolk had a grant of it in the 5th of Henry VIII. W. W. Whitmore is now chief landowner in this parish. The Church is a small structure, with nave, chancel, and tower. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £5, now returned at £162 in the patronage of W. W. Whitmore, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. E. Carr. Richard Lucas, who died about twenty years ago, was parish clerk for 74 years; he died at the age of 95 years, and rung the church bell almost to the day of his death. In the latter part of his life he would frequently observe he had seen the end of all his parishioners three times over, and had been the clerk to two rectors and six curates. The Hall, now occupied by Mr. Everall as a farm dwelling, was formerly a place of consequence, and the residence of families of consideration. One of the apartments exhibits some line specimens of carved oak; the floor, ceiling, and sides are all of highly polished oak. A piece of land containing about four acres, supposed to have been given by a person of the name of Pope, for keeping the church in repair, is in the possession of the churchwardens, and is let at the yearly rent of £1. 14s., which is carried to the account of the church rates. There does not appear to be any document in the parish relating to this land.

Directory.—Meole Rev. Henry, curate. Farmers, Richard Everall, The Hall; Robert Heighway, and John Wigley. Mary Bowen, shoemaker.

THE MUNSLOW HUNDRED.

The hundred of Munslow comprehends the Upper and Lower divisions, and is bounded on the north by the hundred of Condover, on the east by the Wenlock Franchise, the Stottesden hundred, and a detached part of the hundred of Overs; on the west are the hundreds of Clun and Purslow, and on the south the county of Hereford. In the hundred of Munslow there is much clay, with considerable quantities of a stony soil of a great variety lying upon the lime stone. The upper surface of the rocks is frequently broken up by the plough and becomes with the soil a rocky loam, which produces good crops of grain. The population in 1821 was 10,478, exclusive of the borough of Ludlow; the number of houses 1,888. In 1841 there were 12,043 inhabitants, of whom 8,126 were in the Upper division, and 3,917 in the Lower division. At the same period there were 1,576 inhabited houses, 49 uninhabited in the Upper division, and 747 inhabited, and 36 uninhabited in the Lower division. The Lower division comprises the following parishes, viz.: Abdon, Ashford Bowdler, Ashford Carbonell, Bromfield, Clee, St. Margaret, Diddlebury, Easthope, Holdgate, Hopton in the Hole, Halford Chapelry, Ludford, Munslow, Onibury, Richards Castle, Skirmage Extra Parochial, Staneton Lacy, Stanton Long, Stoke St. Milborough, Stokesay, Tugford, and Weston Cold.

The Upper division contains the parishes of Acton Scott, Cardington, Eaton, Hope Bowdler, Rushbury, Shipton, and Church Stretton.

ABDON

is a small parish and village in the Lower division of the Munslow hundred, ten miles south-east from Much Wenlock, which contains 710 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £609. At the census in 1801 the parish had a population of 134 souls; 1831, 170; and in 1841 there were 36 houses and 155 inhabitants. Sir Sidney Herbert is the principal landowner and lord of the manor. The Church is a small structure dedicated to St. Margaret, and consists of nave and chancel. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £3. 6s. 8d., now returned at £147; patron, Sir Sidney Herbert; incumbent, Rev. John Sheppard. A commodious school, with a residence for the teacher, has recently been built by the lord of the manor, at a cost of upwards of one thousand pounds; it is also munificently supported by the founder. About thirty children attend.

Directory.—George Bradley, farmer; Thomas Bradley, farmer; Cheswick Cooper, farmer; Rev. John Sheppard, rector; Robert Williams, schoolmaster.

ACTON SCOTT, OR ACTON-ON-THE-HILL,

a parish in the upper division of the Munslow Hundred, three miles and a half S.S.E. from Church Stretton, is bounded on the western side by the Shrewsbury and Ludlow turnpike road, and that from Wenlock to Bishop’s Castle passes through it. It is divided into the townships of Acton Scott and Alcaston, and contains 1,889 acres of hilly land, moderately fertile, resting on sand-stone, in some places rich in fossil shells, and watered by the Quenny and Marbrook streams. At the census of 1801, the parish contained 164 souls; 1841, 34 houses and 204 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,727. On an eminence, above the Shrewsbury road, called the Castle Hill, it is supposed a fortification once existed; and in a field, adjoining the church-yard, some remains of a tower were standing in the memory of some of the old inhabitants, but all traces of it are now gone. In the year 1817, in straightening a road, some remains of a Roman ville were discovered, consisting of hypocausts, tiles, &c. Several eastern coins were also found, which is remarkable as being the only instance in which these coins have been found in Roman stations in England. On some of the tiles were impressions of the sandals of the Roman soldiers, made before the clay had been burned; there were also the foot-marks of dogs and other animals. These remains were found within a mile of the Roman road which runs from Wroxeter, by Church Stretton, to Shenchester. The name of Acton is derived from Ac (the Saxon for oak) and ton (a town), and that of Scott from a family who were very early settled here, and about the 12th century ceased to use their original name and adopted this of their residence only. At the time of the Doomsday survey the manor belonged to Rainald, the Sheriff, and it afterwards passed to the Fitzalans. In the year 1290, an inquest was held to determine the boundaries of the royal forests in Shropshire, when Acton Scott, Henly, and Alcaston, were declared to be without the limits, though Shetton, Minton, and Rushbury, were found to be within them, and subject to all the grievances of forest laws. The present lord of the manor is Edward William Wynne Pendarves, Esq., of Pendarves, in Cornwall, one of the representatives in parliament for that county, who succeeded to the property in 1835, on the death of his brother, who inherited this and other estates in right of his mother, the only daughter of Edward Acton, Esq., of Acton Scott, the last male representative of the elder branch of the family, who died in 1775, Sir John d’Albery Acton, Bart., being descended from a younger branch. The mansion house of Acton Scott is of the Elizabethan period, with projecting gables and bay windows, and stands in a commanding situation near to the church. It is at present occupied by Mrs. Stackhouse Acton. The whole of the township of Acton Scott is the property of E. W. W. Pendarves, Esq.

The Church, dedicated to St. Margaret, though devoid of architectural beauty, is remarkably neat, and contains a few monuments, chiefly to the Acton family, and a brass tablet, of the date of 1579, to the memory of Elizabeth Mytton. The tower is of much older date than the body of the church, and was probably an appendage to the church to which the bishop of Hereford inducted Hugh de Pentone (by lapse of time) in 1276. In the tower are three bells, on two of which are inscribed in old letters:—“Ave Maria in gratia plena dominus tecum,” and on the other, “Marie eternis et bonis resonet campana.” The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £5. 10s.; patron, the lord of the manor; incumbent, Rev. Walter Corbett, chancellor of the diocese; curate, Rev. George Magee. The Rectory is a neat residence, pleasantly situated, and there are 40 acres of glebe land. The tithes are commuted for £230.

Charities.—John Monsell devised four parcels of land, containing, by estimation, 60 acres, in the parish of Mainstone, upon trust, to pay thereout the following sums on the 1st March, viz.:—20s. to the parish of Morvill; 10s. to the poor of Wistanstow; 10s. to buy Bibles for poor children of Bishop’s Castle; and 5s. to the poor of Acton Scott. The above sums had all been regularly paid when the Charity Commissioners published their report, except the yearly sum of 5s. to Acton Scott, which the owner of the estate agreed for the future to pay. In the parliamentary returns of 1786 three donations are mentioned as given for the benefit of poor housekeepers of this parish. To the two first, amounting to £36, no names are given as the donors thereof; the third, being £20, is attributed to Edward Acton. Interest on the sum of £56 is now paid, which is laid out in fuel by the resident curate, which he distributes to the poor.

Alcaston, a small village and township in the parish of Acton Scott, comprises 527 acres of land, and is situated about a mile south from the parish church. Rateable value, £381. 14s. Alcaston was at an early period taken out of the manor of Acton Scott; it consists of three farms, belonging respectively to Thomas Dunne, Esq., G. M. Benson, Esq., and the Rev. Mr. Hill; the latter gentleman being of the same family as the Hills of Hawkestone. This branch was settled here in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and occupied a curious old timber mansion, a great part of which was taken down about ten years ago. Mr. Benson’s farm house also bears marks of antiquity; it is of brick, and has been moated, but it has lost much of its ancient character by modern repairs. A portion of the long line stone ridge, known as Wenlock Edge, stretches into this township.

Directory.—The residents in Acton Scott are Mrs. Stackhouse Acton, The Hall; Rev. George Magee, curate; John Monsell, farmer, Henley; Robert Morgan, farmer, Church Farm; Joseph Hotchkiss, blacksmith; Mary Keep, farmer; Thomas Parker, farmer. The residents of Alcaston are Benjamin Martin, farmer; Richard Edwards, farmer; Thomas Lewis, farmer.

ASHFORD BOWDLER

is a parish and village delightfully situated on the south west bank of the River Terne, on the southern verge of the county, adjoining Herefordshire, and about three miles south from Ludlow. The parish comprises upwards of 600 acres of land, the principal owners of which are Mrs. Walker and General Russell. Rateable value of the parish, £884. 3s. At the census in 1801, there were 79 inhabitants; 1831, 99; and in 1841, 17 houses and 96 inhabitants. The village contains several handsome family residences, and a small but elegant church, consisting of nave and chancel, with a tower surmounted with a spire. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued at £55 per annum, in the patronage of the Walker family. Mrs. Mary Green, of this parish, by will dated October 16th, 1832, bequeathed to the minister and churchwardens for the time being, the sum of £55, to be invested in the funds in trust, to pay the interest thereof annually among such of the poor inhabitants as they should consider most in need of aid. “Between the village of Ashford Bowdler and Ludlow is Huck’s Barn, said to have been the residence of George Barnwell, the hero of the popular tragedy named after him. Barnwell’s Green, near it, was so called from his waiting there to rob his uncle as he returned from Leominster fair: adjoining the green is the wood in which he perpetrated the murder of his relative.”

The principal residents are Mr. William P. Bale, Grove Cottage; Isaac Froggatt, farmer, Feather Knowl; Thomas Harper, farmer, Ashford Grove; Thomas G. Powis, farmer; General Lechmere Russell, Ashford Hall; Robert Thomas, Esq., Church House.

ASHFORD CARBONELL

is a parish and village delightfully situated in the lower division of the Munslow hundred, three miles south-east from Ludlow. The parish contains 1335 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £1,890. 5s. 11d. The principal landowners are J. F. Downes, Esq.; Mr. Walker; John Carter, Esq.; and William Eaton, Esq.; besides whom there are a few smaller proprietors. At the census in 1801, the parish contained 227 inhabitants; 1831, 289; and in 1841, 58 houses, and a population of 226 souls. The church is a small unpretending structure, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £800 royal bounty: the living is annexed to the rectory of Little Hereford, and the patronage is vested in the Chancellor of Hereford Cathedral. The Rev. William Tomkin is the officiating minister. Ashford Hall is an elegant modern mansion, on rising ground, commanding extensive prospects, and embellished with tasteful pleasure grounds. Ashford Court, the residence of Mrs. Walker, is also a handsome residence.

Directory—Mr. William A. Bate; John Bloom, boot and shoe maker; Mary Eaton, farmer; William Eaton, farmer; Mr. Thomas Evans; Edward Evans, maltster; James Davies, carpenter; Joseph Davies, carpenter; John F. Downes, Esq., Ashford Hall; Thomas Cantrill, corn miller and vict., The Bridge Inn; John Carter, farmer, Brook House; Henry George, farmer, Huntingdon; John Jones, wheelwright; Mrs. Mary Lowe; John Mason, wheelwright; James Powell, farmer; William Roberts, farmer, Huntingdon; John Thompson, blacksmith; Mrs. Bridgett Walker, Ashford Court; Richard Whiteman, farmer.

BROMFIELD

is a parish and pleasant rural village, two miles north-west from Ludlow, formerly distinguished for its priory which was situated near or adjoining to the present church. The parish comprises 5,592a. 2r. of land, the principal owner of which is the Hon. R. H. Clive; the trustees of Ludlow charities are also proprietors. At the census in 1801, this parish contained 540 inhabitants; 1831, 517; and in 1841, 114 houses, and 531 souls. Rateable value, £7,308. 17s. 7d. The few remains of the ancient priory are situated near to the church. The establishment in the time of Henry I. consisted of a small college of prebendaries or secular canons. Osbertus Prior, of Bromfield, is witness to a deed before the year 1148. This priory was greatly enriched by Henry II., who granted to it his church in Bromfield, which was dedicated to the blessed St. Mary, with his royal licence and protection of their extensive possessions of the towns and lands of Haverford, Dinchope, Efford, Felton, Burghey and Lethewick; three prebends in Bromfield, and three in Halton. In the second of Henry II. the prior and brothers of Bromfield subjected themselves, by authority of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Peter’s, near Gloucester, called Lanthony Secunda, and became Benedictines, and continued so to the time of the general dissolution of religious houses. At the assizes of Salop, 20th Edward I., the prior of Bromfield claimed free warren in the manor of Bromfield by charter of Henry II., which was allowed. The said charter also comprised a grant of Infangthef; and a jury found one Henry de la Chapele guilty of theft, who was tried and condemned by the prior, and hanged at Bromfield. The yearly revenues of the priory were valued at the dissolution at £78. 19s. 4d. In the 4th of Philip and Mary it was granted to Charles Fox. He was the founder of four families, most of which were in opulence for four generations; but his estate at Bromfield, including what is now called Oakley Park, passed by marriage to Matthew Herbert, whose descendant George, late Earl of Powis, devised it to his nephew, the Hon. Henry Clive, whose representative of the same name now inherits the estate, and resides at Oakley Park, an elegant mansion, mostly of modern construction, delightfully situated on the banks of the Terne. The surrounding grounds are extremely romantic and beautiful, and the pleasure grounds and gardens are tastefully laid out. It commands many fine views in different directions; the meanderings of the river adding much to the effect. The park, which formerly contained nine hundred acres, and included within its circuit the priory to which it belonged, is yet of considerable extent. It is finely adorned with groves and clumps of stately oaks. The lordship of Bromfield is co-extensive with the parish, and the chapelry of Walford and Dinchope, and the township of Ledwich. The manor abounds with game, and is watered by the river Terne, esteemed one of the finest fishing streams in the kingdom.

The Church is picturesquely situated, and consists of nave, chancel, transept and tower: it exhibits some fine specimens of elaborate workmanship, and is said to have formed a part of the structure belonging to the benedictine priory. The interior has a chaste and elegant appearance; the roof is beautifully painted, and the windows are adorned with stained glass. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king’s book at £6, now returned at £350; the patronage is vested in the Hon. R. H. Clive; incumbent, Rev. Thomas J. Longworth. The Court of Augmentation decreed the vicar of Bromfield a yearly pension from the dissolved monastery at Gloucester; and there are, in vellum hooks in the king’s remembrancer office, accounts of several decrees relating to the possessions of the priory and the rights of the vicar of this place.

Directory.—The Hon. Robert Henry Clive, Oakley Park; Samuel Bluck, farmer, Bromfield house; the Misses Davies, ladies’ academy; Peter Davis, farmer, King’s head farm; Henry Fletcher, farmer; George Jacks, cow-leech; Rev. Thomas I. Longworth, vicar; Henry Lippitt, farmer, Priors Walton; Thomas Payter, shoe maker; John Preece, vict., The Clive Arms; William Swift, farmer, Hill Halton; Herbert Titley, farmer, Cookridge; Richard White, agent to the Hon. R. H. Clive; Henry Vaughan, farmer, The Butts.

CARDINGTON

is a considerable parish, in the upper division of the Munslow Hundred, comprising upwards of 6,000 acres of land, and containing the several townships of Cardington, Broome, Chatwall, Comley, Enchmarsh, part of Gretton, Holt-Preen, Lydley Heys, Plaish, and Willstone. At the census of 1801 the parish had a population of 623 souls; 1831, 718; and in 1841 there were 138 houses and 691 inhabitants. The village of Cardington is situated is a secluded and romantic country, three miles and a half E.E. by N. from Church Stretton, having the lofty heights of the Caradoc and Lawley to the east, and the Hope Bowdler hills on the south-west. The township contains 995 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £815. 15s. Panton Corbett, Esq., is the principal landowner; there are also a few small freeholders. The Church is a plain unpretending structure, consisting of nave and chancel, with a tower, in which is a peal of bells. The handsome altar tomb, erected in memory of Sir William Leighton, of Plaish, who died December 20th, 1607, is now much dilapidated. He was chief justice of North Wales, and one of the council of the Marches of Wales, which offices he held with integrity and honour for more than forty years. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king’s book at £6. 2s. 6d., now returned at £294, in the patronage of Rowland Hunt, Esq.: incumbent, Rev. William J. Hughes. The court leet and court baron, with view of frank-pledge, held for the manor of Lydley and Cardington, as a court of record, is of the highest antiquity, and accounted a king’s court, of which Panton Corbett, Esq., is the present lord. The jurisdiction existed long before the conquest, and the first formation of it is attributed by several law authorities to King Alfred. “The term leet is not discoverable in Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence, but is understood to be derived out of the Sheriffs’ tourn, whose power therein was suspended, if not superseded.” The nature and extent of the court leet jurisdiction, in its first formation, may probably be best illustrated by a brief view of the different ranks of people and the mode of administering justice in the Anglo-Saxon era. The lowest order of the people were complete slaves, either by birth or by forfeiture of their freedom, by crimes or breach of faith, and were incapable of any office of trust or honour. But the spread of Christianity led to the frequent manumissions, and established a class of people called Frilazin; and persons so made free were considered to be in a middle state only, between slaves and freemen. Those who were freemen from birth were called Ceorls, and constituted a middle class between the nobility and such labourers and mechanics as were slaves, and being generally devoted to agriculture, a Ceorl was the usual appellation of a husbandman; but the acquisition of 500 acres of land, the attainment of holy orders, or by the owner of a ship or cargo making three voyages beyond sea, advanced a Ceorl to the dignity of a Thane of the lower order; and the higher class of this order, which were styled King’s Thanes were of three different degrees. The Thanes were the only nobility among the Anglo-Saxons; but all members of royal families were of superior rank. The kings were chief judges in their respective territories, and frequently administered justice in person. King Alfred employed both day and night in hearing appeals, with the aid of learned assessors; thus forming a supreme court of justice, until the establishment of monarchy, when it was found necessary to appoint a chief justicary to preside in the king’s court; and the first institution of such office is supposed to have been at the time of the incursion of the Danes. In 1622, Sir John Hayward obtained from the crown a licence to alienate the manor of Lydley and Cardington to Edward Corbett, Esq., for the sum of £3,200.

Charities.—The School.—William Hall, by his will, dated 6th April, 1720, bequeathed £400 to the parsons of the parishes of Cardington, Hope Bowdler, and Longnor, in trust, for the building a schoolhouse at Cardington, and the maintenance of a schoolmaster. A school was subsequently built with part of the above mentioned legacy, and the residue was laid out in the purchase of copyhold lands, held of the manor of Lydley and Cardington. In 1827, an order was made in the Court of Chancery, on the petition of Richard Butcher and others, overseers and inhabitants of the parish of Cardington, whereby it was referred to the master to take an account of the charity estate, and of the value thereof, and to approve of a scheme for the future management of the charity. The master, by his report made April 1st, 1828, directed £10 a-year to be reserved out of the rents, to put the schoolhouse and the premises on the school estate in good repair, and afterwards such less sum as the directors should see fit, but not less than £5; and that the surplus rents should be paid to the schoolmaster and his assistant. The school estate consists of 27a. 3r. 32p., and an allotment containing 5a. 1r. 10p. on Cardington Moor, allotted to the trustees of the school under an enclosure act, passed 41st Geo. III. The estate now produces £34. 3s. 1d. per annum. The school is open to all the children of the parish (boy and girls) without any charge, except 1s. for entrance and 1s. yearly for fuel. They are taught reading, writing, and accounts.