THE NORTH BRADFORD HUNDRED. (continued 2)

The late Reginald Heber, the eminent Bishop of Calcutta, was rector of Hodnet when he was raised to the episcopal dignity of Bishop of Calcutta. He was born April 21st, 1783, at the Higher Rectory, in Malpas, of which place his father was rector. He received his education, principally under a private tutor, Mr. Bristow, at Neasdon, and in 1800 he removed to Oxford, where he was a commoner at Brazennose College, and afterwards a Fellow of All Souls. It was at Oxford that he laid the foundation of his high fame. Besides being known for his general acquisitions in scholarship, he gained every distinction which the university then had to bestow, the regular under graduates and bachelors’ prizes. He was also the successful competitor for an extraordinary prize that had been offered for an English poem on the subject of Palestine. This poem is now of standard reputation; and certainly, for splendour of imagery and for poetical diction, it has deservedly placed its author—scarce twenty years old when it was written—in an elevated rank amid our English poets. After taking his degree, Heber left the university to engage in active life. The living at Hodnet was at his option, and this circumstance, coupled with his strong religious bias, determined him to devote himself to the church as his profession. But as he was still young for holy orders, he wished to employ two or three years in foreign travel; and the customary route upon the continent then being shut up by war, he bent his steps towards Russia and the east of Europe. At length the time arrived when Heber was to devote himself seriously to the duties of his sacred profession, in the humble office of a village pastor. There is on his monument in Hodnet church, a delightful testimony how for fifteen years he performed his pastoral duties “cheerfully and diligently, with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength.” And in this calm retreat, which the subsequent changes in his fortune seemed only the more to endear him to, he would cheerfully have closed his days. But his reputation would not allow him to be buried in retirement. In 1823 he was elected preacher at Lincoln’s Inn. This was an appointment peculiarly suited to him. With what credit he acquitted himself is well known, and it was generally believed that the highest honours awaited him at home, when he was called to another sphere of action, by his acceptance of the proffered bishopric of Calcutta. Never, it is believed, did any man accept an office from a higher sense of duty; once he declined the proposal; but his exalted piety considered it as a call from heaven, from which he might not shrink; and he resolutely determined to obey the summons. His career in India was short, but brilliant. It is not easy to conceive a situation of greater difficulty than awaited him there. He had to preside over a diocese much larger in extent than the whole of Europe, with his clergy scattered about at stations thousands of miles apart, and over a body of Christians living in the midst of a multitude of misbelievers; and those Christians, if such more than in mere name, accustomed to be a law to themselves in religious matters; yet to all these difficulties Bishop Heber resolutely addressed himself. He went forth strong and invincible; first, in his trust in God, and next in that kindliness of disposition, which almost disarmed opposition. His memorable exploit was his extra-ordinary visitation of his diocese. Starting from Calcutta, he pursued the course of the Ganges almost to its source; visited Himalaya mountains; crossed the northern provinces of India; and, after visiting Bombay and the island of Ceylon, returned again to Calcutta. We may easily imagine what must have been the delight, to a mind ardent and poetical like Heber’s, to have had the opportunity of visiting scenes so interesting and so novel; and we have the advantage of knowing the impression they made on his mind, by the posthumous publication of his interesting journal. It was not long after the bishop’s return from the visitation of which we have been speaking, that he undertook another episcopal visitation, when the hand of death arrested him in his career of usefulness. On the 3rd of April, 1826, at Tritchinopoli, he was found drowned in a bath, owing, it was supposed, to the sudden transition of cold water, after great exertion in confirming some native Christians. A deep and painful sensation was produced by his unexpected decease, both in India and at home; and in him the Christian civilization in the east seemed to have lost its most zealous, most active, and most enlightened friend.

Charities.—There was an old school in the church yard at Hodnet, which was pulled down in 1814, and a new school and schoolhouse were built in the following year, in a more convenient situation, chiefly at the expense of Richard Heber, Esq., and with a sum of £25 given by Sir Andrew Corbet to the poor, as hereafter mentioned. The master of the school receives £8, as the interest of £200 left by Mrs. Sarah Price, for the endowment of a free school, and he occupies the school house, paying the church-wardens £1. 1s. annually, as interest of the £25 derived from Sir A. Corbet’s benefaction. In consideration of the above the master teaches seven scholars free. The site of the school and schoolhouse, and the garden and play ground, including altogether about a quarter of an acre, was given by Mr. Heber.—Stephen Denstone, of Ashley, left the poor of the township of Hodnet £100, the interest to be distributed on Stephen’s day yearly.—John Stirrop, in 1646, left £20 to the use of the poor. This gift is stated in the parliamentary report to be lost.—Abraham Deshin, in 1707, bequeathed £5, the interest to be given in bread on Christmas-day.—Mary Mollineux left £10, the interest to be distributed by the ministers and churchwardens.—Thomas Burrowes left £100, and directed the interest to be given away on the 2nd of December yearly.—William Burrowes bequeathed £100 to the poor of Hodnet, the interest to be given to the poor on the 23rd of September, yearly, by the minister and churchwardens.—Samuel Dickin left £20, the yearly proceeds thereof to be distributed by his heirs for ever.—Rowland Hill bequeathed £50 to the use of the poor.—Thomas Hill, Esq., son of the said Rowland Hill, left £350 for the benefit of the poor.—Mrs. Ann Catchpool left £50 to the use of the said poor.—John Hill, Esq., left £100, the interest to be expended in bread and given to the poor every Sunday.—The Right Hon. Richard Hill, in 1726, left £100 for the benefit of such poor as the minister and churchwardens should think fit.—Richard Clay, in 1750, left £100 to the poor.—Mrs. Brooke, in 1756, left £100, the interest to be given at the discretion of Sir Rowland Hill and his heirs.—Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., by a codicil to his will, 1779, left £100 to the poor of this parish, to be distributed at the discretion of his executor.—Mrs. Jane Hill left £100.—Sir Richard Hill, by his will, dated January 1st, 1808, left to his brother, John Hill, £300, on trust, to pay the interest of £100 thereof, at the rate of five per cent., among the poor of the parish of Hodnet, one half to be reserved for the poor of the chapelry of Weston.—Mr. Grocott left £5 to be given in bread yearly.—Stephen Stubbs, in 1815, left £10, the interest to be distributed yearly on St. Stephen’s day. A legacy of £50 was left by Sir Rowland Hill for the schooling of poor children. Some lands called Steel Lands were sold by the parish about the year 1750 for £92. The gifts amount in the whole to £1355, of which sum £150 were laid out in the purchase of a messuage and lands at Hodnet in 1701; £56 in the purchase of two cottages at Hodnet in 1728; £175 were paid into the hands of Sir John Hill; £431 in the purchase of an estate at Wem: £450 were held by Sir Rowland Hill, derived from the charities of Sir Rowland Hill, and other members of that family, and a further sum of £138 from other sources. The property at Hodnet consists of certain lands and a cottage and poor house with a garden and croft adjoining, and a cottage and croft on Hodnet Heath, with a right of common thereon, the whole of which produces a yearly income of £35. 12s., which is distributed with other charities hereafter mentioned. The property at Wem consists of five closes of land, lying in two detached parcels near the town, containing altogether about twelve acres and a half, let at a yearly rent of £40. The sum of £160 placed in the hands of Sir Richard Hill was subsequently laid out in the buildings at Hodnet. The rents derived from the estates above mentioned, and the interest of the sum of £77, with the produce of Price’s and Sir A. Corbet’s charities hereafter mentioned, amounted at the time the charity commissioners published their report to £93. 1s. 6d. The rent of the Wem estate is received by the churchwardens of Marchamley division, and the remainder of the rents is received by the churchwardens appointed for the division of Hodnet. Four shillings worth of bread is placed in the church every Sunday, and given to 32 poor persons, and bread to the amount of 15s. is also given on St. Stephen’s-day, and 5s. on Christmas-day. Each of the churchwardens pays equally towards the weekly distribution of bread, and each of them gives 30s. away on St. Stephen’s day, as the interest of Denstone’s legacy. The churchwardens of Marchamley also pay about 30s. annually towards schooling poor children at Marchamley. The remainder of the money is distributed by the churchwardens among the poor of their respective districts, in sums varying from 3s. to 8s. Of the money in the hands of Sir Rowland Hill, exclusive of the sum of £200 mentioned in the school account, and £77 for which a promissory note was given in 1818, the charity commissioners conceived that it could not be less than £558 when they published their report, for which the sum of £21 is paid as interest, and distributed by the rector of Hodnet, and a further sum of £4. 8s. is received by the curate of Weston chapelry, which is distributed in small sums among the poor.—The Rev. Richard Price, in 1730, devised certain premises to the poor of Drayton and Hodnet, and directed that £5 per annum should be distributed in bread every Lord’s day, and the residue employed for the schooling of poor children in each place. The property now held by the churchwardens of Hodnet in trust for this charity consists of three pieces of land in Drayton, containing between three and four acres, which produces a yearly rental of £12. 11s. 6d. The rents are carried to one account with the other charity money, from which a very small portion only is disposed of in schooling. It seems advisable that the rents should be employed according to the particular directions of the donor.—Sir Andrew Corbet, in 1815, gave £25 to the use of the poor of Hodnet. This donation was laid out in the building of a new school, and the yearly sum of £1. 1s. is paid in respect thereof by the master of the school to the churchwardens, by whom it is distributed with the other charities.

Post Office.—At Mr. Edward Jones’, schoolmaster. Letters arrive at 8 A.M. from Market Drayton, and are despatched at 6 P.M.

Acton Rev. William, B.A., curate

Ashley Ann, schoolmistress

Ashley George, wheelwright

Baker Mr. John

Bellis Elizabeth, shopkeeper and baker

Baydon James, registrar of births & deaths

Cartwright George, vict., Unicorn

Cartwright Samuel, boot and shoemaker

Cartwright William, tailor

Churton Thomas, boot and shoemaker

Donkin Thomas, painter and glazier

Downes Thomas, parish clerk

Eason William, veterinary surgeon

Edge William, wheelwright

Ellerthorpe Mrs. Helen

Foster Alfred, tailor

Jackson Edward, butcher

Jones Edward, schoolmaster

Laytham Henry, wheelwright

Lees Barnard, surgeon

Lester John, farmer and vict., Lion Inn

Macauley Rev. Samuel Herrick, B.D., Rectory

Morris Samuel, saddler and harness maker

Pace Piercy, grocer, draper, and ironmonger

Percy Algernon Charles Heber, Esq., Hodnet Hall

Powell John, farmer

Powell Mrs. Sarah

Pratchett Miss Jane, Ash court

Pritchard & Co., chemist, druggist, draper, and silk mercer

Ridway William, boot and shoemaker

Robinson John, boot and shoemaker

Taylor George, tailor and woollen draper

Titley Charles, butcher

Trevor James, wheelwright and beerhouse

Walmsley John Allen, surgeon and coroner for North Bradford Hundred

Wardley Mary, farmer, Horn Farm

Watson Alexander, farm steward to A. E. H. Percy, Esq.

Wild George, maltster and vict., Bear Inn, and posting house

Wild Thomas, grocer and ironmonger

Worral Henry, blacksmith

A coach from Shrewsbury to the Whitmore station passes through Hodnet at 9 A.M. and returns to Shrewsbury at 4 P.M.

BOLAS PARVA,

a small township consisting of only two farms, is pleasantly situated five miles south from Hodnet; at the census of 1841 there were nine houses and 44 inhabitants. The township comprises 594a. 1r. 15p. of land, which is vested in the devisees of the late Mr. Hatherall. The tithes have been commuted for £112. 1s. 1d. William Jennings is the only resident farmer in the township; Thomas Jones holds the other farm, but resides in the adjoining township.

HAWKSTONE

is a township, in the parish of Hodnet, six miles S.W. from Market Drayton, eight miles and a half S. from Whitchurch, and thirteen miles N.N. by W. from Shrewsbury. At the census in 1841 here were six houses and 60 inhabitants. The township contains 693a. 2r. 32p. of land, the tithes of which have been commuted for £115. Hawkstone Park, the magnificent seat of Viscount Hill, is delightfully situated in a park of great extent and picturesque beauty, not far from the turnpike road leading from Shrewsbury to Whitchurch, and has long been an alluring object to the admirers of nature, as well as to persons of taste and curiosity. The mansion is of brick, with stone finishings, and occupies three sides of a quadrangle, but it does not appear by whom it was originally built. The principal front is approached by a flight of steps, leading through a noble portico (supported by four elegant pillars of the composite order), considered an admirable piece of architecture. Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., added the wings, and made other considerable additions to the hall, which was the family mansion of the Hills in the time of Edward VI., in which reign we find, A.D. 1549, Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., was Lord Mayor of London. The Entrance Hall is adorned with ancient and modern armour, much of it collected at Waterloo, by the late General Lord Hill. The Saloon is a lofty and spacious apartment, fitted up in a costly manner, and adorned with some fine paintings; among which is the Siege of Namur, the five principal characters of which were taken from life. They are William III., the Elector of Bavaria, the Duke of Marlborough, Count Cohorn, and the Right Hon. Richard Hill, who was at that time Paymaster of the Army, Member of the Privy Council, and Envoy at the Court of Turin. The Drawing Room is a noble apartment, exquisitely furnished, and containing several fine paintings, executed by some of the most celebrated masters. The ceiling and walls are richly ornamented and gilt, and the furniture is of the same gorgeous description. The Library contains an extensive and valuable collection of books, chiefly modern works; several fine paintings; and in a glass case are the sword and orders of the late General Lord Hill. The Billiard Room contains several valuable pillars brought from Egypt by General Lord Hill. The Chapel forms the south-west wing of the hall, and is now undergoing a complete reparation. A marble pulpit and stained glass windows (the latter illustrative of scripture history) have been added, which give the interior a solemn and imposing appearance. The Museum contains many interesting objects of curiosity, and an extensive and valuable collection of British birds. Adjoining the library is the Sculpture Gallery. There are also various other apartments, adorned in the most tasteful and costly style, which our limits will not allow us to notice. The Gardens are laid out with taste, and contain a number of small ponds for aquatic birds. Near the hall on a gentle eminence is the Summer House, a handsome octagonal building of Grinshill freestone; the interior of which is painted in fresco, and represents the four seasons. From the window there is a pleasing prospect of a fine sheet of water; and in the distance appear the Broxton hills and Delamere forest, in Cheshire. A pleasant walk leads from the summer house to the Gulph, which separates the grotto rock from the opposite heights. On emerging from the beautiful lawn, the most romantic scenery suddenly presents itself to the eye of the spectator; and proceeding along a rising walk on the side of the rock, the traveller is conducted to the entrance of The Grotto, a cleft in the rock, which had lain for ages undiscovered, till Sir Richard Hill caused all the earth to be dug away, when it was found that the two sides of the rock so nearly corresponded with each other that they were doubtless once united, and separated either by an earthquake or some other violent convulsion of the earth. After proceeding about a hundred yards, you arrive at the grotto, which is a vast subterraneous cave, supported by rude pillars hewn out of the solid rock; in the midst of which is a spacious recess, ingeniously inlaid with shells, fossils, and curious petrefactions. Through a colonnade of rude pillars this labyrinth is quitted by a door on the west, which opens on an awful precipice of huge rocks and pending crags, hoary with age, forming a striking contrast with the verdant lawn and fertile plain in the distance. Proceeding under the grotto hill, by a road cut out of the shelving rock, and looking upwards, you behold enormous crags hanging over you, as if on the very point of falling. This hill stretches to the south-west to a considerable distance; and the gigantic rocks heaped one upon another look more like ruined castles than the turrets of nature. On leaving the grotto hill, you proceed by the side of stately oaks and rugged cliffs till you arrive at a natural cave called The Retreat, the top of which is tinged with variegated copper. In this cave, with its straw-matted seat and stone table, is a beautiful stanza, penned by the late Sir Richard Hill. After quitting the retreat, you pass by The Canopy and The Indian Rock, surrounded by scenery of the most romantic character, and mount up a curiously hewn pathway along the rock till you reach a little cottage, in which is the figure of a hermit, in a sitting posture, with a table before him, on which is a skull, an hour glass, a book, and a pair of spectacles. The next attraction is St. Francis’s Cave, the entrance to which is under a curiously twisted root of a venerable yew tree. After groping for some yards in total darkness, you suddenly emerge into cheering light, and which ever way you turn the most enchanting prospects are stretched out before you. A detached piece of rock of a pyramidical form is called The Fox’s Knob, from the circumstance of a fox, some years ago, leaping from the top to the valley beneath; and being followed by some of the dogs, the pursuers and the pursued perished together. Turning to the left, a verdant walk leads to the summit of The Terrace. This delightful walk is embosomed in the varied foliage of forest trees, which reach down to the ground, with openings here and there through which distant prospects are viewed. Passing beyond the limits of these Alpine heights, you arrive at Reynard’s Banqueting House, a natural cavern, in which were found the remains of hares, rabbits, and all sorts of poultry, which the foxes had carried there to feast upon.

On the highest point of the terrace is erected a noble Obelisk, built of white freestone, and about one hundred and twelve feet high. From the top of this column a most unbounded prospect presents itself to view, and England and Wales vie with each other in the loftiness of their mountains and the richness of their plains. The gallery of the obelisk forms an observatory for the astronomer. The inscription on the base transmits to posterity the piety and noble acts of a venerable ancestor, a statue of whom in his lord mayor’s gown, copied from an ancient monument which stood in the church of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, before the fire of London, is placed on the top, holding the Magna Charta in his hand. The following is the inscription at the base:—

“The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.”—Psalm, cvi. 6.

The first stone of this pillar was laid by Sir Richard Hill, Bart. (member in several parliaments for this county), on the 1st day of October, in the year 1795; who caused it to be erected, not only for the various uses of an observatory and to feast the eye by presenting it at one view with a most luxuriant and extensive prospect, which takes in not less than twelve (or, as some assert, fifteen) counties, but from motives of justice, respect, and gratitude, to the memory of a truly great and good man, viz., Sir Rowland Hill, Knight, who was born at the family mansion, Hawkstone, in the reign of King Henry VII., and being bred to trade and free of the city of London, became one of the most considerable and opulent merchants of his time, and was lord mayor of the same in the second and third years of the reign of Edward VI., anno 1549 and 1550, and was the first Protestant that filled that high office. Having embraced the principles of the Reformation, he zealously exerted himself in behalf of the Protestant cause, and having been diligent in the use of all religious exercises, “prayerful, conscientious, and watchful” (as a writer of his character expresses it), yet trusting only in the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he exchanged this life for a better, a short while after the death of that pious young monarch, being aged nearly seventy-eight years.

For a considerable time previous to his decease he gave up his mercantile occupations that he might with more devotedness of heart attend to the great concerns of another world. His lands, possessions, and church patronage were immense, particularly in the counties of Salop and Chester, the number of his tenants (none of whom he ever raised or fined) amounting to 1,181, as appears from his own hand writing. His private virtues, good deeds and munificent spirit, were quite unlimited and extended—like the prospect before us, east, west, north, and south, far surpassing all bounds. “Being sensible,” saith Fuller, speaking of him in his “Worthies of England,” “that his great estate was given him of God,” it was his desire to devote it to His glory. He built a spacious church in his own parish Hodnet, and likewise the neighbouring church at Stoke at his own expense. He built Tern and Atcham bridges in this county, both of hewn stone, and containing several arches each. He also built other large bridges of timber. He built and endowed several large schools, particularly that of Drayton. He made and paved divers highways for the public utility. He founded exhibitions and educated many students at both universities, and supported at the inns and courts others who were brought up to the law. He was the unwearied friend of the widow and fatherless. He clothed annually three hundred poor people in his neighbourhood, both with shirts and coats; and in the city of London he gave £500 (an immense sum in those days) to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, besides (saith Fuller) £600 to Christ’s Hospital. He also gave most liberally to all other hospitals, and at his death bequeathed £150 to the poor of all the wards in London. He had no children, but his relations and kinsfolk were numerous, who all partook largely of his bounty, both in his lifetime and at his death. He constantly kept up a great family household, where he maintained good hospitality. Many resorted to him for his wise and salutary advice, and none who came to him were sent empty or dissatisfied away. Go thou and do likewise, as far as thy ability will permit, without injury to thy own relations. It is worthy of remark that as Sir Rowland Hill was the first protestant lord mayor, anno 1549, so his father, Thomas Hill, Esq., of Hawkstone, was the last lord mayor of the Roman Catholic persuasion.

A walk from the terrace leads to the White Tower, a Gothic structure, situated on a bold projection on the south-west side of the terrace, which is a conspicuous object for several miles round. In the glen not far from the White Tower is a cave in the rock, made accessible by means of some steps through a narrow romantic walk, and which is remarkable for having been the hiding place of an ancestor of the Hill family, who met with great hardships from the parliamentary forces during the commonwealth. In memory of this gentleman the late Sir Richard Hill caused a handsome urn to be placed near the cave above mentioned, with the following inscription on the base of it:—

Anno 1784.

This urn was placed here by Sir Richard Hill, Bart., (eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, Bart.) one of the Knights of this Shire, as a token of affection to the memory of his much respected ancestor, Rowland Hill, of Hawkstone, Esquire; a gentleman remarkable for his great wisdom, piety, and charity, who, being a zealous royalist, hid himself in this glen, in the civil wars in the time of King Charles the First.

But being discovered, was imprisoned in the adjacent castle, commonly called Red Castle, whilst his house was pillaged and ransacked by the rebels. The castle itself was soon after demolished.

His son, Rowland Hill, Esq., coming to his assistance, also suffered much in the same loyal cause.

The Vineyard is a sequestered glen, embosomed in foliage and screened by the rocks behind and on each side, and open only to the south sun, and apparently peculiarly adapted to the growth and culture of the vine; but although every effort was tried, the attempt did not succeed. It was laid out in the manner of a fortification, with turrets, walls, and bastions, at very great expense, by the late Sir Richard Hill. From the tower may be seen the town of Shrewsbury, many of the Cambrian hills, the magnificent Wrekin, and the towering heights of the Briedden hills, on the latter of which is the pillar erected in honour of Lord Rodney. About a mile from the tower is the Burgh Walls, or Bury Walls, the remains of a grand Roman camp, allowed by antiquarians to be the most perfect in the kingdom. It encompasses about twenty acres of ground, and is screened on all sides but one by a chain of inaccessible rocks. The side on which there is no natural defence is strongly guarded by a triple entrenchment, which must have been a work of immense labour. Here Roman coins have frequently been found, and in the year 1821 a spur, pronounced by competent judges to be of Roman workmanship, was found in the garden of the Bury farm, about a quarter of a mile from Bury Walls. The Elysian Hill is another object of attraction; and here you find various rude and whimsical seats to rest upon, by the side of the mossy bank or rocky cavern, as you ascend the steep acclivity. An enchanting valley divides this hill from the Red Castle Hill, so called from the colour of the rock, and of the stone with which the castle is built. Having ascended the romantic heights, you enter the castle through a strong door or gateway. This fortress, long the seat of warriors, and remarkable for its strength and the prodigious thickness of its walls, is now a heap of ruins, and inhabited only by birds of prey, whilst its martial sons are buried in oblivion, and nothing left to perpetuate their deeds of prowess but these fragments of desolation. Dugdale informs us that this castle was erected in the reign of Henry III.; but an ancient manuscript in the Audley family proves it to have had a much earlier existence. It is there said that “Maud, or Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, gave to John de Audley and to his heirs, the lands about Red Castle, in the county of Salop, for certain services done by him to the state.” The castle and surrounding domain were purchased by Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., about the middle of the eighteenth century. On the castle hill there is a deep well, commonly called the Giant’s Well, the depth of which, from the top of the tower, is two hundred and six feet; it is ten feet in diameter at the entrance, and hewn out of the solid rock. The tower is also hewn out of the solid rock to the height of about forty feet. Near to the well a coffin was found, many years ago, which, on being exposed to the air, crumbled into dust; in it were discovered several human bones, and the iron beard of an arrow. The southern entrance to the glen, which divides the castle into two nearly equal parts, is flanked on each side by a rock, on which formerly stood watch towers; and where the fosse, which intersected the glen, required additional defence or altitude, masonry was employed. A wall of great strength has crossed the glen at each end, passing up the slopes of the hill, connecting the rocks which overlook the entrances, and enclosing an area of an oblong form. The approach to the highest division of the castle is by steps cut out of the solid rock, and continued through a low tortuous passage, the entrance to which has been guarded by a door. A wall of about three hundred feet in circumference has been carried round the summit of the rock, the sides of which are for the most part perpendicular. The park is richly adorned with timber, and the scenery is pleasingly diversified and enchanting—the awfulness of its shades, the horrors of its precipices, the verdure of its hollows, and the loftiness of its rocks, all combine to give an additional charm to the fairy scene. A fine sheet of water, in some parts nearly one hundred yards in breadth, stretches for upwards of two miles in length, and forms the boundary to the north and west sides of the park. The park is stocked with herds of Scotch bullocks, and upwards of six hundred head of deer.

The principal residents in Hawkstone are Rowland Viscount Hill, Hawkstone Park; Rev. William Blackley, domestic chaplain; William Carling, butler; Mrs. Morgan, housekeeper; Frederick Nieman, gardener; John Hopkins, farmer; and Thomas Holding, farmer.

HOPTON AND ESPLEY,

a township in the parish of Hodnet, one mile south from the church, contains 969a. 2r. 16p. of land, and in 1841 had twelve houses and 77 inhabitants; the tithes have been commuted for £183. 12s. 7d. There are only three farms in this township, two of which are the property of Viscount Hill, and the other is the property of A. C. H. Percy, Esq.

The principal residents are Samuel Cartwright, farmer, Hopton; George Gill, farmer and land agent to Viscount Hill, Hopton; John Liversage, farmer, Espley.

KENSTONE,

a township and small village one mile W.W. by S. from Hodnet, contains 858a. 0r. 9p. of land, mostly a bold undulating district, the high grounds of which are covered with thriving plantations. The land is chiefly the property of Viscount Hill; Mr. George Clay is the owner of one farm. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel near the verge of the township, on the turnpike road leading from Hodnet to Wem. The tithes have been commuted for £73. 1s. 8d. At the census of 1841 there were twenty houses and 104 inhabitants.

Directory.—James Cartwright, farmer; Martha Ellis, farmer; George Clay, farmer; Richard Powell, farmer, Hopley Hill; William Gregory, carpenter and joiner.

LOSSFORD, OR LOSTFORD,

a small township two and a half miles N. from Hodnet, with a few scattered houses, near the turnpike road from Hodnet to Market Drayton, contains 438a. 0r. 9p. of land, which is the property of Richard Corbet, Esq., and Miss Mary Murhall; the latter resides at a neat residence of modern construction, on an acclivity near the turnpike road. In 1841 here were 11 houses and 64 inhabitants. A small stream intersects the township, and tradition says that a person was formerly lost here in fording the stream, and hence the name of Lost-ford, now corrupted to Lossford, has been given to the township.

Directory.—Thomas Glassey, farmer; John Lodmore, farmer and cheese factor; John Merry, farmer; Miss Mary Murhall, farmer.

MARCHAMLEY

is a township and small village pleasantly situated on elevated ground, commanding fine prospects of the surrounding country, one mile N.W. from Hodnet, and six miles S.W. from Market Drayton. The township contains 1424a. 0r. 29p. of land, and in 1841 here were 84 houses and 441 inhabitants; the tithes have been commuted for £217. 2s. 9d.; Viscount Hill is the principal landowner in the township. The village is situated near the entrance to Hawkstone Park, some portions of which are within the bounds of this township. The poor of Marchamley and the other townships comprising the parish of Hodnet participate in the benefit arising from the several charities noticed with the township of Hodnet. The farm premises of Viscount Hill, who holds a considerable extent of land in his own hands, are situated at Marchamley.

Directory.—Thomas Cotton, farmer; Jane Lane, shopkeeper; Robert Graham, farmer and architect and builder; Richard James, police constable; John Martin, joiner; John Powell, farmer, The Well House; Samuel Vaughan, blacksmith; Samuel Whittaker, farm steward to Viscount Hill.

PEPLOW,

a township and small rural village in the parish of Hodnet, three miles S. from the parish church, contains 1,388a. 2r. 30p. of land, which is the property of Viscount Hill. At the census of 1841 there were 28 houses and 220 inhabitants. The tithes have been commuted for £532. 19s. 9d. The hall is a spacious brick mansion, which was originally built by the Pigott family; it is now the residence of Captain George Hill. On the north side of the hall is a private chapel, an ancient structure mantled with ivy, where the residents at Peplow usually attend divine service, which is performed by the rector or curate of Hodnet. Not far from the chapel is a neat school and residence for the teacher, which was built and is supported by Viscount Hill. The township is watered by the river Tern, the meadow lands on the banks of which are enriched by that river occasionally overflowing its banks; a little below the village it turns a corn mill. The land for the most part in this locality is flat, it has been greatly improved by superior cultivation, and is generally highly productive.

Directory.—Captain George Hill, Peplow Hall; Ralph Brett, corn miller; John Cartwright, farmer; Thomas Casewell, farmer; Samuel Deakin, farmer; Richard Everall, farmer; James Gray, farmer, Hall Green; Samuel Hughes, blacksmith; Thos. Liversage, blacksmith; John Ravencroft, farmer; Samuel Shuker, shoemaker; George Topham, farmer, maltster, and butcher; Elizabeth Williams, schoolmistress.

WESTON UNDER RED CASTLE

is a township and chapelry in the Wem division of the North Bradford Hundred, the rest of the parish being returned in Drayton division. The village is delightfully situated near the verge of Hawkstone Park, four miles E. from Wem, and in 1841 there were 76 houses and 348 inhabitants. The township contains 2,210 acres of land, of which 576 acres are in woods and plantations, and 15 acres in roads. Rateable value, £2645. 4s. 10d. The tithes are commuted for £195. 17s. 6d. Viscount Hill is the principal landowner and lord of the manor; Philip Hill, Esq., is also a landowner. The country around Weston is pleasantly diversified with hill and dale, richly clothed with timber, and the scenery beautifully picturesque. Here are extensive quarries of free stone, which is much used for building purposes; blocks of immense size are frequently raised from the quarries. The Chapel is a neat structure of free stone, with a tower containing a clock; it was rebuilt in 1791, with funds raised by subscriptions, towards which Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., gave the munificent sum of £720. The organ was purchased by subscriptions in 1838, and cost upwards of £100, of which £83. 2s. were given by various benevolent individuals, and the remainder was given by General Lord Hill, together with the communion plate. The font is of Grinshill free stone, and exhibits some fine workmanship. A neat marble tablet dated 1809 remembers George Downward and his wife Elizabeth. The living is enjoyed by the Rev. John Hill. The National School is a neat modern erection, with a residence for the teacher, built and endowed by the Hill family, of Hawkstone, (see charities noticed with Hodnet), 54 boys and 20 girls attend; the teachers have each a stipend of £20 per annum. The Citadel is a stately pile of building in the castellated style of architecture, situated on a bold eminence, commanding delightful views, and beautified with park grounds richly clothed with timber. It is the residence of the Rev. John Hill, M.A. Hawkstone Hotel is a commodious and handsome structure elegantly fitted up, and situated near the entrance to the park. From its contiguity to Hawkstone, the magnificent seat of Viscount Hill, it is frequented by immense numbers, who annually visit this delightful locality. Wixhall is a hamlet in this township, the acres of which are returned with the parish. Viscount Hill is the chief landowner; Phillip Hill, Esq.; C. D. Hill, Esq.; J. H. Sandford, Esq.; Mr. E. Evanson, and Clara Beddow, are also freeholders.

Those marked * reside at the hamlet of Wixhall.

* Ashley Ann, The Hall

* Ashley Samuel, farmer

* Ashley Thomas, farmer

Blakeway Richard, coachman

Clewes Richard, grocer, draper, & provision dealer

Denham James, Esq., architect

Evanson Edward, beerhouse keeper

Farnandez Mariano, vict., Hawkstone Hotel

Gill George, Esq., land agent and steward to Lord Hill

Hamer Mrs.

Higginson William, blacksmith

Hill Rev. John, The Citadel

Holding Thomas, Abbey Farm

Izzard Susannah, schoolmistress

Jones John, shoemaker

Lester Samuel, farmer

* Lewis Edward, quarry master

Lewis Samuel, tailor, The Heath

Lewis Thomas, mason, The Heath

Lewis William, mason, The Heath

Massey William, The Berry Farm

Phillips John, shoemaker, The Heath

* Powell Ann, farmer

Robinson Thomas, gamekeeper

Snape John, park keeper

Vigers John, Hawkstone Farm

Watson Joseph, shoemaker

Whalley James, The Hermitage Farm

* Williams Enoch, wheelwright and machine maker

Williams William, schoolmaster

WOLLERTON

is a straggling but pleasantly situated village a little more than a mile E.E. by N. from Hodnet. At the census of 1841 there were 46 houses and 231 inhabitants; the township contains 1,334a. 2r. 6p. of land, the principal owners of which are A. C. H. Percy, Esq., Viscount Hill, Walter Minor, Esq., Mr. Richard Whitfield, Mr. William Massey, Mr. John Beacall, Mr. Samuel Brayn, and Mr. Thomas Pritchard. There is a small Independent Chapel with a residence for the minister, situated on rising ground not far from the turnpike road leading from Hodnet to Market Drayton; it was built about half a century ago, and will accommodate about 120 hearers; the congregation is under the pastoral care of the Rev. Daniel Davies. The tithes of Wollerton are commuted for £196. 1s. 1d. The township is watered by the river Tern, on the banks of which there is a corn mill.

Directory.—Walter Minor, Esq.; Betty Blockley, farmer; Rev. Daniel Davies, Independent minister; Richard and John Cartwright, farmers, maltsters, and corn millers; John Hope, wheelwright; Phillip Hughes, blacksmith; Samuel Hughes, blacksmith; Margaret Icke, beerhouse keeper; John Lester, farmer; William Massey, farmer; William Massey, jun., farmer; James Pickering, cooper; William Powell, farmer.

IGHTFIELD,

a parish and village in the Whitchurch division of the hundred of North Bradford, four miles and a quarter S.E. by E. from Wem, contains 2,800 acres of land, mostly a strong soil, which produces good crops of grain. In 1801 there were 209 inhabitants; 1831, 301; and in 1841, there were 70 houses and 361 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,959. The principal landowners are Lord Kilmorey, Messrs. Corsers, Mr. John Walmsley, Mr. Isaac Forrester, Miss Morton, Mr. Samuel Lea, the Misses Hinton, Rev. John Justice, George Harper, Esq., and the representatives of William Skitt; besides whom there are several smaller freeholders. The Church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is situated on an eminence, and has a lofty square tower, ornamented with pinnacles. It is an ancient structure in the Gothic style of architecture, much delapidated, and fast falling to decay. The body of the church is divided into two compartments, and has a pitched roof, supported by octagonal stone pillars with pointed arches; the caps of the pillars are curiously carved. The tower contains four bells; and from its summit a most delightful and extensive prospect over the fertile plains of Shropshire is seen. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £7. 19s. 4½d., in the patronage of H. Justice, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. John Justice, M.A. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for the sum of £657. 16s. 5d., of which the sum of £320 was apportioned to the rector. The estate of Lord Kilmorey in this parish is tithe-free, but he pays a small modus, and keeps a portion of the north compartment of the church in repair. Kempley House is an ancient residence, and was formerly surrounded by a moat, which may still be traced.

Charities.—Several sums of money, amounting in the whole to £113, left by ten several donors, were laid out in the year 1819 in the purchase of certain premises, for the purpose of converting the same into a poor-house. The sum of £5. 10s. has been since paid annually as the interest of the charity money out of the parish rates, and disposed of as follows:—The sum of £1 is divided annually among poor widows of this parish; 18s. are expended in penny loaves, and distributed every Sunday amongst poor old persons most constantly attending the church; and the residue is distributed among the most necessitous poor of the parish, in sums varying from 4s. to 8s.

Bentley William, farmer, The Heath

Bentley William, jun., farmer

Blackmore John, farmer

Burgess Geo., farmer, Dairy House

Dickin Robert, farmer

Ebrey John, butcher

Gresty William, maltster and farmer

Haynes Thomas, tailor

Heath John, farmer

Hinton John, farmer and butcher

Jones Elizabeth, farmer

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

Langford Enoch, shoemaker

Langford Joseph, bricklayer

Langford Joseph, victualler, Lamb Inn

Shelley John, farmer, The Hall

Shucker William, blacksmith

Skitt Wm., farmer, Kempley

Tyler Thomas, shoemaker and parish clerk

Wainwright John, shopkeeper

Walmsley Samuel, farmer

Wharton John, shopkeeper

Wiggin Richard, farmer

Williams Richard, beerhouse-keeper and blacksmith

Wilson George, wheelwright

Wilson John, wheelwright

Worrall Josh., farmer, Yew-tree House

LEE BROCKHURST

is a small parish and village, two miles and a half S.E. from Wem, in the Whitchurch division of the hundred of North Bradford. In 1801 there was a population of 137 souls; 1831, 151; and in 1841 there were 31 houses and 165 inhabitants. The parish contains 564a. 2r. 21p. of land, of which 216a. 3r. 36p. are arable, 75 acres meadow, 10a. 2r. sheep walks, 61a. 2r. woods and plantations, and about eleven acres in gardens and homesteads. Of the total acreage 374a. 3r. 23p. are titheable, and the remainder tithe-free. Rateable value, £588. 11s. 3d. The principal landowners are Viscount Hill, John H. Walford, Esq., Mrs. Brooks, and Samuel Long Waring, Esq. The tithes are commuted for £74; John H. Walford, Esq., is the impropriator. The turnpike road from Whitchurch to Newcastle intersects the parish, which is bounded on the south-east and south west by the river Roden, the stream being crossed by two stone bridges. At Lee Bridge there is a respectable and commodious inn, the Corbet Arms; near to which are immense rocks of red sandstone, the soil on the summits of which is planted with fir and other timber trees. On the top of one of these rocks a tower has been erected, from which a most extensive and picturesque view of the country is obtained. The whole district has a bold undulating surface, finely wooded, and the scenery towards Hawkstone, the fine domain of Viscount Hill, is truly magnificent. An Obelisk has been erected by the tenantry of Besford and Lee Bridge, as a token of esteem and respect to their landlord, Sir Andrew Vincent Corbet, Bart., and to commemorate the coming of age of his eldest son, Vincent Rowland Corbet, Esq., August 11th, 1842. It bears the following inscription:—

“May there be Corbets and Hills this obelisk to pass, So long as time and it doth last.”

A bath has been cut out of the red sandstone rock, which is supplied with an abundance of fine spring water. The Church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a plain unpretending structure of venerable appearance; the interior is neatly pewed, and consists of nave and chancel, and contains a small gallery. A neat tablet remembers John Henshaw, Esq., and there are several tombs in the church-yard in memory of the Heatleys. The living is a perpetual curacy, returned at £74, in the patronage of John H. Walford, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. William Walker. The parish register is in good preservation, and dates from the year 1566. Near the church is a barrow or tumuli, where it is stated human bones have been found.

Directory.—Mrs. Brookes; Miss Harris; Samuel Heatley, farmer, The Hall; John Holding, shopkeeper and shoemaker; William Ikin, farmer, Cranberry farm; Mary Ikin, schoolmistress; Richard Powell, farmer; Richard Powell, jun., farmer; the Misses Skitt; William Staples, huntsman to the Albrighton Subscription Hunt, and victualler, the Raven and Hand and Corbet Arms.

MORETON CORBET

is a village and parish seven miles N.N. by E. from Shrewsbury, and four and a half miles south-east from Wem. The parish contains the township of Moreton Corbet and part of the townships of Preston Brockhurst and Besford, and comprises 2,140a. 1r. 17p. of land, of which 200 acres are in woods and plantations. In 1801 there was a population of 180 souls; in 1831, 679; and in 1841 there were 37 houses and 226 inhabitants. Rateable value, £2,765. 8s. Sir Andrew Vincent Corbet, Bart., is lord of the manor, impropriator, and owner of the whole parish. The land is of a superior quality; the soil is a mixture of sand and loam. There is a fine breed of sheep kept here, and several of the farmers have large flocks. The tithes have been commuted for £400. The township of Moreton Corbet contains 607a. 3r. 1p. of land, of which 214 acres are woods and plantations.

Moreton Corbet Castle stands a short distance from the church, and presents a noble pile of ruins, magnificent in decay. A considerable portion of the walls is still standing, but its roof has been many years demolished. In early times it was the stately mansion of the Corbets. Several dates may be discovered in different parts of the building, but the date of its erection is uncertain; it is probable that only a portion of the original design was ever completed; and it has by no means the appearance of having been intended for a fortress, for the windows are large, and unlike those of castles in general. It was garrisoned in 1644 by the parliament against Charles I. The king having possession of Shrewsbury and several places in the neighbourhood, the parliament sent part of the garrison from hence against Shrewsbury, which soon after surrendered to their forces. This castle is said to have been partly burnt during the civil wars, since which it has gradually sunk into insignificance and dilapidation. The present noble owner is descended from an ancient and honourable family, who have been seated in this county from the time of the conquest, when Roger Corbet held large possessions under the Earl of Shrewsbury. Sir Vincent Corbet was created a baronet in 1641, whose descendant, Sir Andrew Vincent Corbet, Bart., now resides at Acton Reynald. Mr. Blakeway gives the following tradition of the Pilgrim of Moreton:—“The real progenitor of all the Shropshire Corbets had but one son that we know of, William, who left issue. Ebraid and Simon occur as granting lands in Wentnor to the Abbey of Shrewsbury, but we know nothing of them. William Corbet is stated to have made Wattlesborough his residence, and no doubt dwelt in that ancient castle, of which, however, there are no remains so old as his age. He had three sons, Thomas Corbet of Wattlesborough, Robert of Caus, and Philip. Several circumstances concur to show that the former was the eldest, though Robert became much the more considerable personage. A tradition still subsists that the heir of Moreton Corbet went to the Holy Land, and was kept in captivity so long that he was supposed to be dead. In consequence of this his younger brother engaged to marry, that he might continue the line. On the morning of his marriage, says the tradition, a pilgrim came to the house to partake of the hospitalities of that festal occasion. After dinner he revealed himself to the assembled company as the long-lost elder brother; but when the bridegroom would have surrendered the estate, he declined the offer, and desired only a small portion of the land, which he accordingly received. Such incidents are related of other families, and were perhaps not unfrequent in a romantic age; and some were doubtless feigned. I am inclined to think the present has a basis of truth, for we are assured that Thomas Corbet of Wattlesborough went beyond sea, and left his lands in the custody of his brother Robert; and this may have given rise to the tale I have just related. The primogeniture of Thomas is established by the armorial bearings of his posterity,—the single raven. The descendants of Robert bore two such—a proof that they were a younger line; but they were barons of the realm, an elevation never attained by the Wattlesborough branch: and Caus, the seat of their barony, appears to have been carved out of the elder line, Westbury, where it lies, having been granted by Earl Roger to their progenitor, Roger, son of Corbet. All these coincidences, with the tradition above mentioned, afford it some support. Moreton, indeed, has in this case been made prematurely the scene of the transaction.”

The Church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, is a handsome structure of free stone, in the decorative style of English architecture, with a square tower. The interior has a very beautiful and chastened appearance, and the tablets and monuments to the Corbet family exhibit some very elaborate workmanship. A monument to Vincent Corbet, the third baronet, who died in 1670, is richly decorated with festoons of oak leaves, finely executed in marble. The four corners are held up by ravens, in allusion to the armorial bearings of this ancient family, and surmounted by their crest, the elephant and castle. The latter is said to have been the armorial bearings of the Scottish Oliphants, one of whom was taken prisoner by a Corbet, in a war between the two kingdoms. The livingis a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £5. 3s. 6d.; now returned at £376; in the patronage of Sir Andrew Vincent Corbet, Bart., and incumbency of the Rev. Robert F. Wood, M.A., who resides at the rectory, a good residence situate near the church. There are 39a. 2r. 26p. of glebe land. The National School, a spacious stone building, is supported by Sir A. V. Corbet. About eighty children attend. The poor of this parish are entitled to a yearly sum of £1. 5s., the gift of Andrew and Elizabeth Downes, which is now paid out of certain lands in Ollerly lane, in the manor of Wem. Various benefactions left for the benefit of the poor, in the whole amounting to £86. 5s., were formerly placed out at interest; but in 1821 the amount was laid out in building some cottages for the poor, upon land rented for this purpose by the parish officers. The parishioners having found that no benefit had been derived from the use of these houses, prevailed on Sir Andrew Corbet to take the land with the cottages thereon, and to repay them the sum they had expended, which was again put out at interest for the benefit of the poor.

The principal residents in Moreton Corbet are Eleanor Bennett, school teacher; Robert Broughall, farmer; John Harris, farmer; John Harris, jun., farmer; Mrs. Ann Henshaw, the Castle; Richard Henshaw, the Castle Farm; William Lawley, blacksmith; Rev. Robert Faulkner Wood, M.A., the Rectory.

PRESTON BROCKHURST

is a scattered village and township, partly in the parish of Shawbury, and partly in the parish of Moreton Corbet, three and a quarter miles south-east from Wem. At the census of 1841 there were 21 houses and 138 inhabitants, of which 2 houses and 17 persons were returned as in the parish of Shawbury, and the remainder in this parish. The township contains 1,482a. 1r. 23p. of land, much improved by superior cultivation. The village is delightfully situated on the turnpike road from Shrewsbury to Hawkstone; the vicinity has a bold undulating surface, richly wooded, and pleasingly diversified with rural scenery. Sir Andrew Vincent Corbet, Bart., is lord of the manor and sole proprietor. The Hall is a fine specimen of ancient architecture, with projecting gables and bay windows, and was in early times the seat of a branch of the Corbet family. It is lofty and spacious, and entered by a fine old porch, above which is a watch tower; the whole has a venerable yet interesting appearance. The interior contains some fine specimens of elaborate oak carving; the entrance hall is of panelled oak, and the antique staircase is also of oak, of massive and beautiful workmanship, the whole of which is in excellent preservation. Preston Wood covers an area of 204a. 1r. 20p. acres of land.

Brayne Richard, farmer, the Hall

Darlington Thomas, vict., the Elephant and Castle

Deakin James, butcher

Edwards William, farmer, Bridleway-gate

Evans John and Son, blacksmiths and agricultural implement makers

Evans John, farmer, Shawbury house

Huxley Richard, farmer, the Grove

Lewis Thomas, maltster and vict., Corbet Arms

Morgan Mr. Thomas

Snape Thomas, shopkeeper and gamekeeper

Travar John, sawyer

Travar Richard, joiner and cabinet-maker

Travar Samuel, wheelwright and van proprietor

Windsor Thomas, farmer, Wainhouse

MORETON SAY, OR MORETON SEA,

is a parish which comprehends the townships of Betchley, Longford, Moreton Say, Styche, and Woodlands, and contains 4,804a. 1r. 30p. of land, of which 53a. 2r. 13p. are woods and plantations, roads, and waste; the soil for the most part is a strong tenacious clay: in other parts a fertile loam prevails. In 1801 the parish contained 683 inhabitants; in 1831, 679; and in 1841, there were 126 houses and 770 inhabitants. Rateable value of the whole parish, £5,299. 8s. Rent charge, £645. The middle and the northern verge of the parish bordering on Cheshire, present a bold undulating surface, and from the high grounds a most beautiful prospect of the surrounding country may be seen. Richard Corbet, Esq., and John Tayleur, Esq., are joint lords of the manor. The village of Moreton Say is pleasantly situated three miles west from Market Drayton, and in 1841 had 42 houses and 202 inhabitants. Rateable value of the township, £1,928. 11s. The population are chiefly employed in agricultural pursuits, and the land in this locality has been greatly improved by draining and superior cultivation. The principal landowners are John Whitehall Dod, Esq., M.P.; the Earl of Powis; and John Tayleur, Esq. The Church is a venerable fabric, with a tower surmounted by a wooden turret. The structure underwent a complete reparation in 1788, at a cost of £386. 8s., which was raised by private subscriptions. The chancel is ornamented with a beautiful stained glass window, of exquisite workmanship. The walls of the chancel are decorated with implements of war, taken by the late Lord Clive in his campaign through India; there are also six beautifully designed marble tablets, in memory of the predecessors of Lord Clive, of Styche Hall; a fine tomb of elaborate workmanship, with three full sized figures in a recumbent posture, remembers the Grosvenors of Eaton, and is dated 1619. A beautiful mural monument, chastely executed, has been erected in commemoration of John Bostock, Esq., who died in 1623. There is also a tablet of curious workmanship in memory of Elizabeth Rotton, with others to the Corser, Redshaw, Woolley, and other families. In the churchyard is a magnificent altar tomb of marble, to the memory of Sir John Markham, who died in 1778. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the rector of Hodnet, and enjoyed by the Rev. Robert Upton, M.A. The tithes have been commuted, and £555 apportioned to the rector of Hodnet, and £90 to the incumbent of Moreton Say. There are 48a. 2r. 39p. of glebe land. The parsonage is an ancient structure a short distance from the church. There is a school here, which is chiefly supported by the minister and a few benevolent individuals.

In the parliamentary returns of 1786 several sums of money are mentioned as having been given to the poor of this parish, amounting in the whole to £199. 10s., which sum is stated to have been laid out in the purchase of £250 stock in the four per cents. There is reason to question the accuracy of this statement, as we find that most of the charities recorded (many of which do not exceed £5) are supposed to have been distributed as soon as received. There was, however, a close called the Poor’s Field, containing about seven acres, the rent of which was given away to the poor; but whether this field was purchased with any part of the charities bequeathed to the parish, or derived from any other source, is not now known. This field was sold about seventy years ago, with the consent of the parishioners, by the churchwardens and overseers, to Archdeacon Clive, the then incumbent of Moreton Say, who gave for it £250 stock in the four per cents., producing £10 a year, being the rent at which the close was then let. The dividends of this stock now amount to £8. 15s., with £1. 5s. added from the poors’ rate, to make up £10, is expended in bread, and given away among poor persons attending divine service at the church.

Directory.—Francis Grocott, farmer, Calverhall; Johnson and Moore, farmers, Styche farm; William Lea, farmer and corn miller; Samuel Minor, farmer, Moreton Hall; William Overton, farmer, Higgins Wood; William Parker, farmer, the Wood; Thomas Peplow, farmer; Rev. Robert Upton, M.A., the Parsonage.

BETCHLEY

is a township and scattered village, pleasantly situated one mile south from Moreton Say, which in 1841 had 16 houses and 101 inhabitants. Rateable value, £684. 16s. The acres and tithes are included in the returns given of the parish. The Earl of Powis and George Corser, Esq., are the landowners. The soil is mostly a cold clay, but has been much improved by draining and by freely using bone-dust as a fertilizer.

The principal residents are Thomas Baker, farmer; Mrs. Cartwright, farmer; William Humphreys, farmer; and Samuel Sharratt, farmer, Oldfields.

LONGFORD,

a township and village, delightfully situated on elevated ground, two miles S.E. by E. from Moreton Say, in 1841 contained 53 houses and 262 inhabitants. The land produces good crops of wheat and barley, and there is some fine grazing land; the soil is chiefly strong. The Market Drayton, Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, and Newport turnpike roads intersect the township. The scenery around is beautifully varied and picturesque. Gross estimated rental, £1,537. 14s. John Tayleur, Esq., is lord of the manor and a landowner; besides whom the Rev. Thomas Henshaw Jones, Mr. Charles Warren, Mr. Samuel Hudson, Richard Corbet, Esq., John Hazledine, Esq., and others are also proprietors.

Directory.—George Harding, Esq., estate agent and steward to Richard Corbet, Esq., Tern Hill House; Joseph Harris, farmer; Samuel Harris, farmer; John Hazledine, Esq., Tern Hill; John Hill Stephenson, farmer; Samuel Hudson, farmer; Joseph Johnson, blacksmith and victualler, the Lion; Joseph Sillitoe, farmer, Tern Hill; James Wood, beerhouse-keeper.

STYCHE AND WOODLANDS,

a township and village on the northern verge of the county, bordering on Cheshire, at the census of 1841 contained 24 houses and 145 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,148. 7s. The soil is mostly a strong clay; there is some good meadow land in the township. The Earl of Powis and Lord Kilmorey are the landowners. Styche Hall is an elegant mansion of brick, with stone quoins and stuccoed, which produces a light and handsome appearance. It is situated on a gentle elevation, and being lofty and spacious, and approached by a fine portico, gives it an imposing aspect. The front of the mansion opens into a fine extent of park-like grounds. The offices and stables are behind the hall, and form a spacious quadrangle. Styche is now the seat of Henry B. Clive, Esq., M.P., for the borough of Ludlow. The celebrated Lord Clive, the founder of the present noble family of Powis, was born at Styche. He was the son of Richard Clive, Esq., and received his education first at the free-school in Drayton, and afterwards at Dr. Stirling’s school, Hempsted. He subsequently became a celebrated commander in the East India Company’s service, and contributed to the prosperity of the company in a most unexampled manner. He represented the town of Shrewsbury in parliament from 1760 to 1774, but rarely spoke in the house, though upon special occasions he displayed great powers of elocution. By his will he bequeathed £70,000 to the invalids in the Company’s service.

Directory.—Henry B. Clive, Esq., Styche Hall; Thomas Akers, farmer, Shavington Park; Samuel Beeston, farmer, Nobridge; Thomas Betterley, farmer, Shavington; Richard Caldicot, farmer. New-street Lane; Charles Gregory, farmer, Barnetts; John Horton, beerhouse-keeper; Abraham Price, farmer; Thomas Sharratt, farmer, New-street Lane.

BEARSTON

is a township and small village, pleasantly situated four miles and a half N.E. from Market Drayton, in the parish of Muckleston, which is mostly comprised within the bounds of the Pirehill Hundred, in the county of Stafford. The Church is also in Staffordshire, and situate about a mile to the north of Blore Heath. It is an ancient structure, with a lofty tower, from the top of which Queen Margaret witnessed the slaughter at the battle of Blore Heath. The townships comprised in this county are Bearston, Dorrington, Gravenhanger, and Woore. The township of Bearston contains 1,084a. 1r. 6p., of land. The soil for the most part is a strong loam, in other parts it is of a light sandy nature, particularly near the banks of the river Tern. In 1841 there were 17 houses and 101 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,196. 4s. 5d. Gross estimated rental, £1,319. 9s. 8d. The land is the property of Thomas Kinnersley, Esq., except one farm, the property of the Rev. Hugh Ker Cokburne. The river Tern here divides the county from that of Stafford, on the banks of which is the Bearston Corn Mill, occupied by Mr. Bruckshaw, whose residence is just within the bounds of this county.

Directory.—John Benbow, farmer; Thomas Bennion, farmer; George Bruckshaw, farmer, maltster, and corn miller, Bearston Mill; Robert Tilsley, farmer.

DORRINGTON,

a small village and township, in the parish of Muckleston, five miles and a quarter N.N.E. from Market Drayton, in 1831 contained 35 houses and 188 inhabitants. The township contains 965a. 0r. 35p. of land. Gross estimated rental, £1,296. 3s. 6d. Rateable value, £1,181. 2s. 1d. Sir J. W. L. Chetwode, Bart., is the principal landowner. Miss Birchall is also a proprietor. Pipegate is a hamlet, a little to the east of Dorrington. Irelands Cross, a hamlet on the turnpike road to the north of Dorrington. Here is the old Workhouse; a plain brick structure, now unoccupied. Adjoining the workhouse are four small tenements, called The Almshouses, which are stated to have been built at the expense of the parish. The inmates have no income, and they have been so long in undisturbed possession, that they now claim them as their own.

Directory.—Thomas Ball, victualler, Fox and Hounds; Sarah Benbow, farmer; Elizabeth Birchall, farmer; Mary Goodall, farmer; Henry Hopwood, farmer; Jane Latham, beerhouse-keeper; Mary Lindop, farmer; Henry Taylor, manager to Miss Birchall; Robert Timmis, farmer; Matthew and William Wildig, joiners, builders, and brick-makers, Irelands Cross.

GRAVENHANGER,

a township six miles N.N.E. from Market Drayton, contains 1,144a. 2r. 9p. of land. Gross estimated rental, £1,745. 9s. 7d. The principal landowners are William Barber, Esq., Thomas Eld, Esq., Messrs. Wilkinson, Mr. Samuel Sherrard, Miss Elizabeth Birchall, George Kendrick, Esq., Executors of the late Mr. Latham. The Hall is an ancient residence, occupied by Mr. John Beeston. Gravenhanger Moss is a tract of land of about twenty acres unenclosed.

The principal residents are John Beeston, farmer, The Hall; Ralph Bennet, farmer; Henry Buckley, beerhouse-keeper; Samuel Foxley, victualler, Crow Inn; Robert Huntback, farmer; Jane Latham, farmer; Thomas Latham, farmer; John Lea, farmer; Charlotte Morrey, farmer; James Sandbach, farmer, Brooklands; Samuel Wilkinson, farmer.

WOORE

is a chapelry and considerable village, pleasantly situated at the north-east extremity of the county, seven miles N.N.E. from Market Drayton. The village contains many good houses, a neat church, and a respectable hotel, and stands on a salubrious acclivity, which commands extensive views of the surrounding country. The township contains 1,000a. 2r. 26p. of land, and in 1841 there were 98 houses and 372 persons. Gross estimated rental, £1,810. 15s. 2d. Rateable value, £1,632. 17s. 9d. The principal landowner is George Kendrick, Esq. Mr. Smith, Mr. Richard Clough, and the Devisees of the late Mr. Latham, are also proprietors.

The Church is a neat structure, dedicated to St. Leonard, and has been built about twenty years. The cost of the fabric was £1,300. The living is a perpetual curacy, returned at £100, in the patronage of the Kendrick and Kinnersley families alternately; incumbent, Rev. John Hawksworth, M.A., who resides at the Parsonage, a neat residence a short distance from the church. The old church was taken down on the erection of the present structure, and stood near the site of the parsonage house. The National School was built by voluntary subscriptions and a grant from the national society in 1832. At the present time, forty boys and sixty girls and infants attend. The master has £15 per annum paid him, for which fifteen children are educated free; the children of cottagers pay one penny per week, and an additional charge is made for farmers’ children. The Manor House, a handsome residence embosomed in foliage, was unoccupied when our agent visited Woore. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel here. Fairs are held on the last Thursday in April and November.

Post Office.—At John Hitchen’s. Letters arrive from Market Drayton at 9 A.M., and are despatched at 4.30 P.M.

Baddiley Gregory, grocer

Bradbury William P., farmer and victualler, Swan Hotel

Brooke George, farmer

Buckley Thomas, grocer

Burslem Thomas, tailor

Collier George, cabinet and chair maker

Clough Richard, farmer

Clough Wm., schoolmaster

Dunkley Rev. John, curate

Goodall William, farmer, Woore Hall

Hayward Mr. John

Hawksworth, Rev. John, M.A. The Parsonage

Hitchens John, Post Office

Hough David, farmer

Hulse Mr., farmer

Jackson George, blacksmith

Latham Mr. Thomas

Lander George, butcher

Lewis Abraham, tallow chandler

Lewis John, shoemaker

Lindop John, victualler, The Falcon Inn

Minor Henry Robert, farmer

Morrey Richard, cooper and victualler, Coopers’ Arms

Morrey Thomas, shopkeeper

Mullington Mary, school-mistress

Nickson William, saddler

Rowley William, tailor

Salt John, surgeon

Taylor James, farmer

Vickers Richard, farmer

Watmough Charles, surgeon

Wayte Henry, shopkeeper

NORTON IN HALES,

a parish and village situated three and a half miles N.E. by N. from Market Drayton, at the census of 1841 contained 64 houses and 312 inhabitants. In 1801 there was a population of 269 souls, and in 1831, 311. The parish contains 1,845 acres, the gross estimated rental of which is £2,732, 16s. 8d. Rateable value, £2,475 1s. 8d. The tithes are commuted for £305. P. Sillitoe, Esq., is the principal land owner, the other chief owners are William Church Norcop, Esq., Mrs. Heath, and Rev. Hugh Ker Cokburne, the latter of whom is lord of the manor. At the Domesday survey Nortone in Odenet hundred was Held by one Helgot. The Church is an ancient structure dedicated to St. Chad, consisting of nave and chancel, with a handsome square tower at the west end, embattled and ornamented with pinnacles; the chancel is of much older date than the rest of the church. There is a magnificent monument of Derbyshire alabaster, with full length figures, of Sir Rowland Cotton and his lady, in a recumbent posture; it is dated 1686; the Cottons had a seat at Etwall in Derbyshire, and Bellaport in this county. Over the tomb is an ancient helmet. There is also a neat tablet in memory of the Cotton family in the chancel. The church will accommodate about 100 hearers, and there is a gallery at the west end which holds about fifty children. The old antique font of rude construction is now disused and stands under the tower; a small new font has recently been added and placed in the chancel. The pews belonging to the rector and the lord of the manor are handsomely carved. The curfew bell tolls at eight o’clock from Michaelmas-day to Lady-day, a practice still continued in many of the rural villages of this county. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £5. 9s. 4d., now returned at £330, in the patronage of W. Silver, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Frederick Silver, M.A., who resides at the Rectory, a good stuccoed house pleasantly situated near the north-east side of the churchyard. There are eleven acres of glebe land. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel in the village. Bellaport House, the occasional residence of the lord of the manor, the Rev. Hugh Ker Cokburne, is delightfully situated on high grounds, and commands views of great extent and beauty. Brand Hall, a good brick mansion, the property of P. Sillitoe, Esq., was unoccupied when our agent visited Norton.

Charities.—The National School is a small structure, where about fifty children are educated. In 1751 Margaret Higginson left £50 towards founding a school at Norton; Sir Rowland Cotton gave a house of two bays and a barn for the use of the schoolmaster, and Ralph Pilsbury left £6 towards teaching one child. It is supposed that the money given by Mrs. Higginson was laid out in the purchase of land, though no deeds can be found relating thereto. The property belonging the school consists of the school, with a yard and garden, containing 1r. 9p., and an allotment of 21p. added at the inclosure. The schoolhouse with a garden containing 19p., and two closes containing 5a. 0r. 20p., producing together a yearly rental of £12. There is also a yearly sum of 4s. 9d. paid by the churchwardens as the interest of £6 left by Ralph Pilsbury, the principal having been applied to the use of the church previously to the year 1746, from which period this payment has been made. In respect of this income the master instructs seven children.

William Shore, in 1675, gave a rent charge of 26s. 8d. per annum, issuing out of a meadow in Dorrington, for the use of the poor, and afterwards in consideration of a sum of £40 conveyed the said land in trust, that all the rents and profits should be disposed of for the benefit of the poor. The said £40 having been given by various donors for the good of the poor of this parish.

Several sums of money given by the Cotton family about the year 1694, amounting in the whole to £80, were laid out in the purchase of land and premises at Wem; the property consists of a house and about six acres of land, which are let for about £15. 12s. per annum. The income derived from the above estates forms one fund, which is distributed among poor parishioners on Good Friday and Christmas-day.

Richard Grosvenor left 20s. per annum to the poor. In the churchwarden’s accounts about the year 1756, there is an entry of £30 paid by Robert Davison for the purpose of exonerating the estate which then belonged to him from the rent charge, and the amount is carried to the general account of the church rate. No payment has been made in respect of this charity from the church rate, but we conceive that interest on the purchase money ought to be paid from this account, for the benefit of the poor.

Beech William, tailor, Norton Forge

Benton Thomas, farmer, Norton Wood

Blackhurst James, blacksmith and grocer

Bloore Thomas, wheelwright

Brookshaw George, blacksmith

Butters Snow, tailor

Churton Thomas, shoemaker, Forge

Clorley Thomas, parish clerk

Cokburne Rev. Hugh Ker, Bellaport House

Duckers Thomas, vict., The Crescent and Anchor

Eardly Richard, farmer, Bellaport Lodge

Eley William, butcher

Fox Henry, bailiff to Rev. H. K. Cokburne

Green Thomas, wheelwright, Norton Forge

Jones George, farmer

Jones Richard, farmer

Keay John, farmer and shoemaker

Leighton Daniel, farmer and maltster

Mate William, farmer, Norton Wood

Matthews John, farmer, Brand Common

Minshall William, shoemaker

Morris Richard, wheelwright and beerhouse

Randles William, grocer

Ratcliff Thomas, gardener, The Hall

Rowe Isaac, painter and glazier

Silver Rev. Frederick, M.A., The Rectory

Simcock Joseph, tailor

Snow Sarah, farmer

Spragg Samuel, gamekeeper

Walley Elizabeth, farmer

Wickstead John, master of National School

PREES

is an extensive parish and considerable village, situated on a gentle acclivity, four miles north-east from Wem, and fourteen miles north-east from Shrewsbury. The parish contains the townships of Calverhall or Corra, Darliston, Fauls, Mickley, Millen Heath, Prees, Sandford, Steele, Willaston, and the chapelry of Whixall, which together contain 14,160 acres of land, of which 2,657a. 1r. 10p. are in mosses, woods, covers, and heath land. In 1801 the parish had a population of 2,653 souls; 1831, 3,355; and in 1841 there were 638 inhabited houses 24 uninhabited, and 3,270 inhabitants. Rateable value, £17,466. 2s. 8d. The rectoral tithes are commuted for £1,041. 1s., and the vicarial tithes for £636. Some part of the land is mossy, others of a peaty nature, and in some instances gravelly; there is also a portion of clay soils, of a reddish colour. The township of Prees contains 3,854a. 3r. 11p. of land, and is intersected by the Ellesmere, Whitchurch, Newport, Shrewsbury, and Market Drayton turnpike roads. Rateable value, £5,474, 8s. 8d. In 1841 here were 302 houses and 1,473 inhabitants. The land has a bold undulating surface, and commands interesting views of the surrounding country. Prees is celebrated as the birth place of the Salopian hero General Lord Hill, and has acquired importance from its contiguity to Hawkston, the magnificent seat of Viscount Hill. In the 43rd of Henry III. the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield had a grant of a market here on a Tuesday, and of a fair on the eve, the day, and the morrow of St. Chad the Bishop, with the liberty of free warren. In the 35th of Edward I. the market was changed to Wednesday, but the markets were never of much consideration, and subsequently were discontinued. Two fairs are, however, still held, on the second Monday in April and the second Monday in October, for the sale of sheep and cattle, which are well attended by the farmers and graziers of the surrounding country. Viscount Hill is lord of the manor, and the principal landowner. Sir R. C. Hill, Bart.; George Harper, Esq.; John Dickin, Esq.; and a few others are also proprietors.

General Lord Hill, whose brilliant military services have acquired such general renown, was born at Prees, August 11, 1772. His lordship entered the army in the sixteenth year of his age, and commenced his military duty at Edinburgh. His friends being anxious for his early promotion, obtained permission for him to raise an independent company, which gave him the rank of captain in the army, in the year 1792. In the interval of his being attached to any particular corps, he accompanied Frances Drake, Esq., on a diplomatic mission to Genoa, from whence Captain Hill proceeded to Toulon, and was employed as aide-de-camp to Lord Mulgrave, General O’Hara, and Sir David Dundas, successive generals there. He was deputed by Sir David Dundas to be the bearer of the despatches to England relating to the evacuation of Toulon by the British. He was shortly after promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy in the 90th regiment, and went through a great deal of arduous duty at Gibraltar, and had his full share in the memorable Egyptian campaign. In the action of the 13th of March Colonel Hill commanded the advanced guard, and received a wound in the right temple from a musket ball, the force of which was providentially averted by a strong brass binding in front of his helmet; the blow, however, was severe, and he was removed from the field of battle in a state of insensibility. After the return of the troops from Egypt, the 90th was ordered to proceed to Ireland, where Lord Hill continued to perform his regimental duty till he was appointed brigadier-general. Early in the summer of 1808 he joined the army in England, destined to act in the Peninsula. In the battles of Roleia and Vimiera he was fully employed, and gained the thanks and approbation of his comrades; and during the whole of Sir John Moore’s advance and retreat Lord Hill continued indefatigible in his exertions. His humanity and attention to the troops on their landing at Plymouth earned him the admiration of the inhabitants, and he was voted the freedom of the borough. About this time he became possessed of the seat and estate of Hardwick Grange, left him by his uncle, Sir Richard Hill, Bart. At the battle of Talavera Lord Hill was slightly wounded on the head, but his firmness and courage in repelling the successive attacks of the French, greatly contributed to the success of the day. The generalship and activity of Lord Hill in surprising and capturing a French corps under General Girard, in Spanish Estremadura, is deserving of commemoration. The force that Girard had with him consisted of 2,500 infantry and 600 cavalry, the whole of which were totally dispersed or captured. Among the latter were General Brune, the Prince d’Aremberg, several colonels, thirty captains and subalterns, and upwards of 1,000 soldiers, with the whole of their baggage, artillery, and commissariat. The enemy’s loss in killed was very severe, whilst from the activity and skilful manœuvres of Lord Hill, it was very trifling on the side of the British. Lieutenant-general Hill, during his detached command in Spain, was principally opposed to Soult, perhaps the most able general whom Napoleon employed in that country; and the acuteness of General Hill in foreseeing the intentions of that officer very materially contributed to the happy results of the action at Buzaco. In the memorable battle of Vittoria the centre of the allied army was commanded by the Duke of Wellington, and the right by Lord Hill. Here the enemy were completely routed, and the booty which was captured was immense. Besides the baggage horses, and other articles taken on the field, the value of the specie, plate, and jewels, was estimated at six millions of dollars. Of this sum only 100,000 dollars came to the military chest; the rest was divided by the troops on the spot. When Lord Hill occupied the valley of Bastan with an army of 3,000 men, he was attacked by a force of 14,000 men; but notwithstanding the superiority of the numbers, the enemy acquired but little advantage over these brave troops, during the seven hours they were engaged. At the conclusion of another brilliant achievement shortly after, the noble Wellington rode up to Lord Hill, and in the spirit of a great and candid mind said, “Hill, this is all your own.” The various other engagements in which Lord Hill took a prominent position, our limits will not allow us to notice. On his return to his native country, every token of honour was manifested by his grateful countrymen, and on his first visit to Shrewsbury thousands went out to meet him, and his lordship was presented with the freedom of the borough in a gold box. But the most splendid and durable token of gratitude and esteem is the column erected in Shrewsbury to his honour, which is the largest Doric column in the world. On the unexpected return of Napoleon from Elba, the allied sovereigns immediately flew to arms, on which occasion Lord Hill again obeyed the voice of his sovereign, and in the memorable battle of Waterloo, on the 18th June, 1815, his lordship gave fresh proofs of his skill, bravery, and intrepidity. In this conflict Lord Hill’s favourite charger was shot under him; and whilst he was on foot, completely exposed to the enemy, he was discovered by an officer of Lord Wellington’s staff, who procured him the horse of a French dragoon. For a full hour the officers of his lordship’s staff were in a state of the greatest consternation, and twice met under the apprehension that their beloved general had fallen. On the Duke of Wellington accepting office as prime minister, in 1828, Lord Hill was appointed commander-in-chief. The following are the titles and dignities which he bore:—Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword, Knight of the Grand Cross of the Guelphic Order, Knight of the Order of Maria Theresa, Knight of the Russian Order of St. George, Knight of the Belgian Order of Wilhelm, Baron Hill of Almarez, Hawkstone, and Hardwick Grange.

The Church, a venerable fabric of red sandstone in the Norman style of architecture, consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles, and a square tower, in which are six musical bells. The body of the church is of much older date than the tower, which is of modern construction. The church is entered by a fine old porch; the interior has a solemn and imposing appearance; and the chancel contains several beautifully designed monuments of exquisite workmanship: that to the memory of Sir John Hill, with figures in basso relievo, is a most admirable specimen of modern sculpture. Major-general Clement Hill is remembered on a neat tablet erected by his friends and comrades in the Madras presidency, and by the officers of the Royal Horse Guards, in testimony of their love for his person and esteem for his character. He was born at Prees, on December 6th, 1781, and died at the Falls of Guersoppa, and was buried at Hanowar, 22nd January, 1845. There are various other memorials, and over the charity box is a curiously-carved figure of the Saviour. The churchyard is elevated, and commands a fine view of Hawkstone hills and the distant country. There are several fine old yew trees of considerable girth. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king’s book at £10; now returned at £507; in the patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield, and incumbency of the Venerable Archdeacon John Allen, M.A. The rectoral tithes of this township are commuted for £329. 15s. 9d., and the vicarial for £83. 2s. 7d. The vicarage, a good residence, has been rebuilt on the site of a former edifice, by the present incumbent; the gardens and pleasure grounds are tastefully laid out.

The Independents have a small chapel in Prees, with a burial ground attached; the Rev. Samuel Minshall is the minister. The Primitive Methodists also have a small chapel here. There is a National School and an Infant School, which are numerously attended. Prees Hall, the property and residence of Sir Robert Chambre Hill, Bart., J.P., is a commodious, pleasantly-situated, and well built mansion of brick.

Charities.—The Right Hon. Richard Hill, by will, October 17, 1726, bequeathed £300 for the poor of the parishes of Hodnet, Prees, and Wem, to be applied for the benefit of such poor as the minister and churchwardens of each parish should think fit. With respect to the legacy left to the poor of this parish, it appears to have been laid out in the purchase of land, which now produces a yearly sum of £10. 10s. Sir Rowland Hill, in 1769, bequeathed to the poor of the parishes of Hodnet and Prees the sum of £200. Sir Richard Hill, by will, 1808, bequeathed £30 to his brother, John Hill, in trust, to pay the interest to the poor of the parish of Hodnet, Prees, and Wem, in such proportions as his said brother should think fit. Several sums of money, left by various donors, amounting in the whole to £140, in the year 1812 was placed in the hands of Sir John Hill, who gave a promissory note for the same; and the interest is distributed amongst the poor. Arthur Harper, by will, 1787, directed his trustees to pay the interest of £40 to the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish of Prees, to be distributed among poor housekeepers of the township of Darliston. The yearly sum of £5. 4s. is paid as a rent charge issuing out of a field in Williston, called the White Bread Field. It does not appear from whose benefaction this arises. The amount is expended in bread and given among the deserving who attend divine service. Elizabeth Barbour devised certain lands, and directed the proceeds to be expended in bread and given amongst the poorest parishioners every Sunday. The property thus devised consists of 9a. 0r. 35p., with a small cottage, which was built by the vicar on the site of an old house destroyed by lightning. It is let for £12 a year, which is applied in carrying out the donor’s intentions.

Post Office at Mr. William Langford’s.—Letters arrive from Whitchurch at 9.10 A.M. and are despatched at 5.0 P.M.

Aldersea George Ora, farmer

Allen The Rev. Archdeacon, The Vicarage

Arthur Thomas Norway, Esq.

Bather Richard, farmer

Bather Stephen, Prees Corn Mills

Bather William, farmer

Barber Emma Mary Burd, dressmaker

Bayley Mary, school teacher

Bennett Arthur, tailor

Bootroyd John, decorative painter

Boote Thomas, farmer, Heath Bank

Blantorn Miss Mary

Boyd Allen, sergeant major

Chester William, shoemaker

Churton Joseph, watch and clock maker

Clay John, blacksmith

Colley Thomas, saddler

Croxon Richard, tailor

Darlington Abraham Edward, Esq.

Davies Charles, baker and confectioner

Dickin Elizabeth, vict., The Well House

Dickin Mrs. Elizabeth

Dickin John, gentleman, Platt House

Dickin John, Prees Wood Farm

Dickin John, cattle salesman

Dickin William Francis, Esq., The Hill

Dovey Richard, police officer

Drury John, corn machine maker

Drury Thomas, vict., The College Inn

Drury William, maltster

Dutton Joseph, farmer, Ferney Leys

Ebrey Robert, butcher

Eccleston William, carrier

Edwards Edward, house steward

Foulkes Richard, joiner and carpenter

Gregory Mr. John Paul

Handley John, carrier

Hares Robert, draper and druggist

Hares Samuel, gentleman

Hares Samuel, grocer and tea dealer

Hill Sir Robert Chambre, Bart., J.P., The Hall

Holding John, draper and grocer

Holding Mrs. Mary, Cruck Moor

Holding William, maltster

Hopwood Samuel, farmer

Ikin William, maltster, draper, and registrar

Jenkins Samuel, tailor and draper

Johnson Mr. William, The Fields

Kay Richard, basket maker

Longford Richard, postmaster

Lee Luke, schoolmaster

Maddocks Thomas, tailor

Minshall Rev. Samuel, Independent minister

Moore Thomas, blacksmith and farrier

Morray Thomas, shoemaker

Muller Mr. Charles, professor of music

Mumford Charles, gentleman

Paling John, butcher

Powell Joseph, farmer, Yew Tree

Powell Joseph, grocer and shopkeeper

Powell John, shoemaker, The Wood

Powell Mr. Thomas, The Villa

Powell Thomas, Manor House Farm

Powell William, bricklayer

Ray Thomas, vict., The Lion and Commercial Inn and posting house

Reaves John, shoemaker

Rightson Captain W.

Ruscoe John, Heath Gate Farm

Sandford Rev. H. R. P., curate

Shirley Captain John

Skitt Thomas, Lee Hall Farm

Spencer James, wheelwright

Stubbs Thomas, baker and confectioner

Whatmouth Miss Ann

Whitfield Mrs. Ann

Whitfield Miss Mary

Whitfield Mrs. Mary

Wilkinson Andrew, farmer, Prees

Wood Wilkinson Thomas, gentleman

Worrall Thomas, machineman & wheelwright

Vaughan Samuel, beerhouse

Academies.

Boarding School, The Hill Rev. Samuel Minshall, proprietor

National School, Luke Lee, boys; Mary Bayley, girls

Bakers & Flour Dealers.

Davies Charles, & confec.

Stubbs Thomas, & confec.

Basket & Bendware Maker.

Kay Richard

Blacksmiths.

Clay John

Moore Thomas, and farrier

Boot & Shoemakers.

Chester William

Morray Thos., & leather cutter

Powell John

Reeves John

Butchers.

Dickin John

Ebsey Robert

Paling John

Coopers.

Drury George

Drury William

Farmers.

Aldersea George Ora

Bather Richard, Lighteach Farm

Bather William

Boote Thomas

Dickin John, Prees Wood Farm

Drury Thos. College Farm

Drury William, and cooper

Dutton Joseph, Ferney Leys

Ebrey Robert

Holding Mrs. Mary, Cruck Moor

Hopwood Samuel

Johnson William

Powell Joseph

Powell Thomas

Ray Thomas

Skitt Thomas

Wilkinson Andrew

Wilkinson Thomas, The College Farm

Grocers & Tea Dealers.

Hares Messrs. Robert and Samuel

Holding John, hop & seed merchant

Ikin William

Powell Joseph

Hairdresser.

Boothroyd John

Hotels & Inns.

Dickin Elizabeth, The Well House

Ray Thomas, The Lion and Commercial Inn

Drury Thos., The College Inn

Beerhouses.

Churton Joseph

Vaughan Samuel

Steam and Horse Thrashing Machines to Let for Hire.

Drury Thomas

Carriers.

To Shrewsbury, William Eccleston & John Handley, on Saturdays.

CALVERHALL, OR CORRA,

is a chapelry and scattered village three miles north-west from Prees, which in 1841 contained 33 houses and 151 inhabitants. The township contains 1,287a. 0r. 22p. of land, mostly an undulating district. The principal landowners are John Whitehall Dod, Esq., M.P.; Viscount Hill; Lord Kilmorey; Mrs. Dale; and Thomas Hugh Sandford, Esq. Viscount Hill is lord of the manor and impropriator of the rectoral tithes, which are commuted for £86. 18s. 9d. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £26. 7s. The Chapel is a modern erection of beautiful workmanship, executed in freestone. The interior has a chaste and imposing appearance; the roof is of groined timber, and the seats are of oak; the windows are decorated with stained glass, and the altar-piece is of freestone of elaborate workmanship. A neat marble tablet remembers Elizabeth, the wife of the Rev. Edward Mainwaring, the present incumbent; another very beautifully designed, has been erected to the memory of Elizabeth, the wife of John W. Dod, Esq., M.P.; there is also a neat tablet to John Dod, Esq. The living is perpetual curacy, in the patronage of John W. Dod, Esq., and enjoyed by the Rev. Edward Mainwaring, who resides at the Parsonage, a modern brick residence, pleasantly situated and embosomed in foliage; it is beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies. The Almshouses consist of eight tenements, and were founded and endowed by Catherine Kerr, in 1724; the inmates are widows or aged people, who have about £4. 10s. per annum.

The Hall, the residence and property of John W. Dod, Esq., M.P., is a commodious brick mansion, stuccoed, with a front of hewn freestone, and a noble portico supported by six fluted pillars. It stands on a gentle eminence, and the views it commands are beautifully varied, picturesque, and extensive. The park grounds are richly clothed with timber, and the pleasure grounds and shrubberies are laid out with great taste. There are no remains of the ancient hall; it was surrounded by a moat, which still is filled with water, a neat bridge connecting the site on which it stood with the gardens. There is a school in the village, endowed with £20 per annum, free for all cottagers’ children. The teacher also receives £6 annually from subscriptions. Jack of Corra is a well-known liquor vessel, composed of leather, which has received the patronage of successive generations in this locality, and is interesting as a relic of the hospitality of by-gone days. It is stated that a person of the name of Corra or Kerr charged lands with the payment of £10 annually, and directed that any wayfaring traveller should call and refresh himself with the Jack filled with good malt liquor, on the payment of one penny. The bottom and the top of the vessel are encircled with a broad rim of silver, upon which is engraved, “From time immemorial: Jack of Corra is my name, don’t abuse me then for shame.” This chapelry comprises Corra, with Willaston and Millen Heath.

Post Office.—At Mr. James Jenkins’. Letters arrive by foot post from Whitchurch, at 9.30 A.M., and are despatched at 4 P.M.

Dod John Whitehall, Esq., M.P., The Hall

Dod John Whitehall, Esq., jun.

Mainwaring Rev. Edward, M.A., The Parsonage

Beeteley George, farmer

Beeteley John, farmer & vict. Jack of Corra

Court William, postman

Growcott Francis, farmer

Growcott Francis, jun., farmer

Jenkins James, schoolmaster

Newell James, gentleman

Newnes John, farmer

Mac Cload John, gardener

Morris Charles, blacksmith

Overton William, farmer

Owens Owen, farmer

Perry Robert, butcher

Reeves Josiah, farmer

Snipes Robert, coachman

DARLISTON

is a township and well-built village, five miles and a quarter N.E. from Wem, which in 1841 had 53 houses and 278 inhabitants. The township contains 714a. 3r. 23p. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of sand and loam. There are several extensive farms here, with commodious out-buildings. Viscount Hill is lord of the manor, and owner of the whole township. The rectoral tithes are commuted for £85. 15s. 3d., and the vicarial for £19. 15s. The township is intersected by the London and Chester and the Whitchurch and Drayton turnpike roads. There is a school at Lower Heath, in this township, supported by Viscount and Lady Hill. About 200 children attend for instruction, and are also partly clothed. The teacher has a fixed salary, and resides in a good residence adjoining the school. There is a noted coursing meeting held annually at the White Lion Inn.

Adams Abraham, tailor

Adams Thomas, farmer

Adams William, farmer

Dickin Joseph, farmer, and dispenser of medicine

Dickin William, farmer and butcher

Dickin John, butcher

Goffin Robert, schoolmaster

Hartley Timothy, gentleman

Machon William, blacksmith, and collector of tolls

Morris George, farmer

Powell John, shopkeeper and wheelwright

Ruscoe John, farmer, Heath-gate

Shingler Thomas, tailor

Sutton John, shoemaker

Titley Jacob, wheelwright

Watkins John, victualler, White Lion

FAULS,

a township with a scattered population, contains 886a. 0r. 34p. of land, and at the census of 1841 had 22 houses and 102 inhabitants. The soil is mostly a strong clay. Viscount Hill is lord of the manor, impropriator, and principal landowner. Mr. Thomas Ruscoe is also a proprietor. The rectoral tithes are commuted for £116. 15s., and the vicarial tithes payable to the incumbent of Prees for £25. 1s. 3d. The turnpike road to Drayton crosses this township.

Directory.—Richard Benbow, farmer; Abraham Ford, farmer, Northwood; Wm. Hares, farmer, Fauls Green; Thomas Hatton, farmer and collector of revenue taxes; William Hudson, farmer, Northwood; George Oakley, gamekeeper, The Green; Elizabeth Powell, farmer; Thomas Ruscoe, farmer and victualler, The Talbot; George Williams, brick and tile agent; Thomas Williams, brick and tile agent.

MICKLEY,

a small township in the parish of Prees, in 1841 had four houses and a population of 36 souls. The township contains 575a. 2r. 36p. of land, chiefly the property of Viscount Hill. Rateable value, £744. 7s. The tithes were commuted in 1841, when £72. 9s. were apportioned to Viscount Hill, and £16. 0s. 4d. to the Vicar of Prees. The farmers are Martha Churton, Richard Edgerley, George Robinson, and Thomas Ash Wilkinson.