THE OSWESTRY HUNDRED. (continued 3)

GORSEDD ORWYNION. It is recorded in the poems of the aged Prince and Bard, Llywarch-hen, that in the 7th century, from this spot he saw his son Gwen slain in a battle between the Britons and Saxons, on the brook Morlas below. Oedd gwr-vy-mâb oedd ddysgywen hawl Ar ryd Vorlâs-y-llass Gwen.

A sepulchral urn, containing bones, was found underneath this tower, A.D. 1847.

From the tower a most beautiful panoramic view of the fertile plains of Shropshire is seen towards the south-east, and in the opposite direction the bold and picturesque scenery of the counties of Denbigh and Montgomery open to view. Porkington, the seat of William Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.P., lies about a mile N.W. from Oswestry. This plane takes its name from Brogyntyn, an old castle of the Welsh princes, which stood in the neighbouring grounds, and was surrounded by a deep fosse, which may still be traced. Porkington is a Grecian edifice, with an elegant portico. The park is extensive, and has a fine undulating surface, richly adorned with timber, and the prospects are extensive, varied, and beautiful. Pentre-pant Hall is a handsome residence, in a sequestered situation about two miles south from Selattyn; the hall is elegantly furnished, and the grounds beautifully wooded. It is the property of Thomas George Warrington Carew, Esq., and residence of the Rev. Gerald Carew. The Derwen is a neat house, S.E. from Selattyn, the residence and property of John Povey, Esq. The Rectory is a pleasantly situated house, a little south from the church.

Charities.—John Hanmer, D.D., bishop of St. Asaph, by will, 1628, gave the inheritance and fee-simple of his tenement in Selattyn to the use of the poor of the parish.

Charles Morris, in 1721, bequeathed £500 in trust, and directed the amount to be laid out in the purchase of lands, and out of the yearly proceeds thereof 20s. to be paid yearly for a sermon on Candlemas-day, and the residue to be employed for the maintenance of the poor charity children and other poor persons of this parish. The legacy was laid out in the purchase of land soon after the death of the testator, but there are no title deeds now to be found in the parish relating thereto, and that it is so intermixed with the property devised by Bishop Hanmer that it would now be difficult to distinguish them. The whole estate consists of 53a. 3r., including 18 acres of allotment, and about one rood of ground, obtained by exchange with Mr. John Edwards. The estate produces £60. 5s. per annum, to which is added 4s. yearly, the moiety of rent due to this parish from certain land left by J. R. Powell. There is a school and school-house on the premises, devised by Bishop Hanmer, the former of which was built in 1812. The Rev. G. N. K. Lloyd, the rector, contributed £100 towards this building, on condition that he, and the successors to his property in this parish, should have the privilege of sending to the school six poor children resident in, though not belonging to, the parish, to be taught free. The school at Hengoed was built upon land given by G. H. Carew, Esq., principally at the expense of the rector, who gave £200, expressly upon the condition that the children of all poor residents in the parish should be admitted to both the schools.

Colonel Owen charged certain lands, which now form part of the Porkington estate, with the payment of £6 yearly to the poor of this parish. A yearly sum of £10 is now paid by Mrs. Gore to the rector, who distributes the amount in sums varying from 5s. to 10s.

Mrs. Margaret Ormsby, by her will, dated 25th February, 1805, requested those who should succeed her in the Porkington estate, to distribute £20 annually among poor persons in the neighbourhood. In compliance with this request, the daughter of the testatrix gives £20 yearly among the most deserving poor.

Carew Rev. Gerald, Pentre-pant Hall

Cullis William, schoolmaster

Drury Richard, farmer, Mardon

Edwards Mr. John, Tower hill

Edwards John, farmer, Fron

Edwards Richard, farmer, Pentre

David Edwards Richard, farmer, Underhill

Edwards Richard, corn miller, Oak Mill

Evans John, farmer, Paradwys

Evans John, farmer, Ty-cock

Fenna Richard, farmer, Gyrn

Gore William Ormsby, Esq., M.P., Porkington Hall

Hales Sarah, farmer, Cerny-bwch

Harding Mr. Frederick, Fron Lodge

Holland James, carpenter, builder & farmer, Peny-bont

Hughes Edward, farmer, Park Farm

Jackson George, farmer and butcher, Pentre-clawdd

Jones Isaac, blacksmith, Pant-glass

Jones John, farmer, Birch House

Jones John, farmer, Forrest

Jones John, farmer, Five Cross Lanes

Jones John, blacksmith, Pentrewerne

Jones John, wheelwright

Jones Thomas, farmer, White House

Kenrick Elizabeth, vict., Hart and Trumpet

Lewis Mrs. Letitia

Lewis Margaret, shopkeeper

Lewis Richard, farmer, Pentrewerne Cottage

Lewis Rev. Thomas Lewis, curate, Hengoed

Lloyd Mrs. Ann, Nant Issa

Lloyd Rev. Albany Rosendale, M.A., Rectory

M’Kie W. H., agent to W. O. Gore, Esq., Scybar Issa

Meredith Humphrey, farmer, Pentre David

Morgan George, farmer, Springs

Morgan Joseph, farmer, Tyng-drain

Newstead Mary, school teacher, Hengoed

Nicholas Thomas, parish clerk, assistant overseer, and collector of assessed taxes

Peate Robert, farmer, Pentre clawdd

Povey John, Esq., The Derwen

Roberts Edward, farmer

Roberts John, maltster & vict., Cross Keys

Roberts Robert, shopkeeper

Sands Hugh, farmer, Cross lanes

Sands Thomas, farmer, Craignant

Thomas David, farmer, Llawry-pant, Ucha

Thomas John, corn miller

Thomas John, farmer, Penrhos

Thompson Thomas, farmer, Crown house

Vaughan Edward, farmer, Nantucha

Williams David, farmer, Pentrewerne

Williams Edmund & Thos., corn millers

Williams Richard, farmer, New Barn

Williams Samuel, farmer, Fron

Williams George, farmer, Grouse Lodge

Williams Peter, farmer, Selattyn Lodge

Williams Richard, blacksmith & beerhouse

Whitehurst John, Esq., Marddu

Wynn William Williams Edward, Esq., Sion House

SYCHTYN

is a township in the parish of Llansilin, with a scattered population, in a bleak and mountainous district, five miles S.S. by W. from Oswestry. The rest of this parish is included in the county of Denbigh. The township contains 1,414 acres of land, and in 1841 had 55 houses and 251 inhabitants. Rateable value, £907. 1s. 6d. The principal landowners are Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart.; John Wynn Eyton, Esq.; the Earl of Liverpool; Thomas Fitzhough, Esq.; Richard Morris, Esq.; and Messrs. Poole and Haslam. The Earl of Powis is lord of the manor. The tithes have been commuted, and £96. 15s. awarded to the Bishop of St. Asaph, to whom Robert Owen Tudor, Esq., is the lessee; £2 to the vicar of Llansilin, and £1. 7s. to the parish clerk of Llansilin. There are extensive limestone quarries in this township, and large quantities are annually burnt into lime, and used for agricultural purposes. The Independents and Welsh Methodists have each a small chapel in this township.

Davies Edward, farmer

Davies Edward, collector of rates

Davies Evan, farmer

Davies Richard, farmer

Edwards Edward, farmer

Griffiths John, farmer

Hughes Margaret, farmer

Jones Edward, lime burner and victualler, New Inn

Jones John, farmer and lime burner

Morris Richard, Esq., Pentre-cefn

Rees John, butcher

Richards Hugh, farmer and lime burner

Roberts Thomas, blacksmith

Roberts William, farmer

Rodenhurst John, farmer

Tudor Thomas, farmer

Williams John, farmer

West Felton

parish includes the townships of West Felton, Haughton, Rednall, Sandford, Sutton, Tedsmore, Twyford, and Woolston, together comprising 5,989a. 2r. 9p. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of sand and loam. The meadows produce a fine herbage, and being intersected by the river Perry, which, frequently overflowing its banks, and covering hundreds of acres, produces the greatest fertility and luxuriance. In 1801 the parish contained 926 inhabitants; in 1831, 1,093; and in 1841, 1,087. Rateable value, £8,314. 14s. George Edwards, Esq., is lord of the manor. The tithes were commuted in 1838 for the sum of £1,008.

WEST FELTON

is a well built village and township, intersected by the Holyhead and London turnpike road, five miles S.E. from Oswestry and thirteen N.W. from Shrewsbury. In the village are some good houses, and the immediate vicinity is a rich farming district, in which are scattered several neat villa residences. The township contains 800a. 3r. 15p. of productive arable and pasture land, having a loamy soil with a mixture of sand. In 1841 here were 43 houses and 214 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,285. 10s. The principal landowners are John Freeman Dovaston, Esq.; Rev. Peter George Bentley; Edward Frank, Esq.; Thomas Frank, Esq.; Rev. Thomas Hunt; executors of the late R. L. Murray, Esq.; Mrs. Duckett; Mr. Richard Fardoe; Mr. John Brookfield; George Withers Edwards, Esq.; Mr. John Hopkin; Mr. Edward Rodgers; and Messrs. Sides.

The Church, dedicated to St. Michael, a handsome structure in the decorative style of English architecture, consists of nave, chancel, and side aisle, the latter being separated from the nave by lofty Norman arches, rising from circular pillars; the floor of the nave and chancel are ornamented with encaustic tiles of beautiful design, and the communion table and two chairs are of oak, elaborately carved. In 1842 the structure was enlarged and renovated at a cost of upwards of £600, which was raised by subscriptions and grants from the diocesan and incorporated societies, in consequence of which 202 additional sittings were added, and 58 were declared free and unappropriated for ever. The east end of the sacred building is beautified by two stained glass windows, one the gift of the Hon. Thomas Kenyon, and the other the gift of the Hon. Mrs. Kenyon and the junior members of the family. They exhibit a masterly display of workmanship, and were executed by Evans, of Shrewsbury. The stone work was the gift of the Rev. Mr. Hunt. The window on the north side, over the entrance door, has fine representations of Moses and Aaron, and was the gift of Viscount Dungannon. The roof of the church is of dark oak, beautifully designed; and the whole has a chaste and elegant appearance. It is ornamented with a square tower, in which are three bells. The living is a rectory, valued in the King’s book at £20. 12s. 6d., now returned at £1,032. The patronage is vested in the Earl of Craven. The Rev. Thomas Hunt, M.A., is the incumbent. The tithes of this township are commuted for £127. 5s. 3d. The Rectory, a commodious brick edifice near the east end of the church, beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies, has been much improved by the present incumbent. There is a free school near the church.

West Felton House, the residence of the Rev. P. G. Bentley, M.A., is a delightful mansion, pleasantly situated and ornamented with pleasure grounds tastefully laid out. The Manor House is a commodious mansion of great antiquity, the property and residence of Mr. Thomas Frank. Near the house is a mound, surrounded by a deep moat; tradition says a building formerly stood on the summit. The Shropshire union canal intersects the township, and there is a railway station at Rednal, about two miles from West Felton. The county constabulary have a station here: Mr. Robert Jones is the superintendent, and there are eight constables stationed in the adjacent district.

Charities.—George Iveson, in 1616, bequeathed a rent charge of 40s. per annum for the use of the poor. John Edwards gave 20s. per annum for the same object in 1686. These two gifts are paid from land at Osbaston, belonging to Mr. Price. Joseph Withers, in 1731, directed a yearly sum of £2 to be paid out of the rent of his tenement in Moreton, to the poor of this parish. A sum of £125, derived from different benefactors, is secured upon the tolls of the Holyhead road, by an instrument bearing date 18th January, 1762. The interest, £6. 5s. per annum, with 5s. yearly paid by a farmer at Llan Rhaiadyr for an encroachment, are carried to one account with the produce of the preceding charities, making in the whole £11. 7s. 10d. The amount is given one year to the poor residing in the township, and the next year to the poor residing out of it. Mary Jones, in 1758, charged certain lands in Tedsmere with the payment of £5 per annum for the benefit of the poor, and a further sum of 10s. 6d. yearly to the minister, provided he preach a sermon in the parish church of Felton on the 12th of September. Sarah Owen, by will 1764, gave to the minister and churchwardens £200 in trust, to distribute the interest (with the approbation of the owner of Woodhouse for the time being) among poor and indigent persons. This legacy is secured on the Oswestry house of industry.

Post Office.—At Mr. Thomas Roberts’s. Letters arrive at 6.30 A.M., and are despatched at 6.40 P.M.

Bentley Rev. Peter George, Felton house

Davies George, farmer and butcher

Davies John, saddler and harness maker

Duckett Mrs., The Villa

Edwards William, farmer

Evans John, farmer

Evans Mrs. Margaret, Hall farm

Evans Thomas, farmer

Fardoe Richard, farmer

Fox Thomas, farmer and carrier

Frank Thomas, farmer, Manor house

Hampton William, farmer

Hollis Edward, farmer

Hopkin John, shopkeeper

Howell William, farmer and road surveyor

Hunt Rev. Thomas, M.A., The Rectory

Jones Edward, farmer and maltster

Jones John, farmer, The Cross

Lloyd Edward, vict., Fox and Hounds

Lloyd Edward, blacksmith

Murray Miss Lathrop, Felton hall

Pugh John, shoemaker

Roberts Thomas, overseer and vict., the Lion

Roberts Thomas, farmer & assistant overseer

Rogers Edward, farmer and tailor

Vaughan William, builder and stone mason

HAUGHTON,

a township two miles N.E. from West Felton, contains 1,010a. 3r. 22p. of land, chiefly low fertile meadows, frequently flooded by the river Perry overflowing its banks. In 1841 here were 38 houses and 212 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,482. 3s. The principle landowners are Mr. Thomas Austin, Mr. Thomas Briscoe, Mr. William Prue, Mr. John Roberts, Mr. John Vaughan, and Mr. Thomas Vaughan; besides whom are several other freeholders. The tithes are commuted for £163. 16s. 4d. The Chester and Shrewsbury railway intersects the township. A superior freestone for building purposes is got here. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel in the village.

The Farmers in Haughton are William Humphreys, Robert Large, Thomas Minshall, Charles Peacock, William Prue, and Joseph Vaughan. There is also a farm held by the family of the late Robert Rogers. The other residents are Thomas Austin, tailor; John Kynaston, wheelwright; and John Vaughan, blacksmith.

REDNAL, OR REDNALL,

a township two and a quarter miles from West Felton, with a scattered population, contains 1,566a. 1r. 23p. of land, and in 1841 had 24 houses and 140 inhabitants. The soil is chiefly a strong fertile loam, with a mixture of clay, producing good wheat and barley. On the low lands, near the banks of the river Perry, which forms the boundary of the township, is some good grazing land, some parts of which are occasionally flooded. William Mostyn Owen, Esq., owns the land. The tithes are commuted for £233. 4s. The Ellesmere and Queenshead turnpike road crosses the township, and the Shrewsbury and Chester railway has a station here, which is two miles distant from West Felton. Woodhouse is a beautiful mansion of white freestone, the seat of William Mostyn Owen, Esq., delightfully situated on a gentle eminence, commanding fine views, and surrounded by park-like grounds beautifully wooded. The mansion is approached by a noble portico, supported by four circular columns; and there is a fine avenue of beech and other trees on the south side of the park.

Directory.—William Mostyn Owen, Esq., Woodhouse. Farmers: Thomas Cartwright, the Buildings; Edward Humphreys, the Old Mill; Edward Meredith; William Meredith; John Thomas, the Leys; and Robert Williams, Lower Lees. James Adams, station master; Paul Briscoe, blacksmith; Robert Brookfield, slater; Moses Tomlinson, shopkeeper.

SANDFORD,

a small township comprising 719a. 0r. 34p., of land, situate one and a half mile from West Felton, in 1841 had 18 houses and 92 inhabitants; the soil is of a light nature, producing good wheat, barley, and turnips. The chief landowners are Samuel Bickerton, Esq., Mr. Thomas Beamand, and Mr. Abraham Hancox. Rateable value of the township, £876. 15s. The tithes are commuted for the sum of £132. 15s. Sandford Hall is a well built modern erection of brick, the present occupier of which is highly respected as a spirited farmer and grazier, and noted for his zeal in advocating the cause of protection to native industry. Near to the hall is a large pool of water. There is a fox cover in the township. The principal residents are Thomas Beamand, gentleman; Samuel Bickerton, Esq., The Hall; Edward Goff, farmer; Abraham Hancox, farmer; Edward Kent, farmer; Richard Clarke, wheelwright; Edward Evans, corn miller.

SUTTON

township lies four and a half miles S.E. from Oswestry, and one and a half mile from Weston Felton, near the Rednal railway station. In 1841 here were 31 houses and 135 inhabitants; the township comprises 664a. 3r. 22p. of land, the owners of which are Mr. Edward Edwards, Mr. John Edwards, Messrs. Sides, Mr. John Manford, Mr. William Duckett, and the executors of late Mr. Croxon. The tithes were commuted in 1838 for £116. 7s. 9d. Rateable value of the township, £810. 17s. Sutton Hall, an ancient edifice pleasantly situated on an eminence, has had additions from time to time made, and of late years has been much modernized. Grimpo is a hamlet consisting of well built houses, and being near the parish of Weston Felton, a commodious school has been erected, with a residence for the teacher; it was built by subscriptions, and the site was given by William Mostyn Owen, Esq.; it is supported by a few benevolent individuals, and a small charge from each of the scholars; the average attendance is about eighty scholars. The Independents have a chapel at Grimpo, built in 1831.

Sutton and Grimpo Directory.—George Dawes Brittain, The Hall; James Hargreaves, Esq., The Hall; Edward Furmston, farmer, Grimpo; William Manford, farmer, Sutton farm; Thomas Morgan, farmer; John Morgan, farmer and parish clerk; William Walton, farmer; John Morgan, schoolmaster; Edward Parkes, butcher; Edward Vaughan, builder and farmer.

TEDSMERE,

one mile east from West Felton, is a township with 383a. 3r. 39p. of land, having in 1841 17 houses and 87 inhabitants; the chief part of the land is grass, and in large enclosures. Rateable value, £551. 18s. The tithes are commuted for £63. 10s. 6d. T. B. B. Owen, Esq., and Joseph Pemberton, are the landowners. Tedsmere Hall, the seat of Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., is a handsome stone structure, on a considerable elevation, commanding a fine view of the vale beneath, and of the bold mountainous district of North Wales. The front and portico of the hall are now being rebuilt of white free stone. A superior quality of free stone found in this township is much used for ornamental building, the quarries are extensively worked, and blocks of immense size are frequently raised. The principal residents here are Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., The Hall; John Cureton, farmer; John Thrumpston, farmer; John Williams, farmer, Bentley marsh; and John Smith, butcher.

TWYFORD,

a small township adjoining West Felton, and four and a half miles south from Oswestry, intersected by the Holyhead turnpike road, and the Shropshire union canal, contains 341a. 3r. 9p. of land, and in 1841 had 29 houses and 110 inhabitants. The freeholders are J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq.; Mr. Edward Downes, Mr. John Brookfield, Mr. Richard Lloyd, Mr. William Manford, and Mr. Isaac Ratcliff. The land is of good quality, an undulating district, and well wooded. Rateable value, £598. 3s. Rent charge, £56. 16s. 7d.

The Nursery is the elegant seat of John Freeman Milward Dovaston, Esq., barrister, a gentleman of classical learning, high genius, ardent benevolence, and indeed possessed of every estimable quality which adorns the mind. It is deeply to be regretted that Mr. Dovaston has not been able to leave his bed for several years. It may be said that he has inherited the virtues of his father, John Dovaston, Esq., a gentleman of learning, science, and ingenuity, who died March 31st, 1808. He was born of humble parents, who lived on their small estate at West Felton. “He was taught to read by an old woman in the village, and that was the whole of his education; every other acquirement which he afterwards possessed in so eminent a degree was entirely his own. He was the eldest son of seven, all of whom he brought up to respectable professions. From his father he received his little estate, swallowed up by mortgages, which he redeemed at a very early period of life, by two voyages to the West Indies, and afterwards considerably increased by prudence and industry. Though he left scarcely any science untouched, his turn of mind was principally directed to antiquities, natural philosophy, music, mechanics, and planting; of the first he left a large collection of manuscripts, historical observations relating to Shropshire and the Welsh borders; on druidical relics, tracing traditional vulgar errors from the remote times of superstition. In mechanics he left a set of philosophical and musical instruments made by his own hands, and just before his death he projected an orrery to show the satellites on a new method. In planting he has clothed the country around him with forest and fruit trees, all raised and grafted with his own hands; and his villa (which from his fondness for planting he called “The Nursery”), is laid out with much taste and rural elegance. He was well versed in the Hebrew, Anglo-Saxon, and Latin tongues, and had some knowledge of Greek. His reading was very extensive, his mind vigorous, and his application intense. He was remarked for the plainness of his dress, yet his person always appeared dignified, and his manners were courteous and gentlemanly. He was fond of a cheerful glass, remarkably communicative and sociable, full of facetious anecdote, which he had a singularly agreeable manner of imparting. To the very last day of his life he rose at five, it being one of his maxims always to get start of the sun. Though he lived to the age of 68 years, it was the opinion of his medical friends that his excessive and laborious application of mind and body brought a somewhat premature decay. In his youth he was the close friend of Shenstone, to whose memory he was always much attached. On his death bed he spoke to his son these remarkable words:—‘Jack, I believe in my soul it has pleased God to prosper all my undertakings; my lad, be honest, and you will be independent; be liberal, and you will be esteemed; deserve God’s blessing, and you will be happy.’”

Dovaston John Freeman Milward, Esq., The Nursery

Brookfield John, painter, plumber, & glazier

Davies John, farmer

Downes Edward, Esq., Twyford House

Duckett William, Esq., The Cottage

Edwards Edward, farmer

Edwards John, farmer

Foulkes William, shoemaker

Howell William, grocer and draper

Jones Robert, superintendent of police

Lloyd Richard, vict., Punch Bowl

Morris Rev. John (Independent)

Phillips Ann, shopkeeper

Savin William, farmer, Ford’s & Hey’s farm

WOOLSTON,

a small village and township two miles and a half S.W. from Felton, has 501a. 2r. 14p. of undulating land, and in 1841 had 15 houses and 77 inhabitants. Rateable value, £748. 13s. Rent charge, £106. 4s. The landowners are Lady Tyrwhitt; Edward Beamand, Esq.; George W. Edwards, Esq.; and Mr. Samuel H. Burrows. There are several well built and pleasantly situated farm residences in this township. Coal is found here; and several years ago a party of miners opened coal works, but finding the seams of small thickness, and the water breaking in upon them, the works were abandoned. There is a well here called St. Winefred’s Well, which was formerly in great repute for its medicinal properties. The baths are walled in, and the water filters through a red grit stone rock; they are now in a delapidated and neglected state. Woolston House, a modern erection of brick, pleasantly situated, is the residence of George W. Edwards, Esq.

Directory.—Edward Beamand, gentleman; George Withers Edwards, Esq., Woolston House; Richard Clarke, farmer; Richard Drury, farmer; John Sides, farmer; Richard Williams, farmer.

WHITTINGTON

is a parish and village, pleasantly situated on the turnpike road from Oswestry to Ellesmere, two miles and a half E.E. by N. from the former town, and sixteen miles N.N. by W. by railway from Shrewsbury. The parish comprises the townships of Berghill, Daywell, Ebnall, Fernhill, Frankton, Henlle, Hindford, Old Marton, and Whittington, which, together, in 1801 contained a population of 1,398 souls; 1831, 1,788; and in 1841, 1,919. The tithes of the whole parish are commuted for £1,000. The township of Whittington, in 1841, contained 164 houses and 808 inhabitants. The principal landowners are Edmund Wright, Esq.; Mrs. Lloyd; Richard Henry Kinchant, Esq.; William Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.P.; Thomas Lovett, Esq.; Thomas Broughall, Esq.; Rev. John Davies; and Mr. Hugh Davies. Extent of parish, 3157a. 3r. 23p. Rateable value, £2,736. The Church is a plain brick fabric, rebuilt in 1806, at a cost of £1,500. The exterior is partially covered with inscriptions from the Holy Bible. The original fabric was of stone, and is said to have been built by the first Fulk Fitz Warine, out of the refuse of the materials when the castle was built. A commission was directed from the council in the Marches of Wales, A.D. 1630, to John Trevor and Richard Lloyd, gentlemen, to make a terrier of the glebe land of this church, as also to return an inventory of the utensils belonging to the same, amongst which there were three pairs of armour, furnished with two pikes and two head pieces. These are supposed to have been employed by the rector for the defence of the castle against the Welsh. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £25. 4s. 2d., now returned at £1,224, in the patronage of Mrs. Lloyd, who is also lady of the manor. Incumbent, Rev. Charles Arthur Albany Lloyd, M.A. There are 58a. 1r. 3p. of glebe land in this township.

The chief object of attraction at Whittington are the ruins of The Castle. It is supposed to have been built in the year 843, by a British nobleman, who was succeeded by his son, Tudor Trevor, who, though possessed of many houses with rich and extensive domains, made this his chief residence. The descendants of Tudor continued possessed of the castle for several generations, and many families in this neighbourhood and North Wales boast their origin from him. At the Domesday survey this place is called Wititone, and consisted at that time of eight corn farms, twelve ox-stalls, and a very extensive wood; the cows yielding five shillings per annum, and all Welsh residents were obliged to pay twenty shillings among them. The Castle of Whittington next passed into the hands of Hugh, and afterwards of his brother Robert, sons of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Upon the defeat of Robert by Henry I. it was restored to the Peverels. William de Peverel had two daughters, the younger of whom was named Mellet, and being a valiant knight himself resolved to marry his daughter Mellet to none but a knight of consummate valour. Her father promised the Castle of Whittington as her dower. Several distinguished combatants assembled at Peverel’s Castle, in the Peak of Derbyshire, to contend for the fair prize. When Guarine de Metz, then Lord of Aldberbury, went there, and fighting with a son of the king of Scotland, and a Baron of Burgoine, overthrew his rivals, and obtained the beautiful Mellet. The posterity of this great man, for nine generations, assumed the Christian name of Fulk. They continued possessed of the castle from the end of the reign of Henry I. till the time of Henry VIII., a period of nearly four hundred years. On the rebellion of the barons against King John, Fulk joined with them, for we find his name among the number that were excommunicated by the Pope for extorting from John that firm basis of English liberty called Magna Charta. In the reign of Henry III., Fitz Guarine procured a grant of his estates to him and his heirs for ever; for which he gave the king two coursers and two hundred and sixty-two pounds,—an enormous sum in that age, and gives some idea of the wealth of Fitz Guarine. The same monarch granted him the liberty of a fair on St. Luke’s day, and a market on Wednesday, at Whittington; but on account of its proximity to Ellesmere and Oswestry, both market and fair have long been obsolete. Subsequently fairs were held on the last Thursday in April, July and November, but these have also been discontinued. After the castle passed into the hands of Henry VIII. we hear nothing further respecting it till the following reign, when the king presented it to Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, who forfeited it in consequence of being convicted of high treason. Shortly after, Queen Mary granted the castle to Fitz Alan, the last Earl of Arundel. He mortgaged it to several persons, who obtained the place in default of payment from him. William Albany, a chief man among the number, was, by the joint consent and approbation of the rest, put into sole possession of it. By the marriage of his great granddaughter with Thomas Lloyd, Esq., of Aston, Whittington passed into the hands of that family, and is now the property of Mrs. Lloyd. The castle was fortified with five round towers, each forty feet in diameter, and a hundred feet in height, and the walls were twelve feet in thickness. It was surrounded by a moat, part of which still remains, and the fosses and intrenchments may yet be traced to a considerable distance. About the year 1760, the eastern tower fell into the moat; and some years afterwards one of the northern towers and the western wall were taken down to repair the roads leading from Whittington to Halston-bridge. The towers of the gate-house are still entire; and some portions of the ancient building have been modernised, and converted into a dwelling, which is inhabited by Thomas Broughall, Esq.

The Free School is endowed with a farm and two cottages, producing about £47 per annum. The school is taught in the Old Tithe Barn, a long brick building of considerable antiquity; about 90 children attend. There is also a girls’ school, where about 60 scholars attend. The rector is a liberal contributor towards the support of the schools. The Independents have a small chapel here, built in 1844. Brabins Wood consists of a number of cottages and a Primitive Methodist chapel, about a mile S.E. from the church. The Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Company have a station about a quarter of a mile west from the church. Park Hall, an ancient mansion with projecting gables, chiefly composed of timber, and situated near the Oswestry road, about one mile and a quarter W. from Whittington, is the residence and property of Richard Henry Kinchant, Esq. The entrance hall is wainscotted, ornamented with paintings, banners, &c., and contains a massive oak table, cut from one plank, measuring 23 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2½ inches thick. Several of the apartments contain antique oak furniture elaborately carved, and the ceilings are of curious workmanship. There are also some fine paintings, chiefly family portraits. On the west side of the hall is the domestic chapel, which was probably erected in the time of Henry VIII.

Charities.—Robert Jones, in 1679, devised all his lands and houses in Whittington, for the support of an “honest ingenious schoolmaster.” The premises consist of 5a. 2r. 28p. of land, and two dwelling houses built thereon. The land is stated to be worth about £11 per annum.

Griffith Hughes, in 1706, devised certain lands and a dwelling house, at Rhuabon, and directed out of the yearly proceeds 20s. to be paid for teaching poor children to read, in Aston township, and the residue of the rents and profits to be appropriated for educational purposes in Whittington and Rhuabon. The estate islet for £28 per annum. In 1813, a sum of £142, the produce of some timber cut and sold from the estate, was laid out in the purchase of a piece of land in Whittington, containing 2a. 1r. 15p., which produces a yearly sum of £5.

Elizabeth ap Robert, in 1675, devised two pieces of land in Pentrewerne, containing 7a. 1r. 18p., for the benefit of the poor of this parish. The rents were formerly applied in apprenticing children, but for some time they have been paid to the mistress of the girls’ school in Whittington. In the year 1822, a sum of £146 was laid out in the purchase of 1a. 3r. 16p. of land, in the township of Whittington. Of this sum, £5 was a legacy left to the poor by Richard Evans; £15 was the produce of timber cut and sold from the lands belonging to Trustan’s charity; £31. 16s. was money which had been paid for the property tax for several of the charity estates, but which was returned, and the residue was made up by the rector. The land is let for £5 per annum, which is paid to the schoolmistress.

John Trustan, in 1659, gave certain lands, and directed the yearly proceeds to be expended in bread, and distributed every Sabbath day for ever. The land devised, in eluding an allotment awarded in 1781, consists of 11a. 0r. 36p., and is let at a yearly rent of £12.

Walter Rogers, in 1685, left a rent charge of 40s. per annum, issuing out of land called Bryn Rhig. The amount is expended in flannel, and given away on St. Thomas’s day.

Elizabeth Lloyd, by will, 1696, bequeathed £200 to be laid out in the purchase of land, the yearly rent to be divided among twelve of the poorest families of the township of Whittington. It appears this sum was placed out at interest, and the principal and interest in 1837 amounted to £350, which sum was laid out in the purchasing of a rent charge of £14 per annum, issuing out of a farm in Whittington.

Robert Conway, in 1727, charged his lands in the parish of St. Martin with the payment of 20s. yearly, for the benefit of the poor of Whittington parish. The particulars of Sir Nathaniel Lloyd’s charity will be found noticed with Oswestry.

Mrs. Frances has recently left £200, the interest to be divided among six poor widows of Whittington and Dudleston in equal proportions. The amount is invested in the three per cent. stock.

Broughall Mrs. Elizabeth

Broughall Mrs. Sarah, Penny-bryn

Broughall Thomas, Esq., The Castle

Hargreaves Mr. James, horse trainer

Jones John, station master

Kinchant Richard Henry, Esq., Park Hall

Lloyd Rev. Charles Arthur Albany, M.A., The Rectory

Lunt Mrs.

Peate Mr. Richard

Perkins Francis, post office

Thomas Mrs., Rose hill

Woods Rev. Robert M‘Clure, curate

Yates Richard, valuer and land surveyor, The Mount

Academies.

Jones Eliza

Roberts William Henry

Spencer John

Blacksmiths.

Briscoe John

Tudor John

Boot & Shoemakers.

Bickley Joseph

Grinley Joseph

Lea Richard, & rate collector

Butchers.

Haycock Thomas

Llewelyn John

Carpenters, &c.

Bowyer William

Griffiths John (wheelwright)

Mansell Edward

Marsh John

Nicholas Samuel

Farmers.

Davies David

Davies Robert

Holland George

Hughes Edward Foulkes, Park Farm

Jervis George

Jones Edward, Perry Moor

Jones Rd., Tinkers’ Green

Jones Thos., Brabins’ Wood

Munslow Rd., & maltster

Ward John, Donnet Farm

Inns & Taverns.

Boot Inn, George Jervis

Lion, Ann Venables

Beerhouses.

Davies David

Evans Nathaniel

Shopkeepers.

Davies John, and saddler and harness maker

French Ann

Parry Elizabeth

Venables Elizabeth

Watkin Henry

Tailors.

Price Richard

Williams Richard

BERGHILL

is a small township two and a half miles east from Whittington, comprising 688 acres of land, and had in 1841 six houses and 46 inhabitants. Rateable value, £592. 8s. 6d. Edmund Wright, Esq., of Halston, is the owner of the land in this township, which is intersected by the river Perry and the Shropshire union canal.

The Farmers are Jonathan Grindley, Thomas Jones, Thomas Lee, John Morris, and Thomas Evans Thomas; Charles Sykes, gamekeeper to E. Wright, Esq.

DAYWELL

is a village and township two and a half miles north from Oswestry, and two and a half miles N.N.W. from Whittington, having in 1841 71 houses and 328 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,212. 4s. 6d. There are 1,134a. 2r. 18p. of land in the township, of which Joseph Venables Lovett, Esq., is a considerable owner; the other principal owners are John Wynn Eyton, Esq., Rev. E. Edwards, Mr. Joseph Bickerton, Mr. John Gardener, and Mr. Robins. The celebrated Watts Dyke makes its appearance at Gabowen in this township, and may be traced from thence into the parish of St. Martin. The extent between this dyke and Dyke Offa’s, which crosses the hills above Selattyn, is about four miles. The intervening space between these dykes is said to have been a common mart, where the English and Welsh met to carry on commercial intercourse with each other; but if either party transgressed these bounds, they were exposed to the severities of war. Upon Watts Dyke at a place called Bryna Castle, near to Gabowen, is the site of an old Watchfort, and another a little further on towards St. Martin’s. Bryna Castle consists of a few cottages a quarter of a mile N.E. from Gabowen; here the Independents built a small chapel in the year 1831. Belmont is a delightfully situated mansion in a fine park, the seat and property of J. V. Lovett, Esq. At Gabowen there is a railway station on the Shrewsbury and Chester line of rails, which is 18 miles N.N.W. from Shrewsbury, and 24 miles S.E. from Chester. There is also a branch railway from here to Oswestry. Upper Hengoed is a scattered district of houses at the north extremity of the township. The Primitive Methodists have a chapel here, built in 1839.

Those with * affixed reside at Upper Hengoed.

Bickerton Joseph, farmer, Rose Cottage

Cartwright Eli, shopkeeper

* Cound Thomas, shoemaker

Edwards David, farmer, Preese Henlle

Evans Thomas, farmer

Figg Francis Fowler, station master, Gabowen

Furmstone Mrs. Amelia, Rose Cottage

Gardener John, farmer, Bark House

Haycock Thomas, farmer

Howell Thomas, farmer

Jones Thomas, farmer

Jones Thomas, shopkeeper

Lovett Joseph Venables, Esq., Belmont

Morgan Richard, shoemaker

* Morris Thomas, maltster

* Phillips Mrs. Mary, Stone Cottage

Philips Philip, tailor

Price John, maltster and vict., Cross Foxes, Gabowen

Roberts Edward, farmer, Pentre Kenrick

Stewart Mrs. Alexander

Taylor Mr. Peter Poole, Green Bank Cottage

* Weston Edward, beerhouse keeper

Weston Owen, farmer

Williams Edward, farmer

EBNALL

township contains 1,033a. 2r. 32p. of land, and is situated four miles N.N.E. from Oswestry, and twenty-three and a quarter miles north from Whittington; in 1841 here were 51 scattered houses and 240 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,000. 2s. The principal landowners are John Venables Lovett, Esq.; Thomas Broughall, Esq.; Thomas George Warrington Carew, Esq.; Mr. Robins, Mrs. Ann Owen, Mr. Edward Griffiths, and others, are also proprietors.

The Farmers are James Boodle, William Croft, Prees Henlle; Josiah Holland, Ann Owen, Elizabeth Owen, John Owen, Mary Price, and William Woollam; Thomas Davies, carpenter and wheelwright; John Eaton, blacksmith; Mr. Edward Griffith, Moor Wharf Cottage; John Jones, shoemaker.

FERNHILL,

a small township one and a quarter mile north from Whittington, contains 274a. 3r. 4p. of land, and in 1841 had nine houses and 65 inhabitants. Rateable value, £265. 18s. Thomas Lovett, Esq., is sole proprietor in this township, and resides at Fernhill Hall, a neat mansion of free stone, which stands on the knoll of a hill, and commands some beautiful views of the surrounding country; the hall is surrounded with pleasure grounds and shrubberries, and the park is beautifully wooded with thriving plantations. The river Perry flows through this township; it is formed of several small streams which have their rise in the high grounds of Selattyn, and have their confluence in this township.

The principal residents are Thomas Lovett, Esq., Fern Hill Hall; Edmund Edmunds, farmer; William Broughall, farmer; and Richard Edwards, corn miller, Oak Mill.

FRANKTON,

commonly called Welsh Frankton, is situated three miles east from Whittington; the township contains 931a. 1r. 14p. of land, and in 1841 here were 54 houses and 275 persons. Rateable value, £85. 14s. 6d. The chief land owners are Edmund Wright, Esq., Thomas Broughall, Esq.; Joseph Dutton, Esq.; William Francis Oswell, Esq.; Mr. Landford and Mr. Thomas Danily. The high grounds in this township command a most extensive and delightful view of the fertile plains of Shropshire. A small chapel of ease stands on the road side leading from Oswestry to Ellesmere; there is a school adjoining, and a little higher up the road near the summit of the hill is a neat Independent chapel. The Shropshire union canal takes its course on the eastern verge of this township, where there are four locks, and a fall of about forty feet.

Directory.—Farmers, Thomas Danily, William Drury, John Nicholas, Stephen Walley; William Edwards, beerhouse and shopkeeper; Elizabeth Hodnet, schoolmistress; William Jenks, boat builder; William Francis Oswell, Esq.; Edward Teggin, blacksmith; Thomas Teggin, beerhouse keeper; Thomas Williams, provision dealer.

HENLLE,

usually called Hentley, is situated one mile and a half north from Whittington, and four and a half miles N.E. from Oswestry. The township is returned as having nine houses, 43 inhabitants, and 396a. 1r. 13p. of land. Rateable value, £340. 9s. 6d. The land owners are Thomas Lovett, Esq.; Mr. John Duckett, Mr. John Jones, and Mr. Thomas Hughes.

Farmers, Thomas Brookfield, John Danily, and maltster, Edward Davies, and Walter Munslow; Mr. John Duckett is also a resident here.

HINDFORD,

a small township with 196a. 2r. 10p. of land, lies a little more than a mile north from Whittington, and has 20 houses and 91 inhabitants. Rateable value, £241. 1s. 6d. Edmund Wright, Esq., and Mr. Broughall are the principal proprietors. The Chester and Shrewsbury railway intersects the township, and is crossed by a bridge on the road leading to Old Marton.

The resident farmers are Edward Edwards, William Jackson, and Thomas Parry; William Jackson, butcher.

OLD MARTON

township, three miles N.E. from Whittington, has four houses, 23 inhabitants, and 496a. 2r. 3p. of land, which is the property of Richard James Griffiths, Esq., Rev. George Salt, and Mr. Jones. Mr. John Pridden, who was born at Old Marton Hall, was one of the many instances in which integrity and perseverance have introduced their votaries to ease and affluence. His father dying when he was only twelve years old, and his mother marrying again, he was subjected to the most unmerciful and cruel treatment of a step-father. Having endured his unmerited sufferings for several years, he bade adieu to his unpropitious home, and arrived in London in March, 1748, where he soon found protectors in Mr. Nourse and Mr. Manley, the latter of whom he succeeded in business as a bookseller, where he soon found himself supported by a numerous and respectable set of friends, and eventually rose to wealth and affluence. To do good was his delight; to communicate happiness to all around him was his unceasing aim. He died in 1807, and left two sons and three daughters.

The resident farmers in Old Marton are Thomas Brayne, Stephen Burrows, and Amelia Jones.