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.