containing 2,188 acres of land, and in 1841 had 39 houses and 214
inhabitants: population in 1801, 158; in 1831, 186. Rateable value,
£2,322. 7s. 6d. This parish is bounded on the south by one of the
Frodesley hills, which form a connecting link between the Caradoc,
Lawley, and the Wrekin. Though it possesses little to recommend it to
the notice of the antiquarian, it is a parish of ancient date, being
mentioned in the Doomsday Survey as held by one Siward, a freeman; the
manor is subsequently inserted among the fees of Philip Burnel. The
principal landowners are Sir E. J. Smythe, Bart., and Panton Corbet, Esq.
The Roman Watling street runs for about two miles through this parish, in
a line with the present turnpike road from Atcham to Church Stretton.
The Hall is an ancient structure in the Elizabethan style, of rough
stone, with dressed quoins and mullions. It was formerly the residence
of Colonel Scriven, a staunch adherent to King Charles I. THE LODGE is
of a later date, partaking somewhat of the same style as the hall, and
was formerly surrounded by a well-wooded and picturesque park. About the
year 1780 it was inhabited by Godolphin Edwardes, Esq., then the
possessor of the greater part of Frodesley. THE CHURCH dedicated to St.
Mark, a plain structure, was rebuilt in 1809. The interior is neat, and
the chancel was recently entirely refitted and decorated with much taste
by the present incumbent. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s
book at £4. 14s., now returned at £392, in the patronage of the Rev. T.
L. Gleadowe, M.A., the present rector. The rectory is a commodious house
delightfully situated and surrounded with shrubberies and pleasure
grounds tastefully laid out. Major Herbert Edwardes, C.B., was born at
the rectory, whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were
severally rectors of Frodesley. A few years ago a coal mine was worked
for a short period, but the bed of coal being very thin and of an
inferior quality it was closed.
CHARITIES.—There is in the parish of Frodesley a slip of land containing
about one acre, formerly a part of the waste which is supposed to have
been given for the use of the poor by Godolphen Edwardes, Esq., who was
lord of the manor. _Thomas Scriven_ left £5 for the benefit of the poor.
This sum was expended in the reparations of the church some time ago, and
the churchwardens pay 5s. yearly as the interest. The _Rev. Francis
Edwardes_, rector of Frodesley, who died in the year 1767, left £20 for
the benefit of the poor. These gifts are distributed by the rector among
the most necessitous parishioners.
DIRECTORY.—Rev. Peter Downward, Longnor Green; Rev. Thomas L. Gleadowe,
M.A., The Rectory. _Farmers_: Thomas Brereton, Frodesley Park; Richard
Deakin, Edward Francis, Richard Hotchkiss, William Ison, and brick, tile,
and draining pipe maker; William Jones, William Keight, The Lodge; Edmund
Meredith, Frodesley Farm; and John Morgan.
HARLEY
is a parish and village, two miles north-west from Much Wenlock, and ten
miles south-east from Shrewsbury, containing 1,955 acres of fertile land,
the most considerable owner of which is the Duke of Cleveland, who is
also lord of the manor. Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart., Samuel Meire, Esq., and
Francis Oakes, Esq., are also proprietors. The soil is various, and
wheat is grown here to a large extent. There are several plots of land
of different dimensions in the vicinity of Harley that are in the parish
of Wenlock, although surrounded by land in the parish of Harley. The
parish in 1801 contained 221 inhabitants; 1831, 257; and in 1841, 219; at
which time there were 47 houses. Rateable value, £1,828. 8s. 4d.; gross
estimated rental, £2,070. 8s. THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Mary, has a
handsome tower in the perpendicular style of architecture, the nave and
chancel were rebuilt in 1846 by subscriptions, the greater part of which
was contributed by the Duke of Cleveland, and the present incumbent. The
interior has a neat and chaste appearance, and the east and west windows
are beautified with stained glass, the gift of the late Rev. R. Scott,
B.D. The living is a rectory in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland,
valued in the king’s book at £5. 12s. 1d., now returned at £290.;
incumbent, Rev. John Gibbons, M.A. The pious and celebrated Benjamin
Jenks held the rectory of Harley for 56 years; he was author of “Prayers
and Devotions for Families,” a work at one time very popular. A neat
monument has been erected to his memory in the chancel, he died in 1734,
aged seventy-eight years. There is a monumental stone slab with brass
ornaments and an inscription in the old English characters in the vestry,
which was formerly placed over a vault in the church. The Rectory is a
commodious residence pleasantly situated near the church, which from the
east commands a picturesque view of Wenlock Edge, the beauty of which is
much increased by an elegant pyramidal monument in the church yard.
There are 46 acres of glebe land, 36 acres of which are situated
contiguous to the rectory. Harley was the birth place of Silas Domville,
one of the parliamentary committee in the time of the great rebellion.
He was a lover of antiquities, and had some curious manuscripts.
_Richard Corfield_, by will 1715, gave to the poor of the parish of
Harley the sum of £20, the interest to be distributed on St. Andrew’s
day. This legacy when the charity commissioners published their report,
was in the hands of Richard Woofe, who paid interest at the rate of four
per cent.
Adney G., farmer & maltster
Bailey Adam, maltster
Bailey Thomas, farmer
Cartwright Mary, farmer
Cartwright Richard, farmer
Casewell William, shoemakr
Davies Richard, farmer and corn miller
Gibbons Rev. John, M.A., The Rectory
Gwinn William, wheelwright
Langford Richard, victualler, Unicorn Inn
Macham William, corn miller
Maddox John, farmer
Meire Samuel, farmer, Castle hill
Partridge Mr. Thomas, Harley Tower
Roberts Robert, blacksmith
Runners Thomas, farmer, Blakeway
Worrall Wm., farmer, Cressage
KENLEY
is a small parish and village with a scattered population four miles W.
from Much Wenlock, which in 1801 contained 300 inhabitants; 1831, 281,
and in 1841 there were 62 houses and a population of 294 souls. The
parish comprises 1,794 acres of land, some of it tolerably good and
others of an indifferent quality. Gross estimated rental, £1,305. 4s.
Rateable value, £992. 1s. The Duke of Cleveland is lord of the manor,
and owner of the whole parish. The tithes are commuted for the sum of
£170. The church is an ancient structure, much dilapidated. The living
is a rectory in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, and deanery of
Salop, returned at £131 in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland, and
incumbency of the Rev. H. R. Slade.
DIRECTORY.—_Farmers_, Ann Bailey, Thomas Bailey, Richard Bishop,
Elizabeth Blakeway, Thomas Bryan, Richard Crowther, Thomas Evans, Thomas
Hall, Henry Hamlet, Thomas Jarvis, and Edward Pattin; John Jarratt,
blacksmith
LEEBOTWOOD,
a small parish and village on the road from Church Stretton to
Shrewsbury, four miles N.N.E. from the former place, contains 1,294 acres
of land, and in 1801 had 81 inhabitants; 1831, 223, and in 1841, 39
houses and 214 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,574. 18s. Panton
Corbett, Esq., and W. Whitmore, Esq., are the landowners. The
industrious poor of this locality find employment in the coal works, and
the manufacture of bricks, which is carried forward in this parish. The
church is an unadorned structure of considerable antiquity, dedicated to
St. Mary, and consists of nave and chancel, with a small tower. The view
from the church-yard is beautiful and extensive, including the celebrated
Caer Caradoc hill. The living is a perpetual curacy, with the chapel of
Longnor annexed, endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £600 royal
bounty. The living is valued in the king’s book at £8. 1s., now returned
at £135 in the patronage of Panton Corbett, Esq.; incumbent, Rev. Waties
Corbett, M.A. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £104. 9s. 8d. The
poor of this parish are entitled to participate the benefits of the
charities of Sir Richard Corbett, which will be found noticed with
Longnor parish.
DIRECTORY.—John Dickins, blacksmith; William Dodd, vict., The Pound Inn;
Thomas Everall, farmer, The Park; William Heighway, farmer; Mary Lee,
farmer; Richard Preen, shopkeeper; James Smith, coal master, and brick,
tile, and draining pipe manufacturer; Thomas Wigley, carpenter.
LONGNOR
is a parish and small rural village in a well wooded and fertile country,
the prospects of which are enlivened by rich pastoral landscape, rendered
more delightful by its contrast with the majestic Carodoc and other
hills. The village lies on the road from Shrewsbury to Ludlow, eight
miles S. from the former place, and five miles N.N.E. from Church
Stretton. The parish contains 790 acres of land, which is chiefly the
property of Panton Corbett, Esq., who is also lord of the manor, and
resides at Longnor Hall, a handsome brick mansion, built in the year
1670, by Sir Richard Corbett; the situation commands several fine views,
and the pleasure grounds are tastefully laid out. The population of
Longnor in 1801 was 177; in 1831, 244, and in 1841 there were 53 houses
and 243 inhabitants. The church is a small structure situated in the
park, with lancet windows, exhibiting the style of architecture prevalent
during the 12th century. It was formerly a free chapel belonging to the
abbey of Haughmond. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of
Panton Corbett, Esq., and enjoyed by the Rev. Waties Corbett, chancellor
of Hereford.
_Sir Richard Corbett_, by his will, dated 19th of November, 1764, devised
for a term of 900 years, all his lands and tenements, on trust, among
other things by sale or mortgage, to raise £100, and lay out the same on
government or other security, and dispose of the interest yearly among
the necessitous poor of Longnor. And upon further trust to raise in the
same manner £700, and to apply of the interest yearly on the 24th of
April £12 yearly among three industrious young or decayed tradesmen,
actual housekeepers and shopkeepers, carrying on business and residing in
the county of Salop, in equal shares, such persons to be appointed by the
owner of the testator’s capital mansion at Longnor, and the residue to be
disposed of yearly in clothing six poor boys and six poor girls of
Longnor, Cardington, Leebotwood, and Frodesley. The testator also gave
the further sum of £200, the interest to be disposed of in the
instruction of poor children in the township of Longnor; and also such
poor children of the tenants as should he thought proper objects in the
parishes of Leebotwood, Cardington, and Frodesley. All the above
legacies remain charged upon the estates of the testator, now in the
possession of Panton Corbett, Esq., who pays the yearly interest, for the
objects specified in the testator’s will.
_George Corbett_, by will, dated 5th of December, 1664, bequeathed £50,
and directed the interest to be applied in clothing two poor persons. In
a memorandum containing an account of the legacies and public money
belonging to Longnor, the above legacy and the following gifts are
noticed, viz.:—£2 given by a maiden relation of William Longford;
Humphrey Corbett £3; Francis Walker £5; Mrs. Anne Corbett £20; Miss
Elizabeth Corbett £10. It is understood that these sums are in the hands
of the owner of the estate at Longnor, and that instead of paying
interest yearly in respect thereof, four or five poor persons of the
parish are permitted to occupy certain cottages rent free. The five
cottages now occupied in this manner are valued at £13. 10s. per annum.
The poor have also a yearly sum of 10s., bequeathed by Edward Bayley.
Corbett Panton, Esq., Longnor Hall
Corbett Rev. Waties, Longnor Bank
Carter Thomas, builder
Dayus Samuel, farmer, maltster, & veterinary surgeon
Edwards John, shoemaker
Everall Charles, shopkeeper
Everall Richard, farmer
Heighway Thomas, farmer
Hamilton Mrs.
Pugh Thomas, blacksmith
Scott Richard, farmer
Thomas Edward, corn miller
Wigley Richard, butcher
Wigley William, wheelwright
Wilcox Thomas, farmer
MEOLE BRACE
is a populous and delightful village situated about a mile S. from
Shrewsbury, and indeed may be considered a suburb to that town, as there
is a continuation of pleasing villas and good residences, occupied by
gentlemen and tradesmen, who have by the exertions of honest industry
acquired a tolerable share of the conveniences and comforts of this life,
scattered on the road from Shrewsbury to the church at Meole. The best
situation for viewing this pleasing village is perhaps on the bank, just
on crossing the bridge. In the front is the little bridge thrown over
the Rea brook, which meanders through the rich meadows, covered with
fruitfulness and studded with plantations. The quiet requirement of
Meole, with the church embosomed in foliage, and a distant prospect of
Shrewsbury, with its turrets, spires, and a pleasing variety of objects,
adds much to the picturesque beauty of the scene. The parish of Meole
embraces the townships of Newton and Edgbold, Nobold, part of Pulley, and
also extends into the borough of Shrewsbury, and in 1801 comprised 1,253
inhabitants; 1831, 1207, and in 1841 there were 209 houses and 1,195
inhabitants. There are 2,487A. 1R. 34P. of land in the parish. Rateable
value, £7,375. 15s. The landowners in Meole are Mrs. Bather, Hon. Henry
Wentworth Powis, James Loxdale, Esq., George Jeffreys, Esq., and others;
the former is lady of the manor. THE CHURCH, dedicated to All Saints, is
a neat brick cruciform structure, with a short tower at the west end. It
stands on the site of an ancient edifice taken down in the year 1799.
The living is a vicarage valued in the king’s book at £5, now returned at
£389 in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Edward Bather. There is
a NATIONAL SCHOOL in the village, which was built by the late Ven.
Archdeacon Bather. It is supported by voluntary subscriptions and a
small charge from each scholar; 120 boys and girls are educated in the
school. John Davies is the teacher. The rectoral tithes, not purchased
by the landowners, are commuted for £24. 1s. 6d., and the vicarial for
£196. 19s. 1d. A neat almshouse has recently been erected upon an
elevated plot of land near the turnpike road. It is a brick structure
with stone finishings, and was built with funds bequeathed by the late
Mr. Evans, who also bequeathed certain funds for the endowment. There
are nine poor widows inmates; each poor person has a convenient low room
and a bed room, with a small plot of garden ground, and an allowance of
eight pound per annum. There is a respectable inn and BOWLING GREEN kept
by Mrs. Vicars, which is frequented by the tradesmen from Shrewsbury, who
here spend a pleasant evening’s relaxation from business. There are
collieries at Nobold and some other places, but no coal has been got at
Meole for the last four years. The House of Industry noticed with the
account of Shrewsbury stands within the bounds of this parish. There was
formerly a castle at Meole, which in early times was the residence of the
Mackworths; there are no vestiges of the structure left.
Andrews Thomas, farmer
Andrews William, farmer
Badger Joseph, beerseller
Badger Thomas J., Esq., solicitor, Kingsland House
Bather Rev. Edwd., vicarage
Bather Mrs. Mary
Blunt Mr. Henry
Bromley Robert, beerseller
Bullock Thomas, tailor
Burr George, lead merchant, Kingsland
Burr Thomas William, lead merchant, Kingsland
Craig Mrs. Elizabeth, Severn hill
Davies John, schoolmaster and assistant overseer
Darlington Thomas, shoe maker and parish clerk
Edwardes Lady
Edwards Mrs.
Evans Mr. John
Evans Mrs. Martha
Ford Mrs. Ann
Griffiths Thomas, butcher
Hale Miss Elizabeth
Hayward George, tailor
Hiles Timothy, corn miller
Hilditch Mrs.
Holbrook John, shoemaker
Homer Wm., land surveyor
Howells Charles, blacksmith
Hughes John, farmer and maltster
Hughes Wm., corn miller
Humphreys Rev. Henry
Jobson Thomas, farmer, Bank House
Kinaston Miss Eliza
Large Mrs. Elizabeth
Leake Mr. John, Port hill
Mancell Rev. Spencer Percival
Nevett Francis, farmer
Rowlands Benj., beerhouse
Rowlands Elizth., shopkr.
Rowlands Rd., wheelwright
Rowlands Simon, wheelwrt.
Smith John, Esq., Radbrook villa
Stephenson Mrs. Elizabeth
Vaughan Peter Fdk., farmer
Vicars Ann, vict., Bowling Green Inn
Ward Mr. Thos., Kingsland
Woodward Mr. John, Asylum
NEWTON AND EDGBOLD
is a small township in the parish of Brace Meole, about three and a half
miles W.W. by S. from the parish church. In 1841 here were ten houses
and fifty-six inhabitants; the rectoral tithes have been purchased by the
land owners; the small tithes are commuted for £69 16s. 2d. The
landowners are the Rev. Edward Bather, and George Jonathan Scott, Esq.
The residents are John Bather, Esq.; Jacob Brown, farmer and butcher;
Richard Jones, farmer; and Thomas Morris, farmer.
NOBOLD,
another township, situated west by south of Meole, and three miles from
Shrewsbury, in 1841 contained 44 houses and 187 inhabitants, the acres of
which are included with Meole; the land owners here are Robert Parr,
Esq., Mr. Berrington, William Henry Slaney, Esq., Mr. Richard Juson, the
latter is also proprietor of the Corn Mill.
DIRECTORY.—Hartshorn Barney, shoemaker; Thomas Beacall, farmer; George
Farmer, cattle dealer and farmer; Samuel Gammon, blacksmith; Elizabeth
Griffiths, farmer; John Harris, wheelwright; Edward Heath, farmer;
William Juson, farmer and corn miller, Red hill Mill; Thomas Ramsell,
vict., Cock Inn; Thomas Ramsell, shopkeeper; Thomas Ramsell, beerhouse
keeper.
PULLEY
is a township partly in Meole Brace parish, and partly in that of St.
Julian’s, in the former in 1841 there were 77 houses and 295 inhabitants;
and in the latter, three houses and 13 inhabitants. Mr. Timothy Hiles
and the Hon. Henry Wentworth Powis are the principal landowners. The
vicarial tithes are commuted for £64. 7s. 2d., and the rectoral for £63.
The principal residents are Miss Mary Flavell; James France, farmer;
Thomas Griffiths, butcher; Samuel Hiles, farmer; James Hughes, maltster
and farmer; John Mitchell, beerhouse-keeper; John Norris, farmer; Mrs.
Woolaston, farmer.
PITCHFORD
is a pleasant village, containing some genteel residences, seven miles
south from Shrewsbury. The parish contains 1,617 acres of fertile land;
and in 1801 here were 220 inhabitants; 1831, 197; and in 1841, 35 houses
and 186 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,868. 9s. Gross estimated
rental, £1,998. 5s. The Earl of Liverpool is the landowner in this
township. The name of the place arises from a spring, upon which a scum
of a bituminous nature flows. Camden compares the scum of this well with
the matter that is found in the lake Asphalites, in Palestine, and says
there is a spring of the same kind in Samasota. This place was formerly
the seat and inheritance of a family of the same name. In the 5th of
Edward I. we find John de Pycheford held the manor by the service of one
knight’s fee. The last of this family of whom we read is Ralph de
Pycheford, who, in the time of Edward I., levied a fine to Walter de
Langton, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and to his heirs of the
advowson of the church and of lands in Albrighton “et de maner de
Pycheford”. In the 15th of Edward II. that bishop was found to be seised
of this manor at his death. THE CHURCH is a venerable fabric, dedicated
to St. Michael, and contains a curious oaken figure in memory of a Baron
de Pycheford, a crusader, in chain armour, who was buried here. There
are also four handsome alabaster monuments to the ancient family of
Ottley. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £6. 5s.
4d., now returned at £228, in the patronage of the Earl of Liverpool, and
enjoyed by the Rev. Charles Powell Peters. PITCHFORD HALL, situated a
short distance from the church, the seat of the Earl of Liverpool, is a
fine and rare specimen of the old English mansion. The house is framed
with timber springing into a variety of forms for its support, the
interstices being filled with plaster and painted black and white. It is
exceedingly picturesque in appearance, and the grounds are beautifully
diversified and richly wooded. It was formerly the residence of the
Ottley family. William Ottley was sheriff of this county in 1499, and
again in 1513. The mansion, from its style of architecture, was probably
built about that period.
CHARITIES.—In the parliamentary returns of 1786 it is stated that _Lucy
Ottley_, by will, in 1687, gave £20, and _Sir Adam Ottley_, by will, in
1693, £50 to the poor of Pitchford, and that there was a parish stock of
£20 then vested in Thomas Ottley, Esq., in respect of which sums £5 was
paid yearly. This payment continued up to the year 1806, when Thomas
Ottley, Esq., died, and his estates became the property of the Hon. C. C.
Jenkinson, afterwards Lord Liverpool. In the year 1807 there is an entry
in the parish book of £5, received from him, “to exempt him from serving
offices,” and that the same sum was paid annually up to the year 1815
inclusive, and from that time the payment was no longer made. In a
letter written by Lord Liverpool to the rector, dated 10th March, 1830,
in answer to an application upon the subject, his lordship states that he
took no personal property from the Ottleys, and that the payment of £5
made by him for a few years after he succeeded to the estate was to
exempt him from serving the parish offices, and that when he took the
office of overseer in 1815, the payment of course ceased.
DIRECTORY.—The Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, Pitchford Hall; John
Durnell, surgeon; Maria Hancock, shopkeeper; George Haughton, farmer;
John Lindop, farmer, Stockbatch; Richard Lloyd, tailor; Rev. Charles
Powell Peters, The Rectory; Elizabeth Snaxton, farmer; John Turnbull,
agent to the Earl of Liverpool.
SMETHCOTT, OR SMETHCOTE,
is a parish and village pleasantly situated in a hilly country, eight and
a half miles south-west by south from Shrewsbury. The tops of the hills
have a bleak and barren aspect, but the lowlands are clothed with rich
verdure, and finely timbered, which gives the scenery a very beautiful
and picturesque appearance. A waterfall a little south from the
parsonage and the scenery in its vicinity are peculiarly attractive, and
the frequent resort of pleasure parties. The parish contains the
townships of Smethcott, Picklescott, and the hamlet of Walk Mills. In
1801 there was a population of 338 souls; 1831, 366; and in 1841, 371.
The township of Smethcott contains 1,049 acres of land, and at the census
of 1841 had 27 houses and 129 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,218. 5s.
At the Doomsday survey, Edmund held of Earl Roger Smerecote in Conodoure
hundred. In the 1st of Edward I. it was reputed among the fees belonging
to the barony of Montgomery, then in the tenure of George de Cantilupe.
In the 9th of Edward II., Edward Burnele was seized of the third of the
ville of Smethcott, with the liberty of common in the woods there, and
had 48s. 3d. issuing out of lands in that manor. Upon the attainder of
Lord Lovell, 1st of Henry VIII., Smethcott was given to the Duke of
Bedford in tail, who, dying without issue, 5th of Henry VIII., it was
granted to the Duke of Norfolk. The principal landowners now are W. W.
Whitmore, Esq., and Richard Bromley, Esq. THE CHURCH, dedicated to St.
Michael, exhibits the early English style of architecture, and was almost
re-built a few years ago. It has a neat and chaste appearance. The
expenses were defrayed by the liberality of the parishioners and the
present incumbent. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at
£4. 9s.; now returned at £276; in the patronage of the trustees of
Hulme’s charity; incumbent, Rev. R. J. Buddicom, M.A.
CHARITIES.—By indentures of lease and release, dated 30th September,
1741, _Henry Powis_, lord of the manor of Wilderley, conveyed to the
overseers of Smethcott a cottage and land on Smethcott Common, in trust,
for the sole benefit and advantage of the poor of the said parish. There
are now four cottages, with a little garden to each, and three closes,
containing about an acre and a half of ground altogether. Two of the
cottages were occupied by paupers, rent free, and the other two for three
pounds per annum each. The land is let at £4. 10s. per annum, and the
whole of the rents received are carried to the poor’s rate. All these
cottages and premises, about twenty years ago, were in the occupation of
persons who, having been long in possession, refused to pay rent, or give
them up. By the interference of the magistrates, they were obliged to
pay an acknowledgement, and afterwards a full rent was paid. It appears
from the terms in which these cottages were given, that they were
intended for the benefit of the poor, and therefore any rates received
from the premises ought to be given away in charity, and not carried to
the poor’s rate.