Transcribed from the 1824 (second) edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org
[Picture: Public domain book cover]
[Picture: Shrewsbury Castle from river]
THE
STRANGER
IN
SHREWSBURY:
OR,
_AN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE_
VIEW
OF
SHREWSBURY
AND
_ITS ENVIRONS_.
* * * * *
_BY THOMAS HOWELL_.
* * * * *
SECOND EDITION.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lovely spot
For all that life can ask! Salubrious! mild!
Its hills are green: its woods and prospects fair!
Its meadows fertile! And to crown the whole
In one delightful word—it is our Home—
Our Native Place.
COTTLE’S ALFRED.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shrewsbury:
_PRINTED AND SOLD BY THE AUTHOR_,
And by the Booksellers in the County.
1824.
* * * * *
THE author cannot permit a second edition of the Stranger to issue from
the press, without acknowledging the lasting obligation he is under to
his fellow-townsmen, for the friendly patronage bestowed on its first
appearance.
Shrewsbury,
_May_ 18, 1824.
* * * * *
_HISTORY_.
THE carelessness which in many instances is evident in the orthography of
our ancestors, frequently renders it matter of extreme difficulty to fix,
with accuracy and precision, the etymology of places which in early times
were conspicuous for the parts they bore in our national transactions.
This is in some measure the situation of Shrewsbury, which by the ancient
Welsh was called Ymwithig, or “the Delight;” by the Britons Pengwern; and
by the Saxons Scrobbesbyrig; the two latter names signifying nearly the
same, “the Head of the Alder Groves.” But it is probable that the
Normans after their conquest of the Island, either from inability to
pronounce the harsher Saxon words, or from the spirit of innovation on
the names and manners of the inhabitants, generally possessed by
conquerors, were induced to soften the term into Shrobbesburie and
Sloppesburie, from whence were derived the modern names of Shrewsbury and
Salop, in latin Salopia. Some are inclined to think the latter name was
formed from the two Saxon words _sel_, signifying pleasant, and _hope_,
the side of a hill, which certainly accords with its situation.
Leland, the antiquary and poet, in his description of the town, thus
accounts for its name:—
Built on a hill, fair Salop greets the eye,
While Severn forms a crescent gliding by;
Two bridges cross the navigable stream,
And British Alders gave the town a name.
Although much doubt remains relative to the founder of Shrewsbury, it is
certain that “it was repaired about the year 552 by Maelgwyn, king of
North Wales;” and the most probable conjecture is, that it was erected
between the years 520 and 594 by the Britons, in order to protect
themselves from the bloody ravages and harrassing incursions of the
Saxons who had previously levelled the Roman Uriconium (the present
Wroxeter) and its fortress with the ground, and forced them to retreat
beyond the Severn, which then became the boundary of the kingdom of
Mercia.
The Britons having established themselves on the hill Pengwerne, founded
a city, which became the metropolis of that part of Wales called Powis,
one of the princes of which, Brochwell Ysithroc, had his residence here
in 617, and thence it was named Pengwerne Powis.—The blood-thirsty spirit
of their Saxon invaders still pursued them: after several dreadful and
sanguinary contests with the merciless Offa, the British Prince was at
length compelled to abandon the patrimony of his ancestors and retire to
Mathrafal, amidst the mountains of Montgomeryshire, after witnessing the
destruction of his princely mansion, which stood on the spot lately
occupied by the church of St. Chad; and finally, in 777, to surrender
that part of the country situated between the Severn and a deep dyke and
high rampart, extending 100 miles over roads and mountains and across
deep vallies and rivers, which Offa threw up as a new boundary between
them and Mercia.
In the reign of Alfred, Shrewsbury was numbered among the British cities,
by the name of Caer Pengwerne; and during that of Edward the elder, a
mint was established here, as appears from a piece of coin now in
preservation, with this inscription, _Edward Rex Angliæ_, and on the
reverse _Aelmaer on Scrobe_.
Ethelred, with his court, kept the Christmas of 1006 at Shrewsbury, and
being unable to resist the perpetual attacks of the Danes, then invading
England under Swaine, he summoned a council here, by whose advice he paid
£30,000, to procure a temporary and inglorious peace. About the same
time Alfhelm, a prince of the blood, was invited to a banquet here by
Edric, duke of Mercia and whilst hunting in the neighbourhood was
murdered by one Godwin Porthund, a butcher, at the instigation of Edric,
and from whence it is supposed arose the custom, recited in Doomsday
Book, that whenever the king was here, twelve of the chief citizens
should guard his person during his residence in the city, and attend him
when he enjoyed himself with the pleasures of the chase.
In the year 1016, the inhabitants having revolted to Canute, Edmund,
afterwards, when king surnamed Ironside, marched quickly hither from the
north, and having taken the city, exercised every species of cruelty on
them as a punishment for their revolt.
No material transactions appear to have occurred in the annals of
Shrewsbury for nearly half a century, from the last named date until the
conquest of England by the Normans under William. The city was then
granted, together with nearly the whole of the county and a great
proportion of land in other parts of the kingdom, to Roger de Montgomery,
a Norman chief related to William, and by whom he was attended in his
English expedition. Roger was no sooner put in possession of his newly
acquired property, than being sensible of the advantages resulting from
the situation of the town, he constituted it the capital of his earldom,
and fixed his abode in it as lord paramount of the county; and having
judiciously built a castle on the isthmus, for the purpose of protecting
his residence from the attack of his enemies, with the assistance of
inferior barons of his court, administered various solemn and kingly acts
of justice, donation, and investiture within its walls. Earl Roger was,
however, not suffered to enjoy the immense possessions bestowed on him by
the Norman conqueror without molestation: Owen Gwynedd, a spirited Welsh
chieftain, excited either by hopes of plunder or a desire to dispossess
the invaders, of a place which was capable of being rendered a great
annoyance to his countrymen in the hands of powerful enemies, attacked it
with a considerable body of Welsh; and so important was his attack
considered by William, that he marched with a numerous army from the
north, for the purpose of repelling the daring disturber; nor did his
usual good fortune desert him in this instance, Owen being defeated and a
great portion of his followers slain. As a suitable acknowledgment to
divine providence for his good fortune and the splendid triumphs of his
arms, the Earl founded the benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul.
A short time previous to his death he was shorn a monk. He died July
27th, 1094, and was buried in the chapel of the Abbey; over his tomb was
placed an armed knight in stone.
Robert de Belesme, son of Roger de Montgomery, who succeeded his brother
Hugh the Red in the earldom of Shrewsbury, united with the party who
wished to seat Robert, duke of Normandy, on the throne, in lieu of Henry
the First; and on the coronation of that monarch, openly rebelled against
his authority, placing the castle under the command of Roger de Corbet,
and garrisoning it with 80 soldiers. Henry immediately marched for
Shrewsbury at the head of 60,000 men, and threatening, if the town was
not delivered up to him in three days, to hang all he should find
therein, Robert surrendered, and sent the keys to the king by Ralph,
abbot of Seez, imploring his clemency: this was granted, but Robert was
banished to Normandy, his immense estates forfeited, and the splendour of
his baronial house for ever extinguished. Henry then took the government
of the town into his own hands, and granted the inhabitants their first
charter.—The restless disposition of Robert however still incited him to
fresh acts of rebellion, but being taken prisoner, he was brought over to
England, and being sentenced to perpetual imprisonment, he at length died
a miserable death in Wareham castle.
In 1116, the nobility of the realm did homage to William, Henry’s son, at
Shrewsbury, and swore allegiance to his father.
The conquest of Wales had always been a leading object in the politics of
England, not only from the desire of more extensive dominion, but as a
means of preventing in future the devastation and misery which the
animosity of a warlike and injured people had occasioned on the English
borders. The utility likewise of employing in foreign enterprises a
martial nobility, inclined the Norman princes to encourage, by every
incitement of advantage and honour, the dangerous designs of subduing or
of making settlements in Wales. The consequence of the attacks of the
rapacious Norman barons on the Welsh was, that Shrewsbury was continually
subject to the ravages and injuries of the contending parties. Besides
this, its natural strength and situation on the borders, or as they were
then termed the Marches of Wales, rendered it extremely eligible for the
rendezvous of the army employed in the Principality, and it was therefore
frequently honoured with the presence of those who swayed the sceptre of
Britain.
During the struggles between Stephen and the empress Maud, William Fitz
Alan, governor of the castle of Shrewsbury, espoused the cause of the
latter, and being joined by several noblemen and gentlemen in these
parts, left his castle in the care of a deputy, from whom he exacted an
oath that he would not deliver up his charge to the king. Stephen having
taken the castle, and hanged several of the garrison for the obstinacy of
their defence, Alan was forced to fly, leaving his castle and estates in
the possession of the king; but on the accession of Henry II. he was
restored to all his honours and estates, for his faithful adherence to
the fortunes of the family.
In the beginning of the reign of king John, a royal council was assembled
in Shrewsbury for the purpose of devising means to put a stop to the
continual and harrassing incursions of the Welsh. Gwenwynwyn, prince of
Powis, offered terms of reconciliation, but, without any apparent cause,
he was detained a prisoner.—The Welsh shortly after attempted to recover
their liberties; on this occasion John assembled a large army at
Oswestry, and released Gwenwynwyn and several other Welsh chieftains, who
immediately repaired to his standard with all the forces they could
muster. Llewellin ap Jorwerth, who then governed Wales, was obliged to
retire before this powerful army of the British monarch, and delivered
hostages to answer for the rectitude of his conduct. But Llewellin,
fired with the idea of rescuing his countrymen from the yoke of foreign
government, once more broke the truce which had been concluded.
When intelligence of this event reached John, his heart was so steeled
against the feelings of humanity that he ordered the immediate execution
of the hostages, 28 in number, and chiefly children allied to the first
families in Wales—a deed which renders his name worthy to be recorded on
the same page, in the annals of cruelty, with that of Nero. Nottingham
was the place in which this tragical drama was acted, and from thence
John marched with his army for the purpose of chastising the Welsh; but
fear and distrust took possession of his mind, and learning that the Pope
had dissolved the allegiance of his subjects, he dismissed his army on a
sudden and returned to London. Llewellin soon after suddenly appeared
before Shrewsbury, which he now entered without opposition; nor did a
long period elapse before the Welsh took ample vengeance for the
cruelties committed on their countrymen. An insurrection having broke
out in England, in consequence of the unpopular ministry of Peter de
Roche bishop of Winchester, in the 17th of Henry III. many of the barons
joined Llewellin, and having united their forces, laid waste the Marches,
and entering Shrewsbury, after having plundered and burnt the town, in
which were considerable riches, they put many of the inhabitants to the
sword. Notwithstanding peace was established between the contending
monarchs, the national jealousies and deep rooted hatred of the two
nations were the fruitful source of perpetual conflicts, to repress
which, Henry marched with his array to Shrewsbury, where, in 1269, peace
was again restored, through the mediation of the Pope’s legate; and the
town and castle of Shrewsbury were placed under the care of Edward, the
king’s eldest son, afterwards the celebrated Edward I.
On the death of his father, Edward succeeded to the throne, and
determined to exert every effort which his power and talents afforded, to
obtain what had long been the object of his ambition, the entire conquest
of Wales. Soon after Easter, 1277, Edward left London to regulate the
measures of the ensuing campaign; and that the administration of justice
might not be delayed, by the absence of the king and the length of the
war, he removed the Court of Exchequer and the Court of King’s Bench to
Shrewsbury.
In the general accommodation made with the vanquished followers of Simon
de Montfort, earl of Leicester, in 1264, Llewellin ap Gryffydd was
included; but he saw that a blow was meditating by the English king,
which though suspended for a time, would be the more severe, and fall
with greater weight on his country. Llewellin thought it prudent to
secure the support of the adherents of the house of Montfort, of whom
many yet remained in England by solemnizing his marriage with the
daughter of the late earl. He therefore demanded the young lady from the
French king, to whose court on the demise of her father she had retired,
but on her passage to Wales she was taken by some of the English vessels
and detained at the court of Edward. Llewellin demanded the fulfilment
of a treaty made between Henry III. and himself and the release of his
bride from Edward, while the latter required Llewellin to appear and do
homage for his kingdom, which he refused to perform unless hostages were
delivered for the safety of his person. This was the ostensible cause of
the war undertaken by Edward, and the pretext for attempting an entire
conquest of the principality. Edward cautiously avoided putting to the
test the well known valour of a nation inflamed with a just sense of
their wrongs and proud of their ancient independence.—Llewellin unable to
face an enemy pressing on by slow, cautious, and decisive operations,
returned to the mountains of Snowdon, and Edward not choosing to enter
the recesses of that difficult country, calmly awaited the result of his
policy. The prospect of a famine seconded his prudential schemes, and
Llewellin had no better alternative than to implore the clemency of the
English monarch. Little generosity or pity was to be expected in the
terms granted by Edward, and accordingly Llewellin agreed to pay 5000
marks as a fine; to do homage for his crown; to relinquish all the
country between Chester and the river Conway; and to deliver hostages for
his future submission.
On his return to London, Edward was attended by the Welsh prince and a
numerous retinue of chieftains, for the purpose of swearing fealty to
their conqueror. During their stay they were continual subjects of
derision to the populace, who treated them as savages and laughed at
their foreign garb and unusual appearance. To a people proud and
irascible, and who, though vanquished, were still alive to injury and
insult—to a sense of their own valour, and to the fond idea of their
native independence, this treatment could not be pleasing. They
therefore, privately entered into an agreement to revolt on the first
opportunity; resolving to die in their own country as freemen, rather
than come any more as vassals into England, to be the sport of a haughty
and contemptuous nation. Accordingly they flew to arms. Edward,
surprised to find himself again attacked by the Welsh prince, determined
to crush effectually the rebellious spirit of the Welsh, and advanced
from Shrewsbury with a considerable army. The progress of the king was
at first slow, in consequence of several advantages gained over him by
Llewellin, but the latter being at length surprised near Builth, in
Brecknockshire, he was defeated, and together with 2000 of his soldiers,
slain. Gratitude could pay no tribute to his memory so expressive, as
the tears which his country shed upon the tomb of their prince, who,
after many efforts to preserve the freedom of the land which gave him
birth, fell in the conflict, and found an honorable grave in its ruins.
David who had previously forgotten the feuds which disturbed the peace of
his family and country, assumed, on the death of his brother, the
sovereignty of North Wales; but after various unsuccessful struggles, he
was basely betrayed into the hands of Edward, who confined him in
Rhuddlan castle, and soon after sent him in chains to Shrewsbury.
Edward now (1283) summoned a parliament to meet at Shrewsbury, for
“consulting what course to take with David prince of Wales,” whence, in a
few days it was removed to Acton Burnell. David, whilst at the English
Court had been made a baron of the realm, and it was in consequence
determined to proceed against him as a subject of the crown. His judges,
deaf to the claims of humanity and justice, and influenced, no doubt, by
their desire to gratify the implacable and vindictive spirit of their
master, condemned him to die as a traitor. For this act of revenge, new
tortures were invented.—He was sentenced to be drawn at a horse’s tail
through the town—to be hanged—his heart and bowels to be burnt—his head
to be cut off, and exposed at the tower of London, and his body quartered
and hung up in different parts of the kingdom. On the death of this
prince, the Welsh every where submitted to the victorious arms of the
conqueror.
The tragical and cruel death of David closed the only sovereignty which
remained of the ancient British empire: an empire which through various
changes of fortune, had opposed the disciplined legions of imperial Rome;
and for more than eight hundred years, had valiantly withstood the most
strenuous efforts of their Saxon and Norman invaders.
The conquest of Wales by the English monarch was of great importance to
Shrewsbury, the inhabitants of which had now time for breathing, after
having been for nearly 800 years in the scene of continual warfare.
Edward II. visited Shrewsbury in 1322, on his march to subdue the barons
who had justly banished the Spencers and was met by the burgesses in
armour, who escorted him into the town. About this period, John, one of
the sons of the famous Roger Mortimer, earl of March, was slain in a
tournament held here. In 1326, Edmund Fitz Alan, earl of Arundel, who
had been a faithful adherent of the weak and unfortunate Edward, was
apprehended in the neighbourhood of this place by the partizans of the
abandoned Queen and her paramour Roger Mortimer.
Richard II. who appears to have been particularly attached to the
inhabitants of these marches, summoned a parliament to assemble at
Shrewsbury in 1397, and which is called by Speed the “great parliament,”
in consequence of the extraordinary number of peers who assembled here.
The king was sumptuously entertained, and the parliament too much devoted
to his interests, passed several very oppressive acts. One of the
articles of accusation on which he was afterwards deposed, charges him
with “procuring the many oppressive acts passed in the parliament of
Shrewsbury, and with intimidating the judges and other persons whom he
caused to come before him there.”
In the following reign the Welsh made another attempt to recover their
freedom under the celebrated Owen Glyndwr. Twice were Henry and his
generals obliged to retire from their meditated attack of Owen without
bringing him to any action, and his rebellion assumed a more serious
appearance from the support which he received from the earls of
Northumberland and Worcester, and the earl of Douglas, who were disgusted
with the treatment which they had received from Henry. At the
commencement of the war, Northumberland was suddenly taken ill at
Berwick—Hotspur his son accordingly took the command of the troops,
amounting to about 12,000 chosen men, and marched towards Shrewsbury to
unite his forces with those of the Welsh chieftain. The king aware of
the importance of every moment, also hurried to Shrewsbury, and
interposed himself between Hotspur and Glyndwr. This moment saved his
crown; and the prudence of the one leader and the impetuosity of the
other induced them to hasten a general engagement.
Previous to the engagement, Henry sent Thomas Presbury, abbot of
Shrewsbury, with offers of pardon to Percy’s army if they would disperse,
but this message being misrepresented to Percy by the earl of Worcester,
the former sent a manifesto into the royal army in which he renounced his
allegiance to Henry and enumerated at length various grievances and
indignities of which he conceived the nation in common with his own
family had to complain. This manifesto tended to inflame the passions of
both parties; and the ability of the respective commanders, the valour of
the soldiers and their equality in point of numbers, gave reason to
expect a dreadful and doubtful contest. The battle was fought at
Oldfield or Bullfield, now Battlefield, about 3 miles north of
Shrewsbury, on St. Magdalene’s eve, July 22, 1403. The onset commenced
near Berwick with a terrible discharge of arrows from both lines. The
Scots rushed with impetuous fury upon the front of the royal army, which
began to give way, but the king arriving with reinforcements they again
rallied and recovered their ground. Henry exposed his person in the
thickest of the fight and combated with an ardour worthy the crown he was
defending. His valiant son whose military achievements in France were
afterwards so renowned and whose wild youthful excesses are so
beautifully pourtrayed by our great dramatic bard, here performed his
noviciate in arms, signalized himself on his father’s footsteps, and
regained his good opinion. The gallant Percy supported that brilliant
fame he had acquired in so many bloody engagements, and Douglas,
Whose high deeds,
Whose hot incursions, and great name in arms
Holds from all soldiers chief majority,
the ancient enemy of Percy but now his friend, still appeared his rival
amidst the horror and confusion of the day. This nobleman performed
feats of valour which are almost incredible. He seemed determined that
the king of England should that day fall by his arm: and as Henry either
to elude the attacks of the enemy on his person, or to encourage his own
men by the belief of his presence every where, had accoutred several
captains in the royal garb; the sword of Douglas rendered this proud
distinction fatal to many. Having dispatched sir Walter Blount, the
king’s standard bearer, he assailed Henry with such fury that it was with
difficulty he escaped to another part of the field. But while the armies
were contending in this furious manner, the death of Percy by an unknown
hand, decided the fate of the day and the royalists prevailed. On this
memorable day, which is immortalized by the genius of Shakspeare, it is
supposed that 7000 men were slain. A great number of persons of
distinction were killed on both aides, and the earls of Douglas and
Worcester, taken prisoners; the latter was after beheaded at Shrewsbury.
This battle, which fixed the house of Lancaster on the throne during
three reigns, is among those of the first importance recorded in ancient
English history, and may be named as the first of those conflicts between
the white and red roses, which some years after deluged the nation with
some of its best blood, and filled it with intestine ravages and
divisions.
Owen Glyndwr had the mortification to be obliged to remain inactive at
the head of his troops at Oswestry, from whence he retired on hearing of
Percy’s defeat: and although he afterwards attempted, he was unable to
regain the independence of his native country.—He died in Herefordshire
in 1414. Henry returned thanks to heaven for this brilliant victory, and
founded the collegiate church at Battlefield on the spot where it is
probable most of the slain were buried.
During the fatal quarrel between the houses of York and Lancaster, which
is computed to have cost the lives of eighty princes of the blood, and to
have almost entirely annihilated the ancient nobility of England,
Shrewsbury remained steadily attached to the Yorkists, and previous to
the battle of St. Albans, Richard Plantagenet, duke of York wrote to his
“right worshipful friends the bailiffs, burgesses and commoners of the
good town of Shrewsbury,” requesting assistance in his enterprise for the
recovery of his throne. After his defeat and death at Wakefield, his son
Edward, earl of March, appeared in Shrewsbury, entreating a supply of men
to revenge his father’s death. With an army of 23,000 men chiefly raised
in this neighbourhood, he obtained a decisive victory at Mortimer’s Cross
in Herefordshire, from whence advancing rapidly to London he was shortly
afterwards proclaimed king. Edward, duly sensible of the strength and
inviolable attachment of Shrewsbury to his cause, committed the care of
his queen to its inhabitants, and during her residence here she twice lay
in at the convent of the Black Friars, and was delivered of Richard and
George Plantagenet, the former of whom was murdered in the Tower through
the cruelty of his uncle Richard III. and the latter died young.
In 1484, Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham, having entered into a
conspiracy for the purpose of depriving Richard of a throne which he had
acquired by such manifold injustice, and his endeavours being frustrated,
fled to the house of one Bannister, at Shinewood, near Wenlock, in order
to concealment, but notwithstanding Bannister was indebted to the duke
for the property he enjoyed, unable to withstand the temptation of so
large a reward as £1000, basely betrayed him to John Mitton, esq. then
sheriff of the county, who conducted him to Shrewsbury, where Richard
shortly after arrived, and feasted his eyes with the execution of his
enemy.
The crimes of Richard were so horrid and so shocking to humanity that the
natural sentiments of men, without any political or public views, were
sufficient to render his government unstable; and every person of probity
and honour, earnest to prevent the sceptre from being any longer polluted
by the bloody and faithless hand which held it, at length united in
favour of the earl of Richmond. This nobleman set sail from Harfleur, in
France, on the 7th of August, 1484, and landed at Milford Haven, in
Pembrokeshire, without opposition, with about 2000 followers. He
directed his course to that part of the kingdom in hopes that the Welsh,
who regarded him as their countryman, and who had been already
prepossessed in favour of his cause by means of the late duke of
Buckingham, would join his standard. Richard, not knowing where to
expect his antagonist, took post at Nottingham, and purposed to fly on
the first alarm to the place exposed to danger. He had appointed sir
Rice ap Thomas and sir Walter Herbert to defend the coasts of Wales; but
the former joined Richmond, and the latter made scarcely any resistance.
The earl advanced towards Shrewsbury, which was the only convenient place
at which he could cross the Severn, but very unexpectedly found the gates
shut against him; and on his demanding entrance by his herald, he was
refused, “the head bailey, Maister Myttoon, being a stoute wyse
gentilman,” saying, “that he knew no kynge, but only kynge Richard, whose
lyffetenants he and hys fellows were; and before he should entir there,
he should go over hys belly, meaninge thereby, that he would be slayne to
the ground, and that he protested vehementlye on the othe he had tacken;
but on better advice, Maister Myttoon permitted the kynge to pass; but to
save his othe, the sayd Myttoon lay alonge the grounde, and his belly
upwardes, and soe the sayd erle stepped over hym and saved hys othe.”
Previous to his reaching Shrewsbury his army scarcely deserved that name,
from their wretched appearance and small numbers; but being joined by sir
Gilbert Talbot with 2000 of the tenants of his nephew, the earl of
Shrewsbury, together with several gentlemen of rank, his cause began to
wear a favourable aspect, and marching on with his army, now amounting to
about 6000 men Richmond gained the brilliant and decisive victory of
Bosworth; Richard perishing by a fate too mild and honourable for his
multiplied and detestable enormities.
It is supposed by some that that plague, the sweating sickness, which
broke out here in 1485, originated among Henry’s foreign levies; it
afterwards infested the kingdom at different periods for 60 years: and,
according to Mr. Pennant, Shrewsbury particularly felt its ravages, 1000
nearly dying per day at one period.
Henry was not unmindful of the reception he met with here, and, when
quietly seated on the throne, several times visited the town,
particularly in 1495, when he was sumptuously entertained in the castle
by the corporation.
Nothing worthy of note in the history occurs from this period until the
struggle between the Parliament and Charles I.; the former for their
privileges and the rights of the people, and the latter for arbitrary
power as a despotic monarch. Charles, determined to try the force of
arms, erected the royal standard at Nottingham, the open signal of
discord and civil war throughout the kingdom. Whilst many of the large
towns and corporate bodies took part with the parliament, a great
proportion of the nobility and gentry sided with the king; the latter was
the case with the Salopians. Not meeting with the support which he
expected in the vicinity of Nottingham, Charles after a little hesitation
pursued his march to Shrewsbury “in regard of the strong and pleasant
situation of it, one side being defended by the Severn, the other having
secure passage into Wales;” having received information that the place
was entirely devoted to him.
At Wellington the king passed one night, and on the following morning
made a rendezvous of all his forces on the plain beneath the Wrekin. His
orders having been read at the head of each regiment, he placed himself
in the midst of his army, and that he might bind himself by reciprocal
ties, he solemnly made the following declaration in their presence; “I do
promise, in the presence of Almighty God, and as I hope for his blessing
and protection, that I will, to the utmost of my power, defend and
maintain the true reformed protestant religion, established in the church
of England, and by the grace of God, in the same will live and die. I
desire that the laws may ever be the measure of my government, and that
the liberty and property of the subject may be preserved by them with the
same care as my own just rights. And if it please God by his blessing on
this army raised for my necessary defence to preserve me from the present
rebellion, I do solemnly and faithfully promise in the sight of God, to
maintain the just privileges and freedom of parliament, and to govern to
the utmost of my power, by the known statutes and customs of the kingdom,
and particularly to observe inviolably the laws to which I have given my
consent this parliament. Mean while, if this emergency and the great
necessity to which I am driven, beget any violation of law, I hope it
shall be imputed by God and man to the authors of this war; not to me,
who have so earnestly laboured to preserve the peace of the kingdom.
When I willingly fail in these particulars, I shall expect no aid or
relief from man, nor any protection from above; but in this resolution I
hope for the cheerful assistance of all good men, and am confident of the
blessing of Heaven.” Had Charles previously acted up to this
declaration, he would not now have been placed in such a critical
situation.
Although the tyrannical proceedings of the king had induced many of the
Salopians to look upon his cause in an unfavourable light, yet his mild
and amiable behaviour won on the inhabitants generally, so much so that a
considerable number enrolled themselves as volunteers in his service. In
order to give efficiency to his troops and maintain his cause, a mint was
established here for the purpose of coining the plate which had been
presented to him by various public bodies and private individuals; but at
such a low ebb were the mechanic arts at this period, that scarcely £1000
per week could be coined.
However despicable the royal army appeared when it marched from
Nottingham, its improvement was rapid on its arrival in Shrewsbury, so
that in about twenty days it mustered 12000 men, chiefly persons of
considerable property, from the neighbouring parts. But they were
exceedingly ill equipped, for says Clarendon; “In the whole body not a
pikeman had a corselet, and very few musketeers had swords.”—Add to this,
that there was not a single tent, and very few waggons attached to the
whole train. With this ill accoutred but high spirited body, Charles
took his leave of Shrewsbury, on the 12th of October, 1642.
On the departure of the king, a garrison was left in town, of which Lord
Capel was appointed governor, and a fort was erected on an eminence above
Frankwell, to secure that quarter from attack. Capel was severally
succeeded by Sir Fulke Hunkes (a relative of the celebrated Baxter, the
non-conformist,) Sir Richard Otteley, and Sir Michael Earnley. This
gentleman was in a very declining state of health, in consequence of
which many disorders crept in among the garrison, and gave the commanders
of the parliamentary forces in the neighbourhood, opportunity to attempt
the conquest of so important a post. After two unsuccessful attempts by
Colonels Mitton, and Langhorne, two enterprising officers, they at length
attained the object of their wishes. Having arrived before the town with
fifteen hundred picked men of the garrisons of Wem and Oswestry, they
contrived to convey eight carpenters up the river, who were landed within
a breast work on the east side of the castle hill, and notwithstanding
they were fired on by the centinels, they continued to cut down a
sufficient quantity of palisadoes to enable the troops to enter. After
storming a rampart beneath the Council House, a large body of troops
entered by St. Mary’s Water-Lane, where the guard, having been
intoxicated or bribed, made no resistance. Having opened the north gate,
the horse immediately marched in, commanded by Cols. Mitton and
Bowyer.—The consternation of the inhabitants may be easily imagined. The
preceding night they had retired to rest, confident in their supposed
security, but by daylight in the morning they were in the hands of their
enemies; and, notwithstanding the humane exertions of Col. Mitton, the
soldiery were not to be restrained from plundering the peaceably disposed
of their private property. The first intimation which the governor
received of the surprise of the town, was the entrance of some of his
enemies into his chamber, where he fell covered with wounds, repeatedly
refusing quarter, being determined not to outlive the disgrace of the
day. The English part of the garrison were suffered to march to Ludlow,
but the Irish were left to the discretion of Col. Mitton. The fort at
Frankwell bravely held out till night, but finding resistance useless, at
length surrendered at discretion. A number of prisoners of rank were
taken, besides 15 pieces of cannon, a large stand of arms, and the whole
of prince Maurice’s magazine. Nor did the plate and valuable effects of
many of the surrounding gentry, placed in the castle for security, during
the turbulence of the times, meet a better fate: the whole of it to a
vast amount, falling into the hands of the victors. For this important
achievement, Colonel Mitton received the thanks of Parliament. The fall
of Shrewsbury was a death blow to Charles’s expectations in this quarter;
for besides its being the key to North Wales, it caused the dissolution
of a formidable confederacy between the counties of Salop, Worcester,
Chester and Flint, then on the eve of assembling to defend the falling
fortunes of their king.
After the battle of Worcester, so fatal to the royal cause, a commission
was sent to Chester by the Parliament, to try the Earl of Derby, and
other gentlemen on charges of treason and rebellion; or in other words,
for having borne arms in defence of Charles. One of these was Colonel
John Benbow, who, in the beginning of the contest, had united with the
parliamentary army, and distinguished himself at the surprise of
Shrewsbury. Afterwards, disgusted with the violent proceedings against
the king, and perceiving that the object of the leaders of his party was
private aggrandizement, and not the welfare of their country, he left
them and repaired to the royal standard. This was a crime which could
not be pardoned; he was therefore condemned to death. That his
punishment might be rendered most bitter, the sentence was pronounced by
Colonel Mackworth, once his friend and fellow soldier; and it was ordered
to be executed at his native town of Shrewsbury, that a terrible
impression might be made on the inhabitants of that loyal place. He was
shot on the green before the castle, October 15, 1651, and suffered with
great intrepidity. This respectable officer was uncle to the celebrated
admiral Benbow.
An unsuccessful attempt was made to surprise the castle, in order to
favour the restoration of Charles the second, in 1654, but it ended
merely in plunging the king’s friends still deeper in misery and ruin:
among the most active in this enterprise was Sir Thomas Harris, who
suffered most severely for his well intended zeal. After Cromwell’s
death, and the restoration of the long parliament, upon Sir George
Booth’s rising in Cheshire for the king, the venerable Sir Thomas
Middleton, then 80 years of age, proclaimed him at Wrexham, which so much
encouraged the royalists of Shropshire and Denbighshire, that they
immediately sent a party to seize Shrewsbury, but though the friends of
monarchy were very numerous in it, Captain Edmund Waringe of Oldbury, the
governor, prevented their design, and secured the place for the
parliament. In 1683, when the nation was thrown into a ferment, by the
discovery of the Rye House Plot, this town was one of those which the
conspirators, presuming on its general disaffection to the government of
Charles the second, proposed to have seized. Such at least was the
deposition of the infamous Colonel Romsey, a wretch on whose head lies
the blood of the virtuous and patriotic Russel—who adds, in his
narrative, that there were in the castle 38 barrels of powder, 138 pounds
in the barrel, with arms for 300 men and great guns. “The castle,” he,
observes, “is strong by situation, and lies so conveniently, that either
from the north or west, or Midland, or Wales, the rebellious party might
easily resort thither.”
The last royal visit paid to this town was by the bigotted James the
second, who passed the 25th of August, 1687, here, and kept his court at
the Council House. The sentiments of loyal attachment, for which
Shrewsbury has ever been conspicuous, burst forth on this occasion, with
chivalrous enthusiasm.—They blazed in bonfires and illuminations, and
literally ran through the streets in torrents of wine, the public
conduits being charged with this royal liquid.
Having brought down the general history of Shrewsbury to a late date, we
shall now proceed to view its local character. There is no doubt that
its Trade was formerly very considerable, and though its importance in
this respect may have been eclipsed by the more eligible situation of
numerous other places for the manufacture of various articles, it has
never ceased to enjoy a considerable share of internal commerce. Heylyn
speaks of it as “a fair and goodly town, well traded and frequented by
all sorts of people, both Welsh and English, by reason of the _trade of
cloth_, and other Merchandise; it being the common mart or emptory
between Wales and England,” and Mr. Pennant, who wrote his account of
Shrewsbury above 40 years ago, gives the following account of its trade
in Welsh woollens: “From very early days this place possessed almost
exclusively the trade with Wales in a coarse kind of woollen cloth called
Welsh webs, which were brought from Merioneth and Montgomeryshires to a
market held here weekly on Thursday. They were afterwards dressed, that
is, the wool raised on one side, by a set of people called Shearmen. At
the time of Queen Elizabeth, the trade was so great, that not fewer than
600 persons maintained themselves by this occupation. The cloth was sent
chiefly to America to clothe the negroes, or to Flanders; where it is
used by the peasants. At present the greatest part of this traffic is
diverted into other channels, and not more than 4 or 5000 yards are
brought to the ancient mart.” This market is now entirely done away,
through an unfortunate disagreement between the manufacturers of these
articles and the drapers of Shrewsbury, and the market is now held at
Welsh Pool every other Thursday. The mode of raising the wool on one
side, described by Mr. Pennant, being found to be injurious to the
texture of the cloth, the number of shearman has considerable declined,
insomuch that there are only a few in the town at this time. Beside, its
trade in Welsh flannels and webs, a brewery appears to have been
established here in 1618; and in the reign of Henry VIII. and Elizabeth
it was famous for its glove and shoe manufactory.
Nor is the trade carried on in Shrewsbury at this period
inconsiderable—being the capital of a large and populous county, its
vicinity to the principality of Wales, and the facility with which
articles of every description are forwarded either by land or water
carriage, render it an extensive mart for the disposal of goods. Here
are two very large linen factories, besides manufactories for starch,
soap, flannels, cotton goods, an extensive iron and brass foundry, two
ale and porter breweries, a spirit distillery, &c. which will be noticed
under their proper heads, as well as various mechanical trades which are
common to all other large towns, and which contribute in no small degree
to the accumulation of wealth, to the enjoyment of the conveniences of
life, and to the power of benevolent actions by the inhabitants.
Shrewsbury is also famed for its excellent brawn and a kind of sweet flat
cake, whose good qualities are celebrated by the elegant pen of
Shenstone,
“For here each season do those cakes abide,
Whose honoured names the inventive city own,
Rend’ring thro’ Britain’s isle, Salopia’s praises known.”
With the increase of trade and riches we must also connect that of its
population and its consequent extension of buildings. In the reign of
Edward the Confessor there were only 252 houses here, and the earliest
calculation of the number of inhabitants on record is in 1695; the town
then contained 7383 persons—in 1750, there were 8141 inhabitants and 1884
houses. In the years 1801, 1811, and 1821, enumerations were made,
agreeable to orders of the House of Commons, and which are here
subjoined:
1801. 1811. 1821.
_Inhabit_. _Houses_. _Inhabit_. _Houses_. _Inhabit_. _Houses_.
13,479. 2,861. 15,542. 3,024. 18,242. 3,463.
From these statements it appears that an increase of 2063 persons took
place in the first 10 years, and 2700 in the second, but it should be
observed that as each parish extends more or less into the surrounding
country, it is probable that the town does not contain more than 16,000
inhabitants.
Although much remains to be done in order to put Shrewsbury on an
equality, with respect to elegance and convenience, with many other
places not its superiors in size, wealth, or situation, numerous
praise-worthy improvements have taken place during the last 60 years.
Previous to that period there was but one Inn (the Raven) of any extent
for the accommodation of strangers, no stage coach; neither cart nor
waggon was employed for the conveyance of goods, packhorses being only in
use; and such persons as had occasion to travel were obliged to perform
their journies on horseback, postchaises being unknown.—At length about
1761 the first stage coach made its appearance in Shrewsbury, and since
that period by the indefatigable perseverance of the late Mr. Robert
Lawrence, of the Lion Inn, in completing the communications and bettering
the roads: a noble and substantial Guildhall, two beautiful stone bridges
over the river Severn, together with two new and elegant churches, and a
great number of charitable and benevolent erections have given additional
beauty to this interesting and venerable town. Its suburbs have been
materially enlarged and improved, many obstructions in the principal
streets removed, and the facilities for travelling have been
astonishingly increased.
The government and police of Shrewsbury have the next claim on our
attention. It is a corporation by prescription, and charters have been
granted to it by almost every king of England since William the Norman.
The first regular charter was granted by Henry I.; this was confirmed by
John, who in addition empowered the burgesses to chuse two prœpositi of
bailiffs removeable only on bad behaviour; but it was not until Edward
III. that the bailiffs were constituted magistrates and authorised to
hold a session for the trial of causes. The institution of aldermen is
supposed have taken place in the 12th of Richard II. for “about the year
1390, the earl of Arundel being commissioned by the king to end certain
disputes among the Burgesses, awarded that for the good government of the
town for the future, the commonalty should elect out of themselves twelve
of the most sufficient persons who should continue in their office for
two years from the feast of St. Giles.”
By the charter of Charles I. granted in 1638, the corporation was new
modelled changing the offices of bailiffs into that of a mayor, recorder,
steward, town clerk, 24 aldermen, 48 assistants or common councilmen, two
chamberlains, a sword bearer, serjeants at mace, &c. &c.; and that the
mayor, bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, recorder, steward, 3 senior
aldermen, and the alderman who last served the office of mayor, should
act as Justices within the town and liberties of Shrewsbury. In this
form it now exists. The right of electing the corporate officers is
vested in the common council by whom the mayor is chosen annually on the
Friday after St. Bartholomew. The general session is held quarterly by
the justices of the peace for the borough; and the mayor or some of the
aldermen and justices attend the Exchequer every Tuesday to transact
public business. A court of requests, for the recovery of debts under
the value of forty shillings, is held in the town hall every other
Wednesday. The number of its commissioners is about 30, the eligibility
for election to which office consists in residence in the town and the
possession of freehold property of the value of £30 per annum, or a
personal estate of £600 value clear of all deductions.
Notwithstanding the corporation is empowered to enact laws for the most
effectual administration of the police of the town, this branch of
internal government is in a very disorganized state; yet the many useful
regulations which have been established, and the strict and impartial
manner in which they are enforced, reflect the greatest credit on the
magistrates and conduce to the peaceable demeanour of the inhabitants and
the order and respectability of the town. But the most impartial
observer will see that much remains to be done for the prevention of
immorality; and though it is impossible that the most enlightened, active
and persevering magistracy, aided by the continued exertions of the
inhabitants can prevent individual delinquency, something may yet be
achieved for the preservation of public morals, some plan devised which
may foster the sparks of pure and proper feeling as an antidote to that
national dereliction of manners in which Shrewsbury in common with most
other large towns participates too much.
In addition to the Corporation here are sixteen chartered companies,
consisting of various trades, to exercise any of which, within the
liberties, no person is admitted who has not either served a legal
apprenticeship or paid a sum of money, entitled, “a foreigner’s fine”,
which is of various amount in the several fraternities.—An ancient
ceremony, called the Show, used by these, deserves to be recorded, as
perhaps, (with the exception of Coventry) it is the only one of the kind
now existing in the kingdom. On the second Monday after Trinity Sunday
the various companies assemble in front of the castle, with their
wardens, flags, devices, &c. &c., each having at their head some person
gaudily dressed; some in representation perhaps of the monarchs who
granted their respective charters, whilst others display devices and
insignia emblematical of the trades which they practise. The procession
being arranged, moves over the Welsh bridge to a piece of ground, on the
west side the river, and adjoining the town, called Kingsland, where each
company has its arbour, in which is a cold dinner provided for the
entertainment of the mayor and corporation, who visit the various arbours
with their attendants, decorated in all “the pomp and circumstance” of
office. After spending the evening in festivity and mirth, the several
companies retire from Kingsland, much invigorated with the essence of
barley corn, and return into town over the English bridge.
This ancient pageant is now fast approaching its dissolution. During the
few last years, the master tradesmen have entirely ceased to walk in
procession to the ancient spot, and the ceremony is now continued only by
the apprentices of the chartered companies most numerous in the town.
The custom originated in the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi,
one of the most splendid feasts of the Romish Church. After the
reformation, the religious part of the ceremony was discontinued, but one
day was still set apart for the express purpose of idleness, jollity and
merriment.
The first return of Members of Parliament to represent the town of
Shrewsbury appears to have been in the 26th of Edward the first. The
right of election is vested in the resident burgesses, paying scot and
lot, and not receiving alms: the mayor being the returning officer. The
burgesses who polled at the contested election, in 1819, were 688 in
number.—The freedom of Shrewsbury (with respect to voting) is acquired by
serving seven years apprenticeship to a burgess residing within the
liberties, or by birth within the liberties on paying the sum of £7 4s.
0d.; every male child of a burgess, who may be born after his father has
been sworn in, can claim his burgesship on the payment of £1 6s., whether
born in the town or not. Honorary freedoms may be also given by the body
corporate. The members who represent the town of Shrewsbury in the
British Parliament, are two in number.
Considered as a place of residence, Shrewsbury has the advantage of a
salubrious air and mild temperature. At a short distance from the town
in a N.E. aspect, a very accurate observer found the mercury in the
thermometer down at 8° in January 1814.—By observations on the variations
of the thermometer for one year, the same gentleman found that the mean
temperature of the same year was 46°, and that the variations, during the
course of the year amounted to 77°, varying from 8° to 83°. In South
Carolina, the annual variation has extended to 83°. The winter of this
year, it may be recollected, was much colder and the summer hotter than
is common at Shrewsbury, and yet the highest degree to which the mercury
rose was 85°. In the East Indies, the mercury is frequently at 104°.
From accurate observation it appeared, that the medium of the daily
variations was nearly regular in its increase till June, and from the
close of that month till the end of December was again almost uniformly
diminishing. The medium of the daily variations was no more than 6°,
whereas in some places they reach 30°. From these statements it appears
that we are free from those sudden changes of the atmosphere which
generally very much affect, and often prove fatal to, the human frame.
That this is a fact may be inferred from the similar temperature of
Shrewsbury with that of Sidmouth, in Devonshire, one of the most healthy
places perhaps in this kingdom: In the year 1814, the mean temperature
was 47°, only one degree above that of Shrewsbury. This observation is
also supported by the tables published by Dr. Price, on Reversionary
Payments, in which he proves, from the Bills of Mortality that out of
1000 persons born, there were alive
_Age_ _London_. _Northampton_. _France_. _Vaud_, _Shrewsbury_.
_Switzerland_.
18 334 459 621 618 555
54 125 218 406 367 326
85 7 13 36 17 41
The relative degrees of vitality are thus shewn in a more perspicuous
manner than by any other method and from the above table it is evident
that the temperature of Shrewsbury is in most instances nearly equal, and
in some superior, to the warm climates of France and Switzerland, and
extremely favourable to longevity.
The elevation of the town, together with the purity of its atmosphere and
the excellence of its water, renders its situation extremely salubrious.
Contagious diseases are very rare. The scarlet fever, measles, hooping
cough, &c. are usually very mild. The residents in the immediate
vicinity of the Severn are most liable to illness, and in these cases the
inflammatory symptoms generally run high. Many parts of the town and its
environs may justly be recommended as eligible residences for invalids,
who visit Shrewsbury from Ireland, Wales, and various parts of the United
Kingdom, to avail themselves of the able medical assistance which the
town affords.
Shrewsbury is built on two hills, of easy ascent, which for the most part
gently slope to the river Severn; by this stream the ground on which the
town stands is formed into a peninsula, the castle being judiciously
placed on the isthmus, and thus commanding the entrances to the town.
Like most ether places not of Roman origin, its streets are extremely
irregular; nor had its buildings, until within these few years, any claim
to superiority, the ancient houses being chiefly built with projections
into the public streets—an inconvenience very properly remedied by the
elegance of modern erections. Its suburbs have of late years very much
increased, and, in conjunction with this, many excellent improvements
have been made in removing obstructions from the entrances to the town:
but, notwithstanding the natural advantages it possesses, the bad state
of its pavement and the filthy picture continually presented by its
streets, is a source of poignant regret.
The plain of Shropshire, in which the town is situated, is of
considerable extent, divided by the Severn into two unequal portions, and
though flat, when compared with the surrounding hills, of a very varied
surface. Its greatest length from N. to S. is about 30 miles,
comprehending the space between Whitchurch and Church Stretton; its
breadth from Oswestry to Coalbrookdale, is about 28 miles. Shrewsbury,
when viewed from any of its adjacent eminences, presents a beautiful and
interesting scene, and the eye of the spectator is led to survey the most
extensive amphitheatre of mountains which perhaps the island can boast.
The Wrekin is connected by the gentle hills of Acton Burnel and
Frodesley, (over which the gigantic summit of Brown Clee is conspicuous,)
with the Lawley and Coredock, generally called the Stretton Hills, from
whence the Longmynd, Stiperstones, and Long Mountain, from an
uninterrupted chain, with the bold and precipitous cliffs of the Kefn y
Castyr, Moel y Golfa, and Breyddin, surmounted by an obelisk in honour of
the late gallant Lord Rodney; thence the horizon is bounded by the
stupendous Berwin range, losing their blue summits in the clouds; while
the northern view is terminated by the humbler but beautiful eminences of
Grinshill, Pymhill, Hawkstone, Haughmond, &c., round to the Wrekin. The
whole of this vast circle incloses a finely wooded and beautifully
diversified champaign country, of gentle hill and dale, studded with
numerous gentlemen’s seats—watered with various streams—eminently fertile
in arable, meadow, and pasture; and amply justifying the eulogium of an
ancient British poet, who, after gazing, as he tells us, on the plain of
Shropshire, from the height of Charlton Hill, calls it the paradise of
_Cymru_. {33} The glittering rays of the Sun gilding the lofty spires of
the town—the bold and ancient appearance of its ivy-mantled castle—the
lovely pleasure and garden grounds which nearly surround it and gently
slope from the mouldering ruins of its once warlike walls to the majestic
Severn, which, fringed with lofty tufts of trees of various foliages,
“proudly rolls its crystal stream along;” altogether form one of the most
picturesque and enchanting prospects any where to be met with. Added to
this, the well known salubrity of its air, and the many agreeable
promenades which on every side of the town present themselves; and the
compiler thinks he will not be esteemed too vain in asserting, that his
native town is not surpassed, (though, for aught he knows, it may be
equalled,) in point of situation, wholesomeness, and picturesque scenery,
by any place of equal size in Great Britain.
The general character and manners of the inhabitants of Shrewsbury, as
they assume no characteristic sufficient to distinguish them from those
of other towns similarly circumstanced and situated, will not long detain
the attention of the visitor. He will not often be disgusted with the
petty assumptions of office clothed with a “little brief authority,” nor
will he be displeased in perceiving, in a large majority of the
inhabitants, a considerable portion of civility, hospitality, social
intercourse, and liberality of opinion; and if great refinement of
manners do not characterise them in the aggregate, the stranger will have
employed his leisure to little advantage, who does not soon discover in
the town a very extensive share of that frankness, benevolence, and
warmth which is a prominent feature in the old-British character.
Numbers in the different ranks of society are to be met with whose lives
are adorned with the honours due to industry, integrity and virtue; and
if we add the munificence with which the various public charities are
supported by Salopians in general—who
— Learn the luxury of doing good,
in the diffusion of a part of these superfluities with which a benignant
Providence has crowned their labours, the writer thinks he is not saying
too much when he observes that benevolence is strongly marked in the
general portrait. The different churches and chapels are, on the whole,
well attended; and in few towns of equal size is there a more decent and
orderly observance of the Sabbath. It is, however, to be regretted that
many of its residents are destitute of that urbanity and politeness which
should ever be displayed to strangers; but it is probable this
circumstances to be attributed chiefly to the pride of nobility and
ancestry, which looks down with half averted eyes on supposed
inferiority; and to the want of an enlarged commixture with mankind,
producing a generosity of disposition, and moderation of principle which
are the natural results of extensive commercial pursuits.
Difference of opinion on the actions of public men,—on the measures
pursued by persons holding the first political situations in the state,
and on religious subjects; are compatible with the purest loyalty and
most fervent patriotism, and will be readily acknowledged by those who
possess any share of liberality add reflection.
To the infinite credit of Shrewsbury, its population has not been led to
the perpetration of any of those acts of violence and atrocity which have
disgraced other places, and which are caused by the difference of
religious opinion, of the political effervescence of the times in which
such outrages may have taken place. This observation, however, is not
intended to impute to the inhabitants any thing like a state of passive
obedience or wilful ignorance—far otherwise. This judicious conduct by
which the welfare and good order of the town have been so essentially
promoted, is perhaps rather attributable to the candour and prudence of
the leaders of the various political parties, or to the virtue of mutual
forbearance happily exercised by the inhabitants at large.
On subjects, however connected with the safety and prosperity of the
British Empire, and the welfare of the illustrious house of Brunswick,
Shrewsbury has ever been among the foremost in displaying its patriotic
spirit and affectionate attachment. The loyalty of the inhabitants has
long been pre-eminent, so much so, that it is celebrated by the elegant
pen of Shenstone.
Admir’d Salopia, that with venial pride
Eyes her bright form in Severn’s ambient wave;
Fam’d for her cares in loyal perils try’d,
HER DAUGHTERS LOVELY AND HER STRIPLINGS BRAVE.
As early as the year 1715, this town displayed its consequence and
attachment to the present royal family in a very spirited manner. A
considerable body of horse and foot was raised by Lord Newport, Sir C.
Lloyd, Bart., W. Kynaston, T. Gardner, and J. Fownes, Esquires, for the
protection of Shrewsbury; the walls were put in a state of defence, new
gates, &c. made, and brigadier Dormer’s regiment, then lying in this
town, received orders to march to Preston, Shrewsbury being deemed secure
from the strength of its _own_ garrison. In 1745, also, the earl of
Powis raised a regiment here, for the service of the state, into which
many gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood entered as volunteers.
During the war with the French republic two regiments were raised in
Shrewsbury, one by colonel Cuyler, (the present 86th) and the other by
colonel, now general Williams, and the inhabitants contributed very
liberally towards the crusade against French revolutionary principles.
The maturer efforts of Shrewsbury have not been unworthy the zeal of its
youth. When the tocsin of invasion was sounded through the vast
dominions of France, and the existence of Britain as an independent
nation, was threatened with extinction, the inhabitants of Shrewsbury
stepped forward with a noble enthusiasm, in defence of their lives, their
liberty and, laws:
Types of a race, who shall th’ invader scorn
As rocks resist the billows round their shore:
Types of a race who shall to time unborn
Their country leave unconquer’d as of yore.
A regiment of foot, called the Shrewsbury Volunteers, was formed. It
consisted of seven companies of eighty men each, chiefly tradesmen,
clothed at an expence of about £3,000, raised by voluntary contribution
in the town. Besides this corps, which was commanded by Sir Charles
Oakley, Bart., two companies were raised in the town by B. Benyon, and J.
Sutton, esq.’s which were attached to that fine regiment the Shropshire
Volunteers, under the command of colonel Kynaston Powell, M.P.; and three
troops of Cavalry commanded by the honourable William Hill. And had an
allwise Providence permitted the invader to set his unhallowed foot on
the shores of Britain, there is no doubt but each individual was
determined that the spot on which he contended in defence of the noble
institutions of his country should have been the throne of his triumph or
his grave.
The promptitude with which these associations and others of the same
nature throughout the empire, united in the hour of public danger—the
fatigues they underwent in acquiring a knowledge of the use of arms—the
readiness evinced in the abandonment of their private concerns for the
public safety—and the inconveniences and expenses which they incurred on
the occasion, surely demanded some other reward than to have their ardour
damped by the change in the system of national defence; for to whom in
the hour of battle could the protection of their homes and their
families, the independence of their country, the sepulchres of their
fathers, and the sanctuary of their God, be better entrusted than to
those whose courage was animated and strengthened by the most endearing
recollections? But such sacrifices, even when the necessity of them was
superseded, will not be forgotten—the remembrance of them will live in
the minds of their grateful and admiring countrymen, and their services
will form a splendid, monument on the page of history.
Nor have the inhabitants been insensible to the miseries attendant on
those whose relatives have fallen sacrifices to the heroism and devotion
which they displayed during the sanguinary battles of the last twenty
years, having very largely contributed to alleviate the wants of their
widows and orphans.
The affection and loyalty of the inhabitants of Shrewsbury to their
venerable Sovereign was most conspicuously displayed on the National
Jubilee, the 25th of October, 1809, the fiftieth anniversary of his
Majesty’s accession to the crown. On this occasion, liberal
subscriptions were entered into for the purpose of discharging the debts
of persons in the court of conscience—for relieving the distresses of the
sick poor, &c. &c. Joy beamed in every countenance, and gratitude filled
every heart. A congratulatory address had been previously voted
unanimously, in a general meeting of the inhabitants convened by the
mayor.—We give the following abridged account of the celebration of the
day from the SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE of October 27:—
Never, perhaps, has any national occurrence taken place which can
afford in retrospect so rich and amiable a gratification as that of
Wednesday last. If we contemplate that a general amnesty was
proclaimed to all delinquents in our army—that a national banquet was
ordered for the brave fellows in our navy—that the prisons in many
places were thrown open to the debtors—that there was no such thing,
perhaps in the land, as an hungry honest man—and, lastly, that our
places of worship were thronged by a people, who, like sons and
daughters, had assembled to give thanks to the Almighty for the
preservation of the life of their political parent: scarcely could
the imagination conceive a happier variety of circumstances from
which the mind may derive such sublime enjoyment. How conspicuous on
this event has been the attribute of Englishmen—GENEROSITY! And let
us also reflect, how much good had been omitted to be done, and how
much evil had been produced, if the sums voluntarily subscribed by
the people of this kingdom had been squandered in acts of sensuality,
and riotous illuminations. Instead of which, the hungry have been
filled, the moneyless relieved, and the captive set free.
In deeds of this description, the inhabitants of THIS TOWN have never
been deficient. The subscriptions amount to between £400 and £500,
and the committee has been indefatigable in proposing, and in
executing, the best plans in the distribution of it.
The mode of distribution, fixed upon at a Meeting of the Subscribers,
is as follows:—A sum not exceeding 50 Guineas to be applied in the
discharge of persons now in the court of conscience, under the
direction of a committee.—The like sum to be applied by the same
committee in discharging or compounding debts of other poor persons
within the town.—A like sum to be applied in the relief of poor sick
persons within the town, under the direction of a committee.—The
distribution of these sums to take place on or before the 25th of
December next.—The Directors of the House of Industry to be
recommended to make what addition they shall think proper, on the
25th instant, to the ordinary allowance of the poor and aged people
under their care.—Five Guineas to be given to the ringers; and 7_s._
to each housekeeper in St. Chad’s, St. Mary’s, and St. Giles’s
almshouses.—The remainder given on Tuesday evening (the 24th) to
proper persons—one half to St. Chad’s parish, and the remaining half
in the other four parishes.—Each subscriber to have a right to
recommend two persons for each guinea subscribed.
The dawning of Wednesday morning was saluted by ringing of bells;
while, from the barges on the Severn, decorated with laurels and
flags, which were suspended from their yard-arms and top-masts, the
bellowing of cannon was incessantly heard. Shops were closed, and
business seemed suspended. At eleven, the mayor and corporation,
preceded by their officers, and the wardens and many members of every
company of tradesmen, accompanied by their flags and streamers,
walked in procession to the church of St. Chad, the band playing God
save the King. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Nunn, from
the 11th Nehemiah, 3d verse, “Let the king live for ever;” and the
service concluded by singing “God save the King.” Sermons were also
delivered to crowded congregations at every place of worship in the
town. The doors of many of the principal in habitants were
ornamented with laurel; at night, fire-works were exhibited from the
gardens of Benyon, Esq. and Dr. Evans, and bonfires distinctly
descried on the remote eminences of the Wrekin, Haughmond Hill,
Grinshill, &c.
We shall conclude by repeating the sentiment, that the future
historian, dwelling upon the character of HIS MAJESTY, will, by this
day, be released from the trouble of much prolixity. The character
of George the Third has been drawn by his people in this spontaneous
expression of their sentiments. After a reign of half a century,
they rose with one accordant voice, and desired with prayer and
praise, with thanks and rejoicings, with deeds of benevolence and
charity to all their fellow subjects, to express their gratitude to
GOD for having given them so good a King, and for having spared his
life so long.
One remark will surely occur to every person who reads this and other
accounts of the universal spirit that has pervaded the bosoms of
Englishmen on this occasion:—If the strength of a state center in the
virtue of its people; the virtue of a people in affection for their
sovereign, and a reciprocal love, link both together, then is England
powerful indeed! ‘What shall subdue this spirit?’
Description of the Town.