[Picture: St. Julian’s and St. Alkmond’s Churches]
The church, dedicated to St. Juliana, occupies an elevated situation at
the top of Wyle Cop, and was erected 1749–50, from a design by Mr. T. F.
Prichard, of this town, on the site of an Anglo-Norman structure, which
had become ruinous.
It is a plain oblong building of brick, and stone dressings, 83 feet by
48, with a small recess for the chancel.
At the west end is the tower of the old church; the basement is of red
stone, and of a date far anterior to the superstructure, which is of the
16th century, and crowned by a handsome embattled parapet and eight lofty
pinnacles, restored in 1818, when the masonry of the tower was chipped
and repaired. The tower contains a peal of six bells, recast in 1706,
and an excellent clock, the dial of which is illuminated at night.
In the south wall of the chancel is an ancient figure, probably intended
to represent St. Juliana.
The interior is particularly neat, possessing an air of solemnity unusual
in the generality of modern churches. Four large Roman-Doric pillars
support the roof of the nave, which is coved and adorned with the
fret-work of the old church. Galleries occupy three sides of the
building. At the west end is an excellent organ, by Bowsher and
Fleetwood, of Liverpool, erected by a subscription in 1834, the exterior
of which is tasteful in design, and harmonizes with the internal
architecture of the edifice.
The pulpit is handsome, and belonged to the old church. The altar-piece
and furniture of the chancel are in good taste; the former is of
wainscot, and presents a Roman Doric basement, supporting Ionic pilasters
and entablature with modillion cornice, from which springs a rich
architrave surrounding a Venetian window, in the centre light of which is
a figure in stained glass of ST. JAMES BEARING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. The
side lights contain the royal arms, and those of the see of Lichfield,
impaling Cornwallis.
In the windows of the south gallery are the armorial bearings of Queen
Elizabeth, the family of Bowdler, a fine ancient shield of the town arms,
and heads of St. Peter and St. Paul, surmounted by their emblems, the
keys and sword. On the north side are the arms of Prince, Bennett,
Astley, the Earl of Tankerville, and a figure of St. John.
In the floor of the south aisle is an ancient gravestone, preserved from
the former church: round the edge is a Longobardic inscription to the
memory of Edmund Tromwyn, who is supposed to have died about the close of
the thirteenth century.
There are several mural monuments in the aisles and chancel: on the north
side of the latter is a pedimented tablet set on a square table of
dove-coloured marble, with the following inscription:—
Sacred to the Memory
Of the VENERABLE HUGH OWEN, M.A. F.R.S.
Archdeacon of Salop,
Prebendary of Salisbury and Lichfield,
One of the Portionists of Bampton, Oxfordshire,
Formerly Minister of this Parish, and afterwards of St. Mary, in
Shrewsbury.
He was the only son of Pryce Owen, M.D. and Bridget his wife,
And the lineal descendant of an Ancient British family.
Distinguished for the extent and accuracy of his Antiquarian
researches,
And knowledge of the principles of Ecclesiastical and Civil
Architecture,
By the judicious application of this talent,
Joined to a firm but mild execution of his official authority,
He greatly contributed to the decent and substantial restoration
Of many venerable fabrics within his Archdeaconry.
His “Account of the Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury,”
Originally published in a single volume,
Was afterwards embodied in a complete History written by him,
In conjunction with the Rev. John Brickdale Blakeway.
He died Dec. 23d, 1827, aged 67 years.
Harriet, his wife, daughter of Edward Jeffreys, Esq.
Died April 3d, 1825, aged 59 years.
In the south aisle, a plain tablet surmounted by a lion commemorates the
public spirit and unremitting exertions of Mr. ROBERT LAWRENCE, “in
opening the great road through Wales between the united kingdoms, and for
establishing the first mail coach to this town.” He died Sept. 3d, 1806,
aged 57 years.
The living is a perpetual curacy in the presentation of the Right Hon.
the Earl of Tankerville, and the parish comprehends the Wyle Cop and the
suburb of Coleham, but isolated districts of it are intermixed with
several of the other parishes at different ends of the town.
A Sunday evening lecture was commenced at this church, April 20th, 1828,
for the “free accommodation of the town at large,” the parishioners
having consented to lend their pews for the occasion. Several of the
clergy connected with the town preach alternately at this additional
service.
THE PARISH OF
ST. MICHAEL WITHIN THE CASTLE.
It has been already stated (page 24) that the royal free chapel of St.
Juliana became at an early period appurtenant to the church of St.
Michael, the situation of which it has been shown was within the castle.
It is uncertain whether a church existed here anterior to the Norman
conquest; however, in the survey called Domesday-book, compiled in 1085,
the churches of Shrewsbury are mentioned in the following order, and
their possessions enumerated: viz. St. Mary, St. Michael, St. Chad, St.
Alkmund, and St. Julian. And of St. Michael these particulars are given:
“The Church of Saint Michael holds, of the Earl Roger, _Posseton_:
Chetel held it [in the time of the Confessor]: there is one virgate
of land: the land is half a carucate: one man renders therefore a
bundle of box on the day of Palms. The same church holds _Suletene_:
Brictric, a free man held it from the Confessor, when there was one
hide paying tax at the time of the Conquest: the land was one
caracute: there was also half a caracate: it was then worth five
shillings; now (the completion of Domesday) four pence less.” {63}
It may be useful, therefore, in this place to relate some further
information respecting the parish of St. Michael, which has lately
excited the public attention, by the parish of St. Mary enforcing a
demand for the payment of poor-rates upon the tenant of the Castle, J. C.
Pelham, Esq. and which that gentleman resisted on the ground that the
Castle formed no part of the parish of St. Mary. The issue came on for
trial at the Summer Assizes, 1836, before Mr. Justice Patteson and a
special jury, when a verdict was obtained in favour of the plaintiff, Mr.
Pelham.
1222.—This Chapel was of the donation of the Lord the King, and given to
William de Haverhul.
The Chapel of the Forde was also of the gift of the King, and belonged to
this church of the Castle, and rendered three shillings, and was worth
one mark, which William de Haverhul then held.
1235.—The Chapel of St. Michael was held by William de Battal, and was
worth yearly fourteen marks.
1271.—The Rector of St. Michael proceeded to recover in law for services
due to him in right of his church. The entry commences thus:
“Robert Corbet, of Morton, offered himself on the fourth day (fourth
day probably of the assizes at Shrewsbury) against Richard de Sarre,
Parson of the Church of St. Michael, of a plea that the same Robert
should do to the aforesaid Richard the accustomed and right services
which he ought to do to him for his frank tenement which he holds of
him in _Soleton_ and Lack.”
1293.—The Chapel of St. Michael was worth yearly twelve marks, and Master
Adam de Malane held it of the gift of the King.
1309.—King Edward the Second granted to his beloved clerk, Boniface de
Ledes, this Free Chapel, vacant by the resignation of Roger de Ledes.
1318.—A similar Grant to Roger de Lysewy, of this Free Chapel of St.
Michael, being then vacant, &c. To this grant is appended an order from
the King to “Master Thomas de Cherlton,” then Constable of the Castle, to
induct this Roger into corporal possession thereof.
1330.—A similar Grant of this Chapel, being vacant, to Walter de London.
1330.—A subsequent Grant, in this year, of the said Chapel to Adam de
Overton.
1342.—It appears that Adam D’Overton was Warden of this Free Chapel of
St. Michael.
1343.—A Grant to John de Wynwyk of this Free Chapel, and an order to John
de Wyndsore, then the Constable, to induct him; also a Grant to the same
John de Wynwyk of the King’s Free Chapel of St. Julian, Salop.
1344.—A Grant to John Fitz John Le Strange, of Blaunkmonstr, of this Free
Chapel.
1347.—It appears that a suit was pending between John Fitz John Le
Strange, of Whitechurch, Parson of this Free Chapel, and certain persons
in the pleas mentioned.
1395.—An Inquisition taken at Salop, on Wednesday next after the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross, before John de Eyton, Sheriff of Salop, by
virtue of a certain Writ to the said Sheriff directed, and to this
Inquisition annexed, by oath of William Banaster of Bromdon, and others,
who say upon their oath that William Tyrington, late Parson of this
Chapel, had committed waste, dilapidation, and destruction in this
Chapel, to wit, in throwing down, dilapidating, and destroying this
Chapel, to the value of one hundred pounds, through the defect of the
roofing, repairing, and supporting of this Chapel, that is, in lead,
stone, timber, and glass windows, and also in the carrying away one
chalice and divers entire vestments, with all the ornaments ordained for
the said chalice and vestments pertaining to the said Chapel, and by
destroying divers images lately being in the same Chapel, by reason of
his improvident custody of the said Chapel, and of his neglect of the
repairing of this Chapel, to the value aforesaid, beginning the defects
aforesaid in the Feast of Easter, in the 48th year of King Edward the
Third, till the death of this William Tyrington, so that this Chapel was
utterly destroyed and wholly thrown down and laid in ruins by this
William de Tyrington, late Parson of this Chapel, and so that two hundred
marks were not sufficient to amend and repair it, with the ornaments
lately being therein.
1410.—A Grant by King Henry the Fourth, reciting, that whereas he had
granted to “Roger Yve, of Leeton, Rector of our Chapel of St. John the
Baptist at Adbrighton Husee,” “certain lands in fields called the
Batteleyfield, in which field the battle between us and Henry Percy,
deceased, and certain of our rebels, lately took place,” in order to
build “a certain Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene,” of which he was appointed
Warden, with power to choose five Chaplains to celebrate Divine Service
in the said Chapel every day. The Grant then proceeds to endow the said
Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene at Battlefield with various possessions, and
among others with the Advowson of “the King’s Free Chapel of St. Michael
within the Castle of Salop, to which the Chapel of St. Julian of Salop is
appurtenant or appendant.”
1417.—John Repynton, then Warden of the said Chapel of Saint Michael,
surrendered the same to the King.
1558.—John Halliwell took of Richard Burper, among other property, all
manner of tithes, oblations, obventions, fruits, profits, and emoluments,
of the Rectory, Church, and Chapel, of Saint Julian, and of “the Chapel
of Saint Michael.”
1583.—Was a Fine, passing the same property.
Queen Elisabeth having granted a lease of the Castle and its
appurtenances to Humphrey Onslow, Esq. at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d.
that gentleman’s lease expired in 1596, when the Castle and its
appurtenances came into the possession of the Corporation.
In the records of the Corporation is the following entry:
1605.—“Agreed that persons shall view the stones in the Castle belonging
to St. Michael’s Chapel, and take account thereof, and enquire what
stones are taken away.”
There can be little doubt, however, but the Parish of St. Michael’s had
originally some connexion with St. Mary’s parish; for in the reign of
Henry II. it seems that Walter de Dunstanville, Rector of St. Michael’s,
sold a tract of land called Wogheresforlong and a moiety of Derefold to a
person named Gilbert, reserving to himself a rent of three shillings and
sixpence; and that John the son of Gilbert soon afterwards conveyed it to
one Nicholas le Poncer, who subsequently granted it to Haghmond Abbey,
free from all secular service, saving a rent of four shillings to be
annually paid (in lieu of the tithes of Derefold) to the parson of the
parish of the church of St. Michael within the Castle.
This commutation is assented to and witnessed by the Dean and Chapter of
St. Mary’s, “for us and our successors for ever;” an attestation which
would appear as quite unnecessary, if this district had not once been
connected with their jurisdiction.
The etymology of Derfald, or Deerfold, is an enclosure or park (which
will be noticed hereafter) for keeping deer, an appendage not unusual to
our early fortresses. This circumstance (and at a period when little
respect was shown to boundaries civil or ecclesiastical) might have
induced Roger de Montgomery, as feudal lord, to assign it as the
parochial limits of his church, although at the cost of the parish of St.
Mary.