History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Shropshire [1851]

Jones James, Scotland street

Platt Frederick, Willow street

Reynolds Mark, Watergate street

Roberts John, Scotland st.

Roberts Robert, Scotland st.

Roberts William, Swine market street

Rodenhurst Thomas, St. John’s hill

Thompson Robert, Church street

Williams John, Cross street

Tallow Chandlers.

Lea Samuel, Canal wharf

Lowe Samuel, High street

Tanner.

Menlove Joshua Lewis, Church street

Veterinary Surgeon.

Hampson Thomas, Sparbridge

Watch & Clock Maker.

Cross William, Cross street

Wheelwrights.

Edge William, Birch lane

Pearce Thomas (and timber merchant), Swine market street

Omnibuses.

To Wrexham & Chester, from the Red Lion Inn, at 7 o’clock in the morning, returning at 8 in the evening.

To Ruabon, from the White Lion Inn, at half-past 6 in the morning, returning at 7 o’clock in the evening.

To Whittington Station, from the White Lion Inn, at 8 o’clock in the morning and 6 in the evening.

Carriers.

Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company, general carriers to all parts of the kingdom; Charles Pearce, agent, Canal wharf

BIRCH AND LYTHE

is a small township, nearly a mile S.E. from Ellesmere, comprising 652a. 2r. 27p. of land, and in 1841 had eleven houses and 65 inhabitants.  The township contains some good land, has an undulating surface, and is intersected by the Shropshire Union Canal, on the banks of which are a commodious residence and offices erected by the Canal Company.  The landowners are the trustees of the Earl of Bridgewater and Richard George Jebb, Esq.  The latter gentleman resides at a neat mansion, pleasantly situated and beautified with pleasure grounds, called The Lythe.  Birch Hall is a good farm house, with commodious out-buildings, of modern construction.

The principal residents in Birch and Lythe are Richard George Jebb, Esq., The Lythe; William Shingler, farmer, Birch Hall; William Whalley, builder; and John Young, canal inspector, Canal-office.

COCKSHUT AND CROSEMERE

Francis Lloyd, Esq., in 1691, gave a rent charge of 6s. per annum, issuing out of a croft in Frankton, to be distributed to the poor of Cockshut, Crosemere, and Frankton.

John Parker, in 1849, bequeathed £200, the interest to be expended in bread for the poor, by the minister and chapel wardens, at such times and in such quantities as they shall think fit.

Post Office.—At John Green’s.  Letters arrive from Ellesmere at 9.10 A.M., and are despatched at 3.20 P.M.

Those marked * reside at Crosemere.

* Austin Thomas, farmer

* Belliss Richard, farmer

* Birch Edward, farmer

* Buckley William, farmer

Burlton William, shoemaker

Burroughs Thomas, farmer

Burroughs William, farmer

Butler James, maltster and beerhouse

* Cartwright Sml. wheelwright

Chester Jeffrey, vict., Lloyd’s Arms and Excise Office

Dickin Thomas, butcher

Evans John, saddle & harness maker

* Faulkes George, farmer

Faulkes Richard tailor

Green John, schoolmaster and parish clerk

Hampson Richard, farmer, Wackley Lodge

Haycocks Richard, blacksmith

Haycocks Thos., shoemaker

Haycocks William, farmer

Haycocks William, butcher and salesman

* Lee Samuel, farmer, Crosemere Hall

Lee Samuel, farmer

Maddocks Thos., bricklayer

Marsh Richard, farmer

Peevar John, shoemaker

Read John, shopkeeper and farmer

Read John, baker and shopkeeper

Read John, blacksmith

Shingler Thomas, farmer

Thomas Edward, wheelwright

* Thomas Edwd., shoemaker

Thompson James, tailor

Townsend Ann, victualler, Golden Lion

Townsend William, glazier

Trevor John, farmer & vict., Crown Inn

White Edward, farmer

Wynn John, farmer

COLEMERE

is a township, having a scattered population, three miles E.E. by S. from Ellesmere, containing 1,449a. 3r. 8p. of land, of which 1,248 acres are vested in the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater.  The soil is generally fertile, and produces good crops of wheat and barley.  There is a fine mere or pool of water, which covers a considerable surface, within the bounds of this township.  At the census in 1841 there were 39 houses and 192 inhabitants.

The principal residents in this township are the following Farmers, viz.:—William Bate, Thomas Baty, Mary Birch, William Birch, John Clark, Jane Haycock, Richard Jones, and tailor, Thomas Jones, and corn miller, Thomas Thomas, William Wenlock, Hannah Wilkinson, and Catherine Young.  Mary Butler, shopkeeper.

CRICKETT

is a small township, containing 339a. 1r. 12p. of fertile land, situated two miles and a quarter S.W. from the church of Ellesmere.  Richard Wynn, Esq., is the proprietor of the whole township.  In 1841 the township is returned as containing four houses and 30 inhabitants.

DUDLESTON, OR DUDLISTON,

formerly written Duddlestone, is a township and chapelry in the parish of Ellesmere, four miles and a half N.W. from that town, and eight miles N.N.E. from Oswestry.  The chapelry comprises the townships of Pentrecoed, Criftins, Chapel, Coadyrallt, and Dudleston, which together have an area of 4,640a. 1r. 24p. of land, mostly an undulating district, in some parts highly productive, and in other parts of an inferior quality.  At the census of 1841 there were 950 houses and 1,207 inhabitants.  The houses are in general scattered, and there are a considerable number of detached cottages, which in many instances were originally built upon the unenclosed land; and they have generally a small plot, or a few acres of land attached to each cottage.  The principal landowners are Edward Morrall, Esq.; Lord Dungannon; George Harper, Esq.; James Edwards, Esq.; Rev. John Morrall; George Bennett, Esq.; John Owen, Esq.; Charles Brown Owen, Esq.; John Davies, Esq.; William Dickin, Esq.; Hon. William M. B. Nugent; Mr. Richard Edwards; Miss Benyon; Mr. Samuel Lea; Mr. Robert Grindley; Mrs. Elizabeth Jones; Miss Boydell; Mr. Dymock; Mr. John Vaughan; Miss Kynaston; Mr. James Munslow; and Miss Broom; besides whom are several other freeholders.  Edward Morrall, Esq., is lord of the manor of Traian, which includes the parish of St. Martin’s and Dudleston chapelry.  The Chapel is a neat structure, situated on elevated ground, built of rough stone, with hewn quoins and finishings.  It consists of nave and side aisles, with an octagonal tower surmounted with short pinnacles.  The body of the church was rebuilt in 1819, at a cost of £431. 13s., towards which the Society for Building and Enlarging Churches gave the sum of £200.  It contains several neat mural monuments to the Boydells, of Kilhendre and Sodylt Hall, and the Morralls.  The pulpit is of oak, curiously carved.  At the west end of the church are three venerable yew trees, now much decayed.  The living is a perpetual curacy, returned at £238, in the patronage of the Vicar of Ellesmere, and enjoyed by the Rev. David Birds.  The Wesleyan Methodists and the Independent Methodists have each a small chapel on Dudleston Heath.  The Association Methodists have a chapel at the Gravel Holes.  There are two manufactories of bricks, tiles, and brown earthenware, in this township; and coal is got at the Flannag colliery, near to Coed-y-rallt.  The pits, however, are within the bounds of St. Martin’s parish, but the underground works extend into this chapelry.  The coal is of a superior quality, and the seams are from one foot to three feet in thickness.

Charities.—Frances Edwards, in 1719, conveyed certain premises in Dudleston, and directed them to be converted into a school and residence for a schoolmistress; to be kept in repair by such person as for the time being should be entitled to her capital messuage called Kilhendre; she also gave a rent charge of £10 per annum, issuing out of the great farm in Dudleston; £4. 10s. thereof to be paid to the schoolmistress, who should instruct twenty-four poor children; 10s. to buy books for the children; £3 to be paid in apprentice fees; 20s. for a distribution of bread every Sunday to five poor aged persons; and 20s., the residue thereof, to be expended in flannel, and given to the poor.  The school is situated near the church, and occupied by a female, who teaches twenty-four poor children.  The rent charge is expended in carrying out the donor’s intentions.

John Jones, by his will, dated 26th February, 1725, directed his executors to pay £100 to the incumbent, chapelwardens, and overseers, of the poor of Dudleston, to purchase land for the benefit of the poor.  This gift, with £20 given by a servant, £10 by Roger Jennings, and £5 by Mr. Roberts, were laid out in 1740 in the purchase of 6a. 0r. 21p. of land.  There is also an allotment of about a quarter of an acre set out on the enclosure of Dudleston common, the whole of which is let for £8. 12s. 6d., and distributed to the poor on St. Thomas’s day.  The sum of £10, left by a servant man in 1735, and £10 left by another servant man in 1739, are charged upon the Sodylt estate, and the interest, 20s. per annum, is distributed with the above charity.

Thomas Kynaston, in 1761, left £200, the interest to be annually distributed to the poor.  This money is invested on the security of the turnpike road from Wem to Bron-y-Garth.

William Challnor, in 1791, bequeathed £100, the interest to be applied in the relief of twenty of the poorest inhabitants of the chapelry.  Elizabeth Challnor, by will, 1807, bequeathed £100 to augment the charity of her father-in-law, William Challnor.  The first bequest is secured on the tolls of the road from Wem to Bron-y-Garth; and the latter is secured on the Ellesmere House of Industry.  The interest, £9. 1s., is distributed on New Year’s day among the most necessitous poor.

Post Office.—At Mr. Richard Evan’s, the Griffin Inn.  Letters are despatched to Chirk at two o’clock in the afternoon.

Bennett George, Esq., barrister, Sodylt Hall

Davies Edward, blacksmith, Criftins

Davies John, Esq., Dudleston Hall

Davies Richard, colliery proprietor, Flannag Colliery

Davies Thomas, wheelwright

Ellerton Richard, Esq., Erway

Evans Richard, victualler, Griffin Inn

Evans Joshua, wheelwright

Furmston Mrs. Emma, Criftins

Handley William, brick, tile, earthenware manufacturer, and victualler, The Grapes, Criftins

Humphreys Thomas, blacksmith

Jones John, Esq., Shelbrook

Jones John, shoemaker, Criftins

Jones Walter, shoemaker, Gravel Holes

Johnson Captain Robert, Kilhendre

Morrall Edward, Esq., Plas-warren

Morrall Robert, Esq., solicitor, Plas-yollen

Newnes William, shoemaker

Owen Richard, farmer and victualler, Three Pigeons Inn

Phillips Robert, blacksmith

Preston Samuel, shoemaker, Gravel Holes

Spencer Thomas, brick, tile, flower pot, and black earthenware manufacturer

Winter Rev. John Bowyer, curate

FARMERS.

Belmont Charles, The Pant, Pentrecoed

Boote Joseph (executors of), Gadless

Corns Richard, Criftins

Darlington Thomas, Plas-Thomas, Coadyrallt

Davies John, Dudliston Hall

Dickin William, Pentrecoed

Edwards Richard, Rock House, Coadyrallt

Foulkes John, The Vron, Coadyrallt

Garner Benjamin, Coadyrallt

Gough Edward, Pentre-Morgan

Hampson Daniel, Coadyrallt

Hampson Jane, The Castle

Hampson John, Chapel

Hughes Arthur, Pentrecoed

Hughes James, and corn miller, Pant Mill

Hughes Thomas, and butcher, Chapel

Humphreys John, Chapel

Jones Elizabeth, New Hall, Chapel

Jones John, Shelbrook, Coadyrallt

Jones Roger, Cross lanes, Pentrecoed

Jones Richard, Dudleston Grove

Lee Richard, Cross lanes, Coadyrallt

Manford John, Coadyrallt

Manford Martha, Pit House

Murslow James, Chapel

Owen Charles Brown, Dee Field

Owen Thomas, Pentrecoed

Parry John, Sodylt Lodge

Pay Margaret, Chapel

Roberts Robert, Pentrecoed

Rogers Henry, Chapel

Rutter Ann, Pentrecoed

Shone Thomas, Coadyrallt

Steen John, Criftins

Strange David, Pentre-madoc

Teggin John, Coadyrallt

Thomas Joseph, Plas-warren

EASTWICK,

a small township, two miles and a half N.W. from Ellesmere, contains 503a. 2r. 33p. of land, and in 1841 had 18 houses and 87 inhabitants.  The principal landowners in this township are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, Samuel Y. Kenyon, Esq., Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, Miss Kynaston, and Mrs. Broom.  The chief residents in Eastwick are Edward Broughall, farmer, Gadless; Josiah Hughes, tailor; Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, farmer and tanner, Gadless; Joseph Strange, blacksmith; Francis Thomas, farmer; and Mrs. Mary Wall, farmer, Pleasant Grove.

ELSON AND GREENHILL,

a township, a mile and a half N.W. from Ellesmere, contains 547a. 0r. 18p. of land; the most considerable owner of which is Charles Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq.  The other owners are Miss Kynaston, Mr. Joshua Lewis Menlove, Mr. John Furmston, and Mrs. Broom.  This township has a scattered population; in 1841 there were 11 houses and 65 inhabitants.

Directory.—Daniel Boote, farmer, Elson; John Boote, farmer, Greenhill; John Lea, maltster, Elson Cottage; Joshua Lewis Menlove, farmer, land agent, and brick and tile maker, Elson; Thomas Williams, farmer, Greenhill, and Mrs. Ann Williams, Elson.

FRANKTON, OR ENGLISH FRANKTON,

The principal residents are Mr. John Borne Oekley; William Downes, farmer, Frankton Grove; William Downes, jun., farmer; William Foulkes, farmer; Elias Puleston, farmer; Thomas Stanyer, farmer; Thomas Smith, blacksmith; and John Williams, wheelwright.

HAMPTON WOOD

is a small township, with 703a. 0r. 18p. of land, situated three miles from Ellesmere, and in 1841 had 37 houses and 175 inhabitants.  The principal landowners are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, Lord Kenyon, C. K. Mainwaring, Esq., and Joshua Lewis Menlove, Esq.  The resident farmers are William Boughey; Mary Boyling; Robert Jacks; James Price, and corn miller; Thomas Reeves; John Rodenhurst; and John Smith.

HARDWICK

is a township, containing 449a. 3r. 17p. of land, and in 1841 had 27 houses and 441 inhabitants.  The whole township is the property of Sir John Roger Kynaston, Bart., who resides at Hardwick Hall, an elegant mansion, delightfully situated in a park, with a fine undulating surface, richly wooded with noble timber.  The south front of the hall opens upon a terrace, ornamented with flowers, vases, and an open balustrade, which leads into the park.  On the west side of the hall are the pleasure grounds and shrubberies, which contain some rare shrubs of remarkably fine growth; the arra-caxia imbricata is upwards of sixteen feet high, and one of the finest specimens in the country.  The cedar deodora is also a beautiful specimen.  There are upwards of thirty varieties of the pinus tribe planted in different parts of the grounds.  Adjoining the west side of the hall, a new conservatory has just been completed, which is chiefly used as an orangery.  The vineries adjoin the kitchen gardens, which cover about an acre and a half of land.  About two hundred yards from the south front of the hall is a magnificent specimen of the cedar of Lebanon, which measures fourteen feet and a half in circumference.  A portion of the top was broken off about three years ago with the weight of snow that fell upon it.  Perthy Bank, or The Brow, consists of a public house and a few cottages, partly in this township and partly in Tetchill, situated on the brow of a hill, on the turnpike road leading from Ellesmere to Oswestry.  Hardwick Cottage is a neat residence, pleasantly situated near the turnpike road, occupied by Lovett Ferrall, Esq.

Directory.—Sir John Roger Kynaston, Bart., Hardwick; Lovett Ferrall, Esq., Hardwick Cottage; John Cureton, farmer; Samuel Carsley, blacksmith; Edward Heyes, victualler, Green Man Inn, The Brow; Samuel Stockton, gamekeeper; Mrs. Martha Thomas; Richard Woolf, farmer, Old Hardwick.

KENWICK STOCKETT AND WHATTALL,

a township three miles south from Ellesmere, contains 874a. 3r. 29p. of land; the owners of which are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, Thomas Buckley Buckley Owen, Esq., and the Rev. William Thomas.  In 1841 the township had nine houses and a population of 55 souls.  The principal residents are Samuel Burrows, farmer; Richard Gough, farmer, Whattall; Thomas Furmston, farmer, Lower Kenwick; John Stoakes, farmer, Higher Kenwick; and Joseph Stoakes, farmer, The Springs.

KENWICKS PARK

HENWICKS WOOD

is a township, situated four miles south from Ellesmere, embracing 865a. 3r. 16p. of land; an undulating district, the high ground of which commands a most beautiful view of the fertile plains of Shropshire and of the mountainous district of Wales.  In 1841 there were 23 houses and 137 inhabitants.  The principal landowners are William Sparling, Esq.; Sir John Roger Kynaston, Bart.; Thomas Buckley Buckley Owen, Esq.; Mrs. Sutton; and Mr. Joseph Hignett.

The following are the chief resident Farmers, viz.:—Stephen Burrows, Edward Hayward, Sarah Nickson, John Shingler, and Edward Stoakes.

LEE

is a pleasant little village and township, a mile and a half south from Ellesmere, which contains 815a. 1r. 30p. of land, the whole of which is the property of Thomas Buckley Buckley Owen, Esq.  This is a fine agricultural district; the land produces good crops of all kinds of grain, and many of the farms are of considerable extent The Old Hall, the residence of Mr. Thomas Lewis, is an antique structure of timber and plaster, with projecting gables, and has the date of 1594 on the front.  One of the rooms is wainscotted with oak, and has the date of 1657 over the fire place.  A fine old yew tree stands in front of the house.

The resident Farmers in Lee are Thomas Burrows; Thomas Gough; Thomas Hollis; Joseph Jones, John Lewis, John Price, and Richard Williams; Mr. John Lewis, Old Hall.  John Morgan, blacksmith.

LINEAL

is a village and township, three miles S.E. from Ellesmere, which contains 1,897a. 3r. 3p. of land, of which 1,620 acres are vested in the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater.  The township is intersected by the Shropshire Union Canal and the turnpike road from Ellesmere to Wem.  There are lime works here which were formerly carried on to a very considerable extent, the canal affording facilities for sending that commodity to distant parts of the country.  At the census of 1841 there were 44 houses in the township and 247 inhabitants.

Directory.—Andrew Bickley, farmer; Samuel Hignett Bickley, farmer; Isaac Birch, boot and shoemaker; Richard Bright, farmer; William Clay, engineer, blacksmith, and ironfounder; Mary Darlington, farmer; Francis Dickin, farmer; John Medeley, farmer; Hannah Mercer, victualler, New Inn, Hampton Bank; Robert Parry, farmer; Mary Peak, farmer and shopkeeper, Hampton Bank; William Rogers, farmer; John Wilkinson, victualler, Blue Dog; William Youd, farmer.

NEW MARTON,

Directory.—John Bate, farmer and maltster; John Cooke, farmer; John Gabriel, wheelwright; Edward Lewis, maltster and shopkeeper; John Lewis, farmer; John Powell, blacksmith; William Williams, boot and shoemaker.

NEWNES

is a very small township on the turnpike road from Ellesmere to Oswestry, about a mile S.S. by W. from the former town.  It contains 333a. 2r. 36p. of land, of which 310 acres are now vested in the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater.  In 1841 there were six houses and 46 inhabitants.  The resident farmers are Henry Pearce and James Thomas; Edward Lloyd, nurseryman.  There is an erroneous tradition that the celebrated Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, was born at Newnes.

NORTHWOOD,

a village and township on the verge of the county, two and a half miles N. from Ellesmere, is separated from the county of Flint by a small stream, on the banks of which is a corn mill.  The township is well wooded, has an undulating surface, and contains 1,321a. 3r. 5p. of land, the principal owners of which are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater.  Mr. Richard Evans and Mrs. Sarah Lindop are also proprietors.  In 1841 there were 29 houses and 150 inhabitants.  The resident farmers are John Cooke, Richard Evans, Mary Hassall, Sarah Lindop, Thomas Madeley, and Andrew Wycherley; Charles Reeves, corn miller.  When our agent visited Northwood there were two farms unoccupied.

a township with a scattered population, extending from half a mile to a mile and a half E. from Ellesmere, contains, 1,221a. 1r. 24p. of land, the whole of which is the property of Charles Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq., who resides at Oteley Park, an elegant mansion built of the Cafn free stone in 1827, and exhibiting a fine specimen of the florid English style of architecture, which prevailed during the reign of Henry VII.  The mansion is most delightfully situated upon an elevated plot of ground, overlooking a magnificent sheet of water covering a surface of one hundred and sixty acres.  In the front of the hall is one of the finest terraces in the country, it is surrounded with ornamental vases, filled with scarlet geraniums, which have a most beautiful appearance during the summer months, and give an additional charm to the fairy scene.  The interior of the mansion is most superbly furnished, and contains an extensive and costly collection of antique, china, and curious ornaments of the most elaborate workmanship.  There is a fine collection of family portraits, executed by the most celebrated Italian, Dutch, Flemish, and English masters.  The library contains a fine collection of books, and is richly ornamented with carved oak.  The entrance to the corridor is of stained glass, tracing the royal tribes of Wales, and the window of the hall traces the pedigree of the family: these are beautifully executed by Evans, of Shrewsbury.  A little north from the hall is the billiard room, the interior of which is ornamented with Flemish tapestry.  The shrubberies and pleasure grounds, which cover upwards of eighteen acres, are kept in the most admirable order, and beautified with rockeries, rustic bridges, and a very tastefully designed Swiss cottage.  The grounds contain some fine shrubs, and the cyprus and the arbavitus, which are very numerous, exhibit the greatest luxuriance of growth.  The park has a fine undulating surface, and is stocked with deer.  This township at the census of 1841 contained 14 houses and 87 inhabitants.

Directory.—Charles Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq., Oteley Park; Robert Butter, farmer and maltster and vict., Dog Inn, Ellesmere; Edward Edwards, farmer, Crimps; George Foulkes, farmer and carpenter; Edward Groom, gardener to C. K. Mainwaring, Esq.; Elizabeth Price, farmer; Mary Whitfield, farmer; Thomas Whitfield, farmer, Spoonhill.

RIDGE HIGHER AND LOWER,

a township and village situated S.W. from Ellesmere, contains 1,625a. 2r. 13p. of land, the principal owners of which are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater; Mr. Menlove and Mrs. Jones are also owners.  At the census of 1841 there were 31 houses and 157 inhabitants.  Higher Ridge is situated about three miles from Ellesmere, on elevated ground, which commands a most extensive and delightful view of the country.  Lower Ridge, about a mile further from Ellesmere, consists of two good farms.  The principal residents are Thomas Brayne, farmer, Higher Ridge; Edward Jones, farmer, Lower Ridge; John Matthews, farmer, Lower Ridge; Edward Price, farmer, Higher Ridge, and John Urion, farmer, Ridge.

STOCKS AND COPTIVINEY,

a small township two miles N.E. from Ellesmere, comprising 455a. 2r. 7p. of land, in 1841 is returned as having five houses and 48 inhabitants.  The whole of the land is the property of Charles Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq.  The principal residents are Ambrose Nixon, farmer, Stocks; George Rodenhurst, farmer, Stocks, and Thomas Whitfield, farmer, Coptiveney.

TETCHILL

TRENCH,

a township on the northern verge of the county, situated about two miles N.N. by W. from Ellesmere, contains 854a. 0r. 6p. of land, the principal owners of which are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater; Charles Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq.; and Rev. John Phillips, are also proprietors.  In 1841 the township contained 28 houses and a population of 65 souls.  The resident farmers are Thomas Cross, John Evans, John Groom, William Higginson, William Nunnerley, William Paddock, and Thomas Pearce.

GREAT NESS

is a considerable parish and pleasantly situated village in the lower division of the Pimhill hundred, four miles S.W. from Baschurch, ten S.E. by S. from Oswestry, and seven and a half miles N.W. by N. from Shrewsbury.  The parish embraces the townships of Alderton, Felton Butler, Great Ness, Hopton, Kinton, Nesscliffe, and Wilcott, which together contain 3,865a. 3r. 30p. of land, and in 1801 had 732 inhabitants, 1831, 850, and in 1841, 143 houses and a population of 876 souls.  Rateable value, £4,431. 5s. 4d.  The village of Great Ness contains several good houses, and is surrounded with an undulating district, which commands some fine views of great diversity and picturesque beauty.  The township contains 856a. 3r. 37p. of land, and in 1841 there were 16 houses and 84 inhabitants.  Rateable value, £1,198. 1s. 5½d.  The principal landowners are the Earl of Bradford; George Edwards, Esq.; Henry Calveley Cotton; and Thomas Justice Bather, Esq.  The former is lord of the manor.  The soil is a mixture of sand and loam, producing good wheat and barley.  The Church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is an ancient structure, consisting of nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a square tower, in which are three bells.  It contains several neat tablets to the families of Perry, Prosser, Payne, and Gittins.  The living is a vicarage, valued in the King’s book at £9, now returned at £345, in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor; incumbent, Rev. Henry Calveley Cotton.  The vicarage is a neat residence a little west from the church.  The vicarial tithes of Great Ness are commuted for £47. 10s.  The Hall, the residence of George Edwards, Esq., is a handsome house of brick, in the Tudor style of architecture, rendered conspicuous by a tier of rooms with semi-octagonal projections.  The grounds are tastefully laid out, and the park, though not extensive, is densely wooded.  North-west from the hall are the lofty heights and plantations of Nesscliffe hills.  This township is intersected by the Holyhead turnpike road.

Samuel Shuker, by will bearing date June 18th, 1821, devised two leasehold estates, then let at a yearly rent of £148. 15s., to John Edwards, Esq., upon trust to sell the same, and to invest the proceeds of such sale in the public funds, and out of the first year’s dividends to improve the present school house, and afterwards to pay the dividends yearly, in promoting the views of the said school, by causing so many poor children of indigent parents, not exceeding the age of twelve years, nor under the age of six years, to be properly instructed in reading, writing, and the four first rules of arithmetic, and finding them in books, pens, ink, and paper; the proportions of such children to be admitted into the said school being two boys and one girl.  The property above mentioned was sold by John Edwards, Esq., to whom the testator left the residue of his personal estate, not otherwise disposed of, the bequest to the charity being void under the statute of 9 George II., c. 36.  The produce of the sale of the above estates was about £1,070.  Mr. Edwards proposed settling this property ultimately upon the school, but retaining the disposal of the produce thereof for his life.

Margaret Dyos, by will 1729, bequeathed £10, and directed the proceeds to be distributed to the poor of Great Ness for the first three years, and the fourth year to the poor of Kinnerley, and so on in rotation from four years to four years.  This gift and £5 in the hands of the parish officers was laid out in the purchase of a piece of land in Melverley, which now produces a yearly rent of £1. 10s.

William Phillip left a rent-charge of 5s. yearly, to be distributed among twenty poor housekeepers.  The sum of 5s. is paid yearly to the churchwardens of Great Ness, as charged upon the Plough Inn, at Wellington, by Mr. Leeke, the owner of those premises.

Directory.—Thomas Justice Bather, Esq.; Rev. Henry Calverley Cotton; George Edwards, Esq., the Hall; James Jones, gentleman.  Farmers: William Davies, grazier, William Hughes, Samuel Smith, John Sides, John Wildblood.  Thomas Davies, butcher.

ALDERTON

is a small township one and a half mile from Great Ness, having one house, 13 inhabitants, and 196a. 3r. 10p. of land, with an undulating surface and light sandy soil.  The Earl of Powis is lord of the manor, and sole proprietor.  The tithes have been commuted, and £17. 15s. apportioned to the impropriator, and £7. 7s. 6d to the vicar of Great Ness.  Alderton Hall is a neat brick residence, occupied by Mr. Thomas Jones.  The farm buildings are extensive, and near to the hall is a pool of water of considerable extent.  The rateable value of this township is £234.

FELTON BUTLER

The principal residents are Thomas Harris, farmer and grazier; John Lewis, jun., farmer; Thomas Lewis, farmer; and Robert Jones, shoemaker.

HOPTON,

a township in Great Ness parish, near to the Holyhead turnpike road, contains 653a. 2r. 5p. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of peat and sand, upon which rye, turnips, and some little wheat are grown.  There is some good pasture land below the cliffs.  The village is divided into what may be considered Higher and Lower Hopton, and is pleasantly situated a mile and a quarter N.W. by N. from Great Ness, and eight and a half miles N.W. from Shrewsbury.  To the north-east of the village are the Nesscliffe hills, which rise four hundred feet above the level of the village.  In 1841 there were 38 houses and 179 inhabitants.  Rateable value, £607.  The Earl of Bradford is lord of the manor.  The freeholders are Mr. Richard Minton; Mr. Samuel Minton; Thomas Justice Bather, Esq.; Mr. Richard Wildblood; the Earl of Bradford; Mr. Thos. Bather; Mrs. Haddy; Mr. John Rodgers; Miss Williams; Mr. James Canlin; Mr. Charles Lloyd; Mr. John Povey; Mr. William Payne; and Mr. James Jones.  The rectoral tithes have been commuted for £81. 15s., and apportioned to Thomas I. Bather, Esq.  The vicarial tithes are commuted for £32.  There are stone quarries here, from which a fine red freestone is procured, in blocks of almost any dimensions.  The Wesleyan Methodists have a neat stone chapel near the village.

The principal farmers are Thomas Clayton, Startlewood; Edward Davies; Samuel Minton; Richard Minton; and John Suckley.  William Davies, butcher.

KINTON

is a village pleasantly situated two miles W. from Great Ness, commanding views of great strength and diversity; the township contains 1,163a. 0r. 3p. of land, the soil of which is sandy, upon a strong sub-soil, producing good wheat and barley.  The Earl of Bradford is lord of the manor.  The chief landowners are the Earl of Bradford, Mr. Richard Wildblood, Thomas Justice Bather, Esq., Mrs. Haddy, Miss Williams, Mr. Charles Lloyd, Mr. James Canlin, Mr. John Rodgers, Mr. William Payne, and others are also proprietors.  At the census of 1841 there were 21 houses and 97 inhabitants.  Rateable value, £1,115. 2s. 2d.  There are several neat villa residences in the village.  The Grove is a modern erection, the residence of Mr. Robert Suckley, and has conveniently-arranged farm premises attached.  The Wolf’s Head Farm, the residence of Mrs. Mary Suckley, was formerly a noted public house, and is situated near to Knockin Heath, on the side of the Holyhead turnpike road.  It was the rendezvous of thieves and vagabonds, and robberies were so frequently committed in this locality that the stout-hearted had a dread on passing this road.

Canlin Mrs. Maria

Canlin James, gentleman

Evans Edward, shoemaker

Gittins Thomas, blacksmith

Higginson William, grocer and provision dealer

Jones Richard, shoemaker

Lloyd Thomas, farmer

Massey James, farmer

Mansell Richard, farmer

Payne Mrs., gentlewoman

Suckley Mrs. Mary

Suckley Robert, farmer, The Grove

Taylor George, farmer

Wildblood Richard, farmer, The Hall

NESSCLIFFE

“God prosper and prolong this public good,
A school erected where a chapel stood.”

The school was built in 1753.  This village is celebrated for its immense quarries of red sand stone, from which blocks of almost any dimensions can be raised.  The red stone of which the castle, town walls, abbey, and most other old buildings in Shrewsbury are formed, was in all probability brought from this place.  Nesscliffe hill will amply repay the labour of an ascent, the prospect is most delightful and varied.  On the side of the hill is the celebrated Kynaston’s Cave, perched like an eagle’s nest upon the brow of an overhanging precipice.  Humphrey Kynaston was the keeper or constable of Middle Castle, who from his dissolute and riotous manner of life, was surnamed The Wild.  The enormous debts he contracted by his conduct caused him to be declared an outlaw, upon which he fled from Middle Castle, and sheltered himself in a cave in Nesscliffe rock, called to this day “Kynaston’s Cave.”  It is divided into two rooms by a strong pillar of the rock, upon which is carved, “H. K., 1564.”  One of these was the stall for the celebrated outlaw’s horse.  The approach was by a flight of broad steps, which have since been partly cut away.  Many a deed of daring is rehearsed of this high-born freebooter; among others, his draining to Mr. Lloyd’s health, in that gentleman’s court yard, the great hall tankard of ale; and while some of the retainers were closing him in, and others were securing every way of escape, Kynaston coolly pocketed the silver cup, and clapping spurs to his horse, cleared the gates and the heads of his would-be gaolers at a leap.  All his depredations seem more to have been dictated by whim than a desire to plunder, for he supplied the wants of the poor by dispensing the spoils he abstracted from the rich.  His grateful pensioners cooked for him in return, and found provender for his elf-like steed; the rich paying him tribute through fear, and the poor from gratitude.  Kynaston was never taken, but died, as tradition says, in his cave.

Post Office.—At Mr. Richard Minion’s.  Letters arrive at 5.40 A.M., and are despatched at 7.20 P.M.

Bickley Andrew, farmer and vict., Nesscliffe Inn

Dovestan Thomas, stone mason

Evans Robert, maltster, farmer, and vict., The Pigeons

Evans Richard, wheelwright

Gittins John, blacksmith

Gittins Stephen, sawyer

Humphreys Thomas, joiner & cabinet maker

Jones John, schoolmaster

Lloyd Richard, blacksmith

Minton John, saddler and harness maker

Minton Richard, postmaster

Morris John, carpenter

Owen John, tailor and draper

Randell George, cooper

Roberts Elizabeth, shopkeeper

a township and small well-built village in the parish of Great Ness, one and a half mile S.W. by W. from the church, having in 1841 eleven houses and 57 inhabitants.  The scenery in the vicinity of Wilcott is bold and romantic; the soil is fertile, producing good wheat and barley.  The principal landowners are William Payne, Esq.; John Povey, Esq.; George Edwards, Esq.; Richard Wildblood, Esq.; and Thomas Bather, Esq.  At the apportionment of the tithes, £76. 15s. was awarded to the impropriators, John Povey, Esq., Thomas Bather, Esq., and William Payne, Esq., and £25. 15s. to the vicar of Great Ness.  There are 374a. 0r. 22p. of land in this township.  Rateable value, £477. 2s. 9d.  The Independents have a small chapel, built of stone, and situated between this village and Kinton.

Directory.—Thomas Bather, Esq., The Villa; David Frumstone, blacksmith; Thos. Higginson, farmer and maltster; Owens Owen, farmer, grazier, maltster, and cattle salesman; William Payne, Esq.; Jane Price, gentlewoman.

HORDLEY

is a parish and pleasantly situated village, three miles south from Ellesmere.  The parish comprehends the townships of Hordley and Bagley, and contains 2,417a. 1r. 39p. of land, and in 1801 had a population of 247 souls; 1831, 325; and in 1841 there were 62 houses and 308 inhabitants.  The township of Hordley contains 1,211a. 1r. 18p. of land.  Rateable value, £1,802. 2s. 6d.  The soil is a mixture of sand and loam, producing good crops of wheat, barley, and turnips; but there is a considerable breadth of grazing land in this locality, which has a bold undulating surface.  The farm houses have a respectable appearance, and are provided with convenient out-premises.  Sir John Roger Kynaston, Bart., is lord of the manor, and owner of the whole township.  A remarkable elm tree, of immense size, stands at the cross roads.  The canal to Weston and the Ellesmere turnpike road intersect the township.

The Church, situated at Higher Hordley, is a plain structure, with a small turret, in which there are two bells.  It consists of nave and chancel, and contains neat tablets to Sir John Kynaston, Bart., John Kynaston, Esq., and to the family of Cureton.  The chancel contains a fine altar-piece of elaborate workmanship; and there is a beautiful stone font.  The living is a rectory, valued in the King’s book at £3. 19s. 2d.; now returned at £330; in the patronage of Sir John Roger Kynaston, Bart., and incumbency of the Rev. John Walter Moore; curate, Rev. William Frazer.  The tithes are commuted for £358, of which sum £272 are apportioned to the rector of Hordley; £16 to the rector of Baschurch; £40. 10s. to Mrs. Topp; and £29 to other impropriators.  The Rectory is a commodious and modern erection, situated on a gentle eminence about a quarter of a mile south-east from the church.  It was built by the present incumbent, aided by a grant from Queen Anne’s bounty.  The old rectory is now occupied as a farm residence.  A National School and residence for the teacher was built at Lower Hordley, near the centre of the parish, in 1844.  The average attendance of scholars is about sixty.  It is supported by subscription and a small payment from the children.  There are 28a. 2r. 24p. of glebe land in the parish.

Directory.—Stephen Burroughs, farmer, Lower Hordley; Mary Cureton, farmer; Rev. William Frazer, curate, the Rectory; John Groom, farmer; Richard Harper, blacksmith; Thomas Hewitt, farmer; Joseph Hignett, farmer; Joseph Hignett, farmer, Dandyford farm; Edward Jones, parish clerk and rate collector; Robert Lewis, farmer, Lower Hordley.

BAGLEY

Directory.—Samuel Bickley, farmer and maltster; Jane Davies, farmer; John Davies, farmer, The Oaks; Samuel Cheshire, blacksmith; Stephen Denston, Esq., The Hall; John Dodd, farmer; William Griffiths, farmer; John Higgins, grocer and vict., Fox Inn; Thomas Lea, farmer; Joseph Lea, farmer and butcher; Edward Martin, farmer; Sarah Nickson, farmer; Richard Paddock, farmer, Bromley Green; Robert Pembury, farmer, Bromley House; Edward Stant, farmer; Edward Tomlinson, wheelwright; Edward Wilson, wheelwright.

LOPPINGTON

is a parish and pleasantly situated village two and a half miles W.W. by S. from Wem.  This place, from its contiguity to Wem, was the scene of several skirmishes between the royal and the parliamentary forces in the civil wars.  In one of these skirmishes the royal party set fire to the floor and roof of the church, which being covered with shingles was the more easily accomplished, and the parliamentary soldiers who had taken refuge in the church, were compelled to surrender it to the king’s party.  The parish of Loppington comprises the townships of Loppington, Burlton, and Noneley, and contains 3,411a. 1r. 36p. of land, of which 97 acres are in woods, plantations, and fox covers.  Gross estimated rental, £5,162. 12s.; rateable value, £4,197. 15s.  The Duke of Cleveland is lord of the manor, and holds a court.  At the census in 1841 there were 612 inhabitants.  The township of Loppington contains 1159a. 0r. 33p. of land, and in 1841 had 68 houses and 331 inhabitants.  Major Thomas Dicken, is the most considerable landowner; George Wycherley, Harriet Kynaston, Thomas Lloyd Dickin, Esq., The Trustees of the Poor’s Land, Mr. William Williams, Rev. William Thomas, Robert Chambre Vaughan, Esq., and Thomas Windsor, are also proprietors.  The soil is in general a strong clay, and a mixture of turf and sand.  There is a flat of waste land called the Brown Moss, of which the freeholders are entitled to the herbage; the moss extends into other townships and covers a considerable surface; 7a. 0r. 21p. are within the bounds of Loppington township.

Charities.—John Kynaston, by his will, bearing date 30th May, 1694, devised a house, garden, stable, and croft, in the township of Loppington, to his kinsman, Roger Kynaston, and his heirs, to the use of the then schoolmaster of Loppington, and his successors as a salary, for their pains in teaching to read six of the poorest children within the parish, to be appointed by the said Roger Kynaston and his heirs; and if there should happen to be no schoolmaster, he directed that the profits of the premises should be to the use of Roger Kynaston and his heirs.  The property devised by the testator consists of a public house in Loppington, with a stable, garden, and croft, containing altogether half an acre.  The property, when the Charity Commissioners published their report, was claimed by Thomas Kynaston, grandson of Richard Kynaston, named in the following conveyance:—“By indenture, bearing date 17th November, 1741, between Roger Kynaston, grandson of Roger Kynaston, the devisee above-mentioned, of the one part, and Richard Kynaston, of Loppington, of the other part, reciting the will as above extracted, the said Roger Kynaston, party thereto, in consideration of £4 conveyed to the said Richard Kynaston and his heirs, the messuage, tenements, and lands, and all other the premises in the said will mentioned, and all his estate and interest therein, subject nevertheless to the trusts in the said will mentioned concerning the same.”  The premises are let for £13 per annum, an additional sum of £2 being paid by the tenant for a piece of garden formerly no part of the trust premises.  The rent of £13 is received by Thomas Kynaston, and he pays thereout £2 yearly to a schoolmaster for the instruction of six poor children.  The residue of the rent Thomas Kynaston reserves to his own use; but it is clear that the whole of the rent above-mentioned is applicable to the charitable uses mentioned in the testator’s will, and that notwithstanding that in the conveyance of 1731, £4 was paid as a consideration, Thomas Kynaston can only be considered as a trustee for such charitable uses.  It is stated that within the last twenty years Thomas Kynaston has laid out upwards of £300 in rebuilding and improving the premises, but as he has been in possession between thirty and forty years, and during that time has enjoyed the benefit of all the surplus rent beyond the yearly sum of £2, there seems to be no reason why the schoolmaster should not from the present time receive the benefit of the whole rent.  It seems also desirable that new trustees should be appointed; but considering the testator vested the property solely in his kinsman, Richard Kynaston, and his heirs, we apprehend that a conveyance to new trustees would not be enforced in a court of equity, provided the said Thomas Kynaston gives up all claim to any beneficial interest therein.