is a parish and village in the Chelmarsh division of the Stottesden hundred, situated about a mile S.S.W. from Bridgnorth. The village is on a gentle eminence, and contains some respectable family residences, and is surrounded by scenery of the most picturesque and romantic character. The parish comprises upwards of 1,400 acres of land, and is bounded on the east by the River Severn, and intersected by the Bridgnorth, Ludlow, and Cleobury Mortimer turnpike roads. At the census in 1801 there were 107 inhabitants; 1831, 126; and in 1841, 28 houses, and a population of 142 souls. The Church is a plain structure, dedicated St. Nicholas, consisting of nave and chancel, with a tower partly composed of wood. The interior is neatly pewed, and the nave is separated from the chancel by a carved oak screen. The Rev. Joseph Woolley, rector of this place 51 years, is remembered on a neat tablet dated 1728. There are also tablets to members of the families of Dethic, Beech, Hincksman, and others. The living is a rectory, rated in the king’s book at £5, now returned at £254, in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor: incumbent, Rev. John Purton, M.A. There are 16½ acres of glebe land. Sir John E. D. Acton, Bart. is the principal landowner, and lord of the manor. Mr. Nicholas Edwards and the Rev. John Purton are also proprietors. The Rectory is a good residence, situated near the church.
Charities.—Mrs. Mary Harris left by her will £5 for the poor of the parish. The time of this bequest is not mentioned; but in April, 1770, it appears that the principal and interest then amounted to £10. No application of this legacy seems to have been made to the use of the poor for a period of upwards of fifty years. About thirty years ago the principal and interest were paid over by Mr. Thomas Farmer, and invested in the stock; the money so invested produced a sum of £57. 12s. stock in the three per cent. consols; the dividends of which are yearly distributed among the poor.
The Rev. Thomas Littleton, by his will, dated 17th September, 1792, gave to the minister and churchwardens or Oldbury the sum of £10, upon trust, to pay the interest among the poor who frequent the service of the church. The personal property of Mr. Littleton passed into the hands of his executor, Richard Green, and eventually into those of his brother, Jonathan Green, who became embarrassed in his circumstances. The property had been sold when the Charity Report was published, and it was expected that this, with other claims, would soon be liquidated.
Directory.—John Bentley, butcher, Crosshouses; Samuel Bentley, farmer; Edmund F. Bowen, farmer and beerhouse keeper; Mr. James Brawn; William Brown, blacksmith; Miss Edwards; Nicholas Edwards, farmer, Westwood; John Green, farmer and corn miller; Mrs. Sophia Elizabeth James, The Cottage; Richard Jerrett, farmer and vict., The Hundred House; Margaret Wynne Jones, gentlewoman, The Lodge; Mrs. Mary Longmore, The Villa; Rev. John Purton, M.A., The Rectory; Miss Spalding; John Warden, farmer; Edward Welding, wheelwright; Mary Wheatley, gentlewoman, Oldbury House; Mr. Wright
a small parish and village on the banks of the river Severn, about a mile and a half south from Bridgnorth, derives its name from Coed and Forda (British), signifying the Wood at the Ford—originally within the Forest of Morfe. The parish contains 1,773 acres of land, and includes the lordships of Hay and Eardington, which are situated on the opposite side of the river Severn. The parish in 1801 contained 417 inhabitants; 1831, 492; 1841, 553. Rateable value, £3,586, 18s. 3d. The township of Quatford comprises 514 acres of land, and in 1841 had 44 houses and a population of 204 souls. The manor belongs to the corporation of Bridgnorth, and the mayor for the time being is lord of the manor. John Smalman, Esq., is the principal landowner; George Pritchard, Esq., W. W. Whitmore, Esq., Henry Vickers, Esq., Mary Jones, Mr. Thomas Hudson, Lord Sudeley, Mr. William Hughes, Mr. Thursfield, and others, are also proprietors. In this township stands the castellated residence of John Smalman, Esq., J.P., called Quatford Castle. It stands within sight of the rock where stood the castle erected by Ethelfleda Countess of Mercia (the wife of Ethelred, the first Earl Palatine of Mercia), prior to the year 919. Mr. Smalman is descended from an ancient family long seated at Wilderhope Hall, in the parish of Rushbury. The castle is built on a prominent hill, surrounded by plantations overlooking the beautiful river Severn for several miles, and only approached by an artificial road on its eastern side. This enchanting spot, from its varied views and pleasurable walks, is the constant attraction of families resident in the town and neighbourhood of Bridgnorth, who are welcomed by its liberal and much respected proprietor.
The Church, a venerable structure, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, has a square tower, surmounted with pinnacles, and contains three bells. The interior of the church has a handsome appearance; the altar is elaborately carved, and the floor of the chancel is covered with encaustic tiles. There are several neat monumental tablets, one of which remembers Thomas Crump, who died in 1718; another is erected to the memory of Joseph Corbet, Esq., who died in 1790. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Lord Sudeley, and enjoyed by the Rev. George Leigh Wasey, M.A. Mr. Cox has the following account of Quatford:—“The manor of Quatford, belonging to Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, he built a church here, upon this occasion: Adaliza, his wife, coming out of Normandy, there happened so great a storm at sea that nothing but shipwreck was expected by the mariners; but her chaplain being wearied with much watching, fell fast asleep, and as he lay at rest a venerable matron appeared to him, and said: ‘If your lady will make a vow to build a church to St. Mary Magdalene, in the place where she first meets the earl, her husband, in England, she shall be preserved from the danger of this tempest.’ This vision being told his lady, she presently vowed accordingly, and got safe to shore; from whence, going towards her husband at Shrewsbury, she met him in this place a hunting, and telling him the vision, he willingly fulfilled her vow, and built this church at Quatford, and dedicated it to St. Mary Magdalene, endowed it with ample possessions, and gave it to his collegiate chapel, in the Castle of Bridgnorth. Robert de Belesme, his eldest son, coming to his father’s inheritance in England (by the death of his younger brother, Hugh), removed from this town of Quatford,—but whither, we find not.”
The Wesleyan Methodists have a small chapel in the village. There is also a School here, a decorated structure, built in the year 1847, by subscription; about thirty children attend. A Library for the use of the parish is kept in the church vestry.
Charities.—John Corfield, in 1718, directed six twopenny loaves to be distributed the first Sunday in every month in the year. This annuity is paid out of land in Stottesden. Arthur Weaver, Esq., in 1709, bequeathed out of the several tithes of Morville, Aston Eyre, and Quatford, to the curates of each yearly; the bequest to the curate of Quatford being £3. 13s. 4d.
It appears that in the years 1767 and 1769, Arthur Weaver granted two rent charges of £7 each, towards the augmentation of this curacy, and that the Governors of Queen Ann’s Bounty, in conjunction with the said Isaac Weaver, agreed to augment the curacy with two several sums of £200 each, having previously agreed to augment the same with a like sum of £200 by lot. In pursuance of this agreement, in the year 1784, the sum of £600 was laid out in the purchase of a certain messuage and about seven acres of land, situated at Eardington, which were conveyed to the then curate, to hold to him and his successors for ever.
Church Lands.—The following premises have been appropriated to the repairs and uses of the church for a long period, but from what source they were originally derived we have been unable to discover:—A parcel of land, called Paradise, containing four acres and three-quarters, producing £10 per annum. A house and garden let for 10s. a-year, also rendering the service of rowing over the parishioners at all times free to the parish church on the other side of the river. There are also several other plots of land, comprising upwards of 14 acres, which, with the above sums, produce an annual rent of £20. 1s. 11d. In the year 1810, timber was sold from the church land for £100. 12s. 6d., part of which was laid out for a new boat, and there remained a sum of £70 in the Bridgnorth Bank.
William Nicholls, in 1846, bequeathed £150 to the minister of Quatford, upon trust, to dispose of the interest thereof among the most deserving poor of the parish.
The sum of £20, left by Thomas Spencer in 1722, for the benefit of the curate of Quatford, and £10, left by Elizabeth Oldburg in 1730, have long been lost.
Directory.—John Smalman, Esq., The Castle; John Clayton, Esq., Quatford House; John Davies, beerseller; Robert Griffiths, timber merchant, architect, builder, quarry-master, and dealer in tiles, bricks, slates, &c., Chantrey House; Thomas Hudson, beerseller; Mary Lambert, school-teacher; William Martin, victualler, Red Lion Inn; Thos. Owen, shopkeeper, and foreman to Mr. Griffiths; John Thomas Poole, farmer, The Bank; The Misses Shepherd, The Grove; John Sing, Esq., The Hall; Richard Turley, parish clerk and ferry-house keeper; Stephen Wolryche, Esq., The Villa.
is a township and pleasantly situated village, in the parish Quatford, one mile south from Bridgnorth, which contains 1,259a. 0r. 7p. of land, the rateable value of which is £2,727. 13s. Gross estimated rental, £2,997. 18s. The principal landowners are Mrs. Mary Oldbury; Mr. William Baldwin; The Devisees of the late Thomas Duppa, Esq.; Lord Liverpool; and Lord Sudeley; besides whom there are several other small freeholders. In Doomsday Book we find this place written Ardintone, and though annexed to the mother church of Quatford (on the opposite side of the river Severn) in ecclesiastical matters, yet in all other respects is virtually a parish of itself. About three miles below Bridgnorth, on the western bank of the Severn, is the Eardington Forge, a charcoal iron manufactory, celebrated for making the best charcoal wire, horse nail, and gun iron. The works are carried on by James Foster, Esq., of Stanton Castle, in Worcestershire, under the able management of Mr. Thomas Austin Jackson, and are the largest of the kind in the kingdom. The National School is a neat brick structure, which will accommodate about fifty children. It was erected in the year 1837. This township in 1801 had a population of 328 souls; 1831, 325; 1841, 349. At the latter period there were 71 inhabited houses.
Angeworth William, farmer, Hay Farm
Baker Thomas, farmer
Cooper John Henry, Esq., banker, The Knowle Sands
Cole George, stock taker, The Forge
Crowder John, corn miller
Duppa Mrs. Georgiana Elizb.
Fryer John, blacksmith
Garbett Francis, shoemaker
Harrison Mr. Samuel
Hudson William, victualler, The Crown
Jackson Mr. Thomas Austin, manager, Eardington Forge
James David, beerhouse
Jarratt James, butcher
Lloyd Thomas, shoemaker
Miles Thos., vict., Red Lion
Minshull John, miller
Noakes Samuel, farmer
Oldbury Mrs. Mary, farmer, Eardington House
Oldbury The Misses Anne and Margaret
Pitt James, engineer
Powell Martha, shopkeeper
Simkiss John, manager of Coal and Buck’s Works
Summers Samuel, farmer
Wasey Rev. Geo. Leigh, M.A. incumbent of Quatford and Morville Knowle Sands
Weaver William, maltster, and farmer
an extensive parish, anciently within the forest of Morfe, is intersected by the Bridgnorth and Kidderminster turnpike road, and bounded on the western side by the river Severn, which is crossed at several places by ferry boats. The parish comprehends the hamlets of Quatt Malvern, Quatt Jarvis, Mose, Wooton, and Dudmaston, and contains 2,674a. 1r. 11p. of land, of which 238a. 0r. 14p. are in woods and plantations, 33a. 3r. 36p. water, 23a. 1r. 4p. public roads, and 66a. 2r. 26p. in the demesne and grounds of Dudmaston Hall. The soil is for the most part highly fertile. Rateable value, £3,514. 4s. 5d. Population in 1801, 300; 1831, 328; 1841, 365; part of the population is included within the limits of the borough of Bridgnorth. The township of Quatt Malvern at the census of 1841 is returned as containing 29 houses and 141 inhabitants. The tithes are commuted for £415. 9s. 8d. Thomas Charlton Whitmore, Esq., M.P., is the principal landowner and lord of the manor; John Sing, Esq., Thomas Bowen, and others, are also freeholders. The village of Quatt is scattered, but pleasantly situated, four miles S.E. from Bridgnorth; it contains some good residences, and the surrounding country is beautifully picturesque and romantic. In Leland’s time there were to be seen here the ruins of the manor house of Robert de Montgomery. About four miles from Quatt Malvern are the remains of a Roman camp called The Walls. The form of it is nearly quadrangular, and there have been four gates into it; one in the middle of the north front, another in the middle of the west, a third in the south-east, and a fourth at the north-east corner. The odd position of the two last take advantage of declivities in the rock. Besides these a sloping way is cut through the bank, and down the rock in the middle of the south face, to the water. The west side has been doubly fortified with a deep trench cut out of the solid rock between two ramparts. To the north it has only one bank. It embraces an area of more than twenty acres, but no coins or antiquities have been found there. Not far from the Severn an ancient sword was discovered, differing in form and metal to any hitherto found in Great Britain. Similar have been found in Ireland.
The Church is a venerable fabric, dedicated to St. Andrew, partly composed of free stone, and partly of brick. It consists of nave, chancel, side chapel, and north aisle, the latter separated from the nave by three arches resting on octagonal pillars; the tower contains four bells. The pulpit and reading desk are beautifully carved, and dated 1629. The font is very ancient, and there is a gallery at the west end, upon which is placed an organ. The altar is of oak, exquisitely carved. On the floor is a remarkable inscription, with some curious tracery, dated 1387 and 1495. On a pillar are remembered some of the ancient family of Wolryches. In the side chapel is a black marble tomb in memory of Sir Francis Wolryche, who died in 1668, near to which is an elaborate monumental tomb with figures in black marble, in bold relief set in a block of alabaster. There is also a fine figure in alabaster, exquisitely carved, in memory of Dame Marie Wolryche, dated 1628. Another tomb of fine workmanship has the figures of a knight and his lady, and remembers Francis Wolryche, Esq., and Margaret, his wife, and is dated 1614. There are also some neat tablets in the church which our limits will not allow us to notice in detail. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £14. 15s., now returned at £415. 4s. 8d., in the patronage of W. W. Whitmore, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Edmund Carr, M.A. The rectory is a handsome and spacious residence situated near the church. On rebuilding the church of Quatt in 1763 were found a number of figures painted on the walls, representing the Seven Charities and the Day of Judgment; and on a piece of vellum nailed to an oak board the figure of our Saviour rising from the sepulchre, underneath the figure were the following lines:—“Saynt Gregory and other popes and byshops grantes sex and twenty thousand zere of pardonz thirtti dayes to alle that saies devoutlye knelyng afor yis is ymage fife paternosters, fife aves, and a cred.”
The South Eastern Shropshire District School has been established for the reception of children belonging to the several unions of Bridgnorth, Cleobury Mortimer, Madeley, and Seisdon. The object of the institution is not only to give a sound healthy education, but so to improve both the physical and mental powers as shall break the thread of pauperism, and enable this hitherto unhappy class to establish themselves in after life as independent labourers. The experiment has proved most satisfactory, and even more successful than was expected, not only in giving a good healthy education combined with labour to the children, but yielding such a return in money as altogether prevented any additional cost to the ratepayers, and even paid a portion of the former expenses. The actual profits of the four acres of land cultivated having amounted to between £60 and £70 per annum. The question of profit, though of importance, is trifling when compared with the benefits derived by the children, who are here removed from scenes of inferiority and degradation and brought up in habits of industry, and a knowledge of gardening combined with the inculcation of honest principles and religious knowledge, are blessings of incalculable amount. The house is capable of accommodating 170 children, and the boys are employed in the cultivation of the land, in the management of cows, pigs, and a pony; the girls are employed in the house and dairy work. Henry Garland is the governor, and Mrs. Garland matron.
Dudmaston Hall, the seat and property of W. W. Whitmore, Esq., J.P., is a handsome brick mansion, situated near the Bewdley and Bridgnorth turnpike road. It stands in an extensive and richly wooded park, and is beautified with tasteful pleasure grounds and choice shrubs. Dudmaston is a manor within the manor of Quatt, and was in early times the residence of Dudmastons, from whom it passed in marriage to the Wolryches, and they devised it to their maternal relation, William Whitmore, Esq., whose descendant now inherits the estate and mansion.
Charities.—By an indenture, dated September 17th, 1687, the churchwardens and two parishioners of this parish devised, for a term of 99 years, to Richard Gough, a piece of land in St. Leonard’s parish, in consideration that the said Richard Gough should, within five years, erect thereon a bay of building with brick and stone; and also should pay, during the term, the annual rent of five shillings, for the benefit of the poor of Quatt. It does not appear to what source the parish was indebted for this land, but in an old corporation book belonging to the corporation of Bridgnorth, there is an entry, purporting to be an extract from the will of Thomas Dovey, dated 13th of February, 1601, whereby he gave to the parish of Quatt £5 for the use of the poor for ever. In 1788, the former lease having expired, a new lease of the premises was granted for the like term, and at the same rent; the sum of £12 being paid as a fine for renewal.
This parish appears also to have enjoyed for many years the property of a house and land, in the parish of Worfield, of the origin of which we have not been able to discover any trace. The earliest notice that we find of it is in the year 1759, when it appears in the occupation of a tenant at the rent of £2. 10s. per annum. In 1802 the premises were sold for £110, and the amount was placed in the bank of Bates and Jones, at Bridgnorth, which subsequently failed. A dividend of 4s. in the pound was afterwards paid, and this sum, amounting to £22. 13s. 2d. was placed in the Stourbridge bank. The interest is carried to the poor rates.
Directory.—William Wolryche Whitmore, Esq., Dudmaston Park; Miss Elizabeth and Ellen Bowen; Thomas Bowen, farmer, Wooton; Rev. Edmund Carr, M.A.; Thomas Clare, farmer, Mose; William Clare, maltster and farmer; Wm. Coupar, farmer, Hoult; John Craig, farmer, Wooton; Henry Garland, governor of Union School; William L. Loundes, Esq., The Lodge; Samuel Minor, farmer, Mose; George Pool, farmer, Morfe; John Sayce, farmer, Lye Hall; Robert Sayce, farmer, The Hall Farm and Harles Farm; William Spence, agent to W. W. Whitmore, Esq.; John Warder, farmer, Morfe.
is a sequestered village and township in the parish of Pattingham, situated seven miles east of Wolverhampton, and eight miles south by west of Bridgnorth, bordering on the county of Staffordshire, from which it is separated by a small stream of water. This township has no connexion with the mother parish except for church assessments, all other parochial rates being raised by a collection from the resident holders of property. In 1841 there were 19 houses and 101 persons. There are 1,567 acres of land here, of which 40 acres are woodlands, 10a. 2r. 18p. roads, 166a. 2r. 25p. of meadow or pasture, 894 acres arable, and 455a. 3r. 14p. common and waste, which is now being enclosed by Thomas Boycott, Esq., who gives employment to a number of the labouring population. The Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth turnpike road crosses Rudge Heath. Rateable value of the township, £1,792. 1s. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £199. 10s. 10d. to the impropriator, and £75. 15s. to the vicar of the parish. Thomas Boycott, Esq. is lord of the manor, and the principal landowner. Rudge Hall, the seat and property of Thomas Boycott, Esq., is pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, commanding most beautiful prospects of the surrounding country. It is built of brick, and stuccoed. The park grounds are of considerable extent, and richly wooded.
Directory.—Thomas Boycott, Esq., Rudge Hall; Rev. William George Greenstreet, M.A., The Vicarage; James Bentley, machine maker; John Bentley, carriage builder and smith; Thomas Edwards, farmer; Robert Francis, farmer; James Herbert, shopkeeper; Benjamin Hithcock, gardener; George Jones, jun., farmer; George Jones, farmer; Sarah Jones, dressmaker; William Jones, farmer; Richard Keysell, coachman; Charles Lakin, farmer and vict., New Inn; William Lyndon, farmer; Alexander Mac Donald, gardener; Richard Morris, butler; William Nash, farmer; Thomas Pound, blacksmith, Hobston; James Tomkiss, grocer and provision dealer; Robert Turnbull, farm bailiff; Benjamin Waklam, beerhouse keeper.
a parish and small rural village in the Chelmarsh division of the Stottesden hundred, picturesquely situated in a romantic district, 2¾ miles N.N.W. from Much Wenlock, contains 967a. 3r. 4p. of land, bounded on the north by the river Severn. Gross estimated rental, £1,428. 14s. Rateable value, £1,352. 17s. Population in 1801, 163; 1831, 133; 1841, 154; at the latter period there were 36 houses. The principal landowners are the Duke of Cleveland, Sir George Harnage, Francis Benthall, Esq., and the devisees of the late Walter Moseley, Esq. The family of Sheynton were seated here at a very early period. William de Sheynton held one knight’s fee in this manor in the 22nd of Richard II. Hugh de Sheynton had the grant of free warren here in the time of Edward II. The land is for the most part fertile in this parish, and produces good turnips and barley: the low lands have been improved by draining. The Church consists of nave and chancel, with a tower, in which are three bells. It is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and has an ancient appearance. There are no memorials worthy of notice. Some of the curious carving in oak is of great antiquity. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £6. 9s. 2d., now returned at £360; in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. H. Bagnall. Ann Lacon bequeathed a rent charge of £5 per annum for the benefit of the poor. The amount is received by the overseers, who distribute it in equal shares of 25s. each, among four poor widows of the parish. They are appointed by the minister and churchwardens, and continue to enjoy the charity during their respective lives.
The principal residents are the Rev. Henry Bagnall, rector; Charlotte Adney, farmer; Andrew Dodson, farmer; John Young, vict., The Rising Buck.
is a parish and small village, six miles S.W. by S. from Bridgnorth, in the Chelmarsh division of the hundred. It is situated on a slight eminence in a bold undulating district, and contains 1248 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £966. 14s. 6d. In 1841 the parish had 14 houses and 94 souls; population in 1801, 92; in 1831, 103. The parish of Sidbury formerly belonged to the family of the Cresswells, whose ancestor was Richard the faithful servant of Charles I., who was in attendance on the king when he took the fatal step of escaping from the University of Oxford. This was one of those villes that Edmund de Mortimer separated from the hundred of Stottesden in the time of Edward I. The landowners in this parish are William Henry Cresswell, Esq., Thomas Crump, Esq. and Mr. Barnard Acres.
The Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, consists of nave, chancel, and north side chapel, the latter built by the Cresswell family; it contains a tablet to the memory of Richard Cresswell, Esq., dated 1705. The church is built of stone, with a small turret in which is one bell. On the south wall is a tablet to the memory of Jacob Smith, Esq., dated 1795, and also one to the memory of George Smith, Esq., who died in 1802. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £4. 13s. 4d., now returned at £227.; patron, the Earl of Shrewsbury; incumbent, Rev. R. Maddox. There are 34 acres of glebe land. Sidbury Hall is a good stone residence, in the occupancy of Mr. James Pugh, farmer.
Directory.—Barnard Acres, farmer, Oxwood; John Corfield, farmer, Lower House; Rev. William Lewis Jones, curate; Joseph Massie, farmer, The Batch; William Powell, farmer, The Rectory; Samuel Pritchard, farmer, New Barn; James Pugh, farmer, Sidbury Hall; Jane, Catharine, and Harriet Snow, farmers, The Upper House.
is an extensive parish in the Cleobury division of the hundred to which it gives name, situated five miles north of Cleobury Mortimer, containing the townships of Bardley and Harcourt, Chorley, Duddlewick, Hinton, Kingswood and Button, Oak, Newton, Ingwardine and Lowe, Oreton, Overton, Prescott, Walton and Bagginswood, Picton, Stottesden, Walkerslowe, Wricton and Northwood, which together comprehend an area of 12,074a. 2r. 27p. of land, the rateable value of which is £8,796. 16s. 8d. At the census of 1841 there were 259 houses and 1,217 persons in the Shropshire portion of the parish, part of it extending into the Wolphy hundred of the county of Hereford. The tithes have been commuted for £987. 17s. 1d. The Duke of Cleveland is lord of the manor, and a considerable landowner. The farms in the parish are generally large, excepting on the south-western side, adjoining the Clee Hill, where are collieries and ironstone mines, which give employment to a number of the labouring population, but the principal part are engaged in agricultural pursuits. There is a considerable portion of clayey soil in the parish, other parts are of a more light and sandy nature, and in some places a fertile loam prevails. Stottesden is a pleasant village, 13 miles north-east by east of Ludlow, five miles north of Cleobury Mortimer, and eight miles south-west by south of Bridgnorth. The township contains 987a. 2r. 19p. of land, the rateable value of which is £1,216. 4s. 7d.; and at the census of 1841 there were 53 houses and 215 inhabitants. The principal landowners in the township are Mrs. Oldbury; Rev. Charles J. Maddison; Rev. Mr. Wakefield; Mr. Edward Bytheway; Mrs. Jones; Mrs. Waterhouse; Mr. Frier; Mr. Pope; Mr. Edward Cleeton; Mr. Turner, and Mrs. Howard. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £42. 3s. There are 27a. 3r. 4p. of glebe land. The manor of Stottesden was the possession of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, (at the time of Edward the Confessor), who rebelled against that monarch, in consequence of which it was given to Roger de Montgomery, in whose family it remained till a failure of male heirs. On the 28th of Henry III., John de Plessitis had a grant of a market here on a Tuesday, and a fair on the eve, the day, and the day after the assumption of the Blessed Virgin. There is a feast held the first Sunday after Michaelmas day.
The Church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient edifice, built of rubble stone, having been covered with three roofs, supported on each side of the interior by five semicircular arches of equal size, rising from four slender pillars, and from a pillar on each side. From these latter spring two small arches, slightly pointed, and adjoining to the rector’s chancel; the one is connected with and opening into the Stottesden chancel, which is still kept apart by its ancient oak screen. The other semicircular arch served as an opening to admit the staircase leading up to the ancient rood loft, which no doubt stood under an arch between the church and the communion chancel. The rood loft was swept away at the reformation, and the arch probably about the period of the civil wars. At the west end of the north and south aisles are still to be seen the Norman pilasters, decorated with mouldings, and carried up with the walls in the interior; probably the oldest part of the fabric. The elegant part of the exterior of this mouldering pile has been most sacrilegiously destroyed; its parapets and battlements, with its lead roof, have entirely disappeared. The north wall has been lowered, and the windows cut through, having removed the upper or traceried part to within five feet six inches of the surface of the cemetery. The fine mullioned windows in the rectory and Wrickton chancels, as well as on the south side of the church, afford a beautiful display of architectural taste. The eastern window of the former had twelve figures of its ancient lords and their connections, with their armorial bearings, including that of the sovereign of the day, and the royal arms displayed on shields, exhibited upon their breasts: five only of these now remain, in a very mutilated state. The upper or traceried compartments are still ornamented with stained glass. In the south wall is still to be seen the piscina or sink for the reception of any impurity falling into the elements. In the same wall appear the canopied seats of the priest, deacon, and sub-deacon, in their beautifully ornamented niches; and near to these is an ancient oilet or loophole window, with exquisitely fine mouldings, all of which savour much of the reign of Edward I. The circular stone font at the west end is of large dimensions, well adapted for the ancient practice of immersion; it is most elaborately carved, having a beautiful cordage twisted with much taste around the verge of the upper extremity: it is greatly ornamented, having eight compartments, the one exhibiting the Agnus Dei, the others those of Griffins, Cockatrices, and Centaurs, and is altogether a beautiful and rare specimen of an inimitable chisel of its day, probably as early as the reign of Henry III. The pulpit exhibits much ancient carving, beautifully executed, and put up with a sounding board in 1675. The desk, also much ornamented with carving, was set up in 1583. The entrance of the porch to the south is under a semicircular arch of great antiquity, probably introduced from a former porch. This, the principal approach into the interior of the edifice, is under an ancient arch of the pointed style; that on the north side is of a very early period, as well as that into the chancel. This latter is singular and rare, exhibiting an unusual display of fine chiselling. The entrance out of this chancel into the vestry is under a stone arch of the florid style, executed by a tasteful und scientific artist. The tower is lofty, and standing on a commanding eminence is a beautiful land mark in the country: the lower part to the second string course is built like the church with rubble material, but from that course upwards, including its battlements, is of good Ashler stone. It was rebuilt in 1583, and contains a peal of five musical bells, and clock and sun dial. Over the doorway leading from the tower to the church is an ancient and curious tympanum. The church was repaired in the year 1840, by which means 268 additional sittings were obtained, of which 215 are declared free and unappropriated for ever, in consequence of grants from the Incorporated and Hereford Diocesan Societies. The living is a vicarage, to which the curacy of Farlow is annexed, valued in the king’s books at £5. 10s. 10d., now returned at £676; in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland, and incumbency of the Rev. Charles John Maddison. The Wesleyan Methodists have a small chapel here built of stone in the year 1849. The National School, supported by donations and subscriptions, will accommodate 80 children; about 53 is the average number that attend.
Bardley is a township in Stottesden parish, two and a half miles south-east by east of the parish church. It contains, with the township of Harcourt, 1,800a. 0r. 20p. of land, of which 760 acres are arable, 774a. 3r. 34p. pasture, and 170a. 1r. are woodlands. William Lacon Childe, Esq. is lord of the manor, and the principal landowner. Thomas Crump, Esq., Mr. Hyde, Miss Smith, John and Robert Lateward, Esqrs., Mr. Kyer, Messrs. Jones, Thomas Gregory, Richard Porter, and others are also proprietors. This township contained at the census of 1841, 38 houses and 178 persons. The tithes are commuted for £232. 9s. 0d., of which £92. 15s. 6d. to the vicar of Stottesden; £48. 16s. 6d. to William Lacon Childe, Esq.; £40 to Mr. John Humphries; £14. 16s. 6d. to John and Robert L. Lateward, Gents.; to Mr. Jones, £11. 6s.; to the Duke of Cleveland, £10. 3s. 6d.; to Mr. Hyde, £8. 16s. 6d., of which £5 yearly is paid to the rector of Dowles; to Mr. Compson, £5. 8s., and 16s. 6d. to Thomas Crump, Esq.
Chorley is a township pleasantly situated one and a half mile north-east by north of Stottesden, containing with Northwood 1,210a. 2r. 17p. of land, the rateable value of which is £1,402. 7s. 5d. In 1841 there were in this township 21 houses and 114 inhabitants. The tithes were commuted in 1847 for £63. 14s. 7d., and the sum of £50. 8s. 7d. was apportioned to the vicar of Stottesden, £12 to Mr. Hincksman, and £1. 6s. to the Duke of Cleveland, Thomas Crump, Esq., is lord of the manor, and principal landowner. Lord Sudeley, Mr. John Hinckesman, W. L. Childe, Esq., Mr. John Gittins, and several others are also proprietors.
Duddlewick is a small township one mile north west by west of Stottesden, which in 1841 had 4 houses and 36 inhabitants, and contains, with the township of Hinton, 932a. 0r. 6p. of land. The tithes are commuted for £127. 10s. The Duke of Cleveland is the principal landowner. Thomas Crump, Esq., is also a proprietor.
Harcourt is a township 1½ mile south east by east of the parish church, containing, with Bardley, 1,800a. 0r. 20p. of land, the rateable value of which is £2,004. 0s. 2d. The tithes are commuted for £232. 19s., of which £83 7s. 8d. is apportioned to the vicar of Stottesden, and £140. 3s. 6d. to the impropriators. There are six houses and 34 inhabitants in this township. W. L. Childe, Esq., is lord of the manor and sole landowner.
Hinton, a small township one mile north west of the church, contains, with Stottesden and Duddlewick, 1,916a. 2r. 3p. of land, of which 1,070a. 2r. 25p. are arable: 823a. 0r. 19p. meadow and pasture: and 22a. 3r. 33p. are roads and waste. The tithes are commuted for £169. 13s., of which £84 is apportioned to the vicar of Stottesden; £64 to the respective landowners; £12. 13s. to the Duke of Cleveland, and £9 to William Whitesides, Esq. The Duke of Cleveland is sole proprietor of this township.
Ingwardine is a small township three miles north west by west of Stottesden, containing 4 houses and 20 souls. The tithes are commuted and apportioned to the vicar of the parish for £110. This township, with that of Lowe, contains 652a. 0r. 34p. of land, the freeholders of which are the Rev. G. D. Pardoe and Mr. Johnson.
Kingswood is a rural village with twenty-three houses and ninety-seven inhabitants, situated six miles south west by south of Stottesden, from which place it is separated by the parishes of Kinlet and Neen Savage intervening. It contains, with the hamlet of Button Oak, 1,392a. 1r. 31p. of land, a great portion of which is woodland, of which 524a. 2r. 2p. are woods belonging to Lord Ward, and 588a. 2r. 29p. belonging to Sir Edward Blount, bart., who are the principal landowners. Mrs. Elizabeth Doolittle, Mr. Frier, Mr. Joseph Mole, Mr. Thomas Trow, the Misses Lewis, and Mr. Boycott are also proprietors. The tithes have been commuted for £22. 14s, 10.
Lowe township, situated 2½ miles north west by west of Stottesden, contained at the census of 1841 one house and 10 persons, and with the township of Ingwardine, has 652a. 0r. 34p. of land, of which Mrs. Goulder is sole proprietor.
Newton is a township 2 miles north of the parish church, which in 1841 had three houses and 23 souls, and contains, with the townships of Wrickton, Overton, and Walkers Lowe, 2,186a. 1r. 17p. of land, of which 125a. 3r. 26p. are arable: 904a. 3r. 17p. pasture, and 21a. 2r. 14p. are roads and waste. The tithes of these townships have been commuted for £180. 10s., of which the vicar of Stottesden receives £95, and the remainder is paid to several impropriators. George Peach Aston, Esq., is the sole proprietor of Newton.
Northwood is a small township 1½ mile north west of Stottesden, which had, at the census of 1841, three houses and 16 persons. It contains, with the township of Chorley, 1,210a. 2r. 17p. of land, the principal proprietors of which are Thomas Crump, Esq., Mr. John Hincksman, and Lord Sudeley. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £18. 4s. 6d., and the rectorial for £12.
Oreton is a township two miles south of the parish church, containing 68 houses and 275 inhabitants. It contains 580a. 1r. 37p. of land, of which upwards of 300 acres are in common and waste. In this township are extensive lime works and stone quarries. The tithes are commuted for £100. 5s. 8d., of which £38. 10s. are apportioned to the vicar of Stottesden, and £61. 15s. 8d. to the Duke of Cleveland. George Compson, Esq., is lord of the manor and principal landowner. Rev. G. D. Pardoe, Mr. John Page, Mr. Edward Wyer, Mr. Wm. Page, Mrs. Page, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Wm. Wheeler are also small proprietors.
Overton is a township and small village 2¾ miles north of the parish church, containing 3 houses and 22 souls. It has, with the townships of Wrickton, Newton, and Walkers Lowe, 2,186a. 1r. 17p. of land. The tithes are commuted for £24. 10s. 11d. Hamilton Tennant, Esq., is sole proprietor of this township.
Pickthorn is a township, one mile north-west of the parish church, containing 560a. 0r. 37p. of land, and had at the census of 1841 four houses and 16 inhabitants. The tithes are commuted for £61, of which £19 is apportioned to the Vicar of Stottesden, and £42 to William Henry Cresswell, Esq.
Prescot township, situated two miles south of Stottesden, contains, with the townships of Walton and Bagginswood, 804a. 2r. 34p. of land. The tithes are commuted for £47, of which £44. 19s. is apportioned to the vicar, and £2. 1s. to Mrs. Botfield. Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Botfield are the principal landowners.
Walton is a township, one mile and a half south-east of the church, containing 804a. 2r. 34p. of land, with the townships of Prescot and Bagginswood, and had at the census of 1841 one house and 12 inhabitants. The tithes are commuted for £47. The Duke of Cleveland is the principal freeholder; W. L. Childe, Esq., is also a proprietor.
Wrickton is a scattered township, two miles and a half north-west by west from the parish church, having at the census of 1841, 21 houses and 123 inhabitants. It contains, with the townships of Walkerslowe, Overton, and Newton, 2,186a. 1r. 17p. of land. The tithes are commuted for £95. 1s. 4d., namely, from Wrickton township, £33 18s.; Walkerslowe, £26. 14s.; Overton, £24. 10s. 11d.; and Newton, £9. 18s. 5d. The principal freeholders are Mrs. Haynes; Mr. Thomas Lowe; Panton Gardner, Esq.; and Mr. John Maddocks.
Charities.—There was formerly a sum of £30. 6s. 8d. in this parish, called the poors’ stock, the origin of which is unknown, and which, with some additions raised by subscription, made the sum of £45, which was lent to the trustees of the turnpike road from Bewdley to Prescott, and secured by a mortgage on the tolls in the year 1763, at an interest of four per cent., in respect of which two pounds five shillings are annually paid and distributed to the poor of Stottesden on St. Thomas’s day. Thomas Morris, by will, in 1723, bequeathed to the poor of the parish of Stottesden the sum of 20s. yearly, issuing out of his estate at Bardley, in this parish. George Rushbury and Richard Rushbury, in 1703, granted to trustees a piece of land in Stottesden, containing one acre or thereabouts, in trust, for the erection thereon of an almshouse to lodge some of the poor impotent persons of the said parish. An almshouse was accordingly erected, the expense of which, amounting to £35, was defrayed from the poor rates and contributions from the parishioners. The house consists of five distinct dwellings, with a garden to each, which are inhabited by the poor belonging to the parish. James Rushbury, by will, dated 1717, gave the sum of £100, to be laid out by his executor in the purchase of land, the yearly rents and profits thereof to be distributed in the following manner, viz.: £3 yearly towards maintaining an orthodox parson at Wombridge, who should read divine service and preach yearly on the day of the testator’s death; 20s. yearly to the poor of the parish of Wombridge; and 20s. yearly to the poor of the parish of Stottesden. The Rev. Samuel Meredith, by will, dated 1756, devised all his messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever, to his godson Charles Hinckesman, his heirs and assigns, he and they paying thereout (among other things) the sum of £120 to the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the poor of the parish of Stottesden, upon trust, that they should place the same out at interest, and apply it in educating and teaching poor children of the said parish to read. This legacy has never been received, the present proprietor of the estate alleging that it is void under the statute of mortmain.
Alltree John, farmer, New House
Bytheway Edw., shoemaker, shopkeeper, carrier, and parish clerk
Bytheway John, butcher and farmer
Brookes Joseph, farmer, Woodhouse
Cleeton Edward, farmer
Cleeton Emma, farmer, Hardwick
Elcock John, farmer
Gittins John, farmer, maltster, and wheelwright
Hancox John, joiner
Hyde Mrs., The Hall
Hyde Thomas, farmer, The Hall
Jones Dorothy, blacksmith and victualler, The Cock
Jones John, blacksmith
Jones Mrs.
Lane William, wheelwright
Maddison Rev. Chas. John, The Vicarage
Millichap Richard, farmer
Nott Henry, cooper
Page Thomas, farmer
Price John, beerhouse and shopkeeper
Beach James, shoemaker
Deverell William, farmer, Knowle Bays
Edwards Richard, farmer
Gittins William, wheelwright
Gregory Thomas, shoemaker
Lateward John, farmer, The Hall Orchard
Millington Thomas, farmer, Headcroft
Nuth William, schoolmaster
Pugh John, farmer, Ribbly
Smith Thomas, farmer, The Lower Farm
Bevan Edward, beer retailer
Giles John, farmer and vict., Button Oak Inn
Those marked * reside at High Green.
Birkin Benjamin, farmer
Birkin Sarah, farmer
* Cooke Thos., beer retailer
* Corfield William, engineer and blacksmith
Crump Thomas, Esq., The Hall
* Downes Henry, shoemaker
Jordin Joseph, farm bailiff
Page John, farmer
Powell William, farmer
* Richards Thos., shopkeeper
Wall Richard, wheelwright
Dorrell William, farmer, The Hall
Hyde Thomas, farmer
Meredith John, miller and farmer
Pugh John, farmer
Benbow Edward, farmer
Deverell William, farm bailiff
Hyde John, farmer
Amies Edward, farmer
Pardoe Rev. G. D., The Hall
Band Richard, miller and farmer
Doolittle James, farmer
Doolittle Samuel, maltster
Doolittle William, farmer
Mole Joseph, farmer
Parkes Thomas, farmer
Bishop William, farmer
Fletcher John, farmer
Brown William, farmer
Medlicott William, farmer
Boddy George, blacksmith
Chatham George, saddler
Clayton Samuel, lime and quarry master
Davies John, farmer, Lower House
Haycocks James, beerhouse and shopkeeper
Jones John, farmer, Middle House
Martin Mary, wheelwright
Martin John, wheelwright
Page Mrs., Stocking House
Page Wm., farmer, Upper House
Page Wm., farmer, Stocking Farm
Preston Thos., lime master and farmer
Trow Edward, beer retailer and shopkeeper
Baker William, farmer
Fletcher Thomas, farmer
Fletcher Thomas, farmer
Gittins Elizabeth, farmer
Preeton Thomas, miller and farmer
Colebach George, farmer
Wyer Richard, farmer, Manor House
Farmer George, farmer, The Hall
Oakley Richard, farmer
Page John, farmer, The Heath
Cox John, farmer, The Hall
Haynes Mrs., The New House
Maddocks John, miller and farmer
Passey George, farmer
Wellings Humphrey, blacksmith
is a parish and scattered village in the Chelmarsh division of the Stottesden hundred, two miles N.W. from Bridgnorth, which contains 1,120 acres of land, and at the census of 1841 had 18 houses and 83 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,243. 13s. Gross estimated rental, £1,328. 7s. The land has an undulating surface, and in some parts a strong soil, which produces tolerable crops of grain; the meadow land is generally of an inferior quality, and cold. The Earl of Shrewsbury is the most considerable landowner, the other principal proprietors are Edward Farrer Acton, Esq.; the Earl of Liverpool; the Executors of the late William Clayton; Mr. Newell; Thomas C. Newport, Esq.; and Edward Edmonds, Esq. Edward Farrer Acton is lord of the manor. In the 18th of Edward II. Reginald de la Leigh gave lands in Tasseley towards the endowment of a chantry in Bruges. The Bridgnorth race course is situated in this parish. The Leasows, the property and residence of Captain Edward Edmonds, is a handsome modern erection of brick, pleasantly situated, and surrounded by rural scenery. The Church is a small structure rebuilt in 1840, consisting of nave and chancel, with a turret in which are two bells. There is a gallery, the front of which is ornamented with antique oak carvings, and there is a beautiful screen which separates the chancel from the nave. The font is very ancient, and there is a small organ upon the gallery. The living is a rectory in the patronage of Edward Farrer Acton, Esq.; incumbent, Rev. John Postlethwaite. The tithes have been commuted for £212, and there are 8a. 2r. 37p. of glebe land. When the church was rebuilt 115 additional sittings were added to the original number, and in consequence of a grant from the Incorporated Society for building and enlarging churches, 62 of that number were declared free and unappropriated for ever. A handsome tablet remembers Rowland Hill, Esq., who died in 1766. There is also a neat tablet in the chancel in memory of the Rev. William Moore, M.A., late rector, who died in the year 1848.
Directory.—Samuel Arthur, farmer and vict., Boar’s Head; William Clayton, farmer, Henley; Mr. William Cleaton, Tasley Cottage; John Corbet, farmer; Robert Corbet, farmer, Race-course; Edward Edmonds, Esq., The Leasows; Joseph Giles, farmer, Church Farm; Enoch Gwynn, basket maker; Thomas Lees, farmer, Hundred House; Henry Yapp, butcher.
is a parish and village pleasantly situated on an acclivity four miles and a half W.W. by S. from Bridgnorth. The family of Cressett, of ancient and honourable distinction, gave name to the place, and were seated at Cressett Hall, an ancient mansion in the Elizabethan style, built in the year 1580; it was formerly surrounded with a moat, traces of which are still to be seen; several of the rooms are wainscotted with oak. In the old lodge, now converted into a granary, is a spiral stair case, with blocks of solid oak. The parish contains 1,300 acres of land, which is the property of Mrs. Thursby. At the census of 1841 there were 53 inhabitants; 1831, 43, and in 1841 ten houses and a population of 56 souls. The Church is a small antique structure consisting of nave, chancel, and side chapel, with a small spiral turret in which is two bells; an arch of Norman character separates the nave from the chancel. In the side chapel is a brass memorial in memory of Richard Cressett, his wife, two sons and three daughters, dated 1640. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £4 15s. 2½d., now returned at £125; incumbent, Rev. Henry Burton, M.A.
Directory.—Thomas Bishop, farmer, Upper House; Martha Churms, farmer, New House; William Corser, farmer, The Hall; George Giles, farmer, Upton Park; Richard Howells, farmer, Stapeley; Edward Morris, gamekeeper, The Rectory; Richard Porter, farmer, The Lodge.
is a small parish and retired village nine miles N.E. by E. of Ludlow, containing 1,094a. 2r. 16p. of land, the rateable value of which is £861. 6s. 5d., and gross estimated rental, £1,179. 12s. 6d. At the census of 1841 there were 24 houses and 140 souls; in 1801, 152, and in 1831, 123 inhabitants. The landowners in the parish are Viscountess Boyne, Mrs. Lucy Botfield, Mr. Richard Haynes, John Onions, Esq., and John Whitefoot, Esq. Wheathall appears to have been a place of importance in former times, for on the 28th of Edward I. Walter Hakett obtained a grant for a market on a Thursday, and of a fair on the eve and feast of the Holy Trinity, and the day after. These have long been obsolete. The Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a small stone edifice consisting of nave and chancel, in which is a tablet of stone to the memory of Henry Holland, gentleman, dated 1684. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £7. 5s. 7½d., now returned at £277., and enjoyed by the Rev. Bernard Churton.
Directory.—Samuel Breakwell, shopkeeper, farmer, and carrier to Bridgnorth; Harriett Bradnee, farmer, Townsend; John Bradnee, farmer, Townsend; Thomas Bytheway, beerhouse and blacksmith; Rev. Bernard Churton, The Rectory; Edward Duce, farmer, Weathall Green; William Griffiths, farmer, Lower Bromden; Richard Haines, farmer, Duns Living; John Hardwick, farmer, Wheathill House; Edward Hodnett, farmer, Besam; Richard Sambrook, farmer; and Thomas Thomas, farmer.
is a detached portion of the county of Hereford, but a chapelry annexed to the church of Stottesden, situated three miles S.W. of the parish church. In 1841 here were 301 persons, and in 1831 345 inhabitants. The township contains 1,419a. 3r. 35p. of land, and 20 acres of public roads. The Duke of Cleveland is the lord of the manor. The Church is an ancient edifice built of stone, with a tower in which are two bells. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to Stottesden, in the patronage of the vicar, and incumbency of the Rev. David Williams, B.A. The tithes are commuted for £127. 14s. 11½d. There are three acres of glebe land. The Parsonage House, a short distance south of the church, is a modern erection, built of brick, in the year 1847, at the sole expense of the late Thomas Botfield, Esq., of Hopton Court, who also bequeathed by will the sum of £800 the interest to be invested in the three per cents., the interest thereof to be applied towards the augmentation of the salary of the curate of Farlow, on condition that there should be divine service performed twice every Sunday in the church.
Directory.—Thomas Bowen, wheelwright; Joseph Dolphin, farmer and vict., Maypole Inn; James Hauslow, blacksmith; William Harris, beerhouse keeper; George Hancox, shopkeeper and wheelwright; Charlotte Humphry, farmer; William Jones, farmer and corn miller; Mary Jordin, shoemaker; James Lane, farmer; Rev. John David Williams, B.A., curate, The Parsonage House.
Is bounded on the west and north by Stottesden, and on the east and south by Worcestershire. A detached part of it is bounded on the west by Munslow, and on the east and south by Stottesden. It contains the parishes of Bitterley, Burford, Greet, Milson, Neen Solars, and Silvington; and at the census of 1841 had a population of 2.637 souls.
an extensive parish in the hundred of Overs, comprises the chapelry of Middleton, and the townships or Cleeton, Henley, Hill-upon-Cot, and Snitton, which together contain 5,718 acres of land; of which 197 acres are woods, plantations and public roads, and 26 acres in common lands. Rateable value, £6,494. 10s. 10d. At the census of 1801 there were 1,083 inhabitants; 1831, 1,194; 1841, 1,098; at the latter period there were 191 houses. The soil is mostly strong and fertile. On the summit of the Clee hill are vestiges of a Roman encampment; the prospect from this lofty eminence is most extensive and delightful; coal and ironstone are found in abundance, but the mines at present are but little worked. On the lofty height of Titterstone hill a stately and elegant pillar has been erected to the memory of the late Duke of Sutherland. Sir William E. R. Broughton, Bart., is a considerable proprietor of land, and lord of the manor. Sir Charles Corley, Rev. Charles Walcot, Mr. P. Jones, Captain Horton and others are also landowners. Bitterley Court is a good residence, delightfully situated at the foot of the range of Clee hills. The Kington Canal intersects the parish. The houses in Bitterley are scattered, but pleasantly situated four miles north-east by east from Ludlow. The township at the census of 1841 contained 40 houses and 204 inhabitants. The Church, dedicated to St. Mary, stands in a sequestered locality, and consists of nave and chancel, with a tower, in which are three bells. It was rebuilt in 1667, and repaired in 1761. The south transept was built in 1848–9, by subscriptions and a grant from the Church Building Society. The church contains some interesting memorials, some of which are of very elaborate workmanship. Among the families remembered are those of Powys, Pardoe, Rocke, Walcot and others. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £16. 16s. 3d.; in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Walcot, M.A. The tithes are commuted for £740; and there are 88 acres of glebe land.
Charities.—The Free Grammar School was founded by Sir John Newborough in 1711, who bequeathed £400, in trust, to purchase an estate in fee simple for the benefit of the master. The property now belonging to the school consists of 38a. 2r. 20p. of land, which produces a yearly income of £42. Sergeant Powis left £50, which was laid out in the purchase of a rent charge of 50s. per annum, issuing out of certain lands, called “The Hales,” now the property of the Rev. Charles Walcot. This sum, with other monies, is distributed to the poor on St. Thomas’s-day. The poor have 8s. a year, as the interest of £10, left by Richard Page. Ann Shephard, of Middleton, left by her will the sum of £500, which has been invested in government stock; the dividends are distributed on St. Thomas’s-day.
Cleeton is a township in the parish of Bitterley, three miles east from the church, having in 1841 fourteen houses and seventy inhabitants. The Earl of Powis is the principal landowner. Mrs. Lewis, Rev. G. D. Pardoe, and Mr. Crowther are also freeholders.
Henley township in 1841 had six houses and fifty two inhabitants, and is situated two miles south from the church. The Rev. S. J. Knight is the chief landowner.
Middleton is a chapelry and township in the parish of Bitterley, two and a half miles north-east from Ludlow, having 31 houses and 198 souls at the census of 1841. Sir W. E. R. Broughton, Bart., is lord of the manor and owner of the land. The chapel is an ancient structure, built of rubble stone, with a tower of wood. An antique oak screen which divides the nave from the chancel has the date of 1582.
Snitton township lies about two and a half miles east from Ludlow. At the census of 1841 it had 118 houses, chiefly cottages, and 564 inhabitants. The Earl of Powis is the landowner and lord of the manor. A chapel of ease was built here in 1839. The Rev. John Burleigh James, M.A., is the officiating minister.
Beddoes William, Warthill Farm
Carter John, Astbach Farm
Cross Miss, boarding school proprietor
Froggatt John, Luppencot Farm
Gardner George, farmer
Green James Haynes, schoolmaster, Endowed Schools
Horton Captain
Nott William, shoemaker
Price Mrs., The Villa
Tomkins Harriet, school teacher
Tomkins William, shoemaker
Vaughan John, Lowbridge Farm
Walcot Rev. Charles, The Rectory
Edwards Charles, farmer, Clee Hill
George Anne, vict., Angel Inn
Glover Richard, farmer, Clee Hill
Nash Saml., farmer, Clee Hill
Onslow Thos., Gold Thorn Farm
Pardoe, Rev. G. D., Cleeton Hall
Powell William, farmer
Tunks Richard, farmer
Cuyler Sir Chas., The Hall
Hardwick Thos., blacksmith
Knight Rev. S. J., The Villa
Walker Charles, farmer
Adney John, farmer
Adney William, farmer
Braithwaite Stephen, farmer
Fletcher Edwd., Crow Leasow Farm
Hammonds Thomas, tailor
Hardwick Benjamin, joiner and cabinet maker
Hardwick Wm., wheelwright
Meyrick Samuel, blacksmith
Patrick William, farmer
Ricketts Wm., Torgrove Farm
Swift Joseph, Brookhouse Farm
Wall John, Meason’s Farm
Wilcox Joseph, Hill’s Farm
Beniams Edwd., shoemaker
Bray Benjamin, West Farm
Butcher Thos., South Farm
Pardoe Rev. G. D., Longhouse Farm
Reynolds Saml., Hall Farm