Chapter XXVIII: Part 28

CHARITIES.—In 1699 certain lands were purchased with the sum of £70, which is supposed to have been derived from some of the numerous benefactions which are recorded on a tablet in the church, and for the greater number of which, amounting to £211, no permanent mode of application is there designed. In the purchase deeds it is directed that six penny loaves should be distributed in the parish every Sunday, from which it is inferred that John Moreton’s gift of £26 formed part of the purchase money, the interest of which at five per cent. would exactly suffice for the weekly distribution of six penny loaves. These lands, with an allotment of about three-fourths of an acre made in respect of them some years ago, contain in the whole 13A. 0R. 22P., and now produces a yearly rental of £12. There are also about twelve acres of land situate in the parish of Edgmond, and belonging to the poor of the parish, which are supposed to have been purchased with other of the benefactions recorded upon the tablet in the church, but there are no deeds or documents now extant indicating the source from which the property was derived, or the trusts on which it is held. There are four pieces of land which together are let for £26. 12s. per annum; from this fund, and £4. 10s. added from the rents of the Hinstock estate, 7s. worth of bread is distributed every week among the poor of Edgmond, and 14s. worth is sent every Easter to Tibberton. £1. 19s. is distributed among the poor of Edgmond on St. David’s-day in sums of 6d. each, as the gift of David Oliver. The residue of the fund amounting to £10. 5s. is expended in warm clothing for the poor during the winter season.

_The Rev. Dryden Pigott_, in 1734, bequeathed £200, and directed the interest thereof to be employed in clothing and schooling, and for books for such poor boys inhabiting the village of Edgmond as his executor and the rector of Edgmond, their heirs and successors, should judge to be a sufficient number for the purpose; the said boys to be clothed and kept at school so long as the said trustees should think fit. This legacy in 1806 was invested in the purchase of £258. 8s. 3d. four per cent. stock, and the dividends, which amount to £10. 4s. 8d., are employed in the clothing and education of seven or eight boys.

_John Smith_ left £100, the interest to be given upon St. John’s-day to the poor of Edgmond. _Robert Pigott_, in 1746, left £50, the interest to be given to the poor of Edgmond and Adeney. An annual sum of £7. 10s. is paid by the Rev. John D. Pigott as the interest of these two benefactions. The amount is given away in half-crowns to the poor of Adeney and Edgmond on St. John’s-day.

Adams Thomas Harper, farmer, Anceller House

Alcock John, gentleman

Bayley Thomas, gentleman

Blakemore John, farmer

Bolas Benjamin, shoemaker

Bolas John, shoemaker

Bratton Thomas, tailor

Buckley Thomas, tailor

Casewell William, farmer

Davies William, wheelwright

Dewson Mrs. Catherine, Hill House

Evans Edward, shoemaker

Harper John, tailor and vict., Lion Inn

Hill Capt. Clement, Summer Hill

Hill John Cooke, farmer

Hollins Mr. John

Icke Mrs. Elizabeth Glover, Edgmond Grove

James John, shopkeeper

Large John, shopkeeper and carpenter

Lewin George, schoolmaster

Littleton Ben., blacksmith

Mansell Thomas, blacksmith

Moore John, farmer

Morris William, tailor

Patrick James, shoemaker

Phillips John, wheelwright

Pigott David, shoemaker

Pigott Rev. John Dryden, B.A., The Rectory

Pigott William, wheelwright

Pinson William, shoemaker

Pooler Richard, butcher

Sillitoe John, farmer

Sillitoe Thomas, farmer

Tomlins Rev. Richard, M.A.

Vigers Peter, carpenter

Wainwright Abrm., road surv.

Wiggin Thomas, farmer and vict., Old Lamb

Williams John, farmer

Yeomans John, maltster, butcher, and vict., New Inn

ADENEY, OR ADNEY,

is a small township in the parish of Edgmond, situated about a mile W. from the parish church; the township contains 618A. 2R. 22P. of land, the soil of which in some places is light and sandy, and in other parts a strong fertile loam. The Shropshire union canal intersects the township, and occupies 15A. 0R. 2P. of land; Lady Tyrwhitt is the owner of the land, the gross rental of which is £1,175. 13s. 3d. Rateable value, £982. 2s. 7½d. At the census in 1841 there were ten houses and a population of 71 souls.

The principal residents are Richard Asterley, farmer; George Hammond, farmer and surveyor; and John Pooler, farmer, and brick, tile, and draining pipe manufacturer.

BUTTEREY

is a township with only one house, partly situated in the parish of Edgmond and partly in that of Lilleshall; in the former are 239A. 3R. 38P. of land, and in the latter about 30 acres. The rateable value of the land in Edgmond is £354. 16s. 5d. The Shropshire union railway crosses the township and occupies 5A. 2R. 6P. There is a considerable extent of low marsh land, which is used for grazing purposes. The Duke of Sutherland is the proprietor. Mrs. Sarah Masefield, farmer, occupies the land, and resides at a good residence near the banks of the canal, about two miles S.W. from Edgmond.

CAYNTON,

a township two miles N.W. from Edgmond, has 670A. 0R. 17P. of land, which is the property of George Briscoe, Esq. Rateable value, £995. 12s. 6d. At the census of 1841 there were 14 houses and 51 inhabitants. CAYNTON HOUSE is a handsome brick residence pleasantly situated, in the occupancy of Mr. Thomas Paddock, farmer. There is a corn mill here situated on a small stream, which has its confluence with the river Tern in the parish of Ercall Magna. CALVINGTON, returned as in the township of Caynton at the census of 1841, is held as a separate township by the parish officers. It contains 339A. 2R. 18P. of land, which is the property of Mr. Charles Morris. Rateable value, £464. 0s. 1½d. STANFORD, a good farm two miles N. from Edgmond, has 221A. 0R. 23P. of land, which is the property of the Rev. William Dalton. Rateable value, £228. 17s. 1d.

DIRECTORY.—Thomas and William Paddock, farmers, maltsters, and corn millers, Caynton; Thomas Paddock, farmer, Caynton House; Sarah Pooler, farmer, Calvington; Edward Banton, farmer, Stanford Hall.

CHERRINGTON

is a township in the parish of Edgmond, three miles and a quarter from the parish church, comprising 1,035A. 1R. 12P. of land, mostly a light fertile loam, about equal portions arable and in pasture lands. The Duke of Sutherland is lord of the manor and owner of the whole township, except 29A. 1R. 20P. of land, which is the property of Mr. Joseph Ogle. In 1801 there were 173 inhabitants; 1831, 192; and in 1841, 39 houses and 189 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,522. 12s. 4d. The farms here are of considerable extent, and the land has been much improved by superior cultivation.

_John White_ gave the sum of £20 to the poor of Cherrington, and directed the interest to be distributed by the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish, among the most deserving objects of charity. This gift is now in the savings’ bank, and the interest is usually distributed among old men or widows of Cherrington. There are traces of the distribution of this charity for more than a century back; and an entry in the churchwardens’ book for the year 1788, describes it as money left by the late Captain White.

The principal residents are Thomas Browne, farmer; Henry Green, farmer, Day House; Sarah Palin, farmer, Cherrington Manor; William Podmore, farmer; William Fletcher, joiner and builder; William Harper, shoemaker; Richard Hobson, shoemaker; Thomas Jones, shoemaker; Richard Middleton, rope maker; Benjamin Rea, corn miller; and John Williams, shopkeeper and vict., Four Crosses.

CHETWYND, OR FIELD ASTON,

is a township in the parish of Edgmond, situated near the eastern verge of the county, about a mile south from Newport. The township is intersected by the railway, and the Newport station is within the bounds of this township, situated about half a mile from the church. The township contains 1,244A. 0R. 8P. of land. Gross estimated rental, £3,051. 11s. 3d. Rateable value, £2,670. 7s. The principal landowners are the Duke of Sutherland; John Cotes, Esq.; John Tayleur, Esq.; Miss Elizabeth Slaney; Lilleshall Company; Mr. Phillips; and Mr. Stoneley. The population of this township in 1801 was 268; 1831, 246; and 1841, 385; at the latter period there were 82 houses, which are for the most part straggling, and form in part the southern suburb to the town of Newport, and stretch on the turnpike road as far as Pave Lane, upwards of a mile and a half.

PAVE LANE is a hamlet on the turnpike road, where the Lilleshall company have a depôt for coal, which is brought by canal from the extensive collieries of the Duke of Sutherland, which are leased by the Lilleshall company. The town of Newport is almost wholly supplied by the coal brought hither, which is of very superior quality, and varies in price from 6s. 3d. to 10s. 10d. per ton.

Allman John, shoemaker and blacksmith

Baddeley Charles, farmer, Aston cottage

Baleson Rev. John, curate of Church Aston

Birks Thomas, beerhouse

Bridgwood Mr. William

Brittain Richard, farmer

Brittain Thomas, farmer and corn miller

Collier Joseph, commercial academy

Cheadle James, agent to Lilleshall company, Pave Lane

Goodwin Joseph, wheelwright

James John, farmer, Pave Lane

Hall John, station master

Humphreys Joseph, farmer and butcher

Lawley Thomas, shoemaker

Lilleshall Company, coal & lime merchants

Mancell Walter, maltster and vict., Fox and Duck, Pave lane

Mancell William, vict., Horse and Jockey, Pave Lane

Nevett John, toll-gate contractor

Paddock James, farmer

Slaney Miss Elizabeth, Holly grove

Slaney Elizabeth, farmer

Stoneley James, brick maker and farmer

Tomkinson Joseph, tailor

Treasure John, land agent, surveyor, and builder, Aston villa

CHURCH ASTON

is a chapelry and small village, with some genteel residences, pleasantly situated about a mile south from Newport, and a mile and a half east by south from Edgmond. The township contains 720A. 2R. 37P. of land. Ralph M. Leeke, Esq., is the principal landowner and lord of the manor. William Underhill, Esq.; John Treasure, Esq.; Miss Elizabeth Slaney; and Charles B. Brown, Esq., are also proprietors. Gross estimated rental, £2,769. 9s. 6d. Rateable value, £2,459. 11s. 1d. In 1801 there was a population of 451 souls; 1831, 451; and 1841, 512, at which period there were 110 houses. THE CHAPEL is a neat brick structure, consisting of nave, bay, and transepts, with an octagonal tower surmounted by a vane. The chapel was enlarged in 1823, by which means 200 additional sittings have been obtained; and in consequence of a grant from the Society for Promoting the Enlargement and Building of Churches and Chapels, 150 of that number are free and unappropriated for ever, in addition to 50 sittings formerly added; it is provided with galleries, has a small organ, a neat font, and the east window is beautified with stained glass. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the rector of Edgmond; the Rev. John Baleson is the officiating minister. ASTON HALL is a handsome stuccoed mansion, embosomed in foliage, and has been built about twenty years; it is the property of R. M. Leeke, Esq., and seat of Ralph Ormsby Gore, Esq. Mr. Underhill has recently built a neat villa residence on elevated ground a short distance from the village, which commands a pleasing view of the country. The township is crossed by the Newport and Wellington turnpike road, by the Shropshire Union railway, and the canal formed by the Lilleshall company, for the conveyance of coal and lime; of the latter large quantities are made in this township; it is extensively used for agricultural purposes. There is a large reservoir in this township of excellent water, which partly supplies the town of Newport. THE NATIONAL SCHOOL is a brick structure, where about eighty children are educated.

CHARITIES.—_Mrs. Mary Broughton_, by will, 1728, gave to Robert Pigott and Henry Jervis the sum of £650 in trust, and directed the rents or profits thereof to be applied to the following uses, viz., 20s. to be laid out in bread and distributed among the poor of the village on the 28th July; 20s. to be laid out yearly, and distributed in like manner on the day of the month on which she should happen to die, and the residue of the yearly profits to be applied by the trustees in educational purposes, and in apprenticing poor children of this township. By a decree of the Court of Chancery, made the 7th of May, 1752, in a cause in which the Attorney-general, at the relation of Adam Jervis and Richard Jervis plaintiffs, and Robert Pigott defendant, it was decreed that £650 should be laid out in the purchase of stock, which was accordingly invested in the purchase of £611. 15s. 4d south sea annuities. The costs of the suit were paid out of a sum of £136. 5s. 8d., which had accumulated as interest before the stock was purchased. The trusts of this charity had been very inefficiently carried out when the charity commissioners published their report. The amount expended up to the year 1819 was for bread, £103. 15s.; schooling and books, £115. 5s. 10d.; apprenticing, £120; extra charges on the charity estate, £59. 14s., making a total of £398. 14s. 10d., whilst the dividends to October 1820 amounted to £688. 2s. 4d.

A sum of £20, supposed to have been the gift of _Francis_ and _Elizabeth Watson_, is placed in the Newport Savings’ Bank. The interest is distributed among the poor, with other sums collected for the same purpose from the parishioners, at Christmas. An annual sum of 5s. is expended in bread for the poor on Good Friday.

Brown Charles Baldwin, Esq.

Bullock Elizabeth, vict., The Last

Crump Mr. Thomas

Doody Mrs. Elizabeth, Aston grove

Felton Joseph, farmer

Gore Ralph Ormsby, Esq., Aston hall

Icke James Joseph, farmer, and corn and guano merchant, Vanx hall

Jackson William, farmer

Kittridge William Smith, schoolmaster

Lowe William, shopkeeper, winnowing and thrashing machine and general agricultural implement manufacturer

Norris Mrs. Martha

Underhill William, Esq.

Vaughton Thomas, Esq., Ashton villa

Ward George Joseph, timber merchant

Williams Mrs. Sarah

PICKSTOCK

is a township and small village in the parish of Edgmond, situated on an acclivity near the eastern verge of the county adjoining Staffordshire, about three miles north-east from the parish church. It is a detached part of the parish separated from the rest of Edgmond by the parish of Chetwynd intervening. The township contains 1003A. 0R. 14P. of land, the principal owners of which are Robert Gardener, Esq., William Justice, Esq., Rev. William Dalton, Mr. Pooler, and Mr. Joseph Smith. Gross estimated rental, £1,298. 13s. 0½d. Rateable value, £1,087. 15s. 5d. At the census in 1841 there were 29 houses and 157 inhabitants, of which three houses and fifteen persons were returned as in Chetwynd parish.

DIRECTORY.—William Bevan, farmer and corn miller: John Firmstone, farmer; Richard Hazledine, farmer; John Rudge, farmer; John Stokes, farmer and butcher; Mary Maria Stokes, farmer; Richard Wright farmer; Theodore Wright, farmer.

TIBBERTON

is a chapelry, township, and small village three miles W.W. by N. from Edgemond, which contains 1418A. 1A. 22P. of land, the soil of which is chiefly a cold clay, in some parts it is of a light loamy nature, and highly fertile, having been much improved by superior cultivation. The farms here are of considerable extent, the land held by fourteen different tenants within memory of man, is now held by three farmers; nearly the whole of the land is the property of the Duke of Sutherland, there are, however, three small freeholders, viz., the Rev. J. D. Pigott, Mr. J. Brittain, and Mr. J. Fletcher. Rateable value of the township, £2,410. 5s. 5d. At the census in 1801 there were 289 inhabitants; 1831, 351, and in 1841 72 houses and 329 souls. THE CHAPEL is a small structure of free stone, and consists of nave and chancel, with a square tower. It stands near the site of a former edifice which had become dilapidated. The Rev. George Pigott is the officiating minister. There are several handsome monumental tombs in memory of members of some of the principal families in the neighbourhood in the cemetery which surrounds the chapel. A NATIONAL SCHOOL has been built in the village; about sixty scholars attend. THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS have a small chapel here, built in the year 1842. The paper mill of Mr. J. Brittain is situated near the church. THE SPRAY HILL is an eminence planted with a clump of Scotch pine trees, which is a conspicuous object for many miles round. The poor of this township receive 14s. worth of bread out of the rents of the poor’s lands at Edgmond. In the returns of charitable donations made to parliament under the act 26th George III. there is mentioned a legacy of £40 by one Mr. Matthews, to poor housekeepers at Tibberton, which is stated to be then in the hands of William Fletcher, rendering an annual interest of £1. 12s. There is no evidence to show what become of the ultimate destination of this gift, but its benefits have long been lost to the poor.

DIRECTORY.—The farmers are Thomas Green, Day House; Thomas Jones and William Taylor, Tibberton Grange; the other principal residents are Robert Bates, wheelwright; John Booth, butcher; John Brittain, paper manufacturer; Henry Cotton, blacksmith; John Crawford, shoemaker; Theophilus Fletcher, shoemaker and beerhouse keeper; William Howle, tailor; William Lawley, schoolmaster; Mary Morgan, beerhouse keeper; Elizabeth Podmore, schoolmistress; Robert Simpson, wheelwright.

ERCALL HIGH, OR ERCALL MAGNA,

is a considerable parish in the Wellington division of the South Bradford hundred, comprehending the townships of Cold Hatton, Cotwall and Mooretown, Cruddington, Ellerdine, Ercall Magna, Haughton, Isombridge, Osbaston, Poynton, Rowton, Sleap, Tern, and Walton, together containing 11,152 acres of land, of which 179A. 3R. 24P. are in woods, roads, and waste, and there are 39A. 1R. 11P. of glebe. The parish in 1801 contained 1,091 inhabitants; 1831, 2,048, and in 1841 there were 364 houses and a population of 1,999 souls. Rateable value, £14,140. 19s. 6½d. The houses are in general built of brick, and slated; the cottages are also of brick, and in many instances the occupants have a small allotment of ground. The ancient residences of the gentry are in most instances converted into farm dwellings; there are, however, many neat villa residences in the modern style of architecture, of a respectable character, surrounded with park like enclosures. The soil is chiefly a mixture of sand and loam, and the land is mostly used for arable purposes, in some instances large dairies of cheese are made, and the district is celebrated for a fine breed of sheep. The land is chiefly tithe free, the tithes on the rest of the parish were commuted in 1841 for £829. 15s. The village of High Ercall is pleasantly situated eight miles N.E. from Shrewsbury and five and a half miles N.N.W. from Wellington. Here are several good shops and respectable residences; the air is salubrious, and the country around beautifully diversified with picturesque scenery. The township contains 1,589A. 1R. 18P. of land, and in 1841 had 42 houses and 213 inhabitants. Rateable value, £2,453. Few districts possess so good a soil; the farms are extensive, and in most cases the land has been greatly improved by superior cultivation, and removing the fences and throwing the land into large enclosures. The Duke of Cleveland is lord of the manor and owner of the whole township. The turnpike roads to Newport, Shawbury, Wem, Whitchurch, Wellington, and Shrewsbury, intersect the township. In the 51st of Henry III., John de Ercalewe had a grant of a market here on a Monday, and a fair on the eve and the feast of the nativity of the Virgin Mary and the day after.

THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Michael, an ancient structure, consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a massive square tower containing six bells, and a clock. The side aisles are separated from the nave by four pointed arches rising from circular pillars; the church is neatly pewed with oak sittings, and the pulpit and reading desk are of carved oak of the most elaborate workmanship. The chancel is lofty and contains several mural monuments, one of which remembers Sarah, the wife of Edward Steedman, and children, dated 1834; another remembers the Rev. Henry Wood, who died in 1795; there are also tablets to Cecil Frederick Juckes, the Rev. Lawrence Gardener, and a full length figure, which exhibits a fine specimen of chiselling, near the north end of the church. In the church yard are many monumental tombs of fine workmanship, to some of the principal families resident in the neighbourhood. The living is a vicarage valued in the king’s book at £17. 6s. 8d., now returned at £290 in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland; incumbent, Rev. Robert Forester, M.A., who resides at the vicarage, a good brick building a short distance from the church. Near the west end of the church are the ruins of an ancient structure, which was formerly moated. Sir Richard Newport, of High Ercall, Knight, by letters patent, bearing date at Bridgenorth, 14th October, 18th Charles I., was advanced to the dignity of baron of this realm, by the title of Lord Newport, of High Ercall. That gentleman advanced six thousand pounds for the king’s use when at Shrewsbury, by which means the artillery was put in a position to march against the parliamentary forces, upon which followed the battle of Edge hill. THE HALL, an ancient residence with projecting gables, was built by Sir Francis Newport, Knight. This house is said to have been garrisoned in the time of the civil wars. In levelling a mound near it, Mr. Steedman’s labourers discovered about a thousand silver coins, the greater part of the reign of Charles I., some of Elizabeth, and others of the reign of Philip and Mary. The hall is now in the occupancy of Edward Blakeway Steedman, Esq. ERCALL PARK is a handsome structure, the residence of William Holt Midgley, Esq.; it is built in the Elizabethan style of architecture, and beautified with shrubberies and pleasure grounds tastefully laid out; the house is surrounded by large enclosures containing some thriving plantations. SHERLOWE, the residence of George Townsend Forester, is a modern structure built within the last three years, with farm premises on a scale of considerable magnitude. THE LODGE, another good residence of modern construction, is in the occupancy of Mr. Thomas Jukes. The above houses have all very extensive out premises, and all the modern appliances, with steam engines for carrying out the operations of extensive farms in the most economical manner.

THE FREE SCHOOL was founded by Thomas Leeke, one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer, in 1663. In January, 1816, the Attorney-General, at the relation of Ralph Leeke, filed an information against Rann Dolphin Edwards, and John Douglas, for the purpose of setting aside a lease which had been granted in 1772 for a term of 99 years, at the yearly rent of £30, and for obtaining the directions of the court as to the future application of the rents. The master by his report, made 18th February, 1828, and subsequently confirmed by the court, ordered that the school should be for teaching English, writing, and accounts free, and also Latin and Greek when required; the master to charge a guinea a quarter and a guinea entrance for the latter; that the schoolmaster’s salary should be £50 per annum, with liberty for the trustees to increase it at their discretion; that no boys should be admitted until they are capable of reading the New Testament; that any surplus which should arise from the accumulations of rent during a vacancy, or from the annual income not expended in the master’s salary, or repairs, should be expended in rewards to four or more of the scholars at the examination, or who should be reported by the master to the trustees as deserving thereof, or in providing a library of useful books for the school: that the trustees should have power to displace the master in case of incapacity, immorality, or neglect, and that the trustees should have power to make such orders as they should think necessary for the better government of the school. The master, in a report made June 3rd, 1828, found that the sum of £960 was due for rent up to Lady Day, 1828, out of which Mr. Edwards was entitled to retain costs, leaving £831. 1s. from which £428. 2s. 8d. was paid for the costs of the other parties, leaving £402. 18s. 4d., which was ordered to be divided proportionably between the representatives of the two schoolmasters who had officiated between November, 1815, and December, 1827. The charity estate is situated near Trefnanny, in the parishes of Guilsfield and Myford, in the county of Montgomery, and produces a yearly income of £93. Out of the income of the charity the master receives a salary of £50, and he also receives £6. 13s. 4d. per annum in respect of Stevinton’s gift. The school is conducted according to the scheme established by the Court of Chancery, except that the master makes a charge of 10s. 6d. for the entrance of such boys as are not classical scholars, which appears to be contrary to the directions of the court.

_Richard Stevinton_, by his will, in 1652, devised an annuity of £6. 13s. 4d., payable out of lands at Arleston, to be applied towards the maintenance of a schoolmaster of High Ercall, who should teach children resident in the said parish without any reward from the parents of the children.

_The Hospital_ consists of seven dwellings, and each inmate has a room above and a room below, and a small garden annexed. The hospital was founded by the Newport family. The building is kept in repair at the expense of the Duke of Cleveland, from whose agent the inmates receive £3 per quarter, with an additional payment of 21s. at Christmas, and 5s. at Midsummer. The selection of these persons is not confined to the parishioners or inhabitants of High Ercall, but are selected from deserving objects residing in the neighbourhood, a preference being given to those who have seen better days, and have been reduced by misfortune to poverty.

_Poors’ Land_.—There are two closes in the township of Eaton, in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, which have for a long period been let from time to time by the churchwardens. The last lease was dated 29th August, 1795, and it was therein recited that the then churchwardens of High Ercall were lawfully seized of the premises, in trust to distribute the rents among the poor of the parish of High Ercall, two shillings every fortnight in bread, and the remainder in money on St. Thomas’s-day. There does not appear any documents in the parish to show from whom this land was devised, or on what trust it is held. The two closes contain together 3A. 3R. 4P. of land, and are let at a yearly rental of £8. The amount is given away on St. Thomas’s-day.

Several sums of money, amounting in the whole to £199, left by eight several donors, for the benefit of the poor of this parish, were for many years placed out at interest on private security, and previous to the year 1814 £40 of the above sum was lost. About that period the remainder was called in, and with £20 advanced from the poor’s rates, was laid out in the purchase of certain premises for a parish workhouse. Since 1814 the sum of £8 has been paid out of the poor’s rates as the interest of this money, and distributed among poor persons in small sums, seldom exceeding one shilling.

_Thomas and Edward Thomas_, each gave £100 in trust, to invest the same for the benefit of the poor of the parish of High Ercall. These donations were invested by the trustees in 1798 in the purchase of three per cent. consols, which were increased in 1816 by the accumulation of dividends to the sum of £500, when the stock was transferred to John Colley and Edward Steedman. Of the sum of £193. 8s. 2d. received in 1816 for the arrears of dividends, after payment of expenses of recovering the same, and the purchase of the additional stock, there remained in the hands of Mr. Colley the sum of £74. 6s. 1d., out of which he disposed of £38. 15s. to different charitable purposes, and in 1830 when the charity commissioners published their report he had still £35. 11s. 1d. in his hands. The principal part of the dividends is now applied in the purchase of bread, which is distributed among poor persons of the parish, a preference being given to widows, the remainder of the dividends is given among the necessitous poor in money.

Mr. Henry Harris is the registrar of births and deaths for the High Ercall district.

POST OFFICE.—_At Mr. Harris’s_. Letters arrive daily from Wellington by a foot messenger at 9 45 A.M., and are despatched at 5. P.M.

Bates Richard, shoemaker and gardener

Blakeway William, farmer and victualler, Cleveland Arms.

Clarke Robert, farmer and maltster

Dingle Rev. John, schoolmaster and curate, of Upton

Forester George Townsend, Esq., Sherlowe

Forester Rev. Robert Townsend, M.A., The Vicarage

Harris Henry, grocer, druggist, seed, corn, hop, iron and steel merchant, ironmonger, guano and tillage dealer, cheese factor, and nail maker

Jebb William, thrashing machine man

Juckes Mr. Thomas, The Lodge

Large Thomas, joiner and wheelwright

Midgley Mrs., Park House

Midgley William Holt, Esq., Ercall Park

Pigott Mr. John

Powell Thomas, farmer and corn miller

Steedman Edward Blakeway, Esq., The Hall

Steedman Mary, gentlewoman

Taylor William, blacksmith

Vaughan Elizabeth, tailor

Wilding Ana, gentlewoman

COLD HATTON,

a township and pleasant village four miles N.N. by E. from High Ercall, is situated on a bold eminence, and commands extensive views over a luxuriant country. The township contains 787A. 3R. of land, and at the census of 1841 there were 51 houses and 253 inhabitants; the soil is for the most part a mixture of loam and sand, producing good crops of barley and turnips. There are 16A. 0R. 8P. in roads and waste. Rateable value, £907. 6s. 2d. The tithes are commuted for £90, of which £84 has been apportioned to the vicar of High Ercall, and £6 to the impropriator; the chief part of the large tithes have been purchased by the owners of the soil. The Duke of Sutherland and the Duke of Cleveland are the landowners.

The principal residents in this township are George Colley, tailor; Robert Hick, farmer; Richard Lewis, carpenter; William Morgan, pig dealer and shopkeeper; George Nicklin, boot and shoemaker; John Nicklin, wheelwright; William Pitchford, farmer; George Ridgeway, blacksmith; Joseph Shakes haft, farmer; William Shakeshaft, farmer; John Webb, vict., Seven Stars.

COTWALL AND MOORETOWN,

is a township situated about a mile E. from High Ercall, which contains 925A. 3R. 13P. of land, the whole of which is the property of the Duke of Cleveland, who is also lord of the manor. At the census of 1841 there were nine houses and 65 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,237. 1s. The land in this locality is pleasingly diversified with undulations; the low lands produce a rich herbage, and the arable lands produce fine crops of grain and turnips. The turnpike road from Newport to Wellington intersects the township, and a small stream separates Mooretown from the township of Rowton. The farm houses are well built, provided with convenient and commodious out-premises, and the farms are of considerable extent. The Cotwall farm, the residence of Mr. Richard Juckes, is pleasantly situated on an eminence, and commands a fine view of the country.

The principal residents are Thomas Allan, farmer, Mooretown; Robert Atcherley, farmer, Mooretown, and Richard Juckes, farmer, Cotwall.

CRUDGINGTON

is a township in the parish of Ercall, two and a half miles E. from the parish church, and four miles N. from Wellington. In 1841 here were 43 scattered houses and a population of 96 souls; this township and the adjoining township of Sleap conjointly contain 1,450A. 1R. of land; the soil is various, in some places a strong loam prevails, which produces excellent crops of all kinds of grain, in other parts it is light and sandy. Rateable value, £1,680. 2s. 8d. The Duke of Sutherland is the sole landowner, in this and the adjoining township of Sleap, and is also lord of the manor. SLEAP is a small township about the same distance E. from High Ercall as Crudgington, which in 1841 had 17 houses and 85 inhabitants. The rateable value of this township is included in the returns for Crudgington.

The following are the principal residents in Crudgington, viz.:—William Rider, farmer; Thomas Lancelot Steward, farmer, The Leasows; William Humphreys, blacksmith; Charles Madeley, beerhouse keeper, and Mrs. Elizabeth Tudor. The principal farmers in Sleap are John Jenkinson and Mrs. Prudence Davies.

ELLERDINE

is a township with a scattered population, three miles north-east from High Ercall. The air in this locality is salubrious, and the land has a fine undulating surface, the high grounds of which command extensive and interesting views of the surrounding country. The township contains 1,329A. 1R. 27P. of land, the soil of which in some places is a strong clay, in other parts sandy, and some places has a fertile loam. The land has been much improved by draining and superior cultivation. The farmers in general are respectable, and hold considerable breadth of land. At the census in 1841 there were 57 houses and 300 inhabitants. Rateable value of the township, £1,384. 10s. 3½d. The Duke of Cleveland is the principal landowner and lord of the manor. The other freeholders are the Rev. Henry Delves Broughton; Mr. George Adney; John Kilvert, Esq.; John Taylor, Esq.; Mr. John Whitfield; and Mr. Harris. The tithes of this township and that of Rowton are commuted for £376. 12s., of which £165. 12s. has been apportioned to John Kilvert, Esq.; £146 to Jonathan Scarth, Esq.; and £65 to the vicar of High Ercall. OAK HOUSE, the residence and property of John Taylor, Esq., is a neat modern structure of brick. The situation is delightful, and the grounds are beautifully laid out. The Wesleyan Methodists and Primitive Methodists have each a small chapel here.

Butterey William, shoemaker and shopkeeper

Cliff Thomas, Heath farm

Cotterall Elizabeth, farmer

Cotterall John, Newhouse farm

Dickin Mrs. Margaret

Dickin Thomas Adney, the Hall farm

Foulkes Wm., vict., the Oak

Green Elizabeth, farmer

Green John, farmer

Hamer William, Windy Oak farm

Jones William, gardener and seedsman

Peplow George, shoemaker

Taylor John, Esq., Oak House

Wellings William, clock and watch maker

HOUGHTON,

a small township four miles south-west from High Ercall, in which parish it is situated, at the census of 1841 contained five houses and twenty-three inhabitants. The township contains 376A. 2R. 8P. of land, of which 5A. 2R. 27P. are in woods and waste. The soil is mostly strong, with a clayey sub-soil, some parts of which have been much improved by draining, and other parts are undergoing the same process. The Duke of Cleveland is the principal landowner and lord of the manor. Mrs. Ann Corbet is also a proprietor in the township. Rateable value, £260. 9s. The tithes of Houghton, and those of the township of Poynton, were commuted in 1841 for £82. 5s.

The resident farmers in Houghton are Thomas Brisbourne and John Leeke.

ISOMBRIDGE,

a township and scattered village in the parish of High Ercall, at the census of 1841 contained 38 houses and 94 inhabitants. The cottagers in general hold a small portion of land, but the cottages in most instances have a mean appearance, and are thatched. The township contains 567A. 1R. 37P. of land. The soil in some places is strong, and in other parts a fertile loam prevails; the meadows produce a rich herbage, and are chiefly used for pasturage. The township is intersected by the Shropshire union canal, the river Tern, and the Wellington turnpike road. There are 11A. 1R. 22P. in roads, water, and waste. The tithes have been commuted, and £90 apportioned to the Duke of Cleveland, and £38 to the vicar of High Ercall. The landowners are John Tayleur, Esq., Mr. John Griffiths, and Mrs. Isabella Ickle. MARSH GREEN, and part of LONG WASTE is partly in this township; at the former the PRIMITIVE METHODISTS have a small brick chapel, built in 1841.

DIRECTORY.—Richard Bevan, farmer, Mirelake; Jeremiah Bromley, farmer; Richard Edwards, gardener and seedsman, Marsh Green; Harriet Dixon, farmer, the Marsh; Joseph Nevols, beerhouse and shopkeeper, Marsh Green; George Price, farmer; John Tudor, vict., Tayleur’s Arms, Long Green.

OSBASTON, OR ASBASTON

township is situated about a mile north-west from Ercall Magna, and in 1841 contained seven houses and fifty-seven inhabitants. The houses are pleasantly situated on the turnpike road leading to Hodnet; the farm houses are commodious, and provided with extensive and convenient out-premises. The township contains 589A. 3R. 26P. of land, which is the property of the Duke of Cleveland, who is also lord of the manor. Rateable value, £705. 6s. 6d.

The chief residents in Osbaston are Thomas Bates, boot and shoemaker; Sarah Brookes, farmer; Mrs. Sarah Colley, the Hall; and John Colley, farmer.

POYNTON,

another small township in the parish of High Ercall, with a few scattered houses pleasantly situated on the turnpike road leading to Shrewsbury, three miles south-west from the parish church, contains 587A. 3R. 9P. of land, principally a strong soil; some parts of the land have been much improved by draining. Rateable value, £610. 4s. At the census in 1841 there were 20 houses and 95 inhabitants. The tithes of this township and that of Houghton are commuted for the sum of £82. 5s. The Duke of Cleveland and Mrs. Ann Corbet are the landowners: the former is lord of the manor.

DIRECTORY.—William Breeze, farmer; Samuel Buttery, boot and shoemaker; Robert Hamer, farmer; Thomas Madeley, farmer; Richard Morgan, farmer; Eleanor Wainwright, farmer.

RODEN,

a township and small village in the parish of High Ercall, pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Roden, two miles S.W. from the parish church; the township contains 1,351A. 2R. of land, of which 26 acres are in woods and plantations, and 14 acres water, roads, and waste; the soil is variable, in some parts a cold clay prevails, and in other parts a mixture of sand and loam. Rateable value, £1,331. 12s. The Duke of Cleveland and Charles Orlando C. Pemberton, Esq., are the landowners, the latter is lord of the manor; John Tayleur, Esq., is the impropriator of the rectoral tithes, which have been commuted. A modus of £3. 3s. is paid to the vicar of High Ercall. The Shrewsbury and Ercall turnpike road passes through this township. At the census in 1841 Roden contained 33 houses and 161 inhabitants.

DIRECTORY.—Joseph Beddow, beerhouse keeper and maltster; John Birch, farmer, Rodenhurst; Thomas Bourne, brickmaker; John Evanson, maltster; Edward Jones, farmer; William Light, farmer; Elizabeth Marshall, shopkeeper; William Taylor, farmer; Samuel Woodfin, farmer, New Farm; Robert Yeomans, shopkeeper.

ROWTON,

a township, chapelry, and pleasant village situated on high ground, in a pleasant part of the country, two and a quarter miles N.E. from High Ercall. The township contains 800A. 0R. 33P. of land, and in 1841 there were 26 houses and 181 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,118. 19s. 4d. There are some good farm houses in this township with commodious outbuildings, and the farms are of considerable extent; cattle and sheep are extensively fed in this locality. THE CHAPEL OF EASE is a small unpresuming edifice built of red free stone, and ornamented with a wooden turret; the interior is neatly pewed, and there is a small gallery at the west end; the Rev. Mr. Robinson is the officiating minister. The tithes of Rowton and those of the township of Ellerdine are commuted for £376. 12s. The Duke of Cleveland is the principal landowner and lord of the manor; Mr. Adney, Mrs. Dickin, Mr. Thomas Nicklin, and John Whitfield, Esq., are also proprietors.

The celebrated nonconformist divine, Richard Baxter, was born at Rowton, November 12th, 1615. His father was an honest and religious man, in humble circumstances, but a small freeholder; his estate, however, was very inconsiderable. His son is said to have given strong indications of that piety and purity which appeared in his subsequent life and conversation. He passed his infancy at Rowton, under the roof of his grandfather, and in 1625, when about ten years of age, was removed from Rowton to his father’s house at Eaton Constantine. He received the chief portion of his learning at Ludlow, but had not the advantages of an academical education; when at school he had the use of an excellent library, which, by his great application, proved of infinite service to him. His first engagements in life it appears was teaching a free school at Newport, and he was afterwards appointed master of the free school at Dudley, with an usher under him. While he taught the school there he read several practical treatises, by which he was brought to a deep sense of religion, and having an earnest desire to engage in the ministry, he in 1638 addressed himself to Dr. Tharnborough, bishop of Worcester, for holy orders, which, after examination, he received, having at that time no scruples of conscience which hindered him from conforming to the Church of England. He shortly after frequently preached at Dudley, and the neighbouring villages, with great acceptance among his hearers, but when the _et cætera_ oath came to be imposed, Mr. Baxter applied himself diligently to study the case of episcopacy as in other instances, the thing which was intended to fix him to the hierarchy, gave him a dislike to it. In the year 1640 he accepted the invitation of the bailiffs and feoffees of Kidderminster to preach there for an allowance of £60 a year. In the memorable struggles of this period, he sided with the parliament, and recommended the protestation they directed to be taken by the people. This exposed him to some inconveniences which obliged him for a time to retire to Gloucester, but be afterwards returned to Kidderminster and resumed the work of the ministry. He hindered, as far as it was in his power, the taking of the covenant, and preached and spoke publicly against it. When Cromwell assumed the supreme power he was not afraid to express his dissatisfaction at his tyranny, and in a conference which he had with him afterwards, stated his views in terms not to be misunderstood by the Protector. After the restoration he became one of the king’s chaplains in ordinary, had frequent access to his royal person, and was always treated by him with peculiar respect. At the Savoy conference Mr. Baxter assisted as one of the commissioners, and then drew up the reformed liturgy, which all allow to be an excellent performance. He was offered the bishopric of Hereford by the Lord Chancellor Clarendon, which he refused to accept. At this period he would gladly have returned to his beloved town of Kidderminster, and have preached there, but this was refused him. When he found himself thus disappointed, he preached occasionally about the city of London, and afterwards returned to Acton, in Middlesex, where he went to church every Lord’s-day, and spent the rest of the day with his family and a few poor neighbours, in explaining the Scriptures and prayer. His auditors continued to increase, and shortly after, upon a warrant signed by two justices, he was committed for six months to New Prison jail. After the indulgence of 1672 he returned to London, and was one of the Tuesday lecturers at Pinner’s Hall. He had a Friday lecture at Fetter-lane, but only preached occasionally on the Sunday. In 1682 he suffered severely on account of his nonconformity. One day he was suddenly surprised by an officer, who apprehended him upon a warrant to seize his person for coming within five miles of a corporate town; producing, at the same time, five more warrants to distrain for £195 for five sermons. At this time he lay on a sick bed, but he was dragged before five justices, and took his oath that he could not go to prison without danger of death. But the officers executed their warrants on the books and goods in the house, and even sold the bed on which he lay sick. In 1684 he was bound in a penalty of £400 to keep the peace, by the justices of Middlesex, and in the year following he was committed to the King’s Bench prison, by a warrant from the Lord Chief Justice Jefferies, for his paraphrase on the New Testament; the trial took place on the 30th of May, when he was found guilty, and received a severe sentence. In 1686 the king, by the mediation of Lord Powis, granted him a pardon. After this he settled in Charter house yard, contenting himself with the exercise of his ministry, as assistant to Mr. Silvester. He died on the 8th of December, 1691, and was buried in Christ Church. His remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of people of all ranks and qualities, who prudently paid this last tribute of respect to a great and good man, whose labours deserved much from true Christians of all denominations. Mr. Baxter was in several respects one of the most eminent persons of his time; he preached more sermons, wrote more books, and engaged in more controversies than any other nonconformist of his age. He spoke, disputed, and wrote with ease, and discovered the same intrepidity when he reproved Cromwell, and expostulated with Charles II., as when he preached to a congregation of mechanics. His works are extremely voluminous, and they are still held in high estimation. An eminent divine observes of them, that his practical writings were never mended, his controversial, seldom refuted. The celebrated Doddridge, in a letter to a friend in 1723, says, “Baxter is my particular favourite. It is impossible to tell how much I am charmed with the devotion, good sense, and pathos, which is every where to be found in him. I cannot forbear looking upon him as one of the greatest orators, both with regard to copiousness, acuteness, and energy that our nation hath produced.”

DIRECTORY.—Mrs. Elizabeth Adney, The Hall; John Adney, farmer and grazier; William Edwards, shopkeeper; George Fowler, beerhouse keeper; Charles Jukes, maltster and farmer; Samuel Nicklin, boot and shoemaker; Thomas Nicklin, wheelwright; George Vickers, blacksmith and agricultural implement maker; John Whitfield, Esq., The Villa farm, and chairman to the Wellington Poor Law Board of Guardians.

TERN, OR TEARN,

a small township in the parish of High Ercall, with a few houses delightfully situated two miles S.E. from the parish church, contains 487A. 3R. 13P. of land, of which four acres are in roads and waste; the river Tern bounds the township on the S.E. At the census in 1841 there were seven houses and 41 inhabitants. Rateable value, £659. 18s. The Duke of Sutherland is lord of the manor and owner of the land. TERN HOUSE, a commodious brick residence, occupied by Thomas Juckes, Esq., is pleasantly situated on a gentle acclivity near the stream of the Tern; the views it commands of the surrounding country are extensive and pleasingly diversified. The farm buildings are of considerable extent, and are provided with all the modern appliances for farming extensively in the most economical manner.

The principal residents are George Jukes, solicitor, and Thomas Juckes, Esq.

WALTON

is a township and parish of High Ercall, situated in a delightful part of the country, about a mile W. by N. from the church; the township contains 855A. 0R. 8P. of land, and in 1841 here were 23 houses and 135 inhabitants; the houses are for the most part scattered on the turnpike road leading from Ercall to Shawbury. The farm houses are good residences, occupied by respectable agriculturists. Rateable value of the township, £969. 12s. The Duke of Cleveland is the proprietor of the whole township and lord of the manor. WALTON HALL, a structure of considerable antiquity, composed of timber and brick work, was a place of no mean pretensions in by-gone days, is now occupied as a farm dwelling.

DIRECTORY.—John Breeze, boot and shoemaker; George Brookes, farmer; William Hughes, tailor; William Juckes, butcher; William Rogers, shopkeeper; Edward S. Webster, The Hall Farm; Mrs. Jane Webster, The Hall; James Wilding, farmer, New House.

EYTON-UPON-THE-WILD-MOORS,

a parish and small village, is pleasantly situated in a retired locality, two miles and a half north from Wellington. The parish comprises 1,190A. 2R. 37P. of land, and in 1801 had 323 inhabitants; 1831, 350; and in 1841, 389; at the latter period there were 82 houses. Rateable value, £2,187. 10s. THE CHURCH is a small brick fabric, dedicated to All Saints. It contains an antique stone font; there is a small gallery at the west end; the east window contains some fragments of stained glass; the other windows are ornamented with armorial bearings of the Eyton family. The living is a rectory united to the vicarage of Wellington. The celebrated Edward Herbert, Lord Chirbury, was born at this place. His lordship stood in the highest rank among the public ministers, historians, and philosophers of the age in which he lived. Lord Herbert was the first and most candid of our English infidels, and his system of deism contains less of acrimonious censure of Christianity than that of any other writer. He was created Knight of the Bath at the accession of James I. He distinguished himself at the siege of Juliers; and, in 1616, was sent ambassador to Louis XIII., but was recalled on account of a dispute between him and the Constable De Luynes. In 1625 he was created a baron of the kingdom of Ireland, and in 1631 was elevated to the English peerage. His lordship left a History of Henry VIII., in folio; a treatise, “De Religione Gentilium um and expedito Buckingami ducis in Ream Insulam,” and an account of his own life. His lordship was born in 1581 and died in 1648. The present noble family of Powis is descended on the female side from Lord Herbert, of Chirbury. Granger, in his “Biographical History of England,” in speaking of his lordship, observes, “It is hard to say whether his person, his understanding, or his courage, was the most extraordinary. But the same man was wise and capricious, redressed wrongs and quarrelled for punctilios; hated bigotry, and was himself a bigot to philosophy; he exposed himself to such danger as other men of courage would have carefully declined; and called in question the fundamentals of a religion which none had the hardiness to dispute besides himself.” EYTON HALL is a handsome stuccoed residence, with a piazza in front supported by twelve pillars; it opens into a neatly laid out garden, beautified with shrubberies; and in front of the hall is a small park, stocked with deer. It is the seat and property of Thomas Eyton, Esq., who is the principal landowner and lord of the manor; the Trustees of Preston Hospital are also proprietors. This parish is intersected by the Shropshire Union Canal. Among the gentlemen who compounded for their estates during the Commonwealth, Sir Thomas Eyton, of Eyton, paid £976.

DIRECTORY.—Thomas Eyton, Esq., The Hall; William Anslow, farmer; Samuel Cartwright, farmer; Helena Cooke, farmer; Matthew Davies, farmer and maltster; Richard Edwards, farmer and farm-bailiff to T. Eyton, Esq.; Mary Jenkins, farmer; John Jones, gardener; Stephen Reynolds, corn miller; John Robinson, blacksmith, agricultural implement maker, and parish clerk; Thomas Shuker, saddler.

KINNERSLEY

is a parish and village, in a pleasant situation, three miles and a half N.N.W. from Wellington, which in 1801 contained 210 inhabitants; in 1841 there were 49 houses and a population of 295 souls. The parish comprises 1,789A. 2R. 36P. of land. Gross estimated rental, £2,720. Rateable value, £2,443. 3s. There are 104A. 3R. 14P. of woods and plantations, and 75 acres of glebe land. The Duke of Sutherland is lord of the manor and owner of the land. The village is surrounded by what is called moor-land, which was enclosed about half a century ago. It has, however, lost all the characteristics of a moor, and is now chiefly in large enclosures, and generally good grazing land. About half a mile north-east from the church there is a large mound, which encloses upwards of twenty acres of land, and surrounds the premises of the Wall Farm. This is supposed to have been a British encampment, and to have been raised before the moors became boggy; for there is no trace of any road across the moors by which this vast rampart of sand-rock could be conveyed, which must have been the case, if the moss at those early periods was as boggy as in after ages. The rampart measures 1,900 yards in circumference, and is from sixteen to twenty feet in breadth.