34. .ARMI1'AGE .. . [RELL\ 's , a hamlet in the parish of , Dominican priory, and in 1906 the priory was consti. stands on a slight eminence, affording a fine view of toted, by Papal authority, a college and university with Cannock Chase, about half a mile east from Armitage pcwer to confer degrees in Theology and Philosophy. anti 3! miles east from . The mission church In 1898 a church was erected near the priory buildings, is a structure of brick with one bell, and will seat Ioo and consecrated in 1899 and dedicated to St. Thomaa persons. The Primitive Methodist chapel, erected in of Aquin : in the choir are fifty canopied stalls, aBd a 1894• is of red brick with stone dressings, with sittings high altar enriched with mosaics, and a very elab&rate for 200 people. An iron bridge, cast at Coalbrookdale, reredos : and in other parts of the church are four more was erected across the in t83o; it consists altars of Caen stone: the church includes a lady chapel of a single arch of qo feet, springing from stone piers, and a chantry with grained roof, in which Josiah Spode and said to be the largest single span in : the esq. and Miss Helen Gubson, founders of the priory, lie old stone bridge stood a short distance below. A few buried: six of the windows are filled with stained glass: yards eouth-west of the entrance to the village from additional buildings, intended to form another quad­ stands the old Manor House, now known as rangle, have been ~rected, and the original mansion is Handsacre Hall, the property of Francis Villiers Forster now remodelled as the junior college of S. Th()mas esq. J.P. of Longdon Grange, near Rugeley, which still Aquinas. The college has a lofty library containing bear~ the arms of Sir William Handsacre : an oratory 15,000 volumes, a Tefectory, lecture rooms, laboratory, was formerly attached to the mansion, and the entrance cloisters and sacristies: adjoining is a high grade Joorway still remains ; the manor is mentioned in school; Very Rev. Humbert Everest, provincial; Very . Domesday book, and was then held by Robert de Hands­ Rev. Felix Couturier, pl'ior; Very Rev. Edward ; acre; the house is partly surrounded by a moat, and Laurence Shapcote S.T.L. sub-prior; Very Rev. John is now in the occupation of Mrs. Boycott and Miss Dominic Folgera S.T.B. regent of studirs; Rev. Richard Harvey. Leo Moore, master of novices; Rev. Paul Weeks, director A parish room was opened 29th Dec. 1907. Four of the college; Revs. Augustine Hogg, Aelred Whitacre ()Ottage homes for old people were built in 1906 by the S.T.L. James Harrison, Angus McSweeney B.A. Atutin Rev. E. Samson M.A. The Congregational chapel is an Barker S.T.L. Jerome Rigby S.T.L. Raymond Pius .edifice of brick and stone, erected in t82o, with 2oo Devas, Chroysostum Egan, Bertran Pike and Bruno sittings. The Wesleyan chapel, erected in 1873, has Walkley O.P. professors. sittings for 350 persons. The charities amount to £2 I8s. yearly. Bricks and drain pipes are exten­ Post, M. 0 . .& T. Office, Armitage.-Samuel Morecroft, sively made by Mr. Thomas Morecroft. John Henry sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Rugeley at about Hervey Vincent Lane esq. of King's Bromley, is lord of 6.45 a.m. k 2 p.m.; dispatched at IO.I5 a.m. li the manor. The chief landowners are the Rev. Edward 7 p.m. ; no sunday delivery Samson M.A. the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot Wall Letter Box, Handsacre, cleared at :ro.:ro a.m. & K.C.V.O. Francis Villiers Forster esq. J.P. of Longdon 6.55 p.m Grange, Messrs. Hiram and Thomas Morecroft and Wall Letter Box at National School cleared at 10.25 J. H. H. D. Lane esq. of King's Bromley. The soil is a.m. &; 6 p.m various. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The parish contains 1,917 acres of fertile land, a con­ Schools. siderable portion of which is meadow and pasture, and Public Elementary (mixed), built in 1837, &; enlar~li 31 of water; rateable value, £u,oio; the population in 1895, for 150 children ; average attendance, 140; 19n was :r,565. Samuel Lyversage, master farisb Clerk, Fre-derick Lunn, Public Elementary (infants), built in r848, for 70 children ; average attendaace, 6o; Miss Emma Grifiin. 'li:A WKESY.ARD, an embattled mansion, chiefly of mistress stoua, in the Gothic style, forming a quadrangle wHh Railway Station, Edward Walker, station master turrets at the angles, was occupied in 1894 as a Carrier. Thomas Creed, to Rugeley, saturday PRIVATE RESIDENTS. Whitacre Rev. ..Elred S.T.L Martin Frank, farmer, Marsh barn, Boycott Mrs. Handsacre hall COMMERCIAL. Handsacre Clarke Joseph Harry, Armitage cot Bartlett Henry James, farmer, Lower Morecroft Hy. hair drssr. & confctar Cope John, Pike lane lodge & Hood lane Morecroft Hiram, contractor, Mead lo Corn Edmund, The Mount Brammer Arthur, draper & grocer Morecroft Saml. cycle ma. Post office Dawes William M Brownson Hy. cowkeeper, Handsacre Morecroft Thomas, brick, drain pipe Farrington Tom, South view Caddick Thos. Ash Tree inn, &; frmr & coal merchant Gardner Herbert Wilson, The Tower Garthy Charles, butcher Myatt Joseph, wheelwright,Handsacre Glenney Mrs. The RPctory earthy Henry, shopkeeper Jsborne Joseph Henry, shopkeeper Harvey Jsph. The Poplars, Handsacre Carthy Herbert, farmer Parton Stephen, farm bailiff to Her• Harvily Miss, Handsacre hall Charlesworth Wm. farmer,Park farm bert Wilson Gardner esq Keen Charles, Chantrey cottage Clark David, farmer, Holly bank Phillips Edwin Henry, farmar, Upper Ottewell Edwin, Church house Clarke Adam, painter Lodg-e farm Samson Rev. Edward M.A. (rector of Clarke Ellen (Mrs.), dress maker & Ridley Henry, boot & shoe maker _A.rmitage & vicar of Pipe Ridware), milliner Ridout George CharlPsworth, farmer, Armitage lodge Clarke Joseph Harry L.M.S.S.A.Lond. Lee Hall farm Residents in . physician & surgeon, A •mitage cot Rugeley Industrial Co-operatin Se· (Letters received direct from Cope John, florist ciety Limited, bakers &; grocers ·. Rugoeley.) Creed Thomas, 1hopkeeper &; carrier St. Thomas's Catholic College (Rev. ; .Barker Rev. Austin S.T.L Daniels Henry, picture framer Paul Weeks, director; for assistaBt · Couturier Very Rev. Felix (prior) Fairbank Sam, farmer, Brereton cross masters, see above), Hawkesyard Devas Rev. Raymund Pius Godwin James, butcher &; farmer Sa~by John, farm bailiff to :Mre.-: Egan Rev. Chrysostom G.raham-Simmonds Robert Jn. agent Boycott & 'Miss Harvey, Handsacl'fl Everest Very Rev.Hnmbert (provncl) to the priory of St. Thomas Simms John Cecil, Red Lion P.H. Folghera Very Rev. John Dominic Acquinas, Hawkesyard Handsacre S.T.B. (Regent of Studies) Green John, shoe maker, Selwood cot Simpson John, grocer & baker Harrison Rev. James Haines Frederick, farmer, Boothurst Smart Elizabeth (Mrs.), farmer Hogg Rev. Augustine Hawkina Herbert Henry, butcher Smytheman Abraha.m, farmer McSweeney Rev. Angus B.A !son James, beer retailer tVarner Sarah (Mrs.), Crown in• ){oore Rev. Rd. Leo S.T.L. (master Jackson Robert, farmer, Lichfield rd. Warner William, shopkeeper & baker, of novices) Handsacre Handsacre Pike Rev. Bertrand Johns Edward & Oo. I.imited, sani- Webster Harry, shopkeeper Rigby Rev. Jerome S.T.L tary earthenware manufacturers, White Thoma!l William, blacksmibb Shapcote Very Rev. Laurence S.T.L. Armitage pottery & wheelwright, Handsacre (sub-prior) Keeling Edward, boot maker Winterton Richard, coal merchant Walkley Rev. Bruno O.P Lane William, Talbot inn (letters Wood Elizabeth A. (Mioas), news agt Weeks Rev. Paul (Director of the through Rugeley via Brereton) Working Men's Club (Henry Cooper, College) Leese Geo. By. Plum Puddin~ inn sec.; Ernest V. Hammersley,tTeas) ASHLEY is a parish and pleasant but scattered village, the county, North Pirehill hundred, Eccleshall petty 4 miles south-east from Pipe Gate station on the North sessional division, Market Drayton union and county court Staffordshire railway, 4 south-west from Whitmore station district, rural deanery of Eccleshall, archdeaconry of on the London and North Western railway, 7 north-west Stoke-on-Trent and diocese of Lichfield. The church of from Eocleshall and st north-east-by-east from Market St. John the Baptist, restoraJ in r86t. ill a building of Drayton in Shrot~shire, in the North-Western division of stone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, 'nm·