nmECTORY.] SHROPSHIRE. PRIOR'S LEE. 177 PRIORS DITTON, or Ditton Priors, is a township chief crops are cereals. The area of the whole parish is and extensive parish on the north and east of the Brown 5,479 acres; rateable value, Priors Ditton township, Clee hills, 7 miles south-east from Presthope station on £1,633; the population in 1891 was 581. the Much Wenlock and Craven Arms branch of the Middleton Priors, I mile north-east, with Netchwood Great Western railway and 8 south-west from Common, 2 miles north, form a township in this parish. Bridgnorth, in the Southern division of the county, There is a Oatholic chapel at Middleton Priors, served hundred of Munslow, Bridgnorth union and county from Bridgnorth. Middleton Lodge is the seat of court district, petty sessional division of Bridgnorth, Philip John Canning Howard esq. J.P. who is lord of rural deanery of Stottesdon, archdeaconry of Ludlow the manor. The population and acreage are included and diocese of Hereford. The church of St. John the in the parish; rateable value, £1,382. Baptist is an ancient building of stone, partly in the Ruthall, three-quarters of a mile north-east, with Ash­ .Norman and Early English styles, consisting of chancel, field, 11 miles north-west, form a small township; rate­ nave, south aisle, south porch and a western tower, able value, £4II• with wooden spire, containing 4 bells: the church was Parish Clerk, Thomas Hodnett. Jepaired in 1861, when the massive oak roof was un- Post Office.-William Lowe, SUb-postmaster. Letters covered: an ancient carved oak screen divides the arrive from Bridgnorth, vill Cleobury North, at 8.45 .chancel fTom the nave: the reading desk and choir stalls a.m. & dispatched 3.35 p.m. Postal orders are issued are also carved: there are sittings for 235 persons. The here, but not paid. The nearest money order office 1fegister dates from the year 1673. The living is a & telegraph office is at Burwarton vicarage, net yearly value £150, derived from 247 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of Philip John Schools. Canning Howard esq. J.P. and held since 1894 by the National (mixed), Ditton Priors, built in 1862, & en- "Rev. John Alexander Lindam. There are two Wesleyan larged in 1889, for 100 children; average attendance, and two Primitive Methodist chapels in the parish. 85; William Garbett, master The charities are of £6 yearly value, charged on an Catholic, Middleton Priors, built by & supported by P. estate left in 1699 by Mrs. Catherine Barker. Fairs are J. C. Howard esq. J.P.; the school will hold about 30 held on the 10th of May and the 25th of October yearly, children; average attendance, 26; Mrs. Mary Cassere, jor cattle, sheep and pigs. Philip John Canning Howard mistress oesq. J.P. of Middleton Lodge, who is lord of the manor, Conveyance.-Mansell Henry & Joseph, Southern &; and Viscount Boyne D.L., J.P. are the principal land- Turner's vans pass through Ditton Priors every satur- owners. The soil is various; the subsoil is clay. The day for Bridgnorth, returning same day PRIORS DITTON. Smallman Richard, blacksmith Davis William, farmer Lindam Rev. John Alexander Vicarage Southern Hy. cowkeeper & carrier DorrelI George, farmer, Lightwood , Southern Jsph. shoe maker & carrier Home Roger, farmer COMMERCIAL. Thomas Jane (Mrs.), farmer Garner William, farmer, Derrington Bell J ames, farmer Wall Thomas, farmer, Oakwood Ingram Thomas, hoop ma. Netchwood lieU Robert, farmer, Powkesmore Whatmore James, shopkeeper Jones Hy. Edtward, farmer, New farm Davis William, farmer, Sidnal Lewis J ane (Mrs.), farmer Dorrell Catherine (Mrs.), farmer MIDDLETON PRIORS. Merrick Daniel, farmer, Derrington Garbutt Wm. farmer, Little Leasows Howarru Philip John Canning J.P. Mid. Targett Samuel, gamekeeper to M. R.. Hodnett Thomas. tailor dleton lodge Chubb esq. Netchwood! Howells George, farmr.Great Hudwick Vaughan Edward, farmer Lewis John, farmer COMMEROIAL. Lowe William, Howard's Arms P.H. BeU Joseph, f.armer, & agent to P. J. RUTHlALL. farmer & post office C. Howard esq Green Edward George Morris Benjamin, wheelwright Bell Thomas, miller (water) Bishop William, farmer Reynolds Edwin, farmer, HaU farm Bowen Thos. mason&frDir.Netchwood Corfl.eld Charles, farmer Reynolds Thomas, farmer, Church frm Childs Edwall'd, farmer Lewis Richard, farmer Smallman John, wheelwright Cor:6.eld Thomas, farmer Onslow Thomas, farmer "PRIOR'S LEE is a township and village, and was per Cent. Consols, the interest to be distributed amongst formed May I, 1863, into a district chapelry, in the civil the aged and indigent widows of the parish at Christmas parish of Shifnal; it is on the road from Shifnal to by the vicar and churchwardens. A sum of £100 for Wellington, half a mile from Oakengates station of the the same purpose was also left by Stanley Davis, of Great Western railway, and on the Wellington and Coal- Mossy Green, in 1887. The Lilleshall Company Limited port branch of the London and North Western railway, carry on extensive coal and iron works in the parishes 3 miles north-west from Shifnal and 4 south-east from of Shifnal, Wombridge, Lilleshall and Wrockwardine, Wellington, in the Northern division of the county, and employ about 3,000 hands: the works at Prior's Brimstree hundred, Shifnal union and petty sessional Lee comprise coal mines, iron mines, four blast furnaces division, Madeley county court district, rural deanery and steel works, extensive foundries and brick works, tlf Shifnal, archdeaconry of Salop and diocese of Lich- and Snedt<lhill forge and rolling mills; the works at Don­ field. The church of St. Peter, rebuilt in 1836, is a nington Wood, include collieries and ironstone mines. structure of brick ill the Decorated style, consisting of Prior's' Lee Hall, the residence of William Penott nave, west porch, and an embattled western tower with esq. is pleasantly seated a short distance east from the pinnacles, containing a clock and 2 bells: the stained village. The principal landowners are Lord Stafford, east window is a memorial to John Horton, of Shrews- who is lord of the manor, and the Lilleshall Oompany. bury, who died 19 Jan. 1863: in the church is a tablet The soil is heavy clay; subsoil is gravel. The chief to the Rev.. James T. Matthews RD. first vicar of crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 1,500 tJhis parish, who died in 1857: the church was com- acres; the population in 1891 was 1,934. pletely restored in 1887, when a reredos of Caen stone Hollinswood is a hamlet partly in Prior's Lee and was given by Edward and St. John Tipton in memory of Malinslee, half a mile south. Here is a Methodist New deceased members of their family. The register dates Oonnexion chapel, rebuilt in 1865. from the year 1836. The living is a vicarage, gross Sexton, James Brown. yearly value £260, net £240, in the gift of the vicar of Shifnal, and held since 1888 by the Rev. John Parnaby Post Office.-Mrs. Catherine Clay, SUb-postmistress. Stephenson, of Queen's College, Birmingham. At the Letters arrive from Shifnal at 7.20 a.m.; dispatched Vicarage House Mrs. Mary Martha Sherwood wrote at 6 p.m. The nearest money order office & telegraph "Little Henry and his Bearer," and other tales for chil- office is at St. George dren; she died at Twickenham 22 Sept. 1851; here also National Schools (mixed & one for infants), erected by the Rev. the Hon. Baptist Noel M.A. was educated; he the Lilleshall Co. in 1871, & enlarged in 1878, for 269 died in 1873. Here are Wesleyan and Primitive and children; the average attendance for both schools is United Methodist chapels. Samuel Horton esq. iron- 370 & they are supported by the Lilleshall 00.; George master of Prior's Lee, left by will, in 1865, £500 £21 Francis Upton, master; Miss Alice Box, infants' mist; PRIVATE RESIDENTS. Lewis Thomas, Stone house COMMERCllL. Bakeun Richard, Ivy gr{)ve Morgan Thomas Bourns Henry Perrott William, Prior's Lee hall Beech N. T. colliery manager Green John, The Hollies Stephenson Rev. John Parnaby (vicar) Birchell Charles, farmer, Woodhouse Griffiths George, Rose cottage Tipton Edward Cadman Enoch & Co. charter masters Jarvi~ George Arthur, 'The Shrubbery Tucker William F. Cartref Chetter Amos, carter SHROPSHIRE 12.