I wo RmELn

D I T S T O W NS H I PS

A HISTORY OF T HE PARISH

PROMI SAxofND HORMAN

" A ND mew we

OE S OF LD F MILIE O A S . AND DOCUME NTS

O NE ' ‘ C NT AI D IN T HE PARISH CHE S I S.

B y J N R ANDA OH LL,

” ofT h e 01d S ort"; and S orts en fe p p m . Li ” " J h n Wil kins on ofR ev: J W ’ c e o , Life ” . Flet h r , Guide to

” ' " Brid north u d to W n ock etc g , G i e e l , .

a be had o the A uthor . é nda t e e M f , J R ll , Pos O ce Mad l y fi , y,

or o M rs Ca nnon ce Wor eld f , , Qfi t fi .

WORF IELDAND ITS TOWNSHIPS

A HIST ORY OF T HE PARISH

F R OM S AXON AND NOR MAN T I ME S .

AND INCLUDING

A A ND DO ME T NOT ICE S OF OLD F MILIE S, CU N S

CONT AINE D IN T HE PAR ISH CHE ST ,

B Y JOHN R ANDA LL,

“ " m u on o T HE s3.v VALL OLD Sp a s AND SPO R SME N r E Y , m T , J " " W . R o o n m . L E r a us vJ. LE CHE IF on, Lu z on Rm F T , " " I E n m (Inc. G U D T o B mcmonm . Gums T o w ox.

PRINTE D AND PUBLISHE D BY T HE AUTHOR AT T HE POST OF F ICE

11 m m “ , SA LO P.

U M ottR 15

DE T O THE REA R .

T h e reas ons which induced m e to undertake this little work on

W orfield were first , because , havin g written a series of articles on IVorfield and its Townships in the Well ington Jam aal friends expressed a wish to see them republished in a condensed and

and b ecau s e th e h portabl e form ; , secondly places themselves ave for years so pleasan tly impressed themselves on my mind that I feel h a pleasure in reproducing t em . The late vicar interested himself in collecting facts and noting down events relative to the parish with

t d u t a view to their publica ion , but eath p an end to the project , so

Hi . far as he was concerned . s w idow , the late Mrs Broadbent , feeling it to be her melancholy duty to carry out the wishes of her t l a e husband , instituted inquiries and collected inform ation with a view of arranging and preparing the whole for the press : but finding

hm r n . . . N r o S . o t a st the task too great , the Rev . B James, M A , Vicar of , was applied to and induced to undertake the work ; the only obj ections to which are that it was published at the high price of 1 0/ and was also deficient in information which could only be

obtained by one living near , and making rep eated enquiries and invest W id m i ations . h d g y Mr . Broadbent not ake more use of the contents

o f the two old chest- s which stand in the church , and contain

\Vorfield documents essential to a history of and its townships , or “ m e how , as the present vicar remarked to , the author of a History of

Worfield f could have overlooked them , it is di ficult to understand . t The chests hemselves are consp icuous objects , near to the Bromley m n onuments ; they are from five to six feet in le gth , and pro

s i portionately wide and deep , curio ities in themselves , hav ng the

appearance of having com e down from a high antiquity . If he did

s ee h m them , how he could ave restrained his curiosity to have the

o . pened I cannot imagine They are as old , I should think , as the

’

. J oldest document they contain . Mr ames s book ap peared just ten

am years ago ; but these chests have not been opened , I told by

n a a . d . the Churchwarde s , for twenty ye rs p st This I can rea ily believe ,

for the keys were so rusty , and the locks also , that it took us an

We n ot hour to unlock one . did succeed however in opening the w second chest till some months afterwards , hen I obtained the 545222 L f E N C / J i l l o / l a . 4

ass i an e m Mr n had to st c of the s ith , . John Turner , of Hallo , who

0 5 s O had t r the take the hinge to get it pen . I his chest ca ried into

Re ading Room and having made an appointment with the R ev.

. to r va T Mayo be p esent , we , with the consent of the i c r, took out

n e m th e co t nts , which were in a dirty, da p , and disorderly condition ,

' nd to b e a conveyed them to that gentleman s res iden ce at Bromley ,

as o . s rted , cleaned , an d put in better order for preservation in future I regret h owever that I have not been able to avail myself of any of

the thes e documents in time for this publication , in consequen ce of l " dimcu ty of obtaining translations of such a multi tudinous m ass ,

r M and I m n as M . ayo terms them , leave with regret this rich i e for

L i n MP . some more fortunate explorer, when . as Mr . Stanley e ghto , " in his admirable paper “ on the preservation of ancient monuments

seem s s to b e in con s to ugge t , there shall , as there ought , either

n ction o S e with the county, or our Shropshire Arch aeol gical ociety

in s Mr n some adept these matter appointed . . Leighto remarks In thes e days of unlimited educational progress there are very few

am n people, even o gst those eligible young men who profess to b e

u a desirous of t rning their br ins to anything, who can re ad a

manu un ar are r are script two h dred ye s old . There still fewe who ’ ac u i t diflerent - q a n ed with the hand writings of the earlier periods. I have o ften thought that we ought to have attached to this society a re ader of ancient manuscripts whom we could recommend to any person des irous of h aving the manuscripts in his possess ion calen

r an s uch da ed . I fear there is notin this county of Salop y ” s na r n profes io l pe so .

v en r n n ar th Onl y 400 copies of th is work ha e be p i ted . e ly e

l a r the c whole of which are subscribed for , at / e ch ; to othe s pri e

b e had . n of the book will be Thes e m ay of the auth or, J R a dall ,

ffi d Mrs . ann Ofli ce Worfield . Pos t O ce, Ma eley , or of C on , Post ,

r 1 887 . Medel ey , Octobe , 33 s ub its Edwina i a 1at p .

CHAPT E R I .

— — Firs t impres s ions ofWorfiel d Worfield in Saxon and Norman tw ee A Royal . ano — a o s : eo A a H u on om th e b i M r E rly L rd L fric, lg r, gh M tg ery , re ell ous Ear l ob e and o s wn to th e W mo s and su c ss o th e R rt , ther do hit re their c e r, presen t S ofA quire p ley.

Y first impressions of Worfiel d were published nearly a quarter of

n a century ago , and havi g been thought worthy of quotation by

Mr. James i n his book , they might be reproduced here . I then said “ r el d Wo fi , is one of the prettiest villages the Midlan d Counties m boast , and its church is a fine speci en of the style of Architecture current during one of the most interesting periods of our history .

The village is the centre of a cluster of out - lying townships and

h as . h amlets, eac as primitive and rural itself It stands on the river

rfe Morf W o , on the verge of what in Norman times was called e

Forest . Its population and that of its townships have remained stationary , and the occupations followed are pretty much the same as those which engaged the attention of the villagers a thousan d

Worfiel d years ago . The lofty spire of church is a l andmark well known to travellers by the high road from Wolverhampton to

Bridgnorth , and t o those who have driven along the wide sandy lanes within some miles of it . It shows where the village st ands amid the trees ; it marks too the spot where a christian fane was r aised when human habitations began to rise amid the darkness of surrounding woods , and men inured to the extremes of cold an d hunger came forth to rear among heathen settlers s house o f prayer . The little river Worfe wandered then at its own free will along

was the vale, making sweet music at its fords , where soon it to be

a mi a n imprisoned, and made to do duty t lls erected lo g its course 6 wonr rnnn

m The Romans , when m asters of the island , left emorials of

’ t s t h ei r presence in the parish the Danes , like locusts , swep acro s

i t . eating u p all before them . If any remained , they soon g ave

m a th e u p , we y suppose , their m arauding habits , settled down to t m ore peaceful pursuits of agriculture , an d assimilated hemselves

r W with their more peaceable Saxon neighbou s . hen the Norm ans

n came it was already a flou rishing Ma or of considerable dimensions , h eld by Algar but it n o doubt had previously been held by earl

who Leofric, at the instigation of his good wi fe Godiva (of

- re s St. Milb ur h Coventry notoriety) erected the Mon a tery of g . which the Danes had burnt and p illaged ; and he it was , in all probability , to whom our hardy forefathers were in debted for this church in the

W s ad war wilderness . hen Algar succeeded times ensued , for m between him and Harold , son of Godwin , raged , and uch l and wa s desolated an d laid waste .

e w Still , notwithstanding the troubles in t rvening bet een this and d the Norman Conquest, by raining , cutting down trees , and bringing good land into cultivation , the value of the m anor had

’ W r - risen when King illiam s Com missioners came he e six fold , " d . hen ce they rew quite a lively picture of the place Here , they

ffi ox - say , are XXX hides , and arable land su cient for XXX teams I 1 1 1 1 t V vii n demesne are eams and serfs and villeins, with a

. H ere l 4o priest ; and X Boors h ave XXV teams are III Mi ls of s ,

1 53. and annual value , and a Fishery of annual value , XVI a cres of 3 1 ” Meadow . There is a wood of leagues long and league wide . " V XVIII i H ere , they add , III English have teams with ville ns , w an d V Boors . By specifying English it ould appear that there were persons of other nations am ong the population . But what a

a r flourishing representation compared with m any m no s , some of i which had deter orated ; it shows that, favoured by their inland

- n - position , these tillers of the soil , these cattle drivers , swi e herds ,

’ an d m illers , had gone on with their work unmolested by war s al arm s f , th at they had not suf ered from fire and sword as others had done . w They had a priest to watch over them , it appears , so there as su re to

h u have been a c rch of some sort , although no mention is made of it l n K n n til th e reig of i g Joh , who twi ce presented incumbents th ereto . ' AND 1 1 s T OWNSHIPS . 7

m n n w r n a ma r T he mills e tio ed , hich g ou d the b tches to ke thei bl ack

Worfield R indl eford W s and bread , were those of and on the orf ,

r u one on the Mert , which uns thro gh Badger dingle, afterwards

called Badger Mill . W m ind and w ater being the only motive forces known , ills

were valuable properties, and brought good revenues to their

th e proprietors , Lords of Manor. because every one was compelled to grind at them . At the time the survey was taken the Norman earl Hugh Montgomery held it of the King . Then came his brother,

' de Bel es me in Robert , who took part the rebell ion of the time, and , being outlawed , fled to the banks of the Severn , and converted the

’ clifl frowning which overhangs Underhill Street , Bridgnorth , into a fortress, by which to shield himself from the wrath of his royal

m . wa aster The rebellious earl s vanquished and imprisoned ,

Wor eld h and fi wit his other m anors forfeited to K ing Henry I . It then came into the hands of King Henry II, an d thenceforth was accounted an ancient demesne of the Crown . It was hel d in demesn e

y by Henr II , and Richard I ; but in the reign of John a dispute arose as to the right of possession , and a heavy charge was laid u pon it . It then came into the hands of Meurich , son of Roger de h Powis who , excepting so far as e may have been disturbed by the

z W counter claim of Fit arin , held it throughout the reign of Richard

W nh n . Wrenoch e u win I It next came to and , sons of Meurich ;

1 224 Wrenoch but about the year , de Powis by some means lost his

’ Worfield a ncient interest in , and the whole manor , that is th e King s demesne to , passed a subject, the first Henry de Hastings , by Ada

R anul h his wife, through p , the last of that name, earl of Chester . 34th H He died the of this reign , leaving enry , his son and heir .

’ n m Being in his mi ority he beca e ward of the king s half brother, who passed him over to William de Cantelu pe . He was summoned 44th ( of this reign) with other nobility to attend at Shrewsbury , well

a b ut furnished with horse and arms , to m arch ag inst Llewellyn ;

i i th e be ng seduced by the earl of Leicester to take p art w th barons ,

ou t he was excommunicated , and al though he hel d stoutly after the m h battle of Evesha at Kenilwort Castle , he afterwards surrendered

u m . on hono rable ter s His son , John de Hastings , became Lord 8 woar rnLn

Ber avenn and was u n K n war g y, it d ring his te ure that the i g, Ed d the first , granted a Charter , con ferring various privileges on dwell 1 274 are . within the m anor, which will be noticed shortly In ,

W or ld u a fie was held by the earl of Cornwall , (Edm nd Pl ntagenet)

’

I n 1 283 . the king s cousin . October, , the king ordered a valuation

Worfield to be made of , when the Jurors reported the rents to

£3 1 23. 6d . er u is ities amount to 7 , the pleas and p q of the Manorial

£ 6 and e Court to be , the gross valu of the m anor, made up of these 6th £ 44 . a 93. 1 0d an d sm ller items , to be . , per annum John died ,

I L 1 31 3 B er avenn Edward , and John , Lord Hastings g y, eldest son 1 8th of the last lord , becam e lord of the manor, and dying , of

V E 1 325 I orfiel d dward IL , , was assigned to his widow , Julian ,

m l e who took the anor to a secon d husban d , Thom as Blount , in

1 325- 6 nd W a to a third husband , illiam de Clinton , afterwards earl

329 . 1 348 d of Huntingdon , in 1 She died , an d was succee ed by

B er avenn John , who was Lord Hastings g y and Earl of Pembroke ,

d u M only child by Agnes, aughter o f the famo s Roger ortimer, E arl of March . He was succeeded by hi s son John , who w as

the seventh lord , and who was followed by Reginal d lord Grey of

R uth n u n y , thro gh m arriage with the Greys . The m an or was the

W B er avenn s on sold t o Sir illiam Beauchamp , lord g y , fourth of 1 2th W 8th 1 2th Th om as , earl of arwick . who died May , of Henry

I 1 41 2 was V, , and succeeded by Richard Beauchamp , whose only

child Elizabeth Beauchamp , next became lady of the m anor , and W married Sir Edward Nevill , son of the earl of estmorl and . 1 448 1 8th l 6th h , c e , S e died in and he of O tob r of Edward IV,

1 477 . Six more of the Nevills succeeded as lords when the sixth ,

and last lord , Henry de Nevill , sold the m anor to Sir William W t hitmore of Apley , Bar , who died , and was buried at Stockton , 1 4 6 1 48 . a e e , h W o th of D cemb r Sir T om s hitmore of Apley , wh se m W W other was a daughter of John el d o f illey , succeeded . H e

and 1 1 8 653. di ed , w as buried at Stockton th of May , The

W u h hitmores contin ed , as is well known , to hol d te l ordship til l the time of the sale of the A pley estate by the p resent Captain W W 25 h hitmore , son of the late Thom as Charlton hitmore, t lord,

W E s to illiam Orme Foster q , the present lord of the m anor. AND rrs T owns nrr s . 9

APT CH E R II .

' ’ Royal Charter- Copyholders and Lord ofth e Manor s Agreement~Anci entcus toms — — to b e ob s erved and enforced Demesne and other Courts A deli nquent Reeve — r s n m n s ons ab s and i A o n s - S o o s ms P e e t e t C t le the r cc u t me curi u Ite .

N a manor of royal demesne, an d one privileged with such a suc

y cession of distinguished nobles as lords , one naturall expects to

find favours conferred by way of charters , grants , or other privi leges . The first and most important charter is one by King Edward “ Worfiel d I , to the inhabitants of , dated 1 287. This charter is supposed to be in a small round box in one of the large oak and

- che h ch iron bound sts now at the west end of t e Chur , opposite the Bromley monuments wherein also are contained other important and highly interesting documents , tending to el ucidate the history of the parish and its townships . Here is a copy carefully m ade from

: verbatum ci lileratum the original first , ; secondly translated into

Latin as now written and thirdly into English . And as it is n ot of great length it may as well be given here .

a b th e a ofG od n of n an and an and o f Edw rd y gr ce , Ki g E gl d Fr ce L rd o an T o al l and s n u a J us es S ffs Bail itfs Of s and al l h i s Irel d . i g l r tic , heri , , ficer , a u s ub s as w n b r es as w ou to om s s n f ithf l ject , well ithi Li e ti ith t , wh the e p re e t s s a om ee n W e eas a o n to a u s om i n our i n m of Letter h ll c e Gr ti g . h r cc rdi g c t K gdo n an o u s and a o e Men ofan n m s n ofth e own of E gl d hithert ed ppr v d , cie t de e e Cr Engl and wou ld have b een free and they mu s t b e from th e p ayment ofToll s and a h ex ences of n s om n to our a am n s A nd a s o a l so from te p K ight c i g P rli e t . l th t they shall have al l cu s toms from ancient u s age and that they s hall notb e p u ton A s size Juries or any rec og ni zances for their l ands or tenemen ts which are ofth e s aid ancien tdem es ne ofth e Crown ofEngland throu gh ou r whole kingdom o es W e comman a a th e men and nan s ofth e m ano ofW o s af r aid . d y th t te t r lver o o s ca Worfel d is ofan n m s n ofth e own of f rd , therwi e lled , which cie t de e e Cr n an m a b e b a a n i a to us i n ou r an b ou r as u r s E gl d , y y cert i cert fic te Ch cery y Tre er Chamb erl ain according to ou r m andate cer tified and up on th e Files ofour Cha ncery afores aid p laced fu ll y appears concern ing s u ch p aym ent ofToll s and th e expenses ofKnights and al s o ofs uch A s s i ze J uries or any R ecogni zané es and al s o th e cu s toms ab ove men tioned ye m ay permit to b e free according to th e n A nd th e s res s es i fan on s men on th e a o n cu s tom ab ove mentio ed . di t y the e cc u t a e s a as In aforesaid ye shall have levied th e same to them without del y y h ll rele e. 120 wonrmnn

W ss our o W i itne whereof we have caused these Letters tb e made patent . tnu s outsell atW s m ns 26th d a ofMa in s e a ofour ei n e t i ter, the y y, the ixte nth ye r R g , s 1 287. F ry tow.

I has ar and an m t v ious endorsements , the inhabit ts paid oney at ’ diflerenttimes and in different places to get it enrolled ; on ce at

I II c Shrewsbury , when King Henry V was there on e at Al brighton

' 1 592 W in u s i n at Shifnal an d again at estminster, Q een Anne r W L im eign , before Sir Edward ard , ord Chief Baron . The next portant document extant in point both of matter and date appe ars to be an agreement between the copyholders of the m anor of Worfield and W W lord illiam Beauchamp , earl of orcester, and lord of the said m anor, for a confirmation of their customs as recorded on the

Court Rolls of the m anor . This too has been translated fr om the

a Mr. original Latin by the same learned and indefatigable ntiquary ,

W is as m m . illia Hardwicke , and has been placed at y disposal It follows

f W s a as ofSt Wor el d to e ea o on . wit . T h Gr t C urt held there edne d y, the fe t a k the an l s i n o a ofth e n of n H nr o M r Ev ge i t, the f urth ye r reig Ki g e y the F urth a e on s At s ou al l th e nan s ofb as en r w in s ft r the C que t . thi c rt te t e t u e ith thi manor ofWorfeld with one free will and cons ent gave and gran ted to Lord m a and d W a B am un 1 38 4 . to a h is a o ab ru s six o s . illi e uch p h ve f v ur le le , ixty p d — fSt s n to b e a in s mann hi o ows to on th e as o . terli g p id thi er w ch f ll wit , Fe t ae t n M h e A an n om n a e th e a of s o r £22 Ls . 6d a d ich l rch gel ext c i g ft r d te thi c u t , , on th e as ofSt 2 i s 6d and on a th e A an th e n o ow n £2 . Fe t . Mich el rch gel ext f ll i g . , for th e as ofSt. ae th e an n n o ow n £22 £8 6d A nd A t . . Fe t Mich l rch gel the ex f ll i g, this donati on th e l ord hath granted to hi s tenants aforesaid that they m ay have and hold al l their l ands and tenements which they now hold in peace from th e b e inn n ofth e o n s o o i s b an e or l s on of g i g w rld u til thi c urt , with ut d tur c expu i the o or h is c ou ncel s a n th e of one A nd atal l th e nan s l rd , vi g right every . th te t henceforth s hall have an d hold al l thei r l ands and tenements ac cordi ng to the form ofa certain cus tom ary to b e m ad e to the s ai d tenan ts b y th e l ord and his ouncel and to b e s ea w th sea o th e ms ofth e o A nd for th e c led ith e l f ar l rd . a o sa a m n s and a to b e m ad e atth e as a or s a f re id p y e t well f ithfully fe t f e id , the a ores a enan s b n m s s and er m wi e s and o s f id t t i dthe elve ev y of the th th ir heir execut r , ” an s and en m n s and all oo s their l d t e e t their g d .

T h e Customa ry alluded to in the above appeared the year

o 4th 5 I V 1 403 A f llowin g, of June , th of Henry , , having thes e rms

t—a attached On a fesse between six crosses crossle crescent . It n i i i s too l o g to give in extenso , but as it conta ns provisions touch ng m the relations between the lord and his tenants, a brief sum ary m ay

be given . A ND rr s r ows sm rs . 1 1

It commences with allusions to well proved altercaycions and ” dis cencyons between officers and tenants of base tenure ; an d to ” amb e uities tm e remove g and obscurities in y to come , proceeds to specify services required and privileges granted ; which are to be

’ enforced by the lord s court , in con formity with ancient custom and hi usage . Itprovide s that no tenant be removed from s holding but by due process of court ; also th at no tenant shall grynd elsewhere but at our m ylles providing the measure be lawful ; and for the ” m ln r punishment of the y e upon three trespasses if not so . Another i mpor tant provision was the election annually of a provost and a beadle ; and the reservation that there might be various other customs an d usu ages not declared in these letters patent whi ch ffi it was not intended to disapprove , but to a rm and sust ain according to right and reason . It must not be supposed that this was the first establishment of m a corporate body the earl did not p rofess to create , but to con fir and regulate , certain civil rights and privileges already existing . It

in i s found , for instance , that about a century and a half before , or 1 256 i ff W ” , Reginald de Bromley appeared as ba li of urfeld , at the 1 256 assizes of ; and that he was accompanied by twelve jurors,

z— Ol dinton Oldin ton whose n ames are given as under Laurence de ( g ) ,

W Swancote W m H alves cote W illiam de , illia de (Allscott) , illiam de

H odil e W I rr s W m g, illiam de y (Irish) , Adam de Alen (Hallon) , illia

ffi B rem l ee de Hulton (Hilton) , Thomas Gri n , Roger de p (perhaps

W Oldinton A ckleton an Bentley) , illiam de , Thomas de Akintou ( ) , d

Atterhull Robert de , f That Baili f answered to Provost is shown a few years l ater, w 1 272 f hen at the assizes of September, , the chief Baili f or Provost

Worfi ld h of e is mentioned , and his eleven other jurors . T e chief

l fr B ailiE Sta e o d . on that o ccasion was Robert de p , (Stableford)

— E w k en W k en l His eleven associates were Stephen de y ( y , William

R owel awe W m Bradene e de (Rowley ) , illia de y (Bradney) , Roger de

Cheterton rt Bone t Stanl owe (Cheste on) , y and Thomas de (Stanlow) ,

Ak elinton Ackl eton W m G erb aut b Roger de ( ) , illia (proba ly of

W l - Hoccomb Hoccom and Roughton) , il iam Atte Forde, Robert de ( ) ,

R h a Alvescot ic rd de e (Al s cote) . 1 2 wonrmtn

u r ur e ir. f t These j ro s , of co se , repres nted the di ferent ownships the ma nor soon after the conquest having contained several h amlets , bearing pretty much the n ames they now do . There were more dwellers probably in the townships and h amlets then than now ; one w riter h as gone so far as to say that the population of the paris h was

in . s five times greater . At any rate , the land was more hands Beside

s was being divided into smaller manors , as in some few instance , i t

or 1 00 i a subdivided into two yard lands , (about acres) ; n to y rd

5 i - lands ( 0 acres) nto hal f yard lands of 25 acres and into nooks ,

and hal f nooks and quarters .

A tenantadmitted to yard land paid twenty shillings to the

m n his . l ord of the a or, an d three shillings to the steward for fee E very yard l and also paid six shillings an d eight pence as a chief

' r ent per annum to the lord of the m anor . At the decease of every copyholder, for every messuage and toft he died seized of a heriot,

o a . being the best go d ox be st , had to be paid to the lord of the manor

f e l iffand The af airs of the D mesne Court , next to the chief bai m steward , wh o represented the owner of the anor, was the reeve ,

' e whose duties consist d in collecting the lord s rents , fines , heriots etc ;

- and te t wo constables ; two ale tasters , to attend taverns look af r the

and a f brewings of beer , beadle or crier, wh o acted as under bailif , for the purp ose of serving and executing all proces ses of the Court . i The right of election of the cr er had been for ages , it is said , the

n l privilege of the i habitants of the township of Ha lon .

all The Demesne Court had great power, it adj udicated on crime

. 1 326 except high treason I n , when Thom as Boyd en was steward to

n 3rd 4th Joh de Hastings , lord of the m anor, and Edward III , and

W Kin sl owe his alter de g an d Joan wife were arraigned for felony ,

n a and fou d guilty , the stew rd passed senten ce of death , and he was hung ; whilst his widow was imprisoned in Shrewsbury j ail , where f she died . It will be foun d as we proceed that the decisions o these courts were founded on custom and usage rather than l aw .

At the request of the copyholders these customs were confirmed Wil u 1 403 by liam Bea champ , chief lord , in ; a favour deemed so great that they paid him during the three following years the s um of

1 4 wos rratn

extracted from the originals in one of the chests in the Church , previously alluded to . The following are some of them . I II “ W First of Edward , Margery , wife of illiam Edith of

in sl owe 1 2d . K g , gave to the lord of the manor for a consideration of Court to ascertain what estate she would have after the decease of h er husb an d in the tenement he granted to Robert the son of Thom as ” de E Wyk e.

w W Hu n Fourth of Ed ard III, illiam gy paid to the lord

Kin l owe W m 1 0s . as a fine , to have Margery de gs , the widow of illia ”

- 1 m 2 . Edith , to wi fe , with her lands , to wit , essu age an d yard lands

s Twentieth of Richard II , Comparative price of oxen

“ Kin s l owe was and hawks . R oger de g pr esented to have died seized

4 Kin s lowe of messuages and six nook s and a half of land in g , where

- 1 via 8s 8s . the lord had oxen , , one red , value . , one bison , , one black ,

7 . s , and one h awke value

K in sl owe Stansl owe Seventh of Henry VI , g and town ships p resented that Thomas Jenkys forestalled Matil da Gyld on an d

fro m her unjustly took 1 1 of the value of 6d . of the goods an d

a e . chattels of the said Matilda , and he is merc d They also present that the sam e Thom as m ade an assault u pon th e said Matilda an d

struck her, contrary to the peace of the King . It was also p resented that the said Matild a had levied her m en upon the aforesaid Thom as ” j ustly , an d he was amerced . In the sam e year Matilda herself was

’ presented for m arrying hersel f to John Blakemore without the lord s

license , and fined .

Forestalling was an offence frequently brought before the Court . k Twel fth o f Henry IV . A ylton township present that Roger

D lil eie T omk s . a forestalled Thom as y , therefore he was amerced “ ” And th at Stephen Draper an d two others m ade an Hom s ok on

U Dalil eie pon Roger , and were amerced as well for forestalling and A a ss aulting the said Roger . nd say that Sim on Broke made a p urp res iure up on a certain footway unjustly to th e nuisance of the

people of Akylton . And say that Richard Heth of Heth near B agges oore (Badger) and others were withi n this lo rdship attempting ” to kill . 1 5 AND I T S r ows sm r s .

i n of l owe wns s S xtee th E dward IV . Kingslowe and Stan to hip present that William Barret Tailor forestalled upon the common

a highway John Gyldon and struck him . And that Thom s Acton forestall ed upon the highway Thom as Dally and stru ck him with ”

m an . arrows and drew blood . And that Joan Gyl don ade outcry

for Many offences are recorded for trespas s of cattle, breaking ’ n s a in s as open pou d and liberating cattle, for m rk g other sheep thei r own , for illegal fishing , etc . , etc .

The ofii ce of constable was an important on e . Burns says W By the statute of inchester, In every hundred and franchise two constables shall be chosen to m a k e the view of armour and they shall present defaul ts o f armour, and of suits of towns , and of

an d highways , such as lodge strangers in uplandish towns , for whom they will not answer : Thirteenth of Edward I . They seem to have been chosen from a better class of m en than the Old " Charleys of the beginning of this century , or even than that from which their representatives , our modern police , are drafted . You find by their names that they were of the families of yeomen ff of the time. They appear to have been appointed for di erent “ " ” parts of the parish ; as for the east side , the west side , and so on . They appear to have been armed, and to have had in charge of the armour served out to others , the village an d in the

n townships . The accou ts they kept are preserved inthe old chests

’ ” in re head d a e . the church , and _ Constable s Accounts Here are some of them

Finding a taper for our Ladye and Rental of the glorious “ Worfield 1 1 1 Virgin Mary of Also ( 5 ) receipts for viiid . for W ” xxd . the sowle of Mary arton , and do for Jona Pryse . Also

s mol d war s m s e payment for y p and crows, for urchins , rats , y , ” “ . 1 555 for foxe heads , otters . etc Also ( ) for iron peggs to set the “ s col em a holy water potte upon to the st. for wages iii lbs .

1 590 erdles . iii d Paid for two sword g ij s j .

iii s H one sword j .

two head peeces viij s . iiijd

I m 6 w d and 6 da s xxVi s . vd te for s or s gger j j . W ORFIELD

tm fo I r es ii s . Vl d e two pyk j j .

m 3arrowes and iii Ite for the heads jd. m n 1 d Ite fo r pointi g a sword .

Item for a black b yll and the ha]me xxd .

3 rib Item for etts and two buckles ij d.

1 597 e i o It m pa d fr two daggers xiiijd .

m xvii d sheathes , locks and clasps for the j .

o l v for hal fe a c stetx js .

for hal fe a pike xx d .

the guiltinge and fringing of syx e head pee ces xs .

1 601 F rb rrer scouri n e Item to George the u u for g , dressing and

’ amending the Ar mour of th e Pi she iiij s .

' A t rue note of al l the Pi she Armour delivered unto our charge

C u r on by John e t , and John Garbett , as followeth

I i . co s l etts ol drons mprimis j r , wanting on part of a paire of p W t i . k k ee in e i and j pi es , whereof one is in the p g of Fran c s es

t b el e iii . fias k enes . i Cal d muSk et t bury Item j . u s and a , one , j

u chb oxes and and tt , one rest for the musket, five head peeces ,

m . wth i b a es ii . m ouldes an d i . wor es j . bullet gg , j j

’ I b ows shefie arr owes a l a a a tem , a and a of , sku l c p , bl ck

bill and one dagger . in Item , one sword and d agger the keeping of Stephen Rowley ,

in nd with the girdle and hang ge ; a another sword and dagger,

o r with the girdle and hanginge in the keeping of R ge B arret .

Here is another

1 603 - i and ur w ma in n Item , for mak ng the grave b ying a o n Newto

feld w h not s ckn ess xiid y , c . dyed we know upon what y , . I ' tem , payed for a locke th at was hanged to a woman s legge

in the stocke , who gate out and run away with the same .

1 61 0 Payed for one hew and crye that came after a m an in a black — 2d . dublett and on a black horse , which had killed a man

1 61 7 Payed when we h ad a w arrant from Mr . Kinnersley to bring

4d . Mr. Davenport before him , Item , payed when we had a

warrant from Mr. Corbett and Mr . Coate to bring Mr . Daven. e t to 8 6d port befor hem Newport , 2 , . r W H 1 . AND rs T O N S IP S . 7

r a u One wonders what M . D venport had done that he sho ld be “ ” so urgently wanted , to use a phrase now in vogue with the

. W profession It was about the time Master illiam , the heir of “ ” Chorley, was alleged to have privily enticed and stolen away m the young heiress of Hallon , Jane Bro ley ; and probably her

- W W W d step father, alter rottesley, of rottesley, had commence

a n those judici l proceedings which e ded in a Chancery Suit, lasting over a series of years . There are also payments accounted for about the same time “ for bringin g trayned men to show their armour at Wenlock ; “ also for a sh eete of parchment to mak e a rolls to put in all the able men ’ s names in the parish above eighteen years and under

ffte . whi in e y y and for watching two rogues al l night , and for pp g " “ I s 3d them . . Another item is as follows Payd out at Bridgnorth when we brought the alemen before the justices to be bounde that they should not dresse nor eat any flesh in their houses in the tyme " of Lent . 1 8 woar rE Ln

CHAPTER III .

— T h e feudal sys tem in f ull vigour Divine right clai med for the decisi ons ofthe

” ' u T he V ar . e W l Co rt . new ic age Pet r s el ,

HESE extracts of records taken from the cou rt and other roll s

shew the old feudal system in f ull vigour . It came to the aid of the church in enforcing fasts it exercised its power over the person s

n - of the tena ts , their lands, messuages and moveables , their m arri ages and deaths . It cast a complete net over the whole population , the m eshes of which caught every one and bound them fast at the

g will of their lord . Every one was com pelled to pay hom a e at the

Court to atten d and be sworn into frank - pledge that is to b e

‘ m a utu lly bound for each other s good cond uct , or otherwise be

’ subject to a fine which went to the lord s use . These Courts appea r h i l to have had plenty to do. T eir proceed ngs are recorded on rol s, i which are tied up l ke bundles of faggots , and deposited in the old

m - chests in the church . They show how the small yeo en , copy hold ers , an d farmers , living on the borders of m anors an d of two counties ,

s quarrelled , stole one anothers cattle , broke down e ach others fence , and tresp assed on their lands ; also how , when cattle were impounded they tore down the palings of the pinfold and liberated the m . The al e tas ters and others went round to taverns and private houses to s ee who brewed contrary to the assize , and we read of no end of

f n fines for such o fences sometimes it is a pen y, sometimes twopence ,

S . ometimes one hen , at others two, or perhaps a sheep It m ay raise

’ n a smil e to fi d these petty arbiters of other s actions , claiming divin e authority for their decisions but a dirty scrap of parchment rescued from destruction, in cleaning out one of the church chests , shows

i l ce in th s to have been so . Great difficu ty was experien d the translation , but my friend Hubert Smith , Esq . , town clerk of i in Br dgnorth , who h as had no little experience that way , with the a a a h w n o h ssist nce of friend, as succeeded, first by riti g utatf ull te D r s AN r T OWN SH IP S . 1 9

contracte d Latin words , an d then rendering these into E nglish , as follows

Worfield . Extract of sen tence of the Court there held on the Wednesday next after Epiphany in the thirteenth year of our Divin e

King Edward IV, King of England ,

Swan ot — c e . Thomas for default of Court . 2d

Ll oit 2d Jeffrey for the same cause , . John Byllingesl ey the younger w ho refused submission in

Parliament—6d Court to John Barrett , arrow maker in , . Wittus G ulden who transgressed by disobeying the above men ” tioned — 6 Parliament d . John , arrow m aker in ,

. “ ' T a o n afira hom s Barker an d J h Devet , for m aking an y and d t b d is ur ance of the peace . being isturbers of the peace of their

an d r s h a Divin e King, with force a m , t t is with dagger and club , are condemned by ou r decree in full Court here assembled in the

" ' presence ofall kinsmen an d strangers for contempt of our divine

ff e — King and his divine dominion , no small or light o enc Moreover

' as thes aid T hom a s fira as soon s had m ade his y and disturbance , he wi thdrew and fled and refused to surrender to our constables warrant

an d our divine Decree , so is condemned as an exampl e to all d ungovernable rioters and disturbers of the peace of our ivine King , — and his divine dominion Wherefore the said Thom as is fined

twenty shillings , and the said John , six shillings and eightpence . c e e e ce h ve e e ty By our de r e and s nt n t e abo shall b fr e from indemni , — o 28 if they surrender and submit to our next great Court . T tal , ” shillings , Costs , Sixpence .

It will be seen th at parliament is given in Italics , the inter “ H om sok on p retation being doubtful . The word occurs m ore than

- n . once , but its mea ing is not clear Arrow making appears to have

1 4 4. been a profession a t that tim e , 7

I oar a H UR CH C OPI E D FR OM o rnnn PAPE R S m A CH E ST N W C .

h 1 594 1 2th a . . 1 591 Hilary term 37t Elizabeth , , Febru ry Salop

’

Soth erne . h avin e o a Whereas one Hughe , Gen , g p ured lease

b earin e in under the seale of this court. g date in September,

’ i hn e B n m the thi rtyth yeare of Her H g s eig e, for the ter e of 20 wonr rE LD

d’ xxi . years , of the whole Forest of Mor , in the County of

W erel Salop , and of the ood , and herbage thereof, at the y y

fou rte reevance rent of y shillings , to the g and great wrong of

‘ M neare divers Her a ties subjects , inhabitants in and unto the h ff w And said Forest to the h om er of y tye an d two T o nshipps .

Soth erne whereas also the sayd by his deede , bearing date the

’ h xxx th xxxt daye of Maye , in the two and yere of Her Ma ties

i tearme B e gne , assigned , and sett over the said lease , and all his

to come , in the said Forest , unto Edward Bromley , Esq . Whereupon divers of the said Inhabitants in the name of the whole multitude of the said Inhabitan ts of the sai d Town

shi es pp , exhibited their the bill of unto

’ this court for reformac on of the said greevan ce and

W mi iOn w wronge. hereupon a co ss as awarded out of this court to examine witnesses of the said comiss ion was executed Sotherne have delivered u p and surren dered as well the s aid

lease and assignment thereof, as also the right an d

’ title in and to the sam e Forest, to Her Ma ty to be cancelled .

It is now ordered by this Court the same lease and assignment , and all things therein conteyned be revoked and from hence

m a all in forth by this order frustrated, and ade voyd to tents

and purposes . The original] of this coppys remayneth kept in the stove in

Ve tere the s y at Claverley . R ath er an unlikely place , one would think , to keep an importan t

document like this , on which depended the rights and privileges

of so m any township s . Probably the translator, my late friend ,

te . r. Burco M Sidney Stedman Smith , of , m ade a slip The docu ment however shows that the inhabitants had spirit to stand up

for their rights and privileges .

n These consisted in the right to use the commons , a d the right

y of com mon pasture, granted in the reign of Henry IV . The Henr Bromley men ti oned above was he to whom one of the monuments

in the Church was erected to . His ancestors h ad had ch arge of that

port ion bordering on Worfield for many years . They succeeded the

22 W ORFIELD

R voure Underhill , an d the garden adjoining to the y of " verne W to Sea on the East part and on the est part, a common " l eading from Bridgnorth towards Yeardington . On the

North to the lands of John Smythe , Esquire , an d on the South “ adj oining to the lands belonging to the late dissolved chantery "

h . rimis es of Say te Leonards , in B ridgnorth All which said p are in the occupation of the said John Pears or his under tenants to hol d the same from the date of this Indenture during W the lives of said John Pears , illiam Pears , an d John Pearce ,

n and during the life of the longest liver of them , payi g yearly

th e l during th e said term sum of four shi lings, Signed , John

W . Pears , illiams Pears , John Pearce

Witnessed by Humphry Synge , Rowland Pearce, John Benthall .

A s this is the only inst ance in which I m eet with th e n ame of

B enthall , I m ay say that he m arried Joyce , daughter of George

E velith Forster, of , by his wife Elizabeth , daughter of Robert l W A Morton by his wife Ceci ia , daughter of illiam Charlton , of pley

Castle . He succeeded his brother Lawrence to the lordship of i Benthall that gentleman hav ng just lost his son and heir Edward ,

r Ann who had , shortly before , bu ied his wife , daughter of Thomas

esh ll d . Astley of Patt u , an his only child The name of that child was L George . He died an infant . The successor to John was awrence

f r I . a su ferer for his adherence to King Cha les , for whom he was a commissioner of array ; his eldest son Cassey was taken prisoner by the parliamentary party at Shrewsbury an d was afterwards killed

S owd n - - W n a in at t the old , bei g in that fight Colonel Sir Jacob

’ As tl ey s force .

an w ma Here is other , hich y also prove interesting to dwellers in

Worfiel d .

1 61 8 l 6th 1 st Ma 1 st a Al s cott James y , Thom s Beach , of , par .

W orfield a , Yeom n .

“ With the consen t of the pa ri shioners of Worfield in considera tion of £6 paid to hi m for the use of the parishioners in the

a W ar Worfiel d n ame of a fine le sed to illiam B ney , of , Yeoman , one house or tenemen t containing three bayes of building or i AND h s r os HiPs.

s thereabouts, with the back ide , close and garden thereunto

W el adjoining, lying an d being in orfi d , adjoining to the ’ a W . parson s p le (so called) on the E ast part , and on the est to the common street leading from Roughton towards the

Worfield new arsona e Church of , and on the North to the p g ,

lately erected , and on the South adjoining to the Mill Lane

End , to hold the same for fourscore and nineteen years if th e Wm . hi M said Barney , Joseph Barney s son , and ary Barney d m his aughter, or any one of the who shall so long live , paying yearly the sum of ten shillings and also twelve pen ce yearly ” to the Chief Lord of the fee .

It would seem from the above that the dreary looking buildi n g next to the present vicarage was at that time the new par " sona e. its g One would i magine it to have been older, looking at

bulging walls and slouching roof, and the state of the floors inside . ” No wonder the parson was gl ad to remove into Worfield House a djoining it . It is now m ade into two co ttages , one of which is

u a — nten nted , excepting by pigs and poultry : and the other , I should l wi l . imagine , soon be to let And now I think of it , by the by , these old walls cannot be supposed to have been unfamiliar with such

u so nds , seeing that the tithe barn stood close by , and that in former

s f kln d . time , Easter of erings and tithes were given in There must have been a tolerable grunting, and bleating , and cackling hereabouts

n was The building is more like a bar than a house , and probably designed to store , in some part of it , if not the tithe of hemp and

flax , that of fruit , of apples and pears , etc .

What a humorous chronological account this old parsonage m l ight give of itself, and of the domestic and inner life of its clerica nd occupiers, if interrogated by the light of departed customs a l ocal records "Sooner or later it must get out of the way of improvement

’ n t a d d . s isappear It is of no u e, excepting as a subject for an ar ist s

k : u h al f~timb ered s etch to him its b lging walls an d slouching roof,

‘ - its weather stains , and mosses , would be as pleasing as the delicate

’ b m . blue on peach or plum , or the virgin loo on a maiden s cheek

w a s b e Before it falls, or is swept away, it would be ell if ketch could 24 WOR fi‘I E Lb

or at to u i t aken , least a photo , hang p in the Read ng Room , which

l and e and l is held in a sti l more ancient building of lath plast r, ha f

- timber walls, by the lich gate , opposite .

1 8th l st in The following deed of the James , is incidentally terest

’ W n ing from its m ention of the spring called Peter s ell , and as settli g the debated question whether it was so called after Peter th e apostle, or some Peter of lesser distinction . Mr . James , quoting a cor r espondent , seems to incline t o the l atter opinion but here , it

’ in 1 61 8 W will be seen , , it is distinctly described as Saint Peter s ell, i within nverted commas , showing that the writer quoted the name by which it was known at that time . The deed is of the above date, “ and in it the churchwardens of Worfiel d lease to John Barret that

house , tenement or cottage , with the building , caves , backsides ,

e Worfield and orchards and gard ns thereunto belonging, situate in , two pieces of waste laud containing hal f an acre lying in Worfield the one of them lying on the West side of the common l ane leading

m Worfield M ass erdine fro to a field called field, and extendeth to or

’ ” a l l & n ear spring of water or well ca led Saint Peter s We l , c. D ‘ mp 25 AN rrs ros s .

CHAPTER IV .

— W as S ai nt Peter or Saint Matthew the p atron Saint ofthe Church The Church — ’ rob b ed ofmore than h alf its income and reduced to a Vicarage T h e Bis hop s — Endowmen t i n 1 394 T h e Terriers

’ ” HE quotation of a deed in which Saint Peter s Well is men

ti oned , goes far to show that it was the apostle , after whom the

spring was called , and not any less dignified Peter . This admitted,

the question arises , did the well take its name from the church or the church its name from the well ? In olden times springs credited with curative or medicinal properties were much prized generally too a hermit or anchorite of some sort took up his abode in a hut or

or a cave beside it and in course of time a cell , a m onastery ,

church , would be built on or near the spot , in order to profit by the

ai ff ms and o erings m ade for benefits received. Now here is the cell ,

er in n cave in the rock , and the spr g beside it a spri g of pure cool w m ater, fa ous for its good qualities , an d which was known , as we

'

a s n as . W n a ar a o. h ve ee , St Peter s ell , e rly two hundred ye s g

e was n in and But if Sain t Pet r the patron Sai t of the spr g, the

c u a m vice versa how h rch took its n me therefro , or , comes i t that

— was the wake usually the festival of the dedication of a church ,

’ held on St . Matthew s day The vane on the spindl e at the top of the spire is a cock ; but as that bird played so many parts in the

' l a legends of early ages, and is so common y chosen for the same iry position , it may not in this case be associated with St . Peter , or aid in any Way the solution of a question which I leave to others to decide .

And now that we are in the region of myths and legends , I might refer to the old stereotyped story which has a lodgement here

a u relating to the site of the church . It is generally applied to ch rch n atthe foot of a hill or at the top . If the builders bega at the

o m a and arr b tto , it is s aid that the devil would noth ve it, that he c ied 26 Woarrs tn

t as is r the stones to the top ; an d i f they began a the top. it he e

i r m l m alleged , the father of m schief olled the down , ti l he tired the

n outa d gained his point .

In each of these cases tradition is loquacious where history is

u in en sil ent . The first Ch rch has been spoken of as hav g probably be m founded by the Saxons , seeing that the Domesday survey ention s a priest ; but of its foundation an d its founder nothing whatever is known . Its advowson was in the Crown , and did not go with the m s Li h el ’ anor to the Lords Ha tings but bishop Langton , of c fi d

n obtained it from Edward II, and a Bull from Pope Joh XXI, dated

1 324 was a October, , confirms him in its possession . It then rectory an d the bishop appears to have been guilty of a little double in in in deal g the disposition of its revenues , for whilst profess g no sm all con cern ment for the church on accoun t of the great cure of ” i a s souls annexed thereto , he adroitly depr ved it of the loc l benefit n of its Saxon founders , in favour of the adornment , or in defrayme t

Li h l . of the current expenses, of his pet cathedral at c fie d

’ In 1 341 l L w n w . lay and clerica ords were at their it s end to k o

u a how to screw the sual amount out of their ten nts , owing to the

: growing corn having been destroyed by storms , in a very bad season and a less number of sheep than formerly being in the parish ;

- s m l fi r s because also the small tithes , the tithe o f il s , o fer ngs , he iot ,

and not is as glebe , other profits , were to be reckoned , it said, in n u an h creasi g the assessment ; beca se , we are told , m y tenants ad

u s a n quitted nder stre s of poverty, an d their l n d lay u tilled .

’ For fuller particul ars I give the bishop s ordination and eu

w was r as a n do ment , which se ved legal document , soo after th e

ur w . ch ch as constituted a V icarage The date is 1 394.

“ Copy of the original Endowment of the Vicarage of Worfield and of a Translation thereof procured from the Consis tory Court of the ” L hfiel Bishop of ic d and Coventry .

T o al l the sons ofholy- Mother Church to whom th ese presents shal l b emade k o n ha b n m s o fo and chfi sen , , B s o o Li el d n w Ric rd y divi e per i si n i h p C ventry , deth , re i in th e Sa o r of men Be kn n t all f g et ng vi u all . it ow o o ye b y thes e p resents that we (a l egal p rocess having b een served and all th e requis ite forms oflaw having b een ob served) with the unanirmm assent and exprwe consent ofour ' AND rrs rows sm rs . 27

fo r a e a ofLi ch fiel d os es . b eloved sons the Dean and Chapter o u C th dr l Church , (p s si ng th e Paris h Church ofWorfiel d in our di ocese for their own proper u s e) and fal l o s wh o are n s in s ou r O na on s ub m tn ms es and o ther i tere ted thi rdi ti , it i g the elv al l fe n s a and s ma to us a ak n n o con s e a on O r a n di f re ce gre t ll , h ve t e i t id r ti , d i ed and endowed a perpetu al Vicarage in th e s aid Church i n manner foll owing e a V a in Firs t ofal l we will appoint and al so ordain that there b e a. perp tu l ic r th e s a u ofWorfield for th e m b n and h e and h is s s s o s wh o id Ch rch ti e ei g , ucce r s a b e a a s a a and o m th e u of s a h ll Vic r, here fter there h ll h ve perf r c re the id Church th e a s on s o and s a s th e s a and a s on rs and P ri hi er there f, h ll erve id Church P ri hi e i i n in n ofii ce and n and as o n as th e s a V a a s a in d l ge tl y divi e , whe fte id ic r ge h ll u a n to b e om a an o e son s a b e es en e b th e s a fut re h ppe c e v c t , a pr p r per h ll pr t d y id Dean and Chapter to us and ou r succes s ors (th e See b eing fu ll ) and the s ame b n a an to th e ua an ofth e S a s and b us ou r s s s o s or s ei g v c t g rdi piritu l , y ucce r uch guardian to b e ad mitted and ins tituted and als o b y th e Archdeacon ofth e p l ace to b e anon a n n o th e sa m and a s o a s a and his s es so s c ic lly i ducted i t e, l th t uch Vic r ucc r shall have th e principa l p l ace ofres idence and cour t yard with th e b ui ldings e on th e n a n ofth e o ofth e c ofW orfiel th re erected , with e tire g rde rect ry Chur h d a o es a as far as th e o a hi c en s om th e n an ofth e a of f r id , c urt y rd w h ext d fr e tr ce g te th e Rectory to th e water ofth e River running to th e mill ofth e Lord ofWorfield as th e sa o i s e for h is on en n ab o e and th e s a V a s a id C urt divid d , c v ie t d , id ic r h ll a al l and s n la th e s ofs m a o s n n ar a o s e a a h ve i gu r tythe ll cr ft lyi g e h u e, c r ge ( a m n to find wax an s i n a u and a ens a es a s and o p y e t c dle ch rch) g rd , pp l , pe r , ther s of s flax m a l k on ons and ofth e s a m s ofh a as e l fruit tree , , he p , g r ic , i , ever l ill , y w l in m on as in th e e s ofK n es mead ow and E il esh al l ofow s ofm l k tithe ey fi ld y g , f l , i ows a s b es ees s s ons and ofo o s and s s i ng c , c lve , e , g e, egg , pigg , p ige , ther f wl fi herie h ou n s and mi s ofth e a s a o s A nd s a mo o a withi n te b d li t p ri h f re aid . h ll re ver h ve al l ob l ations as well within th e p aris h Chu rch ofW orfiel d as i n th e Chapel of nd n th e s ai a s i n an m ann off A s o th e s o Ches terton a withi d p ri h y er ered . l tythe f of a n ofth e a of s on a o s a and all s ona s of all s orts gr i vill ge Che tert f re id , p er l tythe tificers and m an s ofth e s a a s A nd s a a n ar , workme , , erch t id p ri h they h ll h ve e b a n th e c a ofth e c r a or s a o likewise th her ge withi hurchy rd hu ch f e id , t gether n in e s am And th e sai an and a ofou r a o with th e trees growi g th e. d De Ch p ter f re ofichfiel d s a a and th e w o s u ofth e frui ts said Church L h ll h ve receive h le re id e , rofitts s and ob n ons ofth e u a o s a wh o o s a a p , right ve ti Ch rch f re id there ut h ll rep ir th e chancel ofth e s aid Church as often as occas ion s hall require atthei r own expense and s ha ll b ear and sus tain all other b ur thens lb oth ordi nary and extra n to th e s a tn s s a th e V a and th e ordi nary incide t id Church , excep , everthele , th t ic r a for th e m b n s a b e b oun to a to u s and our s u es so s St s aid Vic r ti e ei g h ll d p y cc r , . ’ Peter s Pence every year atth e accus tomed times .

s m on ofal l s a a s ou r s a as as th e ommon s a of I n te ti y the e p rticul r , e l well c e l b o s ons h e an and a ofLi chfiel d a o sa is af to s our el ved , t De Ch p ter f re id , fixed the e es n s pr e t ,

n and on in ou r mano ofHe wode th e d a ofth e mon Nov Give d e r y , first y th ” emb in th e a ofou r o 1 394 and i n th e n n a ofour ons aton er, ye r L rd , , i th ye r c ecr i .

The bishop seems to have treated the church rather scurvily . I t was a rectory he reduced it to a vicarage , and it suffered not only

valor 1 534- 5 loss of dignity but of in come . The of shows the extent 28 woar rs nn

a n w n n to which spoli tio as carried , a d that whilst the dean a d chapter

Lichfield ers ons £51 of , who are called p of the church , received per

n . a num , from land , tithes of hay , wool , flax , etc the vicar, the real

1 od . was £1 6 0s . l parson , who to do the work , was left with only " — 1 03. In a Made up as follows : hous e and garden , E ster books — — £ 6 1 3s 4d l 4s . n . . Tithes of two mills , Oblations o f Chesterto — — l l s . a 2 . Chapel , Oblations of Roughton Ch pel , l s Corn tithes of

rt £ — e Cheste on , 5. Oblations of three days , which would be Eas t r

- and 1 4s . In un r other great feast days , geese, yo g swine , and othe — mal u £ 1 1 3s 4d I n d 2s . 2d . s l prod ce , . . can les ,

m ff w In course of ti e di erences arose as to what was , an d what as nottitheab le a in s , also as to the amount to be p aid : then c me meet g , — . a ancient discussions , an d heart burnings The oldest inhabit nts men , as they were called , men whose memories could stretch farthest back into the past , were selected to m eet and confer wit h church

and wardens vicars to clear up obscurities , so that the vicar should have his due on the one hand , and that his flock should not be unjustly m ulcted or unduly fieeced on the other . A gathering of this kin d took place early i n the 1 7th century and is given thus : Present

’ ’ m to r w th fo rs m en ent of the minister, churchwardens , g u an cient of the said parish m ade and delivered at the visitation holdenat Penn ,

. D 1 . m 61 2 l mittin the . day of Sep A . , touching the abutting and y g ” of l and , belonging to the vicarage and holders thereof .

’ H m frie moa ria s A b c wen Joh es It is signed u Barnes , James ,

’ W s Hitchcocks, Churchwardens ; an d ill s Beech , Richard Bradney,

and Bradb rne n . Thomas u , parishioners , or a cient men

Here is another and a later one

rp us or T HE T ns ron O HI G T HE LE B E u na A ND A Co a T U C N G , T s

’ ’ APP T E NA NCE S or T H E Vroas rac s or Woarmm) as I T was D E LIvD

' m r' o YE B Ps R s c rs r s x A NN O D an

Imprimis the Vicaridg house consisting of about two bayes an d a hal f of building and a back - house of a bay and an half ; a Barne

n consisting of about 3 or 4 little bayes of buildi g . All the Lan d (bes ides y e Chur ch Yard) is th at little spot where the house stands

30 w oar rs nn

The adoption of a modus was a step in th e direction of th e commu

i in r m u to tation of tithes , wh ch put an end , a g eat eas re, the

n in in k bickerings an d heartburn i gs aris g out of paymen ts ind .

' e Prazd za l as d e Tythes were of thr e kinds , , such ari se imme iat ly from

r b . Mid the ground , as grain of all sorts , hay , wood , f uits , her s , etc ,

Personal as colts , calves , lambs , chickens , milk , cheese and eggs . ,

an im a as arising fro m labour, an d person al work , etc . Let y one g — ine any power on earth at the present day whether un der preten c e of

an t i re- a n divine or y other san ction , a tempt ng to impose such ex ctio s

e u . r as these , and the angry outcri s which would ens e Then the e were differen ces of opinion constantly arising as to what was tithable and what w as not als o as to the amount of the mod us deci ma ndi l a i , the ete rna litig tion over the agreement or com pos it on

rt l n before the Cou s or the Justi ces , the costs of tria , am ou t of

d . amages , et c

The following benefaction might be of interest

W a G . decess ed W l hearin Thom s oolley , ent , , by his il g date the

' xxfi i th d a s A . B ni 1 609 j y of ug ust Anno . , , did give and b equea ths

’ ' Worfleld u s unto the p ishe of , i n the Co nti o f Salop , One Hundred

’ Pounds to buy vlb . land of inheritance to be bestowed in m an n r

formm e in u on and follow g , th at is to saie, pp the Sab b aoth next ’ s m . xx as n before St Thoma day , before , after eveni g prayer the

fou rtie u on H ierom e W r vd . some of shillings pp a ter, ij s . j , John

od esle . vd . v F r d . . g y , ij s j , Thom as Lowe , ijs . , j , Robt Maynard , ijs . — W v. . W vd . o d j to J eaver, ij s j to Eleanor arter, and Susan Walker to eche of them xijd . yfthey be inhabitants in the Towne of Hallon ; to W orfield the use of the Town e of , namely to Alice Free woman

. . xi d to John Grome ijs , to Richard Hatton , j . , and to his broth er

I X d . Yeate xi d . to R oger Hatton ] , to Hugh j , his sis ter Mary Yes te

xi d . n . and j , un to George Sta ton ijs , thus much after this m anner

' p s crib ed to be bes towed upp on the same persons above nam ed ator u on Sab b aoth a t f pp the , called Palme Sunday before E s er , y it shal l e ve n a happen that any of these p rsons abo amed sh ll dye, then I

u . his wo ld have Mr Thom as Bromley of Hall on , and Ante Mrs . ? Wol rych e to be chief nominators of such as sh all b e thought fittto A ND I T S r ows s nrr s . 31

’ ’ p takers m ties dec be of the Al es , and to succeed the p above ess ed .

' u ’ And to this end I wo ld have the Vicar of Worfleld, or the S choolm r to keep s a booke wherein shall be registered the names of these poor

persons above named , that they m ay be called at these tymes sett

’ a omted down to receive as is pp for them , and the Vicar or Schoolm r

w m xi d at eche time hen he distributeth this al es to have j .

The devisor then wills the remainder to be disposed of by Mr.

. Wolr che n Bromley and Mrs y , a d provides under conditions that

203. £ 5 remaining of the , shall be bestowed upon some preacher or m preachers to preach two sermons at the times na ed, and two other sermons at other times .

Among other documents relating to the church i s one headed , “ l i owl 9th : This is the of the Church Seats , May ye , Anno Dom

1 637 . And commences thus Worfield : An order agreed upon m the day and year above written , by John Bache and Tho as Bache ,

W orfield a Churchwardens for ye said parish of , with ye ssistance of

. n Henry Daven port , Esq , Francis Rowley , Gent Joh Beech , John

Yate , Thomas Beech . Then follow other names .

“ Another headed Seats belonging to the women gives a list of

27 as claimed by wives and widows .

A further allotment m ade by the Vicar and Churchwardens , 1 5 h 1 96 dated t of May , 7 , contains a plan of the interior of the

Church , in which the pews are marked out and numbered , and the names of th e owners written on them . At this time pews were

and claimed as freehold property , to be bought sold ; and even votes

n m a m for coroners a d members of parlia ent were cl imed for the . 32 wonr m nn

CHAPTER V .

— an a e s an a lai s - V n and St o as T he Church Ch try Ch p l d Ch p n The irgi . Nich l o a on of u Res t r ti the Ch rch, etc.

OR F IE LD is one of the very few parishes in the county whose

church is embel lished with a spire . It is singularly graceful w 200 and beautiful in construction and , including the to er, is feet in h w ' fe as . eight , being , within a feet , high as St Mary s , Shrewsbury ,

which is equal to the third of the three loftiest spires in the Kingdom. h i It has three eights of canopied windows and the tower , wh ch is

’ a l ittle higher than St . Mary s , has pinnacles at the angles , and an

embattled parapet . It stands at the west end of the church , against

h as nd a green slope , which been cut into to give it position , a is

thrown into pleasing relief by this , as well as by the dark foliage of

A nd m a wood which rises above . , what is i portant , it has six good

bells to give tongue to time . Their sound from youth to age floats with sweet melody over the quiet fields to cheer the distant Town

ship s which cluster round , and their tones are fraught with m any m . all em ori al associations and m ental images To , th e music of th e Worfield peal is proverbial

0 a a m - orn o . wh t a pre cher is the ti e w t wer, Reading great sermons with its iron tongue 1

r The foll owing a e th e Ins crip tions on the Bell s .

s t s to al l u r n s 1 699 J o a ass os . J B o e o r . ell . Pr p rity t ue frie d , hn M lp ; Th

Ba n S on A R . r ey ( ext ) .

ud W tth e f o s r A R 2 Be ee al l as a o . . . ll . were c t City Gl uce te

l n B r d rn e A th e 1 99 os a b o . . R . 3rd Be . od s a 6 G . . l ve Ki g . Th

t A b ra R dh l l as u s al l 99 J o n W al k n 4 h Be . . u a 1 6 . . ll c t . h er, ge t

1 W m as n m as Ba u a ns 5i h Be 699 am o o o . ll . . illi Th , Th che, ch rchw rde

to th e u th e n a and to th e a d o s mmon al l t h ell I . 6 h . ch rch livi g c ll , gr ve u

’ a s Bel 1 779 W l am W l ams on u a n. T h e V ic r l . . il i i li , ch rchw rde m a s OW S H 33 T N IPS .

m On the village side is a handsome clock with chi es , which strikes the quarters , recently placed there by an anonymous donor . £50 £ 50 £ 50 It cost , also to put it into position , and to adjust the bells to a modern musical scale .

The tower and steeple are of what authorities on such matters , term the Third Pointed period of Architecture being later additions e to the m ain structure which , like m any oth rs in this county , is Mid

4 — of dle Pointed , probably of the 1 th century , but with traces

. h earlier styles It consists of nave , and nort and south aisles , of

- nearly equal width , and a well developed chancel . The arcades

W . have ide pointed arches , with hood mouldings , and octagonal pil lars . Against th e wall on the sou th side also are traces of an earlier

c column . The chancel arch rises from ircular shafts , with capital s surmounted by abaci , one scul ptured with bal l flowers , the other I with heads . n the south wall of the chancel is a triple sedili a , or stone seats for priests during the service of high m ass an d in the t d same south wall a piscina , or recess , where the pries washed his han s

nd . a rinsed the chalice On each side , next the ch ancel , is a smaller

in and plainer arch , broken the wall , and opening into the chantry chapels . The one at the east end of the south aisle was dedicated to

St . Nicholas , the patron Saint of virgins a saint remarkable for his piety and charity , whom Constantine the Great raised to a bishop ric . ff O erings appear to have been made t o this Saint , for it is recorded

a in the early part of the reign of Henry VIII, that Rich rd Felton

a n H fr gave S y tNichol as a ey e of 2 years age .

The other chantry was dedicated to the Virgin Mary , and had a priest or chaplain to sing mass for the souls of the dep arted . Thomas

Norfiel d was h 1 345 de , who c aplain in , was admitted by Bishop

Northb u r W g, on the presentation of ill iam Kirby , who was the last rector of Worfiel d . A succession of chapl ains for this chantry were

1 534- 5 appointed down to , when Sir John Lee was chaplain , and in

£ 2 er recei pt of p annum , paid by the churchwardens , from certain fi l £ 2 Wor e d . had lands in , Hallon , Sonde , Bridgnorth , etc He also A paid him from the parishioners . list of the Churchwardens com

h 1 501 e me oing , shows that four churchwardens w re annually chosen , 34 woar mnn

two being mentioned as for the ch antry of the Virgin Mary ; but

a 1 5 from 1 521 only two were elected . Mention was made on p ge of " Worfield ta r the Rental of the glorious Virgin Mary of , for a py

our s M for Ladye , and of monies paid for praying for the soul of ary

and Warton and John Pryse . There are others for the painting

gilding of the Rood , and Roodloft .

i s was The prefix Sir, to the n ame of the above pr e t, only ‘ a clerical title , I suspect . He is spoken of in one place as our

' ad L y s priest and sometimes as Dominic , a corruption of Dominus , m eaning the chief or great man of the parish . Some writers seem

to have fallen into the error o f su pposing that Domini c was his

e was a f nam . He the las t Rom n Cathol ic priest wh o o ficiated here,

’ fi end and was buried in the chapel in which he of ciated , at the east

of the north aisle , where there is said to be a defaced stone to his

. w h ad m emory But if the old faith as on the wane , it not , or at least the church h ad not yet forced itsel f from former usages and

tl 555 en ries customs , for abou , t are found of several items which

and ten d to show that the holy water potte was in use, that depu

' tations were sent from this church to the Cardinal s visitation at

Li h eld c fi .

efi ac . Still, the belief in the c y of prayers to the Virgin and to St

s 1 565 Nicholas was declining fa t , and in , I find entries of payments

for taking down the Roodloft and carrying away altar stones .

‘ l s t1 562 5 The Church Register commences May , , th of Elizabeth ,

a t ak the year the l ar was t en down . At the commen cement is the followin g note Ytwas agreed wth the consent of John Baker

Hitch cok e K n Bromley , John of Chesterton , and Roger Baker of y gs

. w nes s w ffe lowe , that Mr Thomas Barkley of Ye d and his y , should kh elle in the pew next our Lady ch ancell for and during th eir natur al

l ves eare 1 597 th e y and no l onger, in the y of our Lord god , for Fores aid pewe belongeth to the housse of the foresai d John B ak er for Swancott ; John H itchcok e for his housse at Chesterton Ro ger

Kin sl owe B aker for the housse that he now dwelleth in at g , Being the

housse of Mr . Thom as Hoode ' 35 A N D 1 1 s TO WN S H IP S . .

s The first entry in the Register, m ade the fir t day of May

1 562~ 5 H omffra n the th Elizabeth , mentions y Bar ey as Vicar.

This old book i s in a very dilapidated condition , by reason of its age and the frequent use made of it . People come long dis tances to search it . One gentleman on the other side the Atlantic , who , if not a Yankee , had been long enough amongst them to have

a as k g ined something of their cuteness , wrote a short time ago to the Vicar to lend it him i

1 21 3 The rectors of the church , from the reign of King John , ,

1 325 . 1 3 to , when it becam e a vicarage , numbered amongst them

who were m en rose to great em inence in their day , as Bishops, Lord

a Ch ncellors , etc . The number of vicars who succeeded , including 1 8 the present on e, has been . It m ay be thought by reducing the liv m ing in dignity and e olument , Bishop Langton had become a convert

' W clifie to the views of that distinguished Reformer , John y , who laboured to restore the long - lost purity of the clergy by apostolic

r a poverty . The vica s certainly stuck to the living longer th n the

as nd in 1 564 rectors , a rule for I fi from a list of cumbents from to 1 763

44 1 608 . Humphrey Barney , vicar years ; died

a 56 1 664 Fr ncis Barney, vicar years died . m 42 1 707 Ja es Hancox, vicar years died .

56 1 763. Daniel Admaston , vicar years died

1 in Four vicars lived 99 years and all of them lived , I suppose, b 1 the hum le . parsonage house , previously described

Prior to its restoration , the church was nearly a match for the ff parsonage . Like similar edifices , it had su ered greatly at the hands , fi rst of those desirous of obliterating all signs of the worn out faith and secondly at those of ignorant whitewashers , plasterers , and repair

a 1 861 i ers, till the ye r , when the patron , v car, and churchwardens , made efforts which were heartily responded to by the neighbouring

r gentry , farmers, and parishione s generally , which resulted in the

ul s . correction of many of these irreg aritie The work was , ably

. l a carried out by Mr Yates of Shifn a , and the Messrs . Fr ncis , archi

L £ 21 59 1 3s . 1 d . tects , of ondon, at a cost of The gallery which 36 wonrmtn

n hid blocked up the west en d was taken dow , the plaster which th e h wooden ceilings w as scraped O E and the woodwork exposed . Ot er l obstructions which m arred the design of the bui ders were removed ,

and the prim ary meaning and beauty of the building displayed . The

whol e of the ch an cel windows were taken out and replaced with new ;

and a handsome five- light flowing tracery window was inserted at

n the east end . The floor of the ch a cel was laid with encaustic tiles ;

h andsom e oak stal ls and a m assive communion rail were erecte d .

- The old deal an d box like pews gave way to others , open and of oak,

new with panelled backs and ends of geometrical tracery . A four

light window was introduced at the west end , filled with painted

. t glass , rep resentin g the Four Acts of Mercy, presented by Mr Pe er

o n son . J y , as a memorial to his parents , formerly of Rowley The

- n was south west window , depicti g th e Day of Judgment , placed

there in memory of T . J . Vickers and his wife, by his daugh ter

T h e north o wes t Mari anne . rep resents the anointing of the feet of

Christ , the woman touching the hem of His garment , and the appear

an ce of Christ to Mary in the garden after the resurrection . The

the subjects of remaining ones are , the parable of the talents , the

good Sam aritan (a memorial to Joseph Thom as Parkes , Esq . , and

and his brother Charles) , His conversation with Mary and Martha,

well with the wom an of Sam aria at the , the Good Shepherd

the latter being the gift of the cottagers of the parish . There is

a . i also one painted by the late rtist , Mr Evans , represent ng the

rn ang el at the tomb of our Lord , and the j ou ey to Emmaus , a

. A 10 . m emorial of the Ven rchdeacon Vickers (of Sa p) , by his wi fe

l l a A these windows , with the exception of the l st , were executed by

Alexander Gibbs , Esqs The pulpit , which is m ade of oak , and most a f el aborately carved , stands upon a ston e pedest l , also beauti ully

carved it is com p osed of red Mansfield stone , polished Devon shire and r e e he e . e e e e m arbl , Ca n , an d ot r ston s Th reading d sk l ct n are

W . . also of richly carved oak , and were the gifts of S Davenport ,

n . a Esq. , the patron of the livi g He also almost rebuilt the ch n

ve- and h c fi , y cel , w i h has a light seven other side windows painted b

Mr. Gibbs .

38 wonr ratn

W a ith regard to the removal of the m onuments themsel ves , the p M r. in tron , Davenport , the letter quoted , remarks we decided to remove them because we thought it more in accordance with 1 9th

th an century ideas to consider the living rather the dead , and to shi ft

' - su fier them being stone , an d consequently not likely to from catarrh

s e m— in any hap or for to their present p osition , and by so doing enable the poor school children (who formerly sat in the corner now compla ined o f as too damp and dark for the m onuments) to come to

th e and in front take part the services , and I feel certain th at my

the Bromley ancestors , i f really worthy o f the epitaphs written u p on

tablets to their m emory , would rejoice in the change coul d they see " w h a hat s been don e . h That may be , but i f these distinguis ed ancestors may be sup p o sed to have carried with them the ordinary cuteness of m en of it thei r profession , i s m ore than probable they would have sti pulated

th e for screens to remain , as a protection from the nailed shoes of

’ visitors . The kneelin g fi gures at the foot of Sir Edward Bromley s m m onu en t h ave been mutilated . Some have been decapitated , some

s h r ve , the he , t e i he ha lo t not only ir ads but ir l mbs , whilst ot s are

n undis tinguishable as fi gures . These mo uments are worth preserv in and w rt g , o hy of all care being taken of them . The tracery at th e

a Si r D b ck o f the fi gures of Edward Bromley an d ame Jane his wife,

s . A o n is m o t exquisite b ve the inscrip tion is a shield be ari g a cross ,

rt n an suppo ed on each side by ornam e tal scroll work . Over arch

an d at two d rising above , the corners , are family shiel s and arms

is s there al o a central shield above the entablature , surmoun ted by a

figure . Near the base of the right hand pill ar, between that and the

r - square t ablet containing the insc iption , is a well scul ptured group

s o f o f emblems of mortality , con isting a skull , a spade , and a m at

e tock . On the corr spondin g , or left side , is an inverted torch , and ornament al work . T h e whole extends up the w all to a considerable

s . C a s height The littl e pital of the pillar still show the gold , and som e traces of colour in the folds of the garments of the figures are

b Sir vi s ible . T he tom of George Bromley an d his wife is still more

te el aborate . It has a canopy , richly carved , supported by whi and black marbl e pillars , the latter of which have been polished . The i nscriptions on these monuments are as follows A N D rr' s T owns 39 m r s .

Si r eo B om e n Ch i efle Ju s ce of s and of G rge r l y , K ight , ti Che ter, T h e Covnc el l in th e Marches ofWa l es a Jvs tman and a ea o s s o ofth e e on now es ab s e a Gr t pr fe r R ligi t li hed , d p r ted s th e s e on of a 1 588 A e thi life c d M rch , , g d T h e s a Sir o B om and h is oun e B o Si r id Ge rge r ley y g r r ther, omas B om ni o anc o ofn an e Th r ley , K ght , L rd Ch el r E gl d , w re th e on s onnes of o e B om ofH awk s tone E s ri er and ly Ge rg r ley, , q , ofJan one ofth e Davhters ofSi r omas ak on ofW e n e, g Th L , ill y, K ight . T h e r ous ma on am Jan w to Si r eo B oml n ve tu tr , D e e, ife G rge r ey, K ight, Davghter and s o e B ofJO HN WAN NE R T ON ofH a on n l eire , ll , Ge t . , e ar s th e th f 0 A e p 1 9 o o mb e 1 6 6 73. D ted thi life N ve r, , g d They H ad b etweene em enn n s ixe s onn s : 4 Davh tere th T echildre , e g . T h e o Jvd e Si r ar B om e n se on w rthy g , Edw d r l y, K ight , c d B a on of E xch e ver wh o K neel eth H ofa o s r the q , ere, Pi u m nd ons c a e s monumen to hi s a a en s y did c e r t Thi t de r P r t .

Anno 1 622.

S S A S A PIRITU TR PETIT .

H ere R es teth T h e Bodie ofSi r Edward B om e n s on Ba r l y, K ight , ec d ron ofE xch e ver B e n s e q , i g con s onn ofSi r o e B om d e Ge rg r ley, n and ofame Jan h i s w K ight , D e ife, Wh o m arried M argaret one ofth e Davgh ters and coh ei res ofMichael ow ofT m ore i n th e ou n L e, y , C ty

' ftafiord E s vi re and i e o S . , q d d w o is sve th e s econ ofJvne ith ut , d , 1 6 26 am a a a e h is W e . D e M r g r t if accordi ng to h i s will did dedi a s mon men to h i s m m o c te Thi u t e ry.

Seeing that these distinguished persons were not buried in the

n church , it m atters little what posi tio within their m onuments occupy ; and it would have been well i f intramural burials had b een

t n l ess encourage d by the authorities , no hi g being more deleterious

' than the gas es given ofi during decomp osition . I have copies of

h th e b the w ol e of the in scrip tions of monumental ta lets , slabs, h atchn i ents an d n an d fin d , etc . on the walls , in the ave aisles , but it woul d swell ou tthis little book beyond reas onable limits to give them many of the n ames will come up for mention wh en Speak ing of the

w . living persons , in connection ith their respective townships

No one seem s to know anything of the sarcophagus or stone cofii n which lies untenanted outside the church door . It appears to 40 w onr i

h e a h ard er and m ore durable s tone than any quarried in the W orfe

a the o u Valley , or th n that from Alveley , used in c nstr ction of the " s if Church and Nation al Schools . I scarcely think it is a free tone ,

. h so , it must have come from a considerable distance T at oft quoted

a n uthority , the oldest inhabitant , is totally ig orant con cerning

it ; even tradition itsel f is silent . One would have thought that ” th e ancient men , who seem to have been summoned in times p ast to

' d ecide mos t doubtful questions , would have traced its connection to the legendary chief who is supposed to have fought and fell at Hal lon

: an Ford it would, at y rate , have been as apposite as the Tenterden t S eeple and Goodwin Sands solution . I t As ancient as this mysterious relic , suppose , is the old yew ree ,

n - ear the lich gate , on the other side of the graveyard . Its trunk is

italm os t singularly marked by new shoots , which give the appearan ce

o f a Norman column . Much cannot be said in favour of the taste i which dictated the close clipp ing of the top into a cone . Look ng at

the seat surrounding it , one is led to reflect how many Fathers of " " their the Hamlets sat there before they were gathered to fathers , “ an d went to swell the mouldering heap , whi ch in course of e e v h s e e e h ch ch h ag s has ris n so high abo e t e ba m nt lin of t e ur and t ve road . Evidences of the strong attachments the parishioners ha e

- for lost kindred is pleasingly evidenced by the well kep t graves , the

neat headstones an d other mural m emorials one sees , no less than by

floral decorations renewed , again , and again . For the reason just stated I am prevented going into further detail otherwise there are some really artistic designs in various coloured m arbles worth vof

notice .

Formerly the clergy appear to have combined the ofii ces of pastor

and l 6th schoolmaster . In the century notices occur of paymen ts ,

the sometimes to the vicar, and at others to school m aster also with

0 th an . 1 64 l 6 regard to the schoolhouse In , July , there is entry of W l b u . orfie d the rial of Mr Armiger Edes , of Hallon , schoolmaster of ,

d . o in curate of Ba ger Then cam e a long period when the scho l , hav g

a degenerated into a mere village school , practically nswered the pur e o fan e e ch l t t e e t exce e N t pos El m ntary S oo , un il he pr s n ll nt a ional

S n h r o chools were b uilt a d open ed . T e school then again ose in t AND I T S O SH 41 T WN I PS .

m what is termed a second grade Gra m ar School , and was attended

chiefly by sons of the farmers and residents of the neighbourhood .

The school building was in the vill age street , adjacen t to the

- tak en church gate , with play ground behind , which has been l ately

r I he d into the churchyard . house is an interesting old timbere building (now a club room for men and boys) with open roof . There

’ are evident signs of an upper story . intended doubtless for the m aster s r d rooms , but he must have been con tent with ve y limite accomm oda

i n . tion , and lived p robably single blessedness In bold Latin ch aracters , in red , is the following on one of the beams Mans 3m m

i n cor ora sumo. A p sane mind in a sound body .

' The origin al endowment of Lloyd and Parker s school was

W orfield insi gnificant ; four cottages , a small field at , and a croft at Quat ford . These possessions h ave been sold , and the proceeds of this and of the much m ore valuable Brierley Charity amalgamated

with it , are now invested in Consols .

A th e fter the establishment of Parochial Schools , Grammar

u d School had a flourishing time , p artic larly under the irection of

. Il o ettwh o 1 856 1 876 . Mr Isaac pp , was master from to The build

n r g however was inconvenient , and the master, who took boa ders in 2 his house , had to live at one time nearly miles from the scene of his

. II o ett daily labour Mr . pp died in harness , and there is a cross m erected to his em ory , by his pupils and friends , at the top of the

k S a d churchyard, and overl oo ing the pot where he lived so beloved n worked so hard . The operation of the Endowed Schools Act presently

aflairs . put a new aspect upon Things were long unsettled , and but

for the firmness o f one or two of the trustees , well nigh the whole of

the funds belonging to the Pa ris h of Worfiel d would have been diverted to the establishment of one large school , p robably at or very near Bridgnorth . This danger over , the scheme of the Endowed

m s S chool Com is ioners was adop ted , the various charities were ” united , and the income shared between the poor , the Elementary

School , and the Grammar School .

It then became nec essary to p rovide suitable buildings and grounds for the last mentioned to this end the govern ors purchased 42 wea r- ram)

a r 5 n u e prope ty at Roughton , acres in exte t . with a ho se th reon to

- d d d which school rooms an d ormitories were a de . so as to give aecom m o d ation to some 30 or 40 pu pils . In its new posi tion the school

’

W . 1 880 . . was opened in , under the present headmaster, the Rev T

. and Turner, M . A , Trinity College , Dublin , has ce rtainly flourished .

the w There are usual ly as m any boarders as hous e ill h old , and the day boys come from various places within a circle o f some 6 or 7 miles radius .

Among other noticeable features of Worfiel d are its mills . At

’ a W the Norm n Conquest , or at any rate when King illiam s Census takers went round , there were three mills , they tell us , the value of which was equal to a ninth of the annual value of the whol e m anor .

Older therefore than the chu rch is Worfield mill . It has been renew

a r ed , of course , gain an d again , but for eight hund ed years h ave its m onotonous clack and its low an d continuous crunching sound s been heard al on g the pleasant valley of the W orfe. I su ppose the

a inhabitan ts of the vill ge , whose gardens come down close to the ri ver,

are so accustomed to the sounds that they do not hear them . The

Worfe s w ater of the , in order to take the broad pair of wheels brea t

a high , is h usb nded a little, in to a small lakelet . which extends back

m s to the old vicarage . It for s a famou fishery above the weir and

h e w a d when t clatter of the orks is tem porarily st ye , the rush and play o f the waters es capin g by the Sparkling and foamin g wei rs have W a very pleasant sound . h at a succession of millers there must h ave

n w e been durin g the eight past ce turies . I wonder h ther all these

' grind ers of their neighbour s batches were as blithe and hale as the

the one w C a a imm one King Hal kni ghted . or as hi ch harles M ck y or tal ised in the followi ng l ines

e w a m e a e and b o Th re d elt ill r h l ld ,

Bes th e Dee ide river ,

' Z e work d and s an om mo n n I g fr r till ight, N o l ark more b l ythe than he A nd this th e b urden ofh is s ong

F or u s e to Le ever d ,

I n nob o no notI e vy dy, , And nob ody envies me A N D I T OW S H 43 S T N IP S .

O ne wonders too if they were all honest : and whether they

' exceeded the one hand ful allotted out of their neighbour s bag an d whether they paid the f ull peek of corn p rescribed wee kly to th e

rm i Worfield vicar . There were fo erly two m lls , Mill and Rowley

s Mill , near together and the Terrier previou ly quoted , says The

Vicar hath also from the 2 Com e miles a pecke of corn a. peec e for

' ” s ori tion the week by p p . The vicars , close to whose grounds the

s t had pounded up water reache , mus have many a sp otted trout and

out . portly jack of this p ortion of the river One vic ar, Sir John

W W s alker, Son of John alker , of Roughton , and fifth in de cent from W f “ R indl e ord in 1 51 1 . John alker, of , , i t i s said obtained a li cense

m i n Worfe n fro the lord of the manor, to fish the ri ver , betwee the "

2d . Vicarage and Rowley Mill , for yearly, for li fe . Let us hop e he had better luck than another and later Sir John (Sir John Morris) ,

m s aw who I fishing there the other day , and who told me on leaving ,

r that after threshing the water for hou s , he had caught nothing

Worfield s : has two well kept Inn the Davenport Arms , in the

’ ’ W W 0 Worvill villag e , and the heel , generally called The heel , just

on W n outside , the olverhamp to road . Both , in the summer time , are p atronised by visitors , who come to see the church , or to fish W t either in the or e or one of its tributaries . At the former hostel is held the annual Court leet dinner . This custom o f a dinner has outlived the others . These customs bore the appearance of self rule , w t n the an d overn m ent rew hils lacki g reality , , as improved forms of g g “ u - a - - - p , it becam e a farce , a nuisance , sort of pok e your nose into ' ” “ 77 everybody s - business Club . The only Aale tasters now are vol

’ u ntar W - o y ones , who cal l at the Davenp ort Arms , or the eel

’ VVorvill a . The pin fold is gone , the stocks are gone , even the annu l

— at dinner, the best p art of the institution , is going , least the last that was held took place three years ago . But I am told there has been

and a jury sworn , or will be , that another meeting will be held next i May , i f so , once more gentlemen may m eet in solemn conclave , dr nk

’ a few toasts , crack a few jokes , and make merry over Leet Aales . 44 w oar ratn

R CHAPTE VII .

A CK LE T ON .

ts onn on Ba —01d am s —0 1d C a s — a h I c ecti with dger f ilie h rter The fr nc i se.

l a ORFIELD consists of the fol owing townships , which the l te

Mr . Hardwicke the an tiquary considered were older than the

Conquest , and which are enumerated as far back as Edward III , th us z—A ck leton All s cote , , Barnsley , Bentley , Bradney , B romley ,

B urcote C atstree C ranm re E wd nes E w k e , , Chesterton , e , s , y , Hallon .

H occom K in s l owe O ldin ton R in dleford Hilton , , g , Newton , g , , Rough

Itowle tnl ow w nco e Wins cote , , , e S a e S a t, , ton y Sonde Stabl ford , ,

or l W fie d and Wyken . There is scarcely one of these townships but has suffi cient m aterial connected with it s u ch as might profitabl y he worked up into a book as large as this is proposed to be . How then to condense and compress i t in to a shilling volume is the difficulty . The best way of

w rob ab l to treating th em ill be , p y , take them alphabetically , a s enum ~ erated above .

A CK LE T ON a is situated on high ground , on an outst nding spur of

n . red sandstone , comman ding varied and charmi g panoramic views

n - It adjoins the undulating a d well wooded estate of Badger, to which it was i n early times attached ; Bot h now belong to the same

. . . u s b own er , Col . A C Cure The same fe dal lord held oth by sergeantry , the service being that the ten ant kept the forest of h l S ir ot . , then a royal chase for deer Philip Fitz Stephens h eld it 1 1 00 1 1 35 fro m to , after him his son and grandson the latter held i t from 1 1 60 to 1 1 96 . Some interruption in the tenure proba b ly then oc curred , as indicated by a charter o f Henry II . , which runs thus “ and A uitain Henry , King of England Duke of Norm andy and q ,

A h eriff S al o cire . and Earl of njou , to his s and ministers of pes greeting

I enj oin you that ye cause recognition to be m ade by oath of lawful men of the vicinage as to the kind of servi ce b y which Stephen ,

' xv 46 our i mm

duties laid on their neighbours ; they share hem as honest m en

s should do . The cause of exemption , too, m ay no longer exi t but

was We can what that cause is not stated . i magine the exemption to have been in consequence of some offices conferred in connection

hirl ot Morfe with a Royal chase , either of S or of , but most probably m the former, which required the undivided attention of those on who w the p rivilege as conferred .

At r r a presentment of the minister and chu ch wardens , togethe

a ni ientm n with four u c e of the said parish , made and duly served at D m 1 61 2 . o . the visitation holden at Penn , September , A , t ouching th e abutting and lymitting of l ands belonging to the vicarage and ” A ckl eton u n houses there , under occ r the followi g payments

. . 0 o . . d . 1 d h T ror 1 d E k e n l s ob . 7 y l s , y y , Parsons , Bradley . , Roger

. l . m l l . ows h all 6 d n 7d H oathi l 7d . ob h s d c Bar ett , , T o a Barrett , in

a . Pen r 3 . . 3d . oh . k ob Thom son 7d . y d , Brown 7d , Toy , Blac m an ”

w . d fiel n 3 . B r in 3 an d ad d . to oh . , ob In a copy of The Customs of

Worfield ar the Manor of , under the han d of Robert B ret , gentleman , it is stated that the m anor of A ckl eton pays three pounds

m Worfield per annu for a chief rent to the lord of the Manor of , and the reeve of the m anor of Worfield hath power to appoint a reeve to gather thatrent ; and four men and the reeve of Ackl eton ought t to appear at our Court Lee to present ; i f not , all the townships ,

except those that do appear, ought to be amerced . A regard . for

the origin , the possessions, the privileges , and the homes of their

E k ns ancestors , has led the y y to remain and spend their lives at — A ckl eton a spot remarkable for its p hysical p osition and the sur

rounding natural beauties o f the situation . If they parted with a

n was portio of their land , it in a friendly exchange with a neighbour. E k n t The y y and the S ubbs families , the former the oldest in the t district , and the latter clai ming royal descen , were at one time

i an d . int mate , an exchange of lands took place between them On e

’ ’ o f th e Stubb s Beckbury fields is still called E yk yn s Hill and

' ' one o f Mr Richard E ykyn s fields at. A ck l eton i s kno wn as Stubb s

an Leason (or Leasow) . The nam e is rather unusual one , and in

f t a old documents is found spelt in di feren ways, as Ekins , E kin ,

B s E E ak en E k n . aking , kin , , Eyken , and y y , as now How long the AND rr s r ows s nrr s . 47

family h ave enjoyed their position or possessions neither they nor ff any one else seems to know . Not that they are indi erent on the

o m subject n the contrary , they cherish the sentiment of ho e and of honour , and not less those symbols of gentility which combine to form the family shield . The feeling is a n atural one ; for as the

’ flus h on a maiden s cheek is at once the sign of health and a cause i of beauty, so herald c honours , pedigrees, and charters made to a s not ncestor , are mere ornaments , but proofs positive of usefulness and of recognised merit, stimulating modern representatives to act their part and discharge their duties as best befits the character of

E k n efii ce those gone before . The y y s of past ages were of course

m e d and holders in Courts, co missions , and as witnesses of d e s char — t ers , as constables when the word constable carried with it a higher — n . signification tha now an d also churchwardens The present Mr . k E n ofii 20 r I . y y has filled the latter ce for more than yea s , believe I have frequently come across the n ame in connection with various

ofii ces n h on ourable , usually allotted to those e joying superiority of birth or distinguished by the privilege antiquity confers . It is to be

a regretted , perh ps , that no remains of the old homes of this ancient family are left . They have th ree m ansions pleasingly situated and surrounded by orn amental grounds two are in possession of very

’ r e spectabl e tenants at about a stone s throw from each other , but n either seem s to present traces of the homes of the ancestors of the family .

E k ns The principal inhabitants, in addition to the y y , are Mr.

. W m n t R ilson , who carries on a large alti g business , we ting about

200 sacks weekly . Mr . Wilson has bored into the red sandstone rock and obtained an excellent supply of good water on the spot; w and has a large brewery at Bridgnorth , here he has formed an artesian well in the rock , the water of which has been tested , and W proved highly valuable . Mr . . Piper, gentleman farmer and Mr .

. . m n I n e n J B He mi gs . addition to th se there are others livi g in

a genteel looking houses , and scattered cott ges , on the summit an d

A ckl ton sides of high ground on which e stands . There is a post

’ ffi i . o ce , a beerhouse, a wheelwr ght s yard and smithy here

A ckleton - W orfield is two miles North east of the village of . It d belongs to the Ludlow Division , but its neighbour, Ba ger, for par

liamentar is r . y purposes , in the Shifn al or Newpo t Division 48 woarrnw

I CHAPTER V II .

ALSCOT E .

o f n — l a i — e w k s Etym ol gy o the ame O d f m lies The Ous l ys and Hard ic e .

w HE name of this To nship , like the last , is variously spelt , both m l in ancient an d modern writings . It is three iles and a ha f

A ckl eton W orfiel d distant from , and one an d a half m iles from

- - vill age . Itis one of four on the South west side of the parish

h avin g nam es terminating i n cot or cote . There are ten or a dozen others in the agricul tur al parts of Shropshire where the word cote

is still in use , denoting a shed or shelter for sheep or cattle . The

meaning therefore is obvious, and carries us back to the period when shepherds and herdsmen ten ded their flocks and cattle in sheltered and cultivated spots on th e borders or within the confines of

fe . A ls cote the great Mor forest is still a pastoral bit of l and , of

5 . t 2 5 the W . 0 . ab out acres and i s chiefly property of Fos er , Esq

wh o is Lord of th e Manor . It lies on the high ground on the right

W W . bank of the orf, near the ellington and Bridgnorth road On entering it from the latter point the visitor will n ot fail to noti ce an " old h ou se h aving about it a look of the olden time . It creates

the impression that it has seen better days , but how m an y decades

‘ have passed since then it is difii cultto determine . It is believed to

Ous le s r have been built by one of the y , an old Shropshi e family ; but of whose members in connection with Al scote I have learnt

. w m O u sl e s Als cote l itt le At h at ti e the y built House , or how long

th e family continued to reside there , are questions not e asy to deter

m ine . That the building was intended to be durable , and in some

m s measure ornamental , is evident from its substantial a onry , an d the I care and taste displayed in its construction . thas white stone

m ll red - t e c e he c u ioned windows dark sands on orn rs to t bri k walls ,

- and strin g courses also of red san dston e . It has on the north side h a gable, tall and n arrow , with t ree storey mullioned windows ; in AND rrs T OWNSH IPS . 49

“ r n a this gable was the f ont entra ce , and a porch , but the sp ce it i occupied has been converted nto a dairy . The old front door, i m stu dd ed with rough nails, re ains . After the fashion of old houses , a massive chimney rises in the centre , then divides above the roof

to fiues n . in to four stacks or , which again u ite at the p A few of m the upper divisions of the second storey windows re ain , leaded in

eom e richly orn amental and fanciful forms , but after one general g t riesi pattern . On going down into the cellar it is seen at once how it is arched an d fashioned for the purpose of affording strength and

a n s tor ge , with stro g pendant hooks capable of holding a hog , a sheep , or a haunch of venison , and in forest times probably they had

o . n d ne so I teresting and ancient as the old mansion appears , there is at one end the relic of one much earlier, but what period intervened bet ween the erection of the two, by how many king ’ s reigns or dynast ies , even , the one preceded the other, it is not easy to deter mi n e . Contrasted with the elegant old m ansion described , it is like l a fragment 9. geo ogist sometimes finds of one formation cropping

n up and intrudi g itself into another of more recent geological time.

It is partly timbered , partly lath and plaster, partly brickwork .

Al cote W In modern times s was the residence of illiam Hardwicke ,

r Esq . , the antiquary , who was bo n here , and whose life an d works

’ formed the subject of Mr . Hubert Smith s pleasant pen , in a little w ork beautifully illustrated with photos of the north and south fronts of the house , and an internal view of one of the windows . This useful little memoir is also graced with a vignette portrait of this

was 1 2 1 772. indefatigable antiquary , who born here , January th , He

and was p roctor and registrar of the Royal Peculiar of Bridgnorth ,

now author of a MS . history of Salop , i n the British Museum .

H e was a sol icitor in partnership with Mr . Devey , a gentleman

wh o m B arn field E wdn of independent means , arried Miss , of ess , an d

u W . w hose da ghter , Miss Devey , m arried illiam Farmer, Esq , of

’

W . . Sutton M addock , subsequently of Canada est Mr Hardwicke s

MS . Shrop shire pedigrees , which form ed a thick folio volume , with

r and supplementa y p edigrees notes , were sold at his death to the late w Mr . Smallman , of Quatford Castle , who left them by ill to Mr .

Mrs . a Sidney Stedman Sm ith , who bequeathed them to H slewood , 50 W O RFIELD

ow o es s m. m n u MS. c ll i ns w who n p ss es the His volu i o s o ect o , hi ch he

m s r h ad co plete d for a history of Shrop hi e, were sold at the sale of the Mytton collection of topographical and geneal ogical m an us cripts

2nd Ma 1 877. was s e in Lon don , on the of y, He often con ult d on

ffi omcial s ra e di cult questions o f pedigree by the of the He lds Coll ge ,

was Y n London , and pronounced by the late Sir George ou g , G arter

- - a k n and l is . King tArms , as a m ost painsta i g carefu genealog t He

1 843 th e 72nd his was died February , in year of age, and buried in

- ur Ll an the picturesque sea side ch chyard of aber, about two m iles

from Barmouth . irs T ows s p s 1 A ND m . 5

H C APTER IX .

BUR COT E . — — Di scovery ofa cave b y the Wort Derivation ofthe name Brief hi s tory ofthe H ar k ami dwic e f ly .

UR COT E a 1 - orfi l is township , mile south west of W e d Chu rch ,

W O on the left of the orf, and on the pposite side of the valley ff to Davenport House and Park , of which good views are a orded

from the high ground . Lower down are cottages m ore than half in concealed , and perched on n atural terraces , one being part I — scooped out of the rock itself. t is a charming spot certainly one i in of great natural beauty , quietude , and repose even the old m ll

the vale is still , and no sound is heard but the w aters of the W d m orf over mill ams and weirs . A lady , to who I expressed “ Yes H awk stone 1 admiration , replied , ; they praise , but can see ” I H awk . nothing in s tone to compare with it It is not unusual , found , to speak of it as Li ttle Switzerland . The m ill is a venerable structure with one un dershot wheel ; and painted high up on the

’ gable, is the following The Earth is the Lord s an d the fulnes s ” m en thereof . Below , nailed against the wall , are ghastly heads of ster pike , caught in the mill race , and which , I am told , had come d own from Patshull pool . Their teeth seemed capable of playing

n havoc with the trout , which it is said they have seriously thi ned in

. s aw the river I one solitary fisherm an , with his creel , whether full

B rcote R or not I cannot say , proceeding up stream . These u ock s attained some celebri ty in the first decade of the present cent ury by Gentle the discovery of a cave , an account of which appeared in the

' n ma s Magazine at the time . The extract is too long to give here suifice it to say that amongst the debris were human and other bones : those of the dog , the sheep , the pig , the deer, etc . Various con

ectu res come j were indulged in , some supposing them to have down

a I a from Druidical times , but the prob bility is, think, that the c ve 52 wour m nn

was m foreSt hi the retreat of so e poacher in times, who , with s family ,

et g smothered by a landslip closing up the mouth of the cave , which

i e is semicircul ar in form , and st ll to be seen , opposit the mill .

B urcote in , it will be seen , i s another of the four townships hav g

m oo the same terminating syllable in the n a e . The prefix t is not difficult to make out . It has been said by one recent writer to com e “ ” a in o from bourn or burn , word used Scotland for a brook r

ul s riv et, and cote , a dwelling n ear a burn . Thi appears very doubt

- ful an d far stretched , as burn is usually applied to an insignificant

r W m wa st eam , whilst the orf is a river which in for er tim es s much

new as its own m ore formidable than , and of such force to carve out

s and a ks cour e , give us the beautiful undulations we fin d long its ban .

n h ad m Had it bee that the valley widened fro its mouth upwards, it might have been supposed that it was the cutting action of the

Severn straits which had been the agent in its formation , but it draws in R indleford n w and n arrows to a gorge at Mill , the s ells out into a sweet vale, having Davenport House and park and grounds on one

E s d . side , and on the other the nroot rocks and woo s Any one who

W f as has seen the or e rushing over the weirs in two channels, I have

a seen it , not to speak of the traces it left over a space a qu rter of a

u mile wide , when flooded , wo ld never think of applying the word

. B r ote t burn to it No , the name u c explains i self. There are two “ ” - c Over and Nether Bore ote, as the name is found to h ave been spelt prior to the reign of Edward III . , places where b oars w e n ere tended , sheltered , or fed , supplying wint r provision whe k illed an d salted and hung in the cratches of the owners . The

’ m B orecote W B urcote is owner s name, oreover, was , and a illiam de

25rd w . known to have died of the plague, Ed ard III

The Hardwickes succeeded the B orecotes here in early tim es. w From an interesting family history by Herbert Junius Hard icke ,

E s . q, of Rotherham , from materials collected by his grandfather, it appears that the d welling - house belonging to the estate pass ed from Thom as de B orecote (temp Edward through five families — - partly by marriage an d partly by purchase to the H ardwickes . h It stood in the centre of the towns ip , nearer to the road, which

54 woarrs nn

Herd wick e w residence of the P attingham branch , called , as sold by

h eve t e h e a e , T omas D y , in o whos family it ad be n brought by marri g t 1 755 to Sir J . Astley , o f Patshull , Bar , in , and the house taken down to form the southern extremity of Patshull Pool . The Hard wickes had been seated there as early as Richard III when Roger

k e W Dothill H ardewy m arried a daughter of il liam Steventon , of , W near ell ington , a granddaughter of Robert Charlton , of Apley p s Castle . Much more res ecting this hi toric family and their m arri l ages and con nections might be said , but space permits the fo lowing

. W n otice onl y of their present representatives illiam Hardwicke , 1 807 urcote , , w of B , who died left besides John Bell Hard ic ke, the B r - u cote father - in law of the present proprietress of , another son ,

m , , Willia Hardwicke , of Diamond Hall B ridgn orth Solicitor , who ,

f B em and . . by his wi e . Charlotte , had a l arge family Rev Edward “ ” A . S a10 c e M . , e , th , Hardwi k , Oxon of Arl y au or of History of p is

R H e nes . . the 3rd son . oger y Hardwicke , M D , of Malvern , is the 7th 6 th son . Eugene Hardwicke , of Crawley , is the son . whose son

Richard Re ece Hardwicke , M . D . lives in London . Junius Hardwicke , of Chilton Lodge , Rotherham , M . D consulting surgeon to

b a Rotherh am Pu lic Hospital , and author of several medi c l works , W eighth son of illiam Hardwicke , of Diamond Hall , Bridgnorth , and W Bu rcote ; 25th 1 821 grandson of ill iam Hardwicke , of born June , ; W h fe l e , hte h ht , f , by is wi , E l n Jane daug r of T om as rig o Dublin he

e e hte h t e , h had , b sid s a daug r t a di d young five son s and one daug ter,

— . - A . I . , , viz . : Edward rthur Hardwicke M D surgeon superintendent

, in E . M . Emigration Service who by his wife , Margaret , d aughter of W Willi am Calvert . of hitewell , has several daughters and one son , W . W 85. ve 1 8 h c e . v c , Cal rt , born II ill iam rig t Hardwi k of Do er ourt

A (l . wh o by his wi fe , lice Mary , aughter o f Jam es Danford M D , , A I II . Chelsea , has , besides other issue , a son ustin . B aldry , of

S f . d . Il erb ert Junius Har wicke , of Purton Lodge , he field , M D ,

fi i a ph y sician to Shef eld Public Hospital for Sk n Dise ses , and consulting p hysician to Leeds Public Hospital for Skin Diseas es ;

a s r ts a nd S as auth or of H e lth R e o p , a work , s peaking of which , the II Pall j l a ll Gazette observed is short p aragraphs are thoroughly e e e eg e t ni c up to dat , v n as r ards th sm allest an d m os insig fi ant A ND I T S T ows s m r s . 55

- i a u at n Practice i n all arts watering places . His Med c l E d c io and p

o the World f , and similar learned works have been highly praised

Lancet by the , and the Medical Press generally in England and

A . merica Equally abstruse, learned , and distinguished for research m and originality , is a later work , of so e three hundred pages ,

T he Po ular F aith nveiled entitled , p U , and one just now published ,

E vo ut n a entitled l io nd Creation . By his wife Mary Elizabeth , W A W daughter of illiam llen , of ink House , Doncaster , he has two

W n sons , illiam Purton Allen , and Herbert J u ius Allen , and two

ff N Y . daugh ters . IV . Ernest Henry Hardwicke , M . D . , of Bu al o ,

N Y . . ff N . Y . V Alan Gardner Hardwicke , of Bu alo , , Major in , State

’ . n Guards Dr . Junius Hardwicke s only survivi g daughter, Constance

Pré W Ellen , is m arried to Cornelius Hodgson Du , of ood Hill ,

Il i hl e Pré g y , , . e . e . Salop only son of Rev Samu l Du Of repres nt atives of this ancient family still resident in the township I may

mention Mr . Hardwicke , farmer, an d his sister, Miss Hardwicke ,

Bur ote of c villa . Among old families who have disappeared and left no represent

atives here , were the Sadlers . John Sadler purchased an estate at

B urco te which descended to his family in the fifth generation . He ld Swancote Worfie , rem oved to , and dying there was interred at

M a 26th 1 605. m y , The family however see to have lived on at

Burcote , for the n ame occurs in the annals of the parish as of

B urcote E s , chiefly as constables ; Thomas Sadler of nroot is men tion ed 1 621 1 2 1 648 h ffi in and 6 5, and John in . T ese o cers were

chosen from the most trusty of the inhabitants , and equipped and furnished atthe cost of the parish with harness and weapons and

neighbours say that in taking down the old house where they lived , ' in an old sword and dagger, o f Queen Elizabeth s reign , were found

the ruins . W Among other old Burcote families may be mentioned the alkers ,

W b u t d the altons , and the Bells , as they will be found un er the heads he of other townships they m ay be p assed by for t p resent , with the

a ] ef t ce th t the e . h el ect tt , bri no i R v T omas B , r or of Qua was born here 1 687 also that in the church there is a white marble tablet in

W Burcote Ma 29th 1 730 memory of illiam Bell , of , who died , y the , , 09 Aged years . 56 woam ann

CHAPTER X .

OMLE Y BR .

mi - nd T h e Baker and Bromley mans ions Lord Chi ef Jus tice Brom ley a fa ly.

ROMLEY m ay be reached by a winding s and vroad at the back

Worfe - of the old gate house , or from the other side by the

Burcote Hermit age Hill . Its situation is similar to that of , which

m a m township it adj oin s and , as y be i agined , from the high

ground occupied by the township, there is a charming prospect all

round . Beyond the undulations of the foreground the eye rests on

A W Shirl ot the wooded heights of pley , illey , an d woods and planta

tions , and between them runs in serpentine lines the Severn , the

valley of which seems bounded by the bold outline of the Wrekin . w This view is ell seen from the house belonging to Mrs . Smith , at m . F present occupied by the Rev . T. Mayo , M A . ro the garden

o on the other side , not less pleasing is the outlook over Davenp rt

Dallicott u House and grounds, over the woods about House , Patsh ll

Park , Rudge hall , Stanmore , etc .

To the antiquarian , the most conspicuous objects here are the ol d k Bromley and Baker m ansion s . The l atter, in the usual blac and

o white livery of former times , has a down cast look , as though c nscious

n of it s decline . and has been converted i to cottages . From its prox

imit Morfe y to the woods and forest of , timber was unsp aringly used

in the con st ruction . Great balks were laid down to build upon a

was framework then raised upon them , bound together with iron

rs clamps . Some of the timbe are oblique , some are horizontal , others

perpendicular, and o f various sizes , but al l are as black as age can

ar make them . The original windows e sm all and the rooms low , an d " the doorways so diminutive th at one must stoop to enter . The door “ is so heavy , the woman o f the house remarked , that when taken

o ff the hin ges for repair , it took two men to rem ove it , and it was like a plate of iron I Evidently there was no pl aster ceiling to the H 5 AN D I T S T OW N S IPS . 7

r chief oom the oak flooring fitted in between the joists , so that the w bare boards were exposed to view . The joists , ho ever, are carefully m - oulded , as are also the beams and cross beams , which have an

e and elegant app arance . The Bakers lived here for centuries, their names appear in the parish annal s as holding such offices as small landed proprietors were usually appointed to . One Richard Baker 1 4 died 1 5 Edward IV . ( 75 ) Another Richard Baker is mentioned as churchwarden in 1 509 ; and Roger as holding the same office n 1 562 is m entioned 1 640 i a John Baker also in . Richard married

c an i Ch esh om e J , only ch ld of John Bromley , by which he acquired

w . property which descended to the late Sir Ed ard Baker, Bart , of

R anstone . , Dorset

At the beginning of Worfield i , the reg ster, the first entry in 1 562 which is dated . fifth of Elizabeth , is a note in which the names

Kin sl owe of John Baker of Bromley and Roger Baker of g occur .

Littl ehal es The patronymic of this family , , was relinquished by the t first Bart and the surname o f Baker adopted in its s ead . The

Littl eh ales were seated many centuries at Dawley .

l h al . - Litte es . in Edward Baker , Esq a Lieut Col . the army

Littl eh ales . (eldest son of Baker John , Esq , by Maria , daughter and sole heiress of Bendall Martyn , Esq . , and grandson of Joseph Little

. W hales , Esq , and his wife Elizabeth , sister of illiam Baker , Esq . ,

W . R ans ton . M. P. and aunt of Peter illiam Baker , Esq , of , Co Dorset,

1 81 5 n for Corfe Castle, who died August ) havi g rendered several

a import nt services in his country , both civil and military , was created

2nd 1 802. 22nd a baronet September, Sir Edward married July ,

1 805 u W Lady Elizabeth Mary Fitzgerald , da ghter of illiam Robert ,

2nd u 28th 1 857 D ke of Leinster , and by her , who died February , . t h ad a son , Sir Edward Baker , late Bart who never married . Talbo 1 7th H . astings Bendall Baker , present B art , in Holy Orders , m arried

1 850 d . July , , Florence, aughter of John Hutchings , Esq , of Ludlow , wh o 29th 1 869 30th e . e e ec l ece e , di d April , H m arri d s ond y D mb r

- 1 8 5 n u . . a 7 , Amy Susa , da ghter of Lieut Col M rryat , (and has issue by W W each wife) . il liam Leinster York Baker died unmarried . elling

z ton Charles Cecil Baker died unmarried . Charlotte Eli abeth died 27th 1 848 November, , 58 wos s a

a a u u 6th a ua 1 81 7 Sir Edward B ker ss med by Sign Man al J n ry , ,

a a the n ame of Baker only, and the rms of B ker quarterly with th ose

Littl ehal es 4th 1 82 of . he died March , 5.

' on in Copy of inscription mural tablet St . Leon ard s

Bridgnorth .

Lieuten ant - Colonel John Littleh ales i Of th s Town , th 1 61 Died October the 8 , 7 , A 60 ged , Also

Mary his wife , third daughter of

Eldred Lan celot Lees , Esq . , of Coton i Hall in th s County , who

3rd 1 807 Died August , , 90 Aged .

The family arms with crest are emblazoned under the inscription at the bottom of the tablet .

W. 0 . The ancestral hom e of the family is held by . Foster, Esq ,

w r Lord of the Manor , wh ose property surrounds it but the o ne s hip

k is retained by the Ba er famlly .

Near to th e old Baker mansion is the a ncestral home of the

tafior le , h , te , he r e e , S d Brom ys w o some ll us hadvt ir ise at Broml y R gis shire ; b u twho , from the e idence adduced here an d el sewhere

Worfield in this little book on , i t will I think be clear, sprang from

des o this township . Like the Baker mansion , the old house h as a p n

ar dent look about it , but more c e seems to have been taken of it . It has a gable at the one end looking in the same direction as the

in r front , and is seemingly more m odern , but outside app ea ance

on ly , for on goin g inside , particularly into the bedrooms , it is found

to b e as heavily timbered as the other , and is as antiquated in

o appearance . The windows are inserted partly in the ro f , which comes down nearly to th e floor ; in the lower rooms they have stone l mu l ions some of the old ones are blocked up and new ones cut . . The chimneys are of monstrous siz e where they start from the lower

a m a r storey , and occupy space which ight serve for sm all oom . 59 A ND rr s T OWN SH IPS .

One divides into two stacks , and the other into three , above the roof .

th e The front doorway is arched and ornamental , and ol d door ,

as studded with nails after the f hion of former times , still remains . l Over the windows are stone mouldings , and running along the bui d

'

- ing are string cou rs es ofstone . The walls as seen in the cellar are over a yard in thickness , and the solid rock forms the floor , in which h t ere is a spring . Over one of the beds is a singul ar door i n the

u s e l ffi wall , now closed up , the of which it wou d be di cul t to divine ;

- a trap door also opens intoa recess in the pitch of the roof, where a priest at one time is said to have been concealed .

It was here , tradition tells us , that the ancestors of Lord Chief

d : Justice Bromley live , and th at that great family h ad its rise and I

n orfiel d think traditio in this case is correct , for the W parish annals show that from very early times , and for m any generations , they hel d such office s as respectable yeomen would be called upon to fil l . 1 256 As early as , at the January Assizes . Reginald de Bromley is

ff Wurefeld m entioned as Baili of , with twelve jurors . Robert W orfiel d 1 292. m B romley appears on a jury in He arried Alice , W sol e h eir of Gilbert , and their son , who was called illiam d e R t a a e r ough on , ppe r d as forester of the fee at the G eat 30 Perambulation in the year 1 0, when Roughton was said to be

th e W within forest . That this illiam de Roughton was in reality a

a Bromley , fraternall y , ppears clear from the fact that when she

’ A 1 s t1 306 an d (Alice) died , pril , , the King s writ was issued , and an

ost- mortem Ma 1 6 inquest p held on Sunday , y th , at Brug , it w as reported that deceased h ad held in Worfiel d by service of keeping t h a part of Mor e Forest . viz . , t at p art where was the site of the

W o eld 30 Manor of rfi , that her tenure consi sted of acres of land W 50 also that illiam , her son and next heir, would be years of age at

s m l oth Chri t as , According to an inquisition of Edward II . , W 5 1 1 . 1 9 1 3 6 No , illiam de Roughton died December , ; and the jury ,

W orfi ld wh o sat at e , found him to have hel d by serjeantry of

- keeping one hal f of the forest of Morfe. Il is tenure was al so shown to be half a virgate (30 acres) and a rood of meadow ground . His t brother and h eir , Roger, succeeded him , an d his dea h is announced

Broml e e 28 1 31 8 under the name of Roger de y , September , ; he 60 woar mw

w on W n as s and . i succeeded by his heir, illiam I n 1 345 a l ce se

Wi W e l e enables lliam de Bromley , forester , to grant to alt r Fitz W l in Reginald , of the Hay, and his wife , daughter of the said i liam ,

a vir ate the w tail , a messuage and h al f g in Roughton , an d baili i ck of

Morf W . hal f the forestership of e, tow ards orfiel d

It would occupy too mu ch space to go fully into all the facts concerning the history of this interesting family ; suffice it to say

s H F ortes ues that they ro e by the Law like the owards , the q ,

r Lyttletons , Townshends , Montagues , and B idgem ans , which l ast family, now represented by the Earl of Bradford , benefited by their wealth , through Sir Richard Newport , who m arried Martha , only daughter an d heiress of Lord Chief Justice Sir Thom as Bromley , i K night , by which marriage he acqu red the m anor of Eyton , a fair ” u hous e on the banks of the river, and other estates in the neighbo r h ood . Sir Thom as purchased Shrawardine Castle and Manor from E the arl of Arundel , and m ade a settlement thereo f on his heirs , 25th ’ Elizabeth , having obtained the Queen s license to do so . He W lies buried with his wife in the church at roxeter, where there is a

s m arble monument to their memory , with recum bent figure , bearing

i r : l eth e m ht the follow ng insc iption Here y Sir Thom as Bro ley, Knyg ,

b e n Ch fie l b e n which dyed , y g Lord y Justice of England , a so y g one

r m em or e of the executo s to the Kyng, of m ost famous y , Henry the

E htthe wh ch e d esesed . dni 1 555 yg , y the xv day of May , anno , ; an d

w fe wh ch e d eses ed Dame Isabel , hys y , the y in the yere of our Lord on whose sowles God av mer

W H w Sir George Bromley , son of illiam B romley, of a ks tone, W was tenth in descent from alter Bromley , of Bromley , and by his

e t (l u eldest son , Sir George Bromley, Chief Justice of Ch s er, an d stoa

o u u m r R tlor of Shropshire (seated at Hallon , by m a rying the heiress

W nne on of a rt ) , was grandfather of Sir Edmund Bromley, of Shifnal

- Gran ge , B aron of the Exchequer, an d great grandfather of Jane , l m I wife of Wi lia Davenport , of whom shall have m ore to say when

and spe aking of Hallon Davenport House . The magnificent m onu ments of Sir George and Sir Edward Bromley the reader will find

a 31 and n 39 . described on p ge , the i scriptions given on page

62 wear-raw

a u r 2oth 1 726 . r W am t E udon J n a y , Their g andson , illi P ur on , of ,

1 4 1 686 who baptized at Oldbury , January th , . (the fi rst of the family

Purton s wrote his n ame ) married Sarah , daughter of Matthias A tley,

of Madel ey . He lived some time at Madeley Court but afterwards

u s - o t and b ilt the plea ant l oking vill a , now the property of Miss Smi h ,

. E udon 1 40 i m m resided there He died at , 7 , leaving ssue fro who

Purtons F aintr n r came the of Chetton an d ee Hall , Bridg o th .

Purtons The are a very old family , and their names occur often

e i n connection with nearly every township of the parish . One o f th earliestnotices tells us that they hel d the towns of Perton and Tres W cott in Staffordshire , being bound to attend the king in any elsh

expedition with two horses for eight days at their own cost , but i f they

’ remained longer , then at the kin g s cost ; and that a daughter o f R anul ph de Perton m arried Sir Hugh de Wrottesley ( from whom

i n descended the present baron) and that h s son John de F erto , Lord

42md II . P rton . I of e , died , seized thereof , Henry His two sons , dying

w r W i d e e 8 . u n m arr e , succeeded by his brother illiam , who died Edward W . ri I , l eaving one daughter , Isabel , who mar ed illiam , lord of Bentley ,

Perton Perton 28 . and one son and heir , John de , lord of , Edward II ,

W . who left two sons . John and illiam The latter succeeded his elder 3 n brother . and died Edward III, leaving one son and heir, Sir Joh , 1 46 knighted at the Siege of Calais in 3 , by King Edward III ; he was

f 33 44 45 d z Sheri f of Staffordshire , and Edward III, an d m arrie Eli a

- u h r cc W Sh ares hul l . ff b eth . da g te and heiress of Sir illiam de , Co Sta ord .

‘ the W t on Lord Chief Justice of King s Bench ; al e r, his second s ,

trchl e 1 married Margery de S y y, and lived at Stirchley , 6 Edward

W tto Perton III . alter de Pe n , Acolyte , son of John , was ins tituted

here at the presentation of the Prior and Convent of Wenl ock ; and

W r t un Sir al te de Pe ton , of Stirchley, died here on S day, Feb

ru a 22n 1 49 v 2 r d 3 . a y , Dukes says , fine was l e ied 1 Hen ry III ,

w O e W a W bet een sb rt , son of illiam , complain nt, an d alter de Stirchl ey , ” . i os i defendant, of one hide of l an d His sons d sp ed of all the r lan ds

Perton Sir . 1 2 1 9 at to H Stafford, and Richard II . There is a

’ n wood in this parish still called Perto s wood . Further m ention of

this family will b e made in speaking of other town s hi ps . 3 ar m rr s r ows s arr s . 6

' CHAPTE R xrr;

B AD Y R NE .

' ' s a ns—h e B a n Bi li n s on eve and arshal Fishing streams and t tio T r d ey . l g ley, C gr M l amili es F .

- Worfiel d u RADNEY, half a mile south east of ch rch , has for ages

been the paradise of anglers . It is graced by two t rout streams , W which mode rn disciples of Isaac alton are pleased to patronise . m They come fro busy towns many miles away , put u p at the

W - o- Worvil l and t ofi heel , or the Davenport Arms, s ride to taste

’ free nature s g race on the flower dotted an d sedgy bank of the

quiet stream . These were valuable properties in former times m w (probably much ore so then than now) , when fish ere deemed so

essential to the observance of certain seasons of the Church . One is

orfe m s the River W ; the other is Stratford Brook . The former co e

w u E velith B do n through the picturesq e scenery o f , innington , Ryton ,

’ and Hall on s r Badger, Stableford , and m aking a turn at ford , ente s

Bradney . Its tributary has its origin in the overflowings of Patshull

and h r ld Pool , is powerful enoug , by the time it enters Wo fie parish ,

to turn Chesterton Mill , formerly a fulling mill, when homely shut l t es were busy in the vale and coarse cloth was woven in the cottages . " ” It takes a turn round the Old Walls, winds through most romantic

s m scenery , crosse the old Roman Road , fro which it derives its in name , and leap g over rocks, or running leisurely over sandy beds ,

Worfe ma Worfield empties itsel f into the . A valuation of the nor of , m 1 238 ade by order of the King ( , or some time between then and

n when the first Henry de Hastings was Lord of the Ma or,

as gives statistical in formation as to the value of these streams ,

. 60 s compared with lan d , cattle , etc . It gives the value of acre of

£3 1 5s and as u 500 at d . er l and as , the p t rage of sheep s per head p 6 4 woar rnnn

annum and two 6 8d m s all fisher , mills at£ 7 3. . It ention eight sm ” ies a stakin s b ut , c lled g , five of which are said to be at Bradney , it not l w t on does give their va ue, neither does it say hether hey were r the iver or the brook .

The early families of Bradney were he ads of their township and we read of one who s ix centuries ago accompanied the Provost of Worfiel d to the Assizes at Shrewsbu ry and again at the county

a z 1 292 P cott ssi es held there in October, , when Henry y was Chief Bailiffof Worfiel d Nicholas B radney is mentioned as one of the

j urors . Skipp ing over intervening centuries we find the es tate

a W was p ssed into the hands of the Billingsleys , one of whom , illiam ,

nn L dstone of Ca Hall , Bridgnorth , and afterwards of u , in the neigh

a n ri s M ho ri g pa sh of Claverley . He purcha ed of the Crown the anor

A Worfield of stley Abbotts in 1 546 . The family also had property in

ri 1 4 th e M pa sh . In the th Elizabeth , the Court Rolls of anor show

a Y Stanl ow Wi m s th t John ate, of e, surrendered to llia Billing ley one

m a essu ge , and the fourth part of a nook of lan d there, besi des

e in . th thr e cottages Hallon This property in the 7 of Jam es I . he

m r W see s to have sur endered to Thomas , son of illiam Billingsley the

i n n . nderi elder, fee Other presentments and s urre gs appear on these roll s in connection with this family in the l 6th of Charles

. an in is I d 1 8th . of Charles II , at which l atter date Henry Bill gsley

n r 33rd s show to have m a ried a Rowley , of Brockton , and , of Charle

. S l w II , to have surrendered the reversion of property in tan o e to l R . i ich ard Phillips , gent , of Brockton , i n fee . Thom as Bil ngsley

was in 1 698 t a born . He m arried Miss Taylor, sis er of Jeremi h

Taylor, M . A . , vicar of Madeley, who buil t the present vicarage , an d

cast the present peal of bells , in a foundry erected for the purpose ,

n r i the churchya d . He died at Madeley an d w as buried there April

28 hi s 24 1 1 7 735. 7 , ; wife was also interred there , January , Mar

ar s i n an g et , only urviv ng child of Thomas Billingsley , of Brad ey , d D Wi . . t Mary Taylor his wife, m arried lliam Congreve, M , of Sut on

n W orfield l Maddock , who died at Brad ey , an d was buried at , Ju y

1 6 w u l and i r 20, 77 . His wido contin ed to ive at Bradney , d ed the e 1 8 O ctober 9, 1 09. D I T S 65 AN T OW N SHIPS .

m u a r . n n re Th s Bradney c e to the Cong eves One, Joh Co g ve, was a i a n ma solicitor at Bridgnorth , and a s ster, M ry Co greve , rried B the Rev . Robert innall whilst Abigail Congreve married Thom as

M . arshall , whose son John lived at Bradney His son , the Rev.

W l L dstone Cl verl . i liam Congreve Marshall , was born at Upper u , a y

- z R . N . Abigail Marshall m arried Vice Admiral Bra ier, (first wife) ,

u whose second wife was Miss B rton , sister , I think , of the Rev . l Henry Burton , of Longnor, and who at the decease of the Admira n1 64 1 i 8 8 . , continued to enjoy the property till her death in 77

James Marshall , brother of John , a solicitor at Roughton , m arried a

Miss Jesson , and died without children . Ann Marshall , m arried the W E Rev . illiam ll ison , vi car of Pattingham , and had issue William

n George Ellison , John Montague Ellison , Charles Elliso (wh o mar W ried Mrs . ynne Jones , and died at Oldbury) , and , fourthly , a daughter, who was the mother of the present proprietor, Captain

Goodwin .

Bradney house is situ ated i n a sweetly retired spot ; just the place an English gentleman would choose in which to Sp end the eventide of life . On the slop es are shrubs and trees of great age

A u racarias - and rarity . sweep the ground with snake like branches , and flourish as i f indigenous to the p lace . The Wellingtonia gigan

th e A a tea finds a congenial soil , and rboretu m vit e, the magnolia ,

as h the mulberry , the silver , the copper beech , the myrtle , an d the

variegated hollies , lend variety . The present proprietor has done much to imp rove both house and grounds since he ca me into posses sion . The rooms are rep lete with com fort and luxury , and contain some interes ting family paintings also some praiseworthy efforts

a m of the gallant Capt in hi self , and some, excel lent engravings of

- well known pictures . 66 woar raLD

H C APTE R XIII.

OAT STRE E .

T h e Cats tre s eve s o ls y , D y , Nich l , etc.

@AT ST R E E is an ancient township one and a h alf miles north - west Worfield of village , and is much less as reg ards population than

two t . : cas formerly There are farms one , b ut close to the road

s in . o . an pa s g through it , belonging to E H . Davenp rt, Esq , d the

W 0 . other on the west to . Foster, Esq . , who is Lord of the Manor ;

’ but both are in one holding ; and I don t think there are more than two or three cottages . These small clusters of houses were town ships , not so much for the number of dwellers therein , as by virtue of their interest and power to take part in the municipal governing body or corporation directing the affairs of the man or or parish . ” ofii cers - They supplied petty , such as constables , ale tasters , an d j urors who sat with the reeve or bailiffof the court to hear an d try

a c ses in the Manor Court and at the Assize , and were subject to the

Leet . The Cats treys are mentioned in parish records as constables

1 51 1 1 51 9 1 562. or churchwardens in the years , , and Roger Cattys

1 571 . Catts tr in trye was churchwarden for the Chantry in , John y

1 51 9 1 562. ; an d the same in The old family of the Deveys , whose

r names occur in connection with va ious other townships , had holdings W here . illiam Devey , described as husbandm an , who married Mar

- garet Rowley , was appointed ale taster by the Manorial Court in

1 661 . He is mentioned as surrendering to the Court certain premises to the use of his son and heir, Roger Devey , in fee , who at the same

' courts u rren dered these premises to the use of himsel f and Elizabeth his wife , one of the daughters of John Smythe , of Hilton , renewed

3oth 1 686 r to their issue . In the register for May , , appea s the marriage of the above .

s a Cattree was the residence of Thom s Nicholls , solicitor, widely “ ” Ca e w a man w t a known as Lawyer Nicholl s of tstre . He as i h ' 67 AND rr s r owmnrrs .

and n m a m b ut presence , being tall portly , a d of a ost ir scible te per ,

and . . kind hearted , very hospitable He had one son , Mr Samuel

an . Nicholls , who was early pupil of the late Dr Rowley , of the

. Grammar School , Bridgnorth , and finished his education at Oxford

- now About two thirds of the more modern portion of the house , belonging to Mr. F oster, was built by the l ate Mr . Nicholls , together with the ofii ces used in his profession . The part of the original

- building still remaining is now the kitchen . It is half timbered , and

' C ree m ay th erefore have been the former home of the atst s when , at that early date , this small holding w as nearly surrounded by the

Sowdl e . common of y , a n ame still continued for some of the fields That p ortion which the Whitmore family claimed was brought into cultivation by the late M r . Nicholl s , whose father had resided there W before him . hen he succeeded his father in the legal profession he m arried Miss Caroline Duppa, of Bridgnorth , and their eldest son

Brid is the present Mr . Samuel Thomas Nicholls , of Parlors Hall , g

a . I882 north , also solicitor They had another son who died in , and

u . . one da ghter , still unmarried The only daughter of Mr Nicholls ,

Catstree . .P. of , married the late Mr Thomas Smith , of Bromley , J

e B rid She survived her husband , and r sides in East Castle Street , g

n . orth , with her two only daughters The youngest , Emily Stedman ,

1 3 . a m arried in 88 , Mr Edward Devey Farm er, descendant of the

Kin sl ow Deveys of g . 68 wea n ntn

CHAPTE R XIV .

CR ANME RE .

ra b er and Cranb er re—A ers on and s o sman nd an s cessfl The C n ry ry me p p rt , a un uc u o —R om an a a and a i w oer tic m rri ge tr gic ncident.

E m r in m con H THER this na e o iginated a ere , where cranes

re ated or — g g , in Cranberry m ere the mere aroun d which on

a boggy soil this much prized berry of our an cestors grew in plenty ,

m r I leave the reader to judge . Old inhabitants remember the e e

ai the duck ~ool is bein g dr ned and reduced to present p , by which it said this once indigenous fru it was driven into extinction . It was

much used by our an cestors for m aking a sauce of excellent flavou r,

' - r i a as well as for tarts . A low roofed sh epherd s cot which o ig n lly

n stood on the edge of this rough ground , part bog and part a sa dy

m l c co m on , still survives , and is seen pretty much in its origina ondi tion by the roadside near Hartlebury . There are pleasan t old world stories curren t respectin g Cranm ere. It was the property of Miss

n i s Tongu e , a lady wh ose hand was sought by m a y su tor , one of w as W . whom rector of Badger, the Rev . Smith , a gentleman wh o althou gh a model clergym an who never m issed a service it is sai d o s nce in forty year , was not one of those bilious members of the ” who profession who spit their spite at harmless recreation , but one “ a b ounds " was equ lly punctual in following the , when Hark in hi Hark Yoi over boys sounded within miles of s h ome , on two

. difi cul t days a week , at least He found it however m uch more to

Cranm ere b e w oo the fair owner of , successfully for she came the wife of the grandfather of the present squire of Davenport House , a marriage which brought the Cran mere property into the hands of the Davenports . Miss Tongue was related to Mr . Cornelius Tongue ,

r R r o the as r a the autho of eco ds f Ch e, who w ote m ny spirited

ar S ortin a azi un nom dc ticl es i n the p g M g ne of those days, der the ” l ume of e p C cil.

TO woarrmp

r m o l Margaret Miller , her eldest sister, whose ho se anship , go d ooks

amiab ilit- and y gained for her m any admirers , was married to a

M acefield country gentlem an , named and , as her dower, the beautiful

was rs . estate of Ellerton Grange settled by Mr . Vicke in reversion

. r nm ere Mr Vickers afterwards removed from C a , and when o some years of companionship had passed , the wife this romantic m arriage , who if lowly born had m ade him a true an d attache d

r wife , met her death near Newport whilst endeavou ing to leave her carriage , being unable to control her four spirited ponies , which M It . . rs had run away . was a sad ending Mr an d . Vickers had no

i n y Mr. famil , but though Vickers was advan cing life he afterwards m arried a l ady of position , and h ad two sons by his second m arriage .

m er Cran e is still a pleasant residen ce , with extensive lawn , an d is

n ow approached by a drive through a grove of trees . It i s a farm

the n e ve t , h c , hous , and o r door is a La i quotation from Virgil w i h

s O n ou freely tran lated , is , husbandme , too fortunate, i f y onl y knew your happiness . AND I T S ‘ T O 7 1 WNSH IPS .

CHAPT E R XV.

H S O C E TERT N .

Ol d h s t on am i s — Ba s Marindi ns w s and Bradb urns C e ert F il e The che , , Ne e , . om n mains R a re .

®N entering Chesterton two pleasant looking residences meet the

eye , on opposite sides of the road . On e is the ancestral home of the Marindin s and the o ther that of the Baches but the latter is

w . no . n occupied by Mr Bow en , tena t of John Pritchard , Esq , who bought the property . The Baches and Marindins were the dominan t families ; but the former are as extinct , so far as this township and

a parish are concerned , as the dodo of the Mauritius . In the ch ntry l h Worfie d : H S . of churc is a tablet with this inscription I . . Sacred m d to the emory of Elizabeth Bache , spinster, who departe this life

8 a 1 7 . 1 85 77 : th Feb , , ged years she was unm arried , for forty years

Wm . the faithful servant of the Rev . . Smith , rector of Badger , etc The Baches of Chesterton were descended from an old family in m this township of the name of Newe . fro whom they inherited the h Chesterton estate , now the property of John Pritc ard , Esq . The name occurs frequently in ol d Worfield records . John Newe is

R owl owe 1 502. In found among the churchwardens , with Roger , in 1 506 I find Richard Newe , of Chesterton , as warden , and again in

1 660 and 1 661 . The name of Bache also frequently occurs among 1 6 6 the churchwardens . In 3 I find John B ache and Richard Rowley ; m and the year following Joh n Bache and Tho as B ache . The social position of the family might be inferred from the fact that they interm arried with the Daven ports of Hallon and Davenp ort House .

Vis com tesse e . The last of the family , Madame La p de Satg St Jean ,

o and author of Sketches and Extracts from a Travelling J u rnal ,

The Cave of the Huguenots , a tale of the XVII century , and other " poems , died not very long ago . ' ‘ 72 wonr rs nn

m The Bradb urns were also an old Chesterton family . Tho as

u n 1 658 Bradb r was born here , an d died here in . His son , John u W Bradb rn , of Chesterton , married Judith , daugh ter of John alker,

9 h 1 728 . of Roughton , and died there December 1 t, Their son ,

Thom as Bradburn , also of Chesterton , was the Rev . Thom as Brad burn , the rector of Wol stanton . Thomas had a son John , who

a lived at Chesterton , and his daughter Sarah m arried Thom s Mason , who died at Hatton Grange ; having no ch ildren , the Chesterton

’ a M Bradb urn s e est te descended to the son of ary Ann third daught r,

s arindin Catherine Loui a , who married Samuel M , son of a Swiss

. Marindin gentlem an Their son , the Rev . Samuel m arried Isabella ,

W C olvil m daughter of Andrew edderburn e, of Ochiltree . whose other was a daughter of the fi rst Lord Auckland . Catherine Louisa, sister m of Samuel , arried Sherrington Davenport , whose son , Edmund

rindin . . Ma Henry , is the present Davenport Squire The Rev Samuel ,

a - - at- and bove mentioned , had a son Henry , barrister law , a second

Marindin Marindin son , Captain Philip , and a third , Major Frank , K W who m arried athleen , daughter of Sir illiam Stevenson ; there

was ls a o a fourth son , Charles , who m arried a Miss Jackson .

n Few of the inhabita ts of Chesterton are aware , I fancy , of the fact that their ancestors h ad a chapel here ; yet such was the interest

Worfiel d taken by the feudal lords of and its townships , that they appear to have been careful to m ake provision for the spiri tual w in ants of the population , when the ol d faith was the ascend ant .

M r . Bowen called my attention to this building , now two cottages

o which , it is easy to perceive , had been built for a chapel . It l oks

odd , with its moulded oriel looking win dow cases , reaching above t the doorway . According to the original endowment , da ed Nov . “ 1 394 all , the oblations of this chapel and the tithes of sorts of

artificers grain of the village, and all tithes of workmen , . etc . , were

1 534- 5 given to the Vicar, who was t o serve the chapel , and who in

did serve it , and received the great tithes of this township . The

1 8s 1 534- 5 W oblations am ounted to . , in , when John alker was Vicar ; £5 — i the cor n tithes to an d oblations for three days Chr stm as Day ,

Ascension Day , and Whit Sunday , probably when th e people made ‘ A ND s p 73 I T S r ow s m s .

f — 1 4 nd w ff a . of erings amounted to s . geese, young s ine, etc , o er — ” £ . . 23 . ings in kind to 1 1 3s 4d in candles s 2d .

th e In those primitive times , when inhabitants spun and wove 43 and dressed their own cloth , Chesterton had its fulling mill . II I 1 369 Edward , , Julia late Countess of Huntingdon , who held the

M as K n sl owe l anor her dower , demised to Roger de y g one p ace of

a Worfield w aste to erect a f lling m ill , paying at the fixed courts of 2d 1 . This fulling mill appears to have been converted into a paper m 1 734 ill , for in Oct . , there is an entry of Thomas Bache surrender in g a fulling mill , then a paper mill .

We pass now to the great attraction which brings visitors to W ” Chesterton , the Old alls , so cal led , but which in reality are no

- at all , but earth mounds , and which have been said to be the .walls Worfield st arting point of history . They certainly lead us back to a

period anterior to anything still stan ding in the parish . They 24 25 occupy an enclosure which covers some or acres , and around

are pleasant walks . kept in order for visitors . The trenches are m deep and distinct . and in so e places have been cut through the

m th e rock, uch like supposed Danish encampment at Quatford .

The rocks are of the same formation , and reach below the trench to

the brook , which could readily be dammed up , to add to the strength

of the position . One group of rocks bel ow the lowest of the tren ches

is so shattered that a stream runs through the cleft, an d one could

the imagine gunpowder had been used , but for the fact that people who constructed the defences lived centuries before such a powerful

. Wh o explosive was discovered they were who fixed upon the spot ,

and laboured to make a strong position still stronger, no one knows ;

they must have gone to rest nearly a thousand years ago . Three sides

u are defended by the stream r nning through a circuitous valley , which

bears the appe arance of having been excavated . Four entrances or

a d ap proaches in the ramp arts are visible . That on the vill ge si e is “ guarded by artificial mounds , one of which is known as Spy Bank

an d e here , it is presum d , sentinels would be placed to give alarm

n on the approach of da ger. Of these entrances , that on the north e e ee e e t e w st is suppos d to have b n mad for the hors s to go o wat r, 74 woar rann

e n n m a i r th grou d bei g de to slope in the d rection of the b ook . It is supposed to have been a Roman Camp but it might have been an early British one too , being afterwards occupied and m odified by

. . Salo ia A nti ua the Rom ans . Charles Hartshorn e M A , says in his p g : E xamining still closer the m ethod which the B ritons pursued in

wall s constructing their of defence , it m ay be seen that they were generally form ed of loose stones , according to the description th at in Tacitus has left of their mode o f building fortifications . Now the exam ple before us may be detected an adherence to all those

r s general laws which regulated their p inciples of ca tramet ation . For besides the situation being precisely such a on e as the British

would choose , there is m oreover a m anifest con formity to all their

mi usual les of construction . Thus we find on the western side of a r the en closed are , whe e the descent is gradual , and an assault

would most probably be m ade , the natural weakness of the groun d is compensated for b y having a fosse and vallu m drawn round the

m ost pregn able part of the declivi ty for upwards of a hundred yards .

W u hilst, i f we look at the material s with which the vall m that

find surrounds the whol e enclosure is formed , we it consists of

pieces of the sand - ston e - rock that forms the geological basis of the

hill . These facts indirectly tend to show th at the work is of ” Bri tish origin . AN D IT S OW T N S H IPS .

CHAPTER XVI .

AV O HOUS AND A D ENP RT E P RK .

— o of ous n o of mans on - Ra oo s a a n Exteri r view the h e I teri r the i re w d , f mily p i t n s —Woo s woo a ks and a k i g etc. d , d w l , p r .

AVE NPO R T U HO SE is built of red brick , with stone copings

' w and a parapet wall , on hich are placed at intervals vases or u d rns , which add lightness and serve to give an appearance of ad i tion al elevation to the building . The windows , of which there ar e . 33 on the north side , and the same number on the south , including

i n e t six the basem n , have stone mouldings ; and between th e second

z and third storeys is a handsome stone frie e cornice , giving relief to

n what might otherwise appear too pl ain a surface . It is oblo g in — shape , rather than square , and on the north side that of the m v— approach fro the dri e is a flight of stone steps , with portico , leading into a spacious entrance hall . At the corners of the mansion ,

fl - but at some distan ce , though still connected with it by y walls , forming the segment of a circle , are square buil dings or wings , corresponding with each other an d harmonising in form with the house . Excepting the windows , these are p erfectly covered over with ivy , which , being kept neat and trim , by its everlasting green

a s ness forms a ple sing feature , at the same time that it give in prominence to the house , and is character with the summer foliage of the trees on the grounds and in the park . In the south front of the houses is a simil ar flight of steps to those on the other t side , but wi hout a portico , leading into parterres and flower gardens , divided from the lawn , in the centre of which is a miniature lake

m Worfe supplied with water fro the .

The interior of the mansion is as noteworthy as its exterior ; and is as remarkable for its arrangements for comfort as for strength ,

ma w durability , etc . Without h azarding an opinion on tters on hich 7 6 W O RFIELD

a others would be better judges , I venture to repeat the opinion of lady wh o writes m e thus I do not know a m ansion combining so m any advantages as Davenport ; being one in which either a large ” or a small family could live with equal comfort .

I 1 726 - 7 Wi t was built in , by Henry , gran dson of lliam Davenport

(who married Jane Bromley) , on a m ore eligible site and at a very short distance from the very ancient mansion in which the former lords of Hallon lived . I may m ention in parenthesis that this ’ i t “ Henry s eldest brother, as stated in the par sh regis er, was a

- - - . c major general and coll of a regiment of horse , formerly aide de amp i to Prince Vaudemont , one of the qu rrys (equerries) to his late W Majesty King illiam , a capt ain of his first troop of Horse Guards, 4th 6th and died in Dublin , of ye month , and was buried ye of

1 1 9 - 7 . August , Henry , the above mentioned second son , when

n h e ' am as s ed quite a young man , went out to I dia , where a large fortune , which he is said to have brought hom e in two large ches ts , which for m any years used to stand in the h all ; an d which are l now at the foot of the grand staircase . In addi tion to wea th in precious met als he brought or sent hom e a collection of Indi an woods of rare and costly kinds . The saloon is richly decorated with

finel - i n these y gra ned woods , which appear in pa els , corni ces , etc ; and even the floor is inlaid with them . They are relieved on the d e an . W walls by d corations , upholstered with white and gold isely , and according to the fitness of things , there are no pain tings , except

in ing one in a panel over the fireplace , a gem of art itself, the subject

. I II ' being Gratiana Rodd the great beauty of George s time , whom

Beau Nash praised and Shenstone eulogised . This room is oppos ite to the entrance hall , and a door opens on to the lawn and parterres .

In the dini ng room is a m as sive Queen Anne chimney - piece of

in alto relievo panelled woods, and carved figures on either side , with

a - a u fruits , and scrolls , and swarthy looking hum n head , co p ed

l a with the usua conspicuous gold h lter round the neck , an emblem of powers of life and death con ferred on early members of the

. and Davenport family This room is rich in family portraits , in one of the pictures the above lady again appears , represented as a happy

8 wonrrs w

— 1 875 a date indicating the time of his return from the colony the secon d time , when he m arried the present Mrs . Davenport . A very

- fine picture of still life , by Peter Rushock , stands near the first of these c ases .

W a estw rds of the lawn and parterres are the gardens , conserva tories , and terraces reached by a descent from one of the l atter, which separates the ornamental portion of the grounds from the

— s park , the whole that is , the grounds surrounding the hou e — fl' t d f have a very pleasing e ec . Taking in the i ferent coloured

r u r sh bs , copper beeches , evergreen oaks , ceda s , and other trees , th e place has an appearance befitting the residen ce of a nobleman of

taste . In the immediate vicinity are rem arkably fine specimens of

— ea oaks , cedars , lim es , Scotch pines , and beeches ch a picture in itself. The beeches rise in clusters of pillared branch es , som e equal

e e to an ordinary tre , and so old that in a few m ay be det cted sign s of in cipient decay . Those who may be privileged to ambulate these — woods and wood - walks ifopen to such in s pi ration as the high est forms of natural beauty have a tenden cy to produce — should take t i o f he r stan d on the terrace west the house , which commands a view “ ” of what is g enerally designated Little Switzerland . Views are

i B urcote emhowerin here obta ned of the and other rocks . with g wood s

b ut which clothe the valley sides whilst beyond , the sh arp distan ce softened outlines of the Clee Hills appear. Knowing that in old ' f Squire Davenport s time this was a deer park , on e finds it di ficult not to imagine bucks or does or fawns grazing on patches of open

or l azil an d greensward , y lying where heaths and ferns foxgloves

flourish— r adding va iety to the scenery .

The house being placed nearly in the centre , and on a natural

h s kind of peninsula , with valleys on t ree sides , the pro pect aroun d

Worf is as beautiful as one can well i m agine . The e is seen m ean

n t W deri g . sparkling , and reflec ing the blue sky as it inds its way along the vale to its confluence with the Severn . For the greater part of the way a road runs parallel by its side , apparently hemming in the traveller , having no way visible till points have been reached roun d

s which the passage winds . One houl d not omit to notice one pretty little view con trived by him , whoever he was , who planted the trees pp ' AN ") i rs T ow s m r i i) x s .

—a c mera obscura vi w sort of a a , caused by an aven ue east of the

i n Wor l house . which the tall and elegant spire of fie d Ch urch meets

the eye , and is about the only obj ect seen . It is the private walk of

the family to church , and in i ts course it passes over a deep cutting

in the rocks by means of a structure call ed the Chinese Bridge .

There are other avenues , and drives , and wood walks , so contrived as to comm and the most picturesque portions of the grounds and

W the ro nd a views beyond , ith this pardonable exception , g u s h ve ’ not u u is , it will be seen , been formed by line and r le . Nat re not banished in order to display artificial scenes ; but rather is taken advantage o f, an d made to show her highest charms . Pope laid

th e down true principles on the subj ect which , divested of charms

s —1 st 2nd of poetry , consisted of the e p recepts , t o study nature ; , 3 to display her beauties and conceal her defects ; rd, to consult the

. u s genius of the place In the arrangement of Davenport gro nd , — b — Shenstone who was consulted y Mr. Davenport appears to have redu ced these rules of his brother poet to practice ; he has taken care that the most indifferent observer shall getunconfined views

' over ridge and valley . lawn and wood, with the m ost dis tant pros l peets . Of the Davenport family more will be said under Ha lon ,

in which township stood the former mansion .

The House and grounds are in the occupation of Sir Augustus

r e i o or Adde ley , to whose court sy I am ndebted for the pp tun ity of making these observations . 80 woarmw

I CHAPTER XV I .

WDNE SS E .

ns e ros — Be k s and Bar nfiel ds Exte iv p pect The r ley .

WDNE SS is two and half miles north - eas t of th e village ofWor

field n it is seen on the west of the Bridgnorth road , and sta ds

a on ridge of sandstone , which immediately dips into a hollow in

which is a lake , and then rises into the high grounds of Apley Par k

and terrace . A m agnifi cent prospect opens up in front o f the

a house , of woods , fields , farms , vill ges , and churches , the horizon

Sed el e being bounded by the lofty ridge of g y B eacon , the Clent ,

and other hills . A former tenant tell s m e that by the aid o f a 1 6 glass h e has counted sp ires and towers , including Dudley and the

. W . Collegiate Church of St Peter , olverhampton The house is buil t

of red brick , excepting the wings , which are of stone , quarried from

bed s which u nderlie the surface ; and at each end are ornamental

chimneys of stone and moulded bricks combined , such as a re seen

inElizabetha n houses . The windows have stone m ullion s an d iron

i . stanch ons , similar to houses of the Tudor period The fron t en tran ce

opens from a step above the grounds , and the doorway has heavy

’

Jambs and lintels with m assive projections , which might at one

time have been more ornate than at p resent . The entrance is into

a capacious hall, much in the style of old coun try m ansions and

i an the din ng d drawing rooms , in the east wing on the right , are

T h e d t also large . form er is wainscote to the ceiling wi h fine old oak , panelled and carved ; bu t i t is only when opening the doors of the

c s r e e ses th at i t is seen , a former tenant having had the bad taste to

n u c over it over with oil pain t . The m oulded and or am ental s pports

n r n s d o f the ceili g have fo tu ately been pared this esecration , and are

var nis h td b ut preserved and . The bedroom s are wainscoted , one o f h d t ese has been papere over ; in another the oak panellin g is entire . N r s ns ni rs 8 1 A D r r ow .

e r a a a It has b en prese ved , prob bly, from the fact th t each p nel has painted in its centre a single white flower, the work of some early

u artist . Even the attics , sed as storerooms, are wainscoted round th e floors , too, are of oak . Other indications tend to show that the house was built when oak was plentiful and trees were cultivated not only for their timber but for food for hogs . Old mansions of this period , frequently had texts of Scripture cut or moulded and

E wdness t Mrs fixed in conspicuous places . is no excep ion . Pugh , wife of the present tenant , who kindly showed me over th e house, produced a broken plaque which the workmen found under the

r . plaster on the stai s , in making alterations five years ago It was of

baked clay , and had been incised with the words Blessed is the ” m an that feareth .

Th e kitchen is large , but the fireplace has been reduced

was to previously it open . and l arge enough roast a sh eep or a good fat buck . There appears to have been a tower near the east wing,

- where there are lancet windows . It might have been a bell tower , or one used for purp oses of observation an d defence when Morfo Forest was in fested by marauders and outlaws who m ade occasional

Wi onslaughts on their neighbours . I examined the cellars th a candle , and it appeared to me that part of the present walls might h ave been the foundation of an earlier structure , and that the workmen had utilised them and spliced them on to the present building . Mr . B arnfield tells me that the roof was formerly covered with limestone A slabs , such as are seen at Buildwas bbey , and that the rafters rose considerably when relieved of their great weight . The house buildings are said to have been much more ext ensive formerly , and to have included brewing , baking premises , etc. This probably was W so when , during the Civil ars . a former tenant kept a troop of

u horse here , and the walls were wont to reso nd to the sounds of

s martial mu ic .

w ness of E d is mentioned in Domesday, and in the latter end the twelfth and beginning o f the fourteenth centuries , and the names of

are v the tenants gi en . They held it by serjeantry , the service being

f n that the tenant should accompany the sheri f of the cou ty when , 82 W O RFIELD

a of twice year , he conveyed the ferm or revenue Shropshire to the — exchequer , a not very onerous duty supposing the guard strong enough to ensure safety— considering that the king paid the tenant ' s W ’ charges for his trouble , alter d E udin as held the m anor of the king , and was summoned as a juror to try causes of grand assize at Salop in 1 221 he is also spoken of as attesting a dee d at Badger in

' 1 227 d E dinas . Later on notices of Ralph u , and Nichol as , clerk of

B . m as udinas , occur It appears that here, as in si ilar c es , the family

m E wdnes s in possession took its name fro the place . From the

Has l ewo ods O ldin ton family it passed to the , of g , one o f whom

in m arried , the reign of Henry IV . , the daughter and heiress of

E wdness Richard de , son of Robert, younger son of Robert , lord of

E wdn ess s , and from them passed to a Mr . Fletcher, who is suppo ed t o have built the present house . Mr. Fletcher had three daughte rs ,

- m co Mr . heiresses , one of who m arried Berkeley , a member of

Parliament , it is said , either for the county or for one of the boroughs o f Shropshire . He. seems to have been a man of some standing , as h e is said to have had a troop of hors e at E wdness during the

Worfield Parliamentary war . In the chancel of Church was a

y monument to Francis, son of Thomas Berkele , with the following inscription

Sub marmore j ac etcorpus Thomas fil ii natu minori s F r ancis ci filli Thomas Berkeley de E wdenes se in agro Sal l op i ens is A rmi geri etMu ri eli s u xoris ej us mire u n s G u l iel mi Ki nl ettM i li tis in eod em a ro ex is tentis d u iu Child de , g u s a es i nd ol is m a ma de osi tu s o in s em R es urrectoni s a us viv p xi p ver p . N t . 89 tem b 1 A 1 68 1 9 : : 1 631 O 8 : : 2. p . iit p ril

One son , Fran cis , a barrister at law , was Recorder of Shrewsbury

1 695 1 71 0 and was from to ; also recorder of Bridgnorth . He the

Justice Balla nce R e ru iti n O cer of the sprightly comedy of the c g fi , s aid to have been written by George Farquhar , then resident at

a . L e c e c e e e , Shr wsbury in th t apacity His daught r , a onia B rk l y by

Muriel , daughter of Sir William Childe and his wife Anne Lacon

ndme il ia (when ce her christian ) was S vof the same pl ay . The scene was laid in Shrewsbury and was dedicated to Al l Friends round

the Wrekin . The Berkeleys are said to have taken great notice of

m n the author, and hen ce the flatterin g anner i which they are

a ta u . C in Pl me he introduced into the play Some say that p , anot r AN D IT S W T O N SH IP S .

. w T h e c c , e . hara ter was Mr Bro ne of Caughl y , her future husband w Berkeleys of E dness were descended from Sir Maurice de Berkeley , S who had large estates in hropshire , and who was one of th e most powerful of the baronial faction in Edward the Second ’ s time and at whose castle Edward was afterwards murdered . Later on , and

' ’ during the latter hal f of last century , the hunter s horn , too ,

occasion ally was heard here , when , in order that the hounds might

now start fresh to thei r work (packs were not so numerous as ) , the Willey Squire was accustomed to come over to E wdnes s and bring

- his h orse overnight, to be ready by the time the roost cock proclaimed the m orn for a start over a wider expanse of country than modern

- fox hunters often compass .

The piece of water in the hollow , now overgrown with weeds ,

fish ond o was a p , clear, and st cked with carp , and with a pleasure

' Barn fiel d s . boat on it ; at least it was so in Mr . time This gentleman

E wdnes s has in his possession an old oak chest which cam e from , ” h on the panel s of w ich are the words Faith , Hope , and Charity ,

and underneath six different coats of arms , said to have been those

re re of former tenants , but he did not know what families they p

sente d . These arms formerly stood over the fireplace in the d ining

E w n s s room at d e . One was the arms of Francis Berkeley , the inscription on whose m onument has been given and who represented 1 620 a K u t. Salop with Si r Rich rd Newport, , in , and Shrewsbury

1 62 - 4 Borough in 3 .

E wdness afterwards became the property of Sir Joseph Astley , h W of Pats ull , from whom it was purchas ed by the hitmore family , an d finally , on the sale of the Apley Estates , became the property W e 0 . of the present respected owner of Apl y , Mr. . Foster .

. Barn field was Mr John . previously referred to , tenan t here , and

s on W his father and grandfather , and so was h is . hat a suitable " nam e Moreover , he m arried a Miss Farmer, one of the an cient

F ernwr Shropshire family whose name was formerly . He is de

B arnfields scended from the of Newport , one of whom was Richard

B arn field 1 594- 8 re- , whose poems , written , were published six years

’ . . K ago , edited by Edward Arber , Esq , Hon Fellow of ing s College , 84 wonr rs nn

E s D . etc . , and dedicated to Henry Morley, q . , LL. , Professor

of English Literature . The Shropshire B arnfield s have reason to be

h e proud of their ancestor, one of the m ost prominent of t minor

i z h as literary luminar es of the age of Eli abeth , and whose n ame

Sh aks eare been associated with that of p , as in the Passionate

r 25 Shak s eare 35 Pilg i m for instance , written when he was and p ,

1 599 . t Shak s eare in Indeed , several poems attribu ed to p , after much

’ B arn field s argument on both sides , have been proved to have been .

I o t must be interesting to Shropshire people , and particularly to th se

W and W dwelling n ear ellington the rekin , to find one of his most “ successful and original efforts dedicated to his wors hipfull good

M i t Dothill a friend , a s er John Steventon , of , in the county of S lop , " s u E q ire , thus

S onsc n on s n i s ex il de ith c ie ce (l g i ce) the citty , 0 in th e countre find som e i tt let her y p y, B ut s h e b e ri th e coun tre too if e lde y , 0 h er find e s ome a o r etw ou let f v u y ith y . The title of the piece is The Combat between Conscience and

Covetousness in the Mind of Man .

i W m Mr . Steventon lived at Doth ll Park previously to Sir illia

w s 59 Forester , and the poem a firs t printed in 1 8 . That the poet

Barnfield w as a Shropshire m an and an ancestor of the present

famil y of B arnfield there can be little doubt .

86 woa r mtn

archaeologist would admit such evidence and until better is forth . coming the story of the battle and the c astle on the hill mus t b e

dismissed as myths .

no i a a But i f Pr n ce Hallon fought , or had a c stle here , to wh t

n ? alias - a in does the place owe its ame Hallon , Hawne is hamlet n the original acceptation of the term . The word n ow is ofte

i i a s s indiscrim nately appl ed to a small village or cluster of hou e , but

a h amlet in former times comprised the residence of the proprietor,

M n and the cottages of his dependants . ight not H aw e therefore be derived from the Saxon word hamm (for home) thus affording an instance of the survival of words in places where the population is

not greater now than it was nearly a thousand years ago . It has its — chief residence stuccoed an d coloured to conceal the st ains of age

and give uniformity to a building erected at different periods .

s - Opposite are outbuild ings , barn , stables , and fold yard . At . e a r spectful distance are cottages , their roofs in part concealed by

trees . In the centre of the hamlet stands the smithy , by a tree , with

a cavity large enough to receive the refus e from the smithy fires . — — It i s the only institution ifit might b e honoured with the title the haml et boasts and here h amleters and husbandmen meet to discuss

e local and probably Imp rial m atters , and to receive su ch crum bs of wisdom as the Sc ions of the anvil let fall as they lift their ham mers

high , and pause to emph asise their words . The sm iths are father

and 80 . son , the father being over years of age There is one feature m ’ W of the ha let which may n ot catch the eye , it is Peter s ell of

w on 25 is d hich I have spoken page . The water goo , clear , and m n refreshing . The wo a who lent me a glass to drin k from , assured

me - a W of its superior tea m king qualities , adding , hen away from I home never relish tea as I do when made from this water. This I n find is the general testimo y borne by the matrons of the hamlet . m The spring issues fro , or at any rate at , the foot of a perpendicular

and s rock , the littl e ba in is protected by stones greened over by

n Worfe o li chens . The surplus water ru s into the , where a wo d

bridge crosses to the cow pastures mentioned above . With regard

to the cave near the well , the Rev. S . B . James , M . A . , is answe rable A m h for the following n old wo an named Sara , grimed with soo t AND rr s r owns nrr s . 8 7

n was r a d s and, lived here, and a regular churchgoe until she took

’ ff reached : o ence . I wunna be p at , she said the m aster read out

’ - — loud in ch urch Wash you mak you clane . I dunn a like that no ” more church for I .

One word as to the geographical and topographical position of

the hamlet of Hallon . It stands on the brow of one of those billowy

u h h hills of sandstone which s cceed eac ot er here , and by their wavy

outlines look like an inland sea . Through a deep c utting in the rock . an elegant bridge of Chinese fashion crosses the descent to the

a worfi ld vill ge of e . Hallon is a hamlet which belongs to the pas t, n m and excepting the sounds comi g fro the smithy , the lowing of m cows , the bleating of sheep, or the laugh of i lkmaids and cowboy s , there is nothing to disturb the quiet and repose which the place c ins ires u a a p . It is s rprising what number of families in times p st n were in one way or other co nected with Hallon , whose descendants

no an . longer have y connection therewith The Barkers, for instance ,

whose first app earance here is a matter of tradition . The name is

n a supposed to have bee ssumed as a disguise by the first comer.

1 368 one l o This seems all the more probable as in , , Roger Barker, is

Cl averhall an des cribed as al ias . He purchased l ds here which he

his R vested in wife , who settled portions on her two sons , oger and W m 1 41 1 illia . The latter died , and was succeeded by Henry Barker,

who m arried the heiress of Hallon Robert , his brother, shared the i paternal inher tance , whi ch his descendants held for nine generations ,

a d . William the l st on record ying in the reign of James II Barker, l

son and heir of Henry , who possess ed the bulk of the heritage , died

1 480 c m r , , leaving two sons, one of whom , John , the se ond son , a ried A m the heiress of ston , and becam e the progenitor of the fa ilies of

—the ou n estson Barker there for ten generations y g , according to the

te n t o h ma or . r t cus om f , always inheriting The elder brothe s migra ed

m a to the north of the county . and founded fa ilies tUpton , Hopton

hm ond and . r ma the Castle, Haug , Shrewsbury John Barke rried

- K an L r sister and cc heir of Rowlan d Hill , night , first Protest t o d

1 549 . r a in n Mayor of London , in George em ined possessio of the

n and n da r and r paternal estates atHallo , his o ly ughte hei ess married

E s . d t ir on n Wa r n Wil liam Waverton, q , an he s , Joh ve to , married one 88 w om a n )

and r s of the Leightons , of Leighton , and left an only daughter hei e s , W who married George Bromley , of Hallon , son of illiam Bromley ,

e by Beatric , daughter of Humphrey Hill , Esq . , thus bringing about

Wor el d a union of the Barkers and B romleys , two an cient fi and

. r Hallon families As the Barkers were enriched by mar ying heiresses , m so were the Bromleys by arriage with the Barkers . and the Daven

o p rts again by m arrying with the Bromleys. Again we are in the

b ut . region of tradition , tradition fortified by facts The story is that W t t young illiam Daven port , heir presump ive o f the Chorley esta e s in

Morfe Cheshire , became benighted in Forest, then full of dangerous

W i n pitfalls , bogs , etc . an dering vain trying to find a road , the — traveller saw lights from Hallon House since pulled down , but the

foundations of which are visible beneath the turf in the park , a short

distan ce from the presen tm ansion . It stood on the brow of the hill , — overlooking the valley of the Worfs a position favourable for its

beacon light s to flash across the valley . Following in their direction , the benighted traveller soon found himsel f cheered by the woo dfires

blazing on the hearth , an d received that hearty welcom e the Bromleys

were ever ready to acco rd to strangers . He found himsel f hospitably

en tertained by his host , but the smiling curiosity of the daughter

s s h er made a still deeper impre ion , and he resolved to win for his

Il allon own . How many subsequent visits the adventurer paid to

after his fi rst introdu ction is not known , but the e xact Spot in the

a t park where he declared his p ssion is poin ed out by gossips , to wb m n m of it was ade kn own by the an cients the hamlet , on whose minds after events c aused it to be impressed . The father of the

his d young l ady , Francis Bromley , soon after died , and wi ow m arried

Si r W W W a h er al ter rottesley , o f rottesley P rk , near neighbour, and d she removed there , together with her daughter . The young la y was carefully guarded but the Wrottesley Woods witnessed stolen inter.

b the views etween lovers , and means were found and agreed upon

- fli h a for g t. Running away with an heiress under ge in those days f was a serious o fence in the eye of the law , and under some circum

a T h stan ces mounted to a capital crim e . e ire of the guardians of Miss Jan e was aroused to its highest pitch the legality of the ma ri d r r age was questione , the right to the prope ty challenged , and A N D I T S r ows s a rp s . 89

family l awyers and learned counsels were engaged in drawing up

in briefs , in putting and answering questions , and in li tigation of one m kind or another for nearly a lifeti e from the ti me of the marriage . ffi It would take up too much space to give fuller parti culars . Su ce W it to say that in addition to the name of illiam , that of Henry Davenport figures frequently in these proceedings and to prevent confusion it should be remembered that there were three Henry m W l Davenports in succession fro il iam who married Miss Bromley ,

- W the heiress of Hallon . These were Henry , son of illiam , who W m arried Miss Maddock Henry , grandson of illiam , who married

z W Eli abeth , daughter of Sherrington Talbot , of Laycock , il ts and W 1 Henry , great grandson of illiam , who m arried ( ) Mary Lucy

n and 2 a Chardi . ( ) Barbar , daughter of Sir John Ivory Talbot , an

T he Irish baronet . son of the latter , Sherrington Daven port , mar ' ried Miss Gratiana Rodd , (daughter of Mr . B . Rodd , Here fordshire) , a lady very celebrated for her beauty in her day . It is s aid that

W . when the Prince of ales , afterwards George IV , was watching

r b each p etty woman enter the Assem ly Room s at Bath , on Miss

Rodd coming in , the Master of the Cerem onies , Beau Nash , remarked , " R odd t m . Here , your Royal Highness , comes a to bea the all There is a memorial slab in Worfield Church with the following he eulogy , attributed to t poet Shenstone , a friend of her husband

a o oun and a b al l a e s Re der , th ugh y g f ir, y c r s ed , With tas te and s ens e or every virtue b les sed ;

Be th ou th e a u en th e m - o v l ed fri d , uch l ved wife. ’ W a a o n s or flatters um an h teer d r h life, Oh b e not a n for al l t a m o a s z , v i , h t rt l pri e ” Benea s omb in mo n n s th thi t ulderi g rui lie .

. n 1 770 Her youngest son , the Rev . Edward Dave port , married , in , “ ’ Catherine ( Pretty Kitty Taylor Henry s daughter , by his first

M ton t , wi fe Mary , married John y The story goes th at she eloped

- oil sh e with him from a ball , going in such a hurry that did not stay to pick up her satin shoe which came oifin a puddle on her way

Als cote through , where it was picked up next morning. She is m described as beautiful , like her mother, as a model atron , and a

a good christian . The recorder of her de th in the parish register

: . M tton embellishes the entry with these eulogistic remarks Mrs y , 90 woar i s w

al n of H ston , resig ed up her l ast breath there very patiently an d

th 4 . u . 1 5 1 7 0 m pio sly , Feb ye , , about 5 of ye clock in ye orning A in n wife , my humble opinion , exactly answered by ye descriptio ” 1 8 . given in ye B ook of Proverbs, chap . xxxi . verse to the end B y

’ Henry s second wife , Barbara , second daughter of Sir John Ivory

W D D G u r Talbot , he left a son illiam , . . , Rector of Breden , lo ceste

s n n E . e shire ; and Sherrington Dave port , q , who , it has be n sh ow , m r was s and ur ar ied Miss Rodd , ucceed ed by his seventh last s viving

W m o son , illia Yelverton Davenport, who in the neighbourho d is still spoken of as the Old Squire , and as a genial and jolly specimen " m of the type of the Old English Gentleman . He appears , fro all

c u n is ac o nts, to have bee much esteemed , especially for h kindness

was to the poor. He a great sportsm an, and posses sed one of the

r finest kennels of g eyhounds in the kingdom , consisting of from ten to fifteen brace of the choicest breed coursing being in his day the

s m n form of amu e ent most in vogue among the country ge try , a pursuit in which he was eminently su ccessful in winning prize cu ps , w stakes , and othe r rewards at the various coursing meets he as accus tomed to attend . He married one of the Bligh s of Bath , but had no

n children . As a widower he led a m ost unselfish li fe , putting dow every unne cessary expense that he might provide for the family of his nephew and su ccessor. w w . as This as the Rev Edmund Sherrington Davenport , who

ar Worfield 0 m vi c of for 3 years . He arried the heiress , Miss Tongue , al ready mentioned , by whom he had five sons and five daughters , W amongst whom were illiam Sherrington Davenport , heir to Daven

1 854 A a b port , and Lucy Susanna, who in married Sir lex nder Nis et ,

R N h and . . , and ad issue Alexander Cockburn Nisbet , Lucy Jane . 1 W m r who died 867 . illi am Sherrington Davenport a ried Louisa

ari din v E u M n , of Chesterton , and had fi e children , including dm nd

n w a m . He ry , the present squire , ho m arried Miss Smith , of T s ania m I T S r o s p u w s m s . 91

I CHAPTER X X .

T HE H E M A AND ST JAM S’S O Y R IT GE . E PRI R .

' ’ i n a ofa Sa on n —H n I I I s an to StJ am s s o now w . a D ell g p l ce x Pri ce e ry gr t e Pri ry , r as an s n ve y p le t re ide ce .

- . . 26 7 N my Old Sports and Sportsmen p p , the reader will

- find the following account of this well known Hermitage .

“ a The Hermit ge , with its c aves hewn out of the solid san d rock , by the road which led through the forest in the direction of

Worfield . , meets us with the tradition that here the brother of King

Atheis tan d came seeking retirement from the worl , and ended his days within sight of the queenly Severn . Besides tradition , however,

t erem etical evidence exists to shew tha this cave of Saxon origin , under the patronage of the Crown , was occupied by successive hermits , each being ushered to his cell with royal seal and p aten t , f in the same way as a dean , constable , or sheri f was introduce d to

ofiic O x in don . his e ; as in the case of John (Edward III ,

Corb ri mu Andrew gg (Edward III . , Ed nd de la Mare (Edward

. Il l . III , an d Roger Boughton (Edward , From the

a frequency of the presentation s , it would ppear either that these hermits mu st have been near the termination of their pilgrimage when they were inducted , or that confinement to a damp cell did not

i n agree w th them i deed , no one looking at the place itself would consider it was a desirable one to live in .

’ For a description of St . James s Priory , at the extrem e verge of

Worli el d an H a Il ill W parish , d near to ermit ge , I i ll quote the follow “ — ing account given o f it in my Severn Valley p p 382 3.

’ ST JA S S O Y. . ME PRI R

d n b l et On leaving Bri g orth we pass the little y , willowed to the

' ' water s edge , below the bridge , and immediately sight St . James s , m ff n a ansion which has an open aspect , and is e ectively throw 92 woar rntn

n m n a aran few into relief by a b ackgrou d of trees . Fro its prese t ppe ce woul d imagine that the original purpose for which it was designed was an a a r a and r n u hospit l . It had Prio y ttached , like othe i stit tions of

h ad man and was its kind y privileges benefactors . Among the latter

Henry II I , who when at Bridgnorth granted to the Brethren the privi

i Morfe lege o f hav ng a horse daily plying in the Forest of , to collect dry stumps and dead wood for their fires . By the first foundation it w as ordained that . i f any inhabitant of the town happen by the

. visitation of God to be infected with leprosy , or any such like sick

o ness , that they were to have h spit ality , and a priest to say m ass and I t pray for the founders . was also at one time appropriated for the

rs A n use o f m aimed soldie . interesting se al of the house is in the

. W possession of Mr hitmore , of Glen Hall , Leicestershire . The walls are m a ssive and the older part is sp anned by large beams of

an oak . The front originally consisted of two wings , with entrance

- to a court yard behind , but the intervening space , some hundred

a years ago , was built up , giving to the exterior view the present f cade ,

- with a splendid drawing room , about seventeen feet high . The

v- Priory House is large , with a cupol a and do e cote the church of

W K ene ate the Priory was built by illiam de g , and others of pious

m Th e i - oak emory . nterior cote roof retains its m assive beams , an d in that part used as a s table a rude pillar with its capital may stil l be s een . Several skeletons have from time to tim e been dug up in .

h . s w at was once the burial groun d Nearer the drive g te , in former " Le ro or m s u . times , stood the Domus p sancti Jacobi The dark

u S cotch firs p on the lawn , the extensive old fashioned gardens , quiet ” “ rn and avenues , the romantic wilde ess, the shady grove , foliaged , “ ” long walk , m ake i t a retreat from the disturbing influences of the

Le reux world , where we might take Le p by X de Maistre , and imagine the scenes described had once existence within the silen ce

as of the domain . The grounds and plantations adjoining , well as

‘ ” the nei hb ou rin W W add g g woods , the ilderness an d Long alk , a charm to the place whi ch render it a most d esirable residence . I t

i s the property of H ubert Smith Esq . , who inherited it from his e father, and is the resid n ce of Major Colley .

W O RN E LI)

HOCCOM - lies on the south west side of the parish , between

B H occom oughton and Bentley . There is not much to say of , except that a family of th at n ame lived here in the reign of Henry

VI . , and that the estate remained with the same family until the middle of the last century . The tradition is that the family re ceived the estate from William the Conqueror in return for services rendered

ofii cer . . by the head as an in his army The late Mr Locke K ing ,

M . P. kept up the n ame , the el des t of his sons bearing the name of

l Villi m H om . his remote ancestor, a occ

THE HOPES consist of two hal f- timbered black and white cot W tages on the right of the road leading from ellington to B ridgnorth , W n th e l orfi l d . ear bottom of Newton bank , west of the vil age of e

- They lie picturesquely in a hollow , between sand banks , cart loads of which during heavy rains get w ashed into the public road . T h e w cottages h ave been m ade out of hat was formerly a farmhouse , one

of the numerous small holdings on ce so numerous in this parish . B h u tw at the n am e is derived from is not known , unless it was that

- being in danger of h aving his seeds washed down from the high w grounds hen there were heavy rains , and his crop s scorched up on — a sandy soil wh en there was drought the tenant lived in constant hO pe of better se asons .

W NSCOT W n I lies a short distance above , an d i scotHills a

t e ; h as ee w Ne li tl beyond but the farm b n thro n into that of wton , W . . 0 . . held by Mr Sing , under Foster , Esq

Whitnin Close to th e road on the opposite side , is g House , n 82 a ame derived , as the ol d man living there, and now ye ars of age,

c tells me , from its having been a pla e for whitening , or bleaching

- wh hom e spun flax and hempen cloths , en weaving was carried on in

. cottages n ow down There were then , so tradition allege s . huts or cotes about , from which men watched the sheets by night .

“ a W W M , A ND IT S T ownsnrr s . 95

E R CHAPT XXI.

KI NGSLOW and S A OW OW SH S T NL T N IP .

INGSLOW i is a name the origin of wh ch is, I suppose , to be

u ved at in ferentially, as geologists j dge o f the former t heigh s of our present hilly elevations , not from their p resent a ltitude

the but from the inclination of rocks on their sides . Etymology too throws some light on the subject, for in Saxon language the l v termina ting syllable uniform y , I belie e , signifies a burying place .

These lows too are usually found on high groun d ; and it m ay b e mentioned that a former occup ant in digging out a foundation

efiect to some improvement here, a few years ago, discovered a grave

n s two feet deep , which co tained a number of human bone . The

n l w in M b K i s o S . position of g is so admirably described a . work y

a W m the late eminent an d painst king antiquary, illia Hardwicke , Esq

M . m r . lent me by E D. Far er , of Bridgnorth , that I make n o apology “ Kin sl ow for introducing it here . He says The township of g ,

u t ho gh seated on a beautiful , commanding , and picturesque emin ence , declines to the west , south , and east from Stanlow , its land overlooking the exten sive and intermediate country of the Clee W Hills , across the dale of Corve to the Stretton Hills and the rekin , an d over a flat part of this country towards the north , from thence W to the high grounds of eston , the seat of the Right Hon . the Earl

finel - of Bradford , and the interesting and y wooded demesne s of

U . Patshull , so delightfully intersected with water, and pper Pepper hi ll , the old seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury also Patshull Park,

B ud e T rife A H P attingham , g , the , or p ers Castl e ill , the latter in early times h avin g been the temp orary abode of marauding Danes w an d from hence the eye is carried to the Enville sheep walk . The view connects this grand equestrian promenade to the great forest

" W r e the ou of y pleasure gr nds of Kinlet , once the man sion of the

now . Blounts , after them of the Lacons , and of the Childs These ‘ 9 6 wour i s un

prominent landmarks bound the horizon which su rrounds this en

n b ath Pas ford chanti g and delightful abode . This township the brook as its limitagainst the p arish of Pattingham and the lordship

of Rudge on the east , an d partly on the south ; the township of

n A ckl e Chesterton approaches it in the same aspect . and agai with

oh ton the West . From the acceptation o f its n ame I conceive it

must have been the sepulchre of some king of very early times , as o all Lows are understood to be derived from the Saxon appellati n ,

and always to have h ad their existen ce on eminences , of various m extent an d descriptions , and are considered to be places of inter ent " our a of early S xon or Pagan ancestors .

I lear n also from the same source that K ingslow House and estate were held i n former times by a family who took their n ame

G ld ons from the place , and by their neighbours , the y ; afterwards w by the Baches and the Deveys , the latter of hom we read of in the

1 1 as reigns of Edward III . and Richard . holding Copley . A John

n Devey , of Copley , died in the reign of Henry VI . Another Joh

4th . 9th had an estate there of Edward IV , an d another of Edward

. K in sl owe w I IV They m arried with the g in the reign of Ed ard II .

Kin sl ow 23rd . Wil Edith g died of the plague o f Edward III , as did

. K in s l ow 4th liam , their son , in the same year John g , of Edward

K in sl ow - IV . surrendered an estate at g to his hal f brother , Humphrey

an Granger, d a hermitage having been founded within the mon astery

Kin s l ow of Shene (afterwards Richmond Pal ace) , a John g is said to

have been the first hermit . The Deveys intermarried with the

W Wa hites , the lkers , of Roughton , and the Smythes , of Hilton ,

m C ats tree an d we find the at and Pattingham , as well as at

K in sl ow G l dons g . They were also connected with the y , and through

' them with the Hoards , of Hoard s Park , with the Curetons , of Brom l ley , and the an cient fam i y of New, of Chesterton . The Deveys

rn K in s l ow 1 881 continued to hol d their pate al estate at g till , when

w . it as sold by the representatives of the family , Mr Edward Devey

n rands c ns the h . Farm er , a d his brothers , g o f late T om as Devy , Esq ,

K in sl ow r m of Bridgnorth and g , Solicitor , an obitua y of who is given

' h mh man s a azine fo r a 473 in t e Ge M g p ge . He had three sons

o e e w m was wh died unmarri d , the eld st of hom, Tho as , Clerk of

98 woar rs nn

A R CH PTE XXIV .

NE WT ON AND OLDINGT ON .

n HER E is not very much to say of Newton as a tow ship . The M r . is house , the residence of Sing who occupies the farm , seen a field or so away from the Bridgnorth road at the top of New

a tr n . ton Ba k Tradition s ys there was a chapel here , as at Ches e ton and at R oughtcn . Old inhabit ants say that a po rtion of the building h as o been converted int a cottage , and the cemetery into a garden , where human bones have occasionally been dug up . There is in the

’ W orfield 1 603 constabl e s accounts of , under date , an item for m ak ing a grave here ; but this is scarcely likely to establis h the fact .

s The old family of Newton who formerly lived here , at Echoe Hill m far , nearer to Stock ton , on the opposi te side of the Bridgnorth

road , and at Severn Hall , are all gone . They were an un fortunate

a u family . One shot himself and nother in a dr nken fit murdered “ his wife , and although the matter was attempted to be hushed up ,

d at . he was tried , foun guilty , and hung Shrewsbury

O LDING T ON E wdn ess 2 is between Newton and , and is m iles distant from W orfield . Oldington was hel d by a similar servi ce in

E wdnes s : early tim es to that o f , that o f conveying w its of the deputy " f n sheri f of the manor anywither wi thin the county . Th e Oldi g tons held other ofii ces ; thus in 1 256 Willi am de Oldinton and Lawren ce de Oldinton ( Oldington) are men tion ed as sitting on a

ton w in a . Oldin E d s j ury Thomas de , Nichol as de , an d others are

1 283 as n th e m m en tioned in October , , m aki g a valuation of anor of

W r l O ldin ton e and m o fie d . Stephen de g is m ntioned also ; Nove ber

1 9 1 29 1 O ldin ton th , , Richard de g is mentioned as a juror in an

a u d h e de inquest held tBr g (Bri gnort ) . Thomas and St phen Olding

a J 1 5th 1 303 ton are mentioned as serving on a loc l jury , un e , .

H as l ewoods E wdn es s The becam e possessed of , by a member of

' the family marrying the heiress of that property . l he Haslewood ' W S 99 AN D rr s TO N H IPS . family seem to h ave held a property at Oldington with uninterrupted

“ w o succession from Thomas Haslewood , h married in the reign of

nr and E uden as H e y IV, daughter heiress of Richard de , son of

E den a E udenas Robert de u s , younger son of Richard , Lord of , down

t m w Oldin ton i n 1 659 o Tho as Hasle ood , who died at g , whose son

Roger came to reside in Bridgnorth , and Francis , the elder brother ,

n having i herited the property , his son Thomas sold it to Thomas

a W Talbot , of Bridgnorth . Afterw rds it was bought by the hitmores ,

E wdness - who sold it , together with and other property , to the pres

W . ent owner, . 0 . Foster, Esq

The n ame of Haslewood occurs in old W orfiel d records in c onnection with offices in connection with the church Roger and Richard are mentioned as wardens of Worfield Church and chantry

in 1 501 ofii ce . The n ame occurs in connection with the same in

- m an v 1 50 9 1 0 1 1 . 7 8 , , , . and subsequent years The old house has been recently transformed into one more suited to the requirements

. e of the times In fact , th three storeys have been converted into

’

. T he h a two large , roomy kitchen s been made the entrance ball ,

“ but the old heavy beams and rafters of black oak , moul ded , and

other portions remain .

was u It is thought by some that it was here that the chapel b il t ,

E wdness for the use of Newton on one side , and on the other, as wel l

i i . l n ton . as for O d g After the chapel had fallen nto decay , Mr

Kin slow s it Berkley and hi s wife had leave from Mr . Hoard , of g , to

Worfield in the pew which he (Mr . Hoard) had been occupying in

Church , and in the chan cel o f which church, a s on of Mr . Berkley

as . lies , previously stated

W Brou h all ldin on Mr . illiam g , of O gt , comes of an old family of

- well known agriculturists , and is in possession of a remarkably fine

old family jug , with groups of agricultural subjects painted on the

. and sides On the right side is the flail , the scythe , a beehive, emblems of Industry also a wheelbarrow and a hammer ; whilst below is the a a h rrow , the plough , and a measure to the left, a sickle, a p ir

and of tongs , a riddle , a sack of grain m arked T . W. , a wooden shovel

a hatchet . On the opposite side is another group , consisting of a 1 00 woan ntn

a a a ] k r she f of wheat , sickle . plough , a scythe, pike , hay nife , iddle ,

a o 8. b roomh k - m beer b ttle, m attock , oo , dung hook , ittens , churn , " etc . etc . In the centre are these mottoes : Trust in G od . The

‘ ” an d a a Husb dm an s iligence provides bread . Bene th the n me . John ” Brou hall : In g , is the following motto on a scroll G od i s all trus t and underneath these lines

“ Letthe wealthy and great

Roll in splendour and state ,

I envy them n ot , I declare it , m I eat my own l a b ,

M own h am y chicken and ,

I shear my own fleece an d I wear it .

I have lawns , I have bowers , 1 I have fruit , h ave flowers ,

a m The l ark is my morning al r ,

So jolly boys now ,

’ d ’ Here s God spee the plough ,

’ Long life and success to the farmer .

rn ain in u r Unde eath , ag , is the follow g Ind st y ” wealth .

1 02 woarrs nn

9 th m 1 826 6 3 m . a and died on the Dece ber, , aged , un arried L stl y

m h ok t m and M ichael S it St es , who lef a fa ily of sons dau ghters , and

' a whose widow n ew resides tRoughton . He inherited his father s

n an estates , as well as those of his gra dfather, Fr cis Stokes , formerly

Wa w the possessions of their m aternal ancestor. Francis Smith , of r ick ,

fan famed m Esq the architect of his day , fro whose plans the Church

m m a m of St . Philip, Bir ingham , the great nsions of O bersley Court ,

and K inlet, Patshull , Davenport House arose into existen ce . There is one interestin g circumstance worth mentioning in connection with th e

m an d Stokes fa ily , that is that they are in possession o f the land which was allotted by the early Norman kings to the foresters o f m a . Morf Forest , and all that re ains of the old hunting lodge It i s tru e , there is n ot much left of the l atter but stout strong walls and

- s . t cellaring It h ad l arge cheerless rooms Mi s Stokes ells m e , a

fire- s t 0 1 pl ace s paciou enough and a spi strong enough , to roast an

he tte e g e ch , e t c e t la r b in turn d by ains and som sor of ma hin ry , an d — n o doubt s omething m ore savoury than roast beef however wel com e that would have been after a hard days sport —h as been cooked and

n . A t eate there the wish o f the tenants , she said , the building hav ing been converted in to cottages , the old fireplace had been bri cked u b p , since she remembered it , and some of the uilding taken down .

But there the remains of the old lodge are , and i t is imp oss ible not to regard them with interest . There the huntsmen of higher gam e than now leads the red - coats of the A lbrighton pack across the — — c ountry and in part over the same ground t empted lords an d l adies with dogs and hawks , with a large retinue , to follow heron and l busta rd , an d boar and antlered deer, in the open , and in the wi d

- intricacies of the forest . In that old lodge , when boar spears an d b staves had been laid aside , when horns and bows had een hung up , and weary men sought shelter for the night , wh at feastings there m ust have been wh at noisy revel ry mingling with the screams o f

h ha in hawks from t eir perches overhead , and the hoarse y g of b ounds in their kennels outside I

B The lit tle Norm an Chapel , too , at oughton , whose tinkling bell on ce sounded over m arsh a nd forest l and an d waste , and served

o w to call st eward and freeman , bo r and hind to orship , where all 0 A N D I T S O W S H S T N IP .

wer u and Worfield e t a ght to forget distinction , where the Vicar of

‘ i h vefiic iated s o a as 1 534 and s recorded to a e l te , is gone , not a

. I w d d S An n n d s t as a t. a wreck is left behind edic te to , tood on ” b u t n to s The Green , I am told, there is nothi g n ow mark th e pot

where it once stood .

I may m ention here that th e Stokes family bought the forest lan d

e and lodge alluded to from the Earl of Shrewsbury , whose renown d

' an d at ancestors had charge of the forest , were one time King s

. a m foresters But the first foresters ppear to have been Nor ans .

th e d Henry , youngest son of the Conqueror, with pre ilections of his

a one G orb od father, and the sam e love of the chase , ppointed . whose

a as his nameseems to betray his n tionality , hereditary forester for

Morfe d n the Ma Worfield that portion of bor eri g on nor of . Henry

d n n a n II. , soon after ascen i g the throne , co firmed the p pointme t . ' a 1 1 55 wh W a tz Hi s name ppears in the forest rolls in , en illi m Fi f W Allan was Sheri f, and illiam Fitz U lgar was chief forester of

orb o d Shropshire . But the Norm an name of G soon became conver

n wh m n w ted in to the E glish one of Gilbert , by ich na e he was k o n

1 272 Worfiel d . in , when serving on a jury

THE GBAMMAR SC HOOL atB oughton h as been mentioned

41 It a m an d m m d n already , page . i s a h ndso e co odious buil i g on

n the side of the road , ear to B oughton House , and occupies a healthy nd a very pleasant situation . 1 04 wos ra

CHAPTER XXIV .

ROUGHT ON (Continued )

Bou on H a an a n o se and an rn u to — e ll ght ll , ncie t h u tique fu it re match , The Cr swe and Wol r ch e am es B o on a m y f ili , ught F r , etc .

OUGHTON HALL was formerly the property of the Stok es

now is family . It belongs to John Pritchard , Esq . , and the S . the residen ce of ackville Creswell , Esq It is situate at a bend in

Worfe valley of the , and commands good views o f the course o f the

, h ch l , l e e he e river w i is m arked by pol ards whi st b yond ar t Dav nport ,

B urcote and other woods , making up a picture of pleasant sylvan

. - and scenery It is villa like in appearance , and has a bright cheerful look about it , its owners h avin g done their best to hide its age . A

h as close r scrutiny discloses its antiquity , and shows that it grown through centuries to be wh at i t is more particul arly— where lath

a — the and pl ster , an d whitewash , and p aint have n ot yet come as in

s attic , where the skeleton woodwork i s seen to advantage . The cellarage is very curiously constructed ; i t is unusually extensive

a l . and is older th n other p ortions of the building , the probabi ity being that it h as done duty for a much larger hou s e in its time . It

and r i has intricate recesses , strange nooks co ners , is strongl y bu l t and vaulted , and has ol d oak doors , with heavy hinges an d strong iron fastenings . Sir Baldwyn Leighton , when visiting here for a d few ays , som e time ago , was much struck with it, I am told , and particularly with the way the arches are tu rned over one of the ston e w m . ullioned windows , fitted with iron bars Sir Bald yn considered

h t a c . it the old est portion o f the ouse , and it bears tha appe ran e e Th walls are from three to four feet thick , firmly built , and so T perfectly cemen ted that there is not the least moisture . here is a fi curious but shall ow square pi t in the floor, which it is dif cul t to account for . It is bri cked round , is perfectly dry , an d is said to have been designed as a place in which to hide the family plate in

1 06 W O R F I E LD

z R obert Gatacre, o f that famous old Saxon mansion whose gla ed wa ll s m t e are atters of radition . Thomas , third in desc nt from

Wo r eld 1 598 John , who was born at fi , , received hi s education t d d a Cambri ge , an d was a mitted to the Inner Temple , as was the

is rn his custom with gen tlemen of that age . On h retu to n ative county h e represented the Borough of Wenlock in Parliament in the — W 62 nd 5. n years 1 0 23, a 2 At the breaki g out of the Civil ars he became captai n of m iliti a and on e of the deputy - lieutenan ts of the

C . county . He was appointed by harles I Governor of Bridgnorth ,

ff n i n whose cause h e becam e a severe su erer, bei g , as h is epitaph “ tells us , twice sequestered from his estates , an d m ore than on ce

. His a r th e cast into prison n m e occu s in catalogue of lords , knights , and gentlem en who compounded for their estates as having

£ 730 1 45 . o him a k the sum of imp sed on as a fine . The epit ph spea s “ of the lofty m ajesty of his person , and assures us that , to his

re s h p eminent kill in heraldry , e added the m ore solid uses of history ” “ an d m A t n a of athematics . le gth , says the uthor this florid com “ U n position , our lric , such was the original am e , was summoned

l d l ric to the assemb y of the saints on tLe Feast of S t . Ulic { U a us e is co us 4 1 668 p p ) , July , , having been honoured with the successive

Wol r ch e . titles of knight and baronet . Sir John y , Bart , the only

Dudm as ton son , wh o is described as of , in the parish of Quatt , was

ff H n High Sheri of Shrop shire in 1 71 6 . e was of a dari g and ven tu res om e a disposition , and his name h s been handed down in connection with a traditionary equestrian feat he performed at

a . T he Bridgnorth , by le pin g his horse over the rocks in the Cartway cave~hou ses in the rocks on each side were then inhabited , and th e tradition is that he spurred his h orse int o a gallop and m ade him

es jump from side to side . He was , in fact , too ventur ome , for it

h m an was by a reck less act e lost his life , when in the flower of his

a hood . Being great sportsman h e seems to have indulged in the diversion in season and out of season , for on returning from hunting 25th 1 723 on the o f June , , he attempted to cross the Severn with

to D his horse, an d was drowned opposite udm as ton when 32 years

. v a of age He was ne er marri ed , and the baronet ge expired with

W ol . rich him The arms of the family of , as Sir John spelt his n ame , A N I T S O H 1 0 D T WNS IPS . 7

l h ul W u alias Wo r c e o o W . y , g oolrich , as the late Mr oolrich , of Ro ghton ,

b a was wont to spell his name, are shown on a r ss plate in Quatt h Wol r e . Church , erected to the memory of Thomas y c , Esq , wh o

1 51 0 ud m ton died ; and those of a later Thomas , o f D as also

n 20 . o a monument in Quatt Church , with quarterings Few fam ilies

- can show so many, or boast so many centuries of well established

’

. b a and patented gentility After Sir Jo u s de th . the estate was en M joyed by his surviving sister ary , who was succeeded by her uncl e

- W 1 774 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas eld, at whose demise , in , the W m W property passed to illia hi tmore , Esq . , great grandson of W Richard hitmore , Esq . , of Lower Slaughter , by Anne daugh ter of

W W Wol r ch e Sir John eld , of i lley . The present Mrs . y of Roughton

Smithem an was a , a family of considerable importance in the county

S mith em an W : nett formerly . John was of Little enlock John U " mithem an was Sherifi 1 761 S was father o f John who of Shropshire in .

His wife was sister and cc - heir of Basil Brooke of M adeley . John

’ Sharifi W Sm ithem an the , resided at est Coppice . Mr . Rowland of

W Sm ithem an the Crown Pip e orks , Broseley , and the Rev. Mr . , of

the same place , are also of the same family . Sir H . Hope Edwardes,

a . W B rt , ootton Hall , Ashbourn e, is descended maternally from the

Sm them an Worfield 200 same . There was a Rowland y of m ore th an

years ago . CHAPTER XXV .

RINDLE F ORD AND ROWLEY. — — Fa lling and flour mill s The Rowleys ofRowley and Shrewsb ury T h e Rowl ey

an on and S o ls - A ol d o s M si ch o very h u e, etc .

w m u FORD and Rowley ere on ce fa o s for their Mills .

of Rowley has long since disappeared ; but the one at

R in dleford a still continues, and its covered waggons m y constantly be seen along the lanes and highway s for half a score of miles

around . It appears originally to have been a fulling mill ; John

fr W R indl e o d a . alker, of in the time of Rich rd II is said to have W purchased the fulling mill there , called the alk Mill an d lands

Al o 1 41 6 there and at sc te. He died in ; an d fifth in descent from

W Worfield him was the Rev. John alker, Chaplain Vicar of . The p roperty continued in the sam e family until Roger Walker sold it

W . W to George and illiam Col ley It is now the property of . 0.

Foster, Esq . , and rented and worked by Mr . E . Powell .

— m ROWLEY . Burke says the nam e of Rowley is ade up of two

R ow Lei h . An Saxon words , , m eaning sweet , and g , a field old family of this name lived here in early times and from them sprang the W Shrewsbury family , on e of whom , illiam , made a l arge fortune ,

‘ 1 61 3 - and built in the well known Rowley Mansion , the first brick l building , said to have been erected in the town : h e a so founded

- the Rowley or Blue coat Schools . He was admitted a burgess in

h e i 1 594 afterwards he became an alderm an . He favoured t Pur

of W tans that day, an d was the friend of Richard Baxter . illiam

’ o u l w an d is R wley s son Roger, w as brought p to the a , said to have

a a been the first person in the town who kept a c rriage . The rms are interesting as showing the connection of the Worfield an d

a r 80 Shrewsbury families . They appear to have been g . on a bend .

1 st. between two Cornish choughs pp . , three scallop shells of The

arms of the Shrewsbury Rowleys having been the same . u fib éa e de flmfl

1 1 0 wont- i s m)

h ad e 500 a w be n in the family for years , to the Rev. John H r ood . LL . D. i n 1 709 , of Shrewsbury , wh o sold it to Richard Hill , o f

H awk s tone m a H . , fro whom it was purch sed by enry Davenport , Esq , i n 1 723 and ith as since formed part of the Davenport Es tate .

We read of Rowley Mill ; but n o one seems to know wh at h became o f it. It was probably an old mill when te Rowleys entered upon it ; but it must have been standing in the early part of the l 6th

W s on W R indleford century , because John alker ( of John alker , of

M and W ill , grandson of John alker , o f Roughton ) , who combined

h u t d the duties of a vicar wit the pleas res o f a piscator, ob aine a 1 61 1 “ license to fish , in . between the vicarage and Rowley mill , on

th a of2d . , e p yment yearly , for life

The old mill is gone , but the quaint old home of the family

s . rem ain , a monument of primitive simp licity an d ancient m asonry t m It is not of en that on e co es u pon such an ancestral home , so

n a e quaint , so substa ti l , and so unaltered during c nturies which h ave

s passed over it . The present farmhou e is s u fii ciently venerable and

a n o an tiquated to excite curiosity but here , st ndi g pposite , is one d still more age , and one which it is easy to imagine was the origin a m essuage Wil liam Rowley is said to have been in possession of in

- 1 331 . It ceased to be a dwelling house , in all probability. when the one beside i t , less like a fortress , and more in character with the times , was built . It m ay h ave been then converted into a mal thouse ; it a - is now stor ge room for lumber, implements , and all conceivable odds and ends . Various conjectures have been indulged in as to its

r n a o iginal use , some supposi g it to have been a mon stic establish

and s n . has ment , other a gra ge or granary One generation punched holes and cu t windows in it ; others have stopped them u p as oc cas ion required or fancy dictated ; a few of the origin al windows

atfirs t b ut remain , mullioned and barred as , so small th at no one

- could put his head through . It has thick nail studded oak doo rs ;

- and when arrows and stones , an d such like m eans of assault alone existed , the place might h ave stood a siege of some d uration . The rooms, and particul arly th e roof , display such a lavish use o f timber as i d only builders dur ng the early forest perio s coul d comm and . What a modern house carpenter would technically des cribe by the ' A ND i r s r ows s a i r s . 1 1 1

rm u - ms coll aro b eams - am ru s url us te s : Q een posts , bea , , tie be s , st t , p ie ,

and and other portions of the roof , are of immense strength thick d . too s a ha ness They need to have been . , if , as old people y . they

m a s to bear the wei ght of a roof composed of li estone sl b , such as

b Mrs d Wenlock and Buildwas Ab eys were covered with . . Mere ith

says that when making their hen - roo stout o f the end of the building

some pieces of oak were fo und splendidly Carved .

an to The present farmhouse, as I have said , is tiquated enough

r satisfy the cu ious in such matters . It everywhere bears the impress

h as v t w has of age , it e idently been al ered and added to but it al ays

n ow been what it is , the residence of a respectable yeoman and the

additions made to it show no pretensions to anything greater ; and

i t has gradually g rown to be what it is , by patchings here and there ,

I - o by sidewalls and gables . Its buttress like chimneys bulge u tinto

the rooms and taper above the roof into stacks , divided , yet keeping

a b oak close company with e ch other . The doors are dou le planked ,

- studded with nails , and fitted with strong bolts an d old fashioned

l ook s Th e - m . drawing roo is the best roo m in the house , and the

m s r ost modern ; it is wain coted to the ceiling , and the ca vings ,

m n ouldings , and cornices , are very elaborate in desig and workman

on ship ; that an ornamental shield over the fireplace is beautiful ,

but not , I should imagine , very old and un fortunately the whole

i o no i a has been pa nted over with oil paint , s that ta bit of the or gin l

is wood can be seen . The cellarage most curious . There is the

w s ine , the common , and an inner division ; with a fireplace, shelve

i n a and cupboards for the accom modat o of the cellarer, and socket

is left in cutting one of the stones for a candle . The place has the

reputation of being h aunted ; and with so m any recesses at the

can im a backs of chimneys , behind walls , and under floors , one g fi n ine it woul d be by n o means dif cul t in the shadowy twilight , whe

boughs of t rees are sighing , and loose boards and laths are swaying

u and groaning , to conjure p unearthly sights and sounds . Of on e of the represen tatives o f the Rowl ey family recen tly deceased at ght f the e e t e l c e e Bri on o r sp c abl fami y of Joynson , who suc e d d

now the Rowleys , of Man chester and Bridgnorth; and of a remarkably

large tithe barn at Rowley I have not space to speak . 1 1 2 wearmtn

R CHAPTE XXVI .

BO S AB O S A MO OV SW ANCOT E WY etc ND , T LEF RD , T N RE GR E , , KEN , .

OND, a little below Rowley; is a farmhouse in the usual black

- and white livery o f former ti mes . Of its antiquity the reader — may judge supposing i t to be the hou s e which one o f a family of

that name possessed in the fourth year of the reign of Kin g Edward

I I . a a I For twel ve gener tion s the f mily con tinued in possession ,

a e the when the line termin t d in a heiress , and lady , Ann a Sonde ,

m ro ertv arried Francis Poole , through whom the p p descended to

Mrs . Pole, s till living .

It is not a large house , but it i s on e well worthy of inspection

u if for nothing else , for the m ore than sual pains taken by the

builders in the m ouldings and ornamentation of the beams and

s the o ld j oists , between which as in the ca e of mansion at Bromley ,

ds a a the boar of the floor ppear without pl ster or whitewash .

Excepting the boards of the floor, the wood i s fresh and of a pale

w b . bro n colour, not blackened y sm oke The room which is now

the l arge kitchen was , no doubt , the principal one in the house , an d the carpenters wh o planed and prepar ed the timbers must h ave been

m . ingenious mechanics , i f not so ething of artists Leaving Sond — (which possibly derives its n am e from son d as sand is vulgarly

pronounced , seeing that it forms the subsoil here) , the path I which I followed passed through a barley field , in which n oticed a greater profusion th an I ever witnessed before of the

- flower no w s o e T h little blue corn , seldom seen xcept in gardens . e

reader will no doubt call to m ind ch aste and elegant pattern s he h as

Scares . seen on old chin a of Louis XIV and XV . time, in which

sprigs of this simple flower are often introduced . It vied with the

o p ppy . its usual comp anion , and with the pale yellow of the field b e a and . form d a c rpet . bright , varied , eautiful

1 1 4 woa r rann

rm M P. n r Mr. h fo erly . for Bridg o th . Pritchard as enti rely rebu ilt the house, which n ow forms an imposing m ansion . This township

on m m . is the Stourbridge road , two iles fro Bridgnorth

SWANCOT E Swancote an d House are the p roperty of the sam e .

N E . r The township is situated a mile and hal f of B idgnorth , an W W o r l . S . fie d two miles . of village The house , which occupies a

a o t s gentle eminence , with ple sure grounds neatly laid u , i in the W occupation of illiam Sing , Esq .

as There are other hamlets and places , such the Folly , on the \V W R a N . Stratford or om n road , about a mile . oodside , two and

S W . . ; he , he half T Low on the south Fen Gate T Roundabout,

S and b err W Gags Bank y y The Ford and Hartlebury . ith

a regard to Hartlebury , which is a mile and a hal f from the vill ge , it may be remarked that there is a house roun d which ivy grows

r rank , built of unburn t b icks , to evade the oppressive duty formerly levied on such materials . WYKEN is a sm all hamlet hal f a mil e on the south side of

W orfield R W s village , on the road to oughton . yken Hou e is the ' V ” . W o ‘ orvill l residence of Mrs . Clark The heel , a famous ha ting W n pl ace for travellers between olverhampton an d Bridg orth , and a

- W well known resting place for anglers , just at the entrance to yken ,

m n is kept by Mr . Henry Callan t . The other chief tradts e of the

. and place are , Mr George Lloyd , whose forge shoeing es tablishmen t is on the east side of the road and Mr . Edward Boucher, whose

’

i . Molineux m wheelwr ght s yard is on the west side Mr James , far er ;

s M a W Mr . John Stoke , farmer ; and r . J mes Lloyd , are also of yken , W I may mention that yken is a very an cient township, and one W l where many old orfie d families have lived . One of the Rowley 6th family died here previous to the of Henry VI . An other Daniel h 6 W . 30t 1 73 Rowley , described of yken , Gent , died here September , , an d Worfiel d 2nd was interred at . October , when his sister Margaret

W Dallicote became his heir . She settled her estates at yken and

W o fW 1 680. upon illiam Bache , yken , a relative , and died

In addition to old families already noticed in connection with “ Worfield ma i W , I y mention the follow ng ; The hitehills , who ' SH 1 1 6 u m rr s T O WN IP S .

Worfield s now lived for a time at Hou e , used as the Vicarage , and

- n well known in India, Fra ce and other p arts of the world ; their history touching at certain small p oints such names and families as ” the Talleyrand , Marquis Spinoza , Pigotts , Madame Grant or

an Le Grand , and others . The reader might be referred for

' account of the Whitehills to Blak eway s MSS . in the Bodleian . John

W overnsh i hi tehil l was sent to restore Lord Pigot to the g p of Madras,

‘ ’ " s t . i and arrived by way of Suez , in the la t cen ury Th s paragraph m ’ l Wor e d . I quote fro Mr . James s History of fi

Among names not previous ly given i n these pages I may mention R “ ev. . the . J B Blakeway . Mr . James says The Rev J . B . Blake

w . a . A i 1 26 y, M , who d ed in 8 , was merely the historian of

’ N b ut his Shropshire Parochial otices , he is connected by volume W l . orfie d . M II with parish and people r . James rather underrates ' M this gentleman s abilities ; I prefer the opinion expressed by r. ” Pidgeon in his Handbook to Shrewsbury, where , describing his m ’ “ e St. h c l onum nt in Mary s C ur h , he says his memory wi l be entitled to an increasing reverence for his learning and profound ” A Wor research as a scholar, antiquary , and historian . nother old

field name i s Dalicote Willi am de Dal icote was foreman of a jury in 1 274 an d Dali o e 1 33 , Edmund de c t is mentioned in 3 . The name

Dal icote still lives in House , on the borders of the two parishes of

Worfield and Claverley . I have omitted m entioning the Ridleys , who

m o o m are large farmers and altsters at H cc , — Worfield . CHARITIES . is rather rich in these There is the 1 645 £ 5 Beech Charity of or should be . The Bache Charities of , £ 1 0 n and ; an d the Bromley Charity . The Congreve and Crudgi gton

. n v a Charities The Dave port, De ey, and Dolm n Charities ; also those of Mason , Perry , Rowley, Smith , Lewis , Lloyd , Parker, W ooley , etc . ' 1 1 6 Woh rmnn

E X .

Ah owen , e 1 1 1 2 Jam s Beadle or Crier , A ckl eton S ir W . 1 0 1 1 Beaucham p, , A ckleton , Thomas de Beau Nash and Prince of Acklin gton Wales 89 ’ ‘ A cton 1 hom as , Bell Family 55 A J Adderley , Sir ugustus , Benthall , ohn 22 K C M G Ben tley 6 1 an Adm aston . Daniel Berkeley d Barnfield A kelinton 80 , Roger de Families Ale - tasters Bewdley 21

. . 1 1 5 All friends round the B lakeway , Rev J B . W 8 rekin . Blount , Thom as Algar Bodlei an 45 Al s cote Boors 6 1 1 4 House Boucher, E . Al s cote W w 71 , illiam de Bo en b 72 Altar , removal of Brad urn Family Alves cote b m 21 28 , Richard de Brad urn , Tho as , B rad en e e W 1 1 Anecdotes y , illiam de 95 Ancient Men Brad ford , Earl of z 6 Anco , James Bradney 3 A rrowmak er 64 Families , z s a 6 Assi e , Fine , Br dney House . 5

Astley, Sir Jacob Bradney , Richard 28 A S ir 65 stley , J . Brazier, Vice Admiral Atterhull m , Robert de Bro ley 56 Badg er Bromley and Davenport B adg er mill Families 88 ff 20 Baili B rom ley , Edward Baker Family Bromley Mansion 59 J 60 Baker, ohn , Robert , Family 37 Rog er Bromley , Monuments Baker Fa m ily Robert 21 1 1 Mansion B romley , Reginald 1 6 Barrett, Robert , Roger mas 30 Barker, Thom as Bromley , Tho B ro u h a ll W 99 B arkley , Thomas of g , illiam Yewdnes s Bull of Pop e John 26 B urcote 51 Barnes . Humphrey , House and Mill B arn field a 51 , Miss Rocks and C ve B arnfield Richard ( Poet) Burton Miss 65 s B llin s l e n 1 9 Barn ley y ge y, Joh C all ent 1 1 4 Barney . Humphrey , Henry W m a 7 B arney . illia C n telupe C a ts ree 66 Batch Pools t , Fam ily of n S 1 7 Bates , John a d Thomas Chancery uit

s 0 0 t and B aye Ch an ry Chapels , Chaplains 32

wonrl aLD

Hastings , Henry Meredith

Miller , Miss 69 Z: Lords Mill Lane 23 a Mo ld war s U1 1 Hatton , Rich rd Roger y p , Crows , chins 5 s Hawk , value of Montg omery , Hugh de 7 Morfe g . . e 20 Hem min s , J B For st

Henry I . Morris , Sir John M II . orton , Robert

IV . Myth s and Legends M tton VIII . y , John

Hermitage , the Nevill , Sir E .

Hew and Crye Newe , Richard Hides Newton

S . M P. F l Hill , . Newton y e d Nicholl s ilt . H on , Thos Samuel oh es b Hitchcocks . J Nis ett , Lady H occomb , Robert de Normans H occom Oblation Holy - water potte O ld ington H om s ok on Otters B Lad e oode , Thom as Our y

Hopes Our Lady , taper for W O us el e Hu lton , illiam de y

B . James , Rev . S . , M . A . Outcry

Jasper Oxen , value of

Jesson , Miss Ox Teams

dz . John , King Parkes , J . T . C Pan Joynson , Peter

Kenil worth Parsonage , new K in s low g Pearce , John K in sl owe g , Roger de Pears , John r r Kinne sley Pembroke , Ea l of 1 t ’ W angton , Bishop Pe er s ell l t1 ch ard Leicester Phillips , of tm Len t . y e of Brockton Leofri c Pinfold h Leonard . Say te Ping le , Richard l W L ewellyn Piper, . '

E . Mrs Lloy d Poole , . d W Lo ge , hun ting Powell , illiam

Lords , M archers Presentmen ts i J ' Lowe , Thom as Pr ory , St . ames s Pritc b a i d l , . Ludlow Cast e John , Esq Lychgate Provost 1‘ Jano rial u Co rt Pugh , Marin d en Bache Family Pm to n Families Mass to be sun g Purv eyor Mas s erdine Fiel d R an u lph

Maynard , Robert Reeve

M . T . ayo, Rev . , M . A Richard I . A N D I T S TO WNSH IPS

1 4 A Richard II. rrowheads , Sword , Black R in dl f 8 ( t let M s and e ord 1 0 Ryll os t , u ket

b Beles m e 7 e - o s B e Ro ert de B lt . b xe , ull t ' dd M 89 b a Ho me an d b l u fie o f Ro , iss , the beauty g , D u l l l tt e 7 o ws . S C a n Rogu s 1 arr kull p, 4 22 Roman cam p 7 Syn g e . Humphrey R 69 r' 1 1 3 omantic m arriage Taylo s , the

6 4; " B 1 01 J. I ] oughton Taylor, , Vicar of Madeley R o wel owe W m 1 28 , illia de 1 Terrier R r h 28 29 owley 1 09 I ites , ' l u M r 66 Rowley , Fran cis 31 ngue iss , and Co nelius t nd e i h ill 22 Rowley , S ephen 1 6 U a i cai a e Runaw y m arriage 8 9 g , endowment o f 36 3 . J. Sarcophagus 9 Vickers, T

Saxons 2G Ven . A rchdeacon School master 40 Valentine 69 ' Schoolmas ter s Salary 1 5 Vill uns 8 4 e f Wa lker Sir John 3 S r s , Sh all cross e W k e s a 30 1 09 al r , Su n ' W o a m 55 Sheep , m arking 1 5 alt n F ily 1 0 d 2] Wa d S i r . Si ney , Sir Henry r , E W 4 W e Hiero m e 30 Sin g , illiam 1 1 art r , 4 V\ aru ic k a 8 Sm allman 9 , E rl H b s 4 W a J an d W 87 , E . 9 1 8 ve t . h ll S mith u ert q , r on o n i iam ’ vill " 43 n s 20 W or . Smith , Sydney , Stedma E q eel o Sm ith m a J h 8 e n 1 07 Wel d . o n 1 1 4 1 1 5 a 93 h itehill s the , Smy the , C p tain , 22 W a i 8 Smy the , John hitmore , C pta n s Sond 1 1 3 Sir T . other W 8 S ne 1 9 . , Hugh Sir a 8 St bleford 1 1 3 T . C . , Esq . 47 r 1 1 W s . . Stablefo d , Robert de il on , Mr R 09 Stanl ow 97 Win s cote 1 ttanl owe 1 1 W e 30 , Thomas de ooll y , Thomas 30 a 1 1 3 Wolr h e . St nmore yc , Mrs W rfi ld 23 Stan ton , George 30 o e House a l 1 5 St pleford 1 1 Wo1 fie d , impressions of a his 1 fi l t tors Stew rd , 2 Wo 1 e d , and Chap 3 i 33 S t . Nicholas 2 la ns of 43 Offering of heifer Worfiel d Rowley Mills 44 to a 37 Wo rfiel d t w s h f Ch pel , o n ip s o vlle 21 Stocks , 1 6 W or y Home W W 1 7 Stokes family 1 01 rottesley , al ter n h Vi c 1 1 4 Stra ge , P ilip de 45 yk n 1 2 Swan cote 1 1 4 Yai d l an d and halfyai d l ands S wan o te 35 c 1 a M1 . , Thomas 9 Y tes , Swanc M e W Yeau lin to n , . 1 1 g d G erdl es a 1 5 e a s H u an d a Swor , , He d , 1 6 Y t , g h M ry

a e m e e s etc . p eeces , D ggers , Pikes , Y o n , Copyhold r

a un i o - bol d venture . The work bo ds w th wo dcuts and full page and i m e w a and rea photographs , w l l no doubt e t ith large dy sale to ” and in on an old r n tourists others resid g the b ks of Sab i a.

Gloucestershi re Stand ard . “ al an u s an Mr. R and l has eye for the pict re que , acquaintance with many of the matters historical and antiquari an conn ected wi th and m w s al n an the Severn the any to n and villages dotted o g its b ks , in Pli nl imm on s r Kin road from its source to the e tua y at g , and he i ‘ writes with enthusiasm of the beauty of the r ver , the music of ’ m wi his i l ns G ou te re whose fords ingles th earl est recol ectio . l ces rshi — Thi s book is one of the best of its kind certainly the best on

. l is a in a the subject Mr . Randa l an enthusi st the study of n ture, i u w u and and possesses a keen eye for the beaut f l , ith a fl ent el egant

. a d i all i pen Geology , bot ny , tra ition , an d h story are la d un der r in s n r abun dant tribute , and thei facts woven to plea i g pictu es of the

most instr uctive ch aracter . The book is altogether one of the bes t contri butions to Engli sh topographical literature we have ever ”— ‘ ta ordshire Sentinel . read . S fi

e can m our f W ost conscientiously recommend it to readers , or there is food for all tastes an d temperaments in its ever - varyin g ’ a a out we p ges . For day s to any pl ace on the Severn , do not know — t r Birmin ham Pos . a b ette guide . g “ i - Th s work will be an admirable gui de book for the tourist . M r. h an i li R andall sketc es l dscapes with art stic taste , ngers here and n r in e there for a ecdote , d ops at the wayside host lry , and picks up . i — n i pleasant ch t chat on a gl ng and other subjects . He is evidently a r and in l over of natu e , possesses a pleas g style of demonstrating his ” r r . devotion in print . Wo ceste H erald An itinerary aboun ding with interestin g m aterial of a very ar in a l v ied k d , of which the author has av i ed himself t o write a most ” — A . agreeable book . rtJournal i ff ri ir . B stol , B rmingham , Sta ord , Montgomerysh e , and other 1 a l as i l p pers , as wel h ghly comp imentary opinions by literary gentle men might b e quoted .

O HIS T O RY F MA DE LE Y. from Saran and N orman times rom rare M S tentor t f . f he ur ose p p , with hotos 4 Cloth handsomel boun p , / ( , y d . )

T e in i h u h work conta s an exhaust ve account of the paris , incl ding ri d Ironb dge, Coalport , and Coalbrook ale , with the history of the s and t i R eli iou s m Industrie , s at stics of g bodies, nu ber of members ,

ar &c. u he ers and sums annually raised for religious p rposes .

HIST RY O F B O RO S E LE Y, 3 wi th hotos 4 few s t / p , / only a copie lef . O LD S PO RT S A ND S PO RT S ME N, or the Willey Country : with sketches ofGeor e F orester the Wille g , y

S uire T om Mood thefamous Whi er- in Parson Ste hens a q , y, pp , p , nd

other Sp or ting celebrities ofthe lastcentur y,

This is one of the most attractive book s on sport and sporting men whi ch h as been issued from the press for m any a long day

' T he Uou rtJournal in a lon g review says

We have in the work before us a production that is admirable in all . in respects The author has clearly his heart the work , and is , we should fancy a proud Salopian , anxious to do homage to his native

A theneeum in i The , also, a rev ew that occupies between two and i to w i three col umns, g ves great praise the ork , add ng

a a s f Mr . R nd ll deals with sporting incident rom the getting up of the sun to the going down thereof ; and few matters connected with the

field, its pains, perils , and pleasures, escape him .

A d ’ lthough receive while this sheet was being made up, we can ' not let it go to press without a w ord of greeting for Mr Randall s ’ — o . i charming little volume of Old Sports and Sp rtsmen The R el quary .

A oll h — f of f j y book , t is ull the heal thy atmosphere of country li e , and stirring the souls of the Englishman wi th its records of English li fe ”— - fi l mn n m azette a d Bi i ha G . e . g w ll b In Shropshire the work i dou tless meet with a large sale, dealing as it does with one of the most enthusiastic lovers of fox hunting that county , or indeed any other, ever boasted , and dealing with him , i n r moreover, a chatty , racy , and att active style, which renders the nar

- ub orcester H erald . rative do ly interesting . The W

This is one of the best b ooks on English sport which has b een i the the o ssued from press for some time . It perpetuates d ings of mighty s d huntsmen of the generation just past , who e names , househol d wor s a b b a few years ack , are gradually ecoming faint tr ditions , and whose feats stand in danger ofb eing scoffed at unl ess properly chronicled b y such ’ h W orks as Mr . Randall s, w ich proves most clearly that there were m men ofb d m m —F ighty before the age reech loa ers and Aga e non . 0rest an Str d eam (New York . )

N B K E EVERN VALLEY RAILW HA D OO TO TH S AY.

r h ws u r Ill us ra ed F om W orcester to S re b y ( t t ) 9d . T HE O LD C O URT HO US E O MA D O R MA NOR H US E , E LE Y .

1 G t1 6 il . / , / Containing Hi stori cal References thereto extending over more 0 a than 80 years . lso i mp ortant genealogical an d other informati on from ancient deeds and pedigrees , showing the distinguished positions and connections of various Lords who held the Manor, m ore par he i ticul aril y those of t Brooke Family , an d the nscriptions beneat h ie t c omm em or the efii g s of the Lord Chief Justi ce , with transla ion s

a a u . ating the lives and virtues of his des cend nts , outside M deley Ch rch

. B . A . S . E . L an d H . F J . Vaughan , , , Oxon , other authors and m t gentlemen , acknowledged authorities on at ers relating to anti quari an and genealogical research have expressed favourable O pinion s of the work . The Shrewsbu ry Chronicle als o rem arks Local antiquari ans must be greatly indebted to Mr R an dall for the information he is continu all y gathering as to the old buildings in his locality . The records of the Ol d Court Hous e w ill be found not l only hi storica ly valuable , but much entertaining information has been " collated for the benefit of readers .

“ F . JOHN WILKINSON, FATHER. O THE IRON TRADE

1 cu m boards . / ,

R welLk nown s r i . U e t , , e e nd this t le Mr andall a geologi t of Mad l y, l t o f S a op , has published an interesting ske ch the above local worthy . r ll While much of his info mation wi be fresh to local readers , and much of it valuable as illustrating the character of one of the most a h i remarkable industri l eroes of an i llustrious group, we are aston shed l f that so ittle is comparatively known of his li e , although he was

and d W . l contemporary frien of Boulton , att, Dr Priest y , and other of l h e d intellectual giants the time , and ived til l t end of the first deca e m en i of the present century . Many yet liv ng can rememb er something — fn fr0m fm hi m of him i ot personal acquaintance , at least ro hearing ti f spoken of, and yet some of the mos mportant events of his li e are e I t n o au is matt rs of dispute . is f lt of the author that his work not m is Wh f i ore exhausti ve than it . at in ormat on he has met with he has lai d before hi s readers in a clear and careful manner ; and w e recommend the little volume to our readers who are anxious to know something of ' — t r . n r a gr eat m an T he B zls o Me cu y .

' Stafiords hire is so largely indebted for its wealth and importance the W i l to energy and perseverance of John ilkinson , that th s ittle book, in which the story of his l ife and the work which he accompli shed are f Staifords m set forth , will commend itsel to the notice of hire en in a ’ h special degree . Appropriatel y enoug , the book is dedi cated to the W the a Corporation of olverhampton, custodi ns of an original portrait

s m i u the ris ro r s s upon o e scientific as pect of a local ty, or pon e and p g e of local industries does a good work . People brought up in the midst of such industries as Mr . R andall treats of frequently think they know l li the all about them , and it is not till som e man of intel igence, ke w hi s t s author of this little volume , comes forward ith reper ory of fact , i that they are able to re alize their own ignorance . In works of th s

sort there is often considerable temptation to book m aking . Local writers frequently think there is a necessity laid upon them to go o b ack to the very genesis of things and to mix up scraps of hist ry, and t the scien ce, literature if they onl y have the remo est relation to

e i . a l district and the matt r immed ately under ha nd Mr . R nda l , how

is h . ever, too goo d a literary workman for t is kind of thing He sticks l in i strai htfor close y to his subj ect he tells what he knows pla n, g n i 56 ward un adorned E gl sh . and the resul t is pages of thoroughly in in and in i s innin and terest g form ng matter, cohe ive fro m beg g to end — n . r r quite free from scrappi ess The A dve tise .

SHIF NAL AND ITS SURROUNDINGS .

One Shilling.

. com l ete h It is a p epitome of te Archaeol ogy of the old town . m in A comp rehensive history of the church is given , and an y qua t n i n extracts co nected with the an cient h story of its other institutio s, while interesting particulars are collated respectin g th e Percy B al

lads and their origin . The old families of the neighbourhood are d s Mr an . frequently referred to , upon the geology of the di trict Randall speaks w ith an authority to whi ch every one will allow that e a r i a k m he is entitl d. A c apit l photog aph of Sh fn l M ar et Square for s ” v an a r0 riate . ol erham ton Chronicle pp p fron tispiece W p .

It seems to be a most exhaustive compil ation of facts conn ected a is l o with the history of Shifn l , and i lustrated b th with photo — . r w u r graphs and several engravings Sh e sb r3/ Ch onicle. “ This is the title of another of Mr Ran dall ’ s well compiled and n is u is interesti g works . It but j st published , by the Author and an “ ” ” l l and exce lent sequel to his Severn Val ey, Old Sports Sportsm en , “ & c l n din l T o o ra 1 ll . Shi fna and its surrou gs are Historica ly , p g ph ea y ’ ’ n l — d ogically considered in the author s best style . Wellington 3ourfi

i fin in Th s little book shoul d d a corner every household. I i i s conta ns a view of the town of Sh fnal , showing the hou e where the i Percy Reliques were found , an d with add tion al view of church,

is simply a marvel of cheapnes s . Wenlock a nd Ludlow E xp ress .