Bn ( osall. e , B o o k Gen esha l GNOSALL writt n in Domesday e , remains as ) e ( regards its prefix a complete puzzl for philologists . I t s is po sible that the Dome sday scribes blunde red in the ir 1 t h spelling , the early forms of the word ( 2 c e n t ur v ) be ing s Gn o wesh a le t almo t invariably , which la er took on t h esimilar s Gn o usha le t h e pelling of and like , with practically no change k e throughout the c nturies . Th e P AR I S H l t h e inc uded Manors of Gnosall , Walton K i e , n h t le B e fc o t e e [Grang ] , Moreton g y , and Cowl y , Wil h e , t brighton and small estate of Burgh [or Brough] Hall . Domes day Book records close upon 1 0 0 familie s within the se t h e ma nors . Until the close of 1 2 t h century Blymhill was a lso i n e e cluded within Gnosall parish , and until r c nt times th e eastern boundaries by Rul e and Alston seem to have Th e i bee n i ndecisive . mention of Mr . Wh t gr e e v e s Rule s t 1 61 in the Regi ter (Sep , 4) is presumably intended to dis ti n g ui sh the part which lay within the parish . Gnosall township in 1 0 86 only had about half the p o p u lation and o n e quart e r of t h e value of the neighbouring manor s e (and pari h) of Norbury , and compared still l ss favourably ’ with the King s manors of Cowley and B e fc o t e where the t h e bulk of the population live d . Clearly growth of Gnosall 1 0 86 was due to its church , although in it had its [water] mill as it doe s still . 1 3 761 2 7 n . THE CHURCH . (i . Its Constitutio ) There is no evidence of a Saxon church here . Dome sday e e book deals with Gnosall and P nkridg j ointly , stating that nine clerks he ld these manors from t h e King . Both place s e e e were of increasing value , and appar ntly colleg s wre then in e t h e i e t the proce ss of formation . But wher as Penkr dg ounda c e tion assumed the normal form of a lean and sev n canons , the development of Gnosall was arre sted But t h e church . i e e of Gnosall has usually be en termed Colleg at , as a colleg e e of four canons under a titular d an , who xcept for patronage th e e e held office without emolument . From time of St ph n the dean was the bishop of the diocese , and the claim of the crown to t h e advowson of the church failed in 1 2 93. wa s Th e endowment consisted of the manor of Gnosall which Wt h t h e divide d into four portions , the profits of went to e e prebendaries alone . Ther appears to have be n no common S tafio r dsh i r e P a r i sh R eg i ster s . l e e e e h le d . s al , ch st or chapt r hous , facts whic Mr A Hami ton 1 t . 1 A . h e . P . S . Thompson , M . A . , (in Arch Journ , 9 7, pp 1 39 in his N o tes o n Co lleg es of S e m la r C a non s i n Engi a rzd to call this a church of portioners rather than e e e e a coll e ge (p . nor do s any vid nce app ar to con t r a di c t this assertion . It is not easy to say what the early constit ution of t h e n e t h e . church w a s . Assumi g that s ven of nine Norman canons e a r e e . s were at P nkridge , two only l ft for Gnosall The bi hop received t h e church of Gnosall with its prebends toge ther with othe r S taffordshire Colle giat e churches in 1 1 40 from King th e e e e e Stephe n . Actually arliest known incumb nt h r was William archde acon of London (who occurs in 1 1 55 as i n c um o i ) e bent Bradley also , his patron b ing Bishop Roger de Clinton . m 1 1 Later there was Ada , priest of Gnosall in 99 John de Gn o ush a le succeeded one Adam (both are calle d chap 1 e e lains in 2 2 3 ; whil two canons app ar in 1 2 38 . This was the period whe n the church on the lines which we now e e see was built . C rtainly befor the close of th e 1 3th century the manor of Gnosall was held by four clerks from the bishop . t h e e e e e Later still prebends wer named Mor hall , B v rley hall , k wo r t h 1 6 e Ch ilt r e u e e n e . S ( 3 9) or Suk r Hall , and Hall In this connection t h e following canons should be reme mbe red Thomas de B e v e rley William de S e ukv swo r th (1 2 78 de h il . e C t e r n and Mr Walt r e (d . There is every reason for be lieving t hat t h e Gnosall — e e t h e canons w re non resident as a rul , and that priestly f e e e e e o fic s w r und rtak n by the four vicars choral , who were e e e e e sometim s t rmed and may usually hav b n chaplains , whether attache d to chape ls within t h e church or those a t i l e w K n h t e e . g y , Mor ton , and Chat ll One Leonard Harcourt , e at an uncertain dat , built a mansion house of four little e t h e e e chamb rs for vicars choral , and gav th m a barn for e e hay for th ir hors s and four butts of land in Gnosall . This re maine d in 1 549 . Th e appropriation of college and pre bends to t h e bishop came about by letters patent of Henry VII I . Aft e r the Re formation t h e church became a pe rpetual curacy in t h e gift of the bishop . ’ In the lat e r churchwarde ns accounts two example s a r e e 1 6 given of this proc ss 74 pay d . 2 d . for br ing ing us a e B sh s h a letter from t h u p that Mr . Aston must b e o ur Curat e ’ t h e B B 1 70 2 Pd . 3 0 to ishop s utler when w e wen t to petition r a his Lo dship for n able minister , Gno sa ll . LIST o r CURATES AN D VICARS . l e 6 Wi liam Sutton , buri d Jul 1 7 e e 2 G offr y Gosling , buried 5 8 e ga1 2333 e e e , e 2 e 1 8 Laur nc Clow s buri d 9 Jun , 5 5. 0 00 . 1 5 3 . e 9 Richard F nton , to 1 60 1 1 60 2 . e 1 6 (a curat ) to 0 8 . 1 60 8 . e t , Au 1 61 Rog r Bol on to g , 5. t 1 61 . , 5 e D e c . 1 1 Sep William J nnings , to 6 . , 5 a n 1 61 6. J , D c e c . 1 6 Thomas Ro ke , to , 30 . , 1 6 1 . 3 , 1 6 Jan William Geast to March , 32 . 1 6 2 . , 3 e , e 1 8 F March William Brer ton buri d e b . 1 6 — 42 3 . 9 e VVe b l — e . 1 6 Samu l y , occ 49 50 . Au 1 6 0 . g , 5 . 1 6 John Hall , occ April , 60 . o c c . , 1 661 . May Thomas Reynolds , buried 1 0 April , 1 6' 4 1 6 66 s . Edwa rdAst 0 n 1 as a sistant) , buried 70 2 . 1 0 2 . 7 Robert Fox . 1 1 . e a c o c k 73 J e . S m a llb r o ke 1 Samuel , res . 759 . s Ca t tl Jo eph o w . 1 8 . John Swinnerton , res 7 4 William Lowe . e F aron Jenkinson . John Till (and first Vicar) . John Warner . John Child Bocking . T E . ii i H . E CHURCH ( Its d fic e . ) e . Gnosall church was dedicat d to St Laurence . It e e a n d e architecturally of very gr at int rest , as r cent repairs have been conservatively executed (the north transe pt still remains untouche d) it is possible to observe t h e work of d f i ferent periods rather easier than is usually t h e case .