Part 59
THE NATIONAL SCHOOL is a commodious structure, situate within the bounds of this township, measuring sixty feet by thirty feet, and will accommodate 300 scholars; the average attendance is about 150. It is supported by subscriptions and donations, and a charge of one penny per week from each scholar. The income is about £60 per annum. There are three government pupils placed here as teachers. Charles Frederick Bird is the master. THE GIRLS’ NATIONAL SCHOOL, in Clay pit street, has an attendance of 85 scholars. The above are also used as Sunday schools, and numerously attended. There is a PAROCHIAL LENDING LIBRARY in the national school, which contains a considerable number of valuable and instructive publications. It was established for the benefit of the humbler members of society, to whom the books are lent without any payment. MOSS FIELD HOUSE is a commodious structure of brick, with projecting gables, and a noble portico of free stone supported by massive pillars. The pleasure grounds and shrubberies are extensive, and laid out with great taste, and the park-like grounds and beautiful scenery add much to the interest of the place. Messrs. Lee and Brookes are stewards of the courts leet and baron, which are held for the manor. A branch of the Ellesmere and Chester canal intersects this township, and terminates near to New-street.
Andrews Thomas, gentleman
Arrowsmith Rev. Aaron
Baxter Jane, milliner, Bark hill
Bayley William, gentleman, The Nursery
Benson Mrs. Mary
Bird Charles Frederick, schoolmaster
Boughey Joseph, farmer, Blackoe
Boughey Mrs. Ellen, High street
Boyes Robert, vict., New Inn, High street
Bradshaw Richard, vict., High gate
Brett Miss, High street
Bromfield John, surgeon
Bromfield The Misses Elizabeth and Mary
Brookes George, Esq., High street
Brookes William Lee, Esq., High street
Burgess Thomas, Esq., The Hall
Burrows John, Bark hill
Burston Mrs., High street
Cartwright Mary, stay maker, Sherriman’s hill
Carver Captain Daniel, High street
Chester George, farmer, Bark hill
Chester Hannah, milliner, Bark hill
Chidlow Richard, tailor, High street
Churton William Phillip, Turnbridge
Clarke Thomas, bricklayer, Alkington road
Cureton John, farmer, Blackoe
Currie Mrs. Mary, High street
Currie William F., Esq., High street
Dupre Mrs. Lucy, Ladies’ seminary
Evanson Joseph, shopkeeper, High street
Foulkes Charles, deputy registrar, Bark hill
Finn Thomas, furniture dealer, Bark hill
France William, farmer
Garratt Mrs. Sarah, High gate
Gould Mr. William
Grindley William Thomas, New street
Griffiths Wm., beerhouse, Sherriman’s hill
Harper George, Esq., Moss field
Hassall Thomas, farmer, Hadley farm
Hinton Thomas, farmer, Fields farm
Humpston John, canal clerk
Jackson Lucy, boarding school
James George, shoemaker, Bark hill
Jarvis John, painter, &c., High street
Jarvis Thomas, grocer, tea dealer, & draper High street
Jebb Thomas, gentleman, Wrexham road
Jones Edward, maltster, Alkington lane
Keay John, vict. and farmer
Kempster Thomas, gentleman, High street
Kirkpatrick Edward Brace, Esq.
Kirkpatrick Miss Lousia, gentlewoman
Lea Edward, maltster, Bark hill
Lee John, Esq., High street
Lee Robert, tailor, High street
Lowe Thomas, wharfinger, New wharf
Lyth Richard, Hadley farm
Lythgoe Thomas, factor, High gate
Maddocks Joseph, beerhouse, Sedge ford
Marsh Thomas Palmer, physician
Morgan Ann, dressmaker, Bark hill
Morgan Charles, cabinet maker, Bark hill
Morrall Rev. John, Bark hill
Morray William, beerhouse, Havannah
Nunnerley Thomas, gentleman, The Farm
Pace John, tailor, High street
Pickering Rev. Edward, High street
Podmore John, gentleman, High gate
Roberts John, Danston’s yard
Roberts John, The Dairy Farm
Roberts Thos., cabinetmaker, Alkington ln
Sadler John, beerhouse, Bark hill
Sadler John, jun., blacksmith, Bark hill
Sandland Stephen, schoolmaster
Sanders Mr. S., High street
Saxton Charles, gentleman
Sharkes Mary, Blackoe farm
Slaney William, plumber, High street
Smith Joseph, beerhouse keeper
Smith Robert, iron founder
Smith William, engineer
Smith William, tailor, New street
Sumner William and Daniel, pump makers
Swinnerton John, surgeon, New street
Tiler Rev. William, Independent minister
Turner The Misses
Watkiss Miss, High street
Wood John Foulkner, Esq., High street
Woollam John, parish clerk
Woolley William, farmer, New street
Wragg Isaac, vict., Bark hill
Wright Elizabeth, vict., Royal Oak, High st
Yond Thomas, dyer, Bark hill
Academies.
Dupre Mrs. Lucy, Ladies’ boarding
National, New street; Charles Frederick Bird, master
British, High street; Mr. & Mrs. Stephen, Sandland
Accountants.
Parker Samuel H., Saving’s bank
Smith William, High street
Architect.
Smith William, High street
Attorneys.
Brookes and Lee Messrs., High street
Harper George, Moss fields
Kirkpatrick Edward Bruce, High street
Auctioneer.
Churton William Parker
Baker & Flour Dealer.
Poole Mary, Watergate street
Blacksmith.
Saddler John, Bark hill
Boot & Shoemaker.
James George, High street
Brewer.
Jones Edward, The brewery
Brick and Tile Merchant.
Roberts John, New wharf
Cabinet Makers.
Burrows Thos., Havannah buildings
Lakin William, New street
Cheese Factors.
Burgess Messrs. Thomas and Ralph; warehouses, The Factory buildings, canal side, and Prospect row, canal head
Lythgoe Thomas, High gate
Civil Engineer.
Smith William, High street
Coal Agents.
Lowe Thomas, New wharf
Roberts John, New wharf
Wright George, New street
Corn Factors.
Burgess Messrs. T. R. W., Prospect row, and Factory buildings
Farmers.
Boughey Joseph, Blackoe
Chester George, Bark hill
Cureton John, Blackoe
France Wm., Dodington lane
Hassall Thos., Hadley farm
Hinton Thomas, Fields farm
Keay John, Dodington
Lyth Richard, Hadley
Nunnerley Thos., The fields
Podmore John, High street
Roberts John, Dairy farm
Sharkes Mary, Blackoe
Woolley William, New street
Fire and Life-office Agents.
The British Empire Fire & Life, Richard Thomas, Prospect place
The Star and General Insurance Company, Robert Smith, Dodington
Grocer and Draper.
Jarvis Thomas, High street
Inns and Taverns.
Boyes Robert, High street
Bradshaw Richard, High gate
Wragg Isaac, Bark hill
Wright Elizabeth, High st
Beerhouses.
Griffiths Wm., Sherriman’s hl
Maddocks Joseph, Sedge ford
Murray William, Havannah
Sader John, Bark hill
Ironfounders.
Smith Wm. & Son, Dodington
Land & Estate Agents.
Brookes and Lee, High street
Lime & Guano Dealers.
Lowe Thomas, New wharf
Roberts John, New wharf
Machine Makers.
Smith Wm. & Son, High st
Maltsters.
Burgess & Son, New street
Jones Edward, Alkington rd
Lea Edward, Bark hill
Millers.
Jebb Thomas, Old mills
Roberts John, Steam mills
Painters.
Jarvis John, High street
Wragg Isaac, High street
Plumber & Glazier.
Slayney William, Dodington
Professor of Music.
Saxton Charles, High street
Surgeons.
Bromfield John, Dodington
Marsh Thos. Palmer, High st
Swinnerton John, New street
Tailors.
Chidlow Richard, High st
Morray William, High street
Smith William, High street
Timber Merchant.
Garratt Mrs. Sarah, High st
Wharfingers.
Brooks John, Sherriman’s hl
Humstone John, Sherriman’s hill
Lowe Thomas, New wharf
Roberts John, New wharf
Wheelwrights.
Davies William Augustus, Dodington
Smith William, Doddington
EDGELEY,
a small township with 416A. 0R. 24P. of land situated 1½ miles S.E. by S. from Whitchurch, in 1841 contained seventeen houses and seventy-three inhabitants, the soil is in general strong, with a portion of sand and gravel. Rateable value £583. 14s. The tithes are commuted for the sum of £37. 10s. The freeholders are William Lee Brookes, Esq., Wm. Worthington, Esq., Samuel Alexander Duff, Esq., John Goodall, Esq., Peter Soole Taylor, Esq., John Lowe, Esq., Archibald Worthington, Esq., and Mr. Richard Weaver. The BAPTISTS have a neat chapel with a residence for the minister and a school attached. It is situated in the lane leading from Edgeley Moss to Ash, near the verge of the township, and was built and endowed by Mr. Brown. The school is open for the instruction of the children residing in the surrounding townships; those that are admitted free must belong to the children who attend the chapel, and prefer the Baptist faith. The master has an income of £30 per annum, which is now paid by Mrs. Brown. The pastor of the congregation also teaches the school. There is a small plot of ground used as a burial place for members of the congregation. EDGELEY MOSS, usually called Brown Moss, contains 77A. 2R. 7P. and is now chiefly covered with water. EDGELEY HOUSE, the residence of John Lowe, Esq., is a modern erection of brick, stuccoed. It is delightfully situated, and beautified with shrubberies and park-like grounds.
The principal residents are John Lowe, Esq., Edgeley House; William Poole Churlton, farmer; James Harding, farmer; Rev. William Jones, Baptist minister.
GRINDLEY BROOK is a detached hamlet on the high road from Whitchurch to Malpas, a mile and a half north-west from the former place. It lies on the verge of the county, and is separated from Cheshire by the Grindley brook, a small stream which is here crossed by a stone bridge. The Whitchurch, Ellesmere, and Chester Canal takes its course near the village, and near to the wharf are extensive lime works carried on by Mr. John Roberts. The chief freeholders are the trustees of the late Duke of Bridgewater, Mr. James Hancock, Mr. Robert Roe, Mr. Joseph Rycroft, Miss Harper, Mr. Parry Jones, and Mr. George Blanton.
DIRECTORY.—Mr. Joseph Beddoe, toll collector at the canal locks and tonnage clerk; Mr. Richard B. Briscoe, Brookhouse; Thomas Cliff, beerhouse and shopkeeper; Philip Hales, farmer, Denston; William Hassall, Esq., land and estate agent, Bubney House farm, Thomas Peake, boat builder; John Roberts, lime merchant; George Seaman, victualler, Canal Inn; James Whittingham, victualler, Horse and Jockey.
HINTON,
a township one and a quarter miles north from Whitchurch, in 1841 had six houses and forty-one inhabitants: the township contains 498A. 0R. 36P. of land the soil of which is a mixture of gravel and loam; the principal land owner is Thomas Boycott, Esq. William H. Poole Esq., and George Harper, Esq. are also proprietors. The district here has a bold undulating surface. The tithes payable to the rector of Whitchurch have been commuted for the sum of £51. 15s.
The residents are Thomas Chester, farmer; Thomas Joyce, farmer, the Hall; W. H. Poole, Terrick Hall; Joseph Vernon, farmer, the Field.
HOLLYHURST,
a small township with a few scattered houses one mile and three quarters north-east from Whitchurch, contains 241 acres of land, and in 1841 had seven houses and thirty-eight souls. The rateable value is included in the return of the township of Chinnel, and the tithes with those of Chinnel have been commuted for £22. 9s. 6d., which is paid to the incumbent of Whitchurch. The land owners are Lord Combermere, John Nickson, Esq., Mrs. Sarah Sadler, and Domville Poole, Esq.
The principal residents are John Sadler, farmer; Sarah Sadler, farmer; and Thomas Venables, farmer.
TILSTOCK
is a chapelry and populous village delightfully situated one and a half miles south from Whitchurch; the township contains 2,549A. 2R. 20P. of land, and at the census of 1841 there were 136 houses and 637 inhabitants; the soil is a mixture of sand and loam, with a portion of gravel, considered good turnip land; the country around is pleasingly diversified with rural scenery, and there are some extensive farms, with good farm houses occupied by intelligent and respectable agriculturalists. The township is intersected by the Ellesmere and Chester Canal, and the Wem and Whitchurch turnpike road. The principal land owners are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, George Corser, Esq., John Goodall Esq., Rev. Geo. Richard Downward, Francis Jas. Hughes, Esq., Daniel Kempster, Esq., Rev. William Renton, Mr. John Whitfield, and Mrs. Wood. There are also several other freeholders.
THE CHURCH, dedicated to our Saviour, is a neat erection of brick, with a small square tower ornamented with stone finishings. It was built in 1835, not far from the site of a former edifice which was dedicated to St. Giles; the cost of the structure was about £2,000, which was defrayed by the munificence of the late Countess of Bridgewater. It consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles; the body of the church will accommodate 303 hearers, and there is a gallery which will hold 100 persons; the whole has a neat and tasteful appearance. The living is a perpetual curacy endowed with a grant from Queen Anne’s bounty, and funds given by the Bridgewater family which were laid out in the purchase of land situated in Wales. The value of the living is returned at £120. The rector of Whitchurch is the patron; the Rev. William Renton, M.A. is the incumbent. Tilstock was formed into a district parish for ecclesiastical purposes in 1844. The church, the parsonage, and the national school, have all been erected during the incumbency of the present minister. There is a vestry attached to the church in which are kept two volumes of Jones’s Book of Martyrs. The Parsonage House, a neat and commodious residence near the church yard, was built at a cost of £1,000 given by the munificent family who also built the church. The tithes have been commuted for the sum of £244. 11s. which is paid to the rector of the parish. The WESLEYAN METHODISTS have a neat place of worship, which was built in the year 1837, adjoining which is a small burial ground.
THE NATIONAL SCHOOL, a modern erection of brick, with a residence for the teacher, stands on the site of the old church, and was built by subscription and a grant of £60 from the National Society. Among the most liberal donors towards its erection were the Countess of Bridgewater, who gave £60, the Rev. Charles M. Long, rector of Whitchurch, £60, and Lord Farnborough £20. About 100 children attend the school, which is chiefly supported by the incumbent of the church and a few benevolent individuals. The minister and his lady assiduously superintend the school.
_Samuel Austin_ bequeathed £10, and directed the interest to be distributed to the poor every St. Thomas’s day. Ten shillings per annum is now paid from a farm in the township of Tilstock, which belongs to G. S. Corser, Esq. The amount is given among the poor by the officiating minister with the sacrament-money at Christmas. The poor also
## participate in a bread charity, noticed with Whitchurch.
Allen Joseph, inland revenue officer
Allmark Joseph, victualler (Horse Shoe) and wheelwright
Batho Richard, rope maker
Batho Stephen, farmer, rope maker, and shopkeeper
Bayley John, farmer
Bayley Thomas, farmer
Beckett William, maltster, farmer, and beerhouse-keeper
Bennett John, blacksmith
Bennon Randle, farmer
Bolton John, castrator
Broomhall John, maltster, farmer, and victualler, Black Lion
Catterall William, tailor
Cliff Ann, dressmaker
Cliff Joseph, blacksmith, The Heath
Darlington Abraham, shopkeeper and shoemaker
Dudleston Ann, farmer, The Park
Dudleston Richard, farmer, The Park
Dutton Ann, schoolmistress
Eaton Thomas, farmer, Wood-lane Farm
Edwards George, schoolmaster
Edwards John, shoemaker
Fenna William, grocer and ironmonger
Groome Joseph, wheelwright & parish clerk
Hinton James, farmer
Hinton Thomas, butcher and grazier, and victualler, Red Lion
Jones Daniel, shoemaker
Jones Samuel, shopkeeper
Kempster Mr. Daniel, Ivy House
Kempster Miss Mary
Massey Samuel, Tilstock-park Farm
Morris John, tailor
Parbutt John, shopkeeper
Parry John, farmer, The Hollins
Reece John, farmer
Renton Rev. William, M.A., The Parsonage
Roberts John, lime-master, maltster, and farmer, Brick-walls
Watling John, drill-machineman
Wenlock William, farmer
Whitfield John, farmer, Tilstock Park
WOODHOUSES (NEW),
a pleasant but scattered village and township, two miles and a half S.E. from Whitchurch, containing 714A. 3R. 11P. of land, had in 1841, 27 houses and 115 inhabitants. The chief landowners are the Trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, Mr. Richard Bellington, Mrs. Gretton, Samuel Yate Benyon, Esq., Mrs. Beckett, Mr. John Cookson, Viscount Combermere, W. L. Brookes, Esq., Mr. John Moore, and Mr. Edward Nickson; besides whom there are several other freeholders. This township has a bold undulating surface, and the soil is strong and clayey.
DIRECTORY.—James Goulbourn Etches, Esq., Oak Villa; William Bather, farmer; Martha Beckett, farmer; Prudent Blundell, beerhouse and shopkeeper; Mrs. Mary Boulton; Richard Boulton, farmer; John Leeveley, farmer; John Lewis, farmer; John Moore, farmer; George Robinson, farmer, Old Wood; Thomas Stringer, farmer; Thomas Unett, farmer; Daniel Warrington, farmer, Fir Tree House; James Weston, farmer; Joseph Wright, farmer.
WOODHOUSES (OLD),
a small village and township, three miles N.E. from Whitchurch, contains 391A. 2R. 37P. of land, and at the census of 1841 had 13 houses and a population of 62 souls. The soil in some places is a strong loam, in other places it is sandy. Viscount Combermere is owner of the whole township. There is a fine sheet of water near here, which covers a considerable surface, called Comber-mere.
The principal residents are John Ellis, farmer; William Evans, boot and shoemaker; Richard Hassall, carpenter and joiner; James Reddrop, farmer, The Grove.
WIRSWALL, OR WIRSHALL,
is a township and village in Whitchurch parish, situated in the county of Cheshire, two miles north from Whitchurch. In 1841 there were 17 houses and 91 inhabitants. The principal landowners are John Goodall, Esq., George Harper, Esq., Rev. C. W. Ethelstone, Charles Robert Cotton, Esq., and the Representatives of the late John Parsons, Esq. The tithes are commuted for £70. The Earl of Shrewsbury had land here from the time of Henry VI. to the reign of Philip and Mary; and the manorial rights are divided between this family and Viscount Combermere. BELVIDERE is a handsome house, the property and residence of John Goodall, Esq. The situation is delightful, and the prospect most extensive and diversified.
DIRECTORY.—Joseph Cliffe, blacksmith; Samuel Davies, cattle dealer; James Goodall, farmer, The Grange; John Goodall, Esq., Belvidere; Robert Goodall, farmer, Dairy-house; Mr. William Hale; Mrs. Mary Harrison, Wood Cottage; John Nunnerley, farmer; Miss Reddrop; John Smith, farmer; John Wood, farmer; Wm. Woodward, farmer.
THE SOUTH BRADFORD HUNDRED.
The South Bradford Hundred is bounded on the north by North Bradford Hundred, on the east by the county of Stafford, on the south by the Brimstree and Condover Hundreds and the Wenlock Franchise, and on the west by Albrighton Division and the Shrewsbury Liberty. The hundred is divided into the Newport and Wellington Divisions. The Newport Division, in 1841, contained 2,111 inhabited houses, 61 uninhabited, and five building. At the same period there were 10,929 inhabitants; of whom 5,446 were males and 5,483 females. The Wellington Division at the same period contained 5,959 inhabited houses, 211 uninhabited, and 43 building; and 30,938 inhabitants; of whom 15,856 were males and 15,082 females. The hundred of Bradford at the Domesday survey was divided into the hundreds of Odenet and Recordin, and are now distinguished by North and South Bradford. These names in early times had a certain meaning, and were given either by reason of the importance or situation of a place, or in respect of some remarkable circumstance—as the name before us, _Bradan Forde_ (that is, Broad Ford), is said to have its name from a ville named Bradford, situate on the river Tern, near Ercall, and long since destroyed.
_The South Division_ contains the several parishes of Bolas Magna, Chetwynd, Edgmond, Kinnersley, Lilleshall, Longford, Newport, Preston-upon-the-Wild-Moors, and Woodcote Chapelry.
_The Wellington Division_ contains the parishes of Atcham, Buildwas, Dawley Magna, Eaton Constantine, Ercall Magna, Eyton-upon-the-Wild-Moors, Leighton, Longdon-upon-Tern, Roddington, Stirchley, Uppington, Upton Magna, Upton Parva, Wellington, Withington, Wombridge, Wrockwardine, and Wroxeter.
ATCHAM, OR ATTINGHAM,
is a parish in the Wellington Division of the South Bradford Hundred, comprising 3,491 acres of land, mostly a fertile undulating district, richly timbered, and watered by the rivers Severn and the Tern. The soil in some parts is a strong fertile loam, producing good wheat and barley; in other parts it is of a lighter nature, and the meadow lands are very fertile. Rateable value, £6,126. In 1801 there were 430 inhabitants; 1831, 463; and in 1841, 95 houses and a population of 513 souls. The parish comprises the townships (for highway purposes) of Chilton, Cronkhill, and Emstrey, on the south-west bank of the Severn, and of Berwick, Atcham, and Uckington, on the north-east side of that river. The village and township of Atcham is delightfully situated in a salubrious district richly adorned with sylvan beauty, and contains Attingham Hall, the princely seat of the Right Honourable Richard Noel Hill (Lord Berwick), and several handsome villa residences. THE HOTEL is a noble pile of buildings, and affords every accommodation to the numerous visitors who resort here in the summer season to enjoy the fishing as well as the beautiful views of this interesting locality. The river Severn is crossed near to the hotel by a magnificent stone bridge of seven arches, and is about one hundred and thirty-four yards long. The river Tern has a bridge across it of beautiful workmanship, which is forty-four yards across. It is ornamented with an open balustrade of fine chiselling, upon which is engraved, “This bridge was erected at the expense of the county, in 1780, and decorated at the expense of Noel Hill, Esq.” The great Holyhead and London turnpike road which intersects the township is in an admirable state of repair. The village is three miles and six furlongs south-east from Shrewsbury. The Right Hon. Lord Berwick is lord of the manor and the principal landowner. Robert Burton, Esq. and others are also proprietors. A branch of the Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Chester, and Shropshire Union Canal passes through Atcham parish, where there is a tunnel of about a mile in length.
THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Hyatia, and situated in a sequestered spot near the banks of the Severn, is built of free stone, and consists of nave and chancel, with a square tower. It was built in 1665, and has recently undergone a complete reparation. The sittings are of oak, and the pews of Lord Berwick and those of the Burton family are elaborately adorned with carved work. The interior has a very chaste appearance, which is much heightened by the subdued light admitted through the richly stained glass windows. The altar is of the most elaborate workmanship. The central window on the south side is a stained glass memorial of superb workmanship, in memory of Blanch, daughter of Henry Milnes Parry, Esq., who held the appointment of “chief gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth’s privy chamber,” whom she served from the birth of her majesty, and died at court on the 18th of February, 1589, aged 82. There are also two beautiful windows of stained glass, embodying the arms of the Burton family. On an altar tomb, with two full length figures in memory of deceased members of this family, is a brass plate, on which is engraven—“This monument was removed from a pew belonging to the estate of Longnor, in the parish church of St. Chad, Shrewsbury, on the fall of that church, July, 9th, 1788.” There are also several beautiful mural tablets in memory of the Burtons and others. The living is a vicarage valued in the king’s book at £11. 6s. 8d., now returned at £300 in the patronage of Robert Burton, Esq. Incumbent, Rev. Henry Burton, M.A. The vicarage is situated near to the church.