Part 61
is a parish township and small rural village delightfully situated near the banks of the Severn, four and a half miles N.E. from Much Wenlock. The parish contains 2,152 acres of land, of which 350 acres are in woods and plantations, the remainder is about equally divided in arable and pasture or meadow lands; the soil is mostly heavy, and produces good wheat and barley. In 1801 there was a population of 258 souls; 1831, 240, and in 1841 there were 59 houses and 273 inhabitants. A beautiful iron bridge of one arch 130 feet span was erected by the Coalbrook-dale Company over the Severn at this place in 1796, at an expense of £6,034. The rise of the bridge is 24 feet, and as the road-way could not be carried to a greater height, advantage was taken of the Schaffhausen principal by making the ribs rise to the top of the railings, and connecting them to the lower ribs by means of dove-tailed king posts. The old bridge, which had narrow arches that impeded the navigation of the river, was carried away by a flood in 1795. Walter Moseley, Esq., (a minor), is landowner, lord of the manor, and impropriator of the tithes, which are commuted for £350. The incumbent of the parish has a payment of £16. 2s. 6d. issuing out of certain lands contiguous to the abbey. THE CHURCH is a small structure of free stone, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and consists of nave and chancel, with a wooden turret; it was rebuilt in 1720. It contains several neat marble tablets, one of which on the north wall remembers Margaret Smitheman, who died 1818; another on the south side remembers John Smitheman, and is dated 1809; Humphrey Wheeler and his four sons are also remembered on a neat mural tablet dated 1739, besides which there are several others. The living is a donative in the patronage of W. Moseley, Esq. Incumbent, Rev. John Bartlett, M.A., who resides at Marn Wood, a pleasantly situated residence just within the bounds of Madeley parish. The poor of this parish enjoy the benefit of a rent charge of £5 per annum, the benefaction of Miss Ann Lacon. The annuity is received by the churchwardens, who distribute in equal moieties at Michaelmas and Lady-day among four poor widows in shares of 12s. 6d. each. Near to the bridge there is a respectable inn, conducted by Mr. William Jones.
BUILDWAS ABBEY.—The magnificent ruins of Buildwas abbey are situated in a picturesque vale, near the banks of the river Severn, whose silvery waters are here crossed by a noble cast iron bridge, having a span of 130 feet. The massive walls of the abbey, with the grey pillars and arches, present a fine contrast to the rich verdure which surrounds them, and being environed with high grounds crowned with timber, it presents one of the most lovely spots for conventual retirement that can well be imagined. The outer walls of the abbey church are almost entire. The structure was cruciform with a massive tower in the middle, which rested on four pointed arches. On each side of the nave are seven pillars, with indented capitals, from whence spring arches with obtuse points. Above is a clerestory with small round headed windows. The side aisles, the transept, and the chapel of the choir are entirely in ruins. Under the north wing of the transept is the crypt, the whole of which has evidently been groined with stone, and was supported by circular and diagonal pillars. Over the chapter house and other apartments forming the east side of the cloister are the remains of a second story, which was probably the dormitory. A little eastward of the cloister are probably the remains of the refectory. The view of this venerable structure from the west end is peculiarly striking: the huge pillars with their bold arches and projecting capitals, the lofty arches which supported the tower, and the windows of the gloomy choir, contrasted with the rich verdure, and the luxuriant ivy mantling the walls, altogether form a solemn spectacle of fallen grandeur. The abbey was founded by Roger de Clinton, in 1135, for monks of the order of Savigny, who were afterwards united to the Cistercians. The house was dedicated to St. Mary and St. Chad, and the foundation was confirmed by King Stephen, in the year 1139. Leland in his itinerary says, “Matilda de Bohun, wife of Sir Robert Burnell, was founder of Buildwas abbey,” but among the charters of the monasticon there is no mention of this Matilda, and the foundation is in two or three places ascribed to Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Chester. Rustandus, the pope’s legate, with the assistance of the bishop of Hereford, extorted large sums of money from the clergy; the legate summoned the abbots of the Cistercian order to meet at Reading, when he demanded supplies for the use of the pope and the king, which amounted to the value of their wool. The abbots made answer that the tax was very grievous, and therefore could come to no resolution without the consent of their convents. Rustandus incensed at that answer acquainted the king that the Cistercians refused to grant him supplies. The king swore that those who refused to submit to his demands should feel the effects of his power. There was then at court the abbot of Buildwas, whom the king reprimanded after this manner, “What is the meaning, abbot, that you refuse to supply my necessities; am I not your patron?” To whom the abbot replied, “I would to God, sir, you were our patron, our father, and defender; but it does not become your majesty to extort money from those who can only assist you with their prayers; let the exemplary piety of the king of France be a precedent to your majesty in this respect.” The king replied, “I demand both your money and your prayers.” “How is that consistent,” said the abbot, “for one of them you must be without.” At the suppression here were twelve monks who, according to Dugdale, were endowed with £110. 19s. 3d. per annum, but Speed estimates the value at £129. 6s. 10d. The site, with all the land in Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire, were granted to Edward Lord Powis in the 29th of Henry VIII.
An extraordinary phenomena occurred on the 27th of May, 1775, at a place called the Birches, situated between Buildwas and Ironbridge, which will be found noticed with the latter place.
Moseley Mrs. Elizabeth, Buildwas Park
Moseley Walter, Esq., Buildwas Park
Bartlett Rev. John, M.A., Marnwood
Birkin Charles, farmer
Eveson Thomas, farmer and gardener
Francis Thomas, farmer
Hewlett John, farmer, Lawleys Cross
Intone Thomas, blacksmith
Jones William, maltster, farmer, and vict. Bridge Inn, Buildwas
Lewis William, farmer, Abbey farm
Nickless Enoch, farmer & builder; residence, Iron bridge
Nunn Rev. John, B.A., curate, Wire Hill Cottage
Pothan William, farmer
Ridley Edward and Samuel, farmer and corn millers
CHETWYND
is a parish which includes the townships of Chetwynd and Howle, part of Pickstock and part of Sambrook; the latter will be found noticed in Cheswardine parish, and Pickstock is given with Edgmond in which parish it is chiefly situated. The hamlet of Pixley noticed with Hinstock contains 89A. 1R. 28P. of land in this parish. The parish of Chetwynd contains 3,803A. 0R. 30P. of land, and in 1801 had 594 inhabitants, 1831, 766, and in 1841, 760. The village of Chetwynd forms the northern suburb to the town of Newport, on the line of road leading from that town to Market Drayton, but the church, the hall, and the rectory are situated on the same line of road nearly two miles north from Newport. The township contains 1,727A. 2R. 5P. of land, and in 1841 had 109 houses and 543 inhabitants. John Charles Burton Borough, Esq., is the principal land owner and lord of the manor; Robert Fisher, Esq., Thomas Collier, Esq., the Rev. William Dalton, are also land owners. The CHURCH, a plain brick structure dedicated to St. Michael, has been built about one hundred years; it consists of nave and bay, and has a square tower in which are six bells; there is a gallery at the west end built in the year 1841 by voluntary subscriptions. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £10. 16s. 3d., now returned at £775. in the patronage of J. C. B. Borough, Esq.; incumbent, Rev. Rev. Thomas Whateley, M.A., who resides at the rectory, a good residence near the church. The tithes are commuted for £742. 4s. 11½d. The HALL is an ancient structure near the east end of the church, which appears to have been built at different periods; in the low grounds in front of the hall, the river Meese, an inconsiderable stream takes its course. The park comprises about 300 acres of land, and is situated on the west side of the turnpike road leading from Newport to Market Drayton; it has a bold undulating surface, well timbered and stocked with about two hundred head of deer; a fine sheet of water covers about thirty acres. The NATIONAL SCHOOL is situated about midway between Newport and Chetwynd church; there is a residence for the teacher, and the number of scholars that attend average about seventy.
CHARITIES.—In 1717 a house and croft situated in High street, Newport, was conveyed in trust for the benefit of the poor of Chetwynd, in consideration of £80 paid to James and Thomas Liversage, whereof £50 was money given by Honor Dryden and others for charitable uses. This house has been unfortunately long lost to the charity, and there is no evidence to show that the poorhouse ever derived any benefit from it. Of the croft in Chetwynd a small part, about a rood, was taken upwards of fifty years ago for the site of a house of industry, for which no compensation had been made when the charity commissioners published their report. The remainder of the land produces about £3 per annum.
There is a piece of land containing about three acres known by the name of Lady meadow, the rent of which was received by the parish officers as early as the year 1625, but there is no trace of the source from which the land was derived. The sum of £1 0s. 4d. was the rent paid from the above year down to 1820, although the premises were then worth about £8 per annum. There are certain premises in the parish of Edgmond now consisting of three cottages with gardens and about nine acres of land, which were purchased in 1728 with certain benefactions left by Ann Pigott and Robert Pigott for the benefit of the poor of Chetwynd; the rents from these premises amount to £28 per annum.
There is reason to believe from entries in the parish books, that the land at Hinstock consisting of about ten acres, was purchased for the use of the poor of Chetwynd about the beginning of the 18th century, but there is no evidence to show what was the amount of purchase money, or from what particular source it was derived. It first appears in the parish books in the year 1700 at a rent of £2. 10s., which continued without increase until 1760. In 1783 it was let for £4. 15s. and the amount has since been raised to £14. 14s.
_William Unite’s_ charity of five penny loaves weekly, and several sums of money amounting to £30 left by several benefactors, have been applied to the use of the parish, and the parish officers now pay £2. 11s. 8d. as the interest thereof.
The gross income of the several charities above mentioned amounts to £49. 6s. per annum, and at the time the charity commissioners visited Chetwynd, was expended in the following manner: £1. 14s. applied in aid of the church rates, £5. 6s. 8d. in distributions of bread, £4 in the purchase of coal, and £38. 10s. was carried to the poor’s rates. The latter, we conceive, is an objectionable mode of applying money left for charitable uses, and totally at variance with the donors’ intentions. It was intended, however, by the parishioners, to have a fresh application of the charitable funds, and to apply a portion towards the support of a school.
_Robert Pigott_, who died in 1746, left the sum of £50, the interest to be distributed among poor housekeepers. Certain benefactions, recorded on tables in the church, left by twelve several donors, amounting to £68, in the absence of any account of their disposal, may be presumed to have formed the purchase money of the lands, of which there are no documents to trace their origin.
The inhabitants of Chetwynd End are entitled to participate in the benefits of the Grammar School and other charities at Newport.
_Those names with * affixed are at Chetwynd End_.
Boroughs John Charles Burton, Esq., Chetwynd hall
* Allen Harry, spirit merchant
Allmen George, blacksmith, Pilson
* Bailey Robert, maltster and farmer
* Brittain Thos., corn miller
* Cobb John, builder and architect
* Cockayne Miss Sarah
* Cockerill Thomas, Esq.
Collier Thos. Esq., Beech hill
* Derrington Thomas, Chetwynd villa
Emberey Mrs. Ann, Summerhill house
Fisher Robert, Esq. Chetwynd lodge
Ford William, woolstapler
* Franklin John, vict., King’s Arms
* Geates Joseph, gardener
* Hector Miss Elizabeth
Holt David, gamekeeper
* Icke Mrs. Mary
Ingram George, land agent
* Jellicore Mrs. Mary
* Matthews Charles veterinary surgeon
* Morris Thomas, seedsman
Myatt Richard, farmer
* Palin Mrs. Jemima
* Pickworth Mrs. Elizabeth
Podmore Thomas, farmer
* Pritchard Mary Ann, boarding school
* Randal John, architect
Rowley Andrew, schoolmaster and parish clerk
* Rylands Mrs. Jane
* Stevens Mary Ann, schoolmistress
Thompson Mark, woolstapler
Veitch John, farmer
* Washbourne William, Esq., solicitor, Chetwynd house
* Watkin Watkin, timber merchant
* Weate William, farmer and butcher
Webb Joseph, farmer, New house
* West Samuel, shopkeeper
Whately Rev. Thomas, M.A., the Rectory
HOWLE
is a small township with a scattered population, five miles north-west from Newport, and three miles north-west from Chetwynd. The township contains 765A. 1R. 28P. of land; and at the census in 1841 there were 18 houses and 102 inhabitants. The land here has an undulating surface, and is highly fertile. Arthur Mountford, Esq., is the principal landowner, and farms most of the land. THE WESLEYAN METHODISTS have a small chapel in the township.
The chief residents are Arthur Mountford, Esq.; and Messrs. Dawes and Whitfield, corn millers.
DAWLEY MAGNA,
a populous parish busily engaged in the extensive iron works and collieries with which the vicinity abounds, is situated four miles S.E. from Wellington. The parish comprises the townships of Dawley Magna, Dawley Parva, and Malinslee. In 1801 there was a population of 3,869 souls; 1831, 6,877, and in 1841 there were 1,716 houses and 8,641 inhabitants, of whom 4,490 were males, and 4,151 females. The township of Dawley Magna contains 997A. 1R. 21P. of land, and in 1841 had 904 houses and 4,485 inhabitants. R. A. Slaney, Esq., is lord of the manor and a considerable landowner; Beriah Botfield, Esq., the Coalbrook Dale Company, Robert Burton, Esq., and the Langley Field Company, are also proprietors. The collieries vary from 150 yards to 200 yards in depth, and the seams of coal from two feet to four feet in thickness; the coal is of a very superior quality, and got in immense quantities. The Coalbrook Dale Company give employment to upwards of 3,500 hands, and the quantity of coal raised by this firm in the parish of Dawley alone amounts to 8,500 tons per month, or 102,000 tons per annum, of ironstone 42,000 tons a year. The same company also make 17,880 tons of pig iron, at the Horse Hay Works in this parish, besides 14,200 tons of finished merchant iron yearly. A very ingenious contrivance is adopted at the Horse Hay Works, by means of which 100 tons of coal per month are saved. Attached to the furnace chimnies where the iron is made are pipes by which the gas is brought down under the immense steam engines which are necessary for raising the coal and ironstone from the mines contiguous to the works. On the gas uniting with the atmospheric air under the engines it immediately ignites, and thus an immense saving and power is acquired which is generally neglected in other establishments. At the time we saw the works there was a surplus supply of gas thrown off, which would have put in motion an engine of 100 horse power. The Horse Hay Works took their name from the circumstance of this place, in former days being the depository for hay, when the minerals were carried on pack horses from Ketley-bank to Coalbrook dale—this was a half-way house where the horses were fed, and hence the name Horse Hay Works. Each of the adult workmen employed at this extensive establishment pays 1s. per month, which forms a fund for educational purposes and funeral expenses.
THE CHURCH, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a handsome structure of free stone, erected in 1845, at a cost of about £3,000, raised by subscriptions and grants from the church building societies. The stone was got from a neighbouring quarry. It consists of nave, chancel and side aisles, with a tower at the west end, in which are six bells. The interior has a chaste appearance: the nave is separated from the side aisles by four lofty arches; on the north side of the chancel is a neat stone pulpit, and there is a gallery at the west end, upon which there is a superior organ erected in 1851 at a cost of £200. The pews are uniform in character, and there are 831 sittings, of which 664 are free and unappropriated. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the Messrs. Phillips. Incumbent, Rev. William Richards, M.A. The parsonage is about half a mile N.W. from the church. The rectoral tithes are commuted for £82. 10s. Messrs. Phillips are the impropriators. The incumbent receives £1. The parish register dates from the year 1666. The old church stood a little S.E. of the present edifice; it was a small structure of primitive simplicity, and had a short tower at the west end. On the east side of the church yard stands the old parsonage, an antique fabric of wood and plaster with a thatched roof; it is much dilapidated by time, and is expected shortly to be taken down. The WESLEYAN CHAPEL, Dawley Green, is a plain octagonal structure, which will hold about 400 hearers. The Wesleyans have also a spacious chapel at Dawley Bank, built in 1846. The WESLEYAN NEW CONNECTION CHAPEL is a spacious structure at Dawley Green, which will hold about 1,000 persons. The PARTICULAR BAPTIST CHAPEL is a small structure situated at Dawley Bank. The PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL is a spacious structure capable of holding about 1,000 persons, situated in Dawley Green-lane. DAWLEY GREEN is a most densely populated part of the parish, and is about half a mile from the church; in High street are many good houses and shops in all the different branches of the retail trade. POOL HILL SCHOOL is a noble pile of buildings, erected at a cost of upwards of £3,500, defrayed by the munificence of different members of the Darby family. The interior is spacious and lofty, and the roof is of groined timber stained in imitation of oak. There is a good library containing upwards of 400 volumes. The school has been built for the education of the children of workmen belonging to the Coalbrook Dale Company, and is partly supported from a fund into which each workman pays 1s. per month for educational purposes and funeral expenses of deceased members; the residue necessary for the support of the school is paid by the Coalbrook Dale Company. The NATIONAL SCHOOL is a plain structure, erected in 1841, and situated near the parsonage house. About 100 children attend. It is supported by subscriptions and the pence of the children. FINGER LANE is a scattered district to the east of the church.
DAWLEY PARVA,
a township situated near a mile W. of Dawley Magna, comprises 900A. 1R. 38P. of land, and in 1841 had 270 houses and 1,435 inhabitants. The canal and roads occupy 30A. 1R. 8P. The tithes of Dawley Parva have been commuted, and £146 apportioned to Messrs. Phillips, the impropriators, and £6 to the incumbent. THE CHURCH is a neat structure, dedicated to St. Luke, and consists of nave and bay, with a belfry at the west end, built of hewn stone of very beautiful workmanship. The roof is of groined timber, and there is a gallery at the west end. The cost of the fabric was about £1,300, which was raised partly by grants from the church building societies and partly by subscriptions. There are 507 sittings, which are all free and unappropriated. The church was built under Sir Robert Peel’s act, and is endowed with £150 per annum. The patronage is vested in the crown and the bishop of Lichfield alternately. The Rev. James Morris is the incumbent. The vestry is used as a Sunday school for girls, and the boys are taught in the church. The parsonage is a neat residence situated near the church. THE WESLEYAN METHODISTS have a spacious chapel, built in 1837. HOLYWELL LANE is a populous district, chiefly of cottage residences, which take their name from a well here called Holy Well. At HINKHAY are a number of scattered cottages.
MALINSLEE
is a township in the parish of Dawley, situated about a mile N. from the parish church, which comprises 736A. 1R. 9P. of land, and in 1841 there were 510 houses and 2,721 inhabitants, Robert H. Cheney, Esq., is the principal landowner; Beriah Botfield, Esq., is also a proprietor. The Shropshire union canal occupies 34A. 1R. 31P., and there is 1A. 2R. 20P. of glebe in the township. Malinslee forms a part of the great Shropshire coal field; ironstone is found in large quantities, and the iron and coal works of Beriah Botfield, Esq., are of considerable extent. The Old Park coal works are celebrated for superior coal. THE CHURCH is an octagonal structure, erected in the early part of the present century; it is built of free stone, and will accommodate about 800 persons. The expenses of the erection were defrayed with money left by J. H. Browne, Esq., of Burton-upon-Trent. The patronage is vested in the incumbent of Dawley Magna; the living is a perpetual curacy enjoyed by the Rev. William Harris. MALINSLEE HOUSE is a good brick residence, built about sixty years ago by the late William Botfield, Esq. It is now occupied as offices by the clerks of B. Botfield, Esq. About 150 yards from the house are the ruins of a small religious house called Malinslee Abbey. This may have been subordinate to some of the larger abbeys in the vicinity, but of which we find no record. The ruins consist of a small oblong square with walls at each end about twenty feet high, and on each side from six to nine feet in height, having traces of the Saxon style of architecture.