THE SHROPSHIRE GAZETTEER, WITH AN APPENDIX,

INCLUDING A SURVEY OF THE COUNTY, AND VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION,

WEM :

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY T. GREGORY.

SOLD ALSO

BY BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY, LONDON 1824.

BARROW. A parish in the franchise of Wenlock, chapel to Much Wenlock, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Stottesden, and archdeaconry of Salop. 96 houses, 462 inhabitants. 2½ miles east of Wenlock.

BENTHALL- A parish in the franchise of Wenlock. A curacy not in charge, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Stottesden, and archdeaconry of Salop. 119 houses, 554 inhabitants. 3 miles north-west of Wenlock.

BROSELY, A market town in the franchise of Wenlock, rectory in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Wenlock, and archdeaconry of Salop. 1019 houses, 4814 inhabitants. The depression of trade is stated as the cause of diminished population in Broseley, which, in 1811 contained 4850 inhabitants. Market on Wednesday, Fairs on April 25, and October 28. 14 miles south-east of Shrewsbury. In the year 1711, was discovered at Brosely, a very remarkable burning spring, of which the Rev. Mr. Mason Woodwarden, professor at Cambridge, gives the following account. “The well for four or five feet deep, is six or .seven feet wide, within that is another less hole of like depth, dug in the clay; in the bottom whereof is placed a cylindrick, earthen vessel, of about four or five inches diameter at the mouth, having the bottom taken off, and the sides well fixed in, the clay rammed close about it. Within the pot is a brown water as thick as puddle, continually forced up with a violent motion, beyond that of boiling water, and a rumbling- hollow noise, rising- and falling by fits, five or six inches; but there was no appearance of any vapour rising, which perhaps might have been visible, had not the sun shone so bright. Upon putting a candle down at the end of a stick, at a quarter of a yard distance, it took fire, darting and flashing after a very violent manner, for about half a yard high, much in the manner of spirits in a lamp, but with great agitation. It was said that a tea kettle had been made to boil in about nine minutes time, and that it had been left burning for forty eight hours, without any sensible diminution. It was extinguished by putting a wet mop upon it, which it was necessary to keep there for a considerable time, otherwise it would not go out. Upon the removal of the mop, there arises a sulphureous smoke, lasting about a minute, and yet the water is cold to the touch. The cause of this inflammable property, is most probably the mixture of the waters with petroleum, which is one of the most inflammable substances in nature, and has the property of burning, on the surface of water. In the year 1755, this Well entirely disappeared, by the sinking of a coal pit in its neighbourhood. See appendix.

CAUGHLEY. A township in the parish of Linley, and in the franchise of Wenlock. 5 miles east of Wenlock.

COALBROOKDALE. Celebrated for its iron bridge over the Severn, is a winding glen between two vast hills, about a mile from Madely Market. Here are the most considerable iron works in England; the forges, mills, and steam engines, with all their vast machinery,—the flaming furnaces, and smoking lime kilns, present a horribly sublime spectacle. The bridge of Coalbrookdale was laid in 1779. All the parts having been cast in open sand, and a scaffold previously erected, each part of the rib was elevated to a proper height by strong ropes and chains, and then lowered, till the ends met in the centre. All the principal parts were erected in three months, without any accident to the work or workmen, or the least obstruction to the navigation of the river. On the abutments of the stone work are placed iron plates, with mortices, in which stand two upright pillars of the same. Against the foot of the inner pillar, the bottom of the main rib bears on the base plate. This rib consists of two pieces, connected by a dove-tail joint, in an iron key, and fastened by screws. Each piece is seventy feet long. The shorter ribs pass through the pillar, the back rib in like manner, without coining down to the plate. The cross stays, braces, circle in the spandrils, and the brackets, connect the larger pieces, so as to keep the bridge perfectly steady ; while a diagonal, and cross stays, and top plates, connect the pillars and ribs together in opposite directions. The whole bridge is covered with iron top-plates, projecting over the ribs on each side, and on this projection, stands the ballustrade of cast iron. The road over the bridge, made of clay and iron-slag, is twenty four feet wide, and one foot deep; the toll for carriages, is one shilling. The span of the arch is one hundred feet, six inches, and the height, from the base line, to the centre, is forty feet. The weight of iron in the whole, is three hundred and seventy-eight tons, ten hundred weight; each piece of the long ribs, weighs five tons, fifteen hundred weight. On the largest, or exterior rib, is inscribed in capitals,-This bridge was cast at Coalbrook, and erected in the year 1779, Coalbrookdale is 13 miles south of Shrewsbury.

In the neighbourhood of Coalbrook, are the seats of Francis Darby, and Richard Darby, Esqs., W. B. Dickinson, Esq., and J. Reynolds Esq.

JACKFIELD. A curacy within the parish and township of Broseley, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Wenlock, and archdeaconry of Salop, and in the franchise of Wenlock. ¾ mile north-east of Broseley.

LINLEY. A parish in the franchise of Wenlock, and arch-deaconry of Salop, holden with Broseley. 19 houses, 96 inhabitants. 2½  miles south-east of Broseley.

MADELEY. A parish in the franchise of Wenlock, a vicarage discharged, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Wenlock, and archdeaconry of Salop. 1,081 houses, 5,379 inhabitants. LAT. 52 40 N. LONG. 2. 33 iv. 148 miles north-west of London. Fairs,—January 26, May 29, and October. 12.

Madeley stands in an elevated situation, fifteen miles southeast of Shrewsbury. It has a Market on Fridays, called Madeley Wood Market, which is well supplied with provisions, and is of late become a considerable mart for corn. Near the church are the house and barn which afforded shelter to the unfortunate Charles the second, after his defeat at the battle of Worcester. (See Boscobel.) The house is now the residence of the Rev. John Bartlett. On the opposite side of the road is Madeley Hall, belonging to Sir Henry Hawley, Bart.

The court house, now converted into farm-houses, the property of Mrs. Dyott, was formerly the residence of the ancient family of Brooke, as the inscriptions under their monuments in the church record. These Monuments were removed when the church was pulled down, and when that edifice was rebuilt in 1796, they were again placed at the east end, in niches made for that purpose.

Here is a Roman Catholick chapel, with a residence for the Priest, who holds also another chapel at Middleton Priors, near Bridgnorth, under the jurisdiction of the Rev. Dr. Milner, Vicar A postolick of the Midland district.

Two miles from the church, in a south-easterly direction, is Coalport, which takes its name from the termination of the Shropshire canal, which is seven miles in length. The coals brought by this conveyance, from the extensive mines of Ketley, Dawley, and other places, are landed on the banks of the river Severn, and are thence transported in barges to different parts of the counties of Worcester and Gloucester, to the average amount of fifty thousand tons annually.

The large and flourishing Porcelain Manufacture of John Rose, and Co., the only one of the kind in this county, where the arts of modelling and painting have reached a high degree of perfection, is carried on at Coalport. This article in the beauty of its composition,—the superior taste displayed on its surface, and the elegance of the workmanship, is no where excelled. From four to five hundred persons are constantly employed in this manufacture, which is the sole support of at least fifteen hundred inhabitants of the Salopian soil, and the source from which many individuals have amassed great wealth. There is also a rope, and a timber yard, on an extensive scale, and a neat iron bridge over the Severn, erected in 1817, in the place of a wood one.

Near this bridge is a remarkably large wheel, 240 feet in circumference. It turns a mill for expressing oil from linseed. This mill is the property of William Horton, Esq., and not far from it, is the residence of that gentleman, delightfully situated on the banks of the river.

About a mile distant, between the above-mentioned bridge, and the old one erected in 1779, (See Coalbrook Dale which is in this parish) are the large furnaces of the Madeley Wood Company, used for the making of pig iron of superior quality. At a little distance is a neat villa, the residence of William Anstice Esq., one of the proprietors of these works, and farther to the left, is the flay, a place of great antiquity, the seat of Robert Feriday, Esq.

There is in this neighbourhood a tunnel made by order of the late William Reynolds, Esq., for the more easy conveyance of coals, which are here the chief article of commerce.

This tunnel was discontinued from some unknown cause. Its length is about one mile in a direct line, and it is arched with brick nearly the whole way. It is remarkable that a quantity of tar flows from the interstices in the sides. The tar (falling upon the surface of a small stream which runs in a narrow channel to the entrance) is there deposited in the form of a sediment, and at convenient times is put into barrels for use. The quantity thus obtained, when the excavation was first made, exceeded one barrel per day; and each barrel was worth about three guineas. But ever since that period, the quantity has gradually diminished, and is now not more than twenty barrels in the year. It is therefore probable that in a few years, this bounty of nature will be exhausted.

In the month of May great numbers of that species of fish, called the shad, are caught in this part of the river Severn, in the following singular manner. A man having taken his stand with a casting net over his shoulder, in a place where the stream is very shallow, and inclines towards the shore,— remains in this position till he observes the playing of the fishes, which always come in shoals; when he throws his net over them, and generally succeeds in taking one, and sometimes four or six, at a single throw. They have been caught of the weight of six pounds, though rarely;—in general they do not weigh more than two or three pounds each. When first in season, they are considered a well flavoured fish, but they soon become unpalatable. It is supposed that these fish come up the river to spawn, for when they return, which they do in a very short time, they are so lean as not to be thought worth taking. No obstacles impede them in their progress up the river; in which respect they resemble the salmon.

Boats which are fastened by a weight suspended at the bottom of the stream, are sometimes used in taking this fish.

There are some publick walks near the Iron Bridge, from which the Welsh mountains and the surrounding country appear very beautiful. These walks are not much frequented by persons of respectability, though kept in good order.

POSNALL ; or POSENHALL. An extraparochial place in the franchise of Wenlock. 2 houses, 14 inhabitants.

WILLEY. A parish in the franchise of Wenlock, a rectory discharged, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Wenlock, and archdeaconry of Salop. 28 houses, 155 inhabitants. Willey is the seat of Lord Forester. 5½ miles northwest of Bridgnorth.

WYKE and BRADLEY. A township in the parish of Much Wenlock, and in the franchise of Wenlock. 2½ , miles northeast of Wenlock.

3. The parish of Benthall contains only the township of Benthall.

4. The parish of Broseley, contains only the township of Broseley.

Broseley is parted from Madeley by the river Severn on the south-west, and is a very populous parish, coals and iron being its chief productions. There is in Broseley a manufacture of glazed tobacco pipes.

The Tuckies, an old mansion, 1½ mile from Broseley stands upon a rising ground, at a little distance from the river Severn, and commands a prospect of the surrounding country, which is very roniantick. The estate though small, is valuable, containing mines of coal which are far from being exhausted though they have been worked at different periods, for the last two centuries.   Much iron is made on this side of the river at the furnaces belonging to Messrs. Hazledine of Shrewsbury, and Messrs. Forster.

There is a curiosity found here in the stratum of coal, resembling a fish with the head and tail lopped off; in length about 8 inches, and three in breadth. It is covered with scales, in the center of which is a black speck, and appears very natural. Its solidity, and consequently its weight, is much greater than those of the substance in which it is infolded, and when broken it appears like limestone. Its taste is rather salt and when thrown into the fire, it explodes with much violence.

The Tuckies formerly belonged to the Langleys, from whom it descended to a Mr. Edward Pursell, steward to their family, and afterwards to John Wase, Esq. of Broseley. It is at present the property of Mrs. Bryan.

About forty years ago this house was repaired for the Earl of Dundonald, (father of the present Lord Cochrane) who resided here a considerable time, making chemical experiments, among the principal of which, was that of extracting tar from coals. For this purpose many kilns or ovens were erected, which are still in use. The process was conducted, as follows.

A range of stoves was supplied with coal kept burning at the bottom ; the smoke was conveyed by horizontal tunnels into a capacious funnel, built of bricks supported by arches and covered on the top by a shallow pond of water. The smoke condensed by the chill of the water, fell on the bottom of the funnel in the form of tar, and was conveyed by pipes into a receiver, whence it was pumped into a large boiler, and boiled to a proper consistence, or otherwise inspissated into pitch ; the volatile parts which arose during this inspissation were again condensed into an oil used for varnish. Great quantities of this useful article were sent for the use of the navy, and much of it was used in japanning.

Lord Dundonald expended large sums of money in these undertakings, and no doubt to his skill in chemistry, his son the present admiral is much indebted. His lordship was one  of the more experienced chemists, and thoroughly understood both the theory and the practice of the science. Many curious anecdotes of his cheerful and benevolent disposition are current in the neighbourhood.

Mr. Wase, a gentleman of Broseley, upwards of eighty years of age, relates that many years ago, this place was in possession of some Dutchmen, who had a mint for coining base money, secreted in cellars under the house. They kept race horses, and lived in a very expensive style.

On the 23rd of October, 1799, a most melancholy accident occurred near this spot. The passage boat, in crossing the river, which at this place is very rapid, was unfortunately overturned. The cause of the accident has never yet been satisfactorily explained. There were forty one persons on board the vessel, who were employed in the China works of Messrs. John Rose, & Co. Of these, thirteen only escaped, the remaining twenty eight, were all drowned.

These unfortunate persons had just been liberated from their daily employment, at the ringing of the nine o'clock bell, and had no sooner entered the vessel, than they were precipitated into the wide current. Owing to the darkness of the night, it was impossible for those persons whom the heart rending cries of perishing friends and relations had brought to the banks of the river, to render any effectual assistance.

Many of the bodies were taken up the next morning, at a great distance from the ill-fated spot;—some remained under water a month, and a few were never found. The generous master of those who perished, (John Rose, Esq.,) provided coffins at his own expense for their interment, and was frequently seen to shed tears. His benevolent conduct towards the surviving sufferers, will never be forgotten. It will ever endear him in the estimation of his servants, and of the world at large, and when he shall be no more, his memory will be held in veneration, both as a master, and as a friend.

It was the opinion of those who were preserved, that this melancholy accident was caused by the premeditated act of the boatman, who having been some time before, refused admittance to a dance given by the persons who were in the daily habit of crossing the stream, had expressed his determination to give them, a ducking. Very probably it was his desire an merely to frighten those who had offended him, without

doing them any real injury. How painful must have been his feelings at the unexpected result of his dangerous frolick! It becomes us in the midst of sport, to beware lest we scatter death.

5. The parish of Barrow, contains the townships of 1. Barrow, 2. Caughley.

7. The parish of Willey, contains only the township of Willey.

9. The parish of Linley, contains only the township of Linley,