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