Alveley

is a considerable parish in the Chelmarsh division of the Stottesden hundred, which comprises the townships of Alveley, Nordley Regis, and Romsley Liberty. Population in 1801, 791; 1831, 949; 1841, 1,062; 1851, 1,041. The parish is bounded on the western side by the river Severn, on the south and east by the county of Stafford, and on the north by the parishes of Quatt and Claverley. The soil in this parish is variable; in some parts a red sand and loamy earth prevails, and in other parts it is light and sandy. The farms are generally large, and particular attention has been paid to draining and the improvement of the lands; the farm houses are mostly of brick, and have been greatly improved of late years. The village of Alveley is well built and pleasantly situated, six miles and a half south from Bridgnorth, and eight miles north from Bewdley. The township in 1841 contained 187 houses and 914 inhabitants; and has 5,147a. 2r. 37p. of land, 122a. 3r. 15p. of which are in woods and plantations. Rateable value, £5,601. Among the landowners are Miss Green; Mrs. Brittle; Mr. John Crowther; Mary Hayward; Rev. William Wakeley; Trustees of Claverley school; Mr. Edward Hughes; Christ Church College, Oxford; Mr. Richard Veal; Mr. Homer; Messrs. Tunnicliff; Mr. John Hall; Mr. William Wyer; Mr. John Stockall; Rev. Dr. Jenkins, dean and chapter of Bath and Wells; Thomas Beach, Esq.; William Beach, Esq.; Lord Standford; John Bacon, Esq.; the poor of Alveley; John M. Wingfield, Esq.; William Trow, Esq.; Mr. William Corser; Mrs. Hand; Mr. Thomas Feriday; Mr. William Bowen; and others.

The Church is an ancient structure, dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a square tower, in which are six musical bells. The nave is divided from the side aisles by four semi-circular arches, and there are two side chapels belonging to the owner of the Coton estate. The tower was taken down and rebuilt in 1666, part of the chancel was rebuilt in 1585, and the south part was repaired in 1638. There are several neat tablets. The church will accommodate 416 hearers. At the east end of the church is a large stone coffin. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Edward G. Gatacre, Esq.; incumbent, Rev. Robert Augustus Wellesley Considine, M.A. The Parochial School, and residence for the teacher, are situated in the churchyard. It is endowed with certain lands, as will be seen on reference to the charities, from which the teacher receives £25 per annum, in consideration of which he teaches a limited number of scholars free; the rest pay a small weekly stipend; about fifty scholars attend. The feast is held on the first Sunday after the 15th of August. A court leet and baron is held for the manor every three years. Stone quarries near the village are worked to a considerable extent; immense blocks are raised and worked into grinding stones for gunsmiths and others.

Nordley Regis is a township with a few scattered houses in the parish of Alveley, pleasantly situated two miles north-east from the church. Coton is a small hamlet in Nordley Regis. Coton Hall and estate have recently been sold by E. L. Gatacre to the Rev. Mr. Wakeley. The house is a stuccoed mansion pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, commanding some fine views of the adjacent country. The park comprises about eighty acres, and is pleasingly diversified with graceful undulations.

Romsley is a township and village situated about two miles east from Alveley, which at the census of 1841 contained 27 houses and 110 inhabitants; and has 1,900 acres of land, the rateable value of which is £1,334. 5s. 6d. Abraham Stephen Cresswell, Esq., is lord of the manor and the principal landowner. Dr. Jenkins is also a considerable owner; and John M. Wingfield, Esq., the Misses Cresswell, Mr. Richard Palmer, and Mr. Stephen Cresswell, are also freeholders.

Charities.—John Grove, by will, dated 10th of December, 1616, bequeathed a yearly stipend of £10 to the schoolmaster of Alveley, and a like yearly payment of £10, to have continuance for ever, to be distributed among five poor aged and impotent men. For the establishing of these yearly stipends, the executors purchased a messuage, with the appurtenances, called Longhurst, situated in Ledbury and Eastnor, in Herefordshire, which contained 74a. 2r. 4p. of land, and which was exchanged with Charles Lord Somers in the year 1793 for certain lands in Alveley parish, containing 111a. 0r. 27p. of land, which was held at the time the Charity Commissioners published their report at a rent of £73 per annum. The schoolmaster’s stipend was increased in 1800 to £20, and has since been augmented to £25, with a house rent free, and an allowance of two loads of coal; and five poor men of Alveley receive from this charity a yearly stipend of £6 each.

Thomas Grove, in 1743, left certain lands, comprising 31a. 3r. 0p., upon trust, that the annual rents and profits should be divided among the poor of the parish of Alveley. The land is let to several tenants, at a rent of £42 per annum.

This parish participates in the charity of Mr. William Seabright, who, by his will, dated 1620, gave certain premises, the rents thereof to be employed towards the relief of the poor of several parishes in Worcester, Stafford, and Salop, of which Alveley is one. The parish receives from the charity money wherewith to distribute fourteen pennyworth of bread every Sunday, which is given among the poor.

James Bowen, by will, dated 1st April, 1715, gave to the poor of Alveley the sum of £6, to be put forth at interest by the churchwardens, and the proceeds to be applied to the purchase of good books, to be distributed to the poor families of the parish. About thirty years ago this charity was lost, in consequence of the bankruptcy of the person in whose hands it was placed.

George Garbett, by will, dated 19th June, 1758, bequeathed £100, to be put out at interest, which was to be disposed of on the 1st of January every year to such poor persons of the parish of Alveley as should not receive parochial relief.

Humphrey Dovey, in 1700, left £20, the interest thereof to be distributed among the poor of the parish in bread. In respect of which forty-three penny loaves are distributed on Good Friday, and forty on St. Thomas’s day.

Arthur Arden left a piece of land, containing two acres and a half, the profits of which were to be expended in bell ropes (when required) for the use of the parish church. At the time the Charity Commissioners published their report the land was let at a rent of £6 per annum. It is said the land was given to the parish clerk on condition that he should find bell ropes, but the original conveyance, which had been kept in the church chest, was lost about fifty years ago; and it appears that for more than 100 years the rents of the land have been received by the parish clerk for his own use, and he has provided the bell ropes as they were wanted.

Thomas Russell, in 1842, gave the sum of £40, and directed the interest to be appropriated for the benefit of poor parishioners.

Post Office—At William Evans’s. Letters from Bridgnorth at 9.45 A.M., and are despatched at 3.30 P.M.

Alveley Directory.

Ameys Edmund, farmer

Ameys Thomas, farmer, Dunbolds

Bache William, farmer, Leekhouse

Bacon Jno., farmer, Hall Close

Brewer William, Gorton’s Flour Mills

Bridge James, farmer

Clarke John, butcher and shoemaker

Clarke Stephen, butcher and farmer

Considine Rev. Rbt. Agustus Wellesley, M.A.

Craig John, farmer

Crow Wm., farmer, Turley Green

Davies Henry, farmer

Doolittle Samuel, maltster

Evans George, stone mason and farmer

Evans John, farmer

Evans Thomas, farmer, Moor House

Evans William, postmaster

Fellows Michael, farmer, Pool Hall

Fereday Thomas, farmer

Fox John, farmer

Foxall Mary, farmer, Dod’s Green

Giles Thomas, vict., Bell Inn

Griffiths William, tailor and shopkeeper

Haines Joseph, blacksmith

Harris Rchd., farmer

Hayward John, farmer, The Butts

Hayward Mary, Little London farm

Head John, beer-retailer, Kitlands

Hick Thos., farmer, Hadleys

Higgs John, butcher

Hobbs William, victualler, Squirrel Inn

Hobbis Mary, vict., Three Horse Shoes

Jenning William, shoemaker

Jones James, Hollies farm

Lane John, quarry-master and farmer

Lane Thomas, quarry-master and mason

Lowe Thomas, farmer

Millward John, beerhouse-keeper and wheelwright

Powell Francis, shoemaker

Richards Thomas, farmer

Stockall John, farmer, Cookscroft

Taylor Job, farmer

Veal Rd., farmer, Langford

Walker Charles, butcher and farmer

Warder John, farmer, Hay farm

Webb Benjamin, carpenter

Wilks Jos., farmer, Turley Green

Williams Thos. quarry-mstr.

Wood James, stone mason

Wood James, quarry-owner

Wyer Wm., farmer, Cookscroft

Yates William, wheelwright