Cleobury Mortimer

is parish and market town in the Cleobury division of the hundred of Stottesden, situated 137 miles N.W. of London, thirty-three miles S.S.E. of Shrewsbury, eleven miles E. of Ludlow, and eight miles W. of Bewdley. It is divided into four quarters, viz.: Cleobury Town Liberty, West Foreign Liberty, East Foreign Liberty, and Doddington Liberty, which together contain 7,671 acres of land, of which 738 acres are in woodlands, 104a. 0r. 14p. of public roads, 2a. 2r. water, and 619a. 2r. 3p. in common lands and waste. Rateable value of the parish, £7,300. At the census in 1841 there were 364 houses and 1,730 inhabitants; population in 1801, 1,368; and in 1831, 1,716, William Lacon Childe, Esq., is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are the Earl of Craven; Sir Edward Blount, Bart.; W. L. Childe, Esq.; Charles Wickstead, Esq.; Mrs. Lucy Botfield; Beriah Botfield, Esq.; John Downes, Esq.; Richard and Henry Backhouse, Esq.; Trustees of Cleobury School; George James Compson, Esq.; Thomas Foxhall, Esq.; and Thomas Pardoe Purton, Esq., besides whom are a number of smaller freeholders. The tithes are commuted for £676. 12s. 6d., of which £602. 10s. is apportioned to the vicar of the parish, £34. 10s. to the Earl of Craven, and 12s. 6d. to William L. Childe, Esq.

The name of Cleobury Mortimer is said to be derived from its situation in a district abounding with clay, and from the Saxon word Byrig, a town, and the adjunct by which it is distinguished from North Cleobury is obtained from its ancient possessor, Ralph de Mortimer, who held it at the time of the general survey. The town principally consists of one long street extending from east to west, and contains several family mansions and good shops, in all the different branches of the retail trade. The labouring population are chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits. There were formerly extensive ironworks in the vicinity, but these have now disappeared. There are two paper mills in the adjoining parish of Neen Savage, carried on by Mr. T. L. Hall. The Clee Hill collieries, about three miles west of the town, have of late been little wrought, though they contain extensive fields of good coal, ironstone, and limestone. This town is generally thought to have been the birth place of Robert Langlande, author of the “Vision of Pierce the Ploughman,” which was published in the year 1369. A strong castle which formerly stood in this place was entirely destroyed in the wars between Henry II. and his rebellious barons; it was built by Hugh de Mortimer.

The Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is an ancient and venerable structure, built of rubble stone, probably about the 14th century. Hugh de Mortimer settled this church for part of the endowment of the Abbey of Wigmore, about the time of Henry II. The square tower, containing a peal of six musical bells, a clock, and two dials, is surmounted by an octagonal spire of wood painted white. The interior consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles, the latter is separated from the nave by five pointed arches on each side. The chancel is separated from the body of the church by a pointed arch. The western gallery contains a fine-toned organ, built by subscriptions about seven years ago, at a cost of £250. On the south side is a stained glass window, with the representation of Christ and the emblems of the crucifixion, and underneath are the words, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.” On the north side is a beautiful stained glass window in memory of Mary Ann, the wife of John Lynn Priest; and also a stained glass window containing figures of St. Anne and St. Mary the Virgin, erected in memory of Ann Golderby, who died in 1849. There are several marble tablets and tombs within the church, to the memory of deceased members of the various families in the neighbourhood. Within the entrance of the porch is the following epitaph to the memory of Honor Evans.

My days, alas! my mortal days, were short and wretched too:
Evil and few, the patriarch says, and well the patriarch knew
That death, like overflowing stream, sweeps all away; life’s but a dream,
An empty tale, a morning flower, cut down and withered in an hour.
Remember, Lord, man’s mortal state; how frail is life, how short the date,
Where is the man that draws his breath, safe from disease, secure from death,
For man, weak man is born to die, made up of guilt and vanity.
Thy dreadful sentence, Lord, is just; return ye sinners to your dust.

The living of the church is a vicarage, valued in the king’s books at £12. 10s. 10d., in the patronage of William Lacon Childe, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Edward George Childe, M.A.

The Wesleyan Methodists have a small chapel in High street, built of brick. The Roman Catholics have also a chapel near Mawsley Hall, in this parish.

The Free School was founded and endowed by Sir Lacon William Childe, knt., in the year 1714, for the education of the youth of Cleobury Mortimer; for which purpose he gave by will, dated 28th of October, 1714, all his personal estate, undisposed of, to be put out at interest or to be invested in land for the maintenance of a master, to whom he gave £30 for ever to teach and instruct the children of the parish. By an order of the court of exchequer, dated 19th of June, 1735, it was ordered that £200 should be laid out in the building or purchasing a school and schoolhouse, and that the residue of the trust money should be laid out in the purchase of lands, the rents and profits thereof to be applied to the payment of £30 a year to the schoolmaster, buying English books for the scholars, repairing the school and schoolhouse, and putting out six or more poor children of the parish to husbandry, as the trustees should think fit. By a further order it was directed that the securities should be called in, and the money invested in the South Sea Annuities, which produced in 1742 the sum of £2,475. 6s. which with an outstanding mortgage of £100 constituted the whole of the testator’s personal estate. In 1751, the sum of £2,700 was expended in the purchase of 348a. 3r. 36p. of land, in the parish of Cleobury Mortimer, which is now let at a yearly rent of £343. There is also funded property consisting of £1,700 south sea annuities; £1,600 three per cent. consols; and a sum of £600 composed of surplus income, and £198. 16s. received for return of property tax. Of this fund £1000 three per cents were bequeathed to the trustees in 1810 by Mr. John Winwood, of Bristol, towards paying an usher to assist in teaching. The interest of these funds with the rents of land beforementioned amount to the sum of £463. 1s. 5d. per annum. Upwards of 160 children are now educated in the school, of whom twelve boys and twelve girls are annually clothed, and a fee is given yearly for the apprenticing of six or more poor scholars to some mechanical or agricultural pursuit. The head master is appointed by William Lacon Childe, Esq., of Kinlet, as representative of the founder, and receives £60 per annum, besides other perquisites; especially an allowance of 30s. per head for copy books, &c. The Rev. Henry Kemp, B.A. is the head master: James Birchall, second master.

The County Court for the recovery of debts, and in all pleas of personal action where the damage does not exceed £50, is held monthly at the Town’s Offices, in the Lower town. The several parishes and places within the jurisdiction of the court are Aston Botterel, Bayton, in Worcestershire, Cleobury Mortimer, Coreley, Farlow, in Herefordshire, Highley, Hopton Wafers, Kinlet, Loughton, Mamble, Milson, Neen Savage, Neen Solars, Rock, in Worcestershire, Silvington, Stottesden, and Wheathill. Judge, Uvedale Corbett, Esq., Aston Hall: Clerk, Samuel Phillips Southam, Esq.; Assistant Clerk, William Nichols: High Bailiff, William Cooke: Bailiff and Appraiser, William Farmer.

Cleobury Mortimer Union House is situated half a mile north-west of the church. The union comprises the following parishes, viz.:—Aston Botterel, Coreley, Farlow, Highley, Hopton Wafers, Kinlet, Loughton, Milson, Neen Savage, Neen Solars, Silvington, Stottesden and Wheathill, in the county of Salop; and Bayton, Rock and Mamble, in the county of Worcestershire. The union comprehends an area of upwards of 50,000 acres, or 88 square miles, and a population of 8,632 souls. Chairman to the Guardians, Sir Edward Blount, Bart.: Clerk, William Cooke, Esq.: Surgeon, Henry Vevers: Relieving Officer, Mr. William Wainwright: Master, Isaac Alfred Read: Matron, Sarah Read: Schoolmistress, Sarah Jones.

The Market Hall, situated near the church, is a modern erection of stone, in which the weekly market is held on Wednesday. Fairs are held on April 21st, May 2nd, first Monday after Whitsuntide, and October 27th, which are well attended. There is also a feast held the first Sunday after the 15th of August.

The Petty Sessions are held on the third Tuesday in each month, at the Towns Offices, in the lower town. There is a Lock-up in Church street, which was built of freestone in 1836; it is a small structure, containing two cells: Richard Roberts, police constable. The Excise Office is held at the Talbot Inn, where there is also a reading room, supported by annual subscription. There is a Circulating Library in Market street, of which Joseph Wainwright is the proprietor.

Cleobury Mortimer township and liberty contains 947a. 1r. 27p. of land, of which 315 acres are woodlands, 31a. 3r. 35p. are public roads, and 2a. 2r. are water. The soil is fertile and productive, and is watered by numerous fine springs, as well as the River Rea, which intersects the township, and is crossed by a bridge a short distance east of the village. At the census of 1851 the liberty contained 211 houses and 1,122 persons. The rent charge payable to the vicar is £131. William Lacon Childe, Esq., is lord of the manor, and holds a court leet and baron, at the Talbot Inn annually, in November; Mr. James Boucher is the steward.

Doddington liberty, situated two miles west of the parish church, at the census of 1851 had 87 houses and a population of 383 souls. It contains 2,878a. 6r. 19p. of land, of which 35a. 0r. 16p. are public road, and 619a. 2r. 3p. are moor, common, and waste, being part of the Clee Hill. The tithes are commuted, and £172 apportioned to the vicar of Cleobury Mortimer and £34. 10s. to the Earl of Craven. William Lacon Childe Esq., is lord of the manor.

The District Church, situated on the side of Clee Hill, was founded and endowed by the late Thomas Botfield, Esq., and his widow, Mrs. Lucy Botfield, of Hopton Court, who has invested the sum of £1,000 for the endowment, erected a parsonage house near the church, and given five acres of land. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and built of stone, with a square tower, the site and building of which cost about £4,000. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of Mrs. Botfield, and incumbency of the Rev. Henry Brown, M.A. There are several coal works on the Clee Hill in this township, carried on by Beriah Botfield, Esq. The townships in this liberty are Catherton, Ditton, Dudnell, Hill Houses, and Woodhouses, an extra parochial liberty, situated two miles from Cleobury.

The East Foreign Liberty, situated three miles from Cleobury Mortimer, contains 1,878a. 1r. 39p. of land, of which 17 acres are public roads, and 132 acres woods and plantations. The vicarial tithes are commuted for the sum of £121. W. L. Childe, Esq., is lord of the manor. The liberty contains the townships of Mawley and Weston.

Mawley Manor House, situated one mile S.E. of Cleobury Mortimer, is the seat and residence of Sir Edward Blount, Bart. The mansion is a commodious and handsome brick structure, with stone facings and mullions, and surrounded by a richly wooded park.

West Foreign Liberty, situated two miles from Cleobury, contains 1,312a. 1r. 24p. of land, of which 291 acres are woods and coppices, 20 acres public roads. The rent charge amounts to £122. 2s. 6d., of which the sum of £121. 10s. is apportioned to the lord of the manor. William Lacon Childe, Esq. This liberty, with that of East Foreign, contains 48 houses and a population of 242 souls.

Charities.—Sir William Lacon Childe, the founder of the free school previously noticed, also gave by will the sum of £100, the interest thereof to be distributed to the poor in bread every Sunday.

Richard Walker, gave by will, dated 1666, the sum of 1s. every Lord’s day and 2s. every Christmas day, to be distributed in bread to the poor of the parish of Cleobury Mortimer. This gift is paid out of certain lands in the parish.

It is stated on a tablet in the church that Benjamin Bateman, clerk, left £20, and Mrs. Joyce Cumber left £5, for teaching poor children to read. From a copy of part of the will of Mr. Bateman in the parish book it appears that the £20 given by him was to be disposed of by the vicar of Cleobury Mortimer and one Mr. Read in such a manner as they should think fit.

Henry Fox, by deeds of lease and release, dated 1743, reciting that his sister, Mary Fox, had by her will given £50, which she intended should be laid out in land, and the rents applied to teaching poor girls to read, conveyed to the vicar a field containing one acre, in trust, that he should raise yearly the sum of 54s., and pay the same to a poor woman of the parish to teach ten poor girls to read. Also German Fox, in 1775, bequeathed £50, the interest thereof to be applied towards teaching poor boys to read.

Near to Cleobury Mortimer is a large school room and school house annexed, usually called the Old School Premises, but now uninhabited and in complete decay. From an indenture dated 1727 it appears that these buildings were erected upon a piece of land belonging to John Meysey, Esq., by means of contributions raised among the neighbouring gentry, for the purpose of a school for the benefit of the children of the parish of Cleobury Mortimer.

The Post Office.—Mr. William Jeffries, postmaster, Church street. Letters arrive from Bewdley at 7-45 A.M., and are despatched at 4-30 P.M.

Adams George, carrier, High street

Ashwood Thomas, gardener, Market place

Baker Slade, Esq., Sandbourne

Birchall James, second master of Free School, Market street

Blount Sir Edward, Bart., Mawley Hall

Boucher James, Esq., Church street

Bourne James, Esq., Mawley town

Bourne James, Esq., The villas

Botfield Lucy, gentlewoman, Hopton court

Brown Rev. William Henry, M.A., Doddington Parsonage

Childe Rev. Ed. Geo., M.A., The Vicarage

Childe Wm. Lacon, Esq., Kinlet Park

Childe William Lacon, Esq., junr., Kinlet

Cocks Rev. Charles Richard Somers, M.A., Neen Savage Rectory

Cocksey Mr. Charles, Market street

Colerick William, inland revenue officer, High street

Cooke Mr. William, junr., High street

Crump Thomas, Esq., Chorley

Crump Thomas, Esq., jun., The Hall

Dorrell Benjamin, miller and farmer

Farmer Wm., parish clerk & perpetl. overseer

Hall Thomas Lambert, paper manufacturer

Hardwicke Rev. Thos., D.D., Milson Rectory

Harris Sarah, school teacher

Hayton Rev. John, Market street

Hulme Rev. Benjamin, Mawley

Jefferies William, postmaster, Church street

Jones James, carrier, Market street

Jones Sarah, school teacher

Jones William Weaver, gentleman, Market st

Kemp Rev. Henry, B.A., Grammar School

Lowe Arthur Charles, Esq., Court of Hill

Marcy Wm. Nicholls, solicitor, and agent to Shropshire Fire Office, Bewdley

Mytton Henry George, Esq.

Nichols Wm., county court clerk, Market st

Pardoe George, Esq., Nash court

Pope Benjamin David, Market place

Pope Thomas, gentleman, Market street

Read Isaac Alfred, M.A., Union house

Reynolds Mrs. Elizabeth, Church street

Roberts Richard, county police officer, Lower town

Southam Samuel Phillip, Esq., Market st

Tongue Mary, school teacher, Free School

Vevers Henry, gentleman, Lower town

Wainwright William, relieving officer

West Margaret, carrier, High street

Whatmore John, town crier, Church street

Whitcombe Edmund Bancks, gentleman, High street

Wickstead Charles, Esq., Skakenhurst

Woodward Mrs., Lower town

Woodward Rev. Thomas, M.A., Hopton Rectory

Academies.

Free School, Rev. Henry Kemp, principal; Birchall James, second master; Sarah Harris, mistress

Infant, Mary Tongue

Attorneys.

Backhouse Richard Onions, Lower town

Marcy William Nicholls, Lower town

Pope Benj. David, Market place

Southam Samuel Phillips, master extraordinary in chancery, coroner for the southern district of Shropshire, and clerk to the county court

Auctioneers and Valuers.

Backhouse Richard Onions, Lower town

Hill William, Lower town

Jones Lloyd, Lower town

Baker and Flour Dealer.

Price James, Market street

Blacksmiths.

Harris Thomas, Church st

Hay John, (& ironmonger), Market street

Potter Edward, Lower town

Webb Thomas, High street

Boot and Shoemakers.

Bodenham John, Market st

Breakwell Thos., The Hurst

Whatmore John, (& leather cutter), Church street

Wheeler James, Church st

Butchers.

Bright Edward, High street

Lloyd Thomas, (& farmer), Market place

Williams Thos., (& grazier) Market place

Coopers.

Knott John, High street

Simmonds Wm., Market pl

Chemist and Druggist.

Wainwright Joseph, Market place

Grocers and Tea Dealers.

Downes John, High street

Downes Thomas, (& provision dealer), Lower town

Eaton Robert, High street

Jefferies Wm., (& chandler), Church street

Wainwright Joseph, Market place

Williams Elizth., Church st

Yapp Thomas, Market pl

Hair Dresser.

Griffiths John, Lower town

Hotels, Inns, and Taverns.

Bell, Jas. Lane, Lower town

Crown, James Wm. Smith, High street

Fountain, Elizth. Williams, Church street

Fox Inn, Thomas Farmer, High street

King’s Arms, commercial inn and spirit vaults, Benjamin Taylor, Church st

Lion, Thomas Worrall, Church street

Plough, Jas. Wood, High st

Swan, Benjamin Dorrell, Church street

Talbot Hotel, and commercial inn & posting house, Wm. Dorrell, Market pl

Beer and Cider Retailers.

Eaton Robert, High street

Wadeley James, Lower town

Whetstone Wm., High st

Butter and Cheese Dealer.

Yapp Thomas, (& dealer in corn), Market place

Joiners and Builders.

Hare Thomas, High street

Hardy Edwin, (upholsterer and & bell hanger), Church street

Smith John, High street

Land Agents.

Boucher James, Church st

Bourn James, junr., Mawley town

Linen and Woollen Drapers and Silk Mercers.

Downes Wm., Market place

Mytton James, Market pl

Maltsters.

Beddoe Charles, (and hop merchant), Church street

Wheeler Wm., (and corn miller), Lower town

Milliners and Dressmakers.

Dallow Jane, (fancy repository and hosiery), Market place

Wright Elizth., Church st

Paper Manufacturer.

Hall Thomas Lambert, Neen Savage

Painters, Plumbers, & Glaziers.

Hume Benjamin and Sons, (& paperhanger), Market place

Hume Benj., Lower town

Hume James, Union road

Napper William, High st

Saddlers and Harness Makers.

Littler Wm., Market place

Palmer Samuel, Market pl

Shopkeepers and Dealers in Groceries and Sundries.

Allen Rebecca, High street

Beddoe Ann, High street

Farmer Thomas, High st

Keysall Edward, Market pl

Whetstone William, High st

Skinner and Woolstapler.

Dallow James, High street

Stone Masons.

Haberley Wm., Lower town

Hare Thomas, High street

Potter James, Lower town

Surgeons.

Jones Wm. Weaver, Markt. st

Pope Thomas, Market pl

Vevers Henry, Lower town

Whitcombe Edmund Bancks, High street

Surveyors.

Dallow Wm. Aloysius, (land and road), Mortimer pl

Hill William, (land), Lower town

Tailors.

Mytton James, Market st

Pennington George, Lower town

Potter George, Lower town

Tinman and Brazier and Ironmonger.

Evans John, Market street

Watch and Clock Maker.

Stockall Thomas, Market st

Wheelwrights.

Merrick John, Lower town

Williams Thos., Market st

Carriers.

To Birmingham—From the King’s Arms (Cleobury Mortmr.), passing through Bewdley, Kidderminster, and Hales Owen, to the Swan with Two Necks, Birmingham, every Monday, Benjamin Taylor, proprietor

To Bewdley—James Jones, Mondays and Saturdays

To Kidderminster—Geo. Adams, Saturdays

To Ludlow—Margt. West, Mondays