Mainstone

is a parish partly in this county and partly in that of Montgomery, which comprises the townships of Mainstone, Edenhope, Knuck and Reilth. At the census of 1801 the parish had 406 inhabitants; in 1831, 462; 1841, 449; of whom 276 persons were returned as in this county, and the remainder in Montgomeryshire. “The village of Mainstone is situated in a hilly district, four miles south-west by west from Bishop’s Castle. The township contains 362a. 1r. 38p. of land, and in 1841 had 17 houses and 91 inhabitants. Rateable value £306. 12s. 6d. The principal landowners are the Misses Beck, Rev. John Harrison, and Mr. Benjamin Beddoes. The Earl of Powis is lord of the manor. The Church is an antique structure of unpresuming appearance, dedicated to St. John. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £4. 13s. 4d., in the patronage of the lord chancellor: the incumbent is a non-resident. The tithes are commuted for £343. This parish is intersected by Offas Dyke.

Charities.—Lewis Reynolds, John Price, Hugh Edwards, John Daniel, William Farmer and John Lateward, left in the whole £25. 10s., of which £23. 10s. was laid out in the purchase of about an acre of land, called Comb-y-Llan, which is let for £1. 10s. per annum. Catherine Thomas in 1722 left a rent charge of 12s. issuing out of a meadow in Mainstone, and directed it to be distributed among the poor not receiving parochial relief. Nathaniel Shuker in 1735 conveyed a piece of land called the Little Meadow, in trust, for the benefit of the poor; it now produces a yearly rent of 25s. The several sums above mentioned, amounting to £3. 7s. per annum, are divided into two parts, and one part is distributed on the north side, which is in the county of Montgomery, and the other on the south side, in the county of Salop. Humphrey Bird left £10 to the poor of the Shropshire part of the parish of Mainstone. John Edwards in 1722 left £5 for the benefit of the poor. The sum of 10s. was annually paid by the donor’s grandson up to the time of his death, in 1806, and he requested his executor to pay 10s. a year in addition to the 5s. a year left by his grandfather. Since Mr. Edwards’ death, the sum of 10s. only has been received; but it appears evident that 15s. yearly ought to be paid in respect of these charities, according to the intentions of the donors.

Edenhope, a township and small village in the parish of Mainstone, six miles north-west from Clun, comprises 1,673a. 1r. 1p. of land, the rateable value of which is £764. 7s. The tithes are commuted for £86. The principal landowners are the Earl of Powis; Henry Lyster, Esq.; John Coates, Esq.: there are also a few smaller proprietors.

Knuck, a small township with a few cottage residences, is situated about a mile south from Mainstone, contains 594 acres of land, and in 1841 had five houses and 26 inhabitants. The chief landowners are the Misses Beck, Earl Powis, and John Sankey, Esq. Rateable value of the township, £355. 18s. 6d.

Reilth, a township in Mainstone parish, comprising 717a. 3r. 13p. of land, the rateable value of which is £484. 0s. 6d. The principal landowners are the Earl of Powis; Richard Sankey, Esq.; Beriah Botfield, Esq.; and the Rev. R. Browne. In 1841 there were 10 houses and 64 inhabitants. Directory.—Mainstone: Benjamin Beddoes, farmer; John Lewis, farmer; George Morris, blacksmith; John Powell, schoolmaster, Churchtown; Thomas Powell, shoemaker. Edenhope: Edward Davies, farmer; Richard Hudson, farmer, Helfield; Edward Jones, farmer; John Thomas, farmer. Reilth: Richard Sankey, Esq., The Reilth.

FINIS.

PRINTED BY SAMUEL HARRISON, BOOKSELLER, &C., 5, HIGH STREET, SHEFFIELD