Brewood Parish - 1834 Directory

From "History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire", William White, Sheffield, 1834

Taken from pp. 479 - 484
Transcribed by Julie Reynolds (julie_reynolds[at]kooee.com[dot]au)

BREWOOD is a small, but well-built market town, with several good streets and a spacious market place, pleasantly situated on the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, (opened Jan. 1834,) and on a small branch of the river Penk, about a mile S. of the Roman Watling street, and 7 miles N.N.W. of Wolverhampton.
The MARKET, held every Friday, was revived in Nov. 1833, after having been discontinued many years
TWO FAIRS, for cattle, swine, pedlery, & c. are held annually, on the second Thursday in May, and on Sept. 19th; and the first is toll-free.
The PARISH contains 3799 inhabitants, and about 12,000 acres of land, extending to the borders of Shropshire, and subdivided into eight liberties or constablewicks, which repair their roads separately, but maintain their poor conjointly, under the superintendence of four overseers, one of whom is appointed for Brewood and Kiddermoor Green; one for Somerford, Engleton, and Horsebrook; one for Chillington, Hattons, and Gunstone; and one for Coven.

The principal land owners are T.W. Giffard and Edward Monckton, Esqrs.; the former of whom is lord of the manors of Chillington and Brewood, which include Kiddermoor Green, Hattons, Black Ladies, Gunstone, and Horsebrook; and the latter is lord of Coven, Aspley, Somerfield, Engleton, Leafield, and the Deanery manor or farm, which latter adjoins the south side of the town.

Though it is now only of small importance, Brewood is one of the most ancient market-towns in Staffordshire, and had a small Priory of Benedictine Nuns, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and founded by Hubert Walter, in the reign of Richard I. A.D. 1195. At the dissolution, this nunnery was valued at £11. 1s. 6d. per annum. The bishop of the diocese is said to have had a seat here before the Norman conquest. In 1678, the inhabitants were alarmed by several severe shocks of an earthquake, preceded by a rumbling noise, resembling distant thunder.

The CHURCH, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is a large ancient edifice, with a tower and lofty spire, which, from its elevated situation, is a picturesque object, visible at the distance of several miles. The interior is neatly pewed, and contains the sepulchres of the Giffards and the Moncktons. A new organ was erected, and opened on the "wake Sunday", Sept. 24th, 1815. The living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Dean of Lichfield, and incumbency of the Rev. Alexander Bunn Haden, B.A. In the town, is an Independent chapel, built in 1800, with seats for 400 hearers, and a Sunday school for 100 children.

The Free Grammar School, near Brewood church is described in a bill filed in Chancery, in the 4th of Charles I. as having existed from time immemorial, and reputed to have been founded by one Dr. Knightley, who, as well as Sir John Giffard, had endowed it with large possessions in land and money, which the then trustees had partly perverted to other uses; but in the following year, they were compelled to appropriate the whole of the yearly proceeds towards the support of the school. In 1820, the annual rental of the school property was £412. 5s. 2d.; of which £5. 5s. arose from one of the two houses, with gardens, opposite the school-house, which were purchased, in 1800, with £200 given by the Bishop of Worcester and Sir Edward Littleton. The other house is occupied by the usher. The £5. 5s. is appropriated for incidental expenses; and the rest of the income, after some trivial deductions, is applicable to the salaries of the masters; two-thirds being paid to the head master, and one-third to the usher. In 1820, there were 35 pupils in the upper, and 25 in the lower school, but more than half of them were boarders, as they were not restricted to the parish of Brewood. The classics were taught gratuitously; but for English, reading, writing, and arithmetic, regular quarterages are charged, even to the poor parishioners, to whom these are the only requisite branches of instruction. This defect is, however, in some measure, remedied by a National School, where about 140 children are educated by subscription. Among the eminent men educated at the Grammar School was the late Bishop Hurd, preceptor of George IV.

The Benefactions , under the management of the parish officers, produce £46. 11s. 6d. per annum, which is distributed to the poor parishioners, in two moieties, on Good Friday and St. Thomas' day, in sums of from 1s. to 4s. each. Of this income, £10 arises from lands at Essington, bequeathed by the Re. Francis Collie, in 1625; £3. 10s. from land at Brinsford, by the family of Smyth; £24. 3s. 6d. from land at Bloxwich and Wyrley, left by the Fowke family ; 10s. left by Lawrence Grove, in 1685 ; £1 by Richard Highley and Joseph Phipps; £4. 10s. by Thomas Slater, in 1804; £2 by Mrs Gilbert and Henry Sherratt, in 1789; 8s. by Richard Brookes, and 10s. by Thos. Salt. Here are also two other benefactions, viz. an annuity of 20s. left by Wm. Woolrich, one-half to the poor of Brewood, and the rest to those of Coven and Standeford; and 10s., left by Joseph Careless, out of Butt's field, to be divided amongst ten parishioners.

BISHOP'S WOOD is an open common, with several cottages, in the liberty of Kiddermoor Green, 2 1/2 miles W. by N. of Brewood.
CHILLINGTON liberty, 2 miles S. W. of Brewood, includes five farms, and Chillington Hall, the beautiful seat of Thomas Wm. Giffard, Esq., standing on an elevated site, in a spacious park, with gardens, pleasure grounds, and plantations, laid out with considerable taste. The Giffard family were seated here at a very early period, and rendered considerable service to Charles II., when that monarch was in concealment in this part of Staffordshire, and at Boscobel and White Ladies, in Shropshire, adjacent to this parish. They possess large estates in other parts of this county, and have been kept from public employments only by their religious tenets, being Roman Catholics ; but the present Mr Giffard espoused a Protestant lady, so that the female branch of his numerous family are members of the Established Church. His tenantry are mostly Catholics, and are accommodated with CHAPELS at Long Birch and Black Ladies, the former about 1 1/2 mile S.W., and the latter about one mile N.E. of the hall. The Rev. Rd. Hubbard is the priest of Long Birch, and the Rev. John Roe, assisted by the Rev. Henry Richmond, is the incumbent of the Black Ladies, which occupies the site of a house and chapel of Benedictine nuns, founded by Isabel Lander, and called Black Ladies from the colour of their dress; as a similar convent of Cistercians, about two miles to the east, in Shropshire, were called the White Ladies, from their white habits. "The choir for these latter nuns, that for the lay sisters, the images on the altar, & c. are in the same condition they were left in at the dissolution." On the Chillington estate is an excellent quarry of brown and white freestone, nearly four acres in extent and ten feet in depth, and within 300 yards of the junction of the canal.
COVEN is a large liberty, with a considerable village, 2 miles S.E. of Brewood, and 5 miles N. of Wolverhampton. Here is a small Methodist chapel, and a number of lock makers.
ENGELTON is a small estate with a corn mill, 1 1/2 mile N.E. of Brewood.
HATTON and GUNSTONE are adjoining hamlets, containing four farms and a few cottages, 2 miles S. of Brewood, and near them are the farms of Hyde, Woolley, and Park Lanes.
HORSEBROOK is a small hamlet near the Roman road, 1 mile N. of Brewood.
KIDDERMOOR GREEN, (a corruption of Kid-moor) is a hamlet of scattered houses,
1 1/2 mile W. of Brewood, near Black Ladies' Catholic chapel and school, where 33 boys and girls are educated at the expense of Mr Evans, of Boscobel, in Shropshire.
SOMERFORD, 1 mile E. by S. of Brewood, is a large estate, consisting of a number of farms, and Somerford Hall, on the river Penk, the elegant seat of Edward Monckton, Esq., whose brother General Monckton, resides with him. This estate was nearly stripped of its sylvan ornaments by its late possessors, but Mr. Monckton has improved its general appearance by extensive plantations. At a Charity school in this liberty, the Misses Monckton pay for the education and clothing of 13 poor girls.


BREWOOD
Those marked 1 are in Deans end, 2 Market place, 3 Salop street, 4 Sandy lane,
5 School lane, 6 Shifnal street, 7 Shop lane, and 8 in Stafford street.

2 Anslow Geo. magistrate's clerk
1 Anslow Moses, gent.
Bill Mrs. Stafford street
Bill Jph. corn miller, Hyde mill
Bill Thos. butcher, & c. Park cot.
Bowyer Rev. W.H. Wentworth, curate, vicarage
2 Brewster Jph. thrashing, winnowing, and other agricultural machine maker
3 Brookman Mr. James
Careless Thos. colr. of poor rates
1 Des Jardins Miss Eliz. Mary
4 Fernie Rev. John (Ind. Min.)
8 Greene Miss Sarah
2 Greene Thomas, druggist
3 Grundy Miss Mary, gentwn.
Haden Rev. Alex. Bunn, B.A. vicar, Dean's field
3 Hurdd Miss Dorothy
1 Law Mr John
3 Lawrence John, govr. Workhs.
1 Layton Thos. bricklyr. & bldr.
Mills Thos. baker & flour dlr.
8 Nicholas Thos. clock and watch maker
4 Smith John, gent.
1 Turner Henry, agent to the Atlas Fire office
Turner Mrs Mary, Brewood hall

INNS AND TAVERNS
1 Admiral Rodney, Aaron Anslow
2 Angel Inn, Mary Parkes
3 Chequered Ball, Wm. Moreton
2 Fleur-de-Lis Inn, Jph. Smith
2 Lion Inn, Henry Chessell
2 Swan, John Ray

ACADEMIES
Bennett Miss, Dean's hall
1 Boyden Hannah Maria
1 Bridgen & Fowke (ladies' bdg.)
8 Cale Mary, Stafford street
5 Grammar, Rev. Hy. Kempson, M.A. head master ; and Rev. Matthew Kemsey, A.B. second master
1 Ladbury Waldron (bdg. & day)

ATTORNEYS
2 Bennett John Sanders
1 Turner Henry

BEER HOUSES
8 Cook John
1 Hipkiss Jas.
3 Oldfield Eliz.
3 Pitt Wm.
8 Richards Thos.

BLACKSMITHS
3 Daw James
5 Machin Geo.
4 Pitt James

BOOT AND SHOE MAKERS
8 Bullock Thos.
8 Davis Geo.
1 Etheridge Jer.
2 Simmons Jno.

BUTCHERS
8 Bill John
8 Cox Henry
6 Crossley John
2 Ray John
3 Webb David

COOPERS
3 Wakelem Rd.
3 Wood Wm.

FARMERS
4 Holdford Jph. (& brick mkr.)
Howell Geo. H.
Ick Wm., Woolley
Jones Hugh
8 Parke James
Perrin John, Broom Hall
Ray William, Hockerill

GARDENERS AND NURSEYMEN
2 Chessell Henry
3 Oldfield Eliz.
1 Tedd W.

GROCERS AND DRAPERS
2 Bamford and Shaw
8 Bratt Wm. (& druggist)
2 Farmer Jas. (& ironmonger)
3 Smith Joseph
2 Woolfe Cath. (draper)

HAIR DRESSERS
3 Cluett James
8 Parke James

JOINERS AND CABINET MAKERS
6 Daw Wm.
7 Fox George
6 Price Thomas

LOCK MANFRS. (PLATE & STOCK)
7 Holland Wm. and George
3 Newman Geo.
Roberts John, Mount pl.

MALSTERS
8 Bill John
Howell Cathn. Deans hall
8 Richards Thos.
3 Wakelem Rd.

MILLINERS, & c.
1 Shale Ann
8 Trevitt Sarah
8 Willetts Misses

PAINTER, PLUMBERS, & c.
1 Faulkner Pet.
2 Hill John

SADDLERS
5 Haynes Geo.
2 Till John

STONE MASONS & QUARRY OWNERS.
6 Taylor Edwin (and statuary & grave stone cutter)
4 Taylor John
Taylor Jph.
3 Taylor Paul

SURGEONS
1 Bond Henry Hollier
2 Greene John
8 Robinson Jno. James

TAILORS
2 Jones George
8 Purchase Jno.
1 Roe Thomas
1 Shotton Thos.
2 Tart Thomas

WHEELWRIGHTS
3 Cartwright Jn.
4 Stoker Thos.


POSTMAN, (& CARRIER,) Heber Perry, School lane, to Wolverhampton, at 9 mng. ret. at 7 evng. daily (except Sunday)

COACHES. - From the Lion Inn, the Emerald, to Chester and Liverpool, at 1/2 past 10 mng. and to Wolverhampton & Birmingham at 5 aft. daily; the Dispatch, to Wolverhampton, Wednesday, at 10 mng., ret. at 6 evng. From the Fleur-de-Lis Inn, a car, to Wolverhampton, Wed. & Sat. at 10, mng. ret. at 6 evening.

CARRIER, John Cook, Stafford street to Wolverhampton, Wed. and Sat. at 8 mng. ret. 8 evng.



HAMLETS IN BREWOOD PARISH

Those marked 1 are in Chillington, 2 Coven, 3 Engleton, 4 Gunstone,
5 Hattons, 6 Horsebrook, 7 Kiddermoor Green, and 8 in Somerford liberty.

2 Anslow Wm. shoemaker
6 Bird Thomas, tawer
Giffard Thomas Wm. Esq. Chillington Hall
7 Hay John, accountant to T.W. Giffard, Esq.
1 Hubbard Rev. Richard (Cath.) Long birch
2 Hughes James beer house
6 Machin James blacksmith
Monckton Edw. Esq. Somerford hall
Monckton Genl. Henry, Somerford hall
3 Mitchell Smith, gent.
2 Richards Henry, gent.
7 Richmond Rev. Henry, assistant priest, Black ladies
7 Robinson Mrs.
7 Roe Rev. John, (Cath.) Black ladies
6 Simpson Mrs.
Turton Wm. gent. Coven lodge
7 Vaughton Mr. Thomas
2 Wade Thomas, blacksmith
7 Walker Robert, agent to T.W. Giffard, Esq.
6 Wedge Richard, land surveyor, Rose hill


INNS AND TAVERNS
2 Anchor, John Durham
2 Black Lion, James Hadden (& rope maker, ) Snade heath
6 Blue Bell, Wm. Smith
8 Four Ashes, Joseph Ward
2 Harrow, Wm. Pearson, Standeford bridge
7 Old Crown, John Green (and joiner)
2 Rainbow, James Yates

CORN MILLERS
8 Brewster Jph.
3 Mallow Hugh
2 Shenstone Wm. Standeford

FARMERS
2 Bate Thomas
2 Beards Samuel
2 Bickford Thos.
6 Bowker Sarah
7 Cartwright Jn.
1 Chambley Manoa
2 Chambley Wm.
4 Chapman Thos.
2 Cliff John
4 Cliffe Thomas
1 Evans Cadwallader
1 Ingram Thos.
5 Jebb Cathn.
8 Kendrick Jno.
8 Lovett Richd.
1 Mercer Wm.
2 Miller Thos.
2 Nicholds Titus
6 Penn John
7 Plant Edward
1 Plant John, sen. Bath
7 Plant Jon. jun.
8 Shaw Joseph
6 Smith James
2 Smith John, Three Hammers
7 Wade Chas., Hogshead
7 Ward John
5 Wilson Edw.

LOCK MANFRS. (PLATE & STOCK.)
2 Birch Thos.
2 Roberts Jas.
2 Smith John

MALTSTERS
8 Brewster Jph.
1 Ingram Thos.
2 Shenstone Wm.
2 Smith John

SCHOOLS
7 Hazeldine Ann
2 Hughes John, (day)
8 Male Eliz.

SHOPKEEPERS
7 Alcock Wm.
2 Lloyd Joseph
7 Paulton Jph.
2 Williams Cath.

WHEELWRIGHTS
7 Taylor John
2 Williams Jno.