Eccleshall in 1872

 

ECCLESHALL, a small town and a sub-district in Stone district, and a parish in Stone and Newcastle-under-Lyme districts, Stafford. The town stands near the river Sow, 3 miles WSW of Norton-Bridge railway station, and 7 NW of Stafford. It dates from very ancient times; is neat and regularly built; has an ancient castle, a church, an Independent chapel, and a head post-office; and is a seat of petty sessions, and a polling-place.

The castle was founded in remote times; has belonged, since the 13th century, to the bishops of Lichfield; was rebuilt, in 1310, by Bishop Langton; sustained much damage in the parliamentary war; was partly restored, partly rebuilt, in 1695, by Bishop Lloyd; has been enlarged and improved by several subsequent bishops; and is still the episcopal residence. The church is early English; was the retreat of Queen Margaret after her defeat; and was improved, after damage by fire, in 1869.

The inhabitants are employed partly in various trades and manufactures, but chiefly in agriculture. A weekly market is held on Friday; and fairs on the Thursday before Mid-lent, Holy Thursday, 16 Aug., and the first Friday of Nov. Real property, £6,257. Pop., 1,491. Houses, 305. The parish contains also the townships of Horseley, Wootton, Walton, Three Farms, Aspley, Slindon, Millmeece, Coldmeece, Cotes, Pershall, Sugnall-Parva, Sugnall-Magna, Charnes, Chatcull, Podmore, Bromley, Broughton, and Croxton in the district of Stone, and the township of Chorlton in the district of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Acres, 21,460. Real property, £37,925. Pop., 4,882. Houses, 1,002. 

The property is much subdivided; but the manor, with the greater part of the land, belongs to the Bishop of Lichfield. An area of about 1,300 acres, two or three miles from the town, is covered with trees and coppice, belonging to the Bishop; and large quantities of young timber are sent thence to the potteries for making crates.

The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £254. Patron, the Bishop of Lichfield. The chapelries of Croxton, Cotes-Heath, Chapel-Chorlton, and Broughton are separate benefices. The sub-district includes all the townships of the parish in Stone district, the parishes of Standon and Swinnerton, and two townships of Chebsey. Acres, 32,810. Pop., 6,139. Houses, 1,275. 

An 1872 Gazetteer description of the following places in Eccleshall is to be found on a supplementary page.

• Aspley
• Bromley
• Broughton
• Charnes
• Chatcull
• Coldmeece
• Cotes
• Cotmere
• Croxton
• Garmelow
• Hilcott
• Horseley
• Millmeece
• Offley-Hey
• Pershall
• Podmore
• Slindon
• Sugnall-Magna
• Sugnall-Parva
• Three-Farms
• Walton

[Description(s) from The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72) - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]