Shareshill in 1859

SHARESHILL (THE VIRGIN MARY), a parish, in the union of PENKRIDGE, E. division of the hundred of CUTTLESTONE, S. division of the county of STAFFORD, 5 miles (N.N.E.) from Wolverhampton; containing, with the township of Great and Little Saredon, 594 inhabitants, of whom 305 are in Shareshill township. The parish comprises about 2817 acres, of which 887a.2r.3p. are in Shareshill, and are mostly arable land; the surface is hilly, the soil gravelly, suitable for turnips and barley, and the scenery rather picturesque. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal crosses the northwestern angle of the parish and the Four-Ashes second-class station of the Grand Junction railway is about two miles and a half to the north-west also.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Lord Hatherton (the impropriator), with a net income of £114: the tithes have been commuted for £470.18. The church, with the exception of the tower, is of modern erection, and contains several curious antique monuments, preserved on the demolition of the former edifice; it was beautified in 1842. A day school is supported by Gen. Vernon, of Hilton Park, and a day and Sunday school by subscription. On the north and south sides of the village are vestiges of two encampments, probably Roman.

SAREDON, GREAT and LITTLE, a township, in the parish of SHARESHILL, union of PENKRIDGE, E. division of the hundred of CUTTLESTONE, S. division of the county of STAFFORD, 7 miles (N.N.E.) from Wolverhampton; containing 289 inhabitants. The township 
comprises about 1113 acres, of which two-thirds are arable land, of a gravelly soil. 

 

[Description(s) from The Topographical Dictionary of England (1859) by Samuel Lewis - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]