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Wem |
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"WEM, a parish, post and market town, partly in the hundred of Pimhill, but chiefly in that of North Bradford, county Salop, 10 miles N.E. of Shrewsbury, and 8 N.E. of Baschurch. It is a station on the Crewe and Shrewsbury branch of the London and North-Western railway. The parish comprises, besides the town of Wem, the chapelries of Edstaston and Newtown, and the townships of Aston, Cotton, Horton, Lacon, Lowe-with-Ditches, Northwood, Sleap, Soulton, Tilley, Trench, and Wolverley. The town, which is a polling place for the county, is situated on the northern bank of the river Roden, near a branch of the Ellesmere canal, and on the road from Shrewsbury to Chester. It consists principally of one thoroughfare called the High-street. It contains a townhall, rebuilt in 1848, market-house, union poor-house, and branch of the National and Provincial Bank. The population of the parish in 1851 was 3,747, and in 1861, 3,802. There are tanyards, malting-houses, and a watermill. It is governed by two bailiffs, with other officers, annually appointed at the courts leet of the lord of the manor, which at the time of the Domesday survey belonged to William Pandulph, and afterwards came to the Howards and Judge Jeffreys, on whom it conferred the title of baron in the reign of James II. The county court is held in the townhall monthly, and petty sessions fortnightly. The Poor-law Union comprises 12 parishes, and the guardians meet once a fortnight at the union workhouse. The living is a rectory,* value £2,000. The church is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul. Its body was rebuilt after the fire of 1677, but the tower is ancient. There are also churches at Edstaston and Newtown, the former dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, with three Norman doorways and a painted memorial window. The Baptists, Presbyterians, and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel. The free grammar school, founded and endowed in 1650 by Sir Thomas Adams, was rebuilt in 1776. It has an income of about £350, with two exhibitions to the universities. There are besides National, British, and infant schools. An extra-mural cemetery has been formed with a chapel. Wycherley, the dramatist, and Ireland, author of "Hogarth Illustrated", were born at Clive, in this parish. Market day is on Thursday. Fairs are held on the first Thursdays in March, June, and August, the last Thursday in September, and on the 6th May for linen, 29th June for cattle, and 22nd November for pigs." "ASTON, a township in the parish of Wem, Whitchurch division of the hundred of North Bradford, in the county of Salop, 1 mile from Wem. It is near the source of the river Roden." "COTTON, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, in the county of Salop, 4 miles N.E. of Wem. The land chiefly belongs to Viscount Hill and G. Bowen, Esq." "CREAMORE, a hamlet in the parish and hundred of Wem, in the county of Salop, 1 mile N. of Wem. It is situated near the river Roden." "DITCHES WITH LOWE, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, in the county of Salop, 1 mile N.W. of Wem." "EDSTASTON, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 2 miles N.E. of Wem. It is situated on a branch of the Ellesmere canal. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Lichfield, value £160, in the patronage of the Rector of Wem. The church is an ancient structure, with Norman doorways, and has a beautiful painted window. It is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. The Primitive Methodists have a chapel." "FRENCH, a township in the parish of Wem, county Salop, a short distance from the town of Wem. It includes the hamlet of Tilley." "HORTON, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 4 miles N.E. of Wellington, its post town, 2 S. of Halesowen, and 1¼ mile from the Donnington railway station." "LACON, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 2½ miles N.E. of Wem." "LOWE, a township united with Ditches, in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 1 mile N.W. of Wem." "NEWTOWN, a chapelry in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 3 miles N.W. of Wem, Shrewsbury is its post town. The chapelry, which is wholly agricultural, comprises the townships of Newtown and Northwood. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Lichfield, value £80, in the patronage of the inhabitants. The church, dedicated to King Charles the Martyr in 1663, and rebuilt in 1836, has a wooden turret containing one bell. A National school was built in 1854, and is supported by voluntary contributions." "NORTHWOOD, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 3½ miles N.W. of Wem." "SLEAP, a township in the parish of Wem, hundred of North Bradford, county Salop, 2 miles S.W. of Wem. It is situated on the river Roden." "SOULTON, a township in the parish of Wem, county Salop, 2 miles N.E. of Wem." "TILLEY, a township in the parish of Wem, Wem division of North Bradford hundred, county Salop, 2 miles S.W. of Wem, It includes the hamlet of Trench." "WOLVERLEY, a township in the parish of Wem, county Salop, 10 miles N. of Shrewsbury." "WOOLVERLEY, a township in the parish of Wem, county Salop, 3 miles N.W. of Wem, on the river Roden."
[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of
Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]
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