Church Eaton in 1859

CHURCH EATON (ST. EDITH), a parish, in the union of Penkridge, hundred of Cuttlestone division of the county of Stafford, 7 miles (S.W by W) from Stafford; containing 743 inhabitants. It comprises about 4000 acres, principally arable land; the soil is generally fertile, being a strong loam, both in the meadows and uplands. The Liverpool and Birmingham canal passes through. The village, which is long, consists chiefly of one street of detatched and well-built houses. 

The living is a rectory, valued in the kings books at  £14.19.9., and in the patronage of the Earl Talbot: the tithes have been commuted for £760, and there are90 acres of glebe, The church is an ancient structure with a low tower supporting a spire of modern erection. The south side of the edifice, also, appears to have been  rebuilt in later times, from the square form of its windows.

A grammar school of unknown origin has from an early period possessed several houses and other buildings, with about 92 acres of land in Church and Wood Eaton, now producing £170 per annum; it is free to all the boys of the parish. The Gnosall and Church-Eaton charity estate consists of about 33 acres of land, let for £42.11.10. per annum, which is divided among the poor of those places. Mr. Henry Crocket, in 1780, gave £200, since invested in land producing about £20 per annum, also distributed in small sums to the necessitous. 

 

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