CARRIER.
To CRAVEN ARMS, John Bowen, from Clun, once a week.
DRAYTON,
WITH THE VILLAGE OF HODNET AND NEIGHBOURHOODS.
Drayton, or Market Drayton, is a market town, in the parish of Drayton in Hales—which latter is partly in the hundred of Bradford North, in the county of Salop, and partly in the northern division of the hundred of Pirehill, county of Stafford; 151 miles N.W. by N. from London, 19 N.E. by N. from Shrewsbury, 20 N.W. from Stafford, 9 W.S.W. from Whitmore, a first class station on the London and North-Western Railway, and 18 S.W. from Newcastle-under-Lyme, which town is about a mile and a half from the line of the North Staffordshire Railway; situated on the north-western bank of the river Tern. In Domesday book this place is called Druitune; and the manor belonged successively to the abbot of St. Ebrulph, in Normandy, and the abbot of Combermere in Cheshire; and it was from the latter that it received the grant of a market and fair. Blore heath, about two miles from the town, was the scene of a sanguinary battle between the houses of York and Lancaster; the latter, with a force of ten thousand men, being defeated by the Yorkists, with only half that number. At one period, the town enjoyed considerable business, and had one of the best markets in this district, but in consequence of the construction of the Grand Trunk canal its trade declined. Under the head of manufactures, all that can be mentioned is that for hair-cloth; there are several corn mills and maltings, and two iron foundries, one of which, Messrs. William and John Rodenhurst, employ upwards of one hundred hands. The petty sessions for the Drayton division of the hundred are held here monthly, and the town is included in the twenty-seventh circuit of County Court towns, under the acts for the recovery of debts to any amount, not exceeding £50. The inhabitants of the Staffordshire portion of the parish have the privilege of proving wills before a steward or judge, appointed by the lord of the manor, which custom is recorded to have existed prior to the year 1680.
The parish church of Saint Mary, supposed to have been erected, with the exception of the steeple, in the reign of Stephen, consists of a nave, aisles, a chancel, and a square tower; the latter supported by buttresses, and ornamented with battlements and pinnacles: the living is a vicarage, in the patronage of Richard Corbet, Esq.; the Rev. James Lee, M.A. is the present incumbent. Christ church, Little Drayton, first opened for divine service, in 1847, was erected partly by subscription, and partly by the aid of the incorporated society for building and enlarging churches and chapels, who granted £325., and the late Mrs. Nunneley, a benevolent lady, contributed the munificent sum of £1,000. It is a neat structure, consisting of a nave, chancel and aisles: the living is a perpetual curacy, at present enjoyed by the Rev. Edward Cheere. The situation of the parsonage is remarkably pleasant, and commands a fine and extensive view over a delightful country. The charities comprise a free grammar school, founded and endowed in 1554, by Sir Rowland Hill; several bequests for clothing the poor, an apprenticeship fund, and two schools, conducted upon the national plan. There are several seats and many handsome residences in the neighbourhood of Drayton, and the country around is fertile, diversified by hill and dale, and fine open plains. The market, formerly of greater note than at present, is held on Wednesday; and the fairs on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday; the Wednesday before 22nd of June, September 19th, and October 24th, for horned cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and hempen and woollen cloth. The fairs, more recently established, are held on the first Wednesdays, in February, March and August, and the last Wednesday in November. The parish of Drayton in Hales contained, in 1841, 4,680, and in 1851 (including Tyrley in Staffordshire, 784), 4,947 inhabitants.
Hodnet is a parish, in the hundred of Bradford North—the village a small one, is situated 6 miles S.W. from Drayton, on the Shrewsbury road. The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a very ancient structure and several handsome monuments ornament the interior, the living is a rectory; the present incumbent is the Rev. S. H. Macauley. Fairs are held on the Monday before the second Wednesday in March, May 4th, and the Monday before the 24th of October. The parish of Hodnet contained, in 1841, 2,185, and in 1851, 2,087.
POST OFFICE, Beast market, Drayton, Mary Smith, Post Mistress.—Letters from all parts arrive (from Newport), every morning at half-past four, and are despatched at a quarter to nine in the evening.
The Letter Box closes at a quarter past eight in the evening.
The Money Order Office, open from nine in the morning, till six in the evening.
POST OFFICE, Hodnet, Edward Jones, Post Master.—Letters from all parts arrived (from Market Drayton), every morning at eight, and are despatched thereto at a quarter before six in the evening.
The Money Order Office, open from nine in the morning till five in the evening.