CONVEYANCE BY RAILWAY
ON THE SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM LINE, AND ON THE WELLINGTON AND STAFFORD BRANCH OF THE SHROPSHIRE UNION RAILWAY.
Station, Church street
CARRIERS,
BY RAILWAY AND CANAL.
To BIRMINGHAM, by the Carriers to Wolverhampton.
To CHESTER, LIVERPOOL, and MANCHESTER, the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company, from Wappenshall wharf, daily, and Henshall & Co. from the same wharf, two or three times a week by Canal.
To WOLVERHAMPTON, BIRMINGHAM, and LONDON, the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Co. from Wappenshall wharf, daily by Canal.
WEM,
WITH THE VILLAGES OF PREES, EDSTASTON, LOPPINGTON AND NEIGHBOURHOODS.
Wem is a parish, partly in the Whitchurch division of the hundred of Bradford, and extending into the hundred of Pimhill—the market town is 164 miles N.W. from London, 10 N. from Shrewsbury, and the like distance S. from Whitchurch; pleasantly situated on the road leading to the two last named towns, and near to the source of the Roden. Wem was the first town in the county which declared for the parliament in 1643: in that year a party of the king’s troops attempted to capture it by storm, but were repulsed by the small garrison, assisted, it is affirmed, by the zealous exertions of the women; and at a subsequent period, under the government of Major General Mytton, the garrison plundered the houses and possessions of the neighbouring royalists—and the booty conveyed by them into the town was the means of its flourishing more than at any antecedent period. Many of the houses are ancient structures, the more modern ones having been erected after the destructive fire in 1677, which consumed the church, market house, and whole ranges of buildings, destroying property to the amount of £23,000. The unprincipled Judge Jeffreys became possessed of this place about the year 1685, and was created Baron Wem, being the first who enjoyed that dignity by patent, but at the death of his son the title became extinct. This place is not distinguished by manufactories or any peculiar branch of trade—there are two tan-yards, several maltings and two or three corn mills in the vicinity, that belonging to Thomas Jebb, junr. is a large and powerful one driven by steam: the business here generally, however, is dependent on supplying the inhabitants, and those of the immediate neighbourhood (which is very respectable), with articles of ordinary consumption. The streets are well lighted with gas, and there are many good shops and several respectable private residences in New street. An act of parliament has been obtained for a branch from the London and North Western Railway from Shrewsbury to Crewe, which will pass through this town. The principal officers are two bailiffs, appointed annually at a court leet, held soon after Michaelmas—one by the manorial lord’s steward, and the other by the borough jury. Wem is included in the twenty seventh circuit of County Court towns, under the acts passed for the recovery of debts to any amount not exceeding £50.—the court is held monthly.
The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a handsome edifice, with a lofty tower and fine chancel: nearly three hundred additional sittings were obtained by building two new galleries in 1840, which are free from a grant from the Society for building churches; the living is a rectory, in the gift of Lord Darlington: the present rector is the Rev. J. W. D. Merist. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Methodists, and Irvingites. The free school, here, was founded and liberally endowed, in 1653, by Sir Thomas Adams, a native of this town; it has two exhibitions to the universities, founded by Mr. Careswell. The British school, in Dark-lane, was established in 1839, partly by a government grant and partly by subscriptions; it is for children of both sexes. The national school is situated in Noble-street, and was erected at an expense of nearly £1,000. Situate a mile S.W. from Wem, is a mineral spring. The market is held on Thursday; and the fairs on the first Thursday in March, May 6th, Holy Thursday, first Thursday in June, June 29th, first Thursday in August, the last Thursday in September, and November 21st. The parish of Wem, which comprises ten townships and two chapelries, contained in 1841, 4,119 inhabitants, and in 1851, 3,747.
Prees is a parish, in the Whitchurch division of the hundred of Bradford—the village is between four and five miles N.N.E. from Wem. There are several maltings here, and a traffic in lime, coal and slate, is carried on by means of the Quinabrook canal, which passes through the parish—taken altogether, however, the trade of the place is but inconsiderable. The parish church of Saint Mary, is an ancient cruciform structure, with a tower of much later date; in the church are some specimens of tesselated pavement, and several monuments to the ancestors of General Lord Hill, who was born herein 1772: the living is a vicarage, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the prebendary of Prees, in Lichfield Cathedral; the present incumbent is the Rev. Archdeacon Allen. Prees had formerly a market, which has long been discontinued; but two fairs are still maintained—on the second Mondays in April and October. The parish of Prees contained, in 1831, 3,335 inhabitants, in 1841, 3,270, and in 1851, 3,196; of which last number, 630 belonged to the village.
Edstaston is a chapelry, in the parish of Wem, about 2 miles N. from that town, seated on the road to Whitchurch. A branch of the Ellesmere canal passes through the village, and terminates at Quinabrook. It contains a chapel of ease, a very ancient structure, and about 400 inhabitants.
Loppington is a parish and village pleasantly situated about 3 miles S.W. from Wem. The church of Saint Michael is a plain ancient structure. The population of the parish in 1851, was 599.
POST OFFICE. Chapel-street, Wem, Jane Deakin, Post Mistress.—Letters from all parts arrive (from Shrewsbury) every morning at six, and are despatched at a quarter to seven in the evening.—Letters from Whitchurch arrive every evening at a quarter to seven, and are despatched thereto at a quarter past six in the morning.—Money Orders granted and paid from nine in the morning till five in the evening.
POST OFFICE, Prees, Richard Langford, Post Master.—Letters from all parts arrive every morning at eight, and are despatched at twenty-five minutes past five in the evening.
NOBILITY, GENTRY AND CLERGY.
Allen the Rev. & Venerable Archdeacon, Vicarage, Prees
Barber Mrs. Martha, Noble st
Barber Henry John, Esq. Mill st
Beetinson Charles A. Esq. Noble st
Blackley Rev. William, Hawkestone
Boote Mr. Daniel, Edstaston Hall
Boughey Mr. Joseph, Prees
Boulton Thomas, Esq. the Grove
Boulton Rev. William, M.A. High st
Bowen Miss —, Coton Hall
Bowen George, Esq. (magistrate), Coton Hall
Briscoe Mr. Elizabeth, Noble st
Broomhall Mr. Edward, Cripple st
Colley Mr. John, Lacon
Cotgrave Miss Jane, Chapel st
Deakin Mr. Henry, Soulton Hall
Dicken Mrs. Jane, Loppington House
Dicken John, Esq. Platt, Prees
Dicken William Frances, Esq. Prees
Dickin Mrs. Jane, High st
Dickin Mr. Richard Parker, High st
Dixon Rev. William, Noble st
Dobell Mrs. —, Low hill
Evans Rev. John, Whixall
Ferrett Mr. Henry, Noble st
Franklin Mr. Robert, High st
Grant Rev. Wm. Islington crescent
Gratrix Rev. Charles B. Loppington
Greenwood Mr. Abrhm. Chapel st
Huff Rev. James, Chapel st
Hill Miss —, Hardwick Grange
Hill Miss Emma, Hardwick Grange
Hill Rev. John, Citadel
Hill Sir Robert Chambre, K.C.B. Prees Hall
Hill Lord Viscount, Hawkestone
James Rev. David, Islington crescent
Johnson Mr. William, Fields, Prees
Jones Mrs. Martha, Chapel lane
Kilvert Mr. Richard, Palm’s hill
Kynaston Mrs. Frances, Noble st
Lane Mrs. Hannah, Noble st
Lee Mrs. Ann, Chapel st
Lee Henry, Esq. Chapel st
Lucas William, Esq. Noble st
Maddocks Mrs. Mary, Woodlands
Matthews Mrs. Charlotte, Cripple street
Menlove Mrs. —, Tilley
Merist Rev. J. W. D. Rectory
Minor John, B. Esq. Ashley House
Minshull Rev. Samuel, Prees
Morris Mrs. Catharine, New st
Munford Mr. Charles, Prees
Nickson Mrs. Mary, Chapel st
Oldham Capt. Charles, Tilley Lodge
Onslow Mrs. Elizabeth, Cripple st
Osburne Rev. William, Ellesmere st
Owen Wm. Esq. Shrubbery, New st
Pattison Rev. Joseph, New st
Prince Lieut. Charles, High st
Sandford Thomas Hugh, Esq. Sandford Hall
Shingler Mr. Peter, Burlton Grange
Shirley John, Esq. Prees
Smith Rev. George, Noble st
Snape Mr. Walter, Creamore grove, New street
Steward Rev. John, Edstaston House
Vaughan Robert C. Esq. Burlton
Walford John Henshaw, Esq. M.P. Roden House, Mill st
Walmsley Mr. George, High st
Wilkinson Mr. George, Prees wood
Wilkinson Mr. Thomas, Sandy lane, Prees
Williams Lady —, the Hall
Wood Thomas, Esq. Woodlands
Wrightson Captain William Ward, Prees