The Baptist Chapel stands a little back from the road, near to Greenend street, and will hold about three hundred hearers. The interior is neatly pewed, and provided with a gallery. This place of worship is respectably attended. The Methodist Chapel, situate in St. Mary’s street, is a commodious structure which will hold six hundred worshippers. It is neatly pewed and fitted up with galleries. There is a Sunday school in connection with this place of worship, which is numerously attended. The Baptists have also a Sunday school in connection with their chapel.
The Free Grammar School and residence for the master is a noble pile of buildings, situated in Bargates street, and was erected in the year 1548. The school is a chaste and elegant structure, ornamental to the town, and highly creditable to the feoffees under whose auspices it was erected. The school was founded in 1550, and we find in the preamble to the schedule of a deed of feoffment, bearing date 16th September, 1550, that Sir John Talbot, late parson of Whitchurch, was resolved to have founded in his lifetime a free school in the town of Whitchurch, at his own expense, for the bringing up of youth in virtue and learning; and that he had delivered into the hands of Thomas Cotton the sum of £200 towards the erection and establishment of the said school, but that the said Sir John Talbot died before the accomplishment of the same; and that with the said sum and other moneys given by charitably disposed persons, there had been purchased a messuage called Cow Hall, to the intent that they should observe the several articles contained in the deed of feoffment. The substance of the statutes contained in this deed is,—That the feoffees, with the parson of the parish, if he should be inhabiting there, should within six weeks after the death, departure, or removal of any schoolmaster appoint another unmarried man, if he could be conveniently provided, and if not a married man—honest, virtuous, and well learned in Latin and literature—to be schoolmaster there, such schoolmaster to be presented, within eight days after his election, to the diocesan or his chancellor to be examined, and if he should be thought competent on such examination, then to be admitted. That if the feoffees and parson should not appoint within six weeks, the Earl of Shrewsbury should appoint a master. That if any of the feoffees should depart out of the parish and reside elsewhere, he should release his interest to the other feoffees. The master was to receive £10 per annum, and to have the appointment of the usher, who was to receive five marks yearly. That the feoffees should not demise any of the premises for more than ten years, and that they should yearly account in the parish church of Whitchurch for the rents and profits of the same. If the rents and profits should at any time exceed the sum before appointed to be paid to the schoolmaster and usher, the feoffees should deliver the overplus to the churchwardens, to be kept in a chest in the said church, for the repairs of the schoolhouse, and for the relief of such schoolmaster as should have laudably taught in the said school, until by sickness or age he should have given over, or have been removed from his place, and for the relief of poor fatherless and friendless scholars. That after the death or removal of a schoolmaster, the usher should be elected in his place if he should be thought by the parson and feoffees learned and meet for the same. That there should be taught in the school children of “all countries that will come.” William Thomas, in 1662, conveyed 16 acres of land in the parish of Ubley, in the County of Somerset; two thirds of the rent to be paid to the master of this school and one third to the usher. Edward Beddon and Ann, his wife, left certain lands, the rents to be employed to the sole use of the school at Whitchurch. All the real estates above-mentioned, with the school and other premises held therewith, have from time to time been conveyed to new trustees. In 1725 proceedings in Chancery took place between the master and usher and the then trustees. The matters in dispute were the amount of the salaries to which the schoolmaster and usher were entitled, the right of the master to take any payments from the scholars, and the right of the trustees to remove the master from his office. By a decree, made 16th December, 1725, it was ordered that the schoolmaster should have only £10 per annum, and the usher five marks from the Cowhall estate; that the rest of the profits should go to the uses mentioned in the statutes; that the rents of the Ubley estate should be divided as directed by the donor; and the rent of the Beddow estate in like manner; and it was declared that it was the intention of the donor that all people’s children should be taught in the said school gratis, and that the rector and feoffees had power to remove the master. In a subsequent cause, between the Attorney-General, at the relation of the Bishop of Hereford, it was decreed, on March 21st, 1747, that there should be paid to the head master £13. 6s. 8d., and to the usher £6. 13s. 4d. in addition to their former salaries, and so much as should remain after the payment of repairs and other incidental expenses relating to the school should be deposited in the chest; that whenever £100 should have arisen from such surplus, the same might be placed out on government securities for the augmentation of the salaries of the master and usher, in the proportions of two thirds to the former and one third to the latter, until such time as there should be a decayed master or poor scholar entitled to a subsistance according to the donor’s intention. The Cowhall estate is situate at Backford, in Cheshire, and consists of 153a. 3r. 37p. of land, with a farm house and suitable outbuildings, let at a yearly rent of £200, but the trustees, in 1822, agreed to allow the tenant £20 per annum, to be laid out in manure. In the year 1822, timber was cut from this farm and sold for £200, which was partly applied in repairing the farm premises: the residue, £80 13s. 10d., was paid to the trustees. The Ubley estate, near Bristol, consists of 26a. 1r. 4p. of land, and is let for £30 a year. There is also a yearly sum of £52 arising from lands the gift of Edward Beddow. The trustees, when the charity commissioners published their report, were possessed of £6,400 in three per cent. consols, which has arisen from the investment of surplus rents, in accordance with the decree of Chancery. The gross annual income amounts to £454, from which the master had a salary of £210. 8s. 6d., and the usher £97 per annum. Upon application being made to the trustees, on behalf of orphan or friendless children, such as are considered fit objects, are appointed at a meeting of the trustees, they also receive clothing and are supplied with books. The Rev. James R. Peake, M.A., is the master.
The National School is situated in New street, Dodington. The British School is also in Dodington, where they will be found noticed. The Church Sunday School is a modern erection of brick, situated near the church. The Infant School, in Claypit street, is a neat building, erected in 1848.
The Savings’ Bank is situated in St. Mary’s street. The capital stock of the bank on November 20th, 1850, amounted to £52,954. 0s. 4d., at which period there were 1,489 separate accounts, of which nine were charitable societies, having deposits amounting to £518. 3s. 4d., and nineteen friendly societies, with deposits amounting to the sum of £6,898. 2s. 10d. Of the total number of accounts there were 790 depositors, whose respective balances did not exceed £20; 385 were above £20, and not exceeding £50; 187 were between £50 and £100; 62 above £100 and not exceeding £150; 33 above that sum, and not exceeding £200; and four above £200. President: The Right Hon. George Lord Kenyon. Secretary and Actuary: Mr. S. H. Parker. The bank was established in the year 1818.
The House of Industry, situate on Deer Moss, was established in 1794, and is under the management of twelve directors or guardians, who nominate a chairman. They constitute a board for the regulation of the house and the paupers belonging to the fourteen townships of the parish of Whitchurch, which are embraced in the jurisdiction of the board. The house will accommodate 150 inmates; the present number on the books is 63. Chairman: Archibald Worthington. Vice-Chairman: Mr. Thomas Andrews. Treasurer: George Corser, Esq. Surgeon: Mr. Thomas Groom. Clerk: Mr. Robert B. Jones. Governor: Thomas Huxley. Matron: Mrs. Huxley. Relieving Officer and Assistant Overseer: Thomas Huxley. Schoolmistress: Mary Price.
The County Court Office for the recovery of debts, not exceeding £50, is situated in St. Mary’s street. The court embraces within its jurisdiction the following townships and places, viz.:—Whitchurch, Alkington 2, Ash Magna 3, Ash Parva 3, Dodington 1, Black Park 2, Broughall 3, Edgeley 2, Hinton 2, Hollyhurst and Chinnell 2, Tilstock 3, New Woodhouses 4, Old Woodhouses 4, Ightfield 4, Hanmer 7, Betisfield 8, Bronington 6, Halghton 9, Tybroughton 6, Wellington 9, Iscoyd 6, Agden 4, Chidlow 4, Chorlton 8, Cuddington 8, Malpas 5, Newton by Malpas 7, Old Castle 7, Overton 7, Church Shocklach 11, Shocklach Oviatt 11, Stockton 6, Whichaugh 7, Wigland 5, Threapwood 10, Audlem 10, Bickley 6, Buerton 11, Dodcot and Wilkesley 8, Hampton 7, Macefen 4, Marbury with Quoisly 3, Norbury 5, Tushingham with Grindley 3, and Wirswall 3. Judge: Uvedale Corbet, Esq., Aston Hall, near Shiffnal. Clerk: Mr. Benjamin Lakin. Assistant Clerk: Charles Foulkes. High Bailiff: Mr. Thomas Whittingham, jun. Bailiff: William Baxter, Auctioneer and Broker: Mr. William Lakin. The figures refer to the mileage from Whitchurch.
The News and Reading Room is held in a commodious and neatly fitted up room in the Market Hall; it is under the management of a committee of gentlemen, and supported by annual subscriptions.
The Market Hall, situate in High street or Market street, is a spacious building of brick, with stone finishings and supported by stone pillars. Underneath the hall is a spacious area, where the corn-market is held. Here the farmers assemble in considerable numbers on the market day, which has a business-like and animated appearance while the market continues.
The Assembly Rooms is at the Victoria Inn, High street.
The Theatre is a small structure, situated in Mill street.