Blackmere, or Bletchmore, one mile and a half N.E. from Whitchurch, is noted as the birth-place of John Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury. He was the second son of Sir Richard Talbot, of Goodrich Castle, in Herefordshire; and on the death of his elder brother, he became heir to that family. John Talbot, who was called to Parliament by Henry IV. by the title of Lord Furnival (having married the eldest daughter of that nobleman), was appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1412, and Lord Lieutenant in 1414. In 1420 he accompanied Henry V. to France, where he remained till the death of that monarch. He afterwards served in France under the Regent (the Duke of Bedford), and by his exploits rendered his name more terrible to the foe than that of any other English officer. He was afterwards raised to the rank of general, and commanded the troops which were sent into the province of Maine to the succour of the Earl of Suffolk, and made himself master of Alencon. He joined the Earl of Salisbury at the siege of Orleans, which failed through the intervention of the celebrated Maid of Orleans, under whose guidance the French recovered their lost courage, became assailants in their turn, and defeated the English at Patai, where Talbot was taken prisoner. He obtained his liberty by ransom, and raising fresh troops, recrossed the sea, and defeated the French in several engagements. For these and other services he was raised to the dignity of Marshal of France, and the title of Earl of Shrewsbury was conferred upon him. He was a second time sent to Ireland as lord lieutenant, and the earldom of Wexford and Waterford in that kingdom was added to his honours. In 1541, the English influence in France continuing to decline, Talbot was again sent thither, and constituted Lieutenant General, with extraordinary powers. His presence restored success; he took Bordeaux, and brought back several other places to their allegiance to the English crown. He afterwards marched to the relief of Chastillon, and made an attack on the enemy, when he was shot in the thigh by a cannon ball, and soon after died, at the age of eighty years. In this engagement one of his sons was slain, the English were defeated, and the consequence was their total expulsion from France. The remains of this celebrated general were interred at Whitchurch, where a splendid monument was raised to his memory, which has been previously noticed. Blackmere is a noted and extensive sheet of water in this township, well stocked with fish.
Directory.—George Bradshaw, farmer; Arthur Dickin, farmer, The Yockings; John Edwards, farmer; Thomas Maddocks, farmer, The Lodge; James Price, farmer; William Reddrop, farmer; Joseph Savage, blacksmith.
BROUGHALL.
a township in Whitchurch parish, one mile S.E. from the parish church, contains 818a. 2r. 9p. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of sand and stiff loam. In 1841 here were 44 houses and 203 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,024. 10s. The tithes have been commuted for the sum of £82. 4s. The chief landowners in this township are Mr. John Weaver, Mr. Robert Tudman, Misses Ann and Mary Beckett, Mr. Thomas Overton, Mr. John Brookes, William Lee Brookes, Esq., George Harper, Esq., Mrs. Hopley, the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, William Palmer Churton, Esq., Archibald Worthington, Esq., William Worthington, Esq., and Mrs. Jones; there are also several other proprietors. The Methodists have a neat chapel in this township.
The chief residents are the Misses Ann and Mary Beckett; John Brookes, farmer; Peter Caldecott, farmer; Thomas Caldecott, farmer; Rev. Mr. Colley; Arthur Dickin, farmer; William Etchess, farmer, Broughall House; John Fox, boot and shoemaker; Thomas Goodall, farmer; George Hales, farmer, The Fields; Mr. Jones, farmer, Broughall Cottage; William Edward Jones, gentleman; Richard Nickson, farmer; Thomas Palmer, carpenter and joiner; John Pennill, farmer; John Weaver, farmer; William Vicars, wheelwright.
CHINNEL, OR CHIMNEL,
is a small township in the parish of Whitchurch, one and three quarters of a mile N. from the parish church, which contains 240 acres of land, three houses and sixteen inhabitants. Rateable value, £296. 4s. The tithes have been apportioned, and are returned in the amount given with Hollyhurst township. The freeholders are Viscount Combermere, Lord Kenyon, Domville Halstead Cudworth Poole, Esq., Mr. Thomas Overton, and Mr. Sarah Saddler. The residents are Thomas Overton, farmer, Chinnel farm; and Ann Tomlinson, farmer.
DODINGTON
is a township and populous chapelry half a mile S. from Whitchurch, and may be considered a suburb to that town. In 1841 there were 211 houses and 1,010 inhabitants. Rateable value, £3,406. 8s. The township contains 1,626a. 3r. 14p. of fine land, highly productive both the arable and pasture; the soil is a mixture of sand and loam, and there are some good farm houses with commodious out premises, and farms of considerable extent. There are also several respectable family mansions and neat villa residences scattered over the township. The principal landowners are the trustees of the late Earl of Bridgewater, William Lee Brookes, Esq., Rev. George Richard Downward, George Harper, Esq., John Lowe, Esq., John Faulkner Wood, Esq., Mr. Thos. Burgess, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, besides whom there are 39 smaller freeholders. The tithes are commuted for £130. 3s., and apportioned to the rector of Whitchurch-cum-Marbury.
The Church of St. Catherine is a commodious structure of brick, with an elegant front of white free stone, exhibiting the Grecian style of architecture, and was erected in the year 1836 by the late Countess of Bridgewater, at a cost of upwards of £8,000. The church has a noble appearance, and is ornamented with some very elaborate workmanship; it is very beautifully fitted up with oak pews, and has a gallery supported by iron pillars; it consists of nave, chancel, and side aisles. The solemnity of the whole is greatly heightened by the chastened light entering from the richly stained glass window in the chancel, which has a most pleasing and magnificent effect. The living is a curacy subordinate to the rectory of Whitchurch, the ministers of which perform divine service here.