The Water Works are the property of the corporation. The water is forced by an engine from the river to a reservoir at the top of the Market-hall, and thence conveyed in pipes to different parts of the town. There are also conduits supplied by pipes with excellent water from the neighbouring hills.
Ludlow Poor-law Union Workhouse is a spacious stone edifice, situated in the parish of Stanton Lacy. The union comprehends an area of 125 miles, and embraces the following parishes, viz.:—Abdon, Ashford Bowdler, Ashford Carbonel, Bitterley, Bromfield, Caynham, Clee St. Margaret, Cold Weston, Culmington, Diddlebury, Halford, Heath, Holdgate, Hope Baggott, Hopton Cangeford, Munslow, Onibury, Richard’s Castle, St. Lawrence Ludlow, Stanton Lacy, Stoke, St. Milborough, Stokesay, and Tugford, all in the county of Salop; Aston Burrington, Downton, Elton, Leinthall Starkes, Richard’s Castle, and Wigmore, in Herefordshire; the parishes of Leintwardine and Ludford are situated in both counties. Expenditure for the year ending 28th September, 1850, £3,533. 15s. 10½d. Clerk: Robert Thomas. Medical Officers: Henry Meymott, John Southern, Charles Pothecary, Daniel Gingell, Robert Jones. Relieving Officers: William Russell, James Jones, John Harding, Edward Millichap. Chaplain: Robert Meyricke. Master and Matron: William and Mrs. Russell.
Gaolford Tower, a small structure, situated in Tower street, has four cells for the confinement of prisoners, and a day room and airing yard. It was built by the corporation in the 4th of George III.
Dinham House, an elegant and spacious mansion, situated near the Castle (now the residence of John Thomas, Esq.), towards the close of the late war was occupied by Lucien Bonaparte, being then detained a prisoner in England. He left Ludlow on Sunday, June 30th, 1811.
Among the customs peculiar to this town that of rope pulling is not the least extraordinary. On Shrove-Tuesday the corporation provides a rope, three inches in thickness and thirty-six yards in length, which is given out at one of the windows of the Market House, when a large body of the inhabitants, divided into two parties (one contending for Castle street and Broad street wards, and the other for Old street and Corve street wards), commence an arduous struggle; and as soon as either party has gained a victory, by pulling the rope beyond the prescribed limits, the pulling ceases. The rope is usually purchased from the victorious party, and then given out again. Ludlow preserves the custom of walking over the limits of the township once a-year. This procession takes place on the Wednesday before Holy Thursday, on which occasion the boys of the different schools, attended by one of the clergy, proceed from the church to a place near Corve Bridge, where a cross formerly stood. Here the Epistle for the preceding Sunday is read; from whence passing to Weeping Cross, the boys again kneel down, and the Gospel for the same day is read by the clergyman.
The Broad Gate, the only one now remaining entire, receives its name from an ancient religious foundation called Barnaby House, famous in past ages as the temporary resting place of the numerous devotees passing through Ludlow on their way to the Holy Well of St. Winefrede, in North Wales. Adjoining formerly stood a chapel, dedicated to St. Mary of the Vale. The Gateway of Millgate is at the end of Barnaby lane. In Lower Millgate traces of the town wall are still to be seen. In 1786 Dinham gate remained entire, adjoining which anciently stood a chapel, approached by a flight of steps. The land leading from the bottom of Mill street to Dinham bears the name of Camp, from the frequent encampment of soldiers there. Old Gate stood at the bottom of Old street.
A religious house of White Friars was founded at Ludlow, in 1349, by Sir Laurence de Ludlowe, Knt., which we are informed by Leland “was a fayre and costlie thinge, and stoode without Corve Gate by north, almost at the end of that suburb.” Stukeley, who wrote about the year 1720, says, “There was a rich priory out of the town, on the north side. Little remains now to be seen, excepting a small adjoining church once belonging to it. About the same place an arched gateway went across the street, but now demolished.” The church above mentioned was the chapel of St. Leonard, founded in 1590, and intended for a charitable and religious establishment, the almshouse having survived its chapel, and, according to the will of the founder, contributes to the maintenance of four poor persons. Near to Friars’ lane was situated the establishment of Augustine Friars, to which Edmund de Pontibus was a benefactor. There was an Hospital, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, situated near the bridge, founded by Peter Undergod, and endowed with certain lands for the maintenance of certain religious brethren, and sustentation of poor and infirm people. The annual value at the dissolution was £17. 13s. 3d.
Thomas Johnes, Esq., was born at Ludlow, in the year 1783. He received his early education at Shrewsbury school, and took his degree of M.A. at Oxford. In 1783 Mr. Johnes erected an elegant mansion at Hafod, which in 1807 was consumed by a destructive fire, with much of its valuable contents, the loss amounting to £70,000. Notwithstanding this disaster, he rebuilt and adorned his mansion anew. Here he indulged his taste for literature, employed a printing press on his own premises, and produced some elegant historical works. He died in 1814, and was buried in the church which he had built at Hafod.
Richard P. Knight, Esq., an elegant scholar and distinguished in the literary circles of Europe, represented Ludlow in parliament for many years. Mr. Knight bequeathed his fine collection of medals, drawings, and bronzes (worth at least £30,000), to the British Museum. They include a single volume of drawings by the inimitable Claude, which was purchased for £1,600 from a private individual, who a short time previously had given £3 for the same volume.
Charities.—The Grammar School.—It appears that all the premises specified in a certain grant, and constituting the possessions of the Guild or Fraternity of Palmers, had been unconditionally surrendered by them to King Edward VI. by deed under their common seal, dated 1st June, in the fifth of his reign. The property thus unconditionally surrendered to the king was granted by him to the corporation for the relief and better sustaining of the town and borough of Ludlow, and for the corporation, “at their own costs and charges,” to maintain a free grammar school, and other charitable institutions mentioned in the charter. It appears the legal import of the charter was not to grant the property upon trust to employ the whole of the rents and profits to the maintenance of the charities, but to make a beneficial grant of it to the corporation, coupled with a condition that they should, out of the income they thus acquired, sufficiently maintain the charitable institutions therein specified. The school premises comprise two houses, in which the master resides. About fifty years ago, the premises were nearly rebuilt, at a cost of £700. The school is open to the whole town, without any limitation of number, on payment of £3 annually. Four of the boys, nominated by the bailiffs, receive a benefaction of £2. 13s. 4d. per annum, under the will of Dr. Langford. The school is also entitled to two exhibitions of £45 to Baliol College, Oxford, for 11 years, founded by the Rev. Richard Greaves in the year 1704. There are also three exhibitions of £50 for three years to any college in Oxford, Cambridge, or Durham. It is stated in the particular of the Guild estate, that “there is an almshouse to the Guild appertaining, with thirty-three chambers therein inhabited by poor people, according to the foundation and ordinance of John Hoyser, to every of which poor people is weekly allowed 4d.” The Palmers Guild was a religious fraternity, established about the year 1248, for the relief of the poor, and for the administration of charitable bequests. Before the period of the Reformation, their funds had increased so considerably that they formed a college, with a warden for three priests, and maintained the above almshouse for thirty-three poor people, and the grammar school. On the passing of the Municipal Act, in 1835, it became necessary to separate the charity from the municipal property; and, after much litigation, lands yielding a clear rental of £1,800 a-year were secured to the charity for the purpose of maintaining the above-named objects. The preacher, now called the lecturer (and who, as well as the assistant, is appointed by the corporation), received from them a salary of £26. 13s. 4d. per annum, when the Charity Commissioners published their report. It appears that the Palmers Guild had been used to pay yearly to a schoolmaster, for keeping a free grammar school, £10; to one priest, £6; and to two others, £5. 6s. 8d. each. The particular duties of these priests are not specified; but it seems probable that the usher, preacher, and assistant, were intended to be substituted by the charter in their stead.