Blakemore Jesse, farmer
Chatham William, farmer
Evans John, shoemaker
Hall Richard, farmer
Kitson Mary, farmer
Lawley John, farmer
Noakes Thomas, shopkeeper
CLEOBURY MORTIMER
is parish and market town in the Cleobury division of the hundred of Stottesden, situated 137 miles N.W. of London, thirty-three miles S.S.E. of Shrewsbury, eleven miles E. of Ludlow, and eight miles W. of Bewdley. It is divided into four quarters, viz.: Cleobury Town Liberty, West Foreign Liberty, East Foreign Liberty, and Doddington Liberty, which together contain 7,671 acres of land, of which 738 acres are in woodlands, 104a. 0r. 14p. of public roads, 2a. 2r. water, and 619a. 2r. 3p. in common lands and waste. Rateable value of the parish, £7,300. At the census in 1841 there were 364 houses and 1,730 inhabitants; population in 1801, 1,368; and in 1831, 1,716, William Lacon Childe, Esq., is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are the Earl of Craven; Sir Edward Blount, Bart.; W. L. Childe, Esq.; Charles Wickstead, Esq.; Mrs. Lucy Botfield; Beriah Botfield, Esq.; John Downes, Esq.; Richard and Henry Backhouse, Esq.; Trustees of Cleobury School; George James Compson, Esq.; Thomas Foxhall, Esq.; and Thomas Pardoe Purton, Esq., besides whom are a number of smaller freeholders. The tithes are commuted for £676. 12s. 6d., of which £602. 10s. is apportioned to the vicar of the parish, £34. 10s. to the Earl of Craven, and 12s. 6d. to William L. Childe, Esq.
The name of Cleobury Mortimer is said to be derived from its situation in a district abounding with clay, and from the Saxon word Byrig, a town, and the adjunct by which it is distinguished from North Cleobury is obtained from its ancient possessor, Ralph de Mortimer, who held it at the time of the general survey. The town principally consists of one long street extending from east to west, and contains several family mansions and good shops, in all the different branches of the retail trade. The labouring population are chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits. There were formerly extensive ironworks in the vicinity, but these have now disappeared. There are two paper mills in the adjoining parish of Neen Savage, carried on by Mr. T. L. Hall. The Clee Hill collieries, about three miles west of the town, have of late been little wrought, though they contain extensive fields of good coal, ironstone, and limestone. This town is generally thought to have been the birth place of Robert Langlande, author of the “Vision of Pierce the Ploughman,” which was published in the year 1369. A strong castle which formerly stood in this place was entirely destroyed in the wars between Henry II. and his rebellious barons; it was built by Hugh de Mortimer.