Williams Joseph, farmer
NONELEY, OR NUNNELEY,
is a township in Loppington parish, having a scattered population, situated about a mile and a half south from the church. The township contains 931a. 0r. 29p. of land, and in 1841 had 19 houses and 107 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,018. 10s. The tithes have been commuted, and £37. 7s. apportioned to the Vicar of Loppington; £11. 16s. to the Vicar of Baschurch; and £97. 18s. to Peter Shingler, Esq., the impropriator. The principal landowners are Mrs. Margaret Noneley, Rev. John Evans, Thomas Dickin, Esq., Mr. George Clay, Mr. George Harris, Mr. William Groom, Rowland Hunt, Esq., Mr. John Brayne Gregory, Mr. Robert Betton, D. F. Atcherley, Esq., and Vernon Dolphin, Esq.
Directory.—Farmers: John Davies Bentley; Robert Betton; Samuel Brayne; Thos. Brown; Thomas Harris, The Hall farm; John Higgins; Evan Jones, and maltster; William Jones; Mary Morgan, Ruewood; George Tunnah; John Vernon; George Wall; Thomas Weaver; and William and Richard Webb, The Shaws. Thomas Astley, boot and shoemaker. Arthur Austin, blacksmith.
MIDDLE
is a considerable parish, partly in the Ellesmere division of the hundred of Pimhill, and partly in the Albrighton division, the former comprehending within its bounds the townships of Balderton, Marton, Middle, and part of Sleap; and the latter the chapelry of Hadnal, which consists of the several townships of Alderton, Hadnal, Haston, Hardwick, Shotton, and Smethcott. The entire parish contains 6,902a. 3r. 27p. of land. Mostly a fertile soil, it presents a fine agricultural district, with an undulating surface, interspersed with woods and plantations, and every agreeable feature in landscape beauty. The woods and plantations cover 55a. 3r. 19p. of land. The parish includes the celebrated eminences of Pimhill and Harmour Hill, from whence a most delightful and varied prospect of the country is seen. In 1801 there was a population of 1,141 souls; in 1831, 1,205; and in 1841, 1,330 inhabitants. Rateable value, £4,943. The Duke of Cleveland and the trustees of the late Duke of Bridgewater are joint lords of the manor. The village of Middle is pleasantly situated on an acclivity of red sand-stone rock, on the line of the Shrewsbury, Chester, Ellesmere, and Holyhead turnpike roads. These roads are, however, now but little traversed, the railroads having diverted the greatest portion of the traffic. There are some good houses in the village, which has a straggling appearance; and in the immediate vicinity there are several respectable family residences. The township contains 2,179a. 2r. 15p. of land, the soil of which in some parts is a cold clay, in other parts it is more fertile. In 1841 there were 87 houses and 456 inhabitants. Rateable value, £2,240. The principal landowners are the trustees of the late Viscount Alford, William Henry Bickerton, Esq., William Teece, Esq., Mr. John Chilton, Mr. Edward Birch, Edward Edwards, Esq., and J. A. Lloyd, Esq.
Middle Castle.—Of this ancient baronial fortress there are but few vestiges remaining. Lord John L’Estrange, in the time of Edward I., obtained licence to make a castle of his house at Middle, which lay less exposed to the incursions of the Welsh than his castles of Knockin and Ruyton. The castle was two stories high, with a flat roof, and some part of the walls were remaining about the year 1640. These were in a great measure destroyed by an earthquake in 1688. It was a quadrangular structure, with a square court inside, and was surrounded by a moat. The moat is yet very perfect, and filled with water; but the castle is completely demolished, except a tower and a few fragments of the walls. These existing vestiges were recently put in a state of repair, by order of the late Viscount Alford. On the east side of the castle, there was a piece of ground of about half an acre, surrounded by a moat. The entrance to this piece was by a gatehouse, which stood near the north-east corner of the castle moat, and near it was a drawbridge over the moat. In the 3rd of Edward III., John L’Estrange had a grant of free warren, the view of frankpledge and waif, in this manor. A settlement made by Richard L’Estrange may be found in the chancery rolls in the 18th of Henry VI. After the death of this family it descended to the Derby family, and William Dod was appointed constable or keeper; and after him Sir Roger Kynaston was, by commission, keeper of Middle and Knockin castles. Upon the decease of Sir Roger, his son Humphrey (who, from his dissolute and riotous mode of life, was called Wild Humphrey) was tenant here. On his being outlawed, he left Middle Castle, which he had suffered to become ruinous, and went and took up his abode in a cave, near Nesscliff, which to this day is called Kynaston’s cave.
The Church, which is dedicated to St. Peter, was rebuilt about a century ago, with the exception of the tower, which was erected in the year 1634. It consists of two aisles and a chancel, and exhibits the debased style of English architecture. Two handsome windows were put into the chancel about a year ago, in the decorated style, at the expense of Mrs. Egerton, widow of the late rector, the Rev. Thomas Egerton, to whose memory the east one is dedicated. The windows are richly beautified with stained glass, by Wailes, of Newcastle. There are several neat memorials in the church to the Atcherleys, Bickertons, Kynastons, and others. It is neatly pewed with oak sittings, and the whole has a chaste and orderly appearance. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £12. 7s. 3½d., now returned at £1,003, in the patronage of the trustees of the late Viscount Alford, and enjoyed by the Rev. George Henry Egerton, M.A., who resides at the Rectory, a delightfully situated mansion, beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies. The rectory was rebuilt in 1747, by Dr. Egerton Leigh, the then rector. Subsequent additions have from time to time been made. The tithes have been commuted for £345. 19s. 6d. There is a Parochial and Infant School in Middle, in which upwards of 100 children are educated. They are chiefly supported by the rector, by whom the infant school was established. The Middle Friendly and Benefit Society has 107 enrolled members, and a capital stock of £675. 15s. 11d.; besides which, there is the Middle Old Friendly Society, and a branch of the Oddfellows, which have a considerable number of members.
Charities.—William Gough, in 1669, devised his lands, subject to the payment of £5 per annum, on the 25th of December, to the minister and churchwardens of Middle, to be applied in putting forth poor children apprentices. Richard Newton left a rent charge of 12s., issuing out of the Newton estate, to be given in bread to the poor on the second Sunday in the month. This gift, and the yearly sum of 25s., paid out of the poor’s-rate, are applied in the purchase of bread, and distributed every Sunday. This 25s. is supposed to be paid as the interest of some charity money applicable to this purpose, and carried to the account of the parish. The same sum has been paid from the year 1786. Thomas Atcherley, by will, 1680, devised a rent charge of 24s. per annum, payable out of certain lands in Baschurch parish, to be given to the poor of Middle on Easter Monday. There is a plot of land, consisting of about three-fourths of an acre, which is let for 30s. per annum, and the amount is distributed by the churchwardens every Easter Monday, with the sum of 16s. 6d., paid from the parish-rates, as the interest of money supposed to have been given for charitable uses, and carried to the account of the parish. There are ten other bequests, which are stated to be vested in the parish, amounting altogether to £70. If the £24 paid for the purchase of the above mentioned land be deducted from that sum, there will remain £46, which is supposed to have been taken to the account of the parish, and for which the two sums of £1. 5s. and 16s. 6d., paid as above stated, would be interest at 4½ per cent.
The Rev. Thomas Watkins left to the poor of this parish not receiving parochial relief, the sum of £20. Richard Watkins left £30 for the like purpose. John Mansell gave £10 to the poor. The three sums above mentioned amounting to £60, are secured on the Ellesmere House of Industry, by bond, bearing date 19th February, 1793. The interest is distributed among the most necessitous poor of the parish. The poor are entitled to partake of the benefit of Dame Mary Hill’s charity, noticed with the chapelry of Hadnal. Francis Henry Earl of Bridgewater, by his will, bearing date August 29th, 1828, gave to the overseers and churchwardens of the parish of Middle £2,000, to be laid out by them in the public funds, and the dividends thereof to be expended by the rector for the time being for the benefit and relief of the poor of Middle, including Hadnal. The dividends amount to £65 per annum, which is chiefly appropriated by the present rector to a clothing club, the poor receiving the addition of the charity to their savings.