HOPTON AND ESPLEY,
a township in the parish of Hodnet, one mile south from the church, contains 969a. 2r. 16p. of land, and in 1841 had twelve houses and 77 inhabitants; the tithes have been commuted for £183. 12s. 7d. There are only three farms in this township, two of which are the property of Viscount Hill, and the other is the property of A. C. H. Percy, Esq.
The principal residents are Samuel Cartwright, farmer, Hopton; George Gill, farmer and land agent to Viscount Hill, Hopton; John Liversage, farmer, Espley.
KENSTONE,
a township and small village one mile W.W. by S. from Hodnet, contains 858a. 0r. 9p. of land, mostly a bold undulating district, the high grounds of which are covered with thriving plantations. The land is chiefly the property of Viscount Hill; Mr. George Clay is the owner of one farm. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel near the verge of the township, on the turnpike road leading from Hodnet to Wem. The tithes have been commuted for £73. 1s. 8d. At the census of 1841 there were twenty houses and 104 inhabitants.
Directory.—James Cartwright, farmer; Martha Ellis, farmer; George Clay, farmer; Richard Powell, farmer, Hopley Hill; William Gregory, carpenter and joiner.
LOSSFORD, OR LOSTFORD,
a small township two and a half miles N. from Hodnet, with a few scattered houses, near the turnpike road from Hodnet to Market Drayton, contains 438a. 0r. 9p. of land, which is the property of Richard Corbet, Esq., and Miss Mary Murhall; the latter resides at a neat residence of modern construction, on an acclivity near the turnpike road. In 1841 here were 11 houses and 64 inhabitants. A small stream intersects the township, and tradition says that a person was formerly lost here in fording the stream, and hence the name of Lost-ford, now corrupted to Lossford, has been given to the township.
Directory.—Thomas Glassey, farmer; John Lodmore, farmer and cheese factor; John Merry, farmer; Miss Mary Murhall, farmer.