Shropshire Routes to Roots

5. The open fields of Sheinton

Introduction

Because in Shropshire most open-field systems were enclosed early there is little evidence of how the system operated. However, because Sheinton was one of the last places to have its open-fields enclosed, it helps us understand how the system had been run in this particular parish in its later stages.

Maps

Sheinton Enclosure Map 1813 Larger image, in a new window [170kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill]

This enclosure was undertaken in 1813 by the common consent of the three land-owners and the incumbent.

This agreement also included the enclosure of the common which by then included a number of squatter cottages with their small plots of land.

Sheinton Common, 1806 Larger image, in a new window [130kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill ]

The manor of Sheinton, 1747 Larger image, in a new window [150kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill ]

The landowner with the largest acreage was Lord Darlington while the Harnage family of Belswardine, the Moseley family of Buildwas park and the Rector all held smaller areas. An early map and survey created in 1747 by John Roque for John Newport Esq., shows how the parish (apart from the freehold estate of Shinewood) looked at that date.

From this it has been possible to allocate the fields and strips on the map to the occupiers.

Manor of Sheinton 1747 ownership of strips Larger image, in a new window [270kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill]

The crops in the open fields of 1747 Larger image, in a new window [178kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill]

It has also been possible to study the cropping of the strips in the open fields. Although a few were held by other landowners and do not feature in the survey, a fairly clear picture of the cropping can be established.

This shows that the traditional rotation of the three fields no longer applied but that strips in all three fields were being cultivated in various ways, some ploughed as arable and some kept as grass grazing.

Glebe Terriers

The open-field system of Sheinton can be studied over a longer period by using a series of glebe terriers (a document which lists the property held by an incumbent). The occupancy of the strips in 1747 can be shown, including the strips held as glebe-land by the incumbent.

Tithe Map 1839 Larger image, in a new window [218kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of T.G.Hill ]

This map also shows that in some places strips had been amalgamated into larger blocks. The study of the longer period was made possible because for various years between 1682 and 1752 the glebe terriers listed the strips held by the Rector and who held the adjacent strips. This demonstrated that the strips were not reallocated on an annual basis but they only changed hands when a tenant died or moved away from the parish. This information can be found in Table 1 (Opens in a new window).

Most of the names listed were tenants of the Newport family, but Richard Harnage (plot no 152), was Lord of the Manor in 1682. The Lordship then passed to Benthall in 1690 (shown in 1693 & 1698), then to the Littlehales family in 1721 and to the Moseley family in 1806. Members of the Harnage and Moseley families were later involved with the enclosure of the open-fields and common in 1813.

Continue

Return to top of page