Shropshire Routes to Roots - Shropshire places - Wem
by Samuel Garbet
Borough comes from the Saxon word Burgh, which signifies a fortified place; for anciently, all boroughs were towns fortified with a wall or fence of earth or turf; hence burg-bote was an immunity, or an exemption from contributing to the re pair of the borough-wall. These boroughs were inhabited chiefly by a certain number of freemen called Burgesses, who had each a dwelling house, or burgage assigned them with a small proportion of land.
Wem is a very ancient borough, but neither his tory nor tradition informs us when, or by whom it was constituted; perhaps the charter of its creation is among the records at Wem: but it was not found among those I had an opportunity to consult. The oldest copy of court roll for any burgess, exhibited at the survey, in the third year of queen Elizabeth, was dated 9th Edward VI.
This borough never sent members to parliament, which may be owing to its erection after the 23rd Edward I. when the constitution of sending burgesses to parliament took place, for the writs then directed to the sheriffs of each county, required them to send up two citizens from every city, and two burgesses from every borough. Several boroughs that did then chose members of parliament after a few returns petitioned, to be excused in future, on account of the expence in maintaining their representatives, to, and from parliament, as well as during the session of it. This expense would induce the boroughs that were soon after created, amongst which, we may reckon this of Wem, to decline a privilege, which at that time, before the rise of bribery and corruption, was considered only as a charge and a burden.
The chief officers of this borough, are two bailiffs elected every year, at the court leet after Michaelmas, one by the lord's steward, and the other by the borough jury. Formerly they had greater authority than they have at present. This may be inferred from their being called at the assizes, among the justices, till on there representation of doctor, then Mr. Eyton, rector of Wem, their appearance for the future was dispensed with. Their office is to execute livery of seizin, upon the alienation of borough-hold houses or lands, (but this is now superseded by deeds of lease and release) to prevent frauds, by false weights and measures, to return the borough-jury, to wait on the steward at court-leets, to assist at the proclaiming of fairs, and to attend on the sheriff's deputy on the proclamation of war or peace, or of the accession of a king or queen of Great Britain.
If there be any other extraordinary occasion of the borough assembling in a body, the bailiffs appear at the head of it.
They have standard measures of brass, of a strike quart, anti pint, by which, once a year they should examine the measures of malsters and alesellers. At the same time they try the weights of all that sell grocery ware, for which they formerly had standard weights; but they are now lost. They have power to seize all false measures and weights; and if any one offers butter to sale that has not sixteen ounces in the pound, they may take and give it to the poor.
The wisdom of antiquity honoured and distinguished the chief officers in boroughs by furred gowns, which were constantly worn by the bailiffs of this town, till the year 1730, when one of the bailiffs could not be prevailed on to be conformable to this custom. This unhappy precedent was soon followed by others, who were willing to be excused the charge of buying new gowns, or the obligation of borrowing old ones; and thus this badge of honour, this decent habit of the bailiffs, that had continued from the rise, and first establishment of the borough began to be slighted, and in a short time to be quite disused.
Formerly, the bailiffs attended by the other gowns men, (for all had a right to wear gowns that had served the office of bailiff) had entertainments at their houses, and went in procession to church at the four festivals of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter Day, and Whitsunday. But for about half a century since, the taxes increased, and the borough grew poor, hospitality has been confined to the two first days.
The bailiffs agree within themselves, who shall entertain on Christmas Day, and who on New Year's Day. The burgesses are invited to attend them to church, and in the morning are treated with roast beef and ale, and in the afternoon with ale alone. A dinner is provided for particular friends. In the procession, to, and from church, the bailiff of the manor walks first, with a white rod in his hand, next, the constables of the town with their staves, then the bailiffs of the borough with their staves, followed by the burgesses, and the friends of the bailiff whose day it is.
The profits arising from the bailiff's office are not sufficient to defray this small expense; being only 1s. for giving possession of borough-hold, which of late, seldom, or never happens: 2d. from each malster, aleseller, and dealer in grocery, for examining their measures and weights, and 1d. of every stranger that pitches a standing, or hawks, or sells any thing in the streets.
At first time number of burgesses was above eighty, but now there are only seventy-two, which difference is occasioned by several burgages becoming the property one person.
The proportion of land assigned to each burgess, was about a quarter of an acre, and the remit reserved to the lord is 1s. which then was equivalent to 10s. now. The services, to which burgesses are subject, are suit of court, serving the office of bailiff, and carrying an halbert, or procuring a man to do it at the proclamation of fairs, &c. Their bearing this weapon indicates that they were to be a sort of guard to the lord, and defence to the town.
Burgesses are exempt from paying hitching penny, from all in this borough, and from half-toll in Doddington, adjoining Whitchurch. Formerly they had free common of pasture for all their commonable. cattle in the lord's woods, and Wem Pools; which great privilege they lost when the woods were cut down, and the pools drained, and the lands of both sold to several purchasers.
Burgesses transferred their borough-hold either by chart, or by copy of court. This last was the common way in the reign of Henry VIII. and was continued till lord Wycherley attempted to confine them to this method, and to reduce them to the tenure of copyholders. Upon this, only those who had dependance on him would surrender in court, and in a short time the custom was quite left off: so that at present there is not one burgess that holds by copy of court.
Page created 7 September 2003 and last updated 22 June 2007
