Shropshire Routes to Roots - Shropshire places - Wem
by Samuel Garbet
The lord's demesne signifies his manor house, or the place of his habitation, with the lands annexed thereto, for the maintenance of his family. These lands were occupied by his servants and vassals, or upon his removal, or long absence set, or leased to tenants.
The manor place at Wem is the alley's hill, a round artificial mount, about eight yards high, with a level plain at the top, now about forty yards in diameter, encompassed with a foss eight yards broad. Mr. Wilson who lately held it sunk the hill six feet, and took up several large steps on the side opposite to the church. Mr. Henshaw the present occupier of it has carried off several loads of stone, and by frequent ploughing still lessens the height of it. Here the Pantulphs had a castle; for Hugo Pantulph obliged his free tenant at Sleap, and his heirs, to assist at the making of his castle, when the other free men assisted at it.
William le Boteler required Thomas Turry, of Wolverley, esq. and his heirs, to find one man to work one day in a week at his castle at Wem, when his other tenants were employed in the same service. This castle was destroyed the latter end of the reign of Henry VI. Camden mentions a castle begun in this town, but never finished, which seems to relate to Ralph, lord Greystock's beginning to re build a castle, but not accomplishing it.
The fields called the Alleys, adjoining to the scite of the manor were part of the demesne lands. They had their name from the alleys, or walks formerly made in them. In 1561, they being eight acres, and another pasture and meadow, called, Brad Meadow, sixteen acres were held by John Dacre, rector of Wem, at the yearly rent of sixteen shillings. In the reign of James I. a lease for nine hundred and ninety-nine years of these alleys, and certain lands in the pools was granted by the earl of Arundel, to the Stantons, of Newport, from whom it passed to the Abnets, of Stafford, from them to Miss Swinnerton, of Brad Meadow, now belongs to William Dymock, esq.
The mills were parcel of the demesne, but of them I spoke in the Mill-street.
The old Pool was comprehended under the demesne, It contained about two hundred acres of boggy, or mashy ground, formerly overgrown with withys and ollers, and the greater part of it in all seasons of the year usually overflowed with water, so that it was not passable for men, nor cattle. Here the tenants and burgesses of Wem had free common of pasture, it being all waste ground till time first year of queen Mary, 1553, when some parcels of it were inclosed, for then William, lord Dacre granted a lease for twenty-one years jointly, to five several persons of so much of it as could be made dry land, at the annual rent of nine-pence an acre.
1586. About twelve years after the determination. of this lease, Philip, earl of Arundel leased the said old Pool to Lawrence Bannister, esq. high steward. of this manor, who caused a strand to be made along the brook, and by ditching, draining, and stocking, made divers parcels of it firm land, which, he enclosed for his own use, or set to undertenants, In 1617, and some years following Ann, countess Dowager of Arundel expended about £30. in the further draining and improving the said ground. About 1619, she gave licence to sir Randulph Crew, to whom the township of Nonely then belonged, to enclose fifty acres of Wem Pool, and after that, the countess enclosed twenty acres more. Her son Thomas, earl of Arundel aliened all the Pool lands, either by sale, or what is equivalent thereto, a lease nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Mr. Barnes of the Lowe, who had a large share of them, built a farm house about the middle of the old Pool, which is now divided into a great number of rich meadows and pastures.
The new Pool Meadow six acres, now belonging to Mr. Green, of Stafford, the Foxly pasture and meadow five acres, which Mr. Wycherley retained when he sold the manor, the little Okenel seven acres, and the Great Okenel ten acres, now called Okeleys, being in different hands, and a close lying between the Chapel field and middle field acre were demesne lands in 1561.
Page created 7 September 2003 and last updated 22 June 2007
