Shropshire Routes to Roots - Shropshire places - Wem
by Samuel Garbet
The Boundaries, Extent, Soil. Tenure and Valuation of Northwood.
NORTHWOOD took its name from the large wood that was formerly there, and its situation in respect to Lineal wood, which was south of it. The fall wood gave rise to the township, of which, I believe, no traces can be found before the reign of Henry VIII. In 1561, there were six small tenements and four cottages in it; the greatest part of the wood was standing, a coppice the new Spring or Hagg coppice. It is bounded on. the north by Betchfield moss and Whixall; the east by Edstaston; on the south by Low, Newtown, Wolverley and Lineal; on the west by Hampton the parish of Ellesmere and Betchfield in the county of Flint. Its length is a mile and a half from Edstaston to Betchfield moss; and its breadth a mile from. the border of Wolverley to Whixall. There is a difference of soil in different parts of it, the farm. held by Minshul, and some other grounds lying up to Wolverley, are sandy with a mixture of gravel, it suits best with rye;. the rest of the township is covered with clay, which produces excellent wheat. Both sorts of soil furnish good pasture for cattle: lime, marl and muck are the usual manure. The tenure is freehold. In 1561, all the tenements were held at the will of the Lord of the Manor, except a cottage, with a croft adjoining, and two small tenements, which were then copyhold. In respect to the land-tax, this township is valued at £209. per annum, which at 1s. in the pound the assessment would be ten pounds nine shillings.
In 1561, Randal Adams held at the will of the lord of the manor, a messauge and four pieces of land lying together up to Blackford brook, which divides Northwood from Flintshire; these lands were then called Hazle Hurst, from a coppice of hazles that had lately grown there; and from this Hurst, I suppose, the ford of the said brook is still called Blackhurst ford. This Randal being a notable man, as appears from his being chosen to, be of the jury of survey, in all probability bought these and some other lands of Philip, Earl of Arundel. This was the first estate of the Adams's; the house belonging to it is that where Minshul now (1783) dwells. Randal had two sons, William, who succeeded him in the estate at Northwood, and died in 1598; and Thomas, of Wem, tanner, who died in 1607.
In 1642, Richard, son of William, paid two shillings and eight-pence to the subsidy then raised: by his first wife he had three sons, Roger who died in 1679; Thomas, the time of whose death does not appear; and Richard, who died in 1688: by his second wife he had two sons, John, bred up to the law, and third master of Wem school; and William, an eminent merchant in London, who gave fifty pounds to the school at Wem; and one daughter, Ann, married to Andrew Huntbach, saddler; and afterwards to Robt. Amis, taylor. Richard above, father of these children, sold his paternal estate to his cousin, Sir Thomas Adams, founder of Wem school, who, being immensely rich, bought the following eight estates, or the reversion of them, in this township:
1. The estate of his cousin, Richd. Adams, which Minshul now holds; the house lies up to Thieves Bridge Lane. 2. Another estate which has been long annexed to the former; the messuage is taken down, but it stood oft the opposite side of Thieves Bridge Lane. 3. A small tenement near Northwood Green, held by Mr. Heyward. 4. A tenement near to Thieves Bridge Lane, in the occupation of Edward Huntback. 5. An estate on the other side of Thieves Bridge, held by Wm. Bromley; the messuage and croft adjoining to it, are called the Old Folds, as they were two hundred years ago. 6. A messuage lying between Thieves Bridge and Northwood Lanes; it was bought of the Harper's, and is now in the holding of the Furbers. 7. The Hornspyhe Farm, lying between the Mosses of Wem and Whixall; it was leased to the Wilkinson's at the time it was purchased by Sir Thomas Adams. 8. A small tenement beyond the Hornspyhe, which has been long in the occupation of the Egerton's. Francis Edgerton paid four-pence to the subsidy in 1642.
Sir Thomas Adams, purchaser of these estates, died the 24th February, 1668. Sir William, his eldest son, had nine sons and a daughter; he died in 1687. Sir Thomas, his second son, succeeded his father, and died unmarried August, 1690. Sir Charles,his sixth son, succeeded his brother, sold Sprowston Hall, in Norfolk, the family seat, and mortgaged these estates in Northwood to Lady Rolle, who, by will, devised them to several persons. Mr. Sandys, of Canterbury, is now (1753) the chief proprietor, having all but Lord Walpole's share. Sir Robert, the eighth son, succeeded his brother August 12, 1726, and is now living at London; he was solicitor for that city before the title fell to him.
On the left-hand of the road from Wolverley Bridge to Northwood Green, are two tenements now united. In 1650, they were purchased of John Bromhall, gentleman, by the feoffees of Wem school.
On the right-hand of Northwood Lane, is a messuage and farm which did belong to Joseph Wilkinson, who sold part thereof, valued at £10, per annum, to Mr. Wingfield, of Preston Brockhurst, and the other part, valued £10 per annum, to his own brother-in-law, Lloyd, who keeps it for his life, but has conveyed the reversion to the Wingfields.
A little farther on the same lane, lies the Pinfold tenement, the property of Samuel Wilkinson. In 1642, Thomas Wilkinson, brother of Robert, of Wolverley, paid ten-pence to the subsidy, and died in 1675; Robert. his son, lived at the Hornspyhe, which he held by lease, and afterwards at Aston-hall, which he purchased in 1684, and some years afterwards sold it again to the Chancellor Jeffreys; he died in Aston, in 1700. Thomas, son of Robert, died in 1740. Samuel, son of Thomas, the present possessor, to discharge a mortgage that lay on his estate, sold some lands to Newtown chapel, and some to Mrs. Benyon.
Between Northwood Lane and Redfellis Brook, Richard Groom has a small tenement which he lately purchased of Mr. Watson, of Whitchurch, whose father bought it of William Jackson, wagoner. There are no remains of the Great Wood but the name. William, Lord Dacre, began to fall it in the latter end of the reign of Henry VIII. he made no great progress. In 1561, the third Elizabeth,, Philip, Earl of Arundel, went on with the work which his Dowager, Ann, completed.
The Heath was formerly called Blackford Heath, now Wem Heath, up to which lies the Morass: they have Betchfield Morass on the worth, the Hornspyhe on the east, Minshall's farm on the south, and Brayn's tenement on the west. In this ground, which is about a mile in compass, the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages get turf for fuel. The boggy ground is properly Morass, the sound ground the Heath.
Page created 28 June 2007 and last updated 28 June 2007
