MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
In 975
the southern boundary of Wrockwardine was
called the 'king's boundary' (fn. 74) and the king retained
the manor of WROCKWARDINE in 1066. Roger
of Montgomery, created earl of Shrewsbury by
1074, was tenant in chief by 1086, and the manor
contained 7½ berewicks, (fn. 75) which probably included Admaston, Allscott, Burcot, Charlton,
Cluddley, Leaton, Nash, and Orleton. (fn. 76) It has
been argued that the multiple estate was of considerable antiquity, perhaps succeeding Wroxeter
in the 5th century as an administrative centre, and
was perhaps the site of Cynddylan's hall of Pengwern, burnt by the Mercians c. 660. (fn. 77)
The manor was presumably forfeited after the
rebellion of Earl Roger's son Robert of Bellême in
1102 (fn. 78) and remained with the Crown until 1231.
In 1172 Henry II granted half the manor's annual
value to the brothers Roger and Jonas of Powys,
the full value, £14, being assigned to them in
1175. Roger, one of the king's leading servants in
north Wales and the marches, was sole beneficiary
from 1176 to 1186 when his son Meredith was
joined with him. Father and son were dead by
Michaelmas 1187, but Meyrick, another son of
Roger of Powys, received £10 a year out of the
manor from 1195 until his death in 1200. (fn. 79)
In 1200 the manor was farmed to Hamon le
Strange, whose elder brother, John (II) of
Knockin, succeeded him as farmer in 1203. (fn. 80) In
1228 John became life tenant of the manor,
previously held during pleasure. (fn. 81) In 1231,
however, during John (II)'s lifetime, the manor
was granted in fee to his son John (III) for £8 a
year. (fn. 82) By 1255 John (III) who lived until 1269, (fn. 83)
had enfeoffed his son Hamon in the manor. (fn. 84)
Hamon granted it to his younger brother Robert
before they left on Crusade in 1271. Early in
1273, when Hamon's death overseas became
known, Wrockwardine was seized by the sheriff as
an unlicensed alienation. Edward I regranted it to
Robert in 1275 as 1/20 knight's fee. (fn. 85) Robert was
succeeded in 1276 by his son John, who was
succeeded in 1289 by his brother Fulk, summoned from 1309 as Lord Strange of Blakemere
(d. 1324). Fulk claimed free warren in Wrockwardine in 1292. Fulk's son and heir John, Lord
Strange (d. 1349), who was granted free warren in
his demesnes in 1333, granted the manor in 1347
to his son and heir Fulk, later Lord Strange (d.
1349), and Fulk's wife Elizabeth, who retained it
during two later marriages until her death as Lady
Cobham in 1376. The manor then descended with
the barony of Strange of Blakemere to the Talbots, earls of Shrewsbury from 1442, (fn. 86) being held
by dowager countesses 1473-6, (fn. 87) 1538-67, (fn. 88) and
1590-1608. (fn. 89) On the death of Edward, 8th earl of
Shrewsbury, in 1618 the manor was divided into
three, and so it remained until the early 19th
century.
One third was settled on Alathea, countess of
Arundel and Surrey (d. 1654), niece of the 8th
earl of Shrewsbury, (fn. 90) who was succeeded by her
younger son Sir William Howard, Viscount Stafford, impeached and executed 1680. (fn. 91) His son
Henry Stafford-Howard, created earl of Stafford
1688, sold his interest in Wrockwardine to
Richard Hill of Hawkstone, the statesman and
diplomat, in 1715. (fn. 92) In 1722 Hill settled it in
marriage on his nephew Samuel Barbour, who
took the name Hill. He lived at Shenstone
(Staffs.) and died in 1758, when his cousin
Thomas Hill, of Tern, inherited the manor. (fn. 93) Hill
(d. 1782) was succeeded by his son Noel, created
Lord Berwick 1784 (d. 1789). In 1813 the 2nd
Lord Berwick sold his third of the manor, apart
from the Wrockwardine Wood mining rights, to
William Cludde of Orleton.
Another third apparently passed in 1618 to
George Saville (2nd bt. 1622) of Thornhill
(Yorks. W.R.), grandnephew of the 8th earl of
Shrewsbury. He died in 1626 and was succeeded
by his brother Sir William (d. 1644), whose son
Sir George (fn. 94) sold his third of the manor to Edward
Revell in 1665, having previously disposed of the
mining rights. (fn. 95) Revell held it until 1675. Rosamund Revell then held the third until her death in
1690 (fn. 96) when it passed to Edward Revell who
held it until 1696. Thereafter it passed successively to John Revell (d. 1729); John's daughter
Sarah (d. 1757), wife of Robert Moreton; Sarah's
nephew John Revell Phillips (d. probably in
1766); Phillips's widow Sarah; and in 1767 to
their son Thomas Carter Phillips, a minor. He
died in 1783 and Revell Phillips, his brother, held
it thereafter until 1811 when he sold it to William
Cludde.
Another third of the manor was held by the 8th
earl of Shrewsbury's widow Jane. After her death
in 1625 or 1626 it descended with the earldom
(dukedom 1694-1718) until 1822 when the 15th
earl sold it to William Cludde. Like Lord Berwick, the earl retained the Wrockwardine Wood
mining rights. (fn. 97)
Thus by 1822 the manor had been reunited by
William Cludde, mayor of Shrewsbury in 1795
and high sheriff in 1814. He died in 1829 and was
succeeded by his son Edward (d. 1840). Edward's
daughter Anna Maria (d. 1906) owned the manor,
from 1854 jointly with her husband R. C. Herbert
(d. 1902). The manor was settled on their son
Col. E. W. Herbert in 1901 and passed on his
death in 1924 to his son Lt.-Col. E. R. H.
Herbert, 5th earl of Powis 1952 (d. 1974). In 1982
Powis's nephew V. M. E. Holt owned the Orleton
estate and possibly any manorial rights.
In 1324 the manor house was ruinous. It was
said in 1650 formerly to have stood in the close
called the Hall yard, (fn. 98) south-west of the church. A
fishpond partly survived there in 1982. One of the
main chimney stacks of Wrockwardine Hall, lying
north-east of the church, bore a tablet placed
there by Edward Pemberton to commemorate the
building of the house in 1628 and his own completion of a new wing in 1750. (fn. 99) The limits of the
17th-century house cannot be defined with certainty but it probably lay in the range at the
north-east corner of the surviving main block and
extended eastwards from it. Much early 17thcentury panelling was reset in the dining room
and bedrooms in the mid 18th century and there
is a richly decorated late 17th-century staircase,
apparently in situ, in the centre of the old range.
A map of 1742 depicts the hall, probably accurately, as a building of five bays and two storeys with
four pairs of windows, central entrance, two
chimney stacks, and three attic gables. (fn. 1) The mid
18th-century work greatly enlarged the house to
the west and to the south (where there was a new
front of seven bays) and added new kitchens on
the north and east. (fn. 2) Several interior fittings of that
date survive, including richly decorated ceilings
to the hall and staircase, several fireplaces, and an
oak staircase with slender twisted balusters. In the
earlier 19th century some rooms were redecorated
and nearly all the windows were renewed and
many enlarged. The front may have been rendered, perhaps preserving earlier rusticated plaster quoins. During 20th-century restorations most
of the rendering was removed and the brickwork
renewed. The house, never occupied by the lords
of the manor, (fn. 3) was bought by the War Department in 1948 and became the official residence of
G.O.C. West Midland District (Commander
Western District from 1980). (fn. 4)
From the later 12th century or earlier the
Burnells of Acton Burnell held land in
ADMASTON, (fn. 5) one of the members of Wrockwardine c. 1285. (fn. 6)
BURCOT was probably one of Wrockwardine's
berewicks in 1086, and was one of its members c.
1285. (fn. 7) Its medieval holders are unknown. In 1650
and 1670 it was owned by Jonathan Langley of
Shrewsbury Abbey (sheriff 1663, d. 1671); (fn. 8) he
was succeeded by his son Peter, a draper, and
Peter in turn by his son Jonathan, who died
childless in 1742. In 1785 Edward Cludde left it
with the Orleton estate to his nephew William
Pemberton (later Cludde) and Burcot remained
part of the Orleton estate in 1982. (fn. 9)
In 1670 the capital messuage of Burcot was
apparently an H-shaped timber-framed building
with a central gable on the cross wing and three
chimneys. To the south lay two long barns. (fn. 10) By c.
1690 a range forming a courtyard had been added
east of the main house, and two further barns to
the south. (fn. 11) Probably c. 1807 that house, or a
successor, was replaced by one in brick on the site
of the former barns, overlooking Watling Street. (fn. 12)
Earthwork terraces to the north-east, traceable in
1982, may have been the remains of a 17th- or
18th-century formal garden. (fn. 13)
The manor of CLUDDLEY was a member of
Wrockwardine c. 1285. (fn. 14) Several possible early
lords are known: Walter of Cluddley (fl. 1175-
80), Richard son of Ralph (fl. 1203), Robert of
Cluddley (fl. c. 1235-c. 1250), Ralph of Cluddley
(fl. 1256-60), John of Cluddley (fl. 1274). About
1285 Ralph of Cluddley, who was still living in
1300, was stated to hold the manor of John le
Strange, lord of Wrockwardine. (fn. 15) Later a Richard
Cludde of Cluddley occurred and his son and
grandson, both William Cludde, inherited Cluddley. From soon after 1392 the manor descended
with Orleton. The Orletons of Orleton had land
in Cluddley by 1295. (fn. 16)
Between c. 1585 and c. 1642 the Forsters of
Evelith (in Shifnal) held a messuage and 100 a. in
Cluddley of the earl of Arundel. (fn. 17)
Although various possible earlier lords are
known - Ralph of Orleton (fl. 1141-55), Adam
of Orleton (fl. 1172-80), Ralph of Orleton (fl.
1186-c. 1225), and William of Orleton (fl. 1240-
64) (fn. 18) - the manor of ORLETON first definitely
appeared in 1295 when the last named William or
another of the same name died as tenant in chief. (fn. 19)
The manor then passed from father to son, the
following being lords: Adam (d. 1305), John (fl.
1346), Richard (d. 1382), and Richard (d. 1388).
It then passed to the younger Richard's cousin
Giles of Orleton, who did not live there and sold
the manor to Richard's widow Joan in 1392. Soon
thereafter Orleton passed to Joan's kinsman William Cludde (II) of Cluddley, the son of Margaret
of Orleton. William (II) styled of Cluddley and
Orleton, a woolmonger, (fn. 20) appeared from 1382 to
1431 when he was said to hold Orleton as 1/10
knight's fee. William was succeeded by his son
Thomas and the manor thereafter passed from
father to son, the following being lords: Thomas
(II) (fl. 1485-90), Richard (d. 1545), Thomas (d.
1553), Edward (d. 1614), Charles (d. 1631),
Edward (d. 1651), and Edward (d. 1721). The
last named left it to his nephew William Cludde,
on whose death in 1765 his son Edward became
lord. Edward died in 1785 leaving the manor to
his nephew William Pemberton of Wrockwardine
Hall (d. 1829), who took the name Cludde under
the terms of his uncle's will. From 1882 Orleton
descended with Wrockwardine.
The medieval manor house of Orleton stood
within a square moat; the moat remained complete in 1728. (fn. 21) In 1983 the surviving north-east
arm of the moat was crossed by a possibly medieval stone bridge of two arches, which may have
been contemporary with the stone foundations of
the adjoining gatehouse. The later 16th-century
superstructure of the gatehouse was timberframed and the upper floor jettied on all sides; a
datestone of 1588 in a chimney stack may relate to
that rebuilding. Later alterations included the
installation of chimney stacks, the underpinning
of the jetties with brick, and the removal of the
original ground-floor outer walls. A lantern and
clock were added in the earlier 19th century.
The oldest part of Orleton Hall is at the centre
of the north-east front, represented in 1983 on the
ground floor by the central hall. The walls are in
part timber-framed; a map of 1728 (fn. 22) showed the
site occupied by a triple-gabled house probably of
the 17th century or earlier. The hall may have
been entered through a porch in line with the
gatehouse. In the later 18th century the house was
greatly enlarged on the south-east, south-west,
and north-west in a plain classical style with a
main front of nine bays and three storeys. (fn. 23) The
old hall was remodelled c. 1830 and fronted by a
stone colonnade between the short 18th-century
wings. There are extensive kitchen buildings and
outbuildings along the north-east side of the
house and beyond them farm buildings and
stables, including a stable and coach-house range
dated 1735. (fn. 24) To the east of the former moat there
is an early 19th-century brick dovecot and a large
walled garden with an elevated mid 18th-century
gazebo in the Chinese style. (fn. 25)
Roger and Joan Child held a carucate in Orleton in chief in 1393-4. They were allowed to have
a private oratory in their house in the parish in
1409. (fn. 26)
The rector of Wrockwardine, Odelerius of
Orleans, gave 1 hide in CHARLTON, probably
that held by his church in 1086, to Shrewsbury
abbey before 1092. (fn. 27) The abbey retained the
overlordship until 1540, (fn. 28) although the earl of
Arundel was called overlord in 1494 and 1504. (fn. 29)
In the 12th century the Charlton family presumably held the manor of the abbey by
subinfeudation. (fn. 30) By 1306 John Charlton (kt. c.
1307) was probably lord. He was a prominent
servant of Edward II before and after his
accession (fn. 31) and c. 1309 was granted the manor of
Pontesbury, with which Charlton descended. (fn. 32)
Free warren in both manors' demesnes was
granted in 1307. In 1588 Edward Grey sold
Charlton to Francis Newport (fn. 33) (kt. 1603), (fn. 34) and
thereafter it descended with Harley and was a
member of the manor of Eyton on Severn. (fn. 35) In
1611 the Vernons of Hodnet abandoned a claim,
maintained since 1551, to a moiety of the manor. (fn. 36)
Before 1260 a virgate in Charlton was held of
St. Mary's and St. Julian's, Shrewsbury, by
William of Uppington (alias of Charlton). By
1284 it belonged to Master John of Charlton, who
later occurred as rector of Wrockwardine. (fn. 37)
Sir John Charlton was licensed to crenellate his
dwelling at Charlton in 1316, (fn. 38) and in 1341 was
allowed to have mass celebrated in a chapel
there. (fn. 39) The defended manor house, known as
Charlton Castle, was apparently still used as a
residence of the lords of Powys in the earlier 16th
century (fn. 40) but following the manor's sale to Francis
Newport in 1588 it fell into disuse. (fn. 41) Part of an
apparently round corner tower and a length of
curtain wall remained standing c. 1820. (fn. 42) In 1982
the site was marked by a quadrangular wetmoated enclosure, 68 × 54 metres, with some red
sandstone walling visible on the island. To the
south-east lay a fishpond, to the east a rabbit
warren. (fn. 43)
Richard of Sugdon granted 4½ a. in Charlton to
Haughmond abbey after 1274 for the maintenance
of lights at St. Mary's altar in the abbey church. (fn. 44)
Before 1066 BRATTON was held by Erniet. In
1086 Warin held it of William Pantulf. William
was also lord of Eyton upon the Weald Moors,
and the two manors descended together in the
Eyton family. (fn. 45) Mention of the chapel yard in
1784, and the presence of a large fishpond in 1839
may indicate the existence of a medieval capital
messuage, perhaps on the site of the modern
Bratton Farm. In 1784 the capital messuage was
Bratton House, south-west of the farmhouse. (fn. 46)
In 1333 and 1350 the great tithes, with the
tithes of hay in Allscott and Charlton, were
appropriated to Shrewsbury abbey, (fn. 47) which
already enjoyed two thirds of the manorial demesne tithes and had probably done so for two
centuries or more. (fn. 48) The annual value of the
rectorial tithes 1487-91 was £17 6s. 8d. and £14 in
1534-5. (fn. 49) In 1537 the abbot apparently leased all
the tithes of wheat, barley, rye, peas, oats, muncorn, and hay, with the tithe barn at Allscott, to
John Steventon of Dothill, although a similar
lease to John Eyton is also known. The
Steventons continued to lease the impropriate
tithes after the rectory passed to the Crown in
1540, and in 1609 William Steventon bought the
tithe estate from two speculators who had acquired it from the Crown shortly before; a fee
farm of £18 was due to the Crown. In 1655 the
rectorial tithes were worth £120 a year. They were
then said to be in Richard Steventon's
possession, (fn. 50) but had in fact been sold in six
undivided shares in 1635. At least five of the
shares were reunited in the Cluddes' hands between 1728 and 1790 (fn. 51) and the Cluddes also
bought the fee farm of £18, which by 1705 had
belonged to Henry and Anne Brett. (fn. 52) Thomas
Eyton apparently bought the rectorial tithes of
Bratton from the Cluddes in 1813. (fn. 53)
In 1838 Edward Cludde, Thomas Eyton, and
the half dozen smaller impropriators who owned
parts of the hay tithes of Allscott merged almost
two thirds of the rectorial tithes in the parish
(excluding Charlton township) with the land that
they owned. The unmerged rectorial tithes were
commuted to £208 6s. 8d. a year: £9 12s. to the
duke of Cleveland for part of the hay tithes of
Allscott and £198 14s. 8d. to Edward Cludde.
The great tithes in Charlton (except the corn
tithes from the 'home closes') belonged to Cleveland and were commuted to £133 a year. (fn. 54) In 1847
Mrs. Edward Cludde, preferring not to own
ecclesiastical property, sold the family's tithe rent
charge to Queen Anne's Bounty for the incumbent of Wrockwardine Wood. (fn. 55)