DOWLES
Dules (xiii cent.); Dowlyz (xvi cent.); Downes
(xvii cent.).
This small parish was formerly in Shropshire, but
was transferred to Worcestershire for administrative
purposes in 1895. (fn. 1) It is on the north-western boundary of the county, and is divided into two parts by
the Severn, which forms part of both the eastern and
western boundaries of the parish. It is crossed from
north-west to south-east by the road from Bridgnorth
to Bewdley, and is watered by Dowles Brook, which
flows into the Severn near Dowles Church. The
ground rises from the valley of the Severn to a height
of 500 ft. in the north-east of the parish and to 300 ft.
at Skeys Wood in the west.
The village, which is somewhat scattered, contains
some early 17th-century half-timbered cottages. One
of these, on the main road near the church, was
formerly the Boar's Head Inn. Its position, overlooking the valley of the Severn, renders it a conspicuous
object for some distance round. Dowles Manor House,
situated off the main road about half a mile north of
the church, is the residence of Mr. Jannion Steele
Elliott. It is a Li-shaped house of two stories and
an attic, with a modern brick addition at the back.
Over the doorway is the date 1560. The lower
story is of stone, the walls being about 3 ft. 6 in. thick,
and the upper part of the house is of half-timber with
tiled roofs. The gables of the projecting wings on
the south front have original barge-boards with carving
in low relief and carved pendants at their apices.
The oak mullioned windows on this front are also of
the 16th century. The hall, entered directly from
the main doorway, occupies the centre of the ground
floor of the original part of the house; on the west
is a room now used as a drawing room, and on the
east the present dining room and the original stairway.
There is a wide fireplace opening opposite the doorway with a heavy beam above. The rooms on either
side are screened from the hall by heavy oak partitions,
with plaster panels covered with 16th-century paintings. The painting on the lower panels is almost
obliterated, but that on the upper panels, which has
evidently formed part of the same design, represents
winged animals and human figures, half figures of
Elizabethan ladies in ruffs, and other designs. The
present drawing room, probably the original kitchen,
is panelled in oak in small squares, with a fluted frieze
and moulded cornice. The fireplace is flanked by
oak fluted pilasters with Ionic capitals, and has
an overmantel of three semicircular-headed panels
divided by similar pilasters, a frieze carved with vineleaf ornament, and a dentil cornice. A serving door
to the hall still exists on the east side of the room.
In the dining room, which seems to have been the
original private chamber or withdrawing room, is a
wide fireplace, the head of which is formed by a
moulded beam. On the west walls of this room and
of the study above some painted panels remain, similar
to those in the hall. Formerly the whole room was so
decorated, but the paintings were in too bad a state to
be preserved. The original stairway, which was separated from this room by an oak screen, part of which
remains, has been removed and a modern one constructed in a new position, but otherwise the old portion of the house, with its moulded beams and exposed
timbers, remains substantially in its original condition.
The hamlet of Buttonoak, ecclesiastically attached
to this parish, is on the main road about 3 miles northwest of Bewdley, and consists of a few 18th-century
and modern houses.
The soil is clay, the subsoil Coal Measures and
Old Red Sandstone. Coal and excellent fireclay are
found. The chief crops are wheat and barley. The
parish has an area of 711 acres, of which 160 were
in 1905 arable land, 329 permanent grass and 121
woods and plantations. (fn. 2)
Among place-names have been found Trinity
Meadow, (fn. 3) Redeckes Croft, (fn. 4) Barkhill, King's Wood, (fn. 5)
Prior's Valley or Valett, Dowles Valley or Valett (fn. 6)
(xvi cent.).
MANOR
There is no record of DOWLES in
the Domesday Survey, and it then probably formed part of Wyre Forest.
Eyton considers that Dowles is to be identified with
Achiseia or Hakiesheia, 2 solidates of land belonging
to Stottesdon, co. Salop, held by Guy son of Helgot
and granted before 1127 to Great Malvern Priory. (fn. 7)
This land is described as lying on the opposite side
of the Severn to Northwood, (fn. 8) which also belonged to
the priory, and its limits had been perambulated by
Fulk the sheriff, who had given seisin of the land to
the monks. The gift included certain woodland
which belonged to Stottesdon, and was confirmed to
the monks by Henry I in 1127. At the same time he
released them from payment of 2s. which Guy had
been accustomed to pay for this land. (fn. 9) The manor
does not again appear under this name, and was confirmed to the priory as 'Dules' in 1217, (fn. 10) but its
subsequent connexion with Northwood is a strong
argument in favour of Eyton's identification. In the
Taxation of 1291 a carucate at Northwood is returned
among the Worcestershire possessions of the priory, (fn. 11)
but Dowles is not mentioned, unless it is to be
identified with the 'Boules' (returned under Herefordshire) where the prior held rents of assize worth
£1 per annum. (fn. 12) In 1292 the prior was impleaded
for exercising certain privileges in his manor of
Dowles. He claimed the right to hold two great
courts yearly, but the jury found that he had
never held these courts nor tried any pleas of the
Crown until three years before, when he obliged
his men of Dowles to cross the Severn and attend
his court at Northwood in Worcestershire. These
courts were afterwards conceded by the judge, if the
king should allow them, for a rent of 6s. 8d. (fn. 13) The
manor was held until the Dissolution by successive
priors. (fn. 14)
In July 1543 the manor was granted in fee to
James Leveson, merchant of the staple. (fn. 15) It was
purchased from him in August of that year by Thomas
Grey, (fn. 16) who was succeeded in 1559 by his son John. (fn. 17)
He with his wife Jane sold it in 1567 to George
Blount and Humphrey Hill. (fn. 18)
The moiety purchased by Humphrey Hill was
settled by him in 1587 on himself, with remainder
to his nephews John, Francis and William Hill
and their heirs male, to William Hill of Bickley in
Knighton on Teme and his heirs male, and the right
heirs of Humphrey successively. (fn. 19) He died seised of
it, as Humphrey Hill of Silvington (co. Salop), on
22 January 1600, (fn. 20) and was succeeded by his nephew
John Hill of Bewdley (fn. 21) under the settlement. John
married Ursula Hincksman and died at Silvington
on 17 November 1625, (fn. 22) when he was succeeded
by his son John, who received livery of this moiety
in the following year. (fn. 23) He sold it in 1642 to
Sir Richard Newport, kt., (fn. 24) the owner of the other
moiety of the manor.
This other moiety must have passed from George
Blount at his death in 1581 to his nephew Roland
Lacon, (fn. 25) on whom he had settled certain of his
estates, and who on 2 April 1586 received licence to
settle it on his daughter Beatrice and her husband
Francis Newport. (fn. 26) Francis Newport, knighted in
1603, (fn. 27) died on 15 March 1623, (fn. 28) and was succeeded by his son Sir Richard Newport, kt., then
married to Rachel daughter of John Leveson. (fn. 29) He
conveyed this moiety to Edward Lord Newburgh,
Sir Richard Leveson, K.B., his brother-in-law, and
others, for purposes of settlement in 1642. (fn. 30) In the
same year he was created
Lord Newport of High Ercall,
co. Stafford, as a reward for
his loyalty to the Crown. (fn. 31)
After the execution of Charles I
he lived in France, where he
died on 8 February 1651. (fn. 32)
His son Francis, who succeeded him, (fn. 33) was created
Viscount Newport of Bradford
in 1675, (fn. 34) and of him the
whole manor and advowson
were purchased in 1677, (fn. 35) as
part of the dowry of Anne
Ramsay, bride of Henry Herbert of Ribbesford. (fn. 36) Henry
was created Lord Herbert of Chirbury (fn. 37) on 28 April
1694. His son Henry succeeded to the title and
estates at his father's death in January 1708–9. He
married the Hon. Mary Wallop, sister of John Viscount
Lymington, afterwards created Earl of Portsmouth,
but died childless, by his own hand, a ruined man, in
1738. (fn. 38) His estates passed under his father's will to
his cousin Henry Morley, descended from Sir Henry
Herbert of Ribbesford (the father of the fifth Lord
Herbert). (fn. 39) He took the name of Herbert, and as
Henry Morley Herbert presented to the church in
1779. (fn. 40) In 1783 the manor was conveyed by John
Offley to Samuel Skey. (fn. 41) Samuel Skey of Spring
Grove was succeeded at his death in 1800 by his son
Samuel, who died in 1806. (fn. 42) Dowles passed to his
three daughters and co-heirs, Mary, who on 2 February
1814 married William fourth son of Sir Charles Burton,
bart., Louisa, who on 6 December 1814 married James
Taylor of Moseley Hall, and Caroline. (fn. 43) Mary was
dealing with her third of the manor in 1813, (fn. 44) James
Taylor and his wife Louisa, and Caroline Skey with
the remaining two-thirds in 1819. (fn. 45) Mary Burton
and Caroline Skey seem to have subsequently transferred their thirds to James Taylor and his wife
Louisa. She died in 1822, (fn. 46) and in 1856 the manor
was held by her son James Arthur Taylor. It was
purchased in 1871 by Edward Pease of Darlington,
whose daughter and heir Beatrice Mary married
on 17 February 1885 Newton Viscount Lymington, (fn. 47)
who succeeded his father as sixth Earl of Portsmouth
in 1891. In 1902 the Bewdley estate, including the
manor of Dowles, was sold in lots, and the manor
of Dowles was purchased by its present owner,
Mr. Jannion Steele Elliott. (fn. 48)
Newport. Argent acheveron gules between three leopards' head sable.
The mill of Dowles was held under the Prior of
Great Malvern in 1521 by William Southall of
Bewdley. (fn. 49) A mill was held with the manor in
1587 (fn. 50) and in 1813, (fn. 51) but there is no mill in the
parish at the present day.
CHURCH
The church of ST. ANDREW (fn. 52) consists of a chancel, north vestry and organ
chamber, west tower and a south porch.
The original building, which is said to have been
of the 15th century, appears to have been entirely
rebuilt in 1789, (fn. 53) when the walls, if not entirely
taken down, were encased with brick and every vestige
of mediaeval detail destroyed. In 1882 the chancel
was enlarged by the addition of a semi-octagonal apse,
and an endeavour was made to impart a quasi-Gothic
character by the insertion of new windows throughout
and the conversion of the chancel and tower arches to
the two-centred form. These details are all of red
sandstone. The north vestry and organ chamber are
still later additions; they are of red brick, and have
traceried windows of sandstone, corresponding in design
with the windows of the chancel and nave.
The font, which is now circular, was originally
square, but the bowl shows it to be of no great
antiquity. The panelled remains of a 'three-decker'
which form the present pulpit bear the date 1695 and
the initials 'I.G.,' 'I. B.' A piece of the framed oakwork which serves as the reredos of the altar is
inscribed, 'Fraunces ap Bowen gave this Gifter 1669.'
On the south side of the chancel is a good Jacobean
bench, made for secular use, inscribed upon the front
panel of the seat, 'Sit Down Ye Weary.'
There are two bells, the first, by Westcote of Bristol,
inscribed 'R. Northall Churchwarden, (fn. 54) 1823,' the
second, by John Greene of Worcester, 'W. G. 1595.' (fn. 55)
The plate consists of a chalice and paten of 1690
and a flagon of 1880.
The registers date from the year 1572.
ADVOWSON
The church of Dowles was confirmed to the priory of Great Malvern
in 1217. (fn. 56) The priory must have
held the advowson until the Dissolution, and it was
granted with the manor in July 1543 to James
Leveson. (fn. 57) The manor and advowson appear to have
been held together as late as 1819, (fn. 58) but, whereas
the manor seems finally to have been held by the
heirs of Samuel Skey's second daughter and co-heir
Louisa wife of James Taylor, the advowson continued
to be held jointly by the co-heirs and their representatives until 1877. (fn. 59) From 1878 to 1885 it was
again held with the manor by Edward Pease, whose
trustees now hold it.
In 1521 William Southall of Bewdley left rent
from land in Dowles to the parson of Dowles to keep
the 'yerely myndes' of himself and his wife. The
rent was to pass after the death of the parson to the
churchwarden for the use of the church, putting
William and his wife on the 'bederowle.' (fn. 60)
CHARITIES
The following charities in the ecclesiastical district of Dowles (as it existed
at the dates of the instruments of
foundation of the respective charities) were by a
scheme of the Charity Commissioners 30 April 1909
consolidated and placed under the administration of
the body of trustees thereby constituted, namely, the
charities of:
(1) Mary Crane, founded by will, proved in the
P.C.C. 16 July 1855, trust fund, £48 16s. 8d.
consols;
(2) Elizabeth Crane, will, proved in the P.C.C.
24 December 1855, trust fund, £48 16s. 8d. consols;
(3) Rev. Joseph Crane, will proved at London
18 October 1860, trust fund, £48 16s. 8d. consols;
(4) Mrs. Ann Prichard Smith, will, proved at
Shrewsbury 21 July 1875, trust fund, £94 2s. 4a.
consols;
(5) Charles James Burton, will proved at London
19 November 1875, trust fund, £951 2s. 5d. consols;
(6) Rev. Edward Whieldon, will, proved at
London 28 September 1886, trust fund, £49 11s. 1d.
consols.
The several sums of stock, amounting together to
£1,241 5s. 10d. consols, are held by the official
trustees. The annual dividends are by the scheme
made applicable for the general benefit of the poor
of the ecclesiastical district of Dowles as it existed
in the year 1874 in one or more of the modes therein
specified.
In 1882 Mrs. Anne Hallen, by will proved at
Worcester 2 November, bequeathed £100, the
dividends to be applied in keeping in neat order and
condition the churchyard belonging to the parish
church. The legacy less duty was invested in
£88 11s. 2d. consols, producing £2 4s. yearly, with
the official trustees, who also hold a sum of £10
10s. 4d. consols, derived under the will of Elizabeth
Marcy, dated in 1900, the dividend of 5s. a year
being applicable for keeping in repair a tablet in the
church.
For the charity of Ellen Vobe see under Ribbesford.