Shoston - Showell

A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848.

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'Shoston - Showell', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 90-93. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp90-93 [accessed 25 April 2024]

In this section

Shoston, or Shoreston

SHOSTON, or Shoreston, a township, in the parish of Bambrough, union of Belford, N. division of Bambrough ward and of Northumberland, 8 miles (E. by S.) from Belford; containing 82 inhabitants. It is situated about a mile north-west from Sunderland, which is on the sea-coast; and is the property of Lord Crewe's trustees. Shoston House is a venerable building of three stories, having at a distance a very imposing appearance: New Shoston is a handsome house of modern erection.

Shotesham (All Saints)

SHOTESHAM (All Saints), a parish, in the union and hundred of Henstead, E. division of Norfolk, 6 miles (S.) from Norwich; containing 557 inhabitants. There were originally four distinct parishes of the name of Shotesham, but the churches of St. Martin and St. Botolph being in ruins, those places have been ecclesiastically consolidated with the parishes of All Saints and St. Mary; and from the difficulty of ascertaining the exact boundaries, the whole has been measured as one district. It comprises 3405 acres, of which 2196 are arable, 936 pasture, and 273 woodland. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the vicarages of St. Mary and St. Botolph and the rectory of St. Martin, and is valued in the king's books at £6. 13. 4.; patron, Robert Fellowes, Esq. The impropriate tithes of the whole district have been commuted for £432, and the incumbent's for £556; the glebe comprises 74½ acres. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower, and contains some ancient monuments and a curiously-sculptured font.

Shotesham (St. Mary)

SHOTESHAM (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Henstead, E. division of Norfolk, 5 miles (S.) from Norwich; containing, with Shotesham St. Botolph and St. Martin, 408 inhabitants. The parish is bordered on the west by the river Taas, and abounds with pleasing scenery. Shotesham Park, the seat of Robert Fellowes, Esq., is a handsome mansion, erected by the late Mr. Fellowes, near the site of the ancient Hall, which was surrounded with a moat. The living is a discharged vicarage, consolidated with the vicarage of Shotesham All Saints, and valued in the king's books at £5. The church is chiefly in the early English style, with a square embattled tower; in the chancel are the effigies in brass of Edward White and his lady, in good preservation.

Shotford

SHOTFORD, a hamlet, and formerly a chapelry, in the parish of Mendham, hundred of Earsham, E. division of Norfolk, 1 mile (S. E.) from Harlestou. The chapel has been converted into a malt-house.

Shot-Haugh, with thriston.—See Thriston.

SHOT-HAUGH, with Thriston.—See Thriston.

Shotley (St. Andrew)

SHOTLEY (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Hexham, E. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland; containing 1245 inhabitants, of whom 713 are in the township of Shotley Low Quarter, 12 miles (S. E.) from Hexham, and 14 (S. W. by W.) from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The parish is bounded on the south by the river Derwent, dividing it from the county of Durham; and is intersected from north to south by the Corbridge and West Auckland road, and from east to west by the road between Newcastle and Stanhope. The surface is undulated, its altitude varying from 300 to 800 feet above the level of the sea; and the scenery is interspersed with fine plantations. Shotley Low Quarter comprises nearly 7000 acres, of which about 1000 are woodland. The geological formation consists of the lower part of the coal, and the upper part of the lead, measures; the soil is chiefly a sandy clay, to which may in a great degree be attributed the luxuriance of the oak-tree here. A coal-mine is in operation; and by the enterprise of Messrs. Teasdale and Co., a quantity of lead and silver has been annually produced at Silvertongue for some years past. The parish also contains iron; and from the numerous heaps of the refuse of smelting in various places, the remains of furnaces near Allensford, the ruins of the Hammer mill upon Shotley burn, and the forge near the Derwent, it would appear that iron was at one time wrought to some extent.

Shotley Hall is said to have been built by Dr. Andrews, physician to the first royal Duke of Cumberland, and was subsequently occupied, among other residents, by Thomas Walker, Esq., who much improved the estate. It is a substantial and elegant mansion, situated near the confluence of the Shotley burn and the Derwent; the house is approached by a large avenue of trees, and gardens and pleasure-grounds have been formed by the present owner, Thomas Wilson, Esq.: the beautiful park now extends into the adjoining wood. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Bishop Crewe's Trustees, with a net income of £139. The church is on an eminence, about a mile and a half north-west from the village of Shotley-Field; in the cemetery are, an elegant mausoleum of the Hopper family, and three head-stones, early specimens of the workmanship of Lough, who was born at Greenhead, in the parish. An additional church, dedicated to St. John, a neat edifice with a campanile tower, was erected in 1835; and the trustees of Bishop Crewe give the minister £60 per annum for performing the duty. At Blanchland (which see) is a third incumbency; and at Shotley-Field is a place of worship for Baptists.

Shotley (St. Mary)

SHOTLEY (St. Mary), a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Samfoud, E. division of Suffolk, 8¼ miles (S. E. by S.) from Ipswich; containing 464 inhabitants. The parish is situated at the confluence of the navigable rivers Orwell and Stour, opposite to the town of Harwich, and comprises 2051a. 3r. 17p. of land, chiefly arable, with some pastures near the Orwell: the soil is various, and the surface undulated. Communication is maintained with Harwich by a ferry. Shotley was the seat of the Filney family, of whom Frederick was knighted by Richard Cœur de Lion at the siege of Acre. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £20, and in the gift of the Marquess of Bristol: the tithes have been commuted for £570, and the glebe comprises 54 acres. The church is remarkable for its elegance, which it owes to a former incumbent, the Hon. Hervey Aston, D.D., who completely pewed and beautified it in 1745.

Shotley-Bridge

SHOTLEY-BRIDGE, a small town, in the township of Benfieldside, chapelry of Medomsley, parish of Lanchester, W. division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham, about 14 miles (S. W.) from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This place is on the road from Durham, by Lanchester, to Hexham, and is situated in the romantic vale of the Derwent, over which here is a stone bridge of one arch, uniting the county with Northumberland. It is surrounded by ranges of hills between 700 and 900 feet in height; and the views in the neighbourhood, especially that from the bridge, are very beautiful: the road to Newcastle extends for a distance of 12 miles along the banks of the river, and embraces many charming prospects. Shotley-Bridge was formerly celebrated for a manufactory of swords, the art of working steel having been brought from Germany by a colony of sword-cutlers, whose descendants may yet be traced here, and continue to make a few knife-blades and other articles. It has rapidly increased in size within these few years, and has now a convenient hotel, several neat villas, and a number of good houses and shops, having grown into some repute from the salubrity of the air, and the discovery of saline and chalybeate springs. The spring anciently called "Hally Well," now Shotley Spa, was at a distant period noted for its efficacy in the cure of scrofulous complaints; it fell, however, into disuse, and for a long time no benefit was derived from it, till a prevailing tradition lately induced Jonathan Richardson, Esq., to commence a search upon the spot where it was supposed to exist. The search was successful. Appropriate buildings, a wellroom, baths, &c, have been erected in the rustic style; and Mr. Richardson has opened carriage-drives and promenades upon his estate. There are two paper-mills in operation: a market for corn is held weekly, and a fair for cattle every half year. The powers of the county debt-court of Shotley-Bridge, established in 1847, extend over the parishes of Shotley and Edmondbyers, and part of those of Lanchester, and Bywell St. Peter. A church has been erected under the auspices of the Bishop of Durham.

Shotover

SHOTOVER, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of Headington, hundred of Bullingdon, county of Oxford, 4¾ miles (E. by N.) from Oxford; containing 177 inhabitants, and consisting of 900 acres of land.

Shottesbrook (St. John the Baptist)

SHOTTESBROOK (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Cookham, hundred of Beynhurst, county of Berks, 5 miles (S. W.) from Maidenhead; containing 137 inhabitants. The parish is intersected by the Great Western railway, and bounded on the south by a small stream which flows westward into the river Loddon. It comprises 1181a. 2r. 27p. of land, chiefly arable, with about 120 acres of meadow, and 110 woodland; the soil is fertile, in some parts a rich mould resting on chalk, and in others consisting of clay. The living is a vicarage not in charge, endowed with nearly the whole of the rectorial tithes, with the vicarage of White-Waltham united in 1744; net income, £513; patron, and impropriator of the remaining portion of the rectorial tithes of Shottesbrook, A. Vansittart, Esq. The incumbent's tithes in Shottesbrook have been commuted for £300, and Mr. Vansittart's for £8. 15. The church, though small, is an elegant cruciform structure, principally in the decorated style, with a tower and spire rising from the intersection; it was erected in 1337. In the chancel lie the remains of the learned Henry Dodwell, first Camden professor of history at Oxford. A chantry or college for a warden, five priests, and two clerks, was founded here in 1337 by Sir William Trussell, Knt., the revenue of which at the Dissolution was estimated at £42. 2. 8.

Shottisham (St. Margaret)

SHOTTISHAM (St. Margaret), a parish, in the union of Woodbridge, hundred of Wilford, E. division of Suffolk, 5¼ miles (S. E.) from Woodbridge; containing 283 inhabitants. It comprises about 1000 acres, of which 40 are marsh; the soil of the remainder is chiefly light and sandy. The surface is generally flat, and the river Deben flows past the parish. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4. 16. 0½., and in the patronage of Mrs. Elizabeth Darby and Miss Mary Kett: the tithes have been commuted for £226, and the glebe comprises 24 acres. Crag or shell pits, supposed to be diluvial remains, abound here.

Shottle, with Postern

SHOTTLE, with Postern, a township, in the parish of Duffield, union of Belper, hundred of Appletree, S. division of the county of Derby, 2¼ miles (W. by S.) from Belper; containing 503 inhabitants. These places form an extensive township, in some parts four miles across, and comprising 3712a. 39p., whereof 1230 acres are arable, 2322 pasture, 105 wood, and 55 in roads: the soil is various. Shottle is a district of scattered houses, forming the south side of the township; ShottleGate is a village on the Ashbourn road, and Postern a small village on the road between Derby and Wirksworth.

Shotton, with Langley-Dale

SHOTTON, with Langley-Dale, a township, in the parish of Staindrop, union of Teesdale, S. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the county of Durham, 5½ miles (N. E. by E.) from Barnard-Castle; containing 185 inhabitants. Shotton was one of the places given by Canute to the church of Durham, and, with Woodland and Langley, was parcel of the estate of the earls of Westmoreland. It is now the property of the Duke of Cleveland, and is included in Raby Park, his grace's seat.—See Langley-Dale.

Shotton

SHOTTON, a township, in the parish and union of Easington, S. division of Easington ward, N. division of the county of Durham, 9 miles (E. by S.) from Durham; containing 603 inhabitants. This place, anciently Ceatton and Scotton, occurs in Boldon book under the latter designation. A considerable portion of the land within the vill is held by copy of court-roll under the manor of Easington. There was a division of common in 1673. The family of Thompson held property here, chiefly by copy of court-roll, at least as early as the reign of Elizabeth; and from them the estate came by marriage, in the middle of the last century, to the Brandlings. About a mile and a half north-west of Shotton is the populous colliery-village of Shotton-Grange; the pit is wrought by the Haswell Coal Company. A free school was founded in 1768, in pursuance of the will of Edward Walton; it has an income of about £30.

Shotton, with Foxton

SHOTTON, with Foxton, a township, in the parish and union of Sedgefield, N. E. division of Stockton ward, S. division of the county of Durham, 8½ miles (N. W.) from Stockton; containing 44 inhabitants. The Setons and Carrowes held property here, attached to their manor of "Foxden," in the 14th and 15th centuries: a moiety of the general estates of the Setons descended to the Sayer family; and among others who have had possessions in the place, occur the families of Hebborne and Salvin. The hamlet of Shotton lies to the east of Foxton.—See Foxton.

Shotton, with Plessey

SHOTTON, with Plessey, a township, in the parish of Stannington, union, and W. division, of Castle ward, S. division of Northumberland, 6¼ miles (S. by E.) from Morpeth; containing 387 inhabitants. The historical notices respecting the property are of considerable interest. The canons of Brinkburne, the monks of Newminster, and the nuns of Newcastle, all had possessions here; and among other owners of land occur the families of Shotton, Plessey, Fitz-Roger, and Paris; one of whom, Sir John de Plessey, in 1269 or 1270, founded a chapel, which had a considerable endowment, but of which nothing is now known, the last mention of it occurring in 1491. The place stands on a bold sandstone eminence overlooking the winding course of the Blyth, and having in sight Simonside, the Cheviot hills, and a broad expanse of the German Ocean.—See Plessey.

Shottswell (St. Lawrence)

SHOTTSWELL (St. Lawrence), a parish, in the union of Banbury, Burton-Dasset division of the hundred of Kington, S. division of the county of Warwick, 4½ miles (N. N. W.) from Banbury; containing 366 inhabitants. The parish is surrounded on all sides, except the north, by the county of Oxford: it consists of 1235 acres; and is intersected by the road between Warwick and Banbury. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £5.13. 4., and in the patronage of the Baroness North; net income, £157. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1793. The church, which is of great antiquity, is partly in the Norman and partly in the early English style, and is remarkable for its beautifully-carved oak seats; its fine pulpit, also of carved oak, has been lately restored by the incumbent, and a desk of corresponding character erected. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans; also a school supported by Lady North.

Shotwick (St. Michael)

SHOTWICK (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the hundred of Wirrall, S. division of the county of Chester; containing, with the townships of Cappenhurst, Great and Little Saughall, and Woodbank, 868 inhabitants, of whom 112 are in Shotwick township, 6 miles (N. W.) from Chester. The parish comprises about 4280 acres, of which one-third is arable, and the remainder meadow and pasture; the soil is a stiff clay, and the surface generally level. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £100; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Chester. The tithes of Shotwick township have been commuted for £61. The church has a curious Norman door, and some portions in the later English style.

Shotwick-Park

SHOTWICK-PARK, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the hundred of Wirrall, S. division of the county of Chester, 4¼ miles (N. W.) from Chester; containing 16 inhabitants. This was the site of a castle belonging to the crown, where Henry II. is said to have lodged on his journey to and from Ireland, and which Edward I. occupied in 1278. It was standing in Leland's time, and there were some remains in 1622. The liberty comprises 970 acres, the soil of which is clay.

Shoulden (St. Nicholas)

SHOULDEN (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of Eastry, hundred of Cornilo, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent, l½ mile (W.) from Deal; containing 465 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the road from Sandwich to Deal, comprises by measurement 1891 acres, whereof 321 are common or waste, and 10 woodland. Sandon Castle, built by Henry VIII. for the defence of the coast, is in the parish. The living is a vicarage, annexed to Northbourne. A gallery has been lately erected in the church. Fragments of Roman urns, with several coins, chiefly of the Emperor Gallienus, were found in 1832, on removing some land near Sandon Castle.

Shouldham (All Saints)

SHOULDHAM (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Downham, hundred of Clackclose, W. division of Norfolk, 6½ miles (N. E.) from Downham; containing 683 inhabitants. A Gilbertine priory in honour of the Holy Cross and the Blessed Virgin, was founded in the time of Richard I., by Jeffrey Fitz-Piers, Earl of Essex, for canons and nuns, under the government of a prior; and at the Dissolution it possessed a revenue of £171. 6. 8. When removing some of the ruins, in 1831, a painted window, two stone coffins, and a vessel containing a human head, were found. The parish comprises about 3500 acres, of which 600 are occupied by a rabbit-warren, and 100 form a fen belonging to the poor; the soil varies, but the greater portion is fertile, intermixed with light heath. The village is pleasantly situated, and consists of many neat houses, built round a green watered by a small rivulet. It appears from ancient documents to have had a market; and large fairs for horses, sheep, and cattle, are still held on the 19th of September, and 11th of October. The living is a perpetual curacy, with that of Shouldham-Thorpe united; net income, £121; patron and impropriator, Sir Thomas Hare, Bart., whose tithes have been commuted for £245. The church is chiefly in the later English style, with a square embattled tower, and a small chapel on the south side; the chancel was rebuilt in 1839. A second church, dedicated to St. Margaret, was standing in 1512, but after the dissolution of monasteries it was suffered to go into decay. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. On Mr. Catton's estate is a chalybeate spring called the Silver Well, and near it another spring, both possessing properties similar to those of the waters at Tonbridge-Wells.

Shouldham-Thorpe (The Virgin Mary)

SHOULDHAM-THORPE (The Virgin Mary), a parish, in the union of Downham, hundred of Clackclose, W. division of Norfolk, 5 miles (N. E.) from Downham; containing 314 inhabitants. This parish, anciently called Garbois-Thorpe, comprises about 1350 acres, of which 900 are arable, 350 pasture and meadow, 40 woodland, and 60 common. The soil in some parts is light and heathy, but in general well adapted for grain; the surface is elevated, though not hilly. The living is a perpetual curacy, united to that of Shouldham. The church is in the early and decorated English styles, with a richly-ornamented Norman doorway on the north: the tower fell down in 1724, and has not been rebuilt. At the inclosure in 1794, an allotment of 60 acres was made to the poor for fuel. About a mile north of the village, on the road from Lynn to StokeFerry, is the manor of Fodderston, or Foston-Gap, anciently a separate parish, and which had a church.

Shoulton

SHOULTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Hallow, union of Martley, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Worcester and W. divisions of the county of Worcester; containing 50 inhabitants.

Showell

SHOWELL, a chapelry, in the parish of Swerford, union of Chipping-Norton, hundred of Chadlington, county of Oxford, 2½ miles (E. N. E.) from ChippingNorton; comprising about 773 acres of land.