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- A 1000-year
HISTORY OF SHELVOCK MANOR -
This essay by the
Webauthor includes additional notes and explanations as the
result of research, but is primarily based on edited Extracts
from Transactions of the "Shropshire
Archaeological and Historical Society":
Vol. VI of 2nd Series pp. 327-340 (1894) and a subsequent article
in Vol. II of 3rd Series pp. 107-116. (c1896); "Shelvock"
& "Township of Shelvock" by Robert Lloyd KENYON,
as
well as the Heraldic "The
Visitation of Shropshire, 1623" pp.
458-460 covering the THORNES of Shelvock & Melverley. It is
revised and annotated as new information from other old
historical documents comes to light from various county archives.
Introduction
The first recorded spelling of Shelvock was
Shelfhoc (1175),
and later Sselvak &
Schelfac (c1270).
The name is most likely derived from the Saxon "ac"
meaning oak, prefixed by a location on a shelf
or hill.
In the 1890's, then a farm house in the
Parish of Ruyton-of-the-Eleven-Towns, Shelvock was part of the
Tedsmore Hall property. It was a place of local importance, and
was for more than two centuries the seat of the THORNES, a
leading family in Shropshire (from Thornes in Staffordshire). The
date 1606 was still on one of the stables in 1894, situated, with
park-like grounds around it, and a picturesque pool below. In
1894 the Township of Shelvock included the house and only one
cottage. The area was 259a. 3r. 4p.1
Note 1
- Ancient land measures (acres, roods, perches):
1
acre = 4840 square yards or 4046.86 square metres, the area of
land a man could till behind an ox in a day
1 rood = 1/4 acre,
1 perch, pole or rod = 30 1/4 square yards
The area is
therefore equivalent to 105.13 hectares. 1 hectare = 2.471 acres
1000
- 1400 AD
In the Domesday period (1086) Shelvock was
one of the three Berewicks (a hamlet attached to a manor) of the
Manor of Wykey, owned in Edward the Confessor's time by Edwin,
Earl of Mercia, and in William
the Conqueror's time by Odo,
who owned also Hordley and Ruyton, (but held them all under Roger
de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury).
The Earl's son Robert
rebelled and forfeited his property in 1102,
and Wykey, as with many other of his manors, was given to Alan
Fitz Flaald, hereditary
Sheriff of Shropshire, whose son William
Fitz Alan gave Ruyton and
Wykey to John Le STRANGE
c1155, to hold under him. Le STRANGE c1175
gave Shelvock and all its appurtenances to one William
Fitz Walter and his heirs to
hold of himself and his heirs free of all services except that of
giving to Le STRANGE annually some goat skin leggings and gilt
spurs (the significance of these items in not known).
Sometime between the Domesday Book and 1175
Shilvock became the head of the Manor which was originally the
Domesday Manor of Wykey.
c1270 Philip,
Lord of Shelvock, was lord
also of Shotatton2.
Shotatton, Shelvock, and Eardiston were most likely the three
Berewicks of the Domesday Manor of Wykey. Philip must have
derived his title to the property from William Fitz Walter to
account for the Lord of Shelvock having the right to hold a Court
and to amerce (punish by a fine) the township of Shotatton.
Note
2 - Philip
Lord of Sselvak confirms
the gift and sale made by Roger de Caldecote the son of William
de Wynelicote to Alan son of Roger de Ssetatton of a messuage and
half virgate of land which Roger son of Aldithe formerly held in
Ssetatton, and a messuage and nook of land which Richard le
Knicht held there, and the half messuage which Ithell held, and
the nook of land which Roger son of Juliana formerly held in the
same, for 13 marks paid by Alan to Philip. He also grants to Alan
and his heirs free pasture within and without the sown fields of
Ssetatton, except in his wood during mast time; and releases them
from being summoned or attached to his Court for any offence "but
if they offend concerning me or my heirs they shall make amends
by the consideration of four lawful men to be chosen on each
part;" "and if the township of Ssetatton shall be
amerced by me or my heirs or assigns, neither the aforesaid Alan
nor his heirs or assigns shall make any contribution for it
unless for their own offence and that in the manner prescribed."
And for 1d in silver per annum Alan and his heirs are released
from all suits of court reliefs heriots and
aids of all kinds.
Witnesses Sir John de Lee, Thomas his son, Hugh the son of
Philip, Stephen de Felton, Roger Impias and others.
This deed is undated, but Philip
de Schelfac, Sir John de Lee,
and Hugh son of Philip, occur as witnesses to another deed
executed between 1269 and 1276, so this deed is assumed to be
about the same date.
About 1301 the Le STRANGE family sold
Ruyton, with all its homages and fees, to their suzerain Edmund
Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel,
which would include all their rights over Wykey and Shelvock;
however about 1325 John, Lord
of Shelvock gives to the Abbot
of Haghmond a quit claim as to certain lands at Balderton.
Apparently, Shelvock had not passed with Ruyton into the
immediate possession of the Earl of Arundel, but was still held
by an under-tenant, presumably a descendant of the William Fitz
Walter to whom it had been granted in 1175. John also witnessed a
deed in 1323 at Atton (Shotatton), by which Richard
de Caldecott conveyed to Roger
his son a messuage3
and 6 acres of land in that township.
Note 3 -
Messuage: a dwelling house together with its
outbuildings, curtilage (the enclosed area of land adjacent), and
the adjacent land appropriated to its use.
Virgate: The amount
of land a team of 2 oxen could plough annually (about 15
acres).
Nook of land: 12.5 acres.
Vill: a land unit
equivalent to a parish, manor or tithing.
The under-lords of Shelvock were still in
possession in 1326, when their suzerain, the Earl of Arundel,
forfeited his estates and was beheaded, and in 1331, when his son
had them restored to him, and also in 1397, when his grandson
again forfeited them. In the first existing Roll from Ruyton
Court (1333) the representatives of Shelvock present the death of
a tenant there, named William
Fitz William, intestate, and
his good valued at 2s. 4d. In 28 Edward III (c1354), William le
YONGE was Steward of the Manor of Ruyton, and on 20th November
that year, Richard, Earl of Arundel, granted to him and Alice his
wife settlement of lands "in the vills of Shelvak, Atton &
Erdeston".
In 1357, Geoffrey, son of John LOYT of
Kynardeston, took relief of half the vill of Shelvock, and paid
2s. 8d. In the same year the townsmen of Shelvock asserted an
immemorial right of pasturing their cattle on the Wigmarsh
Common. In 6 Richard II (c1373) they presented Roger le POTT for
rescuing a distress from Madoc ap Eynio. The next year (c1374)
one Ath of Shelvock was
fined 4d. for not coming to hear the verdict between him and John
HODENET in an action of trespass.
1400
- 1600 AD
John le YONGE succeeded his father William,
and was living at the time of the execution of the Earl of
Arundel in 1397, when he was returned as holding "Shelfake &
Wyke by service of a quarter of a Knights fee of the Honour of
the Earl of Arundel". The manors appear to be separated
shortly afterwards. A Thomas le YOUNGE, who was Steward of Ruyton
Manor in 1426, may have been the son of John and owner of
Shelvock. John's daughter and eventual heiress, Cecilia, married
Robert THORNES,
son of Roger de la THORNES who resided on his estate at Thornes,
in the parish of Shenstone, Staffordshire. [Note
by Kenyon: Herald's Visitation
and a THORNES pedigree in the
Morris Manuscripts (in the possession of E. C. PEELE, Esq. in
1894) concur in making Robert THORNES the elder, the husband of
John YONGE's daughter, however the probabilities of age would
make Robert THORNES the younger the more likely husband, and
unlikely to be her son.]
Heraldic Note:
The Visitation of
Shropshire 1623 provides the following Arms & Crest for the
THORNES of Shelvock & Melverley (no picture),
which
originates back to the marriage of Robert & Cecilia, above -
Arms:
Harl. 1396 - Quarterly: 1 and 4, Sable, a lion
rampant-guardant argent, THORNES; 2 and 3, Argent, on a bend
sable three gryphons' heads erased or, YONG
Crest:
Out of a ducal coronet or a demi-mermaid proper
crined of the first, a dolphin of the same devouring her sinister
arm.
There
does not appear to be any Motto.
It
is interesting that the C20th SHELVOKE family's house was named
'Melverley' after the village they believed their roots to be.
Although Harry SHELVOKE proudly displayed SHELVOKE coats of arms
(below), these were actually those of the THORNES.
In 1356 Robert
atte THORNES was one of four
merchants summoned from Shrewsbury to confer with the King in a
Council of Merchants at Westminster. In 1344 he had been admitted
on the Foreigners Roll of the Guild Merchants of Shrewsbury. In
1381 the Earl of Arundel interfered to appease some dissensions
among the burgesses of Shrewsbury which had become very acute,
and induced them to commit the government of the town to a
committee of 12 persons, one of whom was Robert
of THORNES, son of Robert atte
THORNES. This Robert was four times Bailiff of Shrewsbury, 1388
to 1409. His son Thomas was
also Bailiff in 1432, 1436, and 1440, and in 1444 became one of
the first Aldermen of the Borough. Either this Robert or his son
Thomas succeeded John or Thomas YONGE as owner of Shelvock, in
right of the marriage with Cecilia YONGE.
"The Visitation" shows that
Thomas's son, Roger,
married a Cecilia,
and they had a son Thomas THORNES of Shelvock, who married Maria
(Isabel) d/o Roger CORBET & Cicely (d/o Sir Henry VERNON).
Kenyon states that Thomas had two sons, the eldest, Robert,
succeeded to Shelvock and the other property in Ruyton, while the
younger, Roger, succeeded to Thornes. Robert's
son, Robert, succeeded his father and married Ellen, widow of
Roger SERESBY, but in 1473, he released all his interests
(including Shelvock) to his first cousin, Thomas THORNES, son of
Roger. Thomas
THORNES, grandson of the
Alderman, is described as of Shelvock in 1476 when he married
Mary, daughter of Sir Roger CORBET of Morton Corbet. In this both
Kenyon & the Visitation agree.
Roger THORNES,
son of Thomas, was called the "Wise Thornes of Shrewsbury,
for that both town and country repaired to him for advice".
Though owner of Shelvock, he retained his family connection with
Shrewsbury, and seems to have lived principally in the town,
where he had a house in Raven Street, just opposite School Lane.
He was six times Bailiff. He married Anne (possibly Jane, as name
given as Jana in the Visitation) the daughter of Sir
Roger KYNASTON and Elizabeth
(d/o Sir Henry GREY, Lord Tancarville). They had 7 children
(Kenyon), 5 of which are given in the Visitation:
1. John THORNES (as 1st child in
Visitation)
2. Nicholas THORNES = Gwen (as 6th child in
Visitation)
3. Robert THORNES = Elizabeth PORT (as 2nd child
in Visitation)
4. Thomas THORNES = Jane d/o Edward ONSLOW - no
issue in (as 3rd child in Visitation)
5. Margaret (Margerie in
Visitation) THORNES = Richard LLOYD s/o Phillipe (as 4th child in
Visitation)
6. Cicely THORNES = Thomas BERRINGTON (as 5th
child in Visitation)
7. Elizabeth THORNES = John LLOYD (of
Abertanat)
Roger died in 1531, and was buried in St.
Mary's Church. After him was a rapid succession to the Shelvock
property.
The Visitation shows that Nicholas
THORNES married Gwen (d/o and heir of David VICHAN,
the s/o David VICHAN ap David ap Grono de Delemn & his wife
Katherina JENKINS ap GRIFFITH de Pentlas).
John THORNES of
Shelvock married Elizabeth
ASTLEY (d/o Richard) of
Patishull, Staffs. Jeffrey
THORNES, son of John, married
first Jane KYNASTON of Shardon,
by whom he had a daughter Jane,
baptised at Middle, 13 Feb., 1545, and other
children; [Note: it is
possible those of the SHELVOCK name and other later unconnected
THORNES (see below) are descended from them] and secondly, Anne
FOWLER of Staffordshire.
Kenyon relates that his Will was proved at Lichfield in 1552, and
he was succeeded by his son by his second wife Nicholas
THORNES, who married Margaret,
daughter of Walter WROTESLEY
of Staffordshire. (The Visitation gives this
Nicholas as the younger brother of John, above. His tree is
described below. Clearly the trees are confusing and
contradictory in places).
The Visitation provides the following
family tree for Nicholas THORNES & Gwen:
1. Jane = Reginald ap GRIFFITH ap THOMAS
(no children)
2. Edward THORNES = Katherine (d/o John ap DAVID
ap EDWARD)
Their 5 children: Radulphus, Nicholas, Thomas,
Richard, & Jane.
3. Roger THORNES of Melverley and
Margaret (d/o John LLOYD ap David ap Llhnn de Gatholl).
Roger & Margaret's family developed as
follows:
1. Roger THORNES = Agnes (daughter and heir
of Jenn' ap David de Wawer)
Their 5 children: Roger, John,
Ermine, Margerie & Maria
2. Anna = Thomas ap Edward de
Argaid
3. Elianor = George ap John
4. Thomas THORNES
5.
Edward THORNES of Melverley = Margaret d/o Robert COLE ap Edward
COLE
Their 5 children: Thomas, Edward, Maria (m. John BROWNE),
Elizabeth & Judith
Robert THORNES of Shrewsbury = Elizabeth
d/o Thomas PORT of Bridgenorth, above, had the following
children:
1. Roger THORNES of Leighton = Margaret d/o
John POOLE de Whixall (widow of Thomas IVES)
2. Thomas THORNES
of London = Beatrix DEAKES of Shropshire
Their 2 children were
Thomas, and Richard THORNES of Bridgenorth (who married a d/o
John WICHERLY or WOOLRICH de Wilcot, Salop; their children being
Francis THORNES of Shelvock and Margaret).
The trees given above are somewhat
different to the story by Kenyon, related below.
John THORNES & Elizabeth ASTLEY
are shown in the Visitation to have three children: Thomas, an
un-named daughter wife of a TANNAT de Abertannat of Shropshire,
Richard, and Jeffrey THORNES of Shelvock.
Jeffrey is shown as having married first
Jane KYNASTON of Shardon (Children: Richard, Jane, Dorothy,
Elianor & Katherine), then Anna d/o Roger FOWLER (with
children Nicholas THORNES of Shelvock, & Alicia). Nicolas
married Margaret d/o Walter WROTESLEY, and their children were:
Andreas, Elianor w/o Thomas KYNASTON, Richard THORNES (1592, the
1610 Sheriff), Anna & Dorothea. Richard married Elizabeth d/o
Edward MYTTON, with children Francis (1608) and Margaret.
John was succeeded in 1592 by his son
Richard THORNES,
who in 1599 bought a third part of the Manor of Ruyton from
George YOUNGE, Esq., possibly the heir of Thomas YOUNGE,
Archbishop of York, who had bought the manor in 1567 from the
Earl of Arundel and others. Richard THORNES was Sheriff of
Shropshire in 1610, but for the first half of the year only,
being succeeded during the latter half of the year as sheriff by
Richard MYTTON of Halston, whose sister Elizabeth MYTTON he had
married. The initials R.T./E.T. 1606 are to be found on a stable
with enormously thick walls still standing at Shelvock. The
Visitation show that this couple has three children: Radulphus,
William & Alicia w/o John LITTLETON.
1600
- 1700
Francis THORNES,
son of the Sheriff, married Beatrice,
eldest daughter of Sir Andrew CORBET of Morton Corbet, on the
12th Dec. 1625, at Moreton Corbet, he being then 19 and she 15
years of age. By a deed of 16 Dec. 1638, he settled "the
Lordship or Manor of Shelvock and all houses and lands in the
township of Shelvock, the Heath Mill in the Township of Knockin,
and two meadows at Maesbrook," on himself in tail, subject
to a jointure for his wife. When the Civil War broke he actively
sided with the King. On the 8th August, 1642, he subscribed in
Shrewsbury a strong declaration of loyalty, and he afterwards
signed "The Ingagement and
Resolution of the principall gentlemen of the County of Salop,
for raising and maintaining Forces, at their own charge, for the
defence of his Majestie King Charles I., their country, and more
particularly the fortunes, persons, and estates of the
subscribers undernamed." The
forces to be raised were "one entire regiment of
dragoneers," and were to be ready, with the money, on the
20th December, 1643, and to be under the command of Sir Vincent
CORBET, his brother-in-law.
Francis THORNES was one of many county
gentlemen captured when Shrewsbury was taken on Feb. 22nd,
1644/5, by the Parliamentary forces under the command of his
first cousin, Thomas MYTTON of Halston, and he had to pay £720
for his estate. In 1653 he executed a settlement upon the
marriage of his son, comprising "The Manor of Shelvock,
the Manor House in Shelvock in which Francis THORNES dwells, the
water corn mill called Heath Mill in Knockin, Melverley Farm, 2
closes in Wykie in or near a place called Bagamore, all in the
possession of Francis THORNES, land covered with water in Great
Ness called Ingerley Pool, a farm in Webscott, 4 messuages in
Edgerley, a messuage called the Gorsty Leasowes in Ruyton in the
occupation of Richard TAYLOR, 2 messuages in Ness, and 13 in
Shotatton, in the tenures of William HANMER, John WOODS, Thomas
DOVASTON, John WOFIE, Richard MORTON, John PEEVOR, Cornelius
PEEVOR, Edward PERKINS, Edward FOSTER, John CROXON, Daniel
GRIFFITHS, and Edward DYOS; a messuage in Earston, otherwise
Yarston, in possession of Richard JONES, and two messuages in
Hopton."
The first 'Great Rebuilding' of Shrewsbury
in C16th was typical of many municipal undertakings, and clearly
linked to the town's commercial vitality. Many houses of this
period belonging to merchants or professional men. Examples
demolished in the 20th century included the gentry town house
Thornes Hall (Castle Street, c. 1630s), erected by Francis
Thornes of Shelvock after he had sold his family ‘place’
on the other side of the street for the new House of Correction.
A mortgage deed of 8th April 1641 was for the "bargain
and sale of messuage in Highe Pavement, Shrewsbury, Shropshire,
late occupied by John Meredith, butcher: and parcel of land, 10
acres, in township of Cotton, belonging to the messuage; and
parcel of land, 3 acres, in the Castle Forryate, Shrewsbury,
behind the Castle, occupied by Robert Jones, saddler. Frauncis
Thornes of Shelvock, Shropshire, esq., to John Wrowde of
Shrewsbury, Shropshire, gentleman. Consideration: £100."
After the Restoration Francis THORNES was
one of the Commissioners appointed under an Act of 1661 for
administering oaths of allegiance and supremacy to all office
holders in Shrewsbury, and for removing from office all
disaffected persons.
Thomas THORNES,
son of Francis, was the last THORNES owner of Shelvock. He was
baptised at Moreton Corbet, 26 Sept., 1630, and in 1653 married
Elinor,
his first wife, daughter of Jonathan
LANGLEY of the Abbey,
Shrewsbury, who was sheriff of the county in 1689. He later
married Catherine LITTLETON,
daughter of Sir William
COURTEEN, Kt., of London, and
widow of Sir Edward LITTLETON
of Pillaton, Co. Stafford,
Bart., a zealous royalist, and then Anne,
who married after his death George
BOLD. Thomas THORNES sold
Webscott, in Middle, to his brother-in-law Thomas PRICE. He died
without issue, surviving his father by less than two months.
While the THORNES ownership of the manor ceased in the middle of
the C17th, the family remain connected to the lands well into the
C18th.
The detailed pedigree of the THORNES family
down to Francis THORNES is published in the Heralds'
Visitation of Shropshire by the
Harleian Society, compiled out of the deeds at Tedsmore. In the
Deed of 7 Aug. 1707, two messuages in Shotatton are described as
formerly held by Roger THORNES, and now by Timothy SIDES and
Francis PLYMLEY; and the deed of 20 Dec.,1748, mentions a chief
rent of 1d. issuing out of lands within the Manor of Shelvock,
belonging to Edward THORNES. In 1779 this land had passed from
him to Thomas REYNOLDS. There is more detail on the other THORNES
in the period in Kenyon's article in Vol. II. Edward THORNES of
Ruyton married Elizabeth BILL of nearby Felton, at Felton on 23rd
June, 1711.
On the death of Thomas THORNES his widow
retained possession of Shelvock, and married George BOLD, but
their right to the property was evidently disputed by the family,
for in 1699 a deed of family settlement was executed, dated 30th
October, between George BOLD of Shelvock, gent., and Anne, his
wife, of the one part, and Dame
Elizabeth CORBETT of
Shrewsbury, widow, Beatrice
THORNES of Shrewsbury,
spinster, Frances IRONSIDES
of Shrewsbury, widow, and John
PRICE of Shrewsbury, gent.,
son and heir of Margaret PRICE,
deceased, daughters and co-heirs of Francis THORNES, late of
Shelvock, Esq., deceased, and sisters of Thomas THORNES of
Shelvock, Esq., of the other part. By this deed it was agreed
that all differences and lawsuits about the land and estate of
the late Francis & Thomas THORNES are to cease. The BOLDs
were to hold for their lives and to keep in repair the capital
messuage of Shelvock, the Heath Mill, and the demesne lands
belonging to Shelvock, and the following lands in Shotatton,
viz., the Turf Pool, the new Hill, the old Hill, the Calves Croft
by Elsbridge Gate (called Hellbridge in 1707 deed - now called
Elbridge), the Marly Furlong, Meridens Crofts, the great Hodge
Park, the little Hodge Park, the Poole Marsh, the Coatfields, the
broad pool or the oz pasture, Hanly Heath (Hantley, alias Antley
Heath in 1707 deed), and the Heath Mill, all of which are parcel
of the demesne lands of Shelvock. After the deaths of the BOLDs,
the whole of the above were to belong in fee simple, free from
encumbrances, to Francis THORNES' four daughters and their
representatives. The BOLDs were to have Broome's tenement in
Great Ness in fee simple, and £500. Various conveyances
made by Francis & Thomas THORNES in 1673, 1676, and 1678 were
to stand good and not to be disputed.
The following lands in Shotatton, viz., the
Craniums, the great Foxholes, the little Foxholes, the
Gentlewomen's close, a little parcel of land in possession of
Anne GRIFFITHS, and the Butts in Shotatton field in the
possession of John GRIFFITHS and John WHEELOCK, were delivered
into the possession of George BOLD, he paying £10 to
Beatrix THORNES for the said Butts or Furlongs, which were her
proper inheritance; and she was also to sell to him the cottage
in Shotatton called Bellamie's tenement.
The BOLDs were to do no waste in certain
tenements at Melverley of the value of £50 per annum, which
would come to the representatives of Francis THORNES daughters
after the death of Anne BOLD.
Anne BOLD, therefore, and her second
husband, George BOLD, had possession of Shelvock from 1678; and
they were still alive in 1707, but had to let it to some
under-tenants (Deed of 7 Aug. 1707, Francis IRONSIDES and others
to Corbet KYNASTON,
gs/o Elizabeth THORNES & Sir Vincent CORBET, and s/o Beatrice
CORBET & John KYNASTON).
1700
- 1900
Lady CORBET settled her fourth part of
Shelvock estate on her grandson Corbet
KYNASTON, and in 1702 her
sisters Beatrice THORNES and Francis IRONSIDES transferred their
shares (subject to their life interests) to her, and in 1707 the
remaining fourth was bought from John PRICE by Corbet KYNASTON's
trustees for £400. Another deed of family arrangement was
executed on 7 Aug. 1707, conveying the Manor and Manor House of
Shelvock and its demesnes to Corbet KYNASTON, and other pieces of
land in "Earsdiston alias Earston", Bagamore, Hopton,
Ruiton, and Melverley, to the BOLDs and others in fee. In
addition to the demesne lands enumerated in the settlement of
1699, the following were agreed to be part of the demesne lands,
and conveyed to Corbet KYNASTON in fee, viz., "The
Hall Meadow, the Spring, Rogers's Leasow, Rogers's Meadow, the
Marshes alias Wigmarshes, Eearson's or Eason's Meadow, Stockin
Meadow, Edmonds Moor, two White Leasows, the great Park Fields,
the three crofts adjoining to the great Park Fields, the Spring
Meadow, the Hopyard, the little Park field, the Stanneley, the
Rock Hill, the Connery and Connery Meadow, and all other lands
being now in the occupation of George BOLD, his under-tenants or
assigns, and in the townships of Shelvock and Shotatton".
In this period the following deed reveals
the name of the working farmer of the estate at the time:
"Settlement on marriage of Richard Hall of Wikey,
Shropshire, yeoman, and Elizabeth YEOMANS of Berwick Maviston,
Shropshire, widow: Covenant by Martha Hall of Wikey, mother of
Richard, to pay £300 to Richard. Covenant by Richard Hall
to pay £235.10s. to Thomas YEOMANS, son of Elizabeth
YEOMANS by her former husband, Roger YEOMANS, at age of 21, and
£5 a year meanwhile. Covenant by the same to pay Â200
a year to Thomas Lee of Wroxeter, Shropshire, yeoman, and Richard
Maddox of Shelvock, Shropshire, yeoman, if he should
remarry after the death of his intended wife leaving children by
her, upon trust for such children, etc. 2 November 1734."
Corbet KYNASTON became sole owner of
Shelvock on the death of the BOLDs some time between 1707 and
1738, when he executed a deed barring his estate tail in a part
of the property. He was not of age in 1707. In 1713 he was a
candidate to represent Shrewsbury in Parliament but was defeated,
but the next year, on the accession of George I, he was elected.
In 1721 he was again returned but, unseated in 1723. He died
unmarried the 17th June, 1740. He left all his real estates,
including Sundorne (inherited from his father) and Shelvock, to
Andrew CORBET of Lee and Albright HUSSEY, whose grandmother was
sister to Edward KYNASTON of Hordley, Corbet's grandfather; but
Andrew CORBET died 15 April 1741 without issue, and was succeeded
by his brother John CORBET.
Corbet KYNASTON left debts amounting to
between £70,000 & £80,000 (a large sum even in
today's standards; at 3% inflation over 260 years = £174
million in year 2000!); suits were instituted by his creditors,
and an Act of Parliament had to be obtained for selling his
estates. An arrangement was entered into, by deed dated 20 Dec.
1748. Anna Maria LEIGHTON was to have the manor, house, and lands
of Shelvock, and the furniture there, and the Heath Mill, the
Heath Farm, and all the freehold tenements of the late Corbet
KYNASTON in Shelvock, Shotatton, Knockin, Melverley, Baggimore,
and Ruyton.
Charlton LEIGHTON (1756
Bart,.) and Anna Maria
his wife became the new owners of Shelvock in
1748. In 1757 he let it for his own life to Richard MADOCKS,
yeoman, and as MADOCKS is described in the deed as of Shelvock,
he was apparently already tenant of it before this time. In 1766
Sir Charlton gave up the property of Shelvock Manor, messuage,
and farm, with the Gate House, Mill, and Dovehouse thereto
belonging, and the Heath Farm and land at Melverley, to his son
Charlton LEIGHTON. In 1774, the manor and estate of Shelvock was
sold to William Mostyn OWEN
of Woodhouse, Esq. who represented
Montgomeryshire in three parliaments. He died in 1795 and was
succeeded by his son William
Mostyn OWEN, who about 1832
conveyed Shelvock to Thomas
BULKELEY-OWEN, Esq., of
Tedsmore in exchange for lands at Haughton. OWEN (c1858) pulled
down the old house and erected the farm house (present in 1894),
which is not exactly on the site of the old house, but a little
to the east of it. Some of the cellars of the old house still
remain into the C21st. The stable with date 1606 has been already
mentioned. When the house was pulled down a quantity of oak
panelling was removed to Tedsmore, including an old English
mantelpiece which was placed in the entrance hall there.
Bulkeley Hatchett BULKELEY-OWEN,
who died on the 10th August, 1868, leaving a widow, but no
children, was succeeded by his brother the Rev.
T. M. BULKELEY-OWEN, (the
owner in 1894 when Kenyon wrote his pieces). Mr. Thomas LLOYD was
the occupier of Shelvock farm which includes the house and almost
the whole township in 1894, and Mr. Thomas BOWDLER the cottage,
which is the only other house in the Township of Shelvock. It is
situated on the brook which separates the Townships of Shelvock
and Eardiston, and is probably the Gate House mentioned in the
Deed of 1766 (no longer in existence).
1900
- present
In 1999 the farm was owned by the family of
Mr. D. R. CORBETT. The CORBETT family wish to retain their
privacy and do not welcome guests. Anyone with an interest in
Shelvock and intending to visit the site should do so under this
advisement. There is one particular right of way passing to the
north of the farm (although difficult to find despite a map) and
one directly by the farm itself which should afford a view.
There has no doubt been various ownership
and occupiers (tenant farmers) throughout the C19th & C20th.
Mr. R. ROGERS in 2000 recalled that "I once lived at
Shelvock and my mum was born there. My grandfather W. E. LLOYD
once farmed at Shelvock and I spent a lot of my childhood on the
farm". It is likely his grandfather was related to the
Thomas LLOYD mentioned above.
Another, John KENDALL relates "My
Great Grandmother was Sarah Catherine MORRIS who was born in 1858
(along with her sister Fanny Eleanor 1856) at Shelvock . Their
parents were John MORRIS and Eleanor (nee ROGERS). His father was
a farmer of 295 acres in Shelvock in 1841 and 1851 but by 1861
John junior had gone to Churchstoke (his father presumably had
died)."
Shelvock is not included in the place index
for the 1901 census. Page 0 of RG13 Piece 2542 Folio 66 of the
census is described as "All the remaining part of the Parish
of Ruyton. Comprising the several townships of Shotatton,
Shelvock, ....." Shelvock can be found on page 13:
Occupiers in 1901 Census:
At Shelvock:
Thomas LLOYD
Head 71 Farmer, Employer, of Knockin, Salop
Mary Ellen Wife
63 of West Felton
William W Son 29
Farmer's Son (Worker); [all children of West Felton]
George O Son 23
Farmer's Son (Worker)
Minnie C ROGERS
Servant 25 Cook Domestic
Eva M ROGERS Servan 14 Servant
Domestic
Richard BRAYNE Servant 16 Carter on Farm
(Worker); of Ruyton
[ROGERS may be related to the previous
farmer occupier described above]
At Shelvock
Cottage:
Ann Elizabeth
BOWDLER Head, Widow, 70, of Shrawardine
Thomas BOWDLER Son, 31, Contractor for
Hauling Roadstone, Employer, of West Felton
Grimpo Congregational Chapel (3km north
of Shelvock) was opened on Easter Monday 1832. Due to structural
decay this chapel was replaced by a new chapel, which opened on
11th May 1885. The chapel is built of red brick and Shelvock
freestone4,
has a small tower and spire and cost £560.
Terminology:
Note
4 - Shelvock
freestone would either be a sandstone or a limestone that is so
fine-grained that it can be shaped without splitting.
A small
quarry is situated opposite the present day gateway to the farm
and is the probable source of the stone.
Location
of Records
Parish Registers survive from
1719 (at Shropshire Records & Research Centre, Castle Gates,
Shrewsbury (Tel + 44 1743 255350). BTs (Bishops Transcripts) are
at Lichfield Joint Record Office, Staffordshire. Many other
records survive, including Churchwardens Accounts, Vestry
Minutes, Allotment of Pews 1812, Tithes, etc. Unfortunately the
Parish Records prior to 1719 were 'burnt in a frenzy by an
earlier incumbent'. It is still possible some BT's survive at the
Lichfield Record Office, otherwise the earliest families of the
SHELVOCK name may never known.
The earliest SHELVOCK families
are based solely on LDS/IGI records. The original registers have
not yet been researched in depth so it remains unclear whether
junior branches of the THORNES family or others associated with
the Manor lands of several hundred acres adopted the family name.
It is interesting to note that parts of the articles written by
KENYON also include the rights of the Lords of Shelvock (then the
THORNES family) to all waifs and strays from Shelvock &
Shottaton. If people, they would have no other name than the
place in which they were brought up and served. Farming would
have been more labour intensive in the periods described above.
Since the THORNES (as 'of Shelvock'), there is no evidence of
anyone with the surname SHELVOCK owning Shelvock, despite modern
family stories of tales of lands in Shropshire.
© Mark A. S. Grace
- Updated October 2008
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