Genealogy of The Marches

West Felton parish includes the townships of West Felton, Haughton, Rednall, Sandford, Sutton, Tedsmore, Twyford, and Woolston, together comprising 5,989A. 2R 9p. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of sand and loam. The meadows produce a fine herbage, and being intersected by the river Perry, which, frequently overflowing its banks, and covering hundreds of acres, produces the greatest fertility and luxuriance. In 1801 the parish contained 926 inhabitants; in 1831, 1,093; and in 1841, 1,087 Saleable value, £8,314. Us. George Edwards, Esq., is lord of the manor. The tithes were commuted in 1838 for the sum of £1,008.

West Felton is a well built village and township, intersected by the Holyhead and London turnpike road, five miles S.E. from Oswestry and thirteen N.W from Shrewsbury. In the village are some good houses, and the immediate vicinity is a rich farming district, in which are scattered several neat villa residences. The township contains 800A 3R 15p of productive arable and pasture land, having a loamy soil with a mixture of sand. In 1841 here were 43 houses and 214 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,285. 10s. The principal landowners are John Freeman Dovaston, Esq.; Rev. Peter George Bentley; Edward Frank, Esq.; Thomas Frank, Esq.; Rev. Thomas Hunt; executors of the late R. L. Murray, Esq.; Mrs. Duckett; Mr. Richard Fardoe; Mr. John Brookfield; George Withers Edwards, Esq.; Mr. John Hopkin; Mr. Edward Rodgers ; and Messrs. Sides.

The church, dedicated to St. Michael, a handsome structure in the decorative style of English architecture, consists of nave, chancel, and side aisle, the latter being separated from the nave by lofty Norman arches, rising from circular pillars; the floor of the nave and chancel are ornamented with encaustic tiles of beautiful design, and the communion table and two chairs are of oak, elaborately carved. In 1842 the structure was enlarged and renovated at a cost of upwards of £600, which was raised by subscriptions and grants from the diocesan and incorporated societies, in consequence of which 202 additional sittings were added, and 58 were declared free and unappropriated for ever. The east end of the sacred building is beautified by two stained glass windows, one the gift of the Hon. Thomas Kenyon, and the other the gift of the Hon. Mrs. Kenyan and the junior members of the family. They exhibit a masterly display of workmanship, and were executed by Evans, of Shrewsbury. The stone work was the gift of the Rev. Mr. Hunt. The window
on the north side, over the entrance door, has fine representations of Moses and Aaron, and was the gift of Viscount Dungannon. The roof of the church is of dark oak, beautifully designed; and the whole has a chaste and elegant appearance. It is ornamented with a square tower, in which are three bells. The living is a rectory, valued in the King's book at £20. 12s. 6d., now returned at £1,032. The patronage is vested in the Earl of Craven. The Rev. Thomas Hunt, M.A., is the incumbent. The tithes of this township ore commuted for £127 5s. 3d. The Rectory, a commodious brick edifice near the east end of the church, beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies, has been much improved by the present incumbent. There is a free school near the church.

West Felton house, the residence of the Rev. P. G. Bentley, M.A., is a delightful mansion, pleasantly situated and ornamented with pleasure grounds tastefully laid out. The manor house is a commodious mansion of great antiquity, the property and residence of Mr. Thomas Frank. Near the house is a mound, surrounded by a deep moat; tradition says a building formerly stood on the summit. The Shropshire union canal intersects the township, and there is a railway station at Rednal, about two miles from West Felton. The county constabulary have a station here: Mr. Robert Jones is the superintendent, and there are eight constables stationed in the adjacent district.

Charities. — George Iveson, in 1616, bequeathed a rent charge of 40s. per annum for the use of the poor. John Edwards gave 20s. per annum for the same object in 1686. These two gifts are paid from land at Osbaston, belonging to Mr. Price. Joseph Withers, in 1731, directed a yearly sum of £2 to be paid out of the rent of his tenement in Moreton, to the poor of this parish. A sum of £125, derived from different benefactors, is secured upon the tolls of the Holyhead road, by an instrument bearing date I8th January, 1762. The interest, £6. 5s. per annum, with 5s. yearly paid by a farmer at Llan Rhaiadyr for an encroachment, are carried to one account with the produce of the preceding charities, making in the whole £11. 7s. 10d. The amount is given one year to the poor residing in the township, and the next year to the poor residing out of it. Mary Jones, in 1758, charged certain lands in Tedsmere with the payment of £5 per annum for the benefit of the poor, and a further sum of 10s. 6d. yearly to the minister, provided he preach a sermon in the parish church of Felton on the 12th of September. Sarah Owen, by will 1764, gave to the minister and churchwardens £200 in trust, to distribute the interest (with the approbation of the owner of Woodhouse for the time being) among poor and indigent persons. This legacy is secured on the Oswestry house of industry

Post Office.—At Mr. Thomas Roberts's. Letters arrive at 6.30 a.m., and are despatched at 6.40 p.m.

Bentley Rev. Peter George, Felton house
Davies George, farmer and butcher
Davies John, saddler and harness maker
Duckett Mrs., The Villa
Edwards William, farmer
Evans John, farmer
Evans Mrs. Margaret, Hall farm
Evans Thomas, farmer
Fardoe Richard, farmer
Fox Thomas, farmer and carrier
Frank Thomas, farmer, Manor house
Hampton William, farmer
Hollis Edward, farmer
Hopkin John, shopkeeper
Howell William, farmer and road surveyor
Hunt Rev. Thomas, M.A., The Rectory
Jones Edward, farmer and maltster
Jones John, farmer, The Cross
Lloyd Edward, vict., Fox and Hounds
Lloyd Edward, blacksmith
Murray Miss Lathrop, Felton hall
Pugh John, shoemaker
Roberts Thomas, overseer and vict., the Lion
Roberts Thomas, farmer & assistant overseer
Rogers Edward, farmer and tailor
Vaughan William, builder and stone mason

Townships:

Sandford, a small township comprising 719A. 0R. 34p., of land, situate one and a half mile from West Felton, in 1841 had 18 houses and 92 inhabitants; the soil is of a light nature, producing good wheat, barley, and turnips. The chief landowners are Samuel Bickerton, Esq., Mr. Thomas Beamand, and Mr. Abraham Hancox. Rateable value of the township, £876. 15s. The tithes are commuted for the sum of £132. 15s. Sandford Hall is a well built modern erection of brick, the present occupier of which is highly respected as a spirited farmer and grazier, and noted for his zeal in advocating the cause of protection to native industry. Near to the hall is a large pool of water. There is a fox cover in the township. The principal residents are Thomas Beamand, gentleman; Samuel Bickerton, Esq., The Hall; Edward Goff, farmer; Abraham Hancox, farmer; Edward Kent, farmer; Richard Clarke, wheelwright; Edward Evans, corn miller.

Tedsmere, one mile east from West Felton, is a township with 383A. 3R., 39p. of land, having in 1841 17 houses and 87 inhabitants; the chief part of the land is grass, and in large enclosures. Rateable value, £551. 18s. The tithes are commuted for £63. 10s. 6d. T. B. B. Owen, Esq., and Joseph Pemberton, are the landowners. Tedsmere Hall, the seat of Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., is a handsome stone structure, on a considerable elevation, commanding a fine view of the vale beneath, and of the bold mountainous district of North Wales. The front and portico of the hull are now being rebuilt of white free stone. A superior quality of free stone found in this township is much used for ornamental building, the quarries are extensively worked, and blocks of immense size are frequently raised. The principal residents here are Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., The Hall; John Cureton, farmer; John Thrumpston, farmer; John Williams, farmer, Bentley marsh; and John Smith, butcher.

The nursery is the elegant seat of John Freeman Milward Dovaston, Esq., barrister, a gentleman of classical learning, high genius, ardent benevolence, and indeed possessed of every estimable quality which adorns the mind. It is deeply to be regretted that Mr, Dovaston has not been able to leave his bed for several years. It may be said that he has inherited the virtues of his father, John Dovaston, Esq., a gentleman of learning, science, and ingenuity, who died March 31st, 1808. He was born of humble parents, who lived on their small estate at West Felton. "He was taught to read by an old woman in the village, and that was the whole of his education; every other acquirement which he afterwards possessed in so eminent a degree was entirely his own. He was the eldest son of seven, all of whom he brought up to respectable professions. From his father he received his little estate, swallowed up by mortgages, which he redeemed at a very early period of life, by two voyages to the West Indies, and afterwards considerably increased by prudence and industry. Though he left scarcely any science untouched, his turn of mind was principally directed to antiquities, natural philosophy, music, mechanics, and planting; of the first he left a large collection of manuscripts, historical observations relating to Shropshire and the Welsh borders; on druidical relics, tracing traditional vulgar errors from the remote times of superstition. In mechanics he left a set of philosophical and musical instruments made by his own hands, and just before his death he projected an orrery to show the satellites on a new method. In planting he has clothed the country around him with forest and fruit trees, all raised and grafted with his own hands; and his villa (which from his fondness for planting he called "The Nursery"), is laid out with much taste and rural elegance. He was well versed in the Hebrew, Anglo-Saxon, and Latin tongues, and had some knowledge of Greek. His reading was very extensive, his mind vigorous, and his application intense. He was remarked for the plainness of his dress, yet his person always appeared dignified, and his manners were courteous and gentlemanly. He was fond of a cheerful glass, remarkably communicative and sociable, full of facetious anecdote, which he had a singularly agreeable manner of imparting. To the very last day of his life he rose at five, it being one of his maxims always to get start of the sun. Though he lived to the age of 68 years, it was the opinion of his medical friends that his excessive and laborious application of mind and body brought a somewhat premature decay. In his youth he was the close friend of Shenstone, to whose memory he was always much attached. On his death bed he spoke to his son these remarkable words :—' Jack, I believe in my soul it has pleased God to prosper all my undertakings; my lad, be honest, and you will be independent; be liberal, and you will be esteemed ; deserve God's blessing, and you will be happy."

Dovaston John Freeman Milward, Esq., The Nursery
Brookfield John, painter, plumber, & glazier
Davies John, farmer
Downes Edward, Esq., Twyford House
Duckett William, Esq., The Cottage
Edwards Edward, farmer
Edwards John, farmer
Foulkes William, shoemaker
Howell William, grocer and draper
Jones Robert, superintendent of police
Lloyd Richard, vict., Punch Bowl
Morris Rev. John (Independent)
Phillips Ann, shopkeeper
Savin William, farmer, Ford's & Hoy's farm

- Bagshaws Directory of Shropshire, 1851

West Felton is a village and parish, comprising the townships of Haughton, Rednal, Sandford, Sutton, Tedsmore, Twyford and Woolston, in the Western division of the county, lower division of the hundred, and in the incorporation, county court district and petty sessional division of Oswestry, rural deanery of Ellesmere, Salop archdeaconry and diocese of Lichfield. West Felton is 2 miles south from the Rednal station on the Chester and Shrewsbury branch of the Great Western railway, 5 south-east from Oswestry. and 13 north-west from Shrewsbury The church of St. Michael, near the road from Oswestry to Shrewsbury, is an ancient building of stone in mixed styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south porch, and a western tower with pinnacles containing a clock and 3 bells : the east window and others are stained : the aisles of this church were taken down and the roof lowered in 1799 the church was restored in 1879 at a cost of £3.000, defrayed by public subscription, under the direction of Mr. F.W. Wade, architect, of London. The register dates from the year 1628. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £809, net £649, including 40 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of and held since 1868 by the Rev Richard Kay Haslehurst M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. The charities amount to, £24 yearly, arising from interest on money and charges on land. West Felton Grange, the seat of Henry Graham Lloyd Esq. J.P. is situated near the village and is a handsome modern residence in park-like grounds. George Withers Edwards Esq. is lord of the manor. The landowners are John Dovatson, T. Frank and H. Graham Lloyd Esqrs. The soil is a mixture of sand and loam ; subsoil, clay and sandstone rock ; sand is also obtained The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips, with much land in pasture. The area of the parish is 6,082 acres of land and 13 of water ; rateable value, £12.295 ; the population in 1881 was 1,065.

Township:

Sandford township is 1½ miles south from West Felton, with 719 acres ; rateable value, £824 10S. Sir Henry T. Tyrwhitt Bart. J.P. who is lord of the manor, and Thomas Beamand Esq. are the landowners.

Tedsmore township is 1½ miles east from West Felton. Tedsmore Hall, the seat of the Rev. Thomas Mainwaring Bulkeley Bulkeley-Owen B.A., J.P. lord of the manor and sole landowner, is a handsome stone building, pleasantly situated in a park of about 184 acres on a considerable elevation and commands good views. The area is 504 acres ; rateable value, £614 15S.

- Kellys Directory of Shropshire, 1891

West Felton is a village and parish, comprising the hamlets of Haughton, Rednal, Sandford, Sutton, Tedsmore, Twyford and Woolston, in the Oswestry division of the county, lower division of the hundred, and in the incorporation, county court district; and petty sessional division and rural deanery of Oswestry, archdeaconry of Salop and diocese of Lichfield. West Felton Is 2¼ miles south from the Rednal station on the Chester and Shrewsbury branch of the Great; Western railway, 5 south-east from Oswestry, and 13½ north-west from Shrewsbury. The church of St. Michael, near the road from Oswestry to Shrewsbury, is an ancient building of stone in mixed styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south porch, and a western tower containing a clock and 3 bells: the east window and others are stained: the aisles of this church were taken down and the roof lowered in 1799 the church was restored in 1879 and affords 383 sittings. The register dates from the year 1628. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £923, including 40 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Rev E. Hasiehurst, and held since 1928 by the Rev Ronald George Trehane Gillman M.A, of St. John's College, Oxford. The Haslehurst Memorial Institute, erected and opened in 1908, is used for various parochial purposes. Close by is a memorial cross to villagers who tell in the Grout War, 1914-18. A public hall was built in 1923. There is a Congregational chapel at WEIRBROOK, erected in 1910, at a cost of £400. The charities amount to £23 5S. yearly, arising from interest on money and charges of land. West Felton Grange, the residence of Ladv Bayly, is a handsome modern residence in park-like grounds, near the village. Messrs. William Daniel Dovaston and J W Edwards are the landowners. The soil is a mixture of sand and loam ; subsoil, clay and sandstone rock ; sand is also obtained. The chief crops are wheat, barley oats and turnips, with much land in pasture. The area of the parish is 6,095 acres of land and 13 of water; population in. 1921, 918.

Post, M.O., T & T E. D. Office, Letters through Oswestry, Shropshire.

Townships:

Sandford hamlet is 1½ miles south from West Felton.

Tedsmore is a hamlet 1½ miles east from West Felton. Tedsmore Hall, the seat of Rev. Owen Fitzherbert Jacson, lord of the manor and sole landowner, is a handsome mansion of stone, pleasantly situated in a park of about 184 acres on a considerable elevation and commands good views.

- Kellys Directory of Shropshire, 1929