Lydbury North, Shropshire Family History Guide
Lydbury North is an Ancient Parish in the county of Shropshire. Norbury is a chapelry of Lydbury North.
Other places included in the parish: Acton, Brockton, Choulton, Eaton, Eaton and Choulton, Eyton, Eyton and Plowden, Howden, Lower Down, Totterton
Alternative names: North Lydbury
Parish church: St. Michael
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1563
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1660
Nonconformists include: Roman Catholic
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
- Clunbury
- Norbury
- Myndtown
- Hill End
- Wentnor
- Clun
- Edgton
- Bishop’s Castle
- Horderley Hall
- Old Church Moor
Parish History
Lydbury North
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
LYDBURY (NORTH), a village, a parish, and a subdistrict, in Clun district, Salop. The village stands near the Bishops-Castle railway, 2¾ miles SE of Bishops Castle; and has a post office under Shrewsbury. The parish contains also the townships of Acton, Brockton, Lower Down, Eaton, Choulton, Eyton, Plowden, and Totterton. Acres, 7,520. Real property, £9,706. Pop. in 1851, 964; in 1861, 1,025. Houses, 191. The-property is chiefly divided among four. The manor belongs to the Earl of Powis and W. Plowden, Esq. Walcot Park is the seat of the Earl of Powis; and contains many Indian products brought hither by Lord Clive, and some good paintings. Plowden Hall is the seat of W. Plowden, Esq.; and was the residence of Plowden, the author of the “Commentaries.” Totterton Hall is a handsome mansion. A castellated seat of the bishops of Hereford was here in the time of Henry III. Traces of an ancient British camp are in Lower Down. Building stone is quarried. The living is a vicarage, united with the p. curacy of Norbury, in the diocese of Hereford. Value, £660. Patrons, the Representatives of the late Rev. J. B. Bright. The church is ancient; has undergone modern improvements; and includes an ancient chapel, with stone altar, and ancient oak candlesticks. There are a Roman Catholic chapel, a free library, a parochial free school, an endowed school with £11 a year, and charities £38. The sub-district contains also two other parishes and three extra-parochial tracts. Acres, 13,412. Pop., 1,903. Houses, 378.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848
LYDBURY, NORTH (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Clun, hundred of Purslow, S. division of Salop, 3 miles (S. E.) from Bishop’s-Castle; containing 908 inhabitants. It comprises by computation 9000 acres, and is intersected by the road from Ludlow to Bishop’s-Castle; the soil is rich, the surface undulated, and the scenery picturesque. Good stone is quarried for building. The living is a vicarage, with that of Norbury annexed, valued in the king’s books at £13. 6. 8.; net income, £551; patron and incumbent, the Rev. J. Bright Bright; impropriator, E. Plowden, Esq.: the glebe contains 45 acres, principally situated at Norbury, and there is a glebe-house. The church is a very ancient structure. In Lower Down are the remains of a strong encampment, the trenches of which are still very perfect; and a castle anciently stood here, belonging to the bishops of Hereford, one of whom was presented by a jury, in the reign of Henry III., for suffering the escape of a prisoner thence. Plowden, the distinguished lawyer, and author of the Commentaries, resided at Plowden Hall, in the parish.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848
Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Lydbury North. A parish in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow, a rectory, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Clun, and archdeaconry of Salop. 139 houses, 822 inhabitants. 3 miles south-east of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Acton and Down
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Acton, 2½ miles S.W. and included in North-Lydbury.
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Acton and Down. A township in the parish of Lydbury North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Brockton
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Brockton. A township in the parish of Lydbury North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow. 2 ¼ miles south of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Choulton
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Choulton or Chealton. Part of a township in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow, and in the parish of Lydbury North. 3 ½ miles east of Bishopscastle. See Eaton and Chealton
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Eaton and Chealton
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Eaton and Chealton. A township in the parish of Lydbury, North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow. 3 ½ miles east of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Eyton and Plowden
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales Circa 1870
Eyton and Plowden, a township in North Lydbury parish, Salop; 3 ¼ miles ENE of Bishops-Castle. Pop., 591.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Eyton. A township in the parish of Lydbury North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow. 3 miles south-east of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Eaton; or Eyton and Plowden. A township in the parish of Lydbury, North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow. 3 miles south-east by east of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Plowden
Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Plowden. A township in the parish of Lydbury North, and in the Bishopscastle division of the hundred of Purslow. 3 ½ miles south-east by east of Bishopscastle
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Parish Registers
The Register of St. Francis, Plowden (Roman Catholic) 1826-1837
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Poll Books
Lydbury North, Poll Book 1865
Below are the names of those that voted in the election of July 1865 between Col. The Hon. P. E. Herbert, Sir Baldwin Leighton, Bart., and R. Jasper More, Esq.
Poll Book of the Election, July 1865 for the Southern Division of Shropshire.
Bishop’s Castle Polling District
Lydbury North, Parish of
222 Beckwith Henry
223 Brereton John
224 Bruce Sir Henry Hervey, Bart.
225 Cross Charles
226 Davies Edward
227 Davies Richard
228 Davies Samuel
229 Everall Edward
230 Everall Joseph
231 Gwilt Richard
232 Gwilt William
233 Hamar Thomas
234 Hodges William
235 Humphreys Edward
236 Humphreys William
237 Hurdley John
238 Jones Edward
239 Jones John
240 Lewis John
241 Luther Charles
242 Langslow Price Edward, see 2116
243 Mountford Edward
244 Newill Joseph
245 Newill Joseph, the younger
246 Newill Daniel Robert
247 Norncott Richard
248 Phillips William
249 Plowden William Henry Francis
250 Powell Thomas
251 Powell Richard, dead
252 Rolfe, the Rev. Charles
253 Robinson John, see 2034
254 Robinson Joseph
255 Robinson Thomas
256 Southern William Henry
257 Shuker John
258 Tomlins John
259 Watkin Job
260 Watkins John
261 Williams John
Shropshire Historical Directories
Directory Transcriptions
Lydbury North Cassey Shropshire Directory 1871
Lydbury North is a village and parish, comprising the townships of Acton, Brocton, Choulton, Eaton, Eyton, and Plowden and Totterton, 2 ½ miles from Plowden railway station, 4 miles from Bishop’s Castle, 8 from Craven Arms station, and 21 from Shrewsbury, in the Southern division of the county, Bishop’s Castle division of Purslow hundred, Clun union, and diocese of Hereford. The church of St. Michael is a stone building, in the Early English style. The living is a vicarage, with the chapelry of Norbury annexed, joint yearly value £486, with residence and one acre of glebe land, in the gift of the trustee of the late Rev. John Bright, B.A., and held by the Rev. Charles Rolfe, T.A.K.C.L. A Parochial free school for boys and girls is supported by an endowment of £16 yearly, and voluntary contributions: the other charities are of the yearly value of £36 10s. A Catholic chapel, with residence for the priest, and schools, was erected in 1868; the whole forms a very handsome block of buildings; the Very Rev. Canon Tobin is in charge of the mission.
The charities are of £38 yearly value. Bury Ditches, about one mile and a half from the village, is a supposed British encampment. There is a free library, established by the Countess of Powis for the benefit of those residing in the parish and neighbourhood. Walcot Park, the residence of the Earl of Powis, is a fine brick building, with very extensive pleasure grounds. The Earl of Powis. William Plowden, Esq., (lords of the manor) John Bright, Esq.: and the Rev. William Garnett Botfield, are chief landowners. The soil is various; the subsoil, gravel, rock, clay, peat &c. The population in 1861 was 1,025; the area is 7,519 acres 0 roods 21 perches: gross estimated rental, £8, 357; rateable value, £1,431.
Acton is about three miles from the church.
Brocton is one mile and a half from the church.
Choulton is two miles from the church.
Eaton is about three miles from the church.
Eyton and Plowden township is about two miles from the church.
Totterton is one mile and a half from the church.
Lower Down is one mile from the church.
Post Office. – Richard Norncott, postmaster. Letters arrive at 7 a.m.; dispatched at 7 15 p.m.
Lydbury North.
Powis Earl of, Walcot park
Morris Miss, The Gardens
Brereton John, farmer, Bow house
Burchell Henry, New inn
Davies Edward, farmer, The Folly
Davies Joseph, farmer, Friezeland
Guilt Richard, former, Red house
Hotchkiss Chas. farmer, Prior’s Holt farm
Jones Edward, farmer, Bow house
Jones John, shoe maker
Lawrence Edward, blacksmith
Newell Joseph, land agent
Onions William, farmer, Church Moor farm
Phillips William, farmer
Williams John, carpenter
Wood Edward, farmer, Lynch gate
Wood Nathaniel, shoe maker
Wood Richard, wheelwright
Weight May, grocer
Acton.
Luther Charles, farmer
Price George, farmer
Robinson Joseph, blacksmith
Robinson Richard, farmer
Brocton.
Beddoes William, beer retailer
Hamar Mary, miller and farmer
Lewis John, blacksmith
Marston Richard, wheelwright
Mountford Edward, landowner & farmer
Robinson Thomas, beer retailer
Tomlins John, assistant overseer, registrar of births and deaths and collector of taxes.
Woosnam Charles, farmer
Choulton.
Marstone Samuel, farmer
Watkins John, farmer
Whitall David, blacksmith
Eaton.
Watkin Job, farmer
Eyton.
Amiss Samuel, farmer
Guilt William, farmer
Luscutt John, wheelwright & carpenter
Watkins Evan, miller, Plowden mill
Watts Thomas, farmer
Plowden.
Plowden William, esq. Plowden hall
Tobin Very Rev. Canon, Presbytery
Brereton John, farmer
Lower Down.
Farmer John, farmer
Hamar Thomas, sen. farmer
Totterton.
Parry Capt. Thomas Macdonnell, Totterton hall
Shuker John, farmer
Source: Edward Cassey & Co’s, History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Shropshire 1871
Some Shropshire Indentured Apprentices
The system of Indentured Apprenticeship, of which so much was said in the outcry against “Chinese Slavery” in S. Africa is of long standing in our Colonial History. The following is a copy of the conditions under which some men from Lydbury North under the headship of a Ludlow gentleman went out to the sugar plantations of Barbadoes in the time of Charles I. Thomas Hale, the owner of the estate, was a cousin of Humphrey Walcot of Walcot, and this explains his attraction for the men of Lydbury North. The family of Sherman was of long standing in Ludlow. When the Registers of Lydbury North are printed it would be easy to ascertain the ages of these ‘Apprentices’, and also whether they came back to their native village. John Shipman was Bailiff to Humphrey Walcot. The original deed is still in existence. Cromwell did actually sell many Royalists as slaves to the West Indies.
J. R. Burton.
“This Indenture wittnesseth That John Sherman sonne of John Sherman of Ludlow in the county of Salop gent. William Home John Williams Thomas Higgs John Reynolds and Samuell Clee of the parish of Lidbury North in the said County of Salop doe covenante promise and agree with Thomas Hayle gent. Forthwith (by God’s assistance) to passe over with him into the Isle of Barbadoes and to serve him the said Thomas Hayle as his Apprentices or servants from the day of their arrival there for and duringe the termes and tymes hereafter expressed videlt. the said John Sherman for fower yeres William Home John Williams Thomas Higgs John Reynolds and Samuell Clee for five yeares a peece And the said Thomas Haile in consideration of their severall service to be done for him doth covenante promise and agree with them and every of them to find and mayntaine his said servants during the severall termes aforesaid with competent and necessary meate drink and apparel and at the end of their severall termes afore mencioned to pay and deliver to each of them the somme of Ten pounds a peece of current english money or the value thereof in Goodes accordinge to the custome of the said Island. In witness whereof the said Thomas Hayle and his said servants have hereunto put their hands and seales the tenth daie of November in the xxiijth yere of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c. Anno Dni. 1647.”
THO. HAYLE [L.S.]
Sealed and delivered in the presence and sight of
JOHN SHIPMAN
SAM. REYNOLDS
RICH BOWEN
EDWARD EYTON
Source: Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society 4th Series Vol. V.
Family History Links
Monumental Inscriptions (1667-1949)
Administration
- County: Shropshire
- Civil Registration District: Clun
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Hereford
- Rural Deanery: Clun
- Poor Law Union: Clun
- Hundred: Purslow
- Province: Canterbury