Our ancestors petitioned the king for permission to convert the monastery of Salop into “a college, or free school.” This was an essential characteristic of the castellated structure of the Danes, although subsequently adopted by the Normans. The town had originally three principal gates, besides several postern or smaller gates, and was from an early period encompassed with a wall, strengthened by towers in those parts most liable to be attacked. Within the last sixty years many parts of the walls have been built upon, and the gates and towers, with one exception, fallen a prey, not so much to the ruthless power of time, as to the less sparing enemy—modern improvement. Mr. Heylin appears to have been connected with this town, having previously founded a lectureship in St. Alkmond’s church, to which he afterwards added the tithe of Coton. In 1630 he was at the expence of printing the Welsh Bible in octavo, a form more suitable for domestic reading than the two former folio editions. The site of St. Michael’s church cannot be satisfactorily stated. Messrs. Owen and Blakeway consider that Speed’s map represents it as standing near the river towards the area of the present county gaol; but this must be a mistake, for Speed intended to shew the bastion tower of the castle. The church being probably only a very small structure, and designed by its founder (Roger de Montgomery) as a place of worship for those who inhabited the keep, it doubtless stood, as its name implies, WITHIN the walls (similar to the one at Ludlow Castle), and was taken down about 1605, before Speed’s map was published. The present detached part of St. Julian’s parish in the direction of Castle Foregate formed its parochial boundary. Earl Hugh was slain by an arrow in Anglesea, in the month of July, 1098, and received sepulture seventeen days after in the cloisters of this abbey. Twenty years ago, a plain stone coffin was discovered near the south-west door of the present church, which probably enclosed his remains. He was a gentleman of warm piety and extensive benevolence; as a scholar and linguist he was scarcely surpassed by any of his contemporaries. He meditated a History of Shropshire, which, had it been completed, it is probable the world would have seen, from his diffusive acquirements and general antiquarian knowledge, a very superior topographical work. Page 25. About the close of the 12th century, companies of masons, designers, or architects, as well as workmen, were incorporated under the especial patronage of the Pope, and associated together as a fraternity of free and accepted masons, under certain regulations and peculiar privileges. This is now a principal entrance to the church; the jambs of the door-way are in the debased style prevalent during the last century, and the obtuse arch seems originally to have formed the head of a window. In 1831 was published Mr. Blakeway’s Sheriffs of Shropshire, illustrated with their armorial bearings, and notices genealogical and biographical of their families, edited with great judgment by a reverend gentleman of this town, a particular friend of the deceased. It is perhaps the first work in which what may be termed the genealogy and biography of a county has been distinctly treated, and evinces in a high degree the patient and diligent research of its talented author, whose valuable life we have reason to deplore was not spared to publish a History of the County of Salop, for which his talents and extensive local knowledge rendered him so eminently qualified. These possessions were about 150 acres. A notice of the improvements in this church will be found in vol. 100, part II. of the Gent. Mag. communicated by the author of these Memorials. The scholars, in grateful remembrance of the kindness of their preceptor, presented him (on his taking leave of the School, June 7th, 1836,) with a massive silver candelabrum, of three hundred guineas value, raised by their united contributions,—the subject a vine branch with Genii pressing the fruit, and bearing an appropriate inscription; in acknowledging which Dr. Butler said, under your future head master and his able coadjutor (the Rev. G. I. Welldon), and my long-tried and much-valued friends, the assistant masters, may you pursue your career with the same success as those who have gone before you; and to my best wishes for your welfare and happiness, let me add, as my last official words, “Floreat Salopia!” Of the one hundred and twenty first-rate honours recorded here, the present learned head master (Dr. Kennedy) claims more than one-twelfth for his own individual share. The old liberties of the borough extended a few miles round Shrewsbury. A large part of this ancient boundary, possessing a property of the annual value of fifty thousand pounds, and which formerly used to contribute to the rates levied in connexion with the town, is now taken from the liberties and annexed to the county. A merchant guild is supposed to have been established as a voluntary association as early as the year 1128; for, among other customs granted by Henry III. there was one by which no person who was not a member of the “merchant guild” could exercise merchandise in the borough without the consent of the burgesses. A more extended account of this pageant, by the author of “Memorials of Shrewsbury,” will be found in the Gentleman’s Magazine for July, 1833. Mayor. The former courts were 44 ft. 9 in. by 31 ft. This structure was 111 feet by 51; its exterior feature was a bold pediment, supported by four three-quarter columns of the Ionic order. Vide Hazlitt’s Literary Remains. An office instituted when preaching was not frequent, and granted to the Minister of St. Mary’s in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. On the visit of Charles the First to this venerable mansion, Thomas Lyster (among other distinguished Shropshire loyalists) presented that Prince with a purse of £500. His grandson, Richard Lyster, Esq. represented this town and county in parliament for a period of forty-five years, and was known among his countrymen by the familiar appellation of ‘The Senator.’ The somewhat feudal cast of his establishment, and most ample scale of ancient English hospitality, are pleasingly recorded in the “Sheriffs of Shropshire.” The sloping bank above this friary was given to and occupied by the Monks of Shrewsbury Abbey, as a Vineyard, as early as the reign of Henry the Third. Its situation on the northern side of the river, inclining southward and open to the east, renders it well adapted to the purpose. This ferry leads to a walk which commands a bold view of the town, and communicates with the Abbey-foregate. It conducts also to the Underdale Tea Gardens—a quiet rural retreat. The town is supplied with most excellent water for drinking from a spring called Broadwell, which rises near Kingsland, and is conveyed by pipes under the river to a reservoir in one of the lodges at the principal entrance to the Quarry Walk, being conducted from thence to conduits placed in different parts of the town for the convenience of the inhabitants. A detail of the Admiral’s splendid services will be found in the “Biographia Britannica,” and other similar works. To the left of the turnpike is the Baschurch road, on which, at the distance of one mile, are the beautiful Gates leading to Berwick House; a short distance beyond is the neat structure of Berwick Chapel, re-built at the close of the 17th century.—The town may be regained by a walk through Almond Park, rich in sylvan beauty. In 1604 a great plague began in Salop, on the 2d of June, and raged until April following, in which time 657 persons had died of it in the several parishes, and the streets were so little frequented as to be covered with grass. The two bailiffs died.—MS. Chronicle. Vide page 6. Pure muriate of soda does not contain any water in its crystallized state except what lodges in the interstices of the crystals, therefore the weight of that, as it exists in the water, would not exceed the weight above given; 30 grains muriate of lime indicate 51 grains crystallized muriate, 8.81 grains muriate magnesia indicate 15½ grains. “Why, brother Wilful of Salop, you may be as short as a Shrewsbury Cake, if you please.”—Way of the World, 1735, by W. Congreve. Mr. Williams possessed acquirements of no ordinary description, and was an accomplished scholar. He had studied much of botany, was an excellent draughtsman, and in early life devoted considerable attention to the study of antiquities, particularly those connected with his native county. His collection of materials relating to the History of Shropshire were most extensive, and although he did not favour the world with any publication shewing the result of his researches, he has, nevertheless, left behind a surprising proof of his perseverance in original drawings of all the churches, parochial chapels, monastic remains, castles, monuments, and tablets, in Shropshire, besides sketches of most of the mansions of the nobility and gentry in the same county. Etbrighton, a Saxon manor in Domesday. Mr. Thomas Barker, author of a work on angling, was born at this village. From the singular vein of humour which runs through his book, he appears to have been a good-humoured gossiping old man. In the dedication he states, “I have written no more but my own experience and practice, and have set forth the true ground of angling, which I have been gathering these three-score years; having spent many pounds in the gaining of it, as is well known in the place where I was born and educated, which is Bracemeale, in the liberty of Salop, being a freeman and burgess of the same city.”—‘Barker’s Delight, or the Art of Angling,’ was published a few years after Izaak Walton’s Complete Angler (1659), to which Mr. Barker appears to have contributed the greater part of what is said on Fly Fishing. Longner, the ancient seat of the Burtons, is about one mile N.W. of this village, and forms part of the parish of St. Chad. In 1558 it was the residence of Edward Burton, Esq. a zealous protestant, who expired suddenly with Joy on hearing of the accession of Queen Elizabeth. His body was refused interment in the church of St. Chad by the popish priest, owing to some stipulations made either in his will, or by the zeal of his surviving friends, that the popish service should not be celebrated over his remains, which were in consequence buried in his own garden, over which a plain altar has been erected, with a quaint poetical inscription. A great battle seems to have been fought near this hill; for in 1833 a quantity of spear heads and celts, formed of brass, or some other composition of copper, and of rather elegant workmanship, were found near the Wrekin Farm. The errata has been applied to this transcription.—DP.
