Domesday Record

 

Ifd com ten SIRETON.  Edricus tenuit.  Ibi, v hide

In dnio funt, iii car, ii ancillae; iii uitti, iii bordcu i car

adhuc  vii car, poffunt ibi ee

T.R.E. ualb vi lib Modo c folid

 

The Earl also holds SEIFTON. Edric held it. There is 5 hides. 

In Lordship, 3 ploughs, 2 female slaves; 3 villagers, 3 smallholder with 1 plough

a further 7 ploughs possible there.

Value before 1066 £6 now 100 shillings.

 

Ifd com ten COMITONE.  Edricus tenuit. Ibi v hidae geld cu iii bereuuich.

In dnio funt , ii car iiii ferui

xii uitti cu iii car, adhuc vii car poffe ibi ee

T.R.E. ualb iiii lib modo vi lib

 

The Earl also holds CULMINGTON. Edric held it. 5 hides which pay tax.

In lordship,  2 ploughs 3 slaves

12 villagers with 3 ploughs , a further 7 ploughs would be possible there.

Value before 1066 £4 now £6

 

There is probably more in the Domesday book but so far in our searches we have only found the above reference !

 

 

The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).

The original Domesday Book has survived over 900 years of English history and is currently housed in a specially made chest at The National Archives in Kew, London.

 

 

 

A Brief History

 

Originally the three manors of Sireton, Comitome and Elsich (a.k.a. Serifton, Culmington & Elsich) were amongst those held by by the Saxon border Thane  "Wild" Edric.

He is reputed to have held the Welsh border with a heavy hand and to have specialised in handfast marriages (ones by simple agreement of the parties) with any Heiress within his manors. His brides are said to have had a short life.

King William, the Norman, entrusted the whole Welsh Border to his relative and General, Roger, who eventually took the cognomen (name) Roger of Montgomery. Local tradition says he gave Edric short shrift, much to the delight of the local population. However, Edric was one of the Saxons that answered William's call to arms for his expedition against the northern Earls, when England, north of the Trent, was systematically laid to waste.

The Black Death of 1348 - 49 saw the deaths of three of our Church's Rectors. Sir Walter (surname not traced) became Rector in 1346 but died of the plague in 1348. He was followed by Johannus de Culmyntone who, upon his plague death, was replaced by Nicholaus de Culmyntone. He in turn was replaced by William Bykerton who survived in the post until 1360.

 

A big gap in our history now presents itself, but . . .

 

In 1770 the estates of the Earl of Stafford were sold, Sireton and Comitone being amongst them.  The principal buyer was Gideon Bickerdike who in 1768 had also purchased Medley Park and had enclosed Seifton forest. Mr. Bickerdike subsequently bequeathed his estates to his nephew Ben Flounders.

During the recession of 1838 Flounders built the tower to serve as a boundary stone where the four main estates conjoined, and to give employment in place of relief. When Flounders eventually sold up he is reputed to have employed a private army to guard his carts carrying £40,000 in silver!

Sireton has become in time  Seifton, and was the home of the squire from 1779, when the lands of the late Earl of Stafford were purchased in part by John Woodhouse of Yatton Hall, Almestry, as a portion (an estate descending to an heir)  for his younger son James. This included the part-Lordship of the Manor of Comitone and the advowson (the right to nominate a person to hold a church office). Using the power of the advowson he put his son in as Rector, as was the tradition.

On James Woodhouse's death, his widow sold off all the estates and the advowson to Charles Johnstone of Ludlow. He  put his son William in as rector. William part rebuilt the Rectory. It is not now known where the Rectory stood. However we do know that the Curate's house became the Culmington Post Office.

Comitone at some stage became Culmington, and it is unlikely that there was a Manor House. The present house was built in 1856 by Edward Wood, whose father, a northern manufacturer, had purchased Diddlebury Hall.

Elsich has not changed its name and is now a part moated farm house with some interesting panelling. By tradition it was the favourite seat of the Talbot dynasty, the Earls of Shrewsbury, who for years were the Patrons of All Saints church.

 

 

 

1851 Survey

 

Here is an extract from

Samuel Bagshaw's, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Shropshire, 1851
Comprising a General Survey of the County with a Variety of Historical, Statistical, Topographical, Commercial and Agricultural Information, Showing The Situation, Extent and Population of all The Towns, Parishes, Chapelries, Townships, Villages, Hamlets and Extra-Parochial Liberties.
 

CULMINGTON is a considerable parish in the lower division of the Munslow Hundred, comprising the townships of Bache and Norton, Burley, Culmington, and Seifton and embracing 3,460 acres 3 roods and 1 perch.

The principal landowners are the Earl of Craven, George Wood Esq. and James Beddows Esq.

In 1801 there was a population of 419 souls.  In 1831 there were 515 souls and in 1841 there lived 541 souls  in 100 houses.  (There are now about 350 residents in the parish)

At the Domesday survey Earl Roger held Comitome , which Edric had held before the conquest. It was for some time held by the same lord, and included in the same tenure as the castle of Corfham.  King Henry II gave Culmington to Walter de Clifford and it was after carried in marriage to William Longspe, who, being overthrown in a tournament, is stated to have "died of grief in the flower of his age ".

A tower has been built on a plot of land where the estates of the four principal land owners of this locality converge; the owners are the Earl of Craven,  Hon. Robert Henry Clive, Francis Marston Esq., and George Wood Esq. The monument is built on a lofty eminence, and commands a prospect of great extent and diversity.

The principal Culmington residents are Alexander Anslow, beerhouse  keeper;  Samuel Anslow, blacksmith; Thomas James, wheelwright; John Morris, farmer; Richard Pearce, shoemaker; Edward Taylor, farmer; and James Williams, farmer.

BACHE & NORTON  A township and small rural village, about a mile N.W. of Ludlow, in 1841, had 19 houses and 87 inhabitants. The land in this locality is highly fertile. The chief owners in this township are the Earl of Craven, the Marquis of Crosmere,  and George Wood Esq.; the latter is the Lord of the Manor. The principal residents are Richard Bache, farmer; Edward Basset, farmer; William Bromley, farmer; William Tarte, farmer.

BURLEY is a small township situated about a mile N.W. from Culmington , returned in 1841 as containing 28 houses and 140 inhabitants. The Earl of Craven is the landowner. John Onions is the principal farmer.

SEIFTON a small village and township in the parish of Culmington, situated about a mile from the parish church, in 1841 had 41 houses and 223 inhabitants. There is a national school in the village, which is supported by the lord of the manor; upwards of 70 scholars attend. The rectory of Culmington, a handsome residence, is situated in this township. The Earl of Craven and George Woods Esq. are the landowners. The principal residents are Rev. William Johnstone, rector; William Bach, farmer, New House;  Richard Bache, farmer, Madeley Park; Henry Instone, farmer, Thomas Lucas, schoolmaster.

 

 

 

1891 Survey

 

 

by Frederic Festus Kelly – His Majesty’s Inspector of Inland Letter Carriers

( Frederick Festus' continuing efforts were later to become well known as "Kelly's Directories". )

 

CULMINGTON is a village and parish on the river Corve and the road from Ludlow to Wenlock 3 miles north of Bromfield station on the London and North Western and Great Western joint railway and 5 north by west from Ludlow: the parish includes the townships of Culmington, Seifton, The Bache, Norton and Burley, in the Southern division of the county, lower division of Munslow hundred, Ludlow union, petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Ludlow and diocese of Hereford. 

The church of All Saints is a small and plain building of stone, in the Norman and early English styles, consisting of chancel and nave and a western tower with an unfinished octagonal spire, terminating in a small spirelet of wood and containing 3 bells dated respectively 1663, 1629 and 1663: the chancel retains a fine double piscina and the stained east window is a memorial to Mrs Sandeman: there are sittings for 200. The register dates from the year 1575. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £554, net yearly value £540 including 38 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of John Derby Allcroft Esq. and held since 1891 by the Rev. David Erskine Holland M.A. of Worcester College, Oxford.

In the parish is Norton camp, usually regarded as a Roman work, and near the church is another but smaller camp.

Edward Wood Esq. who is lord of the manor and John Derby Allcroft Esq. of Stokesay Court are the principal landowners.

The soil is  gravelly loam and clay loam; subsoil gravel and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips. The area is 3,466 acres; rateable value £4,571; the population in 1881 was 556.

 

THE BACHE, 1½ miles west BURLEY 1 mile west and NORTON 2 miles west are townships of  which J.D. Allcroft Esq. J.P. is lord of the manor.

 

SEIFTON township is 1 mile north-west and has a primitive Methodist chapel. Edward Wood Esq. J.P. is lord of the manor. Parish Clerk is Richard Tomkins.

Letters through Bromfield R.S.O.; those for the hamlets of Bache, Norton and Burley are received through Craven Arms R.S.O.  Bromfield is the nearest money order and telegraph office. Letter Box cleared at 5:00 p.m.

Church of England National School (mixed), with residence for the master, built in 1857, enlarged 1879 for 95 children; average attendance 70; Edward Anthony master.

Carriers to Ludlow -  Francis from Bach Mill, Mon. & Sat.; Richard Pheysey, of Munslow, on Mon. William Partington of Aston Mon. Wed. and Sat.

 

Kelly then lists the residents - amongst whom we find:

Thomas Lawley - Royal Oak inn. Good accommodation for travellers, including shoeing and general smith work.

George Lewis - shopkeeper and tailor.

Benjamin Overton - mason and assistant overseer.

Thomas Samuel - carpenter and farmer

John Tipton - plumber, painter, paper-hanger, decorator and glazier.

Charles Weale - grocer, carpenter, joiner, builder and contractor.

Shadrach Davenport - gamekeeper.

John Child - blacksmith.

Edwin Moyle - Wheelwright

 

 

 

1929 Survey

 

Listed here are the more interesting changes Kelly found to his earlier  1891 survey of Culmington.

 

1. By the  Divided Parishes Act of 1876  part of Culmington was added to Diddlebury parish in 1882.

2. In 1902 oak choir stalls were provided by the parishioners as a memorial to Queen Victoria.

3. A brass tablet bearing the names of the men of the parish who fell in the Great War was placed on the south wall of the church.

4. A new reading room was provided in 1914 by H. Worrall Esq.

5. Transport had definitely changed  viz. Transport to Ludlow was via a motor omnibus run by a chap called Evans of Aston. A second motor omnibus ran from Ludlow to Broadstone. Finally, a chap called Freeman ran a motorised omnibus from Beambridge.

6. Culmington House becomes occupied by Lt. Col. Stephen Henry D.S.O. who appoints Thomas Samuel (last survey's carpenter and farmer?) as head gardener.

7. Charles B. Overton, a tax collector for Culmington moves into a place called "The Cottage".

8. The Royal Oak has a new landlord.

9. Frank W. Alderson of Medley Park becomes listed as farming over 150 acres, as does Pryce Alderson of Seifton.

10. Charles E. Edwards appears to have moved into Mount Seifton.

11. Miss Iris Applegate is our district nurse.

12. Edward Bryan runs the shop.

13. Emily and Mary Griffiths run a laundry.

14. We get a post office.

15. We get a motor garage at Seifton.