SUTTON, NEAR SHREWSBURY. BY J. A. MORRIS. The parish of Sutton-South town-lies to the southward of Shrewsbury, about 1 miles from the centre of the town. It is a peaceful, rural spot, with a few scattered houses and a thirteenth century church now rapidly falling into decay. It has changed but little since the far off days of the seventh century when tradition states that the Manor of Sutton was presented by some Saxon Thane to the Abbey of Wenlock, and it remained unalienated through the Norman conquest until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is the Sudtone of Doomsday, in which it is described as follows: In Sciropesberie (Shrewsbury) Hundred the church of St. Milburga held (in Saxon times) and holds Sudtone. There there is I hide. There there are 8 men, counting (inter) freemen (francos) and villeins, with 4 ploughs. was worth 12 shillings, now 16 shillings. It 2 Between the years 1141 and 1155, "Ivo Pantulf gave to Shrewsbury Abbey the site of a mill under Sudton on either side of the water"-the stream referred to being the river Rea which runs alongside of Sutton and eventually finds its way into the Severn at Coleham Head. This grant was confirmed by Henry II in 1155. In 1234, Henry Abbot of Shrewsbury and Humbert Prior of Wenlock came to an agreement about several matters in dispute, chiefly about the mill under Sutton and some land in Coleham. The Wenlock monks complained of the site and disposition of the mill stank, and the waste caused by inundations. The Shrewsbury monks alleged similar wastes against the Wenlock monks, in the direction of Chongede-Mulne. Victoria Counties Histories, Shropshire, page 313. 'It was agreed that the site of the said Mill, the land at Coleham, the attachiaments of the mill stank, the trench towards Chongede-Mulne, the island lying between the said trench and the banks of Meole brook, together with the ancient water course, should remain to Shrewsbury Abbey for ever; but the said Abbey was to make good all damages occasioned by the water, banks, stanks, etc., to the lands of the said Priory. A second agreement, dated May 1240, implies that the Prior accepted another equivalent. By this deed the Prior of Wenlock concedes to Shrewsbury Abbey the Mill of Sutton, with the island on which it was situated, and the trenches there made, at an annual rent of 8 marks. Witnesses-John Archdeacon of Salop. Nicholas of Withebroc. William de Poyswick. The Wenlock Hundred Roll of 1255 notices Sutton prope Salop as a manor of the Prior, and specifies its contents as one hide. The taxation of 1291 values the Prior of Wenlock's temporalities in Sutton at £2 10s. 8d. per annum, viz.: 3 carucates of land £1; from 2 acres of meadow 4; from assized rents and a mill £1: and from tallage 6o. 8d. The Inquisition of 1278 gives the names of the tenants, and states that the Prior of Wenlock holds the whole vill of Sutton of St. Milburga as appurtenant to the Priory of Wenlock from a time whereof the memory of man is not to the contrary, but under what title they know not. It contains the first reference to the existence of the church, and states that there was one church in the patronage of the said Prior, the demesne (glebe) of which was 24 acres, and the said church and glebe was of the value of 100S. per annum. The following extract relating to Sutton is copied from Joseph Morris' original transcript in the Shrewsbury Reference Library (M.S. No. 28). It is an Inquisition of the Town and Liberties of Shrewsbury taken in the year 1278, and it is unique. No other copy of this Inquisition is known. 1 Eyton's Antiquities, Vol. 6, pp. 363-5. INQUISITIO QUO WARRANTO. Veredictum duodecim Juratorum Ville et Libertatis Salopie. 7. Ed. I. (1278). Feoda Prioris de Wenloke. Prior de Wenloke tenet villam de Sutton de Sancta Milburga ut pertinet ad prioratum suum de Wenloke a tempore que non extat memoria nescit quo warranto. Et idem Prior tenet ibi in dominico tres carucatas terre et valet per annum sex libras, et unam acram prati, et valet per annum dimidiam marcam, et unum molendinum que valet per annum octo marcas. Et sunt ibi octo villani videlicet : Willielmus filius Willielmi tenet dimidiam virgatam terre pro quinque solidis per annum, et valet modo tantum. Ricardus de Ambaldestine (tenet) dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Willielmus filius Ricardi tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Willielmus filius Rogeri tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Rogerus filius Louckyn tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Hugo de Bradley tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Ricardus filius Thome tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Johannes filius Willielmi tenet dimidiam virgatam (terre pro) quinque solidis (per annum, et valet modo) tantum. Est ibi 'cocem (coem?) ibi Regis nomine tenetur parva domus de dicto Priore pro duodecim denariis per annum, et valet modo tantum. 1"cocem" may be an error in the transcript for "co'em," i.e. communem or some similar word. The words in parentheses throughout the above document are omitted in Mr. Morris's transcript, but are added to make it more clear. Est ibi una Ecclesia de ejusdem Prioris patronatu, et habet in dominico viginti quatuor acras terre et dicta Ecclesia in terre predicta valet per annum centum solidos. (TRANSLATION). INQUISITION QUO WARRANTO. Verdict of twelve Jurors of the town and Liberties of Salop. 7 Edward I. (1278). Fee of the Prior of Wenloke. The Prior of Wenloke holds the town of Sutton of St. Milburga, as it belongs to the Priory of Wenloke from time immemorial, he knows not by what warrant. And the same Prior holds there in demesne three carucates of land, and they are worth £6 per annum; and one acre of meadow, and it is worth half a mark per annum ; and one mill, which is worth eight marks per annum. And there are there eight villains, namely: William son of William holds half a virgate of land for five shillings per annum, (and it is now worth) as much. Richard son of Ambaldestine (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. William son of Richard (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. William son of Roger (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. Roger son of Louckyn (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. Richard son of Thomas (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. John son of William (holds) half a virgate for five shillings (and it is now worth) as much. |