BRIDGENORTH, a borough and market-town, having separate
jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Stottesden, county
of SALOP, 20 miles (S.E.) from Shrewsbury, and 140 (N. W.)
from London, containing 4096 inhabitants, but including the
liberty of Romsley in the parish of Alveley, and part of
the parish of Quatford. This place, anciently called
Brugia, Brug, and (including Little Brug) Bruges, derives
its name from a bridge
over the river Severn, built by the Saxons, which, after
many sanguinary conflicts with the Danes, they finally
destroyed, to prevent the future incursions of these
marauders. Upon the erection of a new bridge, about
a mile and a half to the north of the former, it obtained
the appellation of Brug North, whence its present name
is deduced. Bridgenorth is supposed to have been
founded by Ethelfledaj daughter of Alfred the Great;
it was afterwards enlarged by Robert de Belesme, Earl
of Shrewsbury, who erected, or probably rebuilt, the
castle, and fortified the .town with walls and six strong
gates, some portions of which are still remaining. On
the earl's rebellion against his sovereign, Henry I., in
1102, the town and castle were besieged, and, after an
obstinate defence, were surrendered to the victorious
monarch, who gave them to Hugh de Mortimer, which
grant was confirmed by Stephen; but it appears to have
been little more than nominal, since that king appointed
" Prtspositi," or provosts, to collect the revenue for the
Crown. Mortimer having risen in rebellion against
Henry II., that monarch laid siege to the castle, and
nearly demolished it, and in this state it lay until the
reign of John: he afterwards confirmed to the inhabitants
all the privileges and franchises which they
had enjoyed under Henry I. In 1216, King John
passed a day in this town, on his march to Worcester,
where he was soon afterwards interred. During the
civil war in the reign of Charles I., Bridgenorth, being
a royal garrison, was, in 1646, attacked by the parliamentarians,
whose infantry forced an entrance on the
south side of St. Leonard's churchyard, that part being
not so well defended as the rest of the town, and a
sharp skirmish ensued. Another party of them broke
through a narrow defile in the rock leading to the north
gate, where many of their men were killed, not only by
the fire of the garrison, but by great stones rolled down
upon them from the summit of the rock. The infantry
having gained an entrance through the churchyard,
opened the gates to the cavalry, and the royalists retiring
into the castle, set fire to the town, which was nearly
consumed. The parliamentarians having made the
church of St. Leonard their magazine, the royalists
planted cannon on the round tower of the castle, and
setting fire to the church, the flames spread to an adjoining
college, and entirely consumed it. The castle
was now closely invested, but being strongly fortified
both by nature and art, it sustained a siege of three
weeks without receiving any material injury. The besiegers,
despairing of success, had begun to undermine
the rock on which it was built, when the garrison,
having exhausted all their ammunition, capitulated on
honourable terms, and retired to Worcester.
The town is most romantically situated on the banks
of the river Severn, which divides it into two parts,
called the Upper and the Lower Town. The Upper
Town is built on the summit and steep acclivities of
a rock, rising abruptly to the height of one hundred
and eighty feet from the western bank of the river, and
presents an appearance singularly picturesque. Crowning
the summit of the rock, at the southern extremity,
are the small ruins of the square tower of the castle,
declining considerably from the perpendicular line, and
the handsome modern church of St. Mary Magdalene;
and at the northern extremity is the venerable church
of St. Leonard, with its lofty square embattled tower,
adorned with pinnacles. About half-way between the
churches, and forming a conspicuous object, is the
reservoir, a capacious flat square tank, supported on
lofty pillars of brick, and assuming at a distance the
appearance of a handsome portico. On the side 01
the rock rising from the river are several successive
tiers of detached houses, many of them handsome
modern buildings, the chimneys of the lower tier being
below the foundation of the next upper tier, in
regular gradation from the base of the rock to its summit.
These are intermixed with caverns and rude
dwellings excavated in the rock, with brick window
and door-cases in front, and interspersed with gardens,
shrubberies, and lofty trees. A road for carriages wina
round the rock, and a nearer approach is afforded
foot passengers by several flights of steps, of almost
perpendicular ascent, formed of pebbles, and secured
by a framing of iron-work, leading through the rock
into the interior of the town. A wider road for carts,
from the several wharfs on the quay, has been constructed
on the north side of the bridge. The walk
round the castle hill is defended by a palisade, and
commands a most extensive view of the surrounding
country, which abounds with picturesque scenery, being
richly diversified by cultivated fields, well'-watered
meadows, wood-crowned eminences, and barren rocks.
Several streets, containing handsome well-built houses,
lead from the church into the High-street, parallel with
which are others of a similar character. Over the river
is a handsome stone bridge of six arches, leading into
the Lower Town, the streets in which contain some
modern and several ancient houses. Among the latter
is Canhall, an antique structure in the Elizabethan style,
wherein Prince Rupert resided, in 1642, when, he addressed
a letter-to the jury empannelled for the choice
of town officers, entreating them "to select such men
for their bailiffs as were well affected to his Majesty's
service." The town is partially paved, and the inhabitants
are supplied with soft water raised by machinery
from the river into the reservoir in the Upper Town,
and thence conveyed by pipes into their houses; and
with spring water brought from Oldbury, at the southern
extremity of the town, into several public conduits.
The public library, in St. Leonard's churchyard, a handsome
octagonal brick building lighted by a dome, was
founded by the Rev. Mr. Stackhouse, to whose memory
a marble tablet has been erected over the fire-place:
it has been extended by subscription from a theological'
to a general library, and contains more than four thousand
volumes. The theatre, a neat and commodious
edifice of stone, was erected in 1824, on part of the
site of the ancient moat of the castle, accidentally discovered
5 this being from thirty to forty feet deep, it
became necessary to build strong piers, and to turn
arches, to form a foundation: it is opened every alternate
week for three months ' during the winter. The
races are held in July, but they are not so well supported
as formerly, the course having become damaged
by being divided by moveable fences, and let out to
different tenants during the interval.
The trade principally arises from the navigation of
the river, which affords every facility for the transit of
goods, and has made this town a thriving inland port:
many vessels are built, and a great quantity of malt of
very superior quality, and of grain, is sent to various
parts of the country. The iron trade has greatly declined,
but. nails are made to a small extent: a large
carpet-manufactory has been lately established, and
there is a considerable manufactory for tobacco pipes.
The market, held on Saturday, is abundantly supplied
with wheat, barley, and beans, to the growth of which
the land in the neighbourhood is particularly favourable:
the fairs are on the Thursday before Shrove-Tuesday,
and the nearest Thursday to March 15th, for
horned cattle and sheep; May 1st, a pleasure and
statute fair; June 30th, for wool and cattle; August
2nd, for lamb's wool and cattle; September 15th, for
cattle, sheep, and cheese; October 29th, a great fair for
salt butter, cheese, hops, and nuts; and December 15th,
a large fair for cattle and general merchandise.
The government, by a succession of charters from
the reign of Henry I. to that of James II., is vested
in two bailiffs, a recorder,deputy-recorder, twentyfour
aldermen, forty-eight common council-men, two
chamberlains, and two bridge-masters, assisted by
a town-clerk, two Serjeants at mace, and subordinate
officers. The bailiffs, who
are justices of the peace, and the senior of whom acts as
coroner for the borough, are chosen, on the 21st of September
from among the aldermen not having served
that office for three years preceding, by a jury, who are
sworn not to eat or drink till they have made choice
of proper persons; this bath has frequently compelled
them to long abstinence, and, in 1739, subjected them
to fast for seventy-four hours. The aldermen are chosen,
as vacancies occur, either from the common council-men,
or'from such of the burgesses as have filled the pffices"
of chamberlain and bridge-master two years previously,
who are thus qualified to become either common councilmen
or aldermen. The recorder, who holds his office
for life, appoints the deputy-recorder, who must be a
barrister; all other officers are appointed .by the bailiffs
and burgesses in common council assembled. The freedom
of the borough is inherited by birth; acquired by
servitude for seven years and a fine of £ 1; by residence,
paying scot and lot and a fine of £5; and by
purchase, on paying a fine of £10. The corporation
hold a court of petty session every alternate Monday, at
which the bailiffs preside; and on the same day, a court
of record, for the recovery of debts to any amount, is
held by the bailiffs and deputy-recorder: as lords of the
manor, they also hold courts leet in May and October,
at which the town-clerk presides as their steward. The
borough received the elective franchise in the 23rd of
Edward I., and from that time has continued to return
two members to parliament: the right of election is
vested in all the burgesses, whether resident or not;
the bailiffs are the returning officers. The town-hall,
erected about the-year 1646, is a spacious building of
timber frame-work and plaister, supported on pillars
and arches of brick, forming a covered area for the
use of the market; above this is a large room, wherein
the public business of the corporation is transacted/
besides two smaller apartments, in one of which the
several courts are held.
Bridgenorth comprises the parishes of St. Mary
Magdalene and St. Leonard, which, with Claverley,
Bobbington, Alveley, and Quatford, are within the jurisdiction
of the court of the royal peculiar of Bridgenorth,
belonging to Thomas Whitmore, Esq. The living
of St. Mary Magdalene's is a perpetual curacy, endowed
with £200 private benefaction, and £ 1500 parliamentary
grant, and in the patronage of T. Whitmore, Esq. The
church, formerly the chapel belonging to the castle, and
exempted by King John from all ecclesiastical jurisdiction,
was made parochial in the 4th of Edward III.,
and rebuilt of freestone in 1792: it is a handsome
edifice in the Grecian style of architecture, with a lofty
tower, surmounted by a cupola; the interior is divided
by two ranges of loftypillars of the Ionic order, supporting
the roof. The living of St. Leonard's is also a perpetual
curacy, endowed with £600 private benefaction, £400
royal bounty, and £700 parliamentary grant, and in the
patronage of T. Whitmore, Esq. The church, formerly
collegiate, was erected in 1448, on the site of a structure
raised in the reign of Richard I.: it was originally a
very magnificent and spacious edifice, comprising seven
different chapels, the arches leading into which from
the present nave, and now walled up, are still discernible.
It suffered greatly while in the possession of the parliamentarians,
during the civil war, and now consists only
of a nave, one aisle, and a chancel; the last, parted
from the nave by a screen, is used only as an entrance:
its modern ceiling still exhibits vestiges of the ancient
roof of pannelled oak, and some of the corbels on
which its supporters rested are still remaining on the
walls. There are places of worship for Baptists and
Independents.
The free grammar school, founded in 1503, by the
corporation, in whom the management is vested, is supported
partly by an endowment of £34, and partly by
contributions from the corporation and others, producing
about £,160 per annum, which is paid to the master:
it has three exhibitions to Christ Church College,
Oxford, founded by Mr. Careswell, in 1689, who endowed
eighteen in that college, for the benefit of six
free grammar schools of this county; viz., four for that of
Shrewsbury, three for that of Bridgenorth, four for that
of Newport, three for that of Shiffiaall, two for that of
Wem, and two for that of Donnington, in the parish of
Wroxeter. The management of the augmented property,
which is chiefly in land situated near this town,
has, since 1741, been vested in the court of Chancery;
and, in 1820, the estate, including property in the funds,
produced an annual income'of nearly £1500, subject to
certain deductions. The sums allowed to the exhibitioners,
according to successive decrees of the court,
are £ 60 to each under-graduate, £70 to each undergraduate
being a commoner, £21 to each bachelor of
arts, £60 to each bachelor of arts resident, and £27 to
each master of arts, leaving a considerable surplus at
the end of the year. The Blue-coat charity school,
kept in an old castellated brick building, over an archway
at the northern extremity of the town, which was
one of the ancient gates, was established in 1720, and
is supported partly by a small endowment arising from
benefactions vested in the funds, and partly by subscription;
there are thirty boys in this establishment,
nominated by the subscribers in rotation, who are
clothed annually, and, on leaving the school, receive
£4. 2. as an apprentice fee, and £2 for clothing. There
is also a National school, supported by subscription, in
which two hundred boys and one hundred and fifty
girls are instructed.
The hospital in St. Leonard's churchyard, for ten
aged widows, who have an apartment and £10 per annum
each, was founded, in 1687, by the Rev. Francis
Palmer, rector of Sandby in Bedfordshire. The almshouses
in Church-lane, endowed with estates producing
£158 per annum, under -the- direction of the corporation
as trustees, are for twelve widows of burgesses,
who have each an apartment, two shillings-and sixpence
per week, with occasional additions, according to the
state of the funds. At the southern extremity of the
High-street, is part of an arch which formed the entrance
to the castle, also some portions of the walls
which enclosed an area of fourteen acres; and at the
northern extremity of the town, on the western bank of
the river, are the remains of a convent of Grey friars
which have been converted into a malt-house: the great
hall, or refectory, is still nearly in its pristine state: the
pannelled oak ceiling, the stone fire-place, and many of
the windows, though the lights are stopped with plaister,
are still in entire preservation. About a quarter of a
mile south of the Lower Town was an ancient hospital
for lazars, converted, in the reign of Edward IV., into
a priory, and now a private mansion. In making the
shrubberies to the north of the house, in 1823, thirtyseven
bodies were discovered lying in rows, within
eighteen inches from the surface, having evidently been
buried in winding sheets and without coffins; they
were in good preservation, the teeth still retaining their
enamel: some slight vestiges of the church may be
traced in the walls of the out-buildings. There are re^
mains of several fortifications in this neighbourhood, .it
having been the scene of frequent battles between the
Saxons and the Danes. About a mile south of the town,
on the eastern bank of the river, is a large mount, with
a trench on all sides except the west, on which it is
defended by a rocky precipice overhanging the Severn,
where Robert de Montgomery had a strongly fortified
palace. About half a mile eastward lay the ancient
forest of Morfe, which, in Leland's time, was " a hilly
ground, well wooded; a forest, or chase, having deer,"
and for which a forester and steward were appointed
from the time of Edward I. to that of Elizabeth, The
brother of King Athelstan is stated to have passed the
life of a hermit here, and a cave in a rock, still called
the Hermitage, is supposed to have been his solitary
abode. On a portion of this tract are five tumuli in
quincunx, under some of which the remains of human
skeletons have been discovered. The sylvan features
of the place have long since disappeared, and the
whole, comprising between five and six thousand
acres, was enclosed in 1815. Dr. Thomas Percy, Bishop
of Dromore in Ireland, and compiler of " Reliques
of Ancient English Poetry," was born here, in
1728.