Ditton Priors Shropshire Family History Guide
Ditton Priors is an Ancient Parish in the county of Shropshire.
Other places in the parish include: Middleton Priors and Ashfield with Ruthall.
Alternative Names: Priors Ditton
Church: St. John the Baptist
Parish registers begin: 1673
Nonconformists in Ditton Priors include: Primitive Methodist, Roman Catholic, and Wesleyan Methodist.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Ditton Priors
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
DITTON-PRIORS, a parish in Bridgnorth district, Salop; under the Clee Hills, 8½ miles SW by W of Bridgnorth r. station. It includes the townships of Middleton-Priors and Ashfield-with-Ruthall; and has a post office under Bridgnorth. Acres, 5,530. Real property, £3,892. Pop., 613. Houses, 130. The property is divided among a few. The manor bore anciently the name of Dointun, and belonged to Wenlock abbey. Lime is worked. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Hereford. Value, £325. Patron, P. H. Howard, Esq. The church is ancient; has a tower and wooden spire; and contains an ancient font and some old monuments. There is a Wesleyan chapel.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Ditton Priors or Priors Ditton. A parish partly in the franchise of Wenlock. And partly in the hundred of Munslow, a vicarage discharged, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Stottesden, and archdeaconry of Salop. 685 inhabitants. 7 miles south of Much Wenlock.
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
Ashfield
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Ashfield. A township in the parish of Priors Ditton, and in the franchise of Wenlock. 7 miles south-west by south of Wenlock. 6 houses, 40 inhabitants.
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 Ditton Priors Wesleyan Chapel 1801-1834
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Shropshire Historical Directories
Directory Transcriptions
Ditton Priors (with Middleton Priors and Ruthall) – Casey’s Directory of Shropshire 1871
Priors Ditton, or Ditton Priors, is a township and extensive parish, in the Southern division of the county, partly in the franchise of Wenlock and the hundred of Munslow, Bridgnorth union, and diocese of Hereford, eight miles from Bridgnorth and 13 from Ludlow railway station. The church of St. John the Baptist is an old stone building, partly in the Norman and Saxon styles, repaired in 1861, and contains several ancient monuments. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £147, with a residence and 244 acres of glebe land, in the gift of Philip Henry Howard, Esq. There is a Wesleyan chapel. The charities are of £6 yearly value. Here are lime works. Fairs are held on the 10th of May and the 25th of October yearly, for cattle, sheep, and pigs. Philip Henry Howard, Esq., is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The soil is various; the subsoil is clay. The area is 5,442 acres, and the population in 1861 was 613; gross estimated rental, £3,852; rateable value, £3,640.
Middleton Priors, with Netchwood Common, is a township in the parish of, and one mile north-east from, Priors Ditton, and in the franchise of Wenlock; there is a Catholic school, built by the present lord of the manor, who pays for the gratuitous education of the children. The school is capable of accommodating about sixty children. Middleton Hall is the seat of Philip Henry Howard, Esq., who is lord of the manor. There is a Catholic chapel attached; the Rev. Francis O’Neil, of Bridgnorth, is priest.
Ruthnall, with Ashfield, is a township, in the hundred of Munslow and parish of Priors Ditton, half a mile west from the latter place.
Post Office. – Richard Smallman, receiver. Letters arrive from Bridgnorth, via Burwarton at 8 45 a.m.; and dispatched at 8 a.m.
Priors Ditton.
Davis Edward, esq.
Wilkinson Rev. Jas. Butler, Vicarage
Bell Joseph, farmer
Bowen James, lime burner
Cartwright Mary, shopkeeper
Cleeton Richard, Howard’s Arms inn
Davis Edward, surgeon
Dorrell James, farmer, Derrington
Garbett William, farmer, Little Leasows
Goode Thomas, farmer, Powkesmoor
Hicks William, blacksmith
Hodnett John, tailor
Hopkiss Richard, farmer
Howells Thos., farmer, Great Hudwick
Lewis Mr., farmer
Moore Richard, farm steward
Reynolds Francis, farmer
Scott Erancis [sic], farmer, Sidnall
Smallman John, wheelwright
Smallman Richard, blacksmith
Southern Henry, carpenter
Thomas John, cattle dealer and farmer, Hill side
Middleton Priors.
Howard Philip Henry, Esq., Middleton hall
Anson Edwin, farmer
Bell George, farmer, New buildings
Bell Joseph, jun., farmer and bailiff to P. H. Howard, esq.
Bowen Christopher, carpenter, Upper Netchwood common
Bowen William, mason and farmer, Upper Netchwood common
Childs Rd., beer retailer and shopkeeper
Easthope Thomas, farmer, Middleton Baggot
Hicks Thos., beer retailer, Netchwood
Power Michael, farmer
Rea John White, miller
Thomas Edward, farmer
Trow Joseph, farmer
Ruthhall.
Dixon Lancelot, farmer
Lawley William, farmer
Onslow Thomas, farmer
Wainwright William, farmer, Ashfield
Source: Edward Cassey & Co’s, History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Shropshire 1871
Notes: Ruthall is spelt two different ways in the directory – Ruthnall and Ruthhall. The name Erancis is as spelt in the directory as indicated.
Poll Books
The Shropshire Hearth Tax Roll 1672
Ditton Priors The Shropshire Hearth Tax Roll 1672
Franchise of Wenlock
Ditton Priors
Format – Name… Fireharths: ll.: s.
John Knott… 1: 0: blank
John Holland … 5: 0: blank
Thomas Reynolds … 3: 0: blank
Arthur Reynolds … [blank]
Michaell Borell … [blank]
Thomas Hammond … [blank]
Edward Holland … [blank]
Widow Hodggis … [blank]
Mr. George Cleland … (Ms. torn)
William Shugh … [blank]
William Taylor … [blank]
Widdowe Turgie … [blank]
Widdowe Niccolls … [blank]
William Jefferye … [blank]
(M.10d)
William Maydens … [blank]
Thomas Hammonds … [blank]
Richard Hamond … [blank]
Nicholas Edwards … [blank]
Jonathan Williams … [blank]
Widdowe Bullock … [blank]
John Reynoldes … [blank]
Thomas Hyde … (Ms. torn)
Humphrey Myles … 1: 0: blank
Richard Harrell … 1: 0: blank
John Smallman … 1: 0: blank
Edward Sherwood … 1: 0: blank
Thomas Evans … 1: 0: blank
Edward Lawley … 1: 0: blank
Joseph Lawley … 1: 0: blank
Fireharths: 51, ll.: 5. s.:2
Midleton Priors The Shropshire Hearth Tax Roll 1672
Format = Name; Fireharths; ll. (Pounds); s. (shillings)
John Moore; 1; 0; 2
William Gower; 1; 0; 2
Widdowe Lowe; 2; 0; 4
Thomas Wall; 1; 0; 2
Mathew Wall; 2; 0; 4
Mr. Robert Frewyn; 7; 0; 14
William Myles; 1; 0; 2
John Page; 2; 0; 4
Samuell Smalman; 1; 0; 2
Robert Smith; 2; 0; 4
Willoam Page; 2; 0; 4
Thomas Hassall; 3; 0; 6
Thomas Cridgton; 1; 0; 2
Robert Bauldwyn; 1; 0; 2
William Lowe; 1; 0; 2
Mr. Richard Hynersly; 5; 0; 10
Francis Corfield; 2; 0; 4
George Crutchett; 1; 0; 2
Widdowe Harshall; 6; 0; 12
Jonatham [sic] Smyth; 4; 0; 8
Thomas Corfeild; 2; 0; 4
John Edwards; 3; 0; 6
Morris Smalman; 1; 0; 2
George Cheld; 1; 0; 2
Hugh Mynton; 1; 0; 2
William Myles; 1; 0; 2
Francis Granger; 1; 0; 2
Richard Aston; 1; 0; 2
Robert Bytterly; 1; 0; 2
Thomas Lewis; 1; 0; 2
Thomas Beaumont; 1; 0; 2
John Loaton; 1; 0; 2
Richard Hankins; 1; 0; 2
Totals – Fireharths – 62; ll. (Pounds) – 6; s. (shillings) – 4.
Administration
- County: Shropshire
- Civil Registration District: Bridgnorth
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Hereford
- Rural Deanery: Stottesdon
- Poor Law Union: Bridgnorth
- Hundred: Munslow
- Province: Canterbury