WHITTINGTON is a fine rural village, seated on a dry gravely soil, 3 miles E.S.E. of Lichfield, and comprising within its parish, 809 inhabitants, and upwards of 3,000 acres of land, all of which is enclosed, except Whittington Heath, (338A. 3R. 1P.) (Editor’s note: 338 acres, 3 rods, 1 perch) on the west side of the village, where Lichfield Races are held. This heath forms an excellent sheep walk and would, if enclosed be very productive for the growth of turnips and barley. John Levett, Esq. and Sir Robert Peel are the principal land owners; but the Marquis of Anglesey is lord of the manor, which passed with the other members of Longdon to his great ancestor, Sir Wm. Paget. General Dyott, of Freeford is lessee of the game. The Church, (St. Giles) has a lofty spire, and was rebuilt, except the tower, in 1761. The Dean and Chapter of Lichfield are appropriators of the rectorial tithes. The perpetual curacy, valued at £351, is in the patronage of John Levett, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Floyer, M.A., of Hints. The wake is on the first Sunday after September 11th.
HUDDLESFORD, in this parish, is a hamlet on the Coventry canal, 3 miles E. of Lichfield, and I mile N. of Whittington. The canal is here crossed by the Trent Valley Railway.
The Free School, at Whittington, was founded in 1741, by Sarah Neach (Editor’s note: Sarah Neal in other sources) of Lichfield, who endowed it with her house and croft, in Whittington, now converted into a house and large garden, occupied by the schoolmaster; and a smaller house, let for £4 per annum, which is paid to the master, together with the dividends of £288. 15s. 9d. three per cent consols purchased with £200, left in 1800, by the Rev. Richard Levett. The other moiety of the dividends is applied in repairing the school house, and in providing books and writing materials for the scholars, of whom ten are taught free. The benefactions to the poor are 10s. yearly, left by Matthew Wightwick, in 1650, out of a house, at Hopwas; 10s yearly, out of Rakemore meadow, left by Humphrey Deakin, in 1639; and £3 yearly from Hademore field, which was obtained from Lord Donegal, in exchange for Gib meadow, which had belonged to the poor from time immemorial.
In the following DIRECTORY, those marked 1 reside at Brookhay, 2 Huddlesford, 3 Lichfield Road, 4 Thatchmoor, 5 Whittington hurst, 6 Williford, and the rest in Whittington village
Baggalley John, gent., Hall
Bates Robert, shopkeeper
Bealing John, beerhouse, Marsh
Beard John, tailor, asst. overseer
Bircher John, Free school master
Bridgen John, bricklayer
2 Capper Thomas, corn miller, Bunnings
2 Chamberlain Fras. wheelwright
Clark Ann, schoolmistress
Elson Mr. Joseph, Marsh
Farnsworth Thomas, blacksmith
Greenhough John, blacksmith
3 Jones Walter Handley, beerhouse
Lambert George, cutler & locksmith
1 Langton Elizabeth, baker & shopr.
1 Langton Wm. plumber, painter, &c.
Madeley Joseph, baker and wheelgt.
Mason Wiliiam, wharfinger, Streethay
Meacham Ann, schoolmistress
Nevill John, butcher, & Danl., baker
Nourse William, whitesmith, &c.
5 Parker James, carpenter
Pass Charles, saddler
Parkes Mr. Edw. // Jarvis Mrs. Eliz.
2 Perkins Jasper, toll collector
Smith Thomas, butcher
Sneyd Hr. Rph., Esq. // Sheddick Sl.
Spencer Richard, shopkeeper
Taylor John, wheelwright
4 Thompson George, carpenter
Ward Edw., engineer & machine mkr
Wilcox and Slater, school
INNS AND TAVERNS
Bell, John Pass, and shopkeeper
Dog Inn, Joseph Heathcote
2 Plough, John Gould
Peel’s Arms, William Johnson, and wharfinger, Canal bridge
Swan, George Smith, and bricklayer
FARMERS
3 Ashcroft Thos.
3 Ashmall Chas.
2 Bowman Edw.
Clarke Ann
Dennitts Thos.
Hunt Jno. butcher
4 Hollis Hmphy.
Holmes Jno. Hill
1 Langton Wm.
Nevill Hugh
Riley Daniel
Shaw John
Smith J., coal dr.
Smith William
5 Sparkes Thos.
6 Stanley Thos.
5 Startin Thos.
4 Tomlinson Geo.
5 Tomlinson W.
2 Webb Joseph
4 Wild Nathan
SHOEMAKERS
Deakin John
Elson Thos., clerk
Gould John
Nevill Charles
Pass William
Statham John
POST OFFICE at
T. Farnsworth’s
Letters desp. via Lichfield, 6 p.m.
© 2018 Whittington History Society