Ellesmere, Shropshire

Description
Ellesmere, a market-town in Salop, and a parish and & poor-law union, partly also in Flintshire. The town stands on Ellesmere Lake and the Ellesmere Canal, 8 miles ENE of Oswestry, 16 NNW of Shrewsbury, and 169 from London. It took its name from the lake, which covers about 120 acres, and was known to the Saxons as Aelsmere, or " the great lake." It belonged at Domesday to Earl Roger de Montgomery. After the forfeiture of Roger Belesun, third Earl of Shrewsbury, the manor was given by Henry I. to William Peveril of Dover, who was probably the first to build the castle. His nephew, William Peveril the younger, held the castle against Stephen on behalf of the empress, but afterwards gave it up and ended his life in the Holy Land. It was afterwards held by the Crown - was frequently given, as a marriage portion with female members of the royal family, to the princes of Wales - but was given, in every instance; under reservation of a right of resumption; it possessed, in those times, a strong castle which, as well as its situation on the frontier, made it a place of much importance in politics and in war; and it afterwards passed to successively Lord Strange, the Earls of Derby, Richard Spencer, Edward Savage, and the Egertons. Its castle occupied an eminence, was under special governors during all the times of its being held by the Crown, but began to pass into neglect from the time of Edward III., was afterwards suffered to go to ruin, and has entirely disappeared. The site of the keep of the castle has been converted into a bowling-green, and commands a brilliant view over portions of seven counties. The town presents a pleasant appearance, is well built, is governed by a local board of 13 members, and is a seat of petty sessions. It has a head post office, a station on the Cambrian railway, two banks, a town-hall, a market-hall, a church, Congregational, Wesleyan, and Primitive Methodist chapels, a fine cemetery of 1865, and a workhouse. The town-hall, in the market-place, is used for the meetings of the Local Board of Health, the petty sessions, and public meetings, &c.; it also contains a library, reading-room, and museum. The church is cruciform, and consists of chancel, with two side chapels, nave, aisles, transept, and a square central tower. It was originally Norman. There is some very good Early English work, but the greater bulk of the tower is transitional between Early English and Decorated. In 1849 the church was restored, the north transept and nave being rebuilt by Sir Gilbert Scott; the south or Oteley chapel (originally called St Anne's chancel), restored in 1884, contains a fine altar-tomb, with recumbent figures of Sir F. Kynaston and his wife. A market is held on Tuesday and Saturday, and fairs for horses, cattle, &c., every alternate Tuesday. A trade is carried on in agricultural produce and in malting. Ellesmere College, opened in 1884, a fine red-brick building, is a large middle-class school for 500 boys. The town gives the title of Earl to the Egertons. The parish includes the townships of Birch and Lythe, Cockshutt and Crosemere, Colemere, Crickett, Eastwick, Ellesmere, Elson and Greenhill, Frankton, Hampton's Wood, Hardwick, Kenwick-with-Stockett and Whattall, Kenwick's Park, Kenwick's Wood, Lee, Lineal, Newnes, New Marton, Northwood, Oteley-with-Newton and Spoonbill, Ridges, Stocks and Coptiviney, Tetchill, Trench, and of Penley in Flintshire, and the chapelry of Dudleston. Acreage, 26,457; population, 5507; of ecclesiastical parish, 2951. Oteley Park, a modern Tudor mansion, and Lythe Hall are the chief residences. Lythe Hall is more commonly called The Lythe. Hardwick Hall is an important residence. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Lichtield; net value, £227 with residence. Patron, Earl Brownlow.