England Described, Treatise · County 33
Staffordſhire.
IT hath on the Eaſt Warwickſhire and Darbyſhire; on the South-ſide Worceſterſhire; and Weſtward Shropſhire bordering upon it; reacheth from South to North in form of a Lozeng, broader in the middeſt, and growing narrower at ends. The North part is full of Hils, and ſo leſſe fruitfull: the middle being watered with the River Trent is moſt plentifull, clad with woods and embrodered gallantly with Corn-fields and Medows: as is the South port likewiſe, which hath Coals alſo digged out of the earth, and Mines of Iron.
There are theſe Rivers in Staffordſhire, Sow which runneth by Stafford, Dove, Peru a little River by Pencridge, Charnet, Blith, Tame. The River Trent ariſeth in Collonel Boyers Park, and Dove paſſeth thorow part of it; Severn paſſeth thorow ſome part of the Shire.
Stourton Caſtle ſtands upon the River Stour in the very confines with Worceſterſhire.
Dudley-Caſtle did ſtand upon an Hill, named ſo of one Dudo, or Dodo ah Engliſh Saxon. It is now demoliſhed.
Under this lieth Penſneth-Chace, wherein are many Cole-pits.
Pateſhall a ſeat of the Aſtleys deſcended from honourable Progenitors.
Wroteſtley, the habitation of Sir Walter Wroteſly whoſe Father was Sir Hugh Wroteſly. In the Parlour window among divers of the Arms of the Anceſtours of that Family there is one Sir Hugh Wroteſley mentioned, who for his approved valour was made by King Edward the Third Knight of the Garter at the firſt Inſtitution, and ſo accounted one of the Founders of the ſaid honourable Order.
Chellington a fair Houſe and Mannor of the ancient Family of the Giffards.
Brewood a Mercat Town.
Weston.
Theoten-Hall, by interpretation, the habitation of Heathens or Pagans, at this day Tetnal.
Ulfrunes-Hampton, ſo called of In Henry the 7th his time Stephen Gennings Maior of London founded a free Grammar-School there, where he was born.Wulfruna a moſt devout woman, who enriched the Town (called before ſimply Hampton) with a religious Houſe, it is now corruptly called Wulver Hampton.
For an In-land Town, there is a famous Market for Cattel and Corn.
Weddsborow, there is Sea-coal.
Walſal, a little Mercat Town, a mile There is a Corporation.by North from Weddesbury.
There are many Smiths, Peuterers and Bit-makers. There is a Park of that name half a mile from the Town.
There are many Lime-pits neer the Town.
Draiton-Baſſet, the ſeat of the Baſſets.
Tamworth, a Town ſo placed in the So called from Tame the River running beſide it.confines of the two Shires, that the one part which belonged ſometime to the Mirmions, is counted of Warwickſhire; the other which pertained to the Haſtings of Staffordſhire.
Here is a fair Caſtle.
At Falkeſley-Bridg that Roman High-way Watlingstreet, entereth into this Shire, and cutting it through (as it were by a ſtrait line) goeth Weſtward into Shropſhire.
Wall, ſo called of the reliques of an old Wall there remaining, and taking up much about two acres of ground.
Penck-ridge, ſo named of the River Penck, famous for an Horſe-Fair, which the Lord of the place Hugh Blunt obtained of King Edward the Second.
New-Caſtle under Lyme.
Trentham.
Stone a Mercat Town, which having the beginning in the Saxons time, took the name of the Stones, which our Anceſtours after a ſolemn ſort had caſt on a heap, to notifie the place where Wolpher the Heatheniſh King of the Mercians, moſt cruelly ſlew his two Sonnes Wulfald and Rufin, becauſe they had taken upon them the profeſſion of Chriſtianity.
Sandon.
Cankwood, or Foreſt.
Gerards-Bromley an Houſe.
Chebſey.
Eccleſhall.
Raunton a Monaſtery.
Stafford, neer unto which there was a Caſtle upon an Hill, now demoliſht.
It is the head Town of the whole Shire.
Ticks-Hall, the dwelling place of the Astons, a Family which for Antiquity, Kinred and Alliance, is in theſe parts of great name.
Chartley, there is a Caſtle.
Beaudeſert, the Houſe of the Lord Paget.
Lichfield. This City is low ſeated, of Cadaverum Campus. The field of dead bodies, a number of Chriſtians was there martyred under the Emperour Diecleſian.good largeneſs, and fair withall, divided into two parts with a ſhallow pool of clear water: which parts notwithſtanding joyn in one by the means of two Bridges or Cauſeys made over, that have their ſluces, to let out the water.
It was beautified with a very goodly Cathedral Church, which being round about compaſſed with a fair Wall Caſtle-like, and garniſhed beſides with fair Houſes of Prebendaries, and with the Biſhops Palace alſo, mounting upon high with three Pyramids or Spires of ſtone, making an elegant ſhew, and for elegant and proportional building it did yeeld to few Cathedral Churches, but is now demoliſhed.
Burton upon Trent, a famous Market, the Bridge there hath 38 Arches.
Blithfield a fair Houſe of the ancient Family of the Bagots.
Needwood-Forest was very large.
Moorland, ſo called, becauſe it riſeth A ſmall Countrey bare and cold, it keepeth ſnow lying upon it a good while.higher into hils and mountains, and is leſs fruitfull, which kind of places we call Moors.
Leek a well known Market Town.
Wotton, a little Countrey Village there lying under Weverhill.
Wotton under Wever
Where God came never.
This fond Rime the neighbour Inhabitants uſe of it. Yet in ſo hard a ſoil it breedeth and feedeth beaſts of large bulk, and fair ſpread.
The River Dow or Dove doth ſwiftly runne along the moſt part of the Eaſt-ſide of this County, and ſeparateth it from Darbyſhire, if it chance to ſwell above the banks, and overflow the Medows in April, it maketh them ſo fruitfull that the Inhabitants uſe commonly to chant this joyfull note;
In April Doves flood
Is worth a Kings good.
Utceſter, it is ſituate upon the ſide of an Hill with a gentle aſcent: a Town A Market Town. Dr Lightfoot was born there.more rich in gay flowring Medows, and in Cattel, than fair built.
Tutbury-Castle in times paſt large and ſtately.
There are accounted an hundred and thirty Pariſhes in this Shire.