THE BOROUGH OF PERSHORE
Persora, Persovere (vii cent.); Perscoran, Persora,
Persore (xi cent.); Perssovere (xiii cent.); Pershora
(xiv cent.).
The town of Pershore is nearly equally divided
between the parishes of Holy Cross and St. Andrew.
It consists mainly of one long street, known as High
Street in Holy Cross and Bridge Street in St. Andrew.
The boundary between the two parishes runs down
the middle of Broad Street, the market-place, which
branches out at right angles to the principal street.
The town lies on the road from London to Worcester. (fn. 1) After the destruction of Twyford Bridge
over the Avon in the Civil War, this became the
main trade route between the two cities, but about
1750 (fn. 2) a new road was constructed connecting Evesham and the old Worcester road, and the route
through Pershore became of less importance.
The town is grouped round the market-place, which
is planted with trees. The streets, though picturesque,
contain few houses of earlier date than the 18th
century. There are, however, good specimens of
domestic architecture of the Georgian period, and
some of the houses have fine staircases, panelling and
ceilings. The buildings on the east side of the main
street back on to the River Avon and have gardens
running down to the bank. Under the premises of
the Capital and Counties Bank, (fn. 3) on this side is a
stone-roofed cellar, or crypt, divided into two apartments by a cross wall with a wide four-centred arch.
The southern division appears to have served as a
chapel, as in the south wall is a well-preserved piscina
with a moulded and cinquefoiled head. In the west
wall are the jambs of two original openings, one terminating in a pierced quatrefoil. In the north wall of
the northern apartment is a square-headed locker,
and between the two rooms is a large vice of which
only one step remains. The walls are ashlar-faced
and the vault is elliptical and plain. The date is
probably the 15th century. The two churches of
Holy Cross and St. Andrew are both in the west of
the town, the churchyards being separated only by
the roadway.
In the south of the town the Evesham road, there
called Bridge Street, passes over the Avon by Pershore Bridge. In 1290 Sir Nicholas de Mitton left
12d. for the repair of this bridge. (fn. 4) In 1322 it was
in a ruinous state, and in spite of pontage grants in
that year and 1337 (fn. 5) seems to have remained in an
unsafe condition until 1346, when an inquiry was
made as to the liability for its repair and the method
of expenditure of the pontage levy. (fn. 6) The men of
Pershore placed the liability on the Abbot of Westminster, who owned the land on either side, but
after much litigation it was decided in 1351 that the
obligation to repair the bridge lay equally between
the abbot and the men of the town. (fn. 7) In 1388 it
was again in ruins, (fn. 8) and when Pershore Abbey was
destroyed some of the materials were used for repairing it. (fn. 9) In 1607 its condition caused grave danger
to travellers using it. (fn. 10) On 5 June 1644 Pershore
Bridge was destroyed by King Charles's army on the
way to Worcester to prevent Waller from following,
and forty men were drowned owing to the haste
with which the destruction was completed. (fn. 11) The
present bridge is a structure of various dates and the
subject of numerous partial rebuildings and repairs.
It consists of four sections, of which the third from
the north spans the main stream of the Avon; all
except the last section appear to be of mediaeval
origin. The first consists of three semicircular arches
with split water piers and refuges on the east side,
which is of stone; the west side is of brick. The
second section is also of three spans with similar piers
and refuges on both sides; it is repaired in brick.
The third or main section is of seven spans with
semicircular arches and similar piers and refuges on
the east side only; the parapets are of brick and the
fourth arch is wider than the rest. This arch, the
one broken down by Charles I, was repaired in stone,
locally said to have been taken from the ruins of
Elmley Castle. The fourth section, consisting of two
brick arches, is of more recent date. The Dean and
Chapter of Westminster now repair Pershore Bridge,
paying the county council for doing the work.
George Perrot, one of the barons of the Exchequer,
died at Pershore in 1780. The house built by him
about 1760, now called Perrott House, is the residence
of Mr. William Pearce, F.S.A. It is a fine specimen
of a Georgian town mansion, with decorations in the
Adam style. Thomas Woodward, the animal painter,
was buried in the abbey church in 1852. (fn. 12)
The house of Anne Thomas of Pershore was
licensed for Anabaptist worship in 1723. (fn. 13) The
Baptist chapel in Broad Street, however, was founded
in 1658. John Ash, LL.D., the lexicographer,
became minister of this chapel in 1746. (fn. 14) It was
rebuilt in 1839.
BOROUGH
Three hundred cassata of land at
Pershore were given by Ethelred, King
of Mercia, in 681 to his thegn Oswald. (fn. 15)
By a charter ascribed to King Edgar and dated 972 (fn. 16)
Pershore was confirmed to the abbey of Pershore, and
is there said to have been granted by King Coenwulf
at the request of the ealdorman Beornoth. This
charter is written in a hand about a century later than
its nominal date, but probably gives with accuracy the
lands claimed by Pershore Abbey towards the middle
of the 11th century. (fn. 17) Soon after this time Edward
the Confessor took away a large part of the possessions
of the abbey of Pershore and bestowed them upon
the abbey which he had refounded at Westminster. (fn. 18)
King Edward's gift included
various liberties, sac and soc,
toll and team, infangenthef,
forstal, miskening and other
privileges, (fn. 19) which gave the
abbot the right to establish a
borough at Pershore. By
1086 he had a flourishing
borough here, with twentyeight burgesses rendering 30s.
and tolls amounting to 12s. (fn. 20)
There is no record that
the monks of Pershore had
any of the privileges pertaining to a borough until the
time of Henry II, but from
the fact that later the Abbots of Westminster and
Pershore claimed a prescriptive market in common it
would appear that the Abbot of Pershore must
already have enjoyed this right before the division of
Pershore. There is no indication in Domesday Book
that the estate at Pershore held by the Abbot of
Pershore (21 hides) was more than an ordinary
manor with dependent berewicks. (fn. 21) Henry II granted
to the monks freedom from toll and exactions of all
kinds throughout their lands in the county, toll and
team, infangenthef, manbruch, miskening, misweinge,
forfeing, ferdwite and other liberties similar to those
granted by King Edward to Westminster. (fn. 22) King
John confirmed this charter in 1200 (fn. 23) and Henry III
in 1227, the latter adding a grant of a fair at Pershore. (fn. 24) The abbey and a large part of the town
had been burnt in 1223, (fn. 25) and the establishment of a
fair was probably an attempt to restore the fortunes
of the borough.
Pershore Abbey. Sable a cheveron between three anthills argent with three holly leaves vert on the cheveron.
The term 'burgus' as applied to Pershore is found
for the first time about the middle of the 13th century. (fn. 26) It was described as a 'vill' in 1210. (fn. 27) From
1254 it appeared at the assize courts as a hundred
co-ordinate with Pershore Hundred. (fn. 28) It is not
mentioned on the Pipe Rolls as contributing with the
other boroughs to aids and tallages.
It is difficult to determine how far the two abbeys
held the borough in common. The pontage mentioned above must have been levied on all the inhabitants, for the tenants of both abbeys were responsible
for the repair of the bridge. (fn. 29) Each abbot had the
amendment of the assize of bread and ale for his own
tenants and had his own pillory and cucking-stool. (fn. 30)
The market they held in common, (fn. 31) but the fair
which had been granted to the monks of Pershore
never seems to have been shared by the Abbot of
Westminster. Disagreements arose between the two
abbeys as to their respective rights at an early date.
In 1233 various causes between the abbeys were heard
before the Prior of Coventry (fn. 32) and further dissensions
arose in 1252. (fn. 33) An agreement made perhaps about
this time apparently settled various differences. The
separate jurisdiction of the abbots in their respective
fees was insisted upon, and the scope of two already
existing courts of pie-powder determined. Each
abbot was to have the amercements of his own men
for trespass in the market, while the amercements of
strangers were to be divided equally between the two
abbeys. A thief taken in the market was to remain
in the custody of that abbot among whose stalls he
was found and to be judged in his court unless the
bailiff and men of the other abbot wished to interfere, when he was to be judged by the bailiffs and
men of both abbeys. (fn. 34) Any new works done in the
market (fn. 35) were to be undertaken at the joint cost of
the two abbots, and any profits thereby accruing to
be divided between them. The abbots further agreed
that the portmote should be held by the common
bailiffs of the two abbeys if the bailiffs so chose,
otherwise each bailiff was to hold a portmote for his
own men. (fn. 36) The bailiffs evidently decided upon the
latter alternative, for separate court rolls exist for
the two parts of the borough. This decision probably retarded the growth of the borough, for by it
the town became subject to the jurisdiction of three
separate courts, (fn. 37) and no corporation has ever been
developed. Binholme seems also to have been an
independent liberty, exempt from the jurisdiction of
the borough. (fn. 38)
The existing Portmote Rolls for the abbey of
Westminster's part of the borough begin in 1329. (fn. 39)
The courts were possibly held in the house later
known as the manor-house of Pershore Portsmouth,
in the High Street of Pershore, south of the Swan
Inn. The officers of the abbey of Westminster were
a bailiff and two ale-tasters, a constable (fn. 40) and a clerk
of the market, an office which existed at an early
date. (fn. 41) In the reign of Elizabeth there were added
to these, overseers of the streets, of Lovewell, of flesh
and fish (fn. 42) and a common swineherd. (fn. 43)
The early courts were concerned chiefly with aletasters' presentments and pleas relating to small debts
and the purchase of land. Towards the end of the
14th century by-laws for the borough begin to appear
in the rolls. The inhabitants were forbidden to
frequent the unlawful games called tennis, football
and 'the dyse' under pain of 12d. (fn. 44) The bakers
were forbidden to buy grain except at the Tuesday
market (fn. 45) ; all dogs called 'mastyffes' were to be
kept indoors at night and all tenants were to be at
home by nine o'clock. (fn. 46) The victuallers were forbidden to sell their wares at any other place than the
messuage called 'King's Borde' on pain of forfeiture
of their goods. (fn. 47) Tenants were not to allow their
workmen or apprentices to play illegal games or
frequent taverns on feast days. (fn. 48) By a later ordinance the taverners were to assist in carrying out this
by-law by abstaining from keeping 'any man's sons,
servants or minstrels within their houses at the due
time of servis nor also after 8 of the clock in the
night' on pain of 10s. (fn. 49) Everyone was to put his
swine and kine under the charge of the common
herd, (fn. 50) the streets were to be thoroughly cleansed
once a month, (fn. 51) and the inhabitants were forbidden
to have any 'inmates' or sub-tenants in their houses. (fn. 52)
The Abbot of Westminster's part of the borough
does not seem to have suffered so much from the
Dissolution as did the part held by Pershore Abbey.
The Court Rolls from the time of Edward VI to the
middle of the reign of Elizabeth show an increase in
activity among the local administrators, by-laws and
ordinances being much more numerous then than at
any other time. After 1573 the portmote rolls
cease. (fn. 53)
Already in the time of Henry VIII the portmote
court seems to have been losing its burghal character,
the change being reflected in the nomenclature of the
court. Between 1525 and 1527 the style of the
court was changed from Pershore Portmote to
Pershore Portsmouth, (fn. 54) the old name 'portmote'
being reverted to only in one or two instances in the
reign of Elizabeth, when, as appears above, attempts
seem to have been made to revive the borough.
The interest of the Abbots of Westminster in the
borough was granted in 1542 as the manor of Pershore Portsmouth (q.v.) to the dean and chapter, (fn. 55)
and its further descent will be found under that
manor.
The part of the borough belonging to the Abbot
of Pershore was divided for purposes of jurisdiction
into Pershore Oldland and Pershore Newland. The
latter was an extension of the ancient borough southwest from the High Street. The date of its incorporation into the borough is not known, but it was
before the early part of the 13th century, when
burgages in Newland are frequently mentioned. (fn. 56)
The business transacted at the two courts seems to
have been identical. Both were in early times
divided into two sessions, the view of frankpledge
and court or little court (parva curia), (fn. 57) which were
usually amalgamated from the 14th century onwards.
The courts seem to have been held sometimes by the
bailiff, (fn. 58) possibly as farmer, and sometimes by the
steward of the abbey. (fn. 59) The business done in this
court was much the same as that transacted in the
portmote court, but the pleas of debt were transferred
early in the 15th century to the court of the hall
(aula) of Pershore, held at Pershore every three
weeks. (fn. 60)
The officers of the Abbot of Pershore in the
borough were practically the same as those of the
Abbot of Westminster. The election of a constable
for Oldland is first noticed in 1426, (fn. 61) but Newland
apparently never had a constable. Similar ordinances
as to games, victuallers, dogs, &c., were made in these
courts as in the portmote. (fn. 62)
The existing rolls for Oldland and Newland cease
in 1537 and the Ministers' Accounts (fn. 63) for the borough
in 1491. The latter show that from the time of
Henry IV the abbot had been receiving no revenues
from the stalls in the market, as they were all standing
vacant, (fn. 64) and though various new shops had been
built in the market-place many of them were unoccupied. The town seems to have sunk into poverty
at the beginning of the 15th century, many tenants
having their rents pardoned on account of their
inability to pay. (fn. 65)
With the dissolution of the monastery the Abbot
of Pershore's part of the borough seems practically to
have disappeared. In the particulars for a grant of
the manors of Old and New Pershore to William and
Francis Sheldon the town rents of Pershore, valued at
£28 9s. 5d., were included, and the purchaser was to
provide for keeping the fair at Pershore. (fn. 66) In the
actual grant which took place in the same year the
Abbot of Pershore's interest in the borough is called
the manors of Old and New Pershore, (fn. 67) whose further
descent will be found under the parish of Holy
Cross (q.v.).
Pershore returned two members to the Parliament
of 1295, (fn. 68) but has never been separately represented
since that time.
In 1086 there were twenty-eight burgesses in that
part of the borough which belonged to the abbey of
Westminster. (fn. 69) Burgages are frequently mentioned
in the 13th century, many of them changing hands at
that time, (fn. 70) but they seldom appear after that date.
In the 13th century, when Pershore seems to have
been at the height of its prosperity, it was probably a
populous place. The number of persons contributing
to the subsidy of 1276 from the 'villa' of Pershore
was seventy-three, paying a sum of £13 2s. (fn. 71) An
early 14th-century list of the tenants of the abbey of
Pershore in the town shows that there were then
about forty-seven paying rents ranging from 1d. to
6s. 8d. (fn. 72) Thirty of these were in receipt of alms at
every distribution of alms from the monastery. On
the subsidy roll of 1327 there are only fifty names
and the sum contributed was £4. (fn. 73) The reason of
this sudden decrease in prosperity was a disastrous fire
which occurred in 1288, when the monastery and
town were almost reduced to ashes, (fn. 74) more than
forty houses being destroyed. (fn. 75) A rental of the part
of the borough held by Pershore Abbey in 1388
shows that the abbot had then about ninety houses
and cottages in the borough, about a third of them
being in Newland. The shops for the most part
were situated in Bridge Street. (fn. 76)
The inhabitants of Pershore have probably always
been mainly employed in agriculture. Some trade
in wool may have existed in the 14th century, (fn. 77) and
there was a fulling-mill on the Avon in the 15th
century. (fn. 78) Later the stocking trade became one of
the principal industries, Defoe in 1753 describing
Pershore as 'famous for the stocken trade.' (fn. 79) Glove
making (fn. 80) and tanning were also important, (fn. 81) the
former employing many of the women until the end
of the 19th century. (fn. 82)
Early in the 19th century there were two establishments for the manufacture of watch springs. Woolstapling and matting were the chief trades in the
middle of the 19th century, and towards the end of
that century an agricultural machine manufactory (fn. 83)
and two jam factories were established. These are
still carried on, but market gardening and fruitgrowing are the chief industries at the present day.
Pershore tradesmen's tokens of 1664, 1666 and 1667
have been found. (fn. 84)
The market at Pershore was held by prescriptive
right. (fn. 85) In 1219 the market day was changed from
Sunday to Tuesday, (fn. 86) on which day it was held until
about 1876, (fn. 87) when it seems to have died out. A
new fruit and vegetable market was established in
1911, (fn. 88) and is prospering.
In 1226 the Abbot of Pershore obtained a grant
during the king's minority of a fair at Pershore on the
vigil, day and morrow of St. Eadburga (fn. 89) (7 July). In
the following year the fair was extended for one day
and the grant was made in perpetuity. (fn. 90) It was held
in the churchyard of Holy Cross until about 1830,
when it was removed to Broad Street. (fn. 91) The fair was
granted in 1544 to William and Francis Sheldon, (fn. 92)
and followed the descent of the manors of Old
and New Pershore. It was, however, held on
26 June towards the end of the 18th century. (fn. 93)
Before the end of that century two other fairs had
been set up, one on Easter Tuesday and another on
the Tuesday before 1 November. The latter, a sheep
and pleasure fair, (fn. 94) was held in 1868, (fn. 95) but had died
out before 1888. (fn. 96) The Easter fair still existed in
1888, (fn. 97) but has now ceased. The June fair is still
continued as a horse and cattle fair, and fat stock
sales are held monthly in the cattle market. In
1860 a statute fair was held on the Wednesdays
before and after 11 October, but this is now obsolete.
By an ancient custom of the town anyone who hung
out a bush at his door had the privilege of selling ale
without licence during the fair, but the bush-houses
were suppressed in 1863. (fn. 98)
The boundaries of the borough are not known, (fn. 99)
but may have been marked by various crosses referred
to in the Court Rolls. From an ordinance at a court
of Oldland by which all tenants were commanded to
clean the street between Bowyers Cross and High
Cross 'in the circuit of this court' (fn. 100) it would seem
probable that these two crosses marked the limits of
Oldland. Other crosses were Hampton Cross (fn. 101) and
Newland Cross. (fn. 102) The Law Ditch (fn. 103) may also have
been a boundary. The limits of the jurisdictions
of the two abbots seem to have been well defined,
and the only record of disagreement as to these limits
was in 1484, when both abbots claimed suit from
John Yardman. (fn. 104) The farmer of Binholme complained
in 1406 that the commonalty of Pershore had levied
on him for expenses properly belonging to the borough, (fn. 105)
but the offenders in this case may well have been the
abbey of Westminster's own men of the portmote.
The High Street is mentioned early in the 13th
century, (fn. 106) and it lay principally in the manor of Oldland, which in the 14th century also included Middle
Street, Newland, Taddelon and Monk Street. (fn. 107) Head
Street (Le Hedstrete) and Le Forthei are also mentioned towards the end of that century. (fn. 108) The
'Rotherchepyng,' extending from the High Street to
the ditch called 'Holdeneydyche,' was probably the
market-place now known as Broad Street. (fn. 109) This was
divided equally between the two manors. Until
nearly the end of the 18th century there was a collection of permanent market stalls and shambles in the
middle of Broad Street. Lich Street or Lich Lane,
near the gate of the cemetery, and la Lode leading
from High Street to the Avon, occur in the 13th
century, (fn. 110) Dugbath in the 15th. (fn. 111) In the manor of
Pershore Portsmouth were Bridge Street, which occurs
in the middle of the 14th century, (fn. 112) and is occasionally in the 18th century called Mill Street, (fn. 113) and
possibly Lowel Street, or Lovewell Street, which occurs
in the 16th century. (fn. 114) The Bell Inn is mentioned
in 1486 (fn. 115) and the 'Swan' in 1621 and 1690. (fn. 116) Other
old inns are the 'Quiet Woman' and the 'Angel.'
Pershore was frequently visited by the early Kings
of England. King John visited it during his stay at
Worcester on 15 August 1204. (fn. 117) Henry III was
there in May 1233, (fn. 118) July 1236, (fn. 119) and October
1237. (fn. 120) Edward I visited the town for a week in
January 1282 (fn. 121) and in September 1294, (fn. 122) Edward II
in January 1322, (fn. 123) and Edward III was there in
December 1327. (fn. 124)
Though no battles took place at Pershore during
the Civil War, both armies passed through it at
various times on the march between Evesham and
Worcester. Both King Charles and Prince Rupert
were there on 12 September 1643. (fn. 125) In June
1644 Charles again passed through the town on
the way to Worcester. (fn. 126) In March 1645 some
of Massey's men set fire to the abbey, having heard
that the Royalists intended to garrison it. (fn. 127) Parliamentary troops were stationed in the town in August
1651. (fn. 128)