WELLAND
Wenlond (ix cent.); Weneland (xii cent.); Wentlande, Wenlond (xiii cent.).
The parish of Welland lies in the south-west of the
county. It has an area of 1,888 acres, of which in
1905 498 were arable land, 1,068 permanent grass
and 17½ wood. (fn. 1) The parish was formerly part of
Malvern Chase, (fn. 2) which was disafforested in 1631–2, (fn. 3)
and is studded with small woods. The soil is loam,
and the subsoil Keuper Marl, producing crops of
wheat, beans and barley. The numerous old claypits in the parish indicate that clay was worked
for manure. The land rises from about 100 ft.
above the ordnance datum on the eastern border of
the parish to a height of 276 ft. on the western
boundary near Marl Bank. The high road from
Upton-on-Severn to Malvern Wells, which passes
through the village, is here called Drake Street, and
is continued through Marl Bank, a district to the
north-west of the village.
Mere Brook, running east into the River Severn,
near Upton-on-Severn, forms the northern boundary
of the parish. A stream runs through the village of
Welland, which is situated in the centre of the
parish, at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Malvern
Hills, upon the main road, about 2 miles west of
Upton-on-Severn. Upon the south side of the road
is the modern church of St. James. The original
church stood upon a by-road, about half a mile to
the eastward, a little to the south of the main road.
Only the gravestones in the surrounding churchyard
mark the site of the original building, no vestige of
which is now left. On the north is the old vicarage,
a half-timber building covered with rough-cast, and
on the south Welland Court, a good brick house of the
early 18th century. At the junction of this by-road
with the main road is a fine half-timber farm-house
with later brick additions. The houses here are
mainly modern, though one or two are of half-timber,
modernized and cased with brick.
An Inclosure Act for Welland was passed in
1847, (fn. 4) and the award is dated 1852. (fn. 5)
The Ashchurch, Tewkesbury and Malvern branch
of the Midland railway runs through the north
of the parish, and the nearest stations are at Uptonon-Severn and at Malvern Wells.
Among the place-names that have been found are
Fauxhalle, le Prioris Fulmer, le Hooke wood (fn. 6) (xvi
cent.), The Mere and the Vicar's Hill (fn. 7) (xvii cent.).
MANORS
The manor of WELLAND formed
part of the inheritance of King Coenwulf,
and is said to have been given in 889
with Upton-on-Severn to the see of Worcester
by Ealdorman Athulf, kinsman of King Coenwulf. (fn. 8)
Welland is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey,
and was probably then included in the manor of Bredon,
for in a survey of the lands of the bishopric taken in
1299 it is stated that all the tenants of Welland owed
suit at the court of Bredon, (fn. 9) and in valuations of
Bredon Manor taken in 1299, 1408 and 1529 Welland is included. (fn. 10) The manor had probably been
separated from Bredon before 1535, for in the valuation of the bishop's lands taken at that time it is
entered apart from Bredon, and it had then and in
1560 a separate bailiff. (fn. 11)
Richard I in 1189 freed 34 acres at Welland from
all forest exactions, (fn. 12) and King John confirmed this
charter. (fn. 13) The manor of Welland was confirmed to
the bishop by Pope Gregory (1272–6). (fn. 14) The successive Bishops of Worcester (fn. 15) remained in peaceful
possession of the manor (fn. 16) until Bishop Heath was
deprived by Edward VI in 1552 for refusing to subscribe to the Edwardian Prayer Book. (fn. 17) Edward VI,
instead of restoring it to Bishop Hooper, Heath's
successor, granted it to John Duke of Northumberland
in exchange for other lands in 1553. (fn. 18) The duke
sold the manor to Sir John Throckmorton for over
200 marks. (fn. 19) Bishop Heath was restored in July
1553 on Queen Mary's accession, and, in the words
of Sir John Throckmorton, 'entered without law or
order into all again,' and so Sir John lost his land
and money also and had no recompense. (fn. 20)
Queen Elizabeth took the manor from Bishop
Pates under the Act of Parliament of 1559, which
empowered the queen to take into her hands certain
of the temporal possessions of any bishopric which
fell vacant, recompensing the value with parsonages
impropriate. (fn. 21) This manor was not, however, retained
by the Crown, (fn. 22) but passed again to the see of Worcester. It was sold in 1648 (fn. 23) as a possession of the
bishopric by the Parliamentary commissioners for the
sale of the bishops' lands to Nicholas Lechmere of
Hanley Castle, Thomas Lechmere and Matthew
Smith for £110 13s. 6d. (fn. 24) At the Restoration the
manor of Welland returned to the bishopric, and still
forms part of the possessions of the see. (fn. 25)
The Bishops of Worcester had a mill in their
manor of Welland, which is mentioned in 1197. (fn. 26)
In 1299 Bishop Godfrey Giffard leased it to William
le Donnare of Bredon. (fn. 27) There is no mill at the
present day.
Welland Court
Robert Walpole or Wavepol (Bagepol) held land
at Welland towards the end of the 12th century. (fn. 28)
John Walpole paid a subsidy of 12s. 6d. there in
1280, (fn. 29) and in 1299 he held a messuage and land in
Welland 'of the ancient feoffment.' (fn. 30) In 1306 a
writ was issued to the Bishop of Worcester to hold an
inquisition as to the lawful marriage of Margery wife
of John son of John Walpole of Welland, who claimed
a third of a messuage and land at Welland against
Maud wife of John Walpole, and a third of a messuage and land there against William son of John
Walpole. This she claimed as dower, and, as the
legality of her marriage was proved, it may be supposed that she obtained her third part in the estate. (fn. 31)
This is probably the estate which subsequently became
known as the manor of DAUNCIES, and was released
in 1463 by John son and heir of Thomas Sugwas to
Robert Hanley for life, and after his death to William
Walpole and his heirs. (fn. 32) Some twenty to thirty years
later the manor of Dauncies was claimed by Christiana
Smith daughter of Alice daughter of Hugh son of
William Walpole, who complained that Thomas
Pauncefoot, a trustee in the conveyance of 1463, and
others refused to allow her to have possession of the
manor. Thomas, however, stated that the manor
had been sold to him by William Walpole. (fn. 33) In
1515–16 the manor was sold by William Wicombe
and his wife Christine, cousin and heir of Henry
Walpole alias Wenland, to William Mucklow. (fn. 34)
The priory of Little Malvern also owned land in
Welland. It is not known by whom it was given,
but in 1322 the Crown granted the prior 'protection
in his manor of Welland.' (fn. 35) In 1535 this land was
valued at 18s. 8d. a year, (fn. 36) and, having come into the
king's hands on the dissolution of the house in 1537, (fn. 37)
was granted in 1545 to William Pinnock and Elizabeth
his wife. (fn. 38) The estate included land called Fauxhall
and Prioris Fulmer near le Hooke wood. Its further
descent is not known.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of a chancel 31 ft. by 20 ft., a nave
61 ft. by 25 ft., north and south aisles
10 ft. wide, a tower with a wooden spire built over
the westernmost bay of the south aisle, an organ
chamber north of the chancel and a vestry below the
chancel. The church was erected in 1875 from the
designs of J. W. Hugall, half a mile from the old
church, which was then destroyed. The material
of the building is stone, and the detail is in 13th-century style.
The chancel has a large three-light window with
two smaller windows to north and south. On the
south side is an arched opening to a quadrant passage
to the south aisle, which is now closed by the quire
seats. The nave is of four bays and has round piers
built in alternating bands of grey and white stone,
with elaborately carved capitals. The north aisle is
conterminous with the nave, but the western bay of
the south aisle is occupied by the tower, the lower
stage of which is utilized as a porch. In it is a
simple wall monument to Walter Evans, who died in
1614, Joan his wife, and Sampson his son, removed
from the old church on its destruction.
Welland Church from the South-west
The tower contains a clock and a modern ring of
six bells.
The church plate consists of a handsome silver-gilt
chalice with a high spire-like cover, both of elaborate
repoussé work, with the hall marks for 1613; a blown
glass flagon with a silver-gilt lid, neck-band and foot,
with the hall marks of 1582, both bearing the Taylor
arms. There are also a silver cup of the usual type
dated 1571 and a modern silver-gilt cup, flagon and
paten—the last three the gift of Mrs. Forsyth—and
a modern paten partly made from an old one melted
down.
The registers (fn. 39) before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries from 1670, the baptisms and burials to 1770
and the marriages to 1754; (ii) baptisms and burials
1771 to 1813; (iii) a printed marriage book 1754 to
1812.
ADVOWSON
The chapel of Welland is thought
by Habington to have been bestowed
upon the priory of Little Malvern by
Simon, Bishop of Worcester (1125–50). (fn. 40) In 1288 a
dispute arose between Walter de Berton, rector of the
church of Bredon, and the Prior and convent of Little
Malvern as to the right to present to the chapel of
Welland. (fn. 41) It was settled by an agreement, under
which the rector of Bredon nominated a clerk who
was presented by the Prior and convent of Little
Malvern. (fn. 42) This practice continued at least as late
as 1473, (fn. 43) and probably until the Dissolution. It
would appear from this that Welland was originally
a chapelry of Bredon. (fn. 44) It is called a chapel until
1304–5, (fn. 45) but in 1340 the church of Welland is
mentioned. (fn. 46) Prattinton says that the chapel was
appropriated to the priory in 1463–4, (fn. 47) but the living
was already a vicarage in 1300. (fn. 48)
The priory of Little Malvern was suppressed in
1537, (fn. 49) and the advowson of the church of Welland
was confiscated by the Crown, with which it has
remained ever since, (fn. 50) with the exception of one
presentation made in 1548 by William Pinnock of
Hanley, to whom had been granted in 1545 the
estate of the priory of Little Malvern at Welland, (fn. 51)
though the advowson was not included in this grant.
Habington states that in his time the advowson of
Welland belonged to the Dean and Chapter of
Westminster, (fn. 52) but nothing has been found to confirm
this statement.
A church mission-room was built at Assarts Common
in 1886, and has seating accommodation for ninety
persons.
In 1787 the house of William Purser at Welland
was licensed for Protestant Dissenters. (fn. 53)
A Wesleyan chapel was built in Welland in 1886.
CHARITIES
The poor's land, founded by deed
poll 7 January 1624, whereby John
Castle alias Salter granted to trustees
4 a. 2 r., called Ayleworth-houne, 1 a. 2 r. 27 p. in
Tippers Croft, 2 r. 14 p. now known as Fourteen
Shilly Piece, all in Welland, and 2 r. 32 p. known as
Welland Meadow in Castle Morton.
Under the Welland Inclosure Act, 9 a. 1 r. 32 p.
were awarded for the benefit of the poor in respect of
these lands. The gross rental in 1910 amounted to
£20 10s., and a sum of £77 9s. 1d. consols is held by
the official trustees, producing £1 18s. 8d. yearly,
arising from sale of timber and accumulations.
The charity is regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners 5 October 1906. The net income was
in 1910 applied in donations to coal and clothing clubs,
also in gifts of coal and money and in paying the expenses of patients sent to hospitals or convalescent homes.