GREAT WYRLEY
The civil parish of Great Wyrley, formerly a township and constablewick within the ancient parish
of Cannock, lies mainly south of Watling Street
except where the Wash Brook, the joint boundary of
Cannock and Great Wyrley, crosses and recrosses
the road for about a mile. It includes the district
of Churchbridge which takes its name from the
bridge carrying Watling Street over the Wash Brook,
a county responsibility by 1830 when it was described as new. (fn. 1) The boundary with Cheslyn Hay on
the north-west was readjusted under the Staffordshire Review Order of 1934. Little Wyrley (in the
parish of Norton Canes, Offlow hundred), lies to
the east, and Essington and Hilton (in St. Peter's,
Wolverhampton, Seisdon hundred) to the southwest. The height of the ground varies between
about 400 and 500 ft. The soil is light loam, (fn. 2) but
much of the surface is coarse grassland, of uneven
levels, consisting of the overgrown deposits from old
disused collieries. The farms lie for the most part to
the north-east, along the south and east borders and
in Landywood, a hamlet in the southern part of the
parish. The main road between Cannock and Walsall
runs north to south through the parish, and there
were two toll bars here by 1832. (fn. 3) The Rugeley, Cannock, and Walsall branch of the former L. & N.W.
railway has a station a little over a quarter of mile
north-west from the village. A branch of the
Wyrley and Essington Canal terminates in the west of
the parish at some of the disused pits of the former
Great Wyrley Colliery and was itself no longer in use
in 1956. There were 75 households within the constablewick of Great Wyrley in 1666, (fn. 4) and the population of the township was 227 in 1801. (fn. 5) By 1811, out
of 82 families living in 82 houses there, 51 were employed in agriculture and 31 in trade, manufactures,
or handicrafts. (fn. 6) By 1900 there were in Great Wyrley
'a few well-built residences and farmhouses, with a
number of cottages', (fn. 7) but in 1951 the civil parish had
4,287 inhabitants and covered 1,644 acres. (fn. 8)
There was a camp for Polish ex-soldiers in Landywood from 1947 to 1951, with a mass centre served
by a visiting Polish chaplain. (fn. 9)
Part of Cheslyn Common belonged from time
immemorial to the freeholders and copyholders of
Great Wyrley. (fn. 10) In 1668 some of this area was inclosed by agreement, (fn. 11) and the rents from the land
inclosed were vested in the overseers of the poor of
Great Wyrley. (fn. 12) In 1797, following the Act of 1792,
the open and common fields, common meadows,
and waste land of Cheslyn Common were inclosed,
and to defray the cost of inclosing the area belonging
to Great Wyrley, described as the Wyrley Side of
Cheslyn Common and the Old Falls, part of the Old
Falls was sold in 1793. (fn. 13)
Coal and ironstone mines in Great Wyrley were
being worked by 1642. (fn. 14) In 1809 Moreton Walhouse
of Hatherton leased a coal-mine in Great Wyrley for
ten years to William Gilpin (fn. 15) who by 1817 had
an edge-tool factory at Churchbridge (see below).
Several pits were being worked by 1817, (fn. 16) although
in 1831 only 87 persons from Great Wyrley, Cheslyn
Hay, Cannock Wood, and Hednesford were engaged
in mining. (fn. 17) By 1860 the Wyrley New Colliery Company (fn. 18) and by 1862 the Hatherton Colliery (fn. 19) were
in operation, and the Wyrley Cannock Colliery
Company, which had started before 1872, was
working some seven or eight shafts before it closed
down in 1882. (fn. 20) The Great Wyrley Colliery Company was in operation between at least 1872 and
1924, (fn. 21) and the South Cannock Colliery Company
was working at Landywood in 1876. (fn. 22) In 1896
Messrs. W. Harrison opened a large pit known as
Wyrley No. 3 which was still in use in 1956 (fn. 23) when
there was also open-cast mining in operation on
both sides of Landywood Lane.
Some of the factory buildings now occupied by
Messrs. Wm. Gilpin Senr. & Co. (Tools) Ltd. at
Churchbridge were erected in 1806 by William Gilpin
(d. 1835), and edge tools were being manufactured
here by 1817. (fn. 24) Industrial cottages immediately to the
south also date from his time. Discarded grinding
stones form the foundations of a building near the
bridge. A tall stack erected soon after Gilpin's death
and forming a local landmark was demolished in
1933. (fn. 25) Until recently the Churchbridge works
housed a steam-engine made by James Watt. (fn. 26)
There was a steam mill near the north end of
Walsall Road c. 1843, owned by Thomas and Edward
Hick and held by John Hall. (fn. 27)
At Moat Farm two sides of a rectangular mcat are
still in existence, indicating the site of a medieval
house. The farmhouse is a T-shaped brick building
dating from c. 1700; an outhouse carries a keystone
inscribed with the name Thos. Lycett (fn. 28) and the
date 1758. Wyrley Hall, about 400 yds. farther west,
is a stucco building dating from the early 19th
century. The almost continuous buildings on both
sides of Walsall Road are largely late 19th- or 20thcentury in date. At the corner of Norton Lane are
some earlier buildings, one of which was formerly a
smithy. An outbuilding there, probably of the 17th
century, is a timber-framed structure with brick
panels. White House Farm, on the opposite side of
the road and in 1956 in process of demolition, is a
brick building with a date stone of 1711, bearing the
initials T F C. In Norton Lane and in the east of the
parish generally the farm buildings are derelict.
There are several isolated buildings in the western
half of the parish dating from before the 19th century. Landywood Farm incorporates two bays of
a timber-framed house, probably of the 16th century. The walls are of close studding, now covered
externally with brickwork and plaster. At the south
gable-end a massive chimney has an original stone
base. Internally there are indications of an open
truss between the bays at first-floor level. This has
chamfered timbers and curved braces. Later additions to the house include a single-story kitchen with
an open roof, probably of the 17th century, and
brick wings to the north and west. Part of one of the
outbuildings is timber-framed. In Dunduck Lane
a row of three cottages has some exposed timberframing, but the range has been largely rebuilt or
refaced with brickwork. Fishers Farm is a late-17thcentury brick house with diagonal shafts to the
gable-end chimney. Here, as in the case of most of
the old buildings in the parish, the brickwork has
been strengthened against subsidence with iron tierods.
There are council housing estates at Hilton Lane
and between Bentons Lane and Wharwell Lane, the
latter including prefabricated houses. In Landywood Lane and at Moat Farm and Wyrley Hall are
small caravan sites.
The Secondary school in Station Road was built
in 1939. The Working Mens' Institute in Walsall
Road, used for a time as an extension of the elementary school, (fn. 29) is a building of variegated brick
dating from 1870. (fn. 30) Harrison's Club, built c. 1900
in Wharwell Lane by the colliery owners, is now the
property of the National Coal Board. (fn. 31)
Manor
The overlordship of GREAT WYRLEY
remained with the Crown apparently from before the
Conquest (fn. 32) until at least 1487, (fn. 33) but by 1542 it had
passed to the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, of
whom the manor was then held by fealty and a rent
of 4s. (fn. 34) The manor continued to be held of the lord
of Cannock at this rent until at least 1842. (fn. 35)
Before the Conquest land in Great Wyrley seems
to have been already attached to the office of keeper
of the royal forest of Cannock, held then and in
1086 by Richard le Venur (or the forester). (fn. 36) The
land then descended with the office and Richard's
estate in Chesterton (Warws.) to his daughter
Margery, wife of William Croc, (fn. 37) and, by 1130, to
their son Walter Croc. (fn. 38) Walter seems to have been
succeeded by William Croc, who was either his son (fn. 39)
or his brother (fn. 40) and who, having granted all his rights
in Wyrley to Radmore Abbey, became a monk there
c. 1150. (fn. 41) By 1155 the monks had abandoned Radmore for Stoneleigh (Warws.). (fn. 42) The custody of the
forest seems to have been in the sheriff's hands from
at least 1164 to 1174, (fn. 43) but the land at Great Wyrley
may have passed to William Croc's son William who
was fined for a forest offence in 1170 (fn. 44) and subsequently hanged. (fn. 45) The king gave his lands, with
his sister Margery in marriage, to Robert de Brok (fn. 46)
who by 1175 was forester of Cannock. (fn. 47) He was dead
by 1194 and was succeeded by a Peter de Brok who
became a monk (fn. 48) so that in 1195 the lands and
forestership passed to Hugh de Loges, husband of
Robert de Brok's daughter Margery. (fn. 49) In 1198
Hugh was found to be holding a carucate and a half
of land in Wyrley by the service of keeping the forest
of Cannock. (fn. 50) He was still living in 1215. (fn. 51) His wife
Margery seems to have survived him, (fn. 52) but by 1224
their son Hugh had succeeded her. (fn. 53) In about 1246
this younger Hugh was imprisoned and deprived
of office and lands for poaching venison within the
forest, (fn. 54) but, on payment of a fine, his lands, including Great Wyrley, were restored to him, though
for life only and without the forestership. (fn. 55) Before
his death in 1268 Hugh had become feeble-minded
and unable to manage his own affairs, (fn. 56) and by 1265
his son Richard, either in his own right or as his
father's guardian, was holding some land in Great
Wyrley which he then forfeited for his part against
the king in the Barons' Wars. (fn. 57) He was taken back
into the king's peace early in 1266 (fn. 58) but did not
redeem all his forfeited lands until after Michaelmas
1272. (fn. 59) In 1275 Richard, deeply in debt, was
licensed to let his lands at farm, (fn. 60) but by the beginning of 1277 his manor of Wyrley was in the king's
hands for his default against William de la More. (fn. 61)
William had possession of the manor from at least
1279 (fn. 62) until early in 1293 when Richard recovered
seisin. (fn. 63) He died at the end of 1293, holding what
was described as the hamlet of Great Wyrley of the
king by serjeanty, and was succeeded by his son
Richard. (fn. 64) When this Richard died in 1300, he held
in Great Wyrley of the king by grand serjeanty 4
acres of meadow worth 1s. an acre, rents from land,
messuages and cottages of 11 free tenants (30s. 1½d.)
and 21 customary tenants (37s. 11¾d.), and proceeds
of the two great courts attended by free tenants and
of the three-weekly courts for the customary tenants,
valued at 20s., in all £4 12s. 1¼d. (fn. 65)
Richard's heir was his daughter Elizabeth, aged
four, (fn. 66) but his lands in Great Wyrley were assigned
in dower to his widow Elizabeth (fn. 67) who in 1320, with
John de Saundrestede, her second husband, was
holding 100s. rent in Great Wyrley. (fn. 68) When she died
in 1337 she was said to be holding 60s. 10d. in rents
there by the service of giving a barbed arrow to the
king whenever he passed through Great Wyrley on
his way to hunt in Wales. (fn. 69) Her heir was John de
Warrewyk or de Loges, the son of her daughter
Elizabeth and Nicholas de Warrewyk. (fn. 70) In 1342
John was found to be holding by petty serjeanty,
giving one barbed arrow whenever the king came
to hunt in Cheslyn Hay. (fn. 71) An inquiry in 1343, when
John was licensed to entail Great Wyrley on his son
and daughter-in-law John and Isabel, showed that
there was no manor-house or capital messuage, no
dovecot, orchard, mill, or demesne land there, but
that the rents from free and customary tenants were
worth 66s. 8d. a year and the perquisites of courts
3s. 4d. (fn. 72) The younger John seems to have died
without issue before his father who was succeeded
in 1349 by a daughter Eleanor, wife of John de
Peyto. (fn. 73) The lands, tenements, and rents in Great
Wyrley had then fallen in value from 100s. to 60s.
because of the pestilence and the poverty of the
tenants. (fn. 74)
When Sir John de Peyto died in 1396 he was
holding a messuage and a virgate in Great Wyrley. (fn. 75)
His son and heir William (fn. 76) settled the manor in 1406
on himself for life, with remainder to his son, William
Peyto the younger, (fn. 77) and was dead by 1408 when
the custody of his lands and heir William was given
to John de Knightley the younger. (fn. 78) William was
presumably of age in 1415 when he and his prospective wife Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Fraunceys,
were jointly enfeoffed of the manor. (fn. 79) Sir William
was taken prisoner at Dieppe in 1443. (fn. 80) He and his
wife, here named Katherine, having in 1446 mortgaged their manors including Wyrley, (fn. 81) in 1449
obtained the king's licence for such mortgages so
as to raise William's 'intolerable ransom'. (fn. 82) In 1451
and 1453 Great Wyrley was mortgaged to Drew
Barentyn and others. (fn. 83) In 1454 Sir William and
Katherine conveyed it to their son John and his
wife Eleanor, daughter of Robert Montfeld, with
reversion to themselves. (fn. 84) John died in 1487, holding
the manor, then worth £7, of the king in chief as 1/15
knight's fee. (fn. 85) John's son Edward died on 14 September within a month of his father's death, without
having entered upon the inheritance, and left a son
John, a minor. (fn. 86) In 1527 John settled Great Wyrley
on himself and his wife Margaret (fn. 87) and died in 1542,
when the manor was said to be worth £11 a year. (fn. 88)
Margaret held a life interest in it, but in 1544 her
son John Peyto conveyed his reversionary interest
to James Leveson of Wolverhampton and Lilleshall
(Salop.), a merchant of the staple. (fn. 89) James was
succeeded by his son Sir Richard Leveson, who died
in 1560, (fn. 90) and was succeeded by his son Walter. (fn. 91)
Walter was succeeded in 1602 by his son Richard, (fn. 92)
who became Vice-Admiral of England in 1604 and
died in 1605 without lawful issue, (fn. 93) survived by his
wife Margaret, daughter of Charles Howard, Earl
of Nottingham and Lord High Admiral (d. 1624). (fn. 94)
His lands passed to Sir John Leveson of Halling
(Kent), (fn. 95) whose son Sir Richard succeeded soon
after November 1615 (fn. 96) and died childless in 1661. (fn. 97)
The lands passed, through Sir Richard's niece
Frances, wife of Sir Thomas Gower, to their son,
Sir Thomas Leveson-Gower, (fn. 98) and then in 1689 to
his uncle, Sir William Leveson-Gower, (fn. 99) whose son
John, later Baron Gower, succeeded in 1691. (fn. 100) He died
in 1709 and his great-grandson George Granville,
created Duke of Sutherland in 1833, (fn. 101) was holding
the manor in 1834. (fn. 102) The 5th Duke held it in 1927. (fn. 103)
A customary court for the manor of Great Wyrley
was being held by 1300. (fn. 104) Its records survive from at
least 1721 until the 20th century, with extinguishments of manorial rights down to 1934. (fn. 105)
Great Wyrley paid 3s. a year in frithsilver to the
lord of Cannock by 1298. (fn. 106) By 1341 it was sending
two frankpledges to the leet court of Cannock (fn. 107) and
remained within the leet until at least 1805. (fn. 108) The
manor was paying frithsilver of 1s. to the lord of
Cannock between at least 1762 and 1769. (fn. 109)
In 1284 'the wood of Great Wyrley', having passed
out of the hands of Richard de Loges, presumably
with the manor, was held by William de More. (fn. 110)
Both Richard and William were presented before the
forest justices in 1286 for making new destruction
of the woods at Wyrley, (fn. 111) the vill being within the
forest of Cannock. (fn. 112)
Mill
A mill in Wyrley was granted to the abbey of
Radmore by Henry Duke of Normandy in about
1153. (fn. 113) Ralph the Miller, of Wyrley, occurs in 1283 (fn. 114)
but there was no mill here in 1343. (fn. 115) Brown's Mill,
apparently in Great Wyrley, is mentioned in 1837. (fn. 116)
In 1834 and 1851 there was a corn-miller at Churchbridge, (fn. 117) and there was still a miller in the parish in
1880. (fn. 118)
Church
A church was built and consecrated as
a chapel of ease to Cannock in 1845, (fn. 119) and in the
following year Great Wyrley was joined to Cheslyn
Hay to form the district chapelry of Great Wyrley. (fn. 120)
The perpetual curacy, a titular vicarage since 1868, (fn. 121)
is in the gift of the Vicar of Cannock. (fn. 122)
The parish church of ST. MARK is a stone building in the Early English style dating from 1845. It
consists of nave, chancel, aisle, porch, and combined
vestry and organ chamber. There are graded lancets
at the east end, a window with plate tracery at the
west end, and single lancets elsewhere. On the east
gable of the nave is a bell-cote containing one bell.
Electric lighting was installed in 1928 (fn. 123) and a new
reredos in 1939. (fn. 124) The Lady Chapel at the east end
of the aisle and the vestry screen date from 1945. (fn. 125)
In 1956 a stone pulpit was provided, and alterations,
including new choir stalls, were still being made to
the chancel.
With two exceptions the churchyard was cleared
of gravestones c. 1950. (fn. 126) The present cemetery,
opened in 1897, (fn. 127) is approached from Station Street,
Cheslyn Hay, and has a small mortuary chapel.
The vicarage stands to the south-west of St. Mark's
Church.
In 1957 the plate included a silver-gilt flagon, 1844;
a silver-gilt chalice and paten, 1844; and a silver
paten, 1920. (fn. 128) The church has one bell. (fn. 129)
Nonconformity
In 1787 Thomas Poynor's
house in Great Wyrley was certified as a meetingplace for Independents (fn. 130) but no permanent place of
worship was erected. In 1822 the house of Joseph
Ault was certified as a Dissenter's meeting house. (fn. 131)
The first Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in
Holly Lane, Upper Landywood, in 1846, and had
100 sittings. (fn. 132) In 1858 a new chapel, seating 200,
was built adjacent to it. This was a rectangular brick
building with round-headed windows and a gabled
porch. (fn. 133) The old chapel was used as a Wesleyan day
school until a new one was built adjoining the chapel
in 1867. (fn. 134) After the day school was discontinued the
old chapel was used as a Sunday school. By 1923 the
buildings had become dilapidated, partly owing to
the colliery workings, and by 1919 the Sunday school
had been closed. (fn. 135) A new chapel on the corner of
Shaw's Lane and the main Walsall road, Lower
Landywood, was built in 1925 at a cost of £2,500. (fn. 136)
It is a large red-brick building with a stone Perpendicular-style window above a single-story entrance
block. In the meantime the old chapel had fallen
into ruins which were finally obliterated by reconstruction of the ground after mining operations. (fn. 137)
In 1815 the house of Thomas Reeves was certified
as a meeting-house (fn. 138) for Primitive Methodists. (fn. 139) The
chapel in Streets Lane, Upper Landywood, dates
from 1906. (fn. 140) It is a red-brick building with a halftimbered gable and a small porch. Another congregation of Primitive Methodists, after meeting at
various houses, used a small chapel (now converted
into a house) at Newtown, Essington. (fn. 141) In 1920 a
wooden hut was erected in Jacobs Hall Lane, Landywood. In 1927 (fn. 142) a new chapel was built on the same
site with its frontage to the main Walsall road. It
consists of a chapel, vestry, and south porch and is
built of rustic bricks with stone Perpendicular-style
windows.
Primary Schools
The National school at
Great Wyrley was built in 1849 near the churchyard
and was attended by about 100 children. (fn. 143) It was
supported by Lord Hatherton and other subscribers (fn. 144)
and, by 1880 at least, partly by small weekly payments from the pupils. (fn. 145) In 1860 the school first
received a government grant. (fn. 146) The average attendance in 1866 was 82, (fn. 147) and in 1871 66 boys and
52 girls. (fn. 148) It had been closed by 1884, (fn. 149) and in 1956
was being used as a parish hall. It is a single-story
building with lighter brick diaper ornament, leaded
windows, and a gabled porch. The steeply-pitched
roof has a central bell-cote and a timbered gable.
The former teacher's house adjoining it is of similar
style and materials.
A Board school (mixed) was built in 1882, the
average attendance then being 160. (fn. 150) It was enlarged
in 1906. (fn. 151) By 1910 the premises were unsatisfactory
and the school managers were instructed to reduce
numbers by excluding children from other districts. (fn. 152)
In 1930 attendance averaged 249 boys, girls, and infants. (fn. 153) Owing to overcrowding, temporary premises
were hired in 1938 in Great Wyrley Working Men's
Institute. (fn. 154) The school is now Great Wyrley County
Primary School. (fn. 155)
A Wesleyan school connected with the chapel at
Landywood was built there in 1867 (or 1868), (fn. 156) and
by 1880 was staffed by both a master and a mistress. (fn. 157)
In 1884, however, it was described as a Sunday
school. (fn. 158)
A council school was opened in 1908 at Landywood, with six classes for 350 children. (fn. 159) In 1930 the
average attendance was 322. (fn. 160) This is now Great
Wyrley, Landywood County Primary School for
Boys and Girls and Infants. (fn. 161)
Charities for the Poor
Humphrey Short
of Great Wyrley at some date before 1786 gave a rent
charge of 10s. on a close there to be distributed at
Christmas to the poorest inhabitants of Great Wyrley
who were not in receipt of parish relief. (fn. 162) At some
time before 1786 Ann Greenshill gave 5s. and Alice
Greenshill 13s. (both charged on land in Shenstone
parish), to be distributed in bread every alternate
Sunday to six poor widows or poorest inhabitants of
Great Wyrley. (fn. 163) By 1823 these charities, along with
those of Alport, Wilson, and Goldsmith, were distributed to the poor of Great Wyrley generally on
the first Friday in January, in sums varying from 3s.
to 1s. 6d. (fn. 164) They were no longer paid in 1956. (fn. 165)