Place:Shropshire, England

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source: Family History Library Catalog

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Shropshire (alternatively 'Salop' or abbreviated 'Shrops') is a county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Wales to the west.

Shropshire is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties. The population of the non-metropolitan/shire county of Shropshire is 289,100 - making it the least populated two-tier governed area in the United Kingdom. With the recent Local Government White Paper's support for new unitary authorities, Shropshire County Council is proposing the abolition of Shropshire's district councils, becoming a unitary authority. [1] The borough of Telford and Wrekin, included in Shropshire for ceremonial and geographical purposes, has been a unitary authority since 1998.

The county town is Shrewsbury, although the new town of Telford is the largest town. The Ironbridge Gorge area of Shropshire is known as the birthplace of industry and there are other notable industrial sites located around the county. Ironbridge Gorge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and a part of Madeley.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Cradle of industry

Quite why this remote, rural county on the Welsh border became the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution is mystifying to many people. The reason, however, is mainly due to Shropshire's diverse geology. Shropshire is the "geological capital" of the UK, as just about every rock type in Northern Europe is found within its borders, as are coal, lead, copper and iron ore deposits. In addition to this, the River Severn flows through the county and has been used for the transportation of goods and services for centuries. The Ironbridge Gorge became a focal point of new industrial energies in the 18th Century.

The towns of Broseley and Madeley were centres of innovation during the late 18th Century. It was in nearby locations where key events of the Industrial Revolution took place. Coalbrookdale is where modern iron smelting techniques were developed, Ironbridge is where the world's first iron bridge was constructed and Ditherington is where the world's first iron framed building was built. Other places notable for early industry are Jackfield and Coalport.

Salop

The origin of the name "Shropshire" is the Old English "Scrobbesbyrigscīr" (literally Shrewsburyshire), perhaps taking its name from Richard Scrob (or FitzScrob or Scrope), the builder of Richard's Castle near what is now the town of Ludlow. However, the Normans who ruled England after 1066 found both "Scrobbesbyrig" and "Scrobbesbyrigscir" difficult to pronounce so they softened them to "Salopesberia" and "Salopescira". Salop is the abbreviation of these.

When a council for the county was set up in 1888, it was called "Salop County Council". The name was never popular, with local MP Jasper More raising an amendment to the 1972 Local Government Bill to rename the county "Shropshire" - at the time the council itself opposed the change, although later, in 1980, would exercise its power to legally change the name of the county.

The Times noted in a February 19, 1980 article about the name change that "there was no record of why the name Salop County Council was adopted". The decision to make the change was taken on March 1, 1980, at a special meeting of the council, with 48 votes in favour versus five against. It came into effect on April 1.

The term "Salopian", derived from "Salop", is still used to mean "from Shropshire". Salop can also mean the county town, Shrewsbury, and in historical records Shropshire is described as "the county of Salop" and Shrewsbury as "the town of Salop".

The Latin motto of "Floreat Salopia" (may Shropshire flourish) was originally used by the borough of Shrewsbury, and was adopted in 1896 by Salop (or Shropshire) County Council when they received a grant of a coat of arms. The motto is now used in a number of other emblems associated with the county.

Another reason why Salop was unfavourable was the fact that if you add the letter 'E' and make it Salope, this is a French word and means 'Bitch or Loose Woman'.

The modern county boundaries are the same as the historic ones, except for the removal of several exclaves and enclaves, and other minor alterations along the border with Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The largest of the exclaves was Halesowen, which became part of Worcestershire in 1844, and the largest of the enclaves was Herefordshire's Farlow in South Shropshire, transferred to Shropshire in 1844 too.

External Links

1. GENUKI Shrophsire
2. Shropshire Archives