Transcript:Shropshire, England. Shropshire Parish Registers/Lichfield Diocese/01/Moreton Corbet

Shropshire Parish Registers.

Diocese of Lichfield.

VOL. I. (1900)

The Register of Moreton Corbet.

Moreton Corbet Registers.

Moreton Corbet is in the diocese of Lichfield, rural deanery of Wem, and hundred of North Bradford. The population in 1881 was 251, and the area 2138 acres. Sir Walter O. Corbet, Bart., of Acton-Reynald, is the sole landowner, and lord of the manor, and patron of the rectory.

The Parish Register Abstract 1831 contains the following account of the Registers :—“ Moreton-Corbet R. Nos. I. II. Bap. Bur. 1580–1812 ; marr. 1580–1753. No. III. marr. 1754–1812.”

The first volume extends from 1580 to 1706. It is a small book in a vellum cover, and contains 25 leaves of parchment, measuring 12 inches by 5½ inches. It is mostly well written, and is in a good state of preservation. In some places (e.g. in 1680–1), a few entries have been scratched out, and others written over. In 1660 is an entry by Peter Gibbons, the newly appointed rector, stating that in his predecessor Parson Gower's time the register was badly kept. In 1587 occurs the entry of the burial of a centenarian, one Humfrey Weston, who died at the advanced age of 115 !

The second volume contains 38 leaves of parchment, interleaved with paper, some of which are written on. It is in a brown leather binding, and is in excellent condition. On the outside is written “ Moreton Corbet Register.” It contains entries of baptisms and burials from 1706 to 1812, and of marriages to 1753. The burials from 1778 to 1812 are written at the end of this register.

The third volume is the ordinary printed form of marriage register, and contains 76 weddings from 1753 to 1812. It is in a parchment binding, on the outside of which is written “ No. 3.”, and on the inside “ Moreton Corbet.”

The principal family named in the register is of course that of the ancient family of Corbet, formerly of Shawbury Park, and now of Acton Reynald. Amongst the burials occur those of Sir Richard Corbet, K.B., in 1606, Sir Vincent Corbet, Bart., in 1656 and 1680, and Sir Andrew Corbet in 1661. Other families termed “ esq.” in the register are those of Thomas, Barkley, and Kynaston. The families of Bayley, Slator, and Downes, are termed “ gent.” or “ Mr.” ; whilst those of Hussey (knightly), Adeney, Kilvart, Sockett, and Wycherley are of interest.

The rectors named in the registers are :—

1580. William Axton ; deposed for nonconformity.

1582–1623. Lewys Taylour ; buried 18 May 1623.

1623–42. Richard Taylor.

165–. —— Gower, an “ uzerper.”

1660–1713. Peter Gibbons ; buried 24 Aug. 1713. He was son of the Rev. Francis Gibbons, D.D., Vicar of Holy Cross, and chaplain to Charles I., and grandson of Alderman Nicholas Gibbons, of the Abbey Forgate and Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, and was baptized at St. Julian's 5 July 1635.

1663. John Southall, styled “ rector ” in 1663.

1754–59. Vincent Corbet ; buried 9 Nov. 1759.

1760–66. John Fieldhouse, [qu. B.A. Pembroke College, Oxford].

1768–86. William Clarke ; buried 13 April 1786.

1786–1819. George Dickin ; he was curate 1769, & 1773–86.

1819–45. Mascie Domville Taylor, M.A. Brasenose College, Oxford ; died 9 Oct. 1845.

1846–48. Thomas Wilson, [qu. M.A. Brasenose College, Oxford].

1849–82. Robert Faulkner Wood, M.A. Brasenose College, Oxford ; died 9 Jan. 1883.

1883. John Robert Legh, M.A. St. John's College, Cambridge.

The curates named in the Registers are :—1769, Thomas Sandland. 1770, Samuel Sneade. 1818–20, George Ashby Maddock. 1820–25, Theophilus Williamson. 1825–6, Samuel Maddock. 1827–8, H. A. Herbert. 1838–9, Harry Mengden Scarth [vide “ Dict. Nat. Biog.” L. 405–6.] 1839–44, John Kynaston Charlton.

The church of St. Bartholomew consists of a nave and chancel of one pace, and western tower, of various styles of architecture. In the chancel is some late Norman work. On the south side of the nave is the Corbet Chantry chapel, with a fine decorated east window, aumbry and piscina in the south wall, and a square hagioscope through the north wall. In this chapel are two fine altar-tombs with recumbent figures of Sir Robert and Sir Richard Corbet and their wives, and a number of monumental tablets to various members of this family. The upper storeys of the tower were built in 1769, and in it are six bells. The church was originally a chapelry of Shawbury, and was founded in the reign of Stephen or Henry II., and consecrated by Bishop Clinton (1130–1148.) Bishop Peche exempted Moreton chapel, in the fee of Peter fitz Toret, from episcopal dues, and maintained the supremacy of Shawbury church, and therefore of the canons of Haughmond who had obtained the advowson of Shawbury, over this chapel. The abbot and convent of Haughmond presented the incumbents of Moreton until the dissolution of the abbey.

In Domesday Mortone was held by Turold, a great Saxon landowner. His descendant Joanna Toret married Richard Corbet of Wattlesborough, living circa 1200, and carried the Moreton estate into the Corbet family. From this time Moreton became known as Moreton Corbet, to distinguish it from other Moretons. The present Sir Walter O. Corbet, Bart., is twenty-fifth in direct lineal descent from Roger, the son of Hugh Corbet, who came over from Normandy with William the Conqueror, and held twenty manors in Shropshire.

In this parish stand the beautiful ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle, a house in the Italian style of architecture commenced (as Camden states) by Robert Corbet, Sheriff of Shropshire in 1573, who died leaving the work unfinished, and was buried at Moreton Corbet 28 July 1583. On his death his estates came to his brother Sir Richard Corbet, K.B., who was buried here 29 Sep. 1606, and was succeeded by his next brother Sir Vincent Corbet, created a Baronet in Jan. 1642. He was a strong royalist, and ultimately compounded for £1588 13s. 4d., but had to part with some of his lands in consequence, and was buried here 21 Jan. 1656-7. The estates were redeemed by Sir Andrew Corbet of Shawbury Park in 1743. It is doubtful whether the house was ever entirely completed, yet it was sufficiently strong to have been made a garrison for the King, and it was taken 20 Sept. 1644 by a party from the Committee at Shrewsbury, led by Lieut. Rinkling, when Major Bridgeman, Captain Maurice and eighty men surrendered. Over the portal are the dates 1576 and 1578, and some Corbet initials with the Corbet crest, and on the chimney are the dates 1667 and 1673. Some particulars of the castle are given in Mrs. Stackhouse-Acton's “ Castles and Old Mansions of Shropshire,” pages 36–37, and “ Garrisons in Shropshire during the Civil War,” pages 63–65.

Some extracts from the Moreton Corbet Registers, together with a Pedigree of the Corbet family, &c., were printed in the Shropshire Archæological Transactions, Vol. IV., pages 53–86. There are, however, a good many inaccuracies in these extracts, and it has been thought advisable to reprint, this important Register. An account of the church, monuments, parish, &c., is given in the same Transactions, Vol. VII., pages 314–330.

The present transcript was made by Mr. T. R. Horton, by the kind permission of the Rev. J. R. Legh, the present rector, and the proofs as they passed through the press have been compared with the original Register by the Rev. W. G. D. Fletcher, F.S.A.