WHITTINGTON is a parish and compact and
well built village, pleasantly seated 3 miles south-east from Lichfield
Junction station on the London and North Western Railway, 4 north-west from
Tamworth, in the Lichfield division of the county, North Offlow hundred,
Lichfield and Brownhills petty sessional division, Lichfield union and
county court district, archdeaconry of Stafford and in the rural deanery and
diocese of Lichfield. The church of St Giles is a plain building of brick in
mixed styles, consisting of chancel, nave and an embattled western tower of
stone with a lofty spire, containing a clock and 3 bells: the church was
restored in 1881 at a cost of £1,000, and affords 250 sittings. The register
dates from the year 1575. The living is a vicarage, average tithe
rent-charge £122, gross yearly value £261, including 46 acres of glebe, with
residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Lichfield, and held since 1883 by
the Rev. William Henry Kay M.A. of Worcester College, Oxford: a new vicarage
was built in 1886 from funds supplied by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
There is a small Congregational chapel. The general charities amount to £6
10s. yearly. The barracks and depot of 38th and 64th
regimental districts (Lichfield) on the Heath, occupy a site of 40 acres, in
a fine position: the buildings comprise armoury, officers’ quarters,
recreation rooms and a chapel, a brick building in the Early English style:
the barracks are available for 1,400 men, exclusive of officers. An
infantry battalion is permanently quartered here, and new buildings have
been erected as quarters for married men and their families. The Heath,
consisting of 338 acres, on the south-east side of the village, and formerly
used as an open sheep walk, is now the property of the War department; the
Lichfield races are also held here. Whittington Hall (the property of
Samuel Lipscomb Seckham esq. J.P., D.L. of Beacon Place, Lichfield) is a
large and ancient brick mansion, with stone mullioned windows, added about
the Elizabethan period: nearly all the rooms are wainscoted, and some of the
walls are loopholed for small arms: the front of the house is covered with
ivy. Broome Leasoe, the
property and residence of Charles Henry Inge esq. J.P. is pleasantly
standing in its own grounds, 1½ miles north-east from the village. The
Marquess of Anglesey is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Col.
Theophilus John Levett D.L., J.P. of Wichnor Park; Sir Robert Peel, bart. of
Drayton Manor; S. L. Seckham esq. J.P., D.L. and General Richard Dyott, of
Freeford Hall. The soil is gravelly; subsoil, sand, rock and clay. The chief
crops are wheat, barley and turnips. Market gardening is extensively carried
on. The area is 2,921 acres of land; rateable value £9,473; and the
population, including Huddlesford, in 1891 was 2,033, inclusive of 1,163 in
the barracks.
HUDDLESFORD, a hamlet, 1 mile north from the
village, is in this parish.
HURST is a hamlet, 1½ miles north-north-east,
situated close to the river Tame.
TAMHORN, 2 miles south-east, formerly
extra-parochial, is now a parish in the Lichfield union and belongs to Sir
Robert Peel, bart. The area is 757 acres; rateable value £1,997; the
population in 1891 was 21.
WILLIFORD is 2 miles north, on the west bank of
the river Tame.
Post, M.O. & T.O.,S.B. Express Delivery &
Annuity & Insurance Office--- Mrs Mary Amelia Elson, sub-postmistress.
Letters arrive by mail cart from Lichfield at 6.45 a.m.; on sundays at 8
a.m.; dispatched at 7 p.m.; on sundays at 9.25 a.m.
WALL BOX, Huddlesford, cleared at 4.55 p.m.
WALL BOX, Hademore, cleared at 6.15 p.m.
SCHOOLS:-
Mixed (endowed) founded in 1741 by Mrs Sarah
Neal & endowed in 1800 with a legacy of £200 left by the late Rev. Richard
Levett, & invested in £ 3 per cent. Consols: the present school was
principally built by the late Col. Dyott in 1864; the school will hold 106
children; average attendance, 96; William Pinder, master
Infants’ to hold 85; average attendance 70 ; Mrs
Emily Pinder, mistress
Police Station, John Wood, sergeant, & 2
constables
WHITTINGTON
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Booth Mrs. Thomas, The Hill
Dyott Geo. Rchd. J.P. Whittington court
Hurd Thomas, Holly bank
Inge Chas. Henry J.P. Broom Leasoe
Johnson Mrs Sennex house
Kay Rev. William Henry M.A. (vicar)
Lowe Charles Edward, South side
Moody Mrs.
Richards Capt. Edward Daubney Griffiths D.S.O.
Scott Capt. Lindsay
Smith Frank
Smith Mrs. Whittington house
Sparks George
COMMERCIAL.
Alsopp William, farmer,
Arnold Abraham, baker
Bates George, rickmaker, Huddlesford
Bates Thomas, farmer
Berks Mary (Mrs.), bakr. & provsn. dlr
Bird Daniel, farmer
Bradley Thomas, farmer, Hurst farm
Bridgen William, bricklayer
Burton Frederick Jn. mrkt. gardnr, Boot frm
Carter Charles, wheelwright & carpenter
Cotterill Jn. Plough P.H. Huddlesford
Davis George, boot maker
Deakin Henry, market gardener, Rose cot
Edwards Thomas, farmer, Huddlesford
Elson George, tailor
Elson Joseph, tailor
Elson Mary Amelia (Mrs.), Post office
Evans John, farm bailiff to James Beddows,
Thatchmoor House farm
Farnsworth Harry, butcher
Greenwood William, shopkeeper
Hughes John, Peel Arms P.H.
Icke Thomas, Dog inn & farmer
Johnson Henry, market gardener
Langton Herbt, wheelwright, carpenter & builder
Lees George, farmer, Darnford Mill farm
Mallett Thomas, butcher
Neville Daniel, baker & provision dealer
Neville John James, butcher
Neville Mary (Mrs), farmer
Nevill Teresa (Mrs.), draper
Norman George, market gardener
Nourse Richard, agricultural engineer,
millwright & machinist. See advertisement
Ottewell John Whittaker, farmer & miller
(water), Bannins mill
Parker George (Mrs.), farmer, Brookhay (postal
address, near Lichfield)
Pass Edward, jun. bricklayer
Pass Hennis Arms, Bell inn; every accommodation
for visitors & commercials; dinners & parties catered for
Pott John, farm bailiff to John Cartmail
Pratt Thos. W. farmer, Church farm
Ricketts Martin Henry, fruit grower & market
gardener
Simkins Jsph., farmer, Whittington Hurst
Smith John, farmer, Rock farm
Smith Richard, farmer
Smith Thomas, farmer, Hillfield cot
Smith Thomas, Swan P.H. & farmer
Soldiers’ Home (Ernest Cephas Burt, manager),
The Heath
Sturgess Charles, beer retailer
Tideswell Thomas, farmer, Brookhay (postal
address, near Lichfield)
Toplis Charles, wheelwright
Twamley John, carpenter
Wallace Sarah (Mrs.) farmer
Wheelton Leonard, farmer, The Grove
Wheelton Walter Thos. farmer, Williford
Wilkins Wm. Hy. farmer, Huddlesford
Windridge Richard, smith
Wise George, farmer, Brookhay (postal address,
near Lichfield)
Tamhorn
Thornycroft John Alfred,
farmer
