WHITTINGTON is a parish and
compact and well designed village, pleasantly seated 3 miles south-east from
Lichfield Junction station on the London and North Western railway,
4north-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,
net yearly value £248, including 46 acres of glebe, 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 the 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. A force of one
and a half battalions of infantry 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 Old Hall, the property and residence of Samuel Lipscomb
Seckham esq. J.P., D.L. 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. The grounds are extensive and well
laid out. Broom Leasoe, the property and residence of Charles Henry Inge
esq. J.P. is pleasantly standing in its own grounds, 1 ½ miles north-east
from the village. The Marquess of Anglesey is lord of the manor. The
principal landowners are Samuel Lipscomb Seckham esq. J.P., D.L., Theophilus
Basil Percy Levett esq. J. P. of Wychnor Park ; Sir Robert Peel bart. Of
Drayton Manor, and Lieut.-Gen. Richard Dyott R.E. 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 ; rateable value, £11,631 ; and the population is 2,033, which
includes 1,163 in the barracks.
Huddlesford, a hamlet one
mile north from the village, is in this parish.
Hurst is a hamlet, 1 ½
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 £1,948 ; the population 1891 was 21.
Willisford is 2 miles
north, on the west bank of the river Tame.
Post, M.O. & T. O., T.M.
O., Express Delivery, Parcel Post, S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office,
Whittington,-- Mrs Mary Amelia Elson, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive by
mail cart from Lichfield at 6.45 a.m. & 3.10 p.m. ; on Sundays at 8 a.m. ;
dispatched at 6.45 a.m. & 11.45 a.m. & 7 p.m. ; on Sundays at 9.25 a.m.
Wall Box, Huddlesford,
cleared at 8.20 a.m. & 5.5 p.m.
Wall Box, Hademore, cleared
at 7.15 a.m. & 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 will hold 85 children ; average attendance, 80 : William Bernard
Pinder, master
Infant’s, for 105 children
; average attendance, 98 ; Mrs Emily Pinder. Mistress
Police Station, John Wood,
sergeant, & 1 constable
WHITTINGTON
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Felton Ernest Edwd.
Whittington crt
Holland William, South side
Hurd Thomas, Holly bank
Inge Chas. Henry J.P.
Broom Leasoe
Inge Chas. W Gifford, Broom
Leasoe
Kay Rev. William Henry M.A.
(vicar)
Kemble Capt. Charles
Morris, Whittington Lodge
Moody Mrs
Prior Maj. Arthur W. The
Heath
Pearson Col. John, The Hill
Scott Capt. Lindsay
Seckham Samuel Lipscomb
J.P., D.L. The Old Hall
Smith Mrs. Whittington
House
Sparks George
COMMERCIAL
Allsop William, farmer
Arnold Abraham, baker
Baskerville Walter Jn, frmr.
Hurst fm
Bates Geo. Brick maker,
Huddlesford
Bates Thomas, farmer
Berks Mary (Mrs.), bakr.&
provsn.dlr
Bridgen William, bricklayer
Burton Frederick John,
market gardener, Boot farm
Cotterill Jn. Plough P.H.
Huddlesford
Deakin Hy. Market gardener,
Rose Cot
Elson George, tailor
Elson Joseph, tailor
Elson Mary Amelia (Mrs.),
Post office
Farnsworth Harry, butcher
Greenwood William,
shopkeeper
Hughes John, Peel Arms P.H.
Johnson Henry, market
gardener
Langton Herbt. Wheelwright
& buildr
Lees Geo. Farmer, Darnford
Mill farm
Meakin Wm. Joseph, Dog Inn
& carrier
Nevill John James, butcher
Nevill Mary (Mrs.), farmer
Neville Daniel, baker &
provision dealr
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
Phillips James Arthur, farm
bailiff to Mr James Beddows, Thatchmoor House farm
Pratt Thos. W. farmer,
church farm
Ricketts Martin Henry,
fruit grower & market gardener
Rogers Edwin, farmer,
Huddlesford
Simkins Abraham, farmer,
Whittington Hurst
Simkins James, farmer,
Williford
Smith Thomas, farmer,
Hillfield cot
Smith Thomas, Swan P.H. &
farmer
Snape Thomas, shoe maker
Soldiers’ Home (Miss M. L.
Allen, lady supt.), The Heath
Sturgess Charles, beer
retailer
Tideswell Thomas, farmer,
Brookhay (postal address, near Lichfield)
Toplis Charles, wheelwright
Twamley John, carpenter,
Huddlesford
Wallis John, farmer
Warrender Arthur,
shopkeeper
Wheelton Leonard,farmer,
The Grove
Windridge Richard, smith
Wood Charles, farmer, Rock
farm
TAMHORN
Thorneycroft John Alfred,
farmer
