DESCRIPTION OF MADELEY IN 1863

(From the Post Office Directory of Shropshire, 1863)

MADELEY is a considerable parish and town, with the district of Coalport, 6 miles south-west from Wellington (its market town and railway station), 4 from Shiffnal, 8 north from Bridgnorth and 15 east of Shrewsbury. It is in Wenlock municipal and parliamentary borough, union of its name, South Salop, rural deanery of Wenlock, Salop archdeaconry and Hereford bishopric; it is situated on the turnpike road leading from Shiffnal to Ironbridge, and is considerably elevated above the verge of the River Severn.

The branch of the London and North Western Railway passes through the parish, and has two stations here, one called Madeley Market Station, and the other the Madeley Court Station (This was wrong — Madeley Court Station was on the Great Western Shifnal — Craven Arms line — ed.)

The church of St. Michael, rebuilt in the year 1797, on the

site of the ancient one, is a substantial stone building in the Grecian style, with a finely proportioned square tower containing six bells and a clock; the interior consists of nave, aisles and galleries and a fine toned organ (by Walter of London); it has sittings for upwards of 1,000 persons, of which 400 are free. The living is a vicarage, value £300 yearly, with residence and 25 acres of glebe land in the gift of two trustees; the Rev. George Edward Yate MA is vicar.

The Roman Catholic Chapel, dedicated to St. Mary, built in 1853, in the early english style, consists of a nave and aisles, and will accommodate about 300 persons; the Rev. William Molloy is the pastor, and resides in a house adjacent.

There is a commodious and well-built Wesleyan Chapel and one for Primitive Methodists.
There are handsome National school-rooms, where upwards of 500 boys and girls are instructed, supported entirely by voluntary contributions; and an infant school, erected in 1853.

Here are extensive and flourishing ironworks; valuable mines of coal, ironstone and beds of clay, the Madeley Wood and the Madeley Court ironworks giving employment to about 1,400 persons.

Gasworks were established in this town about 1852, the principal shareholders being the inhabitants of the place.

The new County Court House was erected 1853; the building consists of a lofty court—room, registrar's and bailiff's office, retiring room and a dwelling house for the court keeper.

The population in 1861, with the districts, was 9,469; the acreage is 2,810; the soil is limy and stiff clay; the subsoil is loamy. J.G. Reynolds Esq. and W. Reynolds Esq. are lords of the manor; and the Madeley Wood Company, William Foster Esq., the Coalbrookdale Company, Henry Dickinson Esq., and John Anstice Esq. are the chief landowners. There are charities of £20 yearly.

POST OFFICE AND SAVINGS BANK — Mrs Anne Munday, postmistress. Letters arrive from Wellington at 6.45am; dispatched at 7pm. Money orders are granted and paid at this office from 9am to 6pm.

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS —
County Court — open from 10am to 4pm; Uvedale Corbett Esq. Judge; George Potts, registrar; William Bailey, deputy clerk; R. Thursfield, high bailiff; Thomas Pugh, under bailiff.
Gas Works — Hills Lane; Robert Duncan, secretary and manager.
Madeley Union House Job Hayes, master; Mrs Anne Hayes, matron.>

PUBLIC OFFICERS —
Collector Taxes, Edward Smith
Collector of Rates, William Weare, Ironbridge>

PUBLIC SCHOOLS —
National, Henry Roberts, master; Miss Annie Garner, mistress
Infant, Miss Rebecca Price, mistress

RAILWAY — London & North Western (Madeley Market Station) William Yond, station master and goods agent.