MEMOIR OF JOSIAH WEDGWOOD. 445 and which, when completed, will be an ornament to that now populous vicinity. We have been reminded of an oversight in our account of the Volunteer Corps in the various parts of the Potteries, during the late French War,* in having said nothing of a corps of infantry raised at Etruria, and commanded by John Wedgwood, Esq., with the rank of Captain. It consisted of two companies, numbering about 110 men, chiefly workmen at the manufactory, and was independent of the Hanley and Shelton corps: we believe it was kept on foot till 1809, but did not unite with the local militia force. One circumstance of earlier occurrence, relating to the history of Etruria, shall conclude our account of this locality. In the year 1783, on the conclusion of the American war, when there was a great dearth, and trade was stagnant, riots took place in several of the manufacturing towns and districts, and Etruria was the scene of a formidable one. A boat, laden with flour and cheese, had stopped at the wharf near the manufactory, and the cargo was intended to have been there delivered for consumption in the potteries; but, by a sudden determination of the owners, the boat was directed to proceed forward to Manchester. Information was given by some parties to the provision-dealers in Hanley and Shelton, and by them to their anxious customers; the people were led to believe that a design was formed further to enhance the scarcity and price; a large number of them collected together, and hastened down to Etruria, determining to arrest the progress of the boat; but before they got there, she had proceeded onward towards her new destination. They followed, and overtook her at Longport, where they seized her, and brought her back to Etruria. They then took out the flour and cheese, and sold it at a reduced price, paying over the proceeds, however, to the master of the boat. A second boat, laden with provisions, which had come up to the locks, was also seized by them, and the * Sec cargo disposed of in like manner. There was then stationed at Newcastle a company of the Welsh Fusileers, which, with a detachment of the Staffordshire militia, under the command of Major Sneyd, who happened to be at Keel at the time, were marched to Etruria during these riotous proceedings, in order to quell them. The Major, with much humanity, harangued the mob on the wickedness and danger of their conduct; but they had become daring and insolent. Two magistrates were on the spot; the riotact was read; and, at the end of the hour's grace, the Major was under the necessity of proceeding to disperse them by force. On the order being given to the military to charge, the rioters fled in all directions; two of them who had been noticed as their leaders or most daring abettors, were immediately afterwards arrested, and committed to Stafford gaol for trial. Their names were Stephen Barlow, and Joseph Boulton, and they were charged with the capital offence at the assizes, which were held within a few days afterwards. Barlow was convicted, and left for execution; and notwithstanding great exertions were made to save his life, he suffered the extreme penalty of the law. The government were alarmed at the popular disposition to tumult; and poor Barlow became a victim rather to the public safety, than to the heinousness of his crime. CHAPTER XXI. Stoke-upon-Trent. THE NAME OF STOKE DEFINED.-EARLY SEAT OF A CHURCH.-INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO BRITAIN.-EXTENT OF THE ANCIENT PARISH.-CHURCH INDIRECTLY NOTICED IN DOMESDAY.-CAVERSWALL PROBABLY A MEMBER. SUBSEQUENT NOTICES OF STOKE IN ANCIENT RECORDS-VIVIAN OF STOKE, KING JOHN'S CHAPLAIN.-INCIDENTS RESPECTING HIM.-ADVOWSON APPENDANT TO THE MANOR OF NEWCASTLE. POPE NICHOLAS'S TAXATION. - INQUISITION OF NONES.ECCLESIASTICAL SURVEY OF HENRY VIII.-ERDESWICKE'S NOTICE OF STOKE. CURATES' SALARIES.-PROGRESSIVE HISTORY OF THE RECTORY— ACT OF 1807, FOR DIVIDING THE PARISH.-TABLE OF INCOME OF THE SEVERAL RECTORIES, 1831.-ADVOWSON, PURCHASED BY JOHN TOMLINSON, ESQ. HIS MANAGEMENT.—ACT OF 1827, FOR SELLING THE TITHES, &C.FUNDS PRODUCED THEREBY.--OTHER RESOURCES OF THE LIVING.--VIEW OF THE LATE CHURCH.-SITUATION AND DESCRIPTION IN 1824.-CHURCH ALES.-PROBABLE ERA OF ITS FOUNDATION.-LIST OF RECTORS.PAROCHIAL NOTICES.-CHURCHWARDENS' AND OVERSEERS' ACCOUNTS.PRODUCE OF RATES, &C. IN THE 17TH CENTURY.-PARISH REGISTERS. -REMARKS THEREON. STOKE-UPON-TRENT, the name conferred by the Reform Act upon this extensive borough, belonged to the ancient parish, out of which nearly the whole superficies of the borough was carved. It presents a very uncommon instance of a country parish without any vill or township corresponding to its name. In all the neighbouring large parishes, and others that we are acquainted with, the place of the parish-church has a civil district of the same name; but Stoke is merely an ecclesiastical division, embracing at present many contiguous hamlets, and formerly of much larger extent. It was (as its name imports) The Place* of the Church for a very large country territory; its extent affords absolute proof of the great antiquity of the foundation; for, when Christianity was first planted, churches were, of course, but sparingly scattered over the face of the country, the worshippers being few, if we ascend to the remote era, when the religion of the Cross, introduced into Britain by the apostles or their immediate agency, had to encounter the prejudices, the pride, and the power, of Pagan superstition. Probably the Christian religion was brought to this island concurrently with the Roman armies, by which it was subdued under Claudius Cæsar; for though the early Christians did not enlist under heathen banners, they might fulfil many offices of humanity, as followers. Their holy zeal, and the command of their risen Lord, then quite fresh in their memories" Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature"t-would prompt the Apostles to proceed as missionaries, or ordain others to go, wherever the Imperial legions might be ordered to march, and endeavour to assuage the horrors of war by the consolations of their holy faith. That there were numerous Christians at Rome, in the reign of Claudius, St. Paul's Epistle to that community, written shortly afterwards, sufficiently proves as little can it be questioned, that some of those zealous converts would accompany the armies into the distant provinces of the empire, and there preach the religion of peace, though to the philosophers of Greece and Rome, it might be deemed foolishness, and though at the same period it was (as the unbelieving Jews of Rome testified) every where spoken against. It may not be a very violent presumption to suppose, that Christianity in this part of Britain was diffused from the Roman Station of Mediolanum (Chesterton), fixed within four miles of the Church of Stoke, and upon the direct line therefrom of Rikeneld Street. We shall not enlarge upon the question, + Mark xvi., v. 15. * "Stoc," a Place. (A. S. Dict.) Acts, xxviii., v. 22. § See chap. I, pp. 10, &c. EARLY STATE OF THE CHURCH. 449 when, and how, the Christian faith was first promulgated; but maintain, for the reasons alleged, that the Church of Stoke was founded in the earliest period of British Christianity. The structure might be of wood, or wattles, in its origin, as most of the very early churches were; and it may have undergone several transformations previous to its now recent one; but it was the place of the Church, and so designated by our Saxon forefathers, by way of distinction, even whilst they were strangers to the heavenly truths which were there taught. When, however, they adopted Christianity, and had partitioned out the country into vills and hamlets, they awarded due honour to one of the oldest Christian temples, and assigned for its support a territory exceeding thirty square miles in extent, consisting of more than twenty vills or hamlets, of which the following table exhibits the modern condition : ACRES. The Borough of Newcastle (or what is { 607} now so appropriated) Penkhull and Boothen, together...... 1629 Shelton Present Parish of Acres...... 21,202 |