Survey of the Manor of Pembridge Castle, Welsh Newton

A volume of three coloured maps and accompanying schedules depicting farms in the Pembridge Castle estate, 1680-1685, drawn by William Hill. This item was purchased with the generous support of the Friends of the National Libraries, The V&A/ Arts Council England Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of Herefordshire Archives. It is apparent that numerous maps and schedules, originally included in the volume, have since been removed and sold separately.

The original volume contained surveys by William Hill of estates, from a swathe of the Midlands, belonging to The Honourable Thomas Talbot. Sections covering Leicestershire and Warwickshire, known once to have been included, had been separated long ago and one double page map had found its way, appropriately, to Shropshire Archives. This had been bound in the 19^th century and the index removed from the original volume had been pasted onto one of the relatively new boards.

Another map from the same source, illustrating the Pembridge Castle demesne, had been deposited with the Herefordshire Record Office in 1962, having spent many years in the custody of the Hereford City Library. The Herefordshire map and schedule had been rolled but the original pagination matched the numbering in the index to the Shropshire volume. Like this survey, the three paper estate maps in the original volume are remarkably early and well-preserved examples. They have also retained their vivid colouration, with boundaries picked out in gold and pink, yellow ochre compasses and plausibly depicted red roofed buildings. All the maps are the same size at 550mm x 443mm.

The surveys feature the various farms of The Mill in the parish of Welsh Newton, 1685, St Woolstone, in Welsh Newton, Whitchurch and Ganarew, which is undated, and The Hill in Llancloudy, 1680. Each named field is listed in the accompanying schedule with acreage and rent payable. It is particularly satisfying that the schedule for the Pembridge Castle demesne, long separated from its map, is included. A good series of court rolls, surrenders and other records of the manor of Welsh Newton for the period 1575-1850, are already held by the Archive Service, so the addition of the survey brings an added dimension to our understanding of its history.