HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 185 



COMPTON is a small village to the east of Tettenhall-wood, con- 

 taining several farm and other houses, with a wharf and some 

 warehouses on the Canal. The mansion and demesne of Wight- 

 wick, to the south-west, have been purchased by P. T. Hinckes, 

 Esq. of Tettenhall-wood. Aldersley consists of two farms, also the 

 property of this gentleman. Here the Birmingham Canal commu- 

 nicates with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire, forming what is 

 called the Aldersley junction. 



PENDEFORD is situated upon the Penk, and consists of the man- 

 sion of Thomas Fowler, Esq. three farm-houses, a few tenements, 

 and about 1000 acres of land : the estate is well timbered, and con- 

 tains free-stone. 



WROTTESLEY, about two miles west of Tettenhall, is the seat of 

 the Wrottesleys, whose ancestors have possessed it for many cen- 

 turies. The house stands upon a rising ground, and was erected 

 about 1696 by Sir Walter Wrottesley : it is a large and magnificent 

 structure. This family trace their descent from Sir Hugo de Wrot- 

 tesley, Knt. (1 Henry III.) to the present Sir John Wrottesley, 

 Bart. M. P. for the city of Lichfield in 1799. He married, in 1795, 

 Caroline, eldest daughter of the Earl of Tankerville, by whom he 

 has issue. 



Nurton and Perton are small hamlets belonging to the Wrottes- 

 ley family : Trescote contains nothing remarkable. 



A dreadful thunder-storm, with hail, happened in this neighbour- 

 hood, on the 18th August, 1742, which completely threshed-out the 

 growing corn, and occasioned much damage : the hail-stones re- 

 mained under the roofs of buildings for several days. 



On Thursday, December 27, 1799, at Tettenhall-wood, Fahren- 

 heit's thermometer stood 8 above zero, dr 24 below the freezing 

 point : the cold was equally intense in January, 1814. 



CODSALL is a small village and parish, picturesquely situated on 

 an eminence, to the south of Tettenhall : the manor forms part of 

 Tettenhall Clericorum, and belongs to the Wrottesleys. The church, 

 dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a curacy in the patronage of that family, 

 several of whom are buried here. In the church-yard is a handsome 

 monument to the memory of Nathaniel Barrett, Esq. 



On the road leading to Tettenhall, is the Birches, belonging to 

 J. T. Stubbs, Esq. ; about half a mile to the west of the village, the 

 Stockings, a good house and estate, the property of Mr. Bedford ; 

 and near it, Wood-hall, an ancient family-seat of the Deanes, but 

 now tenanted. 



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