HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 279 



Marston is another township in this parish. It contains some 

 farms belonging to Henry Crockett, Esq. Orslow is a capital 

 estate belonging to Lord Bradford ; and Shushions, another pro- 

 ductive corn-farm, is the property of the Littleton family, of Ted- 

 desley, which has long been occupied by one of the Crockett fa- 

 mily. A brook which comes from Gnosall, separates this parish on 

 the N.E. side from Bradley, passing on and falling into the Penk 

 below Cuttlestone bridge. 



BRADLEY is a considerable parish of Cuttlestone west, includ- 

 ing Billington and Woollaston liberties. According to the popu- 

 lation returns in 1811, Bradley contained 106 houses, 106 fami- 

 lies 3 284 males, 279 females : total, 563. Of these inhabitants 97 

 families were employed in agriculture, and only nine in handi- 

 crafts. This parish is of considerable extent, being four miles in 

 length, and the average breadth full two miles, and it contains 

 4000 acres of land. 



The village of Bradley contains several farm-houses and small 

 tenements. According to an enumeration made in 1800, the parish 

 contained 102 houses, and 620 inhabitants ; so that, notwithstand- 

 ing the boasted salubrity of this district, there has been a diminu- 

 tion of 57 in the number of the inhabitants in eleven years. 



Bradley Church is an ancient fabric of stone, with a tower. It 

 is dedicated to All Saints, and is a curacy. 



Billington is a township in this parish, which extends within 

 two miles of Stafford. It contains several tenements and farms, 

 and the vestiges of an ancient fortification, which, from its proxi- 

 mity to Stafford castle, might formerly have had some connection 

 with that fortress. 



Shredicote is another division of Bradley parish, and contains se- 

 veral farms. 



LAPLEY is a parish of Cuttlestone west, situated to the south of 

 Bradley, and containing the township of Wheaton-Aston. The 

 soil of Lapley is various, in some places light and mixed loam, and 

 in others, especially towards Lapley-wood, thinner and colder clay. 

 A rivulet comes from Wheaton-Aston, and another from Marston, 

 which separately and together water the skirts of this parish, and 

 enable the farmers to form good meadows on the banks. Accord- 

 ing to the population returns in 1811, this parish, including 

 Wheaton-Aston, contained 141 inhabited houses, 154 families; 

 353 males, 393 females : total 746 persons. 



Lapley was formerly a market-town, according to Dr. Wilke&'s 



