HISTORY OP STAFFORDSHIRE. 3U 



soil, adapted to the cultivation of wheat, and pulse, with good 

 meadow land on the banks of the rivulets. This parish contain* 

 52 houses, 52 families ; 144 males, 148 females : total of inhabi- 

 tants, 292. 



ELLENHALL is situated about two miles to the north-west ot 

 Ronton. The village consists of several good modern houses, in 

 an elevated situation, on each side of the turnpike-road between 

 Stafford and Eccleshall. The parish is but small, and is chiefly re- 

 markable for containing the manor-house of the ancient family of 

 the Noels, from whom it devolved by marriage to the Harcourts. 



The Church of Ellenhall is a small modern structure, situated 

 in a field on the highest part of the eminence near the village. The 

 nave and tower are built of brick, and the chancel of tonc. It is 

 dedicated to St. Mary, and is a curacy : the Rev. William Hickcn, 

 jun. is the present minister. 



The soil of this parish, and the circumjacent country in general, 

 is a strong marly loam, on a deep marl bottom, in some places in- 

 clined to gravel. This parish contains 47 houses, 49 families ; 127 

 males, 124 females: total of persons, 251. 



ECCLESHALL 



Is an extensire parish in Pirehill North, containing nineteen 

 townships, namely, Aspley, Bromley, Broughton, Charnes, Chat- 

 well, Chorlton-hill, Coldmeece, Cotes, Croxton, Horseley, Mill- 

 meece, Pershall, Podmore, Slindon, Sugnall Magna, Sugnall Parva, 

 Three Farms, Walton, and Wooton. 



The town of Eccleshall is a place of great antiquity, and is said 

 to have been founded by the Romans in the first century. The fol- 

 lowing record of Eccleshall town and castle was communicated by 

 a correspondent : 



" When Nero was Emperor of the Roman empire, Auviragus was 

 King of Britain. Vespasian, then general of the Roman army in 

 Britain, built a town in a large marsh on the banks of the river 

 Sow, adjacent to the forest of Bloor, and ordered one of the Roman 

 standards to be kept there. The standard represented an eagle, 

 and the town was called Eaglets-hall. It was built about the year 

 60. On the southern side, at the foot of the hill, a temple was 

 erected to Jupiter, and a flameary or place for sacrifices. About 



