HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 3S3 



The ancient family-vault of the House of Trentham is in the 

 Church, and none of the family have yet been interred in this new 

 cemetery. 



Longevity. Thomas Elkon, of Spratslade, died Feb. 7, 1783, 

 aged 91 years ; Ann Lakin, aged 89 years. 



There is a remarkable inscription in the church-yard, which points 

 out the antiquity of a family resident in this parish : " To the Me- 

 mory of the Boulds from the year of our Lord 1558." 



" Trentham, heretofore called Trichingham, is of no note for any 

 thing ancient, but a little monastery dedicated to the holy and 

 royal virgin, St. Werburga, and erected for canons regular of St. 

 Augustine, in the reign of William Rufus. Ranulph de Gernons, 

 Earl of Chester, is said to be the founder of this monastery."* But 

 as that Earl lived in the time of king Stephen, it is probable he 

 was only the restorer of it, and a benefactor to it. He granted 

 the canons " a yearly rent of 1005. which gift was confirmed to 

 them with divers immunities, by King Henry the Second. It was 

 valued at the Dissolution at ,106. 3s. Wd. per annum."f 



According to Pope Nicholas's taxation in 1291, the Church of 

 Trentham, then appropriated to the prior and convent of the same, 

 was valued at twenty marks. 



Lady Catherine Leveson, daughter of Alice Duchess of Dudley, 

 gave .400. to the township of Trentham, to purchase lands of the 

 yearly value of <20. for the support of a schoolmaster to teach 

 the poor children of the parish, until they be fit to be put forth 

 apprentices to some honest trade and occupation. She also gave 

 to the poor of this parish fifty pounds, to be distributed to them on 

 the day of her funeral. She also gave the yearly rent of c120. 

 for the maintenance of twelve poor widows, whereof three were to 

 fee chosen out of this township, by the minister, churchwardens, and 

 overseers of the poor, and to have a gown of grey cloth with the 

 letters K. L. in blue cloth fixed on it. As also one hundred pounds 

 per annum to be paid out of her rents and revenues at Foxley in 

 Northamptonshire, for the placing out ten boys apprentice, two of 

 them to be of this parish, where she died in 1673, but was buried 

 at Lilleshall, by her husband Sir Richard Leveson. His sister and 

 co-heir marrying Sir Thomas Gower, brought this lordship into 

 his family, who made it his seat, and whose descendants were ele- 

 vated to a peerage. Sir John Leveson Gower, the 5th Baronet, 



* Dugdale's Moaasticon, Vol. 9, p. 260. 



+ Magna Britannia, No. 63, p. 154* 



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