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The Parish of
Pipe Ridware
In
1086 Pipe Ridware was known as Media or
Parva Ridware and was held under the King by
the Bishop of Chester, and under the latter
by Alfric. Stebbing Shaw thinks it likely
that ‘Alfric had succeeded his Saxon
ancestors in the tenure under the bishop;
consequently that no change, either of lord
or vassal took place in this Ridware at the
Conquest’. Similarly, across the river in
Handsacre, the Saxon lords held the manor
under the Bishop of Chester. Stebbing Shaw
speculates that these two manors may have
been the remnants of an older political unit
which controlled and defended the Trent
crossings.
The
Domesday Book records land for one plough in
Pipe Ridware. Later documentation however
indicates that other landowners including
the Earl of Stafford in 1393 and William de
Handsacre had claims to land within the
manor.
The
name is derived from the family of Pipe who
came into the manor in 1286 by the marriage
of Maud, the daughter of Thomas de
Thamenhorne to Robert de Pipe. In 1443 the
manor passed into the Vernon family of
Haddon and Harlaston through marriage and
then into the Chadwick family. In 1614 John
Chadwick ‘gave his said manor and fishery to
Henry Agarde of Kings Bromley, esq. in
exchange for certain lands in Mavesyn
Ridware and a fishery in the said river
within Armitage and Handsacre’.
According to Stebbing Shaw:
‘There seems reason to
believe that the ancient manerial hall was
not situate on the Trent, but at or near
Linacre by …deed in 1319…it is likely, the
place afterwards named Quinten’s Orchard, as
it continues to be, from the farmers or
occupiers of that name living there in 1606,
and afterwards; and near this farm house,
which is not distant from a field still
bearing the name of Linacre, is the
appearance of a small ancient moat, with
extensive adjoining orchards, along the
bottom of which, tradition says, the
principal road to Lichfield passed
anciently.’
The present farmhouse at Pipe
Ridware dates from the mid-19th century,
replacing a timber-framed building
constructed by John Whitehall in the late
17th century. John Whitehall was a noted
apiarist, utilising a wide variety of hives.
The remains of his wall-mounted hives or
beeboles, can still be seen. On the same
site are the remains of a dovecote, which
survives from the former manor house.
Between the church and the
farmhouse is Wheelwright’s House, which was
probably built at the beginning of the 17th
century. This is a listed building,
consisting of a timber-framed lath and
plaster panel construction, with a baffle
entry and inglenook. It is typical of the
great rebuilding which occurred in the
decades before the Civil War.
On the other side of the road
from the church is Littleton House, formerly
the Littleton Arms public house. In 1834
John Newman was named as a victualler in the
Trade Directory. Since known establishments
were listed under the landlord’s names as
victuallers, it seems reasonable to assume
that Mr Newman sold beer. In 1850 the
victualler at Pipe Ridware was a Bradbury
and by 1854 it was listed as the Littleton
Arms. It was de-licensed in 1919 for being a
‘disorderly house’. The story goes that the
Rev Sampson, the Rector of St James Church,
grew increasingly annoyed about the noisy
carousing across the road. The matter
appeared to come to a head when one of the
customers threw a tankard at the church bell
when a service was being held! You can still
see on the wall of the house the inscription
in large letters ALL KINDS OF….. perhaps
the last, now vanished, word was ALES?
St James Church, now Ridware
Theatre, was built in 1842 to replace a
church on the same site that was probably
constructed in or around 1638. The present
chancel was built in 1898 and was designed
by Aldrid Scott, a famous ecclesiastical
architect of the day. Prior to its
conversion into a theatre an ancient font,
thought to be of Saxon origin, was moved to
the church of St Michael at Hamstall
Ridware.
The
population over the years has always been
small; the 1662 Hearth Tax returns show that
Pipe Ridware had 28 hearths. Census returns
for 1831 give a population of 111 and for
1841 only 100.
In the Civil War Captain
Watson had a troop of horse quartered here
as evidenced by the following letter:
‘These are to charge and
command you to bringe to my quarters att
Pipe Ridware, such provision of horse meate,
and mens meate, as shall be sufficient for a
troope containing the number of 60; that is
to say, beife, mutton, bread, veale &c. and
for every horse a peck of provender a day,
and for every day a load of hay. You are to
bring in your week’s provision on Thursday
next; fail not at your perill.
Daniell Wattson.
Pipe Ridware, April 28, 1646’.
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