Jump to content

Ellesmere, Shropshire: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 24: Line 24:
In [[1177]] King [[Henry II of England]] gave [[Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd]] the manors of Ellesmere and Hales in England (who already had a castle at [[Rhuddlan]] and was, by this time, the sole ruler of [[Gwynedd]] who had married [[Emme of Anjou]], the half sister of Henry and the illegitimate daughter of [[Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou]], in the summer of [[1174]]).
In [[1177]] King [[Henry II of England]] gave [[Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd]] the manors of Ellesmere and Hales in England (who already had a castle at [[Rhuddlan]] and was, by this time, the sole ruler of [[Gwynedd]] who had married [[Emme of Anjou]], the half sister of Henry and the illegitimate daughter of [[Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou]], in the summer of [[1174]]).


In 1205, [[Llywelyn the Great]] married [[Joan, Lady of Wales]] illegitimate daughter of King [[John of England]] and Ellesmere was given to them as a wedding gift. Llywelyn's mother was Marared (Margaret), daughter of [[Madog ap Maredudd]], prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husband Iorwerth's death, Marared married into the Corbet family of Caux castle (near [[Westbury, Shropshire]], and Llywelyn may have spent part of his boyhood there.
In 1205, [[Llywelyn the Great]] married [[Joan, Lady of Wales]] illegitimate daughter of King [[John of England]] and Ellesmere was given to them as a wedding gift. Llywelyn's mother was Marared (Margaret), daughter of [[Madog ap Maredudd]], prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husband Iorwerth's death, Marared married into the [[Corbet (surname)|Corbet]] family of Caux castle (near [[Westbury, Shropshire]] - where Llywelyn may have spent part of his boyhood) and later, [[Moreton Corbet Castle]].


In 1435, Griifin Kynaston, [[Seneschal]] of the Lordship of Ellesmere, (born at Stocks of landed gentry - descended from the Princes of [[Powys]]), gave evidence at [[Shrewsbury]] to confirm the age of John Burgh, Lord of Mowthey, sponsored by Lord [[John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury]], [[Lordship of Ireland|lieutenant of Ireland]]<ref>{{cite journal
In 1435, Griifin Kynaston, [[Seneschal]] of the Lordship of Ellesmere, (born at Stocks of landed gentry - descended from the Princes of [[Powys]]), gave evidence at [[Shrewsbury]] to confirm the age of John Burgh, Lord of Mowthey, sponsored by Lord [[John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury]], [[Lordship of Ireland|lieutenant of Ireland]]<ref>{{cite journal

Revision as of 16:42, 20 March 2008

Ellesmere
Population3,223 
OS grid referenceSJ398349
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townELLESMERE
Postcode districtSY12
Dialling code01691
PoliceWest Mercia
FireShropshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Shropshire

Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.


History

Ellesmere Castle was an 11th-century motte-and-bailey castle built either by Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury or his son Roger the Poitevin at Castlefields overlooking the Mere. It no longer exists, and the top of the rise on which it stood is now a bowling green commanding a fine view.

In 1177 King Henry II of England gave Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd the manors of Ellesmere and Hales in England (who already had a castle at Rhuddlan and was, by this time, the sole ruler of Gwynedd who had married Emme of Anjou, the half sister of Henry and the illegitimate daughter of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, in the summer of 1174).

In 1205, Llywelyn the Great married Joan, Lady of Wales illegitimate daughter of King John of England and Ellesmere was given to them as a wedding gift. Llywelyn's mother was Marared (Margaret), daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husband Iorwerth's death, Marared married into the Corbet family of Caux castle (near Westbury, Shropshire - where Llywelyn may have spent part of his boyhood) and later, Moreton Corbet Castle.

In 1435, Griifin Kynaston, Seneschal of the Lordship of Ellesmere, (born at Stocks of landed gentry - descended from the Princes of Powys), gave evidence at Shrewsbury to confirm the age of John Burgh, Lord of Mowthey, sponsored by Lord John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, lieutenant of Ireland[1]. Griffin's fourth son, Sir Roger Kynaston, was appointed for life as Escheator and Sheriff of Merioneth and became constable of Harlech Castle and Sheriff of Shropshire. Through his second marriage to Elizabeth Grey, their descendants derived Royal descent. Humphrey Kynaston, the son of Roger's first wife Elizabeth Cobham and her first husband Lord Strange was, in 1491, declared an Outlaw by Henry VII and took shelter in a cave in the west point of Nesscliffe Rock, called to this day "Kynaston's Cave". He was pardoned in 1493.

The former Marcher Lordship of Ellesmere (formerly a Hundred in its own right) was annexed to Shropshire and the Hundred of Pymhill by section 11 of the Laws in Wales Act 1535.

Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere was born Lord Francis Leveson-Gower, in Ellesmere in 1587, later Viscount Brackley. A patron of the arts, in 1848, he purchased at auction for 355 guineas from the estate of "Richard Temple-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos", the only known (or suspected) portrait of William Shakespeare in existence. Ellesmere Island in Canada was named after him.

There was a tannery located on the edge of the mere, in what is now known as Cremorne Gardens. These gardens were given to the people of Ellesmere by Lord Brownlow.

Geography

The town is located by the side of 'The Mere', the largest natural Mere (lake) in England outside the Lake District and one of nine glacial Meres in the area. ('Glacial' means that the depression occupied by the mere was the location of a block of ice that persisted at the end of the last Ice Age.)

An artificial island in the Mere was constructed in 1812 from soil dug out during the making of the gardens at Ellesmere House. This was later named Moscow Island, as Napoleon was forced to withdraw from Moscow that year. The mere has a visitors' centre and is popular with birdwatchers, many of whom visit to see Grey Herons nesting. There are eight other meres nearby: Blakemere, Colemere, Crosemere, Kettlemere, Newtonmere, Whitemere, Sweatmere & Hanmer Mere.

The civil parish which constitutes the town is Ellesmere Urban - see also the parish of Ellesmere Rural. It lies in North Shropshire district.

Infrastructure

The A495 and A528 roads cross at Ellesmere. The latter runs 15 miles south-south-east from Ellesmere to the county town, Shrewsbury.

The town lies on a spur of the Llangollen Canal, which eventually terminates in Froncysyllte, Wales. It was originally known as the Ellesmere Canal. Thomas Telford was overall director of its construction. Work lasted from 1793 to 1805 with the aim of reaching Ellesmere Port, but never got that far due to costs. During its construction Telford lived in a house next to the canal in Ellesmere, which still stands today.

Ellesmere's most notable building is Ellesmere Old Town Hall, built in 1833.

Education

The town has two schools. Ellesmere Primary School is a primary and nursery school for boys and girls aged 4-11. The Lakelands School provides State-paid education for boys and girls in the 11-16 age range (for whom schooling is compulsory). Several other nearby schools serve the wider community, such as Welshampton Church of England school, which recently scored among the highest in the country in OFSTED reports in all categories.

A short distance outside the town is Ellesmere College, a public (i.e., private) boarding school founded in 1884 by Canon Nathaniel Woodard for sons of the middle classes. It is now a fully co-educational school catering for pupils from 7-18.

Sport in the Town

Ellesmere has always had a successful sporting tradition. This includes the Cricket Club, which after a number of years in the doldrums is on the rise with a successful first eleven which came runner up in the Shropshire Cricket League Division 4 in 2006 and were Division 3 champions in 2007. The club also has a thriving junior section, and coaching sessions take place on a Tuesday evening from 6.00-8.00pm throughout the cricket season, run by the club's own ECB qualified coaches and in compliance with child protection regulations. The club has entered under-11 and under-13 teams in the junior league. There are also plans to run a second eleven in the 2008 season. The external link below gives further information.

Ellesmere people

In chronological order by year of birth:-

  • Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury - castle builder - born c1030-1094
  • Mellet de Ellesmere (c1060-70), niece of William Peverel - about whom an epic tale "The Romance of Fouke le Fitz Warine" was told - depicting her marriage to Guarine or Warine de Metz known afterwards as "Guy le Strange"

See also

  1. ^ Archealogical Society, British (1871). "Collectanea Archaelogica": 223. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ellesmere,_Shropshire&oldid=199622075"