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Orleton
The Manor of Orleton was given by William the Conqueror to Ralph de Mortimer. It records Orleton as being in the Wolphy Hundred and Queen Edith held it. "There are 4 hides of land which pay tax. In Lordship there are 4 plough teams with I I villagers, 15 smallholders, a reeve (magistrate) a rider; between them 7 ploughs, 6 slaves, 5 ploughmen and I smith. The value before Domesday was E7. When the Manor was given to Ralph de Mortimer the Manor contained:- 4 hides taxable on the demesne lands, XI villiens, XV cottagers, a steward and a radman (a cultivator) with VI plough teams. There were 6 serfs, five cowherds and a blacksmith and the rental was reduced to 100 shillings. It may help to mention that a hide was a measure of land calculated by the amount that could be ploughed by one man and one ox in one year. That could range from 160 acres down to 20 or so depending on the quality of land. I've no doubt therefore that in Orleton "the 4 hides which pay tax" exceeded 600 acres. Demesne lands meant that retained by in this case Ralph de Mortimer for his use; and the villiens etc who lived on it would be obligated to give free service. The villiens were a little higher in the pecking order than serfs but they had very few privileges. Note the 'steward' too. He was the person left in charge in the absence of Ralph de Mortimer.
William the Conqueror put a tax valuation on all his new possessions and it would be interesting to know why Orleton Manor commanded less after Domesday. To make a few comparisons it was known that Stoke-St-Milborough was valued at £13 and Burwarton (towards Bridgnorth) was 2/-. We can deduce from these figures therefore that Orleton was still well placed in the valuation stakes. This is not a history of Orleton but the authors do hope that it will whet appetites and encourage others to fill in the gaps and delve deeper. Orleton is so near the Welsh Marches, Wigmore, Mortimer's Cross, Ludlow and Offa's Dyke that its life must have continued to be very unsettled throughout the Middle Ages. There can be no doubt that the villiens and cottagers would have had no alternative when ordered by their Lord but to take up arms and fight for whatever cause he happened to support at the time. And so Orleton has been a community at the centre of historical events and steeped in farming for a very long time.
Moving forward to the Victorian era Mr. Graham Hodgett's notes taken from Leominster News dated Friday 14 January 1887 gives an insight into health care, to quote:- "On Wednesday 29 December, an adjourned meeting was held in the schoolroom to make arrangements for the formation of a doctor's club, on the plan of a provident dispensary. The Vicar, Rev. W. E. Edwards, R.D. presided. At the previous meeting it was resolved to ask Howard D. Buss Esq. to attend and that gentleman was accordingly present. It was-ultimately agreed upon, after some discussion, to adopt-the doctor's terms, namely: four shillings per year per adult and one shilling per year for children below 16 years of age, to be paid quarterly in advance. The Committee will meet and consider a code of rules after which another public meeting will be called for their adoption. The club is open to the inhabitants of Orleton, Brimfield, Richards Castle, Bircher and the surrounding district. A surgery will be started in the village and a certain day each week will be appointed when the doctor will attend. Mr. F. Fonear of the School, Orleton, was appointed secretary to receive contributions, and it was stated that from him all particulars might be had. It was also decided that medical attendance be ensured on payment of the first quarterly contribution." Jumping many centuries forward, Kelly's Directory 1913 describes Orleton as "a village and parish on a loop of the Leominster and Ludlow road, which is also the direct road from Ludlow to Presteigne; I'/2miles from Woofferton Station on the Shrewsbury and Hereford (Great Western and London and North Western joint) railway, 5 miles south of Ludlow and 6 miles north of Leominster, in the northern division of the Wolphy hundred, Leominster Union, petty sessional and county court district; rural deanery of Leominster and archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford. The parish is 3 miles long and 2/4miles wide. John Richard Hill who is Lord of the Manor, Edward Howarth Greenly Esq. of Titley, Mrs. Bright of Ludlow, Mrs. O'Conor, the Governors of Lucton School and Mrs. Yapp are the chief landowners...... The chief crops are wheat, barley, beans, apples and hops. The area is 2,606 acres; rateable value £4,978; population in 1911, 584.
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