Broseley, Shropshire

Description
Broseley, a small town and a parish in Salop. The town stands on the river Severn, 4 miles NE of Much-Wenlock, 6 N of Bridgnorth, 7 1/2 SSE of Wellington, and 158 by rail from London. It has a station, Ironbridge and Broseley, on the Severn Valley branch of the G.W.R., about a mile from the town. It extends away from the river a distance of 2 miles, in an irregularly-built street, crossed at intervals by small lanes. It is surrounded by a mining district, in which coal and ironstone are worked; it carries on manufactures of fire-bricks, tiles, and tobacco pipes, and it has a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.), a bank, a town-hall, and a newsroom and library. A handsome fountain of Grinshill stone, in the Early Decorated style, was erected as a memorial to Mr. Pritchard, who was a native of Broseley and high-sheriff of Salop. The church is in the Perpendicular style, and was rebuilt in 1845 at a cost of £9000, with handsome square crocketed pinnacled tower. There are Roman Catholic, Congregational, Baptist, Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist, and Plymouth Brethren chapels. The town is within the municipal borough of Much-Wenlock, and is a seat of petty sessions. There is a fair on the last Tuesday of April. The parish comprises 1991 acres; population of the civil parish, 4033 ; of the ecclesiastical, 3047. The living is a rectory, united with the rectory of Linley, in the diocese of Hereford; gross value, £327 with residence. Patron, Lord Forester. The rectory of Jackfield is a separate charge; value, £120 with residence.