Dunston, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lying on the west side of the A449 trunk road about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, close to Junction 13 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
. It lies at roughly 300 feet (98 m) above sea level.
History
Dunston was formerly part of the ancient parish of PenkridgePenkridge
Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
. In the middle ages it formed a member of the manor
Manor
-Land tenure:*Manor, an estate in land of the mediaeval era in England*Manorialism, a system of land tenure and organization of the rural economy and society in parts of medieval Europe based on the manor*Manor house, the principal house of a manor...
of Penkridge and at Domesday in 1066 this was a royal manor. However, by 1166, Robert de Stafford was recognised as lord and Hervey de Stretton was his tenant at Dunston, although the de Staffords retained land at Dunston at least until the 16th century. The lordship and the bulk of the land descended in the de Stretton family for several generations but, by 1285, they were renting most of their land to the Pickstock family, and in 1316 John Pickstock was named as lord of Dunston. The Pickstocks's were actually business people, burgess
Burgess
Burgess is a word in English that originally meant a freeman of a borough or burgh . It later came to mean an elected or unelected official of a municipality, or the representative of a borough in the English House of Commons....
es of the county town of Stafford. The lordship passed through their hands for several generations, uninterrupted even by the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, until John Pickstock granted most of his lands to members of the Derrington family in 1437. They held it for more than two centuries and sold it to Thomas Adshed in 1638. After only a decade it returned to the Pickstocks, as one Henry Pickstock bought the estate.
The history of the remainder of Dunston, retained by the de Staffords, is complex. A considerable part passed by inheritance to Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke
Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke
Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 15th Baron Latimer was a peer in the peerage of England.Greville Verney was born circa 1586, the son of Sir Richard Verney and Margaret Verney, 6th Baroness Willoughby de Broke...
in 1634 and stayed with his descendants until the 20th century. Other lands were being rented in the early 15th century by Sir Fulke Pembrugge, who became the owner of Tong
Tong
-Chinese:*Tang Dynasty, a dynasty in Chinese history when transliterated from Cantonese*Tong , a type of social organization found in Chinese immigrant communities*tong, pronunciation of several Chinese characters*See:...
castle. In 1577 Thomas Fowke, a London businessman and Merchant of the Staple
Merchants of the Staple
The Merchants of the Staple, also known as the Merchant Staplers, was an English company which controlled the export of wool to the continent during the late medieval period....
, bought what was now described as the Manor of Dunston from Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford
Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford
Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford was the second surviving son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole, the younger brother of Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford. He served in Parliament for Stafford...
. This he later divided in two with John Barbour, another businessman. After Fowkes's death, his share was sold by his son to William Anson, a City lawyer.George Anson (1731–1789)The Ansons held land at Dunston as they rose up the social ladder. George Anson (1731–1789)|George Anson]], a prominent Whig politician, was able to buy the other half of the manor. George's son became Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson was a British politician and peer.Anson was the son of George Adams, who later changed the family name to Anson in 1773, after inheriting Shugborough Hall from his maternal uncle, Lord Anson...
in 1806 and his grandson the first Earl of Lichfield
Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC , known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as Master of the Buckhounds between 1830 and 1834 and under Melbourne Postmaster General between 1835 and 1841...
in 1831.
A small portion of the Pickstock lands was rented by the Trumwyn family in the 14th century. This land ultimately passed in the late 16th century into the hands of John Cowper, who sold it to the Ansons in 1607, including a house called the Hall of Dunston. The Ansons leased the property and by the mid-19th century it was the home of the Perry family, from whom it passed to the Thorneycrofts.
Dunston was formally constituted a civil parish separate from Penkridge in 1866. Part of Penkridge was added to the civil parish of Dunston under the Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
Review Order of 1934, increasing the land area from 1448 acres (5.9 km²) to 1752 acres (7.1 km²). In 1680, there were 20 houses in Dunston, and in 1817 44 houses, with a population of 214. The population in 1951 was 295. In the next decade, however, the population rose by more than a third to 427.
St Leonard's Church
In the middle ages, Dunston was subject ecclesiastically to the large and important Collegiate Church of St. Michael at PenkridgePenkridge
Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
, a royal peculiar
Royal Peculiar
A Royal Peculiar is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than under a bishop. The concept dates from Anglo-Saxon times, when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishop of the area...
whose dean was from 1215 the Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
. The prebend of Dunston, land amounting to perhaps 50 acres, supported one of the canons of St. Michael's. The prebend was established some time before 1261 and was worth £5 6s. 8d. in 1291.
The village church has been dedicated to Leonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
, a saint concerned with the liberation of prisoners, since at least the 15th century, as Richard Talbot
Richard Talbot (archbishop of Dublin)
Richard Talbot , younger brother of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, was Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland...
, the dean and archbishop, confirmed this dedication in 1445 whilst declaring a hundred day indulgence for all who would visit it and make a contribution to it The prebendaries
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Dunston were responsible for the cure of souls
Cure of souls
In some denominations of Christianity, the cure of souls , an archaic translation which is better rendered today as "care of souls," is the exercise by a priest of his office. This typically embraces instruction, by sermons and admonitions, and administration of sacraments, to the congregation...
in the village. Prebendaries in royal chapels were generally absentees and paid vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
s to do their work for them, but no vicarage was apparently established for Dunston - a situation that persisted long after the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
.
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
, a crucial part of the Reformation legislation of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
's reign. A vicar was appointed at Penkridge, along with an assistant, and this arrangement persisted for several centuries. Ultimate control, however, rested with the successors to the royal peculiar. From 1585, this was the Littleton family of Pillaton Hall
Pillaton Hall
Pillaton Hall was an historic house located in Pillaton, Staffordshire, just outside of Penkridge, England. For more than two centuries it was the seat of the Littleton family, a family of local landowners and politicians.-Origins and history:...
, soon to become the Littleton Baronets
Littleton Baronets
Two Baronetcies have been created in the Baronetage of England for members of the Littleton family.The Littleton family had their origins in South Lyttleton, near Evesham, Worcestershire. Thomas de Littleton was appointed a judge at the Court of Common Pleas in 1464 and was created a Knight of the...
, and later Barons Hatherton
Baron Hatherton
Baron Hatherton, of Hatherton in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1835 for the politician Edward Littleton, Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1833 to 1834...
. They had advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
, the right to appoint clergy in the parish, and were not subject to the ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
, the Bishop of Lichfield
Bishop of Lichfield
The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 4,516 km² of the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed...
. The little church at Dunston was termed a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
with cure of Penkridge but no specific appointment was made to it: it was simply part of a wider parish, served by two clergy, with the curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
generally attending to services at Dunston. Only with the final winding up of the peculiar in 1858 and the establishment of a separate parish was the way was clear to provide adequate pastoral care through the establishment of a separate benefice. From 1868 the parish had a titular vicar, and from 1892 the benefice was merged with that of Coppenhall
Coppenhall
Coppenhall is a small settlement in Staffordshire, England. Coppenhall lies southwest of Stafford and NNW of Penkridge with Baron Stafford as lord of the manor. The parish of ~ is bounded on the east by the Pothooks Brook...
. A new building was erected at the expense of the Perry family.
The village church of St. Leonard's
Leonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
is medium sized, of Neo-Gothic style and was designed by architect Andrew Capper. Between 1876 and 1878 the old chapel was finally demolished and a new church erected on the same site.
It is a stone building in 14th century style and consists of nave, chancel, transepts, vestry, and a spired west tower. In 1887, a new churchyard, given by the family of a former parishioner, was consecrated, previous burials having been carried out at Penkridge. In 1907, the vestry was added and a new organ installed. The church contains memorial tablets to Thomas Perry (d. 1861), in whose memory the church was built, to his widow Mary (d. 1881), and to later members of the Perry family who lived at nearby Dunston Hall. There are memorial windows and a tablet to members of the Hand family including Charles Frederic Hand (d. 1900), also tablets to John Taylor Duce (d. 1886), Albert Pickstock (d. 1926), and three members of the Thorneycroft family (d. 1913, 1924, and 1943). The two bells of the ancient chapel in 1553, were replaced by one bell in the new church by 1889. This arrangement was then replaced in 1890 by a carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
of eight tubular bells, rung from a keyboard, donated by Mrs. Perry of Dunston Hall.
School
A primary school was built at Dunston in 1866 on a site given by the Earl of LichfieldEarl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history. Lord Bernard Stewart, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I for his actions at the battles of Newbury and Naseby but died before the creation could...
, building costs being met by subscription.
| Year | Attendance |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 15 |
| 1910 | 63 |
| 1930 | 60 |
| 1937 | 34 |
| 1955 | 32 |
It is now called Dunston Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Voluntary Primary Controlled School, Junior Mixed and Infants. The building is of red brick, the original block, dating from 1866, has lancet windows with diagonal glazing bars.
Notable local houses
Dunston Hall, rebuilt on the site of an older house by Frederick C. Perry c.1870, is a large stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed mansion bearing his monogram. It has Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
detail to the principal doorway and a central tower-like feature. Depressions in the north-east corner of the garden may indicate the presence of a former moat. The brick stable-range dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. The much extended Dunston Hall of today is divided into units for various businesses.
Dunston House, lying on the east side of the A449 trunk road opposite the church, is a square late 18th century building of red brick.
Dunston Farm is of earlier 18th century date.
The Toft, about a mile north-west of the village proper, known in the early 19th century as Old Toft, was built c.1700 and in its original form was a T-shaped brick house with a symmetrical front and a moulded stone cornice. The back wing has an early 19th century extension and at the front a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
porch and a bay-windowed addition dating from the 20th century. This property also has a stone figure of a woman's head and shoulders mounted on the upper corner of the building looking out over the cross-roads.
Notable people
Dunston was home to some members of the Thorneycroft family, who lived at Dunston Hall. George Benjamin Thorneycroft, son of the first MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
(with the same name), was living at the Hall by 1901. His grandson was George Edward Peter Thorneycroft
Peter Thorneycroft
George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, Baron Thorneycroft CH, PC , was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1957 and 1958.-Biography:...
, (1909-1994) who originated from the area and was the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
1938-1945, MP for Monmouth
Monmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouth is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post of election...
1945-1966, and was created Baron Thorneycroft of Dunston (Staffs) in 1967. He held various political offices, for example, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, and was Chairman of the Conservative Party 1975-1981. Peter Thorneycroft
Peter Thorneycroft
George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, Baron Thorneycroft CH, PC , was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1957 and 1958.-Biography:...
sold the Hall in 1951 which was then converted into flats and in 1956 was sold to the English Electric Company.