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1840
THE GOOD MEN OF RUYTON
This poem, written about 1840 for a local gathering,
mentions many of the then inhabitants of Ruyton and their good qualities.
Irena White has checked the 1840 census and has found
out more about the names mentioned. See the
end of the poem.
To a village called Ruyton one day in fine weather
The Alphabet sent deputations together,
To feast where the cup of enjoyment might flow,
And in friendship extinguish the smould`rings of woe.
A was absent however, though first on the list,
And all felt how much Alexander was missed.
For B were the Bickertons,
Basnet, and others,
All men of good metal, and two of them brothers;
Brown,
and Broughton the Doctor,whose skill does so frighten
Old death that he cries “What`s the matter with Ruyton?”
C was old Comberbatch,
lets give him a shout,
For he`s one of the very best neighbours about;
And Corden
include, with his Reverence of Ness,
So known for relieving the poor in distress.
D gave not one Davies,
but doubled it o`er,
Each a team in himself, aye and half a horse more.
E cannot so easily one rhyme be clapt in,
For first there`s our loyal magnanimous Captain,
And then there`s our Vicar, who true doctrine teaches,
I wish we could
practise as well as he preaches.
F seemed to forget us, and so stopt away,
Never mind he may furnish his quota some day.
G gave us a gentleman Glover, and know, Sirs,
In his next neighbour Griffiths a whole gross of Grocers.
H was honoured in Humphreys,
and that very rare man
The prince of good company Samuel Harman.
I was idle; but
J gave us Jebb, and that`s plenty,
For at home or abroad he is equal to twenty.
Now the next you`re expecting, but what shall I say,
Or how shall I compass the merits of K?
As landlord or magistrate? Let`s fill a bumper,
And I need name no name, for you know who`s the
plumper.
L contributed Large-ly
and M made us merry,
Morris,
Mansell, and Minton were grand ones, aye very;
Nor omit we Tom
Maddocks, our sensible farrier,
Who has got a good wife and done nothing but marry
her.
N has sent us in nothing; We had Oswells
for O,
And who are better than they I should like to know?
For P Q R S there at present is room,
But unless they`re tip top let `em still stay at home.
T stood for Timmis
who furnished the board
With all that earth, water, or air could afford.
U was utterly blank when his ticket was drawn;
V sent us a volume of virtues in Vaughan.
With the next and last letter I shall but briefly
trouble you,
All were warranted trumps who were turned up by W;
There was he whom Miss
Slaney the peerless in worth
Hoped
to find, and has found, the best
husband on earth;
And he, don`t you see, when I mention him, Wood,
How merry Grig Hill shakes its forested hood?
And to end with the other, lets charge great guns and
small,
With a cheer of his own to jolly Bob Wall.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NAMES MENTIONED FROM THE 1840 census
Charles
ALEXANDER – Sawyer
Charles
ALEXANDER – Farmer
BASNET,
of Wykey
Samuel
BICKERTON – Farmer Ruyton Park.
Robert
BROUGHTON – Surgeon of Clyffe House. He
is related to Rev.
Richard
BROWN – Farmer who was renting Ruyton Hall and farming from Hall Farm
Robert
Suker COMBERBACH – Grocer of independent means also Victualler and owner of the
Powis Arms now Powis House.
Charles,
son of Robert
Thomas,
son of Robert. 1851 grocer & draper
John,
COMBERBACH – Miller at New Mills, Mill Lane.
Richard
CORDEN – Farmer at Lawn Farm
George
DAVIES – Shoemaker at Quarry Bank Buildings – do not know where this was.
Robert
DAVIES – Shoemaker
Captain
G.R. EDWARDS
Rev
George EVANS – Vicar 1823-1859 related to Robert Broughton, Surgeon by marriage.
John
GLOVER – Farmer
Charles
GLOVER – Farmer
Richard
GRIFFITHS – Grocer. 1851 freeholder,
Maltster & shopkeeper.
John
HUMPHREYS – Farmer, Hanley Hall – just past Shotatton X roads on the right
Joseph
HUMPHREYS
Samuel
HARMAN Esq. – Independent means
JEBB
– Tennant of Park House. The Jebb family
were from Ellesmere, Eglantine Jebb started Save the Children charity in 1919
K
– Thomas KENYON – Farmer at Pradoe.
LARGE
–
John
MORRIS – Shoemaker
Edward
MORRIS – Shoemaker
Thomas
MORRIS – Eardiston
Alfred
MANSELL –
Thomas
Rowland MINTON – Clifton House.
William
Rowland MINTON
Thomas
MADDOCKS – Farmer & Farrier, The Grove, Church Street
William
OSWELL – Eardiston House.
Lydia
TIMMIS – Inn Keeper, Powis Arms, Commercial Inn, Owner Robert Suker Comberbach.
Thomas,
TIMMIS – Inn Keeper
Thomas
jn. TIMMIS – Inn Keeper
Miss
Mary SLANEY – married W.R.M. Wynne, rented Ruyton Hall during 1841. Magistrate
of the county of Salop and Merioneth
William
VAUGHAN – Farmer, The Lodge
William
WOOD – Farmer, Grig Hill
Bob/Robert
WALL – Farmer, Shotatton
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| A group of good men |
