Calendar of the medieval deeds in the Acton Collection

The deeds relate to the property acquired by the Acton family of Aldenham over a period of seven centuries and illustrate the history of the family and that of the Acton family of Acton Scott with whom they were joined by marriage in the seventeenth century.

• <famname>Acton family, baronets, of Aldenham, Hertfordshire</famname>
• <famname>Acton family of Acton Scott, Shropshire</famname>

The deeds which have been listed here form part of the Acton collection which was deposited in the Shropshire Record Office by Lord Acton in October 1960.

The Actons of Aldenham derive their surname from Acton Burnell in central Shropshire but the origins of the family are obscure. George Morris begins his pedigree of the family with an Engelard de Acton but Eyton in his entry for Acton Burnell makes no mention of a person of this name. (Antiquities of Shropshire Vol. VI p.121-139) There is, however, an Engelard de Acton cited in a suit of 1222 relating to land in Acton Round and other evidence suggests that the property is really in Acton Burnell. (Eyton op. cit. Vol. IV p. 124; SRO 1514/59) The first reference to an Acton of Aldenham is in the fourteenth century when Edward de Acton was sheriff (1383) Blakeway Sheriffs of Shropshire and his descendants appear to have established themselves at Aldenham. There has been some difference of opinion as to when the Actons obtained the manor of Aldenham but the following evidence may serve to elucidate this question. The family of Baskerville were the immediate tenants of the Crown in this manor from early on and a family with the surname of Aldenham held in chief of them. Eyton (op. cited.) Vol. 1 p 79 Blakeway Blakeway (op. cit.) believes that the aforementioned Edward de Acton was in possession of the manor but this is unlikely since the heiress of the Aldenham family, who married John de Elmerugge, could not have obtained the manor until the death of her uncle and George Morris' pedigree for this family shows that he was alive in 1371. The most important evidence in this collection is a gift of 1465 in which John de Elmerugge and William Hextall concede the manor of Aldenham to Thomas Acton and others (S.R.O. 1093/2/170) and Thomas' Inquisition Post Mortem lists the manor as among his property.

During the next century the Actons begin to consolidate their land around Aldenham and acquire among other property the manors of Haughton and Oldbury, the Forest of Shirlett, which is in several parishes, land in Acton Round and the Prebend of Morville. Acquisitions in the seventeenth century include the manors of Acton Round, Parrow, and Asteley Abbots, houses and land in Bridgnorth and Overton's estate in Chetton. The most important addition at this time was incurred by the marriage of Walter Acton of Aldenham and Frances, the heir of the Actons of Acton Scott, in 1623.

This family derive descent from a family called Le Scot who appear to have resided at a place called Acton which from them became known as Acton Scott. Prior to their marriage with the Actons of Aldenham, the Actons of Acton Scott had acquired land in Acton Scott, Smethcott, Eaton-under-Heywood and Wistanstow while property in Stanton Lacy and Alberbury was obtained by marriage. After the union of the two families a member of the Actons of Aldenham succeeded to the Acton Scott estate and was known as Acton of Acton Scott. In the eighteenth century they obtained more land in Acton Scott and some in Loppington and Ellesmere by marriage.

Among property acquired by the Actons of Aldenham in the eighteenth century mention should be made of some in Oldbury and a marriage settlement of 1745 shows Sir Richard Acton as holding the manor of Morville. In the nineteenth century Morville property including the Hall and chief part of the village was acquired.

Prior to the compilation of the present list, the deeds had been arranged in a drawer system. They were seperate from the other documents relating to the estate but there did not appear to be any order within the drawers. Evidence that the deeds had been examined recently can be gained from the endorsements and the considerable number grouped in bundles especially those concerning Morville. It is difficult to know which if any of these bundles are original but some appeared to be quite haphazard and without meaning.

For the purpose of listing, the deeds are put under modern parishes and arranged in topographical groups. The medieval deeds have been treated in full followed in each parish by an outline of the modern deeds relating to the same property. The main division is between the property of the Actons of Aldenham and that of the Actons of Acton Scott.

The first group consists of the parishes around Morville. They are arranged alphabetically beginning with Acton Round. Those for Bridgnoth are arranged by streets, the main division being between High Town and Low Town. Within this division the streets are arranged topographically and followed by those relating to the common fields. Morville has the largest number of medieval deeds in the collection chiefly concerning Croft and Haughton. The places are arranged alphabetically beginning with Aldenham. Dunfowe has been put under Morville as there is no certainty that it is the modern Dunvall but it is likely that it was a manorial adjunct of Morville. Oldbury begins with the manor followed by a group of deeds relating to purchases in the eighteenth century while the remaining are in alphabetical order except for the last which relate to land for a leather mill and the manors of Severnhall and Oldbury. Those concerning Shirlett Forest have been arranged chronologically.

In the second group are the parishes of Barrow, Much Wenlock and Willey. Those relating to Much Wenlock begin with the township of Wenlock followed by Atterley and Walton, which are closely connected, then Presthope and Widows Field. The Willey deeds include a considerable number relating to the township of Bold.

In the third group are modern deeds concerning the parishes of Highley, Stottesdon and Neen Savage together with a deed relating to a large number of parishes. The parishes of Clee St. Margaret and Stanton Long are in the fourth group- the deed under Stanton Long refers to Corve which may be the modern Corve Barn.

The fifth group consists of the parishes of Acton Scott and Rushbury. Only deeds which refer to the Actons of Aldenham have been put here. In the sixth group are the parishes of Berrington and Cound. The Actons originated from Golding in Cound and from the neighbouring parish of Acton Burnell.

The seventh group relates to property obtained after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the eighth to Rodington and the ninth to unidentified medieval deeds.

The deeds of the Actons of Acton Scott begin with Acton Scott, that is land acquired before the marriage in 1623 and that gained after that date by members of the Acton of Aldenham family calling themselves Acton of Acton Scott. Those relating to Eaton-under-Heywood are all modern while the Wistanstow deeds are divided into Cheney Longville and Wistanstow.

In the second group is the parish of Stanton Lacy which includes the earliest deed in the collection. The third group consists of Leebotwood and Smethcott while the fourth and fifth relate to modern deeds for Alberbury and Loppington and Ellesmere.

The deeds contain a number of points of interest. Under Acton Round there is an agreement (SRO 1093/2/5) between the Earl of Arundel and a Philip de la Munede. In return for a lease of land Philip is to maintain the houses around the hall and guard the bailey. This would suggest that he was acting as a bailiff. Also under Acton Round are townships referred to as Harper's Mughale and Mason's Mughale. Eyton (op.cit. Vol. IV p30-31) mentions three Mughales now known as Upper Monkhall, Lower Monkhall and Middle Monkhall and says that he has difficulty in separating them. Upper and Lower Monkhall were combined with the FitzAlan's manor of Acton Round and Middle of Far Monkhall with the Prior of Wenlock's manor of Monkhopton.

The Bridgnorth deeds show the Palmer family to be of great importance in medieval times and they appear in various capacities. For the identification of some property here use was made of an old map of Bridgnorth which appears to have been planned soon after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This gives the common fields and Stony Ridding. One of the deeds (SRO 1093/2/111) refers to a Fish street under the hill of which there is no trace in the town today.

Under Morville there is a reference to a "dossehous." (S.R.O 1093/2/225) This cannot have its present meaning (common lodging house) which dates back to the eighteenth century and there is no mention of such a term in the Shropshire Word Book It seems from the context to have the function on the estate similar to a boosey house and it could perhaps be a mistake for bossehous. A deed for Haughton (SRO 1093/2/241) mentions in the rent of a roelam or rota, a great chandelier, which leads Blakeway to argue the existence of some ecclesiastical splendour in the Priory Church of Morville at this period. (Eyton op. cit. Vol. I p 53).

Berrington contains a reference to Alvithmere (SRO 1093/2/527) which seems identical with Alkmere which is associated with Betton Strange. It probably lay between Bomer Pool and Betton Strange.

The deeds for Wistanstow contain the only mention of the Scott family from whom the Actons of Acton Scott derive their name. (SRO 1093/2/545).

Most of the deeds have seals, which are of various colours, but it is difficult to find any significance as regard colour. Those of interest include that of the Borough of Bridgnorth, the abbot and abbey of Lilleshall and Haughmond Abbey. There are a number of Great Seals on Common Recoveries and Letters Patent.

Many of the medieval deeds are without date. As far as possible dating has been attempted by internal evidence, usually witnesses, but some of this is conjectural as in a number of cases two persons of the same name occur at the beginning and the end of the same century. The two chief sources used were Eyton (op.cit.) and the Salop Chartulary ed. Rees.

Similar difficulties were encountered in the compilation of the index and no attempt has been made to separate persons of the same name. As far as possible members of the same family have been grouped together.