Bagley Bridge

In Barry Trinder’s marvellous book Beyond the Bridges: The Suburbs of Shrewsbury 1760-1960 (2006), he describes the suburb of Coton Hill as beginning “where the main road crosses the Bagley Brook, draining the Old River Bed, which runs in a culvert beneath The Gateway”, the Education & Arts Centre in Chester Street beside the River Severn. At the top left of this map from Brian Paul Hindle’s Maps for Local History (1988), Bagley Brook can be seen about to join the Severn with the Chester Road to the right of it :

My third-great uncle William Taylor (1827-1875) was a shoemaker who lived at Bagley Bridge and there are links to the Peplows in my extended family. Another William Taylor (1801-1873) was a “hair sieve weaver” according to his death certificate – one who weaves horse hair with which to make sieves. Thus we can get a feel for life on the Severn from newspaper reports of long before The Gateway was built.

Fishermen of Bagley Bridge Joseph Peplow (1700-1795) “in the eighty-fifth year of his age, went down the Severn in his coracle as far as Tewkesbury on his way to Cheltenham to see the King”. He met King George III who was visiting Worcester. Joseph was graciously received by the king who presented him with a sum of gold, then Joseph “having gratified his curiosity, walked back with the coracle on his head.”
The Peplow family claimed to have been engaged in fishing and net making for three centuries. In 1849, James and Job Peplow caught an otter in their salmon net, “which, after some difficulty, they killed. She weighed upwards of 15 lb. Several of these fish-destroyers have been seen in various parts of the river.” (Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, reported in Morning Post London, Aug 1849).

Court cases as in every other town were abundant. Considering the cases brought about by excessive drinking, it is probably just as well that among the list of “Salopian extinct hostelries” there was the Sun and Ball at Bagley Bridge. (Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 27 Sep 1876).

Five boys were brought up, charged by one of the watchmen, with playing at cards, in a yard adjoining the turnpike road at Bagley Bridge. The Mayor said he had hoped that a former conviction for a similar offence would have deterred other parties from offending in a similar manner ; but as it had not had that effect, he should sentence each of them to one month’s imprisonment, with hard labour.
(Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 13 Sep 1843).

Abusive language.- At the Borough Police Court, Charles Green was charged with using abusive language to Harriet Gwynn, who lived next door to him at Bagley Bridge. She had put some clothes out to dry, and he came and knocked them off into the dirt, and threatened to knock her brains out. Defendant said that he did not use worse language to her than she did to him – one was as bad as t’other. Fined 1s. and 8s.6d. costs.
(Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 22 Jan 1868).

Parental Neglect. Mary Brown, of Bagley Bridge, has also been charged with [neglecting her children]. Her children Martha and Bertie were in a dreadful condition. The defendant sold the children’s clothes and food to obtain drink. She was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
(Huddersfield Daily Chronicle, 29 May 1893).

Assault… Thomas Beesty, labourer, Bagley Bridge, was charged with assaulting Thomas Rangecroft, bailiff, on Coton Hill. Fined 10s., including costs.
(Wellington Journal, 3 Jul 1897).

Husband and Wife. George Jones, Bagley Bridge, Coton Hill, was charged with assaulting his wife, Ann Jones – Complainant, whose face was badly bruised and swollen, said she wished to withdraw the charge, as her husband was willing to sign the [temperance] pledge, and had promised not to ill use her again.
She said her husband knocked her about, but he was very drunk, and did not know what he was doing, he used a knife, cut her on the eye. He said she called his father and mother bad names, and aggravated him. Case adjourned for a month. Both asked to sign the pledge, but they both beat a hasty retreat.
(Wellington Journal, 15 Jun 1907).

Health and Safety Discussions took place in 1854 to consider the best position for Shrewsbury Market “suitable to the increasing requirements of this town”. Bagley Bridge was included as a northern compass-point in discussions of three sites: Wyle Cop, between Mardol and Barker Street, and Pride Hill. The Cop was instantly dismissed and we all know that the Mardol option won, but strong points were made in favour of cleaning up the Pride Hill site:
… the top of Pride Hill was selected centuries ago, as the best place in the town for the public market… summit of the hill on which Shrewsbury was built [can only extend north-east]… a map of the town [shows] that the present Butter Market is the most centrical point in the whole town [see H in the map above]… take the two bridges [Welsh Bridge and English Bridge] as starting points… difference between their respective distances is not twenty yards, with similar distances traversed towards the south-west [Quarry Place] and north-east [Bagley Bridge]… will anyone now say that Mardol is more central, considering too that one side of the Mardol market will not be more than 200 yards from the Quarry, and on that side that there is scarcely a single house of business. But there is another powerful argument in favour of the Pride Hill site. It has long been a reproach to this town that the very heart of it should be occupied by places which are now ranked amongst the greatest nuisances which a town can be subject to… slaughter-houses and… pigsties. The erection of a market on the Pride Hill site will effect an almost entire clearance of these great evils. That… well nigh forsaken street[‘s]… greatness has departed, its filthiness remains, though the well-filled shops of good meat are not now to be found there as in days gone by. The blood-holes, the offal cisterns, and the mixens are left behind ; and these are some of the evils which a new market in that locality would necessarily abolish, and for ever.
(Pro Bono Publico wrote in Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 1 Mar 1854).

Shrewsbury Improvement Commissioners dealt with complaints:
… of slaughter-houses in Chester Street and Bagley Bridge… apply to the parties to register them in accordance with the provisions of the act.
(Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 21 May 1856).

Mr. Spence was understood to say that St. Alkmond’s parish had had their attention called to the drains which had their exit at Bagley Bridge, the stench from which was most fearful when the wind blew up from the Red Lion, and when northward the smell was turned to Chester Street.
Mr. Peele : Would flushing effect the object?
Mr. Tisdale : To a certain extent it would.
(Shrewsbury Free Press and Advertiser for Salop, 11 Aug 1866).

Melancholy events where Health and Safety failed. Chaise drivers belonging to the Lion Inn lost their lives at the watering place at Bagley Bridge. In 1809, this was the second accident there in a few months:
… the river being considerably raised by the falls of rain during the week, they were unfortunately carried beyond their depth, when the chaiseman and both the horses drowned. The chaise and horses were stopped by the rope of the House of Industry boat (which is let down every night) and taken out; but the body of the man is not yet found.
(Instructor and Select Weekly Advertiser, London, 21 Jun 1809).

In 1817, two chaise drivers, named Brayne and Oliver drove their chaise into the river at Bagley Bridge:
… where the depth and rapidity of the stream carried the horses off their feet. It was about ten o’clock and moonlight. Some inhabitants hearing the cries of the unfortunate men, hastened to the spot ; and they arrived in time to witness the chaise, horses, and men, roll down the current and sink. The animals, with the vehicle, floated to Mardol Quay next morning, but the bodies of the men are not yet taken up.
(Morning Post, 3 Sep 1817).

A shocking fate, more particularly under the circumstances in which it was incurred, befell a poor working man, the father of an infant family, in this town. He had offered a wager to some of his neighbours, that he could ascend a tree near Bagley Bridge, and rob a rook’s nest of the young ; they dissuaded him ; and left him. On returning early next morning they found the poor man on the ground (having fallen from the tree), with his back broken, and otherwise so severely injured that he was carried to the Infirmary in a dying state, where he still continues to linger.
(Hereford Journal, reporting on story in Shrewsbury Chronicle, 22 May 1833).

The Education Question A meeting was held for St Mary’s parishioners in the school-room, Castle Foregate. They discussed how to increase the school accommodation from 2,500 to 3,000 children whilst also avoiding a school board. Castle Foregate was in the greatest need, covering much of the four parishes St. Mary’s, St. Michael’s, St Julian’s and St. Alkmond’s. The Chairman had calculated that of a population of about 9,000 people, there may be 1,150 children. Currently there were 800 places (350 in Castle Foregate, 100 in the infant school, 350 in Dana or British Schools). Remedies were discussed such as adding two school rooms to Castle Foregate (for 80 children). Of two possible sites, a National School at Bagley Bridge was the most costly and Coton Hill’s “considerable population” badly needed a school. A new school at Castle Fields would accommodate 200, but was that the best way? The Committee recommended an Infant School at Ditherington, an Infant School towards Coton Hill, and adding class rooms to St Mary’s Schools. The cost would likely be £800, a third to be paid by the Government, and they had collected together a grant which would lapse if not started before August. (Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, 23 Nov 1870).

Improvements in Shrewsbury streets owing to the enterprise and public spirit of private gentlemen residents:
A striking example is the Dana Walk beneath the Castle, named after the Rev. Edmund Dana, formerly vicar of Wroxeter, who originally promoted and bore the cost of the construction. In St. Mary’s Church Wardens’ Accounts occurs the following entry :- April 29, 1798. It was agreed (inter alia) that leave should be given William Tayleur, Esq., to make a foot path between the Rails and the Rivers, by the Road leading from Bagley Bridge [i.e. the north end of Chester Street] to Cotton Hill, first being surveyed by a committee.
(Shrewsbury Chronicle, 25 Mar 1904).