The Domesday book says that the manor of Catinton, in the Hundred of Alnodestreu, was held by Countess Godiva in 1066 (along with Highley, Little Drayton, Chetwynd and Sutton-Upon-Tern).
At the time its population of 15 was made up from 4 villagers, 1 smallholder, 6 slaves, 2 female slaves, a priest and a Reeve. The rents received to the manor was £5 and the tax assessed as 1 geld.
After the conquest the manor was held by Earl Roger (of Shrewsbury) in 1086 and was later granted by Henry I to Sir William Goram later succeeded by Damietta Goram (1145-1204), Heiress of Chetton, Eudon & Berwick, wife of Sir Randolph de Broc who was associated with the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170.
Following much litigation between their heirs, it seems Sibil de Broc inherited Chetton as she is known to have granted Chetton Mill, worth two marks yearly, to the Nuns of Brewood. Sibil de Broc died in 1253 without children and hence more confusion over her inheritance; and in 1255, the Stottesden Jurors said that Chetyton was in the King’s hands until an heir can be determined. At the time the income was £12 2/6 and contained a hide and half.
The result of this determination was one-third of Chetton to Auger de Tatlinton (son and heir of Clemence de Broc), one-third between Nicholas de Wancy and Robert de Hotoft (heirs of Alice (alias Felicia) de Broc). The last third was never claimed by the heirs of Edelina de Broc so it was retained by the King and with it the capital messuage and advowson of the Church.
In 1266 the King’s third (but only one-third of the advowson) was granted to Robert Corbett of Chaddesley as a reward of faithful services, and by the time of his death in 1269 he appears to have obtained the other two thirds. He granted Sir Robert Burnel one acre in his demense in Chetynton along with his advowson of the Church and the homage of Hugh de Holycote. He also granted to William (son of his nephew William Corbett) one-third of the manor.
However on the death of Robert Corbett the King’s writ issued to the escheator to inquire the particulars by Jury of the legitimacy of those grants. The Jury met in Chetton on the 26th January 1270 and later on the 12th May and 28th June the King inspected and confirmed by Royal Charter the two grants which Robert Corbett had made to William Corbett and Robert Burnel.
22nd August 1283 an inquest held on the death of William Corbett reported that he held in capite of the King a messauge, garden etc in Chetington and also two-thirds of carrucates of land in demense; that Sir Rioger Corbet was his next heir and that the said tenure was by serjeantry of “doing service of one footman in the King’s army, when it shall have happened that there be a war between the King and the Prince of Wales, at the cost of the said William, till the same footman shall have consumed half a swine in the same expedition”.
The inquest into the death of Robert Corbett in 1290 reported his interest in Chetidone. He left a son William who in 1316 appears as Lord of Chetton.
in 1297 the miller at Chetton, William Hobald, appears to have been doing well and made substancial grants to his sons and heirs in Holycote where the mill was situated.
The glebe and grant and small tithes of Chetton, in 1534 are said to have amounted to £13 gross; and in 1876 the Salopian Monthly Illustrated Journal reports the tithes alone as £560 14s. 9d.
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- G.S. Hewins – “Villages of the Clee Hills” 1967
- Robert William Eyton – “Antiquities of Shropshire” 1859
- Samuel Bagshaw – “History, Gazetteer & Directory of Shropshire” 1851
- Salopian Monthly Illustrated Journal 1876