Inn signs and the Wilbraham family
There are many interesting inn signs: The White Horse, The
White Swan, The Railway Inn, The Swan with two necks, and
others. Two which may be used to continue the history of Nantwich
are: The Wilbraham Arms in Welsh Row, and The Wicksted Arms
in Mill Street.
The first carried the coat of arms of the Wilbraham family:
three wavy lines on a yellow background.
These two have been selected because the names belong to
notable families. Research shows that there have been some
thirty families whose members played important roles in the
history of Nantwich. Many are described, together with pedigrees
and coats of arms, in James Hall`s History of Nantwich(1883).
For instance the Wilbrahams date from the 13th century when
Richard de Wilbraham was Sheriff of Cheshire in 1269. Thomas
Wilbraham lived at Sweet Briar Hall in Hospital Street in
the late 15th century. Some of the family lived in Nantwich,
mainly in Welsh Row. Another branch lived at Woodhey near
Faddiley, a few miles to the west of Nantwich.
Another Richard Wilbraham began to build Townsend House
in Welsh Row in 1575. (It stood where King`s Court is now
and carries a plaque) This Richard is especially welcome because
in 1580 he started to keep a journal. Thereafter, for nearly
200 years, the families continued to record details of their
lives. A copy can be seen in the Museum in Pillory Street.
Richard became a great landowner. He had many properties
in Nantwich and in many other places. He was also the proprietor
of 12 salthouses with 96 `leads`(pans). His grandson, Thomas,
entertained King James I at Townsend House.
Sir Roger(1623-1707)also lived in Townsend House and when,
in 1675 and 1676 his wife and two sons died, he created almshouses
for six widows. A plaque about the almshouses is to be seen
on the front of Curshaw`s Cheshire Cat in Welsh Row. Sir Roger
was instrumental in getting the wooden bridge over the Weaver
replaced by a stone one in 1663/4. It cost £90. This
would be about £8259 today.
During the Civil War period in the 1640s, anyone in the
Nantwich area who favoured the Royalist cause had to be very
discrete and not broadcast the fact. The Wilbrahams were royalists
and suffered the confiscation of property.
Moving on to the 18th century we can trace George Wilbraham(1741-1813)
who became Sheriff of Cheshire. He is noted for erecting in
1780 the York Buildings nearly opposite to Townsend House.
It was intended as a market place for textiles. There were
four parallel rows of stalls. Travellers came for the Great
Fair on September 4th and for Christmas. In 1840 a Primitive
Methodist chapel was built on the site.
Other members of the family took an interest in education
and served on committees such as for control of the grammar
school in the old gild hall in the churchyard in the 1830s.
George F.Wilbraham, another sheriff, built the Grammar School
in Welsh Row in 1858. He was the last Wilbraham to live in
Townsend House.
In St Mary`s church there is the family vault and a stained
glass window nearby.
