LONGNOR HALL
EARLY HISTORY
EARLY HISTORY
Introduction
Introduction
The place-name Longnor is Old English, coming from a compound of the words lang, ‘long’, and alor, ‘alder’, and so meaning either ‘the tall alder tree’ or, more probably, ‘the long alder copse’ The-name Longnor may have been coined to denote a settlement founded here at some point in the early medieval period.
The location was close to the main London to Wroxeter road built by the Romans in the first centuries. The road itself followed the route of previous tracks that had been in use since antiquity. This was the main arterial road along which the Roman troops would have marched to suppress the rebellions as they happened. The road carried on beyond Wroxeter as far as Hadrians Wall in the north. This route moved over the centuries becoming the main A5 Watling Street, the actual modern course being settled by Thomas Telford in the early 19thc century when he paved it as a toll road to allow mail coaches to reach Ireland rapidly. Today the original road is still called the Roman Road and if you drive along it with a little imagination you can still hear the legionaries marching steps.
Early History
Early History
By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Longnor was part of the manor of Bradley, a settlement approximately 3miles to the north. The size given was 1 hide, which was a measurement based on not only the size of the land but also the quality. apparently, 1 hide translates to approximately 30 acres. The manor of Bradley was held by Earl Edwin of Mercia in 1066, and by Robert of Stafford in 1086. Longnor was listed amongst those parts of the manor that were held by tenants, rather than being part of the directly managed parts of the estate..
The fifteenth and sixteenth century deeds demonstrate that Longnor remained part of the manor of Bradley throughout the medieval period, which continued to be held by the Lords of Stafford.
The Aston family owned Longnor by the 16th century. The family is first documented in the reign of Henry II, whose charters record one Gilbert de Aston, Lord of Aston juxta Sutton. The family built up a large estate in Cheshire and other parts of the country, largely through the marriage of their male heirs to female heiresses. Longnor became part of these estates probably as part of a marriage settlement.