Beating the Bounds of Bushbury Manor. September 12th 1588There are two slightly different accounts, both in the Bushbury Manor Papers in the Foxley Collection at Hereford Record Office, although copies are available at the Wolverhampton Reference Library. The text quoted is taken from the P.T.Hinckes mss.: "Copied from the parchment covered book written about the year 1725 or 1726 by Blest Colclough". This list of people who walked the bounds on that day is taken from the other version:
"It begins at Twichul Brook in Stony Lane between the land of Wm. Foxall on ye west side and the land of Mr. Underhill on the east. Along ye lane to Penny Cross to a cross lane called Rumbelow Green near Oldfallings and from Rumbelow Green by a certain lane called Gosbrook Lane betwixt Hampton field and Sewall inclusive leaving out Wolverhampton field and following by the pales of Sewall inclosing those pales to Gosbrook and down that brook to Gosbrook Ford alias Green and from thence going down that brook to ye angle of Wonendown field and from thence by and beyond a little meadow called Park Meadow alias Wolver Meadow and by the view of old brook unto ye head of Saltmore Meadow, and from thence following the old watercourse to a certain parcel of meadow called Ganderneck Dole to a mere stone: and from thence by a Dole called Duke's Dole, and following by the old watercourse by stones and bounds there put to Richard's Pleck and leaving out Richard's Pleck to a brook leading to Tettenhall, going up that brook to Oxley Gate in Byshb: meadow otherwise called Saltmores and thence to the upper end of a dole belonging to Elston and thence by a rivulet to the upper end of a meadow of Gregory Woodward and so by the upper end of that meadow crossing to Ganderneck Dole, and thence going by ye brook to an angle of Park Meadow and up the ditch of that meadow to a little marler in the wast there near the land of Oxley Farm: thence to the Portway thence to Park Lane and Wollery Green and so by the land of Oxley Farm and leaving out the same to a lane leading from Low Hill to Rake Yate, to the corner of the hedge of Jo. Wyatt in Oxley, and going down that hedge to the corner of Oxley Meadow including the same and taking in that meadow and following the hedges of the land of Elston Farm under Penford Wood, leaving out Wood Meadow going up to the corner of a pasture or leasow of Thos. Wobaston called the March, and thence by the head of Challenor's Meadow to Penford Marshes taking in Penford marshes and following those hedges to Marsh Lane, and going up that lane, and taking in that lane betwixt Wobaston's field and the field of Penford to a corner of Alleycroft, and down the lane near Alleycroft Lake, and thence following the old ditch beyond Alleycroft to the hedge corner extending into the watercourse going to Coven Mill to Dicken Meadow, taking into that meadow, going down by the old brook to Miry Moor and taking in that Moor to Coven Mill pool bank, and the flood gate of the same mill, taking in the pool dam and ye house mill which Hitcncock did then inhabit and following from thence the old ditch beyond the land of John Danet Esq. to meerstone lying near the house of Thomas Bavershaw and so following the middle that brook to Warwickford and thence by Warwickford Lane to Mill Croft and leaving out Mill Croft to Moseley Brook and up that brook to Washford and up that brook to Berrybrook and up that brook to Twichel and so to Stony Lane." oooOOooo Notes: At this distance in time it is almost impossible to trace the exact route of the bounds as described. A few places can however be identified: 1. Stony Lane was probably the old Underhill Lane. 2. Penny Cross was at the road junction near the present "Pear Tree" inn. 3. Rumbelow Green took its name from the nearby farm, and was at the road junction at the end of Oldfallings Lane and Park Lane. 4. Sewall was Seawall or Showell, at the junction of Fourth Avenue and Guy Avenue. 5. The Portway was an ancient route roughly followed by the present path from Fox's Lane to the "Paget Aran". 6. Wollery Green was a settlement in the region of the present "Oxley Arms" in Bushbury Lane. 7. Alleycroft Lake was between Marsh Lane and Coven Heath. (There was of course no canal in 1588.) 8. Coven Mill stood until a few years ago to the west of the Heath. 9. Warwickford was where the old route from Stafford to Warwick forded the stream which runs roughly east to west near the 1940s armaments factory. (In the 1727 estate map of Moseley the adjoining field is named Warwickford field.) 10. Mill Croft was a field adjoining Moseley Green. 11. Moseley Brook and Berry Brook are lengths of the same watercourse, now known as the Waterhead Brook. Moseley Pool is not mentioned so was probably not yet constructed.
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