History of Boningale  

Boningale is a village and civil parish in Shropshire. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 266. It is just south of Albrighton, and is just west of the county border with Staffordshire.

Horns at Bonongale

The village is about eight miles west of Wolverhampton.

     The Horns of Boningale Pub is at least 300 years old and was a regular stop-off for cattle drovers taking their charges along the old Holyhead Road  In the 12th century this area was held under Sir William de Hugford and was occupied by the De Bolinghale family, who were “good, though not of Knightly rank” and Henry de Bolyngale was its Lord. Hugh de Bolynghale was the owner from 1203 to 1228, and another Hugh from 1250 to 1275, - and it is thought that it was this Hugh. who made over all his property, both that which he held under the Lords of Albrighton at Bishton, and that which he held under Sir William de Hugford at Boningale, to Lilleshall Abbey. The Monks retained an interest in the property until the Dissolution of Religious Houses in 1538. A Chapel may have existed from the 12th century, but there is no record of Boningale’s existence in the Doomsday Book. The Taxation of 1291 values the Abbot of Lilleshall’s interests in Bolinghale, a Chapelry of Stockton, in the Deanery of Newport, at £3 4s 8d.

Parish registers only exist from 1698. Because Boningale belonged to the Parish of Stockton, the Rectors of Stockton were also rectors of Boningale, so that Boningale had no  clergyman of its own until 1857 with the arrival  of Rev. Charles Powys Isaac. It was the Rev. Isaac who standardised the name Boningale from Bonninghall in March 1861.

Lea Hall is a good specimen of 16th century brick manor house with stone mullioned windows and twisted chimneys. It is said to have been occupied by a garrison during the Civil War in order to guard the road between Shrewsbury and Birmingham. In 1621, Nicholas Waring is described as of “Lea Hall“, and so is his grandson, who was father of Edmund Waring of Albrighton, and a great grandfather of Major Edmund Waring of Humphreston, Sheriff of Shropshire, and M.P. for Bridgnorth.  

There are some fine half-timbered houses close to the Church. Controversy exists regarding the birthplace in 1682 of the notorious highwayman, Jonathan Wild, who was executed at Tyburn in 1726.  Some say he was born at Church Farm, others say on the site of Parkside Farm, which in 1640 was a tiny shepherd’s cottage.  The façade of Parkside dates from 1870.  

The Summer House Inn was a former old coaching inn which at one time housed the kennels for the Albrighton Hunt before they moved to Whiston Cross. The present day pub was built behind the site of the original inn.

Boningale Nursery, was formerly Baker’s Nursery and the site of the propagation of the famous Russell Lupins and Delphiniums.

Boningale Manor was in its former time Boninghall Park Farm.

Upper Pepperhill Farm was formerly a fine old brick and sandstone mansion where the late Colonel Thomas Thorneycroft of Tettenhall Towers built an upper story or look-out on top of the building to enable him to survey the distant prospect.

Lower Pepperhill was the 18th century home of Gilbert Talbot, Bishop of Bertha in Italy, who laid out beautiful terraced gardens. In the early part of the 19th century, the house was a private school, but was later demolished and cottages for farm labourers were erected on the site.

Boningale Church is dedicated to St. Chad, and in the Shingled Spire are three bells. One of these bells is the subject of local legend in that formerly there were no bells at Boningale. However, the inhabitants hearing that three bells were on their way from Birmingham to Donington, intercepted one of them on its way through the village, and hung it in their own steeple, where it has remained every since. The Church was restored and the south aisle added in 1861, soon after the arrival of Rev. C.P. Isaac.  Further improvements took place in 1890 when the nave was re-tiled. 

  Boningale family history enquiries may be directed to     leigh_ph@msn.com     for free look-ups.

 

 

 

 

Copyright (c) 2013 ALBRIGHTON and DISTRICT CIVIC SOCIETY