The Rhead Family in Eighteenth Century Hanchurch

Description:After finding Richard Rhead (1756-1813) in Samuel Botham’s Survey of the Trentham Estate dated 1809, we examined earlier surveys to try and discover how long the Rhead family had occupied lands in Hanchurch.

An undated survey from the late eighteenth century lists an entry for ‘Richard Read’ as being tenant of lands in Hanchurch. This entry refers to Richard’s father who was also called Richard Rhead. The lands he leased included ‘High Meadow’, ‘Cliffs divided into four pieces’, ‘Broad Meadow’, ‘Hodgridding Meadow’, ‘Idonesley Meadow’, ‘Low Wall Croft’, ‘Little Idornsley’, ‘Over Wall Croft’, ‘New Croft’, and ‘Haysand Pringle’. In addition, Rhead was also tenant of two paddocks, ‘Low Hay’, ‘Leapers Meadow’, ‘Castle Croft’ and ‘Broomy Close’. Rhead was also a tenant of a ‘Homestead and Buildings’ in Hanchurch and land called ‘Tunstall great’ and ‘Little Tunstall’. This survey indicates that Richard Rhead’s father leased extensive lands in Hanchurch and was one of the most substantial tenants in the area.

Click on the images on the left to learn more about the Rhead family as Staffordshire farmers on the Trentham Estate.