Rev H.G De Bunsen was the Vicar of Lilleshall 1847-1869. He wrote about Lilleshall vi and the church in the Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological society Volume 1.

“Descending again from the Hill on the east side,we pass through a field into the road leading from the top of Lilleshall village down to Newport,towards the north ,and to the church to the south. If we follow this road for some twenty or thirty yards,we shall come upon a piece of turf,planted with trees. This was no doubt the old Village Green,and here will be found the stump of one of two sycamore trees which were planted on the day of Charles 11.'s Restoration A.D 1660.This one outlived the other; and the history of this tree and of his fellow is thus told by the late vicar the Rev. John Blunt,in a memorandum left by him in the Lilleshall Book of Burials,beginning with January 6th ,1813.

“In the year 1828,one of the two sycamores,which grew upon the little Green at the top of the village,being much decayed was cut down in order to make room for the others which were then planted in the same spot. The loss of their old acquaintance caused much talk amongst the neighbours: and I was then told by Richard Mansell, an old man living in a cottage close at hand, that the trees were planted by his great grandfather,Humphrey Mansell,in memory of the restoration:and that,having dug holes,he put his son into one of them so that he might remember it. Walter Mansell would be at that time,of course in his sixth year,and it might be ,had nearly reached the age of six.Upon turning to the register I find that this same Walter Mansell was buried in 1749,at the age of 95,which will give exactly six years between the time of his birth and the restoration in 1660.I have thought this trifle worthy of being recorded,as furnishing,I apprehend,rather a remarkable instance of accuracy in oral tradition respecting an event which took place 168 years ago,as no written memorandum of the circumstance has been preserved in the family nor had Richard Mansell,my informant,ever known his grandfather Walter”

History Of The Sycamore Trees On the Village Green

2025

1917