Catalogue description Abstract of part of the examination taken on behalf of John Jenkins esq (a minor)...

Abstract of part of the examination taken on behalf of John Jenkins esq (a minor) relating to a road leading from the Vron Gate to the Marsh in the County of Salop

John Ford of the Vron Gate aged 70 speaks to his having lived a tenant at the Vron Gate 50 years, that during all that time there was a bridle road from the said gate to the Marsh; there was at the said place a gate and wicket. For the first 20 years he lived there, he locked the gate and all owners of carriages coming that way asked permission of him or some gave him plowing or the carriage of lime, for permission. The road was so narrow that a carriage could scarcely pass, and a barn adjoining the road (in his holding) was much damaged by them. Richard Salter aged 58 speaks to having known the road 45 years, as he always lived in the neighbourhood. It was only a bridle road for horses. He remembers Vron Gate frequently locked and the barn hurt by carriages. He often heard farmers ask leave. No cattle to his knowledge were ever drove that way except by permission, he often heard leave asked for driving sheep and cattle.

- Gough and Ann his wife have known the Vron Gate and Foulk's Furlong 60 years. They always asked permission to pass over Foulk's furlong with their carriages Mr Job Briscoe a farmer in the neighbourhood, has known Foulk's Furlong 40 years and upwards. He always paid or asked leave to gomthat way.

George Dan aged 77 says when he was 27 he went to live at the Forest of Hays in the neighbourhood and lived there 20 years. During that time he carried several loads of lime through Foulk's Furlong and the Vron Gate, and never went without asking leave of old Richard Barber, the Marsh tenant, except when he went in the Night when he should not be seen. Several times when he went in the night, he has been stopped coming back and in particular one time Barber would not let him pass till he had called his son Richard (of whom Dan said he had asked leave) and the son admitted he had given leave. He believes it was a bridle road but no carriage passed without leave.

John Powell aged 67 says when he was 12 and till he was 44 he worked at Oakley Quarry near Wollop in Westbury and at another quarry near adjoining, at which quarries his father had worked. Carriages frequently came from Loton and Alberbury etc for slate. The common highway from those places was through Westbury and Vennington. Vron Gate adjoins the said common highway from Westbury to the slate works. There was always a bridle road from the Vron Gate to the Marsh - the road through the Vron Gate was a mile and a half nearer from Loton and Alberbury than the high road. During all the time he worked at the works, the drivers of carriages who came from Loton by the said gate always told him they had asked leave and when they came the common road they frequently got the examinant to ask leave for the carriage to return that way and he always asked leave for such carriage to pass.