The Corbets, as Lords of the manor have had an enormous impact on the lives of the people of Adderley in particular, but also the surrounding district since they came to Adderley in the sixteenth century.
The Corbets have changed the Adderley landscape as apparently they also did at Acton Reynold, but to a greater extent, where according to Trevor Rowling, author of “The Shropshire Landscape” the Corbets moved much of the village. There are two examples of that kind at Adderley. In 1789 Squire Sir Corbet Corbet agreed with Reverend Robert Clive, Rector of Adderley Church to replace a Parsonage (Rectory) located near to the earlier Adderley Hall, with new parsonage Rectory and barn in the village, now known as The Old Rectory and The Village Hall. Another illustration was the re-routing of the main road access to the Church from the Hall. from the western end of the church to the eastern end, as it is now. That would have been done around 1800 and was said to have been done at the request of the Corbet Family to improve their access to the Church from the Hall.
In the mid 1700s the Corbet family built an ornate Georgian classical style hall with many fine pieces of Italian sculpture, surrounded by lavish gardens, shrubberies, extensive lawns and pools, all set in over 200 acres of partly walled park land. In the early 1800’s the Hall was occupied by Sir Corbt Corbet and his wife Hester. Sir Corbet Corbet died in 1823, they had no children. Richard Corbet, son or Sir Andrew Corbet of Moreton Corbet inherited the estate and lived at the hall until he died in 1877. The Hall was destroyed by fire later that same year.
Squire Richard Corbet was succeeded by his eldest son Henry Reginald who, in 1881 had a new hall built of Victorian style near to the site of the earlier hall.
While still a young man, Reginald Corbet, son and heir of Squire Henry Reginald, did not like the new hall, and vowed that he would never succeed to it and he never did. Squire Reginald, his wife Katherine, and daughter Sybil lived at The Pool House at Adderley. Sybil married Col Browne and lived at Raven House Adderley. Reginald died in 1945.
The hall was made available for village functions especially the Women’s Institute between the wars and until it was used by the armed forces throughout the second world war and later used to house prisoners of war. After the war, it was surplus to requirements, and very expensive to maintain. Consequently, and sadly, in 1955, the last Adderley Hall was demolished soon to be followed by the neighbouring Shavington Hall, and many other large yet beautiful country mansions.
There were also major constructions which affected the Adderley landscape in the 19th Century and with which the Corbet Family was inevitably involved.
The first project was the cutting of the Shropshire Union Canal in the 1830s causing a major upheaval for The Adderley Estate, especially the tenants involved. An agreement signed 4th January 1827, between The Trustees of the late Sir Corbet Corbet of Adderley Hall and the company of proprietors of the Birmingham and Liverpool junction canal navigation. This stated the land required would cost £70 per acre and that interest at 4% would be charged until the money was paid.
Note – Among the trustees of Sir Corbet Corbet, was Sir Andrew Corbet of Moreton Corbet, father of Richard Corbet, who inherited the Estate from Sir Corbet Corbet.
The next major project was the much needed railway branch line, connecting Market Drayton and Nantwich which was officially opened 19th October 1863.
The Corbet family was more intimately involved with the railway project, being personally involved with both the construction and the ownership of the branch line. Mr. Henry Reginald Corbet esquire was chairman of the owning company and his brother Reverend Athelstan Corbet was also named among the directors. Bringing the railway through Adderley had a profound impact on the landscape and life in the village of Adderley and the immediate locality.
If we add sport to our mention of trains and landscape, we must include that period 1907 to 1921, when Market Drayton Golf Club, in its early days, played on a nine- hole course near to Adderley School. We are told that the Squire Reginald Corbet used to enjoy playing with the gentry of Market Drayton, who used the 12.30 train from Market Drayton and returned on the 5.40 from Adderley. Only the gentry could afford to play golf in those days. If golf was for gentry, at least, the yeomanry could afford to play cricket. There wasn’t a cricket ground at Adderley, but there was one at nearby Shavington, near to the hall in the 1920s where the men folk of Adderley could play.
There was however, a cricket team in more recent times, bearing the names of Adderley estates, which included many of the tenant farmers on the Adderley estate The team was initially captained by Mr. George Leonard Jones who was the agent. for the Corbet estate. The estate team won the Market Drayton Cricket Club knock out competition four times from 1949 to 1959.