An extract from the Shareshill Parish Magazine Researched by Mike Belcher

6/6/1908 (Part 4 & final part)
“In days of old when knights were bold” Shareshill had its bull ring on Shareshill Green, between the White Horse Inn, now Shareshill’s Park Cottages and the gardens for which this hostelry was famous.  Here the bull, having been brought from its shed was chained to a post then baited with dogs.  It is more than likely that the Bull’s Head Inn owes its name from this circumstance as it stands on ground, if not actually part of Shareshill Green, at least adjoining.
Amongst the many worthies of Shareshill there is one who stands out from them all, not merely for the eccentricities of his character, but because of a rhyme which the vicar of his time made up on him at his own request.  The story is given now as copied by the writer direct from the manuscript.
“On Thursday last in his 88th year Thomas Price Esq. of Shareshill.  Mr.Price was well known throughout his neighbourhood as a man of rough and eccentric manners and the following exemplification of his character as produced some years ago, at his own desire as his epitaph under promise if he approved of it, of leaving the writer 20 guineas at his decease.  Six minutes were allowed for its composition, five more were given and the subsequent lines were the result”.  It may be as well to say that this epitaph was never put up.  Mr.Thomas Price’s body lies under the south end of the chancel of the church.  The Manners mentioned in the second verse is believed to have been Mr.Price’s housekeeper.
Here lies Thomas Price,
In behaviour not nice,
Yet was always a plain honest fellow’
In remarks he had wit,
And the mark he would hit’
And went often to bed very mellow,
O’er Manners presiding,
Yet all manners deriding,
In language or dress very rough,
Of the feats of his youth
He oft boasted with truth,
And died as he lived very tough,
Tho of riches possessed
He was never at rest
If one farthing more was to be got,
Death at last came by stealth
Took poor Tom from his wealth,
And left him in this place to rot.

The following notes are gathered from a short account which the Rev.W.H.Havergal gave on a sheet almanac.  He began by saying, “Scarcely anything is known respecting the Old Parish Church of Shareshill.  Not one of the usual relics is left to what was its style of architecture or ought else concerning it.  It certainly had some coats of arms in its windows, and a beautiful monument on the N. wall of the chancel.  Village tradition says it had a porch on the SW. Side with a chamber over it, containing some curious old books.
I break off here to say it is of interest to know that our registers, which likely enough by the villagers would be regarded as “curious old books” dated from the year 1565, the seventh year of the rein of Queen Elizabeth.

If any one would like a complete compilation of the 4 features for Shareshill please contact us and we will let you have a copy.

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