WHITE’S HISTORY, GAZETTEER AND DIRECTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE, 1851
MEIR
Meir has scattered entries in this directory and appears on pages 234, 363, 371, 752, as follows.
Longton and Lane-End
LONGTON and Lane-End are two townships, or liberties, forming one flourishing market town now commonly called Longton, and situated at the southern extremity of the Potteries, 7 miles N. of Stone, 5 miles S.E. of Newcastle-under-Lyme, 6 miles S.S.E. of Burslem, and 4 miles S. by E. of Hanley......
Tradition says Lane-End had its name in early times, from a few houses at the end of the Mear-lane, which runs into Longton......
SCHOOLS. .... In 1731, Thomas Allen, Dean of Chester, left £100, and directed the yearly proceeds to be applied, one half for schooling poor children of Mear lane, and the other in distributions of New Testaments, etc., among the poor parishioners. St. James’ National School was built in 1836, and is attended by upwards of 200 children, of whom 25 are taught free. The late Dean Woodhouse left £1000 towards the support of this school, as noticed at page 227......
Normacot
NORMACOT, or Normicott Liberty, at the north end of the parish, has 905 inhabitants, and adjoins Blurton and the large pottery town of Longton, (see page 233.) It includes Mear Lane, Mear Heath, Mear Furnaces, and many neat houses, some of which are occupied by china and earthenware manufacturers......
Normacot, etc.
(In Hilderstone Quarter.)
Those marked 1 reside at Blyth Bridge, 2 Furnace Mill, 3 Grange, 4 Grindley, 5 Mear, 6 Meargreen, 7 Mearheath, and 8 Shooter’s Hill.
Marked * are manufacturers at Longton.
(Post Town, Longton.)
7 Allerton Charles, brickmaker
5 Brian George, victualler Saracen’s Head
6* Colclough John, earthenware manufacturer
6* Deakin James, earthenware manufacturer
6* Edwards James, earthenware manufacturer
7 Finney George, shopkeeper
7 Hemmings James, beerhouse
6 Howard Mr Edward
7* Legg Isaac, earthenware manufacturer
7 Lowe Isaac, victualler Seven Stars
7 Shelley John, victualler Windmill
7 Stredder Thomas, miller and beerhouse
6 Turner Elizabeth, dressmaker
5 Whilock Ann, victualler White Cock
Farmers
7 Bennett Joseph (and cattle dealer)
5 Bridgwood James
5 Shaw John
Shoemakers
6 Mills John
Railway
Station at Blyth Bridge; William Vyse station master.
Trains 10 times a day
Cellar Head, a hamlet 3 miles N. of Caverswall, is partly in Cheddleton parish, and has two annual fairs for horses, cattle, and sheep, held on May 5th, and the first Thursday in November. A few houses in the scattered hamlet of Meir near Lane end, are in Caverswall parish.
(2 are at Cookshill, and 3 at Meir.)
3 Barns William victualler King’s Arms
3 Heath Thomas, joiner
3 Walters John, butcher and cattle dealer
3 Whiston Joseph, attorney’s clerk
Farmers
3 Bailey Ann
3 Ball Timothy
3 Fallows Thomas
3 Glover James
3 Shaw John
Railway Trains from Blythe Bridge