All Saint's Baschurch

Today, Mother and I ventured out to Baschurch, Shropshire, the home of Mother's Grandfather's parents.  She had not researched the paternal side of the family but it seemed a good idea to make the journey. Despite being not much wiser after the visit other than John Thomas' father (such an unfortuante name) was Charles Thomas, there was other interesting history. 

Earliest references from a poem entitled Canu Heledd written in the 10th century, provides information that Baschurch referred to by the Welsh name Eglwyssau Bassa (Churches of Bassa) where the King or Prince Cynddylan of Pengwern is said to have been buried in the early 7th century. There had been a battle between the Welsh and invading Saxons at an ancient fort "the Berth" outside the village. A local tradition holds that the Berth Pool and the ancient earthworks  is the resting place of the Legendary King Arthur. Baschurch appears in the Domesday book of 1086 as Bascherche. 

In 1900 Sir Robert Jones and Dame Agnes Hunt established the first Orthopaedic Hospital at Florence house in Baschurch as a convalescent home for crippled children and later a hospital to treat wounded from the First World War. In 1921 the hospital moved to Oswestry where today it remains a specialist hospital with a reputation for innovation.  
The church seemed to be the oldest building in the village and had been renovated by the builder and industrialist Thomas Telford. All Saints was built on the site of a wooden church that burnt down. 

So I may not have found out anything more about Charles Thomas but I did learn something!