Markets
The medieval community of Malpas grew around the parish church, which probably originated as the castle’s private chapel but was rebuilt in the 14th century and then extensively altered in the late 15th century. The true wealth of Malpas has always come from the rich farmland that surrounds it. Originally the market was held on Monday, the same day as Whitchurch. This was not acceptable so it was moved to Sunday. The Church forbade this so it was held on Tuesday. Finally, with the intervention of the Black Prince, Earl of Chester, in 13th July 1281, a charter was granted for an annual fair and a weekly market where ‘bread, ale, flesh and small victuals’ could continue to be bought and sold on Sundays. There were also two annual Fair Days, at Martinmas and Corpus Christi. These markets and fairs meant that Malpas was a centre for the surrounding community, and would have been popular as a meeting place and for entertainment, as well as a place of commerce.
The medieval road layout still forms the street pattern of the village centre. The market square would have covered the whole area from the church to the cross, and as far as the Old Hall during the annual fairs. In places, around the cross, the cobbled market surface can still be seen. The fairs and markets would have been hugely popular as meeting places and entertainment as well as places of commerce.
The absence of a male heir when the first Baron of Malpas, Robert Fitzhugh, died, led to its division between his two daughters and down the generations two local families played a key role in Malpas life. The Breretons and the Cholmondeleys, each of whom had the right to appoint a Rector. Malpas continued to have a Higher and a Lower Rector until 1885 when the ancient parish was divided into a number of new parishes. In St Oswald’s church there are Brereton and Cholmondeley side chapels and numerous other monuments to the two families.
The fortunes of the great landowners ebbed and flowed – one Brereton lost his head, falsely accused of being a lover of Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn; another, Sir Randolph founded Malpas Grammar School in 1527. Roundhead Colonel Sir William Brereton, was commander in chief of Parliament’s forces in Cheshire, Shropshire, Lancashire and Staffordshire. In Chester at the outbreak of the Civil War he was chased out of the city by its Royalist citizens. He got his revenge, in 1644 the Roundheads, led by Sir William, besieged Chester and although the city held out for 15 months they finally surrendered to his forces in 1646.
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