There are many interesting inn signs: The White Horse, The White Swan, The Railway Inn, The Swan with Two Necks and others. Two which may be used to continue the history of Nantwich are: The Wilbraham Arms in Welsh Row and the Wicksted Arms in Mill Street.

The first carried the coat of arms of the Wilbraham family: three wavy lines on a yellow background.

These two have been selected because the names belong to notable families. Research shows that there have been some thirty families whose members played important roles in the history of Nantwich. Many are described, together with pedigrees and coats of arms, in James Hall’s History of Nantwich (1883).

For instance the Wilbrahams date from the 13th century when Richard de Wilbraham was Sheriff of Cheshire in 1269. Thomas Wilbraham lived at Sweet Briar Hall in Hospital Street in the late 15th century.

Some of the family lived in Nantwich, mainly in Welsh Row. Another branch lived at Woodhey near Faddiley, a few miles to the west of Nantwich.

Another Richard Wilbraham began to build Townsend House in Welsh Row in 1575. (It stood were King’s Court is now and carries a plaque) This Richard is especially welcome because in 1580 he started to keep a journal. Thereafter, for nearly 200 years, the families continued to record details of their lives. A copy can be seen in the Museum in Pillory Street.

Richard became a great landowner. He had many properties in Nantwich and in many other places. He was also the proprietor of 23 salthouses with 96 ‘leads’ (pans). His grandson, Thomas entertained King James I at Townsend House.

Sir Roger(1623-1707) also lived in Townsend House and when, in 1675 and 1676 his wife and two sons dies, he created almshouses for six widows. A plaque about the almshouses is to be seen on the front of Curshaw’s Cheshire Cat in Welsh Row. Sir Roger was instrumental in getting the wooden bridge of the Weaver replaced by a stone one in 1663/4. It cost £90.00 This would be about £8259 today.

During the Civil War period in the 1640s, anyone in the Nantwich area who favoured the Royalist cause had to be very discreet and not broadcast the fact. The Wilbrahams were royalists and suffered the confiscation of property.

Moving on to the 18th century we can trace George Wilbraham (1741-1813) who became Sheriff of Cheshire. He is noted for erecting in 1780 the York Buildings nearly opposite to Townsend House. It was intended as a market place for textiles. There were four parallel rows of stalls. Travellers came for the Great Fair on September 4th and for Christmas. In 1840 a Primitive Methodist chapel was built on the site.

Other members of the family took an interest in education and served on committees such as for control of the grammar school in the old gild hall in the churchyard in the 1830s.

George F Wilbraham, another sheriff, built the Grammar School in Welsh Row in 1858. He was the last Wilbraham to live in Townsend House.

In St Mary’s church there is a family vault and a stained glass window nearby.