| Parkside Farm has been in the Shanks family for two generations as a working farm and some of it at least has been standing since 1640 when it was built as a tiny shepherd's cottage. The rest of the house and in particular the rather grand facure was added in 1870. Boningale is a sleepy village set around the parish church of St Chads, an attractive building with a timbered belfry and broach spire. A famous 13th century resident noted in history as Hugh of Boningale, gave all of his money to the church in return for sanctuary in nearby Lilleshall Abbey for him and his family in time of war. But a far more notorious and erroneous character resided right here at Parkside. He was Jonathan Wilde born in 1682. He married a local girl and settled for a while. During this time, according to local legend, Boningale church having no bells of its own inhabitants felt that they should have one. On hearing that three new ones were on their way from Birmingham to Donnington, Jonathan Wilde intercepted one of them on their way through the village and hung it in the steeple at Boningale - where it still hangs today! Before long Wilde grew bored with Boningale and sought the bright gas lamps of London, but it wasn't long before he ended up in a debtor's prison. Here he met and learned from not only street wise criminals but in particular a lady of ill repute, whom on leaving the prison he set up a brothel with. Finding this to be a success he continued down the road of crime becoming both a "grass" to the authorities and a fence to the thieves. Further to this he set up a 'lost property office' that sold stolen goods, often back to their original owners who were willing to pay over the odds for items of sentimental value. He also arranged a band of thieves to steal the items in the first place - even setting up an employment agency training domestic staff who once in employment could keep stock of his shop. He had a very good reputation amongst high society for going to extreme lengths to recover their precious stolen goods.
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But it all fell flat when he was caught, tried and sentenced in a high profile trial and was executed at Tyburn in 1726 in front of 20,000 people. His body was obtained and shown by some enterprising showmen after his death - so he even continued to make money even after his death! Rumour has it that the Beggars Opera was based on Wilde's life and authors such as Defoe were moved to write about him. |
