Notes And Queries For Worcestershire - free ebook by John Noake

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Notes And Queries For Worcestershire

John Noake

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NOTES AND QUERIES FOR Worcestershire.

NOTES AND QUERIES FOR Worcestershire.

By JOHN NOAKE, AUTHOR OF "THE RAMBLER," &amp;c. LONDON: LONGMAN AND CO. AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. MDCCCLVI . PRICE FIVE SHILLINGS . [Pg ii] [Pg iii] DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO JOHN GOODWIN, ESQ., TWICE-ELECTED MAYOR OF WORCESTER; AND UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE VERY REV. DR. PEEL, DEAN OF WORCESTER, THE RIGHT HON. EARL BEAUCHAMP, J. H. H. FOLEY, ESQ., M.P., AND R. PADMORE, ESQ....

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Preface.

Preface.

Another trifling instalment towards the history of Worcestershire is now respectfully presented to its inhabitants, and the Author ventures to express a hope that it may meet with the general favour of the reading public, equal to that which his previous works have elicited. The materials of historical works usually consist of tables of pedigrees, charters, battles, sieges, enumerations of manors, with their successive owners, statistical details, and other tedious though useful information. The

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St. Michael's.

St. Michael's.

The register of this parish commences with the year 1546, but as the entries for about half a century are apparently in the same handwriting, it is probable that in or soon after the year 1597, when an order was issued that all parochial registers should be transcribed on vellum, an older register of St. Michael's was copied on that now existing. It is on vellum and in excellent preservation—which probably will not be said some two or three centuries hence respecting the common and perishable pa

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St. Swithin's.

St. Swithin's.

This register commences with the year 1538, but it is obvious from the fact of the items for three quarters of a century being in the same handwriting and the same ink, that it was copied from an older one, for the same reason as in the case of St. Michael's register, before-mentioned. During the Civil Wars there are fewer entries of marriages than usual, but no other feature of interest presents itself. The churchwardens' account book begins in 1673, and contains much that is noteworthy. In tho

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St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas

Begins with 1564, though it is clearly not so old as that date, having apparently been copied at a later period, like the other registers before-named. There is much beautiful writing about the middle and close of the seventeenth century, but nothing else noteworthy except that the marriages fell off considerably about that period. In 1691 a charge of 5s. was made by the churchwardens to the clerk for transcribing forty-eight sides of the register. The oldest account book belonging to this paris

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St. Peter's.

St. Peter's.

The oldest register now in this church commences with 1686; but this book is No. 2, and it is written at the commencement that "No. 1 contains entries from 1560 to 1686." No. 1 is, however, missing. In the early part of the eighteenth century, the entries of the births of dissenters' children are placed apart by themselves, as in some other registers which I have inspected. The spirit which dictated this is, unhappily, not yet defunct amongst us. There is an entry in 1716 of the name of "Gibbon,

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St. Andrew's.

St. Andrew's.

On the first page of the oldest register book here is the following memorandum: "This register of St. Andrew's parish, Worcester, was found among old rubbish in the churchyard by W. Wormington, rector, 1779." The first entry is under date 1549, and a note in the margin observes, "Four years before the death of Edward the Sixth." A large portion of the book appears to have been copied, and births, marriages, and deaths, are irregularly intermixed. It terminates with the year 1619. The next oldest

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St. Helen's.

St. Helen's.

Register commences with 1538, but appears to have been copied in one handwriting from a book of that date nearly a century later. (See remarks on St. Michael's.) The period of the Civil Wars is noted by much confusion, but there is nothing in the book beyond simple entries of births, marriages, and deaths. The account books, however, which date from 1682, possess a fair average amount of interest. In the beginning of last century various minor improvements and renovations were effected in the ch

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St. Alban's.

St. Alban's.

No records of any interest are to be found here. The register begins with 1630, and the account book 1751, in which year the total expenditure for this little parish amounted to £20. 19s. 10d., including £12 for the poor. The Whitsun farthings usually amounted to 6d. per annum, which, at a farthing per head per householder, showed twenty-four subscribers. The Rev. J. H. Wilding also holds this small rectory; churchwardens, Mr. F. St. John and Mr. Nicholson. Population in 1851, 286....

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St. Martin's.

St. Martin's.

Here I found a register commencing with 1538, nicely copied in one uniform hand for a series of years. An hiatus occurs between 1560 and 1573, where the leaves have been torn out. In the 22nd year of Queen Elizabeth's reign, "John Wilkinson, the parson," caused to be entered on the register his license to one Thomas Heywood, "he beinge very sicke in body," to eat flesh in Lent so long as his illness continued, and no longer. To show the disturbing influence of the Civil Wars, it will be sufficie

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All Saints.

All Saints.

In this parish the date of the oldest register is 1560, many of the earlier years being evidently copied by the same hand. An entry of the death of Mr. Edward Hurdman, who was the last Bailiff and first Mayor of this city, occurs in 1621: his effigy and that of his wife, in the attitude of prayer, still remain in an arched niche to the south of the chancel. In 1638 is recorded the death of widow Evitt, who buried her husband and her three children of the plague the year before. The dreadful year

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St. John's.

St. John's.

Beginning with 1558, the register of this parish goes on regularly to the present time, with the exception of some omissions in the middle of the seventeenth century. There are no entries in the year 1637: this was the year of the great plague in Worcester, when 1551 persons died here; but as only twenty-six of them were in St. John's it can scarcely be supposed that the vicar would have abandoned his post, or neglected the parochial records, on that account. From 1639 to 1677 all is confusion,

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St. Clement's.

St. Clement's.

The earliest order book for this parish commences with 1670, the register 1694, and the account book 1695. Older records are supposed to have been washed away or to have perished through the effects of floods to which the old parish church (formerly situate on the Upper Quay) was exposed. Even the existing books seem to have been thoroughly soaked, or else the ink used on them was so pale as to be quite illegible in many places. Early in the present century (as the Rev. John Davies, the incumben

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Claines.

Claines.

This register is likewise copied, from the year 1538 to the close of that century, in a good plain hand, except during the Puritanic period, when the rough scribbling of clerks or ill-educated ministers greatly disfigures the book. Much confusion and extensive omissions also occur from the year 1633 till after the Restoration, and from 1749 to 1761, from which time, however, to the present the register is regularly kept and in as good order as any I have seen. The only curious entry in them is d

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Witchcraft.

Witchcraft.

Our county records do not contain evidence of the existence of this superstition to a great extent, owing to the fact that witchcraft cases were usually tried at the Assizes. The first instance occurring in the Sessions rolls is in the year 1601, when Edward Buckland "exhibited articles complaining of John Genifer, to whom he had lent money," and when Buckland's "poor wife" asked for it, Genifer used shocking language, and "charged her with being a witch, and had deserved burning seven years sit

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Crime.

Crime.

From the earliest period to which the county rolls refer, the constables and churchwardens were charged to present in the Sessions all persons who regularly absented themselves from the service of the church and would not receive the sacrament, all innkeepers who made charges above the scale allowed, all tipplers and houses where tippling was allowed during divine service, to report whether due watch and ward was kept and all vagabonds duly punished; besides a variety of other returns. The beerh

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The Gaol.

The Gaol.

The first mention made of the state of the county gaol was in 1616, when a petition was sent to the Quarter Sessions from the poor debtors confined therein "against various hard usages, exactions, and extortions offered to prisoners by Mrs. Moore, the keeper," and "when one of the justices took pains to amend it she obeyed him not but used more extremities." Mrs. Moore, however, commenced a cross fire, by petitioning the magistrates at the same time, alleging that her late husband had "taken the

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The Poor.

The Poor.

When the Monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII, the first authorised parochial machinery was established for the relief of the poor and for suppressing vagrancy. An act was passed authorising the head officers of every parish to receive and keep all poor applicants, putting the able-bodied to constant labour. The necessary funds were to be derived from voluntary contributions collected by the officers, and also the proceeds of stimulating sermons in the churches. But the voluntary system prov

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Social Regulations.

Social Regulations.

In no one particular does the contrast between the present times and those of which we are treating appear more marked, or the progress of society more decided, than in the interference of the ruling powers of olden times with various descriptions of trades and occupations. There were the assizes or ordinances regulating the price of bread, ale, fuel, and other common necessaries of life; they clipped or expanded servants' and workmen's wages; prohibited or encouraged by bounties the growth of v

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The Church and the People.

The Church and the People.

We now come to a class of items chiefly connected with ecclesiastical control over matters both secular and religious—instances of the exercise of power by the Church for the punishment of offenders against her discipline. Every reader of history is acquainted with the force and effect of excommunication in the middle ages. By a sentence of excommunication, both greater and less, the victims were excluded from the right of Christian burial, from bringing or maintaining actions, from becoming att

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Dissenting Chapels and Meeting Houses.

Dissenting Chapels and Meeting Houses.

In the first year of William and Mary an act was passed "For exempting Protestant Dissenters from penalties of certain laws, on condition only that meeting-houses should be certified to the Bishop or Archdeacon or Justices at Quarter Sessions." In 1693 (the first year of the Sessions order book) "The wallhouse in the parish of Hanbury, and in the possession of Dame Ann Rouse," was certified to be "a meeting-house according to ye new Act of Parliament." Also "a house adjoining the foldyard of Mr.

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The Civil Wars.

The Civil Wars.

The year 1643, so distressing to the city of Worcester, when a great portion of the heavy levies on the citizens, for defence against the Parliament army, could not be raised, was nearly to the same extent a cause of pecuniary embarrassment to the county at large. At the April Sessions of 1643 the grand jury ordered "that the £3000 ordered last Sessions to be paid monthly towards the payment of his majesty's forces sent and raised for the defence of this county be continued till next Sessions, a

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A Traveller's Passport.

A Traveller's Passport.

The following document, included among the rolls, is dated 1680, from Whitehall: "Dame Mary Yate, having asked his majesty's permission to pass beyond the seas, for the recovery of her health, his majesty was most graciously pleased to grant her request, under the usual clauses and provisoes, according to which ye said Dame Mary Yate having given security not to enter into any plott or conspiracy against his majesty or his realms, or behave herself in any such manner as may be prejudicial to his

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Bridges and Highways.

Bridges and Highways.

Upton bridge seems to have been a nuisance to the county ever since the time of the Civil Wars, when one of its arches was destroyed for purposes of defence. Frequent complaint was made of its dilapidations, and in 1757 the Sessions ordered that a frigate should be bought "for carrying workmen, stone, and other purposes, about the said repairs." Mr. Sheward was appointed superintendent of the said bridge in 1775, at the salary of one guinea a year. A presentment was made in 1661, that "the cause

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The Plague.

The Plague.

Redditch is stated as having been visited with this scourge in 1625, when the poor people being thrown out of work, it was ordered, under the statute of 1st James I, that Bromsgrove pay 12s. per week, Belbroughton 6s., Cofton Hackett 1s., Northfield 4s., Kingsnorton 9s., Alvechurch 5s., Beoley 6s., Feckenham 7s., Inkberrow 5s., Stoke Prior 4s., Upton Warren and Cookesey 3s. towards the relief of the said poor....

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Theatres.

Theatres.

Were somewhat numerous in the county towards the close of the last century. It is recorded in 1789, that, "upon the application of John Boles Watson, of Cheltenham, comedian, ordered that a licence be granted for the performance of such tragedies, comedies, interludes, operas, plays, or farces, as now are or hereafter shall be acted, performed, or represented at either of the patent or licenced theatres in the city of Westminster, or shall have been submitted to the inspection of the Lord Chambe

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Compositions to the King's Household.

Compositions to the King's Household.

On the 20th of November, 1613, a certificate was sent down from Whitehall to "our very loving friends, the Justices of the Peace and compounders for the county of Worcester," which, after the usual "heartey commendations," &amp;c., set forth that "Thomas Gunner, his Majesty's servant, under-tacker for the countie of Worcester, hath delivered for the service of his Majestie and his most hon. house, for the compost of the 11th yere of his Highnes raigne, 20 fatt oxen, 20 fatt muttons, 20 stirk

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THE DINELEY MANUSCRIPTS.

THE DINELEY MANUSCRIPTS.

Among the valuable manuscripts in existence relating to this county are the Dineley, Jeffries, and Townsend, besides those of Dr. Prattenton, now in possession of the Society of Antiquaries. To preserve these, with a view to publication, should be an object of solicitude to all literary men of the county. The Dineley Manuscripts (now in the possession of Sir T. E. Winnington, Bart., M.P.) consist of three volumes, written between 1670 and 1680 by Thomas Dineley, Esq., a member of one of the olde

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THE JEFFRIES MANUSCRIPTS.

THE JEFFRIES MANUSCRIPTS.

Henry Jeffries (who died in 1709), the last heir male and proprietor of the manor of Clifton-on-Teme, was a man of some learning, and left a manuscript memorandum book in which he had jotted down his own observations de omnibus rebus , and generally in so easy and familiar a way as to render them agreeable as well as instructive. This relic likewise belongs to Sir Thomas Winnington, one of whose ancestors married the heiress of the Jeffries family about a century and a half ago. Specimens of its

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DIARY OF MISTRESS JOYCE JEFFRIES.

DIARY OF MISTRESS JOYCE JEFFRIES.

There is also a Manuscript Diary of Miss Joyce Jeffries in the possession of Sir T. Winnington. The diary contains an account of the state of domestic life among the upper classes, during the reign of Charles I, in the counties of Worcester and Hereford, and relates to Ham Castle, in the parish of Clifton-on-Teme, where this lady resided, and the siege of the city of Hereford, where she also possessed a residence, during the calamities of civil war. It is hoped that the Manuscript will be publis

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THE TOWNSEND MANUSCRIPTS.

THE TOWNSEND MANUSCRIPTS.

One of the Townsend Manuscripts is in the possession of Mr. G. E. Roberts, of Kidderminster. It is an interleaved copy of "The Compleat Justice. London, 1661," in octavo; and consists of 420 pages letterpress, and 470 in manuscript. It is well bound in calf, with initials of the Knight ("H. T.") impressed on sides, and autograph on fly-leaf. Sir Henry's aim may have been to render it a book of legal reference, as upon one of the first leaves he gives a key to a great part of the Manuscript in a

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VACARIUS' ROMAN LAW.

VACARIUS' ROMAN LAW.

A Manuscript was recently discovered in the Worcester Chapter library, which is believed to be unique in this country—at least there is no record of any similar one having ever been found here—it is Vacarius's Epitome of the Roman law. A description of this valuable manuscript was recently published in the "Legal Examiner" by Mr. Hastings, barrister-at-law, of Worcester. Vacarius was a celebrated Italian doctor of law, a native of Lombardy, who it is supposed was brought to this country by Theob

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ABINGTON'S MANUSCRIPT.

ABINGTON'S MANUSCRIPT.

Mr. Cadby, bookseller, of 83, New Street, Birmingham, recently advertised for sale "Some Memoirs relating to the Church and City of Worcester, collected by one of the Ancient Family of the Abingtons, which came to the hands of Robert Dobyns, late of Easbath, and now of the City of Hereford, Esq., who, out of the Love he bears to the said Church and City where he was Born and Baptised, transmitted this Copy to the Library at Worcester, there to be kept , supposing the original to be lost in the l

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BISHOP SWINFIELD'S ROLL.

BISHOP SWINFIELD'S ROLL.

"A roll of the household expenses of Richard de Swinfield, Bishop of Hereford, during part of the years 1289 and 1290." This valuable Manuscript was discovered about forty years ago by Dr. Prattinton, of Bewdley, among the muniments at Stanford Court, the seat of Sir T. E. Winnington, Bart. Dr. Prattinton made an abstract of it, which he presented, with his other Worcestershire papers, to the Society of Antiquaries; but it was not till the year 1853 that the roll was edited and published, when t

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BISHOP SKINNER.

BISHOP SKINNER.

"Memoirs of Dr. Robert Skinner, Bishop of Worcester, who died 1670." Several manuscript volumes, in the handwriting of the Right Rev. Dr. White Kennett, Bishop of Peterborough, are to be found in the British Museum (MS. Lansdown, 986, fol. 135), containing biographies of distinguished ecclesiastics, one of whom was Bishop Skinner of Worcester. This prelate was elected to the see of Bristol in 1636, translated to that of Oxford in 1641, and to Worcester in 1663. While he lived in the times of usu

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DODDINGTREE HUNDRED TWO CENTURIES AGO.

DODDINGTREE HUNDRED TWO CENTURIES AGO.

In Sir Thomas Winnington's library at Stanford is a bundle of manuscripts, being a survey of the parsonages and other church livings in the Doddingtree hundred of Worcestershire, date 1665, or returns made to a visitation by order of the Lord Protector Cromwell. These returns include thirty-three parishes or places, namely, Bockleton, Pensax, Knighton-on-Teme alias Kington, Lindridge, Alfrick, Suckley, Little Kyre, Hanley Child, Orleton, Hanley William, Eastham, Tenbury, Cotheridge, Edwyn Loach,

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BELLS

BELLS

were formerly a prolific source of superstition. There is a valley in Nottinghamshire, where a village is said to have been swallowed up by an earthquake, and it was the custom on Christmas Day morning for the people to assemble in this valley and listen to the fancied ringing of the church bells underground. At Abbot's Morton there is a tradition that the silver bells belonging to the abbot are buried in the site of his old residence there. At Ledbury, a legend relates that St. Katharine had a

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GOOD FRIDAY

GOOD FRIDAY

is the occasion of great superstition. It is believed that anything planted on that day will prosper, and that if the seeds of the stock are sown in the evening, as the sun goes down, the flowers will be sure to come double. Hot-cross buns, or other bread made on a Good Friday, are supposed never to grow mouldy, and if kept for twelve months and then grated into some liquor, will prove a great soother of the stomach-ache; acorns dried and grated will have the same effect. The origin of the buns

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BEES.

BEES.

In many places in this county, when the master of a family dies, the old nurse goes to the hive of bees, knocks, and says: A bit of black crape is then pinned to the hive. It is firmly believed that but for this precaution the bees would all desert the place. A correspondent at Pershore says: "While conversing with a farmer's wife in this neighbourhood, I was gravely informed that it was certainly the truth, unless the bees were 'told' when anybody died in the house, something would happen eithe

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CHARMS

CHARMS

are still believed in to a great extent among the poor. In the neighbourhood of Hartlebury they break the legs of a toad, sew it up in a bag alive, and tie it round the neck of the patient. There were lately some female charmers at Fladbury. The peasantry around Tenbury and Shrawley have also great faith in charms, and the toad remedy is applied at the former place, the life or death of the patient being supposed to be shadowed forth by the survival or death of the poor animal. At Mathon, old wo

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TOUCHING FOR THE KING'S EVIL

TOUCHING FOR THE KING'S EVIL

was in old times an established institution. In 1666 the Chamberlain of the Worcester Corporation spent £10. 14s. in an entertainment to Mr. Gratrix, "an Irishman famous for helping and curing many lame and diseased people only by stroking of their maladies with his hand, and therefore sent for to this and many other places." Valentine Gratrix—surnamed the Stroker—was a great proficient and master of the art; and by a letter of his (still in existence) to the Archbishop of Dublin, it appears tha

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WITCHCRAFT.

WITCHCRAFT.

A lingering belief in witchcraft still remains among the most ignorant of our population, both rural and urban. Some particulars relative to the existence of this superstition in this county in the seventeenth century will be found among the county records in the early part of this volume. The law against witchcraft, passed in the time of James I, being very stringent, the driving out evil spirits, allaying of ghosts, and abjuring witches, became, for nearly a century, a profitable employment. W

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GHOSTS.

GHOSTS.

At Beoley, about half a century ago, the ghost of a reputed murderer managed to keep undisputed possession of a certain house, until a conclave of the clergy chained him to the bed of the Red Sea for fifty years. When that term was expired the ghost reappeared (two or three years ago), and more than ever frightened the natives of the said house—slamming the doors, and racing through the ceilings. The inmates, however, took heart, and chased him, by stamping on the floor from one room to another,

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LOVE SPELLS.

LOVE SPELLS.

A correspondent at Cutnall Green says that it is believed there that for a single female to sleep in a new pair of shoes and stockings is a sure means of her dreaming of her future husband; and for a female to sleep with a breast bone, knife and fork, and a plate, carefully put under her bolster, also is sure to make her dream of her lover. Another informant—a lady, who forgot to state the place of her residence—sends me the following: If a maiden wishes to know her future husband, let her on Mi

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Legends and Traditions.

Legends and Traditions.

The legends of Worcestershire, as of most other counties, are mainly traceable to middle-age ecclesiastical influences or to the popular ideas of the author of all evil. Some few are derived from an exaggerated recollection of historical facts, and a still smaller number have descended to us from pagan times. Of these, with others whose origin is buried in obscurity, I shall now proceed to give a sample. Ribbesford church contains an ancient sculpture on the tympanum of its principal doorway, re

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THE BABES OF BETHLEHEM.

THE BABES OF BETHLEHEM.

It is an ancient custom at Norton, near Evesham, on the 28th of December (Innocents' Day) to ring a muffled peal, in token of sorrow for the slaughter of the hapless "babes of Bethlehem," and, immediately afterwards, an unmuffled peal, in manifestation of joy for the deliverance and escape of the infant Saviour....

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RINGING FOR THE PARSON.

RINGING FOR THE PARSON.

At Huddington church a custom prevails not to ring the bell for service till the clergyman appears in sight—which probably originated in that interesting period of church discipline when congregations were not always sure of a parson till they had caught him....

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BAPTISMS.

BAPTISMS.

The number of godfathers and godmothers to attend at baptisms was fixed at Worcester, at a synod held in 1240, when the same provision was made as is now required by our rubric, viz., "That there should be for every male child that is to be baptized two godfathers and one godmother, and for every female one godfather and two godmothers."...

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CRABBING THE PARSON.

CRABBING THE PARSON.

The custom of "crabbing the parson" was observed till lately at St. Kenelm's chapelry, near Stourbridge. It was the practice for the villagers, and all who chose, to arm themselves with crabs on the wake Sunday, and as the parson approached the church they were plentifully and vigorously discharged at him in the most approved mode of "horizontal firing" until he reached the haven of the church porch. The substitution of sticks and stones for crabs led to the suppression of the practice. It is sa

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PRIMITIVE CATHEDRAL CUSTOMS.

PRIMITIVE CATHEDRAL CUSTOMS.

Two ancient customs are observed at Worcester Cathedral—first, the separation of men from the women; and second, the division of the morning service into two. The allotment to each sex of a distinct place in the church was very strictly observed among the primitive Christians, and Geoffrey of Monmouth states that the Britons observed the ancient custom of Troy, by which the men and women used to celebrate their festivals apart. There is an old jeu d'esprit in relation to the custom at Worcester:

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MARRIAGE CUSTOM.

MARRIAGE CUSTOM.

The neighbourhood of Abberton, Flyford Flavel, Wick, Naunton Beauchamp, and other rural parishes in that district, celebrate weddings by serenading the house of the newly-married pair at night, and firing off guns, pistols, or any other instrument which will explode. Some parties at Wick were not long ago summoned before the magistrates for having participated in one of these popping-bouts, but the indignation of the district was greatly aroused by their being mulcted in certain expenses and ord

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FUNEREAL.

FUNEREAL.

At Broadwas, at all funerals, the bearers invariably set down the coffin in the middle of the lane leading to the church, and forming a circle around it, they all bow most reverentially—a remnant, no doubt, of those ceremonies observed in Catholic days, to mark respect for the departed and to bid him farewell....

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ASCENSION DAY.

ASCENSION DAY.

Brand, in his "Popular Antiquities," states that a servant, named Betty Jelkes, who lived several years at Evesham, informed him of an ancient custom at that place for the master-gardeners to give their workpeople a treat of baked peas, both white and grey, and pork, annually on Holy Thursday. On Ascension Day the inhabitants of Nantwich formerly assembled and sang a hymn of thanksgiving for the blessings of brine, and a very ancient pit there was held in great veneration and bedecked with bough

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GUY FAULX.

GUY FAULX.

The 5th of November—so long celebrated as —is still faintly remembered among us by means of squibs and crackers stealthily discharged by mischievous boys in the streets. The good old system of bonfires—always a most popular mode of rejoicing—would probably not have been abandoned but for the numerous conflagrations it must have occasioned at a time when thatch generally covered our houses. In 1789, the Worcester corporation caused the bellman to cry down bonfires, although previous to that time

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"ROYAL OAK DAY"—MAY 29,

"ROYAL OAK DAY"—MAY 29,

is wonderfully shorn of its honours since people have generally taken to read history, and have learned how little reason they have to bless the memory of the Stuarts. The marvellous escape of Charles II, when his pursuers passed under the oak tree in which he was secreted after the battle of Worcester, is now only commemorated in the city which boasts of being "faithful" to its kings whether their memory be odorous or not, by some half-dozen boughs of oak being affixed over as many doorways in

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MOTHERING SUNDAY.

MOTHERING SUNDAY.

Midlent, or, as it is called in Worcestershire, "Mothering Sunday," is still observed as a minor festival, upon which all the children and grand-children visit their parents, and the pride of the feast is invariably a loin of veal....

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ALL FOOLS' DAY.

ALL FOOLS' DAY.

The first of April, too, is not forgotten by the young fry, as "April fool day;" when all sorts of traps are set to make each other look ridiculous....

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PLEDGING.

PLEDGING.

The old custom of drinking healths is on the decline. In a book of rhymes, published about 1660, in "a catch made before the king's coming to Worcester with the Scottish army," is the following:...

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MAY-POLES.

MAY-POLES.

The May-pole, it has been already stated, is still in existence at Offenham, Hartlebury, Bayton, &amp;c. Thomas Hall, a puritanical writer (1660), author of the "Downfall of May Games," says—"The most of these May-poles are stollen, yet they give out that the poles are given them. There were two May-poles set up in my parish (Kingsnorton); the one was stollen, and the other was given by a profest Papist. That which was stollen was said to bee given, when 'twas proved to their faces that 'twa

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HEAVING.

HEAVING.

"Heaving" or "lifting" at Easter has not long been discontinued at Worcester, the locality where the writer last heard of its performance being in Birdport and Dolday. On Easter Monday the women would surround any man who happened to be passing by, and by their joint efforts lift him up in the air, and on the next day the men did the same to the women. The only mode of escaping this kind of elevation was by "forking out" (as they term it in the classical phraseology of that neighbourhood) a cert

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VALENTINE'S DAY

VALENTINE'S DAY

is one of the best preserved customs of the middle ages, and will probably last as long as "young men and maidens" have a tender regard for each other. The first woman seen by a man on the morning of this day, or vice versa , is called their Valentine, though the parties never see each other again. Since the establishment of the penny postage system and the cheapening of paper and print, the custom of sending Valentines has been much on the increase, some of our Worcester booksellers having foun

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MORRIS DANCING

MORRIS DANCING

is still resorted to by the boatmen of the Severn and the canals, whenever the frost interrupts their ordinary occupation, on which occasion small parties of them, dressed up fantastically with ribbons, and carrying short sticks, which they strike together in time with parts of the dance, perform in the streets, soliciting alms. The Morris Dancers made a considerable figure in the parochial festivals of the olden times. It is said the custom was introduced by the Moors into Spain. A few years ag

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THE "WAITS"

THE "WAITS"

linger yet among us, but their operations are confined to an early serenading of the citizens with soft music a few mornings in the Christmas time. Formerly the Worcester Corporation kept a "company of waites," paying them wages and dressing them in livery (cock'd hats and blue coats or cloaks), to be ready to play on all public occasions; but towards the close of the last century they were gradually superseded by another order of minstrels, "ye drums and fifes." Busby, in his Dictionary of Musi

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THE CURFEW BELL

THE CURFEW BELL

still is occasionally rung at St. Helen's church, in this city, and at Bewdley and King's Norton, also at Pershore from October till March. At Evesham it is rung in the fine old bell-tower at eight o'clock every evening, except on Saturdays, when it is rung at seven o'clock during the Christmas holidays—the week before and the week after Christmas Day it is rung at seven o'clock; and probably at other old towns in the county which I have not ascertained; but the perpetuation of the old custom se

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PLUM-PUDDING AND OTHER BELLS.

PLUM-PUDDING AND OTHER BELLS.

At St. Martin's church, a few weeks before Christmas, a bell is nightly rung, the expense of which, I believe, is pro vided for under the will of one Sir Robert Berkeley, Knight, who left a fund for bell-ringing on certain days, and to purchase bell-ropes. The bell at St. Martin's is called "the plum-pudding bell," probably in allusion to the approaching Christmas festivities, as the "pancake bell" was formerly rung in many places at Easter. In most old towns, as at Worcester and Bewdley, a very

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ST. CATHARINE'S DAY.

ST. CATHARINE'S DAY.

"Catherning," or "Cattaring,"—that is, the observance of St. Catharine's Day (Nov. 25) has not yet gone out of remembrance in Worcestershire. It was formerly the custom of the Dean and Chapter—that day being the last of their audit—to distribute amongst the inhabitants of the College precincts a rich compound of wine, spices, &amp;c., called "the Cattern bowl." A modified edition of the custom, I believe, is still observed. At Leigh, Harvington, Offenham, and other parishes, the young people

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CURIOUS CHARITY, &c.

CURIOUS CHARITY, &c.

At Kidderminster is a whimsical charity for the benefit of the inhabitants of Church Street. Mr. Brecknall, a bachelor, in 1778, bequeathed a farthing loaf and twopenny cake annually to every single person born in that street who should apply for it on the 21st of June; the applicant is eligible during the whole of his or her life, or in whatever part of the world residing. The mere residents of Church Street, if not born there, are also entitled to a cake, but their claim is forfeited when they

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THE WHOOP.

THE WHOOP.

On the second Sunday in July there was a custom at Chaddesley Corbett to put strangers "through the whoop." I cannot ascertain exactly what this practice was, as the inhabitants from whom I have sought information fight exceedingly shy of it, and some even deny the existence of the custom; but one gentleman informs me that it was usual on that day for the lower order of the parishioners to play some practical joke—anything which first presented itself to their imaginations—upon whatever stranger

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TENURE.

TENURE.

There is a curious tenure at Inkberrow. The manor and advowson were granted by Philip and Mary to an ancestor of the present Lord Abergavenny, on condition that in default of male issue the same should revert to the Crown. Up to the present time, however, there has been no lack of males in the family, and the present noble lord "hath his quiver full" of promising sons....

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NICKNAMES.

NICKNAMES.

Among the colliers in the north of this county, as also that singular race of beings known as the "Lye-wasters," near Stourbridge, the custom is observed of adopting nicknames, so that they are but very little known by their Christian or surnames, and an officer who goes to serve a writ or summons has a task which he finds himself unable to perform. Amusing instances are given in "The Rambler," vol. ii, p. 80, and vol. iii, p. 253....

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BRIDE ALES.

BRIDE ALES.

At Halesowen, in former times, the celebration of bride-ales or love-ales, at a wedding, prevailed, and led to such disorder that during the reign of Elizabeth it was found necessary by the Borough Court to make some most stringent orders thereon. The custom was for the bride to sell a quantity of ale, for which she received, by way of contribution, whatever handsome price the friends assembled chose to pay; the object being to assist the young people in commencing housekeeping. The custom is no

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PAUPER RELIEF.

PAUPER RELIEF.

The way of relieving parochial paupers at Harvington in the seventeenth century was by assigning them for certain days to any of the inhabitants who would employ them. An entry occurs in the parish register thus: "April 6, 1697. A particular of the several days as Thomas Godfrey is to worke with the persons under written, for which they are to give him 8d. a day, or if they doe not employ him, 4d. per day; to begin from the 6th of April, 1697, and soe to goe thro' the towne as thus:" Then follow

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CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS.

CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS.

On the confines of Worcestershire, towards Ledbury, it was some years ago the custom, on Twelfth Night, for the farmers to make twelve fires upon the head (east side) of one of their wheat fields. One of these fires was larger than the others, which they called "Old Meg," and around this the farm servants, with their families and friends, congregated to drink warm cider, with plum-cake toasted in it, and with loud hurrahs wishing success to the master and his crops; then they proceeded to the co

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HOP-CRIBBING,

HOP-CRIBBING,

though nearly banished by the advance of education and improved manners, is occasionally performed in the secluded parts of this district. The usage is, that when a male stranger has to pass through the hop ground, he is seized by the women of the picking party, and threatened to be pitched into the crib (an article like a large cradle or child's crib, into which the hops are picked), and then to be smothered with the caresses of all the oldest and most snuffy women present, unless he will "shel

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BEATING THE BOUNDS.

BEATING THE BOUNDS.

Under the head of "Holy Thursday and its old customs at Worcester" the "Worcester Herald" of May 27, 1854, contained the following sketch, which is worthy of a place here: The ancient custom of "processioning," or "beating the bounds," on Ascension Day, it seems, has not yet become a dead letter in this city. The parishes of All Saints and St. Clement are among the most determined upholders of antiquity in this respect; and although it is but seldom that either parish rejoices in these "free-and

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CIVIL AND MILITARY.

CIVIL AND MILITARY.

What was the origin of ordering military troops out of the city at times of assizes and sessions, and in what other places besides Worcester is the custom observed?...

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THE BLACK PEAR.

THE BLACK PEAR.

How many (if any) trees of the celebrated black pear of Worcester still remain in this city and suburbs?...

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KING CHARLES'S COINS.

KING CHARLES'S COINS.

Is there, in any private collection of coins in Worcester, one of King Charles's Worcester half-crowns or a specimen of the leaden halfpenny struck at the mint in this city?...

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HOPS.

HOPS.

Were hops cultivated in East Worcestershire? In many places in Beoley parish, hops are found growing in the hedgerows, and there is a large field there which is called "The Hop-garden." The year 1855 is believed to have produced a larger crop of hops than has ever been known (duty £398,635. 6s. 5-3/4d.). In 1801 the Worcester district paid a larger duty than had been on previous record, though far below the duty of 1855; and in 1826 the duty was higher than in 1801, being £269,331; or £129,304 l

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NEEDLE TRADE.

NEEDLE TRADE.

In what year was the needle trade introduced into Redditch, by whom, and where from?...

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MARINE STORE DEALERS.

MARINE STORE DEALERS.

What was the origin of applying the term "marine store dealers" to shopkeepers buying and selling old metal, &amp;c.?...

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GROVES.

GROVES.

When was the practice of planting groves, or avenues of trees, as approaches to family mansions, commenced, and when and why abandoned? Nothing can speak more of grandeur or of ancestral dignity than these solemn avenues of trees—for instance, those of Spetchley, Cotheridge, &amp;c. In Rome, no great house was formerly built without an avenue of trees, and Plato taught his scholars to love the groves of Academus almost as well as his philosophy....

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CROMWELL PILLORIED.

CROMWELL PILLORIED.

On the key-stone of the arch of the Guildhall entrance-door is the figure of a man's head, having the expression of pain, and with his ears nailed back. Is there any ground for supposing that this was intended to represent Oliver Cromwell in the pillory, while the two Charleses stand in regal state on each side? I have heard the fag-end of an old song, of which the following is the burden: It is, however, probable that the sculpture in question is intended, with the other heads and figures adorn

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THE PILLORY, &c.

THE PILLORY, &c.

When were the last known instances of bull-baiting and cock-fighting in Worcester, and when was the pillory last used? About forty years ago the present Lord Dundonald (then Lord Cochrane) was sentenced by Lord Ellenborough "to stand in and upon the pillory for the space of one hour." The public and the press were justly indignant at a distinguished and enterprising naval officer being sentenced to such an infamous punishment, and it was not carried into effect; the Legislature took up the matte

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THE MILWARD EVIDENCES.

THE MILWARD EVIDENCES.

Can you, sir, or any of your correspondents, inform me of the whereabout of the " Milward Evidences ," which were used by Shaw and Nash in their histories of the counties of Worcester and Stafford. The heiress of the Milwards, of Wollescott, married Hungerford Oliver, Esq., whose descendants, till about fifteen or twenty years ago, resided at the family seat of Wollescott (which had been in the possession of the Milwards before the reign of Elizabeth), and since then they have gone down in the w

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CAST-IRON GRAVE SLABS.

CAST-IRON GRAVE SLABS.

A cast-iron slab may be seen on a grave in Himbleton church, having an inscription to Philip Fincher and his wife, who died, the former in 1660 and the latter in 1690. Is any earlier instance known of the use of cast-iron for such a purpose?— Answer. In Mr. Lowe's paper in the Sussex collections is a description of a cast-iron grave slab of the fourteenth century, existing in Burwash church. It has an ornamental cross, and inscription in relief, and is considered as unique for the style and peri

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STEWPONEY.

STEWPONEY.

Can any one supply a more probable origin of the odd name of the "Stewponey" inn, near Stourbridge, than the following: In ancient times there was probably a bridge over the Stour near Stourton Castle, and an inn would be necessary for the traffic passing over the bridge. This hostelry would be described in the Latin documents of the day as that by Stourbridge ( Stour ponte ), easily corrupted into "Stour pone" and "Stewponey." Or the word may be a corruption of the French Pont and the word Stou

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QUEEN ELIZABETH AT HARTLEBURY.

QUEEN ELIZABETH AT HARTLEBURY.

Is any inhabitant of Hartlebury enabled to give information respecting the tradition that when Queen Elizabeth visited Worcestershire she slept one night at a public-house, formerly called the "Dog" inn, Hartlebury, and that she left at that house one of her slippers as a pledge of her stay. She is said to have granted to the above inn some privilege—such as the exemption from taxes. About forty years ago the Dog inn was occupied by one Mr. Prince, and the slipper was then said to be preserved a

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DR. PRATTINTON'S PAPERS.

DR. PRATTINTON'S PAPERS.

I should be glad to ascertain whether the extensive and valuable collection of Worcestershire papers made by my late friend, Dr. Prattinton, of Bewdley, and bequeathed by him to the Antiquarian Society, have yet been arranged and indexed. J. H. D., Bark Hill, Bewdley....

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THE PAGEANT HOUSE.

THE PAGEANT HOUSE.

Can any one supply information as to the Pageant House, an ancient building which formerly existed in this city. Was it used for plays or trade pageants in connexion with the guilds? And was it on or near the site of the present Music Hall? An old document belonging to the Clothiers' Company describes it as "neer unto the Corn-market of the said city, adjoining on the south side to a house or tenement now in the occupation of Thomas Hill, blacksmith; on the east side to the town wall; on the nor

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CURIOUS DISCOVERY.

CURIOUS DISCOVERY.

In removing the old church at Oldswinford a few years ago there was an unavoidable exposure of coffins and human remains, and in one of the coffins a lady was found full-dressed in ancient costume, and an enormous multitude of pins in her dress and lying strewed about. Was this connected with superstitious motives, or in what other way may the presence of the pins be accounted for?...

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THE HOLY LOAF.

THE HOLY LOAF.

In the Halesowen churchwardens' book (commencing temp. Edward IV), among other entries is one in the year 1499—"Item, for bred to the holy loffe for the township of Rommesley, 12d." In those days the elements for the sacrament were taken from the people's oblations of bread and wine, until at length wafers were substituted. It was the custom for every house in the parish to provide in turn the "holy loaf," and the good man or woman who provided it was specially remembered in the church's prayers

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A SOUNDING NAME.

A SOUNDING NAME.

Can any one throw light upon an inscription in Elmley Castle churchyard, which records the death of John Chapman, whose name, it is said, "sounds in (or throughout) the world?" The following is the inscription: "Memoriæ defunctorum sacrum. Και Τυφωνια "Siste gradum, viator, ac lege. In spe beatæ resurrectionis hic requiescunt exuviæ Johannis Chapmanni et Isabellæ uxoris, filiæ Gulielmi Allen de Wightford, in comitat. War. Ab antiquo proavorum stemmate deduxerunt genus. Variis miserarium agitati

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THE KING'S DUTY.

THE KING'S DUTY.

In the register of Besford parish is an entry of "King's duty paid for four christenings, 4s." In the Himbleton register there are traces of a similar tax, as follows: "Baptisms in 1783, since the commencement of a late Act of Parliament, to demand 3d. for each baptism." "Burials in 1783," ditto ditto. "Examined and received the duty to 1st of Oct., 1785. For Ben Pearkes, sub-distributor—J. Wensley." I believe the duty on bachelors and widows, and on marriages, births, and burials, was imposed i

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SCULPTURES ON CHURCHES.

SCULPTURES ON CHURCHES.

At the churches of Leigh and Rouse Lench, above the doors, exteriorly, is in each case a niche containing a figure—one of the Saviour, and the other supposed to be of St. Peter. These examples of figures are of rare occurrence in consequence of the destruction of all such representations and images at the Reformation, and subsequently by the Puritans. Above the western window of St. John's church, Bromsgrove, are three figures of the full size of life, said to represent St. Peter, St. Paul, and

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THE FIRST WORCESTER PRINTER.

THE FIRST WORCESTER PRINTER.

John Oswen, of Worcester, who flourished about the middle of the sixteenth century, was appointed by Edward VI, the printer of all books for the service of the churches in Wales and the Marches, and he first printed the New Testament here. Mr. Eaton, of this city, has one of Oswen's books in his possession; it is entitled "The Godly sayings of the old auncient faithful fathers upon the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. Imprinted the xi day of Oct. 1550, at Worcester, by Jhon Oswen. They

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KING CHARLES'S STAFF.

KING CHARLES'S STAFF.

At the British Archæological Association's meeting in the Isle of Wight, August, 1865, it was stated, in a paper contributed by Mr. H. S. Cuming, that the gold-headed staff which Charles I leaned on during his trial, and the head of which breaking off suddenly, made a great impression on the King, as a bad omen, was in the possession of a lady residing at Worcester. In the "Gentlemen's Magazine" for January, 1846, the cane was said to be in the possession of Mr. Cooke, of Newclose, Isle of Wight

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GIANTS.

GIANTS.

In the churchyard of Ripple is a gravestone bearing the following distich: The individual buried here was Robert Reeve, who died in 1626, aged fifty-six. Tradition says that he was a giant (7ft. 4in. high), the length of his body being indicated by the distance between the head and foot stones of his grave; and it is said that he met with his death through over-exertion in mowing an acre of land one day in Uckingshall meadow. But there is a similar inscription in Welland churchyard, from which i

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SAFFRON.

SAFFRON.

Dr. Nash, in his "Worcestershire," says that great quan tities of wild saffron ( Crocus sativus ) grow in the parish of Kyre Wyard, south of Tenbury. If so, the naturalized plant must point out that saffron was formerly extensively cultivated at Kyre Wyard. Can any inhabitant of that vicinity say if the crocus, from which saffron was made, now grows to any extent in the parish, and if there is any tradition about the cultivation of saffron. Shakspeare alludes to "villanous saffron," which in his

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OLD SAYINGS.

OLD SAYINGS.

There is an old saying at Honeybourne, near Broadway, as follows: There is a saying that— or, Another saying is— It is proverbial in Worcestershire that "you never hear the cuckoo before Tenbury fair or after Pershore fair." Tenbury fair is on April 20, and Pershore fair is on June 26, which two dates pretty correctly mark the duration of the cuckoo's visit....

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A HAPPY VILLAGE.

A HAPPY VILLAGE.

The happy village of Norton, near Evesham, contains no inn, public-house, meeting-house, lawyer, doctor, or curate! (at least this was the case a few months ago, when the author of this work was there.)...

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A GREAT FLOOD.

A GREAT FLOOD.

G. E. R., a correspondent at Kidderminster, has found the following curious note on the fly-leaf of a rare tract, entitled "The Infancie of the Soule, by William Hill. Printed at the Signe of the Holy Lambe, 1605:"—"November ye 29, 1620. In the river Severn was the greatest flood that ever was sinse the flood of Noah; there was drowned at Homtone's Loade 68 persons as they whare going to Bewdley faire."...

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OLD FAMILY.

OLD FAMILY.

In the Domesday Book, mention is made of a family residing at Bromsgrove, of the name of Dipple, and at the present time there are living in that town three distinct families of the same name, so that in all probability this family never became extinct, and is therefore one of the oldest in the county....

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BELLS AND BELL-FOUNDERS.

BELLS AND BELL-FOUNDERS.

The majority of the Worcestershire bells were cast by Rudhall, of Gloucester, and his successor, Mears; Chapman and Mears, of London, towards the close of the last century, and T. Mears, of London, in the present, also have their names in some places, as at King's Norton; but a correspondent says he has one of Mears' lists, and finds only nine of his peals in Worcestershire, viz., Dudley, peal of ten, weight of tenor, 21 cwt.; Stourbridge, eight, tenor, 19 cwt.; King's Norton, eight, tenor, 17 c

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TOBACCO.

TOBACCO.

The introduction of tobacco (now become so important an article of general demand) is a subject worthy of a few notes, especially as regards the traces of its cultivation and consumption in this district. It is true that Worcestershire cannot boast of being the first place in England where "the wicked weed" was grown. That was an honour claimed by our near neighbours of Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire, who are said to have profited greatly (in a pecuniary sense, I suppose) by its cultivation. Tob

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HERMITAGES AND CAVES

HERMITAGES AND CAVES

abound in Worcestershire. One of the most interesting of them is that at Redstone, in a rock by the Severn, in the parish of Astley. It was said to be "a place of great resort for devotees of high quality in Papal times:" and the following remarks respecting it occur in a letter of Bishop Latimer, written from Hartlebury to Lord Cromwell, August 25th, 1538. The letter was printed in the Parker Society's edition of his "Remains," p. 401: "Hereby is an hermitage in a rock by Severn, able to lodge

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WORCESTERSHIRE DESCRIBED BY A ROUNDHEAD.

WORCESTERSHIRE DESCRIBED BY A ROUNDHEAD.

In the Essex papers published three or four years ago the following description is given of this county and city, and also of Hereford: "On the 30th, Wharton writes again—'Worcestershire is a pleasant, fruitful, and rich country, abounding in corn, woods, pasture, hills, and valleys, every hedge and highway beset with fruit, but especially with pears, whereof they make that pleasant drink called perry, which they sell for a penny a quart, though better than ever you tasted at London. The city is

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PECULIAR WORDS.

PECULIAR WORDS.

Among the archaic or peculiar words used in Worcestershire (as also in some of the neighbouring counties), are the following: "Tabber," to strike repeated blows with the fist; "heft," weight; "colly," the black from a tea-kettle or from coal; "wowing," selling ale without a license; "leazing," gleaning (this is used in many counties); "cott," or "Molly Cott," a nickname given to a man who interferes unduly in domestic affairs; "lungeous," being awkward, heavy, and dangerous in play; "off his hea

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CURIOUS NAMES OF PLACES.

CURIOUS NAMES OF PLACES.

An unusually large number of places in Worcestershire in ancient times seemed to have been dedicated to the Dii Inferi , as also to the more sprightly beings which have hardly yet ceased to exist in our woods and groves, in shady glens, and by babbling streams. The Devil's Leap is a deep dingle, partly in Dodenham and partly in Hartley. There are the Devil's Den, Hell Hole, and Death's Dingle, in Stanford; this "den" is a black wood in a narrow dell, deeply enclosed in entangled woods; and Mrs.

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THE CHINA TRADE.

THE CHINA TRADE.

Mr. Thursfield, of Broseley, at the meeting of the Archæological Institute, at Shrewsbury, in 1855, read a paper in which he stated that about the year 1750, a manufacture was commenced at Caughley, near Broseley, for the production of porcelain, by two persons named Gallimore and John Turner, the latter originally a silversmith at Worcester. They carried on the works with considerable spirit towards the close of the last century, having introduced several French artisans. The distinctive mark o

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LONGEVITY.

LONGEVITY.

Chaddesley Corbett, Mamble and Bayton, Rock, Tenbury, Martley, Abberley, and two or three other places in this county, are famous for the longevity of their inhabitants. Perhaps a larger number of very old people can be enumerated in the neighbourhood of Martley and the Berrow hills than in any other given space in the kingdom. The late incumbent of Chaddesley, who was himself nearly 90 years of age, buried, in 1813, Sarah Yates, at the age of 101; and in 1841 he did the same service for Elizabe

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GLOUCESTER CITY GATES.

GLOUCESTER CITY GATES.

It is said in the history of Gloucester that shortly after the Restoration of Charles II, the King, bitterly remembering his father's defeat before that city, ordered the doors belonging to the gates to be pulled down, and presented them to the city of Worcester, which had long remained faithful to his cause. On the south gate of Gloucester, which was battered down during the siege by the King in 1643 (but was rebuilt in the same year), was inscribed in capital letters round the arch—"A city ass

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ANCIENT INNS.

ANCIENT INNS.

The old Black Boy, at Feckenham, is now closed as an inn. It had been in the family of the Gardners about 139 years. The sign, which was of copper, stood the whole of that time, until taken down in 1854. The present occupiers of "Mopson's Cross" inn, near Wyre Forest, boast that their ancestors have occupied that inn for more than two centuries, and that it is the oldest licensed house in the county. The Talbot inn, Sidbury, Worcester, and the Talbot in the Tything, are very ancient, and the Cou

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A FINE MEMORY.

A FINE MEMORY.

In Yardley church is a memorial to one of the Este family, who, though blind, was said to have attained a perfect knowledge of the Scriptures, by heart, from beginning to end....

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LONGDON MARSHES.

LONGDON MARSHES.

The Longdon marshes (formerly a waste of nearly 10,000 acres) are believed to have formed a backwater of the Severn estuary, subject to tidal influence, in those very ancient times when, according to Sir R. Murchison, the "Straits of Malvern" existed. Various sea birds still come there in the winter season, as though a traditionary remembrance had been wafted down among the feathered tribes of the time when this wild spot was more particularly their own sporting ground....

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HEREDITARY CLERKS AND SEXTONS.

HEREDITARY CLERKS AND SEXTONS.

There are many instances in Worcestershire of the offices of sexton and clerk having been held as hereditary ones for very lengthened periods. At Feckenham, the late Mr. David Clarkson (literally, the clerk's son ), who died in March, 1854, after having been a model clerk for many years, could boast of his ancestors having occupied the same office for two centuries. He served in his youth as drum-major in the artillery, and when he succeeded his father in the clerkship, became the tutor of choir

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THE REV. DR. LEE.

THE REV. DR. LEE.

The mansion of Glasshampton, in the parish of Astley, was some years ago totally destroyed by fire. The Rev. D. J. J. Cookes, on coming into possession of the property, enlarged, repaired, and beautified the family seat. When the work was nearly completed, a dinner was given to the workmen in the mansion; but one tipsy fellow among them let fall the contents of his pipe upon some shavings, and the place was soon in a blaze. The entire edifice was destroyed, but among the furniture saved was an o

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THE MARTYR RIDLEY.

THE MARTYR RIDLEY.

In Redmarley church is an inscription to one George Shipside, as follows: Obit die De'bris An. D'ni 1609, Ac An. Ætatis svæ 84. Ecce quid eris." This is believed to be the George Shipside whose wife was sister to the martyr, Bishop Ridley. The bishop had the free warren of Bury Court, in this parish, and a George Shipside was his sister's second husband; he was the bishop's park-keeper at Bushley, was incarcerated at Oxford, and attended the martyr to the stake. Ridley's affectionate farewell on

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VERSIFIED WILL.

VERSIFIED WILL.

The following is a copy of the will of John Baxter, of Conderton, Overbury, as proved in the Consistory Court of Worcester, in 1724: "July the 25 Anno 1723;— With God's good leave this is my last will Which to deceive is past man's skill I do bequeath unto his hill. My soul for to abide My body to be turned to dust nere to my wives yt my sonnes nurst To meete my soul againe I trust; when it is glorifide For this world's good as God did lend it If I heve not for to spend it; after this manner I c

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BLOODY POND.

BLOODY POND.

In some of our old histories occasional mention is made of pools suddenly changing from water to blood, or putting on a sanguine aspect, which in those "muddy-evil" times was considered a prodigy portending wars and direful slaughter. A similar appearance was presented a short time ago in a pool at Snead's Green, Mathon, in this county, the surface of which was so closely covered with a film of crimson and vermilion as to present a most extraordinary appearance. The gentleman who first observed

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CROMWELL'S PROPERTY AND INCOME-TAX.

CROMWELL'S PROPERTY AND INCOME-TAX.

In 1656, Oliver Cromwell and his Parliament laid on a tax very much like the present property and income-tax, and its machinery of commissioners, assessors, &amp;c., was also very similar. The commissioners for the county of Worcester were—"Sir Thomas Rous, Baronet, John Wilde, sergeant-at-law, Major-General James Berrey, Wil. Lygon, John Egiocke, Edw. Pit, Hen. Bromley of Holt, Rich. Grevis, Nicholas Lechmere, Gervase Buck, Wil. Geffreys, Joh. Corbet, Henry Bromley of Upton, Edw. Dingley, C

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GRAVEYARD PUNNING.

GRAVEYARD PUNNING.

Specimens of punning are sometimes to be met with in our churches, and they will be found chiefly to belong to the seventeenth century, when all kinds of odd conceits and frippery in language abounded. In Eldersfield church, the widow of "William Helme, gentleman," thus laments his loss: King's Norton church contains a monument to "Richard Greves, of Moseley, Knight," part of which is made of touchstone, and the inscription is in gold letters, concluding thus: Affixed to the principal porch of B

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KNIGHTS OF THE ROYAL OAK.

KNIGHTS OF THE ROYAL OAK.

This order was intended by King Charles II as a reward to several of his followers, and the Knights of it were to wear a silver medal with a device of the King in the oak, pendant to a ribbon about their necks; but it was thought proper to lay it aside, lest it might create heats and animosities, and open those wounds afresh which at that time were thought prudent should be healed. There is, however, a manuscript in the handwriting of Peter Le Neve, Esq., Norroy King of Arms, the title of which

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WORCESTERSHIRE MAGISTRATES IN 1483.

WORCESTERSHIRE MAGISTRATES IN 1483.

The following are the names in the Commission of the Peace and of Oyer and Terminer for the county of Worcester, dated December 5th, 1st Richard III, as they occur on the patent rolls of that year: The Bishop here mentioned was John Alcock, who was Lord Chancellor in the reign of Henry VII; Humphrey Starky was Lord Chief Baron in the reign of Richard III; and Thomas Tremayle, a King's Serjeant, and afterwards a Judge. It is worthy of observation, that at this period the Commission of Oyer and Te

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NONCONFORMITY.

NONCONFORMITY.

From 1651 until 1834, a period of 183 years, the Baptist Church at Bromsgrove had but five pastors, namely Revds. J. Eccles, W. Peart, G. Yarnold, J. Butterworth, and J. Scroxton. Mr. Scroxton resigned the pastorate at the above date (1834), on account of his age, and died in 1854, at the advanced age of 90. The first mention in history of Baptists in this county was in 1645, and the first minister the celebrated clergyman of Bewdley—the Rev. Dr. John Tombes, a native of that borough. In early l

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COMMUNICANTS IN 1548.

COMMUNICANTS IN 1548.

The number of communicants at the holy sacrament in 1548 in thirty-five parishes in the diocese of Worcester is given in the certificate of Colleges and Chantries, No. 60, now remaining in the Carlton Ride Record Office. This certificate was made by "Sir John Pakynton, Knyght, Sir Robert Acton, Knyght, John Skewdamour, Esquyer, William Sheldon, Esquyer, George Willoughby, William Grove, Willyam Crouche, and John Bourne, Gentilmen," under a commission from King Edward VI, bearing date the 14th da

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ASSIZE NOTICES.

ASSIZE NOTICES.

The costume of the Bench and the Bar is the first thing which attracts the attention of the stranger visiting our Courts of Justice, and on this we will remark, beginning with The Wig. —"All the wisdom's in the wig" is a saying familiar to us all, and yet the wig was the latest addition to forensic costume. The first species of wig worn in the Courts is that now worn by the Judges at our Cathedrals, called the full-bottomed wig. This was introduced by Louis XIV in France, and copied by Charles I

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JOHN TALBOT, ESQ., OF SALWARPE.

JOHN TALBOT, ESQ., OF SALWARPE.

John Aubrey, Esq., F.R.S., in his Natural History, written between the years 1656 and 1691, says (p. 70)—"Dame Olave, a daughter and co-heire of Sir Henry Sharington, of Lacock, being in love with John Talbot, a younger brother of the Earle of Shrewsbury, and her father not consenting that she should marry him, discoursing with him one night from the battlements of the Abbey church, said shee, 'I will leap downe to you.' Her sweetheart replied he would catch her then, but he did not believe she

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KING'S NORTON LIBRARY.

KING'S NORTON LIBRARY.

An interesting relic of the seventeenth century exists in the old Theological Library in the School in King's Norton churchyard, founded by Thomas Hall, the ejected Puritan of 1662. Hall is well known to literary men as the author of "Funebriæ Floræ, or Downfal of May-day Games," the "Treatise against Long Hair," and other works. An interesting sketch is given of him by Calamy, in his account of the ejected ministers, affixed to his life of Baxter; and also by Wood, in his "Athenæ Oxonienses." T

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OLD ENGLISH RATS.

OLD ENGLISH RATS.

The old English black rat ( Mus rattus ), which has been nearly superseded in this country by the brown Norway rat, still lingers at retired farmhouses in this county, as, for instance, at Grimsend, Alfrick, Clay Green, and Wick, near Worcester. The brown rat was unknown in England till 1730. It is said that the great numbers of these intruders in the Isle of France drove the Dutch from that settlement....

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PAPER.

PAPER.

The earliest mention of the purchase of paper in England is believed to be in an original computus roll of the 43rd year of Edward III (nearly five centuries ago) relative to the receipts and disbursements of Halesowen Abbey; it is as follows: "Et in paper empt. pro literis et aliis necessariis domus, 12 d. "...

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ANCIENT SEAL OF WORCESTER.

ANCIENT SEAL OF WORCESTER.

After being lost for half a century, the seal of the Corporation of Worcester has been found at Rouen, in Normandy. The antiquity of this seal is not so curious, perhaps, as the locality where it has been found. The device is a church, surrounded by a wall, having battlements on it, and round the device is the inscription—" SIGILLUM COMMUNE CIUIVM WIGORNIE ," with something like the date "952." The figures, however, are very indistinct, though it is supposed by a writer in the "Worcester Herald"

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DESTROYING AN IMAGE AT WORCESTER.

DESTROYING AN IMAGE AT WORCESTER.

In Macaulay's "History of England," vol. iv, p. 461, it is stated, that when the Dutch army was marching from Torbay towards London, in 1688, Sir Edward Harley, of Brampton Brian, and his son Robert (afterwards, as Earl of Oxford, Queen Anne's minister, and a high churchman) declared for the Prince of Orange and a free parliament, raised a large body of horse, took possession of Worcester, and evinced their zeal against Popery by publicly breaking to pieces, in the High Street, a piece of sculpt

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EAST WINDOW OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

EAST WINDOW OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

"A Stranger," writing to one of the local newspapers a few months ago, drew the attention of antiquaries to some painted glass in the great east window of the above church which is not noticed by Dr. Nash or Mr. Green, the Worcester historians. There is (he says) a head with long flowing hair and a forked beard, and another head with the face close shaven and a coronet. The first of these, I should suggest, was painted in the reign of Richard II; on his tomb in Westminster Abbey there is his eff

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BISHOP THORNBOROUGH'S MONUMENT.

BISHOP THORNBOROUGH'S MONUMENT.

The Rev. O. Fox, incumbent of Knightwick-cum-Dodenham, late head master of the Worcester College School, has advanced the following ingenious theory to account for the remarkable epitaph on the above monument in the Lady Chapel of Worcester Cathedral, which has long puzzled our local and other antiquaries. The epitaph (he says) was prepared by the Bishop himself fourteen years before his decease in 1641, at the age of 94. He was addicted to alchemy, and published a book in 1621, entitled [Greek:

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VINEYARDS.

VINEYARDS.

Traces of ancient vineyards are abundant in this county. At Great Hampton is a place called "Vineyard Hill," where a vinery was established in the Conqueror's time. (" Et vinea novella ibi ," Domesday.) In South Littleton is "Vineyard Orchard," "Vine Street" in Evesham, and "Vineyard Hill" near that town. At Pensax is a field called "The Vineyard," and there is a tradition that a Mr. King, about a century ago, endeavoured to establish there a vineyard of considerable extent, and created an artif

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ECHOES.

ECHOES.

Mr. Allies, in his "Antiquities and Folk-lore," mentions a remarkable echo at the Upper House, Alfrick, which is so distinct that it will allow about ten syllables to be uttered before it begins to repeat them. A pointer-dog in the neighbourhood used to resort to the spot, and bark till he was tired at his supposed antagonist. Nash records that in the parish of Bromsgrove were several echoes—one at the white gate, between Dyer's bridge and the turnpike; another in the Crown Close behind High Str

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THE LAST FOOL.

THE LAST FOOL.

The last country gentleman who kept a fool—that is, a professional jester—in his house, was said to have been Mr. Bartlett, of Castlemorton. Jack Havod, or Hafod, was the name of "the squire's fool," and his tricks and drolleries were remembered by the inhabitants of Castlemorton long after his death, and are related even in the present day. It is still a common saying there—"As big a fool as Jack Havod;" and it is also told of him that on one occasion he was assisting in storing peas in a barn,

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NOTES ON ELMLEY LOVETT.

NOTES ON ELMLEY LOVETT.

The only doctor of medicine known to have resided in this parish for the last 200 years was John Aaron, Esq., of the Moat House, Cutnal Green, who died in 1767, aged 83. He was descended from an ancient family of Little Drayton, near Shiffnal, Salop.—Dr. Wanley, of Elmley Lodge, who died in 1776, aged 69, was the only "D.D." that has held that rectory for the last two centuries.—Between the river Salwarpe and Bury-hill Estate, near Droitwich, is some meadow land belonging to the parish of Elmley

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COUNTY MAGISTRATES' WAGES.

COUNTY MAGISTRATES' WAGES.

By a statute as old as the time of Richard II, County Magistrates were allowed to make a charge of 4s. per day, and the Clerk of the Peace 2s., as wages for attending Quarter Sessions. That charge has been regularly made and allowed by the Sheriff up to the close of last year (1855), when the ancient statute was repealed by the passing of the Criminal Justice Act, 18th and 19th Victoria, chap. 126. In this county these wages were clubbed together as a dinner and wine fund for the magistrates, bu

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ROYAL VISIT TO KING'S NORTON.

ROYAL VISIT TO KING'S NORTON.

There is a common tradition at King's Norton that Queen Elizabeth came thither, and was entertained at an ancient house adjoining the churchyard, probably the residence of the Manorial Bailiff; but the name of the Queen has perhaps been mistaken for that of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, she, according to Dugdale's Diary (p. 52), having come to King's Norton from Walsall on July 10, 1643. The manor was part of the Queen's dower....

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CROMWELL'S PARLIAMENT.

CROMWELL'S PARLIAMENT.

Names of the members for Worcestershire returned for Cromwell's second Parliament, July, 1654: Sir Robert Rouse, Knt. and Bart., Edward Pitt, Esq., Nicholas Lechmere, Esq., John Bridges, Esq., Talbot Badger, Esq., (Worcester City), William Collins, Esq. (ditto), Edward Elvines, Alderman (ditto). The names of the gentlemen returned to Parliament on September 17, 1656, are—Major-General James Berry, Colonel of Horse, and Major-General of the counties of Worcester, Hereford, and Salop, and also Nor

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WORCESTERSHIRE ROYALISTS COMPOUNDING.

WORCESTERSHIRE ROYALISTS COMPOUNDING.

By an ordinance of the Parliament [10] made on the 31st of March, 1643, it was ordained that the estates of the two Archbishops and twelve of the Bishops, including the Bishops of Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester, and Coventry and Lichfield, and of all persons ecclesiastical and temporal as had raised arms or been in active war against the Parliament, or had voluntarily contributed any money, horse, plate, arms, munition, or other aid or assistance, towards the maintenance of any forces against t

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A QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE.

A QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE.

About the year 1823 were born at Bromsgrove four female children at a birth, all of whom lived for many years. They were the children of Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, who had five other children, all single births. The writer of this note saw them when about three months old, when they were small for their age. He saw them again when they were about ten years old. They were then very pretty children, with dark hair and eyes. Three of them were very much alike, and exactly of the same height and size. T

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A VIRTUOUS PARISH.

A VIRTUOUS PARISH.

It is a remarkable fact, that from October 2nd, 1842, to October 23rd, 1848, during which period there were entered in the parish register of Suckley 106 baptisms, not one illegitimate birth took place; but this happy state of things did not continue, for in the next six years, ending October, 1854, with 89 entries, there were 5 illegitimate births. Thus, during the last twelve years, the latter have numbered scarcely 1 in 38 of the rising population of Suckley. The average throughout the kingdo

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DROITWICH BRINE.

DROITWICH BRINE.

A correspondent says that the Droitwich brine has for a considerable time been declining in strength; so much so, that constant complaints emanate from the working men that they have considerable difficulty in earning the ordinary wages of labourers; and the coal which is consumed in manufacturing a ton of salt is considerably more than was formerly required. By some of the practical men of the place this deterioration is attributed to the excessive consumption of the last few years, and to the

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SMALL PARISHES.

SMALL PARISHES.

The smallest parishes in Worcestershire are Oldberrow, Doverdale, Daylesford, Edvin Loach, Abberton, Bredicot, and Little Shelsley. The last named place contains the smallest population, being but 49 in 1851; Bredicot, 67; Abberton, 80 (although the worthy clerk alone mustered 19 children in his own family); Edvin Loach, 69; Daylesford, 66; Doverdale, 56 (here there are but five houses in the parish, besides the rectory and mill, and there is no recollection of any labourer's cottage being in ex

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A CONTRADICTION.

A CONTRADICTION.

The parish of Offenham is remarkable for some of the richest land and one of the poorest churches in the county of Worcester....

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QUEEN ELIZABETH'S ARREARS.

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S ARREARS.

A paragraph recently appeared in the London publication, known as "Notes and Queries," as follows: "'Good Queen Bess,' when she visited Worcester, borrowed £200 of the Corporation, which still stands as a 'bad debt' on the town books." On the occasion of the Royal visit alluded to, a "fare cupp" was bought at London "for the presenting the gyfte to the Queen's Majestie, and xl. pounds in sov'raignes and angells of her own coign and stamp;" a crimson velvet purse, with £20 in it, was also present

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WORCESTERSHIRE TOKENS—Seventeenth Century.

WORCESTERSHIRE TOKENS—Seventeenth Century.

Traders' tokens were issued from the year 1648, towards the close of the reign of Charles I, until the year 1672, when they were cried down by proclamation of Charles II, and a new copper currency issued, the first we had in England, all previously being Royal tokens. During the Commonwealth they were not very numerous, but after the Restoration, in 1660, to the year 1672, they are exceedingly abundant, and were issued in nearly every town and village in England. They were issued without authori

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THE CLOTHING TRADE.

THE CLOTHING TRADE.

This must have been formerly an important trade in our county and city. The city of Worcester, and the towns of Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Droitwich, and Evesham, were extensively engaged in it; and when many persons dwelling in other parts of the county had begun cloth making, much to the injury of these towns, an act was passed in the 25th year of Henry VIII, prohibiting all persons from making cloth, except such as resided in the above-mentioned places, but all persons were allowed to make cl

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THE MORTUARY CLOTH OF THE CLOTHIERS' COMPANY.

THE MORTUARY CLOTH OF THE CLOTHIERS' COMPANY.

The assumption of Miss Strickland that the mortuary cloth in the possession of the Clothiers' Company at Worcester was the pall used at the funeral of Queen Catherine, the first wife of King Henry VIII, who was buried in Peterborough Cathedral, has been, upon examination, refuted. At a recent meeting of the Archæological Institute at Cambridge, the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne read a paper on the funeral of Catherine of Arragon, and produced a document from the Rolls' Court which had never been consult

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WEATHER RHYMES AND SAYINGS.

WEATHER RHYMES AND SAYINGS.

(This alludes to the rain-cloud settling on the hill.) When the new moon "lies on her back," as the saying is—that is with its concavity upwards, it is expected to be a dry time, "the rain being kept from running out," but, vice versa , it will be wet. It is said that if the little beetle, the Carabus , should be trodden upon, rain will fall. This little glittering insect runs about only in fine weather....

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SHIP MONEY.

SHIP MONEY.

The first writ for the levying of ship money was issued by King Charles I, addressed to the Lord Mayor and citizens of London. It is dated October 20th, in the 10th year of the reign of King Charles I [1634], and after reciting that "certain thieves, pirates, and robbers, of the sea, as well Turks, enemies of the Christian name, as others, being gathered together, taking by force and spoiling the ships and goods and merchandises not only of our subjects, but also of the subjects of our friends i

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FINES FOR NOT TAKING THE ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD.

FINES FOR NOT TAKING THE ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD.

Mr. Rushworth, Secretary to the Lord General Fairfax, in his Historical Collections, vol. ii, p. 71, under the date of July 6, 1630, says that "the King having sent writs to several sheriffs of the several counties for the summoning of all that had forty pound land or rent by the year to appear at the day of the Coronation and prepare themselves to receive the Order of Knighthood," did award a Commission to certain Lords and others of his Privy Council to treat and compound with all those who ha

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SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND CATS.

SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND CATS.

The onslaught made on dogs found in the streets of Worcester, when the cholera was expected three or four years ago, suggests an extract from history bearing on the point. In the Droitwich records, the bailiff's accounts for the year 1637, a time of great pestilence, contain the following among other entries: In the parochial records of the city of Westminster for the year 1603 mention is made of one person having "massacred the amazing number of 500 dogs;" and in 1605, 83 others. Thus it seemed

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TRACES OF THE STUARTS IN WORCESTERSHIRE.

TRACES OF THE STUARTS IN WORCESTERSHIRE.

The following notes contain a few historical facts, either not fully related, or omitted altogether in the local histories, relative to the progresses of Charles I and his son through this county during the Civil Wars: The unhappy contest between King Charles and his people first brought that Sovereign into Worcestershire in the year 1644, when he fled from Essex and Waller at Oxford. The city of Worcester presented his Majesty with £200 and the Princes Rupert and Maurice £100 each, the purse fo

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Advertisements.

Advertisements.

E. LEONARD'S TEA, COFFEE, &amp; SPICE WAREHOUSE, ( Established upwards of a Century ) 25, BROAD STREET, WORCESTER. In enumerating the following list of articles, I shall not adopt the system most general of quoting prices, which are only calculated to delude, but respectfully solicit a trial, at the fair remunerating prices charged for them. Quality is the first consideration—Economy with regard to price the second. Select Family List. TEAS GENUINE AS IMPORTED. BLACK TEAS. GREEN TEAS. Cocoa

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