Worcestershire In The Nineteenth Century - free ebook by T. C. Turberville

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Worcestershire In The Nineteenth Century

T. C. Turberville

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ADVERTISEMENT.

ADVERTISEMENT.

In this day the man who writes a useless book, commits a great sin against society. The aim of this volume is utility; although the word, as applied to it, must be interpreted in a very limited sense. Beyond a circuit of a few miles it will have no interest; and even in respect to its legitimate sphere it only assumes to be a record of facts by which the man in public life may refresh his memory as to the particulars of past events, or by which those who have lived and moved amongst the occurr

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WORCESTERSHIRE IN THIS NINETEENTH CENTURY.

WORCESTERSHIRE IN THIS NINETEENTH CENTURY.

Before entering on a detail of occurrences which possess, comparatively speaking, only an isolated interest, I shall occupy a few pages in the consideration of some general facts and statistics, which may enable the reader to judge of the advance which the County of Worcester has made during a truly remarkable half-century. No former period in the world’s history ever witnessed such mental activity and progress. The Increase of Population , though not a perfect test of general prosperity, yet i

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COUNTY OF WORCESTER.

COUNTY OF WORCESTER.

Before the passing of the Reform Bill the number of electors on the county register was not much more than 3,500. At the last revision there were in the eastern division, 6,515; western, 4,135. 1802— July 12—(General Election, the old Parliament having run out its legal term.)—The Hon. Edward Foley, of Stoke Edith, and Wm. Lygon, Esq., reëlected without opposition. 1803— July 19—(Vacancy occasioned by the death of the Hon. E. Foley.)—The Hon. W. Ward elected without opposition. 1806— March 3—(V

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CITY OF WORCESTER.

CITY OF WORCESTER.

The constituency of the city is no larger now than it was in days of yore, when freemen were made in any quantity at the pleasure of the corporation; often while the election was proceeding. The number of voters now on the register is about 2,200; of these, 1,099 still qualify as freemen, and nearly 700 have no other qualification. 1802—(General Election)—The electors having been convened together in the Guildhall for the nomination in the usual manner, the Mayor (Mr. Rowlands) proposed the reë

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EVESHAM.

EVESHAM.

Evesham has enjoyed the privilege of sending two representatives to Parliament from a very early date. In 1295 two burgesses were chosen to represent the town in a parliament of Edward I, but there is no record of any return from that date till the incorporation of the borough by James I. Some of the elections which have taken place here during the present century have been remarkable for profuseness of expenditure and tricks of party warfare. The number of voters now on the register is 345.

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DROITWICH.

DROITWICH.

Droitwich was formerly one of the closest of Whig boroughs, and was entirely under the influence of the Foley family. To the return for the first election recorded below, the names of nineteen persons are appended in the books of the Droitwich Corporation; and at a much more recent date, ten persons returned two members to Parliament. The present constituency of the borough numbers 368. 1802— July —(General Election.)—Sir Edward Winnington, Bart., and the Hon. Andrew Foley, reëlected. 1805— Fe

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BEWDLEY.

BEWDLEY.

This , before the Reform Bill, was a close Tory borough, with some thirty or forty self-elected burgesses, who returned their member with no confusion or turmoil. Under the new state of things, Stourport joins with it in the exercise of the franchise, and the united constituency now includes 371 electors. Parties have been very evenly balanced here of late years. 1802— July —(General Election.)—Miles P. Andrews, Esq., who had for some time represented the town, again chosen. 1806— November —(G

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KIDDERMINSTER.

KIDDERMINSTER.

Kidderminster once returned two members to Parliament, but not liking to have to pay them was, upon its own petition, relieved of the “honour.” It was again enfranchised by the Reform Bill; but had only one member allotted to it. The constituency here is remarkably small, in comparison with the population, owing to so few of the operatives living in houses which pay £10 a year rent. The number of electors now on the register, including duplicates, is 490. 1832—(General Election.)—In anticipat

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DUDLEY.

DUDLEY.

The privilege of sending a member to Parliament was conferred on this borough by the Reform Bill. The number of voters now on the register is 912. 1832—(General Election.)—Sir John Campbell—then the Whig Solicitor General, and long a practitioner on the Oxford Circuit, now Lord Chief Justice of England—was returned. He had an opponent in the person of Horace St. Paul, Esq., who contested the election on Tory principles. Sir John was proposed by Mr. Twamley and Mr. Braidley; and Mr. St. Paul b

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ELECTIONS OF COUNTY CORONERS.

ELECTIONS OF COUNTY CORONERS.

The number of coroners appointed for each English county was formerly regulated by usage, the statute of 3 Edw. I, cap. 10, merely enacting that “in all shires a sufficient number of men should be chosen as coroners;” but it was competent for the Lord Chancellor to issue a writ for the election of additional coroners, upon a petition from the freeholders of the county and the approbation of the justices in quarter sessions. The manner of the election was regulated by the statute of 58 Geo. III,

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PUBLIC MEETINGS.

PUBLIC MEETINGS.

It may be that the interest attaching to many of the meetings detailed here is gone for ever, but the interest of others will perhaps increase as time advances, and curiously serve to mark the ebb and flow of human feelings and affairs. Though there is often reason to coincide with the Duke’s apothegm—“Public meetings are public farces,” yet they at least give us the results of the popular instinct, which is often as sure a guide as the popular reason would be; and, when most foolish in their c

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THE COUNTY MAGISTRACY.

THE COUNTY MAGISTRACY.

The conduct of the general affairs of the counties of England, such as their police, the regulation of the gaols and lunatic asylums, the preservation of the county bridges, the levying of rates, &amp;c., is intrusted to the unpaid magistracy, nominated by the Lords Lieutenant, and appointed by the Lord Chancellor; and at a time when an agitation is afoot to change the character of the body by whom these important matters are transacted, some consideration of the manner in which they have di

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THE ODDINGLEY MURDER.

THE ODDINGLEY MURDER.

The annals of crime record few tragedies so fearful in their enactment, so mysterious in their present concealment, so singular in their ultimate discovery as the Oddingley murder. A clergyman is shot at noon-day, while walking in his own fields—the assassin and the motive are perfectly known, yet he eludes justice, and suddenly and for ever disappears. Some of the men to whom common rumour points as the probable instigators of the crime, pass to their account, and make no sign. At last, when

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EXECUTIONS.

EXECUTIONS.

The county has of late years been almost wholly spared the painful spectacle of justice proceeding to its direst extremity of taking away human life, though formerly capital punishments were but too common, and inflicted for what we should now esteem very inadequate causes of offence. Their policy and propriety in any case are now allowed to be fit matters for discussion; and it is probable that public opinion may, in a few years hence, demand their entire abolition. 1800—At the Lent Assizes th

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BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER.

BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER.

This is the only railway which has yet been completed in this county, and it was promoted chiefly by parties living at the termini, who made it their only object to carry it in as straight a line as possible from point to point, with very little reference to the convenience of the towns by the way. If the shareholders could have foreseen the disastrous influence of such a policy upon their own funds, they would certainly have taken a different course, even though they felt no interest in the pr

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THE GRAND CONNECTION RAILWAY PROJECT.

THE GRAND CONNECTION RAILWAY PROJECT.

The origin of this project has been already mentioned. In December, 1835, a public meeting was held in Worcester, over which the Mayor, J. W. Lea, Esq., presided; at which it was fully determined to proceed with this Railway, which was to go from Gloucester to Worcester, on the western side the river; to cross the Severn at Worcester, thence direct to Kidderminster, and afterwards to Birmingham in one direction and Wolverhampton in another. The capital was to consist of 800,000 shares of £50 ea

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OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON.

The first meeting at Worcester with reference to railway communication between that city and the metropolis, viâ Oxford, was as follows: 1844— March 19—The Mayor presided at a very respectable gathering of tradesmen of the city in the Guildhall, and Mr. F. T. Elgie made a statement of the proposal by the Great Western Company to construct what is now known as the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway, and requested the support of the citizens to the scheme. Mr. W. S. P. Hughes said the G

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IMPROVEMENT OF THE RIVER SEVERN.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE RIVER SEVERN.

Before the age of railways, the advantages to a nation as well as to a district of having its ports brought as far inland as possible, were so many and apparent, that it can be no wonder the improvement of the navigation of the Severn was contemplated at an early date. It was projected in 1784, by Mr. William Jessop, an engineer of some note at that day; and though the science of hydraulics was then very little understood—as, indeed, it is even now [165] —yet the nature of the bed of the Severn

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WORCESTER TOWN COUNCIL.

WORCESTER TOWN COUNCIL.

The first charter of incorporation was granted to the city of Worcester in 1261—45th Henry III. The charter of James I, granted in 1622, was, with slight interruptions, the rule by which the city was governed up to the time of the Municipal Reform Act; and it must be said for the old Corporation that they appear to have been in a great measure free from the jobbery and malversation of funds which characterised so many of these close self-elected bodies. They had indeed a civic feast, for which

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APPLICATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT TO WORCESTER.

APPLICATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT TO WORCESTER.

The passing of the Public Health Act in the session of 1848 was an epoch of our civilisation. It was the recognition of a great social want, and an attempt to remedy a great social evil, which had silently grown up with the increase of our large towns, and threatened to turn our prosperity and blessings into a curse. The principle of the act received the cordial and unanimous assent of all the great parties in the state; and though numerous alterations were made in the measure during its progr

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WORCESTER INFIRMARY.

WORCESTER INFIRMARY.

This noble charity had its origin in the philanthropy of the medical men of Worcester in the year 1745. It was first opened in a room in Silver Street, and it was not for twenty years afterwards that the present hospital was built, at an expense of upwards of £6,000. It has been enlarged at various periods since that time, and is now capable of accommodating 100 in-patients. The funded property of the institution exceeds £27,000, and the annual subscriptions amount to upwards of £1,200. The

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WORCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVALS.

WORCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVALS.

The history of the origin of the meetings of the three choirs of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester, does not belong to the nineteenth century. It will be sufficient here to say that the first took place in the year 1725 (when £48. 18s. was collected), and that they have gradually risen in importance, till, besides being the means of obtaining annually a very large sum for the support of the widows and orphans of the clergy, they have now taken a first place amongst the musical réunions of the

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NATURAL PHENOMENA.

NATURAL PHENOMENA.

It is altogether beyond the province of this work to enter into any detail of the scientific peculiarities of the county of Worcester; but it would have been very satisfactory to have been able to have recorded here—besides those isolated disturbances of nature’s more ordinary course, which arrest the attention of indifferent spectators—the results of observations made by competent persons which might have formed the basis of a county meteorology. But, in truth, none such exist; excepting in th

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1800.

1800.

The present century opened in a tempest of war and confusion, which gave little prospect of soon exhausting its fury. Mention will be found below of several serious riots on account of the high price of provisions, which may be thus accounted for: The exemption from cash payments in 1797 had given great relief to the merchants and tradespeople generally, but had little effect upon the condition of the working classes; and the war had not yet withdrawn so many men from productive industry as mat

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1801.

1801.

In February, this year, Mr. Pitt unexpectedly retired, and Mr. Addington was called to the King’s Councils, a fact principally to be attributed to the ill success of the war which had been entered into with France, and continued at a cost of blood and treasure totally disproportionate to its advantages. The new ministry, from the moment of entering office, declared peace to be their aim, and the preliminary articles were signed in London in October. This war, which had lasted for eight years,

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1802.

1802.

The confirmation of the Peace of Amiens diffused universal joy, and the harvest of 1801 having been tolerably abundant, much less pressure was experienced on account of the price of bread. Three per Cents. stood at about 70½. Wheat averaged 69s. 10d. January 9—C. Thellusson, Esq., M.P. for Evesham, distributed one hundred guineas amongst the poor freemen of that borough. January 11—William Smith publicly whipped in the corn market, Worcester, according to sentence of sessions, for stealing a b

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1803.

1803.

The hollow peace proved very short-lived. Buonaparte being evidently bent on the subjugation of the entire continent, and the British refusing to evacuate Malta till they had satisfaction as to his designs, war was again declared in May this year. The return to hostilities seemed as much to please the nation at large as the peace had done only the year before. On the threat of invasion arose that unparalleled volunteer enthusiasm to which many of the following memoranda have reference. Conso

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1804.

1804.

Mr. Pitt , having strengthened his hands by the addition of Addington, now Viscount Sidmonth, and his friends, returned to office; the war with Buonaparte was carried on with fresh vigour, and the volunteers at home were fired with an increase of patriotic ardour. The number of men withdrawn from productive industry amounted already to at least 400,000; and that remarkable rise in prices, which continued throughout the war, now commenced. Consols averaged 57. Bad harvest; wheat averaged 62s.

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1805.

1805.

The discussion of the Catholic claims was the principal domestic matter occupying the attention of Parliament and the public; while the death of Nelson, and Trafalgar, filled all men’s hearts and mouths towards the close of the year. The war was fast becoming popular; for though the taxes were enormous, our taxable income, which in 1792 appears not to have exceeded £130,000,000, had increased to £220,000,000. A great proportion of the vast war outlay was, in fact, but a circulation amongst our

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1806.

1806.

This year Pitt and Fox both passed from the scene. Pitt was only in the forty-seventh year of his age; and though he had conducted the affairs of the kingdom during a longer period, and with greater popularity, than perhaps any other statesman in modern times, yet he may be said to have died of chagrin at the defeat of all his favourite schemes. Grenville and Fox succeeded him at the helm of affairs, and the general election which then took place furnished them with a strong body of supporters

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1807.

1807.

The abolition of the slave trade, under the short Grenville ministry, must ever be remembered as the feature of this year. Lord Howick having brought in a bill for securing to all His Majesty’s subjects the privilege of serving in the army or navy without regard to religious opinions, the King’s “scruples” were aroused, and he called a new administration, with the Duke of Portland at its head, to his councils. They dissolved Parliament, and the elections were attended with great excitement. B

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1808.

1808.

Matters at home remained quiet, and much as in the preceding year, the public mind being taken up with the expedition to Spain, discussing the battle of Vimiera, and Convention of Cintra. Three per Cents. stood as high in June as 70⅜, and averaged throughout the year 65½. This was the only year during this century in which our exports of wheat exceeded our imports: average price, 81s. 4d. March 2—The mail from Birmingham to Bristol took on two passengers only from Worcester, a young lady named

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1809.

1809.

Parliament was principally occupied with the inquiry which led to the Duke of York’s resignation of the commandership of the army. Money was so plentiful that a loan of eleven millions was raised at a lower rate of interest than the public creditor had ever before consented to receive. Consols stood at 68; harvest indifferent; wheat averaged 97s. 4d. January —The first steps taken to establish a Lancastrian school in Worcester. Up to this time there had been no day school at which it was poss

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1810.

1810.

Considerable commercial embarrassment was experienced this year; not, however, arising from the unprecedented situation in which England found herself placed—in having almost single handed to oppose the growing power of Buonaparte—but from speculative trading in the markets of South America. The depreciation of bank paper procured the appointment of a bullion committee. The early part of the year was occupied with the affair of Sir Francis Burdett; and the latter with the appointment of the Pr

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1811.

1811.

Our military operations on the continent, and the large amount of specie sent abroad in the previous year for the purchase of corn, continued and increased the depreciation in the value of bank paper; and upon Lord King giving notice to his tenants that he should require his rents paid in guineas—or, if in notes, at an increase of £17. 10s. per cent. upon their nominal value—a bill was hastily passed which made it illegal to give more money for gold coin than was authorised by the mint, or to ta

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1812.

1812.

Mr. Percival’s ministry was continuing to increase in power and in popularity, principally on account of the warm support which they had given to the Spanish cause, when Mr. Percival himself was suddenly assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons, by Bellingham. After the Prince Regent, by the Earl of Moira and Lord Wellesley, had unsuccessfully, and to all appearance insincerely, negociated for the formation of a new ministry, in which Lords Grey and Grenville should have a part, the Ea

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1813.

1813.

The estimates for the year amounted to seventy millions, and to meet this great demand the sinking fund was trenched upon, for it was found impossible to raise new taxes, though the rise of prices and the extended circulation of bank notes had, hitherto, enabled the country to meet the extraordinary demands upon it without difficulty. Mr. Vansittart, in his financial statement this year, said he thought the sinking fund had reached a point beyond which its operations ought not to go; it would b

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1814.

1814.

Peace was at last announced, and its advent was hailed with the utmost enthusiasm by the whole nation, who expected that it would bring with it unnumbered blessings; but its immediate effects seemed to be only disastrous. The reduction of our military forces threw great numbers of men into the labour market, and wages were reduced. While the renewed freedom of navigation brought abundance of all kinds of raw produce to our ports, it did not bring any corresponding increase of our foreign trade

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1815.

1815.

The enactment of a new and more stringent Corn Law was the most important proceeding of our Parliament this year. In the early years of our commercial history, prohibitions were laid upon the exportation of corn, but these were gradually relaxed, and in 1688 a bounty of 5s. per quarter was offered, on exportation, till the home price had reached 48s., while a duty of 6s. to 8s. per quarter was levied on imported wheat, while the price ranged between 53s. 4d. and 80s. a quarter. In 1766, on the

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1816.

1816.

This was a truly gloomy year. Agriculturists, manufacturers, and tradespeople all alike experienced the depression resulting from the sudden change from war to peace; and it was felt the more, as it was so totally unexpected. The harvest was exceedingly unproductive, and the farmers got no relief by the high prices which corn fetched—for the quality of home-grown corn was poor in the extreme. The sudden reduction of paper money in circulation had much to do with this untoward state of things;

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1817.

1817.

The distress which still continued in the early part of this year occasioned many tumultuous meetings in different parts of the country, and loud outcries for Parliamentary Reform. The ministry, taking advantage of some of the excesses of the populace, obtained the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the passing of an act for repressing “seditious meetings.” Sir Francis Burdett’s motion for a committee to inquire into the state of the representation, was negatived by 205 to 77. Three per

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1818.

1818.

Trade began to revive and agriculturists again to be hopeful—principally as the result of the favourable exchanges bringing us large quantities of the precious metals from the continent, which gave ease to the banks and encouraged the liberal use of money in various undertakings. Thus employment became abundant, and the working classes were contented. The gradual disappearance of the precious metals for several years past had been a source of much disquietude to our statesmen, and was no doubt

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1819.

1819.

The hopes of a speedy return to prosperity which the previous year had excited were again overcast, and all classes were feeling the pinchings of distress. This renewed again the outcries for Parliamentary Reform; and the people, exasperated by the stringent measures of the ministry, began to exhibit some alarming symptoms of discontent. The crowning scene was the meeting at Manchester, and the “Peterloo Massacre,” which formed an exciting topic for Parliament. Lord John Russell made his firs

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1820.

1820.

The country was this year in a ferment with the proceedings on the Queen’s trial. Trade still languid, but the harvest was uncommonly abundant; and the price of corn and country produce was thus materially reduced, to the relief of the mechanics and lower ranks of the town populations. Consols at 68; wheat averaged 67s. 10d. January —Subscription in Worcester for the relief of the poor, realising £1,250, and distributed in coal and soup. January —The Worcestershire Hunt reorganised, under the

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1821.

1821.

The low price of agricultural produce caused such an outcry from the farmers, that a committee was appointed on agricultural distress, whose report, however, did not tend much to enlighten Parliament as to the means of relieving them. Tenants farming with borrowed capital, and landowners whose estates were mortgaged, must of course, the committee said, feel heavily the increased value of money occasioned by the recent changes in the currency; and they could only hope for relief from a reduction

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1822.

1822.

The year commenced with the same heavy complaints from the agriculturists, and in most counties meetings were held to declare their distress, and to call for retrenchment and reform. In some cases Mr. Cobbett procured the addition of a rider to these agricultural petitions, praying for a reduction of interest on the National Debt. Such a reduction, indeed, was actually made, by the conversion of the Five per Cents.; and this, with the retrenchments forced upon ministers by the representatives

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1823.

1823.

The great abundance of monied capital produced its customary effects in leading persons to engage in various works and undertakings, which produced a demand for labour and renewed the feeling of confidence. Consols averaged 81; wheat 53s. 4d. March 13—Consecration of St. Clement’s New Church by the Bishop of the Diocese. Sermon preached by the rector, the Rev. John Davies; and a collection, realising £95. 10s., afterwards made at the doors—and this, with donations and collections the next Sabb

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1824.

1824.

A continuous advance in prices—the result, partly of the over issue of small bank paper, and partly of the reduction in the rate of interest, and ease in the money market—gave the appearance of the most unbounded prosperity to every department of business and commerce. Everything that men touched turned to gold under their hands, and the greatest wonder was felt at the sudden disappearance of that distress which the agricultural interest, especially, had, but a few months before, been complaini

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1825.

1825.

Never in so short a period of time did a nation experience such a transition from the confidence of commercial prosperity, to the despair and panic of general bankruptcy, as did Britain in the twelve months of 1825. The year opened with a flow of trade and ease in making money which had never been equalled, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that the prosperity of the country was fixed on a firm and immutable basis—for which speech, Mr. Cobbett nicknamed him Mr. Prosperity Robinson.

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1826.

1826.

To prevent the occurrence of such dire disasters as the previous year had witnessed, a bill was brought in the moment Parliament met, to prohibit the English banks from circulating notes under £5, after February, 1829—thus allowing them three years to recall their present issue. The loss by the panic of the previous December is estimated at £40,000,000 sterling; but matters soon began to right themselves, and the elasticity of British resources never was more signally displayed. At Midsummer a

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1827.

1827.

That the elections had caused considerable change in the constitution of the House of Commons was made apparent by their coming, early in the session, to a vote adverse to the Catholic claims—the votes of the Lower House on this question having for many years past been favourable to their consideration. A motion of Sir Francis Burdett to remove penalties from the Catholics, though warmly supported by Mr. Canning, was lost by 276 votes to 272. Lord Liverpool’s illness requiring the reorganisati

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1828.

1828.

The discordant materials of which the Canning ministry was composed after his death, soon brought it to an end: before Parliament met this year Lord Goderich had resigned, and the Wellington and Peel cabinet was formed. The most important measure of the year was the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts; the principle of which having been affirmed in the House of Commons, on the motion of Lord John Russell, by a majority of 237 to 193, was adopted by the Government, and they carried through t

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1829.

1829.

The ministry—supposed by all England to be determined to resist, a l’outrance , the claims of the Catholics to emancipation—astounded the country by making the King recommend, in his speech at the opening of Parliament, that these claims should be immediately taken into consideration. The Catholic Association and Mr. O’Connell’s election for Clare were supposed to have been the causes immediately compelling ministers to give way; but the Emancipation Act really owed its existence to the continu

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1830.

1830.

Ministers , having alienated their old friends by their conduct on the Catholic question, held office by support of the Whigs, but towards the close of the session these also deserted them. The revolutions at Paris and Brussels, the demise of George IV, and the distress amongst the agricultural labourers giving rise to fearful incendiarism through the whole of the south of England, imparted extraordinary interest and importance to the question of Parliamentary Reform. Public meetings were ever

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1831.

1831.

The measure of Reform, introduced by the Grey ministry a few days after the meeting of Parliament, so much exceeded general expectation in extent and boldness, that the people immediately adopted it with enthusiasm; and the cry was, “The Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill.” After a debate of seven nights’ duration, leave was given to bring it in without a division, and the trial of strength was reserved for the second reading, which was carried by a majority of one only; the numbers

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1832.

1832.

The ministers, calling Parliament together again almost immediately, proposed another Reform Bill, differing from the former one in the apportionment of boroughs in the schedules, in preserving the rights of freemen by birth and servitude, and in giving freeholders in boroughs the right to vote in county elections. The second reading was carried, on the morning of Sunday, the 18th of December, 1851, by a majority of 324 to 162; the majority being thus much larger than before. The bill passed a

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1833.

1833.

Measures called for by the state of Ireland occupied the first session of the Reformed Parliament. The Coercion Bill, for the repression of crime, was easily passed, and then came the Irish Church Bill, to abolish the Church cess or rate, in that country, to impose a graduated tax on clergymen, instead of taking first-fruits, and to abolish ten out of twenty-two bishoprics. The bill passed with little opposition; but a most important alteration was made in the Lords, as to the appropriation of

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1834.

1834.

On the 1st of August in this year slavery ceased to disgrace the British colonies. The Irish Church continued to be the principal subject of discussion in Parliament; and on the 27th of May, Mr. Ward moved that the temporalities of that church ought to be reduced; and as a majority of the cabinet had resolved so far to accede to the motion as to appoint a commission of inquiry, Mr. Stanley, Sir James Graham, the Duke of Richmond, and the Earl of Ripon resigned their offices. The other measures

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1835.

1835.

As the Reform enthusiasm had passed away, the elections resulted unfavourably for the Whigs—the great majority of the counties returning Conservative members. The Whigs, however, finding that they still possessed a majority in the new house, set themselves to oppose Sir Robert Peel’s Government on every point. They carried Mr. Abercromby, as Speaker, by a majority of 10, and an amendment on the address by a majority of 7. Sir Robert, however, continued to bring forward his measures, some of w

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1836.

1836.

The Tithe Commutation Act and the Dissenters’ Marriage Act were the two principal measures carried this year; the other bills proposed by Government, respecting the Irish Church, Irish Corporations, and Charitable Trusts, being so altered in the Lords, that the Commons refused to agree to their amendments, and they were dropped. Consols averaged 90; wheat averaged 48s. 6d. January 19—Evesham first lighted with gas. J anuary 26— The Worcester Diocesan Church Building Society formed at a meeting

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1837.

1837.

The subjects which occupied the attention of the legislature this year were many and important, but no measures of great public polity actually passed. Ecclesiastical matters formed the prominent topic, and a bill to abolish church rates, and provide for the reparation of churches, by putting the property of bishops, deans, and chapters into commission, was read a second time, but the majority was so small, five votes only, that ministers could not proceed with it. King William IV died on the

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1838.

1838.

Irish Tithes and Corporations—Church Rates—Jamaica and the Negro Apprenticeship System, and the Canadas—formed the subjects of discussion in Parliament. In the year previous had commenced that series of deficits which contributed so much to the weakness and ultimate downfall of the Melbourne administration: for finance is, after all, the life-blood of a ministry. The Whigs could not, however, fairly be blamed for the state of the national exchequer, which, in truth, was the unavoidable consequ

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1839.

1839.

The Whigs being reduced to an extremity of weakness, resigned office in May, when the measures they proposed to take with regard to Jamaica were only carried by a majority of five. Sir Robert Peel, however, was unable to form a Government, because Her Majesty would not consent to change the ladies of her bedchamber, and Lord Melbourne once more assumed the Premiership. The Chartist disturbances at Newport and elsewhere were the most notable occurrences of the year. The Corn Law question began

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1840.

1840.

Parliament was engaged for a great part of the session with the question of privilege arising out of the Stockdale and Hansard case. The Whigs continued to hold office on most precarious tenure, being defeated in their proposal to allow Prince Albert £50,000 a year. A want of confidence motion, however, proposed by Sir J. Yarde Buller, resulted in a majority of 21 in their favour. The happy marriage of the Queen with Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha was celebrated on the 10th February.

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1841.

1841.

The Government having determined to seek an escape from the exigencies of their financial position by a reduction of the custom duties on articles of general consumption, the party in the country, who had for some time been seeking the abolition of all such duties, immediately assumed a much greater importance. The article first chosen for operation was sugar—Lord John Russell at the same time giving notice that he intended to propose a fixed duty of 8s. upon corn. The ministers, however, were

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1842.

1842.

Sir Robert Peel’s measures, which he would not disclose “till he was regularly called in,” proved to be a three per cent. income tax, a sliding scale of duties on corn, intended to keep the price at 56s., and a new tariff—all of which, in spite of many dissentients on both sides of the house, he carried by large majorities. Consols averaged 92; wheat, 57s. 3d. January —New magistrates added to the commission of the peace at Kidderminster and Evesham. At Kidderminster, John Sutton Barber, Georg

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1843.

1843.

Distress in the manufacturing districts gave increased force and vigour to the anti-corn law agitation; but Lord Howick’s motion for a committee of inquiry into the causes of that distress was negatived by a majority of 306 to 191, and Mr. Villiers’s annual motion for a committee of the whole House upon the corn laws was supported by only 125 members, while 381 voted against it. The defeat of Sir James Graham’s educational measure by the opposition of the Dissenters was the most remarkable feat

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1844.

1844.

The legislature was this year occupied with many exciting subjects; especially the state of Ireland, then agitated by the proceedings on Mr. O’Connell’s trial; restrictions on labour in factories; and the Dissenters’ Chapel Bill. The financial measures of the year were likewise very important; including, as they did, the reduction of the Three-and-half per Cents., and the passing of the Bank Restriction Act—an act, the wisdom of which is yet to be determined. Mr. Villiers’s annual motion for r

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1845.

1845.

Speculation and wild schemes, such as England had not seen since the hey-day of South Sea projects, signalised the earlier part of the year. The railway mania, indeed, continued till November; and then came a sudden collapse, of which it is only to be wondered that its effects were not more serious and lasting. In Parliament, the most important measures were the re-imposition of the Income Tax, with an amended tariff, and the increase of the Maynooth Grant from £9,000 to £26,360 per annum, hen

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1846.

1846.

Sir Robert Peel having, from the failure of the potato crop and the imminence of famine, become convinced that the Corn Laws could no longer be maintained, resigned office in December, 1845, and resumed it again for the purpose of carrying Free Trade measures when Lord John Russell had failed to form a Government. His measure for a gradual reduction of the duties on corn was ordered to go into committee, after twelve nights’ debate, by a majority of 337 to 240. After the settlement of the new

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1847.

1847.

The terrible condition of Ireland, and the decimation of its inhabitants by famine, occupied the greater share of the attention of Parliament. The Corn and Navigation Laws were entirely suspended until towards the close of the year; in spite of which, the average price of wheat in May was 100s. 5d. The issuing of the Minutes of the Council on Education, which have since been acted upon, and the increase of the grant to £100,000 per annum for the purpose of carrying them into effect, may be reg

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1848.

1848.

This year is to be gratefully remembered on account of the happy escape which our country had from the confusion and revolution which raged over the ill-governed kingdoms of the continent. A proposal of Government to increase the Income Tax was defeated by the general expression of popular disapprobation. Consols averaged 85; wheat, 50s. 6d. February 12—On the second reading of the Jewish Disabilities Bill, J. H. H. Foley, Esq., O. Ricardo, Esq., and Lord M. Hill voted in the majority for thei

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1849.

1849.

The extreme distress in Ireland caused by the continuance of the potato blight—the repeal of the Navigation Laws, carried on second reading by 266 to 210—and the admission of Jews to Parliament, refused by the Lords—were the chief topics of Parliamentary discussion. Consols averaged 92½; wheat, 44s. 3d. February 3—Mdlle. Jenny Lind gave a concert in the College Hall, Worcester, in aid of the funds of the Infirmary, to compensate for the disappointment which had been felt by her non-appearance a

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PEERS.

PEERS.

Beauchamp , Earl—Seat, Madresfield Court. William Lygon, Esq., having for some years represented the county in Parliament, was elevated to the peerage by the title of Baron Beauchamp of Powyke Court, Worcestershire, 26 February, 1806, and created Viscount Elmley and Earl Beauchamp 1 December, 1815. He assumed the surname and arms of Pyndar, instead of those of Lygon, in October, 1813. He married Catherine, only daughter of James Denn, Esq., and had issue eight children. His lordship died 21

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BARONETS.

BARONETS.

Pakington —Seat, Westwood Park; created, 1620; revived, 1846. Sir John Pakington, who died 6 January, 1830, in his 70th year, being unmarried, and the title became extinct. His sister Elizabeth married William Russell, Esq., of Powick Court, and her surviving son, John Somerset Russell , assumed the name of his maternal ancestors, and inherited the Pakington estates. The family honours were gracefully revived in his person: he was elevated to the rank of a Baronet of the United Kingdom in 184

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HONOURABLES.

HONOURABLES.

Clive , Robert Henry —Seats, Hewell Grange, Oakley Park, &amp;c.; second son of the first Earl of Powis; married, 19 June, 1819, Harriet, daughter of the fifth Earl of Plymouth. Has been lieutenant colonel in the army, and is Colonel of the Queen’s own Regiment of Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. Was Under Secretary of State for the Home Department from April, 1818, till January, 1822. Sat for Ludlow from 1818 till 1832, and since that year for South Shropshire. Is patron of three living

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BISHOPS OF THE DIOCESE.

BISHOPS OF THE DIOCESE.

1800—Dr. Richard Hurd. 1808— June —The Rev. Dr. Folliot Herbert Walker Cornwall, translated from the See of Hereford. 1831— September 13—Dr. Robert Carr, translated from the See of Chichester. 1841— May 1—Dr. Henry Pepys, translated from the See of Sodor and Mann....

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DEANS OF WORCESTER.

DEANS OF WORCESTER.

1800—Rev. Arthur Onslow, D.D. 1817— October —The Rev. John Bankes Jenkinson. 1825— August —The Rev. James Hook, LL.D. 1828— March —The Rev. Dr. Murray, Bishop of Rochester. 1845— December —The Rev. John Peel, Rector of Waresley, and brother of the Premier, in the stead of the Bishop of Rochester, who gave up this piece of preferment in accordance with the arrangements of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. To the Deanery of Worcester had hitherto been attached the Vicarage of Bromsgrove, with whi

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THE CHAPTER.

THE CHAPTER.

1800—Rev. J. Torkington, LL.D. Rev. J. Stillingfleet, D.D. Rev. John Plumptre, M.A. Rev. Richard Kilvert, M.A. Rev. Charles Talbot, M.A. Rev. Septimus Collinson, D.D. Rev. John Carver, M.A. Rev. Thomas Fountain. Rev. Thomas Evans, D.D. Rev. Thomas James, D.D. 1803—Rev. John Wingfield, D.D. 1804—Rev. James Meakin, A.M. 1804—Rev. J. F. Seymour Fleming St. John, M.A. 1808—Rev. John Bankes Jenkinson, M.A. 1813—Rev. William Digby, A.M. 1815—Rev. Townsend Forrester, D.D. 1815—Hon. and Rev. E

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PROCTORS

PROCTORS

ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE DIOCESE IN CONVOCATION. 1802—The Rev. T. R. Nash, D.D., Rector of Leigh, and the Rev. Francis Mills, M.A., Rector of Barford. 1806—Dr. Nash and the Rev. Francis Mills reëlected. The Rev. James Stillingfleet, M.A., Prebendary, chosen to represent the Dean and Chapter. 1807—Dr. Nash and the Rev. F. Mills reëlected. The Rev. James Torkington, LL.D., elected Proctor for the Dean and Chapter. 1812—The Rev. Richard Kilvert, M.A., Rector of Hartlebury, and the Rev. Francis Mi

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LORDS LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY.

LORDS LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY.

1800—The Earl of Coventry. 1808— November —The Right Hon. Lord Viscount Deerhurst appointed Lord Lieutenant in the place of his father, who resigned in consequence of his age and increased infirmities. 1831— March —The Right Hon. Lord Foley, in the room of the Earl of Coventry, deceased. 1833— May —The Right Hon. Lord Lyttelton, in the room of Lord Foley, deceased. 1837— July —The Right Hon. Lord Foley, in the room of Lord Lyttelton, deceased. 1839— October —The Right Hon. Lord Lyttelton, in the

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CHAIRMEN OF COUNTY QUARTER SESSIONS.

CHAIRMEN OF COUNTY QUARTER SESSIONS.

1800—William Welch, Esq. 1817—Earl Beauchamp. 1823—Benjamin Johnson, Esq. 1824—Lord Plymouth. 1829—Sir C. S. Smith, Bart. 1834—J. S. Pakington, Esq....

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HIGH SHERIFFS OF THE COUNTY.

HIGH SHERIFFS OF THE COUNTY.

1800—William Smith, Esq., Eardiston. 1801—Thomas Phillips, Esq., Broadway. 1802—Thomas Newnham, Esq., Broadwas. 1803—John Phillips, Esq., Winterdyne. 1804—Edward Knight, Esq., Wolverley ( ob. ), and Thomas Holme Esq., Beoley. 1805—John Amphlett, Esq., Clent. 1806—Sir Thomas Winnington, Bart., Stamford. 1807—Thomas Bland, Esq., Ham Court. 1808—Sir John Pakington, Bart., Westwood. 1809—Henry Bromley, Esq., Abberley Hall. 1810—Joseph Smith, Esq., Sion Hill. 1811—Thomas Hawkes, Esq., Dudley. 1812—Jo

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CHAIRMEN OF PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISIONS.

CHAIRMEN OF PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISIONS.

Worcester Division —Early part of present century—Thomas Bund, Esq. 1810 to 1820—Rev. Arthur Onslow, D.D., Dean of Worcester. 1820 to 1842—Rev. John Foley, Holt. Present Chairmen (alternately)—T. G. Curtler, Esq., and Rev. John Pearson. Hundred House Division —To 1834, Sir C. S. Smith, Bart. Present Chairman—The Rev. Thomas Pearson. Pershore Division —1800 to 1836—Thomas Beale Cooper, Esq., M.D., Richard Hudson, Esq., and Lieutenant General Thomas Marriott. Present Chairman—C. E. Hanford, Esq. B

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COUNTY CLERKS OF THE PEACE.

COUNTY CLERKS OF THE PEACE.

1803—John Soley, Esq. 1822—Thomas Blayney, Esq. 1839—H. B. Domville, Esq. 1843—W. Nichols Marcy, Esq....

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CHAPLAINS OF THE COUNTY PRISON.

CHAPLAINS OF THE COUNTY PRISON.

1800—Rev. — Faulkner. 18-- Rev. — Myddleton. 18-- Rev. J. Hadley. 1833—Rev. J. Adlington....

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CHIEF CONSTABLE OF THE COUNTY POLICE.

CHIEF CONSTABLE OF THE COUNTY POLICE.

1839—Mr. R. R. Harris....

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GAOLERS OF THE COUNTY PRISON.

GAOLERS OF THE COUNTY PRISON.

1800—Mr. William Davies. 1820—Mr. J. P. Lavender. 1846—Mr. Benjamin L. Stable....

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MAYORS OF WORCESTER.

MAYORS OF WORCESTER.

1800—E. Isaac, Esq. 1801—H. Hughes, Esq. 1802—Richards Rowlands, Esq. 1803—John Blew, Esq. 1804—John Forrest, Esq. 1805—John Dillon, Esq. 1806—James Wakeman, Esq. 1807—Thomas Allies, Esq. 1808—Samuel Crane, Esq. 1809—Herbert Rogers, Esq. 1810—William Blew, Esq. 1811—John Dowding, Esq. 1812—Benjamin Johnson, Esq. 1813—Thomas St. John, Esq. 1814—Robert Brown, Esq. 1815—Samuel Garmston, Esq. 1816—Anthony Lechmere, Esq. 1817—Robert Chamberlain, Esq. 1818—William Moore, Esq. 1819—W. H. Chamberlain, E

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RECORDERS OF WORCESTER.

RECORDERS OF WORCESTER.

1800—The sixth Earl of Coventry. 1808—The seventh Earl of Coventry, in the room of his father. 1831—The eighth Earl of Coventry, in the room of his father. 1836—Under the Municipal Reform Act the Recorder was made virtually, as he had been before nominally, the chief administrator of justice in all corporate cities and boroughs having a Quarter Sessions; and the appointment was vested in Government. John Buckle, Esq., barrister-at-law, was appointed Recorder of Worcester—the Government not acce

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CITY CORONERS.

CITY CORONERS.

1817—Mr. John Platt and Mr. Nathaniel Mence. 1825—James Wakeman, jun., Esq., in the room of John Platt, Esq., deceased. 1828—Mr. Gwinnell and Mr. J. B. Hyde, in the room of Mr. N. Mence (suddenly gone to America because of some defalcations), and Mr. Wakeman, resigned. Mr. Gwinnell died 1835, and the vacancy thus occasioned was not filled up. 1836—Mr. J. B. Hyde reappointed Coroner by the new Municipal Corporation....

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TOWN CLERKS OF WORCESTER.

TOWN CLERKS OF WORCESTER.

1800—Richard Cocks, Esq. 1801—Benjamin Johnson, Esq. 1829—William Welles, Esq. 1830—Charles Sidebottom, Esq. 1836—John Hill, Esq....

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GAOLERS OF THE CITY PRISON.

GAOLERS OF THE CITY PRISON.

1800—Mr. Tyers. 1802—Mr. James Griffiths. 1819—Mr. William Griffiths....

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MAYORS OF BEWDLEY.

MAYORS OF BEWDLEY.

1800—James Fryer, Esq. 1801—Thomas H. Crane, Esq. 1802—Thomas Baker, Esq. 1803—Jonathan Skey, Esq. 1804—Joseph Crane, Esq. 1805—Samuel Baker, Esq. 1806—Jonathan Skey, Esq. 1807—Rev. Edward Baugh. 1808—James Fryer, Esq. 1809—W. A. Roberts, jun., Esq. 1810—Thomas H. Crane, Esq. 1811—Joseph Crane, Esq. 1812—Wilson A. Roberts, Esq. 1813—George Baker, Esq. 1814—Joseph Seager, Esq. 1815—W. A. Roberts, jun., Esq. 1816—James Fryer, Esq. 1817—Thomas H. Crane, Esq. 1818—Joseph Crane, Esq. 1819—John Brookh

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TOWN CLERKS OF BEWDLEY.

TOWN CLERKS OF BEWDLEY.

1775—W. A. Robarts, Esq. 1808—Samuel Baker, Esq. 1816—Slade Baker, Esq. 1833—William N. Marcy, Esq....

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MAYORS OF DROITWICH.

MAYORS OF DROITWICH.

The close Corporation of Droitwich used formerly to elect two Bailiffs and two magistrates, year by year, out of their own number; the Lords Foley, from time to time, holding the office of Recorder. The two last Bailiffs, for the year immediately preceding the passing of the Municipal Reform Act, were E. B. Penrice and W. H. Ricketts, Esqs. The following is a fist of Mayors under the Municipal Act. 1836—E. B. Penrice, Esq. 1837—John Robeson, Esq. 1838–9—E. B. Penrice, Esq. 1840—E. B. Penrice,

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TOWN CLERKS OF DROITWICH.

TOWN CLERKS OF DROITWICH.

1800—Thomas Jacob White, Esq. 1820—Thomas Gale Curtler, Esq. 1836—Samuel Tombs, jun., Esq....

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MAYORS OF EVESHAM.

MAYORS OF EVESHAM.

1800—Hon. &amp; Rev. G. Rushout. 1801—Anthony Roper, Gent. 1802—John Lord Northwick. 1803—George Day, Gent. 1804—Thomas Gore, Gent. 1805—William Barnes, Gent. 1806—William Soley, Gent. 1807—W. F. Preedy, Gent. 1808—Thomas B. Cooper, Esq. 1809—John Hunter, Gent. 1810—Sir C. Cockerell, Bart. 1811—Rev. E. Dolman Cooper. 1812—W. F. Preedy, Gent. 1813—Matthias Stratton, Gent. 1814—Rev. H. P. Cooper. 1815—George Day, Gent. 1816—Thomas B. Cooper, Esq. 1817—Hon. &amp; Rev. G. Rushout. 1818—Danie

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TOWN CLERKS OF EVESHAM.

TOWN CLERKS OF EVESHAM.

1800—James Taylor, Esq. (reappointed 1836) 1838—Oswald Check, Esq....

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MAYORS OF KIDDERMINSTER.

MAYORS OF KIDDERMINSTER.

Prior to 1836 the chief officers of Kidderminster were High Bailiffs. The following are the Mayors elected since 1836: 1836—William Butler Best, Esq. 1837—George Hooman, Esq. 1838—George Talbot, jun., Esq. 1839—Charles Talbot, Esq. 1840—Henry Brinton, Esq. 1841—Joseph Newcombe, Esq. 1842—Wm. Henry Worth, Esq. 1843—James Morton, Esq. 1844—Wm. Butler Best, Esq. 1845—George Hooman, Esq. 1846—Wm. Butler Best, Esq. 1847—Wm. Boycot, sen., Esq. 1848—Wm. Boycot, sen., Esq. 1849—Wm. Roden, Esq., M.D. 1

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TOWN CLERKS OF KIDDERMINSTER.

TOWN CLERKS OF KIDDERMINSTER.

1800—James Pinches, Esq. 1801—George Hallen, Esq. 1826—Thomas Hallen, Esq....

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TABLE A—POPULATION.

TABLE A—POPULATION.

1801. 1811. 1821. 1831. 1841. 1851. County of Worcester 139,333 160,546 184,424 211,365 233,484 276,926 a City of Worcester 11,131 13,551 16,207 b 18,442 27,023 27,528 Dudley 10,307 13,925 18,611 23,443 31,232 37,954 Stourbridge (including the Lye and Upper Swinford) 8,297 9,755 11,227 13,571 17,483 19,246 Kidderminster Bor. &amp; For. 8,036 10,025 12,752 17,913 17,500 20,852 Bromsgrove 5,898 6,932 7,511 8,612 9,676 10,310 Redditch 1,000 — 3,314 4,774 Stourport 1,603 2,352 2,544 2,952 2,99

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TABLE No. 2.—CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

TABLE No. 2.—CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

The following statistics only relate to the county of Worcester. Prior to 1821 there are no records of convictions, &amp;c., in existence; the Table, therefore, commences with that year. Year. In what Court Tried. Number of Prisoner Tried. Number Capitally Convicted. Number Sentenced to Transportation. No. Sentenced various terms of Imprisonment. Number Acquitted or Discharged. Summary Convictions. Total Number of Persons Convicted. Proportion of Convicted to Population. 1821 Assizes 80 25

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TABLE No. 3.—PROVISION FOR RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

TABLE No. 3.—PROVISION FOR RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

It is not pretended that the following statistics are absolutely accurate—the amount of accommodation afforded being altogether matter of computation. Neither do they afford reliable data for comparing the relative increase of different religious denominations, because a considerable proportion of the old churches have been enlarged in the present century; while, on the other hand, many of the new chapels built by Dissenters, especially the Wesleyans, were erected in the place of preaching room

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TABLE No. 4.—OBSERVATIONS AS TO FALL OF RAIN.

TABLE No. 4.—OBSERVATIONS AS TO FALL OF RAIN.

Year. Worcester. * Cleobury. † Orleton. ‡ 1835 — 29.16 27.265 1836 32.93 28.155 1837 24.465 31.18 28.545 1838 23.850 28.73 26.355 1839 34.595 37.70 34.145 1840 20.715 26.94 25.800 1841 29.649 34.82 32.770 1842 — 25.09 25.480 1843 30.42 29.935 1844 23.56 21.730 1845 27.91 27.405 1846 29.24 27.015 1847 28.60 27.985 1848 36.69 39.015 1849 23.88 30.79 26.945 1850 18.66 22.84 24.615 1851 18.93 21.33 28.276 * The first series of these observations at Worcester were taken by Mr. T. R. Hill, at the Lit

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ELECTIONS OF 1852.

ELECTIONS OF 1852.

Worcestershire East —J. H. H. Foley, Esq., and Captain Rushout reëlected without opposition. Worcestershire West —Hon. General H. B. Lygon and F. W. Knight, Esq., reëlected without opposition. Worcester — May —(Election on Mr. Rufford’s accepting the Chiltern Hundreds)—William Laslett, Esq., of Abberton Hall, had some time previously announced himself as a candidate for the representation whenever a vacancy should occur, professing Radical opinions. The Conservatives brought forward Mr. Charles

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WORCESTER RACES.

WORCESTER RACES.

The following are the winners of the “ Gold Cup ,” value 100 guineas, the surplus in specie—4 miles—which used to be the principal race at the Worcester Summer Meeting, and which was first run for in the year 1812. 1812—August 12—Mr. Shawe’s b. h. Offa’s Dyke. 1813—August 11—Mr. Munsey’s b. m. Meteorina. 1814—August 10—Sir W. Wynn’s b. c. Bravo. 1815—August 8—Hon. W. B. Lygon’s b. c. Tozer. 1816—August 14—Mr. Charlton’s b. c. Tozer. 1817—August 13—Sir W. Wynn’s b. c. Piscator. 1818—August 12—Mr.

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STEEPLE CHASES.

STEEPLE CHASES.

1836—March 2—The first steeple chases ever run in Worcestershire came off this day. The ground chosen was on the west bank of the Severn, from Frieze Wood to the centre of the Lower Powick Ham, about four miles of a stiffish hunting country. Captain Lamb’s Vivian, ridden by Captain Beecher, beat Midnight and Saladin. 1841—March 24—Steeple chases at Crowle. Cotton Ball won the first and Fairy the second. 1844—March 14—The first of the Worcester grand annual steeple chases. Sixteen horses star

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ADDENDA AND ERRATA. [337]

ADDENDA AND ERRATA. [337]

In addition to the Enclosure Bills enumerated in note, p. 6, must be mentioned the following: Aldington, Astley, Abberley, Broughton Hackett, Bredon, Bonehill, Badsey, Churchill, Little and Great Comberton, Crowle, Eckington, Flyford Flavel, Holdfast (Ripple), Iccomb, Inkberrow, North, South, and Middle Littleton, Norton, Overbury, Pensham, North Piddle, Rushock, Salwarp, Sedgberrow, Shipston-on-Stour, Strensham, Tibberton, Wick (Pershore). Page 97, line 3— for “Rev. George Turnbull,” read “Rev.

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