ty of California era Regional ary Facility I I THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE RAMBLER WORCESTERSHIRE, >tratj CHURCHES AND CONGREGATIONS. By JOHN NOAKE. WORCESTER : PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. MDCccxumr. FIVE SHILLINGS. Jl.iiniiiulmni t JIHIAII AM.IX AND .SON, I'rinUtu, 3, Coin 670 kf v. I THE EIGHT HON. LOBD LYTTELTON, iorti itcutrnant or THE COUNTY OF WORCESTER, THK EXTENT OF HI! OWN ATTAINMENTS AN THIS VOLUME, WITH KIND PERMISSION, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE OBLIGED AUTHOR, JOHN NOAKE. LOCAL As to the nandy desert fountains are, With palm-groves shaded at wide intervals. Whose fruit around the sun-burnt native falls, Of roving tired or desultory war ; Such to this British isle her Christian fanes, Each link'd to each for kindred services; Her spires, her steeple towers with glittering vane Far-kenn'd, her chupeli lurking among trees. (XXXXXXXXXX jHIS little volume the fruit of hours snatched from a laborious professional occupation is at length pre- sented to the public. The objects of the writer in under- taking the work were to beget a desire and a taste for the study of ecclesiastical antiquities ; to promote the fitting and appropriate restoration of those venerable fabrics which the piety and munificence of our ancestors have left as a legacy to us ; to render more decent the celebration of divine worship in all our churches ; to impress a due sense of the mutual responsibilities attaching both to the clergy and their congre- gations ; and to hand down to posterity an historical and topo- graphical book of reference, which, though necessarily imperfect and being entirely of a popular character, he nevertheless hopes may prove useful. In the pursuit of these objects his endeavour has been to avoid the lofty and chilling altitude of what is termed " high Churchism " on the one hand and the broad highway of dissent on the other, and so to keep faithfully to VI PREFACE. the via media laid down by our Church, the basis of which was established at the Reformation. If he has succeeded in accomplishing any part of his aim, or in imparting an allure- ment to the study of ecclesiological lore, he will be abundantly repaid for what has proved to himself to be a most fascinating pursuit a labour of love, undertaken and carried out with the single desire to effect good, and without a view to personal gain or emolument. To the numerous friends who have welcomed to their hospi- table homes, and kindly assisted the writer in his work, he begs to offer the warmest acknowledgments, and doubts not that this little volume will be the means, in days to come, of reviving to them as it will abundantly to himself the reminiscences of many a pleasant hour. Worcester, May, 1848. T: a* IK" Suiter* PAOB PAGB WORCESTER CATHEDRAL . 1 COTHBRIDGE 184 ST. OSWALD 16 ST. KEN ELM'S AND CLBNT . 191 ST. HELEN . 23 HAGLEY .... 205 ST. ALBAN . 27 OLDSWINFORD. 209 ST. MICHAEL . . 31 STOURBRIDGE 214 ST. ANDREW 34 EVESHAM . 217 ST. NICHOLAS . . 41 THE HONBYBOURNES . 227 8r. CLEMENT 46 WlLLERSEY . 231 ALL SAINTS . . 51 PERSHORB .... 232 ST. SWITHIN 55 240 ST. PETER . 62 TENBURY .... 245 ST. MARTIN 67 BURFORD . 248 ST. JOHN . 74 GREAT MALVERN . . 252 ST. PAUL . 79 STRENSHAM . 260 ST. GEORGE . . 85 ECKINGTON .... 263 "WATERMEN'S CHURCH 92 266 GREAT WITLEY . 99 BROMSGROVB ... 271 CLAINES. . 104 TlBRBRTON 285 KEMPSEY . . . . Ill LEDBDRY .... 291 HALLOW-CUM-GRIMLEY 116 SEVERN STOKS 297 HINDLIP .... . 123 SHRAWLBY .... 301 POWICK . 128 MATHON 307 STOULTON . 133 MALVERN WELLS 313 DROITWICH . 138 BARNARD'S GREEK 319 MARTLEY . . . . 146 WARN DON .... 326 WlCHENFORD 150 TARDEBIGGB . 331 BREDON .... . 151 STOKE PRIOR 334 SlICKLEY . 162 SUDELEY AND WlNCHCJSIBB 342 OMBERSLEY . . 167 POSTSCRIPT 359 SPKTCHLEV . 174 ADVERTISEMENTS . . 362 HOLT . 179 THE village church is passing gay, The bells gush out in merry tune, A flag is o'er the turret gray. The porch holds all the flowers of June ; For youth and beauty come to wed. With bounding form and beaming eye With all the rapture love can shed, Aud all the hope that gold can buy ; And children twine, with noisy glee, White favours round the cypress tree. A n old man sitteth on a grave His steps no more are firm and fast, And slenderly his white locks wave As breeze and butterfly go past ; A gentle smile lights up his face, And then he turns to gaze around, For he has come to choose the place Where he shall sleep in hallow'd ground : " Just by yon daisy patch (saith he) 'T is there 't is there I 'd have it be." The bridal hearts in triumph glow, With all the world before them yet; The old man's pulse beats calm and slow, Like sun-rnyi lengthening as they set. THEY see the fancied hours to come, HE sees the real days gone by ; THBT deem the earth a fairy home, Hs thinks It well that man should die. Oh, goodly sight ! it should be so Youth glad to stay, Age fit to go. EM Oft let me tread the gloomy aisles alone Sad luxury to vulgar minds unknown- Along the walls, where speaking marbles show What worthies form the hallowed mould below ; Proud names, who once the reins of empire held ; In arms who triumphed, or in arts excelled ; Chiefs marked with scars, and prodigal of blood ; Stern patriots, who for sacred freedom stood ; Just men, by whom impartial laws were given ; And saints who trod and led the way to heaven. j>N or near the site of the present Cathedral the ancient Britons undoubtedly had a church, which, however, was rebuilt prior to its being made a Cathedral, dedicated to St. Peter, in 680. The Bishop and clergy then lived here toge- ther as one family ; and while the former preached at home, by a stone cross which then stood on the green, the latter were sent out to different parts of the diocese. Afterwards they were fixed in certain districts, and the Bishop merely kept ten or twelve priests to supply the required services. St. Mary's minster, or convent, was founded in the eighth century, and afterwards became the Cathedral, although St. Peter's was still in existence, it being re- corded that St. Wulstan (1089) performed his midnight vigils there. St. Mary's, however, being inadequate for the purposes of a Cathedral, St. Oswald completed a new one in 983. In 1 04 1 , the citizens having killed two tax collectors sent by King Hardicanute, an army was sent here, who pillaged the city and burnt the 2, THE RAMBLER Cathedral, but could not vanquish the citizens, who had fortified themselves on the island of Bevere, a short distance up the Severn. St. Wulstan then (1089) built a monastery and the Cathedral which now stands, except the nave, which was added by Bishop de Blois 150 years subsequently. Much learned dis- cussion has taken place as to the date of the two arches at the west end of the nave, which present an earlier order of archi- tecture than the remainder. Green and some others insist that they formed a part of St. Oswald's building, which had escaped the fury of the Danes, and were subsequently joined to the new building ; but the proposition appears so monstrous that Wulstan should have built his new Cathedral, and left these two arches standing at a distance, and in a state of unappropriation for nearly 250 years, that it is believed they were the work of De Blois, who, in commencing the nave at the west end, at first adopted the Norman style, which was just then being superseded by the pointed, and becoming dissatisfied with the former, after he had built two of the arches, erected the remainder in the latter style. The chief argument opposed to this theory is the fact that these two arches are built of white sandstone, and the others of red, thereby apparently denoting different dates; but as I am neither capable of nor inclined for an architectural dissertation, I shall be equally satisfied whichever theory my readers may side with. Suffice it to say that the Cathedral, as it now stands, was chiefly the work of the 1 1th and 1 3th centuries, and presents a few speci- mens of Norman, and a great deal of Gothic. Perhaps no English Cathedral, in its external appearance, presents such a patched and threadbare coat of many colours, with so little to admire, and so much to deplore, as this building ; and this arises in a great measure from the tasteless manner in which the repairs have been carried on ever since the dissolution of the Priory by that Vandal of the age, Henry VIII, as well as through the unaccountable delays in repairing the spires, &c. One of the greatest blunders, perhaps, was in making a northern entrance, a fault which must be laid on the shoulders of Bishop Wakefield, who, in 1380, put a finishing stroke to the west end by renovat- IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 3 ing the roof, opening a magnificent window, and blocking up the grand entrance (west) beneath. This led to the northern en- trance being opened an arrangement which at once got rid of what every true architect aims at a good effect. The entrance to this Cathedral from the west must have created in the be- holder at first sight an impression of sublimity and grandeur, as passing through a low doorway the eye suddenly shot upward and onward, in a length of space of nearly 400 feet, resting on a succession of magnificent arches, surmounted by elegant arcades, a sprightly vaulted roof, and the whole terminated by an im- mense window, reaching to the roof, but partly intercepted by a splendid organ, whose turrets also aspire thitherward. We know that the beautiful Norman porch was chosen to form part of churches of much later date, and this as much from its sym- bolic meaning as its beauty. Herbert says " Since, Lord, to Thee A narrow way and little gate Is all the passage ;" and Aubrey de Vere enjoins " Ye who build the churches of the Lord, See that ye make the portals low : Let no one enter who disdains to bow." The verger was much better informed than I expected to find him. O'Connell used to say he remembered the story of a man in a neighbouring country who, on the subject of a mixed educa- tion, was asked if he had ever read Fenelon's works. He replied that he had, and that Fenelon was the son of Ulysses, and that his life was written by Telemachus, who was Archbishop of Canterbury. This was precisely the sort of information I had expected from my guide in the present instance while exploring the tombs and old remains lying around me ; he however agree- ably undeceived me, by showing that he had not merely learned his glossary by rote, but had read sufficient to stand a little cross examination, and " to give a reason for the faith that was in him." Taking me at once through the choir, he made a halt at what must be considered the chief point of interest, namely, n2 4 THE RAMBLER the tomb of King John. This is a subject, too, on which much learning and paper have been consumed, till it was satisfactorily settled, by the discovery of the remains in this tomb in 1797, that although the king was originally buried under the great east window, and between the two saints, Oswald and Wulstan, his body must have been removed at or about the period of the Reformation, when the historian informs us that the effigy was plucked away from the royal grave, and carried to the site it now occupies. A somewhat mortifying reflection, this, for human pride, that not even the utmost precautions taken by a king in marking out the place of his sepulture, and the arrangement of two reputed saints as sentinels on each side his tomb, the most learned of his fellow mortals should afterwards for many years dispute so warmly on the subject, and would not even rest without satisfying themselves of the fact by invading the repose of his ashes. In an old interleaved history of Worcester which recently fell into my hands there are some remarks in the manu- script, as follows : " This tomb was asserted by Mr. Green to be a cenotaph (i. e. a monument for one buried elsewhere), and accordingly the Dean and Chapter had determined upon its removal from the choir, and placing it over the supposed remains of the king in St. Mary's chapel. But on opening the tomb, on Monday, July 17, 1797, the remains of the king were found de- posited in it, but evidently in such a manner as indicated their having been much deranged since their first interment; the foramen magnum of the head being turned upward, the jaws separated from the head, and one of them lying near the right elbow; the ulna of the left arm was detached from it, and lay obliquely on the breast; the bones of the toes were in good pre- servation, on two or three of which the nails were still visible. The body was covered with a robe reaching from the neck to the feet, apparently of crimson damask, but that is uncertain. The remains were found almost covered with a quantity of chrysalis, or skeletons of maggots. The body measured five feet six and a half inches, and was laid in a stone coffin, with a vicaty cut to fit the head." A much more lengthened descrip- IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 5 tion of the skeleton, &c., was published by Green (1797), to which I must refer all body searchers. My guide next led me to the monument of Bishop Gauden, at the north of the altar : the features of this prelate are so strik- ing, with large prominent eyes, that a spectator looking for some tune on the figure would expect to hear it make some quotation from the book held in its hand (Icon Basilike), the authorship of which he appears anxious to claim, though the rest of the world seems inclined to bestow it on Charles I. Bishop Bullingham was the next who attracted my attention : lying flat on his back, the superincumbent wall is placed upon him in such a manner that nothing but his head, arms, and legs, are visible. He is well described by Green, " with his hands elevated, as if imploring a release from the barbarisms that sur- round him." " The next is Cicell Warmstry," said my conduc- tor ; "she died of starvation, through having a stricture in the throat ; and you may see her likeness there, reduced as she was to a skeleton ; she died in 1649." The description, for aught I know, may be correct, but it seems more likely to be an imita- tion of the practice, introduced in the fifteenth century, of carv- ing skeletons and corpses (generally portraits) as monumental mementoes.* Such devices are always unpleasing even when well executed. They were chiefly adopted for ecclesiastics. Prince Arthur's chapel, at the south side of the altar, is an object of much curiosity and interest, as being, perhaps, the most dis- tinguished and elegant mausoleum in the Gothic style, in this country ; and one cannot but feel grateful to the friendly hand which, by daubing its superb decorations with plaster, averted the mutilating weapons of the ruthless Puritans. Skipping over a multitude of other tombs, I noticed that of Sir William de Harcourt, hi the south aisle transept ; it is the effigy, in excel- lent preservation, of an armed knight, cumbent, and cross-legged. * A remarkable specimen may be seen in one of the chapels at the eastern end of Tewkesbury church (a fine Norman structure), where there is a sculptured figure of an emaciated corpse, with worms and other reptiles crawling about the body. O THE RAMBLER Some antiquaries insist that this position of the legs denotes not only their having been crusaders (from crux, a cross), but that it was likewise a distinctive sign of married men. The Lady Chapel now engaged our attention ; this is unques- tionably the most interesting part of the Cathedral. The site of the original grave of King John is now covered by the effigy of Bishop Hemenhale, taken from his tomb in Jesus Chapel, and placed here as a substitute for the real effigy which has been removed as above mentioned. The king himself, though flanked on the east and west by two altars, and on the north and south by two saints, derived therefrom as much protection as the cele- brated monk's cowl, in which his head was enveloped, will afford him a passport through the regions of purgatory. The saints, too (Oswald and Wulstan), suffered no better fate. Their relics, in time of pestilence, war, or other calamity, were carried about in procession to avert the wrath of heaven; and as if the miracles said to have been wrought by them collectively were not suffi- cient, it was the practice, for a good round sum of money received, to saw their bones into pieces, to enhance the reputation of some less fortunate churches, by retailing to them a rib, an arm, a toe, or any other portion of the body. The relics remaining at the time of the Reformation, it is believed, were buried at the north of the altar, but I have no reason to doubt that these are their identical effigies, now resting in the spots where first laid. That of Oswald (if this presumption be true) would therefore be the most ancient in this place, being nine centuries old. The tablet to Anne, the wife of Isaak Walton, which is hard by, brought with it a panorama of flowery meads and crystal streams, with that " quaint old coxcomb," at one minute dis- coursing most pious language, and in the next explaining how many varieties of bait he could manufacture from some dead animal. His lady must have been a truly congenial companion, for she is described as " a woman of remarkable prudence, and of the primitive piety." After taking a rapid glance at the remaining monuments in this chapel, including the sculptured figure of the last Abbot of Evesham, which lies immediately under IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 7 the altar screen, an unknown lady, wearing a coronet, under- neath one of the north windows, another cross-legged knight, and many others of extreme interest, I had an opportunity of quietly admiring the chaste beauty of Chantrey's statue of the late Mrs. Digby, elevated in what the sexton named " the Dean's Chapel;" there is also a little gem by Westmacott in the north aisle. In the nave, among a rich collection of ancient remains, there are two specimens of statuary by Bacon (father and son), which seem to be worthy points of attraction to visitors they are monuments to Sir W. Ellis, who fell at Waterloo, and to Mrs. Solly. The latter should be particularly studied for the natural graces of the infantile figures. I need not say, however, that the monument to Bishop Hough, in the north transept, is the richest gem of all : it is Roubilliac's masterpiece ; the expression of the dying bishop's countenance is perfect, and the drapery is so finely cast, and the hollowing out of the folds so cleverly managed, as to convey the ideas of lightness and texture previously unequalled in marble. A fine monument by Westmacott was erected in the month of March of the present year (1848), at the west end of the north aisle of the nave, to the memory of the officers and 1 38 private soldiers of the 29th (Worcestershire) regiment of foot, who fell in the three victories on the banks of the Sutlej, 1845-6. The names include Colonel C. C. Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Barr, Captains Lucas and Molle, Lieutenants Jones, Simmons, and Carey, Ensign Mitchell, Colour Sergeants Marshall, Swaby, and Wilkins, Sergeants Homes, Smith, &c. The private sol- diers of this regiment appropriated four days' pay towards the expense of this monument. The view from the tower is very beautiful, if not quite so extensive as other more elevated sites may afford. The most prominent object is the river Severn, approaching sinuously, and after sweeping under the handsome bridge which spans its banks, presents its fair broad bosom immediately under the Cathedral wall, and then meanders in its wanton course, washing the love- liest meadows, on its way to the Bristol Channel. Yonder is THE RAMBLER the beautiful ridge of the Malvern hills ; on the other side, richly embrowned, rises Perry Wood, a spot where tradition asserts the interview took place between Oliver Cromwell and an individual who is generally more feared than respected ; close by is the spot from whence the former gentleman, it is presumed by the assistance of the latter, aimed his shot at the sacred edifice on which I was standing. Nearer home we look down on the ancient turrents of Edgar Tower, one of the most interesting relics of the old city ; and further on, the graceful and slender spire of St. Andrew's, with its taper point, scratches each cloud which adventures too near. The size of the city, from hence, appears much larger than would be suspected by a stran- ger on merely walking through the streets. In every direction it has expanded, and become modernized, by the addition of whole rows of newly-erected habitations, handsome villas, embo- somed in gardens ; the approaches and highways are also cleared and widened the whole now forming so pretty a model of an inland city, that one's grandfather would scarcely recognise it. My guide next led me to the west end of the north aisle of the nave, and unlocking a door we ascended to some apartments over the north porch, known as " the monks' rooms." Dust and rubbish here also bear undisputed rule. There is nothing remarkable except a flight of stone steps leading down to near the northern porch ; but there is no egress, the terminus being blocked up. I was led to conclude that these apartments formed the Sanctuary or " Galilee" of the Cathedral, in which, in imita- tion of the scriptural " cities of refuge," persons were admitted at all hours to claim the protection of the Church from their pursuers. The limits of the Sanctuary began at this very point, and described a circuit by way of the Palace, Lich Street, Sid- bury, and back by the wall of the Severn. It was suppressed by James I. The term " Galilee" has occasioned much contro- versy. The Rev. Alfred Suckling, in his History of Suffolk, says, " In early ages there was always a Galilee attached to every church, in which public penitents were stationed, and the bodies of the dead occasionally deposited before interment. The name IN WORCESTERSHIRE. is supposed to have been appended to these extreme porches because, as Galilee was the part of Palestine most remote from Jerusalem, so this portion of the building was most distant from the Sanctuary." Having retraced our steps, and recrossed the nave, I was next shown through some dark and narrow passages to a similar suite of apartments, said to have been occupied by Oh'ver Crom- well. The darkness and gloom which reigned in this retreat must have been highly congenial to the spirit of that extraordi- nary man, who carried the work of demolition into almost every part of the structure. It is true that Cromwell is, as usually, called in to account for the destruction of any ancient church or castle, as King John is forced, in case of difficulty, to answer for its erection ; but in this case history leaves us no doubt of the truth of the charge, for, among other horrible things committed by his party, it is said that they tore in pieces the Bibles and service books, put the surplices on their dragooners, who rode through the streets in that manner ; and so wantonly wicked and shamelessly indecent were they in this their savage visita- tion of the church of Worcester, that whenever their subsequent enormities committed at other places want force in the descrip- tion of them, they are usually pronounced " to have been as truly horrible as those they perpetrated at Worcester." I should have mentioned, in my description of the Lady Chapel, that there is not one brass monument remaining, although on many of the stones there are marks where brass figures had been fastened till these ruthless spoliators tore them up. Similar things have been done even up to our own day, though perhaps more from ignorance than malice. In an old Chapel of Ease in the neigh- bourhood of Stratford was, a few years ago, one of the very fine recumbent figures of a Templar. The figure was missed by a clergyman who sometimes visited the place, and he asked the sexton what had become of it. The answer was " What ! that cross-legged chap ? Oh ! I mended the road wi' he ; a saved a deal o' limestone." The present cloisters of our Cathedral were built in 1 372 ; the 10 THE RAMBLER old cloisters, which were probably of wood^ having been destroyed by fire. There is a profusion of sculpture on the roof, compris- ing a regal genealogy of Judah and Israel, figures of the Holy Family, the Evangelists, &c. This is a delightful spot for an occasional meditative lounge ; it tells us in forcible language of the onward march of all things ; and as its walls around, and the tombs beneath, connect us with the past by the strongest links, so they remind us that in a few short years it may be days we also shall be overtrodden by our survivors. The loud mirth of the schoolboys, rushing from the Hall, and chasing each other with boisterous merriment, not unfrequently puts an end to these sombre thoughts, else in one's reveries we might transport ourselves back a few centuries, and fancy that instead of those lads we saw the beadsmen waiting for alms at the door of the refectory (now the College School), the " coquinarius," or kitch- ener, returning with fresh provisions for the convent, or the chamberlain attending with towels for the monks as they stood at that bench (the lavatory) to wash their hands in Henwick water. But nearly three centuries have now rolled over our heads since the influence of this body was overthrown; since that period when (as Green expresses it) the solemnity of its proces- sions and pageants closed, the voice of its tide and even songs died away, and all the functions of its vast and ponderous machinery ceasing their movements together, presented to the world an awful example of the mutability of power, in which even that, whose foundation was thought to have been laid on a rock deemed impregnable, and held sacred from the supposed divinity of its origin, disappeared like a vapour from before men's eyes ; and its customs and ceremonies, whose observance was the familiar duty of our forefathers, in the present times become obsolete, a bye word, and almost wholly unknown among us. In our zeal against Popish and monastic errors let us not however cast away the wheat with the chaff, but carefully pre- serve and resolutely defend the good grain which the sieve of the Reformation has separated for us. The daily service of the Cathedral should be held as an inestimable privilege left to us, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 11 and it is to me a source of great surprise that so few avail them- selves of it Are there no sinners in the churchlest week Who wish to sanctify a vow'd repentance ? Are there no hearts which fain would seek The only balm for death's unpitying sentence ? Are there no poor, no wrong'd, no heirs of grief, No sick, who, when their strength or courage falters, Long for a moment's respite, or relief, By kneeling at the God of Mercy's altars ? Such a retreat, beyond and apart from the customary attendance on divine worship oq a Sunday, seems to be occasionally neces- sary, to prevent one from becoming (if I may use the term) a monomaniac in the pursuit of business, and to keep alive those finer faculties and feelings which are in danger of being as it were entirely smothered in that rage for wealth, and power, and fame, which the general world considers to be the chiefest good. How grateful it is occasionally to quit such feverish society, and to calm the perturbed spirits by joining in the " service high and anthem clear." And here I must confess, that what- ever may be lost to the Cathedral staff, it is my sincere and anxious hope that our legislators, in their wisdom, may never attempt to abolish those choral bodies, whose duty it is to main- tain a perennial harmony hi the souls of the congregation, by chanting the very language of the primitive Christians them- selves under the varied circumstances of their hopes and trials of their joys and griefs : Hearken ! sweet voices, 'neath those arches high, (Over the expectant, silent, dust beneath), Borne upwards by the deep attesting under-breath Of pealing organ, cease not continually to cry, " Holy ! holy ! holy ! who was, and is, and is for aye Restorer of the Faithful ! Conqueror of Death." And now one word to the vergers and other inferior officers. I do not go the length of Mr. Hume hi wishing to throw open our Cathedrals daily and indiscriminately to the public, but during the religious services to turn away the feet of any worshipper by extortion or incivility is a more serious matter. Strangers 12 THE RAMBLER and foreigners sneer at us for deigning to satisfy so mercenary a spirit, and I trust the day is coming when no money changers will be tolerated in the temple, for surely there are funds enough in the establishment to remunerate even a much larger body of subordinates than these. I have heard it asserted, with much bitterness, that Cathedral congregations are all formalists, whose religion is devoid of vitality ; but let it not be thought there are no genuine wor- shippers here : from many a niche here and there, hi my recollection, have constantly peeped out the same old faces pleasant faces, which grew more bright and beamed with warm affection on recognising, in their old familiar corners, those who had been known to each other (though perhaps not by name) for many a long year. Such associations as these are not to be despised. I cannot but admire the Sir Roger de Coverley air with which one old gentleman regularly passes through the congregation, smiling kindly and in the most unembarrassed manner at his old friends, and then takes his seat hi the utmost humility on the steps of the approach to the communion table, where he evidently joins heart and soul in the services, without one wish to claim the superior indulgences of a stall, or to be- come beholden to officials for any such patronage. Others I have seen who feel it a duty regularly to prop up some portion of King John's monument, and these never swerve an inch from the selected spot. There is much that is commendable in this habit of adhesiveness, for most of us have felt how easily the most trivial disarrangements will interfere with the fixity of the mind. I could point out dozens of the humbler classes whom I have seen here time out of mind, familiar not alone by their countenances, but as connected with the nook or corner of their adoption, and even the cut of their hair or the colour of their coat would for ever perpetuate them in my memory. It is said that an individual regularly attends church at Spalding, in Lincolnshire, twice every Sunday, and the coat he appears in on those occasions he has worn for 40 years, his hat 17, and his shoes 15! Although this poor fellow may well excite a IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 13 good-humoured laugh, I believe he is not without a counterpart in Worcester Cathedral. But let not an honest man be ashamed of an unfashionable garment ; such poverty is only unsightly to those who, decked out in gay attire, and lounging in the first and most prominent seats, would turn the house of God into a show-room for milliners and tailors. The custom of separating the men and women (by placing the former on the north and the latter on the south side) I do not much approve : levity is not much checked, nor piety advanced, thereby ; and I do not see that any thing is gained either to the single or the married. The custom is ancient, and is said to have been derived from that superstition which led our ancestors to avoid burying on the north side of churchyards, from a conviction that the prince of the air had a greater power over that part. En passant, I may quote the following jeu d'esprit (not a new one) on the subject : The churches in general, we ev'ry where find, Are places where men to the women are joined : At Worcester, it seems, they are more cruel hearted, For men and their wives are brought here to be parted. I shall conclude this chapter by an observation on another and most interesting subject, connected not only with this Cathedral, but with the holy cause of charity I mean the forthcoming musical festival. To those who object to such displays in the house of God, I would say that our ancestors, like the royal prophet musician of Israel, delighted in the musi- cal services of the church, and to its adornment devoted the whole powers of their orchestra. " When," says Wulstan, "the choral brethren unite, each chaunts your prayer by the peculiar art whereof he is master : the sound of instruments of pulsation is mixed with the sharp voices of reedes, and by various appa- ratus the concert proceeds sweetly." From this we are justified in inferring that our Anglo-Saxon forefathers scrupled not to employ in the service of the church all the orchestral resources they had at command. I need not say how widely different is the effect of sacred music when produced hi secular halls, 14 THE RAMBLER to that we experience from it in the Cathedral. There are sympathies between music and architecture which appeal to the feelings, allure from the storehouse of the mind thoughts long ago buried deeply there, melt the obduracy of human selfish- ness, and give us glimpses of eternity. More especially so is it in a spot sanctified by the holiest associations almost from the period when our forefathers ran wildly in the woods in an edifice where the voices of a Cobham, a Carpenter, a Hooper, a Latimer, a Whitgift, a Stillingfleet, a Hough, and many other Christian prelates, have ascended in vindication of their religion and ours ; where bishop after bishop, priest after priest, lie buried ; and since the earliest of them had knelt, and prayed, and blest his flock, a thousand years had become as one day ; the same everlasting Gospel was still preached, the same songs of praise ascended, and glory was ascribed to the same God, " as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end." His feelings must indeed be obtuse who is insen- sible to such associations. I would wish the forthcoming " festival" (as indeed, its name implies) to be looked forward to as in truth a religious luxury, for as Jeremy Taylor says " God is pleased with no music from below so much as in the thanksgiving songs of widows, of supported orphans, of rejoicing and comforted and thankful persons." BISHOP OF WORCESTER. The Right Rev. Henry Pepys, D.D., Hartlebury Castle. DEAN. The Very Rev. John Peel, D.D., The Palace, Worcester. CANONS. The Rev. Christopher Benson, late Master of the Temple. The Rev. E. Winnington Ingram. The Hon. and Rev. J. Somers Cocks. The Hon. and Rev. J. Fortescue. The Rev. J. Ryle Wood. The Rev. E. H. Grove. HONORARY CANONS. A.D. Rev. H. J. Stevenson, M. A. . 1844. . . Hallow. Rev. John Sandford, B.D. . . 1844. . . Dunchurch. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 15 Rev. Thomas Baker, M.A. . . 1845. . . Hartlebury. Rev. W. H. Havergal, M.A. . 1845. . \ St - N^olas, ( Worcester. Rev. R. B. Hone, M.A. . . . 1846. . . Halesowen. Rev. T. L. Claughton, M.A. . . 1846. . . Kidderminster. Rev. John Garbett, M.A. . 1847. . Birmingham. Rev. Richard Seymour, M.A. . 1 847. . . Kinwarton. Rev. H. A. Woodgate, M.A. . . 1847. . . Belbroughton. Rev. H. J. Hastings, M.A. . . 1847. . . Areley Kings. MINOR CANONS. Rev. Allen Wheeler, B.D., Precentor and Sacrist. Rev. 'Robert Sanders, M.A. Rev. Thomas Littleton Wheeler, M.A. Rev. William Godfery, M.A. Rev. William Brown, M.A. ORGANIST. Mr. William Done. LAY CLERKS. Mr. Henry Shelton, Mr. John Rickhuss, Mr. Thomas Holloway, Mr. Henry James Powell, Mr. Enoch Rogers, Mr. Henry Whitehouse, Mr. Edward Williams, Mr. John Stoyle. SEXTONS. VERGERS. Mr. Dolvere and Mr. White. William Bull and J. Rogers. The College School was endowed for 40 boys (King's Scholars). Head Master . . . Rev. Octavius Fox, M.A. Under Master . . . Mr. Thomas Baxter. It) THE KAMBLER Sweet solitude, when life's gay hours are past, Howe'er we range, in thee we fix at last. Toss'd through tempestuous seas, the voyage o'er, Pale we look back, and bless thy friendly shore. Our own strict judges, our past life we scan, And ask if glory hath enlarg'd the span : If bright the prospect, we the grave defy, . Trust future ages, and contented die. has often struck me that an almshouse, of all other sinecures in the world, is the very best, and that assuredly it is the most fitting one for him who stands as it were on the shores of time, awaiting the gale which is to waft him over the unknown deep. While other men in their old age are too frequently regarded with a malignant eye, equally for their poverty or wealth, the tenant of an aims- house is in that happy state of mediocrity which the sage desired who prayed for " neither poverty nor riches ;" while the former on the one hand have to contend against the officiousness and cupidity of legacy hunters, or on the other to bear up against the frowns of niggard relatives, who fancy that the aged and infirm have no claims on existence when their finances are drained, the almshouse man, thanks to the pious forethought of others who have travelled life's pilgrimage before him, may take rest in his declining day, unmolested by a care, undisturbed by one anxiety, and left alone at his quiet leisure to contemplate " that bourne whence no traveller returns." It has often been to me a source of pleasure, as I passed by on a sunny day, to watch the inmates of St. Oswald's rambling dispersedly among the little flower knots which scent and adorn their humble but comfortable dwellings, or basking in the sun and talking of olden days, as they sat together on the resting-places which the assiduous perseverance of Mr. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 17 Thompson has caused to be erected in the Sansome Walk. One can almost forgive a wish on such occasions to o'erleap some twenty years of existence, and look back, with them, thankfully, upon the toilsome path beset with passions, we have traversed. The same hands, too, which provided so munificent an endowment for the bodily requirements of these aged men and women, did not leave their spiritual wants uncared for. In the centre of their little community stands the chapel, from whence may daily be heard ascending the sound of prayer and praise. The chapel is approached by passing through the principal gateway of the " Hospital," as it is still termed, and crossing a quadrangular court, formed by the dwellings of the inmates. At the entrance stood two tall, gray-headed, venerable men, as still as mutes. One of them, I believe, is styled " the Vice- gerent," being a sort of lieutenant or delegate, whose duty it is to report to the master any irregularity of conduct that may come under his notice ; the other, conjointly with him, per- formed the duties of a sexton, and also officiated as reading clerk. On my approach, they both bowed mechanically, like the clock-work knights one may read of in eastern fragments ; and the clerk, to whom I applied for a seat, having handed me over to the vicegerent, the latter inspected me very keenly, and then put me in a seat close to the door. I suppose from this that the vicegerent has the charge of all the gentlemen visitors, while the clerk attends to the ladies a guess which derived some little confirmation from the fact of the clerk being the younger man of the two. The interior of the building, which contains about 200 sittings, is neat and uniform ; the seats are arranged to rise one above another, so that those in the hindermost may see well ; there is a small gallery for singers at the west end ; and the walls are dotted with monumental memorials. Among these is an inscription relative to some members of the Bulstrodes a Saxon family, who, as the tradition goes, originally obtained that unique patronymic from having mounted themselves and their retainers on bulls to oppose the invasion of the Conqueror ! The individual c 18 THE RAMBLER mentioned on this tablet is George Gardner Bulstrode, lineally descended from Robert Bulstrode (temp. Henry III), and grandson to Sir Richard, of the same name, who was Adjutant- General of the forces under Charles the First and Second, and Envoy to the Court of Brussels. The son of the above George Gardner, I am informed, served in the army under the Duke of Wellington ; and a part of his face having been shot away in some engagement, he underwent the operation of receiving a new face and jaw from the celebrated Carpio, whose clever manipulation was at that time well known to Europe : the flesh was drawn from the adjacent parts, and so skilfully adjusted, that the friends of the patient were even doubtful whether, if personal appearance were consulted, he had not cause to be thankful for the accident. The congregation was composed of the inmates and a few of the gentry and others resident in the immediate neighbourhood, who regularly attend there, as a quiet and solemn retreat compared with many of the gaping, staring, and noisy churches of the city. The services were performed by the Rev. W. Hill (since appointed resident chaplain.) The rev. gentleman preached an excellent sermon on the unbelief of Thomas, and applied it with considerable effect to the individual conduct and experience of ourselves of the present day. Among the hundreds of memorials here scattered about, I was pleased not to find one which was offensive to correct taste or feeling ; there was indeed scarcely an instance of that hyper- bolic extravagance with which the world is wont to load the tombs of the departed, thereby as it were draining bills upon heaven which will never be " honoured." In the time of a pestilence, five hundred years ago, St. Oswald's ground was granted by Bishop Wulstan de Braunsford as a burying-place for those who died, it being unsafe to admit more interments in the cemetery of the Cathedral. Ever since that time the spade has been in requisition here ; but notwith- standing the constant tinkling of the little bell which almost daily reminds the passer-by that more ashes are here gathered IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 19 to their mother earth, the ground does not appear to be so crowded as I had been led to expect. This part of my subject brings me back to the history and associations of this interesting spot. It required but the easy transposition of a thought to bring before the mind's eye the diseased Crusader and the leprous monk of Worcester priory,* the objects of that benevo- lence which provided this retreat for them ; the stole'd and shaven ecclesiastic chanting requiems on the very spot where I stood ; and the matin bell of yonder nunnery calling the white sisterhood to their orisons. The next mutation brought about by the altered circum- stances of the times was to convert this infirmary into a hospital, that is, according to the ancient acceptation, a lodging for the destitute wayfarer ; these were taken in, lodged and fed, at a time of our history when political economists had not in their wisdom thought of setting up an establishment where the men- dicant has to work in a mill for two long hours after his scanty breakfast, and is then turned out, hungry and tired, upon the world's bounty. Henry the Eighth, in one of his capricious moments, thought proper not to dissolve this house, but gave the patronage to the Dean and Chapter, with whom it has remained ever since, except hi the reign of James the First. The former monarch, we are told, once gave the revenues of a monastery to a gentleman for having moved his chair from before a fire, which was too warm for him, and from which he was too lazy to move himself. To a lady who had made a par- ticular pudding for him he gave a large tract of very valuable * Leland says " This ancient and fayre large chapell was first erected for monks, then infected, or should after be infected, with leprosie. After, it was changed to an hospital!, and there was a maister, fellowes, and poor folkes ; but of the latter tymes it was turned to a free chapell, and beareth the name of St. Oswald, as a thing dedicated of ould time to him ; and here were wont corses to be buried in time of pestilence, as in a public cemetery for Worcester." Davies, one of Stow's manuscript authors, reports St. Oswald to have been the founder of this hospital himself ; but the leprosy was not known in Knglaud till long after Oswald's time ; the small-pox also at that time was brought by the Crusaders into Europe, and seems to have been confounded with the leprosy. c2 20 THE RAMBLER abbey lands. And it is not improbable that through some similar freak a large proportion of St. Oswald's revenues also fell into private hands, occasioning much litigation, to which I shall refer by and bye. The introduction of the Reformation and of Poor Laws, having provided other means of relief for the destitute, this charity became a new foundation on the Protestant plan, for the support of aged men and women ; to which was subsequently added a smaller charity hard by, endowed by Thomas Haynes, Esq., in the time of the second Charles. A great part of the lands however, which, in the time of Leland, had been " alienated and taken awaye," remained in private hands. Great exertions were made by Dr. Fell, the master (1631), to recover them, but with partial success. It was owing to the exertions of the late Mr. Godson, a few years a2,o, that the chief restoration was set on foot ; that gentleman succeeding in raising the income from ^ 300 to 2000, and the weekly stipend of 4s., formerly paid to the inmates, has been doubled, Thirty-eight suits for the recovery of houses and premises, of the estimated yearly value of 1991, were insti- tuted ; these premises being at the time let on leases, subject to fines on renewal, at a rental of 140. 6s. 8d. Of these thirty- eight suits the greater part has been pushed to a favourable issue, and a large fund of arrears has been accumulating. I do not know what legal obstacle remains in the way of settling this long pending suit, but it is reasonably expected that when the whole is adjusted to the satisfaction of the lawyers the amount of annual income will not be much short of 3000. The reci- pients now consist of sixteen men and twelve women, who have a coat and gowns every two years, with a regular supply of coals. It is highly gratifying to observe the scrupulous accu- racy with which each inmate stacks up his little apportionment of coal in the rear of his comfortable dwelling, having separate compartments for that purpose. Their gardens, which are also on the allotment system, betoken a great deal of care and atten- tion, and are justly a source of credit for the good management befctowed on them. I shall not readily forget the air of solid, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 21 undisturbed comfort and repose with which oue old gentleman, who sat in the door of his teut, was looking on his little pro- mising crops, as he " smoked his Broseley" with the cool com- placency of an old veteran. If ever I was guilty of an envious thought it was at that moment. The same divisional plan is carried out also in their eating and drinking, there being no common refectory, but each is allowed to expend his weekly income in whatever food, and to eat it in whatever way, he chooses. I believe this to be by far the best plan, and to prevent a vast amount of grumbling. I happen to know an almshouse in a town in Dorsetshire,* where it was formerly the cus- tom to buy weekly for the inmates a quantity of meat, which was cut up into portions and distributed by the Prior ; but with the best intentions, he, poor fellow, like the man with the ass, was never, on any one occasion, known to carve to the satis- faction of his brethren, for alas ! Prejudicata opinio obruit judicium. One old grumbler would declare that he could not be expected to thrive upon bones, without something adhering to them ; a second would sit in a corner, quietly venting his wrath against the leanness of his portion, in tones like the mut- terings of a distant thunder-storm ; while a third would loudly protest that all the fat the animal had ever possessed was un- questionably concentrated in that particular cutting the Prior had maliciously awarded to him. At length the masters de- cided on an ingenious plan to end these disputes ; and from having witnessed its efficacy I can confidently recommend it for universal adoption in similar cases. It was enacted that when the weekly aggregate of meat came from the butcher, the Prior, as before, should cut it into the required portions, after which each man, according to seniority, came and made a selection, but left the carver to be the last man. Now this plan ensured a just division, for the carver was particularly anxious to "make all things equal," knowing full well that, if any difference were apparent, the smallest allowance would infallibly be left for himself. * Sherborne, the author's native place. 22 THE RAMBLER When the entire funds of St. Oswald's shall hare accrued, it is the intention, I hear, to increase the number of inmates ; and I cannot but think this course would be far preferable to that of giving additional pay to those who are already there : the amount now given seems to be quite sufficient to insure all necessary comfort, and the longevity of the persons who die here is so great as in some measure to be a guarantee that their wants, health, and personal comforts, have not been lost sight of. I am also glad to hear that the selection of candidates is now more carefully made, and that the portals of this retreat will henceforth be open to the decayed tradesman, and to those who, hi the common phrase, " have seen better days." While at St. Oswald's, I inspected the site of the White Ladies' nunnery, which, centuries ago, stood on the north side of the above-named cemetery. Three sides of the outer walls of the chapel still partially remain, and the positions of the windows and altar are still plainly visible. On the eastern wall is a monument to "Richard Blurton, gent.," dated 1667 ; the deceased was a relative of the Somers and Foley families. Perhaps some of my antiquarian readers can inform me how any monument could have been erected here at so comparatively recent a date, seeing that the nunnery was suppressed and the nuns dispersed in the time of Henry the Eighth. Was it after- wards used as a parochial chapel ? At the western end is a descent of steps to an archway and vault, in one corner of which are distinct traces of two arches, now bricked up, which my attendant informed me were the entrances to subterraueous passages, one of which was said in old time to have led to the Cathedral, and the other to Hindlip. It is somewhat strange that Green, the historian, in opposition to Nash's statement, says that no indications of such openings could any where be traced, to authorise the conjecture. I have, however, no doubt of the fact, from my own observations as well at this spot as in several of the cellars in High Street, where distinct traces of such a passage still remain. Added to which, a good authority informs me that he remembers the late IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 23 Alderman Garden, in a conversation on the subject, mentioning that he himself had explored this passage in his younger days, now about eighty years ago, and actually penetrated through it as far as High Street. This nunnery is said to have been founded by a Bishop of Worcester before the Norman conquest, for William of Malmes- bury states that the mother of St. Wulstan took the veil at a house in Worcester, and this was the only nunnery ever built here. It was called " White Ladies" from the colour of the habit. The ancient cemetery is now an orchard, from which, I was informed, stone coffins and human remains had frequently been dug up, as also a variety of coins. The property is now held under the governors of a charity, founded by Queen Elizabeth, for the support of a blue coat school now kept in St. Swithin's parish. It is said to be from the garden of this house that a large pear tree in full fruit was removed and placed at the Cross when Queen Elizabeth visited this city, and from which she added to the city arms the black pear, in admiration, it is said, of the excellent government and order of the town, by which such beautiful and tempting fruit was preserved in so public a situation. Canon Fortescue is the present master ; resident chaplain, the Rev. W. Hill. HE antiquity of the church of St. Helen is spoken of by all the local historians; so far back as the year 963 it was " a profitable preferment," no less than eleven parochial chapels being at that time dependent on it ; and in consequence of disputes between the priests of St. Helen and St. Alban con- cerning the parishes and the customs of their churches, Bishop Wulstan caused a scrutiny, the result of which was an affirma- tion that " there was no parish in the whole city of Wigracestre 24 THE RAMBLER but that of the mother church, to which St. Helen's had been a vicarage from the time of Ethelred, and Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, when this see was first founded, and Bosel made Bishop thereof in the year of our Lord's incarnation, 680." The pavement and walls of this church are thickly set with memorials of the dead. On the north side of the communion table is a monument to Alderman John Nash, the donor of the hospital in New Street for poor men and women, which is maintained by the tithes of Powick, under the disposal of the Chamber of Worcester for ever. The monument, which sup- ports a recumbent figure of the deceased, is conceived in most barbarous taste. The inscription underneath the figure sets forth that a copy of the worthy Alderman's will (date 1661), was delivered to the Chamber of Worcester, " and appointed to be read once every year to them by the Town-Clerke." Whether or not this process is now annually gone through 1 cannot say. ANNA UXOR JOHANNIS FLEETS ARMIORI FJLMAKT Unities JOHANNIS FREEMAN GENEROSI ET MART.*: VXORIS EIVS QVINQ. LIBEROR. MATER QUOK. V. TRES SdPKR- STITES RELIQVIT OliirT 30 AlIOUSTI JETATISUE 25 A.D. 1600. Here lyetli interde her parents oneley childe Her husbands deerest ioye whom a good life of piety and zeale and manners mylde If all the vertues longinge to a wife If love and teares and vows and common mone Coulde have redeemde her frendes now should not sorrow This stone of sad remembrance set in stone A cyphar to the nvinber of their sorrowes O life O death O both so saint-like paste So may we live so may we breathe our last. On this monument there are five figures, in the attitude of prayer, represented clothed in long robes, and with an abun- dance of frill or ruff round their necks. On the south wall there is also a curious monument, bearing date 1 630, but now fast crumbling away : it is to the memory of one of the Dingleys, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 25 of Charlton, grandson to a Mr. Heaton, lord of a manor in Lincolnshire ; underneath, indented in the stone, are a spear and halbert, crossed, and three cannon balls. There is an aggregate sum of upwards of 200 (left in small legacies by various individuals in the seventeenth century) now lost to the parish. They are recorded on the tables, but have not been received within the memory of man. In the year 1836 it was resolved by the parishioners to pro- vide increased accommodation in the church ; and in the pro- gress of the alterations and repairs it was found necessary to remove the ancient pulpit from which, it is said, Bishop Latimer preached ; this, and also some antique sedilia, were taken away altogether, and would probably ere this have been converted into firewood but that they fortunately fell into the hands of a person who could appreciate the old associations connected with them. The pulpit is still in the possession of Mr. Lucy, of Sidbury, Worcester, and ought to be purchased for the Museum or secured by some Antiquarian Society. It is hi such a state of preservation as will admit of reerection, and might well have graced some one of the many churches which have recently arisen in this diocese. The panels of the pulpit are elaborately carved in the Gothic style ; there is a fan pedestal or support, and likewise a "sounding board," all of massive oak, firm and in good order. It is hoped that this relic will not be allowed to share the fate of many others ; for instance, Baxter's pulpit, formerly in the parish church of Kidderminster, but which is now or was recently in the possession of the Unitarians, and was exhibited in their chapel. In the progress of the above mentioned repairs, it is also said that the worthy Vicar (since dead) who at that time ministered at this church, observ- ing the workmen remove this pulpit, seized from the wall a peg on which it was said Latimer had hung his hat, and carried off the memento with triumph. How trivial a thing becomes valuable by association ! St. Helen's being the mother church, the curfew is still rung here a remnant of feudal times not so remarkably out of place 26 THE RAMBLER at the present time as has been imagined, seeing that it may now serve, if not to enjoin the extinguishing of fire and candle, at least to remind masters and employers of the time which is necessary to recruit the bodily and mental faculties of those who labour for them. The bells (an octave) in St. Helen's tower are remarkable for the inscriptions they bear, in honour and memory of the glorious battles and achievements of Queen Anne's victorious heroes. As most of my readers may not have seen them, they are here appended : 1. BLENHEIM. First is my note, and Blenheim is my name: For Blenheim's story will be first in fame. 2. BARCELONA. Let me relate, how Louis did bemoan His grandson Philip's flight from Barcelon. 3. RAMIUES. Deluged in blood, I, Ramilies, advance Britannia's glory in the fall of France. 4. MENIN. Let Menin on my sides engraven be, And Flanders freed from Gallic fclavery. 5. TURIN. When in harmonious peal I roundly go, Think on Turin, and triumph of the Po. 6. EUGENE. With Joy I bear illustrious Eugene's name, Fav'rite of fortune, and the boast of fame. 7. MARLBOROUGR. But I, with pride, the greater Marlborough bear. Terror of Tyrants, and the soul of war. 8. QUEEN ANN. Th' immortal praises of Queen Ann I sound ; With union blest, and all these glories crown'd. The stranger in quest of a comfortable seat, obliging attend- ance, and an impressive performance of divine worship, will find them at St. Helen's Church. Beyond this the only notice- able point in the services is one which, if commented on here, would have the effect of casting me upon the vexed sea of IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 27 controversy ; I shall, therefore, be satisfied in leaving the clergy generally to the instructions of their Diocesan, who has empha- tically declared that as on the one hand no clergyman is justified in reintroducing non-essentials, whereby his brother may be "offended," so, on the other, a congregation have no more right to renounce their minister in consequence of things which by them are admitted to be " indifferent," but to him may be a matter of conscience, than a child may be allowed to renounce domestic ties because of the waywardness of his parents. I should mention that the zealous clerk at this church possesses an orthodox earnestness in his manner which is quite refreshing in these days of coldness, languor, and lounging. St. Helen's is in the gift of the Bishop (value 136). Rector, the Rev. J. H. Wilding. Clerk, Mr. F. Fletcher. Organist, Mr. W. Rogers. Population, 1323. >t entering this edifice (it was during summer) a most k () H overpowering effluvia forced me to beat a retreat for a ls"k few minutes ; the windows were nearly all close, and the ventilation being miserably imperfect, the exhalations aris- ing in hot weather from the burying-ground underneath the floor of the church are of the most corrupt and injurious kind. There is also a plot of burial ground attached to the earth, inclosed by stretching a wall between two corners of the building ; it is of a triangular shape, and measures about two yards by five, the mould being heaped up against the church, with the surface about eight or ten feet from the ground in Little Fish Street ; so that the few remains which are laid or rather impounded here must be deposited at least on a level with if not higher than the pavement of the street, and within a few inches of the aforesaid 28 THE KAMBLER old wall, which abuts into it ; the rains have also free license to percolate through the soil, and after becoming tinctured with whatever is there to be met with, may ooze out their impurities either under the church floor or on the pavement of the street. It is not likely that a practice proved to be so pregnant with evil will be much longer tolerated. The church of St. Alban* is considered to be next in age to that of St. Helen, and indeed it has been a matter of dispute which of the two could rightly claim the priority, for Bishop Wulstan in 1 092 held a synod, which was attended by " all the wisest men from the three shires in our diocese, Wigracestre, Gloucestre, and Warwicce," to decide certain points of priority and of customs between Alfnoth, priest of St. Helen's, and Alam, priest of St. Alban's ; though the scrutiny which followed resulted in favour of the former, yet some historians have inti- mated that the decision was an interested one. Egwiue, the third Bishop of Worcester, is said to have built a church here at the beginning of the eighth century, giving its patronage to the monks of Evesham. St. Alban's church underwent repair in the year 1815, and Valentine Green declared on that occasion " it looked decent, but nothing more need be said." The church is divided into two aisles by a row of most primitive and irregular arches, with not a single ornament, except the ghostly distorted heads which form the corbels. There is a monument at the east end of the north aisle to " FRANCIS. YE. FIRSTE. BEGOTTEN SOME. BETWENE. ROBERT. WARMSTRYf AND. MARIE. HIS. SECONDE. WIEK. AND DAVOHTER. TO. RICHARD. BROWNE. OF. LITLE. FROME. DKPARTED. THE XI. OF. JANVARIE. 1589." * There are comparatively few churches dedicated to St. Alban. He was one of the first of the British martyrs, who suffered under the perse- cution of Diocletian, and Gildas and Uede tell us that when St. Alban was ordered to execution, he and a multitude of men walked dry through the river, and this miracle converted even his executioner. t Probably the grandfather of Dean Warmestry, who represented the clergy of this county in two convocations, in one of which he made a speech against images, altars, crosses, and the new canons, and .who, in the civil IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 29 This inscription is carved on a mural stone tablet, which also bears the arms and crest of the deceased, all rudely cut, and bordered with a deep edging of black. On both sides of the communion table are also old monuments to certain members of the Wyatt family, whose name, as connected with the charities of Worcester, is worthy of being had in remembrance, together with their animating motto, Toleranda et speranda " Endure and hope ! " The only remaining monument in this church calling for notice is a small square tablet on the third pillar ; the inscription is in black letter, on what was once a gilt ground; it bears date 1632, and indicates, as far as the words have not been eaten away by time, that the parent (Francisca Drummond) died in childbed with her infant son, and that one tomb shelters both. The versification (of which I can only decipher the following lines) is, I suppose, a specimen of what was considered tolerably good poetry between two and three centuries ago : " (Fatal doom) either he must destroy The author of his being, or enjoy No freedom, nor no life, he chose to dye Rather than act so sad a tragedie. And now together like most loving friends, They sweetly rest, their souls with one accord, Above with Ualeluiah prayse the Lord." Among the charitable bequests'recorded on the tables is one by " Blundell and Osney ;" and it is set forth, that in consequence of a dispute between Robert Newdick, of London, and the parishioners of St. Alban's, it was decreed by the Court of Chancery, in the time of Elizabeth, that the said Robert New- dick should yield up certain rents to the amount of 3. 6s. 8d. wars, was appointed on behalf of the town to treat with the army of the Parliament respecting the surrender of this place in the month of June, 1646. This family were well known as being connected with the Cathedral for many years ; their residence was at the large mansion from which the " Slip" [" A long narrow piece" AMison.~\ took its name. This fine building is supposed to have been occupied by the second Lord Windsor, an ancestor of the late Earl of Plymouth ; it had a quadrangular court, and gardens to the edge of the Severn. It is now occupied as an encaustic tile manufactory. 30 THE RAMBLER for the minister to preach " three learned and good sermons" on certain specified feast-days in every year, and for lack of every such sermon the sum of 6s. 8d. to be deducted, in favour of "poor ancient maids and widows." I know not to what to attribute these frequent donations for sermon preaching, unless that some of our clerical ancestors were shockingly remiss in their pastoral charge, and required an occasional pecuniary- stimulant. St. Ambrose says, " idleness is the devil's pillow ;" wherefore many Christians, who think the devil deserves none, take it away from him, and put it under their own heads. The congregation consisted chiefly of poor women and school children ; the latter were marshalled on rising seats in the north aisle, with the exception of a few who ascended to a kind of gallery at the west end, calculated to hold about a dozen of them. The whole body sang in unison, though, in consequence of the distance of the two flanks, by no means in union or con- cert ; the psalms in use here are a selection from those usually appended to the prayer book, and which adds another to the multifarious forms in which I had previously seen the psalms produced in churches. The rector of St. Alban's performs what few clergymen do in general triple duty on each sabbath once at St. Alban's and twice at St. Helen's, and I could not help contrasting this with the policy of some of your fox hunt- ing parsons of the past generation, and in part ; cular with that of the rev. gentleman who held this identical cure some half- a-century ago, whose Sunday vestments, as I am informed, were sometimes a gown and at others a shooting jacket ! The number of boys and girls in the Sunday Schools of St. Helen's and St. Alban's amounts to about 1 60, and there is a clothing club attached. The Bishop presents to this living (value 74). Rector, the Rev. J. H. Wilding. Clerk, Mr. Fletcher. Population, 247. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 31 Again returns the day of holy rest, Which, when he made the world, Jehovah blest, When, like his own, he bade our labours cease, And all be piety and all be peace. old Church was supposed to stand on the site of Bishop Oswald's Cathedral, and was probably raised from its ruins for the use of the inhabitants of the Castle precincts. It is presumed by Green that this was the site of the once famous leaden spire, or clochium, on the bell tower, part of the eastern wall of which making up the west end of the church. The spire was 150 feet in height and the tower 60 feet, There was a tradition that the latter was built by King John, but Strype refers it to Henry III. The bells were consecrated by William de Blois in 1220 ; in 1539 they were removed to the Cathedral ; the leaden spire was taken down in 1 647 and sold for 617. 4s. 2d., which was divided between Inglethorpe's hospital, St. John's, Castlemorton, Dodderhill, and other churches and almshouses which had received damage during the civil wars. My recollections of the old church by no means lead me to coincide with Valentine Green, the historian, who, in his " Survey," remarked that it was " very neat, decent, and com- modious, and had very pretty carvings." I have the recollection of some rude stone figures, the majority of which had suffered decapitation probably contemporaneous with Charles the First ; and likewise I have an indistinct notion that the old clerk in- variably kept all the singing to himself, and was most devoutly listened to by the congregation, but whether from a feeling of incompetency to accompany the old gentleman in all his tra- vesties, or from a pious wish not to meddle with a thing of which they probably knew about as much as himself, it is too late for the historian now to collect. The old church stood for many years in a frowning attitude, and threatened double 32 THE RAMBLER burial to the possessors of the graves below. Its removal was a great improvement to the neighbourhood, and made way for an unimpeded view of the Cathedral. The new erection is at a short distance from the site of the old one, and was completed and consecrated in the year 1840. The style is of the 13th century, being a transition from the Early English to the De- corated. Passing through a vestibule, which is separated from the body of the church by an elegant oak screen, the upper portion of which forms the front of a singing gallery, you enter the chapel-like building, and instantly participate in a feeling of comfort and of quiet devotion unknown to many of the large, noisy, staring churches in the city. The body is divided into aisles by three pointed arches, springing from clustered shafts ; the pavement is composed of encaustic tiles a very neat speci- men of the revival from Chamberlain's manufactory ; and the chancel window (beneath which is some very good arcade work in Norman stone) is of stained glass, of excellent design, in the execution of which, the artist (Mr. Rogers) has been highly successful in imparting a mosaic-like appearance and a richness of colouring equalling the ancient examples. Let it not be thought I have turned Puseyite, in my admiration of matters external ; for although I saw here much to gratify the eye, yet there was no Camdenian extravagance to frighten nervous peo- ple. The whole was appropriately neat and decorous ; besides which I know of no place of worship wherein comfort and religious abstraction may be so easily attained, owing to the absence of those corps of " infantry" who in most other churches mutilate the musical part of the services and incessantly can- nonade the ears of the congregation with their fits of coughing. I took my seat in one of the aisles by the side of a poor old woman, who evidently thought I was the proprietor of the pew, as she arose and would have gone out, but that I prevented the movement. The congregation was limited and select ; I hope, however, these " Notes" will have the effect of drawing many others there, who I think are not generally aware of its being open as invitingly to strangers as to parishioners, and many IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 33 likewise thinking the diminutive size of the church will not guarantee them a right of entree. When Socrates was asked why he had built for himself so small a house " Small as it is," he replied, " I wish I could fill it with friends." The services commenced with that most appropriate anthem, " I will arise and go to my Father," which was sung by five voices in a manner that surprised and delighted me, for they had evidently been well trained in part singing, and exhibited its pleasing effect as compared with the unison system. Part singing, when judiciously blended, is the only apology that can be made for the lack of an organ ; but how miserably deficient are many churches and chapels in both respects. In London, hundreds have gone to Roman Catholic chapels to " hear the music," until, from first merely gratifying their curiosity, they have become constant attendants, and even converts. The psalmody of our churches ought at least to be perfect as far as it goes not to have an organ out of tune, the children singing half a note too flat, and the clerk bellowing out in one key, while the united movement grates upon the ear in no key at all ! Will any man of common sense tell me that the droning of a solo clerk, or the screaming of a few discordant trebles, aye, and the bad taste and vulgarity of some of those modern hymns which are so often substituted for the music of the Church, will not go far to neutralize or banish the solemn and yet elevated devotion which our liturgy is so calculated to produce ? Will any one tell me that such disgusting burlesques suit well the tone and spirit of our noble collects ? Will any one maintain that they are really calculated to raise our devotional feelings, and elicit emotions meet for those whose feet stand in the house of their God ? The rector (the late Rev. W. H. Weston) preached an admirable sermon on the insufficiency of faith without works, as evidenced in the life of Balaam, who, though anxious to "die the death of the righteous," and having a clear apprehension and belief in the dispensation under which he was a prophet, " madly," as some had said, went astray, and even counselled 34 THE RAMBLER schemes to debauch the Israelites, and to withdraw from them that blessing of which he himself had been the messenger. At the close of the services the shrill whimpering of a very young infant announced that an appendix might be expected in the shape of the baptismal service. The youngster went through its ablutions with a magnanimity which betokened much for the future in a hero of some two months' development. I was about to leave the group, to regain the street, when my progress was arrested by a procession of another character the sad attendants of frail mortality to its last long home. How different, thought I, are the feelings, the hopes, and prospects of these parties the one ushering a new being into existence, the object of their fondest hopes ; the other conducting a fellow mortal to that farewell point which divides time from eternity, where " Their hopes and fears Start up alarm'd, and o'er life's narrow verge Look down on what ? A fathomless abyss ! " The Dean and Chapter are the patrons of this living (value 90). Rector, the Rev. G. St. John. Clerk, Mr. Bond. Population, 476. it ltdtttffi'A HE church of Saint Andrew is supposed to have been erected in the eleventh century, and \vas anciently impropriate to the Abbey of Pershore; it has a neat interior, with Corinthian altar-piece, and a small organ. From the monumental memorials, so thickly scattered about, one would presume that in the flourishing period of this parish's history (when the clothing trade was so extensively carried on) the families of the Oldnalls and the Higginses must have well-nigh divided the parochial limits between them, and that IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 35 clothiers and bakers then had it all their own way. The vestry an enclosure at the eastern end of the northern aisle is rich in mural erections : among them is a curious one in the style of two centuries ago, exhibiting carved embodiments of a not less fruitful than pious couple, who are bringing up a long train of " olive branches" the respected sire heading the van with four fine boys, and the worthy matron bringing up the rear with five blooming girls all separately kneeling in the attitude of prayer. The names of the interesting group were not visible, for the mouldering dampness which lay on the wall, occasioned by an accumulation of damp soil which till recently had been heaped against the outside, had done much to deface these ancient relics. This same cause of defilement, which had not only greatly endangered the health of the clergyman and congrega- tion, but had seriously injured the stability of the edifice, was removed about four years ago by the displacing of the soil and the digging of a deep trench. The north wall is apparently a portion of the original structure. Under the north-west win- dow was a monument with the following inscription : Short of Weight. H L T B O B W I H O A J R A D 1780 A 63 This Mr. Weston, it appears, was a baker, and the inscription was conceived in the imputed spirit of the baker's craft. Green the historian remarks : " In full measure it would have stood thus : ' Here Lieth The Body Of Richard Weston, In Hopes Of A Joyful Resurrection.' " The addition of " short weight" however appears to have been the invention of Green's or some other waggish imagination, for there are now no traces of it. But such untimely jests are by no means rare : here is an instance of an epitaph I have somewhere seen on one John Underwood (also presumed to have been a baker) " Ah, cruel Death ! that dost no good With thy destructive maggots, Now thou hast cut down Underwood, What shall we do for faggots?" D2 00 THE RAMBLER 1 agree with the commentator, that " a man making riddles on his grave raises no monument to his understanding." It is, however, tolerably clear that the joke in question was not per- petrated by the aforesaid Richard Weston or his friends. On that part of the roof which is under the belfry there are some curious carvings (brought to light in the time of the good Bishop Hurd), which, on account of their diminutiveness, and the distance from the eye of the spectator, would ordinarily escape his attention. During some recent repairs they were discovered, and sketches of them taken by a talented pupil of Mr. Eginton, architect, of this city. The groining under this tower consists of four principal cells, or vaults, separated by moulded ribs ; these again subdivided. At the intersection of these ribs the following subjects occur : On the east vault, figures of the Virgin, St. Peter, St. James the greater, and St. Thomas. On the west vault a figure of the Deity, in the act of benediction, bearing a representation of the crucifixion ; a Pope, blessing two children, from whose lips are issuing labels or scrolls ; two Saints, with books, whose distinctive emblems are obliterated. On the south vault, the Annunciation, St. Bar- tholomew, St. Jude, and St. Philip. The north vault contains the Nativity, St. Paul, St. John the Evangelist, and St. James the less. On the diagonal ribs St. George appears in the act of slaying the dragon ; St. Andrew ; a Bishop, bearing a book, and in the act of benediction ; and a King, with a book and sceptre. At the springing of the vaulting ribs are bosses, with foliage, grotesque heads, angels, &c. The whole carvings are executed with great spirit and effect ; and since their discovery several of the cognoscenti have paid them a visit. The most striking ornament of this church (and, I may add, of the city), is its spire, the construction of which is said to have been founded upon a comparative view of the most beautiful and admired structures of Europe. For chaste proportions and a graceful tapering form it may probably risk a comparison with any other. A common mason of this city, named Wilkin- son, built it in 1733, when the old one had been fractured by IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 37 lightning ; it now remains a monument to his genius, though, I believe, he never emerged from the position of a journeyman. A tradition is in existence with regard to the original spire that it was erected by a wealthy individual, out of gratitude for having, on a certain foggy night, been preserved from a watery grave, otherwise from walking into the Severn, in consequence of hearing St. Andrew's bells suddenly strike out. This spire, however, not being the first to which I have heard the same tale applied, I suspect that monkish priestcraft gave it the start, and then assisted in its multiplication. The present spire has been the scene of some singular oddities and adventures. At the period of the repairs in 1801 a valiant knight of the strop-and-lather brotherhood (named Baylis, I believe) ascended to the top with several of his companions, on whose chins he operated, with perfect composure and his usual quantum of skill, at this truly giddy height of 245 feet 6 inches from the ground, and the point of the spire being no more than 6| inches diameter ! Somebody has declared his opinion that the most uncompromising specimen of coolness and independent firmness is the man that can shave with cold water by candlelight on a frosty morning ; but the adventurer of this opinion had never heard of the barbers of Worcester. About the same time, a Mr. Joseph Cottrill, then in the employ of Barr and Co., china manufacturers, painted a cup when on the top of the spire, which is now in the possession of his widow, at Henwick ; it is a small white cup, with red sprays of flowers, and underneath the bottom of it is the inscription (which cer- tainly betrays no token of trepidation) " Painted on the top stone of St. Andrew's spire, Worcester, July 18, 1801 ; Jos. Cottrill." While these same repairs were going on, one of the masons' mortar boys, who had originally been a sweep, and bore the appropriate pseudo-nomen of " Spring-heel," would fre- quently in rough windy weather exhibit a bit of daring trickery " on the slack rope:" attaching a rope to the extremity of the scaffolding, he would lay hold of it, throw himself off, and de- scend nearly to the tower, the wind usually swinging him ten or 38 THE RAMBLER twenty yards hither and thither, while he dexterously prevented a collision with the spire by staving himself off with his feet as he passed it ! At length, it is said, a nail or projecting part of the scaffolding caught an unnameable portion of his tattered wardrobe, and he miraculously, and by the greatest exertion of the men, escaped an awful death. History is silent as to the fate of this aerial voyageur, but there is no doubt that ultimately he was the victim of some kind of suspension. Another exploit connected with this spire, though on a much smaller scale, is related of a lad named Hobro, who, some twelve or fifteen years ago, when the vestry laid their heads together to consider in what manner the wind vane, which had unaccountably halted in its circumvolutions, should be compelled to " move on," pro- cured a colossal kite, got into a boat on the Severn, and by skil- ful navigation piloted his aerial machine clear away up to the refractory cock, in which he managed to entangle it, when the string broke, and the light-winged messenger lay for several days like an impaled rook, flapping its wings on the breeze as it passed by, till at length, in a stormy night, it was blown away, when the act of separation caused the vane to resume its important func- tions, much to the comfort of the local authorities and others who had been daily watching progress with considerable anxiety. To come down to a later period in the history of these achieve- ments, in the month of September, 1844, at the completion of certain repairs, in the course of which 16 feet of the top of the spire had been rebuilt, it was honoured with an official visit of Freemasons. The capital at the summit of the spire was fixed in its position by Mr. Bennett, then the W. M. of the Lodge 349, assisted by the Senior Warden and Churchwarden, Mr. James Knight, Mr. H. J. Powell, secretary, Mr. Joseph Stephens, master of the ceremonies and architect, under whose superin- tendence the work was performed ; and for the rest of their acts on this occasion, are they not written in the books of the lodge ? save and except, probably, the record of the total amount of the bottles cracked then and there, the weight of " the fragrant weed" disposed of, and the list of toasts, patriotic, appropriate, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 39 and local, not forgetting " the health of the old cock" who spread his presiding wing above them. There are about 140 children in the Sunday Schools belong- ing to this church. In the year 1841 a Girls' National School was established in the Lower Quay, for the use of the parishes on the western side of the city. Nearly 1 60 children attend these schools. It was originated, I believe, at the suggestion of the worthy rector, who for the last sixteen years has officiated here, (nearly fourteen years of which he passed in the capacity of curate) ; and the Rev. Mr. Chesshyre (supported by a committee of clergy and laymen) was chiefly instrumental in carrying the work into effect. An infant branch has also been added, which seems to be highly acceptable to the neighbourhood. Whether or not these excellent institutions are to continue their useful- ness must depend on the public support ; the expense is consi- derable, even though managed on the most careful and econo- mical plan ; and I trust this hint will have the effect of strength- ening the hands of the minister, who is second to none in his efforts at practical usefulness. The charities of this parish (at least those which are within the administration of the church) are said to have been grossly mismanaged and lost sight of upwards of half a century ago. The result of my investigations under this head is, that at pre- sent there is available for the various specified classes of poor an aggregate sum of about 50 per annum, in money, besides small quantities of bread and coal, at stated periods, one of Shewring's six almshouses in the Tything for " honest widows or maidens of good reputation," and Jarvis's property in " the China Slip" for apprenticing poor boys. No less a sum than 527, the interest of which would have been available to the poor of this parish, has been irrecoverably lost. This is no fault of the present management, which has been conducted by Mr. Lingham in a most clear and pains-taking manner. It seems that many years ago sums were lent to tradesmen on interest, in accordance with the will of the donors ; but the dispensers of the charities incautiously omitted to take proper securities, and 40 THE RAMBLER hence the present loss. The loss of some of these items is much to be deplored ; for instance " Mrs. Ann Shewringe, wife of Alderman Shewringe 169& 20, to pur- chase land on good security, and the increase to be employed yearly in buy- ing four shirts to be given to four poor honest men, and four smocks to honest, poor widows, wives, or maidens, lawful inhabitants of this parish, to be given on St. Thomas's Day." Others denote eccentricity : " Mrs. Martha Jones 1727 interest of 30, or 5*. each to be given yearly to the clerk and sexton, and to lay out the rest in bread for the poor ; but if her corpse be removed after laid in the grave, then the said largess to go to Mrs. Lane, her executrix." " Lewis Randolph, pewterer, London 13*. 4d. to be given to the poor on Candlemas Day, being his wife's birth-day." The charity tables set up in the church indicate the great success of the clothing trade in this parish about a century and a half ago, the last relics of which some of the old inhab- itants still remember to have seen in the shape of carvings of woolsacks and other insignia on the half-timbered houses, which seem now to be nearly extinct. If these merchants pushed a thriving trade, it was apparently not forgotten by them that property has its duties as well as its rights, for they gave liberally of their abundance their good deeds were assuredly not "interred with their bones." The clothing, carpet, and glove trades, have however successively dwindled away with the change of fashion and circumstance, and the population (which has actually been decreasing for several years) now chiefly con- sists of the working classes and of the wretched poor, many of them huddled together in lodging-houses and other receptacles, whole families frequently being found clubbing together in one small tenement. Green notices the spacious cemetery of St. Andrew's, conse- crated by Bishop Thornborough in 1C 35. There can be little doubt that the addition made to the churchyard in 1844 formed part of the original cemetery. Two old tenements were pulled down, and the ground on which they stood, as also a garden, restored to the churchyard, from which it had been walled off, as I am told, many years ago. The mischief of crowded burials IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 41 was taking effect in Worcester, I find, as far back as between two and three centuries, for in the year 1638, the Cathedral charnel-house, the upper story of which had been fitted up as a school, was the source of great complaint, on account of the unwholesome damps and smells experienced by the scholars, to the injury of their health ; so much so, that the school was removed to the refectory, where it is now carried on. An ancient doorway, near the west window, which was closed when the tower was faced, has lately been reopened and restored, as also an entrance from the north side of the churchyard, which had been suffered to remain bricked up for about half-a- century. The Dean and Chapter of Worcester are the patrons of St. Andrew's (value 165). Rector, the Rev. George Hodson. Clerk, Mr. George Yeates. Organist, Mr. Newton. Population, 1 677. [IS building, approached by a flight of semi-circular steps, is in the Doric style, surmounted by a cupola, pyramidical top and ball. It was completed in 1732. The churchyard, which is securely enclosed with iron railings, is an exact illustration of the poetic fancy of the author of " The Irish Heiress," who, speaking of a London square, says " It is a poor sickly plot, penned up in a place called a square, and looking for all the world as though Nature had been there impounded for having the audacity to stray into town" The original church, which stood on this site, is said to have been raised by some Crusaders on their return from the first holy war. The Saint (Nicholas) to whom it was dedicated was the patron of scholars and invocative saint of mariners ; he was an eminent Bishop of Myra in Lycia. By the protection he extended to the destitute orphan and the stranded traveller, 42 THE RAMBLER St. Nicholas obtained a station in those heathen fanes on the coast of his diocese which were afterwards converted into Christian temples ; hence he is considered the common tutelar saint of maritime churches. His festival (on the 6th of December) was observed in the superstitious days of Roman dominancy by the scholars of Worcester school coming to the church with lighted wax candles in their hands, and there assisting at mass and vespers. In the purer days of the reformed dispensation, although the name of the saint is retained, the feast is not observed at least, in its original form ; but it would seem that the chief characteristic of the saint charity is still religiously and liberally dispensed here (in fulfilment of the bequests of various pious individuals) by the rector and churchwardens, in the shape of bread, clothing, and fuel, to a very considerable amount, at stated periods of the year, by a list, which is annually revised, in order that, if possible, deserving objects alone may be relieved. I am informed that these regular annual charities amount to nearly 120. As regards the conduct of the services, this church will bear a comparison with any other I have yet visited, and seems to be kept as carefully out of the track of Romanism on the one hand as it is clear of the highway of Dissent on the other. The organ (which has been repaired by Mr. Nicholson, of this city) and the choir are most efficient, though perhaps somewhat too powerful for this small building. I noticed that the congrega- tion (and especially the female portion) abstained from joining in the musical part of the services. One word on this subject. Oh, gentle ladies, depend on it your most sweet voices would sound as melodious in the service of God as in the lighter, every day music, with which you enchant your domestic circles. Don't be misled by the notion that your paying a choir to sing for you can be any excuse is not this the very principle on which, in superstitious countries, individuals having plenty of sins and money, but no time to pray, have actually conferred a liveli- hood on a body of bead-counters and other poor wretches, to do the drudgery for them ? IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 43 The sermon preached on this occasion at once unfolded to me the secret of the great popularity and success which had at- tended the ministry of the then rector (the Rev. H. J. Steven- son.) It was an eloquent and practical appeal to the consciences and the experience of his hearers. The rev. gentleman had just been presented to the living of Hallow, near this city ; and his removal occasioned the general regret of his parishioners, among whom he was much esteemed. The interior of the church of St. Nicholas wears a warm and comfortable appearance, with its dark wainscotted sides, regu- larity of structure, and the exceedingly neat and cleanly arrange- ments. The altar-piece is of Doric design, above which is a circular window, the stained glass representing the hieroglyphic dove, encompassed with rays of brilliant transparency. The pews in the body of the church are all free, and are allotted by the churchwardens to the parishioners ; the gallery, it seems, is what is called private property, having been built by sub- scription some years ago, when the pews were allotted to the subscribers. In the evening they are thrown open to the general congregation, but a larger church and more free sittings appear to be much required. The antiquary will not find much food, or dust, at this place, on account of the erection being comparatively modern. There are several achievements (vulgo " hatchments") hung on the walls as you enter one of which belongs to a General Morrison. The font, which was formerly hidden behind the entrance door, had been removed to the centre of the church. The worthy rector had also effected a thorough ventilation of the whole building. The tower con- tains a handsome clock, which is (sometimes) lit up at night, the expenses being defrayed by rate. Under the church is a spacious crypt, the floor of which was the floor of the old church, the hinges of the original entrance doors being still remaining. The originator of this kind of recep- tacle, whatever his intentions may have been, is assuredly not entitled to the thanks of posterity, either for an extrordinary display of foresight or prudence. The horrible details relative 44 THE RAMBLER to the effect which crowded burials in cities and underneath churches has had upon the sanitary condition of the population, as unfolded before the House of Commons' Committee, will bear me out, and, if generally read, would undoubtedly deter thou- sands from attending such places of worship, as well as from burying their dead there. There is no excuse in the case of Worcester, whose churchyards are in a truly revolting state, as I am credibly informed, while at the same time a spacious ceme- tery, at an easy distance, is at command. Tell me not of ances- tral pride, and dark steaming chambers of death and pollution : I would that my body lay in the village churchyard or the open cemetery : " I gazed upon the glorious sky, And the green mountains round, And thought that when I came to lie Within the silent ground, 'T were pleasant, that in flowery June, When brooks sent up a pleasant tune, And groves a joyous sound, The sexton's hand my grave to make, The rich, green, mountain turf should break. There, through the long, long summer hours, The golden light should lie, And thick young herbs and groups of flowers, Stand in their beauty by, The oriole should build and tell His love-tale close beside my cell ; The idle butterfly Should rest him there, and there be heard The housewife bee and humming bird. And what if cheerful shouts at noon Come from the village sent, Or songs of maids, beneath the moon, Witli fairy laughter blent ; And what if, in the evening light, Betrothed lovers walk in sight Of my low monument : I would the lovely scene around Might know no gadder sight nor sound. I know, I know I should not see The season's glorious show, Nor would its brightness shine for me, Nor its wild music flow : IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 45 But if around my place of sleep The friends I love should come to weep, They might not haste to go. Soft airs and song, and light and bloom, Should keep them lingering by my tomb." The crypt of St. Nicholas is not now much used for sepulture, only three or four funerals having taken place there during the last two years, and in these the precaution of burying in lead has been adopted. The burial ground round the church having been filled with bodies, and closed about seven years ago, the dead are buried chiefly at the cemetery on Tallow Hill, and occasionally at the parish churches. I would just remark, that the practice of burying in any other parish church or yard deprives the clergyman (whose ground happens to be full) of his fees; and so far was this the case in the parish of St. Nicholas that from personal inquiry, three years ago, I found that out of 41 funerals, no less than 20 went to other parishes, and of the remaining 21 no less than 15 were too poor to pay the fees. The emoluments under this head are generally much less than they are thought to be, and the consideration for the poor which is characteristic of the present rector tends much to reduce the receipts under this head. The Sunday Schools of St. Nicholas contain about 65 boys, 73 girls, besides a few young women, and there are 30 scholars in the Night School, which is supported by subscription ; the scholars in the latter being re- quired to belong also to the Sunday School. There is a clothing club attached, to which the children pay 2d. per fortnight, and a good per centage is added thereto at Christmas. It should be added that the managers of this club have made a rule not to receive the pence on Sundays. The Bishop's School is also in the parish, but on Sundays the children attend St. Andrew's Church at present. A coal club exists in this parish, by means of which coal to the value of 55 was distributed last winter to 84 subscribers, whose deposits amounted to 43. The patronage of this church is vested in the Bishop (value 260). Rector, the Rev. W. H. Havergal. Curate, Rev. J. H. Thompson. Clerk, Mr. James Lloyd. Organist, Mr. Shelton. Population, 1919. 46 THE RAMBLER >t present church of St. Clement was completed in > ttb'J'D 1823, and consecrated by Bishop Cornewall in March of that year. It was built in the Norman style, with the avowed wish to give some variety to the public buildings of the city. The details (except the windows) were copied from some of the best specimens of the style. The interior of the church has a light, cool, and comfortable appearance ; the chancel arch, supported by columns, is very handsome ; the corbels which give support to this arch represent the heads of Cranmer and Latimer ; the western arch is similarly supported by Wickliffe and Luther. Over the altar-piece is a painted window, with groups depicting the nativity, baptism, cruci- fixion, &c. ; it is well executed, but is out of character with the very ancient style of architecture, being somewhat too showy and glaring. There is a handsome gallery round three sides of the church, and the whole building contains accommodation for upwards of 800 persons, one-half of the sittings beiug free. The expenses (nearly 5000) were defrayed chiefly by subscription, aided liberally by the Bishop and Dean and Chapter. The parishioners borrowed 1800 on the rates ; and, to their honour be it spoken, the whole was defrayed without one vestry quarrel on the subject of the church-rate during a period of twenty-one years. It is a somewhat remarkable circumstance, that the Bishop who consecrated the building, as also the architect, the contractor, the churchwardens for the time being, the clerk, sexton, and every parishioner belonging to the Building Com- mittee, have been for several years removed by the hand of death. I had hoped that on the occasion of my visit I should have once more seen and heard the worthy and universally beloved clergyman who holds this living (the term " living" is not lite- IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 47 rally correct, for the income is what would barely support a common clerk). The appearance of a patriarchal head, on which the snows of some threescore and ten winters had fallen, led me to think my wish was gratified. But it was not he ; and I learned with regret that the rev. gentleman had for many months been residing at a watering place in Somersetshire for the benefit of his health, which was much impaired. His con- gregation however has since hailed his return as that of a father, for never were pastor and flock more worthily united. It was well said by Wilberforce, that the number of individuals who may be preserved from eternal misery and brought to the en- joyment of eternal happiness, and the degree of the eternal happiness, even of the happy, must humanly speaking depend on the minister set over the parish to which they belong. The services on the present occasion were quietly conducted, and the singing was tolerably good. The arranging of children in- side the communion rails is in my opinion objectionable. In primitive tunes, as Clemens Alexandrinus tells us, none were allowed to approach the communion-table but such as were in holy orders, unless it were the Greek Emperors at Constantinople, who were allowed to go up to the table, make their offerings, and immediately return back. In spite of the danger I may incur of being called hard names, I nevertheless avow my belief that such an arrangement as I have just mentioned will induce in the minds of the young people an idea of inconsistent fami- liarity, and a lack of that reverential fear and self-abasement with which that place should be approached. The crypt, which is underneath the church, keeps it apparently dry and healthy, but does not appear to be well ventilated. Among the memorials in the churchyard is a very singular one of the deaths of four brothers and sisters, of the name of Tomlins, who died on the following dates: Elizabeth, February 7, 1831 ; John, February 14, 1831 ; Sarah, February 21, 1831 ; and Charles, December 4, 1831 ; the three first-named having died at exact intervals of a week apart. Among the attempts at versification here is the following : 48 THE RAMBLER " 'T is hard in life our burial spot to trace ; St. Clement's church doth show my resting place. Thousands from port to port doth stroll : What matter where? Oh, God, receive my soul." The hardship complained of here, and the manner in which it is expressed, are very similar to the sentiment of an epitaph which I recently picked up, and here it is : " Bf so soon tfjat 5 toas Jjonc for, 5 foon&tt toftat J toas begun for." It is time, however, that this kind of trash had given way to a purer taste and more correct feeling. I have nothing further to add with regard to the new church, except that the scholars attached thereto number upwards of 300, and I believe the school-rooms were built at the expense of Captain Sherwood. The old church stood near to the water's edge, on the Upper Quay, close to the city wall, which, in fact, formed a part of it. Nash says, " This church was built by the Saxons, after they had fortified the city against the incursion of the Britons. The parish to which it belongs lies on the other side of the river Severn ; and there is a monkish tradition that it was begun to be built on that side of the river where the parish lies, but that angels, by night, took away the stones to the place where it now stands ; but the true reason why it was there built was for its security, that whatever fate their houses might meet with, their church might be safe from the devastation of their enemies." Clever fellows in their way were these said monks in their day and generation, and rich and ingenious the inven- tions with which they gained the ascendancy over the popular mind. I remember an anecdote with regard to the origin of a certain church at Tiverton, in the county of Devon, to this effect : One John Greenway, who chanced to go to London on business, met an old acquaintance driving a cow and calf over a bridge. " Well," said John Greenway, " it is somewhat strange I should meet you, for I dreamed last night about that very cow and calf (they were curiously marked), and that I should meet you driving them." " Very odd," said the other, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 49 " for I have had my dream, too, though I don't suppose it will prove as true as yours ;" and then Johnny's acquaintance went on to state that he had dreamed about a quantity of money being buried in the garden of a house at Tiverton. Greenway said nothing, but treasured up the story, went back to Tiverton, borrowed money, bought the house and garden, and found the treasure as described. Of course he could do no less than build a chapel and a few almshouses, which still remain to attest the truth of the story. Another instance of the ludicrous in these legendary matters, especially when trans- muted by successive popular versions, is the fact that a certain church in Somersetshire is said to have been built by the devil ; and how will my readers think this arose ? The church was dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron of mariners ; at first it was called St. Nicholas' Church, then Old St. Nicholas' Church, and lastly Old Nick's Church, which gradually estab- lished the legend. Now I doubt the fact of the old church of St. Clement being of Saxon construction, as much as I doubt the legend. In the first place, from the very remarkable number of churches having a Norman character, I collect that the churches before the conquest were not only small, but built of mean and perish- able materials, which are not denoted by the remains still left in this instance and likewise that the Danes destroyed nearly all the Saxon churches. Further, the characteristic features of the arches are those of a period subsequent to the conquest, conse- quently not Saxon. Until within a few years both Saxon and Norman work was classed under the head of Saxon ; but a distinction is now made in architectural nomenclature, the cha- racteristics of the two being better known. This accounts for St. Clement's and many other Norman churches having the credit of being Saxon. Still there are old associations clinging round the spot : " There came the Norman in his pride, Attended by his Saxon slaves ; And then the priest of later tiroes Sang mats upon their graves." E 50 THE RAMBLER Here, on this consecrated spot, and with the self-same stones, are now built warehouses, and barrels are heaped up, and a board invites the wayfarer, not to partake of the bread of life, but To the Britannia Inn. Good Stabling. So pass away all human things : the Roman Forum is now a cow market, the Tarpeian Rock is a cabbage garden, and the Palace of the Caesars is a rope walk ! St. Clement's Church was much battered by the Parliament- arians in the Civil Wars which raged so furiously at Worcester. The circumstance of the church being on the east side of the river, while the pariphoners resided on the west, was not the only inconvenience they suffered ; for it not unfrequently hap- pened that the church was inundated during floods, and was thus rendered for many weeks unfit for public worship. I may illustrate this by referring to a well-known fact, that upon one occasion a boat was floated up the middle aisle. Such occurrences of course did not take place previous to the demolition of the ancient city wall, which was formerly close to and protected this church. The present rector, desirous of remedying these inconveniences, adopted measures, in about 1 820, for raising funds to erect a new church on a desirable site upon the eastern side of the river. His zealous efforts (which were materially aided by the respect entertained for his character) were crowned with success, and shortly afterwards the first stone was laid by F. Hooper, Esq., then mayor of this city, on which occasion, as the local papers record, " considerable curiosity was excited, as nothing similar had occurred in this city in the memory of the oldest inhabitant ! " Fortunately these occurrences are more frequent now. St. Clement's is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter (value 1.50). Rector, the Rev. J. Davies. Clerk, Mr. G. Barrow. Organist, Mr. Peter Birch. Population, 2,155. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 51 111 litnrta. 'v**"s,~ (IRE AT portion of my original observations on this A ** / (> ' ulrc ^' ' s erased, in consequence of the improvements 5*381 ">< which they suggested having since been carried out, through the perseverance of the present incumbent, the Rev. C. Eckersall. Other remarks on the want of discipline in the school and choir would now be out of place. In the seat in which I was placed there was a little active man, who had a penchant for "finding out the text" my readers will readily understand what I mean. A person who " finds out the text" is a being who acts from one of four motives or moving causes he either doubts the preacher's honesty ; he is anxious to appear what he is not ; his memory is weak ; or he is the victim of a custom handed down to him by his ancestors. Well, no sooner was the chapter and verse announced from the pulpit than my little friend rushes to the book cage (a little square fixture at one corner of the pew), snatches out a bible, holds it up high aloft, that he might have the benefit of the light, pounces eagerly upon a chapter it is the wrong one winnows the leaves backward and forward, and at last, out of breath, arrives at the desired point. By this time the preacher had delivered his first introductory sentences, setting forth the order in which he meant to proceed : this very essential part had of course been entirely lost to my friend with the bible ; but not content with that, being anxious that others near him should share the advantage he had enjoyed, the little busy obliging man thrusts the book, lying open, with his finger at the verse, into the lap of his next-door neighbour, who, shaking off his attention from the minister, tries to grasp the sacred volume, but missing his hold, down it goes, with a loud report, which calls the sexton and the occupiers of all the ad- joining pews on their legs, to see who has fainted. I hope, my E'2 .52 THE RAMBLER church-going reader, you will always take upon trust your minister's accuracy in such quotations at all events, suspend the gratification of your doubts till you arrive at home. A good custom prevails at this church, which I have not seen introduced into many others : it is that of lowering the gas to a subdued light previously to the commencement of the services, and also during the sermon. In general, you have to wink and blink at the preacher through a 9-ineh stream of gas in a straight line between yourself and him ; and so deeply will the impression be made on your ocular organs, that on emerging into the dark street, you can see nothing but a tall, dancing ignis fatuus waiting to conduct you home, if you are happy enough to arrive there without flattening your nose against a corner or tumbling into the gutter. On the score of expense alone, to say nothing of comfort, this hint should be generally taken. While in the humour for giving hints I may just allude to the use of the most appropriate anthem, " I will arise and go to my Father," as also of the " Evening Hymn" the former to com- mence, the latter to conclude the services. It is, in my opinion, a pity that these devotional and appropriate productions should ever be superseded by others ; but as they are frequently so, the anthem or hymn substituted should at least be read, for the benefit of strangers. I am also a warm advocate for each psalm and hymn having its own tune, by which it shall be known, and from which it shall be inseparable as, for instance, the fine old tune of " Magdalen" to close the day's services, with the " Evening Hymn," instead of the meagre modern composi- tions often made use of, and changed every sabbath, in con- nexion with this piety-breathing hymn. I may, perhaps, on another occasion advance some arguments to show the benefit to be derived to devotion and discipline from a steady and regular method in church psalmody. At present I will only venture to express a hope, that the Archbishop of Canterbury may be induced by some more able advocate than myself to authorise not only one selection of psalms and hymns for the whole kingdom, but to issue general recommendations as to the IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 53 uniformity of tunes, so that they may be in keeping with the character of each psalm or hymn, whether characterised hy expressions of joy, hope, fear, animation, prayer, or such like. All Saints' Church appears (with the exception of St. Peter's) to be the largest in the city ; it is divided into three aisles by two rows of Doric columns. The altar-piece is a good speci- men of Corinthian design. The walls and pavement of the church are literally covered with mementoes of human decay : at the east end of the south aisle, in a mural arch, are the effigies of Edward Hurdman, gent., the last bailiff and the first mayor of Worcester, with his wife Joan the former having lived to the good old age of threescore years and ten, and the lady to the patriarchal period of 90 years ; the worthy mayor, who is in his robes, faces his wife, and both are in an attitude of prayer ; he died in 1621, but there is no inscription that can now be deciphered. On another handsome monument is the figure of Samuel Matthews (obiit 1684), sometime "a worthy and venerable alderman of this city in his religion orthodox and devout ; in his allegiance constant and hearty ; in his deportment amiable and obliging ; and as he was a liberal benefactor to the poor in his life, so he made ample provision for them after his death" an example (if the stone flatters not) which ought to be held up for the imitation of all men. A local historian mentions, that near the south aisle is the tomb of a " massacred gent.," bearing the name of Chetell, who is said to have been hung before his own door in the troublous times of 1 645 ; but I have not succeeded in dis- covering the " gent." The stranger, on visiting this church, would be naturally struck with the great number of charitable donations to the poor, as recorded on the large massive, dingy boards which are hung on the walls ; and there are more than at first meet the eye, the belfry containing several other records. The donors, however, if they had any share in the arrangement of these boards, were evidently fearful of the anathema pronounced in the New Testament against the Pharisees and others who put 54 THE RAMBLER forth their good deeds too glaringly and ostentatiously in the sight of men, for they are placed so near to the ceiling of the church, and old Time has been so successful in daubing them with his dingy, defacing brush, that they might as well have been affixed to the pinnacles for all the information which the casual reader may hope to acquire. I have good reason to believe that these charities are faithfully administered ; and it seems that they are read (or presumed to be) once in three years, and that printed copies are in the hands of the church- wardens and others. The bounties are chiefly belonging to that practical kind of benevolence which dispenses food and clothing to the hungry and naked poor, and I observed one instalment in a score of loaves placed on some shelves near the west end. This parish has thus at disposal charities to a large amount. The name of Nash is conspicuous here, as in many other churches and elsewhere, as being first and foremost in this good work. The number of children in the Sunday Schools of All Saints is about 100 boys and 100 girls. Now that the excellent new school-rooms are built, with a teacher's residence, there will be established forthwith an infant school, and a girls' school of industry. The patronage of All Saints' Church has been traced from Hugh de Saye, Baron of Burford, through the progeny of the Mortimers, also a branch of the Talbots, and finally into the hands of certain merchants, whose traffic in patronage being found to be an unlawful trade, it was forfeited to the Crown. (Value 138). Rector, the Rev. C. Eckersall. Curate, the Rev. J. F. H. English, B.C.L. Clerk, Mr. Griffiths. Organist, Mr. Sefton. Population, 2,203. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 55 ATTRACTED by the glorious creations of Handel, Tallis, Croft, Hayes, and Co., on the morning of the 20th of April, in the year 1 84 , I found myself (together with a genuine half-crown I had hoarded up for the occasion) most comfortably stowed away in the churchwarden's seat of Saint Swithin's Church, embowered among silks, satins, velvets, white kids, starched cravats, embroidered " vests," and the other pretty trappings in which people usually approach the house of prayer and praise. The " grand selection of music" (in which the Worcester Harmonic Society were to take the chief part) commenced with one of Tallis's anthems the Old Hundredth Psalm ; then followed the chanting of the Venite, Te Deum, and Jubilate, which was well done, although the selection of similar chants for the occasion produced something like tedium and monotony. After the Third Collect came Palestrina's anthem, " We have heard with our ears," which was almost faultlessly given as was also the anthem, " Save, Lord, and hear us," arranged from Handel. Then followed the announcement of " The Eighty -fourth Psalm, new version ;" but owing to there being several eighty-fourth psalms in the absurd collection which obtains in the Worcester churches, I succeeded in finding out the right one just in time to join the orchestra in the third line of the last verse, and thus lost the beauties of the fine old " Burton tune." By the bye, I wish some one more capable than myself would agitate the question of reviving an uniform, recognised version, to be used in all churches, and at the same time an adaptation of tunes to them which should insure something like propriety and decency. This is a matter of much more import- ance than the question of surplice or gown, altar or table, east or west ; for I believe a greater diversity of doctrine may be read in the different selections of psalms and hymns in use at present 56 THE RAMBLER than in any other mode of either ministering or preaching : not to mention the inconvenience occasioned by this diversity to the attendants at different churches. I believe that the clergy, almost to an individual, will agree with me that the present selection is most incomplete, omitting as it does a large number of psalms altogether ; that it tends very frequently to confusion in presenting duplicate copies of many others ; the versification is also occasionally of the most sorry if not ludicrous descrip- tion ; and the whole requires close revision with reference to its doctrinal points. Add to this revision a selection of tunes by competent judges, whose duty should likewise be to classify them to suit the tone and sentiment of each particular psalm, and something considerable would be gained to church har- mony. In the mean time the simple fact that not one of the numerous versions which have been introduced since the Re- formation, and of those now in use, has at any time received authoritative sanction, ought to weigh with the heads of the Church in coming to the decision of displacing both old and new versions for compositions evincing a purer taste. The text selected by Mr. Havergal was " Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song." These inspiring words, he observed, through constant use and familiarity, now passed so smoothly over our ears, as to produce no effect on the great majority of hearers, as evinced in that criminal indifference to church music which too much pre- vailed. He then proposed to consider first, the resonableness and the propriety of the injunction ; and secondly, the manner in which we may best fulfil it. Under the first head the rev. gentleman observed, " How affecting, and yet how elevating the thought, that when singing at chuch, we are imitating, though with almost infinite poverty, the employment of our glo- rified kindred ; and are tuning our hearts (I will not say our voices), for the choruses of eternity ! Seldom has the thrilling beauty of congregational singing been more happily painted, tlian when infantile poesy described it as like a little heaven below." To praise God was a duty incumbent on all His IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 57 creatures, at all times and under all events ; it was not less becoming in adversity than in prosperity, as was evinced by Christ himself in singing a hymn just before his be- trayal. Church music, he regretted to state, was but seldom viewed as an hallowed act as an incentive to the highest order of worship, as a propulsive vehicle for holy praise ; and it was evident that a great portion of cheerfulness a necessary ad- junct to thankful praise was lost to those who did not sing. As to the manner of singing, we should come, first, with a deep sense of unworthiness, also with a lively perception of God's goodness, with great devoutness and earnestness of belief for levity was intolerable when the honour and praise of the Great Eternal was the object. By earnestness he did not mean voci- feration ; earnestness, however, he grieved to say, was not a characteristic of our congregations, but rather listlessness and gazing : how many a voice which delights in the drawing-room is totally suppressed in the house of God ! Perhaps it was owing to a silly notion that it was not fashionable, but rather vulgar, to sing at church ; let such take good heed that their scruples exclude them not from one day taking part in the song of Moses and the Lamb ! Lastly, we should study to come with the best and most becoming music. This was the desire of the fathers of the Church, and of those who framed the regulations in the time of Elizabeth. Music should be of a suitable character and intelligible to all ; but it was painful to think how that rule had been neglected. A certain sort of tune had become common amongst us, to the overthrow of all consistency ; and instead of the fine old melodies, we now heard flashy prettiness, and tunes which had been foraged from songs, and ballads, and marches. Much resolution and right feeling would be necessary to banish this trash, seeing the strong hold it had got on the Sunday schools and choirs. Every clergyman and organist ought to cooperate in urging right principles and promoting good prac- tice. Surely there should be some difference between the music of the Church and that of the world. The rev. gentle- man concluded by an eloquent appeal on behalf of the funds for 58 THE RAMBLER repairing the organ. St. Swithin's church, he observed, was the first in the city which contained an organ, and it was there- fore fitting that (next to the Cathedral) it should be the first to keep pace with the improvements of the day. After the sermon the " Hallelujah Chorus" was performed in excellent style, though unavoidably too loud for this church ; one or two ladies near me appeared in much mental distress from an over acute sense of hearing, but, contrary to expecta- tion, not one of them fainted. Gratified as I was with the entire services of the morning, I felt nevertheless that my mission to this church was not accom- plished. One cannot judge of the regular habits and every day appearance of persons when dressed in the holiday garb, neither was it in my power, from attending on an extraordinary occasion, to give an opinion of the usual conduct here. On an evening a few Sundays afterwards I therefore again presented myself to the little old lady who pilots stranger visitors through all avenues and intricacies, to their sittings. Prayers were read by the worthy and much respected curate, the Rev. J. Colville, who, although not possessing a sonorous or powerful voice, yet reads with sober solemnity and effect. Indeed, to a stranger and much more to those who know him best the piety of the practical Christian and the earnestness of the pastor are breathed in every line. The chorister children were ranged along the railings at the chancel ; and I was informed that the rector's object in doing so was the very excellent one of producing congregational singing. It frequently occurs that when the choir remain in the orchestra they are looked upon as the exclusive high priests of harmony, in whose avocations the people have no right to take a part ; while by drafting them into the body of the church, much staring and gaping is prevented, and the singers then partake more of the character of participators in the psalmody. As far as I could judge, these means were highly successful, for the singing appeared to be general ; indeed, there was a party of lialf-a-dozeu females close at my left, who, IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 59 with myself and another old gentleman (provided they would have deigned to accept of our rude bass), would have cut no very contemptible figure had the whole onus of the harmony been left on our shoulders. The organ was chastely played to good old psalmody. The rector preached an appropriate ser- mon on the Ascension, from Acts i, 10, 11, showing the practical use to be made of the promise therein contained. I must not forget the schools attached to this church, to which, as I hear, 100 boys and girls belong a large number in proportion to the parish, which only numbered 900 inhabitants at the last census. The Girls' School is under the superintendence of Mrs. Sarjeant, who is also well supported by female teachers. The children are dressed uniformly in frocks, bonnets, collars, and shawls ; and I shall not forget their creditable, indeed, I may say unique appearance, among the other Sunday schools which moved in procession to the Cathedral on Whit- Monday; they were arranged on the principle of the " sliding scale," or rather of that instinctive economy exhibited in the flight of pigeons, who wisely manage to cut the air with the thin end of the wedge. So on this occasion two pretty little poppets, some four and twenty inches high, led the van, after whom the height graduated up to .5 feet, which was about the compass of a knot of bonny, healthy, cheerful looking teachers, who brought up the rear. There are unfortunately no school-rooms for their accommodation, and hence the girls had to assemble in the church, while the un- lucky boys were compelled to clamber up a dark, spiral, antique flight of stairs, into the belfry ! where, amongst ropes, and dust, and rubbish, they will have to date their first acquaintance with literature and theology ; some of the younger fry often accom- plish, at the risk of their neck and shins, the dark and toilsome journey, unlike the facilis descensus of Virgil; while the more infantile portion are indebted to the shoulders of their stalwart fellows for a vehicle to the seat of learning. Surely this might be obviated, if those who take an interest in education would only put their shoulders to the wheel ; and, since writing the above, CO THE RAMBLER I am informed that the large room of Queen Elizabeth's School, situate close to this church, not being occupied on Sundays, has recently been granted by the six masters for the use of the girls' schools. The church of St. Swithin, built in 1736, is situate in a part of the city formerly devoted to the sale of plates and dishes, and other crockery, before the nineteenth century had worked out its schemes of centralization with regard to markets, et quibusdam aliis. It is one of the neatest erections in the city with respect to the interior : the altar-piece is Doric, and the ceiling above is stuccoed ; the roof of the body is a cove-ribbed Gothic ; and the pulpit is an elegant design, surmounted by a pelican feeding her brood with her blood, emblematical either of the Christian dispensation or of Divine protection. An exceedingly handsome painted east window has been since added, the production of Mr. Rogers of this city : the ground work of the centre compartment is composed of a rich scroll work of Roman character, upon which are introduced three large medallions, containing the Nativity, Baptism, and the Last Supper. The side lights are filled with a similar design, enriched with the symbols of the four Holy Evangelists, the whole being surrounded with rich borderings. The greater part of the monumental remains on the walls was beyond the reach of even my best pebble glasses. On the north side of the altar is a handsome monument erected to Joseph Withers, Esq., mayor of the city in 1749 ; Bacon was the sculptor, and the execution is remarkable for elegance and simplicity. Near the pulpit is a fine old monument to the family of the Swifts, one of whom represented the city in the time of William and Ann ; another member of this family left the yearly sum of ten shillings to insure the preaching of a sermon on Good Friday, fearing the incumbent might forget himself with- out some such stimulant. Among the humbler records on the pavement are those of John Child, who fell in the retreat of the British army in North Spain, under Sir John Moore ; and a small stone to Margaret Evans, an extraordinary woman whose remains lie near to the chancel : it is recorded of her, that being IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 61 for threescore years the governess of one of the most reputable boarding-schools in the kingdom, there was scarce a county or city in England and Wales but some of their most accomplished ladies have had their education at Worcester under this excellent woman, who was herself " the noble pattern of what she taught." The charities of this church are almost confined to bread, coal, and clothing, except Thomas Laslett's gift of 200 to be in- vested for the augmentation of the salary of the Sunday evening lecturer (on condition that the donor's vault be kept sacred), and Jonas Underbill's gift of 3 per annum for the rector to read prayers every evening at five o'clock. This latter has not been paid within memory. The total amount of charities dispensed in this small parish amount to about 30. That patron of celi- bacy and of forsaken women, Thomas Shewringe, also figures here in a bequest of " warm gowns" (I suppose he meant well- aired) to " ancient maides and widdowes." Beyond this there is nothing remarkable in the church except that the Lord's Prayer and the Creed have taken their departure from the altar-piece; the one has gained the north and the other the south door, apparently on their way out. About half-a-century ago, as I gather from Chamber's history, a set of chimes (the only one in the city) was presented to this church by a revolutionary churchwarden, who caused it to play " Britons, strike home !" his colleague, however, insisted on its playing " God save the King ;" and matters were at length settled so that the tunes should be played alternately. The chimes, however, detesting party dispute, soon fell into a mode of playing so that it was difficult to recognise whether the tunes were revolutionary or loyal. Within the last few years they have made abortive attempts at Derby, Hanover, and sundry other old tunes, but now they rest quietly from all their labours, the expense of winding up having been a double bar to their music. Many years ago, a stone figure of Time, placed over the dial, was blown down and broken to pieces. The absence of a presiding genius, so necessary as he was, shows how utterly thoughtless the authorities must have been in attempting to set 62 THE RAMBLER the chimes at work without reinstating this old gentleman in his place. The living is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter (value 170). Rector, the Rev. R. Sarjeant. Curate, the Rev. J. Colville. Clerk, Mr. Griffiths. Organist, Mr. Jabez Jones. Population about 900. >t. HAVE seen no probable estimate of the date of the foun- dation of the old church of St. Peter. The first mention of it in history is in the year 969, when Bishop Oswald, who was at that time engaged in worming out the secular clerks of the Cathedral from their most opulent foundations, and to place monks in their room, gave to Wulfgar, a collegiate priest, the church of St. Peter " by the south wall," and also the manor of Battenhall. It was subsequently appropriated, by Bishop Wakefield, to the Abbey of Pershore, who were its patrons till the Dissolution. It was at first dedicated to the Saints Perpetua and Felicitas; but in April, 1420, the parishioners obtained a faculty to alter the same, and their wake was afterwards kept on the Sunday after St. Philip and St. James. The name of " St. Peter the Great" appears to have been given to distinguish it from " St. Peter the Little," which was a chapel belonging to the king's castle here. The present building was commenced in 1836 and completed in 1838. The old one was in a very ruinous state, and contained accommodation but for 275 persons out of a population of nearly 5,000. A voluntary subscription was made, aided by a grant of 600 from the Incorporated Society; and the present erection (which contains 1030 sittings, of which 600 are free) was speedily raised. It is in the "debased" Gothic style, and is large and commodious ; but a great mass of trusswork which supports the roof, being naked to the eye, gives to the whole a heavy and IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 63 lumbering effect, while the immense windows in the side walls admit a flood of light which is almost overpowering to the eye. This should be rectified either by stained glass or the use of blinds. The east window (which was painted for the old church by Messrs. Doe and Rogers, of this city) contains the figures of the Saviour, with St. Peter and Moses ; the arms of the diocese are on one side, and those of John Nash, Esq., a munificent contributor, on the other. A portion of the western end of the church, containing the font, &c., is cut off by means of a glazed screen, which adds to the comfort of the adjoining seats, and there is also a huge gallery at this end. The general appear- ance of the church is not good. We are all more or less affected by external circumstances ; and in a modern erection, with its blank staring walls and windows, its cold proprieties, studied economy, and lack of associations, there is to me nothing to compensate for the loss of those solemnities engendered within edifices o'erhung with lichens and monuments, which speak impressively alike to the most obtuse apprehension and the hardened heart. " I would not leave the old church grey, Its venerable yew, And long flat stones, in dull array, For any one that 's new." On entering at the western door there is a painting on the wall at the right hand (dated 1 608) intended as a monumental record of the benevolence of one William Bachelor, a member of the Corporation, who gave " ten pounds, the profits thereof to be distributed to the poore of that prish, especially to such which wante wherewith to burie them." The old gentleman is arrayed in his municipal robes, and looks rather too gay for that period of life when one thinks of making his " last will and testament." Another individual, who also stands at the table which divides the two, is in the act of throwing down some coin thereon, to be applied for the benefit of the poor ; he is habited hi the charac- teristic civilian dress of that period, and is a starched, important looking personage, with features of the most contemptuous odi 64 THE RAMBLER profanum class; it is tolerably clear he is jerking down his moneys less with the abstracted view of a philanthropist than of propitiating the lower orders against rising in judgment on his avarice. Gentlemen who wish to stand well in the opinion of posterity, and who leave no history behind them, cannot be too scrupulous in the selection of their portrait painters. The charity tables sprinkled about the walls describe a tolerably wide range of objects for the exercise of benevolence, including " warm gowns for ancient maids and widows ;" coals, bread, shrouds, &c., for poor housekeepers and others ; money to apprentice poor boys ; and lastly, the sum of ten shillings was left by a Mr. S. Juice, " sometime minister of Birtchmorton," to the minister for preaching a sermon on Ascension Day. It was my intention to visit the church again on the day of that festival, with the view of ascertaining if the sermon was worth the bequest, but I have not yet been enabled to do so. I believe, however, that the bequest has been lost sight of. There is a sum of about 220 (left in small legacies to the poor of this parish) of whicli there is now no trace. The reprehensible practice of late attendance appears to be observed here to a great extent, more particularly among the younger female members of the congregation, who, either from indolence or a wish to attract attention, are in the habit of in- dulging, sabbath after sabbath, in this breach of decorum ; to all such I would commend the sentiment of one of their own sex the good Mrs. Chapone who, when asked why she always came so early to church, replied " Because it is a part of my religion never to disturb the religion of others." I was also surprised at the disproportionately small number of men in the congregation. As it is not likely the ladies would resign to their husbands the superintendence of the cooking, I can only account for the absence of the latter from the supposition that the tradesmen of the parish have adopted the commercial maxim of " Six days shalt thou labour, and on the seventh post thy books" The worthy clerk here wears a gown, he and the clerk at St. Nicholas' being the only two in Worcester having IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 65 that privilege, which is granted by license from the Bishop, and renders the office less dependent on the will of the clergyman. The spacious gallery before mentioned was crowded with school children, of whom there could not have been less than four hundred ; indeed, from the multitude of these " olive branches" which thronged all parts of the sacred building, it was satisfactorily demonstrated that whatever sins may be laid to the account of St. Peter's parish, a non-compliance with the primeval command to " increase and multiply " cannot be made out. Of course nothing is more proper than to bring these young pledges early to the courts of God's house, but I do not mean to say that it adds anything to the comfort of the adult part of the congregation : indeed, on this occasion, such an unin- termittent cannonading of coughs, stampings, and confused sounds, was projected from this source, added to the circum- stance of an old gentleman near me doing battle all the morning with the peccant matter in his lungs, that I was not sorry when the time came to beat a retreat. The school children all sang in unison, but the mass was totally unwieldy and required a conductor's baton to keep them together ; it may be said of them, that " Should they learn to sing in time, No doubt in time they'll learn to sing." Some adults have since taken up the post of leaders, but the performances are still wretched, the singing being fearfully loud, harsh, and usually out of tune. It cannot fail to be a source of regret to almost every attendant at St. Peter's church the largest and most commodious in the city for the erection of an organ that no such instrument has yet been placed there. The effect of one in such a building would be second only to that at the Cathedral : an assertion the truth of which will not be doubted by any person who had the fortune to hear the " Hallelujah Chorus" performed by the instrumental and choral societies of the city at the opening of this church in 1838. Tell me not that funds cannot be raised: there are individual parishioners who, if actuated by one-tithe of the devotion F 66 THE RAMBLER which urged our forefathers to deeds of munificence, have it in their power nobly to present such an addition to the service of the sanctuary, without ever feeling the pecuniary loss Extant rectefactis prtemia. With regard to the schools, there are, I hear, no less than 200 girls and nearly the same number of boys in the Sunday Schools, to whom is imparted such instruction as is suited to their ages and capacities ; the scriptures being taken as the basis. The funds are not in a flourishing state, there being a balance due to the treasurer. It has been a source of regret that a great number of the poor of this parish do not attend the church ; and their prevail- ing excuse, here as elsewhere, seems to be on the score of unseemly apparel. Others of the more respectable grade, I hear, absent themselves on account of being unable to procure seats: this, to any one who has noticed the capaciousness of the church, and the thinness of the congregation, must appear a paradox ; but I have no doubt the fact is, there are not seats enough for each family to have a whole one, and con- sequently they will not accept of a part. On the whole, how- ever, my inquiries have not led to the conclusion that there is an extraordinary lack of moral or religious feeling and habit, when compared with other parishes, especially considering the large amount of population and the class of individuals of which it is chiefly composed. It is also a gratifying circumstance that the opposition to church-rates which for a long time threw an unenviable notoriety over this parish has altogether ceased for the last five years, a circumstance which I attribute to the kind amenities and the conciliatory communion of the worthy vicar with his parishioners. The vicarage of St. Peter, with the curacy of Whittington (value 250), is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter. Vicar, the Rev. G. L. Foxton. Curate, the Rev. G. W. Spooner. Clerk, Mr. Jones. Population, 4,575. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 67 It JSantitft. *N crossing the threshold of this church I met with one of the most civil, good-humoured specimens of a sexton which I believe the city affords. I was shown into a large square seat, well cushioned, having in the centre a desk for books, and at one end a handsome and capacious fixed chair, over which were elevated two regal gilt crowns. " Corporatiou seats" (as these are called) were originally set apart for the use of the chief magistrate whensoever he attended his parish church ; though, unfortunately, hi these days of sectarian strife, they are scarcely ever required for their legitimate use. In the ancient churches there was always, in cities and towns, a place set apart for the magistrates, which was called the " Senatorium," where the senators, or chief magistrates, assembled during divine service : this was probably the origin of " Corporation seats." Although these seats (which are now exploded in the new ecclesiastical edifices) are set apart for miscellaneous company, I have generally noticed, during my rambles, the same class of definite characters occupying them there is the married tailor or shoemaker, with his little boy or girl, who usually manages to keep the entire occupants of the pew on the qui vive ; then there is the stationer's assistant, the glover, perhaps a labourer, sometimes (though more rarely, for they are given to gambling and absenteeism) a draper's assistant and a lawyer's clerk ; and but seldom is any one of these seats without a regular visitant in the shape of an elderly gentleman (bachelor or widower), of sober habits, comfortable, good-tempered appearance, wearing spectacles, and apparently seeming to enjoy the service, which he always reads from the ponderous and ecclesiastical-looking books provided for these seats. This last character I never could elucidate : he may be a market gardener, a retired butler, an old pensioner, each, either, or neither, but he is to be found hi 68 THE RAMBLER the " Corporation" seat of almost every church in the city, and seems to preside there, with becoming dignity, as an elder, over the more juvenile branches, who attend with a regularity only second to that of himself. It is comforting to behold the com- munity of feeling which generally prevails in this little family, and the friendly tokens of recognition which pass between the old gentleman and each member of the brotherhood as he arrives and deposits his hat on the well-known peg and his person in the privileged nook. His casual absence from the accustomed spot, I have no doubt, is as jealously noted, and his final vaca- tion as deeply mourned, as many others, with more decided ties of consanguinity and friendship, would have a right to expect. But the old gentleman has led me to wander. The sermon was good, and of a practical tendency ; moreover it was short, which is another recommendation, for lengthened and attenuated sermons not only oftentimes weary the hearer, but overtax his memory, and consequently fail in effect ; added to which is another consideration which I fear must at all times and in all places, more or less, weigh with a weak and sinful, fallen and carnivorous race, like ourselves I mean the periodical cravings of the appetite. An anecdote is recorded of St. Wulstan, that he was not above 'confessing that a savoury roast goose, which was preparing for his dinner, had once so taken up his thoughts that he could not attend to the service he was performing, and that he had punished himself for it, and given up the use of meat in consequence. Whether the anec- dote be well founded or not, such an occurrence is at least more than possible with individuals of less ascetic temperament than St. Wulstan, and should therefore be prevented, unless the preacher is tolerably sanguine of his own powers, in keeping alive the attention of his hearers. The musical part of the services deserved no share of appro- bation. The organ, which was built by Elliott in 1812, has received various modifications and improvements, but on the occasion in question the congregation reaped no benefit what- ever from them the screaming notes and the careless mistakes IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 69 of the female voices, being suitably responded to by the grum- bling, jagged, non-interfluent tones of the instrument. It is said that or Anglo-Saxon ancestors so encouraged the cultiva- tion of music that it was even the practice to redeem their penances by certain repetitions of singing and music : for in- stance, the Pater Noster and the 119th Psalm, sung six tunes over, would redeem the penance of a day's fasting. We are not told what sort of accompaniment the organists of those days vouchsafed, but if no better than what I have been doomed occasionally to listen to, there is no question that the monks frequently preferred the day's fast at least, such would have been my choice. A correspondent of a country paper recently addressed so excellent a piece of advice to organists, and in so pleasant a vein withal, that I cannot resist quoting it here : "And first," says he, "as to the method of chanting the church service. Always play the recitative portions of the chant as fast as the voices can utter the words ; the a tempo part, on the contrary, should be sung very slow, which will inevitably tend to make the voices sink, and thus afford an opportunity of showing that you are playing correctly, and convince the clergyman and congregation that it would be far better to leave this portion of the service to you alone. " The music of the chant, too, should be lively plenty of crotchets and quavers in it, as stepping-stones from one note to another, affording oppor- tunity of gracefully sliding them into each other. Carry the same system into the graver chants, should you for the sake of variety sometimes select such: every minim will thus become two crotchets, and vastly improve the original composition. Above all things avoid the cathedral plan of hitting each note, as it were, on the head, and sticking to it. Cathedral organists are like the old roofs over them, stern and unyielding, but not half so useful ; they, a century behind hand, adhere to old customs never venture upon a flourish avoid introducing now and then a graceful modulation into a psalm or chant, because it is not ' in the book,' and altogether repudiate those little delicacies which the modern race of players know bow to adopt with effect. "In the choice of psalm tunes, show that you are above prejudice. Cast aside the old church melodies, as they are called, and adopt ' New Sabbath,' ' The Sicilian Mariners,' ' Cheshunt,' and all those fine creations of modern times which are emanations of true genius. What if their time was first beaten out on the lapstone, or stimulated the motion of the needle on the tailor's shopboard, is it not a glorious proof of the ' march of intellect,' when so insignificant a birthplace ushers such glo- rious conceptions into the world ? The adoption of some of the composi- tions of recent date, such as those to which I have referred, will often 70 THE RAMBLER cause an edifying repetition of some of the words, and if one should be decimated in the process it will tend to keep up the attention of the con- gregation in order to join it again, thus (Psalm xi) : ' Why should I, like a tim'rous bird, To distant moun to distant mounto distant mountains fly ? ' "At the close of the tune, too, never adhere to the common chord, which some folks will stupidly tell you is a graceful and harmonious conclu- sion. Vary it suspend the 4th as long as possible and above all, put in as many abstruse chords as you can contrive to make while the voices are able to hold out the original chord. It makes an agreeable change, and evinces genius." Leaving the pleasant banter of this satirical critic it should be seriously borne in mind, by all who engage in the music of the church, that those characteristics should be observed which are set forth by St. Bernard in the following passage, as quoted by Archbishop Parker, in the preface to his metrical version of the Psalms: "If song be had at any time, let it be full of gravitie, that it neither sound out wantonness nor rudeness ; let it be so sweete that it be not light ; let it so delight the eares that it move the hartes in asswaging heaviness and tempering ire. Let it not deprive the letter of the sence, but rather aug- ment it ; for it is no light loss of spiritual grace to be carried away from the profitablenes of the sence with the lightnes of the notes, and to be more carefull upon chanting of the voyce then to give heede to the matter." The church of St. Martin is a modern structure, having been erected from 1768 to 1772. The old church had the reputation of being a very irregular building, which is fully corroborated by the drawings of it still remaining the ancient wooden porch, with a room above it, reminding one of the antiquated inns we now and then meet with in villages. The architect of the pre- sent edifice (which was built by Act of Parliament) achieved at the time an act of sagacity equal to that which is proverbially frequent among another class of professionals, for the multipli- cation of their own labours through some bungling in the stipulations, he built the tower for one bell only, and then was compelled to reconstruct it for the accommodation of six, being the name number as in the old tower. The interior of the IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 71 church has a light appearance, to which eight Ionic pillars, twelve semicircular arched windows, and an altar-piece, materi- ally contribute ; though I do not think it probable that the paint- ing of the Crucifixion (placed in the east window in the year 1827, the production of a Mr. Cottrill, of this city, since dead) will ever be mistaken for a work of Rubens or Raffaelle. The charity tables display a large amount of consideration for fatherless children, poor boys, lying-in women, and other equally unfortunate objects. The Berkeley family left liberal donations not only for the poor, but for the assistance of young tradesmen ; while one Sir Robert Berkeley, Knight, seems to have turned his especial attention more to the state of the bells and their ringers ; he not only renovated the " ring," but put up a new treble and tenor, for the perpetual motion of which tenor, or " Berkeley's bell," he was minded to make provision by appointing that it should be rung on certain days for ever ; and on St. James's day, after the donation of 20s. to twenty poor persons, and 20s. to a preacher of a sermon, 3s. 4d. was to be paid to the ringers, and 6s. 8d. to the wardens for bell-ropes for ever. Had this gallant knight been most grossly treated by the parish, he could not have taken a more deliberate or lasting revenge ; and had he once only been doomed to write for the press during the season of Lent, when one's ears are split and distracted by the cross-fires shot from the various steeples, he surely would have perceived how enormously disproportionate was the punishment to the offence. But it is needless to quarrel with the hobbies of the dead. Among the other charities is a valuable bequest by Mr. Thomas Moore and his wife, inter alia, for founding a hospital for the relief and education of ten poor children. Through mismanagement of this estate, the number of boys is now of necessity reduced to six, and these seem to be but inadequately clothed for the severity of the whiter sea- son. A valuable part of the estate is now a bone of contention in a Chancery suit, between the Six (Charity) Masters* and * The six masters are J. Dent, Esq.; W. Dent, Esq.; M. Pierpoint, Esq.; J. W. Lea, Esq.; W. Moore, Esq.; and A. Lechmere, Esq. The secretary is Mr. G. C. Garden, solicitor. 72 THE RAMBLER the Worcester Corporation. I am not sufficiently conversant with the facts to sketch the relative positions and claims of the parties ; but I think, after the statement publicly made by the solicitor for one of the parties namely, that the suit would probably occupy his lifetime, and swallow up the whole of the contested property that the actual, practical question now is "Lawyers versus Charity Boys." Which of these are to receive the benefit of " Moore's Charity ?" Unfortunately, pug- nacity is a large ingredient in Englishmen's constitutions, and I dare say the parties will prefer having a long stand-up fight in the Court of Chancery and finally carrying off the shells of the oyster, than at a timely moment to come to an amicable arrangement. There seems to be no proof that this part of the estate is to be applied, in perpetuity, to corporate uses, and why not, therefore, mutually come to terms, the Corporation relin- quishing the property on condition that the century's arrears be not claimed ? Among the monuments in this church is a mural one, record- ing the death of Mr. and Mrs. Joyce Johnson (1718), who left a freehold estate to the poor, with the stipulation that the grave in which she and her husband are interred " be not opened, nor any other person buried therein, otherwise the devise to cease, and the estate to devolve to her right heirs for ever." Two maiden ladies named Grismund have left 25s. per annum to the poor, on the same condition ; and it would seem, from the ear- nest manner in which these persons expressed themselves, they entertained some suspicion of the horribly crowded state to which St. Martin's burial ground would some day arrive. They, however, are secure enough, for the new church being on a raised surface as compared with the old one, the original vaults are necessarily beneath the modern ones. In St. Martin's Sunday Schools there are about 350 boys and girls, who are brought to the church every Sunday morning, attended by their superintendents and teachers. The National and Infant Schools, which are in this parish, are not confined thereto, but are open to all the other parishes in the city. The IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 73 rooms which are used for the Boys' National School, in con- nexion with the Establishment, were built by subscriptions raised chiefly in the parish, aided by a grant from the National Society ; they were built for the use of the Sunday Schools, but during the week are used by the National School. W. Rose, the clerk, takes care of the six boys belonging to Moore's Charity, under the supervision of the Rev. W. Hill. The historians record several interesting circumstances in connexion with this church and parish, as taken from the register; for instance in the year 1538, "John Wilkinson, the parson," licensed one Thomas Hey wood to eat flesh during Lent, " he being very sick in body ;" and at the time of the Usurpation, in 1656, numerous instances occurred here (and especially between Thomas Baker, of Dodderhill, and Ann Walford, of Salwarpe) of marriages solemnized by Justices of the Peace, after " being publickelie proclaimed 3 severall dayes, in 3 severall weekes, in ye market-plase of ye said cittie, according to ye acctt of parlment." The first incumbent of the living was one Richard in 1219 ; and the following is a list (I have obtained from an old docu- ment) of rectors of the parish from the year 1 558 to the present time, with the length of time the office was held by each : Rev. W. Bennel .--. : . . 15 years. Rev. J. Wilkinson .'7 V - ^ <, 48 Rev. J. Wyatt .. . .. *...-- . 3 Rev. N. Booksall . -.-. t 9 Rev. N. Tomkins . . . . . 29 Rev. Thomas Tyler .... 9 Rev. H. Panting . . . .... - . 19 Rev. E. Combe 48 Rev. R. Meadowcourt . . . . 14 . Rev. John Tottie . -. . . 23 Rev. J. Stillingfleet . ..--. . 4 Rev. R. Baty 21 Rev. D. Smith 33 Rev. G. Faussett, D.D. * . 44, Rev. Allen Wheeler 74 THE RAMBLER The Dean and Chapter are patrons of this living (value 378). Rector, the Rev. Allen Wheeler. Curate, the Rev. G. Elton. Clerk, Mr. William Rose. Present Organist (not the same as mentioned above), Mr. Turbitt. Population, 5,083. name of " Bedwardine," if we are to believe anti- quaries, means something tantamount to good eating and drinking, being derived from the Saxon bead ern (a dining hall) applied in this instance on account of the dis- trict being appropriated to the table of the priests of the College, whose refectory was supplied from the produce of it. Five centuries ago the present church was a chapel, subordi- nate to the " aunciente chapell of Wick, or Wyke." The histo- rian says that the latter was " situated in a desolate place, at a distance from the Cathedral, and almost deserted by its inhabit- ants, who rather chose to reside in Worcester, or about St. John's, where was also a chapel, with a vicarage house adjoining to it, which induced William de Lynn, then Bishop of Worces- ter (1371), to suppress that of Wyke, which had never been consecrated ;" it was accordingly ordered to be taken down, and every stone of it removed to prevent pollution. The chapel of St. John, in Bedwardine, was now made parochial, and the first vicar bore the title of " Vicar of St. John of Wyke." The remains of the ancient chapel of Wyke are yet to be seen in the foldyard of Mr. J. Smith, of Lower Wick, and about a mile from the present church, on the road to Malvern ; it is a building now partly used as a hopkiln and stable, the walls and roof of which, though apparently very old, have been raised upon foundations and remains of a much more ancient date. These remains support the newer masonry at a height varying from nine feet to twelve feet or upwards ; the walls are from four feet IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 75 to six feet thick, and by aid of the old buttresses still remaining would probably defy the " tooth of Time" for as many centuries as they have already withstood its attacks. There are traces of an east window, which have been filled up, and the whole build- ing has an ecclesiastical character. Local tradition also favours the supposition, against which the only circumstance that mili- tates is the above mentioned order that " every stone should be removed." It is not improbable, however, that the walls were not completely demolished, but were made available for some other building. It is said to have been subsequently used as a receptacle for the gaol prisoners, who were removed thither at the time of an epidemic breaking out in Worcester; and this report derives some probability from the strongly barred win- dows which yet partially remain in the more recent masonry. The enclosure in which the present church is situated seems to be glutted with the dead, and old residents say the chances are ten to one that in thrusting a stake into any part of the soil, some unlucky particle of humanity would be transfixed. The want of a cemetery is much felt by the inhabitants. Near the principal entrance to the church is a remarkable little stone, a memorial to one whose good deeds when in the flesh have evi- dently survived all recollection of the doer : HONEST JOHN'S DEAD & GONE. Who or what he was this " Honest John" no record saith ; but there the sterling title is carved, to startle the passer-by in this perverse generation. Among the other specimens of epitaph writing in this church- yard are the following lymphatic lines : 76 THE RAMBLER " Farewell, vain world ! I give up to thee. For you can't say no harm of me ! I am gone just in the full of my prime. The Lord thought fit to take me at his own appointed time." Had the poet continued his dirge for four lines more, the length of the ultimate one would probably have defied all reasonable calculation. Here also is an edition of the querulous, insinuating idea, which in every churchyard in the kingdom stares the medical man in the face " Afflictions sore Long time I bore ; Physicians was in vain." # * * * He who studies men and things may gather much knowledge of character from the perusal of tomb-stones. A wag, for instance, cannot refrain from perpetrating a pun, joke, or double entendre, though it is to be graven over his own corpse. The wit, the man of letters, the humble Christian, the prosy copyist, have each their peculiar manner ; but the concoction of the course and ridiculous stuff we often see has, I hope, entirely departed with the last generation. The church of St. John is old and irregular, within and with- out, but the repewing and other repairs which were effected some few years ago have rendered it exceedingly neat in ap- pearance. Before that period the ancient pews were invested with a sepulchral kind of character ; the old wooden casing of these high and capacious receptacles was every where worm- eaten and perishing into dust, while tatters of green baize clung capriciously to the crazy fabric, like the " loop'd and window'd raggedness" of an old pauper; then, a person who could not boast of being five feet six inches from one extremity to the other, was not likely to have ocular communication with any fellow mortal, the minister even included. The renovator, however, has been far more economical in his timber. The church is rich in monumental remains, some of upwards of two centuries standing including the names of Gower, In- gram ( Vice-Comes ultimus), Blount, Badger (the Vicar, who IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 77 died on the day of his birth, September 30, 1 690), Carwardine, Rogers, Bund, Brigginshaw, Patrick, Waldron, Garnett, Free- man, Lilly, Bate, Pitt, &c. " Quales erant Dies suprema indicabit." To the credit of the officers of this church it may be spoken that the various charity lists appertaining thereto are not only within reach of the reader, but are kept so clean as to admit easily of inspection. Owing to this arrangement, I and my readers are indebted for the record of the following exquisite bit of active benevolence : " Timothy Nourse 1698 25 out of his estate at Southerns, for the binding of ten poor children, at 40s. each, and for the clothing of seven old men and widows, being ancient inhabitants of this parish, who are reputed to be of good character, with one upper garment of blue cloth, ichereon thall be ye Mlert T 2f in yellow cloth, tewed thereon." The man who would thus parade his " charity" to the world by marking the unfortunate recipients of it in a similar manner to convicted felons, I need scarcely add, could not have pos- sessed the genuine principle of Christian benevolence. Of course that part of the bequest is not observed. I was much surprised, on an evening visit to St. John's, to find the church but half filled. It seems that the edifice is so inadequate to the requirements of this populous parish, that the majority of the church-goers stay away with the excuse that they have no pews. Those, however, who stay away altogether from the services of the Church are scarcely more culpable than another class of persons who seem to be somewhat numerous in St. John's I mean the late comers. How lamentable is it to see churches half empty at the commencement of the service to find little more heard than the trampling of feet and the opening of pews, while the few persons assembled are making their solemn confession before Almighty God, and then to behold the minister rise to pronounce an absolution of sins in the midst of those who have not cared to acknowledge any guiltiness ! So says the Rev. H. Stebbing, and so says ever}' churchman who thinks aright. 78 THE RAMBLER The organ in this church is unfortunately placed so as to be but faintly audible, and requires the assistance of some arch- mason to render it fully available. With regard to education and the charities, a general paro- chial fund is maintained in this parish, to insure the permanent support of those clubs which afford such essential relief to the poor. The charitable institutions in the parish which are assisted by this fund are the National and Infants' School, the Infants' School Clothing Club, the Sunday School Clothing Club, the Adult Clothing Club, a Coal Club, &c. The Boys' School, under the superintendence of Mr. Lake, has been in most successful operation since January, 1847; and the Rev. H. W. Bellairs, a Government school inspector, on his last visit to St. John's, examined several children with a view to their admission as pupil teachers. Mr. Lake has also opened an evening school for young men to learn to read and write. The attendance has been good, and much benefit is anticipated from this plan. New Girls' and Infants' Schools were opened in July last, at a cost (including the enlargement of the church- yard) of nearly 1,200. The number of children now on the school books are boys, 97; girls, 73; and infants, 83. The deposits paid into the various clubs during the year amounted to no less than 173. 2s. 7d.; and the total receipts during the same period on behalf of all these institutions and charities (including the choir and a lending library) was upwards of 530. The committee state that, without the aid of these clubs, many families would have been almost entirely destitute of fuel and clothing. A system of charity is in operation, which needs to be very little extended, to render it fully adequate to the relief of the educational and temporal wants of the parish ; and in this respect I know of no parish which presents a more satisfactory aspect. With regard to the funds left at various times for church and charitable purposes, it seems that for a long number of years, and till recently, the feoffees have been receiving and disbursing the rents and proceeds of property left " for godly and charitable purposes," whereas, under the feoff- IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 79 ment deed, it was their duty only to be receivers or trustees, and to baud over the amount to the churchwardens, who were to apply them as might be deemed best by themselves and a select meeting of the most responsible parishioners. Mr. Coucher (who is churchwarden with Mr. Philpotts) showed at a recent parish meeting that in February, 1847, he had received a balance from the late Mr. James of 15. 10s. 4d., and he pro- duced accounts and vouchers of his subsequent receipts and expenditure. It was also shown that the gross annual value of these church and charity funds will be 65. 15s. 6d., and after deducting all unavoidable expenses, a clear sum of about 55 will be left, to be applied for the repairs of the church and for other charitable purposes. It was the opinion of the meeting that the feoffees had kept their accounts accurately, and had disbursed only on legitimate objects, also that no charitable bequests had been allowed to lapse within living memory. This living (value 635) is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter. Vicar, the Rev. Canon Wood. Curates, the Rev. F. H. Bennett and the Rev. T. H. Greene. Clerk, Mr. Munn. Organist, Mrs. Bird. Population, 2,663. It. Caul's in tjre 3&lnrkjnmse. LBERTUS MAGNUS, when in honour of a crowned visitor lif siiiMcnly transmuted the frost and MIOW of winter into the warmth and luxuriance of a summer's day, astonished in no greater degree his illustrious guest than would the rapid and extensive changes in the district known to my readers as "the Blockhouse" be likely to astound one's grandfather, were he now permitted to leave his snug little free- hold of 6 feet by 3 feet, and make a survey of that portion of the city of Worcester. At the time of the Civil Wars, and indeed up to a period within living memory, almost the whole of this 80 THE RAMBLER now populous neighbourhood consisted of green fields, inter- sected by walks and paths leading to Perry Wood, and being outside the walls and the town ditch, was overlooked and defended by a military fortification, or " blockhouse," as the best authorities have it, from which the name was derived to the mass of brick and mortar, poverty and filth, which has now superseded the open campaign. Living memory recalls the old erection which a quarter of a century ago stood near the archway at " the Friar's Gate," close to the most interesting relics of the Friar's Monastery, but I have not been enabled to ascertain whether this was the identical block-house or not. This ancient fortification has been replaced by another of a different character, namely, the city gaol; the old wall has been superseded by a thousand new ones ; the town ditch by the canal, and the old monastery of the Franciscans has found a good substitute in the church of St. Paul. The rapid growth of this district within the kst few years was occasioned partly by the great scarcity of houses for artizans of the poorer classes, which set speculators to work in a sudden mania for the erection of this description of dwelling ; the formation of the canal and the establishment of Hardy's Foundry also tended to thicken the inhabitants ; to say nothing of the notable attempt to draw together "Patients young and patients old, Patients hot and patients cold," to drench themselves at the wells of the Blockhouse " Spa" which, however, like the waters of the steam engine, ended in vapour. Meanwhile the increase of the population, was ex- ceedingly rapid, and there was no man to " care for their souls." In consequence, then, of the awfully demoralized state of the Blockhouse or I should rather have said the extra-parochial part of it steps were taken about twelve years ago to erect a church and to obtain the services of a regularly appointed clergyman ; the individuals who chiefly moved in the business were the late Prebendary Davison, Dr. Nash, Rev. W. Godfery, and Rev. J. Davies, assisted by a number of IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 81 other benevolent individuals. Funds were raised to build the church and to secure a small annual stipend (about 26) to the clergyman, to which the Pastoral Aid Society made an addition. The patronage was to be vested in the Bishop ; but when the church was ready for consecration, it was ascertained to be a doubtful point whether the patronage could be so assigned, or whether, being on extra-parochial ground, it would not vest in the Crown ; accordingly the building was never consecrated, but simply licensed. Upon the passing, however, of the Act of 6 and 7 Victoria, measures were immediately taken to obtain the consent of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to the forma- tion of the extra-parochial part, together with a contiguous part of St. Peter's, into an ecclesiastical parish, thereby settling the question of patronage, and obtaining a permanent endow- ment. This was effected about four years ago, but it involved the necessity of enlarging the church proportionably to the in- creased size of the district. Funds again had, therefore, to be raised, and an appeal was made to the public, which was most generously and promptly responded to. A grant of 300 had been made by the Incorporated Church Building Society in London towards the original erection ; this had never been paid, as the building had not been consecrated. The society kindly confirmed the grant for the enlargement ; the Diocesan Society also gave 25, the Queen Dowager 25, the Bishop 20, T. Smith, Esq., of Rose Hill, 25, Charles Pidcock, Esq., 21, and other individuals sums to a less amount The work having been completed, 1 set out on the day of the consecration for the purpose of witnessing the ceremony. It is one of the vulgar errors disseminated among our dissenting brethren, that the ceremony of a consecration is a remnant of Popery ; for we find, from the most authentic ecclesiastical his- tory, that the consecration of newly -erected Christian churches, as practised at the present time, was the general custom, being an observance as natural as it is scriptural : it was practised for centuries before Popery was known in the world. The anti- quity of such dedications is evident, from its being an universal 82 THE RAMBLER custom amongst Jews and Gentiles ; and it is observable that, amongst the former, at the consecration of both the tabernacle and temple, it pleased the Almighty to give a manifest sign that He then took possession of them. With the Christians it was a primitive practice. Eusebius tells us that in his time new churches were solemnly consecrated, and the dedications were celebrated with great festivity and rejoicings. But like other usages of the olden time these rejoicings and festivities have given way to the cold proprieties of the present age ; and although such relics of the past usually linger in rural districts later than in towns, yet even in the former there is scarcely one observance now remaining to impress the senses with delight, to be hereafter remembered, and to be associated in the mind of the crowd as an identification of themselves with the foundation and the interests of their church. My old friend, the churchwarden of , the other day, on a similar occa- sion, with a sovereign contempt for modern habits, collected promiscuously under his mahogany the feet of friends and strangers, placed a noble " baron" before them, and made the evening merry with the well-regulated pleasures of the dance. Such acts of audacity however require strong minds to achieve. The poor inhabitants of the Blockhouse came out in groups, with crowds of wondering children, to see " what a consecration was like," as one of them expressed himself; but very few of them carried their curiosity beyond a gaze at the Right Rev. the Bishop and the clergy as they arrived and passed into the church between a file of women and children. The style and appearance of the church have been greatly improved, and it is now one of the most ecclesiastical structures in Worcester, having a nave, chancel, and transepts ; an elegant stone font has been erected in the chancel, from a design by the architect, H. Eginton, Esq. The increased accommodation by the erection of the chancel and transepts has given room for 150 extra sittings, thus making a total of 600, of which the greater part are free. A handsome set of service books, con- sisting of a folio bible and prayer book, with a service book for IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 83 the communion table, has been presented by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The society has also pre- sented publications, to the value of 3, towards the Sunday School and Parochial Lending Library. The customary services having been gone through, the Bishop of the Diocese, Dr. Pepys, ascended the pulpit, and preached from the text of Matthew xi, 5 " And the poor have the gospel preached to them." This is a favourite subject with his lord- ship, and if I mistake not I have heard him give it on a former occasion ; but it cannot be wondered at that one sermon should be made to do " double duty" when I am informed that during the three or four years in which his lordship had then held the Episcopate of Worcester he had consecrated no less than between thirty and forty churches. The sympathies of the Bishop of Worcester are with the poor: he preaches to them and for them, and never is his lordship's ear turned away from the petition of a poverty stricken claimant : the wealthy and the titled find in him an unflinching monitor on the fearful responsi- bilities of wealth, while the poor man is gained over to a re- cognition of his own important duties to society, and to a cheerful sense of religion, by the kindness of manner as much as by the humble seriousness and devotion characterizing his lordship's teaching. There was a beam of holy joy lighting up his eye as he called to mind the saying of his Master, " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," and detailed, in his own unassuming manner, the comparative excel- lence of the Christian dispensation, in that it taught the gospel to the poor, while both Jews and Pagans utterly despised and neglected their lower orders, allowing them to fall away into the most childish and debasing superstitions. And right well does his lordship appeal to his auditors in cases of charity or benevo- lency : so much so that I defy any one fairly to hear him out without putting his shilling on the plate, or else walking home- ward with a confounded twitching of the conscience. " I fear," said a country curate to his flock, " when I explained to you in my last charity sermon that philanthrophy was the love of our o2 84 THE RAMBLER species, you must have understood me to say ' specie,' which may account for the smallness of the collection. I hope you will prove, by your present contribution, that you no longer labour under the same mistake !" Although his lordship does not bring it home in so direct a manner as did the country curate, yet he aims at the same effect another way, by showing the utter worthlessness, not to say the positive detriment, of riches, to the possessor who uses them without reference to the bodily and spiritual requirements of his poorer fellow creatures. Another marked feature in his lordship's sentiments is the ear- nest warmth with which he deprecates the revival of obsolete ceremonials in the Church, as calculated, in their best effect, to do no positive good, and, in their worst, to root up the member- ship and communion of whole congregations. As a moderator in the recent unhappy debates his lordship has evinced much of Christian forbearance, mixed with due assumption of prelatic authority. He is aware that among the rules suggested by the Jesuits of a former day " for bringing England to the Roman religion without tumult" was one enjoining " to nourish the differences of the preachers which are in error, and so to work that they may often confer and wrangle." While holding so high an authority in the Church, Dr. Pepys perceives it to be a duty incumbent on him to interpose his veto in cases of un- called-for revivals, on the principle of my Lord Bacon, that " a froward retention of custom is as turbulent a thing as an innovation, and they that reverence too much of old times are but a scorn to the new ;" still I have no reason to believe that his lordship can smell out the Pope in a pair of candlesticks, or that he fears the clergy will ever again voluntarily settle down in a state of celibacy. A sweet-toned organ was erected here in 1846 by voluntary subscription. The school-rooms have been enlarged and ren- dered more commodious during the past year, at a cost of upwards of 400 ; 100 of which was subscribed by the Council Education Committee, and 50 by the National Society. The original school-rooms were built at the sole expense of the Rev. IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 85 R. Gascoyne, the first curate at this church. There are about 250 boys and girls in these schools, in addition to which an Infant School has been just commenced, and the indefatigable minister now proposes to raise funds for the purpose of erecting a house for the schoolmistress. The neighbourhood of the Blockhouse, which I hare before said was extremely demoralized, has been greatly improved in character so much so, that the Bishop, in his sermon, made the cheering observation that the Blockhouse furnished to the magisterial bench fewer cases of offences, comparatively speak- ing, than any other district in the city ! This speaks well for the zealous supervision of the minister, over a population of 2,000, almost of the very poorest class. The Socialists some years ago pitched their tent in this district, but have now abandoned their " Hall of Science," which is converted into a school-room. The Bishop is the patron of the perpetual curacy of St. Paul's (value 1 00). Incumbent, the Rev. D. Wheeler. Clerk, Mr. J. Shepherd. Organist, Mr. Soley. Population, 2,000. ;^ ;:.1TIKS and states, like other bodies, whether earthly 0^ ( |C or heavenly, have their rising and their setting their 9BMK periods of growth and decay ; and in tracing the his- tory of a city, we find that, for the most part, bricks and mortar are subject to the same kind of laws which influence flesh and blood or any other of the varied forms of ponderable matter. There are a thousand resemblances between the h'fe of man and the history of a city ; the building mania which sometimes takes possession of the public mind is represented in the rapid growth of the stripling, who, as he eagerly presses forward to the age of twenty-one, thinks not of the corrugated brow and 86 THE RAMBLER the silver hair ; while conflagrations, inundations, the beleager- ment of factions, and the " tooth of Time," in their separate or conjoint effect on the architectural works of man, have each a type in the diseases, sorrows, passions, and several ages of humanity. The advancement of civilization, and the peaceful pursuit of the arts and sciences, for the endowment of both body and mind, contrast somewhat favourably with the dark and troublous days of the past, to which young England is wont to look back as at a lost paradise. During the last quarter of a century, what has not been achieved for the amelioration of social life ! And no reflecting man can now behold the margins of our cities, dotted as they are with villas and delightful retreats, streets widened and thrown open, marshes drained, and mortality arrested, without coming to the conclusion that these " piping times of peace" have, at least, done something for society. Such was my train of thought one day that I sauntered by St. George's chapel, on a site where within recent memory children had gathered buttercups and daisies, and rioted in the tall grass, loudly exultant in the sunshiny present, and dreaming as little of a darker day to come, as that the shadows of chimneys would ever be cast on that spot ! Gradually, de- tached houses here and there sprang up, then the buildings, as though by magic ? fell into ranks, became elongated, described squares, terraces, crescents, and so forth ; and now let us see their names Britannia Square, Severn Terrace, the Moors, Albany Place, York Buildings, Barbourne Terrace, Sansome Buildings, and St. George's Square' the whole forming a very " faire suburbe." A walk in that direction affects me more than the most eloquent sermon, delivered through a canon's lips ; each house to me is a text, every chimney offers up a prayer, and the whole collection produces on my mind that kind of sensation with which a man looks upon a grown-up family, about to shoulder him into another world. The city end of the parish of Claines becoming thus populated, rendered it necessary that a chapel of ease should be erected, the mother church being at a distance of about two miles, and the total number of IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 87 inhabitants being then about 5,000. For this purpose, grants were made by some of the associations connected with church- building; Sir H. Wakeman (father of the present Baronet), being the patron of Claines, contributed largely, and the rest was raised by subscription. Mr. James Wakeman gave a painted window, and a lady in the neighbourhood presented a service of communion plate. The cost of erection was about 3,500 ; and the site was purchased at half-price from the pro- prietor, Mr. Hope. The architects were Mr. James Lucy and Mr. Lewis Belling. The foundation-stone was laid by^Bishop Cornewall, on the llth of March, 1829, and the building was consecrated in October of the following year. The erection, which forms one side of the square (if the shape of a clock-case may be called a square), is a conspicuous ornament to the Birmingham Road approach to Worcester, from whence its modest Gothic front is seen to great advantage, aided by the comfortable appearance of the neat dwellings on either side, nestling among shrubbery, with well-trimmed lawns and gardens lying before them. Some eight years ago, when I attended this church for the first time on a bright Sunday in June, the sexton did me the honour of conducting me to a large pew, where sat two young women, each with an infant in her arms, attended by five or six friends of both sexes ; and from the interest with which the youngsters were regarded, as well as from other indications, it was tolerably clear that I was in the midst of a " christening" party, the result of which I began to suspect would not be remarkably pleasant to myself. One of the little cherubs (who had scarcely seen the light of two months) slept away happily in its land of dreams, the whole time of the service ; the other, who might have been a year old, sat upright, as though deter- mined to witness every process of the ceremonial ; and had I been the principal operator he could not have kept more intently his large and beautiful blue eyes upon me. By and bye, some inward twitching made the little beauty shout at the top of his lungs, and then with a continued whimpering he succeeded for 88 THE RAMBLER a full quarter of an hour in drawing upon our party the undi- vided attention of the congregation, till the sexton, who I sup- pose had taken me for the father, thrust his head over the seat, and whispering to me in an admonitory strain, said, " Why don't you take the child, and see what you can do with it ?" This I politely declined, not wishing, for the entertainment of the congregation, to become No. 1 in so grotesque a grouping. Accordingly I attempted another means of pacification by giving the infant the handle of my umbrella to play with. Be- fore however I had got through the next prayer, he had made an abortive attempt to swallow the article, which necessarily issued in another violent fit of coughing, the mother regarding me with marked displeasure, as a brute not fit to be within a hundred miles of a nursery. I closed my book with a feeling of despair, and mentally vowed that if ever I should get clear of that seat I would most religiously keep aloof from it for the future. Some years afterwards I paid another visit to St. George's, and observing that the aforesaid seat was then empty, I thought that on this occasion it might be adventured with safety, and being in a measure public property that is to say, a receptacle for miscellaneous visitors I preferred taking pos- session of that, to being dependent on the politeness of the pro- prietors of any other pew. Strange to say, I had not been seated five minutes when another party (with an infant) were shown in, and drove me into a corner from whence there was no hope of escape. I began to think there was something more than a common fatality superintending this coincidence, and would at the time have given a trifle to be seated elsewhere, even though it were in the icy choir of the Cathedral ; but on this occasion fortunately I suffered no inconvenience except what was occasioned by the thought that the congregation must have considered me as being somehow mysteriously connected with the paternity of the neighbourhood. The officiating clergyman (who, I believe, is much respected by his flock for a large endowment of Christian piety, and exceeding amiability of manners) preached an excellent sermon IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 89 on the fundamental truths of revelation, which would have been highly impressive had the rev. gentleman dashed it with more energy and emphasis. Let it here be understood that I am by no means an admirer of that class of violent cushion-whackers concerning one of whom a little girl, who was taken to church for the first time in her life, went home and told her mother that "she had seen a man dancing in a tub;" but I am con- vinced that, however it may be with the elderly branches of the congregation, the younger members require no small degree of animation in a preacher to beat away " The dreams that wave before their half-shut eye," and occasionally even a startling effort to arouse them. " Pray, Mr.' Betterton," asked the good Archbishop Bancroft of the celebrated actor, " can you inform me of the reason you actors on the stage, speaking of things imaginary, affect your audience as if they were real ; while we in the Church speak of things real, which our congregations receive only as if they were ima- ginary 1" " Why, really, my Lord," answered Betterton, " I don't know ; unless it is that we actors speak of things imagi- nary as if they were real, while you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary." The singing was got up by the joint efforts of one man and two or three children, posted in the western gallery, and who all sang in unison the three hymns being sung to " Boanerges," " New Sabbath," and another composition very similar to that of " Isle of Beauty." No organ* swelled its solemn note of praise and adoration ; and with the addition of a flute and bass- viol, any one would have fancied himself in a conventicle. It is gratifying that of late the public attention has been called so much to the subject of music, and that it has extended to some of our places of worship, where the aid of science and good taste is much more in requisition than formerly ; still there is much to be done. Ilullah and Mainzer have fairly tested our musical taste, as a nation, but " the million" is sadly dwindling * I am glad to hear that active measures are now taken for the erection of an organ here. 90 THE RAMBLER down now that it is found out. It has been well said, that music, though delightful, is not to be acquired like an epidemic. Some difficulties have to be surmounted before a sound musical taste is diffused ; because, in many congregations, in avoiding the drawling time in which the noblest tunes were sung during the last generation, a series of noisy song-like melodies have been introduced, and become so associated with favourite hymns, as to be really admired, although their adaptation is alike offensive to the rules of harmony and correct taste. A writer in Blackwood says " There is to us more of touching pathos, heart- thrilling expression in some of the old psalm tunes, feel- ingly displayed, than in a whole batch of modernism. The strains go home, and ' the fountains of the great deep are broken up' the great deep of unfathomable feeling, that lies far, far below the surface of the world-hardened heart ; and as the un- wonted yet unchecked tear starts to the eye, the softened spirit yields to its influence, and shakes off the load of earthly care, rising purified and spiritualised into a clearer atmosphere. Strange, inexplicable associations brood over the mind, ' like the far off dreams of Paradise,' mingling their chaste melan- choly with a still, subdued, though more cheerful character. How many glad hearts in the olden times have rejoiced in these songs of praise ; how many sorrowful ones sighed out their com- plaints in those plaintive notes that steal sadly yet sweetly on the ear, hearts that now cold in death are laid to rest around that sacred church within whose walls they have often swelled with emotion !" Chanting, too, being that musical modulation of the voice with which prayers are offered in our cathedrals, ought properly to be adopted in our churches. We know that for the use of music and poetry in our sacred services we have the authority of scripture ; and chanting especially (which Dr. Hook not inappropriately terms " the voice of the Church") continually reminds the supplicant of the solemn, unearthly duty in which he is engaged. It is devoutly to be hoped that looking at the influence which the Roman Catholic services exercise IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 91 on the popular mind by reason of their cultivated school of music well directed efforts may be made by Protestants to- wards the same end ; for surely, if by these means we can allure souls to the house of God, they are not to be slightly rejected. The musical institutions of the city likewise should take this subject under their active notice. There is no doubt that the best results would ensue from energy and perseverance, the chief obstacles being ignorance and old-established usage. Of this I will give an instance, with which to conclude the sub- ject. In a certain church near Birmingham the practice of chanting the Psalms had been introduced by the pastor, and a small portion of the congregation seemed rather pleased with this procedure, while others felt annoyed, but none more so than an old woman, who had always been accustomed to here them read. She pondered for a moment on this apparent breach of decorum, and suddenly starting up, she marched down the aisle, book in hand, " spectacle on nose," and fire in her eye, until within a few paces of the reading desk, when fixing her eyes upon the preacher, in a stentorian voice she thus accosted him " You out to be ashamed on yurself, Mr. F , you ant to let them there chaps mouth-maul them blessed Psalms in such a manner." The sensation produced by this abrupt proceeding may be better conceived than described. The only point of interest remaining in connexion with St. George's Chapel is the state of the schools : there are Sunday and daily schools, supported by voluntary contributions and children's pence. The former, according to the last account, contain about 130 boys and 110 girls; the daily schools about 87 boys and 82 girls. The curate of St. George's is the Rev. B. Davis. Clerk, Mr. W. Greenway. GK A m A 92 THE RAMBLER it SWermttf Cjmrrjr. 'T was Sabbath morn ! the summer sun in cloudless splendour shone, And ting'd with gold each curling wave, as soft it rippled on ; I walk'd along the winding shore, bespread with pebbles rare, For thus I hoped ere noon to reach the distant house of prayer. I came where by the river's bank some stately vessels lay, And many seamen sought the beach, in Sabbath raiment gay; I mark'd not, as they passed along, their staid and thoughtful air, But sighed and wish'd they'd turn with me, and seek the house of prayer. At length a streamer fair and broad my fix'd attention drew, For in its folds it gave the dove and olive branch to view; The seamen climb'd the vessel's side which did that banner bear ; I followed, and with joy beheld a floating house of prayer. Above, beneath, each steadfast eye upon the preacher hung, And sweet and holy was the strain the sons of ocean sung ; No vacant look, no wandering glance, no drowsy nod, was there, Nor did one restless form disturb the seamen's house of prayer. I listened to the gospel's sound, amidst a scene so new, And saw at times the trickling tear a manly cheek bedew; I pray'd that He, who loves His own, might make that ark His care, And many souls be born within the seamen's house of prayer. The rippling wave, the winding shore, no longer meet my gaze, No more the snow-white Bethel flag my pensive footstep stays ; But oft amidst the sacred calm of Sabbath morning fair, My thoughts with new delight recall the seamen's house of prayer. Huic. ^.5**s/ ( EADER! will you accompany me to the Floating Chapel ? ';(jAJ( 1 have ;ilrc:i(ly led you to (iotliic piles, and described ;/>sr\'',r to you many ;i relic of antiquity, with the sculptured pageantry of death, and the moral of the " storied urn." Let us now, nothing despising, together enter this humble structure, and seek what edification we may among the lowly worshippers who here hold communion with their Maker. No fretted roof nor long-drawn aisle nor elaborate chiselling here arrests the eye, nor florid eloquence the ear, nor brilliant equipage the admiration, of the visitor ; but what of that ? IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 93 " What constitutes a church ? Not Roman basilic or Gothic pile, With fretted roof, tall spire, and long drawn aisle : These only mock thy search : Fantastic sepulchres when all is said Seek not the living among the dead." A brief history of the "Episcopal Floating Chapel" would perhaps not be unacceptable ; and indeed, while describing the ecclesiastical buildings and associations belonging to Worcester and its vicinity, it seems desirable not to omit a place of worship set apart for a body of men whose demoralized habits are un- happily notorious throughout the land. The case of this too long neglected class has of late years attracted a degree of pub- lic attention, and efforts have been made in some parts of the kingdom to promote their moral and religious culture, and that with encouraging success. About three years ago, principally through the philanthropic and Christian exertions of the Rev. J. Davies, Rector of St. Clement's, who has been instrumental in befriending the boatmen on various navigations, aided by other excellent individuals, a committee was formed in this city for promoting the religious instruction of the bargemen and boatmen of the Severn and also of the Worcester and Birming- ham Canal. The Lord Bishop having given his hearty sanction, and a donation of '25, to which 50 was added by the venerable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and other benevo- lent individuals having also given liberally, the work was com- menced. The Albion (a vessel noted and described among the watermen as being " remarkable for luck in her voyages") was purchased and fitted up, at an expense of nearly 400, and was soon afloat. 1 have taken some pains to ascertain the effects that have been produced by the exertions of the above named rev. gentleman and of the zealous clergymen who have officiated as chaplains at this place of worship ; and the particulars I have accumulated are certainly most interesting, though by far too numerous and lengthened for my confined space. It has been abundantly proved that this rough class of meu are not only susceptible of kindness, but that they appreciate, and in the main 94 THE RAMBLER make good use of, the efforts made by their superiors. Many of them, as well as their wives and families, have become steady and respectable in their calling, and there are not wanting instances of swearing and drunkenness being abandoned. That the boys and young watermen in general should receive instruction before their vicious habits become hopelessly deep-rooted, is perhaps, if possible, even of more importance than the reformation of the elder branches viewed as a preventive of future demora- lization. It may also be recollected by some of my readers that a, police officer, who was called to give evidence before the Con- stabulary Commissioners, stated that " he had known instances of boat-boys of 12 or 14 years of age, connected with robberies, from whom it was quite as difficult to gain information on the subject as from the oldest thieves in the trade." But very encouraging instances have occurred of improvement among the younger boatmen for instance, I was told that not long ago the prize for best behaviour was awarded to the son of a water- man at an examination of one of the parochial schools of this city. On the whole it is evident that the attempt to benefit the men employed in the navigations connected with this city has been attended with a success very encouraging to those benevo- lent individuals who have contributed to the funds. It should be remarked that the chaplain, the Rev. B. Williams, is paid by the Church Pastoral Aid Society; yet it is obvious that benefactions will be necessary from time to time to keep the vessel in repair, and for other contingencies. While on the subject, I may state, as the result of inquiries, that places of worship have been provided for this class at Oxford, Preston Brook, Runcorn, Manchester, Liverpool, and the banks of the river Weaver, as well as on the Staffordshire line, yet a lament- able deficiency still exists on almost all the navigations through- out the kingdom ; and what has excited the greatest surprise is, that at Gloucester, where so many seamen and bargemen congregate, no religious instruction is provided for them (and it is well known they have insuperable objections, on account of their dress, &c., to enter any of the regular churches), but a IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 95 dissenting minister occasionally assembles a few under a canopy of tarpauling raised on board one of the vessels. The clamorous little bell of " Noah's Ark" (now anchored near Worcester bridge) caught my ear on a Sunday afternoon, as I was trudging by the Severn Terrace, and seemed so perti- naciously to insist that all who were within sound should come and answer to its summons, that I could not resist, and accord- ingly bent my steps in that direction. The day was fine, and dozens of the poorer classes, as well as boatmen, were coining from all the cardinal points, and wending their way down the Quay steps, towards the chapel, while groups of idle spectators on the bridge were adjusting their elbows or chins on the railing, and knots of two or three were dangling about street corners and other " vantage ground" some in listless vacuity, others passing coarse comment or clownish jokes on each member of the increasing congregation, as they severally passed by. The sexton and his wife were ensconced in the little cabin, erected as a habitation for them at the one end ; the former individual, with his coat and waistcoat off, appearing in a swel- tering perspiration with his lusty efforts at the bell-rope. The little edifice was now rapidly filling, and I with some difficulty obtained a sitting. Although highly gratified to witness so large an attendance of boatmen and their families, I could not help thinking that the broad-cloth I saw here and there, and the liberal sprinkling of velvet and silk bonnets and shawls, had the effect of displacing coarser materials. The attendance here of the superior classes should be discouraged they have churches of their own, and ought therefore considerately to leave the boatmen to the full advantages of theirs. The chapel is neatly fitted up with backed seats, pulpit, communion table, &c., and the ventilation is well provided for so well indeed, that being unfortunately placed in a right line between two of the openings or trap-doors, arranged on both sides of the vessel, I caught something in my ear very near akin to tic doloreux. The sing- ing was well and modestly led by two or three females, and heartily joined in by the bulk of the congregation ; indeed it 96 THE RAMBLER was gratifying to witness the devout attention paid not only to this but to every other part of the services. Not a single instance of levity or of unbecoming conduct occurred. The sermon was drawn from the well-known invitation of the founder of our faith "Come unto me, all ye that la- bour," &c. From this passage the preacher made an excellent address, contrasting the different kinds of invitation and the promises held out by Epicureans, Stoics, Pharisees, and Sad- ducees, with those of Christ. This discourse, embracing the fundamentals of our religion, was couched in language so fami- liar and comprehensible to the intellect of the audience occa- sionally soothing to their fears, encouraging to their hopes, and now and then seasoned with a spice of quiet but most startling representation that no one present (and among them were several dissenters) could wonder at the success of the rev. gentleman's ministry. And let it not be supposed that these "plain sermons" are, after all, so easily composed; a judi- cious writer in a Bristol paper says and I fully agree with him that it is a most enviable and rare talent, that of being able to preach a good plain sermon : some people think it merely consists in talking down to the comprehensions of a rude and primitive people, whereas you have really to talk up to them you have to make clearer to them that which is clear you have to present great truths to them in the most striking and least involved style you have to quicken dull apprehen- sions, and to teach solemn things in simple lessons, so that they may leave an impressiou upon easy natures not always the quickest to receive, or the best to retain them. In conclusion, I must commend the Watermen's Church to the support of the benevolent. The demoralized condition of the men employed upon our inland navigations has, unhappily, become so proverbial, that little proof on this point is required. The criminal code confirms the declaration made by a gentle- man well acquainted with our navigations "that he knew of no class so reckless, so desperate, so depraved, as canal boatmen ;" a declaration corroborated by the remarks made IN WORCESTERSHIRE. 97 by Chief Baron Pollock, as well as the late Baron Gurney. Between the 1st of January, 1836, and the 31st of December, 1846, there were not less than 302 belonging to this class com- mitted to Worcester gaol, for offences perpetrated within the boundaries of the city alone, out of which number only one could read and write well .'" It is (says the Rev. J. Davies) to be deeply deplored, that factors and tradesmen are so urgent as to the despatch of goods, and thus tempt rival companies to keep up a system of Sunday traffic, which compels the honest boatman either to wound his conscience by violating the law of God, or be exposed to the loss of his situation, and find himself and his family deprived of bread. It may be added, that some time ago the boat-boys were invited to attend at the vestry of the Waterman's Church, for the purpose of learning to read, write, and cast accounts. The numbers recently receiving these rudiments of education were twenty boys and seven adults, among the latter being a boat- man sixty years of age, and at their request the attendance was increased to two evenings, instead of one in the week. The Rev. B. Williams is the present curate at this chapel. BJitlttj. Go forth into the country, From a world of care and guile ; Go forth to the untainted air And the sunshine's open smile. It shall clear thy clouded brow, It shall loose the worldly coil That binds thy heart too closely up, Thou man of care and toil ! |HE public road to the parish church of Witley passes close in front of Lord Ward's mansion, which was recently occupied by Her Majesty the Queen Dowager ; Lord Ward, who purchased the property from the Foley family (in whose possession it had remained for two centuries), being on the continent at the time of my visit here. Having some time on my hands I sauntered through the grounds, the beauty and excellent arrangement of which were a source of admira- tion, although a December fog, like a thick veil over nature's face, hid half her beauties from me. These grounds were laid out and improved by the late Lord Foley, who had excellent taste, and a nice appreciation of landscape gardening : there are sheets of water, and islands, and cascades tumbling and foaming, and undulating surfaces embosomed in evergreens, and laby- rinthine patlis winding their crooked courses among verdant shrubberies, and lofty clustering trees to overlook the whole. The present approaches were also formed by the late lord, the old entrance leaving the turnpike road in front of the house, H2 100 THE RAMBLER. passing down an avenue, and crossing the lake over a bridge. The park consists of about 400 acres, and is well stocked with deer. There are here some gigantic oaks in full vigour one (which is in decay) near to the south front measures thirty feet in circumference ; and I may here add, that immediately on the confines of the parish formerly stood an oak under which St. Augustine is said to have met the monks of Bangor ; it was always called St. Augustine's oak, and may possibly have been the spot for such a meeting, for Selden considers that it took place on the western borders of Worcestershire.* The park for the most part lies in Witley parish, but a small portion is in the chapelry of Little Witley. The late lord planted the young woods which surround the park, about 200 acres. The waters, I am told, are fed from Woodbury Hill, aided by underground currents which burst forth in various parts of the parish ; and as they do not vary in the hottest summer nor in the wettest winter, it is considered that they flow from some distant underground reservoir. Woodbury and Abberley hills are formed of a basaltic gravel, skirted by a layer of limestone. In the parish of Shelsley there is a basaltic dike, but not in Witley or Abberley. The substratum of the park, as of the parish, is new red sandstone, which breaks forth in the park, and crops out against the limestone which runs between the two hills, and on which lime Abberley Hall")* stands. The church stands upon the solid rock (red sand), and its dryness is exemplified by the gilding of the internal decorations not having been renewed since the building was erected. The old church stood about a quarter of a mile west of the mansion : the present one is close to and has a private entrance from the same. It was built by the first Lord Foley in the * Bede says this conference was held on the borders of the Wiccii and West Saxons, which probably was not in Worcestershire, but, as is gene- rally supposed, at or near Aust, in Gloucestershire. (See my article on fcuckley.) t Ilecently burnt to the ground. This hall, formerly Abberley Lodge, was once the residence of the poet Walsh, where Pope and others of classic celebrity frequently assembled. Part of the house is in this parish. Walsh was three times chosen parliamentary representative for this county. GREAT WITLET. 101 beginning of the last century, and was completed by his widow ; it is dedicated to St. Michael. Nash says, very truly, that " it is a room worthy of the opulence and taste of the family." It has not much pretension to any classic order, excepting the porch, which is Doric ; and the general style of decoration is Saracenic. The interior is very gorgeous, with paintings and splendid gold panellings. An old man, to whom I put some questions on the subject, declared that " a hogshead of gold had been melted down for the occasion." The windows were painted by Price,* in 17 19, and represent the Annunciation, the Birth of Christ, Peter Walking on the Sea, the Resurrection, John Baptising Christ, the Magi, &c.; the paintings were said to be Italian, and to have been designed for the chapel at Cannons, but when misfortunes befel the magnificent Duke of Chandos, and Cannons was dismantled, they were purchased by the second Lord Foley, and were found to answer the purpose well ; the paintings, however, have been sadly disfigured by modern patchwork. The subjects on the ceiling consist of a Dead Christ, the Ascension, &c. ; they were by the Verrio, who, by his distinguished performances at Blenheim and Hampton Court, gave a style and perfection to the internal decorations which characterised the early part of the last century. Some good carvings adorn the ceilings and the east wall; but the most attractive specimen of art is the monument, in the recess at the south side of the communion table, to the first Lord Foley and his lady probably one of Rysbrach's best ; the proportions of both male and female figures appear to be perfect. On the whole, this church is one of the most magnificent and costly temples in this county dedicated to divine worship, and reflects honour on the munificence of the founder. The attendance at church was not very numerous a circumstance which surprised me, for your rural population is ever agape in the presence of rank, whether it be that of the royal blood, a live lord, or an every day country squire. Some time ago there was one of * This Price is celebrated for his discovery of a transparent blue, but which discovery died with him. 02 THE RAMBLER. he largest congregations ever known at a village church near pswich, during a visit of Sir Robert Peel at the seat of a gen- leman in the parish. It seems that in this case the rural folk ent to church in the full expectation of hearing Sir Robert reach, as they had heard he was a prime minister ; and there > no doubt the right hon. baronet would gladly have dispensed /ith a little of his notoriety for the occasion. This passion for azing is one of our national traits. " Did you ever see the ing ?" said a boy to his father ; " No, ray dear, but I had an uut that was very near seeing the Duke of Sussex." Luckily ler Majesty the Queen Dowager, whose fondness for retirement enders all such public intrusions irksome, in her attendance at vVitley church has the advantage of a private entrance and a arge and well sheltered pew. Her Majesty did not attend the service on this morning, and I regretted to hear that indisposition was the cause. Her Majesty's usual drive was over Abberley Hill to the valley of the Teme, on which occasions it is said Her Majesty richly enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the hills. How good an example is here set to the aristocratic world, who in gene- ral are dissatisfied with every thing appertaining to the country from which they draw their immense resources the peacefulness and quiet comfort of the English village have no charms for them, and even the elegance of London society wants a " French polish" to render its surface still more deceptive. Her Majesty's good sense in this, as in all other points, requires, however, no advocacy from me : it is, in brief, only equal to the uniform benevolence and extensive charities which have made her an object of the warmest benediction in the hearts of the poor, not only of the parish of Witley, but of the United Kingdom.* Sir Andrew Barnard and others of the suite attended divine service on the morning of my visit. The prayers were read by the rector in his usual calm and unaffected style. Of this worthy gentleman I may be allowed to say, in passing, that he combines in one the man, the Christian, and the faithful pastor, effecting much good openly, but infinitely more in secret, the object and * Her Majesty left Witley in April, 1846. GREAT WITLEY. 103 tendency of whose life is the bodily and spiritual comfort of his fellow creatures. The poor have in him a sure friend, the higher classes a valued associate ; and through his public use- fulness and active benevolence the name of Pearson is linked with the history of much that is good and valuable in the county. The reverend gentleman, I understand, with the assistance of his family, takes the entire charge of the parish of Witley. The daily school at this pkce contains between 50 and 60 children, and there are more on a Sunday. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager took much interest in it. The state of the parish seems to be highly satisfactory, and I am told that all the cottagers have large gardens, some a quarter of an acre, others more. The late Lord Foley, to whom the whole parish belonged, was very anxious that the cottagers should be so provided ; and his memory is no doubt blessed among them. The parish of Great Witley is not devoid of interest to the antiquary. On the crown of Woodbury Hill (situate therein) is an ancient fortification, believed to be a British camp, which encloses about 26 acres ; indeed, there is a chain of these camps from Witley into Wales, more or less perfect. This parish formed a portion of the territory of the Silures, over which the once celebrated Caractacus ruled. There is a tradition that Owen Glendower was posted on Woodbury, and Henry the Fourth's forces on Abberley Hill, and that hi the engagement which took place between the respective armies (A.D. 1405, after Owen's plunder of Worcester) the king's army used cannon : certain it is that cannon were used in those days, and as certain that balls (some of them 71bs. weight) were found buried in Woodbury Hill, and one of which was presented by the rector to the Worcester Natural History Society. Lord Ward is the patron of the living (value 391). Rector, the Rev. Thomas Pearson. Organist, Miss Emma Holmes. Population, 381. 104 THE RAMBLER. approaching this church from the fields, no one would suspect the existence of an ecclesiastical edifice, the site being so flanked and defended by trees. The building wears a piecemeal appearance, as though it had been formed by the junction of three or four old houses. The original portions of the building bear traces of both the Tudor and Per- pendicular styles, here and there disguised by the alterations and repairs of more modern architects, the bulk of these altera- tions (including a handsome new porch) having been effected some five or six years ago. The porch is decorated with small stained glass windows ; and a poor's box is there fixed, which, by its bright and clean appearance, puts a negative upon the facetious satire I have somewhere heard, namely, that charity boxes are the safest sanctuary for the spider to take shelter in to avoid intrusion. The interior of the church consists of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, formed by two rows of pillars and arches. The east window is of modern stained glass, bearing the royal and episcopal arms ; at the west end is a gallery with an organ of tolerably good tone and quality, and small galleries over the north and south aisles are among the latest improvements. The organ was presented by the late Sir H. Wakeman, but there is no available fund out of which to repair it or to pay the organist, who, therefore, is remunerated by subscription. A new stone font stands at the west end of the church ; and there is a basin on a pedestal standing by the north-west pillar of the chancel. In this same pillar is an ancient piscina (or recess used by the officiating priests, wherein to wash their hands when engaged in the services); it is probably as ancient as 9 Henry V, when Helena and John Frogmere gave two parcels of land in Northwick for the maintenance in Claines church of a chantry to the Virgin. I observed no monu- CLAINES. 105 mental remains worthy of note in the interior ; near the north win- dow of the chancel aisle once lay the stone effigy of John Porter, who formerly occupied and gave the name to " Porter's Mills" in this parish ; this figure is now removed to the outside,and instead of being on its back, is placed on its side, and besides this, is robbed of a leg and hands ; the carving is good, especially of the cap. The inscription conveys a most equivocal compliment " John Porter, which was a lawyer, 1577." It may have been the fact of Mr. Porter belonging to the proscribed pro- fession of the law that induced the authorities to turn his effigy out of the church during the progress of certain repairs, and to make him do penance by lying on his side under the drippings of the roof; the gentleman, however, seemed to have been almost prophetic on this very point while writing the epitaph which was formerly placed over the figure, for the first line of the couplet selected was " Omnia transibunt nos ibimus, ibitis, ibunt." In the churchyard, near the principal north entrance, is a fine specimen of antiquee reliquiae, in the parish stocks ; it was pre- sided over by a still greater piece of antiquity, namely, a very venerable but decaying yew, apparently six or seven centu- ries old. This tree has since been blown down. As the stocks appear to be never brought into requisition (the Sunday wakes being almost suppressed here), I would advise the autho- rities to bargain for the sale of it to the Worcester bench of magistrates, who now, for the lack of such an hold-fast on the understandings of the subject, are constantly compelled to dis- miss without punishment drunkards and disorderlies who may happen to possess no cash ; the act (a very old one) prescribing the stocks as the only alternative in case of non-payment of fine. The churchyard seems to be very full of bodies, but I hear the authorities are endeavouring to extend the yard by purchasing an adjoining piece of land. I suppose it has been the burial place for this very large parish ever since 1498, at which time, after divers controversies at the court of Rome as to whether the dead should be buried here or at Worcester Cathedral, it 106 THE RAMBLER. was agreed on all sides that the parishioners should bury the dead here, on paying 6s. 8d. yearly, on the feast of the Trinity, to the Prior of Worcester. The stoves were crackling"and burning brightly and the sun- beams were streaming through the windows, the seat-doors stood invitingly open, exhibiting comfortable green-baized and cushioned interiors, and all things wore a neat and clean appear- ance, as I entered and introduced myself to the female sexton ; the lady politely essayed to put me into one of the three immense pews (or rather" rooms) which I was told belonged to Sir O. Wakeman, the lord of the manor. Notwithstanding her assurance that there would be abundance of room, as no one scarcely ever came there, I preferred to select a more humble sitting, of about 9 by 12 inches, than to flounder about, a con- spicuous object, in one of as many feet. By and by, the " lord" entered and took his seat in the principal drawing-room, which, with the other two seats, forms nearly one-eighth of the whole ground accommodation of the church, and all this for a single man, a bachelor, and one who rarely brings with him a crowd of relatives or visitors to lounge upon these fifty feet of cushion. No wonder that a parish of 6,000 inhabitants were shockingly squeezed by this arrangement, and that a large number of them were consequently pushed up underneath the roof, and deposited in little galleries ; I am not aware, but of course the whole expense of erecting these galleries ought to have fallen upon the "lord." The services were performed by the perpetual curate in a solemn and deliberate manner ; the singing was tolerably well managed, and the congregation were generally attentive; but I have to complain of several late comers, as likewise of the practice adopted by some young men here of standing up and leaning over the seats when the rest of the people are at prayers. A church is not properly a place for lounging or quizzing ; and hence, I suppose, arose the large red curtains with which a certain respectable lady from an adjoining seminary has entirely ncompassed and shut in her young pupils from the rude gaze CLAINES. 107 f mankind. This Turkish custom, I fear, must be extended f young men will persist in entering our churches with unwor- hy motives. But on the other hand, the ladies have somewhat o blame themselves for ; they too often assume the properties >f the magnet by their flaunting ribbons, their rich satins and /civets ; and I feel assured that the beauty of the ladies of Claines requires no such allies to produce conquests. Of all the follies that can be fairly placed to the charge of the human race and, heaven knows, they are as thick as gnats in a sum- mer sunbeam none can be laid to more people's doors than the pride and the fancifulness of the judgment in adorning, to say nothing of covering, one's outer scaffolding, the body. But when these extravagancies and follies are introduced even into the Temple, 't is not strange that, by such wooing, man becomes fallen a second time, for, as an old satirist observes " When such a she-priest comes her mass to say, Twenty to one they all forget to pray." Claines church, it seems, is a favourite spot a sort of M St. George's, Hanover Square," with the ladies of this neighbour- hood, by whom it is very frequently selected for the perform- ance of a ceremony which the generality of the sex hope to have administered, at least once in their lives, on their own account. A maiden lady (who, by the bye, had traversed the earth's orbit about fifty times) once informed me that it was but natural for people to seek retired spots to hide their follies ; but I feel confident that younger females see in the seclusion of Claines something far different from this their bright eyes and warm hearts see and feel a poetic beauty, and withal a congeniality of position for those who, stepping forth from the crowded ranks of society, plight their mutual vows before the altar of the church, in the calmness and quietude of rural shades. There was a matter of ten or a dozen couples " asked in church" on the occasion of my visit, and I believe that during the ministry of a former curate (who benevolently put all kinds of facilities in the way of young sweethearts) the average was nearly double that of the present tune. No wonder, then, that with this 108 THE RAMBLER. amount of business on the hands of the ringers, and the constant excuses the fraternity will make for the exercise of their voca- tion, the ears of the villagers were dinned perpetually; and that one of the bells, wearied with so much babbling on mar- riages, like a vain coquette, is at last grown old, cracked, and unfit for service.* Times are much altered here since the period (1288) when William Canning (who was five times mayor of Bristol) assumed holy orders at Northwick, in this parish, actually to avoid a marriage in which King Edward had wished him to become one of the principals. The bulk of the great tithes of this parish formerly belonged to St. Wulstan's Hospital, but Henry VIII appropriated them to Christ Church, Oxford. The monastery of the White Ladies originally received the small tithes, and the priest of St. Swithin's, in this city, also received certain of them, as ghostly father to the nuns. The minister of St. Swithin's, I believe, still con- tinues to receive this emolument, although, of course, his " ghostly fathership" has been for many years a sinecure. As a portion of the income of the sisterhood was formerly devoted to the repairs of the chancel of Claines church, I cannot, therefore, help thinking that, as that institution is now sup- pressed, the proceeds of the "ghostly fathership" should be applied in the aforesaid repairs ; or it may very usefully form an addition to the income of the perpetual curate of Claines, and would thus fulfil a far more legitimate purpose than that of enriching a clergyman who has nothing to do with the parish ; for I understand that the whole stated income of the present curate of Claines is but 27, derived from the lay impropriator, augmented by a grant from Queen Anne's bounty, which was laid out in the purchase of land, added to his surplice fees, &c., which perhaps raise the whole to '180 a small sum indeed On the occasion of a recent marriage at Leicester the bells of no less than four parish churches were rung in honour of the event. When the ringers proceeded to ask for their fees, the reasons assigned were as follows :~ No. 1 parish was the residence of the bride ; No. 2, that of the bridegroom ; No. 3, the family of the latter bury in the pariah ; and No. 4, an uncle lived in the parish five atvl twenty years ago. CLAINES. 109 for a perpetual curacy in so extensive a parish, where, I believe, the benevolence of the clergyman results in the distribution of a large portion of his income for charitable purposes. The parish of Claines was originally a chapelry to St. Helen's, Worcester; it was divided into several hamlets or tythings, including the ancient manor of Northwick, and the church was called the church of Northwick, though situated in the hamlet of Claines. In 1218 Claines became a separate parish. It appears that the kite Sir H. Wakeman bought the advowson of this benefice of Christ Church College, pending a suit then hi the Exchequer, and the issue of which was so successful that the baronet is presumed to have made a " nice thing of it." There are said to be, near the church, existing traces of the foundation of an old parsonage house, which house is said to have been standing within living memory, but the patron has not thought it worth his while to restore it, although the present curate, in consequence, lives in a house which, I should say, judging from its size, costs him an annual rental of some 70 or 80. So that it would seem the patron is determined to make the unfortunate curate literally fulfil the apostolic doctrine of " spending and being spent" among his parishioners ; and how he would fare, were it not for the proceeds of another living, it would not be difficult to foresee. The allotment system and provident clubs were in useful operation in this parish, under the care of Mr. Curtler, Mr. Gutch, and Mr. Palmer, the perpetual curate, whose exer- tions in ameliorating the condition of the poor, and educating their children, are well backed and supported by two or three active and benevolent ladies. There were upwards of thirty allotments, but these have since been much reduced. The allot- ments were let at 4. 8s. per acre, and the system progressed satisfactorily during the three years it was tried in this parish. I have been informed, though I am reluctant to believe it, that the two principal landowners in the parish gave no assistance to the benevolent scheme. Among the charitable donations left from time to time in 110 THE RAMBLER this parish are the following: Edward Thomas, gent., 1656, left 50 to remain as stock for ever, to place out poor children as apprentices ; and in connection with this gift, I should think it is a singular instance, unprecedented in any other part of the kingdom, that there is now in hand a large sum of this stock unapplied, for lack of candidates. I am informed, however, that this is not attributable to a want of publicity, as the matter has been advertised. In a large parish like Claines, one would think there were hundreds of poor chil- dren whose parents would be delighted with such an opportunity of benefiting them. I hope this will answer the purpose of an advertisement to such persons. Among the remaining charities are Mr. Charles Evans, 10, interest to be given to old bach- elors and maids on St. John's day ; and the Rev. T. Cooke, 2 1 , interest to purchase gowns and coats for poor men and women, to be marked " C. T. M." The reflecting mind revolts at this unfeeling attempt to level poverty with crime, by putting on a badge approximating to that (the only one that can be excused) of the " R. V." on the county rogues and vagabonds. The offence to my feelings is still greater from the fact of the donor having made such unworthiness the means of perpetuating his initials to posterity ; and from a clergyman too, whose sacred profession should have taught him to remember " Who builds a church to God, and not to fame, Will never mark the marble with his name." The intention of the donor, however, is frustrated, inasmuch as the initials have long ceased to be attached to the garments. Since my visit here I understand that Mrs. Gutch and Miss Lavender (daughters of the late J. P. Lavender, Esq., banker, of Worcester) have followed out the suggestions of Mr. Mark- land, in his excellent little work on the decoration of churches, and in lieu of erecting monuments in the church to the memory of their deceased parents, have presented a handsome silver communion service, a velvet cover for the table, two elegant carved oak chairs, and have had the floor within the rails laid down with encaustic tiles. KEMPSEY. Ill Patron of the living, Sir 0. Wakeman (value 305). Per petual Curate, the Rev. J. Palmer. Curate, the Rev. W Waldo Cooper. Clerk, Mr. Williams. Organist, Miss Williams Population, C,395. L cX HE church of Kempsey is a plain building, cruciform ana covered with lead ; it is not ancient, having bee; > & almost entirely rebuilt in 1799, when the funds wer raised by leasing the church lands under the trustees for ninety nine years. The interior, as might be expected, presents bu few points of interest. In the south transept is a monumen with this inscription : " Underneath, the corruptible parts of vicar, one husband, two help-mates, both wives, and both Anns, a triplicity of persons in two twains, but one flesh, are interred. Rev. G. Boulter, vicar of this parish 50 years, and of Wellam 34 ; aged 81." In the chancel is a bust of Alderman Farley, o this city (1821) ; there is a monument to Mrs. Elizabeth Eatoi (1790), on the tablet of which is some carving, in relief, of th lady and four infants ; the execution is far from good, and thi children having the appearance of being all of one age, seen" to have formed a quadruple alliance for the balance of their mutual claims on the suckling powers of the unfortunate parent. In an arched niche lies the armed figure of Edmund Wylde, a knight, who is protected at each of the four cardinal points by a monk, and on the monument are placed a veritable helmet and sword. From the top issues a fine branch of a horse-chesnut tree, which has been growing for some years and now seems in a flourishing condition. The appearance of a tree, growing out of a solid mass of masonry in the interior of a church, was so singular that I was led to inquire the cause, and found that some few years ago the then sexton of the church, who was 112 THE RAMBLER. known among the younger fry as a pertinacious stickler for propriety, observing a lad playing with a horse-chesnut when he ought to have been digesting the sermon, gave him a fillip on the ear with one hand and threw the chesnut away with the other ; the chesnut alighted on the top of the monument, where in the course of time it formed mould to itself and gradually shot out, till now it hangs most gracefully over the recumbent figure of the worthy knight, whose representatives, I understand, will not allow it to be removed. In the north transept is a tablet, surmounted by a skull, in memory of one John Ward. It has often struck me as exceedingly inappropriate to the Christian dispensation that the emblems of death are almost invariably made to partake of a very gloomy character ; but why Christians should have chosen a skull and cross bones for this purpose, except to scare the living from all thought of death, seems to me incomprehensible. Mrs. Child, who has written some very sensible "Letters from New York," takes up the same view of the case, and observes that the Greeks, notwithstanding their shadowy faith in a future existence, represented death as a gentle and beautiful youth ; sometimes as a sleeping winged child, with an inverted torch resting on a wreath of flowers. Even Azrael, the awful death-angel of the Hebrews, resembling our popular ideas of the devil, was always said to take away the souls of the young by a kiss. If we really believed that those who are gone from us were truly alive as ourselves, we could not invest the subject with such awful depth of gloom as we do. If we would imbue our children with distinct faith in immor- tality, we should never speak of people as dead, but as passed into another world. We should speak of the body as a cast-off garment, which the wearer had out-grown ; consecrated, indeed, by the beloved being that used it for a season, but of no value in itself. Near the entrance door of the north aisle is a record of one Christopher Meredith having left two messuages in St. Paul's Churchyard to the Company of Stationers, and charged them with 3 to buy bibles for the tenants of Kempsey manor, and KEMPSEY. 113 3 to buy school books for the poor scholars there. This is the same gentleman who in 1649 bought the manor of Kempsey for 1,812. 15s. lOd. The congregation was large, respectable, and quiet too quiet, I thought, for the right observance of the church services. The centre aisle was filled with a row of hardy, honest looking labourers, who kept constantly staring up at the organ during the periods of singing. What a pity, I thought, these worthy fellows are not taught to join in the services; a very little weekly practice would suffice for the purpose, and then the love of the thing necessarily arising therefrom would of itself be sufficient inducement for their regular attendance. The organ was played in a subdued and appropriate manner, but the ineffi- cient choir received no kind of assistance from the congregation, the old clerk's being almost the only voice I heard from among them : he certainly compensated a little for this lack of duty by the extreme unction with which he managed a bass solo and otherwise contributed his quota to the general fund of praise and glory. The collection of psalms here in use was a miserable medley, wanting almost every thing that is desirable. The text was taken from the Sermon on the Mount " Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." The preacher spoke so eloquently of the happiness and blessedness that awaited the benevolent man, that without boasting of a large share of saga- city I pulled out my purse and got a shilling ready, without knowing what was to be the especial object of charity, but was not long in discovering that it was for the sufferers by the fire at Quebec, for whom England has interested herself hi a man- ner that must do her honour in the eyes of the nations. It was a matter of regret to me that the worthy vicar, although I observed him present, did not officiate in any part of the ser- vices, and I learned with still greater sorrow that he was labour- ing under the effects of a serious illness. If there is one thing I like to see more than another it is a pastor respected and beloved by his flock one who makes not his residence among them a mercenary speculation, but is willing " to spend and be 114 THE RAMBLER. spent" for their sakes who visits the sick, the fatherless, and the widow, and administers not only consolation but solid and substantial benefits, and that, too, with a view not that the world shall hear of the largess, but simply that he shall fulfil his Christian mission of charity and love. Such a man is the Rev. Matthew Lunn ; and what a contrast does he not present to some of the " Simoniacal church-chopping patrons," as old Burton calls them, " who detain tithes," and instead of giving from their abundance to the cause of religion, add to their own from its inheritance. The worthy landlady of the Crown Hotel received me with a welcome which I could readily see was genuine, and provided me with an excellent though homely meal. From the informa- tion she afforded me I derived much that was interesting with regard to the parish : in the first place, that the parish was not what it used to be when there were less beer-houses, and that, with a population of 1,300 or 1,400, there were no less than nine beer- houses ; next, that some person or persons unknown (who had probably been misspending their time at one of those houses on the previous night) had robbed her garden of its finest peaches, or I should have had a better dessert ; and finally, that a great number of years ago Oliver Cromwell had personally superintended the battering down of the old church, and flat- tened the nose of every statue then and there lying. I was much pleased with the good-natured communicativeness of the worthy landlady, and having sufficiently refreshed myself, again set out for the church. In the yard is a monument to B. Major Kershaw, of the 13th Light Infantry, who was one of the unfortunates who fell at Jugdulluch, in Affghanistan, in the disastrous affair of January, 1842; he was at the storming of Ghuznee, and it is said that he once saved the life of General Sale. There are several handsome willow trees in this burial- ground, and they are disposed with good effect, so as to realise Robert Hall's idea, that the willow typified " nature hanging out signals of distress." The willow is said to have been intro- duced into England by the poet Pope, who, being with Lady KEMPSET. 1 1 5 Suffolk when she received a parcel from Spain, bound with withies, which appeared alive, took one, and planted it in his garden. It grew up, and afterwards became so well known as Pope's willow at Twickenham. The following circumstances are connected with the history of Kempsey: Henry the Second held his court here, and delivered his charter concerning Inkborough, witnessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with other bishops and nobles. In 1265, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, with his unfortunate prisoner Henry the Third, were at Kempsey, and lay at the Bishop's Palace (which then stood there), just before the battle of Evesham. Kempsey was made a prebendal church in the college of Westbury by Bishop Giffard, in 1288; and at the same time a vicarage was instituted, and 6s. 8d. reserved yearly to the bishop, and 3s. 6d. to the Priory of Worcester. The rectory fell to the Crown at the Dissolution, and was given to the Dean and Chapter of Worcester in exchange for Hallow, Grimley, Henwick, Woodhall, and Alverton, near Stratford, &c. There was originally a chantry here, with an altar to the Virgin, and rents were left for burning a taper continually before it, as well as regulations that the attendant priests and chaplains should be remarkable for chastity. There are two chapels, Norton and Stoulton, connected with this mother church. The ancient families of Beauchamp, the Earls of Warwick, Sandys, Bucke, and Nash, are interwoven with the history of this parish. Near to the church are traces of an ancient Roman camp, in and near which have been found sepulchral urns, cups, pans, tiles, fragments of bones, fibulae or brooches, a coin of Nero, and a thick slab of stone, with a Latin inscription in honour of Constantino the Great. The Dean and Chapter of Worcester are the patrons of the living (value 248). Vicar, the Rev. Matthew Luun. Curate, the Rev. Walcot. Clerk, Mr. William Linton. Organist, Mr. Haynes. Population, 1,367. i2 116 THE RAMBLER. |HE high road from Worcester to Hallow and Grimley f orms one f th e finest natural terraces to be met with in this part of the country, looking down for several miles upon the rich valley of the Severn, and commanding a bird's eye view of the city and its approaches. On passing through, the village, the neat and comfortable cottages, the well trimmed gardens, the clean and tidy inhabitants who here and there looked forth from their windows or doors, all seemed to be under the influences of the day of rest ; the smoke curled up cheerfully from the pleasant vicarage ; and nothing, save the little bell from yonder sacred turret, broke upon the solemn silence of that morning. Being a little in advance of time I took the opportunity of sauntering round the churchyard, and was much struck with the great ages recorded on the stones, the majority of them being from sixty to eighty years. The salubrity of this elevated spot seems to have been known as far back as the time of the Worcester Priory, when the monks shrewd fellows were in the habit of resorting to it for the sake of health and a prime " take" of fish from their preserve in the Severn, immediately below. During the last year (1847) twenty- two funerals occurred in Hallow, and the average age of six was 86 J years. There is here a railed tomb to Sir C. Bell, the author of one of the Bridgewater treatises, who was born at Edinburgh, and died at Hallow Park in 1 842. There is also a flat tomb to Mrs. Weaver, daughter of the fourth Lord Mordington, with this pithy but eloquent epitaph " Of worldly wealth she had but one small talent to account for, but her mind was well stored." A little, cheerful looking old woman was standing in the door- way, engaged in ringing the bell, and as she apparently took HALLOW-CUM-GRIMLEY. 117 some interest and amusement in my erratic movements, I took the opportunity of remarking to her on the apparent longevity of the inhabitants, as exhibited on the gravestones. " Oh, ay,'' she observed, " there's not many young uns as goes off at Holla, aud most of them as dies comes from Broadheath." Having a great respect for that kind of amor patrice which induced the old lady to stickle for the honour and credit of her native parish, I continued the conversation, and asked who was to preach on that day. " Why our new vicar, to be sure," she replied, in that peculiar tone which seemed to imply that I must have been living of late in the Hebrides or New South Wales, to be unac- quainted with that fact. " Ah," said she, " he's reckoned a good churchman, and has done a power o' good ; and if he d'an't come there's a many as '11 come for un." By this time the vanguard of the village church-goers was seen slowly approaching the house of worship, and after I had watched the pleasing procession for it was literally so wind its way round the rustic lane and through the wicket of the yard, I joined the rear, and with them entered the church. The inte- rior is spacious, well lighted, and fitted up " most decently and in order ;" there is a gallery round three of the sides, and a neat little organ at the western end. The church was rebuilt and enlarged in 1830, and contains 600 sittings, 300 of which are free in consequence of a grant from the Incorporated Society. A very handsome painted window has been placed in the east window, the gift of candidates for holy orders to the vicar, who is examining chaplain to the Bishop. There are necessarily but few ancient remains here, and those are confined to monu- ments to members of the Lygon, Hall, and Harrison families. The services commenced with the Morning Hymn, sung to the tune of the Old Hundredth ; the organ was a grinder, but the instrument has since been altered for manipulatory purposes. In restoring the musical services of this church there must have been sacrifices made both by the minister and choir. This is as it should be, for it betokens something more than a lazy acquiescence in religious devotion. The minister, organist, and 118 THE RAMBLER. congregation, ought to go hand in hand in their endeavours to restore the fallen state of the church service to efficiency. They should also avoid the union of vulgar music with a variety of hymns treating rather of man than of God ; and I trust the day is not far distant when this improvement will be completed by the national adoption of one uniform version of psalms for till then it should be borne in mind that it is improper and unlawful to use in our churches any book in the worship of God except the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. The vicar gave out his text from Matthew iv, 23 and here I must give my readers a brief abstract of the scope and intention of this sermon. It was not, he said, too much to assert that the institutions which Christian benevolence has reared in our land have raised Britain to a prouder rank among the nations of the earth than the triumph she has acquired by her arms. The rev. gentleman then went on to show the duty and the reward of charity, quoting St. Basil, who says, " I have known many who have fasted and groaned and prayed, and expressed all kinds of costless piety, who yet would not part with one doit to the afflicted." The practice of indiscriminate charity, however, he observed, could not be too highly censured, while the regular support of established charities could not be too warmly commended, more especially of such an institution as the Infirmary, whose object and advantages, whether in the conservation of life and limb, the extension of medical and surgical knowledge, or the protection of the public health, was worthy of all praise. During the century which the Infirmary had now been founded, no less than 115,000 patients had been relieved ; the average number of in-patients during the past year had been 95 ; out-patients, 250 ; 659 cases of accident had also been admitted, and 21 surgical operations had been per- formed, within the same period. The requirements of the establishment now were to extend the wards, to build a fever ward, to add to the number of baths, to arrange a library and museum, and to obtain a more convenient board-room. Added to these indispensable requirements was the fact that for some HALLOW-CUM-GRIMLEY. J19 years the income of the institution had been several hundreds less than the expenditure, and thus a pretty strong case was made out for the generous assistance of every one who had a heart to feel and a hand to give. " Here's a pretty sentence of execration upon the Rambler," thought I ; for the last five Sundays having regularly drawn as many shillings from my pocket, on behalf either of Sunday Schools, the Infirmary, or the sufferers at Quebec, and naturally conjecturing that the plethora of charity had now subsided, I had come to Hallow with nothing but a solitary sovereign in my pocket, not dreaming of another call. It will perhaps scarcely be credited, yet it is nevertheless true, that a gentleman who was recently taking a tour among his friends in Worcestershire chanced to hear, for four or Jive con- secutive Sundays, a sermon on the Prodigal Son ; till at last, fancying there was something in all this beyond the natural course of events, which it would be sinful on his part to oppose, he resolved to " arise and go" home to his friends. So I began to look upon these repeated charity sermons as a tax upon my absenteeism, but rather than pass by the good- humoured churchwarden at the door, I resolved to stay in my seat, and after the collection was made and the congregation dispersed, to go and offer my mite when there was a probability of getting change for the inconvenient coin I had in my pocket. In the act of doing this, the vicar, probably recognising an old face he had seen occasionally in the streets of Worcester, entered into a conversation which resulted hi an invitation to partake of luncheon at the vicarage. Having a wish to attend the afternoon service at the old parish church of Grimley, I reluctantly took my leave of this interesting family, having a few minutes to spare for the pur- pose of going over the allotment grounds which are in this parish laid out for the labouring families, under the auspices of the vicar. Having seen much of the beneficial working of this system in Somersetshire, under the Bishop of Bath and Wells, I have become somewhat enthusiastic in its favour, and take a 120 ' . THE RAMBLER. deep interest in its progress. I am delighted to hear that in this parish the allotment system works most admirably a rood of land being easily cultivated at spare hours, and by the younger children, and furnishing vegetables for the family, straw for a pig, and about five bushels of corn for grinding, besides inducing habits of regularity, industry, and economy, giving at the same time the day labourer an interest in the soil, preserving him from the snares and temptations of the beer- house, and generally ameliorating the condition of the poor man preserving regularity, good order, and good feeling, throughout the parishes. My own idea is, that the rood ought to be divided into three parts, and occupied as follows : one-third, potatoes ; one-third, cabbages, peas, beans, onions, carrots, &c. ; and the remaining portion to wheat, barley, or grain of any sort. Thus every necessary for a family would be in due season provided ; and if, for instance, potatoes failed, other roots would supply their place. I hear that the rental of these allotments is at the low rate of 2 per acre, and that the pay- ments are made most regularly. There are 62 allotments. We read of the church of Grimley having been given, more than a thousand years ago, to the church of Worcester, by Burtwolf, King of the Mercians, before he was expelled his country by the Danes ; and Pope Nicholas, in the 20th year of his pontificate, mentions the church of Grimley, with that of Hallow depending on it. At the dissolution of the Worcester Priory the benefice was given to the Dean and Chapter ; but at the present moment, in consequence of certain exchanges, it is in the hands of the bishops of the diocese. The church has been recently restored in excellent taste, and in perfect keeping with the character of the edifice, by Mr. Eginton, architect to the Church Building Society. The walls and the south doorway of the old edifice were Norman, and accordingly the new porch over the doorway is constructed in the same style. The approach to the western gallery is by an external covered stone staircase leading from the porch, and the roof of the staircase is supported by graduated Norman HALLOW-CUM-GRIMLEY. 121 shafts, terminating in arcade work. The tower is of the style which prevailed at the latter part of the 14th century, and is exceedingly well designed and executed. The interior of the church has been repaired and fitted up in a very neat manner ; and by the alteration at the tower end greater accommodation has been provided for the poor. The old peal of six bells has been rehung ; and the whole expenses, amounting to about 500, have been defrayed by voluntary subscriptions. On my return home I passed through Hallow Park a beautifully wooded estate overhanging the Severn, where stands the mansion now occupied by the Rev. R. B. Bourne, and which has for centuries belonged to the Lygons. The scenery from this spot is of the richest and most lovely description it is, in fact, one of the fairest flowers in the garden of Worcestershire. From a Chamber Order Book of the city of Worcester (date 1575), it appears that Queen Elizabeth chose this spot for hunting purposes, killing two bucks here during her royal visit to Worcester ; on which occasion Her Majesty's horses and geldings, to the number of 1,500, were depastured on Pitchcroft ; and the local historian in his own graphic language observed, " thanks be to God, amongst the said grett number of horses and geldings, not one horse or gelding was eyther stolen, strayed away, or peryshd." The peculiar adaptation of this locality for sporting purposes is recognised in the present day, if I am to judge from the scores of young men who regularly on each returning Sunday plant themselves on the edge of the Severn hereabout, to amuse themselves by disentangling their fish- hooks from all kinds of river weeds, under the idea that they are fishing! Would not some one of the " City Mission," or a church clergyman whose labours are not remarkably heavy, do well to pass up the river in a boat for a few Sundays, and take on hand the backsliders on both banks ! He would in that case aptly assume the character of " a fisher of men." With regard to the moral and religious condition of the widely extended district in which Hallow, Grimley, and Broad- heath, are comprised, I have a word or two to say. A chapel 122 THE RAMBLER. of ease was established at the latter place in 1831, which con- tains 200 sittings, 1 50 of them being free. This place of worship is, I hear, generally well attended by the numerous poor families round about. There are two full services every Sunday in the parishes. With regard to scholastic establishments, there would appear to be no lack : first, there is the endowed Free School at Hallow, of which the endowment is about 100 per annum. This establishment, under the able management of Mr. and Mrs. Bullock, late master and mistress of the'Bishop's School in Worcester, is most efficiently conducted. Secondly, there is the Sunday and daily school, with a lending library attached. Thirdly, daily and Sunday National boys' and girls' school at Grimley, the expenses of which are jointly defrayed by endow- ment, subscription, and children's pence; and fourthly, the daily and Sunday National boys' and girls' school at Broadheath, on the same footing as the last mentioned. There is a chapel at Broadheath belonging to the Countess of Huntingdon's per- suasion ; it was built in 1 825, but is now very thinly attended. There was a Baptist Chapel at Hallow, but it is now taken by the vicar, at a yearly rental, as a daily and Sunday girls' school. Excepting a few Plymouth Brethren at Hallow, who attend a chapel in St. Nicholas Street, Worcester, there is no other trace of dissent in this district. There are but four public and two beer-houses in all the three places. The Bishop is the patron of the living; the vicarage of Grimley, with the curacy of Hallow, being valued at 54 1 . Incumbent, the Rev. H. J. Stevenson. Curates, Rev. F. C. Walsh and Rev. W. H. White. Organist, Mr. G. Norman. Hallow clerk, John Nutt. Grimley clerk, William Freeman. Population, about 2,000. 123 way to Hindlip lay through Fearnall Heath, a place which peculiarly marks the advancement of the last fc quarter of a century : the barren heath has been gradually enclosed and converted into smiling gardens ; the hordes of gipsies ejected from their favourite haunts, and the dirty canvass parapluies of this nomad race have given way to the more substantial fabrics of brick and mortar ; and now we count a rural police station, a very handsome butcher's shop, a registrar of births, a smithy, a boot and shoe " establishment," three houses for the sale of liquor ( !), a dissenting chapel, and a post-office ( ! !). Another series of twenty-five years, and we may calculate on a reading-room, a market-hall, a museum, a church, and railway station. Hindlip House and church are approached from the highway by a winding drive, sheltered on each side by young plantations ; emerging from these the scenery which gradually unfolds itself is a delightful picture of one of the most interesting parts of Worcestershire : on the left may be seen the well wooded hills of Abberley ; in the centre is Westwood, with its ancient recollections ; and at the right, an opening in the fine old gnarled oaks disclose an undulating tract, termi- nated by the lofty chimneys of Stoke. The present house at Hindlip (the residence of Viscount Southwell) is a square building, of light brick ; in the front of which are four Ionic pillars supporting an entablature; there are two wings, con- nected to the mam building by crescent walls. The old house, which was pulled down about thirty years ago, is described in a MS. in the Harleian Library as being " goodly and of great receipt ;" it is supposed to have been built by John Habingdon, cofferer to Queen Elizabeth (1572), and was uncommonly con- structed both within and without, having trap-doors, back staircases, and hiding-rooms built so as to have the exterior 124 THE RAMBLER. semblance of chimneys : these were probably additions made by Thomas Abingdon, the son of the before mentioned, who harboured Garnet, Oldcorn, and some others,* concerned in the gunpowder plot. For this, it was said, he was condemned to die, but by the intercession of his wife's father, Lord Morley, he obtained pardon. His wife Mary is supposed to have been the person who wrote the letter to her brother William Parker, Lord Mounteagle, in order to save his life at the intended massacre. When he had received his pardon, he retired to Hindlip, with an injunction never to stir out of the county, and during this retirement he studied the antiquities of Wor- cestershire, and also wrote an account of the Cathedral and the Bishops. The church, which stands within a stone's throw of the house, is a small, plain building ; the tower has an embattled top, and contains two bells. Here and there the parasitic ivy creeps over the walls, and insinuates its tendrils at each window crevice, like a humble but faithful Christian striving to catch a glimpse of the " holy of holies" through the dust, and rubbish, and obstructions, which intercept his ardent sight. There was no one on the spot beside a cheerful looking little man, who, as I concluded at the first glance, proved to be the clerk, sexton, bell-ringer, grave-digger, and a most influential member of the choral force all in one person. He had arrived, according to his wont, about half an hour before the time of service, opened the doors, lit the stove fire, wiped the seats, arranged the clergy- man's books and his own, rung the first call to the congregation, * The MS. above alluded to gives a minute description of the " secret corners and conveyances" in this house, and of the great trouble which Sir H. Bromlie experienced in searching for the conspirators. Two of the men, Owen and Chambers, on the fourth morning of the search, came from behind a wainscot in one of the galleries, and declared they could conceal themselves no longer, for that they had no other sustenance than one apple between them during the four days. Garnet and Hall (Oldcorn) had been supported in their retreat by a quill, fixed in a hole in the chimney, and communicating with a bed chamber of the gentlewomen, who poured caudle, broth, and warm drink , into the quill. Owen is said to have murdered himself in the Tower, under the influence of constant threats and terror of torture. HINDLIP. 125 and was now reconnoitring the exterior premises, with the view of ascertaining if the graves and tombstones were in the same relative position which they occupied on the previous Sunday. How enviable the situation of such a man ! Constantly engaged in the service of the sanctuary, he looks upon himself as identi- fied with the sacred territory ; its history is his own ; he has rung that little bell, perhaps, for a quarter of a century or more ; the same familiar faces weekly respond to that call, till, removed by the hand of death, one by one they have claimed his assistance to prepare their last resting-place, and each individual he retains in his memory through a long vista of years, and narrates their names and histories as he points out the little mounds which contain their ashes. Quietly gliding down the stream of life, he torments himself not with its ambi- tions ; its breakers are foaming and bursting beyond him ; his share of intellect will never make him the victim of sensibility ; and his only solicitude is to see that all things pertaining to the house of God shall be done decently and in order ; his only ambition, to receive the commendation of the parson for the accuracy and sonorousness of his responses, or the super-rustic excellence which he may have imparted to some particular solo. The individual before me likewise appeared to have no traces of pecuniary distress on his brow, but seemed like a retainer of a noble house, who looked forward to no distant day of honourable superannuation in the decline of life. In the churchyard is a tombstone, which records a strange and almost singular fatality, namely, the deaths of one Joseph Foley and his four daughters, who died consecutively in the years 1840, 1041, 1842, 1843, and 1845. The interior of the church wears a patched appearance : it is a simple oblong erec- tion, without either aisles, transepts, or chancel ; the roof is semicircular, unornamented, and tied together with rude trusses. The pews are neat and commodious, having been renovated about six or seven years ago, and will accommodate perhaps 80 or 100 persons. At the south of the communion table there is an ancient piscina, which the utilitarian and unconscious clerk 126 THE RAMBLER. has now converted into a receptacle for pens and ink. Above this, and inserted into the wall, is a handsome emblazoned " Memorial of J. Habingdon, Esq., some tune lord of this manor, and founder of Hindlip House, showing whence he descended, and what he was who lieth here buried." This traces the pedi- gree of the present Spetchley family through Habingdon, the founder of Hindlip House, up to his forefathers. It is illustrated with several coats of arms. Opposite is the escutcheon of a Mr. Restall, bearing between 30 and 40 quarterings. There are also memorials of the Comptons and other families, and a mural tablet to the late Rev. Richard Grape, the eccentric rec- tor of the parish, concerning whom I have in store many whim- sical anecdotes. It is said concerning him, that in publishing the banns of matrimony it was his custom never to read louder than a whisper, under the idea that when matters came to that pass between a couple of young folk, no third party had a right to object, as some had done in church, to the publication of so laudable an intention. I have also heard, but do not vouch for its accuracy, that he was particularly reluctant to perform ser- vice in cold weather, and has been known, on his arrival at the church, after his usual walk from Worcester, if literally but " two or three were gathered together," to advise them to return home, observing that they would be much more likely to serve God by reading pious books at their own comfortable firesides than in shivering and shaking out their prayer and praise in that cold place. While inspecting the rev. gentleman's memorial a noise at the entrance of the church diverted my attention : it was occa- sioned by the entree of the village choir, who, having no gallery set apart for them, pitched their tent in a large pew at the west end ; first came an elderly man, and took his seat as though deeply conscious of the responsibilities and importance attaching to himself as performer on the bass viol which he had brought with him ; two other old men, evidently imbued with the divine principles of harmony, severally enacted the bass and tenor parts ; a young man carried a clarionet under his arm ; and an HINDLIP. 127 interesting and rather pretty country girl, who was unquestion- ably his " sweetheart," seemed ready and willing to assist his exertions by giving full effect to the treble. After a little coquetting between the old man and his bass viol they struck up to the tune of " Comfort," and managed it so well as most agreeably to surprise me, after the experience I have had of rural choirs. By and by the minister and congregation about thirty souls (the parish being a very small one) had arrived, and the services commenced. The clergyman, I subsequently understood, was the curate of Salwarpe, who had come to officiate in the temporary absence of the rector. He read the prayers in a quiet, unaffected manner, and preached a good sermon on the necessity of being always on the watch for the season of death ; but his manner was not sufficiently spiced with animation, either to arouse or to occupy the attention. Not that I alto- gether admire what is called " a powerful preacher." " Ah, sir," exclaimed an elder in a Scotch kirk, in a tone of pathetic recol- lection, " our kite minister was the man ! He was a powerful preacher : for in the short time he delivered the word amongst us he knocked three pulpits to pieces and banged the life out o' five bibles." Such men overstep the modesty of nature as much as the contrary class come short of it ; but unless some- thing be done more than a mere reading of a smooth piece of sermon writing, experience tells us that but few listeners can keep their minds from wandering. The earliest entry in the parish registers is of a very modern date, whence I infer that the earlier books must have been at some time or other abstracted. There is no weekly or Sunday school hi the parish. I have but little to add with regard to the church. Viscount Southwell is the patron of the living (value 150). Rector, the Rev. J. Webster. Temporary curate, the Rev. W. Murray, rector of St Martin's, Colchester. Clerk, John Harris. Popu- lation, 139. 128 THE RAMBLER. HE church of the pleasant village of Powick, about three miles from Worcester, is situated on an eminence, commanding the vales of the Severn and Teme, and peeping through a thick foliage of yew and elm, overlooks the "faithful city" with the eye of a monitor. On entering the churchyard some time before the morning service, I observed near the north-west corner of the church a recently moulded grave that of an infant on which had been deposited, no doubt by the hand of maternal affection, a bunch of snow-drops and other flowers, secured to the place with a kind of cage- work of briar. The heart-broken mother, it was evident from the freshness of the flowers, had that very morning made a pilgrimage to the resting-place of her child perhaps her only child on whom her happy eye had beamed its warmest and purest affection from the moment of its birth, and over whom she had tended, and watched, and wept, like another Niobe, when the unsparing fates assailed it. " Fond mother, wipe thy tears away ; That pledge to thee by God was given ; But when its prattle and its play, And winning; smiles of infancy, Had weaned thy heart so far astray, Then sped an angel on his way, And took it back to heaven." The churchyard is kept most creditably neat and clean, but I do not altogether approve of the modern plan of drawing up the headstones in rank and file it reminds one (at a time when the feelings more willingly indulge in luxury of another kind) of political economists, of Malthusians, of a population elbowing each other even out of their graves of any thing, in short, rather than of the quiet and undisturbed abodes we would fain secure to ourselves in death, and which, by their picturesque disorder, constitute a not unpleasing feature of a rural church- POWICK. 129 yard. But these feelings, I suppose, like Sir Robert Peel, must give way to the distinctive rule of the present day Necessitas non habet leges. The bodies of Sir Edward Denny and some of his family, of Tralee Castle, Kerry, who sometime resided at Kingsend House, Powick, lie in this yard, and have a tomb to their memory. The burial ground abounds with barbarisms, in the epitaphic line, such as the following (to William Handle) " His aim in learning was the seas to rove; The mathematics was his chiefest love ; But God, who orders all things best, Eased his cares and took his soul to rest." The church, which is large and capacious, is of the usual cruciform shape ; at the west end is the tower, which is divided into three stages ; at the corners are small diagonal buttresses. The stone pinnacles, being considered dangerous to the structure, were removed some four years ago, and are now placed within the porch or entrance, to which, by the aid of some other rub- bish of a similar character, they give the appearance of a museum of ancient vases or architectural remains; added to this, if the reader will imagine two filthy, worn out curtains of green baize, like those at the door of a penny theatre, which divide the church from the porch, he may form a good estimate of the decency of these approaches to the house of God. The interior has undergone great improvement, and more was intended to be done as soon as the " sinews" could be obtained. The ancient closet-like seats have been superseded by low, open, and more commodious ones, in which here and there the rough and grim carving of the knotty old oak may be seen to dovetail, somewhat inharmoniously, with the plainness of modern deal. A handsome glazed screen, well carved, divides the chancel from the nave ; another, in an unfinished state, cuts off the south transept, and a third is projected for the north ; it was also pro- posed to bring forward the communion table, and place it in front of the first mentioned screen. I have not heard whether it is intended to convert the chancel into a Ladye Chap el, but a 130 THE RAMBLER. portion of it at least I would beg for the purpose of a vestry, the clergyman at present having to disrobe behind a piece of green baize (apparently a segment of the before mentioned cur- tains), which I think is spread out by means of two sticks, but of this I am not quite sure. The east window is in the early English style, consisting of three lancet h'ghts ; the mullions are triangular, faced on the innermost angle with a light shaft or column, surmounted by a graceful foh'ated capital ; the other windows are apparently of later date. The aisles are divided from the nave by two rows of equilateral arches. In the north transept is a handsome octa- gonal stone font, each face or division of the cup having quatre- foil carvings, and trefoils in the corresponding divisions of the shaft. Here are carved monuments to William Cookes, knight (1672), and Daniel Tyas, " Vigornice et reipublicce bonus civis" (1678); and elsewhere are monuments to members of the Wolley, Pakington, Rea, Blount, Winford, Wall, Weston, Sowden, and Moore families. Among the charitable donations, the records of which are left to adorn the walls of this church, is one from Phineas Jackson, of Bromyard, who gave a piece of land, a part of the produce of which was to go to " the young people who can best say the catechism at Lent." Judging from the multi- tudes of native infantry attending this church, I should say this donation begets the utmost competition which Phineas Jackson himself could have wished had he been alive. There are about 100 children in the schools. There is another item on the list of charities which demands notice ; one Richard Collies left certain property to purchase annually gowns and coats for a stated number of poor, but with a proviso which utterly sweeps away every shadow of credit that would other- wise attach to his memory on this account. The initials " R.C." were to be placed conspicuously on the garments ; and in the event of these letters being pulled off or damaged, and not replaced, " the faulty persou shall be utterly incapable of such gift and bequest for ever after." This man most assuredly POWICK. 131 possessed no real charity for the poor; his only object was to make these poverty stricken wretches the tools or monuments for perpetuating his name to posterity. Powick being an extensive parish, there was, as I expected, a numerous congregation on the morning of my visit ; and the most gratifying feature was, that the great proportion consisted of the labouring classes, whose reverential deportment was highly creditable to them. An employer somewhere in the north of England once proposed to his work people that if they would attend church on fast days their wages should go on the same as if they worked, upon which they sent a deputation to inform him that they would also attend the Methodist chapel in the evening if he would pay them for over hours. The labourers of Powick, however, I have good reason to hope, are less selfish in their religious observances ; and well for them it is so, as I would not give much for their chance of being paid to attend church. One-third of the congregation consisted of school children, who were comfortably seated round the aisles, having good thick matting under their feet, and a stove pipe above their heads, embracing the whole length of the walls. The musical part of the service was chastely executed, by the assistance of a small organ, and the psalmody was plain but devotional. The parish of Powick is not unknown to history. Two of its manors Prior's Court and Pykesham together with the tithes of Bransford and Powick, belonged formerly to the priory of Great Malvern, and after the dissolution of religious houses, Henry VIII, in the 37th year of his reign, gave to Edward Lord Clinton the manor and rectory of Powyke ; it afterwards belonged to Sir Thomas Bromley, knight, grandson of the Chancellor. Before the year 1 650 the tithes were the property of John Nash, Esq., alderman of Worcester, who at his death bequeathed them to certain trustees for the endow- ing an hospital in the city of Worcester. The Beauchamp, Lygon, and Coventry families, have held possessions in this parish. In September, 1642, during the unhappy contests K2 132 THE RAMBLER. between Charles I and the Parliament, an engagement took place at Powick between the forces. It was here that a detach- ment of the Parliament army were deceived by a manoeuvre, and being attacked by an ambuscade, twenty-five of their number were killed, and the detachment fell back a distance of four miles. In 1651 occurred the famous battle of Powick bridge (an ancient structure, still remaining, and of which I made a sketch some few years ago). The right wing of a brigade under General Fleetwood having crossed the Teme, and the left arrived at Powick bridge, they drove in the foot of the Royalists to their mam body, which was drawn up in Wykefield, near the bridge, secured the pass, and after a hard contest of nearly two hours' duration, wholly routed them, killing many on the place,* and pursuing the rest to the drawbridge and gate of the city. While on the subject of the ancient associations connected with Powick parish, I may mention that in the year 1832 two sepulchral Roman urns, containing burnt human bones, were dug up from a piece of land between the roads leading to Upton and Malvern, and were presented to the museum by the Earl of Coventry ; and in the year following, a little to the west of the village, two similar urns, containing the bones of children, were discovered. A coin of Claudius Gothicus and of Constantino were also found in the same neighbourhood. The living is valued at 290. Patrons, the trustees of the Earl of Coventry. Vicar, the Rev. J. H. Turbitt. Clerk, Mr. C. Lawrence. Organist, Miss Turner. Population, 1,704. * In one of the charity tables, " Deadfleld" is mentioned as a part of the bequest. 133 >timltfltL Come, gentle Spring ! ethereal mildness, come ! And from the bosom of yon dropping cloud, While music wakes around, veil'd in a shower Of shadowing roses, on our plains descend. [ERE is something inexpressibly pleasant in the act of turning out, snail like, from our shells, for the first tune in the opening year, in tasting the purity and spicyness of the spring air after it has been purged by the equinoctial gales, and in watching the early efforts of Nature to put forth the green herb and the richly varied blossom. As I set out for the village of Stoulton, on a delicious morning in April, I felt delighted at emerging from my chrysalis state to enjoy for another season the pleasures of a much loved pursuit. There was the modest daisy peeping out from among the young grass, and on southerly banks the violet and the primrose, like the long lost friends of one's youth, rejoicing at the re-union, and breathing out their sweetness on the fleeting moments ; in favoured situations might be seen the celandine, the early purple orchis, and the delicate anemone ; the hedges were shooting upwards, their arms loaded with myriads of h'ttle burdens or bundles of green leaves as yet carefully wrapped up in embryo and protected from the too rough caresses of Boreas and his crew ; now and then a large fly would wing its way by, as though on some distant mission, and afraid either of being unpunctual, or of taking a fatal cold, through inactivity, at this period of the " unconfirmed year ;" the swallow had arrived ; but the cuckoo (which, as I am informed by country people hereabout, visits his Worcestershire friends on the 17th of April, and takes his leave of them again on the day of Pershore fair), had on this occasion delayed his arrival beyond the usual time ; I was therefore uncheered by his welcome though monot- onous note. In his absence, however, there was the lark, like 134 THE RAMBLER. the happy spirit of a departed Christian, springing upward with exultation to heaven ; and on the arable lands, now slightly tinged with the tender green of early crops, lay whole squadrons of rooks and starlings, as busy with seeds and wire-worms as income-tax assessors usually are with other people's business. Let it not be supposed for a moment that I am casting an imputation on that clear headed and sagacious gentleman the rook ; on the contrary, he is one of my especial favourites. The rook is a type of the country gentleman, living on his own broad domains, exceedingly attached to locality, regardful of the claims of high and legitimate descent, belligerent towards every manifestation of vagrancy, especially as exhibited in the crow ; and above all he is preeminently devoted to the church and the other institutions of the country, keeping watch and ward over the sacred building from his lofty eyrie close at hand, and daily making a rallying point of the steeple. So much is he at length associated in my mind with rural churches, that I should deem the beautiful and unrivalled picture of an English village, with its church, homestead, and squire's house, as incomplete without the addition of the rookery. Nay, I am by no means certain that my affection for the bird is not returned, and that many of this knowing tribe, from having seen me prying about among the sacred edifices and ancient ruins so much loved by them, have not at length come to behold in me a sympathetic being an exemplar to human kind. The village of Stoulton consists of an inn, a smithy, two or three farm houses, cross roads, a milestone, a direction post, the village stocks, a parsonage house, and the church. The latter is dedicated to St. James ; it is a chapelry, but is in many respects independent of the mother church of Kempsey, as it elects its own curate and officers. The church bears marks of great antiquity, the greater part being apparently early Norman, or, if extreme rudeness be presumptive evidence of age, it may date back to the beginning of the llth century, for it is now becoming more generally believed that work which of late years has been called strictly Norman was in fact the STOULTON. 1 35 product of an earlier period, during which the Norman style (an off-shoot from the Romanesque) was gradually becoming fashionable in this and other countries, being the ante-Norman period, or that immediately preceding the conquest. It contains a large chancel, a nave, and western tower, the latter being a miserable brick erection, containing a peal of musical bells. The south doorway consists of a semicircular arch, with sub-arch, and in the angle formed by these is a single large cylindrical roll-moulding, which originally was continued down the sides as jamb-shafts, but these latter have disappeared. Above this door-way are two shallow recesses, with semi-circular arches, and three small jamb-shafts, having rude capitals or imposts, the abacus of which is a continuation of a square string-course which runs along the wall a short way, then disappears, and reappears on the wall buttresses, the latter being broad and exceeding flat, the larger ones being placed at the angles of the building, but not diagonally. This door-way is now blocked up, but that it was originally the principal entrance (and decidedly the best one for the preservation of warmth to the interior) is proved from the fact that the only attempt at anything like ornament in the whole building is exhibited in a rude kind of hatched or zig-zag indentation in the above mentioned string- course. The north door-way and recesses over are very similar to those on the south side, but are devoid of ornament. Some modern wardens of this edifice, consulting as I suppose what they deemed to be the prevailing feature of the building, namely, extreme rudeness and lack of ornament, have inserted in this ancient door-way (which is the only one now used) a door apparently made of deal, very thin, and so green at the time of its manufacture that through shrinking it has opened immense crevices all the way down, through which the north wind whistles with savage glee into the ears of the rustics who are posted at this part of the church to act as a living screen for the rest of the congregation ; there is a paltry French lock and handle to this door ; and the tympanum of the arch above now looks like the half of a waggon wheel, with dirty glass inserted 136 THE RAMBLER. between the spokes, with which even the old ivy, that wanders about the exterior of the wall, disdains to come in contact. The chancel side lights are small semi-circular headed windows coeval with the oldest part of the building, but only splayed within ; and between each window is one of the smaller but- tresses, of the same character as the larger ones before mentioned. The east wall and window are modern, and there are two or three other windows of what I believe is called the late First Pointed period, with some others of no order at all, and encased in paltry wooden frame work. The chancel arch is of a most primitive appearance, being semi-circular and doubly recessed, or, as I should perhaps say, with arch and sub-arch, both square- edged and perfectly plain, and the latter not continued beneath the impost, which is a rude kind of string-course running along this division wall till it disappears in the side walls. The ceiling is underdrawn and whitewashed, and the walls plastered and bedaubed with a dirty slate colour, and in the centre of the church ascends the stove pipe, perpendicularly, through the roof, as though a thunderbolt from the hand of Jove had transfixed the whole building and pinned it to the ground. The seats are high sleeping pues. The font is an interesting specimen of the early Norman : it is circular, large enough for total immersion, and its pedestal is in the shape of another basin, reversed ; the top edge is ornamented with a roll and fillet, surmounted by a zig- zag and pellets. There is no monument in the church, but on the flat stones of the chancel and elsewhere are memorials of the Acton, Vincent, Chetle, Swift, and Mastres families, and Nash says that in the year 17G8 was buried here Mr. Samuel Garbet, an eminent antiquary, who assisted Valentine Green in his sur- vey of the city of Worcester, and " whose modesty was so great that he never could be persuaded to publish any thing in his own name, though always ready to assist his friends." The eye of the visitor is attracted at this church by the pressing and somewhat anti-Protestant solicitations on some of the before mentioned stones to give the departed the benefit of one's prayers " Ora pro anima" and " Pray for his soul j" these STOULTON. 1 37 injunctions, too, are placed on stones of the date of 1679 and 1721, a period of between one and two centuries subsequent to the Reformation. There is a tablet on the exterior of the south wall, close to the doorway, erected to the memory of George Allen, clerk, who died in 1557, having been the minister of the parish for half a century. I am glad to hear that the church is to be considerably repaired and restored. The congregation seemed to be exclusively a rural one, and there was a good attendance. The clergyman and clerk con- ducted the services with great solemnity ; and a sermon, highly appropriate to these times of affliction, as exhorting the people to be prepared for and to be resigned under whatever visitation they might even yet receive at the hand of Providence, was preached from Jeremiah xvii, 7. The preacher's manner was serious and devout, like that of one who laboured under a humiliating sense of his own unworthiness to occupy the respon- sible post of a minister in the house of God, and whose good deeds and acts of charity and benevolence stood self-condemned as merely filthy rags. This feeling was, perhaps, too predomi- nant, and caused the suppression of that energy of language and action which are sometimes absolutely necessary to startle men from their lethargy. At this church I met with many of the too frequently pre- vailing characteristics, among which was that of confiding the whole management (and execution too) of the music to a cla- rionet player, who made himself black in the face by his constant attempts at forcing C sharp to do the work of D natural ; the congregation, too, persisting in staring at him as the sole expo- nent of their religious harmony, as though any pleasure could be derived from watching a fellow creature apparently in the last stage of strangulation. There are, I am sure, sufficient numbers of young rustics in this parish to form a class for the purpose of learning plain and simple psalmody, such as is best adapted for the service of the church ; and I hope this hint will not be lost upon the worthy incumbent. The number of school children usually attending the Stoulton 138 THE RAMBLER. day school is 40. In the Sunday school there are about 100 ; the number on the books being 111; and the children generally attend regularly, except at certain seasons. The religious naturalist, the Rev. William Dereham, was born in this parish in the time of the Commonwealth, A.D. 1657. Stoulton is a perpetual curacy in the gift of Earl Somers (value 100). Curate, the Rev. H. L. Oswell. Clerk, William Simmonds. Population, 346. Jrnittttirjr. ELAND remarks of this place" The Wich standeth somewhat in a valley, or lower ground betwixt two small hills, on the left ripe (bank) of a pretty river, that not farre beneath the Wyche is called the Salop Brooke. The beauty of the town in a manner standeth of one street, yet there be many lanes besides. There is a mean church in the chiefe streete, and there is once a weeke a meetly celebrate market. The town itselfe is somewhat foul and dirtye (when any rain falleth), with much carriage through the streets, being over 511 paved, or not paved." The observations of the old historian would apply in the present day with but trifling alteration, for in dripping weather the saline borough in truth exhibits itself in a " pretty pickle" of mud, and pebbles, and narrow unpaved lanes, to the great discomfort of the fasti- dious visitor who may not happen to be " used to it," according to the homely phrase. If Droitwich cannot boast of many extraordinary relics, it is at least something to dwell upon, that in passing through its streets we are treading in the very vestiges which our semi-barbarous forefathers left for probably some centuries before the Christian era; and that the same DROITWICH. ] 39 cause which gave to this place the name of Salince* among our Roman conquerors, has been unceasingly in existence even from before that remote period of the world's history up to the present moment ; for in the time of the ancient Britons were two great roads made here the "Upper Saltway," passing over the Lickey to Birmingham and the sea coast of Lincoln- shire ; and the " Lower Saltway," crossing Worcestershire below Evesham, near Sudeley Castle, and to the sea coast of Hamp- shire. Traces of both may yet be seen. St. Andrew's church is an old edifice, having an exceedingly patched appearance ; the tower and adjacent walls, now forming the north side of the church, which escaped the fire of 1293, being the most ancient portions. The interior consists of a nave ; north and south aisles, divided from the nave by three " obtuse" arches ; a chancel ; an aisle or chapel on the north side of the chancel (formerly used as a belfry) ; and " Our Lady's Chapel" on the south. In the last mentioned is a piscina, near the eastern end of the south wall ; and the western arch of this chapel is supported on either side by corbels carved into busts, or rather heads and arms, sup- posed to be those of Henry VII and the Bishop of that period. The eastern window of the chancel is shut out by a screen, of wood or plaster, at the top of which are crocketted pinnacles and some paltry designs hi painted glass, which have the appear- ance of a transparency. The whole is conceived in the worst possible taste. Before the accommodation of this church was increased, in 1838, the Lady Chapel was used as a vestry, but being in that year fitted up with sittings, it was thought advisable to cut off a portion of the eastern end of the chancel, as a vestry ; and this is the history of the unsightly thing which was put up for that purpose. In the Lady Chapel is now a solitary table of charities, but it is impossible, from its position * Mr. Habingdon rays that Wich gave the name of Wiccia to the extent of country now called Worcestershire. In an old volume entitled ' ' Beauties of England," published by Philip Luckombe in 1791, the town is called " Dr<",: when between three, and four miles from the city, a noble avenue of lofty trees, which extends in a perfectly straight line for nearly a mile, and affords a magnificent vista, tenni- COTHERIDGE. 185 nated by a large mansion. This is Cotheridge Court, the seat of the Rev. John Berkeley, who is the hereditary holder of the perpetual curacy, and also proprietor of the parish some 2,230 acres. Hard by is the old village church. I arrived at the lodge gates just as the bell was summoning to worship. Straggling parties here and there dotted the fields and other approaches to the humble but interesting building which formed the com- mon centre of their sabbath day's journey ; and two or three labouring boys, who, with open mouths and staring eyes, had waited for me to draw near, formed in a single file behind me. Falling into conversation with the biggest of the rank, I put to him a variety of questions, but the poor fellow evidently knew as much about the source of the Niger, or the quadrature of the circle, as of the parochial events and circumstances amid which he had spent his youth. In the first place, he did not seem morally certain that the church to which we were going was in the same position as it was on the previous Sunday; and on asking him who was the present curate, he replied that " He 'd never seen more than one mon pull the rope (meaning the sexton), as he know'd on ;" but on explaining to him the difference between a curator of souls and a stretcher of bell ropes, he promptly replied that " He'd seen so many faces a-preaching there o' late, that nobody wa'n't sure o' cotching the same chap again." He had never seen or heard of a Sunday school, and likewise manifested no little malice against the cause of letters generally, from the fact of his having received, some months ago, on a nameless part of his person, a severe flagellation at the hands of some pedagogue, whose name and place of residence, however, he neither knew nor cared to recollect. Finding I could gather nothing from this rustic group, I left them to the tender care of their spiritual instructors, and moved on towards the church. The church, which is within gunshot of the mansion, is beau- tifully situated, partly concealed by trees, and seems in its simplicity and rustic beauty peculiarly fitted to the scene. A correspondent informs me that it was originally built by Borlace 186 THE RAMBLER. de Fitz, to commemorate the birth of his son, and partly as an expiation for the crimes of his youth. The original building was demolished in the reign of Henry VIII., and partly pulled down, the drawbridge, &c., still remaining to mark the age of the erection. It was here (see notes to Sharon Turner's History) that Lord Audley and the fair Anne of Cotheridge were united after their flight from Evesham in 1407. The present building was consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester on its restoration in 1684. The parsonage (says Nash) was anciently annexed to the monastery of Westwood, in this county, and both were given by Osbert Fitz-hugh to the monks of Font Everaud, in Normandy. At the Dissolution the patronage came to Mr. Thomas Packington, and afterwards passed into the possession of Richard Habingdon, and Evett of Hallow, whose son sold it to the Berkeleys, The church is dedicated to St. Leonard. It is a plain ochre washed erection, not cruciform, and having no transepts. The porch is built up into a wooden bell turret, and the entrance consequently serves for a belfry. The interior consists only of a nave and chancel, with a chapel on the north side of the altar, which is kept as a crypt for the Berkeley family, but which, in my opinion, might be much more usefully applied as a school-room for Sunday scholars, or as a vestry for the clergyman, to avoid the necessity of robing and unrobing before the congregation, as is now the case. Against the south wall of this chapel is a cenotaph to the memory of Thomas Berkeley, Esq., who in 1669 accompanied Sir D. Harvey, the ambassador from Charles II. to the Emperor of the Turks, but died at a city called Megree, in Greece, and was buried among the Christians there. In the highest pane of the east window are the remains of blazonries designed for the armorial bearings of Say and Mortimer and Lucy, lords of Cotheridge. The chancel is divided from the nave by a parti- tion wall, in which are three very low arches ; the central one is circular, and is evidently of Norman workmanship by the character of its supporters ; the southern arch is in the Pointed style ; thus denoting the period of the erection to have been COTHERIDGE. ] 87 during the " Transition." This part of the church, therefore, cannot, I should think, be less than seven centuries old, and there are many other marks of great age about it. The chancel floor is covered with encaustic tiles, the armorial and other devices on which are almost obliterated, owing to the circum- stance that the ground underneath is occupied by vaults, every opening of which demands the removal of the tiles. The seats, which can accommodate nearly 200 persons, are of strong old oak, put together in a right primitive fashion, without those modern notions of economy of space through which I have so often been victimised with cramps and other aches and pains. The pulpit, too, with its sexagonal carved body, long narrow neck, and thin spider arms, or rails, by which it is approached, looks down dejectedly on the oft-returning congregation like a monitor, grown old and gaunt, and hermit-like, in the bootless task of exhortation. On the wall is a solitary table of charities, in which two or three of the names were donors of some 40s. or 5 or 6 towards the repairs of the church in 1687, and who, for so trifling a service, could hardly have expected their names would be emblazoned on the walls for all time. Surely they have been already doubly paid for their small outlay by this notoriety of nearly two centuries. At the west end is a gallery or rather square box, projecting from the wall, and of most unpretending appearance. Here were seated, high and unap- proachable in their glory, the village choir, consisting of clarionet, flute, and bass viol, with a voice or two beside ; the first named gentleman (Mr. Clarionet) saluted me on my entrance into the church with a note or shriek which would have eclipsed a mode- rate railway engine ; and if the other members of the choral body did not come up to their leader in force and intensity, it could not be attributed to a lack of good- will, but simply to a difference in the calibre of their instruments. This being nothing more than a little private practice before the services, was only an epitome of what they evidently intended to achieve, and with that assurance I gave way to a kind of sad resignation. An elderly man (apparently an invalid) was seated in a wheeled chair under- 188 THE KAMBLER. neath the gallery, and on addressing him I found that he had been for many years the clerk at the church, but through physical suffering was now unable to perform the duties of that office ; he was an intelligent and communicative man, and seemed to entertain a most commendable pride on the score of his long connection with the church. The combined efforts of Messrs. Clarionet, Flute, and Bass-viol, had become actually desirable to his ear, solely by dint of long acquaintanceship ; and I have no doubt that it was his rule to fix himself in this position before the arrival of the congregation, in order to take in as much as possible of then? witching strains. He, too, evidently felt most anxious on behalf of his deputy clerk a simple, well behaved yeoman that the conduct of the services should not suffer from his own inability to discharge them ; and as the locum tenens led the responses, or left his sitting to ascend the little gallery for the purpose of giving out the psalms, the earnest eye of the ex-official was upon him, as though by his supervision he would have communicated to him a portion of his own effi- ciency and devotional spirit. How forcible are the effects of habit ! The good old clerk at Cotheridge, after thirty years' servitude, hi ministering at the altar, could not exist, 1 dare say, without constantly going through the same welcome routine, and hearing the same old version of psalms, interpreted by the same triumvirate that has, I suppose, for years awoke the echoes and disturbed the dust in the old church of Cotheridge. Many years ago, I remember, business obliged me to pass daily by a certain field, in which was a horse that had spent a great portion of its youth in a mill, but which was now superannuated ; and constantly at certain hours every day that horse was seen performing its little circles round and round with mathema- tical accuracy, in one particular corner of the field, and had there beaten out for itself a hard path. I often think of that animal when I detect in myself or others the effects of early habits long pursued. The worthy clerk of Cotheridge will forgive the comparison : it is as applicable to myself as to him. The ancient custom of dividing the sexes is here observed COTHERIDGE. 1"9 the silks, satins, cottons, and straws, being arranged on one side, and the broadcloths on the other, like a border of roses breathing their fragrance in contempt over an adjoining plot of cabbages. There was a deal of late coming here, 'and the people generally seemed to be indifferent to the services the responses were but faintly if at all uttered ; and there was scarcely any sign of devotion except from the clergyman or his clerk an ambiguous kind of service, truly, to the Great Author of our being, that our adorations should thus be dependent on a salary. I have heard of persons who object to shed tears at any sermon except in their own parish church, but I do not think the natives of Cotheridge are likely to become very lachrymose even there. The services were admirably per- formed by the new curate a circumstance however which shall not prevent my saying that to me it would have been a source of greater gratification to have seen in the Cotheridge canonicals some one of the many needy curates I could have pointed out in this vicinity, to whom 7Q or ,80 per annum would have been a most desirable object. When a rich man accepts a small post, the advantage, which to him may indeed scarcely be felt at all, is probably to another a matter of severe necessity ; to say nothing of the opportunity which it gives to the enemies of the church to weaken her in the affections of the people. It is also very clear that a resident minister is much wanted at Cotheridge, for the present hereditary proprietor of the benefice seems too far advanced in years to satisfy, unaided by a constant assistant, the spiritual wants of the parish, to visit the sick, to establish a Sunday school, to organize a choir, to perform more than one service on the Sabbath, and to improve generally the present system of instruction at Cotheridge, of which the youth I have mentioned at the early part of this chapter was so notable an example. Should, however, the new curate accom- plish these things in regard to which I have not any doubt of his ability and good intentions I sliall be half inclined not to look grudgingly on the extra emolument derived to him. The sermon was a good commentary on the 37th Psalm, v. 23 190 THE RAMBLER. " I have been young, and now am old, and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread." The preacher alluded to the season (Christmas) as one the most eligible for the exercise of reflection on the rapid progress of time and the use to which we had applied it ; and indeed his exhortation was efficiently seconded by the sprigs of holly which here and there fringed the seats, and reminded me, in language not to be mistaken, of that period when my youthful eye first beheld, admired, and wondered at the cause of this ancient custom of the chequered scenes which since then had been spread around my path of the follies of youth, and the sorrows and experience of manhood ; all these things did these little holly sprigs, with their cunning sorcery, bring up before me. I was much pleased, not only with the subject of the discourse, but at the mode and manner of the preacher's illustration ; he also occasionally fixed his eye upon me, and no doubt imagined lie saw in my person the effects of his discourse, in the burnings of a sensitive conscience, as visible on my face ; but whatever may have been the salutary effect of his excellent theology, I can assure him that the perspiration under which I suffered was solely occasioned by a red hot stove which came close to my seat door, and which had already singed two or three ladies' dresses in passing, it being placed, unguarded, in the central aisle, which is too narrow for that purpose. On leaving the church, a row of labourers, who had drawn themselves up in a line facing the entrance, made their obeisance in right rustic fashion to all whom they recognised a good old relic of the Sir Roger de Coverley times. Up the little path- way of the churchyard was moving a mournful procession ; a few simple villagers attending the remains of some deceased friend to the home appointed for all living. There is something peculiarly affecting in this last solemn rite, as administered in a rural churchyard " When one well known to the village group His latest breath lias given, And his si m I has passed from his clay-chid form And found its rest in heaven." ST. KENELM'S. 191 At all times and in all places the interment of a fellow creature is indeed a subject for deep reflection, but in a crowded city the exit of a brother mortal seems to have no greater effect than the casting of a pebble into the sea ; there is a temporary divi- sion of the waters, but in a moment they are reunited, and the disarrangement is not perceptible. In a small unpopulous village the death of a neighbour or friend is however a veritable sermon, lasting and impressive from ear to ear travels the melancholy tidings each hearer has known the deceased, perhaps for many years and there is a mournful interest felt in his death which cannot but have its due effect on the thoughtful while around his grave congregate not alone the paid mimics of grief, but the old and young of that rustic group in whose circle of acquaintanceship his death has occasioned a vacuum, perhaps not readily to be filled up. Man is selfish to the last, and shudders at being forgotten. Patron of the living, the Rev. R. Berkeley. Perpetual Curate, the Rev. T. L. Wheeler. Value of the curacy, 80. Popula- tion, 228. How cheering, how sweet, is the Sabbath's calm smile ! The church of our fathers, how meekly it stands ! Oh, villagers, gaze on the old hallowed pile: It was dear to their hearts, it was raised by their hands. *OME time ago I received an invitation, couched in the most seductive terms, for the purpose of enticing me away to the Clent Hills, some four miles from Stour- bridge, on the occasion of re-opening an ancient church there ; I readily consented, and set out per coach to Stourbridge, where I was safely deposited in the hospitable house of an excellent friend, who, being himself an antiquary, received me with open arms and loud exclamations of delight at my intended pilgrimage 192 THE RAMBLER. to St. Kenelm's, to which place he proposed to escort me early next morning via a much shorter and easier route than that generally adopted by the public. On the following morning he gave me a proof of his zeal towards the enterprise by inflicting a tremendous rap on the door of my bed-room soon after day- break, which made me j ump from my snuggery in the certain belief that either the house was on fire or that the Chartists were coming. After a bountiful breakfast we set out for the hills. On our way we passed Pedmore church. This is an old building chiefly interesting for the early Norman remains still to be seen there. On the tympanum of the great door, at the principal entrance or porch, is a piece of sculpture, said to represent the Deity, surrounded by the vesica piscis and symbols of the four Evangelists ; though I am inclined to think that the central figure is meant for either a bishop or a king of the Mercian dominions ; it is difficult, however, to say whether the head covering is an ecclesiastical or regal device. The arch between the body and chancel of this church is of apparently the same date. From Pedmore church our way was by Wich- bury Hill, where are the remains of Roman fortifications, undoubtedly thrown up and occupied by the troops of Ostorius, who entrenched here during the severe and often doubtful struggles they had with the Britons, the latter occupying the adjoining hills of Clent and Walton. Some authorities also believe this to have been one of the posts of Henry the Fourth, when he blocked up Owen Glyndwr after the burning of Wor- cester (1405). It has on the south side a double agger, or ditch, but the whole is now covered with wood. The deep trenches or ramparts are as visible as though the excavation had been but recently made. Instruments of war, Roman jars, coins, and other remnants of antiquity, have been found here at various times, and there is in the valley immediately beneath the ramparts a mound of earth, connected with the camp by a raised bank or footway, which is probably a barrow ; there is no doubt of its being artificial, and the antiquity of it would seem to be guaranteed by the fact of an ancient tree ST. KENELM'S. 193 being still growing upon it. Several of the barrows or lows in this neighbourhood have in former times been opened, and burnt wood and urns containing bones and dust found in them. Skirting the finely wooded eminence of Wichbury, we passed close to the noble obelisk, which crowns the highest portion of Hagley Park. Hasting away from the witchery of this scene we descended the hill, near to the ornamental building erected by the classic taste of a former Lord Lyttelton, after a model of the celebrated Temple of Theseus; here we made a detour through Hagley Wood, and emerged on the base of the far- famed Clent Hills. The Clent and Walton hills, which are the principal eminences of the group, and are partly in the counties of Worcester, Stafford, and Salop, run almost parallel with each other, and are only separated by a deep ravine. At nearly one end of the ravine is the ancient church which was the point of our destination, and at the other the village of Clent, with its picturesque church, quietly reposes. The interval is filled up with gardens, and meadows, and stray cottages, and shrubbery, and murmuring streamlets, which unitedly form one of the most captivating retreats I have seen in Worcestershire. What a gorgeous panorama passes before the eye from the summit of these hills ! On the north may be seen Brierley Hill, Brockmoor, Womborne, and Holbeach, the heights of Sedgley, and even the churches of Wolverhampton in a clear day, but the view in this direction is generally mystified by a thousand chimneys, " Whose Stygian throats breathe darkness all day long ;" the Wren's Nest hill, the towns of Dudley, Wassell Grove, and the district of the Lye ; tracing on in an easterly direction you see the extensive wood of Uffmore, Cradley Park, the village of Hasbury, Halesowen hill and town, the Rowley Hills and village, the heights near Darlaston and Walsall, Tipton, Barr Beacon, with other distant parts of Staffordshire and the Derby- shire hills. South-easterly, and situate in a flat on the banks of the Stour, are the ruins of Halesowen Abbey, which was founded in the beginning of the thirteenth century for the order 194 THE RAMBLER. of White Canons. The spires of Birmingham, the Monument at Edgbaston, and the Northfield Chimney, 365 feet in height, shoot up in this direction. Southward are the Lickey, Tarde- bigg Church, Hewell Park, Redditch, and hi the background are the hills of the neighbouring counties. Further on are the towns of Bromsgrove and Droitwich and the intermediate vil- lages, till the eye rests on the towers of old Vigornia. The Malverns and Cotswolds also form a prominent and pleasing part of the outline ; and in a favourable state of the atmosphere, the Blorenge, the Sugar Loaf, and the Brecon beacons, may be discerned. From west to north the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley, Stourbridge, Wordsley, with Hartlebury, the Woodbury, Abberley, and Clee Hills, Radnor Tump, Wich- bury, Caer Caradoe (the scene of the final conflict between Caractacus and Ostorius), Kinver Edge, and the Salopian Wrekin, complete a picture which I believe to be unrivalled in this neighbourhood. When we add to these the many fascina- tions which the celebrated Lord George Lyttelton gathered around him in his admired and classic retreat at Hagley, and the beauties of the Leasowes, the birthplace and residence of Shenstone, we need not wonder that the muses here took up their residence, and inspired the numbers of Pope, Thomson, Lyttelton, Hammond, Shenstone, and other poets, who lingered here and sang their sweetest strains. How changed are the times, and the aspect of our little island, and the condition of our race, since the period when our British ancestors dyed these hills and plains with the blood of themselves and their Roman assailants ! The roads hereabout bear marks of the highest antiquity, and no meddling busy body of a surveyor or overseer seems ever to have interfered with the operations of nature and the usual wear and tear since the original clearing of these highways from the surrounding forests. There is a tradition here, that once on a time a corpse was being conveyed on one of these roads towards its last home in the village churchyard, but in consequence of the excessive jolting occasioned by the unevenness of the way, ST. KENELM'S. 195 the coffin accidentally slipped out ; the loss, however, was not discovered till the arrival of the party at the burying ground, when they hastily retraced their route, but without a shadow of success, for the weight of the coffin had sunk it so far beneath the muddy surface of the road that all trace of it was lost, though many of the villagers seriously believe it is there somewhere to this day. After the exercise of a world of patience we arrived at the interesting spot where, sheltered by two hills, stands the very ancient church of St. Kenelm. On the sward within a few yards of the building is a stone which formed part of the base of an ancient cross. An old inhabitant, with whom I foregathered in the after part of the day, gave it as his opinion that, as the stone in question divided the parish of Clent from Romsley, the hole was cut for " bannering" purposes, and that he remembered to have seen on those occasions in his youthful days some young urchins having their heads dipped hi it, while a birch was applied to a nameless part of their bodies ; it being a main point in the phi- losophy of the parochial authorities of those times to make the young fry feel a personal interest in and recollection of the olden landmarks, for the perpetuation of the same to posterity. William of Malmesbury and Matthew of Westminster are the first historians who gave an account of Clent and of the murder of King Kenelm. Kenulph, King of Mercia, died in 819, leaving his young son Kenelra under the protection of his eldest sister Quendreda, who, being ambitious to place herself on the throne, colleagued with her lover (Askobert), and effected the destruction of the youthful monarch, then but seven years of age. Askobert, under the pretence of hunting, took him to the Clent Hills, where some historians have said was one of the royal hunting palaces in those days, and there, in a secluded valley, cut off his head, and buried him beneath a bush or tree. The body is said to have been discovered by a cow grazing near the spot, and hence the name of " Cowbatch," retained to this day. The wily priests, ever on the watch to convert the chapter of accidents into a source of profit, gave out that a spring of water, of healing properties (especially for sore eyes) had sprung o2 196 THE RAMBLER. up from the spot where the murder was committed, and that another miraculous circumstance had occurred in connection with the transaction, in the fact of a dove dropping a scroll on the high altar of St. Peter's, at Rome, containing these words : "In Clent Coubath, Kenelm, kinbarne [king born], Ly'th under thorne, heaued [head] bereaved." The more popular translation is " In Clent, in Cowbatch, under a thorn, Lies King Kenelm, his head offshorn." The tale of course is all figurative, like that of the dove whis- pering in Mahomet's ear. However, the murdered king was canonized, and a chapel erected to his memory. The water was said to have possessed medicinal properties, and was much resorted to both before and after the Reformation, for the cure of sore eyes, leprosy, and other maladies. The offerings made by the pilgrims at the shrine and at the well excited the cupidity of the monks of Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire, who claimed the body because the father (Kenulphus) of the youthful saint had built them a church. After a contest, they succeeded in carrying off the body and enshrined it in their abbey (where, many years since, it was discovered with the head severed from the body, and the knife in the coffin along with it). The monks of Winchcombe also pretended to have a St. Kenelm's well, possessing the same qualities as that in the chapel yard on the Clent Hills. A few years ago, on the plea that the spring made the chapel damp, a drain was constructed ; and the stream, which had probably flowed for a thousand years, was diverted from its original course into a brook a short distance off. The well itself was seen by a friend of mine about thirty or forty years ago, at the east end (external) of the chapel : it was quoined with stone, and about 1 !5 inches in diameter, the water being nearly on a level with the ground. Formerly there was a handsome structure over the well, corresponding with the architecture of the chapel, and certain lands were given to the sacrist of Ilales- owen Abbey for the purpose of keeping it in repair. ST. KENELM'S. 197 Notwithstanding this the site of the miraculous well is a subject of dispute. An old inhabitant tells me he remembers the existence of a well within the limits of the Cowbatch, and about half a mile from the chapel, which was called " the holy well," and that old people much resorted to it for the cure of diseased eyes, &c. A town called Kenelmstowe gradually sprung up around the holy well, and mention of the place is made in many ancient works. The town disappeared at the time that the high road from Bromsgrove to Dudley, which formerly lay through it, was changed and carried through the town of Hales ; and the discouragement put upon the pilgrim- ages by Latimer, when Bishop of Worcester, had considerable effect in reducing the importance of the place. Traces of the town are still remaining, such as the name of " Back Lane," and other terms which imply that there must have been streets and thoroughfares in the locality. The ancient chapel, however, survived the devastation of time and circumstance, and is now one of the most interesting relics we have of early Norman (if not Saxon) times, so that we need not wonder at the laudable jealousy which stirred up the antiquarian minds of the neigh- bourhood a short time since, when it was given out that St. Kenelm's was to be repaired and beautified. The chapel had for many years been in a dilapidated state, and indeed has been known, on more than one occasion, literally to have served as a " den of thieves," for some bacon and other ill-gotten booty have been discovered there. The tower, which is a fine Gothic erection (temp. Henry the Seventh), stands on a massive lofty arch, the effect of which is injured by an interior wall of modern masonry, in which are square windows, for the accom- modation of the vestry. The tower is richly adorned with niches and elaborate canopies, also projecting heads, arcade work, and embattled top with crocketted pinnacles. A great portion of the remainder of the building is of the date of Henry the Third or perhaps later ; but the most ancient remains are on the south side, consisting of a round arched doorway and rude carvjng on the tympanum, containing the vesica piscis, enclosing a 198 THE RAMBLER. figure almost identical with that at Pedmore Church. But there is a moulding here which has been a bone of contention between the savans who have seen it, to wit, whether it is not what is called a "beak-head moulding," and if so, it is undoubtedly Norman. On the eastern side (exterior) of this southern porch, and near the roof, is a rude carving of a child, projecting from the wall ; this was evidently a part of the original building, and was designed to represent the murdered king ; he is clothed in a dalmatic, reaching to his heels, and ending in a point in the front ; with his left hand he presses a book to his breast, and over his left arm hangs a hunting bugle ; his right hand is extended, with two fingers elevated, in the attitude of benedic- tion or reproof; above the head of the figure is a carving probably intended for a crown, but which appears to me, what- ever it may originally have been, now to represent the head of the murderer, with an immense mouth, and teeth like those of an alligator ; this improvement being probably the work of some experimenting mason or labourer ; the whole figure is conspi- cuously painted in black and brown, on a white ground. The accompanying woodcut (kindly lent me by Mr. Harris, printer, of Halesowen) will give an idea of the figure. Before the repairs were executed the interior of the church was extremely plain, almost verging to rudeness. Its length, exclusive of the vestry, about 40 feet ; its height about 18 feet, and its width about 20 feet. It has no chancel. The south wall ST. KENELM'S. 199 was partially green with damp and age. The backs of some of the sittings more resembled the side of a horse trough than any thing else. The floor was of brick, with a little straw for the feet in some of the seats. Along the sides of the chapel stone seats were ranged, which served to support the ends of the benches. For an altar, a wooden table bearing the inscription " H. M., 1722," was used. It stood close to a pew on the one side, and the clerk's desk on the other. The gallery, which was erected in 1758, was about 6 feet 6 inches higher than the floor, and was approached by three separate staircases, each stair leading to a portion distinct from the others. The ancient way to the belfry, now used also as a means of access to the upper part of the gallery, consisted of seven thick pieces of wood, and a rude balustrade. The repairs have been executed with good taste, liberality, and due regard to the high antiquity and interesting associations of the place ; the whole, indeed, is in every way worthy of the correct judgment and refined intellect of the noble lord of the manor, and reflects honour on his liberal mind. The interior has been fitted up with open seats of oak, commodiously arranged ; there is a hexagonal stone pulpit, supported on a shaft and pedestal; a neat communion table and service; an octagonal stone font, ornamented with quatrefoils, and having a conical covering of wood, crocketted ; a very convenient gallery has been constructed ; and the miserable old flat ceiling has been removed, the open roof being now supported by light truss work of oak. In the course of the repairs, while removing the white- wash from the walls, some frescoe paintings were discovered, which were unavoidably obliterated ; but as drawings have been taken of them, accurate fac similia of these interesting relics will remain. An eye witness gives me the following information on the subject : " With regard to the paintings, they were whitewashed by a general order to that effect, in common with all other churches. They represent the legend. The white- wash was not all removed when I saw them. As far as I could make out, however, I will inform you. In the slope of the 200 THE RAMBLER. window (north side) was a representation of a man clad in a purple dress, with a large sword. Between the window and corner, and round the corner, there have been two or more courses of the story, the upper compartment containing a mar- riage or coronation ceremony (I think so at least). On a rude seat was what I take for Quendreda ; priests and warriors were present. Underneath this, in the second compartment, was the discovery of the body (or rather the removal of the body out of the grave) by two angels ; the head is cut off as per legend. These filled up one side (the pulpit side) to the window. On the other side the window were also frescoes representing a proces- sion probably the translation or canonization of the body, or some other ceremony of the Church of Rome. My notice is necessarily imperfect, for the paintings were in such a state of obscurity, owing to the whitewash, that it would be hazardous to say exactly what they all were. This much is certain : more frescoes there were, and they probably extended three quarters of the length of the church on each side, if not entirely round." Similar paintings formerly adorned the walls of Halesowen parish church, and a sketch of one them was copied in a little work published some years ago by Mr. Harris, above mentioned. The old chapel would have appeared to much better effect with the aid of painted glass windows, casting their " dim, religious light" upon this spot, hallowed as it is by the memories of so many centuries. 1 hope that no jealous religionist of the Rev. Mr. Close's school will consider me to be a retainer of the scarlet lady, owing to this recommendation of mine, for I cannot see why the purity of religion should necessarily be tarnished in consequence of a taste and desire for the beautifying of God's house ; and as to the expense in this instance, it could not be very heavy. The present price of painted glass (to quote a recent writer) is so moderate, that I am told you can have the twelve apostles at sixteen shillings the square foot, and any number of the minor prophets on the same terms ; local saints, shields, and patrons, bishops and blazonry, can be purchased to any amount, and there is doubtless discount for each included. ST. KENELM'S. 201 Having made a due inspection of the old building, a numerous congregation began to flock in, and we took our seats. The noble lord of the manor, with his lady and party, was present ; and judging from the satisfaction which lit up their counte- nances, the proceedings of the day were to them a source of much enjoyment. Talk of the " good old times" indeed ! here was a picture far more pleasing than that of your brutal, half civilized baron, with his degraded serfs and retainers doing to him services at which the common dignity of human nature would make us turn away with disgust. Here was a nobleman, who has purged himself of the haughtiness of aristocratic blood, bowing down by the side of the most lowly worshippers, in the house which he had repaired and beautified for their accommodation, and ackuowledging by his practice that in the sight of God the most noble blood is no more dear than that which flows through the veins of the peasant. His lordship is one of the few who add nobility of nature to that of name, and such an one it is a luxury for me to honour. The classical associations of Hagley may have thrown a halo of brightness over that delightful spot, but the present owner has done more : by mixing in every day life with his tenantry, directing their labours and encouraging their sports, by visiting the poor, and assisting them to help themselves, by condescending even to superintend personally their clubs and schools, and by a hundred other excellent schemes for turning his influence to good account, the noble lord lieutenant of the county endears himself and insures his possessions as sacred iu the hearts of his neighbours, and likewise holds out an example which but few, even of those of the nobility who have more ample means at disposal, are found to imitate. The services proceeded smoothly, and one and all present seemed to share in the common feelings which were evoked by the associations of the spot. I need not say how well the sublime melody of the Old 100th Psalm, which was given after the litany by a rustic but efficient choir, harmonized with the pleasant memories of the past, and, like the rays of sunlight 202 THE RAMBLER. which streamed through the windows, seemed to give a cheerful assurance of brighter days to come. The Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lyttelton, brother to the lord of the manor, preached from the text " You shall reverence my sanctuary : I am the Lord." The sermon concluded with an appeal on behalf of the Hun- nington and Romsley Sunday School. A fair was wont to be held in the field in which St. Kenelm's is situate ; it is of very ancient date,* and probably arose from the congregating together of numbers of persons to visit the shrine of St. Kenelm on the feast of the saint, 28th of July. By the 33rd Henry VIII., the fair, or rather, we presume, the tolls of the fair, were granted to Roger de Somery, the Lord of Clent. The article of cheese was the principal commodity brought for sale till, about twenty or thirty years ago, the fair was numbered amongst the bygones. Clent was royal demesne, and still enjoys peculiar privileges : the inhabitants are free from serving on juries at assizes and sessions, and also of tolls throughout the kingdom, and at St. Kenelm's fair, and also at the fair of Holy Cross, in the parish of Clent ; and the inhab- itants sold ale and other refreshments without licence or the intervention of the ganger. St. Kenehn's wake is held, or rather used to be held, for it is now but little noticed, on the Sunday after the fair, on which day, within the recollection of numbers of persons now living, it was the annual practice to CRAB THE PARSON. The last clergyman but one who was subjected to this process was a somewhat eccentric gentleman named Lee. He had been chaplain to a man-of-war, and was a jovial old fellow in his way, * Dr. Plott remarks, that " about half-a-mile north north-east of Clent church, or thereabouts, there is a plot of grass greener than ordinary, callad St. Kenelm's Furrow, running up to the Knoll Hill, of great length, that still remains, the grass whereof indeed is somewhat more verdant and luxuriant than at other places, which they intend for the furrow made by the men who ran away with the woman's plough, and were never again heard of, who, in contempt of the feast of St. Kenelm, would make them work on that day, losing her eyes into the bargain, as the legend says." ST. KENELM'S. 203 who could enter into the spirit of the thing. My informant well recollects the worthy divine, after partaking of dinner at the solitary house near the church, quietly quitting the table when the tune for performing the service drew nigh, reconnoitring the angles of the building, and each "buttress and coign of vantage" behind which it was reasonable to suppose the enemy would be posted, and watching for a favourable opportunity, he would start forth at his best walking pace (he scorned to run) to reach the church. Around him, thick and fast, fell from ready hands a shower of crabs, not a few telling with fearful emphasis on his burly person, amid the intense merriment of the rustic assailants ; but the distance is small ; he reaches the old porch, and the storm is over. Another informant, a man of Clent, states that he has seen the late incumbent, the Rev. John Todd, frequently run the gauntlet, and that on one occasion there were two sacks of crabs, each containing at least three bushels, emptied in the church field, besides large store of other missiles provided by other parties ; and it also appears that some of the more wanton not unfrequently threw sticks, stakes, &c., which probably led to the suppression of the practice. The custom of crabbing the parson is said to have arisen on this wise. " Long, long ago," an incumbent of Frankley, to which St. Kenelm's was attached, was accustomed, through horrid, deep- rutted, miry roads, occasionally to wend his way to the seques- tered depository of the remains of the murdered Saint King, to perform divine service. It was his wont to carry creature com- forts with him, which he discussed at a lone farmhouse near the scene of his pastoral duties. On one occasion, whether the pastor's wallet was badly furnished, or his stomach more than usually keen, tradition sayeth not, but having eat up his own provision, he was tempted (after he had donned his sacerdotal habit, and in the absence of the good dame) to pry into the secrets of a huge pot in which was simmering the savoury din- ner the lady had provided for her household ; among the rest, dumplings formed no inconsiderable portion of the contents ; whether they were Norfolk or apple dumplings is not mentioned, 204 THE RAMBLER. but the story runs that our parson poached sundry of them, hissing hot, from the cauldron, and hearing the footsteps of his hostess, he, with great dexterity, deposited them in the ample sleeves of his surplice ; she, however, was wide awake to her loss, and closely following the parson to the church, by her presence prevented him from disposing of them, and to avoid her accusation ("a guilty conscience needs no accuser") he forthwith entered the reading desk and began to read the ser- vice, John Clerk beneath making the responses. Ere long a dumpling slips out of the parson's sleeve, and falls plump on sleek John's head ; he looks up with astonishment, but having ascertained that his reverence is not labouring under the effects of an emetic (" vomits" they called them in those days), John took the matter in good part, and proceeded with the service ; by and bye, however, John's pate receives a second visitation, to which he, with upturned eyes and ready tongue, responded, " Two can play at that, master !" and suiting the action to the word, he forthwith began pelting the parson with crabs, a store of which he had gathered, intending to take them home in his pocket to foment the sprained leg of his jade of a horse ; and so well did the clerk play his part that the parson soon decamped, amid the jeers of the old dame, and the laughter of the few persons who were in attendance ; and in commemoration of this event (so saith the legend), " crabbing the parson" has been practised on the wake Sunday from that tune till a very recent period. I should state that St. Kenelm's is no longer a chapel but a church, with an ecclesiastical parochial district. The annual expenses of the church, such as clerk's salary, &c., were defrayed, during the last year, by a church rate, levied on the inhabitants, or rather the holders of land in Romsley. Previous to that tune the expenses were met by collections after sermons in the church. The value of the benefice is '125 gross, and arises from the large tithe of the parochial district of Romsley. The patronage is now in the vicar of Halesowen (the Rev. R. 13. Hone). The number of persons under the pastoral superin- HAGLET. 205 tendence of the Rev. Henry Veale, the present incumbent, is (according to the last census) 4] 3. There is no parsonage house. The number of children on the books of the Sunday school is about 40. A Parochial Lending Library was estab- lished last year for the use of the Sunday school children and other persons A Clothing Club is also attached to the Sunday school. Mr. Samuel Locock is the clerk. Illustrious ITagley ! now each object fades, Eclips'd and vulgar, named with thy soft shades. Where Pope has rov'd, his lyre where Thomson strung, And all the sons of elegance and song Pour'd the full tide of harmony along. "Where the sweet Shenstone, from the neighb'ring grove, In soft complaining told his hapless love. *HE church of Hagley, encircled in a grove of lofty trees, and seated beneath the shadow of a fine baronial mansion in one of the most magnificent parks in the kingdom, presents a picture which perhaps no country but England can produce. Poets, wits, and statesmen, have rendered famous this beautiful retreat; and men of letters have here found patronage under the auspices of a noble, ancient, and distinguished family. But to describe the beauties and associa- tions of the spot is no part of my present task, having been specially undertaken by others. The church is therefore the principal subject of the present chapter. It consists of a stone porch, with mullioned openings in the sides, a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, a vestry room at the west end, and a small wooden tower; the nave is the oldest portion of the building, but is probably not earlier than the fourteenth century, being divided from the aisles by three obtuse arches with octa- gonal pillars ; the arches are doubly recessed, the edges being 206 THE RAMBLER. chamfered. The chancel was rebuilt by George Lord Lyttelton, in 1754, and is an elaborate specimen of the Perpendicular style, the ceiling being a depressed arch, covered with panelling. The east window is gorgeously painted: subjects the Lord's Supper, the Crucifixion, the Adoration of the Shepherds, with other scripture pieces, and a portrait of Lord Chancellor Lyttelton, 1641. New windows were at the same time placed in the body of the church, and the seats and galleries at the west end, which are carved and panelled, were erected. The cornice of the chancel ceiling was ornamented with shields of arms, in their proper colours, by Dr. C. Lyttelton, Dean of Exeter, being the bearings and quarterings of the Lyttelton family from the time of Henry the Third. On each side of the east window is a recess, with crocketted canopy and finial, containing monumental urns. The east window in the north aisle is modern, containing paintings of St. John, evangelistic emblems, &c., and a memo- rial to the late incumbent, the Rev. John Turner, 1 847. In the north wall of this aisle, a short distance from the ground, is a depressed arch, or recessed canopy, with crockets and finial, containing a stone tomb, on the lid of which is a floriated cross. There is no memorial of the person to whom this tomb was erected. In the south aisle is a decorated piscina ; and here was originally an altar, the aisle or chapel being dedicated to the Virgin, and lands being given for the celebration of masses there. A field, called the Aspes, or Lamplands, was likewise given for the maintenance of a lamp in the church to burn continually before the host. At the west end of the nave is a handsome font, octagonal, with lancet arches, and trefoils, and recesses on the faces. The monumental remains in this church are chiefly those of the Lyttelton family, among which the most conspicuous is that to Meriel Lyttelton, wife of John Lyttelton, and daughter of Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chancellor a lady who might almost be considered the second founder of the family, she having procured from James the First a grant of all the family estates, which had been forfeited to the Crown in the reign of H AGLET. 207 Elizabeth (the unhappy consequence of her husband's engage- ment * with the Earl of Essex). She lived a widow twenty-eight years, managed the estate with economy, and brought up her children in the Protestant religion (their ancestors having been Papists). This excellent lady commanded in her will that her body should be buried in the churchyard among the poor, which was accordingly done. There are some neat marble monu- ments in the chancel to other members of the family, on one of which are some exquisite verses to Lucy Lyttelton ; but I observed here none of those massive marble sculptured tombs, which are so often appropriated to the memory of ancient families, where the knight and his lady " Devoutly kneeling side by side, As though they did intend For past omissions to atone By saying endless prayers in stone." In the south aisle is a monument to the Penns a family whose residence was at Harborough Hall for nearly four centuries, but which became extinct nearly a century ago. They were the maternal ancestors of Shenstone the poet. In the north aisle is a chaste mural tablet to Elizabeth, wife of Captain W. W. Chambers, R. N., and only child of Thomas Webb Hodgetts, Esq., who died October 11, 1846, aged 30 : this little memorial is a specimen of good taste. The church was enlarged in 1827, when 205 additional sittings were obtained, 136 being free in consequence of a grant of 100 from the Church Building Society. The total cost was 825, the expense of the vestry being 120. The sum of 296. 15s. was raised by voluntary subscription, 345 by the sale of pews, and the remainder by rate. The church is warmed with hot air. The seats are closed pews, but I hope the principal occu- piers will ere long unite with his lordship in throwing them open ; in that case the appearance of the interior of this church would be second to none of equal size in the county. The * It seems that John Lyttelton was a zealous Papist, but that he was condemned and his estate forfeited on very slight grounds. 208 THE RAMBLER. organ being placed in the north aisle, had the effect of mellowing and subduing the choral services, which were participated in by the great majority of the congregation, and even the most juvenile of the school children (who were all posted in the gallery) contributed their full quota to swell the psalm of thanskgiving, and evidenced the effect of a long and arduous drilling, not only in their temperate manner of singing, but in their general good behaviour. The rector preached from Matthew iv, 5, 6, 7, a sermon highly appropriate to the season (Lent), and the services throughout were impressive, orderly, and devotional. With regard to the state of education, there is an excellent school here, which was built by the late Lord Lyttelton, and is entirely supported by the present lord. The number of children attending the day and Sunday schools together is more than 100, and the daily attendance on week days averages nearly 80. There is also a dame school, chiefly attended by infants, not under the control of the clergyman ; but, as I am informed, the young woman who keeps it is a very regular church goer, and is well adapted for her situation. The worthy and zealous rector, the Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lyttelton, last winter, established an evening school, which meets two evenings in the week for about eight months in the year, at seven o'clock, and breaks up at nine. There are more than forty names on the book, (nine from the neighbouring parishes) of men and lads, from the age of 1 4 to any age, but the eldest at present is about 555. The rector always attends at church himself, and superintends the two first classes in geography, mechanics, in the Bible, and in the reading books of the Irish National Society, which, I am told, are full of very useful information conveyed in an amusing and attractive way. There is here also a Clothing Club and Loan Club, established and entirely managed by Lord and Lady Lyttelton. There is a Wednesday evening service at Hagley, with a lecture, and a morning service; with a sermon on Saints' days. During the past Lent there have been daily morning prayers in the church, at ten o'clock, OLDSWINFORD. 209 well attended by some labourers and several of the higher classes. The Rev. A. A. Barker is curate at Hagley ; and the present curate at Frankley (which is a donative belonging to the Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lyttelton) is the Rev. J. G. Orger. There is a male school at Frankley managed by the clerk, and a Clothing Club belonging to the school. The name of the clerk is Cradock. The last census made the population 120. Hagley is a rectory in the patronage of Lord Lyttelton (value 751). Population, 744. Hagley as implied by its name is supposed to have been a distinguished residence from early Saxon times. The manor, together with Old Swinford, Cradley, and Clent, were purchased by Sir John Lyttelton, of Frankley, Knight, in the latter end of the sixteenth century. The present house was erected by the first Lord Lyttelton , about a century ago. The family of Lyttelton has been traced nearly to the time of the Conquest, their name being taken from South Lyttelton, in the vale of Evesham. Thomas de Lyttelton married the heiress of Frankley in the early part of the thirteenth century, and the residence of the family was at Frankley for many centuries. The most distin- guished of the Lyttelton family were the celebrated Judge Lyttelton, author of the "English Tenures," who died in 1481 ; Sir Edward Lyttelton, Baron Mounslow, Lord Chancellor in 1640, author of "Reports in the Common Pleas and Exchequer ;" Lord Lyttelton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1 756 ; and Bishop Lyttelton, an eminent antiquary, who died in 1768. arc in the parish of OMswinfonl tlm-<> i-liun.-h.-s j( (,, fa. besides the parish church, namely, Stourbridge, The B?^""TTr; I,yp, and Anilileeote. The church of Oldswinford h a modern erection, except the tower, which is of the date of the fourteenth century, the rest of the building (erected in 1843) 210 THE RAMBLER. having been judiciously made in the same style. It is a very large building, with galleries on three sides, an organ at the western end, windows full of rich tracery and painted glass, and the roof supported by bold but appropriate truss work. The church contains 1457 sittings, 781 of which are free. The cost of erection was 5000, raised by subscriptions, aided by grants from the Church Building Societies. It was built from the designs and under the direction of R. Ebbells, Esq., Mr. E. Smith, of Oldswinford, being the contractor. Portions of the old church Were said to be of great antiquity, and one arch, a very rude construction, was supposed to have been either of early Norman or Saxon workmanship ; the walls above the arches to the side aisles were ornamented with scrolls and labels, containing texts of scripture in old English characters, in red and black colours. In removing the old building there was an unavoidable expo- sure of coffins and human remains, and in one of the coffins a lady was found full dressed in ancient costume, and a great multitude of pins in her dress and lying strewed about, which, it is supposed, were in some way connected with superstitious motives. An ancient lich gate, having an ornamented arch, together with an old font, were both removed at the same time, to the regret of many who had respect for these relics and thought they might have been retained. There is a peal of six musical bells in this church. Churchwardens and parishioners should not project the erec- tion of an immense church like that of Oldswinford till they could first guarantee a constant succession of ministers with stentorian lungs to occupy its reading desk and pulpit, for on the afternoon that I visited this church, what with the noise of the late comers creaking their boots along the lengthy, unmatted galleries, and the low and singularly rapid reading of the clergy- man, not one-third of the congregation could have been any thing the wiser or better for what was said by him. Now I trust that the worthy incumbent is not above mending a bad habit, for, as he cannot be insensible to the deeply devotional and penitential OLDSWINFORD. 21 1 character of the prayers of the church, he must be likewise aware that to read them over like so many " pater nosters" or " ave marias," jumbled together by monks of old with an eye to expedition, or merely as a daily task, cannot but produce indif- ference on the part of the people, who are already too much inclined to contract a lax and gabbling habit of making the responses. The Jewish writers, it is said, kept two pens by them, one of which was used only to inscribe the name of God l>eing consecrated, as one might say, to the sole inscription of this awful word. It was a happy and a holy idea, from which many of our ministers who (when reading the prayers of the church) do not pause to pronounce the awful name of the Deity with any more deliberation or solemnity than if it was the smallest par- ticle in the language, would do well take a lesson. The sermon (by the same rev. gentleman) was a fine composition, exhibiting considerable powers of intellect : it had reference to the calling of the Christian, and his doing faithfully the work allotted to him ; he spoke so eloquently of the zeal which we ought to carry with us to the performance of our Christian duties in active, daily life, and of the lamentable and reprehensible substitutes and excuses which too many are apt to frame, that I was delighted to find a clergyman with abilities of so high an order, combined with incentives to active usefulness so strong. In a district so overcrowded with population, a clergyman who (as I presume he does) mixes with, instructs, and engages the affec- tions of his flock, must be the instrument of incalculable good.* With regard to the musical part of the services, the organ (a fine instrument) was apparently under skilful hands, but I think the time and execution were far too rapid and brilliant to be consistent with the solemnity of church music, and the school- boys' responses were made in a too loud and flippant man- ner. I would recommend the occasional use of the Gregorian * The late rector of Oldswinford, I am told, was an excellent man, and practically benevolent amongst bis parishioners, yet, strange to say, he was a disciple of Joanna Southcote, who frequently visited him, and had many disciples here. I have also been assured that be kept a horse always ready saddled, in order to convey him to the new Jerusalem .' 2 212 THE RAMBLER. chant at this church. I would also observe, that it should be remembered that it is not every person who can be an organist. The light movements of the theatre, with the effemi- nate and frittered music of our dissenting chapels, should be excluded, and great care should be taken to keep the style of the organ chaste and pure, suitable to holy places and divine subjects. "Religious harmony," says Collier, "must be moving, but noble withal, grave, solemn, and seraphic ; fit for a martyr to play, and an angel to hear ;" but in the generality of our country churches it is found widely different. Hooker, in his Ecclesiastical Polity, b. v. sec. 38, says " In church music, curiosity and ostentation of art, wanton, or light, or unsuitable harmony, such as only pleaseth the ear, and doth not naturally serve to the very kind and degree of those impressions which the matter that goeth with it leaveth, or is apt to leave in men's minds, doth rather blemish and disgrace what we do, than add beauty or furtherance unto it." An organist with a correct ear and taste will found his (or her) musical reputation on the richness of his harmonies and the variety of his chromatic combinations. But the man who is not well versed in the science cannot expect to find success in this way ; he will, there- fore, seek it in another, namely, turns and shakes and " graces" of all sorts, will be called in to his aid, with little regard to taste or discrimination. A performer of such a school may succeed to his own wishes, and "split the ears of the groundlings;" but the well informed musician will turn away with mingled pity and disgust. In the burial ground (which was much enlarged at the time of rebuilding the church, and which will no doubt ultimately extend to the road,) are the following specimens of epitaphic nonsense : No. 1. Blessed be God who thought it fit I should be killed in a coal-pit ; So as I dreamed it proved true, For in O'hrht mv soul was due." OLDSWINFORD. 2 1 3 No. 2. " To learn the scriptures was my great delight, And read them to my grandmother at night." No. 3. " Reader, be secret, ponder, and be wise ; Beneath this stone a friend of secrets lies ; Living in secret till that secret death Gave him one more, and robbed him of his breath. With us respected until thus removed, Loved by the order he so dearly loved ; Dying and dead is every honour paid, In peace we leave him where he would be laid. " No. 4. " Beneath the verdure of this earthen chest Are laid the garments of two taints untlreif'il ; Here 'tis decreed that they erewhiles shall lie Till time shall end, and death itself shall die : Then will the Saviour model them afresh, And change this later' d rament of the flesh Like to his own for that's the heavenly mode, Fit to enrol the favritet of God." No. 5. " He gave asye His victim life was ore." No. 6. " In peace requiesent." One stone in this yard contains the concluding bars of the music of Pope's ode " death, where is thy sting ?" The Sunday school is attended by 90 or 100 children, and is under the management of the master of Glover's Charity school. The infant school contains about 90 children, many of whose parents, I hear, think they confer a favour on the subscribers in sending them. The mistress's salary is 10s. per week. Great lukewarmness is displayed regarding these schools, and they sadly require supervision and encouragement. The patron of the living is Lord Ward ; it was valued at 781. Rector, the Rev. C. H. Craufurd. No curate is kept. Organist, Mr. Simnis. Clerk, Mr. Cogzell. Population, 17,597. 214 THE RAMBLER. The church at Stout-bridge is a modern one of brick, and has a tower of the same material, of considerable altitude, contain- ing a peal of eight bells. This church is dedicated to St. Thomas, and was erected by voluntary subscription in the year 1735. The nucleus of the subscription was a bequest made in 1726 by Mr. Biggs, a clothier, who left the sum of 300 to the Governors of King Edward's Free Grammar School for the building of a church. The reason he assigned for so doing was the inconvenience suffered by the inhabitants of the town in having to go a long distance to the parish church, " by which dissent was fostered, and the numbers of dissenters increased." The edifice was enlarged, repaired, and " beautified," in 1 809. It has a remarkably neat interior. On either side are galleries, the front of which, and the roof, are supported by massive timber pillars, turned out of trunks of elm trees said to have grown on the spot the church now occupies. The interior of the building is well arranged, and kept with the most scrupulous regard to cleanliness. The church has been licensed but was never consecrated, consequently it is not subject to episcopal jurisdiction, and the presentation is vested in the inhabitants. In 1742 a bill was brought into Parliament to render the church parochial, but was thrown out in the Lords. At the time of the election of a minister, I am informed, the town presents all the unpleasing characteristics of a contested parliamentary election, with bands playing, bells ringing, placards posted on the walls, and other most unseemly features. The last election was in 1 833, after the death of the Rev. Joseph Taylor. Some of the placards posted on that occasion I have seen. Another anomaly is, that the presentation being vested in all the parishioners, the dissenters have a voice in electing the minister for the church. The present minister is the Rev. Giffard Wells, who is also head master of King Edward's Grammar School. Assistant Curate, the Rev. Mr. Williams. Clerk, Mr. Dunn. Far be it from me to disparage or undervalue the services of the present minister, OLDSWINFORD. 215 but I think that in future elections the inhabitants would do well to select a clergyman who, having no secular duties to perform, would be at liberty to attend continually to the spiritual requirements of the people entrusted to him. I say this on public principle alone : in no way intending to disparage the present incumbent. The value of the living is 134, and the population nearly 8000. The minister at Lye church is the Rev. J. Bromley, and at Amblecote, the Rev. J. G. Wirer. The town of Stourbridge no doubt derives its name from the bridge over the Stour at that place. Dr. Lyttelton says the earliest mention of the name of Stourbridge that has occurred to him is in a Court roll of 32 Henry VI. (1454); but in a deed in the collections of J. H. Dixon, Esq., of the Croft, Upper Swinford, dated 8th March, 32 Edward III. (1358), Store- brugge." is mentioned. Bedcote must have been a no incon- siderable vill or hamlet, and have been a place of tolerable accommodation in the time of Edward the Third, according to Dr. Lyttelton, as the king's justices met here, as well at other places, to inquire into a great riot which happened at Worcester, 23 Edward III. The town has been for many years distin- guished for its manufacture of glass, the art having been intro- duced here from Lorraine, in 1557, by French Protestant refugees, one of whom (Henzoll) was of a noble house in Lorraine. The family arms are said to have been enrolled hi the Duke of Lorraine's gallery, and emblazoned on a window with many others : the arms are three acorns slipped ; crest, a fire ball, thunderbolt, and the motto, "Seigneur, je te prie garde ma vie" (Lord, I pray thee, defend my life). There are innumerable descendants of this family ; the name having been corrupted, more than two and a half centuries ago, to Henzie, Henzey, Ensell, &c. ; but the elder branches are represented, I believe, through marriages with females, by a branch of the family of Dixon, and by the Pidcocks of the Platts, in this parish, who for many generations carried on the glass trade there; of whom is descended C. Pidcock, Esq., solicitor, of Worcester. 216 THE RAMBLER. The clothing trade was carried on here for upwards of two centuries, and did not cease till some thirty or forty years ago. The Scotts, Hickmans, and other respectable families in this neighbourhood, carried on the manufacture of fine cloths for many generations, and acquired fortunes thereby. Many per- sons still living recollect the Stourbridge clothiers attending, with a servant each, the principal fairs in the district, and exhibiting their cloths for sale on standings. Stourbridge has likewise for many years been famous for its Free School, founded by King Edward the Sixth, in 1547, and endowed with the funds of suppressed chantries at Worcester, Evesham, Hartley, Suckley, &c. At this school Dr. Samuel Johnson studied for a year. A chapel, dedicated to the Trinity, stood on the site of this school, temp. Henry the Eighth. The clear revenues of Stourbridge chapel, temp. Henry the Eighth, were 5. 7s. 8d. (Lansdowne MSS.) Oldswinford Hospital, for the feeding, clothing, educating, and apprenticing of boys, was founded in 1G70 by the Foley family, who held large possessions here. The income of this noble institution was, at the time of the Charity Commissioners' Report, ,2289 per annum. A great portion of the income had been misapplied for some years until the interference of the present J. H. H. Foley, Esq., M.P., a worthy and active benefactor to the district. The boys now number upwards of 100, and it is believed that the number will be much increased. There are likewise Scott's Charity, Glover and Wheeler's Charity, and other institutions for the object of education, &c. 217 Eveaham Bndje and Tower, R,OM the Market Square of Evesham the visitor to the churches passes through a narrow gateway, the walls !of which an- of Norman work, upwards of seven cen- turies old, but its original roof of stone vaulting has disappeared for many years, as testified by the antiquity of the wooden tene- ment which now supplies its place. We next come into the burial ground, which contains the churches of All Saints and St. Lawrence, the former occupying the north-east corner and the latter standing isolated in the centre of the yard, while Abbot Lichfield's bell tower forms the eastern, and the ancient gate- way, before mentioned, the northern entrance. The west and north-west are occupied by an avenue of trees and a range of low antique buildings, denoting by many features their former 218 THE RAMBLER. connexion with the monastic precincts, if we except a modern dissenting chapel among them, which peeps into the ecclesiastical territory with a half closed eye of shaded glass. The site of the monastery was southward of this yard and divided therefrom by a wall, which, though believed to bear the date of 1 150, is still in part remaining, and contains, as a proof of its age, a semi- circular headed doorway, of decidedly Norman workmanship, which formerly led to the great quadrangle of the monastery. There are other additions to or insertions in this old wall which render it highly interesting, even if its blackened appearance and crumbled surface had not already powerfully appealed on its behalf. The ragged condition of the graves, and the general appearance of the yard, denoting a superabundance of dead, as also the heaping of soil against the church walls, are by no means creditable to the parties in charge of the same. There is no obitual record worthy of notice, with perhaps the excep- tion of the following: "Here rest the remains of the Rev. Benj. Davis, 20 years minister to the Presbyterian congregation in this town : he was born at Goytre, near Lampeter, Cardigan- shire, Oct. 23, 1756; died Jan. 2, 1811 Adgyfodaf Mors est Janua vitae." I find also that one of his predecessors, the Rev. Paul Cardale, selected the north aisle of All Saints' Church for the same purpose. I don't know why a dissenter should object to take his last long sleep in company with a churchman, but judging from the arrangement and subdivision of cemeteries in our large towns, society seems very generally to coincide hi opinion with the woman who declined to have her child buried by the side of another who had died of the small pox, fearing that her own little pet might catch the contagion. Would that in the grave all differences and animosities were buried, and that the world would imbibe the profound philosophy of Addison, who observes " When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me ; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out ; when I meet with the griefs of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion ; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves, EVESHAM, 219 I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow ; when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind." My meditations on the tombs were cut short by the chimes from Abbot Lichfield's tower proclaiming the hour of noon, and accompanying it with the somewhat appropriate air of " My lodging is on the cold ground." The clock is guarded on the right and left by two sanguinary looking characters carved in wood or stone, whose purposed occupation was to strike the hour on two small bells, but who, for lack of the sum of 5 more, required as I am told by the constructor, now remain motionless, and, with uplifted hammers, appear " Willing to wound, but yet afraid to strike." A brief outline of the history of Evesham's famous monastery, with its dependencies, will be read with interest. My sketch is chiefly gathered from Mr. May's history (a work whose merits entitle it to a place in every house in the borough and in every literary institution in the county), assisted by my own examina- tion of the Saxon Chronicle, Bede's Ecclesiastical History, and William of Malmesbury. The site of the town was in ancient times occupied by an extensive forest, and in the year 701 a swineherd named Eoves, belonging to the Bishop of Worcester, while tending his charge on a part of the woodland appropriated to the sustenance of the Worcester monks, beheld the Virgin Mary in a vision, which circumstance he at once communicated to the bishop, who repaired to the place, and having there witnessed a repetition of the vision, the spot became one of extraordinary sanctity. A small church is said to have existed here prior to that period, probably built by the Britons; but if so it could only have been a small one of wood and wattle work. The fame of the place increasing, King Ethelred made a grant, and a monastery 220 THE RAMBLER. was erected in 714. This erection was probably one of wood, for it fell down in 960. But few even of the most important edifices were built entirely of stone before the Norman conquest, for William of Malmesbury tells us that even the Abbey of Glastonbury by repute the highest and most favoured in the country was wattled and afterwards "boarded." Ecgwin, the founder of Evesham monastery, was the third Bishop of Worcester.* Of this prelate we are told that in atonement for the sins of himself and his people, he bound himself with chains, locked them together, and threw the key into the Avon, declar- ing that they should not be loosed except by divine interposi- tion. He then set out for a pilgrimage to Rome, where his servant having purchased a fish for dinner, found in it the key which his master had thrown away. His triumphant return to Evesham was of course the consequence. This is a specimen of the many marvellous things which the venerable Bede so piously believes, and which even his more cautious successor of Malmesbury often adopts. The history of the monastery was afterwards chequered by accounts of the lamentable and ruth- less spoliations of the Danes, and the contests between the monks and the secular clergy, in which Dunstan of Worcester was the champion of the Benedictines. In the reign of Ethelred the Unready, a chief named Godwin purchased the abbey, and afterwards it was bestowed upon Adulph, 19th bishop of Wor- cester, who was previously a monk of Pershore. This prelate first subjected the convent to the jurisdiction of the see a measure which the Evesham monks never forgave, for their monastery claimed exemption from all episcopal supervision, as being subject only to the Court of Rome,f and afterwards they succeeded in regaining this privilege. A successful appeal was also made to Rome, whereby it was decided that the Bishop * Ecgwin, it is likewise said, was the author of image worship in Britain, it being affirmed that when the Virgin Mary appeared to him, she enjoined him not only to erect a monastery on that spot, but to prepare an image of herself, which was to be worshipped at Worcester. t The churches in the deanery of Evesham paid no Peter's pence to the Pope. EVESHAM. 221 of Worcester was to have no jurisdiction over the churches of the Vale of Evesham, except that of Abbot's Moreton. To give some idea of the importance of this establishment it may be sufficient to state that in the time of Edward the Confessor its landed possessions were equivalent to 33000 acres ! In this reign the church was rebuilt by Abbot Mannie upon a larger scale than before ; but the Norman conquest, following soon after, brought its own peculiar style of architecture, and the first Norman abbot, Walter, destroyed the old church, deemed one of the finest of its kind in England, and commenced the work anew. Abbot Reginald, who died in 1 149, made great additions, enriched the monastery with furniture, and decorated it with shrines. One of the modes of attaining popularity for such establishments in those days was by the manufacture or pur- chase of relics. In this way the bones of many a poor saint were subdivided, sawn apart, and dispersed, from those who possessed " enough and to spare" to those whose interest it was to purchase them. So the Abbot ^Elfward is recorded to have made a bargain, with a company of dealers in such holy wares, for the bones of St. Odulph, which they were carrying to London for sale. The ground of saintship claimed for Odulph is, that he was once miraculously carried over the sea in a moment, to say mass for another bishop. Abbot Adam, in 1 1 61, completed the edifice. Pope Alexander conferred on this abbot the privilege of wearing all the episcopal ornaments except the ring. The house then became a mitred abbey. The abbey suffered some damage, during the civil wars of Stephen, at the hands of William de Beauchamp, hereditary sheriff of the county, between whom and Abbot William de Andeville the fiercest lex talionis was observed for some years, William de Beauchamp having at that time a strong castle on the other side of the bridge. About the year 1215 the central tower fell down ; and the bell tower, built by Abbot Adam in 1161 for the reception of the great bell and clock of the monastery, also fell down within forty years of its erection rather unusual circumstances in connection with Anglo-Norman masonry. In 222 THE RAMBLER. that and the following century many repairs and additions were made, but the central tower was not reerected till 1319. Thomas de Marlberg, abbot in 1330, a man of taste and learning, greatly enriched and beautified the church, especially in painting and sculpture ; he likewise erected beautiful sculp- tured monuments on the graves of his predecessors. Mr. May, in his history says, that no wreck of the accomplishments of this abbot now remains, and that sculpture at Evesham in the present day is virtually unknown, presenting nothing to the townspeople except the effigy of a perriwig-pated alderman, extended in the aisle of Bengeworth church. During the abbacy of John de Brokehampton, great acquisitions were made by purchase or donation to the monastery, including the manors and advowsons of Saintbury and Willersey, the fee of Aston Somerville, and wind-mills at Poden in Honeybourne and at Willersey ; he rebuilt the church at Norton, as also the chancels at Honeybourne, Willersey, and Hampton. In 1326, Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, appropriated Ombersley church to this monastery (which it appears had then lost much of its property) to assist the brethren hi entertaining the numerous visitors to their house, caused by its situation on a great public road. The monastery of Alcester was granted for the same purpose about the year 1460. Clement Lichfield was the last actual abbot of Evesham (1514). Being grossly oppressed by the extortion of Henry the Eighth, he, at the instigation of Cromwell, resigned the abbacy, which was conferred upon Philip Hawford, with the previous understanding that he should resign all into the hands of the king, BO as to make an appearance of voluntary surrender Henry's customary mode of proceeding before he exhibited force. Hawford was, of course, munificently pensioned, and afterwards preferred to the deanery of Worcester; and his tomb, supporting his sculptured effigy, lies in a recess on the east side of the altar screen of that cathedral. Meanwhile Abbot Lichfield died in honourable retirement, and was buried within the chantry erected by himself in the chapel of All Saints, Evesham. He was a liberal benefactor to Evesham, but the EVESHAM. 223 greatest monument of his fame is the bell-tower of the monastery, which he rebuilt, and which remains to this day, almost the only memorial to the wayfarer of the ancient grandeur of this far- famed monastery. It was commenced about the year 1533, and is a chaste and beautiful specimen of his correct taste. It escaped the general wreck at the Reformation, either through being purchased by the townsmen or being presented to them by Sir Philip Hoby, to whom the conventual property was then alienated. The revenue of Evesham Abbey, at the time of the suppression, was equal to between 80,000 and 90,000, of our present money, per annum. Of that vast pile of building which for many centuries looked frowning o'er the vale, and dispensed round about, for many a mile, its law, physic, and divinity that building which lifted up its haughty towers in defiance of bishops and of princes, and of which it was said by the anti- quary Grose that " out of Oxford and Cambridge there was not to be found so great an assemblage of religious edifices in the kingdom" and within whose walls were collected the splendid shrines of Saint Ecgwin, Saint Wulsin, Symon de Montfort, St. Wistan, St. Odulph, St. Credan, and others, scarcely a relic now remains a fact which need not excite our wonder when we read that the site of the monastery was actually rented as a quarry for stone ! I have before stated that the bell tower was happily preserved ; this erection, however, can hardly be called a relic of the abbey, as it was reconstructed but just previously to the suppression. The entrance arch to the chapter room still remains, embedded in a portion of the outer wall of the eastern cloister ; it is ornamented with canopied niches and effigies, which have been much mutilated. A sculptured marble lectern, or reading- stand, is also preserved, which was probably made by Abbot Adam for the use of the chapter room (temp. Henry the Second). This is, I believe, in the possession of R. Blayney, Esq., of the Lodge. There is likewise now in the possession of E. J. Rudge, Esq., a massive oak chair, originally made for the use of the lord abbot on state occasions ; it is boldly carved, and was probably made towards the close of the fourteenth century. 224 THE RAMBLER. The chapels of St. Lawrence and All Saints are situated within a few yards of the site of the abbey, to which establish- ment they were subordinate, having been founded by the inmates of the monastery for the use of the inhabitants of the town, so as to reserve the great church of the abbey for monastic services, or for special occasions of imposing ceremonial. The chaplains were at first inmates of the convent. From the ground plan formed by Mr. Rudge, I observe that the eastern ends of these chapels were not exactly placed with reference to the cardinal points, but leaning towards the monastery. This, I imagine, is in conformity with a rule, frequently observed in the middle ages, by which subordinate capellce, by a fanciful symbolism, were made to point towards the main building, or towards that part of the heavens in which the sun rose on a particular saint's day, as a token of homage and dependence, or in honour of the patron saint to whom the church was dedicated, so that any one could tell whether the church was erected in summer or winter : if in spring or autumn, it stood full east ; if in winter, south-east ; and in summer, north-east. Many churches built since the Reformation were purposely built north and south to show contempt for the ancient practice. The chapel of St. Lawrence was the work of the thirteenth century, but, with the exception of the tower and spire, has been almost rebuilt since that period, its principal renovation having taken place in the time of Abbot Lichfield. In 1730 it was " repaired and beautified" in the full meaning of church- wardens' language, which amounted to a destruction of much that was valuable and interesting ; but in the time of Dr. Nash it was again in ruins, and was used as a place of burial for poor persons who died of the small pox or any contagious distemper ; and it was not till 1836 and 1837 that a judicious restoration was effected. The architectural features of this church do not call for observation, except with regard to its chantry, which is a beautiful specimen of the Tudor style. Mr. May says that at the east end of the south aisle was, till recently, a curious sub- terranean chapel, with a vaulted ceiling, in the Early Pointed EVESHAM. 225 style, and having recesses in its southern wall, as usually pre- pared for altar worship. It was approached from the aisle by a descent of steps, and was lighted from a window next the church- yard. During some recent alteration the vaulted ceiling of this chapel was broken up, because, forsooth, a step would have occurred in the upper pavement ! The stairs connecting it with the aisle were next destroyed, and the entrance closed. It is now appropriated as a private vault. An ancient relic was discovered a few years ago, on the removal of a coat of plaster from the base of the tower wall, where the sculpture is stiil seen ; it consists of a small bas-relief of the crucifixion, with the attendant figures of the Virgin and St. John. A similar speci- men was dug up within the area of the cloisters. Tradition says that the monastery once communicated with this church by "a very great and curious walk." The following inscription (now much defaced) is on the Communion table in this church " Margaret Hay, late of this parish of St. Larens, deceased, heare hath presented and given this Communion table, as her widdowes mite, desiring all good Christians to imetate this her godly devocion and love towardes the Church both in life and deth, 1610." A far nobler monument this than the pompous and nondescript piles of marble which too often monopolize and disfigure the sanctuary. The chapel of All Saints appears, by its oldest portions, to be coeval with its neighbour. It is a large building, of mixed and confused architectural detail, affording ample scope for future improvement. One of its interesting features (though in a debased style) is the chantry where lie the bones of Abbot Lichfield, and the church was formerly rich in brasses, monu- mental effigies, and heraldic paintings in the windows ; but the hand of the destroyer and (still worse) of the " repairer and beautifier" have been here also. At the west end of the northern aisle of this church, above the window, externally, is a little niche containing a figure, which may have been intended to represent either the abbot presiding over the monastery at the time of the erection of this church, or, by the orb of q 226 THE RAMBLER. universal dominion held in its hand, to typify the Eternal Father. This sculptured relic is chiefly remarkable as having escaped the unsparing demolition which the Reformation brought down upon all such figures and representations. I have nothing to add with regard to this church, except that it is much com- plained of for the very numerous burials that have taken place within, and for the numbers still adding to those without, its walls, as being highly dangerous to the public health. In these days of the enforcement of sanatory regulations I trust this complaint will not be lost sight of. From inquiries I have made, it appears that church matters are in an indifferent state at Evesham, and consequently dissent is gaining ground. This is not the fault so much as the mis- fortune of the worthy vicar, an amiable and benevolent man, much respected in the circle where he is known : but I am told that All Saints' Church, where only a clear or powerful voice can be distinctly heard, is but thinly attended at both its services, while the numerous dissenting places of worship are in a flourishing state. It is true there is but little or no accom- modation for the poor in this church, and therefore it would be most desirable to have it repewed, or fitted up with open seats. St. Lawrence's Church, where a curate possessed of a sonorous voice usually officiates, is well filled in the evening, which is one proof among many of the benefit arising from free sittings ; for having a great number of these, the poor avail themselves of them, and gladly come to worship at the house of God. Benge- worth church has lately been reseated and otherwise beautified, good schools and a vicarage house erected, chiefly through the exertions of the indefatigable curate, who, according to his judg- ment, has not left untried any means of promoting religion in the parish. I may, however, be allowed respectfully to remind him that preaching and lecturing are not to be more valued than the offering of prayer and praise which is provided in the ritual of the Church. I can fully appreciate the motives of those who, having an unskilful or an indolent shepherd set over them, stray into other and more promising pastures, yet I am of opinion THE HONEYBOURXES AND WILLERSEY. 227 that wherever the parochial system is rightly esteemed, such parties would be admonished to return to their own fold, to pray and hear the word with their own neighbours, and to use every means in their power to restore the efficiency of the sacred services in their own parishes. The living of Evesham (valued 208) is vested in the crown. Vicar of All Saints, the Rev. John Marshall. Clerk, Mr. Wil- liam Robins. Organist, Mr. Alfred Huband. In the National Schools there are 74 boys and 66 girls. Curate at St. Law- rence's, the Rev. Austin. Clerk, Mr. White. Organist, Mr. H. Powell. In the Sunday Schools are 70 boys and girls. The Rev. T. Marsden is the patron of Bengeworth (living valued 158). Vicar, the Rev. John Shaw. Curate, the Rev. W. Harker. Clerk, Mr. C. Baylis. Organist, Mr. Powell. In the Sunday Schools there are 120 of both sexes, and about seventy of these attend the Day School, recently opened. The population of Eveshara and Bengeworth is nearly 4500. .;; ;;:iiri;ri! HoXKVHorRNK is a vicarage in thoan-h- "( ( )' ilrm-onry and diocese of Worcester, worth about 300 "1>~Tr;, JUT annum. CW llmicyliournc, ;m adjoining parish, is a chapelry annexed to this vicarage, although it lies in the county and diocese of Gloucester. The Rev. W. B. Bonaker, for many years the curate, now holds the united vicarage ; he is a gentleman of fortune, living near Evesham. Divine service takes place in the church of the former parish, Cow Houeybourne rhapel being in ruins. The living formerly belonged to the Abbey of Evesham, but after the Dissolution it passed into private hands, and is now in the gift of the heirs of the late Rev. T. Williams. The parsonage house, at the time of my visit, was let as a cottage to a labourer. On visiting the ruins THE RAMBLER. of Cow Honeybourne chapel I found the tower and a portion of of the chancel (which are in the Perpendicular style) still remaining ; these formed parts of the walls of poor cottages, the whole site of the building being divided into four or five huts of the most miserable appearance ; hovels, sheds, and pig- sties cling to the sacred walls ! and where the altar once stood was an oven for baking bread ! ! I saw no trace of a churchyard, for if the dead were ever buried here their ashes were mingling with the roots of potatoes, cabbages, and other vegetables, which the miserable cottagers (who hold their tenements at a nominal rent) had planted to eke out their scanty means of subsistence ; not a monument, inscription, or memorial of any kind, met my eye.* I do not know when the desecration of this place of wor- ship commenced : it must have been before the time of the present vicar, and the incumbent of that day seems to have agreed with the parishioners that if the church were allowed to go to ruin it would not only be a saving of extra duty to him, but would preserve to their pockets a pretty large sum. Mean- while, as a necessary consequence, dissent grew and flourished, and now a Wesleyan chapel stands on the other side of the road, which is frequently filled to repletion. How long, I ask, is this disgraceful state of things to continue ? What says the Homily of our church ? " It is a sin and a shame to see so many churches so ruinous, and so foully decayed, almost in every corner. If a man's private house, wherein he dwelleth, be decayed, he will never cease till it be restored up again. Yea, if his bam, where he keepeth his corn, be out of reparation, what diligence useth he to make it in perfect state again ! If * It has since occurred to me that this being a chapelry there were no interments here. I have nowhere seen a history of this parish, but have reason to believe that the church (or chapel) of Cow Honeybourne was annexed by commissioners in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, or rather that a sum of money was fixed by them to be paid to the vicar of Church Honeybourne for duties to be performed at Cow Honeybourne. There are MS8. in the British Museum, referring to transactions which took place here before the Reformation, chiefly to a controversy between the monasteries of Kveiham and Winchcorabo, "super capellam de Hunlbern." THE HONEYBOURNES AND WILLERSET. 229 his stable for his horse, yea, the stye for his swine, be not able to hold out water and wind, how careful is he to do cost thereon ! Wherefore, if ye have any reverence to the service of God, if ye have any common honesty, if ye have any conscience in keeping of necessary and godly ordinances, keep your churches in good repair, whereby ye shall not only please God, and deserve his manifold blessings, but also deserve the good report of all godly people." The church of Church Honeybourne is distant about a quarter of a mile from that which I have just described. The building is a mixture of various styles ; and its tower, which supports a handsomely decorated spire, was leaning in an alarming posture until its progress downwards was arrested by a massive buttress, built up apparently a few years ago. The churchyard was over- grown with weeds, nettles, and tall rank grass. The interior is exceedingly neat, having undergone a thorough repair under the will of the late Rev. T. Williams ; the seats are open, with carved finials ; there is a fine wooden roof, the ends of the beams being supported by corbels of angels bearing shields, and the spandrels are filled with grotesque heads. There were three or four old people and stragglers who entered the church with me. Besides a few school children, I observed six persons in the chancel, thirteen in the nave, and the members of the village choir in the western gallery, to form a congregation. [The observations I originally addressed to the vicar on his non-residence and on the state of the parish generally are not necessary to be printed here, inasmuch as they have since formed the subject of episcopal interference, the consequence of which is, I am told, the appointment of a resident curate.] The service ended, I left the church, and after crossing a few fields found myself in the old British road which is said to have traversed the country from the mouth of the Tyne to St. David's. It was the street of the Upper Iceni, and in its progress crossed the Watling Street, at Wall, near Lichfield, thence through Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, King's Norton, Alcester, Bitford, Sedgebarrow,Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Lidney, 230 THE RAMBLER. Chepstow, &c. In this old road I met with a labourer, carrying a load on his head ; he was one of those dwarfish beings " Whom nature when she half had wrought, Not worth her further labour thought, But closed the rest in one hard knot." He was tolerably communicative, and told me that the lane was called Bucknyld Street (a corruption of Ryknield Street, one of the names for British highways) ; also that some labourers in the employ of a Mr. Corbett, while digging at a watercourse in the lane some time ago, found beneath the surface some " auld looking iron things that they said had belonged to the soldiers in times back." On inquiry I find that the remains consisted of a human skeleton, a spear head, together with several swords, and some other relics. The road at this place is at least sixty feet wide, and so straight as to admit of an unrestricted view of between two and three miles. Near this place is Burnt House, the seat of Lord Sandon. I suppose the mansion derived its name from the circumstance of the gentleman who formerly lived here (Sir J. Keyte) being reported to have destroyed him- self by setting his house on fire. I arrived at the village of Aston Subege in time for the after- noon service. Here is a little modern church, situate very pleasantly in the midst of orchards and meadows. The neigh- bouring population nocked towards it at the tinkling of the little solitary bell that swung from the gable turret, and when the curate had arrived the church was full. This gentleman, who also holds the small living of Willersey, an adjoining parish, may, from the nature of his heavy duties, be justly denominated one of the " working clergy" a faithful son of the church. The parishioners here seem united and happy amongst themselves, and most respectful towards their minister. I was delighted in observing the cordiality with which they touched their hat, or curtsied, or extended the friendly hand and exchanged the word of greeting as he passed ; and there were the churchwardens at their posts, ready to open the seats or to assist the clergyman ; a quiet, breathing devotion seemed to settle down upon the THE HONEYBOURNES AND WILLERSET. 231 services, and the very atmosphere itself felt warmer than at the icy region of Church Honeybourne. How immense is the power of a church clergyman for good or for evil ! There are about 25 children in the Sunday school, which is supported partly by the rector and partly by the excellent Lord and Lady Harrowby, who reside at Norton House, close to the parish, a few weeks in the year. In the evening I attended Willersey church. This is an ancient edifice, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, and north and south transepts or chapels. Some portions of the church are of the Perpendicular, but others of much earlier styles. The east and west windows are obstructed by a modern altar piece and a singing gallery, which render the church some- what dark. The church was repaired by voluntary subscription about three years ago, but the pews require cutting down into open seats. The font is the gift of Dr. Warneford. In the yard I noticed a gravestone to the memory of a Mrs. Rimell and five children, who were all burnt to death at one time, in November, 1843. The Rev. H. Cooper, the rector, performed the whole services, and preached a good sermon in defence of the church ordinances, discipline, and rubric, and in proof of the spirituality of our branch of the church. The choir at this place consisted of a bass-viol, flute, and several voices. The old man with the flute took upon himself the leadership ; and now and then, where he deemed it necessary to interpret certain passages with unusual emphasis, he would sing in one of the richest nasal twangs I ever heard, at the same time using his flute as a baton, and flourishing it about to the imminent danger of the eyes and noses of his compeers. The number of scholars in the Sunday school here is about 22 boys and 33 girls. The former are instructed by a poor worthy man of the name of Thomas Collett, for the small remuneration of one shilling per Sunday, and the latter are taught by Miss Mould, a lady who devotes nearly the whole of her time to the spiritual and temporal good of the poor and their children. There is a day school built by Lord Harrowby, a neat building ; about 20 children attend it, and a great con- 232 THE RAMBLER. venience and benefit it has proved to the poor people of the place. There are no charities here, and the people are said to be very fond of money. During my stay in this vicinity I took a peep at one or two other churches, and among them Saintbury, where there is a Norman doorway, a handsome restored font, a curious brass of the date of 1574, and the remains of some stone steps to the ancient rood loft. The living of Honeybourne is valued at 190. Patrons, G. Allies and Stapleton, Esqs. Vicar, the Rev. W. B. Bonaker. Clerk, Henry Robbins. United population, about 450. Earl Harrowby is the patron of Aston Subege. Value, 204. Rector, John Besley, D.C.L., who resides upon his living at Long Benton, near Newcastle-on-Tyne. Curate, the Rev. Henry Cooper. Clerk, Mr. John Barnett. Population, 134, Patroness of Willersey, Mrs. Cooper. Value, 170. Rector, the Rev. H. Cooper. No curate is kept. Clerk, Mr. William Warner. Population, 375. J. R. West, Esq., is the patron of Saintbury. Rector, Rev. J. T. Jones. No curate kept. Clerk, Mr. William Smith. Value of the living, '415. Population, 133. P.S. The churchwardens of Cow Honeybourne are still regu- larly appointed, although there is no church. I believe they are appointed at Church Honeybourne parish. Can they legally act when the appointment is not made in their own parish ? *HE real date of the foundation of a religious house at Pershore is unknown ; it is supposed, however, to have been in the year 689, by Oswald, nephew of the first Ethelred, though William of Malmesbury ascribes it to Egel- ward, Duke of Dorset. We find in ancient records that in the reign of Edgar, Bishop Oswald of Worcester, having expelled PERSHORE. J3B the seculars, or married priests, from Pershore monastery, the convent was remodelled according to the stricter rules of St. Benedict, and received an ample charter from the king, being endowed with nearly 400 manses, or farms. Egil, Duke of Dorset, it is stated by some authorities, rebuilt the church, and to render the spot more attractive, he brought from Winchester a part of the skull and ribs of St. Edburg, for which he paid to the abbess no less a sum than 100 (or 20,000 of our present money). The convent of Pershore was then called after the name of St. Mary and St. Edburg. In 976 the church was destroyed by a chief one Aelferus, who is styled in an ancient MS. " Nequissimus," or the most wicked. It is not known who rebuilt it, but in the year^983 the regulars were again hi posses- sion. Fulbert, or Foldbrith, was the first recorded abbot. William of Malmesbury says that when the body of this abbot was lying composed in his coffin, to the astonishment of those who watched, it revived and sat erect, when one, in the strength of virtue nothing hesitating, conjured the spirit, in the name of the Lord, that if this miracle came from God, the cause of resuscitation might be made known. The spirit answered that it was for the purpose of returning thanks to the blessed Oswald, through whose merit in the sight of God his sins had been for- given ; for when the blessed Benedict had accused his past life in the presence of God, while his conscience trembled, he had been pardoned by virtue of the prayers of Oswald ; after having said which he lived for half a day, and then slept in the Lord ; August 2. Pershore Abbey subsequently lost a great portion of its possessions, partly by neglect and partly by the cupidity of the rich. The church was several times destroyed by fire, once in the year 1002, again in 1223, and a third time in 1287, but a portion of the tower and south transept escaped the con- flagration, and still remains, being built up with the present edifice. The point of junction between the Norman and the Early English work in the tower may be observed at the first stage immediately over the semi-circular arches. The new structure was consecrated in 1239, in the tune of Abbot Gervase, 234 THE RAMBLER. whose beautiful choir still remains as a monument to his memory. John Stonewell, a native of Longdon, Staffordshire, was abbot at the Dissolution. The annual value of the income was then estimated at a sum which would now be at least 25000. The greater part of the church and abbatial buildings was then pulled down, but the abbot and monks were handsomely pen- sioned. Of the once extensive Abbey of Pershore the only remains now are the choir, south transept, tower, and lesser north transept. The western archway (now blocked up), which formerly led from the choir to the nave, is still visible, as also the entrance to the cloisters on the south, being a channelled lancet arch, supported by clustered columns, with foliated capitals. The abbot's house, adjoining, is occupied by J. Y. Bedford, Esq. Several chapels attached to the abbey were pulled down at the Reformation, but some remains of the Lady Chapel, at the east end, have been recently restored, under the direction of Mr. Eginton, and now form the chancel, which had previously been separated from the choir by a barbarous mass of brickwork blocking up the archway ; this has been done, the church has been partially repewed, the massive pillars which separate the aisles from the choir have been relieved of their whitewash, and other points of restoration have just been accomplished through the exertions of the ministers of the parish and influential laity. A great deal yet remains to be done, especially to the tower and south transept, which appear to be in a very dangerous state, presenting extensive fractures in the walls. The miserable west gallery, too, ought to be removed, as also the modern floor above it, which now entirely hides the beautiful tracery forming the inner face of the tower above, and which was unquestionably meant to be entirely open to the church below. A great deal of superfluous varnishing in the course of the present restorations might have been dispensed with ; it gives false lights to all moulded or carved work, and is offensive to good taste. I trust that eventually the whole of the church will be repaired ; but, from inquiries I have made, it does not seem that at present any thing further is PERSHORE. 235 contemplated. I understand that the architect's design for the Lady Chapel was to have made it double its present length, towards which the Diocesan Society would have granted 100. It was botched by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. I was much pleased on the whole with the renovated appear- ance of the building, as also with the conduct of the services, the purity and ecclesiastical character of the music, the becom- ing attention paid by a numerous congregation (including nearly 200 school children), and finally the mark of respect paid to myself by the old sexton, who had most deferentially lodged me in the comfortable corner of a snug seat, and after the close of the services chaperoned me all over the abbey. Among the monumental remains here that are worthy of any note is that to the memory of Abbot Newton. With some difficulty I found out the effigy, which seems to be groaning under a heap of matting, dust, and other articles piled upon it ; this is towards the east end of the south aisle, and inserted on the wall above is some carved wood work, containing the follow- ing inscription, which was painted blue and gilt during some " beautifications" in 1784: bis bt'no triplex x. ao&m quarto anno SSJtU'm'a o'm $etoton ft ttt abfraa. The meaning of the inscripton is " In the year 1000, a hundred twice doubled, triplex ten (30) and 4, Wm. Newton, lord abbot, made it." Underneath are initials, devices, &c., and it probably formed a part of some stalling made by the abbot, some portions of which may still be seen on the north side of the church. At the east end of the south aisle are some handsome monuments to the Hazelwood family, who formerly lived on their estate at Wick, and which was purchased of them by an ancestor of Mr. Hudson, the gentleman who now owns it. In the month of April, 1848, a handsome marble mural monument by Laughton, was erected in the south aisle, immediately over Abbot Newton's tomb, to the memory of the late General Marriott, of Avon Bank, a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant of the county, who 236 THE RAMBLER. departed this life March, 1847, aged 73. He was grandson of the Rev. Randolph Marriott, D.D., and Lady Diana Fielding, daughter of Bazil, Earl of Denbigh, and son of Randolph Marriott, Esq., and Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of the Bishop of Bristol. He served his country many years in India, being A.D.C. and military secretary to Lord Harris at the storming of Seringapatam. After which he had charge of the Mysore Princes, and was attached to Sir Arthur Wellesley during his service in that country. Close to the door in the north transept is the figure of a Templar, which seems to have been placed there to fill the office of a sentry, and the autho- rities thinking it necessary to provide him with a watch box, have jammed him into a stone coffin for that purpose ; the effigy was probably meant for one of the Harewell family, who were of ancient standing in this parish. In the year 1790, in digging a vault near the communion table, very large thigh bones were found, and an earthen pot or urn half full of a black mucilaginous substance, like soot, supposed to belong to the above named Templar, who, dying in the holy wars, his bowels were embalmed and with his body here interred. Three years afterwards, upon opening the vault belonging to the Wag- staff family, and digging to enlarge the same, there was found, about six feet below the pavement, the skeleton of a man with a stake driven through his body into the ground. He appeared to have been buried in his clothes and wig, the caul of his wig being still sound and entire. At the western door is placed a gigantic stone coffin, which was dug up a few years ago, in a good state of preservation. The present font is a small wooden contrivance, lined with lead, and containing a basin ; the whole is stowed away at the end of one of the aisles, the projector of the article having evidently been ashamed of it after its comple- tion. The ancient stone font belonging to the abbey church was for many years used as a drinking trough for cattle, on a farm about a mile from the town ; it was then purchased by a gentleman to adorn his lawn at Kempsey. Moses and Aaron, two other old servants of the sanctuary, who for many years PERSHOEE. 237 had supported the Ten Commandments at the altar piece, have met with a similar fate to that of the font and the Templar, having been compelled to abandon their honourable position in the east and take up their abode amongst the lumber of the cold and comfortless south transept. The parish is a vicarage. There are two places of worship in the town, viz., the mother church of St. Andrew and the Abbey of Holy Cross ; each having separate churchwardens, over- seers, &c. The main street is in the former parish, and the rest of the town (Newlands, &c.) in the great or abbey parish, reaching nearly to Stoulton. There are four other chapelries annexed, being nearly three miles each from the town of Pershore. The vicar, with the assistance of two curates, used to perform single duties in each of these six places of worship. His income is derived from vicarial tithes (on market gardens), together with about 65, an annual donation from the late Sir J. Sebright, lord of two of the chapelries. The present vicar, soon after his appointment, pulled down the old vicarage and erected a much larger one by a loan from Queen Anne's Fund, repayable by instalments as usual ; but after various extravagancies, he got so deeply in debt that his creditors obtained a sequestration of the living; he quitted the parish, and is now confined in a lunatic asylum at Bruges. The sequestration has been going on for several years, and the income seems to decrease annually ; added to which, the successor of Sir J. Sebright has given notice of his intention to withdraw his donation, and the col- lectors have intimated their fears that the incomes of the three curates may only reach 15s. in the pound, unless the commis- sioners of Queen Anne's Bounty should relinquish their priority of payment. Neither the Bishop of the Diocese, under the present law, nor any other authority, has the power to rectify the above case by the appointment of even a temporary vicar. A correspondent who wrote to me some time ago on this subject (inter alia) also objects to the cutting down of the old seats in the abbey, which he said were the only protection against the cold currents from three doors. The rev. gentleman (he says) 238 THE RAMBLER. who came to preach at a recent oratorio was pitied by the con- gregation when observed to hold his handkerchief first one side of his head and then on the other for nearly three hours. Finally he wrote against the interference of clergymen with the repairs of their churches. Now, to state my views briefly, I am of opinion that it is a very important part of the clerical function to take an active share in, if not the superintendence of, the arrangements of church building and the ordering of pews. Who so fitting as the clergyman to know the requirements of his parishioners, or to judge of propriety in the structure and decoration of God's house ? To whom do we owe the magnificent temples still left to us from the middle ages but to ecclesiastics, who themselves planned and often assisted in the manual work of erecting those glorious structures. It was not artistic skill alone that produced those piles ; they sprang not from the hands of professional architects, a purely secular and distinct body, as those of the present day, but from a class of men, warm, ardent, devoted to the work, who were eminently successful in their grand con- ception of rendering the temples of the Eternal Majesty a tangible embodiment of the truths and mysteries of the worship which they offered to Him. It is true that we do not now look for such acquirements at the hands of the clergy ; but the pro- priety of conceding to them, at all times, a leading share in the arrangements of the sacred edifices which are attached to their sphere of duty must, I think, be admitted by all right minded men. One must commiserate, of course, and very deeply too, the unfortunate clergyman who is said to have caught tic doloreux from the currents of air in the old abbey, and I would by all means advise that the door in the north transept be at once blocked up, and the unsightly porch erected there some years ago to be pulled down. It now forms one of the many disgraces which still cling to these venerable old walls. This brings me to the subject of pews, and here also I am so unfortunate as to differ from my correspondent. Pews are a great abuse and a great evil in the church. They do not aid PERSHORE. 239 the exercise of devotion, but often give shelter to unseemly conduct. They do not assimilate with the architecture of churches, and it has been estimated that they cause on an average a loss as to room of thirty out of every hundred sittings. They are more expensive and more unsightly than open seats ; and, more than all, they are a practical defiance of the Christian principle that in the house of God all men are equal and all distinctions cease. The Archdeacon of Chichester says very emphatically that "pews are a strong abuse, a triumphant usurpation, fenced about by the difficulties and costs of obtaining a legal remedy. Private rights have no place in the house of God. It is against Him that we commit the trespass." The only remaining circumstances which I have to notice in relation to Pershore Abbey is the recent abolition of the custom of holding the annual fair in the churchyard, which has been effected by the united exertions of the magistracy, clergy, and respectable inhabitants of the town, who were anxious to protect the sacred precincts from this periodical desecration. This fan- was granted to the abbot and monks by Henry the Third, to be held on the feast of St. Edburgh and two days following in the churchyard of Holy Cross. This monarch also granted to the abbey other fairs at Broadway and Hawksbury, likewise free warren at Pershore, Leigh, Mathon, Alderminster, Cowleigh, Hawksbury, and Wadborough. Patrons of the living, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Value, with annexed curacies of Besford, Bricklehampton, Defford, and Pinvin, 588. Vicar, the Rev. D'Arcy Haggitt. Curates, Rev. H. Malpas, B. Hemming, and Thomas Whittaker, the latter officiating in the chapel of ease. Organist at the abbey, Mr. Charles Tovey. Clerk, Mr. Thomas Bunn. 240 THE RAMBLER. HIS beautiful hamlet lies to the eastward of Kempsey, its venerable little church looks down from, the top of an eminence upon extensive and richly pastoral scenery. The whole parish having belonged to the noble house of Coventry for many generations * I expected to find a neat if not a handsome church therein, and had bargained with myself for a spire or at least a well built tower, peeping out from ancient yew trees ; but on entering the churchyard I was sorely vexed to find the whole edifice smothered and choked with lath, plaster, and washings of various sorts, while the soil had accu- mulated around the venerable Norman walls in such a manner as rapidly to hasten the process of decay. The tower was originally in the centre of the building, the spiral staircase which led to it being still remaining in the south wall of the nave. The doorway leading to this staircase has a triangular head of oak, very ancient. I don't know at what period, or wherefore, this tower was removed, but the present one, which consists entirely of trusswork, covered with lath and plaster, is on the north side of the west end of the church, and is in such a state of dilapidation that only one of the bells can be rung. The date of the building appears to be about the end of the twelfth century, but I cannot reconcile this supposition with the fact (recorded in Reg. Gif. f. 233, a.) that " the Bishop dedicated the church of Perton, 4 Non. Sept. 1 285," (about a century later than the apparent date of the edifice,) upon which occasion his lordship preached from this text " Holiness becometh thine house." There are no traces of the Early English or Geometric * The Beauchamps and the ancient family of the Foliots successively held this parish. Sir John Foliot sold it about the sixteenth century to Sir William Corteyn.and the Corteyng sold it to the Coventrys, in whose family it still remains. PIRTON. 241 pointed styles which had become general by the end of the thirteenth century, and I have endeavoured in vain to discover a cause for this seeming anachronism. The chancel window is a chaste specimen of the Decorated style, and, were its stone work restored, would be an object of some interest. Underneath this window on the outside, as also under the west window (which is a paltry modern square), is a buttress of one stage in the middle of the wall, coming up to the bottom of the window. The angles of the eastern wall are also supported by short buttresses, set diagonally, while those at the western end are square with the wall. The doorway, which is hid by a crumbling, lath and plaster porch, is on the southern side : it is of the usual Norman character, semi-circular, with zig-zag mouldings, sup- ported by shafts in recess. The walls of the church, which are immensely thick, are tied across with straight beams, and several of the old Norman single window lights in the side walls have been enlarged to admit of double lights. As I was seated on a grave stone, lamenting the fete of this ancient building, the sexton came with key in hand, and as he turned the rusty lock of the old door he touched his hat and cast a look of inquiry towards me as though he would fain ascertain why I, a stranger, had come to disturb the ancient reign of sameness and old faces. Presently two young men with music book and clarionet came through one stile toward the church ; while from an opposite direction marched onwards a portly bass-viol resting on the shoulders of another of the village choir ; an immense rent in the bag which contained the instru- ment suggested the idea that the latter must originally have been a fiddle, but that, like some charity school boys, it had grown too fast for its jacket, and made a compromise for an " easy fit" by splitting up the back. By and bye one or two of the villagers straggled in, and then two or three farmers were gathered together in the usual cluster at the porch, awaiting the arrival of their worthy rector. Then followed a little whis- pering, and a few furtive glances cast over the shoulder at me, being still astride the grave stone. Suspicion increased ; I wap 242 THE RAMBLER. a marked man, and the object of my mission was to be disco- vered at any cost even the breaking up of that " confounded ice" which usually bars all approach to the arctic region of John Bull's heart. One of these worthy agriculturists in a few minutes resolved himself into a deputation to wait upon me, and leaving his friends somewhat suddenly he came up to me, and after an apology for his abruptness, put the home question " Are you the Rambler, sir \ " While I was stammering out an answer he observed that he meant no harm, but as he had ascertained from my " Stray Notes" that the inhabitants of several of the villages which I had visited " had'ut done the thing handsome" by inviting me to dinner, he was anxious to keep that part of the country from such a lasting disgrace, and the result was a pressing invitation to handle a knife and fork at his table. The services were conducted in a most impressive manner, which had its influence on the congregation, for all apparently participated, and seemed to look up to their much loved pastor as one who had preeminently earned for himself that envied title both among the rich and poor, and as being in every way worthy to lead their humble devotions and to direct their prayers to the only source of pardon and salvation. The sermon was a beautiful composition, which, for its earnestness and simplicity of language, was calculated to reach the hearts and understand- ings of the least learned of that rustic group ; while the iteration of that always well selected text, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," acquired keener point and gathered increased force as the preacher went along, glowing in his zeal and faithfulness, selecting from all classes of society and conditions of men unnumbered instances of the necessity of forgiveness, and of the great utility of the publican's prayer, which, like a well digested but unassuming pocket manual, might show the way to heaven as speedily and effectively as more laboured compositions. I was equally pleased, and indeed agreeably surprised, at the performance of the choir ; for their psalmody, plain though it might be, was done in good tune and time, and without any PIRTON. 243 undue preponderance of either instrument or voice. On the whole I could not but conclude that so efficient a choir, so attentive a congregation, and so faithful a minister, were in every way worthy of a more decent and becoming place of worship, and of the bestowal of a sufficient fund for the purpose of restoration out of the princely and accumulating fortunes of the house of Coventry. The repair of this little church, and the addition of a spire, owing to the elevation and beauty of the site, would bring an ornament to these domains such as does not yet exist there. Why this object has not been effected ere now is inexplicable, for the parishioners tell me that the rector has used his utmost endeavours with the trustees of the present earl (who is an infant), and that the rural dean has paid several visits to the church, but all to no use. I hope therefore this public notice may not be without its effect ; and if the broad acres of the young earl are not productive enough to admit of my proposition being entertained, in that case I would advise the trustees to avail themselves of the offer of a London church builder, who provides wood and iron churches for transmission to the colonies. He offers a church, with stained glass windows, bell, &c., capable of seating 800 persons, for 500 guineas ; and if they cannot afford to buy a church he will lend them one "on hire." It should be observed, that notwithstanding the dilapidated condition of the church, the comforts of the congregation are attended to as much as possible under existing circumstances. There is a wretched gallery at the west end, however, which ought to be pulled down and the window restored. A portion of the ancient open oak seats are remaining, but the rest of the church is occupied with pews, while one-third of the chancel is filled with a great wooden erection, put up for the purpose of a vestry. The clock, too, which formerly pointed out the lapse of time from the top of the western gable, has lost its functions, thrown off its chains, and is now resting in inglorious ease among the dust and rubbish of the tower. The chancel arch is semi-circular, of two orders, the shafts in niched recesses. In R'2 244 THE RAMBLER. the south wall of the chancel is a piscina, with trefoil head ; and the parish chest, hard by, hears the date of 1614. The font is probably coeval with the old walls ; it is large and basin shaped, but much shattered. In the wall south of the communion table is the following inscription : " To Mrs. Elizabet Lole the Wife of Wm. Lole Rectr. of this Church who Died 8br. 9 Ano. 64 Aged 63. Whose Earthlie Parts this Sacred Place mvst keepe Till svch as rest in hope Shall rise from sleepe Meane Time Kind Reader shee whose sperits blest Bless Thou her Name and lett her Bodie rest Mcestissimus eivs Maritvs Amoris, ergo hoc poni Fecit." I should not omit to state that there is a neat school house in the parish, the expenses of which were, in a great measure, defrayed by the liberality of the trustees of the present earl. About thirty children attend on an average. The Sunday schools number about forty. There are also here some cottage allot- ments, the agents of the earl having interested themselves much in that valuable addition, to the comforts of the labouring popula- tion. The system has not, however, as yet produced the moral effects which are said to attend it in other places, and this is attributed to the want of a committee of management, and to there being no prizes. The Pershore Branch of the Worcester- shire Friendly Society has many members among the parish- ioners of Pirton, and the number I hear is on the increase. The living of Pirton, with Croome, is valued at 488. Patrons, the trustees of the Earl of Coventry. Rector, Rev. W. L. Isaac. No curate is kept. Clerk, Mr. James Bond. Population of Pirton, 210; Croome, 119. TENBURY AND BURFORD. 245 nttfr Surfnrt HE town of Tenbury, which is in the hundred of Doddingtree, county of Worcester, and diocese of Hereford, has been from tune immemorial denomi- nated "the town in the orchard," which is a correct description, as there are few fields in the parish that do not contain apple or pear trees, more or less. It is beautifully seated in the midst of verdure, watered by the river Teme, a prolific trout stream, which, in its winding course to join old Severn, delights for many a mile the eye of the traveller from Worcester, and reminds him of a lovely but coquettish maiden taking her course among whole groups of adoring lovers, in the shape of osiers, which have assembled on the banks, and do her idolatrous homage as she passes by. There are few antiquities in the town itself, and the church (which is dedicated to St. Mary) is the only object of much interest to the antiquary. In Doomsday Book it appears that the abbey of Cormelia, in the diocese of Lisieux, Normandy, had possessions at Tametdebery, in Worcestershire. The advow- son of Tenbury belonged to the prior and monastery of Shene, Richmond, in Surrey, from 1414 to 1543 (though Nash states that this parsonage and land were anciently annexed to the priory of Malvern). At this time Henry the Eighth having dissolved the priory of Shene, on July 14th, 1543, granted to Richard Andrews and Nicholas Temple the advowson of Ten- bury, with the chapels of Rochford and Laysters, who, fourteen days afterwards, sold them to Thomas Acton, Esq., of Sutton Park, who had rented the tithes of the vicarage of Tenbury from the monks at Shene, for twenty-seven years previous to this time. This Thomas Acton died January 2nd, 1546 (as appears by a monument in Tenbury Church), having an only child, Joyce, who married Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, in 246 THE RAMBLER. Warwickshire, and thus took to him the advowson of Tenbury, with the chapels of Rochford and Laysters, and Sutton Park estate. It was this Sir Thomas Lucy who prosecuted Shakspeare for deer stealing, and who was the original of his " Justice Shallow." By deed, dated September 1, 15.57, the advowson of the chapel of " Lastres," and the great tithes thereto belonging, were sold to Thomas Acton, Esq., of Bockleton. The advowson of Tenbury cum Rochford continued in the possession of the Lucy family till 1716, when it was purchased for the Rev. William Read, by his trustees, and Mr. Read was instituted to the vicarage of Tenbury in 1718. He married Miss Sarah Hill, of Court of Hill, and had several children, the youngest of whom, Lucy, married clandestinely, at Corely, Salop, Mr. Lawrence, the father of the celebrated Sir Thomas Lawrence. Mr. Read's family held the living till 1762, when Thomas Hill, Esq., purchased it, and he, his heirs and descendants, held it till May 21, 1823, when the advowson was purchased by the Rev. George Hall (the late vicar), who died June 27, 1845. His executrixes (the Misses Wilkinson, to whom the advowson now belongs) have presented the Rev. John Morgan to the vicarage of Tenbury, and the Rev. Edmund Herring to the rectory of Rochford, the two livings having been separated by an order of the Privy Council on April 3rd, 1843, under the act of 1 and 2 Victoria, chap. 106. The church is almost entirely a modern structure, consisting of chancel, nave, and aisles ; the tower and chancel being the only remaining portions of the old church, which was thrown down by a flood on the 17th November, 1770. This flood was occasioned through digging a deep grave near the foot of one of the pillars supporting the roof between the nave and the south aisle, and the water which percolated through undermined the column ; the nave and aisle were thrown down, the windows broken, the monuments much injured, and the organ was destroyed. The inhabitants, however, being musically inclined, determined on having a substitute for the organ, and accord- ingly purchased a drum (the one recently belonging to the TENBURY AND BURFORD. 247 Tenbury band), together with horns and clarionets ; but about thirty years ago the drum was removed, it being considered somewhat out of place. In 1777 the church was repewed by the churchwardens, and the sittings were sold to the proprietors of property in the parish to repay the expense thereof. In 1 843 a new gallery was erected at the west end, chiefly at the expense of S. H. Godson, Esq., the proceeds of the spa discovered on his premises, and an excellent organ was given by Mrs. Godson to be placed therein. The most ancient monument is in the north wall of the chancel. It is a small recumbent figure of a knight, two feet eight inches in length ; he is represented as clad in a suit of chain mail, with a surcoat, which reaches to the middle of the leg, a sword on the left side, the legs crossed, a talbot at his feet, and holding a heart between his hands ; the face has been broken off. It is placed on a raised tomb, three feet in length, within a canopy, which is eight feet high. Some have supposed this to be one of the Knights Templar, others (and this is the more general opinion) that it was the son of Sir John Sturmy, of Sutton, who followed his father to the Crusades, and died during his minority. At the east end of the church are two recumbent figures of a gentleman and lady, enclosed by the seats, and placed immediately under a monumental tablet on the wall, which bears the arms and crest of the Actons, and on the tablet is an inscription to the memory of Thomas Acton, of Sutton, Esquire (before mentioned), and Mary, his wife. There is another monument which was broken when the church fell, in 1770, and the remains of it are walled into the south wall of the church : it is said to have been in memory of a knight named Sturmy. The legs are broken off just below the knees, but from what remains of the figure it appears to have been of gigantic proportions. There is a handsome monument of white marble in the chancel to the memory of W. Godson, Esq., his wife, and children. It was erected about seven years ago. It is to be regretted that there is no chapel of ease in the parish, for it contains a population of about 1800, many of 248 THE RAMBLER. whom have three or four miles to go to church. In the hamlet of Sutton are the remains of a Roman Catholic chapel which belonged to the Acton family, the then proprietors of Sutton Park, supposed to have been built by them for the accommoda- tion of their family and dependants. The following list of the charities of Tenbury has been kindly handed to me. In 1753 one Edward Bangham, of St. Andrew's, Holborn, whose native place was Tenbury, left by will 40s. worth of bread a year to be given to the poor, but it was withheld for many years (see tablet in the church), until the interest and compound interest amounted to sufficient to purchase 325 in three per cent, consols, the interest of which is given to the poor, with other charities, at Christmas, and the 40s. worth of bread is also given. The money is received from Lord Rodney's Berrington estate. In the above year (1753) one John Turner, of Hampton Court, left by will 100 to Tenbury and 100 to Rochford, to be put out to interest, to be yearly given to the poor. The money was vested as a rent charge on an estate in Rochford of 7 per year; 3. 10s. is received and given to the poor at Christmas, with other moneys. There is an old building called the Almshouse, at Oldwood, one mile from Tenbury, with two pieces of land, the rent of which is given, along with other moneys, at Christmas. Mrs. Mary Noxen left 25, the interest to be given to the poor, and which is given with the above. Twelve shillings per year is received from Haresbrook Farm ; the giver not known, but the land it is received from is called Ball's Acre. These are all the charities received by the church- wardens. The schools are at present pretty full, there being a good attendance both on Sundays and week days. The Rev. John Morgan is the present incumbent of the living (value, with Rochford, 1200). Curate, Rev. J. H. Davies. Clerk, Mr. Merrick. Organist, Miss Lloyd. Popula- tion of Tenbury, 1849 ; Rochford, 227. Burford church, which is within a few minutes' walk of Tenbury, possesses many points of interest ; it is a plain erec- tion, consisting of nave, chancel, and western tower. Some TENBURY AND BURFORD. 249 have supposed that the walls of the chancel are Anglo-Saxon, from the headways of two old doors which are not formed on the principle of an arch, but square headed, with a stone cross, as the architects would say, "jigged m." The chancel arch, now in the Decorated style, to correspond with the windows of the chancel, was rebuilt two and a half years ago. The old chancel arch was in so dilapidated a state as to be dangerous, and it was considered to have been coeval with the chancel walls. The windows in the chancel are Decorated insertions. The west end, and western arch, which is lamentably disfigured with lath and plaster, are Perpendicular. There is here a very perfect piscina, and some encaustic tiles within the communion rails which had been dug up from under the altar ; the rest were made by Messrs. Chamberlain, of Worcester. The sedilia were also dug out (by the direction of the Rev. J. W. Joyce, the present incumbent) from beneath a tomb where they had been built in. The font is an excellent and a perfect specimen of the Perpendicular style. On the wall north of the communion table is a breadth of wood panelling, inclosed with folding doors, containing some monumental paintings of the date of 1587. The doors are divided into compartments, on which are represented the Twelve Apostles ; and on the interior are paintings, nearly the size of life, of Richard Cornewall and Jenet his wife, who died in 1568 and 1547; and whose son Thomas raised the monu- ment to their memory. Above these is a representation of the Heavenly Host, and in a narrower panelling underneath is the recumbent painted figure of Edmund Cornewall, in his shroud. This was the baron of Burford, and lord paramount of Tenbury, who bought the manor of Tenbury (temp. Henry VI.) from Mr. Hall, of Henwick. The figure is upwards of 7 feet in length ; and tradition speaks of his prowess and virtues in such a manner as to make one almost believe that he must have been a second " admirable Crichton." There is also a monument, with an inscription, setting forth that Edmund Cornewall died at Cologne, and that his heart was inclosed in lead and sent to Burford to be buried. Underneath a canopy at the base of the 250 THE RAMBLER. north wall is the recumbent stone effigy of the Princess Eliza- beth, daughter to John of Gaunt, and wife of Sir John Cornewall, of the date of 1426 ; and nearer is a monument of a man in armour, supposed to represent her husband. The late Bishop of Worcester was descended from this family. Their monuments in this church are about to be restored. There are several other carved figures, brasses, &c., of the date of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries ; likewise some marble monuments to several members of the Rushout family (into whose possession the manor has now come) which deserve notice for the chaste- ness of the designs and beauty of the execution. There are also some beautiful lines to the memory of the Right Hon. Lady Caroline Rushout, who died in the year 1818. The excellent organ in this church was the gift of the Misses Rushout, of Burford House. Around one of the bells of this church the following inscription is to be found : " At service time I sound, And at the death of men, To serve your God and well to die, Remember then !" The parish of Burford is very large, extending from the river Teme high up into the Clee Hill. From its covering so large an area, one church, wherever placed, would have been inac- cessible to many of its inhabitants. The benefice therefore was divided anciently into three portions. The rector of the first portion serves the chapel of Nash and the chapel of Boraston, value 337 ; the rector of the second portion serves the chapel of Whitton, value '286 ; the rector of the third portion serves the mother church, St. Mary's, value 335. There are three rectory houses, which are near the respective churches. The rectors are Rev. H. M'Laughlin, Nash and Boraston ; Rev. C. Whitefoord, Whitton; Rev. J. Wayland Joyce, Burford. The clerk at Burford is Mr. William Jones, and the organist is an amateur, E. Wellings, Esq. The daily school contains about 40 children, the Sunday school upwards of 50. Population of the three portions, 1031. TENBURY AND BURFORD. 251 An obliging correspondent has forwarded to me the following account of the superstitions prevalent in and about Tenbury. " The peasantry round Tenbury (like those of Shrawley) are no less superstitious and credulous than the generality of the poorer classes, and have great faith in charms. As an instance, some of them firmly believe the following is a sure remedy for scrofula. If a person afflicted with it takes the right or left foot of a toad (according as the wound is on the right or left side), and wrapping it in three pieces of linen, enclosed in a black ailk bag, wears it, a piece of string to go round the neck being attached, at the same time observing the toad, for whether it lives or dies so will the person. A woman having tried this charm firmly believes it effected a cure, when the case was pro- nounced hopeless by medical men. The people also believe in tokens of death, such as the issuing of light from a candle after it is blown out, &c." 252 THE RAMBLER. (irent Jfiulnmt. Thou hast a famous church, And rarely builded ; No country town hath such, Most men have yielded ; For pillars stout and strong, And wondrous large and long, Remember in thy song To praise the Lord. A thousand bottles there Were filled weekly, And many costrels rare For stomachs sickly ; Some of them into Kent, Some were to London sent, Others to Berwick went O praise the Lord. OLD SONG. *RIOR to the Conquest, the Malvern Hills and a large district of surrounding country were covered with wood, a trace of which still remains in the local name of " The Chase," which at one time extended to about 8000 acres. Some " holy eremite," inspired with a wish for a retired and religious life, penetrated these wilds and fixed upon the site of the present abbey, or near thereto, as the place for his cell. A writer in the " Archeeological Journal " of about May, 1 845, in giving a description of the beautiful remains of painted glass for which the abbey was famed, mentions the third window in the clerestory, north of the choir, which had been till then unaccountably overlooked, as containing an illustration of the legend of St. Werstan and the first Christian establishment at Malvern. This memorial is still remaining, and a dwelling called " The Hermitage," near to the church, was not long since in existence, until some fashionable gentleman pulled it down and erected an Italian villa in its stead, calling it " // Bella GREAT MALVERN. 253 Sguardo" Here it may reasonably be supposed was the simple oratory of St. Werstan, and here did he suffer martyrdom. In process of time great numbers of religious resorted to the spot, and historians tell us that about the year 1 083 a Benedictine monastery was formed here under the hermit Aldwin and some monks from Worcester Priory. The establishment attained to great fame, having acquired large estates and possessions besides the endowment of Edward the Confessor ; and constant disputes were occurring between the Bishop of Worcester and the mitred Abbots of Westminster, who claimed a preeminence of power in consequence of Gislibertus Crispinus, one of their number, having formerly bestowed several manors upon this Priory ; till at length an amicable settlement was concluded by Edward I, and the priory became subordinate to Westminster. In the 15th century the priory was restored by Sir Reginald Bray, the Premier of Henry VII., whose memory is immortalized by the unrivalled skill and taste displayed by him in the erection of Henry's Chapel at Westminster, " that glorious work of fine intelligence," and in the completion of that of St. George, in Windsor Castle. Sir Reginald was born at St. John's-in-Bed- wardine, in the suburbs of the city of Worcester. The abbey, thus restored, was a magnificent building, the massive round piers and semi-circular arches of the nave testifying to the Early Norman origin of that portion of the edifice, which is probably coeval with the foundation of the monastery ; while the rest of the building is an elegant and diversified specimen of design and embellishment hi the latest period of the Pointed style. The roof is of carved wood, flat, and of the Perpendicular style : it appears to have been designed as a temporary expedient only, provision having evidently been made for the after construction of a stone vaulted roof, which, however, was never effected. The clerestory is also of the 1 5th century, on a much earlier substructure. At the Dissolution, Henry the Eighth (who had been memorialized by Latimer not to suppress this house, on account of its great importance and the hospitality and useful- ness of the prior,) granted the priory to William Pynnock, who 254 THE RAMBLER. alienated it to John Knottesford, Esq., serjeant-at-arms, from whom it was purchased by the inhabitants. Dr. Card, the late vicar, observes " To the happy circumstance of its being made parochial we owe the preservation of a fabric so touching to the heart of the Christian, and which serves to gratify the eye of the painter as well as the antiquary, from its having all the painter's beauties of intricacy of form and light and shade." The old parish church stood at the north-west corner of the present churchyard. The abbey, which now consists of nave, tower, and chancel, with north and south aisles, and Jesus Chapel on the north, must have been a noble and cathedral like structure before the demolition of the south transept aisle and the Lady Chapel at the east end. Of the former extensiveuess of the establishment several proofs, such as stone coffins and other relics, have been recently discovered, as I have been informed, in the course of erecting some new villas on the south side ; but no account has appeared of them, and all investigation was suppressed, though it would probably have been very easy by these means to discover the exact locality of the refectory and cloisters. A new erection called "Knottesford Lodge," in memory of the individual from whom the parishioners pur- chased the church, has been recently put up on the supposed site of the refectory ; previously to this a barn stood on the spot, and the refectory " board " was there used for mangers. To pursue the history of the abbey : after the Dis- solution it gradually became a ruin, and the work of restoration was left for the taste and untiring zeal of Dr. Card, the late much respected vicar, who, after constant appeals to the public and the devotion of his own time and energies to the task, succeeded in restoring this beautiful structure to its present condition. Fortunately for the Doctor, he had completed his self-imposed task ere the restorers of ancient ecclesiastical beauties were called hard names, and dubbed as followers of the great beast ; else the ruin might still have remained to us. All moderate minded Christians will see no positive mischief in the restoration of a temple for the worship of God GREAT MALVERN. 255 to its ancient magnificence, should it even involve the retention of a reredos, a piscina, or stoup. But the case is fur different when, in building new churches, architects, like many of the present day, will persist in introducing these things now utterly useless, except when seen in ancient fanes, to remind us of past ages, and of the dark thraldom from which we have been mercifully delivered. A restorer of this sort will find no sym- pathy in me. Churches built since the Reformation should most assuredly bear the visible impress of that distinction which exists between the tenets of the Protestant and Popish churches ; but let no man's hand be stayed who is minded to appropriate his wealth and ability to the erection or restoration of edifices in some way worthy to be the dwelling place of the Eternal. One of the remaining proofs of the former magnificence of Malvern Abbey exists in its beautiful painted windows. Notwithstanding the ignorance of certain glaziers, and the mischief done by school boys, who for many years " had their fling" at these fine old remains, enough still exists to cause admiration at the genius and profuse liberality of olden days. The subjects of these paintings are chiefly taken from scripture, and the visitor should by no means forget to investigate the legend of St. Werstan (mentioned at the beginning of this article), as depicted on the upper compartment of the third clerestory window hi the north wall of the chancel. The mantle of the late vicar has fallen upon the shoulders of a worthy successor (the Rev. J. Wright) ; among the renova- tions and improvements completed by him is a chapel at the south of the chancel, which he has fitted up (for use at births, burials, and occasional services) with open seats, a screen, ela- borately carved, a handsome carved pulpit and font, enriched its windows with ancient painted glass collected from other parts of the building, restored the view of the Knottesford monu- ment, with its recumbent stone figures, and caused the vestry to communicate in a very convenient manner through the chapel to the pulpit. The whole cost must have been 500 or 600. This chapel has also been enriched by the erection of a window 2o6 THE KAMBLEB. of stained glass, as a token of the sincere respect which subsisted for so many years between the nobility and gentry visting Mal- vern, and its inhabitants, towards their late vicar. The windows contain three figures, representing Faith, Hope, and Charity. Within the railings on the north side of the east window is a small desk or stand, to which two books are chained ; the one is a commentary on the Prayer Book, and the other is a small treatise on the ritual, church unity, &c. On the interior of the cover of the larger book is the handwriting of one Henry Clements (who I presume was a bookseller), with the date of " Oxford, September 3, 1701;" and his declaration sets forth that some anonymous person had directed him to forward these two books for the use of the abbey at Malvern, on condition that they should be always kept chained in some public part of the edifice. Among the monuments in this church is a carved stone image in the Jesus Chapel, supposed to be one of the most ancient specimens of mail armour ; in the same chapel are also two exquisite pieces of modern sculpture ; and south of the communion table is a fine Gothic tomb to the above mentioned John Knottesford. The curious and highly interesting encaustic tiles which cover portions of the pavement and the sides of the eastern wall were formerly supposed to have been manu- factured at Alhambra, in Portugal, but this question was settled a few years ago by the discovery of an ancient kiln on the priory farm, with some tiles of the same character remaining ; thus affording a clear proof of what had indeed long been suspected, namely, that the monks themselves had been the artificers. I must not omit to mention the grotesque carvings in alto relievo on the subsellte of the stalls in the choir. These seats (like those in Cathedral stalls) or small shelving stools or flaps, so constructed as to keep the monks and canons of ancient times from sleeping during their devotions, for any somnolent indi- vidual sitting on them would have lost his balance, and been thrown forward into the body of the choir. The carvings under- neath these seats have given rise to much discussion. It has been very properly asked If they were placed there when the GREAT MALVERN. 257 monkish system was in the zenith of its glory, why is it, then, that some of those subjects are representations of the lascivious manners of that order of the religious, and so placed as to become the objects of the derision and contempt of a congre- gation assembled for so opposite a purpose to that of laughing at their spiritual instructors ? Dr. Stukeley, in a charitable moment, attributes them to the licentious inventions of work- men. In general, however, monstrous carvings were intended to be typical of evil thoughts and bad passions which are engendered by a life of ease (as represented in sitting.) Also many carvings were satirical, and recorded the feuds between the secular and regular clergy for instance, not unfrequently we see, in stall work, foxes preaching to a congregation of geese, an ass's head under a cow], a double face, and so forth. Such designs are conceived in the worst imaginable taste. Before leaving the church, I would remark on the bad effect of shutting out the fine view of the north transept, or Jesus Chapel, by a modern gallery erection, merely for the sake of giving to the church four more pews, which have a strong resemblance to opera boxes. The only object in the churchyard worth remark is a lamenting epitaph on some deceased individual who seems to have had his faith in drugs considerably modified, if not altogether demolished, by the effect they had produced on himself : " Palft was my portion, and physic was my food Grones was my devotion, and drugs done me no good ; Christ was my physician, and knew what was best To ease my pain and set my soul at rest." The village is unquestionably one of the most fortunate in the kingdom. Favoured by nature and art, it has long been the resort of wealthy and benevolent individuals, from whom has flowed a constant stream of active goodness and charity, alle- viating the condition of the poor, administering to the sick, and promoting the education of the rising race. There are now a District Visiting Society and Clothing Club, Schools, a Dis- 258 THE RAMBLER. pensary, &c. By the report of the parochial schools for the year 1847, I find that the total receipts were 280. 7s. 3^d. ; expenditure, 257. 8s. 5^d ; amount of funds in Consols, 211. 5s. 7d. ; in Savings Bank, 86. The report of the Dispensary exhibits a total of 459 cases attended between January 1, 1847, and January 1, 1848 ; receipts, 142. 2s. 2id. ; expenditure, 134. 17s. lid. I find likewise that the sum of 227 was about two or three years ago subscribed towards the erection of an infant school, but the majority of the committee being of opinion that such an institution was not required, the whole sum was returned to the subscribers. All these institutions are most liberally supported ; and there is besides an under current of private charity both wide and deep. If a poor person in the village meets with an accident a fractured leg or arm should his pigstye be burnt down, or his prolific wife bring forth a greater number of heirs and successors than his means are thought adequate to support, the fact is immediately spread throughout the village, and a shoal of amiable ladies may be seen with purse in hand, or with salves and flannels innumerable, wending their way, like good Samaritans, as they are, to the habitation of the lucky individual. A broken leg is here as good as a sinecure, and frequently leaves the party with more " to stand upon " than before, while the advent of a twin to a poor family is equal to a pension to the father. But let us come to some of the more public evidences. Opposite to the Morris School is a handsome tank, which, with two others in different parts of the hills, was erected by Mr. Morris. They are much prized by the cottagers, and will form (when Providence shall have removed him from the pre- sent life) a lasting monument to that gentleman's worth and memory. Many a poor woman, perhaps for centuries to come, will bless his memory as she sets down her pitcher to receive from the salutary spring the proceeds of his bounty. The practical philanthropist is the most useful of men, and the construction of a public reservoir is not the least beneficent of his acts : GREAT MALVERN. 25.0 " From the dry rock who bade the waters flow, Not to the skies in useless columns tossed, Or in proud falls magnificently lost ; But clear and artless, pouring through the plain, Health to the sick, and solace to the swain." Leaving the tank we proceeded on the new drive by way of the North Hill church towards the " Wych," a name given to a passage or road some years ago cut through a portion of the hills. The highest point of the Malvern Hills (which are an eruptive chain of syenite, trap, and basalt) is 1444 feet above the level of the sea ; the view on all sides is magnificent : portions of ten or twelve counties, with the three Cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester, and Hereford, and the Bristol Channel, may be seen ; and it is said that with a glass, on a clear day, more than a hundred churches may be traced out. The village and the hills generally swarm with proofs of the prosperity of the place. A new hotel and villas are springing up on the bleak side of the North Hill, close to the little church, and other handsome residences have been erected near the fine old abbey gateway. Among the distinguished individuals who have recently visited this charming retreat is Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, who was much delighted with the spot, and several times ascended the hills ; the donkey patronized by Her Majesty on these occasions received in consequence the cogno- men of " Royal Moses ;" but, like many individuals of our own race, who have basked in the patronage of royalty, the subse- quent history of this donkey supplies a moral which ought to modify our ambition for courtly favours : the poor beast died a short time ago, being (as I have no doubt) ridden to death in consequence of this act of the worthy Queen Dowager's having given it the premiership among the Malvern asses. The visitors to Malvern will now see its villas and lodging-houses occupied by a class of migrationists very different from the former patrons of the place. Hydropathy has taken possession of Mal- vern, and peopled its houses. The fashionable world and the London physicians have resigned the territory to the genii of the wells. The villagers, however, must bear with this. Nee s 2 260 THE RAMBLER. asperandum quamvis exiguum lucellum. Dr. Granville, in his " Spas of England," says " The scope and facilities for exer- cise the opportunities of scrambling up precipitous mountain sides, so as to put every muscle of the body in action and test the strength and elasticity of one's lungs at the same time the frequent inhaling of the purest air in a lofty region these things altogether are the charms and attractions of the two Mal- verns, on which a medical man must depend for any sensible change he may wish to produce on his patients through their agency. In these respects the two Malverns surpass many of the more frequented and fashionable spas in this country." The living of Malvern is in the gift of the Foley family ; value 181. Vicar, the Rev. John Wright. Curate, the Rev. James Clancy. Clerk, Mr. John Burston. Organist, Mr. Wheeler. SHE church of Strensham consists of chancel, nave, and * (E/J1 western tower; and it is mainly the work of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The interior has a singular but handsome appearance, being fitted up with ancient carved oak seats, open at the ends with wainscoting high up the walls. The space, or aisle, between the two rows of seats is very wide, and the remains of encaustic tiles, still visible in the pavement, denote that the last work of reparation must have been performed regardless of expense. At the western end is a gallery, along the whole front of which is a series of panelling, with carved canopied tops, containing curious paintings of the disciples, the evangelists, the early fathers, with martyrs, popes, kings, and bishops. There are twenty-three of these figures, and the majority of them are accompanied with emblems : St. Lawrence carrying a gridiron STRENSHAM. 261 (the instrument on which he suffered martyrdom); the disciples, being represented as fishermen, carry oars and nets ; Peter has the keys ; while Judas Iscariot is conspicuous as having " the bag" attached to his belt, and is certainly made to appear a very suspicious character. This gallery contains one of the very few good grinding organs. Underneath the gallery is a Norman font, cylindrical, but slightly larger at the top than at the bottom, and standing on a shaft nearly as thick as itself. The outer face of the font is covered with arcade work, the arches of which are semi-circular and do not intersect each other ; it is rudely carved. The walls and ceiling of the church are bedaubed and plastered. On the north wall, near to the pulpit, is a handsome Gothic monument, with florid canopy, crockets, and finial, and bears this inscription : " This tablet was erected to the memory of Samuel Butler, to transmit for future ages that near this spot was born a man so celebrated. In Westminster Abbey, among the poets of England, his fame is recorded : here, in his native village, in veneration of his talents and genius, this tribute to his memory has been erected by the possessor of the place of his birth, John Taylor, Stren- sliam." This Samuel Butler, I need hardly repeat, was the much neglected author of " Hudibras ;" and the house in which he was born a cross-timbered dwelling of about the date of the first Charles was subsequently shown to me. It appeared originally to have been a good house of the sort, but is now tenanted by two or three poor families, who were engaged at their humble dinner tables at the time of my visit : I did not therefore disturb them to see the interior. It has been a sub- ject of regret that no Worcestershire author has done Butler justice by writing such a biography as could have been gleaned not only from books but from local traditions. With the single exception of the aforesaid monument Butler shares the fate usually allied to genius, namely, extreme local indifference. But to return to the church. The chancel abounds with hand- some marble and alabaster monuments to the Russell's, a family which came out of Normandy, and had lands given them in 262 THE RAMBLER. Berkshire, Gloucestershire, and other counties. They were lords of Strensham from about the year 1300 to 1705, when Sir Francis Russell (the last male) left his estate between three daughters, one of whom married Dr. Richard Nash, to whom the whole of the property afterwards belonged. In the time of the civil wars Sir William Russell figured as a champion of the royal cause, and Strensham was disgarrisoned at the same time as Worcester, Evesham, Hartlebury, and Madresfield, when Sir William narrowly escaped with his life, but was eventually allowed to compound with the parliamentary committee for 1800, and 50 a year settled on his estate. He was high sheriff in 1 643, and governor of Worcester the same year. In the thirty- fourth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Sir John Russell attended Her Majesty to Worcester, and in thec orporation books are entries of a charge for claret and seek, and a pound of sugar given to Sir John Russell, which is supposed to be the same that Falstaff calls sack and sugar, and to mean originally a dry wine, vin sec. The monuments are costly, and chiefly well executed, with recumbent figures and all the pomp and pageantry of grief. Some brasses, commemorative of the same family, of the dates of 1405, 1502, and 1562, have fortunately escaped destruction, and (especially that in the wall at the north of the communion table) are well worthy of attentive examination. There are here about thirty Sunday scholars, and there is also a free school, supported by James Taylor, Esq., containing six boys and six girls. I have but little space to comment on the ser- vices, which is the less to be regretted as I have but little to say. Understanding that the regular clergyman would not be present, I formed the conclusion that a good sermon would be the result, for I have found it to be a pretty general rule among clergymen to pick out their best compositions when they are to officiate in a strange church. I was not therefore disappointed in the Hon. and Rev. T. Coventry, who gave a good paraphrastic discourse on the Lord's Prayer, from Matthew vi, 9, &c. Patron of Strensham, John Taylor, Esq. Value of living, 200. Rector, the Rev. J. W. Grove, D.D. No curate kept. Clerk, Mr. Joseph Davis. Population, 304. ECK1NGTON. 263 \>^./'r this place I had the pleasure of witnessing a crowded { xi ): church and a zealous minister, who it seoms had pretty /^"T\ well sure-reded in thinning the Hocks of the neighbour- ing churches by holding out for their acceptance a better article than they could obtain at home. His sermon might be considered evangelical, nay, some would have called it a downright Metho- distical discourse. The instantaneous conversion of the gaoler being the subject, faith was of course the prominent feature, and the necessity and desirableness thereof were painted in such glowing terms, and with an ardency of fervour, that not one of the rev. gentleman's hearers could possibly have enter- tamed the remotest thought of sleep or listlessness. There is much in what is called Low Churchism to which I cannot become reconciled ; yet when I contrast an instance like that of Eckington with the inanimate, somnolent condition of one half of our rural churches, where the parishioners habitually sit under orthodox but drowsy discourses, varied perhaps about once per annum by the advent of some other preacher even more tedious than the regular one, I cannot but prefer that system under which the people have at least their thinking and reflective faculties brought into active play, and are not permitted to consider the church as a place for lounging and dreaminess. Let me not be misunderstood as voting for noise and rant, or for those frenzied fits and outer manifestations which have no claim to the name of religion, and are too often the cloaks for the most wretched cant and hypocrisy : the church recognizes a sober, healthy, rational medium between these excesses, in which neither the turbulent yeast of a hot, credulous imagina- tion, on the one hand, nor the unleavened bread of passive, indifferent minds, on the other, has any thing to do. " The new sect weep for their amusement," said the Citizen, " but real 264 THE RAMBLER. religion, the discipline of the heart, on the other hand, is cheer- ful, equable, and enduring, and is preserved safe amongst the bustle of the world and the innocent admixture of society." The architecture of the church of Eckingtou exhibits to the practised eye many interesting gradations, as well as many modern "improvements" which are much to be lamented. It consists of chancel, nave, two side aisles, and western tower. The chancel contains some handsome monuments to some of the Hanford family, the oldest bearing the date of 1616, being a raised tomb, on which John Hanford and Ann his wife are kneeling and praying, face to face, with a book desk between them ; and beneath them, on the face of the monument, are their three sons and seven daughters, also kneeling. The chancel arch is pointed, but the south aisle is divided from the nave by three semi-circular arches, supported by massive circular Norman pillars, having on their capitals a sort of moulding which I can only describe as similar to festoons, pendent from little uprights arranged at equal distances round the capital. This moulding is slightly diversified in each of the pillars. A row of good imitation Norman columns and arches separates the north aisle, which was added to the church in 1837 and 1838. This aisle, however, is a monstrosity, which, as soon as the funds can be raised, ought to be made uniform with the Perpendicular architecture of the vestry adjoining it on the west, which was put up in 1840. This vestry also serves the purpose of a school room. The number of Sunday scholars, boys and girls, is about 50, and those hi the National School vary from 50 to 75. In this church are the remains of the old rood loft, elaborately carved ; an ancient cylindrical font ; a curious Norman light in the west wall, almost cut into by the great west window, which is of the Decorated order ; and the western door (which a few years ago was taken from the north .side, when that aisle was added, and placed at the west end for preservation) is a fine and curious specimen of Norman work- manship, containing the chevron moulded on several faces, that is, in different angles with the plane of the wall. Similar ECKINGTON. 265 specimens may be seen at Bredon and the neighbourhood. The shafts also terminate on the top in volutes. The tower exhibits many grotesque heads, or gargoyles, as water spouts. The roof of the church (which is now under-drawn with the usual amount of lath and plaster) is in a state which excites, perhaps more than any other part of this edifice, the indignation of the antiquary, on account of the carvings, which were originally intended to be seen from below, and to add to the beauty of the structure, but which are now totally hid. The old roof is oak ; the blades, rafters, and side pieces, are all moulded j and the bands, with one exception, are all carved, as follows: Band No. 1, at the eastern end, over the pulpit, rood loft, &c. is carved in foliage on one side ; reverse, blank. No. 2, foliage on each side ; the top part of this and each alternate band was panelled and carved to the summit. No. 3, foliage on each side and Gothic laced. No. 4, ditto on one side ; reverse, two serpents ; panels, &c. like No. 2. No. 5, ditto, ditto ; reverse, Gothic laced. No. 6, the devil in the form of a serpent, with a man's head in his throat, up to the mau's shoulders ; a monk is beyond, pushing him in by his (the man's) foot ; reverse, foliage. This is also panelled like No. 2. No. 7, plain on each side. No. 8, three serpents fight- ing ; reverse, foliage. No. 9, Gothic laced ; this one is imme- diately over the old porch at the western end of the church. The carvings appear to have been done when the wood was in a green state ; they are well executed, more particularly the Gothic lacing on band 5. There has been a quantity of panelling, both carved and plain, removed at different times for repairing other parts of the church ; the timber, which is entirely oak, is in an excellent state of preservation, excepting one place where the rain came through the roof. The old roof was formerly covered with lead, and when it had been worn through by time and the weather, it was covered with another roof of tiles and old slates, or, rather, thin stones, the lead being first removed. The woodwork over the chancel is quite plain ; this roof being lower than that over the old part of the church. 266 THE RAMBLER. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster are the patrons of Eckington (value 140). Vicar, the Rev. James Balfour. Curate, the Rev. D. L. Cousins. Clerk, Mr. Richard Powell. Population, 785. Irigjr. a fine Sunday morning in the latter end of September I took an early breakfast and the road to Leigh church, which is situate about five miles west of Worcester. Some slight rain had fallen during the night, which had freshened up the appearance of things abroad in the fields, and imparted a delightful fragrance to vegetation ; here and there in the roads were scattered the blossoms of the hop, which had been plucked and -thrown aside by the hand of some wayfarer ; the gardens and hedgerows still looked gay, though their brighter summer hues were now modified, and occasionally a solitary leaf would flutter by on the mournfully sounding breeze, which had swept it away from its fellows, from the top of some high tree, and, in its premature hurrying to earth, conveyed a startling admonition akin to that which our common father Adam must have received in witnessing the first death. The maple trees betokened the time of the year by their spots and decaying leaves ; the insects, which in summer months dance in innumerable myriads around the traveller's face, as though to welcome him on his passage through their territory, were now reduced to a few of the larger kind, who hurried by in a state of uneasiness at the unexpected coolness of the morning ; broods of young goldfinches appeared, linnets were congregating together, and here and there I fell in with a district gathering of swallows, taking counsel together about the when and whereabout of their departure. The unwonted note of the woodlark also, and the glistening webs on every bush, which the decrease in the numbers of his prey had LEIGH. 267 taught the spider to stretch out with more industry and artful- ness all those minute points of Nature's economy spoke in eloquent language of a long farewell to summer. " Farewell to summer. Lo ! the word Falls sadly on the ear ; And, as its mournful voice is heard, Rise visions dark and drear Of clouded skies and withered leaves And flowers all pale and dead. The reaper binds the golden sheaves, But summer's reign is dead." Nevertheless I love above all other the month of September ; calm, pensive, and beautiful, it comes to us like a serene old age after the heat and passions of youth have subsided. It is then, to use the language of a gifted writer, that the memory of the absent the departed the for ever gone, returns and hangs on the heart in the form and pressure of their time and saddened, chastened, and purified by the spirit that haunts the sanctified abodes of death, in the tranquillity which pervades and governs us, we feel that 'there is a better, higher, purer joy, than the world's shallow pleasures or ambitious aims can procure the ineffable balm of peace, peace of heart, absorbed from earth's cares and its engrossments, when the crushing remembrance of the past is forgotten, and our thoughts wander through an eter- nity radiant with spiritual hopes to the perfection of all human bliss. The church of Leigh is an ancient structure, chiefly of the 12th century, but it has been much patched, and partakes of several subsequent styles ; it has a western tower, nave, chancel, south aisle, and chapel or chancel, called " Braunsford's Chancel." The principal entrance is by an old porchway, at the western end, beneath the tower ; here are traces of a stoup, which appears to have been broken off, and, if I mistake not, it is now lying loose and unprotected on the floor in the before mentioned chapel ; the carvings on it are well executed, and are yet sharp, not- withstanding the malice of the elements and the negligence of man. The ancient doorway on the north side of the nave is 2C8 THE RAMBLER. blocked up. Above this, on the exterior, is a somewhat rare remain, or specimen of early sculpture ; it is a figure of the Saviour, about 4 feet 10 inches in height, placed in a shallow recess of the wall. The head of this recess is semi-circular, and is supported by late Norman pillars, of a date probably coeval with the original church. The recess is placed at the height of 15 feet 2 inches from the ground. The Rev. G. S. Munn, of Cradley, who some time ago drew the attention of the British Archaeological Association to this specimen of sculpture, is of opinion that this niche or recess once formed one of the round- headed window cases of the original Norman church. In many of our early churches it was the custom to have a painting or carving of our Saviour on the principal door, the authority for which was supposed to have been derived from his own words, " I am the door," &c. These symbo s, it is not improbable, were likewise frequently placed above the doorway, as in the present instance. I am told that a similar figure exists at the church of Rouse Lench, near Evesham. These examples of figures of the Saviour are of rare occurrence, in consequence of the destruction of all such representations and images at the Reformation, and subsequently by the Puritans. At the south side of the tower, in the angle formed in the tower and the aisle, is a brick erection running up the wall, and near the top of it is a square window, in which was a mean and dirty white curtain, forming a disgrace to the sacred building. The interior of the church presents many objects of interest. The arch dividing the nave from the chancel is lofty, and, with its supporting shafts, marks the period of transition from the Norman to the Early English style. The approach to the rood loft may yet be seen, in an opening through the south pier. The east window is a modern fantastical thing, admitting light sufficient to dazzle a whole congregation. The chancel is rich in monumental and other remains. Nash says that the ceiling of the chancel was repaired and painted by Sir Walter Devereux, and that it represented the firmament, with the moon and this motto, " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firma- LEIGH. 269 ment showeth his handy-work." In the middle were the arms of Sir Walter Devereux. The whole however has disappeared before those industrious but relentless artizans, the village plasterer and the whitewasher. Among the gorgeous monuments erected in the chancel are a raised tomb with the portraiture of " Edmundus Colles, 1606 ;" a knight (Gulielmus Colles, 1615) and his lady, kneeling on a raised tomb beneath an arch, with figures of their seven sons and five daughters ; cumbent statues of Sir Walter Devereux and his lady, who died in the early part of the seventeenth century ; kneeling statues of Essex Devereux, his wife, and child, 1639 ; and here and elsewhere are memorials of the following families Domvile, Spooner, Birchett, Slaughter, Norgrove, Deakin, Treke, Jones, Taylor, Price, Racster, Baker, Bearcroft, and a flat stone to " Gulielmus Colles, 1 508." The chapel is divided from the south aisle by an antique gallery, the front of which is curiously carved and gilt, resembling a rood-screen. There is in this chapel a Norman font, apparently of the same date as the older parts of the building : it is "now completely hid from the congregation, being thrust aside as though its antiquity and rudeness must needs cause it to be despised ; it is also supplied with a tin can, and has no cover. On talcing a turn in the churchyard, among other inscriptions I observed the following : " Stop ! stop awhile, ye fluttering and gay, If any chance to pass this gloomy way, And drop one silent, tributary tear, On an unhappy, honest sportsman's bier. O, snatch from fell oblivion's jaw his name :* He died a wretched victim to the game! Hence, hence this useful lesson learn to know Never to trust in transient joys below : In gayest moments death will often come, And rudely drag us to our final doom." One don't know which most to admire, the idea of snatching a gamekeeper's name from oblivion, or the mysterious uncertainty in which the poet has contrived to leave his readers as to the * Deakin. 2/0 THE RAMBLER. direct cause of his death. The man may have been slaughtered by poachers he may have made his quietus by entangling the trigger of his gun in a hedge it is possible he may have hung himself out of remorse at the wicked system of game preservation or he may have been choked by the bone of a pheasant ; the wayfarer is left to take his choice of these and any other fancies he may please to entertain. There were many late comers to the church of Leigh on the morning of my visit ; some did not arrive till after the lessons had been read ; and as the rustics passed to their seats, the rattling of their hobnails against the pavement was any thing but a desirable accompaniment to the congregational act of devotion. The singing was entirely confined to the school chil- dren, who were ranged along the aisle, led on by a master and mistress ; they were then unassisted by any instrument, but I understand that an organ has subsequently been erected here. The curate read the morning services in an efficient and impres- sive manner, and I much wished that he had taken it into his head to preach the sermon also, for when the vicar ascended the pulpit and began his discourse, I found that from his low- ness of intonation and rapidity of execution it was so much waste paper to me, and, as I suppose, to all others who sat at the distance of three yards from him. I have heard of an old joke, which, however, is not of the most reverend, of an Oxford spark saying he would give any man the Creed, and beat him before he came to the end of the Litany. It is not unlikely, from what I heard on this occasion, that the incumbent of Leigh could do this with ease. I hope he will excuse this gentle hint ; he is, I believe, an amiable man, and generally beloved by his parishioners ; it is, therefore, a pity that his pastoral efficiency should be marred by this defect. I have but little to add with regard to the parish. There is a new church at the Link, near Malvern, erected about two or three years ago, which is a chapel of ease to the church of Leigh, and there is another chapel of ease et Bransford. This last mentioned is probably of ancient origin, for Habingdon says BROMSGROVE. 271 that he saw a grant from Anselm, Abbot of Pershore,* for erecting a chapel in a private house at Leigh, the chaplain of the mother church of Leigh to say mass three times a week. The parish was originally divided into three rectories or por- tions, but at the Dissolution two of the portions sunk and became vested in the Crown. In the year 1776 an act was passed for enclosing this parish, but some difficulties arising with respect to its being within the chase of Malvern, it was not completed, or the Link ploughed, till 1778. The bridge over the Teme at Bransford was built by Wulstan, of Brans- ford, Prior and afterwards Bishop of Worcester, 1338. There are in this parish an endowed free school, two chapels belonging to the Lady Huntingdon connexion, and a Wesleyan Methodist centenary cliapel. There are about 30 scholars in the church Sunday schools. Earl Somers is the patron of the living (value 312). Vicar, the Rev. H. S. Cocks. Curate, the Rev. H. Boissier. Clerk, Mr. Morgan. The Misses Cox act as organists. Population, 2011. i^HE church of the famous old Bremesgrove, or Boars- grove, is situate at the western end of the town, on an elevation ascended by sixty-two steps, and its handsome spire shoots up from a circle of fine lime trees which surround the churchyard a conspicuous object to all the circumjacent country. I entered the church by the south door a few minutes after the commencement of divine service. No person having been appointed to attend to the accommodation of strangers the parish, by the bye, not seeming to anticipate the entertain- ment of angels unawares I stood, hat in hand, till the footman * A great portion of the parish belonged to the Abbey of Pershore in ancient times. Anselm died in 1203. 272 THE RAMBLER. and housemaid of some genteel family, taking compassion on me, opened their seat, which was near the entrance door, and I took my place between them. Now, let me ask, why is there so much hoggishness and discourtesy in churchmen, disdaining even to share with a stranger a seat in the house of God that place where all distinctions should cease, in the presence of our common Father ? " Have you not mistaken the pew, sir ?" once blandly said a Sunday Chesterfield to a stranger as he entered it. " I beg pardon," replied the intruder, rising to go out, " I fear I have : I took it for a Christian's." One practice observed at this church is eminently worthy of imitation, namely, that of placing the poor in the seats nearest to the reading desk and pulpit, while the gentlefolk and trades- people take up their position chiefly in the aisles and galleries. The school children are stowed away under the tower, on a series of graduated seats, and strongly reminded me of a pen of yearlings at an agricultural show. How they manage to see or hear in that secluded box, with a monster gallery impending before them, I don't profess to know. In ancient times, they say, this church was as famous for the production of good singers as the town was for the manufacture of clothing ; but the times are changed, and singers, like other mortals, change with them. Mr. Simms was the organist here for about forty years, but being now incompetent to the duty, his son takes it, permitting his father to enjoy the trifling income arising out of an annual collection about 20. The congregation would, however, with- out doubt, give corresponding encouragement were the choir conducted with spirit. A more efficient musical corps is amongst the hundred and fifty things I have to recommend to the worthy vicar for adoption : not that I mean to be pressing upon him, for it must be expected that the accumulated grievances of seventy years, during which, and prior to his induction, the parish was in the hands of non-resident vicars, cannot be easily remedied and set aside. The style and manner of the vicar (who gave a good sermon on the raising of the widow's son) were correct and impressive. BROMSGROVE. 273 William Rose, the clerk, belongs to a family which has pro- vided the church of Bromsgrove with a supply of clerks and sextons for time out of mind ; he himself has been clerk for twenty-eight years ; Joseph Rose has held the office of sexton for the last twenty-four years ; his father was sexton for thirty- five, and his grandfather for twenty years. These offices are often hereditary. The clerkship of King's Norton (formerly a chapelry of Bromsgrove) is said to have continued in one family for upwards of two centuries. A gravestone in King's Norton churchyard has the following inscription upon it " Isaac Field, shoe-maker, parish clerk of this parish sixty-two years, died July 10, 1757, aged eighty -five years. Henry, his son, who died July 21, 1795, aged eighty-one years, was clerk forty years." Thus Isaac and Henry held the office of parish clerk upwards of a century. Henry Field was the last of his family who was parish clerk there. There is something pleasing in this succession of attachments to the offices of the church, and more- over something full as worthy of consideration as the lengthy genealogy of the proudest noble. The mantle of the Roses has not fallen upon degenerate descendants, according to the narrative of Joseph Rose, the sexton, who conducted me over the church, and who pointed out here and there the shocking mutilations he had averted when threatened from the barbarous hands of Vandal churchwardens, to whom at various periods this church seems to have fallen a prey more completely than any other edifice I have yet seen in the county. Among other instances of his care, he assured me, was the preservation of a handsome trefoil headed piscina, with shelf, which, happening to present an obstacle to the enlarging of a window in the wall of the south aisle, these benighted " wardens" would have thrown into the streets, had not the sexton almost descended on his knees to obtain the relic ; having succeeded so far, he caused it to be placed in the wall near to its original position, and has furnished it with a pair of folding doors and a hasp, to preserve it from mutilation. Hard by stood an ancient tomb, bearing the recumbent fil<';iMii., f ol'jrct to the eye : standing on the summit of and >oine\vhat altrupt a.scent, and nestling among firs, beeches, and evergreens, which contrast harmoni- ously with the grey building, it looks down like a venerable patriarch, having on his head a weight of years and experience to sanction and confirm his teachings and admonitions to the tribes who dwell peacefully in the valley below. The church consists of a nave and chancel, a large porch for the southern or principal entrance, a tower at the west end, and a modern vestry run up against the north side of the chancel ; the tower is about 150 years old, the former one having fallen down ; the body of the church is of mixed styles of architecture, having an embattled parapet. The principal doorway is of massive Norman masonry, the semi-circular arch ornamented with rich mouldings. The pillar or shaft which originally formed one of the supports of the eastern side of the arch has been removed, and another of a different date (pro- bably of the fifteenth century) substituted ; this stands about a yard high, and the top of it is hollowed out, evidently to serve as a stoup for holy water. This doorway is a very good specimen of its style, though more lofty in its pro- portions than usual. There is a bracket on the interior of the wall, placed about six or seven feet high, which was probably used in ancient times for holding tapers. There was originally a northern doorway, just opposite to and appa- rently of the same date as the southern ; it was, however, 302 THE RAMBLER. blocked up some few years ago, during the progress of some repairs and alterations, and just above this doorway, through the thick Norman wall, was opened an immense modern shaped window, with an ogee head ! I am sure the good taste of the present rector will not long permit this anachronistic barbarism to disfigure the fabric. The baptismal font, which has been removed from near the entrance door and placed in a convenient recess on the other side, consists of a circular bason on an octangular* base : it is a remarkably good specimen of the transition from the Norman to the Early English style. The nave is divided from the chancel by an acutely pointed arch, and the roof is supported by some good old oak truss work, which was fortunately preserved in opposition to some Vandals who wished to hide its " unsightly appearance " by means of a ceiling ! The chancel contains a small circular headed south door and deeply recessed Norman windows, one of which is pierced through a buttress ; this is very peculiar, being but seldom met with. The exterior of the chancel walls (except the eastern wall, which was recently put up in place of the old one, which fell out) is divided into two stages by a string course, having a zig-zag enrichment. Underneath the eastern window, on the exterior side, and fastened upright to the wall, is a relic in the shape of an ancient stone coffin lid ; it is prism-shaped (t. e. like the sloping roof of a house), which was one of the earliest shapes of coffins and sarcophagi, being so formed for the purpose of allowing the rain to run off freely ; they were always placed in the open air, and were generally without inscriptions, their form being the only guide to their probable date. This specimen is plain, with the exception of a rude cai-ving or indentation of a cross (batonne) on the sides ; and as it appears that it was not till the year 1 1 60 of the Cliristian era that these stone coffins with prismatic roofs began to be * The octajron was anciently considered to be an emblem of regenera- tion, inasmuch as the first creation having occupied seven days, the com. mencement of the next creation or new birth (as signified in baptism) must necessarily be commenced on the eighth tee Ditranrlus on &/mboli*m. SH RAW LEY. 303 ornamented, it is probable this stone is nearly seven centuries old. It was accidentally dug up a short time ago at the east end of the churchyard. In the chancel wall, at the north of the communion table, an ancient recess, which had been for many years blocked up, was discovered in the course of some repairs : this was undoubtedly the receptacle of the crucifix and host, and was the scene t of much ceremony, watchings, &c., at Good Friday and Easter, as a representation of the holy sepulchre. A piscina was also discovered on the south side, and over both recesses there are traces of windows. The church contains memorials and einblazonings of the Vernon family, the Cliffes, Piercys, Tolleys, &c. The Vernons came from Vernon in Normandy, where William de Vernon founded the collegiate church of Notre Dame. The Vernons of Wheatcroft (Cheshire), of whom those of Hanbury seem to have been a younger branch, descended from Nicholas de Vernon, fourth son of William de Vernon, Baron of Shipbroke. Thomas Vernon of Hanbury (ob. 17'20) was a knight of the shire, and a celebrated lawyer well known by his reports. On the tablet to the memory of the lady of G. C. Vernon, Esq., and sister-in-law to the present rector, are some lines inscribed to her memory by Wordsworth, who I believe was a personal friend of the family : as I have not yet seen them in any edition of Wordsworth's works, they are here given " She came, though meek of soul, in seemly pride Of happiness and hope, a youthful bride. O dread reverse ! if aught be so which proves That God will chasten whom he dearly loves. Faith bore her up through pains in mercy given, And trouble:) which were each a step to heaven. Two babes were laid in earth before she died ; A third now slumbers at the mother's side ; Its sister twin survives, whose smiles impart A trembling solace to her father's heart. Reader, if to thy bosom cling the pain Of recent sorrow combated in vain ; Or if thy cherished grief have failed to thwart Time, still intent on his insidious part, Lulling the mourner's best good thoughts asleep ; Pilfering regrets we would but cannot keep ; 304 THE RAMBLER. Bear with those, judge those gently who make known Their bitter loss by monumental stone ; And pray that in their faithful breast the grace Of resignation find a hallowed place." Among the charitable donations recorded in this church is the bequest of 1000 by Councillor Vernon, of Hanbury Hall, to be divided between the parishes of Hanbury and Shrawley, and the interest to be annually laid out in the purchase of clothing and fuel for old men and women. The value of this donation was much unproved by Mr. T. Severn, of Cockbaylis, now called Severn Bank, who lent an additional sum of money, and with the united amount purchased a farm at Claines ; he would receive no interest, but paid himself the principal by instalments from the rental ; the proceeds of this charity are now upwards of 80 per annum. It will scarcely be credited that the two parishes, being of somewhat unequal size, actually went to law for the purpose of ascertaining if the larger parish should not enjoy a greater share of this bequest ! I don't know the sum total that was spent in this way it was very large but I have the satisfaction of knowing that the graspers were dis- appointed in their narrow minded schemes. On the whole the church has a very neat appearance, with the exception perhaps of the high vault like pews, which look more like receptacles for the dead than places of accommodation for the living. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, has accommodation for upwards of 200 persons ; there are no free sittings, but the gallery and chancel are open to all those who have not sittings allotted to them. The reader will perhaps think it strange that neither minister, clerk, choir, or congregation, should come in for a fragment of disapprobation; but the fact is, the services were conducted quietly, decently, and in order. The barrel organ, which for- merly ground out the harmony of no less than ten tunes, and had for years kindled the musical flame of the parishioners, has now ceased its gyrations, and on account, I suppose, of old age, accident, and infirmity, was recently voted out of the orchestra ; a few singers and instrumentalists now supply its place, and by SHRAWLEY. 305 dint of application they may make a tolerable choir. The ser- mon, which was distinctly and impressively delivered, was an able illustration of the festival of the church occurring on that day (Whit Sunday) ; and another point in its favour was its moderate length. Whitfield is reported to have said that a man with the eloquence of an angel ought not to exceed forty minutes in the length of a sermon, and it is well known that Wesley seldom exceeded thirty. The tower contains a small bell which was dug up some years back by some men who were ploughing in a field adjacent : it is thick and quite plain, affording no clue to its history it may have been rung in the service of a feudal baron, or to summon, as now, the assemblage of Christians to the wor- ship of their Maker. Tradition tells of a castle which formerly stood at about half a mile north-east of the church, and also of an ancient town, of which there is now no trace ; though the sexton's father had remembered the existence in the church of an old chest (cut out of a solid tree) which once contained some writings relative to this old decayed castle ; but those unre- flecting Goths, the church mice, having found their way into the aforesaid chest, and physically feasted on its literary con- tents, it is feared that not even a wreck of either the chest or the memorials is left behind. The churchyard a very capacious one contains the base of an old cross, the top of which is now applied to the purpose of a sun dial, bearing the impressive words, Ab hoc momenta pendet eeternitas ! Among the epitaphs is one to Thomas Cooke (1814), a gamekeeper in the Vernon family : " He sleeps ! No more at early morn To wake the woods with mellow horn : No more with willing dog and gun To rise before the sluggard sun : No more beside the social can To-morrow's sport with joy to plan : Death took his aim, discharged his piece, And bade his sporting season cease." Nash says that in his tune (about 70 years ago) there was an x 306 THE RAMBLER. old decayed chapel on the south-east of the churchyard, but there is now no trace or recollection of the remains. The nunnery of Westwood had a yard of land on Shrawley, with a quarter of a yard of arable land : this was probably reappropri- ated at the Reformation. On the south of the wood are some artificial mounds, called Court Hills or Oliver's Mound, which commands a ford of the Severn. It is supposed that although the mound might have been occupied by Cromwell's forces, its origin must have been much more ancient, and some have referred it to Anglo-Saxon times. A well and the remains of a spiral stone staircase were discovered in the fortress during some excavations a few years ago, and a quantity of human bones were also dug up between the mounds and the river. The parish of Shrawley passed from the hands of its early Norman possessors into those of the Warwick family, a face- tious member of which, in the year 1478, being attainted in Parliament, preferred to meet death in a butt of Malmsey wine, and was buried at Tewkesbury. The bacchanalian earl, I suppose, thought he could not leave so many friends behind him without having a " bumper at parting." The parish con- tains of arable, 853A. 2R. ; pasture, 529A. ; woodlands, 447 A. 2R. 39p. ; glebe, 63A. OR. 3?P. The quantity subject to tithe is 1434A. SR. 38p., and the tithes have been commuted at .358. The condition of the people seems to be superior to that of many places; there are some allotment gardens let by the rector; each allotment being a quarter of an acre, let at the very moderate rental of 12s., free of all other payments ; there is also a benefit club, but in the way of education more remains to be done. The Sunday school numbers upwards of fifty scholars, and is chiefly supported and superintended by the rector and his amiable sister. A shoe fund is attached to this school, experience having proved that in rural districts the supply of that article of dress is the most necessary to insure the attendance of the children. There is a day school, at which there are upwards of forty scholars, most of whom attend the Sunday school. 1 shall conclude my sketch by quoting Mr. Watson's account of tlie superstitions in this parish : MATHOX. 307 ** It would appear that many superstitions are confined to particular families ; they are very unwilling to speak of them, but they are handed down from father to son. Most of them believe that if land is left unsown in a field there will be a death in the family within the year. When the accident is discovered they never sow it again. If after death the body does not stiffen, another death will take place within the year. Some persons believe that witchcraft can prevent their pigs from getting fat, and make them waste away. When convinced of the fact, they kill the animal, and to prevent the evil inten- tions of the sorcerer extending to those who eat the flesh, a kind of sacrifice is offered to the evil spirit, by burning certain parts of the animal. Old women are commonly entrusted with the cure of burns, which cure is usually commenced by charming. The ordinary charm consists in repeating the following doggrel rhymes a certain number of times : " There were two angels came from the north, The one was fire, and the other frost, Out fire, and in frost, In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." The living of Shrawley (value 364) is in the gift of the Vernon family. Rector, Rev. John Vernon. No curate is kept. Clerk, Mr. Thomas Greaves. Population, 569. HE ancient mother church of this parish is situate in a lonely and sequestered valley on the western side of the Malvern Hills a spot which, till some thirty years ago, owing to poor landlords and needy tenants, presented a barren appearance, in comparison with what modern cultivation has done for it, Nature having now shown herself thoroughly grateful for the liberal assistance of art. The original walls of the church are singularly complete, z2 303 THE RAMBLEB. although they have been pierced at later dates for the insertion of windows of various periods. There are a chancel, nave, and western tower ; the whole, except the facings, is built with thin, flat, irregular stone. The eastern wall contains two Norman windows and a wheel light in the centre above, each deeply splayed within, and slightly without ; above and below these, on the exterior, are square string courses. This eastern end is a singular specimen of Norman work. The south doorway, over which is an old wood and brick porch, has a semi-circular head, cut square in the wall (i. e. not splayed), the tympanum is set flush with the exterior of the wall, and has on its lower edge the cable moulding.* This is the only symptom of orna- mental moulding I saw here, though an abundance of white- wash may have concealed much in the interior. The north doorway, which is precisely similar, is bricked up. The angles of the tower are supported by thin but deep diagonal buttresses, having on the front face of the second stage small duplicated niches, with trefoil heads. On the eastern side of the tower, where the nave joins on, these buttresses are altered just above the eaves of the nave, and are set square with the building, so as not to interfere with the structure of the nave. The windows in the tower are double lighted, with decorated heads, and the top of the tower is battlemented. The pinnacles are shattered. There is a peal of six bells, besides a "ting tang." The inscrip- tions are No. 1, " Peace and good neighbourhood ;" 2, " Glory to God ;" 3, " Fear God and honour the King ;" 4, " God pre- serve our Church and State ;" 5, " Prosperity to the town" (Mathon seems formerly to have been honoured with the name of a town) ; 6, " The living to the church I call, and to the grave do summon all." In the belfry is the following doggrel painted on a board : * Mr. Hope says that the ornaments we commonly but improperly, call Norman, the chevron, lozenge, cable, and billet, are common to all Italian buildings of the tcventh century, and it is, therefore, an argu- ment in favour of the existence of more " ante-Norman " work in this country than is generally recognized. It may be added, that there was a considerable affectation of the Norman arts, customs, and language in this country even before the invasion of the Conqueror. MATHON. 309 " Mathon, Dec. 24, 1819. " Ye ringers all that do ring here, Ring carefully with hand and ear ; Let every one observe his bell, To ring it right and rule it well ; For it is, indeed, a shame to him That takes a bell and cannot ring. It's better for him to stand off, Than that men should at him laugh ; For he that interrupts a peal Shall surely pay a quart of ale ; Or ring with gloves, spur, or hat, Must pay the like, be sure of that. These rules let's all observe and use, That neither bells or ropes abuse. In silent order play your part ; In ringing well is best of art." The southern side of the church is defaced by some modern gabled windows let into the roofing. The ceiling is semi-cir- cular, with rude tiebeams connecting the walls. The pulpit is of carved oak, hexagonal, and in panels. There is an octagonal stone font which has received some rough usage, being split through ; it has some foliated ornaments at the spring of the basin. At the south of the communion table is a rudely shaped piscina, with semi-circular head, and a square recess. On the walls and pavement are memorials of the Cliffe, Walwyn, Dan- gerfield, Vale, Gwilliam, Shepherd, West, Terrette, Barrett, Whiting, and other families. Several of these were ancient Herefordshire families, who came to their decline at Mathon. The Tychichus Whiting, mentioned above, it appears, was minister of the parish, and died hi 1772 ; he was buried under the porch, according to his dying injunction, observing that " as he had been trod upon all his lifetime, he might as well be trod upon in death." The poor pastor's observation is said to have reference to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and their dealings with the unfortunate vicars of this parish. The sexton pointed out to me the " hatchment" of the Vale family, hung over their seat, a part of the emblazonment of which con- sists of something like Medusa's head set upon a shield ; this he declared to be a genuine and undoubted likeness of the recently 310 THE RAMBLER. deceased member of this family, William Vale, of Hall Court, Lieutenant R.N., and magistrate for the county of Hereford ; and if so, I can conceive of no lieutenant in Her Majesty's service more calculated than he must have been, from his facial development, to strike dismay into the hearts of the French. Several of the mural monmuments in this church seem to have been formed of gravestones, fastened to the wall with iron cramps. At the north-east corner of the chancel is a raised monument, with the effigies of a gentleman, his wife, and daughter, kneeling and praying ; the inscription is " Hie jacet Jana uxor Johis. Walweyn, gen., Jilia Paridis Slaughter, armigeri, qiue obiit, 2 Oct. A.D. 1617." In this church there is but one visible record of any charity, and that is a bequest of 48, being all the estate of William Burford, yeoman, who left it by will, in the year 1795, to three respectable inhabitants of the names of Spencer, Woodyatt, and Dangerfield, in trust, the interest to be divided between the poorest widows on St. Thomas's day. The property of each of the three families has dwindled away, so that I believe there is now absolutely nothing from which to recover this charity fund and its arrears of interest. I regretted to find that the custom of burying in the church prevailed here, and that in consequence strong appeals are not unfrequently made to the olfactory nerves of the congregation for the intervention of some stringent sanatory measures. This is the less excusable, seeing that the north side of the church- yarda large open space almost covered with nettles is, with one exception, entirely unoccupied ; a fact only to be explained by reference to a gross superstition, derived proba- bly from our Pagan forefathers, and inconsistent with the profession of an enlightened Christianity. To the conduct of the services at this church I can revert with no satisfaction. The congregation have dwindled away to a shadow ; there was indeed scarcely any embodiment of a living church ; no responses save those of the clerk ; no Sunday schools ;* nor a syllable of harmony (save the mark !) but those * I have since understood that measures are in progress for the organi- zation of Sunday schools in this parish. MATH ON. 311 which issued from a boxed-up part of the gallery, where the wretched performers (who hide themselves by means of curtains from the rest of the church, as though ashamed of their dis- cordant deeds) ply a miserable fiddle in accompaniment of vocal excesses which would alone have been sufficient to account for the paucity of the tormented listeners. To this mockery of the church service was I compelled to give ear, and then to listen to a home-spun discourse on the moralities, delivered in so inanimate and monotonous a tone, that I must, under its soporific effects, have sunk into a welcome nap had it not been for the warm resentment which I continued to feel against the tenants of the gallery. The unfortunate curate, however, was not altogether without excuse for his share of the transaction, as no doubt his services are a full quid pro quo for the wretched pittance assigned to him. What that amount is I did not inquire, but from the following statement of facts it cannot be presumed to equal, or at most exceed, the emolument of the famous Vicar of Wakefield. The manor and living anciently belonging to the abbots of Pershore ; in 1512, the church, with the portion of Chokenhall, was appropriated to the abbey of Pershore, and the vicarage appointed. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster are now lords of the manor and patrons of the church. There are 3000 acres of inclosed land in the parish ; and I am informed that the last commutation was for 528 ; there are besides about 220 acres of glebe land, &c., which would probably let at 400 a-year, tithe free. Now what does the reader think this honourable and reverend body saw fit to award to the late vicar, for the spiritual care and cure of between 700 and 800 souls ? Just thirty-eight pounds per annum! This sum was increased to 93 from Queen Anne's Bounty,* and I should not have been * This bounty was granted by Queen Anne in 1704, when Her Majesty gave her whole revenue, arising out of first fruits and tenths, for the aug- mentation of poor livings. These funds together amounted at that time to about 16,000 a year. The appropriation of the bounty seems at all times to have been opposed to Queen Anne's intentions. Bishop Unmet tells us that it had never been applied to any good use, but was still obtained 312 THE RAMBLER. surprised if the Dean and Chapter had applied either to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners or to the Church Pastoral Aid Society for an augmentation of their poor vicar's salary ! Fortu- nately for the latter he was possessed of some personal property, or the rev. gentleman, afflicted with age and infirmity, might have found to his cost the peculiar benefits of a Dean and Chapter's patronage. To add to this picture, I should state that the late vicar was formerly curate of this parish for upwards of forty years, at twenty pounds per annum (not equal to the wages of a tinker, much less of one who was compelled to keep a white shirt and a black suit on his back, as also to visit and relieve the poor), and that at the death of the previous vicar, the forty years' servitude of the then poor curate during the best period of his life, which had been remunerated with a less sum than one year's product of the living was deemed of sufficient merit to raise him to the vicarial post, where he might batten on 38 per annum, and become a pensioner on the bounty of Queen Anne. Besides, he was then 75 years of age ; and this act of grace, if delayed any longer, might have come too late. Why this is a worse case than that of Old Radnor and the Dean and Chapter of Worcester ! What will the people begin to think of Ecclesiastical Commissions who overlook such cases as this ; who spend their tens of thousands on epis- copal palaces and the augmentation of sees, but who will not exert their little finger to emancipate the hard-working parson from the all-devouring jaws of his so-called patron? It has been replied, on behalf of the Dean and Chapter, that they have leased the estate, and now content themselves with an annual income of only 30. 17s. from their possessions as lords of the manor and patrons of Mathon, out of which they have granted a sum of nearly 600 within the last few years towards by favourites for themselves and their friends, and in King Charles's time it went chiefly among his women and his natural children. So in the present day its means are frequently applied to the enrichment of wealthy patrons and capitular bodies. Upon what principle of right or justice, I ask, are the patrons of lucrative livings to go a begging from a fund designed for really needy parsons ? MALVERN WELLS. 313 local improvements. Oh, happy and unprecedented age, when Deans and Chapters consent to be out of pocket ; and happy these Mathonites, who lie under the shadow of such protection ! If the estate is leased, what was the amount of the purchase money, and what is become of the interest of the same ? The present vicar is the Rev. A. J. Douglass. Clerk, Mr. James. Population, 716. E church of St Peter, at Malvern Wells, was erected ); about ten or twelve years ago, almost entirely through the exertions of the Rev. P. E. Boissier (a clergyman of fortune at that tune residing hi the neighbourhood for the benefit of his health), who is said to have expended at least 3000 in the good work an earnest of " the faith that was in him" a monument more honourable than mausolea, trophies, or pyramids. The building is hi the Early English style, cruci- form, with bell gable, has a triple lancet eastern window of stained glass, a western gallery, a handsome stone font, stone pulpit, and reading desk in good character with the style of the building. The church contains 600 sittings, of which one half are free. It stands hi a pleasant situation, and is a picturesque object, whether seen from the hills above or the valley below it. Durandus, in comparing new with old churches, and their different effects on the mind of the beholder, says, that " the causes of this difference are the effect of associations hi old buildings, the mellowing power of time, the evident antiquity of surrounding objects, the natural beauties of foliage, moss, and ivy, that require centuries to reach perfection ; as, on the other hand, the bareness and newness, nay even the sharpness and vigour of new work these are sufficient to stamp a different character on each." It is impossible not to be more or less 314 THE RAMBLER. affected by these distinctive characters in church architecture : when beholding the moss-grown tower, the ancient archway beneath which the dead of many succeeding generations have been borne, the venerable yew and " long flat stones, in dull array," or that old altar " Where numberless and namelets knelt, Successive at the shrine, The poor the penitent and felt The warmth of love divine," we feel constrained almost to cast the shoes from our feet, and to exclaim, " How dreadful is this place ! " The spirits of many centuries look down upon us from those ancient battlements, and beckon us to follow them ; while the old cracked bell, which has from remote time announced their successive departure, waits in sullen silence to perform the same task for us. Although thoughts and feelings such as these are not inspired by the appearance of modern edifices, the latter nevertheless cannot be beheld without interest. To these we look with hope, to those with joy and thankfulness ; the seed time is shadowed forth in the one, the harvest in the other. Here the husbandman com- mences those labours which in time to come will be consum- mated by the sickle of death ; here the good pastor witnesses one by one the departure of the " old familiar faces " of the village, until at length he himself will also obey the universal fiat, and some brother of " the cloth " " Shall do for him what he has done for thousands." Adown the long vista of time we may look with steady eye, and perceive these walls, now sharp, and bright, and clear, gradually crumbling under the influences of the seasons, succumbing to the parasitical moss and ivy, and exhibiting on their surface a gradual accumulation of mortuary memorials each of which mayhap, will have been gazed at by some affectionate and tear swollen eye. Similar reflections to these invest with interest even the newest sacred buildings, and they recurred to me in full force on approaching the church of Malvern Wells. I was somewhat disappointed in not observing any indication of trees MALVER>" WELLS. 315 having been planted here ; they are ever appropriate in grave- yards, and would be especially so at this church, on account of its position on the hills. The services of the day were performed by the Rev. P. E. Boissier himself, assisted at the altar by the Bishop of London (then on a visit at Malvern) and the Rev. F. Hopkinson, the then intended curate ; there was a very large and respectable congregation, the bulk of which had assembled evidently with a two-fold object, to see the Bishop of Londen, and to add their mites towards defraying the incidental expenses attendant on the conduct of divine service at this church, which, being only a district one, is not yet adequately endowed. The chanting and psalm singing were tolerably well performed : the organ is a grinder, and the school children are the singers. The schools here, I understand, comprise about fifty boys, and an equal number of girls. The whole services were impressively con- ducted, with the exception perhaps of that portion which devolved upon the clerk, whose shrill piping was occasionally somewhat startling. The bishop having ascended the pulpit, selected for his text the 1 Cor. xvi, 2 " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Upon this the right reverend prelate founded an exhortation to his hearers in favour of almsgiving and benevolence. His lordship possesses & fine, open, dignified countenance ; his manner of arguing is quiet, calm, and collected, and his style a paradigm for imitation. In beholding him, one feels at once the influence of a superior mind, apparently capable of illuminating the abstruser points of ethics and divinity, and of elucidating matters which in his usual discourses he would rather avoid or but slightly glance at. In a word, his sermons would seem to be but the chapter heads, so to speak, of his lordship's knowledge : he presents rather the result than the process of his reasoning ; but in all things he " preaches as one having authority ;" and occasionally, on administering one of his home truths, he accompanies it with 316 THE RAMBLER. a sharp nod of the head an equivalent to saying " There, I know that must go home to some of your consciences, and you may do the best you can by it." The bishop in this instance applied himself to show first, the duty incumbent on Christians of dedicating a due proportion of their goods for religious and benevolent purposes ; and, secondly, of making that dedication on the day set apart by the church for the purpose of doing honour to its divine head, and for the promotion of her own spiritual growth. His lordship first castigated the Socia- lists, showing that their opinions had arisen from a deplorably mistaken view of the practices of the primitive church with regard to its temporal effects. The community of goods was in some measure necessary to the infant church, which was sur- rounded by Jews and Pagans, who refused its members even the common offices of charity and good-will ; but there was nothing in history, or the writings of the apostles or fathers, to warrant the general adoption or the continued use of such a practice. The 38th article of the church set forth that " the riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, accord- ing to his ability." The case of the rich young man, who was told to sell all that he had and give to the poor, was evidently an extraordinary one ; and his lordship observed that where individuals were thus called to the ministry it might be neces- sary " to leave all and follow Him," to become abstracted from all worldly objects and desires, and to administer at his altars in oneness of purity and truth. (How, thought I, can his lordship reconcile this theory too beautiful for the frailty of humanity with the possession of several thousands per annum and a fine palace on the banks of the Thames.) The right rev. prelate regretted the miserable contraction, in these degenerate days, of the good old custom of almsgiving ; he besought the more favoured classes, who walked on vantage ground and in the sunshine of life, to descend occasionally into the valley of misery MALVERN WELLS. 317 and discourse with and relieve their distressed fellow beings, and to seek to reestablish that relationship between the various classes of society which subsisted in older tunes in this country. He did not question the wisdom of a legal provision for the poor, but he asserted that such a provision tended to check the sympathies of Christian charity. [If this were the opinion which guided the majority of the Commission, of which his lordship was an influential member, and on whose report the New Poor Law was founded, there can be no doubt that by bringing the provision for the poor down to a near approxima- tion to nothing, and interposing in the way of procuring that wretched pittance every species of obstacle, hindrance, and disgust, they used their best endeavours to reduce their views of Christian charity into practice.] People were too apt to delude themselves with the notion that the payment of poor rates was an equivalent for works of benevolence ; he, however, would warn them that no such payment would ever form an item of those good deeds which ascended to heaven and were recorded there. The second portion of the sermon was an endeavour to show that the church was the place, and the Sabbath the day most fitting to make eleemosynary offerings, which would then form the substantial part of our sacrifices the incense to accompany our prayers; and that the clergy were the most proper vehicles for the distribution of these gatherings. I shall not quarrel with the right rev. prelate for the kind consideration for the poor which breathed throughout his discourse ; indeed I was delighted to hear such noble senti- ments from one whose wealth no doubt enables him to set a worthy pattern in these matters ; but, setting aside the contra- dictory portions of his discourse, upon which I commented as they occurred, I think his lordship is yearning after a revival of practices which are now for ever buried with past genera- tions, and more than that, which are not worth revivication. The custom of collecting alms during the reading of the offertory was discontinued on sufficient grounds, and it would be inexpe- dient to revive it now. The church and the people are both 318 THE RAMBLER. altered : at the time of the suppression of the monasteries, the resources of the poor having been suddenly cut off, it seemed desirable, nay, imperative, that the reformed Church should continue to supply what the old Church had been accustomed to give. The voluntary collection, however, soon became insuffi- cient, and was at length superseded by the Poor Laws ; and, as the Rev. H. Raikes, the Chancellor of Chester, has truthfully observed, " Though there is still abundant scope for Christian charity in relieving those wants which the law does not or will not reach, it does not now seem necessary or expedient to close every sermon with an appeal to the benevolence of a congrega- tion, who are already convinced of the duty of almsgiving, and who give perhaps according to their ability ." The bishop's appeal produced a liberal collection ; but I must here enter my protest against the modus operandi by which it was secured. The practice of shaking a plate under the nose of each individual in the congregation is one of the meanest, most disagreeable, and suspicious kind of things, that ever ema- nated from a conventicle. It is founded upon the supposition a contemptible one to a dignified mind that a man should be compelled to be a liberal, although he would be glad of the opportunity of shuffling out of it. The Dissenters call this the voluntary principle there is no compulsion about it according to their theory, but if the plate passes by without receiving your shilling whether you happen to possess one or not you of course are singled out as an individual without either heart, soul, or (which is perhaps worse) cash. Now in deeds of bene- volence it profiteth a man nothing unless he give with the heart as well as the hand ; why, therefore, will you do an ungracious act for the purpose of extorting from him that pittance which perhaps his greedy eye follows with a covetous regret ? It is a mask for hypocrisy, whereby the man appears to the eye of society what he is not before God. The custom ought no longer to be tolerated. The patron and incumbent of the district church of Malvern Wells is the Rev. P. E. Boissier. No curate is kept. Mr. Robert Warrender is the clerk, and Mr. Thomas Woodyatt sexton. BARNARD'S GREEX. 319 * <0rati of my most refined pleasures has ever been, early C on a Sabbath morning, to seek the rural lanes and the ([iiict ivtiml spots and the village churchyard, when yet " the grass was all besprent with dew ;" and though our nature, when it journeys again toward the earth, is, as the bard of Avon says, "all fitted for the journey, dull and heavy," and we feel inclined, when we have passed the grand climacteric of our primest days, to leave the early rising and the other activities of life to younger and abler hands, yet there is an extraordinary pleasure, " once in a way," of reviving our recollections of these earlier pleasures, when the senses, not impaired or blunted by the advances of age, would voyage forth on their matin cruise, drinking deeply of the ravishing delights of the young world. Taking advantage of what proved to be the last fine Sunday of the autumn of 1845, 1 set out with the early bird towards the village or hamlet of Barnard's Green, to which I had been specially invited by an agricultural friend, who wished me to inspect a remarkable field of Burletta wheat, and likewise a prime round of beef, which he had promised should garnish his mahogany. A rich mist foretold a hot day, and I hastened on through meadows and corn fields; the heavy crops hung in golden clusters ; the orchard trees bent their loaded arms to the earth; and the hedges were sprinkled with hay, which their vagrant, thorny scouts had captured from the passing waggons. All was beautiful, except to the eye of the economist ; nature was wild and profuse, but she was also extravagant ; here were hedges, and ditches, and waste land, which, if properly cultivated, would have provided half the labourers in the county with a good garden. With regard to the enclosure of commons and pieces of waste, such as these about Barnard's Green, which I presume have scarcely altered their appearance since the 320 THE RAMBLER. Conquest, or the period when they formed parts of the great wilderness called " Malvern Chase" I am not ureservedly in favour of the project. It has been said that the man who would inclose a common, with the view of letting it out to labourers, is as impudent as the thief, who, after picking your pocket of your handkerchief, cooly requests that you will mark his initials upon it ; but I am of opinion that if by judicious inclosures arrange- ments could be made for the labourer and his family to have the undivided benefit, to which they are most certainly entitled, we ought willingly to give up all the poetry supposed to be attached to errant geese and pigs rejoicing in their franchise. The subject of rural economy had so engrossed my thoughts that it was not till I had emerged into the Malvern road (near the beautiful grove of young elms planted by Mr. Foley, the late lord of the manor) that I began to think of the lapse of time ; and on arriving at the scene of my visitation, which is a new church built some four or five years ago, I found myself in a situation which I particularly dislike, namely, a quarter of an hour behind time. The church door, too, made a harsh creaking, as though the fates had determined that I, who had lashed this unseemly delay in others, should myself be made a conspicuous mark for censure on the same account. To add to my confusion, on the little open seat into which I glided there was a paper, printed in red and black letter, with the following injunc- tions " Come early, that you may collect your thoughts precious are the few moments of serious recollection before divine service begins ; create no disturbance, as you must necessarily do, by coming late," &c. It was sometime before I could muster courage to look around me ; for the congre- gation, consisting of about seventy people, chiefly of the poorer classes, seemed to be remarkably quiet, with the exception of a lad who was engaged during the greater part of the morning in cracking nuts between the heel of his boot and the floor of the seat before me. There appeared to be no clerk or sexton here to enforce propriety, and I have been informed that this was owing to a disagreement as to who should BARNARD'S GREEN. 321 have the appointment, the minister or the churchwardens. This is one point of ecclesiastical law which requires prompt attention and remedy, to put a stop to the frequent bickerings and ill feeling existing in parishes. At present, I believe, if a parish refuse to pay a clerk, there is no law in existence by which the clerk can enforce payment for the performance of his duties where no laud or other property is apportioned for such purpose, and thus many a congregation has been deprived of that official's services. The singing was confined to about a dozen school children there was no organ no animation every thing was cold and chilly, even as the new walls and stone pavement beneath us. The sermon, too, was common-place and monotonous, being in fact little more than a string of scripture sentences all very well in their place of course ; but the clergyman's duties, I take it, are something more than those of a reader it is his to explain and elucidate, to render intelligible and consistent not only to collate, but to deduce and argue, and by his earnestness, if not eloquence, to allure to the path of virtue and holiness. The preacher was a stranger to the parish, and probably thought it was only fair to reserve his choicest efforts for " those of his own household." though the converse rule is generally observed. The spaces between the narrow lancet windows were filled with scriptural sentences, in all the gaudiness of red, purple, and gold, and church text ; the eastern wall also glittered with the same, added to which the appearance of a stone altar and pulpit, with sedilia, a lectern, and piscina, as also the use of the surplice, and sundry other matters, made me conclude that I was at length got into the stronghold of the Puseyite camp. It is only justice to the officiating clergyman to state that this custom of wearing the surplice is not usual with him, except on those Sundays when the sacrament is administered. Nevertheless, as far as I am concerned, he is welcome to adhere to this vest- ment as closely as did St. Godric to the one of his choice that severe anchorite, as it is recorded, having worn out no less than three iron shirts by constant use next to his skin. I should be 323 THE RAMBLER. the last man to object to such forms and usages, but that it is clear they have produced much injury on being reintroduced at a period when the Protestant jealousy was aroused to an excru- ciating point on these trivial niceties. At all events, one would have thought that in this, the identical church in which the Bishop of Worcester uttered his first protest against such seeming frivolities, the conductors of religious services would have abstained from thus literally turning their backs on the people. If any thing tends to weaken the church it must surely be these disputes on matters of opinion. " Let the high condemn the low church, The low condemn the high, And soon the man of no church Will scout religion as a lie." It may be erroneous for a congregation to forsake a minister who conscientiously believes these things to be a part of his duty, but I do believe that the clergyman who (for the sake of things not in themselves necessary to salvation) would thus risk the defection of his flock, cannot be said to walk worthy of his high vocation. I do not mean to visit the whole weight of this stricture on the rev. gentleman who officiated here, but it is to be feared that the peculiar views of the original promoters of this new building were allowed to tincture the form of the ministrations in a manner which proved most distasteful to the congregation, and at one time dwindled their numbers to a very low point. Those practices, I am happy to say, have long been discontinued. This curate has since been succeeded by the Rev. W. J. Fan- court, a gentleman who is much beloved for his active and zealous pursuit of his Christian duties. The Sunday scholars here number between forty and fifty. Mr. Beard is the clerk. The church of Barnard's Green (which, it should have been stated, is a chapel of ease to the parish church of Great Mal- vern), is situated in a delightful spot, overlooked and sheltered by the long range of the Malvern Hills. It is a neat specimen of the Early English style. Every thing connected with the BARNARD'S GREEN. 323 building and the yard in which it stands wears a new, clean, and quiet appearance ; here are yet no " venerable yews," nor " Long flat stones in dull array," nor " The ivy mantled tower, Rocked by the storms of a thousand years ;" here are no proud achievements on the walls, nor scarcely yet is there a path made on the greensward by the feet of the mourner lingering by the mementoes of his affection : one grave a solitary grave had alone broken the virgin soil of this sacred spot. On this grave is a simple stone, with a quatrefoil head, placed by Captain Allen, of the Rhyd, to the memory of an old and faithful servant, who lived with him thirty-five years as coachman ; it merely records his age and death. What a subject for the moralist was this single stone ! How hermit-like did it look, there in its loneliness, without a companion ! Surely but few of the race of thinking mortals could pass by it without bestow- ing one sad thought as to who was destined to be the next victim. A house for the officiating minister has since been erected close to the church, towards which the munificent donation of 100 was made by one individual alone at Malvern. The evening service was conducted entirely by the curate himself, who, as if to divest my mind of any idea that he was connected with the Romanist movement, preached a sermon on justification by faith, that might have been indorsed by either the Rev. Hugh M'Neile or Mr. Close, so far as any subversion of Protestant principles was intended. At the close of the services the ceremony of baptism was performed (the font being situated at the entrance door) upon two or three infants, who went through the ordeal without signifying any disapprobation that I could glean from the unintelligible gossip they carried on in the " unknown tongues" of the nursery. Whenever I am present at a baptism, the beautiful sketch by Professor Wilson (with allowance to be made between the formularies of the v2 324 THE RAMBLER. English and Scotch churches) usually occurs to me as singularly pleasing : " It is a pleasant and impressive time, when at the close of divine service, in some small country church, there takes place the gentle stir and preparation for a baptism. A sudden air of cheerfulness spreads over the whole congregation ; the more solemn expression of all countenances fades away ; and it is at once felt that a rite is about to be performed, which, although of a sacred and awful kind, is yet connected with a thousand delightful associations of purity, beauty, and innocence. Then there is an eager bending of smiling faces over the humble galleries an unconscious rising up in affectionate curiosity and a slight murmuring sound in which is no violation of the Sabbath sanctity of God's house, when in the middle passage of the church the party of women is seen, matrons and maids, who bear in their bosoms, or in their arms, the helpless beings about to be made members of the Christian communion. There sit, all dressed becomingly in white, the fond and happy baptismal group. The babies have been entrusted, for a precious hour, to the bosoms of young maidens, who tenderly fold them to their yearning hearts, and with endearments taught by nature are stilling, not always successfully, their plaintive cries. Then the proud and delighted girls rise up, one after the other, in sight of the whole congregation, and hold up the infants, arrayed in neat caps and long-flowing linen, into their fathers' hands. For the poorest of the poor, if he has a heart at all, will have his infant well dressed on such a day, even although it should scant his meal for weeks to come, and force him to spare fuel from his whiter fire." At Hanley, within about a mile of Barnard's Green Church, a new monastery, with the usual appendages of school and church, has been erected. It is situated on the estate of Mr. Hornyold, and, as I am informed, was constructed at the cost of Mr. Gandolii, nephew and heir to that gentleman.* The * The Hornyolds are an ancient Worcestershire family, traceable up to the commencement of the reign of Edward the Third. In the time of BARNARD'S GREEN. 325 monks belong to the order of ** Redemptorists," founded by their last canonized saint, Alphonsus M. Liguori, and are, I believe, the first community of this order established in England, though they are somewhat numerous in Belgium and Italy. Alphonsus died but a few years ago, and the order he founded is rigidly ascetic. This fraternity, in selecting so beau- tiful a spot, have imitated the Cistercians, who sought out the most quiet and lovely retreats. The monastery was opened in August, 1846, having cost (including endowment) nearly 20,000. There are two priests and one lay brother. The old chapel is converted into a school room, and the education .of a large number of children is conducted by some " Sisters of Mercy." In addition to this monastery there is a Catholic Chapel at Little Malvern, belonging to W. Berington, Esq., whose chaplain, the Rev. W. Scott, has recently had a fine ecclesiastical looking dwelling house raised there. There is also a convent at Stan- brook, in the parish of Powick, hard by. It belongs to the order of Benedictines, and there are about twenty or thirty " religious " resident there. The community removed to their present establishment about nine or ten years since from Salford, in Warwickshire, where, for all I know to the contrary, they flourished for ages ; and I hear it would be worth a " ramble" to the place to see the venerable house they quitted. Stanbrook, with its spacious hall and grounds, being considered an eligible locality, was purchased by the community. The house was considerably altered and enlarged for the accommo- dation of the numerous young ladies who are there educated by the nuns. Charles the First, Thomas Ilornyold brought a troop of horse at his own cost to the assistance of that monarch, and subsequently his estates were sequestered, and 3000 worth of timber sold therefrom to repair the losses of Alderman Elwins, of Worcester, "a rebel." THE RAMBLER. EST the reader should refer to a map, and suffer dis- r ' appointment, I may as well at the outset inform him that the parish of Warndon lies to the north-east of Worcester, is situated in the lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, and deanery of Worcester, bounded east by Tib- berton, west by St. Martin's and Claines, south by Spetchley, and north by Hindlip, and that the church is two and a half miles from Worcester Cross. It is necessary to be thus precise with regard to the latitude and longitude of the village of Warndon, or perhaps the reader may be occupied, like myself, a long time in making the discovery. Skirting the lower part of Perry Wood, I gained the New Town road, and, having passed on for a mile or so, observed a lad in a ditch holding a hook in his hand, and evincing his early interest in the science of agriculture by his cutting, thrusting, and stabbing the weeds which hung over from the hedge. He might have been better engaged in conning the collect and psalms for the day, or in getting ready his Sunday school lesson, but it seems that no such school was within his reach. I enlisted his services to point out the way to Warndon, and his directions were a fair sample of the perspicuous manner in which country folk generally delineate his line of route to a traveller : " You will go down that lane, through the gate, down the pitch and over the stile, then along the lower meadow, and keep to your right by the trees, till you come to Trotshill, and then 'twill be all straight road ; you can't mistake, sir." I thanked him for his specific information, feeling that further inquiry would only make the matter worse ; and he returned to his hedge clipping with the self-satisfied air of a person who had been imparting superior knowledge to an ignoramus. The line of route described as " all straight road " consisted of a farm yard out of which four WAR.XDON. 327 roads branched, then a series of fields traversed by paths in all manner of angles, and a wood to make the uncertainty still more doubtful. By and bye the tinkling of the little bell informed me of my proximity to the church, of which indeed I had been till then unconscious, for the sacred edifice was hid by farm buildings ; and its tower, being of a most unecclesiastical character, had completely nonplussed my little knowledge of church architecture. The church has an exceedingly unpretending appearance, its ground plan being nothing more than an oblong, with a wooden tower at the west end, ascended on the inside by means of a ladder. The date of the building is that immediately preceding the introduction of the debased styles a period of about three centuries ; and the records state that in June, 1542, Henry Hol- beche, suffragan Bishop of Bristol, last prior and first dean of the Cathedral Church of Worcester, consecrated the parish church and churchyard of St. Nicholas de Warmdon. The arch of the south doorway (now blocked up) is semi-circular, and would seem to denote a much earlier period. There is a wooden porch at the entrance on the north side, but made so low as to remind one of the description of the doorways of houses hi certain eastern countries, which are constructed low for the purpose of keeping out enemies, being in keeping with the proverb, " He that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction." The structure was repaired a few years ago, in the time of the present incumbent, at an expense of 130, raised by subscrip- tion and the sale of a small plot of land formerly belonging to the church ; but the repairs of the east wall consisting mainly of bricks and plaster, the whole wears a shabby, crumbling appearance. The roof is tiled, and the ceiling of the interior is waggon shaped. The only symptoms of ornament about this poverty stricken, woe-begone edifice, are a table of charities, the tables of the Creed and Ten Commandments, a few bits of stained glass in the east window (including probably the relics of the arms of Poher and Brace, remaining ha Nash's tune), with a row of twelve hat pegs on the south wall. There is 328 THE RAMBLER. here an heptagonal font, without ornament, and large enough for total immersion. This shape is, I believe, somewhat rare.* The only person in the church on my arrival was an aged man at least a septuagenarian who was busily engaged, brush in hand, removing the dust from his own seat and that of the clergyman. I am not sure that he extended his thoughtful attentions to any other part of the church, probably owing to an uncertainty in his mind as to whether any other part of the church would be occupied. He wore a grey skull-cap, and, being nearly doubled up with the rheumatism, hobbled about by means of a stick. This old man, who holds the conjoint responsibilities of clerk and sexton, informed me that he had officiated in that church for half a century, during which period he had " seen out" four parsons ; and had I asserted the pro- bability of his " seeing out" four more I don't think he would have disputed the fact, for " All men think all men mortal but themselves." From him I learned that there was formerly a Sunday school belonging to this church, which met in the space under the belfry ; but as there was not sufficient money forthcoming for the master's stipend, it was broken up and its influence destroyed a fact which I had preconceived from the circumstance of having seen, but five minutes before, two sturdy young urchins engaged in bird-nesting at the walls of the tower itself, against which they would have reared a ladder for that purpose but for the arrival of one or two stragglers, who drove them further a-field, perhaps to " fit hares with brass collars," as the next step in crime. My ancient friend the sexton, it appeared, had been recognised as the parochial carpenter for an indefinite period of time, and had himself repewed the church about * The Rev. G. A. Poole, in his work on the decoration of churches, says" I know of no font, worthy of especial notice, whose basin has seven sides ; and this shape would be least of all adapted to the font, according to the symbolical meaning of the different numerals with the elder theological writers: for seven signifies perfection, whereas the font is the instrument of initiation. I may just mention however the heptagonal fonts at Klmeswell, in Suffolk, and of Bowden Magna, in Leicestershire." WARXDON. 329 sixteen years ago. A large elevated seat at the south-west corner he pointed out as the then intended receptacle for the " quire" " as fine a lot o' singers," he said, " as ony parish could show ; but they were not encouraged, and so they gin it up" in high dudgeon, I have no doubt ; for it is only to hint a fault in the proceedings of your rural choirs, and they'll " Throw down their fiddles, and depart In savage grandeur home ;" and pretty strong must be the influence, or rather the apology, to draw out them and their instruments once more from their hiding places. Moreover, the Warndon choir were erst in pos- session of a bass-viol " a mighty good sounded one," as the old clerk informed me, and which, having cost him from time to time a matter of ten shillings in repairs, he seized upon as his lawful due at the time of the bankruptcy of the concern, and " sold him to pay for his keep, but at a loss of 6s. arter all." The poor old man seemed heartily to bewail the degeneration of all things, though in his own person he himself presented an instance of the indifference and neglect so frequently prevailing hi the selection of the servants of the church. The majority of parish clerks are chosen from a class of persons wholly unsuited to the duties of their office, which is secondary only to that of the clergyman himself. Archdeacon Manning, in allusion to this subject, observes " It is greatly to be lamented that an office of so much sacredness should have fallen into so low esteem. Next to the clergyman no one bears a more public example, or one more nearly related to the highest blessings, than the clerk who is appointed to take part in the services of parochial worship. The very name is a witness that he is the Lord's servant. It has come to pass in the smaller, that is in most parishes, that the clerk has sunk into the sexton.* But it is manifest that in the Book of Common Prayer, when the clerk or clerks are spoken of, an order of men in every way higher, * On consulting village registers, it is found that the office of parish clerk, in nine instances out of ten, is often vested in one family. At Hope, the present clerk is the seventh in lineal succession who has held the office in that village. 330 THE RAMBLER. and more approaching to the quality of the clergy, is intended. By the canons of 1 603 it is required that the clerk ' be of honest conversation, sufficient for his reading, writing, and also for his competent skill in singing, if it may be,' a part of his office being to respond to the officiating minister, and to lead, under him, in the parochial choir." About twenty individuals formed the congregation on the day of my visit, one-fourth of whom consisted of a christening party ; the rector's pue was vacant, and I don't think there were three of what is usually termed " the rising generation" in the church. It is true that the parish is a very small one (898 acres, with about 180 popula- tion), and the rectorial emoluments so limited that many a tradesman's clerk would refuse to exchange them for his salary, yet, having been once thought worthy of acceptance, I see therein no valid reason for indifference or neglect, and I would earnestly entreat the incumbent not only to make his visits to Warndon more frequent, but to use his energies in the reestab- lishment of schools, and of two Sunday services as formerly, as well as in generally arousing the people from their apparent lethargy, for it is a lamentable thing to find but one-sixth of a population going up to the house of God, and that but once on every seventh day, in a district, too, where there is no dissenting chapel to invite the remainder. Of the services I have nothing to say except that they were got through by the curate so rapidly that, including thirty minutes of divinity, drawn from Romans viii, 14, 1 was detained here but a few minutes over an hour. In the churchyard is the shaft of an old cross. There are no monumental remains of any note either in the church or yard. The plain agricultural community of Warndon apparently care but little for such mementoes of rank and station, and, with Adam for their common ancestor, are ready to say with one of our best of poets " From yon blue heavens above us bent The grand old gardener and his wife Smile at the claims of long descent. TARDEB1GGE AND STOKE PRIOR. Howe'er it be, it seems to me, T is only noble to be good ; Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood." The Poher family (who had lands in Claines 13 Edward I.) were the first patrons of Warndon church, for from the reign of Edgar to the Conquest the parishes near the city of Worcester had only chapels, whose curates were appointed by the bishops or priory of the monastery at Worcester ; this of Warndon was a chapel fe feudo episcopi till the reign of Henry the Second, when it became the chapel of Hugh le Poher, who paid out of " Warmedon" 2s. yearly to the prior of Worcester. The first recorded incumbent was Johannes de Braci (1300), and the present one (1848) is the Rev. G. St. John. Dr. Treadway Nash, the historian of Worcestershire, was the incumbent in . the year 1761. The rectory is in the gift of R. Berkeley, Esq., of Spetchley. A portion of the parish is called " Smite ;" and it was the supposition of Mr. William Fellows, a learned antiquary, and vicar of Tibberton (1708), that it was so called from an engagement near this place between the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes. The value of the living is 151. Present rector, the Rev. G. St. John. Curate, Rev. J. Knapp. Population, 187. .,-., H.^ /" -., X my way from Stok<- to Tanlclii^'', I parsed tin- C ' 1U P C 1 f ease belonging to Stoke parish. This was (.rolialily the ancii-nt ivll of a ln-nnit or religious recluse, for it is described in old books as the chapel or cell of St. Godwald ; and there are some lands in the parish which are or were known by the name of Hersfield, Hermisgrove, or Hermitsgrove, plainly having reference to this ancient Saxon ascetic. The chapel also possesses the right of burial, which 332 THE RAMBLE?,. may be another proof of its antiquity. The old chapel becom- ing dilapidated, was rebuilt (of brick) in 1773, chiefly through the exertions of Mr. T. Brettell. The Bristol and Birmingham Railway passes close to the chapel yard ; and were it pos- sible for St. Godwald now to return to the scene of his former privacy and devotion, he would indeed marvel at the change which has taken place not only in the features of the country but in the miraculous mode of locomotion invented by his descendants. After passing some delightfully rustic lanes and meadows, the pleasant eminence on which stands the modern church of Tardebigge is attained. The old church which stood here was probably, from Nash's description, an early Norman edifice. He says that the line which separates the counties of Worcester and Warwick ran between the two chancels; but in the year 1774 the old tower fell down and so much damaged the church that it was thought best to erect a new one ; the two chancels were likewise pulled down, and one small one built, so that all the church and chancel now stand in Worcestershire. This building is entirely out of all character as a Christian temple, and is composed of a variety of orders exceedingly remote from each other ; there is the Ionic column and pilaster, the semi-circular arch, and the spire, so that one scarcely knows whether to set it down as Grecian, Vitruvian, Palladian, Cinque Cento, Wrennian, Chinese, Swiss, Hindoo, Egyptian, or Gothic. The spire is a graceful tapering erection, standing on a hollow-sided tower, supported at the angles by double columns. The windows, being unfur- nished with stained glass, admit the light in such copious streams as to prove any thing but pleasant to those who sit opposite to them. The Rev. G. A. Poole, vicar of Welford, says that perhaps there is no one thing which modern churches want so much, and none which old churches have lost with so great detriment to their general effect, as the windows of stained glass. A church built without reference to this consideration is too light, and requires the most incongruous contrivance of blinds and curtains. Nothing but a return to the small TARDEBIGGE AND STOKE PRIOR. 333 apertures of Norman buildings will compensate for the want of painted glass. The western end of the church is filled up with an ugly singing gallery, in which, however, is a good organ, by Nicholson, of Worcester, presided over in a very efficient manner by a sister of the worthy vicar. On the east wall, at the right of the altar, is a monument (by Chantrey) to the late Other Archer, Earl of Plymouth (to whom belonged Hewell Grange before it came into the hands of the Hon. R. H. Clive). It is told, as a somewhat remarkable circumstance, that after this nobleman's death there was found amongst his papers, written with his own hand, the epitaph which was subsequently placed on his monument, together with the year of his death. Over the eastern window are the Plymouth arms, with the motto, Je me Jie en Dieu, " I trust in God." At the left of the chancel is a handsome carved marble monument to Sir Thomas Cookes, one of an ancient family who had property in this parish ; he was the founder of Worcester College, Oxford, and at the time of his death (1702) by his own direction was buried with a gold chain and locket round his neck, and two diamond rings upon his fingers. About half a century afterwards, David Cookes, Esq., heir of the family, came with a hook and pair of tongs, and after some searching succeeded in removing these articles of jewellery ! What a veneration must this gentleman have had for his ancestor ! The vicar of this parish is a young gentleman who was fortunate enough to deserve and obtain, while in his capacity as private tutor, the patronage of the Hon. R. H. Clive, by whom he was presented. The rev. gentleman read the services impressively and with distinctness, but I could not understand a word from his fellow-labourer, the clerk, who seemed to be reading 'for his own private edification. The sermon was on the subject of Teetotalism! The preacher explained that the praise bestowed upon the Rechabites of old (the sons of Jona- dab) was awarded to them rather on account of obedience to their father's command than for the abstract observance of complete abstinence. The crime of drunkenness he condemned 334 THE RAMBLER. as one of the worst and most debasing which could afflict human nature as one which, unlike many other sins, had not in it even the shadow of the remains of our nobler nature ; but he would ask, was this vow of total abstinence the best mode of getting rid of the evil ? It appeared to him that Teetotallers were peculiarly beset with dangers. Their institutions were held up as having peculiar power and merit in themselves, putting out of view altogether the truths of the gospel ; they were thus too apt to ascribe extraordinary efficacy to human inventions rather than to the grace of God, and to nurse them- selves up in a spirit of self-pride altogether incompatible with the profession of Christianity. Besides, if Teetotallers reflected on the subject, they would find that the church establishment, having existed for eighteen centuries, was much older than any of their modern societies, and that the vow which she adminis- tered to all who first entered her pale by baptism was " to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil," including unques- tionably the devil's temptation of intoxicating drink. Now, if men had made a vow of so awful a nature as that, was any other necessary? Or if they had broken the former, was it likely they would much reverence the latter ? He feared that these societies induced men to trust to an arm of flesh, to boast of the power of their associations, and to rely on their meetings and on various kinds of excitements (though not alcoholic) to escape from the sin which they and all real Christians so much despised, without even asking for grace in prayer, or observing the true course of repentance, which was a thorough change of heart, and to be humble where they were now too frequently conceited. In conclusion, the preacher declared that his object in these remarks was not to disparage the attempt^ of the present generation to reduce the sin of drunkenness, but rather to point out to the members of Teetotal societies the rocky dangers which awaited them in avoiding the whirlpool of intemperance. At the close of the service at Tardebigge I retraced my steps to Stoke, and, after an early dinner, went to meditate amongst TARDEBIGGE AND STOKE PRIOR. 335 the tombs of the old parish church. The building consists of a southern porch, nave, side aisles, chancel, transepts (the southern one, now shut out from the church by a brick wall, supporting the tower) ; there is also an ancient vestry north of the chancel, but a modern one has been inclosed at the western end of the church. The principal entrance and a portion of the adjacent wall (in which is a small round headed window, flush with the outside, but deeply splayed within) are Norman, as also are the massive pillars and semi-circular arches on the north side of the nave ; those on the south side having " obtuse " arches, are consequently much later ; the tower, which is of the Transition period to the Early English, contains on each face, except one, triplicated lancet lights, which are partially blocked up, and supports a somewhat stunted wooden spire ; but the whole wears a venerable appearance. A portion of the southern wall is embattled, and one or two of the buttresses have niches in their higher stage. The western doorway is of the Tudor style. The east window is a handsome one of the Decorated order, and contains some elegant tracery and stained glass, and there are both sedilia and a piscina (very plain specimens) remaining in the chancel. The southern transept is now partitioned off, which specimen of shocking bad taste was, I believe, shown by the late incumbent ; this was originally a very interesting chapel, and contains a two-light eastern window and a southeru light over a piscina. In the south transept is a handsome brass mural monument, with small marble columns on each side ; it is to the memory of Robert Smith, Esq., " svmtime citizen and draper of London, and free of the famovs Company of Marchant Adventurers ;" he died, as the record expresses it, in the year 16090 (!) having married two wives, by one of whom he had no less than eleven sons and six daughters ; the various persona of this interesting family are all engraved on the plate in attitudes of prayer. On beholding this inundation of Smiths from the loins of one man, one need not be surprised at the prevalence of that somewhat unpretending patronymic now-a-days. On the next 336 THE RAMBLER. pillar is a similar monument to a relative, but apparently a very different character to the before-mentioned Smith ; this Mr. Henry Smith (who died in 1606) seemingly having left neither " chick nor child" to bewail his loss at least, he is the only person who figures on the brass ; there is besides in his countenance an air of bachelor discomfort and punctiliousness which speaks eloquently of his forlorn and solitary condition during lifetime ; at his death, however, he left the sum of 100, the interest of which was to go as follows : 40s. a-year to be given K for four or six sermons to be preached by strangers, and the rest to be employed for the freeing of the poorer sort of boys' schooling." What was Mr. Smith's motive in wishing to engage the services of strange ministers I cannot tell, unless it was for the purpose of enabling the parishioners to judge of the efficiency of their own parson by comparing him with others, and thus to spur on the former to the better performance of his duty. The 40s., I believe, are now appropriated to the funds of the school in this parish. In the pillar on which this monu- ment is placed are still remaining the steps which led up from its northern side to the ancient rood loft ; and in the aisle, hard by, is a recumbent stone effigy elevated a few inches from the pavement ; it is the figure of a priest in his alb and manciple, and was probably intended to represent one of the priors of Worcester Monastery ; the manor of Stoke Prior (or the village belonging to the prior) having belonged to the church of Worcester ever since the year 770, when Mildred was bishop, and Offa king of the Mercians. The church of Stoke was appropriated, on the 1 st of September, 1 389, to the prior and convent of Worcester, for the use of the chamberlain, to provide vestments and shoes for the monks. Nash describes this monu- ment as being in the south aisle ; it is now in the north. Near the southern entrance is a handsome font, somewhat defaced, of about the 13th century. The pillar next the pulpit has been shorn of its capital and otherwise cut away by some unreflecting barbarian of former days, and I am told that it was done in order to give the minister a full view of the seats, which were TARDEB1GGE AXD STOKE PRIOR. 337 partially hidden by the pillar ; although, by bringing forward the pulpit a little further from its niche, the object of the clergy- man might have been gained without any mutilation. At the western end is a neat gallery, containing a good organ the only condition which makes a gallery at all acceptable to my mind. I am glad to hear that the church is to be repaired, and restored, as far as possible, to its original beauty of design. The contemplated arrangement comprises the opening of the south transept, at present bricked out from the church the removal of the organ gallery (the light from the west window being by its present position obscured), the organ to be placed in the transept the restoration of the open roof the erection of substantial oak seats, instead of the present square pues, whereby eighty additional free sittings will be obtained, and room for thirty children the entire scraping of the walls and arches from the whitewash and colouring with which at present they are covered. Encaustic tiles for the altar, and painted glass for the east and west windows, are among the desiderata which it is hoped to be able to provide when the more important part of the work is accomplished. The sum required being nearly subscribed, I hear that the work is already commenced. Both the church and churchyard are kept clean and in good condition, being highly creditable to the care of the minister and wardens. The yard is of an immense size, and will for many years accommodate the railway company with ground for their stokers, guards, and passengers, who may be suddenly compelled to take up their station at this part of the line. Close to the church are two ancient stones, or tomb coverings, the one raised in the middle, with a rude cross indented in a very primitive manner; and the other, which likewise contains a cross, is of a later date, exhibiting the trefoil. Among the inscriptions on the tombs is a piece of confused nonsense and presumption, commencing thus: " Here lies the refute of a mind, Pious, orthodox, and kind ; When summoned to arise from dust Its station will be with the just.' 1 z 338 THE RAMBLER. It is to be regretted that the custom is not observed of submitting all epitaphs to the supervision of the clergyman, in which case our consecrated grounds would often be spared from the incon- sistencies which now disgrace them. There is one rule of uni- versal application, the observing of which will be sufficient to avoid most of the faults to which monumental inscriptions are liable, and would generally bring with it many simple beauties. I give it in the words of the Rev. G. A. Poole : " Let there be nothing said of the departed which, if he was a bad man, we cannot say with truth, and if he was a good man, his humility would have rejected." There was a numerous congregation attending the church on the Sunday of my visit ; amongst them I was pleased and surprised to observe a quakeress. It seems that the friends have no chapel in the neighbourhood, and accordingly a highly respectable family belonging to that persuasion, who live in the parish, regularly attend the church, and therein exhibit the best evidence of their Christian charity. It is not an usual thing to see, after a charity sermon, a quaker and a churchman in conjunction holding the plates, but I understand that it may occasionally be witnessed at Stoke Prior. This gentleman also, I am informed, some tune ago gave the land on which the parochial schools are erected. The Dean and Chapter of Worcester, to whom belong the great tithes, at first gave only 25 towards the schools, but were subsequently induced to double that sum, which extraordinary act of liberality most probably was brought to pass in consequence of an unpleasant contrast having been drawn between the amount of their first donation and the generosity of a man who, though not belonging to their church, and who besides had never derived any emolu- ment from it, hesitated not to make a voluntary donation of land estimated at the value of 400. But to return : the ser- vices were well conducted by the curate, and I was much pleased with the comparative efficiency of the choir and the management of the organ by the lady of the vicar. In this department the best taste was exhibited; the tunes selected TARDEB1GGE AND STOKE PRIOK. 339 were of a solemn, massive, and devotional character, and given in correct time. The vicar preached a good homely sermon from the text of " Cursed is the ground for thy sake." In his discourse he alluded to the recent in-gathering of the harvest, as an illustra- tion of the original mandate that man should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. He compared the human heart to the uncultivated land, which produced no really good or intrinsically useful thing without the application of constant labour, skill, and vigilance : so also man must submit to the same process, by rooting up old habits and prejudices, and sowing in a clean soil the genuine seed of the gospel. This is precisely the kind of address which tells most effectually upon congregations gene- rally, and perhaps in rural districts more particularly, when the minister draws his analogies from the familiar operations of their every day life, and adapts them in his discretion to times and seasons. An elderly gentleman who sat in the seat which I had taken possesion of, having heard the text, folded his arms, closed his eyes, and at various times during the remainder of the discourse he quietly nodded as though in approbation of the worthy vicar's mode of working out his argument. A clergyman not far from Campden, in Gloucestershire, who was once annoyed at a similar case, one of his parishioners being in the habit of comfortably dozing during Aw sermons, but invariably staying awake when a stranger came to preach, taxed him with what he conceived to be an act of gross inattention, if not a positive insult, when the man replied very innocently, " Why, you know, when I sees you get up in the pulpit, I knows it's all right ; but when a strange mon comes, I has to watch 'un." It is probable that the individual before mentioned entertained the same views, and believing also that nothing objectionable nor unorthodox could be founded on so plain and palpable a text as that selected by his own minister, he piously believed it to be a part of his duty to show every mark of confidence in the vicar by leaving him to himself. Before concluding this chapter I should mention a supersti- z2 >4U THE RAMBLER. tion which prevails in and about Stoke Prior : it is a charm or incantation for the removal of the thrush (or " throcks" as it is locally termed) in children. My informant says that a few years ago he was in the house of a respectable farmer in the neigh- bourhood, when a tail, thin, mysterious looking labouring man came in, without speaking a word, and took the infant child of the farmer in his hands, and with some unintelligible grunting, put his great dirty finger in his own mouth and then transferred it to the mouth of the child, where he kept it moving as though he were churning butter ; having concluded his mumbling incantation by a few words which sounded like " Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," he put down the child, spoke not another word, and left the house abruptly, without either eating or drinking. And this charm was religiously believed in by apparently respectable people ! The operator is now dead, and I don't know if he has cast his mantle upon any successor in the parish. The rising generation will probably consign this and such like superstitions to their merited oblivion, for now the schoolmaster is at work, and T am glad to hear that some excel- lent schools are permanently established in the village. The average number of children in the National day schools is between eighty and ninety ; on Sundays there are about twenty additional, and there are one hundred and forty names on the books. Mr. James Hemming is master of the boys', and his wife of the girls' school. A new National school (with a master's house adjoining), at Finstall, near the Bromsgrove railway station, and which is about three miles from the parish church, has just been completed. There is now a very large establish- ment * near to the Bromsgrove station for manufacturing railway carriages; and a somewhat numerous population is springing up, consequent upon the engine works at the railway station and the large alkali manufacture established in the parish. It is the duty of these companies to subscribe liberally towards carrying the educational scheme into effect, as nothing can be more reprehensible than for companies or manufacturers * Belonging to Messrs. Kinder and Johnstone. TARDEBIGGE AXD STOKE PRIOK. 341 to gather around them a continually increasing population, and, while deriving great profits from their labour, to leave them in utter ignorance of their duty to God or man. The allotment system, I rejoice to find, has been adopted in this parish, and uniformly attended with the happiest effects ; and although the last three seasons, owing to the lamented failure of the potatoe crop, have been most'unfavourable for a criterion, none of the occupiers of allotments, I hear, are behind hand in the payment of their rents. In the parish of Tardebigge, and about a quarter of a mile north-east of Redditch, formerly stood the famous Bordesley Abbey, which is generally supposed to have been founded by Maud, daughter of King Henry the First, in the early part of the twelfth century, and to have stood on eight acres of ground. About a century and a half ago the south aisle of the abbey church being still standing, and which had served for many years as a barn or cattle shed, was restored and converted into a chapel, for the celebration of divine service, by one Nathaniel Mugg, gent., and some of the Plymouth family endowed it with an estate and benefaction. An old inhabitant of Redditch informs me that he has often attended this chapel, when Mr. Richards, the then vicar of Tardebigge, officiated there ; that notwithstanding Mr. Nathaniel Mugg's restorations, it was in a bad state and inconveniently situated, and that it was pulled down about the year 1805, and what materials could be worked up were hauled away to help towards the building of a chapel at Redditch. The churchyard (a very small square plot of ground) is kept separate from the surrounding fields by a thick and high hedge, and entered by a gate, which is kept locked. About the year 1 832, when the cholera raged at this place, many of its victims were buried here. The ground on which the abbey stood (still called the Abbey Meadow) is covered with large irregular heaps now grown over with turf from the long tune they have remained undisturbed but a few niches from the surface, and in some places protruding, are large pieces of red sandstone, which apparently have formed 342 THE KAMBLER. part of the old abbey. Many years ago an attempt was made to level the abbey meadow, which was stopped by some autho- rities, but during that time, I am told, they found two images of the human figure and a quantity of china tiles and quarries. One of the images stood for some years afterwards in the back yard of a gentleman at Redditch, and the persons who obtained possession of the tiles used them to ornament the sides of their fireplaces. The unconscious wayfarer, as he plods along over the consecrated ground, little thinks that on the spot he treads once stood the revered pile of Bordesley Abbey. Patrons of Stoke Prior, the Dean and Chapter of Worcester. Value of the living, 270. Vicar, Rev. H. Aldham. Curate, the Rev. K. N. Paszkowicz, son of a Polish nobleman. Organist, Mrs. Aldham, the vicar's lady. Clerk, James Lewis. Popula- tion, 1576. Patron of Tardebigge, the Hon. R. H. Clive. Value, 631. Vicar, Rev. J. F. Mackarness. No curate is kept. Organist, Miss Mackarness, who, together with her brother, takes great pains in training the school children for the choir, and in select- ing the soundest church music. There were between forty and fifty children in the schools, which were supported mainly by Lady Harriet Clive. my present chapter be not entirely composed of ecclesiastical ebullitions that is to say, of comments on churches and their furniture, preachings on parsons, carpings at choirs, and censures on congregations my kind readers must bear with me for once; my note book is now pregnant with history and anecdote of the olden time, pertaining to baronial halls, and ancient edifices now mouldering in the dust of centuries, where in former days haughty lords and SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 343 titled dames kept their court, or where the monk swung his censer, and the daily sound of matin and even-song was heard. Sudeley, although not in this county, and scarcely within the scope of my " ramblings," was nevertheless a spot which I had long desired to visit, and accordingly one fine day in July I set out with a brace of friends for a two days' tour in that neigh- bourhood. Our way was by rail from Spetchley to the Ash- church station, not far from Bredon Hill. Railway travelling is to my mind rich in food for the imagination: the train which a wit has facetiously compared to an enormous tea kettle, running away with a string of tea caddies immediately moves off with us : fields, trees, cattle, and houses, fly past as though in hot pursuit of each other ; and the velocity of their flight, as it becomes graduated more and more in perspective, produces the effect to the mind's eye of fixing us on the periphery or cir- cumference of an immeasurable horizontal wheel, from which we and our vehicle must inevitably be thrown at a tangent, but for some unaccountable motive power which propels us in the con- trary direction. Now we rush between deep cuttings, then, eagle- like, we skim the tops of fearful embankments, and pass the dis- tance posts till (as brother Jonathan would say) " they look like teeth," or course violently beneath bridges which in the distance looked far too diminutive to admit us, and on the top of which the admiring and open mouthed peasant leans his elbows and chin ; the reaper drops his sickle to take a stare at us as we pass ; and the affrighted cattle, which had been eyeing our approach with stupid uncertainty as to the nature of the thing, suddenly perform an evolution, and, with tail erect, scamper off to some spot of greater quietude and safety. By and bye a horrid scream like that of an infernal spirit shrieking through some loop hole in his fiery prison acquaints us of the proximity of a station, and here the philosopher and the physiognomist may gather food for a month's digestion in reading the multitudes of strange faces confusedly thrown together. We do not, however, choose to go any further with you at present, gentle railway traveller, or the dinner which is now 344 THE RAMBLER. being cooked elsewhere for us may become spoiled or misappro- priated. Sudeley is about eight miles from the Ashchurch station, and a carriage being here in readiness for us, we drove off towards our destination. The country around is singularly beautiful, being diversified by wooded eminences and luxuriant valleys, while the views of the golden Vale of Evesham, the neighbouring Bredon, and the distant Malvern hills, not unfre- quently called forth an ejaculation of delight. At a point where the Tewkesbury road to Winchcombe crosses another road there is an ancient direction post of a rather curious character, railed in for protection ; it is composed chiefly of stone, having seven wooden arms, pointing the way to as many towns or villages; on one of the sides of the base is the following inscription : " Edmund Attwood, of the Vine Tree, At the first time erected me, And freely he did this bestow, Strange travellers the way to show : Eight generations past and gone, Repaired by Edmund Attwood, of Treddington." The village of Gretton next presented itself. This place, I believe, is not, nor is likely to be, very noted in history ; which, however, is no reason why its "short but simple annals," or rather traditions, should find no other place of record. Not many years ago, two rich old misers, bachelor brothers, lived here, in one house an old, dilapidated building, which, like themselves, was hastening to dissolution, and only waited the breath of the next tempest to blow it " about their ears." The old gentlemen were staunch Nonconformists, of the Wesleyan persuasion, and the members of that sect who lived in the neigh- bourhood were permitted to hold their religious meetings in this house, where they were regularly exhorted and stirred up by the eloquence of the late Rev. Byron, a minister whoso eccentricity and originality are probably still remembered in some parts of this county. Wesleyan preachers are proverbial for " hard hitting," and equally so for being somewhat indifferent as to the mode and manner of the infliction the obnoxious sin- SUDELEY AND TVINCHCOMBE. 345 ner may be scalped, thwacked with a cudgel, or have the hreath beaten out of him by an avalanche of denunciations, compared with which the thunders of the Vatican were tender mercies ; while on the other hand the more wealthy members of the sect men who are looked to as props of the conventicle receive now and then a gentle hint, a rub from the preacher's artillery, to resist which they must indeed be unaccountably fire-proof. Well, the Rev. Byron took it into his head that these two old gentlemen possessed wealth enough to found a Wesleyan chapel, or at all events to repair the ancient domicile in which they were wont to assemble ; and accordingly one evening, while warmly engaged in prayer or rather in asking personal favours of the Deity the leader of the meeting put up this delicate petition : " We beseech thee, O Lord, in thy tender mercy (among other things) to blow this old place down with the next wind, that we may have a better house to worship Thee in." It is said that the two brothers, who were far more attached to their purses than their religion, without waiting for the con- clusion of the prayer, thrust the rev. gentleman out of the house, and never again admitted him. So much for the effect of delicate hints upon some constitutions. We had scarcely concluded our laugh at the ancient worthies of Gretton when an undulation in the road presented to us in the distance the to wers of Sudeley, gleaming in the declining sun, and standing out in high relievo from the dark woods by which they were backed. The scene, with all its loveliness, suddenly flashed on the mind the thoughts which belong to bygone cen- turies, and the remainder of the journey afforded to me a reverie of the richest order. But now to our inn I mean that famous hostelrie the White Hart, at Winchcombe, where we were well housed, and provided with excellent beds with snow-white linen. Got up early in the morning and sauntered through the town. Winchcombe, and a small tract of ground by which it is surrounded, is said to have been formerly a county of itself, but in the time of Canute it was annexed to Gloucestershire ; it stands at the base of several hills, having the little river Isborne 346 THE RAMBLER. flowing near it. The only thing of note I find in connexion with the town (except the abbey and castle, of which I shall speak by and bye) is the fact that it was the first place in which tobacco was grown in England ; " the weed" is said to have yielded a great profit to the inhabitants until its cultivation was prohibited by act of parliament. The popularity in which tobacco was held at the period when it must have been growing here is apparent from the following lines taken from the " Mar- row of Compliment " published in 1654 " Much meat doth gluttony procure To feed men fat as swine ; But he 's a frugal man indeed That on a leaf can dine ! He needs no napkin for his hands, His fingers' ends to wipe, That bath his kitchen in a box, His roast meat in a pipe ! " Our intention being to visit the present church and the site of the old abbey, we found out the dwelling of the sexton, who not dreaming of doing business at so early an hour, was snoring in right good earnest as we rapped at his door, and at length hi his night-cap looked forth from his chamber window with a dubious kind of physiognomy, like that with which the moon peeps through a fog. Alacrity and civility, however, were the order of the day with him, and we soon moved off together to the church. Here I must ask leave to turn over a few pages of history. Wmchcombe was the site of an ancient mitred abbey, which, at one time, contained 300 Benedictine monks ; it was founded in 798, by Kenulph, or Cenulph, King of Mercia, who is said to have had a palace here. A nunnery had been previously founded by Offa. At the commencement of Kenulph's reign a singular revolution in Kent directed his attention to that kingdom (A.D. 796). By the death of Aluric the race of Hengist became extinct, and the prospect of a throne awakened the ambition of several competitors. The successful candidate was an ecclesiastic related to the descendants of Cerdic, Eadbert SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 347 Pren, whose aspiring mind preferred the crown to' the tonsure. Ethelheard, the Archbishop of Canterbury, beheld with sorrow his elevation ; but if he treated Eadbert as an apostate, Eadbert considered him as a rebel ; and the metropolitan, unable to maintain the discipline of the canons, consulted the Roman pontiff, Leo the Third, who, after mature deliberation, excom- municated the king, and threatened that if he did not return to the clerical profession, he would exhort all the inhabitants of Britain to unite in punishing his disobedience. Kenulph took this office on himself ; and Eadbert, convinced that resistance would be vain, endeavoured to elude the vigilance and revenge of his enemies. He was, however, taken ; the eyes of the captive were put out, and both his hands amputated. Cuthred, a creature of the victor's, obtained the throne with the title but without the authority of king, and Eadbert was reserved by the Mercian for the gratification of his vanity. A day had been appointed for the dedication of the church of " Winchelcomb," which he had built with royal magnificence : the ceremony was attended by two kings, thirteen bishops, ten ealdormen, and an immense concourse of people, and in their presence Kenulph led his mutilated captive to the altar, and of his special grace and clemency granted him in the most solemn manner his freedom. According to the national custom, the parade of the day was concluded with the distribution of presents. To the kings, prelates, and ealdormen, he gave horses, garments of silk, and vases of the precious metals ; to each visitor of noble birth, but without landed possessions, a pound of silver, and to every monk and clergyman a smaller but proportionate sum. Kenulph was buried in the abbey church, and, after the Disso- lution, a record of his being the founder was placed in a conspicuous part of the parish church, and remains there to this day. His infant son, Kenelm, was afterwards murdered at the instigation of Quendreda, his own sister, who was ambitious of the throne, and caused him to be privately killed by Ascobert, her paramour, while hunting on the Clent Hills, near Stour- bridge. The body being found by a miracle (to which I alluded 313 THE RAMBLER. in my chapter on St. Kenelm's Chapel), the murdered king was canonized by the pope, and his remains being believed to be endowed with miraculous powers of healing, pilgrimages were made to the Clent hills from all parts. This exciting the cupidity of the establishment at Winchcombe, which was at that time one of the most important and powerful in the Mercian kingdom, a force was sent over to take the body, which was then brought to Winchcombe abbey and interred. The ancient records say that during the funeral procession Quendreda looked out of her window, and, in token of her pretended inno- cence, sang the 1 09th Psalm : " Let it thus happen from the Lord unto my enemies, and unto those who speak evil against my soul." This, "she, as one bewytcht, sang backwards, begynning at ye wronge ende," when it is said that her eyeballs fell from her head, and the ground being dyed with the blood, retained its sanguinary hue for many ages. Quendreda is frequently mentioned in the English Councils by the title of abbess, and heiress of Kenulph. Probably she was called abbess because Kenulph had left her the abbey of Winchelcomb. The abbey was destroyed by the Danes, and rebuilt, in 985, by Oswald, Bishop of Worcester. Both the abbey and the church attached to it were destroyed at the Dissolution. There are scarcely any traces now discernible. The house now standing on the site is occupied by Mr. Treufield, and some remains of the old abbey building are visible here and there in the walls. Some years ago the coffins which had contained the bodies of Kenulph and his sainted son, together with the weapon by which the latter was said to have been decapitated, were found here. The sexton informed me that till lately these coffins had been used, the one at the abbey, and the other at a neighbouring farm, as water troughs, when he purchased them for a trifling sum for Mr. Gist, of Wormington, on whose lawn they are now used for the purpose of containing mould and flowers. To what base purposes may not even the coffin of a Romish saint be applied ! Within a mile of the abbey is still shown a holy well, called St. Kenelm's Well, which, like that on the Clent SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 349 hills, was said to have sprung up in honour of the saint, and to which were attributed great virtues, particularly in disorders of the eyes. The present church (dedicated to St. Peter) was built about a century before the Reformation, by Abbot William Winch- combe, and finished by subscription, which was much assisted by Ralph Boteler, Lord of Sudeley, the builder of the castle, the remains of which I shall presently describe. It consists of a nave, aisles, and chancel, with embattled tower at the west end, opening by an arch into the nave ; on the south is a neat porch, with tracery on its ceiling ; the walls of the church are embattled, and surmounted by handsome pinnacles; there is also here a great variety of grotesque heads, or water spouts, which, as symbolists would tell us, were meant by ancient archi- tects to represent evil spirits, bad passions, heretics, usurers, lawyers, and so forth, who had been driven out of the temple. The roof of the church is panelled ; the nave is divided from the aisles by eight Tudor arches, supported by octagonal pillars ; there are some handsome clerestory windows, which it is pro- bable were formerly continued the whole length up to the eastern end. A clumsy gallery, surmounting a carved screen, shuts out the whole view of the eastern end of the church ; the altar is detached from the wall, and covered with an ancient but once magnificent cloth, embroidered in coloured silk and silver, and having a border containing the representations of saints and other curious devices which I was unable to decipher. The sexton informed me that he had found this cloth in a coal- hole, where it had been left through the negligence of his predecessor, who, it seems, had on several occasions per- mitted the beautiful symbolic figures embroidered on it to be cut off by female and other visitors, who probably wanted them as patterns for Berlin work ! I would ask, where were the vigilance and attention of the clergyman during these acts of sacrilege ? At the right of the altar is a piscina and one of the most handsome specimens of canopied sedilia I have hitherto seen; there are three seats, with intervening 350 THE RAMBLER. niches, and the carvings are elaborate. There was formerly a Lady Chapel at the eastern end. The seats in this church are at least five feet high, and look as gloomy as ancient closets. The ground beneath the pavement of the church is said to be full of dead bodies, and the effluvia is occasionally most offensive. This system of things, however, is rapidly going out with the old generation ; and may it, like the latter, never return ! On a table in the chancel I observed some charity bread, and was informed that it is the custom here not to give away the loaves until the evening, in order to ascertain if the applicants have attended church twice in the day, without which they must expect no relief. The pulpit is of stone, and the entrance to it is so small that in case a very obese preacher were about to enter, it would be obviously necessary for the clerk to give him a pretty strong propulsion from behind. The font bears date 1634 ; it stands six feet high, being approached by steps ; the lid is surmounted with a dove, the emblem of the Holy Spirit, as also of Christian purity. The cup of the font is large enough for total immersion, but a small metal basin depo- sited there shows that the rite is not performed in its full extent and significance. The Rev. G. A. Poole, vicar of Welford, in his little work on church furniture and symbolism, says " A font of such a structure as to carry with it any reverence at all is almost never seen in a modern church ; and even in ancient churches the fine old font gives place too often to a wretched basin, on a still more wretched pedestal ; or, perhaps, as if by a studied perverseness, the old font, being retained, is made a receptacle for the basin really used to contain the water. The ancient place for the font is so far from being regarded, that we have a person writing on the subject of the arrangement of churches absolutely making it the praise of a portable basin, that it may be placed, if convenient, on the altar ! The implied requirement of the rubric, to baptize by immersion, cannot be attended to when baptism is performed in such fonts as are now erected ; and as for any religion being attached to a particular font, I suppose it would not meet with a single rebuke if the SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 351 churchwardens of half the parishes in the kingdom were to convert the fonts into quick-lime, and put pint basins, on four-legged stools, in their places." Amongst the monumental remains in this church is the effigy of Thomas Williams, Esq., of the date of 1636 ; and elsewhere a curious inscription to the memory of , which is as follows : " She was but words are wanting to express what she was . Think what a good wife ought to be , and she was that." The sexton smiled as I read the epitaph, and with a knowing wink, observed " Between you and me, sir, that 's hypocritical ; for many's the time I've seen 'em together at fight ; pretty earnestly, too, I can assure ye." The sexton having locked up the church and wished us good morning, we moved off toward the castle, where we were received with as much courtesy and kindness as though we had formed a deputation from the Archaeological Congress. One of the worthy proprietors ( J. Dent, Esq.) was fortunately at home, and insisted on our spending the day at the castle a proposi- tion which was immediately " put and carried" for the purpose of inspecting the fine old remains of this once princely abode, as well as the restorations which have been so judiciously effected, and the rare and costly furniture and works of art which now grace the old walls of Sudeley. Camden says tliat Sudeley was the residence of a line of barons descended from Goda, King Ethelred's daughter ; and Leland informs us that there had been a manor place here before the building of the present castle. Raph, Earl of Here- ford, Goda's son, held it, and his progeny flourished here for a long time, when it came into the possession of Thomas Boteler by marriage with the heiress. Sir Raphe, son of Thomas Boteler, about the middle of the fifteenth century, built the present castle, from the spoils, it is said, which he had acquired in the wars with France (ex spoliis Gallorum); he being described as "a famous man of warre in K. H. 5 and K. H. 6 dayes." History speaks of the castle as having been in every way worthy of royalty, as an instance of which " the hawle " 352 THE RAMBLER. was " glased with round beralls." Sir Raphe, being subse- quently suspected by the Yorkists of a strong attachment to the Lancastrian interest, was compelled to sell the manor and mansion to the king, Edward the Fourth. Afterwards it fell into various hands, till, in the time of Henry the Eighth, it was granted to Sir Thomas Seymour, the king's uncle, who was then created Baron Seymour of Sudeley ; by him the castle was restored to its former magnificence, and when this ambitious man had gained the hand of the Dowager Queen Katheriue Parr, widow of Henry the Eighth, Sudeley was their residence. The original letter, sent by the Dowager to the Lord High Admiral Seymour, and in which she accepted his offered hand, was purchased by Mr. Dent at the Strawberry Hill sale ; it is a beautiful specimen of her hand- writing, and as it may interest some of my fair readers I here append a copy : " My lord, I send you my most humble and hearty commendations, being desirous to know how ye have done since I saw you. I pray you be not offended with me in that I send sooner to you than I said I would, for nty promise was but once in a fortnight. Howbeit the time is well abbre- viated, by what means I know not, except weeks be shorter at Chelsea than in other places. " My lord, your brother hath deferred answering such requests as I made to him till his coming hither, which he saith shall be immediately after the term. This is not the first promise I have received of his coming, and yet unperformed. I think my lady hath taught him that lesson ; for it is her custom to promise many comings to her friends, and to perform none. I trust in greater matters she is more circumspect. " And thus, my lord, I make my end, bidding you most heartily farewell, wishing you the good I would myself. From Chelsea. " P. S. I would not have you to think that this mine honest good will toward you to proceed of any sudden motion of passion ; for as truly as God is God, my mind was fully bent the other time I was at liberty to marry you before any man I kno\v. Howbeit God withstood my will therein most vehemently for a time, and through his grace and goodness made that possible whch seemed to me most impossible; that was, made me renounce utterly mine own will, and to follow his will most willingly. It were long to write all the process of this matter if I live I shall declare it to you myself. I can say nothing, but as my lady of Suffolk saith, ' God is a marvellous man.' " By her that is yours to serve and obey during her life, "KATBRYN THR QUKEN, K. P." Indorsed " The Queen's letter from Chelsea to my Lord Admiral. The answer to the Lord Admiral of her former loves." SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 353 The Dowager, however, was far from enjoying that happiness which she had expected with her beloved Seymour, owing to her jealousy of the Princess Elizabeth, who was then living with them, and who, it seems, frequently participated in "much unseemly romping" with the Admiral ; he was a nobleman who appears to have been much admired for his beauty, magnificence, and courage a triad of attributes potent enough to turn the heads and hearts of even royal dames in all ages of the world. The unfortunate Lady Jane Gray was likewise at one period a resident at Sudeley, under the care of the Queen Dowager. The latter died here in childbed. After Seymour was beheaded the castle and manor were bestowed on the Marquis of North- ampton, and in 1553 on Sir J. Brydges (then created Baron Chandos of Sudeley) for his services to Queen Mary. Queen Elizabeth is said to have sojourned here during one of her royal progresses. George, the sixth Lord Chandos, was the last of this noble family by whom Sudeley was inhabited. At this tune the castle became a stronghold of the Royalists, Lord Chandos being a warm supporter of the unfortunate Charles. The effects of that period of intestine strife, when " Oliver Cromwell He did her pommell, And made a breach in her battlement," are sadly conspicuous in the "splendid ruin" which Oliver made of Sudeley. A great deal more than is true has been laid at the door of my " Lord Protector," although I admit that he was by no means a conservator of churches and castles ; yet, in respect of Sudeley, history leaves us no doubt that this edifice was made a ruin by the Parliament forces. That the king encamped here is proved by a record on a board in Truro church, Cornwall, being a royal proclamation addressed to the inhabitants of Cornwall, dated from "our camp at Sudeley Castle," September 10, 1643. Lord Chandos having no male issue, and his second wife marrying with George Pitt, Esq., ancestor of the Rivers family, the castle and manor came into their possession. The late Lord Rivers in 1810 sold a part of 354 THE RAMBLER. the estate to the late Duke of Buckingham, and in 1837 the Duke sold it to J. and W. Dent, Esqrs., of Worcester, who had previously purchased the bulk of the Sudeley estates, with the extensive manors of Winchcombe and Sudeley. The castle had been in ruins for nearly two centuries, a part only of the first court having been occupied during that time by the succes- sive tenants of the surrounding lands. Now, however, an era of a new and different character commenced. Its present proprietors are gentlemen who having acquired great wealth through a long course of honourable commercial enterprise, were not only fully enabled in a pecuniary point of view to commence and carry on the work of restoration, but combined with that ability the exceeding good taste which was necessary to give the restoration a character in keeping with the remains of this ancient and beautiful structure. I may also add that to my own appreciation, as to that of others who duly weigh the present with the past, the old baronial hall lost nothing of its dignity or its valued associations by the change. Though shorn of its ancient splendour, the venerable pile still holds out a valuable lesson to the contemplative mind ; for are not the extensive acts of public liberality and of private benevolence, and the old English hospitality of its present worthy possessors, calculated to exert a lofty moral influence and a practical useful- ness in the surrounding neighbourhood, which all the imposing but valueless pageantry and grandeur of feudal times now for ever departed could not command ? The castle consisted of two quadrangular courts, with a lofty embattled tower at each angle, three of which are still remain- ing, and an embattled portal, forming the principal entrance to the quadrangle. The buildings of the first court are those which are now in course of restoration, and to these I shall return by and bye. In the second quadrangle are some beautiful relics of Sudeley's former magnificence, consisting chiefly of the grand banqueting room, the great hall, and the outer wall of the old kitchen, where there is a fireplace sufficiently capacious to roast an ox, being 12 feet in width, and exhibiting marks of SUDELEY AND WINCHCOMBE. 355 vigorous use which testify that a substantial dietary was not beneath the consideration of men of the olden time. In the watch tower is a perforated fracture, which, according to tra- dition, was caused by a cannon shot during the siege of the castle, which, passing through, took off the head of the royalist officer of artillery ; and this circumstance was mainly instru- mental in bringing about a capitulation. The event has been transmitted through various generations by means of an oral ballad, of which the following is a stanza : " Bounce ! bounce ! again go Waller's guns, And Morton began to swear, ' I'd rather have lost ten thousand pounds Than the head of my cannonier.' " The rising ground on which the cannon were placed is still pointed out, and a gentleman of the neighbourhood informs me that till recently the iron rod of one of the pinnacles of the ancient chapel, which stands near the castle, was bent in the direction of the watch tower, having evidently been struck by a passing shot, and left in that position. The ruins of the chapel, which stand on the lawn, are of a date coeval with that of the castle, when that kind of ecclesiastical architecture, of which it is a pure and elegant specimen, had attained its per- fection. The chapel seems like a beautiful miniature of Eton. In the north wall is a block of alabaster, which, in the year 1782 was found to cover the remains of Queen Katherine Parr. These remains having been discovered by accident, were subject from time to time to many indignities and spoliations from bacchanalians and others (Sudeley being at one time occupied as a beer-house), until at length they were deposited in one of the vaults of the Chandos family, hard by ; the block of alabaster would have shared a similar fate had not means been taken for its preservation, as visitors from Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, and other places true to the English character would each take away a fragment in their pockets to adorn their chimney-pieces ; the block is, therefore, now secured by an iron grating. Mr. Lawson, writing in 1828, says "I am sorry to report that 356 THE RAMBLER. Queen Katherine's remains have not been redeposited with the honour and historical respect due to the royal and noble lady ; for, instead of their being replaced within the walls in their own grave, and secured from further intrusion, they are buried in a lean-to building outside the north wall, in which divine service is sometimes performed, to preserve the right as a parochial church. How much better it would be to restore the chapel itself for this purpose, and to erect a suitable monument to the memory of Katherine Parr. Surely some mark of consideration and grateful respect is due from this country to the memory of our first Protestant Queen ; and if the owner of the soil which covers her sacred dust does not endeavour to preserve her remains from further outrage, the bishop of the diocese is called upon to devise some suitable protection for the desecrated grave of this royal lady, to whom the church of England owes the preservation of the University of Cambridge." Attached to the north side of this the principal chapel is a smaller one, in which service is regularly performed. When fitted up with open seats and other suitable furniture it will be more in character with the fine old ruinated building, and will form a delightful retreat in consecrated hours. On the north-west of the castle stand the remains of the grange, the walls of which are very massive ; but a portion of it was pulled down by some of Lord Rivers's tenants, to obtain through it a view of Winchcombe (!) from the room which they inhabited in the castle a tolerably good instance of taste and barbarity amalgamated. We come now to the restorations of the buildings of the first court of the castle. These have been going on for several years, under the superintendence of an eminent architect, and no pains or expence seem to have been spared to render this mansion in every way worthy of its ancient magnificence : carvings, paint- ings, tapestry, stained glass, and costly furniture, are arranged with the best taste. The paintings are by Rubens, Paul Vero- nese, Mabeuse, Sasso Ferrato, De Witt, Morland, Poelemberg, Weenix, Sir A. More, Reynolds, Sir P. Lely, &c. Among these are " The Paralytic," by Rubens, purchased on the con- SUDELEY AND W1NCHCOMBE. 357 tinent ; " Henry the Eighth and his Children" (Sir A. More), a most valuable picture, being the original one sent by the Queen to Walsingham ; and " The Union of the Roses," which is one of Mabeuse's best. The two last mentioned should have found a prominent place in the National Gallery. There is also a series of sketches, by Vertue, of portraits by Holbein ; with a small full-length portrait beautifully carved in stone, also by Holbein ; these were purchased at the Strawberry Hill sale, and are en- dorsed with the autograph of Horace Walpole. The tapestry is descriptive of the several sports of hawking, hunting, &c., with a very fine sea-piece. The carvings, which are chiefly by Hol- bein, with the valuable relics and works of art, gathered from public and private collections, convents, abbeys, &c., proclaim at once the wealth and good taste of their present possessors. Among the furniture (a portion of which was brought from Hampton Court Palace) is a mandarin's bedstead, taken at Pekin during the late war; it comprises also within itself a dressing place with every accommodation, and the trellis work which surrounds it is so beautifully and minutely carved as to surpass all my previous ideas of Chinese skill and ingenuity. These great family bedsteads are much prized in China, being held in affectionate veneration, and handed down from father to son as heir looms. I have only space sufficient to notice an unique and exceedingly valuable mosaic table, which in the 15th century adorned the palace of Lorenzo de Medicis, at Florence, and the bedstead of the Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Eliza- beth ; this is elaborately carved, and in the head-piece is a crucifix concealed behind a slide. Amid these relics and ruins we lingered till the gong assem- bled us around the well spread dinner board. In the dusk of the evening, tea and coffee were served up on the lawn, and while the happy party were discussing the creature comforts and the questions of the day, I stole away to the old ruinated chapel, sat myself in a rustic chair, and, armed with an immense pipe,* from which the clouds chased each other in pleasant and * This pipe had belonged to the Duke of Sussex. 358 THE RAMBLER. playful gambolings, soon became absorbed in the most delicious fancies. The moon, too, shot her silver rays upon the old walls " The soft, the silver moonbeam! How silently it falls Upon the time-worn battlement And ivy mantled walls, And on the turret hoary, That proudly, "mid decay, Still speaketl) of a splendour gone, And glory passed away." There were visions of doughty barons and beauteous dames, of long robed priests, of marriage feasts and funereal processions, of solitary dungeons, carnage, and civil war, passing before me all of which these old walls had survived, and still they looked down frowningly in their remaining strength, and still they would look down upon generations yet to come, when I, together with that joyous group whose merry laugh was ringing in my ear, should have been called to our long home, and have helped to lengthen out that funereal procession of the shadowy past which was seen in the eye of imagination winding round this time hallowed ruin. A hearty slap on the back, which nearly beat the breath out of my body, administered by one of my companions, here dispersed every thing of a dreamy nature, and I rejoined the party. On the following morning, after breakfast, we took our leave of the hospitable host, and bade adieu to Sudeley, having but one wish remaining to be gratified. It was this : that the heir to this broad domain may be the progenitor of a long line of descendants, each and every one of whom may have the capacity to enjoy for himself, the will to dispense to others, and finally the good fortune to resign his trust with a quiet conscience. The following information has come to hand since the before- going part of this book was printed: . CHURCH WARDENS FOR 1 848: St. Clement's Mr. Thomas Fawkes and Mr. Ezekiel Gummery. St. Michael's Mr. J. Sayer and Mr. J. Hood. St. Peter's Mr. H. Cham- berlain and Mr. W. Otley. St. Swithin'sMr. R. West and Mr. J. L. Williams. St. Andrew's Mr. J. Stallard and Mr. J. Knight. St. Helen's Mr. W. Cowell and Mr. Griffiths. Claines Mr. Evans, Tollardine, for the county part, and Mr. Day, St. George's Square, for the city. St. John's Mr. Coucher and Mr. Phillpotts. St. Alban's Mr. Nicholson. St. Martin's Mr. H. Beekenaud Mr. T. Burrow. St. Nicholas Mr. John Stallard and Mr. W. Edgecombe. All Saints Mr. Bird and Mr. Edmunds. Ty thing Mr. J. Palmer. OTtts'tO tnf 0rfc. The largest and oldest vault in the old church (in the middle aisle, near the reading desk) was that of the Milwards, of Wollescote| in this parish. This contained a great number of lead coffins, some of them unusually large and ornamented several members of this family having been very large in person. During the civil war of Charles the First, Prince Rupert made Wollescote House, in this parish (the residence of Mr. Thomas Milward, whose family had lived there from 1 500 or earlier), his head quarters for a considerable time, and by living there and killing Mr. Milward's stock, and eating up his corn, very much injured him in his substance. The prince had a 360 THE RAMBLER. garrison at Wichbury Wood, from Wollescote about a third of a mile; still to be seen by the entrenchments. The parliament party had a garrison at Stourton Castle, A.D. 1643. These meeting on Stourbridge Common, a sharp battle ensued, and Prince Rupert's party was worsted, and he himself nearly taken ; for, riding hard to get towards Wollescote, he was closely pursued by a parliament trooper ; and when the prince came to the heath gate, leading off the common to Oldswinford, the gate being shut, and the trooper very near him, and there being a boy near the gate, the prince cried " Open the gate !" which he did ; when the prince was through, he said hastily " Shut the gate !" This the boy immediately did ; and the trooper being thus stopped, the prince escaped. This matter broke up the quarters at Wollescote, and the prince on his depaiture took his signet off his finger, and giving it to Mr. Milward, told him his adverse fortune then would not permit him to recompense his damage and loyalty, but that when the king's affairs turned out prosperously he should have his loss repaired, on presenting the king with his ring, and stating the circumstances. A younger son of Mr. Thomas Milward, John Milward, D.D., of Oxford, whilst studying there, got acquainted with Mr. Harry Freeman, a Creole, and native of St. Kitts (of the family of Freeman, of Fawley Court, Bucks), who persuaded him to peti- tion Charles the Second (then restored to the crown) for the living of St. Thomas, Middle Island, St. Kitts, and a grant of a sugar plantation, called the " Godwin Estate," St. Kitts. An ancestor of Lord Stamford's accordingly presented the Rev. J. Milward to the king, who, upon having the prince's signet, and a petition setting forth the circumstances under which it was given, and praying the above grants, presented to him, received him kindly, and promised to consider it, and have proper inqui- ries made into the facts. The result was the presentation of the living and the Godwin Estate to the Rev. J. Milward ; on which, about the year 1 664, he went over to St. Kitts with Mr. H. Freeman, whose sister he married, and was inducted into his church ; but it was some years afterwards before he could get POSTSCRIPT. 361 Colonel Codrington, who had the management of the estate for the crown, to give it up ; and then not until after much liti- gation. The above is extracted from the MSS. of Mr. John Dovaston, of West Felton, a Shropshire antiquary, and a gentleman of known accuracy, who was a descendant of Dr. John Milward. I also forgot to state, with regard to Oldswinford school, that the boys are not now dressed hi the ancient prescribed costume, and that the modern innovation of trousers by no means harmo- nizes with the relics of an earlier period, as exhibited on their persons. r.ll'tirbtCjjr. The number of children belonging to the schools at this church amounts to about 100, instead of the smaller number I have before named. ifl n n uni ruts in CT)Urd)Ej$. I wish to take this opportunity of recommending to public attention an excellent work (of which several editions have been published) on the subject of monu- ments in churches, by Mr. Marsland. Were the suggestions contained in that little work more generally circulated I have too good an opinion of English society to think that henceforth our better taste and feelings would be outraged by the erection of pompous monuments, defacing and monopolizing the space in our churches, and exhibiting epitaphic nonsense, any thing but in accordance with that Christian humility and dreadful awe which the uncertainty of our future fate should beget in us. The most fitting memorial that can be set up for a deceased member of the Church is by some addition to, repair, or beauti- fication of that fabric in which he worshipped during his life- time by the gift of a font, a window, or a bible or, should his means permit, by some charitable foundation by which posterity may be led to bless his memory. 362 ADVERTISEMENTS. CLASSICAL AND COMMERCIAL ACADEMY, PERSHORE. CONDUCTED BY MR. GEORGE JUKES, M.C.P. AT this establishment Young Gentlemen are liberally BOARDED and carefully prepared for PROFESSIONAL, COMMERCIAL, and AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS, on the following Pupils under Twelve Years of Age . 21 ^> Annum. Pupils above that age . . . 24 ,, THE CLASSICS AND FRENCH AN EXTEA CHAEGE. N. B. The most satisfactory references can be given. The following is selected from numerous testimonials : " Spring Hill, Dec. 31, 1846. " Dear Sir, " I willingly bear testimony to the zeal and propriety with which you conducted your seminary at Hanley, and if my name can be of any use to you as a reference, I am most willing that you should make use of it. Wishing you success in your undertaking, " I am, dear Sir, " Mr. G. Jukes, " Yours faithfully, Pershore." " HENRY LYGON." WORCESTERSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. MUSEUM BAZAAR. THE COUNCIL of this Society beg leave to inform the Public, but particularly the Ladies of the County and City of Worcester, that the MUSEUM BAZAAR will be held in the SHIRE HALL, FOREGATE STREET, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August next, towards which the Council earnestly solicit donations in Articles or money. By order of the Council, GEORGE REECE, Secretary. Museum, March, 1848. ADVERTISEMENTS. 363 VICTORIA HOUSE. 3B <&$$ainlmtnt ta CONDUCTED BY SCOTT AND COMPANY, In accordance with the most modern system. THIS establishment offers the peculiar advantage of a Stock combining the richest description of fashionable dress with the plain, useful, and inexpensive goods necessarily required by the gradations of a family. Every article required by a family is supplied, from a dress for the kitchen to that of the drawing-room from haberdashery to brocaded satins, and, while unremitting and watchful attention is given to the fashions of the day hi every department of ladies' costume, the plainer portions of their stock are much studied, to prevent bad fabrics being offered the public, and in order to establish a large family trade. It would be useless attempting to enumerate the multifarious por- tions of their immense stock. The Firm would beg simply to observe, that every department is thoroughly " sorted up " every week that the markets are personally visited each month throughout the year and that all orders, however small and unimportant, receive the best attention of Mr. SCOTT. They continually study the convenience and comfort of their cus- tomers in the establishment, and have lately made extensive altera- tions for the despatch of business, which they hope will merit public approval. They most respectfully offer the advantage in their MILLINERY AI MANTLE ROOMS of seeing the genuine monthly fashions, whenever inclination or leisure induce a visit ; they trim all bonnets without charge; they exchange all goods not cut off within a week of purchase, if not approved; and they are determined to remain second to none in popularity for CHEAP AND GOOD DRAPERY. FOREGATE AND SHAW STREETS, WORCESTER. 364 ADVERTISEMENTS. HILL & Co., HIGH STREET, WORCESTER, (Facing the Cathedral) , AND COBOURG BATHS, MALVERN. PATRONISKD BY HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY, QUEEN ADELAIDE, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT, AND MANY OF THE DISTINGUISHED NOBILITY AND GENTRY. THE public are respectfully informed that we have a fresh supply of new and elegant Patterns in Crochet and other fashion- able works, to which their attention is invited. We beg to acknowledge with deep and heartfelt gratitude the support we have received for so many years, and humbly solicit a continu- ance of it, which has enabled us to present to the public notice the works of P. S. and E. Rogers, which are now ready for exhibition. We trust that the additional pieces of elaborate work, now added to their former productions, will not diminish that celebrity which they have obtained in different parts of the United Kingdom. We desire to state that the works of these Sisters were seen by Her Majesty Queen Adelaide, six years ago, who, as a testimony of her approbation, graciously gave her patronage. The exhibition will close in Worcester and open in Malvern e first week in June. Both shops are furnished with every article of Needlework. *,* ALL KINDS OF NEEDLEWORK TAUGHT. ADVERTISEMENTS. 36 ' J BY THE CHEMICAL ACTION OF THE LIGHT, AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE DAGUERREOTYPE, TAKEN AT THE ROOMS, (ff\ M 'TS7 ^T (T^ l^f ION TCD "H^ *n^ GTra e. ii JoL it Usf JoL 1L ia> JSi J&i Ji y CORNER OF COPENHAGEN STREET, NEAR THE GUILDHALL, WORCESTER. N.B. FOR A VERY LIMITED PERIOD. The advantages this process possesses over the usual style of Daguerreotype are, that while the sitting occupies only one-third of the time necessary for Daguerreotype, the leaden coloured cadave- rous hue so highly objectionable to that process is superseded by a glowing, pearly, and natural flesh-colour, transcending even the finest productions of the Miniature Painters. PORTRAITS TAKEN IN SIZES SUITABLE FOR RINGS, LOCKETS, BROOCHES, &c. ANIMALS, LANDSCAPES, &c., CORRECTLY COPIED. " Another very essential improvement, as regards some countenances, is the novel introduction of colour. The flesh tints are, of course, very delicate indeed, or they would mar the delicate lines of the work ; but the life-like effect which they give is wonderful; and the great objection is thus got rid of, which many persons, especially ladies, entertain to the leaden hue of these portraits. This addition also seems to give life to the eye, which was another deficient point. The somewhat stronger colouring to the dress aids to enliven the work" GW . " The portraits taken by this means are really extraordinary as likenesses ; they are true to nature, for nature here is her own delineator. The features are admirably delineated, and the likenesses at first sight are so extraordinary that they are really startling" Morning Chronicle. ENTRANCE IN COPENHAGEN STREET. 366 ADVERTISEMENTS. 96, HIGH STREET, WORCESTER. J. M. MURPHY BEGS to announce that his Stock of NEW SPRING GOODS is now ready for inspection, which comprises every description of STRAW and CHIP BONNETS, RIBBONS, and FLOWERS, real HONI- TON, POINT, VALENCIENNES, and LISLE LACES, MUSLIN and LACE COLLARS, BABY LINEN, and every number of WERLEY'S PATENT FRENCH CORSETS, all of which will be found of the usual choice description. BEESS AHB MAHTJUE JD1PA3&TM1OT. J. M. M., in order that these branches of the business may give general satisfaction, has this week engaged MDLLE. IDOIN to manage those departments, who, for the last ten years has been head Dress and Mantle Maker to Madame Seguin, the well known Parisian Dress Maker. J. M. M. takes this opportunity of announcing his purpose of visiting Paris about the 20th April, when he will, as usual, be happy to oblige his customers. N.B. There is a vacancy for TWO IN-DOOR APPRENTICES, who will have the advantage of being instructed by the above-named talented Person. PARIS HOUSE MOURNING ESTABLISHMENT. J. M. MURPHY begs to inform the Ladies of the City and County of Worcester, that in future every description of MOURNING ATTIRE will be kept ready prepared, on the same plan as the London Mourning Establishments, at PARIS HOUSE, 96, HIGH STREET, Worcester. Ladies therefore in future may depend upon finding every requisite for Mourning ready prepared, and will thus be saved endless trouble as well as considerable expense. The choicest PARAMATTAS and CRAPES for MANTLES, DRESSES, &c. &c. 96, High Street, Worcester. ADVERTISEMENTS. 367 PUBLIC LIBRARY AND MUSIC WAREHOUSE, 40, HIGH STREET, WORCESTER. J. MAKSDEN, ifl STATIONER AND BOOKBINDER, (SUCCBMOK TO MB. J. D'EoviLLH, FORMERLY WHJULEK, 71, HIGH STRUT), Gratefully and most respectfully begs to acknowledge the favours conferred upon him by the Nobility, Clergy, Gentry, and Inhabitants of Worcester and its District. A continuance of their esteemed support and encourage- ment will lead to future exertions to give every satisfaction to meet their wants and wishes. In the J. MAKSDEN always has for sale an immense stock of all the favourite productions of ancient and modern masters. INSTRUMENTS AND REQUISITES OF ALL KINDS, INCLUDING AN EXCELLENT STOCK OF HARP, GUITAR, VIOLIN, AND VIOLONCELLO STRINGS, ACCORDIANS, FLUTES, VIOLINS, &c. Which, with other articles supplied to order, are sold at fair prices, and a liberal discount allowed to professors. THE STATIONERY comprises every thing that is novel or useful adapted either for recreation or business purposes. THE PRINTS are of first-class character, many of them offered at a great reduction in price. THE LIBRARY includes all the best works of fiction of the age, and they are supplied on liberal terms. BOOKS, PERIODICALS, and NEWSPAPERS, supplied with regu- larity and despatch. A CHOICE STOCK OP BIBLES, PRAYER BOOKS, CHURCH SERVICES, PSALM AND HYMN BOOKS, ALTARS, AND PIETAS, IN ELEGANT BINDINGS, ALWAYS ON SALE. Agent for Wedgtcood't Patent Manifold Writer, Sheldon's Pocket Etcritoir, and other articles. AGENT TO THE SCOTTISH ART UNION, AND TO THE NORTH OF ENGLAND FIRE AND LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY. 368 ADVERTISEMENTS. ADVERTISEMENTS. 369 BY combining the ENTIRE FURNISHING, including Conveyances (either the old-fashioned Hearse and Mourning Coach, or with SHILLIBEER'S patent jftmeral Carriages, now so much in demand), this Establishment courts comparison, and is not only enabled to be regardless of competition, but to effect a SAVING TO THE PUBLIC OF NEARLY ONE-HALF IN FIBST CLASS FUNERALS. FUNERALS of any extent or description conducted to all parts of England, upon equally economic terms, in conjunction with the CEMETERY MD GENERAL FUNERAL COMPANY, AND SHILLIBEER'S, CITY ROAD, LONDON. The difficulty generally experienced by Ladies requiring JFancp anU JFamtlg IHottmmg, to obtain really Choice Styles in good Fabrics, have induced the Firm to publish a BOOK, which will be forwarded, post free, on application, enumerating the various branches of their Stock, and containing full particulars of the Tariff or Estimates, also the Opinions of the Press, and an enumeration of the NEW GOODS constantly offered m every department of the Establishment, that a correct importance may be given to the completeness and extent of their arrangements throughout. THE CARRIAGE MAY BE VIEWED BY APPLYING AT THE ESTABLISHMENT, FOREGATE AND SHAW STREETS, WORCESTER. Bb 370 ADVERTISEMENTS. BARTHOLOMEW LANE, LONDON. 3~stal)lt3f)C& tor 3rt of Vavlt'amcnt. Capital 5,000,000 Sterling. Iresf&ents. SAMUEL GURNKY, Esq. [ Sir MOSES MONTEFIORE, Bart. IB (rectors. JAMES ALEXANDER, Jun., Esq. G. H. BARNKTT, Esq. Sir E. N. BUXTON, Bart., M. P. Sir R. CAMPBELL, Bart. Sir GEORGE CARROLL, BENJAMIN COHEN, Esq. Rt. Hon. G. R. DAWSON. JAMES FLETCHER, Esq. CHARLES GIBBES, Esq. WILLIAM GLADSTONE, Esq. JOHN IRVING, Esq. JAMES P. HOWARD, Esq. L. N. DK ROTHSCHILD, Esq., M.P. Sir A. N. DE ROTHSCHILD, Bart. H. M. THORNTON, Esq. MELVIL WILSON, Esq. ( James Cook, Esq. Auditors < Samuel Gurney, Jun., Esq. (.Thomas Charles Smith, Esq. Bankers Messrs. Barnett, Hoares, and Co. Secretary Andrew Hamilton, Esq. Actuary F. A. Engelbach, Esq. Physicianr John R. Hume, M.D., Curzon Street. Solicitor John M. Pearce, Esq. Surveyor Thomas Allason, Esq. Htfe THE PREMIUMS of the Company for younger lives are lower than those charged by most of the old established offices. ASSURANCES are undertaken abroad as well as at home. The assured PARTICIPATE IN THE PROFITS, which are divided at the expiration of every successive period of five years. The assured may proceed TO ANY PART OF EUROPE without previously communicating with the Directors, or the payment of an additional Premium. No entrance money or other fee is charged. The large capital, and nearly one thousand shareholders composing the Company, render the security it offers to the public undoubted. Fire Assurances are accepted AT HOME at the usual rates. The Company prosecute both Fire and Life Assurances ABROAD on reasonable terms. AGENT FOR WORCESTER, MR. C. A. HELM, SOLICITOR, COLLEGE YARD. ADVERTISEMENTS. 37 1 EDWIN GARDNER, MALTSTER, CORN AND SEED FACTOR, 22, CROSS. ^* Agent for the West of England Fire and Life, Insurance Office. OFFICE SOUTH PARADE. TEETH. MR. ROGERS, ScntuJt, 44, BROAD STREET, WORCESTER. MR. E., from a practical knowledge of the surgical and mechanical resources of his profession, is enabled to supply the Loss OF TEETH OR PALATES, on the most improved and modern principle, as approved and recommended by the most eminent of the metropolitan and pro- vincial faculty, and without giving any pain whatever. His nearly perfected incorruptible artificial Teeth are guaranteed never to change colour, and are fixed without wires upon the only correct principle, that of being useful to the wearer. As the whole of the mechanical department of Mr. R.'s practice is designed and executed by himself, he can insure the most correct articulation and perfect comfort in mastication. Decayed teeth, however large the cavity, restored and made sound with gold or Mr. R.'s cement. Loose teeth fastened. Scaling, Cleansing, Extracting. Children's teeth regulated, and every operation performed pertaining to Dental Surgery. Mr. R.'s charges are on the most moderate scale, tchUst his materials and workmanship are of the finest description. CONSULTATIONS FREE OF CHARGE. 372 ADVERTISEMENTS. J. M. SKARRATT, WATCH AND CLOCK MANUFACTURER, FURNISHING SILVERSMITH AND JEWELLER, No. 2, BROAD STREET, WORCESTER. EUKINQTON'S ELECTRO PL-ATE. BY APPOINTMENT TO GEORGE SPARKS, 7, BROAD STREET, WORCESTER. GENERAL FURNISHING WAREHOUSE FOR EVERY DESCRIPTION OP CHINA, GLASS, EARTHENWARE, &c. JEWNENS AND BETTRIDGE'S PAPIER MACHEE GOODS, PLATED GOODS, &c. LdDHBdDH MABK WAS F3L(DWEB 9 WITH MATERIALS FOR MAKING THEM. O. 8. respectfully informs Families about to remove their establishment, that they may be accommodated with experienced Packers at moderate charges. ADVERTISEMENTS. 373 THE FIRST FASHIONABLE CLOTHING AND HAT ESTABLISHMENT WAS OPENED IN 1838, BY J. FISHER, the present Proprietor, and has gradually extended under the great prejudice with which it has been weighted. It has become now a Fashionable Resort for Gentlemen contracting by the year for then- Three Suits per annum at the following Scale of Prices : Three Suits of Clothes, Fine Quality . . 8. Os. Od. Ditto, Superfine ditto 10. Os. Od. Ditto, Best ditto 12. Os. Od. COPY THE ADDRESS, FISHER, CITY CLOTHING AND HAT DEPOT, Opposite Old Bank, Worcester. JOHN MATTHEWS, AUCTIONEER, APPRAISER, ACCOUNTANT, E8TAT3E AHB HOTS3S A63EMT , No. 59, FOREGATE STREET, WORCESTER, Agent to the Imperial Fire and Life Insurance Office. Secretary to the City Commissioners. Auctioneer and Appraiser by appointment to the Worcestershire County Court and Insolvent Debtors' Court, Worcester. N.B. As J. Matthews holds PERIODICAL SALES at his Auction Room, 39, High Street, Worcester, the Public are respectfully informed that Furniture and Effects consigned for that purpose will be carefully and gratuitously housed. 374 ADVERTISEMENTS. GEORGE GRAINGER, WORCESTER SHOW-ROOMS, No. 19, FOREGATE, Where will be found an extensive variety of Earthenware and Glass, from the commonest article for culinary purposes up to the richest that can be manufactured. SOLE MANUFACTURER OF THE NOTED MANUFACTURER OP THE MUCH ADMIRED EXECUTED IN THE FIRST STYLE. SAYER & BARNETT, CROWN FAMILY HOTEL & COMMERCIAL INN, BROAD STREET, WORCESTER. POSTING, HEARSE, AND MOURNING GOAGHES. EXTENSIVE STABLING AND LOOSE BOXES. LOCK-UP COACH HOUSES. to Orders received for Horses to meet the Trains at Spetchley punctually attended to. BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS, AND MUSIC SELLERS, AB.TX8T8' UEEOSXTOUY, 35, FOREGATE STREET, WORCESTER. PERIODICALS. BOOKBINDING. ADVERTISEMENTS. 375 MILLINERY AND DEESS ESTABLISHMENT, 2, CATHEDRAL YARD, WORCESTER. WILLIAM BOURNE, PLUMBER, GLAZIER, , PAINTEK, GILDER, PAPER HANGER, &c. 104, H2(BH STBEIST, WflDECBS TBE. CHUECH, CHAMBEE, AND BAEEEL OEGAN BUILDER, PALACE YARD, WORCESTER. i) SCULPTOR AND STATUARY, WORCESTER. 376 ADVERTISEMENTS. TO CLERGYMEN AND GENTLEMEN. The first established and most extensive general CLOTHING ESTABLISHMENT is situate opposite Bank Street, conducted by J. FISHEK, where gentlemen find, in addition to their Tailoring orders, they can be supplied with all other articles of dress, on terms economical. General Contractor for Clothing, THREE SUITS, viz. FISHING, WALKING, and DRESS, 7. Os. Od. ; well made and fashionable. J. FISHER, 65, HIGH STREET, OPPOSITE BANK STREET, P2AH(0) B F(Q)IRTE MTUSIC WAREHOUS MR. JABEZ JONES, Successor to Mrs. Henry Shelton, SUPERIOR PIANO-FORTKS, FOR 8ALK, HIRE, OR EXCHANGE. PRINTING. THo Clergymen and Authors. By the aid of a large assortment of modern type, together with good machinery and experienced workmen, Messrs. AI.LEN and SON are enabled to print Books and Pamphlets in the first style of Typography, and on reasonable terms: they have great pleasure in referring to " The Rambler " as a fair specimen of their work, and beg to say that all printing with which they may be entrusted shall have their careful attention. 3, Colmore Row, liirminyham. Birmingham : PrmU-i ty JUKI AH A i.i..\ AND Don, 3, Colmore Bow. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. 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