104 CROPTHORNE.

residence of the once famous Worcestershire family of Dingley, or Dineley, who were originally from Lancashire, and whose monuments in Cropthorne church—at least that of Francis Dineley—speaks of their having been nobly descended, but not more noble than the splendid array of offspring from the said Francis. There they are—nineteen children, rank and file, pourtrayed around his gorgeous tomb, but which some Malthusian old bachelor of a churchwarden has indignantly hid behind a pew. The male line of the Dineleys terminated with Sir Edward, whose daughter Eleanor married Edward Goodere, of Burghope, afterwards knighted, who died in 1739. His son, Sir J. D. Goodere, was murdered by his brother, the captain of the "Ruby" man-of-war, in 1741, who, with his accomplices, was hung for the same at Bristol. A sea-piece, said to give a view of the "Ruby" and the squadron to which she belonged, still hangs in the old mansion, as also a portrait of a lad, the son of the murdered baronet. The edifice, one wing of which was destroyed at the close of the last century, is now the residence of Henry Workman, Esq., formerly Mayor of Evesham, who has purchased it, together with the manor of Charlton, and is the principal landowner there. It is gratifying to find that he does not contemplate the destruction of this interesting old mansion, but is restoring it so far as may be necessary for modern requirements, carefully conserving the ancient features - wainscoted apartments, wide and massive staircases, old furniture, and paintings - 'vaulted cellars, entrance gate pillars, stone pigeon house, terraced gardens, &c. There is an old custom attached to this house, that it should never be without a mistletoe bough in the kitchen. When the new bough is put up at Christmas the old one is put into the oven and burnt, and the servants supplied with something hot to keep out the cold. Samuel Foote, the celebrated comedian, who was heir to the murdered baronet, resided here for about twelve months in great splendour, keeping a coach and six, &c. On one occasion his old school-