140 EDVIN LOACH.

towardes Avon makinge fertyle the syde of the hyll." Eckington was one of the many places where tobacco was grown in the seventeenth century. From the time of James the First's celebrated "counterblast," this was a greatly persecuted "weed;" still it continued to he extensively grown in Worcestershire—the abuse showered upon it probably giving an additional zest to its consumption. In 1659, William George, of Eckington, was indicted at Worcester County Sessions "for planting, setting, growing, making, and curing tobacco there," on 400 poles of land, and a fine of iŁ400 inflicted, the informer being William Harrison, of Pershore. Humphrey Tay and Richard Beddard, of Eckington, were similarly fined. This was under the Act 12 Charles II. Why should legislation interfere with the home cultivation of any article so extensively used?

Among the landowners are W. Hanford Flood, Esq.,' at the ancient Woollas Hall; J. Amery, Esq., of the Manor House; Messrs. W. Harris, Parish, Gibbs, &c. Numerous orchards and fruit gardens adorn this pretty village; hops are grown to some extent, and all the usual crops. The population are mainly agricultural, but glove-making is extensively carried on iu the cottages. A Baptist meeting-house is the only indication of Dissent.

Edvin Loach.

YEDEFEN LOGES is one of the ancient modes of spelling the name of this parish at the period when nobody dreamed of spelling the same thing twice in the same way. Loach, or Loges, was merely an affix, derived from the name of the resident family of the Loehes, who were here in the time of Edward I. The Mortimers owned the parish afterwards, then it belonged to