Noake's Worcestershire Page 167

FLYFORD FLAVEL. 167

Flyford Flavel

PROPERLY Flavel Flyford - the latter being an additional name given to it from the brook, which also runs through Grafton Flyford - is situate nearly midway between Worcester and Alcester, and formerly belonged to the Abbot of Westminster, the Knights Templars having the woods hereabout for their property. Most of the lands in the parish afterwards fell to the Crown, but in the last century the Sheldons were lords of the manor and patrons of the living. Mr. Laslett is now the patron, and owns some cottages and land here, and has done much good in the parish by the erection of a school and house for a mistress, whom he supports from his own purse. There are about 173 inhabitants, whose pursuits are agricultural. No increase of the population seems to have taken place since the time of Elizabeth. There is a sulphur spring on one of the farms in the parish. Rev. H. J. Knight is rector; value of living, about £150, tithes commuted for glebe, and there is a rectory house, &c. Acreage of the parish under 700; church accommodation, 250. The church is an humble Perpendicular structure, containing nothing noteworthy beyond a round-headed doorway, a part of the ancient rood screen, a piscina in the nave, an octagonal font, a massive chest, with two half-lids, &c. Dr. Wakeman, who became prebendary of Exeter in 1616, was a native of this parish. The simple annals of the place record nothing else, except that in 1723 a great mortality here swept away eighteen lives, the usual average being but half-a-dozen; and that some years ago a swindler undertook to recast one of the church bells, and carried it off for that purpose, but was never more heard of. The scoundrel should have been excommunicated with bell, book, and candle.