180 HALES OWEN.

and succeeding styles in it. Besides this there are in the parish the Leasowes - once the famed residence of Shenstone, the poet, but now occupied by Benjamin Gibbons, Esq.; also the ruins Of Hales Owen Abbey, about a mile from the town, where the ecclesiologist will find much to engage his attention in the remains of abbatial buildings scattered among those of a farm and homestead. An ancient barn and traces of the moat and fish-ponds are still existing.

There is a population of between 2,000 and 3,000 in Hales Owen proper, but then it has fifteen townships, the number of whose inhabitants is eight or ten times more than the above. The principal employment of the people is the making of iron nails, rivets, spades, shovels, horse-shoes, gas pipes, and some other hardware trades, which I regret to state are at present in a depressed condition. In a sanitary point of view the town may said to be in a "pickle." The Health of Towns Act has not been applied, but immediate steps ought to be taken to get rid of the nuisances, which are very numerous and offensive. Lord Lyttelton is lord of the manor, and the town is governed by bailiffs. Mr. Hayes is high-bailiff for the present year, and Mr. R. Trewolla low-bailiff. The court leets are held at the Shenstone Hotel, Mr. Marcy being steward of the manor. The chief landowners are Lord Lyttelton and Major Smith; the other proprietors are numerous, and not large.

Among the institutions of the place are: 1, a police force and station, with Mr. Miles Overend as superintendent; 2, a Saturday's market, well attended; a pleasure fair at Easter, and a " statute " for hiring servants in October; 3, a mother's meeting, weekly attendance averaging 80; 4, fortnightly penny readings, attendance averaging 500; 5, the Grammar School, which is regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners in 1864, whereby the master, who must be a graduate of an English University, is required to teach fifty boys, sons of inhabitants of the parish, in Latin and the rudiments of a good English education, which direction has