Noake's Worcestershire Page 2

2 ABBERLEY.

and some other individuals, whom I know but shall not name, Walsh is more known by his connection with greater men than by any performance of his own. The Walsh family terminated in a heiress, who married a Bromley; and in their turn the Bromleys ended with a lady, of whom Mr. Moilliet purchased the estate, and built here a splendid mansion, but died before he could enjoy it. This house was accidentally destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt, and was for some time the seat of his son, J. Moilliet, Esq., recently High Sheriff for Worcestershire, but has been purchased of him by Joseph Jones, Esq. The lofty tower of the mansion overlooks a charming landscape, and from the hills in this parish, it is said, a dozen counties may be seen. The air is so pure and bracing that longevity follows aa a matter of course. In 1836 Mary Bagnall died here at the age of 102; and the late venerable rector, the Rev. F. Severne, was only the tenth incumbent since the beginning of Elizabeth's reign! He held the living for a period of some thirty-six years, and his father and grandfather for forty-eight years each. But the constitution of the Severne family might have had something to do with this, as two of his predecessors held the incumbency of Kyre for 102 years between them!

There are some odd old names still existing in the parish which that most painstaking antiquary, the late Mr. Allies, collected thus:- Cob's Hole, Upper and Lower Mogul Tree Bank, Start Piece, Little Warders, Ellbatch Orchard, Far and Near Ellbatch Band, Radge Coppice, Catterbatch Piece, The Dotch, Little Dotch, The Dots, Sallen's Field Orchard, Coldwell Rough, The Vinne, Vinne Orchard, Big Vinne, Little Vinne, and Great Viney. Some of the above names indicate the existence of vines here at a former period; and certain writers have supposed that the Romans planted vines in Britain. Tacitus intimates that the olive and the vine were deficient here; but it is clear from Bede and others that they were cultivated at a subsequent period, and perhaps were neglected only when the inhabitants found they could purchase