Noake's Worcestershire Page 231

KING'S NORTON. 231

Baroness Windsor, Mrs. Bailey, T. Lane, Esq., H. Gem, Esq., J. Baldwin, Esq., &c. The latter gentleman, who with many others have made honourable fortunes from the trade of the great midland metropolis, has recently purchased the New House Farm estate for £14,000. The Middleton Hall estate, late the property of the Attwood family, has been purchased by the Freehold Land Society. The lord of the manor is W. F. Taylor, Esq., late of Moseley Hall, but now of Doveridge Hall, Uttoxeter. The soil is mostly stiff, and clayey here and there; chiefly grazing land, but bears good wheat, beans, mangold wurzels, and swedes. Surface of the land richly undulating, and a fine open country, watered chiefly by the Rea, and several reservoirs of water belonging to the canal are conspicuous objects. Acreage of the parish, 3,800. Considerable manufactures are now carried on here, including Messrs. Ellis and Son's extensive German silver and metal-work, at Wichall Mill; Mr. Baldwin's paper mill, at the junction of the Birmingham and Stratford Canal; india-rubber works, at Lifford Mill; Messrs. Nettlefold and Chamberlain's screw factory; Messrs. Deakin's manufactory for gun-barrels and bayonets, &c.

As to the village itself, the centre is the green, a broad piece of grass land, surrounded by houses, several of which are picturesquely cross-timbered, and in one of these tradition says that Queen Elizabeth slept, in a certain journeying of hers; but good authorities say it was probably Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, who paid the place a visit on July 10th, 1643, according to Dugdale. This house adjoins the churchyard, and the fine old church and spire complete the picture. On the south side of the village is a house called "The Mass-house," which has a panelled room, with a richly carved Jacobean chimney-piece. (Was this house ever used for Roman Catholic worship, when the priests of that religion were proscribed?) There is a chimney-piece of similar date at the Navigation Inn. A new vicarage was completed in 1861, at a cost of £ 1,500, the site having been given by the