284 NORTON AND LENCHWICK.

taught, and those of the parents who cared at all for a due observance of the Sabbath went occasionally to neighbouring churches. The parish church was a disgrace to the district, and at one time was actually mortgaged to provide the means of erecting some wretched pews! The present rector is the Rev. H. L. Whatley; Earl Somers patron; value of living, £130; church accommodation, 200; free seats, 150; with a population of 131; acreage, 910. Originally the place belonged to the Church of Westminster, and afterwards fell to the Segrave, Coningsby, Sheldon, and Somers families. It is divided into very small farms, producing chiefly wheat, beans, and barley, agriculture being the sole employment. The Rector's farm is the largest, being only 151 acres. Under the present incumbency no doubt something will be done to remove the withering blight of long neglect from this little colony. The chief landowners are Mr. M. Curtler, Mr. S. Smith (Upton Snodsbury), the Rector, Mr. R. Cowley, and Mr. H. Cotterell.

Norton and Lenchwick.

NORTON, or North Town, lies north of Evesham, to the abbey of which place it belonged in the middle ages. It is a remarkably pretty village, picturesquely situated between two reaches of the Avon, but the extensive felling of timber for the construction of a railway through it, and for the purposes of high farming, has by no means enhanced its beauty. It has clean whitewashed cottages, having carved gables in some instances, is adorned with fertile gardens, and especially notable for negatives, having neither dissenting chapel, public-house, lawyer, nor doctor. How they manage without these ingredients of English society is unknown, but judging from exterior appearances the inhabitants are nothing the worse for the deprivation. Population