ACTON BEAUCHAMP. 9

James Sparrow, Esq., of Wolverhampton, is now lord of the manor and principal landowner. There is a loug list of ancient names attached to places in the parish, such as Yag-tree, Goddis Pit, Camp Coppice, the Yeld, the Croat, Ballets, Winthill, Pippin Hill, Puckhills, Orles, &c. The name Acton originally signified "The Oak Town." In Heming's "Cartulary," Hawkeridge, Scot's Path, Salter's Way, and Elfstau's Grove, are stated to have been the boundaries of Acton in the Saxon days.

At Redmarley Farm in this parish is an ancient farm-house, in the garden of which is a curious periodical spring, called "the roaring water," from the noise it makes when, at certain intervals, it bursts forth from the side of the hill. The cavity from which it bursts is called " Hunger Hole." Another curiosity formerly existed at Redmarley Farm, being no less than a " holy thorn," a scion from that at Glastonbury, which had the miraculous property of putting forth flowers at midnight of Christmas Eve. When the " old style" was changed to the new, the Iledmarley thorn, like that of Glastonbury, declined to recognize the change, and it was for so many years an attraction to aight-seers that at length the farmer destroyed it. But it was an evil hour for him, for soon afterwards he broke his leg and his arm, and the premises were burnt down. A similar thorn, 1 believe, may still be seen in the hedge of a garden at Cherry Green, Alfrick. Gardeners are now aware that late flowering varieties of trees may be produced whose peculiarity can be propagated by grafting; and doubtless some ingenious monk had found this out in the case of the Glastoubury thorn, said to have sprung from St. Joseph's staff.

Two centuries ago, when returns of church livings were made to Cromwell, the following was the report (abridged) for Acton Beauchamp : —" Rectory, endowed with all tithes, and hath glebe. No chapels annexed; nor any payments but the tenths, being 8s. a year. W. Berkeley, Esq., patron; Mr. George Fyncher preaching minister, who received the profits