T Tenbury and Burford. HE town of Tenbury, which is in the hundred of Hereford, has been from time immemorial denominated "the town in the orchard," which is a correct description, as there are few fields in the parish that do not contain apple or pear trees, more or less. It is beautifully seated in the midst of verdure, watered by the river Teme, a prolific trout stream, which, in its winding course to join old Severn, delights for many a mile the eye of the traveller from Worcester, and reminds him of a lovely but coquettish maiden taking her course among whole groups of adoring lovers, in the shape of osiers, which have assembled on the banks, and do her idolatrous homage as she passes by. There are few antiquities in the town itself, and the church (which is dedicated to St. Mary) is the only object of much interest to the antiquary. In Doomsday Book it appears that the abbey of Cormelia, in the diocese of Lisieux, Normandy, had possessions at Tametdebery, in Worcestershire. The advowson of Tenbury belonged to the prior and monastery of Shene, Richmond, in Surrey, from 1414 to 1543 (though Nash states that this parsonage and land were anciently annexed to the priory of Malvern). At this time Henry the Eighth having dissolved the priory of Shene, on July 14th, 1543, granted to Richard Andrews and Nicholas Temple the advowson of Tenbury, with the chapels of Rochford and Laysters, who, fourteen days afterwards, sold them to Thomas Acton, Esq., of Sutton Park, who had rented the tithes of the vicarage of Tenbury from the monks at Shene, for twenty-seven years previous to this time. This Thomas Acton died January 2nd, 1546 (as appears by a monument in Tenbury Church), having an only child, Joyce, who married Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, in Warwickshire, and thus took to him the advowson of Tenbury, with the chapels of Rochford and Laysters, and Sutton Park estate. It was this Sir Thomas Lucy who prosecuted Shakspeare for deer stealing, and who was the original of his “Justice Shallow." By deed, dated September 1, 1557, the advowson of the chapel of" Lastres," and the great tithes thereto belonging, were sold to Thomas Acton, Esq., of Bockleton. The advowson of Tenbury cum Rochford continued in the possession of the Lucy family till 1716, when it was purchased for the Rev. William Read, by his trustees, and Mr. Read was instituted to the vicarage of Tenbury in 1718. He married Miss Sarah Hill, of Court of Hill, and had several children, the youngest of whom, Lucy, married clandestinely, at Corely, Salop, Mr. Lawrence, the father of the celebrated Sir Thomas Lawrence. Mr. Read's family held the living till 1762, when Thomas Hill, Esq., purchased it, and he, his heirs and descendants, held it till May 21, 1823, when the advowson was purchased by the Rev. George Hall (the late vicar), who died June 27, 1845. His executrixes (the Misses Wilkinson, to whom the advowson now belongs) have presented the Rev. John Morgan to the vicarage of Tenbury, and the Rev. Edmund Herring to the rectory of Rochford, the two livings having been separated by an order of the Privy Council on April 3rd, 1843, under the act of 1 and 2 Victoria, chap. 106. The church is almost entirely a modern structure, consisting of chancel, nave, and aisles; the tower and chancel being the only remaining portions of the old church, which was thrown down by a flood on the 17th November, 1770. This flood was occasioned through digging a deep grave near the foot of one of the pillars supporting the roof between the nave and the south aisle, and the water which percolated through undermined the column; the nave and aisle were thrown down, the windows broken, the monuments much injured, and the organ was destroyed. The inhabitants, however, being musically inclined, determined on having a substitute for the organ, and accordingly purchased a drum (the one recently belonging to the Tenbury band), together with horns and clarionets; but about thirty years ago the drum was removed, it being considered somewhat out of place. In 1777 the church was repewed by the churchwardens, and the sittings were sold to the proprietors of property in the parish to repay the expense thereof. In 1843 a new gallery was erected at the west end, chiefly at the expense of S. H. Godson, Esq., the proceeds of the spa discovered on his premises, and an excellent organ was given by Mrs. Godson to be placed therein. The most ancient monument is in the north wall of the chancel. It is a small recumbent figure of a knight, two feet eight inches in length; he is represented as clad in a suit of chain mail, with a surcoat, which reaches to the middle of the leg, a sword on the left side, the legs crossed, a talbot at his feet, and holding a heart between his hands; the face has been broken off. It is placed on a raised tomb, three feet in length, within a canopy, which is eight feet high. Some have supposed this to be one of the Knights Templar, others (and this is the more general opinion) that it was the son of Sir John Sturmy, of Sutton, who followed his father to the Crusades, and died during his minority. At the east end of the church are two recumbent figures of a gentleman and lady, enclosed by the seats, and placed immediately under a monumental tablet on the wall, which bears the arms and crest of the Actons, and on the tablet is an inscription to the memory of Thomas Acton, of Sutton, Esquire (before mentioned), and Mary, his wife. There is another monument which was broken when the church fell, in 1770, and the remains of it are walled into the south wall of the church it is said to have been in memory of a knight named Sturmy. The legs are broken off just below the knees, but from what remains of the figure it appears to have been of gigantic proportions. There is a handsome monument of white marble in the chancel to the memory of W. Godson, Esq., his wife, and children. It was erected about seven years ago. It is to be regretted that there is no chapel of ease in the parish, for it contains a population of about 1800, many of whom have three or four miles to go to church. In the hamlet of Sutton are the remains of a Roman Catholic chapel which belonged to the Acton family, the then proprietors of Sutton Park, supposed to have been built by them for the accommodation of their family and dependants. The following list of the charities of Tenbury has been kindly handed to me. In 1753 one Edward Bangham, of St. Andrew's, Holborn, whose native place was Tenbury, left by will 40s. worth of bread a year to be given to the poor, but it was withheld for many years (see tablet in the church), until the interest and compound interest amounted to sufficient to purchase £325 in three per cent. consols, the interest of which is given to the poor, with other charities, at Christmas, and the 40s. worth of bread is also given. The money is received from Lord Rodney's Berrington estate. In the above year (1753) one John Turner, of Hampton Court, left by will £100 to Tenbury and £100 to Rochford, to be put out to interest, to be yearly given to the poor. The money was vested as a rent charge on an estate in Rochford of £7 per year; £3. 10s. is received and given to the poor at Christmas, with other moneys. There is an old building called the Almshouse, at Oldwood, one mile from Tenbury, with two pieces of land, the rent of which is given, along with other moneys, at Christmas. Mrs. Mary Noxen left £25, the interest to be given to the poor, and which is given with the above. Twelve shillings per year is received from Haresbrook Farm; the giver not known, but the land it is received from is called Ball's Acre. These are all the charities received by the churchwardens. The schools are at present pretty full, there being a good attendance both on Sundays and week days. The Rev. John Morgan is the present incumbent of the living (value, with Rochford, £1200). Curate, Rev. J. H. Davies. Clerk, Mr. Merrick. Organist, Miss Lloyd. Population of Tenbury, 1849; Rochford, 227. Burford church, which is within a few minutes' walk of Tenbury, possesses many points of interest; it is a plain erection, consisting of nave, chancel, and western tower. Some have supposed that the walls of the chancel are Anglo-Saxon, from the headways of two old doors which are not formed on the principle of an arch, but square headed, with a stone cross, as the architects would say, "jigged in." The chancel arch, now in the Decorated style, to correspond with the windows of the chancel, was rebuilt two and a half years ago. The old chancel arch was in so dilapidated a state as to be dangerous, and it was considered to have been coeval with the chancel walls. The windows in the chancel are Decorated insertions. The west end, and western arch, which is lamentably disfigured with lath and plaster, are Perpendicular. There is here a very perfect piscina, and some encaustic tiles within the communion rails which had been dug up from under the altar; the rest were made by Messrs. Chamberlain, of Worcester. The sedilia were also dug out (by the direction of the Rev. J. W. Joyce, the present incumbent) from beneath a tomb where they had been built in. The font is an excellent and a perfect specimen of the Perpendicular style. On the wall north of the communion table is a breadth of wood panelling, inclosed with folding doors, containing some monumental paintings of the date of 1587. The doors are divided into compartments, on which are represented the Twelve Apostles; and on the interior are paintings, nearly the size of life, of Richard Cornewall and Jenet his wife, who died in 1568 and 1547; and whose son Thomas raised the monument to their memory. Above these is a representation of the Heavenly Host, and in a narrower panelling underneath is the recumbent painted figure of Edmund Cornewall, in his shroud. This was the baron of Burford, and lord paramount of Tenbury, who bought the manor of Tenbury (temp. Henry VI.) from Mr. Hall, of Henwick. The figure is upwards of 7 feet in length; and tradition speaks of his prowess and virtues in such a manner as to make one almost believe that he must have been a second "admirable Crichton." There is also a monument, with an inscription, setting forth that Edmund Cornewall died at Cologne, and that his heart was inclosed in lead and sent to Burford to be buried. Underneath a canopy at the base of the |