Our Ancient Parishes, or a Lecture on Quatford, Morville & Aston Eyre 800 Years Ago.; Delivered Before the Bridgnorth Society for the Promotion of R

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1859 Excerpt: ... rians of Scotland, was a Presbyterian minister. I have quoted the passage as giving his explanation of the matter and the generally received one, and also as enumerating the precautions which were allowed to be taken in favor of the accused. E. (Page 19 J HAYMENTS. QUATFORD CHURCHYARD. This old expression, "the hays," derived from the French word "les haies," "hedges," at a time when the country was not in such an enclosed state as at present, was the origin of the name " the Hay farm," in Eardington township, and is a common name for old enclosures in several parts of England and elsewhere. Thus "la Haye sainte" was the name of one of the leading positions on the field of Waterloo, and is celebrated as the spot where the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blucher met and congratulated one another on the evening of that glorious victory. The use of the word in the Quatford Endowment Deed reminds me also that I should not omit to notice that ancient custom peculiar to Quatford, (or certainly not a very common one, as I have never heard of it elsewhere,) called "Hayments," by which the wall round the church-yard, extending two hundred and seventy yards, is apportioned between the following nine properties in the parish, which are bound by immemorial usage to keep certain lengths of it in fixed repair, on the application of the churchwardens; the Careswell Charity estate; Daniel's mill; Mr. Pitman's estate, at Eardington, late Mr. Duppa's; Mrs. Oldbury's; Mr. Putter's; the Hay farm, now Mr. Walker's property; Lord Sudeley's farm, at the Knowle; Mr. Hudson's, at the Deanery; and Mr. Norton's, at Eardington. This word "Hayment," for a contribution for the purpose of keeping the wall of an enclosure in repair, is not found in general dictionaries; some persons have t...