What was the origin of ordering military troops out of the city at times of assizes and sessions, and in what other places besides Worcester is the custom observed?

THE BLACK PEAR.

How many (if any) trees of the celebrated black pear of Worcester still remain in this city and suburbs?

KING CHARLES'S COINS.

Is there, in any private collection of coins in Worcester, one of King Charles's Worcester half-crowns or a specimen of the leaden halfpenny struck at the mint in this city?

HOPS.

Were hops cultivated in East Worcestershire? In many places in Beoley parish, hops are found growing in the hedgerows, and there is a large field there which is called "The Hop-garden." The year 1855 is believed to have produced a larger crop of hops than has ever been known (duty £398,635. 6s. 5-3/4d.). In 1801 the Worcester district paid a larger duty than had been on previous record, though far below the duty of 1855; and in 1826 the duty was higher than in 1801, being £269,331; or £129,304 less than in 1855. Can any one tell, by document or otherwise, what was the hop acreage in this district in the year 1801?

NEEDLE TRADE.

In what year was the needle trade introduced into Redditch, by whom, and where from?

MARINE STORE DEALERS.

What was the origin of applying the term "marine store dealers" to shopkeepers buying and selling old metal, &c.?

GROVES.

When was the practice of planting groves, or avenues of trees, as approaches to family mansions, commenced, and when and why abandoned? Nothing can speak more of grandeur or of ancestral dignity than these solemn avenues of trees—for instance, those of Spetchley, Cotheridge, &c. In Rome, no great house was formerly built without an avenue of trees, and Plato taught his scholars to love the groves of Academus almost as well as his philosophy.

CROMWELL PILLORIED.

On the key-stone of the arch of the Guildhall entrance-door is the figure of a man's head, having the expression of pain, and with his ears nailed back. Is there any ground for supposing that this was intended to represent Oliver Cromwell in the pillory, while the two Charleses stand in regal state on each side? I have heard the fag-end of an old song, of which the following is the burden:

It is, however, probable that the sculpture in question is intended, with the other heads and figures adorning the Hall, merely to represent some abstract idea, such as Justice, Punishment, Pain, &c.

THE PILLORY, &c.

When were the last known instances of bull-baiting and cock-fighting in Worcester, and when was the pillory last used? About forty years ago the present Lord Dundonald (then Lord Cochrane) was sentenced by Lord Ellenborough "to stand in and upon the pillory for the space of one hour." The public and the press were justly indignant at a distinguished and enterprising naval officer being sentenced to such an infamous punishment, and it was not carried into effect; the Legislature took up the matter, and in their zeal abolished the punishment of the pillory altogether.

THE MILWARD EVIDENCES.

Can you, sir, or any of your correspondents, inform me of the whereabout of the "Milward Evidences," which were used by Shaw and Nash in their histories of the counties of Worcester and Stafford. The heiress of the Milwards, of Wollescott, married Hungerford Oliver, Esq., whose descendants, till about fifteen or twenty years ago, resided at the family seat of Wollescott (which had been in the possession of the Milwards before the reign of Elizabeth), and since then they have gone down in the world, and probably these valuable Manuscripts are destroyed.—C. J. D.

Answer.—The Milward family possessed good landed possessions and resided at Wollescote (called Ousecote in Nash) in the reign of Henry VIII. The last of the family bearing the name was Thomas Milward, Esq., who died in 1784. By his wife, Prudence, daughter of Captain Oliver Dixon, of Dixon's Green, Dudley, he had four daughters, viz., Elizabeth and Ann Milward, who died unmarried; Prudence, the wife of Mr. Hungerford Oliver, who had issue—the late Edward Oliver, Esq., of Wollescote, and others; and Mary, the wife of John Foster, of Leicester Grange, county Warwick, Esq. (Sheriff of Worcestershire, 18th George III), who had issue one child, John Foster, of the Middle Temple, who died unmarried. Mr. Edward Oliver succeeded to the property of his grandfather and the papers referred to by your correspondent. Being afterwards in embarrassed circumstances, he left Wollescote and resided in a distant part of the kingdom for several years. The papers, in sacks, were left at tenants' cottages, and by removal, damp, and other causes, became gradually lessened, until about twenty years ago, after Mr. Oliver's return to Wollescote, when he was induced by a relative, Mr, J. H. Dixon, of Oldswinford, to look over the papers with him, and they retained such as possessed any topographical or family interest, made extracts from some, and destroyed the rest. Mr. Dixon, who has made topographical collections relative to Stourbridge, Dudley, and some other neighbouring places, possesses, I believe, the few Milward papers remaining.

CAST-IRON GRAVE SLABS.

A cast-iron slab may be seen on a grave in Himbleton church, having an inscription to Philip Fincher and his wife, who died, the former in 1660 and the latter in 1690. Is any earlier instance known of the use of cast-iron for such a purpose?—Answer. In Mr. Lowe's paper in the Sussex collections is a description of a cast-iron grave slab of the fourteenth century, existing in Burwash church. It has an ornamental cross, and inscription in relief, and is considered as unique for the style and period, being probably the oldest existing article of the kind produced by our foundries.

STEWPONEY.

Can any one supply a more probable origin of the odd name of the "Stewponey" inn, near Stourbridge, than the following: In ancient times there was probably a bridge over the Stour near Stourton Castle, and an inn would be necessary for the traffic passing over the bridge. This hostelry would be described in the Latin documents of the day as that by Stourbridge (Stour ponte), easily corrupted into "Stour pone" and "Stewponey." Or the word may be a corruption of the French Pont and the word Stour.

QUEEN ELIZABETH AT HARTLEBURY.

Is any inhabitant of Hartlebury enabled to give information respecting the tradition that when Queen Elizabeth visited Worcestershire she slept one night at a public-house, formerly called the "Dog" inn, Hartlebury, and that she left at that house one of her slippers as a pledge of her stay. She is said to have granted to the above inn some privilege—such as the exemption from taxes. About forty years ago the Dog inn was occupied by one Mr. Prince, and the slipper was then said to be preserved at the inn. It is now called "The Dealers'" inn, and is in the occupation of Mrs. Cole.

DR. PRATTINTON'S PAPERS.

I should be glad to ascertain whether the extensive and valuable collection of Worcestershire papers made by my late friend, Dr. Prattinton, of Bewdley, and bequeathed by him to the Antiquarian Society, have yet been arranged and indexed. J. H. D., Bark Hill, Bewdley.

THE PAGEANT HOUSE.

Can any one supply information as to the Pageant House, an ancient building which formerly existed in this city. Was it used for plays or trade pageants in connexion with the guilds? And was it on or near the site of the present Music Hall? An old document belonging to the Clothiers' Company describes it as "neer unto the Corn-market of the said city, adjoining on the south side to a house or tenement now in the occupation of Thomas Hill, blacksmith; on the east side to the town wall; on the north side to a house in the possession of John Oliver; and on the west side to the way that leadeth from Foregate to the said Corn-market."

CURIOUS DISCOVERY.

In removing the old church at Oldswinford a few years ago there was an unavoidable exposure of coffins and human remains, and in one of the coffins a lady was found full-dressed in ancient costume, and an enormous multitude of pins in her dress and lying strewed about. Was this connected with superstitious motives, or in what other way may the presence of the pins be accounted for?

THE HOLY LOAF.

In the Halesowen churchwardens' book (commencing temp. Edward IV), among other entries is one in the year 1499—"Item, for bred to the holy loffe for the township of Rommesley, 12d." In those days the elements for the sacrament were taken from the people's oblations of bread and wine, until at length wafers were substituted. It was the custom for every house in the parish to provide in turn the "holy loaf," and the good man or woman who provided it was specially remembered in the church's prayers that day. As the substitution of wafers generally took place in the twelfth century, is not the above one of the latest instances of the "holy loaf" on record?

A SOUNDING NAME.

Can any one throw light upon an inscription in Elmley Castle churchyard, which records the death of John Chapman, whose name, it is said, "sounds in (or throughout) the world?" The following is the inscription:

A correspondent observes—"Sir, I know the Elmley Castle epitaph that has astonished you, and I am rather surprised you havn't bottomed it. Why it's transparent as crystal, and is simply a verdant try-on at a pun. 'Nomen in orbe sonat,' says Mr. Chapman's epitaph—and right enough too; for what other name does so sound over the world as Chapman's? 'Dealer and Chapman' is the generic designation of the vendors of commodities from pole to pole, and so the mystery fadeth."

THE KING'S DUTY.

In the register of Besford parish is an entry of "King's duty paid for four christenings, 4s." In the Himbleton register there are traces of a similar tax, as follows:

I believe the duty on bachelors and widows, and on marriages, births, and burials, was imposed in 1695. In that year a charge is made in the parish books of St. Nicholas, Worcester, for the King's tax for burials. By the Act 6th and 7th William III, every clergyman was directed to keep an exact register of all persons married, buried, christened, or born in their respective parishes, under a penalty of £100 for every neglect. This regulation, however, was not properly attended to for ten years afterwards. By the 4th of Anne, chap. 12, sec. 10, it is mentioned that many of the clergy not being sufficiently apprised of the full import of the above Act, had incurred the penalties thereof, whereby they and their families remained exposed to ruin; the Legislature therefore directed that they should be indemnified from the consequences of such omissions provided the duty for every marriage, birth, or burial, should be really answered or paid, or notified and brought in charge to the collector of the duties. Can any one state how long this Act was in force, and when it was allowed to expire?

SCULPTURES ON CHURCHES.

At the churches of Leigh and Rouse Lench, above the doors, exteriorly, is in each case a niche containing a figure—one of the Saviour, and the other supposed to be of St. Peter. These examples of figures are of rare occurrence in consequence of the destruction of all such representations and images at the Reformation, and subsequently by the Puritans. Above the western window of St. John's church, Bromsgrove, are three figures of the full size of life, said to represent St. Peter, St. Paul, and the Blessed Virgin. They are in a good state of preservation, although they have no doubt been there 450 years, and very likely escaped mutilation at the Reformation from the great height they are from the ground; for the window is one of the highest, if not the highest, of all the western church windows in the county. On the south wall of Eastham church are two rudely carved bas-relievos, representing apparently the two signs of the zodiac, Leo and Sagittarius, and on the wall of the chancel arch, facing the nave, are two similar carvings—the one of the lamb and cross; and the other, two lions' bodies united in one head. It is said the church belonged to the Knights Templars, and hence these devices. The lamb and cross was one of the ensigns of that body, but how do the other devices apply? Are there any other similar relics in the county?

THE FIRST WORCESTER PRINTER.

John Oswen, of Worcester, who flourished about the middle of the sixteenth century, was appointed by Edward VI, the printer of all books for the service of the churches in Wales and the Marches, and he first printed the New Testament here. Mr. Eaton, of this city, has one of Oswen's books in his possession; it is entitled "The Godly sayings of the old auncient faithful fathers upon the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. Imprinted the xi day of Oct. 1550, at Worcester, by Jhon Oswen. They be also to sell at Shrewsbury." Are there any other specimens of his printing existing in this city? Oswen printed twenty-one books here.

KING CHARLES'S STAFF.

At the British ArchÆological Association's meeting in the Isle of Wight, August, 1865, it was stated, in a paper contributed by Mr. H. S. Cuming, that the gold-headed staff which Charles I leaned on during his trial, and the head of which breaking off suddenly, made a great impression on the King, as a bad omen, was in the possession of a lady residing at Worcester. In the "Gentlemen's Magazine" for January, 1846, the cane was said to be in the possession of Mr. Cooke, of Newclose, Isle of Wight. Which account is correct, or has the relic (like many others) miraculously multiplied? The writer would be glad to be informed if it is in Worcester, and where it may be seen.

GIANTS.

In the churchyard of Ripple is a gravestone bearing the following distich:

The individual buried here was Robert Reeve, who died in 1626, aged fifty-six. Tradition says that he was a giant (7ft. 4in. high), the length of his body being indicated by the distance between the head and foot stones of his grave; and it is said that he met with his death through over-exertion in mowing an acre of land one day in Uckingshall meadow. But there is a similar inscription in Welland churchyard, from which it would seem probable that it was a general one, intended as well for individuals under the standard height as for men of larger growth. Can any parish clerk inform me of similar inscriptions elsewhere? In Burford church, near Tenbury, is a monument to Edward Cornwall, with his picture in a shroud, painted on board. Tradition tells wonderful stories of his size and strength, and he is there represented as 7ft. 3in. long.

SAFFRON.

Dr. Nash, in his "Worcestershire," says that great quantities of wild saffron (Crocus sativus) grow in the parish of Kyre Wyard, south of Tenbury. If so, the naturalized plant must point out that saffron was formerly extensively cultivated at Kyre Wyard. Can any inhabitant of that vicinity say if the crocus, from which saffron was made, now grows to any extent in the parish, and if there is any tradition about the cultivation of saffron. Shakspeare alludes to "villanous saffron," which in his time so coloured silks, bread, and everything, that people became sick of it, and so it got out of fashion, and there was less demand for the drug. The Easter simnels, however, used to be made yellow with it to a late period, and perhaps some may be yet manufactured. In Cornwall there is still a taste for saffron cakes, as I observed this very year (1855) at Helstone, where I unexpectedly bought one. The crocus that produces saffron must not be confounded with the purple-flowered meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale), which is a very different plant. This last bears the name of "Naked Ladies," from the flowers springing from the ground without any investiture of leaves.—L.