In P. N. tax. the church of Covele, 9l. 6s. 8d. CCLV. CROMHALL, anciently CROMHAL, Is seven miles s. from Berkeley, and twenty-three from Gloucester, and contains 3000 acres of light soil on a bed of excellent lime stone, on the higher grounds, and a deep soil in the lower. The former is principally in tillage, and the latter in pasture, beside extensive woodlands in the park, and a considerable portion in orcharding. Before and after the conquest, Cromhall was a member of the great lordship of Berkeley. In 1148 Robert Lord Berkeley gave one part of it, which has since been called Cromhall Abbotts, to the monks of St. Augustine, in Bristol. They had free warren and a court leet in it, 1287, and continued in possession of this manor till the dissolution, when it was granted to the new see of Bristol, and still continues with it, but is in lease to Lord Ducie. CROMHALL LYGON, so called from the proprietor of it in the reign of Eliz. belonged to Sir John Berkeley in 1428, from whose family it went by purchase to the Ligons, of whose descendant, Richard Ligon, it was purchased by Sir Thomas Throckmorton, Bart.; his son, Sir William, sold it to Sir Horatio Veele, lord of Tylbury in the reign of James I. who resold it to Sir Robert Ducie, alderman of London, from whom it has descended to the present noble proprietors (175). The park is not entirely within this parish. It was enclosed by Sir William Ducie 1661, and is very well wooded, with an extensive piece of water in the middle. The vestiges of a perfect encampment still remain. The discovery of a tesselated pavement, proves that the Ro mans were once stationed there, but can hardly be allowed as proof that the Iter Antonini led through or near this place from Bath. A retired spot, called Anchorites' hill, supports the traditionary account of a hermit of the early ages having had a cell here; something like the ruins of which are now to be seen. Cromhall heath is a large uninclosed tract of land, to which this parish and Wickwar claim a right of common. Woodend house, is a handsome modern mansion, built by Daniel Matthews, Esq. about 1770. He was succeeded in this and other considerable estates by his son Joseph Daniel Matthews, Esq. who sold the house and some lands belonging to it, to Lord Ducie, the present proprietor ❝. Bibstone house is the property and present residence of Joseph D. Mat hews, Esq. 60 Heathend house, with the estates, were for many years the property of the family of Robins, and was sold by one his descendants to Mr. James Rudge, some time after whose death they were transferred to Thomas Webb, Esq. He died early in 1803, and the house is now the residence of his sister, Mrs. Dyer. Mr. Thomas Hickes was proprietor of a good house, called Court-house, and estate, near the church, in the beginning of last century, descended from an ancient family, of which, Sir Baptist Hickes, Lord Campden, and Sir William Hickes, of Beverston, were branches. He died in 1726, and by the death of two brothers, Mary, the surviving daughter, became heiress. She died in 1783, when the property came to Thomas Webb, Esq. and on his death to the family of Dyer. The higher parts of this parish are on a limestone rock; which diverges from this point as from a centre, to the south-east, as far as Sodbury, and to the south-west terminated by Aust Cliff. The lime made from it is peculiarly good and white, and in the interstices at various places, are veins of lead ore, and Sulphate of Strontian (310) (315) (287). The lower parts, and the whole district south of it, extending beyond Bristol, abound with coal (315) (296) &c. In this parish some mines were sunk at the expence of the late Lord Ducie, but soon discontinued on account of the frequently intervening strata of earth. The steam engine is now neglected and nearly in ruins. About the beginning of last century, there was in the park a large plantation of vines, which is said to have produced ten hogsheads of good wine in one year1. Twenty-one freeholders voted in 1776. Population, 360-316-550. Houses inhabited, 115. The benefice is a rectory, in Hawkesbury deapery, in the patronage of Oriel College, Oxford. Robert Penny, D. D. incumbent. The advowson was annexed to the manor for many generations, till Matthew, the first Lord Ducie, sold it to the present patrons in 1728. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, consists of a nave and south aisle, with a low embatteled tower on the north side, apparently of a more modern date than the other parts of the building. The effigies of a man cross legged, mentioned by Atkyns, and supposed to be one of the Ligons, was either built up in the wall, or hid from sight by the pews, when some reparations were made in the church in 1775. In P. N. tax. the church of Cromhale, 71. In the Kings books, 16l. 19s. 2d. CCLVI. DURSLEY, anciently DERSILEGE, Is a parish and market town, fifteen miles s. of Gloucester. It is in compass eight miles, of a soil light and gravelly, mostly in pasture, with 2000 acres of woodland. Under the ancient constitution of the borough, there was a chief officer, called Præpositus, who now receives the name of bailiff. His office was formerly to collect the King's rents, and now it is, to examine into weights and measures, nor does it appear that his authority extends farther. The first præpositus, in 1567, was James Smallwood, and the present is Isaac Danford, Gent. The market-house stands in the middle of the town; it was built of freestone about the year 1738, and has the statue of Queen Anne at the east end, and the arms of the lord of the manor in the front, who was at the sole expence of it. Thursday is the market-day, and the annual fairs are on the 6th of May, and 4th of December. The town itself is situated at the base of a steep hill, irregularly built, and not of great extent. Some of the houses are handsome and respectable, and others bear the characters of great antiquity, particularly one, which possibly might have belonged to the Webbs, alias Woolworth, or Wekys; one of the chambers is lined with oak wainscot, the arched roof framed with timber, and the beams highly carved and ornamented with a cypher, E. W. 1539. In Dr. Parson's MSS. it is said that the first charter for markets and fairs was granted in 1471, by Ed. IV. at the petition of William Lord Berkeley, and renewed in 1612, on the petition of Sir Thonias Estcourt, Knt. On the s. E. side of the church-yard, some springs rise out of the ground, like boiling water, in so copious a manner, as to drive a fulling mill at about a hundred yards dis tance below, and are never known to diminish in quantity. At their rise, they cover a fine level gravelly bottom, for about fifteen feet square, with nearly two feet of water, wherefore the inhabitants call it Broad Well; but farther back than the time of Hen. III. it was called Ewelme. This is a Saxon word, signifying the head of a spring; and it is conjectured that this remarkable water gave name to the town; for in British, dwr is water, and ley, lege, lega, are common terminations for pasture ground, particularly in elevated situations. In any way, this remarkable spring seems to have suggested the first idea of the name. There is a stone found here of a peculiar nature, called, by Leland, towfe stone, and by moderns, puff stone, or tophus. It lies in one entire bed or stratum, on which the workshops of Mr. Phelps are now built, and is so soft, as to be cut into pieces or blocks of any size or shape; but when it has been exposed some time in the sun and air, assumes an uncommon degree of hardness and durability. The walls of Berkeley castle, and in part the churches of Dursley and Cam, were built with this stone, and are suf ficient proofs of its power to resist the usual effects of weather and age. The extreme lightness of it renders it highly useful in the construction of vaulted cielings, to set between the ribs of springing arches. The high choir vault of Gloucester cathedral is said to be a fine specimen of it. On the top of the hill, near Nibley-park, is a place called the Hermitage, bleak and dreary, where, it is said, an anchorite thought proper to spend his days. The last mention of Heremite, or Hermitage, is in the court roll of Ham, in 8 Hen. VIII. In this and the adjacent parishes, the following fossils are to be found. Nautili, ammonoidæ, cochleæ, and be |