lemnites. Likewise ostracites, mytili, and pinnæ marina; besides asteria columnaris, found in some running streams, but not in abundance.

Dursley gives the title of Viscount to the Earls of Berkeley, and the eldest son is stiled Lord Dursley.

Edward Fox, well known in history for the active part he took in promoting the divorce of Hen. VIII. from Queen Catherine, was a native of this town62.

The ditch of the old castle is still to be seen in an orchard at the N. w. end of the town, which is called the Castle Orchard.

The Conqueror gave three hides in Dersilege, being a member of the honour of Berkeley, to Roger de Berkeley, In this name it continued till the reign of Richard II. About which time the manor passed, by the marriage of Maud, daughter and surviving heiress of John de Berkeley, to Robert de Cantelupe, and by marriage with their daughter to Richard Chedder, from which name also it was transferred by marriage with the heiress to Thomas Wike, or Wekys, who died seized 1474. His fifth descendant in lineal succession, Robert Wekys, sold the manor to Richard Bude and his heirs, from whom it soon passed to Edmond Woolworth, alias Webb, whose son William sold it to Thomas Estcourt, Esq. from whom it descended to Sir Thomas Estcourt, Knt. and on his death, in 1625, to Walter Estcourt, of Lasborough, Esq. who was succeeded by Thomas Estcourt, Esq. of Shipton Moigne. He dying unmarried, was succeeded by his brother, Edmond, of Burton-hill, near Malmsbury, co. Wilts, Esq. who dying without issue male, bequeathed his property to Thomas Estcourt, Esq. (second son of the late Matt. Estcourt, Esq. of Cam) who is the present lord of the manor, and resides at Estcourt-house, near Tetbury(172),

King's-hill-house is the property and residence of Mrs. Purnell, relict of Thomas Purnell Purnell, Esq. who died in December, 1801.

WOODMANCOTE is a tything and hamlet, adjoining borough, and an ancient manor, of which Otto was possessor at the general survey. It afterwards came into the Swyneburne family, from them to Thomas Lord Berkeley, and continued with his descendants till sold by John Berkeley to Richard Lambert, a merchant, of London, 1567. In 1670, it was transferred by purchase from William Luden and Elizabeth his wife, sister of Arthur Bromwick, Esq. to John Arundell. In 1762, it was sold by the co-heirs of John Arundell, Gent. to John de la Field Phelps, Esq. the father of John de la Field Phelps, Esq. the present lord of the manor.

The homage paid twice a year to the court at Berkeley, is a thong of blue leather, tagged with ten at each end.

The clothing manufacture is carried on here to a large extent, and with every advantage of modern machinery-6. The principal works belong to Messrs. John (264) and Edward Wallington, William Phelps, and Mr. Tippetts. New Mills is a good house, belonging to William Pur. nell, Esq. (184).

Fifty-eight freeholders voted in 1776.

Population, 2500-2000-2379. Houses inhabited,

460.

The benefice is a rectory, in the deanery to which it gives name, anciently charged with the payment of 17. 6s. 8d. to the priory of Stanley St. Leonard, and in the patronage of the abbot of Gloucester, who, in 1475, at the instance of John Carpenter, Bishop of Worcester, exchanged this rectory for the Archdeacon's house in Glou

cester, to which dignity it was then appropriated, and has continued annexed ever since. James Webster, LL. B. is the present archdeacon and rector of Dursley. The church, dedicated to St. James, consists of a spacious nave, two aisles, a tower of modern Gothic, and a very handsome portal. The arms of Berkeley and Fitz Alan, and the device of Thomas Tanner, are carved on the timber frame roof. The latter erected a chapel at the south end of the aisle for chantry, and the figure of a skeleton beneath a canopy is intended as a memorial for him. The south aisle probably owed a great deal of its external embellishments to him, which is in the best stile of that period. The old spire fell in 1699, while the bells were ringing, and many lives were lost. It was re-built and finished in 1709, at the expence of 1000l. The chancel was also re-erected in 1738, and neatly fitted up. On the end of the nave is a saint's bell turret.

In P. N. taxation the church of Durselege is valued at el. 13s. 4d. In King's books, 10l. 14s. 6žd.

CCLVII. KINGSCOTE, anciently CHINGESCOTE, Is distant five miles N. w. from Tetbury, and sixteen s. from Gloucester. It contains 1300 acres of a light stonebrash soil, chiefly in tillage and woodland. There are several deep valleys, whose acclivities are covered with beech, which grows with great luxuriance on this whole extensive range of hills. The termination of the name is evidently descriptive of its being overgrown with wood in ancient days.

This manor, at the time of the general survey, was a member of the lordship of Berkeley. It was given to Roger de Berkeley by the Conqueror, and afterwards taken

from another Roger of the same name, and given to Robert Fitzharding, who soon after gave it to Nigel de Kingescote, to be holden of him by half a knight's fee, on marriage with his daughter Aldena. They left two sons, Adam and Robert, the latter of whom, on failure of issue in the elder branch, succeeded to the estate. The manor was confirmed to his son Nigell by Robert Lord Berkeley, in the reign of Richard, who dying without issue, left Richard, his younger brother, his heir. He was succeeded by Nigell, who died 1319, and was father of William, father of Nicholas, father of William, father of John, who died in the life-time of his father, leaving his son William a minor, father of William, who died 1525, and was father of William, who died 1541, who was father of William, who died 1583, leaving Christopher his heir, who died in 1608, leaving his son Anthony, on whose death in 1654, Abraham his son succeeded, and in 1670 left William Kingscote, Esq. who died 1706. William his son died in 1731, and was succeeded by Nigell, on whose death without issue in 1773, this manor and family estates devolved to his nephew, Robert Kingscote, Esq. (son of Robert Fitzharding, K. brother of the said Nigell,) who is now lord of the manor, and twenty-first possessor from the original grantee, Nigel de Kingescote.

The ancient manor-house, which has been the residence of the family nearly 700 years, has been much modernized and improved.

PLACES.-1. Binley. 2. Hazlecote. 3. Smith's Shop, or Hunter's Hall, which is a commodious inn on the turnpike-road from Gloucester to Bath.

This place was probably the scene of military transactions. Some discoveries of coins, fragments of tesselated pavement, and other antiquities are said to have been dis

covered in a field called the Chestles, but tradition gives no account of any place where they were deposited.

In this neighbourhood are quarries of stone full of petrifactions, and when polished, not unlike the Derbyshire marble.

Two freeholders voted in 1776.

Population 180-134-171. Houses inhabited, 47.

The living is a portion of Beverstone rectory, to which it is annexed as a chapel, but exercising all the rights which belong to a parish.

The chapel is a small building, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, having a nave only, and a low embattelled

tower.

The cenotaph of the Kingscote family is a triangular pyramidal structure, on the bases of which are three marble tables, with momumental inscriptions.

CCLVIII. NEWINGTON BAGPATH, anciently

NEWENTON,

Is a small parish, four miles east from Wotton-underEdge, and seventeen south from Gloucester. The soil is stone-brash, and extends over 1600 acres, applied nearly in equal proportions to arable and pasture.

Atkyns is probably mistaken in his assertion, that this manor was held of the honour of Hereford, as it was a member of the Lordship of Berkeley before the conquest, and has continued to be so ever since. Soon after the reign of Rich. II. it passed from the Berkeleys, as immediate possessors, to the Wekys, descended from an heiress of that family (256). Robert Wekys, a descendant, sold it in the reign of Elizabeth, probably to Sir Thomas Low, as he was lord of the manor in 1608. Edward Webb,