12. ISLE OF RHEA, is the property of Mr. Cornelius Harris.

Thirty-one freeholders voted in 1776.

Population, 1000—1700—1211.

Houses inhab. 225.

The benefice is a curacy in Dursley deanery, endowed with 207. a year from the impropriation, and twice augniented. It was formerly a chapel to Wotton-underedge, and belonged to the abbey of Tewkesbury. The patronage and impropriation belong to Christ Church Coll. Oxford, and John Jortin, Esq. is lessee. Thomas Jones, clerk, is incumbent.

The church, dedicated to St. Martin, consists of a nave and south isle, with a low embatteled tower at the west end, and a small turret for a Saint's bell at the junction of the nave and chancel.

CCLXI. OLEPEN, OLDPEN, anciently OLEPEnne,

Is a small parish, three miles E. from Dursley, and fifteen s. from Gloucester. The soil is in general strong, adapted to pasture, and full of springs. It contains about

1100 acres.

The name seems to be made up of ole, or ulle, corrupted from uley, and pen, which signifies the head or top of any thing; that is, the top of uley, which is exactly descriptive of its situation. This is more probable than that the parish received its name from the proprietor, as Sir Robert

supposes.

The place does not occur in ancient records till 1311, when John de Olepenne, is mentioned in the Escheator's Inquisition, as having granted one messuage and a half to Edmond Basset, and again in 1325, the same person océ

eurs as a benefactor to St. Bartholomew's hospital in Gloucester, and a Bartholomew de Olepenne as a benefactor to the abbey of Gloucester. These were, at that time, lords of the manor, and their descendants continued so till it passed by marriage with the heiress of Robert Olepenne into the family of Daunt. He died 1522, and Thomas Daunt, Esq. was lord of the manor in 1608, and another of the same name in 1712. Thomas Daunt, Esq. is also the present proprietor of nearly all the parish.

This ancient family trace their pedigree as far back as the reign of Hen. VI. in an uninterrupted line.

The mansion-house adjoins the chapel-yard, and is built in the style of Eliz. with pointed pediments, and the windows projecting, and finished at top with battlements.

The mayor and corporation of Gloucester, as trustees for St. Bartholomew's hospital, are possessed of the estate called Schescombe, which was given by Henry de Olepenne to the brethren of the said hospital, in the reign of

Hen. III.

Two freeholders voted in 1776.

Population, 140-196-188. Houses, 35.

The benefice is a chapel annexed to Newington Bagpath.

The chapel is very small, and has a low wooden turret at the west end.

CCLXII. OZLEWORTH, anciently OSLEUUORDE,

Is a small parish, generally called Ozerley, two miles east from Wotton-under-edge, and eighteen south from Gloucester. It is situated on the verge of the hill district, chiefly in tillage, and environed with woods. It contains 1100 acres, of which half is in pasture.

Word, or Worth, as was before observed (225), implies the mansion or estate of some early Saxon proprietor.

This place was a berewick or member of the Lordship of Berkeley, at the time of the general survey. The manor was afterwards granted by the Berkeley family to the abbey at Bristol; but in 1411, it had been granted again to the abbey of Kingswood, which was possessed of it till the dissolution. The family of Pointz had before been mesne lords under the last-mentioned abbey, and obtained the grant of it from Hen. VIII. Nicholas Pointz sold it about the beginning of the reign of Eliz. to Sir Thomas Rivet, alderman of London, of whom it was purchased by Sir Gabriel Lowe, an alderman also of the same city. It continued in the Lowes till the middle of the last century, when it was purchased by James Clutterbuck, Esq. who died in 1776; and Lewis Clutterbuck, clerk, is lord of the manor, and proprietor of more than half of the parish.

In P. N. tax. "Abbas de Kyngeswood, habet apud Grang. quæ vocat. Ozleworth, septem caruc. terr. et valet caruc. duodecim solid.”

Newark-house was originally built by Sir Nicholas Pointz, out of the ruins of Kingswood abbey, but has been considerably improved by its successive proprietors, and is now the family residence of the Clutterbucks.

George Millar, Esq. has a good house, near the church, very finely situated, with a park, and considerable estate. Nash Croft is the property of the heirs of the late T. Chandler, Gent.

Five freeholders voted in 1776.

Population, 70-80-133. Houses inhabited, 22.

The benefice is a rectory in Dursley deanery, in the patronage of the lord of the manor, and Lewis Clutter

buck, M. A. is patron and incumbent. The advowson of this church was anciently given by Roger Lord Berkeley to the priory of Stanley St. Leonard; and when that became a cell to the abbey of Gloucester, the advowson came to the same abbey.

The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, consists of a nave and chancel. In the centre rises an octagon tower, (with small Saxon windows, divided into two compartments,) terminating in a pointed roof. The west side of the tower rests on a very singular Saxon arch, with chevron mouldings. The whole bears the marks of great antiquity, and may be ranked among the earliest specimens of church architecture in the county.

In P. N. tax. the portion of the priory of Stanley in the church of Osleworth, 6s. 8d.

In King's books (discharged) 67. 10s. 5d.

CCLXIII. SLIMBRIDGE, anciently HISLINBRUGE,

Is a parish containing 4000 acres, five miles from Berkeley, and eleven s. from Gloucester. It is bounded N. w. by the Severn, and consists of good pasture and meadow land, with some arable. A thousand acres, which are called the Dumballs, or more usually the New Grounds, were gained from the Severn some ages since, and were added to the Berkeley estates, on the plea that the Earl's manor extended to the middle of the river. To break the violence of the waves, and preserve the land from being washed away by floods and high tides, one of the Earls built a wall of large stones, firmly cramped together, and projecting a hundred yards into the river, in the parish of Frethern (176); yet strong as it appears to be, it has not been able altogether to withstand the amazing pressure of

the water when the spring tides run in, but is in many places ruinous. It is called the Hock Crib.

Slimbridge Wharfe, or Warthe, is a piece of rich pasture ground, lately inclosed, adjoining to the river, affording excellent food for sheep, but subject to the inundation of the tides, and now again wearing away with rapidity.

Slimbridge was, at the time of the survey, a member of the manor of Berkeley. It continued with the Berkeleys till, by marriage with Elizabeth, the only child of Thomas Lord Berkeley, it passed to Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, who died possessed of it 17 Hen. VI. His daughter, Margaret, Countess of Shrewsbury, died seized of this, and some other estates in the neighbourhood, 7 Edw. IV. By a fine levied of this manor, with others, to the use of Hen. VII. it came to the crown, and so continued till the death of Edward VI. when they reverted to Henry Lord Berkeley, the fifth in lineal descent from Maurice, brother to William Lord Berkeley, who had livery granted him 1 Mary; and from him the manor of Slimbridge descended to the present Earl of Berkeley (251). Most of the estates in this parish belong to the Earl, either directly in possession or in lease.

CAMBRIDGE is a hamlet in this parish, and receives its name from its situation on the Cam, which falls a little below into the Severn 64.

Roll's-court is an estate held by lease under the Earl of Berkeley, late the property of Mrs. Davies, now of the Rev. Mr. Davies, of Eastington.

Gossington-hall belonged to Capt. Jones, was sold by his co-heiresses to Mr. Pick, and from him passed, by purchase, to W. Cornock, Gent.

Hurst, Sages, Churchend, Moorend, Kingston, are names of places and farms.