Willenhall Church Register.

BY THE REV. G. H. FISHER, M.A.

(Continued.)

THE population of Willenhall would probably be over-estimated at 1500 in 1734, but assuming that number, we find the death-rate in that year more than 50 in a 1000! Ten years later, 1744, the burials were only 31. Twenty years still later, 1764, no more than 38 deaths are recorded.

It is extraordinary that no register of the burial of Dr. Wilkes is to be found. There is an entry in the nature of a memorandum which says

"Richard Wilkes, M.D., died March 20th, 1760, and was buried under his seat in Willenhall Chapel."

But this appears to be in the handwriting of the last incumbent, and is, we may suppose, intended to meet the strange omission which left unrecorded the death of a man of much eminence in his generation, and the rebuilder of the church. I may here state that he was sole commissioner for the allotment of the pews in the new structure: greatly to the detriment of the church, not a single sitting seems to have been left free! On this subject, and on the various attempts made to supply the poorer brethren with the blessings of congregational worship, I may hereafter write. It is always with a melancholy feeling that I turn over the pages. on which are inscribed the names of the departed. With those more remote, imagination deals, picturing their joys and cares, now alike extinguished and, perhaps, concluding that their unartificial existence, cast in a time of less rush and crush than ours, had as much real enjoyment and rational satisfaction as is now shared by those who have taken up the thread of life. True it is (and we may be thankful for it) that, as public diversions, low and brutal sports have almost passed away, but as a counterpoise to increased intelligence, we have terrible manifestations of the energy of evil in the sins and frauds, and villanies, from which the mask is so continually being torn in our courts of justice. The money-gauge appears to be the measure of our generation, and either to possess, or, by a demonstrative extravagance, to seem to possess, wealth, so as to bear the application of the touchstone of the terms, sets the world apparently on ron its course of vehement exaetion, and leads it to subordinate to its o

grand purpose the resources of nature and the discoveries of science. In simple times they lived who occupy their little spaces in the earliest pages of our Registers. In their day the telegraph had not made the world one great whispering gallery, nor had steam subdued earth and sea; and, because of this, our chattering, vaunting generation looks back upon them pityingly, and forgets that though trade and science moved in smaller circuits, there were also other agencies less prominent and presumptuous.

More than a quarter of a century's possession of these books makes memory to cast its light on entries which are comparatively recent, and when searching out some enquired-for name, I constantly find myself, with many a saddening feeling, taken back to dates marked by the last presence of

the departed, calling up varied scenes of suffering and sorrow, or stirring, it may be the memory of autogonisms over which the grave has long since closed.

In 1748 (a year in which the burials were only 19) this entry occurs— "April 21st. Moseley Williams, Scholar of Jesus College, Oxon, was buried.” Willenhall was then a pleasant hamlet, resorted to by those who, having thriven moderately by trade in less agreeable localities, found here a small, but somewhat genteel society. The Levesons, who whilst dwelling here furnished two sheriffs to the county, would stamp an air of superiority on the village, and there were other names of less note, but still of high respectability, to be found among its inhabitants. Possibly, when passing his Easter Vacation in one of the several good houses then occupied as private dwellings, the young Oxford scholar died. His is not a name markedly connected with the place, but there were families, as those of Wilkes, Sneyd, Hincks, Molineux, Marston, whose guest he might have been.

Coming down (many years over a space, in which, at times, the Registers are badly kept-baptisms and burials being found in the same page-this entry is made on the 3rd of August, 1813

-suffered at Stafford, on Saturday, the 28th instant, for stealing a Mare, the property of Mr. Kendrick, of Coven, in Brewood Parish."

This victim of a sanguinary code is described further as belonging to Barton-on-the-Hill, in the county of Worcester, but lately residing in this township." There is something appalling in such a retrospect as this. There was no sentiment in such a law as destroyed this man at the age of thirty-seven, beyond the sentiment of money or money's worth. No cruelty to the animal, no taking of its life, is part of the charge, but simply the thievish removal of a beast, worth perhaps £25, and for this the stealer suffered death by public execution. How the owner, and the jury, and the judge, and even the hangman, felt, is now mere speculation, but we may imagine that their refuge from any uneasy sensations about this vindication of the " majesty of the law" would be the formula, "it is the Law of the Land." How great the responsibility of law-makers! A widely different theory is that which now governs the repressive enactments of the legislature. From a hideous and revolting severity, we have passed to a leniency which makes our day the golden age of the Fifth Estate: (the Thieves.) We have a strange tendency to extremes, a tendency which sways even such assemblies as might be expected to have an exemption from it, or at lest some security against it, in their constituent diversity, and numbers. Had the stealer of a mare from Coven done his theft last spring, and duly had his trial in July, instead of being left to perish on the gallows in August, he would probably have been punished with two years imprisonment and hard labour. What this would have entailed will appear from the description given of such a sentence by the Earl of Carnarvon, who addressed the Hampshire magistrates assembled at the last Epiphany sessions at Winchester, in these terms

"There was in reality no "hard labour;" and then the dietary was open to objection. The open-air exercise was also carried to excess; in point of fact, the prison system

was almost entirely made up of recreation and relaxation, not only out of doors, but in doors. Quite recently there has been an extra allowance of pudding. By the old rules a prisoner was allowed a rug, a sheet, and a blanket, which latter, being large, could be doubled down. He is placed, remember, in a cell only 12-ft. by 8-ft. in width, which is warned by hot air, and which he himself has the power of ventilating as much as he pleases. You have now allowed him in the day-time an additional waistcoat, and at night an additional blanket, and not only that, but, in order to keep his feet off the asphalte floor, and save him from any draughts that may creep through the exceedingly well-fitting door of his cell, you have actually accommodated him with a footstool. Then, again, in order to provide for his amusement and instruction, I observe you have a very admirable library, one-half of which is composed of works of purely religious instruction and of a serious character, and the other half is made up of works of fiction and works of entertaining, interesting, instructive, and amusing knowledge,— such books as are certainly far beyond the reach of the poor. I find works on history, on ancient Egypt and Greece, treatises on modern astronomy and astro-theology, books of fiction, such as "Frank Leverton," and the "Dairyman's Daughter;" books of travels, such as "Dr. Livingstone's Travels in Africa; " and lastly, popular poems and prize essays. Now, I do not want to cut off from these unfortunate persons anything which I think may be fairly allowed them, or to make their existence more miserable than crime has made it; but I think it very questionable how far you should allow prisoners to withdraw from the library works of the description I have named, for the purpose of relieving the tedium of the prison, which, with the single exception of restraint on their personal liberty, now remains the only part of their punishment left; and thus to render their condition far better than the poor, bnt honest, labourer.

Changed times indeed for the disturbers of society! It is not a very elevating consideration that we are casting about in a speculative, adventurous fashion for a wholesome and common-sense method of dealing with our criminals.

Reverting to the Baptismal Registers I observe that most of the names now borne in Willenhall are to be found in the oldest books. There are two which I think are extinct,-both of them peculiar,-Riddio and Mavis. Two others are changed by pronunciation which now governs their spelling: Huntbatch has become Humpage, and Duncalf, Duncombe. An entry

in 1655 runs thus

Wil: Son of John and Sarah Barnes, of Goat-horn Hill, February 1st." Whether this, or Goldthorn Hill, be the corruption I leave for the decision of others.

The history of Taxation would be a curious chronicle. There are few things which that necessary evil of civilization has not touched. Baptisms and Burials, the beginning and the end of man's existence, have been amerced for governmental purposes. There are receipts in the books for sums paid to a collector at Wolverhampton, one of which I copy.

"Received Feb. 6th, 1795, of Mr. Edward Butler, Four Pounds Ten Shillings and Threepence, for Two Years Duty on Births and Burials for Willenhall.

WM. MITTON."

But not only was the fact of a man's birth and death brought under penalty by the Legislature, but the latter was made the object of further censure by being rendered arbitrarily expensive, as the following extract shows.

"Feb. 1763. Joyce Hill made oath that the body of Benjamin Stokes was buried in

a shroud of Sheep's Wool only, pursuant to an Act of Parliament in that case made and provided. Witness my hand. TITUS NEVE."

The Mother Church at Wolverhampton held the parental rein with much tightness, so that the Register of Marriage (for which no distinct book was provided) presents only two entries previously to 1839. In that year the disability to marry by Banns at Bilston and Willenhall was removed. Previously, even in the case of Marriage by License, permission was to be obtained from the Collegiate Church. Possibly other Marriages of which no record exists at Willenhall took place there, for I find a memorandum in Shaw's Staffordshire, in the "Appendix to Bilston," made by the then incumbent of that church, which runs thus―

"February 2, 1701. Mr. Edward Perry and Mrs. Mary Pipe were married by me in Willenhall Chapel, upon a license from Wolverhampton: they went immediately to live in Birmingham, in Warwickshire "

This is not one of the two Marriages mentioned as entered in the Register, and it must I suppose, if required, be looked for at Wolverhampton.

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The books in my custody were not exclusively devoted to their primary object. Adages, Aphorisms, Agreements and Prescriptions have found in them safe depositary. I give two extracts; the first, of some interest as presenting old names, is as follows

"August 7th, 1774. It was then agreed upon at a Vestry Meeting to allow ye Minister every year for ye Chapel Yard one Pound and one Shilling, in order to prevent Horses or any Cows being put into ye said Chapel Yard, And ye first payment to be made at Lady Day, 1775."

"THOS. HINCKS.

WM. WENMAN.

J. J. ALTREE.

Jos. HINCKS.

GEO. ROBERTS.

W. THOMAS.

SIMEON PEDLEY."

The second, is a Receipt inserted at a time when the Registers appear to have fallen into strange hands, and so were subservient to coarse uses; in fact were made to chronicle the various transactions of a farm. Many are the remedies for the diseases of cattle written, probably for parochial reference, in the books of the parish. If any malady be "medicabilis herbis," surely it must yield to a prescription which draws its potency from

so large a levy on the vegetable world as that now quoted. Here it is

"For the Murrain. Known by foaming at the mouth. It comes by Rankness of blood or Corruption of ye Air. Sometimes their faces or chaps will swell. First let all your Beasts blood, the sound as well as the sick, For the distemper is infectious; give ye sick some Rue, Featherfew, Sage, Hissop, Time, Marjeram, Marygolds, Fennill, Tansey, Lavender, and Spike: of each a small handfull. Boyl them all in Spring water, boyl them from a galon to a Quart. Then strain the Herbs forth and for every Beast put a pint of strong Ale to the juce, put some long pepper, anniseed, bay salt, and treacle, a few pease, some licorish powder and butter, pound all these together and put into juce of the Herbs, and of this give to the sick a full pint and to the well half as much."

The lay of the Clorld.

BY J. C. TILDESLEY.

HUGH MILLER tells an amusing story of a Scotch stonemason, who being commissioned by a sorrowing widower, to inscribe on his wife's tombstone, the words, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband," innocently substituted Five Shillings for the word " Crown," under the impression that the meaning was identical. I suppose this incident is recorded to shew the inconvenience of causing a single word to do double duty, by expressing more than one idea.

There is a two-fold meaning in the homely saying which heads this paper. Viewed in one sense, the Way of the World may be regarded as the path along which we mortals travel in our life-long pilgrimage. A way toilsome to the poor, wearying to the rich, unsatisfying to the ambitious, pleasant to the contented, dark to the ignorant, light to the wise, and very brief and changeful to us all.

A vague impression has got abroad somehow that the "Way of the World," as a sentiment, conveys consolation to suffering humanity. When we want to comfort sorrowing friends, how natural comes the exclamation, "Ah well! don't fret, it's the Way of the World, you know!" I am inclined to think en passant, that this is what my philosophical friend G.F.N.W. would call "Cold comfort."

What is the Way of the World?

Were I to refer you to the recent smash of the 'General Swindling and Respectable Roguery Company (Limited), late of Dupem Street, E.C., and unfolding its mysteries, disclose to you the forlorn creditors crushed by despair, and the managers elated to egotism by the success of their scheme, seeking health and pleasure (incog.) at a German Spa, I expect you would remark sagely "That's the Way of the World"-shouldn't you?

Some years ago, a book was published bearing the suggestive title,