"The good of ancient times let others state:
I think it fortunate we're born so late."
In the few sheets here collected, evidence is given of civil and religious strife, such as we are now happily exempt from; of coarse habits, and a reckless expenditure of public funds on gross sensuality; the primitive state of the highways and the miserable travelling consequent thereon; the infancy of science in almost every department, and the greater prevalence of disease; superstition pervading all classes; women flogged in public, and the gaol a very specimen of barbarism; the poor hunted out of their cottages in every parish like wild beasts, and nearly all descriptions of trade fettered by absurd restrictions; nonconformity persecuted, and constitutional liberty, as we now understand the term, unknown. Nor were the manners and customs of our ancestors much more desirable than our own, although there was a greater heartiness in them and apparently a more general mixing of classes. When Parry was searching for the north-west passage, a boat was one day sent on shore, under charge of a petty officer, who received, besides the usual instructions to keep a look-out for anything remarkable, a printed form, on which, under the heads of "Manners," and "Customs," to record what he saw among the natives. In due time the boat returned to the ship, the man delivered in his report; and an extraordinary one it was for pith and brevity, running thus:
| Manners | Customs |
| None at all. | Very beastly. |
That the same report might have been truthfully applied even to English society in the last and preceding centuries the following pages prove, and still more conclusively might the charge have been brought home had the author felt himself justified in printing in extenso some of the documents he has consulted, especially among the county rolls. Let us, however, not quarrel with our predecessors, but rightfully appreciate the blessings of advanced civilization by endeavouring, each one in his limited sphere, to inculcate contentment with our lot and an earnest desire to assist in the great work of human progress, both physical and moral.
In conclusion, the Author begs to offer his warm thanks to the patrons of this book (individually named in the dedication), without whose kind promises of support the work would not have been published; to Sir T. E. Winnington, Bart., M.P., for the inspection of many interesting manuscripts; to the clergy and churchwardens of the city, for their courtesy in permitting the examination of the registers and other parish books; to Mr. Carrington, barrister-at-law, for several valuable contributions and highly prized literary assistance; to Mr. Lewis, of the County Clerk of the Peace's office, for the trouble he so willingly incurred in displacing and re-arranging the Sessions' rolls; and lastly, to the general body of subscribers, who have so numerously signified their intention to take copies.
Index.
Abberley, [161], [240], [255], [289].
Abberton, [207], [297].
Abbot's Lench, [253].
Abbot's Morton, [177].
Abington's Manuscripts, [144].
Acton family, [264], [267], [270], [293], [315].
Acton Beauchamp, [159], [173].
Affiliations, [20], [42], [54].
All Fools' Day, [210].
All Saints' parish, [60], [222], [227].
Alfrick, [157], [173], [200], [204], [249], [289], [316].
Alvechurch, [102], [109], [132], [241], [253], [256], [271], [316].
Anabaptists, [117].
Ancient Inns, [258].
Archaic words, [251].
Areley, [202], [294].
Ascension Day, [208].
Assize notices, [273].
Astley, [80], [166], [246], [261], [289], [295], [310], [312], [313].
Astwood, [189].
Babes of Bethlehem, [205].
Badging paupers, [19], [41], [63], [68].
Badsey, [316].
Balls at Assizes, [279].
Baptisms, [176], [206].
Barneby family, [155].
Bearcroft family, [311], [315].
Bees, [179].
Belbroughton, [125], [182], [132], [254], [260], [310].
Bells, [17], [34], [47], [48], [52], [64], [177], [214], [240].
Beoley, [104], [126], [187], [132], [228], [253], [254], [316].
Berkeley family, [159], [160], [267], [293], [325].
Berrow, [253].
Besford, [234], [295].
Bewdley, [15], [75], [76], [100], [103], [125], [145], [150], [162], [173], [185], [198], [215], [232], [239], [245], [247], [253], [258], [264], [268], [301], [308], [318], [322], [328].
Birlingham, [125], [126], [315].
Birtsmorton, [203].
Bishampton, [101], [241], [272], [294], [314].
Bishop Skinner's Memoirs, [151].
Bishop Swinfield's Roll, [145].
Bishop Thornborough's monument, [287].
Black pear of Worcester, [228].
Blockley, [126], [272], [312], [315].
Bloody pond, [263].
Blount family, [120], [310].
Bockleton, [155], [315].
Brawling, [110], [118].
Bredicot, [297].
Bredon, [111], [126], [249], [256], [311], [313].
Bredon's Norton, [112].
Bretforton, [102], [199], [241].
Bricklehampton, [90], [316].
Bride ales, [218].
Bridges and highways, [130].
Broadheath, [64].
Broadwas, [208].
Broadway, [98], [238], [252], [266], [301], [312], [317].
Bromsgrove, [52], [65], [75], [84], [85], [100], [102], [106], [110], [113], [117], [124], [125], [198], [200], [132], [133], [235], [240], [260], [266], [268], [271], [289], [294], [296], [301], [305], [310], [312], [313], [316], [321].
Broughton Hackett, [203].
Burying in woollen, [26], [50].
Bushley, [295], [312].
Carriers, [101].
Cast-iron grave slabs, [231].
Castle Morton, [100], [129], [172], [290], [312].
Cathedral and precincts, [3], [9], [11], [12], [23], [25], [64], [96], [149], [152], [182], [196], [131], [142], [143], [206].
Catherning, [215].
Cattle market, old, [38].
Chaddesley, [106], [125], [126], [130], [182], [201], [217], [253], [255], [271], [290], [310], [312], [314].
Charlton family, [94].
Charms, [180].
Chaseley, [316].
Chimney money, [25], [28].
China trade, [254].
Christmas customs, [219].
Church and the people, [105].
Churchwardens of Worcester, [17], [26], [39], [45], [51], [56], [59], [62], [66], [69], [73].
Civil Wars, [10], [126], [318].
Claines, [70], [93], [271], [295], [311], [313].
Cleeve Prior, [316].
Clent, [196], [206], [240].
Clergy of seventeenth century, [108].
Clerks and sextons, [17], [259].
Clifton-on-Teme, [159], [161], [195], [137], [301].
Clothing trade, [305].
Club-men of Worcestershire, [324].
Cofton Hackett, [153], [132], [311].
Collins's fire, [60].
Comberton, [79], [127].
Communicants in 1548, [270].
Compositions to the king's household, [133].
Cookes family, [313].
Corn trade, [99].
Costume of the bar, [273].
Cotheridge, [229], [293], [315], [325].
Council of the Marches in Wales, [8], [15], [47].
County Sessions Records, [74] to [134].
Coventry family, [10], [18], [75], [87], [100], [122], [275].
Crabbing the parson, [206].
Crime, [82].
Cromwell pilloried, [229].
Cromwell's parliament, [292].
Cromwell's property tax, [264].
Croome, [75].
Cropthorne, [102].
Crowle, [188], [311].
Cuckolds, [84], [106].
Curfew, [214].
Cutnal Green, [181], [189].
Daylesford, [297].
Defford, [108].
Diary of Joyce Jeffries, [137].
Dineley family, [93], [135], [264], [310], [314], [323].
Dineley Manuscript, [135].
Dissenting meeting-houses, [124].
Distemper in cattle, [51], [103].
Doddenham, [289].
Dodderhill, [57], [125], [253], [312].
Doddingtree Hundred 200 years ago, [154].
Dogs and cats, slaughter of, [317].
Doverdale, [102], [297].
Dowdeswell family, [87], [122], [310].
Dressing a parson in 1627, [9].
Drinking healths, [210].
Droitwich, [11], [108], [115], [146], [203], [208], [243], [271], [289], [290], [294], [297], [301], [305], [308], [312], [313], [317], [321].
Dr. Prattinton's papers, [232].
Dudley, [75], [91], [100], [114], [125], [126], [171], [184], [185], [204], [231], [240], [267], [301], [319], [329].
Dunclent, [127].
Easter tokens, [16].
Eastham, [158], [236].
Echoes, [289].
Eckington, [245].
Edvin Loach, [159], [297].
Eldersfield, [265], [272], [314], [316].
Elmbridge, [291], [295], [310].
Elmley Castle, [142], [234], [266], [289].
Elmley Lovett, [79], [290], [312].
Evesham, [15], [75], [102], [126], [147], [196], [208], [238], [239], [248], [264], [272], [288], [293], [294], [301], [302], [305], [308], [319].
Excommunications, [32], [105].
Feckenham, [41], [75], [105], [118], [132], [148], [201], [242], [255], [258], [259], [313], [314].
Fees of Clerk of Peace in 1753, [76].
Female scolds, [106].
Fifth monarchy men, [116].
Figures, introduction of, [13].
Fishermen of St. Peter's parish, [40].
Fladbury, [102], [180], [240], [289], [295], [314].
Floods, [67], [239].
Flyford Flavel, [207].
Foley family, [92], [159], [264].
Foresters of Feckenham, [148].
Four children at a birth, [296].
Frankley, [266], [316], [328].
Funeral customs, [208].
Gaols, [37], [85].
Garden and butter markets, [38].
Ghosts, [187].
Giants, [237].
Gloucester city gates, [258].
Good Friday, [178].
Grafton, [124], [126], [241].
Graveyard punning, [265].
Grimley, [294].
Guy Faulx, [209].
Halesowen, [125], [200], [218], [233], [241].
Hallow, [253], [313].
Hampton Lovett, [271].
Hanbury, [15], [57], [102], [124], [147], [295], [311], [313].
Hanley Childe and William, [158].
Hanley Castle, [100], [104], [254], [310].
Hartlebury, [75], [125], [142], [154], [175], [180], [205], [210], [211], [232], [246], [248].
Harvington, [148], [215], [219].
Heaving, [211].
Hemp and flax, [102].
Henry the Eighth's obsequies, [5].
Hermitages and caves, [246].
Himbleton, [125], [231], [234], [241], [253].
Hindlip, [23].
Holt, [189], [256], [293], [295].
Holy loaf, [233].
Honeybourne, [102], [238].