Chorus. Heigho, what will they do?
They're always finding something new."
It is, however, probable that the sculpture in question is intended, with the other heads and figures adorning the Hall, merely to represent some abstract idea, such as Justice, Punishment, Pain, &c.
THE PILLORY, &c.
When were the last known instances of bull-baiting and cock-fighting in Worcester, and when was the pillory last used? About forty years ago the present Lord Dundonald (then Lord Cochrane) was sentenced by Lord Ellenborough "to stand in and upon the pillory for the space of one hour." The public and the press were justly indignant at a distinguished and enterprising naval officer being sentenced to such an infamous punishment, and it was not carried into effect; the Legislature took up the matter, and in their zeal abolished the punishment of the pillory altogether.
THE MILWARD EVIDENCES.
Can you, sir, or any of your correspondents, inform me of the whereabout of the "Milward Evidences," which were used by Shaw and Nash in their histories of the counties of Worcester and Stafford. The heiress of the Milwards, of Wollescott, married Hungerford Oliver, Esq., whose descendants, till about fifteen or twenty years ago, resided at the family seat of Wollescott (which had been in the possession of the Milwards before the reign of Elizabeth), and since then they have gone down in the world, and probably these valuable Manuscripts are destroyed.—C. J. D.
Answer.—The Milward family possessed good landed possessions and resided at Wollescote (called Ousecote in Nash) in the reign of Henry VIII. The last of the family bearing the name was Thomas Milward, Esq., who died in 1784. By his wife, Prudence, daughter of Captain Oliver Dixon, of Dixon's Green, Dudley, he had four daughters, viz., Elizabeth and Ann Milward, who died unmarried; Prudence, the wife of Mr. Hungerford Oliver, who had issue—the late Edward Oliver, Esq., of Wollescote, and others; and Mary, the wife of John Foster, of Leicester Grange, county Warwick, Esq. (Sheriff of Worcestershire, 18th George III), who had issue one child, John Foster, of the Middle Temple, who died unmarried. Mr. Edward Oliver succeeded to the property of his grandfather and the papers referred to by your correspondent. Being afterwards in embarrassed circumstances, he left Wollescote and resided in a distant part of the kingdom for several years. The papers, in sacks, were left at tenants' cottages, and by removal, damp, and other causes, became gradually lessened, until about twenty years ago, after Mr. Oliver's return to Wollescote, when he was induced by a relative, Mr, J. H. Dixon, of Oldswinford, to look over the papers with him, and they retained such as possessed any topographical or family interest, made extracts from some, and destroyed the rest. Mr. Dixon, who has made topographical collections relative to Stourbridge, Dudley, and some other neighbouring places, possesses, I believe, the few Milward papers remaining.
CAST-IRON GRAVE SLABS.
A cast-iron slab may be seen on a grave in Himbleton church, having an inscription to Philip Fincher and his wife, who died, the former in 1660 and the latter in 1690. Is any earlier instance known of the use of cast-iron for such a purpose?—Answer. In Mr. Lowe's paper in the Sussex collections is a description of a cast-iron grave slab of the fourteenth century, existing in Burwash church. It has an ornamental cross, and inscription in relief, and is considered as unique for the style and period, being probably the oldest existing article of the kind produced by our foundries.