John Dymock Griffith,
John Harwood,
Thomas Archer, > Overseers, 1781.
William Hunt,
Joseph Robinson,
James Rollason,
John Holmes, > Constables, 1782.
Thomas Barrs,
Joseph Sheldon,
Charles Primer, > Church-wardens,
William Dickenson,
Edmund Tompkins,
Claud Johnson,
Nathaniel Lawrence,
Edward Homer, > Overseers, 1782.
Thomas Cock,
Samuel Stretch,
Joseph Townsend,
John Startin.
The presentation of St. Martin's was vested in the family of Birmingham, until the year 1537, since which it has passed through the Dudleys, the Crown, the Marrows, the Smiths, and now rests in the family of Tennant.
RECTORS.
| 1300 | Thomas de Hinckleigh. |
| 1304 | Stephen de Segrave. |
| 1304 | John de Ayleston. |
| 1336 | Robert de Shuteford. |
| 1349 | William de Seggeley. |
| 1354 | Thomas de Dumbleton. |
| 1369 | Hugh de Wolvesey. |
| 1396 | Thomas Darnall. |
| 1412 | William Thomas. |
| 1414 | Richard Slowther. |
| 1428 | John Waryn. |
| 1432 | William Hyde. |
| 1433 | John Armstrong. |
| 1433 | John Wardale. |
| 1436 | Henry Symon. |
| 1444 | Humphrey Jurdan. |
| 1504 | Richard Button. |
| 1536 | Richard Myddlemore. |
| 1544 | William Wrixam. |
| 1578 | Lucus Smith. |
| Thus far Dugdale. | |
| ---- | ------ Smith. |
| 1641 | Samuel Wills. |
| 1654 | ------ Slater. |
| 1660 | John Riland. |
| 1672 | Henry Grove. |
| ---- | William Daggett. |
| ---- | Thomas Tyrer. |
| 1732 | Richard Dovey. |
| 1771 | ------ Chase. |
| 1772 | John Parsons. |
| 1779 | William Hinton, D.D. |
| 1781 | Charles Curtis. |
During Cromwell's government, ---- Slater, a broken apothecary of this place, having been unsuccessful in curing the body, resolved to attempt curing the soul. He therefore, to repair his misfortunes, assumed the clerical character, and cast an eye on the rectory of St. Martin's; but he had many powerful opponents: among others were Jennens, an iron-master, possessor of Aston-furnace; Smallbroke, another wealthy inhabitant, and Sir Thomas Holt.
However, he with difficulty, triumphed over his enemies, stept into the pulpit, and held the rectory till the restoration.
Being determined, in his first sermon, to lash his enemies with the whip of those times, he told his people, "The Lord had carried him through many troubles; for he had passed, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, through the fiery furnace. And as the Lord had enabled the children of Israel to pass over the Red Sea, so he had assisted him in passing over the Small-brooks, and to overcome the strong Holts of sin and satan."
At the restoration, suspecting the approach of the proper officers to expel him from the Parsonage-house, he crept into a hiding-place under the stairs; but, being discovered, was drawn out by force, and the place ever after, bore the name of Slater's Hole.
John Riland succeeded him, who is celebrated for piety, learning, and a steady adherence to the interest of Charles the First; in whose cause he seems to have lost every thing he possessed, but his life. He was remarkable for compromising quarrels among his neighbours, often at an expence to himself; also for constantly carrying a charity box, to relieve the distress of others; and, though robbed of all himself, never thought he was poor, except when his box was empty.--He died in 1672, aged 53.