possessed the manor and resided in the parish.— There is also an altar tomb, with the effigies of an ecclesiastic, under a Gothic arch, and a slab with an ancient French inscription, in memory of Adam de Tullesworth.

At EATON BRAY, two miles south-west from Tilsworth, there was anciently a castle, built by the Cantilupes, Barons of Bergavenny, in the year 1221, which was very injurious to the town of Dunstable. In 1513 the manor became the property of Sir Reginal Bray. There are at present no remains of the castle, nor of the mansion of the Brays. A house which was built on the site about a century ago, has lately been pulled down.

In the chancel of the parish Church, there is a monument, in memory of Jane, wife of Edmund Lord Bray, who died in the year 1558. In the south aisle, there are the remains of some stone work, richly carved and ornamented with the royal arms, and the arms and device of Sir Reginald Bray.

Journey from Bedford to Leighton Busard.

About five miles south-west from Bedford is WOOTON, a pleasant village in the hundred of Redbornstoke. The manor anciently belonged to the Beauchamps, barons of Bedford. At the beginning of the 17th century, it became the property of the Monoux family. Humphrey Monoux, of Wootton, was created a baronet in 1660. It is now the property of his descendant, Sir Philip Monoux, Bart. who resides at Sandy.

In the parish Church are several monuments in memory of the Monoux family, among which are those of all the baronets, and that of Lieutenant Monoux, who was killed in the action with the Duke of Monmouth's army in 1685; he was first buried at Chard in Somersetshire, and his body afterwards removed here.

The

The village of MARSTON MORTEYNE, in the hundred of Redbornstoke and deanery of Flitt, about two miles south-west from Wootton, had formerly a market on Tuesdays, and a fair at Lady Day, granted to John de Morteyne, lord of the manor, in the reign of Edward II.

The parish Church of Marston Morteyne, is a handsome Gothic building: the tower, which is square and massy, stands detached from it. In the chancel there is an altar tomb, with the effigies on a brass plate of Thomas Reynes, Esq. lord of this manor, who died in 1451, and his wife Alice.

In the parish Church of CRANFIELD, a village two miles westward from Marston Morteyne, there was anciently a gild or brotherhood, and lands given for a drinking, and for the maintenance of a lamp.

Eight miles south-west from Bedford, and about à mile and a half on the left of our road, is the pleasant village of Lidlington; where, occupying a farm of the Duke of Bedford, lives the rustic poet Batchelor, author of "Village Scenes." From various situations in this parish there are some remarkably beautiful prospects.

In the parish Church there is an ancient tomb in memory of one of the family of Goldingtons, who possessed the manor of Goldingtons in this parish, with his effigies in armour on a brass plate date is imperfect (143.

.)

The

In the parish Church of SALFORD, a small village, two miles on the west of our road, on the borders of Buckinghamshire, there are some ancient monuments of a family, who bore for their arms a plain chevron. One of them has the effigies of a crusader, with an angel at his head, and two lions at his feet, under an ogee arch, richly ornamented.

ASPLEY GUISE, in the hundred of Manshead and deanery of Flitt, about two miles north of Woburn, had formerly a market on Fridays; for which it had a charter granted to Anselm de Gyse, lord of the

manor

manor in 1267, with a fair at St. Botolph's tide. The market has been long disused, but it continues to be a populous village, and is very pleasantly situated.

In the parish Church, is the effigies in brass of one of the Guise family, in armour, a tomb of Sir Edwin Sadleir, the last baronet of that name, and an ancient altar tomb, with the effigies of a man in chain

armour.

Most of the writers on the topography of the county have ascribed to a small spring in this parish a petrifying quality, and not only the water, but the surrounding earth also, is reported to partake of the same property. We are informed by Camden that those who belonged to the monastery at Woburn, shewed a wooden ladder, which after lying some time in the earth was dug up all stone." Michael Drayton, poet laureat to James I. inserted the following lines on this subject in his PolyOlbion.

And

"The brook which on her bank doth boast that earth alone,.

Which noted of this isle converteth wood to stone, That little Aspley's Earth we anciently instile 'Mongst sundry other things, a wonder of our isle.'

At present no such spring is known to exist, and the story has grown into general discredit. Several pieces of petrified wood have indeed been found here, which took a very fine polish.

About a mile and a half east from Aspley Guise is REDGEMONT, a small village, in the hundred of Redbornstoke and deanery of Flitt. In ancient records this parish is called Rougment, i. e. the Red Hill, a name very appropriate to its situation, and the colour of the soil. There are three manors in this parish, the principal of which belonged to the abbot and convent of Woburn, and is at present the property of his grace the Duke of Bedford. Upon the manor of Segentoe cum Ridgemont, there was K

anciently

anciently a castle, which existed as late as the year 1276, and was then the seat of the Wahuls, who then possessed the manor.

BROGBOROUGH PARK, in this parish, is now the property of the Right Honourable Lady Frances Radcliff, relict of the late John Radcliff, Esq. The mansion house has been long neglected.

BICKERING'S PARK, belongs to Delmé Radcliff,

Esq.

There was formerly a church as SEGENHOE, which has been demolished.

In the parish Church of HUSBAND-CRAWLEY, a village about a mile south from Ridgemont, there is a handsome monument, with the effigies of a knight in armour, and his lady, under a canopy supported by Doric columns; it has no inscription, but there are the arms of the Thompson fainily, who were lords of the manor in the 17th century.

WOBURN,

Is a small market town, two miles south from Aspley Guise, in the hundred of Manshead, and deanery of Flitt, and situated on the great road from London to Manchester and Leeds. The present town has been chiefly built since the year 1754, when upwards of 100 houses were consumed by fire. It had previously in the year 1595 suffered severely by fire. A new market-house was finished in the year

1737.

According to the returns inade under the population act in 1801, Woburn then contained 277 houses, and 1563 inhabitants.

The market was granted in the year 1242, to the abbot of Woburn, to be held on Fridays. There are four annual fairs, January 1, March 23, July 13, and September 25.

In the year 1572 this place was visited by Queen Elizabeth; and on the 26th August, 1645, King Charles I. halted here on his route from Wales to

Oxford,

Oxford, and slept at the house of the Earl of Bedford, who was then in the service of the parliament.

The parish Church has been lately repaired; it contains several ancient monuments. The tower stands detached from the rest of the building, at the north-west corner.

Adjoining the church-yard is the Free School founded by Francis, Earl of Bedford, who died in 1582. In 1622 Francis Lord Russel gave a salary of 101. per annum to the master, which has been since increased to 1351.

There is an alms-house in this parish for 12 poor persons, founded by the Bedford family. It is endowed with 301. per annum.

An abbey of Cistercian monks was founded at Woburn, by Hugh de Bolebec, in the year 1145. In 1234 this monastery was broken up through poverty, and the monks dispersed into different convents till their debts were discharged. By subsequent benefactions, however, their revenues were so much improved that at the general dissolution of monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. they were estimated at 3911. 18s. 2d. The last abbot was hanged at Woburn for denying the king's supremacy. The site of the abbey was granted in the first year of Edward VI. with many other ecclesiastical estates, to John Lord Russel, afterwards Earl of Bedford, a gentleman who was honoured with several employments by Henry VIII. and it has ever since been the chiefseat of that noble family. There are no remains of the conventual buildings.

"On pulling down part of the abbey, in 1744, a corpse was found, with the flesh so firm as to bear cutting with a knife, though it must have been buried at least 200 years. Some time after, on pulling down part of one of the walls of the abbey church, a stone coffin was found, which consisted of several loose stones set in the ground, and a very large oblong

K 2

purbeck