There generally dies in the parish of Mirfield one person in 70 annually, as appears by an accurate calculation, about one marriage per annum among 100 persons.

The number of christenings generally is double to the burials in the year, the congregation at Church (which is made up mostly of the male kind, there being generally nine men to a woman) is much smaller in winter than the summer season, and especially in the forenoons.

Hay seeds were sold in 1756 for 1/6 and 2/- the sack. Rape dust at 2/6 a quarter in 1757.

1755.-Agriculture in Mirfield.

Tillage is ye most ancient and honourable employment in ye world. The soil being of very different natures, produces all sorts of grain. Wheat and rye called hard corn are sown in great plenty, barley, oats of various sorts, peas, beans, vetches, rapes, and turnips, with wolds for ye dyers are frequently sown in Mirfield. Clover was introduced into this parish about 60 years ago, and turnips for the feeding of cattle began to be sown in fields much later, and are great improvers of land; another good piece of husbandry here is ye draining of wet lands, and turning the water over ye dry ground designed for hay or pasture; in ye winter and spring time some sour marshy grounds are made arable by spading the turf from the surface and then burning it in heaps; this is called pairing or burning, and generally yields a plentiful crop of wheat or rapes ye first year without any other manure than ye turf ashes.

For stiff lands there is no better manure than lime and coal ashes, this is looked on to be an excellent compost, better mixed than laid on separately.

We have very little common field land. The advantages arising from inclosures have been long experienced in this parish. The fence is white thorn, and thrives greatly with us, being often cut and kept in repair.

The other manure that we improve land with besides cow and horse dung, lime and cold ashes, is soot, soap ashes, and rape dust, but these last are used only by a few persons in this place, and that but seldom.

The room next to the garden at Castle Hall is ceiled over the top, with ancient plaster work representing variety of figures, viz.:-fir cones, acorns, flower de luces, roses, etc., with the Beaumont's paternal coat of arms (about the centre) quartered with another, charged with rabbits or coneys, but to what family these belong I know not.

I have since found by an MSS. in ye possession of my good friend Richard Frank of Campsall, Esqre., F.S.A., that the Turtons of Smallhaigh and Millhouse in ye parish of Penistone,

had for their arms A 3 Conies sejant S. (Sejant in heraldry means upright.)

Northorpe Hall was rebuilt by Josiah Sheard, Tenant, in 1701, as appears by the figures covered over the door; here are in the windows some curious remains of painted glass, viz: Christ's presentation in the temple, with a venerable old man representing Moses, etc. The house adjoining this ancient building was rebuilt by Edward Thomas, as appears by these letters and figures over ye chimney piece, in ye kitchen, E. T., 1704.

Mirfield is divided into six hamlets, each of which has a viacurus or surveyor of the highways, annually chosen by the Parish, A.D. 1755.

Towngate Hamlet.

The church parsonage and vicarage stand in this hamlet; an old studded building near the church called Castle Hall, built in 1022-1066, with a Danish Mount behind the house; Upperhall the property of Mr. Richard Shepley, who rebuilt it. The streets, lanes, and highways in Towngate:-Kimlane, Dunbottle, High Lane, Church Lane, Cross Green Lane, etc. Here are four public houses, viz:-The Pack Horse, Eight Bells, and the Horns, two blacksmiths, and two shops for groceries.

Lee Green Hamlet.

This hamlet contains Lee Green, Little London, Moorside to Foxroid, Gibhole, Wellhouse, Matchcroft, Nickhouse, and Greenside.

Ways to be mentioned are the great highroad over Mirfield Moor to Robert-town nr. Dewyard Lane, Wood Lane, and the Lane between that and Matchcroft, Water Royd Lane, etc. Here are 3 public houses, viz.:--The Three Rungs, The Swan, and the Red Lion. Three Butchers' Shops, two Grocers, and a Moravian Meeting House, with a Workhouse for the poor.

Northorpe Hamlet.

Northorp, an old house which has been rebuilt, contains some curious remains of painted glass in the windows, and is still called Northorp Hall.

Shillbank, here are some good modern buildings, near which is the late Dr. Bolderstone's, etc. Northbar, Crossley, Field Head, Pate Lane, etc.

The roads are that leading to Nickhouse, Shill Bank Lane, that from Crossley, Dall Lane, Gill Lane, etc. Akeroid Lane is only a Bridle Lane, and not repaired by any public.

Ravensthorp Lane is maintained by the parish, here are two ale-houses, a bowling green, a blacksmith's shop, and one for coffee and tea. There's a saddler's shop in Shillbank Lane, and an attorney's office. The alehouses are the Hare and Hounds and the Cock.

Y.N.Q.

N

Easthorp Hamlet.

The Low Mill, Blake Hall, a handsome new building, the property of William Turner, Esq. Easthorpe Lane, consisting of Water Hall, an ancient studded building. Flash House, another old fabric, and several modern ones. Fold Head, Legard Mill, Littlemoor, Snakehill, and Eastcliffe Bank, Knowl Lane, Knowl School, and Knowl. The ways are the great Low Road, Knowl Lane, etc. Here are three alehouses, viz:— The Black Bull, ye Horse and Jockey, and the Cock; two corn and fulling mills, two grocers and drapers, an apothecary, the free school, and around the entrenchment vulgarly called Kirkstead by it. Easthorpe, Villa arabilis.

Far Side Moor Hamlet.

Nabstocks Bank, West Mills, Cinderhill (built by Thos. Sharp in 1638), Bracken Hall, Nunbrook, near it is Robin Hood's Sepulchral Monument, and the ruins of a Benedictine Nunnery. Yew Tree, an old studded building. Mock Beggar and Roe Head, two good farm houses, the long range of houses is called Ratton Row. The Warren House stands upon a high spot of ground, near which appears ye butts, which were much resorted to when ye long bow was in use in England. Here is one road to Leeds, two to Wakefield, besides a cross causeway to ye mill. Here are three alehouses, viz.:-The 3 Nuns, a Wooden Head, and the Virgin's Inn; one blacksmith, one butcher, and a grocer's shop with linen and woollen drapery.

Hopton Hamlet.

Liley, Windy Bank, this house stands upon ye highest ground in Hopton, except the great pinnacle, Cuckoo Hill, New Hali, Row Houses, Brier Knowles, Hagg, Hunger Hill, terra sterilis, Threaproyd i.e. terra lilis, Boat House, Sheep Tug, Tithe Laithe, Han Bank, Hollin Hall, Hopton Hall, Calverts Clough. This hamlet consists of a great number of odd houses interspersed among the woods, hills and valleys, some of which retain their old names as above mentioned.

The roads consist mostly of lanes, thro' different parts of ye hamlet. Here is a Presbyterian Meeting House commonly called a Chapel, two blacksmiths, three grocers, one butcher, and one alehouse.

There are 40 pairs of looms for weaving of white broad cloth in the hamlet only.

There are a great many springs and woods, viz.:-Oliver Car, Jordan Roid, Liley Wood, Gregory Spring, Whitley Wood, Hagg Wood, Balance Wood, Briery Bank, Chadwick Wood, Crow Wood, Little Hagg, Liley Range, Hepworth Wood, &c. These woods produce such a number of medicinal plants, that one of them has got the denomination of the Garden of Eden. Here is employment for the Botanist in summer, and game for the Sportsman in the winter season.

The nature of the soil is various, here is sand, clay, stone, gravel, &c. The lands consist of woods, arable pasture, meadow, &c., some of which are firm and some fenny or moorish.

As to the appearance of this Hamlet, it is mostly hilly, rocky, or mountainous, except the land near the river. There are some excellent springs, plenty of coal, stone, and oakwood. The clay in Mirfield is generally of a yellowish colour, but there is some at the bottom of Mr. Turner's quarry in Hopton, of a blueish colour and exceedingly fine grain. It is remarkable that the Vicar, Churchwardens, Master and Scholars of the Free School, &c., in Mirfield, walk thro' the middle of a garden, yard, and barn, belonging to a farm house in Kirkheaton Parish, in their perambulations in Rogation Week, when it is customary to go round the bounds and limits of the parish to beg a blessing on the fruits of the earth, and preserve the rights and properties of their parish.

The men and the boys in Hopton employ themselves in the Christmas holidays in hunting the squirrel, which gives them violent exercise in the woods, and affords them excellent diversion.

The dwellings at and about Hopton Hall are increased in less than 40 years, from three to eleven; inhabitants, from 17 to 80, as appears by an exact calculation of a person who formerly lived there, and is now (1755) in the 82nd year of his age.

Some boggy wet ground in Hopton, consisting of black earth. upwards of 12 ft. deep.

The following inscription is painted in red character over the north door at Hopton Hall, with the order of letters and the words inverted, and, as in Hebrew, read from right to left: JEHOVAH NISI, i.e. The Lord my banner, 1695, Ex. 17, 15.

Ruddle or red chalk found in a quarry near New Hall, in Hopton.

About 2 years ago only 3 families lived on ye N. side of Lee Green (between Gibhole and Little London,) but now the number of families amount to 23, and more new buildings are about to be erected.

Crawfish in a small brook by Briery Bank in Hopton. Jackroid, this affords an extensive prospect as well as ye great pinnacle and Windy Bank before mentioned.

Blount's Yorkshire Tenures.

Thomas Blount was a barrister of the Temple, who lived in the seventeenth century. He was a voluminous writer, his works being chiefly connected with his profession. His bestknown work is called "Fragmenta Antiquitatis, or Jocular

Tenures ; it was first published in 1679, a new edition was published in 1784, edited by Josiah Beckwith, another in 1815, edited by Hercules Malebysse Beckwith, son of the former editor; a fourth edition was published in 1874, edited by Mr. W. Carew Hazlitt, of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law.

AISLABY.-Richard, son of Wyde de Aslabie, holds two carucates of land by the service of teaching one hare-dog (liverius) belonging to the King.

[M.S. penes Sam. Roper, arm.] Hare-dog, "canem liverium," perhaps the same with "leporarium," from the French, lievre. J. BECKWITH. ATHWICK-(ADWICK)-UPON-DEARNE.-William Clarell formerly did fealty, and acknowledged that he held the Manor of Adthwyk, and paid every two years towards keeping the castle (of Tickhill) each year seven shillings and fourpence, and every third year eight shillings, and ten shillings to keep a hawk; and he said that Hugh Curson, every third year, paid fourteenpence for his tenement in Athewyk.

[Ex. vel. Rot. Feodar, Honoris de Tickhill, penes F. F. Foljambe, arm.] Hawke, Hawke, "osterer." Probably miscopied for "ostercum," a gos-hawk, and observe, that Francis F.Foljambe, esq., is now seized of a rent of 4s. 8d. issuing out of lands at Mexbrough, the adjoining township, every third year, by the name of "Hawk-silver." H. M. BECKWITH.

BAINTON.-In the second year of King Edward II., Peter de Mauley was found to be seized of the Manor of Bainton, with the advowson of the church, by the service of finding two knights and four esquires in the King's army for forty days in time of war, and to provide a steward to do suit for him at the King's Court at York, from six weeks to six weeks.

[Escalt. 3. Ed. II., no. 34.]

BARNBY.-Dionysis, daughter and heiress of Robert de Crepping, holds one toft and four oxgangs of land, with the appurtenances, in Barneby, near Pocklington, by the service of finding part of one archer (partem unius sagitt') within the King's Castle of York, for forty days in the time of war.-11 Richard II.

[De term. Hil., ann. 11. Ric. II., rot. 1.]

BENTLY.-Richard Scrope holds the manor of Bently, with its members, for four knight's fees, and pays yearly, at the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, for castle-guard, twenty shillings; and at the Purification of the Blessed Mary, six shillings and eightpence; and at the Feast of Easter, for meat to the watchmen, eightpence, and aid to the Sheriff, two shillings and sixpence; and at the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, for castle-guard, twenty shillings; and at the Feast of St. Michael, for meat to the watchmen, eightpence,