park at Bentley, and lanes thereabout; at Old Fallings, and elsewhere, near Wolverhampton.

Sambucus nigra. White-berried elder; in the hedge near Combridge, in Rocester parish, plentifully.

Vaccinium Vitis idea. Red Whorts, or whortle-berries; on the mountains."

Returning to the neighbourhood of Ilam, already briefly named, we stop once more, to notice a few particulars worthy of remark in these parts.

Erdeswicke, * says the "Manifold, having left Throwley, runneth down to Ilam, by Casterne, sometime Ipstone's lands, from which it descended to the Walkers, in which name it continued for a space, until this our age, that one of them sold it to Lawrence Wright, and having past Ilam enters into Dove." This collector does not mention the family of the Portes, they are the same family with those of Etwall, in Derbyshire; for Sir John Porte, of that place, calls them cousins in his will.†

Wingfield lord Cromwell, earl of Ardglass in Ireland, inheriting from his mother Elizabeth, daughter and sole heir of Robert Meverell, Esq. the neighbouring seat of Throwley, upon his death, Oct. 3rd, 1649, was buried in the church at Ilam. In this church, the following epitaph is worthy of being copied, being the production of Cotton, the dramatic writer, and not appearing in any addition of his works :

Robert Meverell, Esq. died February 5th, 1627; his widow, August 5th 1628, and were both buried, in the church at Blore. See Noble's Cromwell, Vol. II. p. 8, 9.

No marble columns, nor engraven brass,
To tell the world that such a person was ;
For then, each pious act to fair descent
Stood for the worthy owner's monument;
But in this change of manners, and of states,

Good names, though writ in marble, have their fates;
Such is the barb'rous and irreverent rage,
That arms the rubble of this impious age.
Yet may this happy stem, that bears a name,
(Such as no bold survivor dares to claim,)
To ages yet unborn unblemish'd stand,
Safe from the stroke of an inhuman hand.

Here, reader, here a PORT'S sad relics lie,
To teach the careless world mortality;
Who while he mortal was, unrival'd stood,
The crown and glory of his ancient blood;
Fit for his prince's, and his country's trust,
Pious to God, and to his neighbour just;
A loyal husband to his latest end,

A gracious father, and a faithful friend :
Belov'd he liv'd, and died o'ercharged with years,
Fuller of honours than of silver hairs;

And to sum up his virtues, this was he,

Who was what all we should, but cannot be."

Thus have we taken a brief view of the chief beauties not only of these, moorland: districts, the neighbourhood of Dovedale, and the places adjacent along the borders of Derby shire in general, but of nearly the whole county. We shall now hasten to a conclusion of our topographical survey, just premising, that, in districts where few or no antiquarian remains are to be discovered, and where the works of art in general do not often occur to arrest the attention, the description has necessarily been confined, for the most part, to such of the works of nature as in the most prominent manner presented themselves to our observation. And it must be confessed, that the northern parts of this highly interesting county, make up in grandeur of scenery, in the richness of their mineral pro ductions,

7

ductions, and in many places, even in the extent of their botanical, and agricultural resources, for the want of historical importance, or architectural and antiquarian relics.

Though still in those parts denominated moorlands, most of the parts which yet remain to be noticed by no means deserve to be so termed; hence we consider ourselves as having passed the real boundaries of those moorland districts, over which we have conducted the reader, without any direct or pre-determined plan, calling his attention to such objects and places, as seemed to us to demand observation, however remote from each other, or however we may have found it needful, occasionally to retrace our steps, and revisit scenes before described. It has been a ramble over some of the most picturesque and sublime portions of our island; which, however, have but seldom called forth the attention of the topographer, or the researches of the antiquary. We now proceed to notice the thriving and flourishing town of Leek; still holding ourselves free to notice any place, which may not yet have been sufficiently described,

LEEK.

This town of late years has considerably increased in its trade and manufactures. In Camden's time it was said to have a good market. The button trade is not now very extensive; but in silk and mohair works it has considerable manufactories. Though the war has certainly very materially affected the trade of this and other manufacturing towns, yet at present there are few towns more amply provided with the necessary means of rendering the sober and industrious parts of its inhabitants happy and comfortable. In 1808, when Mr. Pitt's Survey was last published, as he informs us, upon information derived from Messrs. Sleigh and Alsop, and Phillips and Ford, in the manufactory of sewing silks, twist, buttons, ' ribbons, silk-ferrets, shawls, and silk-handkerchiefs, there were employed about two thousand inhabitants of the town, and one

thousand of the adjacent country. To this information Mr. Pitt adds, that in this trade some good fortunes have been made, and it has been very flourishing; but the check on paper credit, which in a great measure hurt the confidence of all connexions, diminished the trade here; and the war must, in some degree, have damped the demand for it abroad: yet the trade is now in a flourishing state.*

Since these remarks were made by Mr. Pitt, the trade has increased considerably. The nearness of Leek to Macclesfield, in Cheshire, being only about thirteen miles distant, has doubtless tended very materially to increase the silk-trade of the former place. The late Mr. Pratt, of Leek, from whom this information is in part derived, and whose death every one, who had the pleasure of his acquaintance must sincerely lament, employed many hands; but, from information given to the writer of these observations, by two very extensive and highly respectable silk manufacturers of Macclesfield,† it appears that the chief support of the town, as to its trade, is that derived from the extensive works of Messrs. Phillips and Ford, and Mr. Alsop. The Cotton trade, for several years past, has been (if we may be allowed the figure) travelling with a somewhat regular pace, from some parts of Lancashire, through Cheshire into Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Leek has, however, as yet partaken but in a small degree of this once flourishing and lucrative branch of manufacture.

The market, which is on Wednesdays, is still good; and there are now seven annual fairs, chiefly for cattle and pedlars goods. The church has a square tower, with six bells; but has nothing very remarkable, either in its monuments or archi tectural antiquities. In the church-yard, at the south-east corner of the chancel, stand the remains of a pyramidal cross.

Pitt's Agr. Sur. p. 236.

+ Gervase Ward, Esq. and Daniel Brinsley, Esq.

It

Messrs. Gaunt, and Co. also carry on a pretty extensive trade in sewingsilks, &c.

It is about ten feet high, having three steps at the foot. It is adorned with imagery and fret-work; but has no inscription to designate its origin or precise objects. There are several such in various places, as we have already noticed; particularly in the church-yards of Chebsey, Ilam, and Checkley, "serving," says Mr. Gough, "where single as crosses; where more, as sepulchral monuments, probably of the Danes."* This stone is, we think, not of Danish origin, though it is usually so denominated.

Besides the church, which is a vicarage in the patronage of the earl of Macclesfield, valued in the King's books at seven pounds, nine shillings, and one penny half-penny, here are meeting-houses for the Dissenters. The Methodists are numerous here, as in other places abounding with labourers, me chanics, and manufacturers. They have lately built a very large and handsome Meeting-house.

Here are also eight alms-houses, endowed in the year 1696 by Elizabeth Ash, widow, eldest daughter of William Jolliffe, of this place, for eight poor widows, who are allowed two shillings per week, and seven shillings and five pence three farthings twice a year for coals, and a new gown once in two years.

The population of Leek, according to the census we have hitherto, for the most part, followed, consists of 4,186 inhabitants, (viz.) 1,912 males, and 2,274 females, of which number 2,611 were returned as being employed in trades and manufactures, principally in those of ribbons, silk, twist, and buttons, `as we have already seen. The number of houses was 867, a number, we are persuaded, much below the real amount. The very flourishing and thriving silk-trade every year adds Uuu 3

to

+ Collins confounds this name with that of "Thomas Jolley of Buglauton, in Cheshire, Esq." whose daughter, Elizabeth, married Rowland Hill of Hawkestone, in Shropshire, Esq. Collins's Peerage, VIII. p. 54. and Shaw's Staffordshire, II. p. 44. apud Sir E. Brydges's Ed. of Collins, ubi supra.