A little north of Oak-moor, the lime-stone country begins, and extends over a great breadth of country to the north, east and west, in many places rising out of the main surface in huge cliffs. The Weaver hills, already mentioned,* are co vered with a rich, calcareous, loamy earth, capable of being improved into very good arable, or pasture land. These hills are composed of immense heaps of lime-stone, and are enclosed in large tracts by stone walls. Their height we have briefly mentioned before. On one of the summits grows, indigenous, the upland burnet (poterium sanguisorba.) plant has not been deemed a native of Staffordshire. The herbage of these hills contains many good plants, both grasses and trifoliums, but the hills are much overgrown with uneven Jumps, covered with moss or lichen.

This

Stoutmoor, to the east, is a considerable waste on a limestone. Large quantities of lime are burnt upon Cauidon Low, and elsewhere in this neighbourhood, and there are marks of limekilns, formerly on Weaver-Hills. Lime is much used here as manure, being sometimes laid on ploughed ground, and at other times on turf, with very good effect in fining such turf. It has been remarked, that after liming a coarse turf, white clover has been produced in abundance, where that plant had not been observed before. The limestone here is intermixed with a proportion of gypsum or alabaster.

The fences are for the most part composed of stone walls, often so constructed as to admit the winds, which are sometimes very high in these districts, to pass through them. When we were there, we noticed, that the most compact walls had received the greatest damage from the weather. Mr. Pitt expresses himself with some warmth, against this "barbarous practice," of using stone walls instead of quickset fences, which he says are much cheaper, more durable, vastly more beautiful and ornamental, and make the country and climate more temperate. This opinion, particularly with regard to the point of cheapness,

cheapness, one of Mr. Pitt's annotators, Mr. Sneyd, of Belmont, near Leek, does not confirm. He remarks that stone walls were originally raised from the prevailing idea of convenience and cheapness, in finding the material on the surface; and he adds, no wonder they should be continued; and in many places, (particularly low situations,) they are superior to hedges. So confident, however, is Mr. Pitt, that quickset fences are infinitely superior, in every respect, to stone walls, that he is persuaded, if the owners and occupiers of land would have so much regard for their own interest, and the symmetry and beauty of their country, as by degrees to do away this invention of barbarous ages, and a violence to Nature, by planting quicksets, to which the stone walls would be a fence and shelter on one side; and if they would, moreover, attend to the other certainly very plausible and valuable improvements, which he suggests, "posterity will wonder why the country was called Moorlands.”

We will not here farther pursue Mr. Pitt's very ingenious and pleasing account of the Moorlands; but will notice the parts in succession as we pass along.

Cheadle itself has nothing remarkable, either in its history, or for remains of antiquity. The church, which is dedicated to St. Giles, is an ancient structure. The trade consists for the most part of copper, brass, and tin, works. The market is on Fridays, and is amply supplied with provisions of all kinds. The population, according to the census of 1801, con. sists of 2,750 inhabitants, viz. 1371 males, and 1379 females, of which number 675 were returned as being employed in various trades and manufactures, and 468 in agriculture. This return is, however, certainly very erroneous; and much below the truth. There were then 577 houses. They have in creased very considerably since that period; and both this and other market towns of the Moorlands are gradually enlarging in proportion with the progress made in inclosures and cultivation.

Here

Here are also a Free School, with a small endowment, and meeting houses for Methodists and Dissenters of various denominations.

Cheadle was the ancient seat of the great baronial family of Basset, of Drayton, Blore, &c.* On this account it will not be improper to proceed immediately to some account of

BLORE,

A village not otherwise remarkable than as connected with this illustrious family of Bassets. Of the ancient mansion of these barons, scarcely any vestiges can now be discovered; its site being occupied by a modern farm house. Erdeswicke calls it "a goodly house antient and a parke, now the seat of the Bassets of Staffordshire XX° of the conqueror Edricus, held it of Rob. de Stadford. And 33° H. III. William de Blore, who had married Agnes, daughter to Petrus Thornton, Clericus Hugonis Comitis Cestriae, was lord of it.

"William Blore had issue by the said Agnes, Clementia, married to William, younger sonne of Henry de Audeley and Elionora.

"William de Audeley, and Clementia, (who bad Blore and Grendon for her portion) had issue John Dus de Blore, who had issue Wm. Dus de Blore, who had issue Allayne, lord of Blore, who had issue Hugh Audley, lord of Blore and Grendon in the latter end of Edward II's. tyne, whose daughter or sister, and heire (as I suppose) was married to John, the sonne of John Basset, or else, to Sir Henry Braylesford, knt. and his daughter and heire Joane, was married to Sir John Basset, Knt. which Sir John Basset, was sonne to the aforesaid John sonne of John, and the first of these three was second sonne of

Raufe,

• See Dugdale's Baronage, the Topographer, Vol. II. p. $18, et seg, and Collins's Peerage by Sir E. Brydges, VIII. p. 502, et seq.

Raufe, second son of William Bassett, Justice in Itinere, 22 Henry II."*

As this family is one of the most illustrious and most extensive in this county, we do not suppose any apology is required, for inserting a short account of their pedigree in this place.

Thurstan, a Norman Baron, was the founder of the family in England. He held five hides of land at Drayton, already described, and had issue, Ralph Bassett of Colston and Drayton, lord chief Justice of England under Henry I, who made many good laws, and was buried in the chapter house at Abingdon; leaving behind five sons. Of these the eldest, named Thurston Bassett, died without issue; the second son, therefore, obtained the property. He had issue 1st. Gilbert baron of Hedendon, who married Egeline daughter of Reginald de Courtney, by whom she had issue Eustachia, wife of Richard de Camville, 2. Thomas who had the barony of Hedendon, and married Philip, daughter and heir of William de Malbane, by whom he had Thomas, baron of Hedendon, who died S. P. Philippa who married Henry of Newborough earl of Warwick; Joan, wife of Reginald. de Valletort, and Alice wife of John Bassett, who had several children, 3. Alan, Basset, who by Alice had

1. William Basset of Pilkington in Oxfordshire, who married Isabel, daughter of William Ferrers, earl of Derby, SP. 2. Fulco Bassett, bishop of London, who died 44. Henry III. 3. Philip, baron of Wycombe in Bucks, and lord chief Justice of England, married Hawise, daughter of John Grey, of Eaton, and left issue a daughter and heir, Alice wife of Hugh le Despenser, lord chief Justice of England, who was slain at the battle of Evesham, 9 Henry III. 4. Thomas Bassett, who died without issue. 5. William, died 18 Henry III. 6. Alice, wife of Sir John Samford, patron of the priory of Blakmore.

Erdeswicke's Staffordshire, Harl. MSS. 1990, p. 86.

Blakmore. 7. wife of Drogo de Montacute, widow of

Talbot.

Richard, lord of Weldon, Co. Northton, who married Maud Ridell.

Nicholas, who held in Turkenden and elsewhere, of the honour of Wallingford, and whose sons forfeited all to king Henry II.

Thurstan Bassett.

Richard Bassett, third son before mentioned, married Maud, daughter and heir of Sir Geffry Ridell, lord of Wettering, died 18 Henry II. leaving issue Hugh de Ridell, lord of Wettering, whose son Richard was father of Hugh de Ridell, lord of Wettering who released to Ralph lord Bassett of Weldon, all the right which he had unto lands, which were sometime Richard Bassett's, and Geffrey Ridell's his son.

II. Richard Bassett to whom his mother gave the barony of Weldon, Co. Northton I king John 1199, father of Ralph lord Bassett, who died 42 Henry III. father of Richard, who died 4 Edward I. father of Ralph lord Bassett, who died 15 Edward III. father of Eleanor, wife of Sir John Knyvet, lord chancellor of England. Of Joan wife of Sir Thomas Aylesbury, and of Ralph lord B. of Weldon, who died 42 Edward III. father of Ralph lord B. of W. father of Ralph, last lord Bassett, who died S. P. 1408, 10 Henry IV. and was succeeded by his two great aunts, Eleanor (from whom the noble family of Knyvet is descended) and Joan lady Aylesbury, as coheirs. Sir Thomas Aylesbury, son of Joan, was father of Sir Thomas, whose daughter and coheir Elizabeth, married Sir Thomas Chaworth, (whence descended Sir George Chaworth, of Wiverton Co. Nott. Knt.) and Eleanor, the other coheir, was wife of Humphrey Stafford of Grafton, whence came the Staffords of Blatherwick.

Ralph Bassett, to whom his father gave Drayton, father of Ralph lord Bassett of Drayton, father of that Ralph who was slain at the battle of Evesham, 50 Henry III. father of