The Bretforton peal is by Westcote, of Bristol, 1823; Lester and Peck, of London, founded some of the Halesowen bells a century ago. Joseph Smith, of Edgbaston, and R. Wells, of Aldbourne, others of them, at the beginning and end of the same century. The old peal of bells, prior to these, at Halesowen, it appears from the churchwardens' accounts, were completed in 1518, and the bell-founder came from Nottingham. Joseph Smith, of Edgbaston, also founded the Alvechurch and Northfield bells--the first in 1711, the latter in 1730. On the third bell at Alvechurch is the following euphonious couplet: "If you would know when we was run, It was March the twenty-second, 1711." The Alvechurch bells are kept in excellent condition by Billy Bourne, a poor demented creature, who however is famous for his skill in clock cleaning and his adhesiveness to the church belfry, in which he sleeps regularly on a hard plank, with an old mat for a coverlid; he has hardly ever been known to miss ringing the matin bell at five and the curfew at eight, and constantly defends the sacred precincts from all resurrectionists by a rusty old sword and pistol. The Northfield bells are distinguished by some original versification, thus: On the first-- "We now are six, tho' once but five," Second-- "And against our casting some did strive;" Third-- "But when a day for meeting they did fix," Fourth-- "There appeared but nine against twenty-six. "Joseph Smith, 1730." Fifth-- "Samuel Palmer and Thomas Silk, Churchwardens, 1730." Tenor-- "Thomas Kettle and William Jervis did contrive To make us six that was but five." The last-named couplet, which seeks to perpetuate a piece of parochial thrift in the casting of six bells out of five, is likewise to be found on a bell at Feckenham, with, of course, other names substituted. TOBACCO. "Sublime in hookahs, glorious in a pipe, When tipp'd with amber, mellow, rich, and ripe." The introduction of tobacco (now become so important an article of general demand) is a subject worthy of a few notes, especially as regards the traces of its cultivation and consumption in this district. It is true that Worcestershire cannot boast of being the first place in England where "the wicked weed" was grown. That was an honour claimed by our near neighbours of Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire, who are said to have profited greatly (in a pecuniary sense, I suppose) by its cultivation. Tobacco was, however, grown at Worcester, Feckenham, Eckington, Pershore, Upton Snodsbury, Pensham, Kempsey, and other places in this county. The first mention of its use at Worcester is in the chamberlain's accounts for the year 1643, about fifty-seven years after its introduction to this country. At that time it was evidently esteemed an especial luxury. The entry is as follows: