“1590, 27th March.—A man and woman were executed at Knockin heath, for murdering a child of the age of five years, for his land, being an heir of £5 a-year, or thereabout, which fell after the said child’s death, if he died without issue, to his uncles, being three of them, which uncles procured and imagined the death of the said child ever since his birth. Two of the uncles were executed at Bridgenorth assizes, and the third _pressed_ to death there. But the woman being grandmother to the child, and the man named Geffrey Elkes, being hired to do the deed, were executed at the said heath where the said deed was done.” “Elkes, at his execution, affirmed that he did not kill the child, but brought a pail of water to the heath, and left it there with the child and the uncle that was _pressed_ to death, but he confessed that before the deed was done, and after, two ravens usually would meet him, follow him, and cry about him; and when he escaped and hid himself, the said ravens did cry, and flew about the place, and descried him out, and he was found in a cock of hay by their means.” The parish register is a curious record of odds and ends, and from it we make a few quaint selections:— “Died March 11th, 1767.—THOMAS EVANS, parish clerk, aged 72. ‘Old Sternhold’s lines, or Vicar of Bray, Which he tun’d best is hard to say.’ I do make choice of William Evans, his son, to serve the office of parish clerk, being qualified according to the 91st canon, viz: above twenty years of age, and of an honest conversation, and very sufficient for his reading, writing, and also for his competent skill in singing, tho’ not so clever a piper as his father. This choice was signified to the parishioners in time of divine service, on Sunday, the 15th day of March, 1767. (Signed) by me, W. Roberts, Rr.” * * * * * “1776.—ANDREW WILLIAMS, in Whittington, aged 84, Decoy-man under the Aston family, at the Decoy, in this parish, above 60 years:— “Here lies the Decoy-man, who liv’d like an otter, Dividing his time between land and water: His hide he oft soak’d in the waters of Perry, Whilst Aston old beer his spirits kept cheery; Amphibious his trim, Death was puzzl’d, they say, How to dust to reduce such well-moisten’d clay. So Death turn’d Decoy-man, and decoy’d him to land, Where he fix’d his abode till quite dried to the hand; He then found him fitting for crumbling to dust, And here he lies mould’ring, as you and I must.” * * * * * “SAMUEL PEATE, of Whittington Castle, died, aged 84.