In 1761, the church-yard contained several venerable yew trees, which Mr. Roberts, the then rector, had the bad taste to destroy and replace with lime trees. In the garden at the Rectory is an uncommonly fine yew tree; it is seventeen and a half feet in circumference at the distance of four feet from the ground, about forty feet in height, and the space of ground under the branches is one hundred and forty-two feet and a half in circumference: it is very healthy and in a growing state. Evelyn says, that the reason yew trees were so universally planted in church-yards was, doubtless, from its being thought a symbol of immortality, the tree being so lasting and always green. In 1810, the church-yard wall being in bad repair, was rebuilt with stone, and the gates removed opposite to the entrance to the steeple. _In the Register we find the following curious Epitaphs_: March 13th, 1766, died, THOMAS EVANS, Parish Clarke, aged 72. “Old Sternhold’s lines, or Vicar of Bray, Which he tun’d best ’twas hard to say.” * * * * * SAMUEL PEATE, of Whittington Castle died, aged 84. “Here lies Governor Peate Whom no man did hate, At the age of four-score And four years more, He pretended to wrestle With Death for his Castle; But was soon out of breath And surrender’d to Death, Who away did him take, At the eve of our wake, One morn about seven To keep wake in heaven.” ANDREW WILLIAMS, WAS Born A.D. 1690, and died April, 18, 1776, Aged 84. OF WHICH TIME HE LIVED UNDER The Aston Family as Decoyman 60 Years. “Here lies the Decoyman who liv’d like an otter, Dividing his time betwixt land and water! His hide he oft soak’d in the waters of Perry, {39} Whilst Aston old beer his spirits kept cheery; Amphibious his trim, Death was puzzle’d they say, How to dust to reduce such well-moisten’d clay. So Death turned Decoyman 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 mouldering as you and I must.” “He retired to Whittington upon a freehold he had purchased with the perquisites of his place for a few years before his death.” 1783. “A severe winter,—the frost set in the day before Christmas-day, and continued to introduce the new year.” “And I may here add, as there is a vacancy, that the frost continued till March, 1784.”