HISTORICAL MEMORANDA OF RIBBESFORD. 79 



styles,) and consists of two side aisles, the arches of which 

 are Gothic, on the one side formed of stone, and on the 

 other of wood. The windows are composed of the same 

 orders of architecture, and over the north doorway is a curious 

 piece of Saxon sculpture, well worthy the particular notice 

 of the antiquary, still in fine preservation. Dr. Nash, in his 

 notice of this church*, observes, that '^ the plenty of game 

 formerly here might be alluded to by the sculpture over the 

 north porch, where is represented an archer, who at one shot 

 kills a salmon and a deer !" Many other legendary tales, 

 equally ridiculous, relative to this piece of sculpture, still con- 

 tinue to obtain seeming credence among the inhabitants of 

 the district; but we agree with Mr. Lees, in his observation, f 

 " that it represents a hunter with a dog by his side, in the 

 act of killing a beaver," a species of animal said to have been 

 very abundant in this part of the country in former times. 



There are many tablets and armorial bearings still in ex- 

 istence, but the ancient monuments have long since gone to 

 decay, or so obliterated by time's unsparing hand that it is 

 impossible now to ascertain whose memories they were in- 

 tended to perpetuate. The earliest inscription bears date 

 1604. The abbot of Wigmore, in the county of Hereford, 

 was anciently the patron of the living, but after the disso- 

 lution of that ancient priory it came into the possession of Sir 

 Robert Actoti, Knight, who is said to have been a favourite 

 of Henry the Eighth, by whom it was granted to the said Sir 

 Robert, and at his death it descended to Robert Acton, his 

 son and heir. It afterwards became the property of Mr. John 

 Churchill, and passing from the Churchills to Sir Robert 

 Cooke, thence to Sir Henry Mildmay, and afterwards to Sir 

 Henry Herbert, Knight, it descended to his kinsman, Henry 

 Morley Herbert, Esq., of Droxford, in the county of South- 

 ampton, and subsequently by will to George Paulett, Esq., 

 who sold it, together with the estate, to Francis Ingram, Esq. 

 of Ticknell. The present rector, the Rev. Edward Winning- 

 ton Ingram, is also patron of the living. The following is a 

 list of incumbents from the earliest period to the present time. 



RIBBESFORD, CUM CAPELLA BEWDLEY, DTOC. HEREFORD. 



PATRONS. INCUMBENTS. 



•1 '< WiU'us de Piryton, pbr., 15 Nov. 1318. 



limes. tGilbertus le Graunger de Northlech, 12 April, 1328. 



* Histofy of Worcestershire, vol. ii. p. 270. 



t Lecture delivered before the members of the Worcestershire Natural History 

 Society, November, 1833, p. 90. 



