299 



The neighbourhood of the ruins, a famous preserve of Religious Houses, is 

 always searched with great interest by botanists, since it frequently yields plants 

 formerly cultivated for their virtues, and which struggled through neglect and 

 have become naturalised. Dame Isabella Gardiner, who grew her saffron at 

 Blackmarston to flavour her cakes and sweetmeats, would not fail to grow also 

 medical herbs for the use of the house — one plant grows wild there in abundance 

 which was formerly held in much esteem, Sambucus ebulus, dwarf elder, Banewort, 

 deathwort, or Dane blood. The Welsh call it, Llysan gwaed gwyr, or the plant of 

 the blood of man. It is said only to grow where blood has been shed, and Aubrey 

 thinks it got its name Danewort from growing abundantly in the neighbourhood 

 of Slaughterford, Wilts, where there was once a stout battle fought with the Danes. 

 The superstition holds chieflj' in connection with the Danes, where thej' fought 

 and bled ; there the dwarf elder, or Danewort, will spring up and flourish. 

 Parkinson however thinks it got the name Danewort, because it would cause a 

 flux named "the Danes" at that time, or the "Gripes " as would now be said, 

 and Parkinson is probably right. The worthy prioress knew its virtues ; a dram 

 and a half of the root is a strong cathartic ; the leaves boiled in oil yield a 

 powerful liniment ; and by gentle distillation a valuable lotion is obtained. The 

 berries, too, give out a violet colour, and were formerly used to dye a blue 

 colour. The fresh leaves have a powerful odour, neither cows, horses, sheep, 

 goats, nor swine will eat them ; and, when scattered over granaries or placed 

 in mole runs, their scent will drive away the mice and the moles. One Martin 

 Blockwitz composed a volume in its praise, entitled "Anatomia Sambuci." 

 However, the black elder has of late years usurped its place ; though the plant 

 will yield an elder-flower water of equal efficiency — Mother Isabella Gardiner 

 doubtless planted it here. 



Fuller's teasel, Dipsacus sylvestris, was growing luxuriantly also, and docks 

 of such size and abundance as would supply leaves for all the butter made in the 

 county ; but there were not any other plants observed that could be referred to the 

 care of the successive mother prioresses. 



At Aconbury Court the Club was received with much kindness by Mr. and 

 Mrs. Flower, who did all they could to facilitate the inquiries of the members, 

 and were themselves very much interested in them. The church was carefully 

 and minutely inspected. The enthusiasm of two gentlemen engaged in taking 

 rubbings of some richly-carved tombstones was delightful to witness. 



In the shade of the ancient yew tree. Dr. Bull read a paper on "Fragments of 

 the History of Aconbury Priory and Church. " It was commented on by the Rev. 

 F. T. Havergal, and admirably illustrated by rubbings from the stones, made by 

 Mr. Robert Clarke. The Rev. H. P. Marriott Dodington, the incumbent of the 

 parish, brought a print of the church and priory, which appeared in the Gentleman's 

 Mayaziae in 1787, from a drawing by that well-known Hereford character of the 

 period, Mr. James Wathen. 



The carriages were now taken for the return home, and in the evening " The 

 Birds of Herefordshire" papers were continued by a paper on "Swans, Geese, and 

 Ducks." 



