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century, and the inscription, " Hie iacet Hugo Bissop," also the figures of a mitre 

 and a pastoral stafiF, probably intended to symbolise the name of the deceased, 

 which appears frequently in charters relating to the Cathedral of Hereford. 



There are in the windows of the north aisle some pieces of glass much 

 mutilated, but very beautiful, of the 15th century. 



There was formerly, no doubt, a rood screen between the nave and chancel, 

 but it has been destroyed, though the door and staircase still remain. 



In the chancel the most conspicuous monument is the one in memory of 

 Col. Birch, a fine figure of white marble, standing in a niche supported by 

 Corinthian columns. The inscription gives the year of his birth 1626, which, 

 no doubt, is a mistake for 1616. There are also two other remarkable monuments 

 of a much better class, and very noble in character, one on the north side, which 

 I have reason to think represents Sir Walter Devereux, who died a.d. 1402, and 

 the other on the south side consisting of two figures, of which one in my opinion 

 represents Sir John Marbury, who died a.d. 1437, and the other liis wife Agnes, 

 who died a.d. 1433, having been formerly wife to Sir W. De\ereux. It is this 

 monument which probably covers and conceals the tombstone of Hugh de Lacy, 

 already mentioned. On one of two boards in the shape of shields, which are still 

 to be seen in the chancel, the arras of Marbury might be traced without much 

 difficulty. The boards formerly hung as heraldic funeral emblems above the 

 tombs to which they respectively belonged, and Silas Taylor, who saw them in 

 1655, says that the Marbury shiehl, whose bearings he describes, though he did 

 not know the name nor could he discern the colours, hung on the south side. 

 Both the shields have since been re-painted with their armorial bearings. The 

 Church some years ago underwent alteration, which was intended for restoration, 

 but which did not always deserve that well-meaning but not always appropriate 

 title. Among objects which it concealed from sight was a tombstone in memory 

 of one Tomkins, who was said in a sonnet written in his honour to have been the 

 father of "32 children, all born in one chamber in Weobley," and the Parish 

 Clerk informs me that he has seen the inscription. 



Our notice of Weobley can scarcely be called complete without some 

 mention of Colonel Birch, whose pretentious monument we saw in the chancel of 

 the Church. The gallant Colonel, who came of a Cheshire family, displayed, as is 

 well known, great ability as a military officer on many occasions, of which the last 

 was the capture of Goodrich Castle, and he showed no less skill and judgment in 

 his use of opportunities for enriching himself at the expense of the discomfited 

 Royalists, and establishing for himself, and, as he fondly intended, for his family, 

 a permanent position in the county of Hereford. He purchased the estate of 

 Garnstone in 1661, and by judicious improvements made a " gentile habitation " 

 of its mansion. But his hopes of long duration for his family were not crowned 

 with success. He had four sons and three daughters, but his sons all died either 

 unmarried or childless. By his will he made it a condition of leaving his property 

 to his youngest daughter that she should marry her first cousin, John, Serjeant 

 Birch, which she did, but no child was born to them, and having been after- 

 wards possessed by Samuel, the Serjeant's brother, until 1752, the property 



