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place. There is also a most magnificent beech close by, well 
worthy of record by a Natural History Club. It was generally 
allowed to be the finest known to any of the members. By the 
kindness of the owner, Mr. Hartley of Lye Grove, the members 
were admitted into the fine old hall of the Manor House adjoining, 
and were again instructed by Mr, Blackburn in the history of the 
building. It is one of the oldest private buildings in England, 
dating originally from the 14th century, but owing most of its 
present achitecture to Sir John Walsh, who, having married a 
daughter of Sir Robert Poyntz, and having received the Manor 
from Henry VIIL, settled here with his family. The great 
interest of the house is that it was for some time the 
residence of Tyndale, the translator of the New Testament. 
He was tutor in the family of Sir John Walsh, and it was at 
Sodbury where he first resolved to translate the Bible in the 
English language. This resolution being known, his life was in 
danger, and compelled to leave Sodbury, he went to London, and 
from thence to Homburg, and Worms, and was put to death at 
Vilvoorden, near Brussels, in 1536. But before his death, he 
showed his interest in his native county by preparing a special 
edition of the New Testament for the Gloucestershire ploughboys, 
conforming the spelling to their rude pronunciation. A copy 
exists in the Cambridge University Library. From the family of 
the Walshes the property has descended through the Stephens 
and Pachers to the family of Hartley. 
After a little lively discussion on certain points of architecture, 
the party went through some pleasant fields to the Rectory of 
Old Sodbury, where they were met and hospitably greeted by the 
Rector, the Rev. R. S. Nash, who, nothing daunted by the 
“esurientum magna caterva,” soon set them all down to a sub- 
stantial luncheon, to which full justice was done. Here the party 
separated, part returned to their dinner in Bath, but the larger 
number visited the Church of Old Sodbury. This was thoroughly 
restored about 17 years ago, and both in its beautiful position 
