224 LIFE OF MYTTON. 



" A mourning peal was rung at Oswestry, and the 

 bells of Shrewsbury, Ellesmere, Whittington, Halston, 

 &c., tolled during the day. The number of spectators 

 was immense, and the road along which the proces- 

 sion slowly moved was bedewed with the tears of 

 thousands who wished to have a last glance. Every- 

 thing was conducted with the greatest order ; but 

 there was a great rush to enter the chapel on the body 

 being taken out of the hearse. The body was placed 

 on a shelf in the family vault, under the communion 

 table of Halston Chapel, surrounded by the coffins of 

 twelve of his relatives." 



The family of Mytton, as has already been shown, 

 is an ancient one ; and the inhabitants of Shropshire 

 and Wales are attached to it from many old historical, 

 personal, and feudal recollections. Halston is called 

 in ancient deeds /fa/y stone or Holy stone. Near it 

 stood the abbey, taken down above a century ago. 

 Meyric Lloyd, lord of some part of Uch Ales, in the 

 reign of Richard I., would not yield subjection to the 

 English Government, under which the hundred of 

 Dyffryn Clwyd, and several others, were then ; and 

 havinof taken some EnarHsh officers that came there to 

 execute the law, killed several of them. For this fact 

 he forfeited his lands to the king ; fled, and took 



