INTRODUCTION 



Court, where the " Mechanicalls " had their 

 headquarters ; whilst his remarks on the 

 breeding and rearing of calves, though they 

 savour somewhat of the kindergarten system 

 of education (teaching by playing), show that 

 he took great heed to his stock as well as his 

 crop. I cannot find if any of his neighbours 

 followed his example ; for, though my manu- 

 script tells of the remains of trenches at 

 Moccas, where his brother Henry lived, one 

 can only conjecture that they might possibly 

 have been for irrigation purposes, and I have 

 searched in vain for any remark in the his- 

 tories of Shropshire about that ill-judged 

 attempt of Maister Hoord, of which Rowland 

 speaks in his book. 



The date of Rowland's death and his age 

 are unknown. I can find neither will, in- 

 quisition, nor certificate ; but on a beam in 

 Peterchurch Church is the Vaughan coat-of- 

 arms, quartered with that of Gams (?), with 

 date 1612, the last figure somewhat doubtful, 

 which I take to be a monument to the old 

 man. The blazon of the Vaughan coat, which 

 is reproduced on the title-page, is Sable a 

 chevron argent between three boys' heads 

 affrontee, .couped at the shoulder proper, 

 xxvi 



