HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 143 



mity of Lichfield-street. It was built in 1572, by the Comberfords, 

 as a town-residence or secondary seat to the principal family man- 

 sion, about two miles distant. 



In the parish register are the following memoranda : " In 1563, 

 and in 1626, the plague in Tamworth. 1597. Dyvers died of the 

 blouddie flixe, at which tyme the darthe of come somewhat abated 

 by reason of deathe. 



" 1598. mem. that the 30th day of this Aprill, Robert earl of 

 Essex went from Drayton-Basset toward Ireland with an hoste 

 of men to make warre againste the earl of Tyroone, an Irishman." 



The bailiffs and burgesses of Tamworth are lords of the manor ; 

 the rest of the parish is divided into several lordships, and belongs 

 to different persons, viz. Sierscote, Wigginton, Comberford, Coton, 

 Hop was, Bonehill, and Biterscote, in the county of Stafford; there 

 are also several hamlets belonging to the borough of Tamworth in 

 Warwickshire. 



Sierscote, an ancient manor in the parish of Tamworth, is situ- 

 ated a mile north-east of the Church. It is bounded on the south- 

 east by the turnpike-road and Amington, in Warwickshire ; on the 

 cast by Statfold; and on the north by Wigginton. 



This manor and estate now belongs to Joseph Grundy, gent. It 

 is a capital farm; the soil is a strong loam, productive of good 

 crops of grass and corn. 



Wigginton is a hamlet in the parish of Tamworth, situated 

 about two miles north-east of the Church. It is thus recorded in 

 Domesday : " The King holds Wigetone, consisting of two hides. 

 The arable land is six carucates. There are eight villans, and one 

 servant, and one bordar, and eight burgesses in Tamworde. In 

 all they have six carucates. Here is also a meadow, six furlongs 

 in length and two in breadth. In the time of Edward the Confessor, 

 it was valued at thirty shillings, but at the time of this survey 4." 

 South-west of Wigginton, near a piece of land called the Low 

 Flat, is a remarkable eminence, which is called Robin Hood's Butt. 

 On the north-west of the hamlet, is a flat space called the Money 

 Lands, where many ancient coins, and several human bones, have 

 been ploughed up. Dr. Plott, in his History of the Antiquities of 

 Staffordshire, mentions a remarkable instance of abstinence : "Mary 

 Vaughton, of Wigginton, in this county, from her cradle to this day 

 has lived with so small a quantity both of meats and drinks, that 

 all people admire how nature is sustained without any sensible ex- 

 haustion, she not eating in a day a piece above the size of half*a~ 



