168 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



ton, with a chapel attached for the use of the Catholics in this town. 

 Beyond this, is another spacious mansion, with excellent walled 

 gardens, which commands a beautiful prospect to the west, and is 

 the residence of the Molineux family : the Molineuxs came into 

 England with Isabella, wife of Edward the Second, from Flanders, 

 in 1307 : George Molineux, Esq. an opulent merchant and banker, 

 who was High-sheriff for this county in 1791, is the present owner. 



The old Church is a deanery annexed to Windsor, the Dean of 

 Windsor being likewise Dean of Wolverhampton : the revenues of 

 the deanery are held by lease at a reserved rent of <38. per annum, 

 but are supposed to exceed that sum by o300. The service is 

 performed by the Dean, a sacrist, and seven prebends : at the lower 

 end of the chancel are sixteen stalls for the Dean, the prebends, 

 sacrist, three curates, and four lay singing men : six boys have been 

 added. The Rev. Thomas Walker is the present sacrist or perpe- 

 tual curate, who has held that situation since 1788. The prebends 

 are, Kynvaston, Rev. Peter Thoroton; Fetherstone, Rev. Thomas 

 Walker; Hilton, Rev. Dr. Muckleston ; Willenhall, Rev. Robert 

 Ellison ; Monmore, Rev. Robert Fell ; Wobaston, Rev. George 

 Fieldhouse and Rev. W. Molineux ; Hatherton, Hon. and Rev. 

 Augustus Legge. 



This Church was anciently dedicated to the Blessed Virgin 

 Mary, but in the time of Henry III. was altered and re-dedicated to 

 St. Peter: it is pleasantly situated on a gravelly hill, and commands 

 a fine prospect towards Tettenhall, Shropshire, and Wales. It is a 

 handsome fabric of stone, with a fine embattled tower (40 yards 

 high) of rich gothic architecture, and consists of a lofty nave, with 

 two aisles, and a chancel. The north and south porches are of 

 ancient stone-work : the nave is supported by five pointed arches 

 resting on octagonal pillars. One of the most curious features of 

 the church is the richly-sculptured stone pulpit, with a circular 

 flight of steps, and a large well-executed figure of a lion at its base. 



On the north side of the tower (in which are ten good bells), is 

 a chapel, anciently called St. Catherine's, now Lane's chancel, and 

 the cemetery of the Lanes, formerly of Bentley, which contains 

 several monuments and inscriptions of that family : they have been 

 recently repaired and beautified at the expense of John Lane, Esq. 

 of Abbot's Bromley, in this county. 



The great chancel was suffered to go to decay till Dr. Turner 

 became Dean of Windsor, who expended o500. in repairing it. 

 This chancel contains a full-length statue of brass, in honour of 



