HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 249 



naments in the Gothic style : the interior also underwent a 

 thorough repair. It is asserted that almost as much money was 

 expended on repairs as would have built a new church. There is 

 a mural monument of white marble in the chancel, to the memory 

 of John Daintry, vicar of this church, who died on the 23d of Au- 

 gust, 1758, aged 58, and several other individuals of that family. 



Leek church is a vicarage in the patronage of the Earl of Mac- 

 el esfield: the Rev. Thomas Bentley is the present minister. 



William Badnall, of Leek, silk-dyer, left by will, dated the llth 

 of January, 1806, one thousand pounds in the public funds, the in- 

 terest of which is to be annually laid out in bedding, clothing, or 

 other necessaries, to be distributed among twenty poor widows 

 resident in Leek, who are not less than 60 years of age. 



In the church-yard are the remains of an ancient stone pyra- 

 mid, without ah inscription, the origin of which rests entirely upon 

 conjecture. 



Among other instances of longevity recorded on the tomb-stones 

 in this church-yard, is one of an individual aged 95, and another 

 aged 90 years. 



There are three other places of worship in Leek besides the 

 Church ; namely, a meeting-house for Calvinists, a Quaker's meet- 

 ing-house, and a large meeting-house for Methodists. 



There are two Sunday-schools, one supported by the friends of 

 the Established Church, and the other by the Methodists. 



An alms-house, for eight poor widows, was endowed in the year 

 1696, by Elizabeth Ash, widow, of this town. The building is a 

 curious piece of Gothic architecture, situated in the Compton. 

 Each widow is allowed two shillings per week, fuel, and a new gown 

 once in two years. 



Leek gave birth to Thomas Parker, the first Earl of Macclesfield, 

 who was the son of Thomas Parker, attorney, of this town. He 

 was born at Leek in the year 1666, and after a grammatical edu- 

 cation, applied himself to the study of the law, under the direction 

 of his father. He became so eminent as a barrister, that he was 

 appointed one of Queen Anne's Counsel, and was exalted to the 

 degree of Serjeant-at-Law, and had the honour of knighthood con- 

 ferred on him on the 8th of June, 1705. He was a representative 

 in Parliament for the town of Derby from 1705 to 1708. In 1710, 

 he was appointed Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, 

 and, on the death of the Queen, he was one of the Lords Justices 

 till the arrival of George the First from Hanover. On the 10th of 



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