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HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 311 



The village of Blithefield is chiefly remarkable for an ancient man- 

 sion of the Bagot family, which contains a splendid collection of 

 paintings in the first style, and by the ablest artists. 



Amongst others, there is a portrait of Lord Treasurer Burleigh, 

 equally eminent as a statesman and a Christian. He is painted with 

 a white beard, a bonnet, and collar of the Garter, the George, and 

 a white wand. Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, cotemporary with 

 Lord Burleigh, is painted with the collar of the Garter, and a forked 

 beard. The date is 1588, aged 52. But the most remarkable 

 portrait is that of Walter, Earl of Essex, the unfortunate favourite of 

 Queen Elizabeth. He is represented at half-length, and in armour. 



Bagofs Park, which belongs to this mansion, is situated two or 

 three miles to the north-east, on the opposite bank of the Blithe. 

 It contains many oaks, of extraordinary growth, some of the trees 

 containing from 300 to 400 feet each. This timber is of great an- 

 tiquity, being mentioned as full-grown by Dr. Plot in 1686 ; it is, 

 consequently, verging to decay. The woods extend over many 

 hundred acres, and are almost wholly of oak, in different stages of 

 growth, some of them carrying timber to the length of 60 or 70 feet. 



The Church of Blithefield is dedicated to St. Leonard : it is a 

 rectory, Lord Bagot is the patron, and the Hon. and Rev. Richard 

 Bagot, his Lordship's brother, is the present incumbent. 



COLTON is a parish of Pirehill South, and situated southward of 

 iBlithefield. This parish extends to the river Trent, adjoining to 

 Rugeley. The soil is a mild fertile loam, with a good proportion of 

 meadows on the verge of the Trent, and on a brook which falls into 

 it. The Swedish turnip is cultivated in rows on the Northumber- 

 land system in this parish, and the lands in general are productive 

 of abundant crops of grain, and in an improved and high state 

 of cultivation. Colton parish contains 101 houses, 105 families ; 

 266 males, 218 females : total of inhabitants, 484. 



The village of Colton is small. It is a pleasant rural place, in a 

 low situation. A private mansion of brick and stone, with a fish- 

 pond and pleasure-grounds, on the opposite side of the turnpike- 

 road, which passes through this village, are the most conspicuous 



bjects. 



Colton Church, situated in an enclosure near the road, is small. 

 The nave is modern, and built of brick, and the roof covered with 

 lead ; but the chancel is ancient, of stone, and the roof covered with 

 tiles, with a small stone cross at the end. The tower is square, and 

 of stone : it is low, and from its small narrow Gothic windows, and 



