HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 319 



the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield, The Rev. 

 Henry White, Sacrist of Lichfield Cathedral, is vicar ; and the 

 Rev. John Jenkinson, the present curate. 



The parish of Chebsey contains 72 houses, 73 families; 211 

 males, 195 females: total, 406 persons. 



OFFLEY or HIGH OFFLEY, so called from its elevated situation 

 (which commands extensive views from S.E. to N.W.) is aparish of 

 Pirehill North, containing the townships of High Offley and Woods- 

 eves, and adjoins on the north the parish of Eccleshall. The vil- 

 lage of High Offley contains four large farm-houses and a few 

 smaller tenements. The Church is an ancient Gothic fabric, con- 

 sisting of a nave and south aisle, divided by five plain round pil- 

 lars. It is neatly pewed with oak, and has a capital organ, the 

 gift of John Salmon, Esq. of London, a native of the parish. 

 In the church are two monuments of the Skrymsher family. The 

 vicarage is in the gift of the Bishop of Lichfield : the Rev. Peter 

 Vaughan, D. D. Warden of Merton College, Oxford, is the present 

 incumbent; and the Rev. Thomas Harding, curate. The great 

 tithes of Offley are attached to the prebend of that name in the 

 Cathedral Church of Lichfield. 



The manor and parish are co-extensive, and contain (according 

 to the survey by the commissioners for enclosure in 1809) 2450 

 acres. The manor was for many generations held by the Skrym- 

 sher family. It is now the property of the Rev. Josiah Hinckes. 



From the foundation of a Roman road (E. N. E. to w. s. w.) 

 traceable on the lands a little northward of the church, and Roman 

 coins in great numbers, flat bricks, armour, fragments of pottery, 

 &c. having been ploughed and dug up on the side of the hill south 

 of the church-yard, it has been conjectured (with great probability) 

 that the Roman station Mediolanum was here situated. Knightley 

 and Drayton-in-Hales, both which have been named by antiquaries 

 as the supposed site of Mediolanum, are within a short distance, but 

 are not known to have any evidences of that kind to corroborate 

 such an opinion. 



The parish of High Offley is in general fertile : the soil consists 

 of an excellent sound loam, adapted to turnips, corn, or grass. The 

 Batchacre estate, (late the residence and property of Richard 

 Whitworth, Esq. whose remains are interred in High Offley 

 church-yard) in this parish, consisting of about 500 acres, has 

 lately been purchased by John Walford, Esq. who has built Hill- 

 hall for Ms residence. Mr. Walford is making rapid improvements 



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