376 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



,400. a-year. The Rev. J. S. Brasier, is Rector, and Edward 

 Mainwaring, Esq. Patron. 



Benefactions to the Poor, inscribed on a tablet on the north wall 

 in the Church : 



" Mr. Joseph Ball, late of this town, left to the poor of the parish 

 of Whitmore, two pieces of land (fifty pounds purchase) the one 

 called BallVmeadow adjoining to the Town Meadow, and a Mea- 

 dow belonging to Master John Eardley. The other call'd Hollie- 

 grieve [grove-croft] lying between lands belpnging to Mr. John 

 Knight and Mr. John Walton. 



" Another charitable person left the interest of twenty pounds for 

 ever to the poor of the said parish, in the trust of the Church- 

 warden and Overseer. 



Mr. MIDDLETON, Minister, 



SAML. LATHAM, Churchwarden, 



Jos. HILDICH, Overseer, Ann. Dom. 1736." 



It is conjectured that this last donation was left by one or more 

 of the name of Cleyton, as will be hereafter noticed, and that the 

 first benefactor might be a descendant of the Rev. John Ball, for- 

 merly minister of this Church, respecting whom a few memoirs, 

 abstracted from an old printed book, are here subjoined, not out of 

 respect to some acts of non-conformity there recorded, for such a 

 sincere Churchman must regret, but for reasons stated in the con- 

 clusion, and because he appears to have been an honest man, gene- 

 rally respected, and an active, pious minister, much revered in his 

 parish and neighbourhood. 



JOHN BALL, called in scorn " the Presbyterians' Champion/' was 

 minister at Whitmore, near Newcastle, Staffordshire, from about 

 the year 1610 to the time of his death, Oct. 20, 1639. He was 

 born about the year 1585 at Cassington, an obscure village, a mile 

 from Hanborough, in Oxfordshire, and educated at Yarnton school ; 

 from whence he was removed to Brazen-nose College, Oxford, 

 where he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts. His parents being 

 of low estate, he was kept at school through the partiality of his 

 master, who admired his pupil's abilities ; and was supported at 

 College chiefly by the aid of friends. After he left the University, 

 he was engaged as tutor to the children of Lady Cholmley, at her 

 house in Cheshire, where he also taught other children. His ac- 

 quaintance being amongst 'the most godly people in those parts,' 

 who much lamented the evils of the times, he often associated with 

 them in keeping private days of fasting andjprayer. " Himself, with 



