London Stone. 



willingly have left their king in captivity if by so doing the old stone 

 could have been restored to them, for they believed in the old inscrip- 

 tion that was on it to the effect — 



In Warwickshire, on the old coach road from Birmingham to Lor 

 don, stands what remains of an old wayside cross. It is situated o 

 a mound of artificially raised earth about thirty-five feet square, wit 

 the sides running parallel to the road. The part of the cross n 

 maining is thirty inches square at the top, with a hole in the centi 

 to receive the shaft. At this stone was collected for the Duke < 

 Buccleugh by his steward on Martinmas Eve, at sun-rising, what 

 called "wroth," or ward money, from the various parishes in the hui 

 dred of Knightlow. This money has been collected from time imme- 

 morial, excepting for a few years at the beginning of the present cen- 

 tury. The Scott family, who were entitled to this tribute money, de- 

 termined to revive this old custom, or as it was locally called, "k 

 up the charter." 



Accordingly on the eve of St. Martin, November 11, 1&79, 

 annual custom was observed at 6:45 o'clock in the morning and trie 

 wroth money was collected. There were thirty-four persons present 

 to witness the ceremony ; and the steward having invited the party to 

 stand around the stone — the original custom was to walk three times 

 round it— proceeded to read the charter of assembly which opens thus: 

 "Wroth silver collected annuallv at Knightlow Cross, by the Duke of 

 Buccleuch as lord of the manor of the hundred of Knightlow." The 

 next thing was the calling over the names of the parishes liable to the 

 fee and the amount due from each parish ; and thereupon the repre- 

 sentatives of the parish present cast the required sum into the hollow 

 of the stone. Seven parishes paid one penny each ; seven paid three 

 half pence each ; seven paid two pence each ; four paid four pence 

 each ; one paid twelve pence ; one paid two shillings and two pence, 

 and one paid two shillings three and one-half pence ; and the total 

 amount paid by the twenty-eight parishes was nine shillings three and 

 one-half pence. The fine for non-payment in the olden times was one 

 pound for every penuy unpaid, or else the forfeiture of a white bull 

 with a red nose and ears ; this fine has not been paid within man's 

 memory, probably from the difficulty of procuring a bull of a white 

 color with habits so intemperate that he would have a red nose and 



