40 



Murder in the Seventeenth Century. 



this we see the railway station, and can trace the line intersecting 

 the pleasant circle of pasture, corn, and hedgerow, whilst close by 

 and for some distance parallel to it, is a small stream, flowing- in a 

 westerly direction to join the Stour. Near the station the road to 

 Ilmington crosses the stream upon a bridge called " Battle Bridge/' 

 and about a mile away to the north-east is Ebrington Church. 

 Both this and Campden Church are interesting in themselves, and 

 as containing — the former, the stately monuments of the Baptist 

 Hickeses and Noels, Lords of Campden, a title now merged in that of 

 Gainsborough; the latter the burying-place of Sir John Fortescue, 

 Chancellor (at least in title) to Henry VI., Chief Justice to Edward 

 IV., and the author of " de Laudibus Legum Anglise." 



There is a carriage-road to Ebrington, branching off from the 

 main highway at half-a-mile north of Battle Bridge, and previous 

 to the Enclosure Acts of the present century the ground adjoining 

 the roads and for some distance on either side, was covered with 

 thickets and gorse, through which there were paths giving more 

 direct access for foot or horse passengers to the village. Beyond 

 there were, enclosed fields on the way, one of them called the 

 Conigre, belonging to Lady Campden. 



Let us climb Ebrington Church tower, thence there is a fine view. 

 Half-a-mile to the eastward we see the hamlet of Charrmgworth, 

 a few houses, partly hidden by the foliage ; and to the south, towards 

 the railway, the hamlet of Paxford, with its distant background 

 of " Cots wolds/' whilst in the same direction, immediately ad- 

 joining the churchyard, and almost at our feet, is the remnant of 

 the manor house of the Fortescues, approached by a noble avenue 

 of ancestral trees. 



We are told 1 that this mansion, of which only the central 

 portion remains, was built in the seventeenth century. It is now 

 used as a farm house. The once pleasant flower gardens have been 

 utilised for cabbages and onions, the stream and fountains are gone, 

 whilst an old red brick summer-house alone stands to lament the 

 departed glories of the place. History relates that Sir John 

 Eortescue bought the estate of Sir Robert Corbet, but that on the 

 1 See Rudder's and Bigland's " Gloucestershire," tit. Ebrington. 



