492 
Report of the Judges on the 
" III 1338, this manor was held by Sir Pliilip de Somerville, 
und(M' the famous John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who, 
during his residence at Tutburj Castle, established several 
curious customs, for the purpose of gaining the affections of the 
people, and none of them is more singular than the tenure of 
this manor, which requires the lord to keep a flitch of bacon 
hanging in his hall at Wichnor, at all times of the year, except 
in Lent, that it maj be delivered to any man or woman who 
shall come and claim it, and at the same time swear that he or 
she has been married a year and a day without repenting; and 
that if they were then single, and wished to be married again, 
the demandant would take the same party again before any 
other in the world. Two neighbours were required to testify 
the truth of this deposition, and if the claimant was a freeman, 
he received, besides the bacon, half a quarter of wheat and 
a cheese ; and if a villain, half a quarter of rye. These things, 
with the bacon, were carried before him, with trumpets, 
tabernets, minstrels, and a procession of the tenantry, through 
the lordship of Wichnor, and then without music, to his abode. 
Since this custom was established, but very few have dared to 
claim the prize, and three couples only have obtained it ; one 
of which, having quarrelled about the mode of cooking the 
bacon, was adjudged to return it; and the other happy couple 
were a sea officer and his wife, who had never seen each other 
from the day of their marriage till they met at the hall ; and 
a simple pair in the neighbourhood ; the husband, a good- 
natured sensible man, and the wife luckily dumb. No claimant 
for the flitch having appeared during several centuries, a wooden 
one was long since substituted in its stead, and still hangs in 
the hall — a friendly monitor to the young and free, to be 
cautious of trusting themselves in the hymeneal noose. The 
ihall is supposed to stand on the site of the ancient manor house, 
■which Leiand mentions as totally in ruins in his time. The 
then family residence being situated close to the bank of the 
Trent, and much liable to the overflowings of that river, which 
here runs in two circuitous streams, crossed by a range of noble 
aqueducts forming j)art of the canal,* and by a stone bridge of 
many arches and culverts on the Lichfield and Burton road, 
which latter is the ' Ikenield Street' of the Romans. Near the 
bridge is an iron forge, established about seventy years ago, and 
thf hirge ' Flitch of Bacon Inn,' where the county magistrates 
hold petty sessions." From ' Lewis's Dictionary ' it appears 
James I. here held a court on August 21st, IGfiL 
All the land is of a light and sandy character, that easily 
* The Grand Trunk Canal. 
