Assize Court at Gloucester to give evidence in some case of importance.

James Dobbs, of Huntley, aged 100, also died in 1810, making the third centenarian who died in the county during that year.

In 1812 Mary Jones, of Berkeley, died at the age of 101. Mr. Fippin, of Taynton, died at 100 in 1813, and Mrs. Phillips, a widow, died at Weston-sub-edge at the same age in the same year.

Mary Bennett, of Longford, near Gloucester, died in 1820, aged 105.

John Maddox, of Holloway Head, near Northwick, lived to be 121, and died in 1824.

66

As proofs of the salubrity of Gloucester and the longevity of its inhabitants, Mr. G. W. Counsel writing in 1829, says there were then living and in perfect health two old women— Elizabeth Yates, aged 104 years, and Sarah Bower 102. In the suburbs of the City," he adds, "Mr. Jackson died a few years since, at the age of 104, and his neighbour Dame Smith, aged 100.”

In Upper Cam Churchyard there is a tombstone to the Memory of Joseph White, who died June 12, 1837, aged 103. It was erected by Lord Segrave, afterwards Earl Fitzhardinge. Mary Evans, of Lydney, died at 100 in 1846.

A lady is said to have been living at Woodmancote, [near Bishop's Cleeve or Dursley ?] in 1850 who was then 103 years old.

Her two sons were respectively 80 and 70. She partook of fruit from a tree she had planted in 1760.

A gravestone in Amberley Churchyard records the death of Mary Buckingham, of Rodborough, October 26, 1851, at the age of 101 years.

Mrs. Wait, of Hambrook, who died in 1856, was 107 years old. At 95 she walked daily from Hambrook to Bristol and back making altogether a distance of ten miles.

Probably the oldest man living in England in 1868 was Richard Purser, of Leckhampton. He worked as an

agricultural labourer till his 105th year. Though ceasing to do regular work he was still of active habits. Two or three years before his death he walked to Cirencester, a distance of thirteen miles, to visit some friends; and a day or two afterwards walked back. Avoiding a short cut across some water meadows at Stratton, he remarked that having lived so long he should not like to be "drownded at last." He died October 12, 1868, aged 112.

Thomas Fisher who "walked to be baptised" on October 11, 1767, died at Sapperton on October 11, 1869.

Sarah Dash of Ham, died in May, 1879, aged 101; and was buried in Berkeley Cemetery.

Sophia Vowles, of the neighbourhood of Bourton, died November 9, 1882, aged 100.

Both had

Two centenarians who appear to have been born on the same day, November 4th, 1784, died in almost neighbouring parishes in January, 1885. Mrs. Charlotte Kingdom, a widow lady, died at Cirencester, on the 16th of that month; and Mr. Lambot Gardiner died at Chedworth, on the 24th. largely retained their health and mental faculties till within a short time of death. Mr. Gardiner was busy in the harvest field the previous summer, and excepting deafness seemed as hale and hearty as ever. He was buried in the same grave as his wife in Ampney St. Mary churchyard. Mrs. Kingdom rests in the beautiful cemetery at Stroud.

Mary Broben, who retained all her faculties, died in her 103 year, at Blakeney, November 16th, 1885.

The papers have lately recorded the death of Mrs. Pearse who was born in Gloucestershire in August, 1778, and died at Limehouse, February, 1887.

Myriack Lock and his wife, two gipsies, who are buried in Hillsley Churchyard, lived to be respectively 99 and 100 years old.

In the records of longevity there are many statements too incredible for modern belief. Yet it seems to have been believed that "in the reign of James I. eight old men, all

added

belonging to one Manor in Gloucestershire, whose ages together made as many centuries, danced a Morris dance!" Chancellor Parsons gravely repeats the statement of Bishop Bull who told him that during his twenty-seven years residence at Siddington he had buried ten of his parishioners whose united ages amounted to a thousand years! One who knew this parish during an equally long period from 1852 to 1879-remembers many aged people, some over ninety-but not one who had completed a century.

LIST of the various Saints to whom the Churches of our County are dedicated, reveals some singular facts, and may suggest some curious enquiries.

Of 385 churches no fewer than 70 are dedicated to the mother of Jesus. Of this number 60, of which Tewkesbury Abbey is one, are consecrated to her as St. Mary; 9 as St. Mary the Virgin, or the Blessed Virgin, and one-Down Hatherly—to St. Mary and Corpus Christi. The Apostles receive like honour in 112 instances; the most favoured of "the glorious company" being St. Peter, whose name has been given to the Cathedral Church and 34 others. St. James comes next with 22, followed by St. Andrew with 16 and St. Bartholmew with 11. St. John has 8 only, but 4 more are dedicated to him as the Evangelist. St. Matthew also has 8 and St. Paul 7, while St. Thomas has but 2, and St. Barnabas 1. The fine old church at Northleach is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, and the modern churches at Hucclecote and Leckhampton to SS. Philip and James. No fewer than 18, including the grand Abbey Church of Cirencester, are called after St. John the Baptist-while St. Mark and St. Luke have only 2 each. St. Simon and St. Jude have been quite passed by; so had the first martyr till the new Church at Tivoli, Cheltenham, was dedicated to St. Stephen. St. Michael rivals the most popular Apostles, having 22 in his own name, and 3 in that and "All the Angels." Mary Magdalene is tutelary saint in 8 instances.

The term "Christ Church is applied to 6: 2 are consecrated to the Holy Jesus, and 20 to the Holy Trinity.

The Holy Rood is honoured at Daglinworth, and the Holy Cross at Ampney Crucis, Avening, and Owlpen. The Holy Innocents are commemorated by the beautiful church at Highnam. The Saxon phrase All Hallowes at South Cerney, is Latinised into All Saints at North Cerney and 18 other places.

Some scores of other dedications are to Saints whose names must be looked for in the Church Calendar. To the martyred St. Lawence there are 11, and to the Patron Saint and Champion St. George 7, St. Nicholas has 9 and St. Swithin 5, St. Oswald 4, SS. Edward, Giles, Leonard, and Martin, have 3 each and St. Knelm 2. Thomas A. Becket is honoured as saint and martyr at Pucklechurch and Todenham. Among the solitary instances are St. Aldate, Gloucester; St. Christopher, Baunton; St. Cyril, Stonehouse; St. Cyr, Stinchcombe; St. Ethelbert, Littledean; St. Saviour, Coalpit Heath; and St. David at Moreton-in-the-Marsh. A St. Owens, which stood outside the Southgate Gate at Gloucester, and was, it is said, especially intended for the Welsh of the neighbourhood, was destroyed by the citizens at the time of the siege in 1643, to prevent its being occupied by the besiegers.

numerous.

The dedications to non-Biblical female saints are less St. Catherine and St. Margaret have 5 each; St. Anne 3, and St. Helen 2. The name of St. Adeline is perpetuated in the small church at Little Sodbury, built after the model of that in which Tyndale preached, and bearing the same name. St. Arila the Virgin is kept in memory at Oldbury-on-the-Hill; St. Barbara at Ashton-under-the-Hill; St. Ethelburga at Ebrington, and St. Mary de Malmsbury at Littleton-on-Severn.

Of 15 churches the names are unknown or uncertain; these are Aston Sommerville, Aust, Charlton Abbotts, Clapton, Cow Honeybourne, Hailes, Lemington, Matson, Oldbury-onSevern, Pitchcombe, Snowshill, Stanley Pontlarge, Upleadon, Whittington and Yanworth.