Harmondsworth.] Á REMARKABLE BARN. 203 Cobbett mentions, in his list of religious houses confiscated by Henry VIII., an alien priory here, which was granted in the first year of Edward VI. to one of the Tudor courtiers, Sir William Paget. He gives, however, no particulars as to its name, its site, or its value. Perhaps it was the same as the above. it in 1739, when the house was nearly all pulled down again. One wing alone was left, and this was made into a steward's residence. The lands were bought by the Pagets, then Earls of Uxbridge, and living at Harmondsworth, from whom again they passed into the hands of the family of De Salis. The once beautiful grounds where Bolingbroke read Pope's letter as he reclined on a hay- "This manor," observes the author of "The cock are now turned into brick-fields, through | Beauties of England and Wales," "shared the fate which pass a canal and the Great Western Railway of many other possessions of the alien priories, and a mournful commentary on the short-lived pleasures great men. of It is said that on grand occasions in Lord Bolingbroke's or Lord Uxbridge's days the road from Dawley to West Drayton used to be hung with artificial lamps, to guide his aristocratic visitors on their way home at night; and one of the fields which it crosses is still called "The Lanterns." It might be said of "Dawley Farm" as truly as of Canons itself (of which we shall speak hereafter) : "Another age shall see the golden ear, Imbrown the slope and nod on the parterre; But here the transformation is almost more complete, for Ceres herself has had to give way in her turn to the goddess, if there be one, who presides over brick-fields and brick-makers. Opposite the Dawley Manor Farm, and near the church, are to be traced the remains of a moated grange, in a meadow still known as "The Moats"; but nothing is known of its history. The parish of Harmondsworth adjoins Harlington on the west, and is separated from Buckinghamshire by a branch of the River Colne. The whole district is flat and uninteresting, but the soil is fertile, and productive of good crops of corn and vegetables, whilst much fruit finds its way from this locality to the London markets. The land hereabouts is intersected by several small rivulets, or streams, which creep in dull obscurity, without imparting to any portion of the parish the elements of the picturesque. The name of the parish is familiarly pronounced "Harmsworth" by the "natives." In the "Domesday Book" it is written Hermondesworde, and it is stated in that record that the Abbot of the Holy Trinity at Rouen held the principal manor of the king. Tanner says that there was here a priory of the Benedictine order, which was a cell to the above-mentioned abbey of the Holy Trinity, but no traces of such a priory have been discovered in recent times. was seized by King Edward III. in the year 1340. The arable land belonging to the demesne was then valued at 4d. an acre, the meadow at 8d., and the pasture at 2d. There were two watermills: one for corn, let at 18s. per annum; the other for malt, at 8s. The manor was afterwards conveyed to William of Wykeham, who settled it upon the collegiate establishment of his foundation; but it was again obtained by the Crown, in exchange for other possessions, in the reign of Henry VIII. By Edward VI. it was granted to Sir William Paget, from whom it descended to the present noble possessor, the Marquis of Anglesey. As a manorial custom, of a character not very frequent, it may be observed that tenants have a right of fishery in all the rivers and common waters within the manor on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It is probable that the ancient manor-house occupied the site of a farm-dwelling near the church, which claims notice, as there is in the attached yard a barn of remarkably large dimensions, it being 191 feet in length and 38 feet in breadth." The fine old barn above mentioned is perhaps the most interesting object of antiquity in this neighbourhood. The walls are built of conglomerate, commonly called "pudding-stone," and found in this locality. The body of the barn is divided into a nave and aisles by two rows of massive pillars. There are three floors, and the roof is of open timber-work, in good preservation. In former times the building was much larger, having an angular projecting wing, or transept, at the north end, which was pulled down about the year 1775, at the same time as the old manor-house, near which it stood. This portion of the old barn was re-built—or rather, the roof of it was reerected on walls of modern brick-work and supported by the original oak columns-at Heath Row, about a mile and a half distant. building, of which we have given an engraving on the next page, is commonly called "the Gothic barn," because its interior is so like the nave of a cathedral. The The manor was sold by the Pagets, and is now the property of Mr. George Harmond. Although the mansion has disappeared, the gardens and stables still remain. Some subordinate manors in the parish, lying in the hamlets of Longford, Sipson, and other parts, formerly belonging to the Pagets, have passed into the the hands of the Earl of Strafford and other owners. The parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, notwithstanding that it was restored in 1863, bears the marks of considerable antiquity, portions of it dating as far back as the Norman times. It is a tolerably fine building, rather like those of West Drayton and Harlington, The village of Harmondsworth consists chiefly of scattered rural dwellings, many of which are in that ancient and simple mode of constructionhalf timber and plaster, projecting upper storeys, and thatched roofs-so favourable to the picturesque. There are also one or two old mansions, with cedars in the grounds. But to the parish, as a whole, no historical interest whatever is at tached. According to the census returns for the year 1871 the parish contained 326 inhabited houses, the number of the population being 1,584, which had increased to 1,800 in the course of the next ten years. The body of the structure is composed of Heath Row, mentioned above, lies in the eastern part of the parish, to the south of the great western road, and it takes its name from its situation on the margin of Hounslow Heath. Close by this spot are slight traces of the Roman encampment which Stukeley, as already stated in our account of Coway Stakes, believed to have been formed by Cæsar after he had crossed the Thames, and during his progress towards Hertfordshire. This camp, of which a view is given in the "Itinerarium Curiosum," is considered to have measured about 300 feet square, and to have been defended by a single ditch. The hamlet of Sipson-or Shepiston, as it was sometimes called Longford is a hamlet in this parish, on the road to Slough. It takes its name from its situation on a branch of the River Colne, which supplies Hampton Court with water, and which is crossed by a bridge, erected in 1834, called the Queen's Bridge. The district hereabout lies low, and is subject to inundation from the overflowing of the stream above mentioned. Colnbrook, which lies about two miles west of Longford, is the utmost limit of our perambulation in this direction, being just on the borders of the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police. The town is located on four channels of the River Colne, over 205 each of which there is a bridge. The greater part of the town, Colnbrook proper, is in Buckinghamshire; but the eastern part, forming part of the parish of Stanwell, is in the county of Middlesex. The town contains many old houses and hostelries, in one of which Queen Elizabeth is said to have been in the habit of resting for the night on her way to Windsor Castle. It is a long straggling town, and stands in two counties and in four parishes, and, like Uxbridge and Maidenhead, it has only lately been made parochial. Situation and Boundaries of West Drayton-Its Vegetable Products, Fishing, &c.-Its Etymology-Descent of the Manor-The Old Manorhouse-Burroughs, formerly the Seat of General Arabin-The Parish Church-The Burial-ground-The Village of West Drayton-Popu. lation-The Catholic Church of St. Catharine-Thorney Broad-The Race-course-Yiewsley-Hayes-The Grand Junction Canal-Census Returns-Boundaries of the Parish-Its Nomenclature-Condition of the Parish in Tudor Times- Acreage of the Parish-Descent of the Manor-The Village of Hayes-Yeading Manor-Botwell-Cotman's Town-Wood End Green-The Parish Church-The Rectory Distinguished Rectors-Schools and Charities-Extracts from the Parish Registers. TAKING a fresh start north from Harmondsworth, on the western border of Middlesex. The parish a journey of a couple of miles brings us to Dray- is separated on its western side from Buckington-or, as it is commonly called, West Drayton, hamshire by the river Colne, which meanders probably to distinguish it from Drayton Green,peacefully along through meadows and corn-fields, close by Castle Hill, Ealing, some four miles and having here and there upon its banks a mill or eastward. Drayton is a large, irregular village, a farmyard, which imparts a certain amount of life and animation to a landscape which might otherwise, perhaps, be considered dull and monotonous. It is bounded in other directions by the parishes of Hillingdon, Harlington, and Harmondsworth. A considerable quantity of fruit is grown in this neighbourhood, which in due course mostly finds its way into the London markets. The Grand Junction Canal passes by the village, a little to the north of the railway station. The name points to its sylvan and rural origin. It is the town or village of "dreys," as the squirrels' nests are still termed in the rural districts of Hampshire and Berkshire. Beyond describing the descent of the manor, there is almost nothing historical to record in connection with the parish of Drayton. Out of the way of turmoil and strife, the place has apparently enjoyed from the earliest period of its existence one of peaceful retirement and seclusion. We find in the "Domesday Book" the name of the parish written Draitone, and it is there stated that it belonged to the canons of St. Paul's, to whom it had been given by King Athelstan. It is also recorded in the above-mentioned survey that "it answered for ten hides, that there was a mill rented at thirteen shillings and fivepence, pasture for the cattle of the village, and a stream rented at thirty-two pence." According to Bawdwen's "Translation of Domesday for Middlesex," "its whole annual value is said to be six pounds; the same when received; in King Edward's time eight pounds." In a survey, bearing date 1181, it is stated that "the manor of Drayton was taxed in the time of Henry I. and William the Dean at ten hides, as it still is. It paid then 5 shillings to the sheriff, but since the war, 10 shillings, besides which, it pays 11 shillings for the right of frank-pledge." The manor of Drayton remained in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's until about the middle of the sixteenth century, when Henry VIII. obtained it in exchange for other lands, and shortly afterwards granted it to Sir William Paget, who, during the latter years of Henry's reign, had been actively and confidentially employed, often as a diplomatist upon secret and important missions, and who at one time filled the office of Secretary of State. Besides the manor of Drayton, Sir William Paget received a legacy of £300 from the king, who constituted him one of his executors, and of the council to Edward VI. Sir William Paget subsequently formed a close alliance with the Protector Somerset, and was thus retained to do good service for the State. In 1552 he was summoned to Parliament as Baron Paget of Beaudesert, in the county of Stafford; but having taken a prominent part in the Government of the Protector, and shared in the downfall of his patron, he was committed to the Tower, fined £6,000 by the Star Chamber, and divested of the insignia of the Garter. Within a short time, however, he obtained his liberty, with a general pardon for all offences, and a remission of the debt due to the Crown. On the death of Edward, he espoused the cause of Mary, and after her accession to the throne was sworn a member of the Privy Council. He had also a restoration of the Garter, and obtained several important grants from her Majesty. On the accession of Elizabeth, in 1558, Lord Paget retired from public life, at his own request; and Camden informs us that her Majesty “retained an affection and value for him, though he was a strict zealot of the Romish Church." On the attainder of Thomas, third Lord Paget, in 1587, on suspicion of favouring Mary, Queen of Scots, his property was confiscated to the Crown, the manor of Drayton being afterwards granted to Sir Christopher Hatton for life. It was subse quently leased to George Carey, afterwards Lord Hunsdon; but after the death of Lord Paget the reversion was granted (in 1597) to William, the son of that nobleman, who was restored by Act of Parliament, at the commencement of the reign of James I., to his rank and honours, and to a grant also of the remainder of his father's estate. From William, Lord Paget, the manor of Drayton descended to the grandson of Henry, seventh lord-Henry, Earl of Uxbridge-who had been advanced to that earldom in 1714. On the death of the earl without issue, in 1769, this manor devolved, in conjunction with the barony of Paget, to Henry Bailey, Esq., his heir-at-law, who assumed the name of Paget, and was created Earl of Uxbridge in 1784. The second earl is better known to history as Field-Marshal the Marquis of Anglesey, one of the Duke of Wellington's companions-in-arms in the Peninsula and at Waterloo. Lord Uxbridge sold this manor in 1786 to Mr. Fyshe De Burgh, and it has since continued in the possession of his descendants. The Manor House, which was erected by the Paget family, has long since been demolished, having been pulled down by the Earl of Uxbridge about the middle of the last century. It was a spacious red brick mansion, standing to the south of the church, and was approached by stately avenues of trees. Its gardens surrounded the churchyard. Some of the walls which enclosed the gardens are still standing, together with a large part of the out-offices and stables, the upper chambers of which were formerly occupied by West Drayton.] THE MANOR HOUSE. 207 the servants and retainers, and the principal en- The parish church of Drayton, which lies at trance to the courtyard. This gate-house is of the east end of the village, bears a "strong red brick, not unlike some of the details of family likeness" to those of the neighbouring Hampton Court, and commands a view down the parishes of Harlington and Harmondsworth, being street to the entrance of the Hall. Though low, it a handsome Gothic structure of the Perpendicular is massive, and a fine specimen of the Tudor style. style. It is built of stone and flint. It is dedicated It consists of a Pointed arch, flanked on either to St. Martin, and comprises a chancel, a cleresside by large octangular turrets; it is in very toried nave, side aisle, with an open porch, formed good preservation, and still inhabited as a separate of wood, projecting a considerable distance from dwelling-house. The original oak doors remain. the south wall, and a massive western tower proThe site of the old mansion is now occupied, with fusely overgrown with ivy, and surmounted by a some attached ground, by a market gardener. The small wooden turret. Some of the windows are manor-house and the church here stood close filled with stained glass, and the church is in together, in accordance with the old Christian good repair, having been thoroughly restored in theory of the sacred edifice being built originally 1850, at which time the old-fashioned pews were as the chapel or oratory for the dwellers in superseded by open benches. The font is octan"the great house" and their dependents. The gular and very curious, being elaborately ornapresent residence of the De Burghs, lords of the mented. In the upper part, which is divided into manor, called Drayton Hall, is a commodious panels, are represented the "Crucifixion of Our dwelling, at a short distance from the church, and Lord," a sculptor at work on some foliage, and was formerly the property of Lord Boston. "Our Lady of Pity;" the remaining panels being filled with angels holding shields. The chancel contains several monuments, chiefly to the families of the De Burghs and Pagets. The helmets and banners which adorned them are gone. In the floor are brasses to the memory of Richard Roos, citizen of London (1406); Robert Machell, gentleman, a retainer to the Lord Paget (1557); and John Goode, an eminent physician (1581). An old and spacious mansion in this village was formerly the residence of General Arabin, and was sometimes called Burroughs, or Buroughs, from the circumstance of a house on this spot having in bygone times belonged to Sir Thomas Burgh, who was esquire of the body to King Edward IV. "This," observes the author of the "Beauties of England and Wales," "is the site of a small manor belonging to the Bishop of London, which was granted in the year 1462 to the above-mentioned Thomas Burgh, by whom it was aliened in 1476. This manor was given by King Edward VI. to the Bishop of Westminster; and on being surrendered again to the Crown in 1550, was granted to the see of London. This small manorial district is now united with the manor of Colham Garden, in the parish of Hillingdon, which is also the property of the Bishop of London." The mansion was bought, on a sale of the property in lots, by Robert, sixth Earl Ferrers, of whose family it was purchased by the above-mentioned General Arabin. The writer of the notice in the "Beauties of England" concludes as follows :-"This is a residence of the dull, secluded character, favourable to traditional story. Many a marvellous tale is accordingly told respecting its hall, its chambers, and the pensive shaded walks of the grounds. Among these stories, it may be mentioned as the most remarkable that not a few rustic neighbours believe the mansion of Burroughs to have been an occasional residence of Oliver Cromwell, and that the body of the Protector was privately conveyed to this place when threatened with disgraceful exposure, and was re-buried beneath the paving of the hall." Besides the churchyard, there is here another burial-ground, at some distance from the church, and not far from the present hall. This singular arrangement was brought about by the wish of Sir William Paget, who, in the year 1550, procured an Act of Parliament enabling him to give an acre of ground, forming the present parochial cemetery, in exchange for the ancient place of burial, which he enclosed within his garden wall. This ground is now laid out as a flower-garden. The village of West Drayton is about fourteen miles from London, and there is a station about half a mile to the north, on the Great Western Railway. West Drayton proper has a population of a little over a thousand. This is a slight increase over the number recorded in the census of 1871, when there were 984 souls, the inhabited houses at that time being given as 192. In the centre of the village, and facing a broad open green, is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Catharine, the first stone of which was laid by Archbishop (now Cardinal) Manning in 1868. In the district of West Drayton there is a large straggling population of Roman Catholics of very humble means, and previous to the establishment of the mission their religious |