S4 . J>OPDERHILL. WORCES'fE~SHIIill. (KELLY~S

Dodder.hill. Holmes Thomas; farmer, Brook house, *Wilso~ Matt. frmr. Causeway meadow {Names marked .thus. • receive .letters via Hooton :John, farmer, lmpner ; Wilson Thos. Matt. farm~r,, Overstreet , .] Jackson Thomas, farmer, Park farm Wilson William, farmer, Obden farm Biddle George, Rashwood Massie Henry,.flj.l'mer, Rashwood CraggAnthony Richard,Dodderhl court Nosworthy James,_ ·.school attendance Wychbold. *Fryer Geo. Sagebury

DROITWICH is an ancient municipal borough, market and a charter was granted by James I. under which two mem· union town, head of a petty sessional division and .county bers were returned to Parliament; this was superseded by court district, near the centre of the shire, on the river Sal­ the Reform Act of 1832, and the borough, which was subse· warpe and the Droitwich canal, with a station on the West quently enlarged for Parliamentary purposes, returned Midland section of the Great Western railway, which is con­ one member until the passing of the " Redistribution of nected by the loop line with the Midland, joining it at Stoke Seats Act, 1885," by which the representation was merged Works, and over which the Midland Company have running into that of the county. The town was well peopled in the powers : it lies 72 miles north from Bristol, rg south from time of Willi!i.m the Norman, and in King John's time was , 62! south-west from Derby, ro6 from Man­ most important and wealthy, as may be inferred from the chester, 28 south-west from Warwick, n8 from London by fact of the burgesses paying a yearly fee-farm rent of £roo road, 112 by rail, 6~ north-north-east from Worcester, in for the grant of certain privileges. In 1643 King Charles the Mid division of the county, hundred of Upper Halfshire, fixed his head-quarters here while his army was engaged rural deanery of Droitwich and archdeaconry and diocese of with the Parliamentary forces collected in Hawkesley House; Worcester. The country for some distance round is orna­ and the King afterwards sent a letter thanking the towns· mented with parks and pleasure-grounds thickly studded folk for their help. with timber and fruit trees, and every neighbouring hill The Worcester and Birmingham canal (a junction with affords beautiful and luxuriant landscapes. · · which was effected in r853) is of considerable advantage to Droitwich was one of the king's demesne burghs c