Loess. Him:miss.— We must be content to mention very briefly
various books which have a more or less
local interest :—Nooks and Corners of Shropshire. By H. Thornhill Timmins. (Elliot Stock. 21s. net.)—Mr. Timmins, who has illustrated his book by a number of attractive sketches, gives us the result of many wanderings. He begins with Shrewsbury, and takes us to all the notable spots in the southern part of the county. He is reserving, we hope, the the northern region, with its not less interesting features, includ- ing its minor "Lakeland," the Ellesmere region, for another volume.—Luton, Church. By the late Henry Cobbe, M.A. (G. Bell and Sons. 12s. 6d. net.)—The author of this volume was an antiquarian of no small note, who died in a good old age before he had completed the revision of the proofs. It is hardly possible for a reviewer to contemplate without something like dismay the almost portentous length of this book. It contains between six and seven hundred large and closely printed pages, and all this about a single church. (It is only fair, however, to say that a number of collateral subjects are treated.) Mr. Cobbe goes back to very early times,—to the introduction of Christianity into the Midlands. And there is this also to be said, that the parochial history of Luton is uncommonly complete. " Morcar the Priest" held the benefice in the days of the Conquest. He had dis- appeared, indeed, by the time of the Domesday Survey, which gives us the name of "William the Chamberlain" as the rector. (The value of the benefice was estimated at three pounds of silver.) In the next century Luton Rectory became the property of St. Albans Abbey. A younger William had succeeded, and there was the difficulty that he was a layman, while he had no hereditary right to ecclesiastical possessions. Gilbert de Cymnay was put into his place, and it was through him and his son William that St. Albans (where both. were monks) obtained the advowson. Its revenues, with those of other benefices, were appropriated to the Cellarer. (Would the poor of Luton be the better for this substitution of a poorly paid vicar fora fairly affluent rector ?) There has been a succession of vicars from that day to this. The rectorial tithes were in the hands of the Crown, and afterwards, in part, of Trinity College, Oxford. The holders did not even perform the duty of keeping the chancel in repair. Mr. Cobbe's volume is as complete a history of the parish as could be desired-History of Strood. By Henry Smetham. (Parrett and Neves, Chatham. 10s.)—There are not a few interesting things in this book, though it cannot claim to be in the same rank as Mr. Cobbe's "Luton." There is the story of the church, for instance, pulled down in 1814, and rebuilt in a peculiarly hideous form. This was the beginning of no little strife, for a large sum of money was borrowed, and had to be repaid by a rate. Some. of it is still owing, though the growth of the town has happily permitted the reduction of the rate to 2d. —Calendar of the Records of Derbyshire. Compiled by the Rev. J. Charles Cox. (Ben:dose and Sons. 21s. net.)
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