ASTON. 117 ASTON BLANK. and co. of Montgomery, North Wales, 6 miles from Montgomery. ASTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Bampton, hund. of Hampton, in the co. of Oxford, 2 miles to the E. of Bampton. It is situated on the north side of the river Thames, and contains the hmlt. of Coate. The land is mostly unenclosed and common. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Claverlcy, and hund. of Brimstree, in the co. of Salop, 6 miles from Bridg- north. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par, of Hoposay, and hund. of Purslow, in the co. of Salop, 6 miles from Bishop's Castle. The river Clunn flows through the township. The principal residence is Aston Hall. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Munslow, hund. of Mmislow, in the co. of Salop, 7 miles to the N. of Lud- low. It is situated on the western sido of the river Corvc, not far from the ridge of limestone rock called Ynlock Edge. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Oswestry, and hund. of the same name, in the co. of Salop, 3 miles from Os- westry. It lies to the west of the Llanymynech branch canal, not far from the borders of Wales. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of St. Asaph, and in the patron, of Mrs. Lloyd. The principal residence is Aston Park. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Wellington, in the Wellington div. of the hund. of South Bradford, in the co. of Salop, 2 miles from Wellington. The Wrekin rises on the east of this township, from the summit of which is a commanding view over 15 counties, bounded on the west by the Black Mountains of Wales, with the Severn, Avon, and Wey winding beneath. The slopes of the Wrekin are tastefully laid out in pine plantations, alternating with grassy lawns, and the ancient Roman road called Watling Street passes to the north of the township. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Wem, Whitchurch div. of the hund. of North Bradford, in the co. of Salop, 1 mile from Wem. It is near the source of the river Koden. ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Bluckleston, and hund. of Pirchill, in the co. of Stafford, 7 miles to the S.W. of Newcastle-under-Lyne. It lies not far from the North Western railway, on the borders of Shropshire. ASTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Seighiord, and hund. of Pirehill, in the co. of Stafford, 2 miles from Stafford. ASTON, a tnshp. joined to the tnshps. of Burston and Stoke, in the par. of Stone, hund. of Pirehill, in the co. of Stafford, 2 miles S. from Stone, 5 N. from Stafford, and 2j from Sandon railway station. It lies on the south-west sido of the river Trent and the Grand Trunk canal, and comprises the hmlt. of Little Aston. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Lichfield, of the val. of 150, in the patron, of the Hon. E. S. Jervis. The church, dedicated to St. Saviour, is a neat stone structure, in the Gothic style, with a tower. The regis- ter dates from 1843. There is a National school, and a Roman Catholic school, founded by the Rev. Father Louis, in 1852, for the education of 40 boys and girls. The brotherhood who have established themselves at Aston Hall, formerly the seat of Viscount St. Vincent, have filled up the old moat, and laid it out in pleasure walks. They have also erected a church and other buildings of stone, enclosing the mausoleum of Sir James Simeon, through whom they derive their tenure. ASTON, a par. in the Birmingham div. of the hund. of Hemlingford, in the co. of Warwick, 2 miles to the N. of Birmingham. A largo part of the parish lies within the borough of Birmingham. It is situated in the valley of the river Tame, across which the London and North Western railway is carried on a handsome viaduct of ten arches. There is a station at Aston. The Birmingham and Farsley canal also runs along the valley. The par. comprises the following chplries. : Ashted, Castle Bromwich, Bordesley, Deritend, Dud- deston, Erdington, Water Orion, and AVard End, and the hmlts. of Saltley and Witton. In the Saxon period this place belonged to the Earls of Mercia, and was granted by William the Conqueror to William Fitz-Ausculf. In, 1203 the manor passed to Sir Thomas de Erdington, and in 1367 to the Holt family, in whose possession it re- mained above 400 years. The population are employed in the various departments of the Birmingham trade and have largely shared in the material prosperity of that town. [See BIRMINGHAM.] The living is a vie.* in tho dioc. of Worcester, of the val. of 1,600, in the patron, of the Trustees of tho Rev. G. Peake. The church is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul. It has a fine tower and spire in tho perpendicular style, but some parts of tho buildingare of much more ancient date. It contains some altar tombs and effigies, and a brass of Justice Holt. In addition to the parish church there are twelve district churches and chapels of ease in this extensive parish, named after their districts : Ward End ; Ashted, St. James ; Castle Bromwich ; Bordesley, Holy Trinity ; Bordesley, St. Andrew ; Deritend, St. John ; Erding- ton ; Duddeston, St. Matthew ; St. Clement's Nechells ; Lozells, St. Silas; Saltley; and Water Orton. The livings of all are perpet. curs. The parish has many valuable charities ; the annual revenue of which is 412. The most important is an almshouse for five men and five women, founded by Sir Thomas Holt and endowed by him with a rentcharge of 88 per annum. The other charities consist of Poors' land, and numerous bequests for the benefit of the poor. Aston Hall, a fine old man- sion in the Elizabethan style, was built by Sir Thomas Holt, in the reign of James I. It stands on rising ground, near the river Tame, occupying three sides of a quadrangle, and is approached by a noble avenue nearly half a mile in length. It contains many family portraits. A room is shown in which Charles I. slept before the battle of Edgehill (1642) ; and on the staircase are still seen impressions of tho cannon-balls of the parliamen- tary forces. This hall was lately the seat of James Watt, Esq., son of tho great engineer. Aston is the seat of a Poor-law Union. The par. is very extensive, comprising an area of 13,877 acres, and a population of above 60,000. See BIRMINGHAM. ASTON, a par. in the southern div. of the wap. of Strafforth and Tickhill, in tho West Riding of the co. of York, 5 miles to the S.E. of Rotherham. York is its post town. It is situated at the southern extremity of the county, on the borders of Derbyshire, and includes the old par. of Aughton, which is now united with it, and part of the tnshp. of Ulley. The Midland railway passes near the village. The living is a rect. * in the dioc. of York, of the val. of 831, in the patron, of the Duke of Leeds. The church is dedicated to All Saints. It con- tains monuments of the Darcy family, and one to the Rev. William Mason, the poet, who held the rectory of this parish, and died here in 179". There is a free school with an income, from several endowments, of 15 a year. There are several other charities. The principal seat is Aston Hall, the residence of Henry Verelst, Esq. ASTON ABBOTT'S, a par. in the hund. of Cottesloe, in the co. of Buckingham, 5 miles to the N.E. of Ayles- bury, its post town. It is situated in the district over which the Chiltcm hills extend, and was formerly among the temporalities of the Abbey of Haughmond, near Shrewsbury. The living is a vie. * in the dioe. of London, of the val. of 143, in the patron, of Lord Overstone. The church is dedicated to St. James. Tho parochial charities amount to 9 per annum. Burston House, in this parish, was a seat of tho Lee family, and was rebuilt in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It is now a farmhouse. Aston is a meet for the Rothschild hounds. ASTON BLANK, or COLD ASTON, a par. in the hund. of Bradley, in the co. of Gloucester, 3 miles to the N. of Northleach, its post town. It is situated on the river Windrush, not far from the borders of Oxfordshire and the old Fosse Way. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol, of the val. of 186, and in the gift of the lord chancellor. The church is dedicated to St. Andrew. Tho charitable endowments, among which is 5 a year to a school, amount to 39. The estate
