*WEBLEY, (Herefordshire) in a fruitful country, 108 cm. 130 mm. from London, had a castle fortified by the empress Maud,
but reduced by K. Stephen. 'Tis an ancient Bor. by prescription, but no corp. It sent members to all the 7 Pts. of Edw. I.
but no more till 1640, and then by order of the house of commons. It has a little Mt. on Th. and Fairs on Holy-Th. and the
3d Th. after. It suffered much by a fire not many years ago, for which there was a brief. 'Tis chiefly noted for fine ale;
and has 2 ch. scs. i.e. one for 25 boys, of whom 21 are cloathed, and another for girls. There is a bowling-green that was
the site of the castle, from whence the Bor. has a continued descent to a brook that runs into the Arrow. Here was
formerly the seat of the Verdons, Barons of Webley, who came over with Will. the Conq. and were not extinct till the R. of
Edward II. and some of them lie buried in its Ch. The estate afterwards devolved to the Furnivals of Burghersh, the
Ferrers of Groby, Craphuls, the Ferrers of Chartley, and to the Devereuxes Earls of Essex. The members, who are returned
to Pt. by the constables, are chosen by the inh. paying scot and lot, who are about 85.