, the
daughter of Mr. Poole of Dalby, in the same county, a family now quite
extinguished. My grandmother's brother was Mr. Henry Poole, one of the
Knights of Rhodes, or Templars, who being a soldier at Rhodes at the
taking thereof by Solyman the Magnificent, and escaping with his life,
came afterwards to England, and married the Lady Parron or Perham, of
Oxfordshire, and was called, during his life, Sir Henry Poole. William
Poole the Astrologer knew him very well, and remembers him to have been
a very tall person, and reputed of great strength in his younger years.

The impropriation of this town of Diseworth was formerly the inheritance
of three sisters, whereof two became votaries; one in the nunnery of
Langly in the parish of Diseworth, valued at the suppression, I mean the
whole nunnery, at thirty-two pounds per annum, and this sister's part is
yet enjoyed by the family of the Grayes, who now, and for some years
past, have the enjoyment and possession of all the lands formerly
belonging to the nunnery in the parish of Diseworth, and are at present
of the yearly value of three hundred and fifty pounds per annum. One of
the sisters gave her part of the great tithes unto a religious house in
Bredon upon the Hill; and, as the inhabitants report, became a religious
person afterwards.

The third sister married, and her part of the tithes in succeeding ages
became the Earl of Huntingdon's, who not many years since sold it to one
of his servants.

The donation of the vicarage is in the gift of the Grayes of Langley,
unto whom they pay yearly, (I mean unto the Vicar) as I am informed, six
pounds per annum. Very lately some charitable citizens have purchased
one-third portion of the tithes, and given it for a maintenance of a
preaching minister, and it is now of the value of about fifty pounds per
annum.

There have been two hermitages in this parish; the last hermit was well
remembered by one Thomas Cooke, a very ancient inhabitant, who in my
younger years acquainted me therewith.

This town of Diseworth is divided into three parishes; one part belongs
under Locington, in which part standeth my father's house, over-against
the west end of the steeple, in which I was born: some other farms are
in the parish of Bredon, the rest in the parish of Diseworth.

In this town, but in the parish of Lockington, was I born, the first day
of May 1602.

My father's name was William Lilly, son of Robert, the son of Robert,
the so