artin's was vested in the family of Birmingham,
until the year 1537, since which it has passed through the Dudleys, the
Crown, the Marrows, the Smiths, and now rests in the family of Tennant.

RECTORS.

1300 Thomas de Hinckleigh.
1304 Stephen de Segrave.
1304 John de Ayleston.
1336 Robert de Shuteford.
1349 William de Seggeley.
1354 Thomas de Dumbleton.
1369 Hugh de Wolvesey.
1396 Thomas Darnall.
1412 William Thomas.
1414 Richard Slowther.
1428 John Waryn.
1432 William Hyde.
1433 John Armstrong.
1433 John Wardale.
1436 Henry Symon.
1444 Humphrey Jurdan.
1504 Richard Button.
1536 Richard Myddlemore.
1544 William Wrixam.
1578 Lucus Smith.

_Thus far Dugdale_.

---- ------ Smith
1641 Samuel Wills.
1654 ------ Slater.
1660 John Riland.
1672 Henry Grove.
---- William Daggett.
---- Thomas Tyrer.
1732 Richard Dovey.
1771 ------ Chase.
1772 John Parsons.
1779 William Hinton, D.D.
1781 Charles Curtis.

During Cromwell's government, ---- Slater, a broken apothecary of this
place, having been unsuccessful in curing the body, resolved to attempt
curing the soul. He therefore, to repair his misfortunes, assumed the
clerical character, and cast an eye on the rectory of St. Martin's; but
he had many powerful opponents: among others were Jennens, an
iron-master, possessor of Aston-furnace; Smallbroke, another wealthy
inhabitant, and Sir Thomas Holt.

However, he with difficulty, triumphed over his enemies, stept into the
pulpit, and held the rectory till the restoration.

Being determined, in his first sermon, to lash his enemies with the whip
of those times, he told his people, "The Lord had carried him through
many troubles; for he had passed, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
through the _fiery furnace_. And as the Lord had enabled the children of
Israel to pass over the Red Sea, so he had assisted him in passing over
the _Small-brooks_, and to overcome the strong _Holts_ of sin
and satan."

At the restoration, suspecting the approach of the proper officers to
expel him from the Parsonage-house, he crept into a hiding-place under
the stairs; but, being discovered, was drawn out by force, and the
place ever after, bore the name of _Slater's Hole_.

John Riland succeeded hi