Show YEW TREES IN churchyards two in england of which records have been kept now and again a record may be found in old church accounts or in some other parish document of the planting of trees in the english churchyards when thomas ken the author of morning and evening hymns afterward bishop of bath and wells was rector of east wood hay near newbury eng he planted we learn a yew tree in the church yard the tree stands on the north side of the church and though plants ed over years ago its trunk only now measures in circumference some seven feet seven inches at Port ches ter on the north side of the norman church which Is situated within the castle walls there stands a yew with an interesting history it appears that the tree which formerly stood there was killed by the smoke from the kitchens of the french prisoners some 8 of whom were confined in the castle during the war with na at the beginning of the last century the church warden s book records the fact that on tho departure of the french prisoners a new tree was planted in the place of the one that had been destroyed the trunk of this yew tree at the height of four feet from the ground now measures seyen feet two inches in circum tei ence |