This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.
It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.
Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.
Usage guidelines
Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.
+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Search
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web
at jhttp : //books . qooqle . com/
L,7.ki
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
303271762U
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
THE
WILTSHIRE
Irrjjelogiral (mi Hotel listorq
MAGAZINE.
£uilurt)e& fttrtfer tfyt Bixttfam of tfyt &adtty
FOBMRD IN THAT COUNTY A.D. 1863.
VOL. VI.
DEVIZES:
Henry Bull, 4, Saint John Stbbet.
LONDON:
Bxll & Daldy, 186, Fleet Btkbet; J. B. Smith, 86, Soho Buuabb.
1860.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Dxvina :
VBIXTSD BY BBXBY BULL,
•T. JOHN tTBBBT.
OXFORD ARCHITECTURAL
AND HICTO. *IC*L SOCIETY*
A^/W
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
CONTENTS OF VOL. VI.
No. xm
The Bradford Clay and its Fossils : By Mr. W. Ctjnnington, F.G.S. 1- 10
Broughton Giffbrd. History of the Parish, (continued) : By the Bev.
John Whjtxnson, M.A 11- 72
The Harding Family, their Pedigree, 11. Court Leeta, 15. Parochial Registers, 17.
Houses, 32. Population, 23. Agricultural Industry, 29, Manufacturing Industry, 86.
Parochial Economy, 88. Means of Communication, 89.
EocLnazAsnctx. axn Rauoxoua Htsroay. The Pariah Church, 48. Church Temporali-
ties, 49. Church-House, 52. Rectors, 54. Parochial School, 58.
Na-roaax. Hibtout. Land; Surface, 56. Geology, 59. Water; Rlrer Avon, 60.
Brooghton Brook, 68. Climate, 64. Barometrical Obserrations, 65. The Flora of
Broughton Qillbrd, 68.
Oldbury HiU. Aooonnt of a Barrow opened 1858: By Mr. W. Cun-
nington, F.G.S 73
Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens: By William Boynb, F.S. A 75-91
Flora of Wiltshire, No. IV.: By T. B. Flowbb, Esq, M.R.C.8., &o. . . 92-117
Stanley Abbey, A Refugee at: By the Bev. Canon Jackson, F.S.A. . 117
Donations to the Museum and Library 119
Bishop's Cannings, Historical Memoirs of the Parish: By the Yen.
Archbbacon Macdonald 129-159
Mavobiai. Histobt, 121. Tything of Cannings, 124. Bourtoa and Easton, 128. Cote,
180. Horton, 181. Chapelry of St. James, Southbtoom, 182. Roundway, 184.
Wick, 188. Chittoe, 189.
BoeuaxaenoAL HmroaT, 141. The Vioarage, 142. Parish Church, 144. " Carroll n
or reading-chair, 147. Cnaamaa, 151. Mr. T. SteTene, 152. Dr. James Pound,
158. Gsolooy of the Pariah, 154.
Roundway Hill, Aooonnt of Anoient British and Anglo-Saxon Barrows:
By Mr. W. Cunnington, F.G.S 159-167
Ornithology of Wilts, No. 9: By the Rev. A. C. Smith. [Instssore*
continued.]
8ylTiad». 187. Paridm, 177. AmpeUdm, 179, Motaofllidn, 180.
Frauds and Forgeries of Antiques 183-186
Duchy of Lancaster, Survey of its Manors in Go. Wilts. 186-200
North Standen, 187. Albourne, 188. Hannington, 189. Uparon, 190. Easterton
Gemon (in Market Larington), 191. Manningford Bohun, 192. Ererley, 198.
Netheraron, 194. Berwick St. James, 195. Poole, 197. Oaksey, 198. Ashley, 199.
Braden Forest, 200.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
IV. CONTENTS. — VOL. VI.
Wild DareU of Littleoote, (No. 2) : By C. E. Long, Esq 201-214
The Dead Drummer, a Legend of Salisbury Plain : By J. Wayle*, Esq. 215-223
The Piots: By the Rev. J.L.Rose, M. A 224-244
Acoount of the Sixth General Meeting, at Marlborough, 27th, 28th,
and 29th September, 1859 245-255
Artioles exhibited at the Temporary Museum 256-260
Great Bedwyn: By the Rev. John Ward, M.A., Rector of Wath, Co.
York 261-291
I.— The Parish and Church.
Roman Antiquities, 261. The Lordship, 263. Wolfhall, 264. The Esturmy Horn,
265. Ecclesiastical Histosy, 267. Vicars, 268. St. Nicholas, East Grafton, 270. %
Stook, 271. Marten, 273. Great Bedwyn Charon, 274. Seymour Monuments, 281.
Dr. Thomas Willis, 288. Charites, 290.
II.— The Representative History of Great Bedwyn 291-316
Barrows on the Downs of North Wilts, Examination of, in 1663-57:
By John Thurnam, M.D., F.8.A 317-836
Flora of Wiltshire, (No. 5) : By T. B. Floweb, Esq., M.E.C.8., &o. 337-364
The Great Wiltshire Storm of December 30th, 1659 : By the Rev. A.
C. Smith, M.A 365-886
Wild DareU of Littleoote, (No. 3): By C. E. Long, Esq 389-396
Donations to the Museum and Library 397
illustrations.
Bradford Clay Fossils, 5. Brass of Robert Long^— Broughton Gilford Church,
48. Funereal Unbound at Oldbury Hill, 73.
Bishop's Cannings Church, 144. The "Carrell" or old reading-chair in Bishop's
Cannings Church, 147. Circle of Stones at Stennis in the Orkneys, 242.
Horn of the Esturmys ; Ditto details, 265. View of East Grafton Church,
270. Borough Seal of Great Bedwyn ; Ancient Pax found at East Grafton,
271. Marten Chapel: Ground plan; Ivory carving, and Stained glass, 273.
View of Great Bedwyn Church, 275. Tomb of Sir John Seymour, 283.
Skull from Morgan's Hill, 318. Drinking Cup from Pound Down barrow,
321. View from Seven Barrow Hill: and relics found there, 329. Seal of
Weavers' Company at Salisbury ; Ancient Seal, supposed Monastic, 396.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
TTTTJ
WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE.
'XULTOBUH XABTBUS GKAJTOE LBVATUH ONUS." — Ovid.
©n % §rafrfor)> Clag attlr its JMte:
By Mb. Cunnington, F.CK8.
Read before the Meeting op the Societt at Bbadpobd-ow-Avon,
August 12th, 1857.
ALTHOUGH I should have been better satisfied had some
local geologist occupied my place upon this occasion, still I
feel it a duty, to the best of my ability, to bring before you a
subject specially interesting from its connexion with the place of
our assembling: the Bradford Clay and its Fossils. We should I
think, as a Society, make it our object to investigate fully the
Archaeology and Natural History of the particular locality in
which our Annual Meeting is held. The first of these has been
ably elucidated by the Rev. W. H. Jones in his paper of yesterday
morning, and I would now, "haud passibus cequis" endeavour to
supply a portion of the second, by giving you a sketch of the geo-
logical history of the neighbourhood.
I have the more cheerfully prepared a second notice of the Geo-
logy of Wiltshire, having been assured of the willingness of our
much respected Ex-President, Mr. G. Poulett Scrope, to continue
the series. 1
The stratum known as the Bradford clay, is of marine origin,
and consists of a bed of pale yellowish or grey clay, with occasional
thin layers of irregular limestone and calcareous grit, lying under
the Forest Marble, and above the Great Oolite and Fullers' earth.
It may be well studied in the quarries at Berefield, on the north
1 Since the above was written, Mr. Sorope's iirst paper on Wiltshire Geology
has been published in the Magazine, vol. v. p. 89. A foretaste with which the
members must have been mnoh gratified.
VOL. VI. NO. XVI. B
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
2 Bradford Clay and its Fossils.
of this town. It is of very variable thickness, being seldom more than
a few feet, often only a few inches deep, whilst at Farleigh Castle
and at Tellisford it is as much as 50 feet in depth. For the benefit of
those who are not acquainted with the order of sequence of the Brit-
ish strata, it may be well to describe the position which the Bradford
clay occupies in the series. 1 It occurs about the middle of the
fossiliferous strata of this county, having immediately below it
the Great Oolite — then follow the Fullers' earth, the Lias, the Car-
boniferous limestone, Coal measures, &c, &c.
Commencing immediately above it, we have the Forest marble,
Cornbrash, Oxford clay, and Kelloway rock; then the Coral rag,
and the associated Calcareous grit and Eimmeridge clay; the
Wealden beds, the Purbeck and Portland Oolites. Then commence
the Cretaceous group, viz: — Lower Green sand, Gault, Upper Green
sand, and Chalk. Above these are the Tertiary strata: and lastly
we have the older Flint drift, the Mammalian drift, Brick earth,
and the Great Northern drift.
These strata, more than twenty in number, were (with the excep-
tion of the Wealden and some of the Tertiaries, which are of fresh
water origin) deposited very gradually, a few inches, or even less
at a time, at the bottom of the sea ; and although all of them may
not have been accumulated above this particular locality, yet all of
them were formed here, or in the surrounding districts subsequently
to the formation of the Bradford clay. There is good evidence
that many of the strata enumerated, were once lying above the
Bradford clay, on this very spot, and that they have been removed
by the disruption and denudation which modified the forms of the
surrounding vallies and hills, as their bouldered fragments may be
abundantly found in the drift gravel of the district.
The question has lately been put to me "What is the age of the
Bradford clay P" The answer is written on the rocks around us, —
nature's own stereotype, — though in language of such sublime
antiquity, that our limited faculties cannot grasp its full purport.
The strata above mentioned having been deposited to the depth of
1 Tide Mr. Sorope's admirable description of the British strata, in the paper
already alluded to.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington, F.G.8. 3
at least 4850 feet since the Bradford clay period, we may thus
arrive at some conception, though but a feeble one, of its extreme
antiquity.
Geologists are very generally agreed that the Bradford clay
ought not to be considered as distinct from the Forest marble, and in
the geologically coloured sheets of the Ordnance Map lately issued,
no distinction is made between the Bradford clay and the Forest
marble; it is in fact considered as part of the latter stratum. On
this subject Mr. Lycett, whose valuable contributions to the Pal-
aeontology of the British strata are so well known, has favoured
me with a note in which he expresses his opinion, that the term
Bradford clay considered as a distinct stratum does not apply to
Gloucestershire. 1 Nevertheless as indicating the lower clayey
portions of the Forest marble, in which great numbers of the
Apiocrinitea are usually found, the name Bradford clay is for con-
venience sake still retained.
The Bradford day of Wiltshire is confined to a band on the
north-west of the county, but it is most extensively developed near
this town (hence its name), and here the fossil remains are the
most interesting. Mr. Lonsdale says, "It appears forming a thin
bed in the neighbourhood of Tatton Keynell and Giddy Hall, but
between the latter point and Berefield, near Bradford, it is want-
1 Mr. Lyoett says, " The bands of clay and marl whioh ooour throughout the
Forest marble and upper portions of the Great Oolite" (in Gloucestershire) "are
extremely irregular and little persistent; so much so that in draining it rarely
happens that a bed can be followed 200 or 300 yards, however important it may
appear in some parts of its course. None of these clay bands have produced
Apiocrinitea as far as I am aware, and I only know of two places whioh have
produced Terebrotula decussate (coarctata) and Terebratula digona (see wood-
cut at page 5) ; Avicula costata and Avicula echinata have a vertical range too
considerable to be of any use. Decapitated stems of Apiocrinus are not uncom-
mon in the upper limestones (the upper zone of the Great Oolite, with Paehy-
risma grande, of Mr. Hull). From the top of these white limestones to the
Cornbrash there is no clear lithologioal division, and for a zoological division I
think that none can be made between the lower beds of the Great Oolite and
the base of the Cornbrash."
My friend Professor Buckman of the Royal Agricultural College, says,
"There can be no objection to include the Bradford clay with the Forest mar-
ble, of whioh indeed it may be said to be the fossiliferous bank of deposit"
B 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
4 Bradford Clap and its Fossils.
ing, the Forest marble being visible, resting on the Great Oolite at
Pickwick and Wormwood. At Berefield the clay re-appears, con-
stituting a thick stratum, which may be traced from that village, by
Bradford, Upper Westwood, and Farleigh Castle: but through the
southern part of the district it is difficult to separate the Bradford
clay from the Fullers' earth." 1. It occurs occasionally still further
northwards, and may be seen along the line of railway near Eemble
in North Wilts, but in no place has it the same interest as in this
immediate neighbourhood.
" F %. J Forest Marble.
! Bradford Clay.
Great Oolite.
Section near Eemble 8tation, communicated by Professor Buckman, exhibiting the
manner In 'which the Bradford clay occasionally " thins out.**
The cutting of the Great Western Railway at the eastern end
of the Box tunnel, exhibits a good section of the Bradford clay,
but] in this locality it is much interrupted by bands of oolitic
limestone. It contains many fine Corals and Echini, which have
been carefully investigated by Mr. Kilvert of Bath, to whom the
Society is indebted for the loan of a beautiful series of these fossils,
now exhibited.
Before describing more particularly the fossils contained in the
Bradford clay, it is necessary that I should make some reference
to the Great or Bath Oolite, on which the stratum rests, and
on which a portion of this town stands. This is a calcareous
Geological section of the neighbourhood of Bradford, showing the general distribution of the strata.
Bd. Bradford. Bx. Box. L. lias. I.O. Inferior Oolite. F.E. Fullers' Earth. G.O. Great
Oolite. b.o. Bradford clay. f.m. Forest marble. C. Cornbrash.
- ancient drift.
m. Mammalian drift. a.d. More
Transactions Geological Society, 2nd series, vol. iii. part 2.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington, F.Q.S.
$
stratum, yielding the well known building stone. It was deposited
in a shallow sea, the bottom of which was constantly sinking, and
as constantly filling up, until the mass, which consists chiefly of
the debris of small shells and corals, had accumulated to the
depth of at least 160 feet. In this particular neighbourhood, when
this process had ceased, and the whole mass had become consoli-
dated, it presented a firm surface, well suited to the growth of the
ApiocrintM which required a solid base, on which to spread out its
stony roots.
Let us like true archaeologists step back
some thousands of years into the past, and
endeavour to realize the period when the
stone lilies grew in luxuriance in the tran-
quil sea which covered the spot where we
are now meeting. Here many generations
of them lived and flourished, until the sea
bottom was like a parterre of these mimic
flowers in stone. Several species of Terebra-
tuke (or lamp shells) clustered round the
roots of the Apiocrinites. Many species of fish
glided through these ancient waters, and oc-
casionally disturbed the tranquillity of the
scene by preying upon the molluscs, (the
TerebratulcB probably included) which doubt-
less constituted their food, as the palatal
teeth of some of them are so constructed as
to be well adapted for crushing shells.
Echini crawled over the rocks, and corals of
elegant forms, with other zoophytes and shells
varied the beauty of the submarine scenery.
Apiocrintu Parkinson*. Brad-
ford encrinite— the smaller
figures represent the animal
in its young state— the one
with tiie arms expanded, the
other hating them closed.
Ttrtbratula decussate (or coarctata), one of the
most characteristic fossils of the Bradford clay.
A
Terebratula digona, also
characteristic of the stratum.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Bradford Clay and its Fossils.
4jQR*
Terebratula Jlabellum, Terebratulo fttrcata,
rare and beautiful forms, found in the station at the end of the Box taaneL
But of all the inhabitants of this ancient sea, the Apiocrinus to
which I have before alluded, deserves especial notice, as it was at
this period of the earth's history, that it attained its greatest de-
velopement, both in size and numbers. The species most abundant
here was the Apiocrinus Parkinsoni — Parkinson's pear-like lily-
shaped animal. It belongs to the highest class of the Badiata, the
Eckinodermata, and derives its name from the resemblance of its
body to a pear. In its perfect state, its ten feathery arms gave the
Apiocrinus somewhat the appearance of a star-fish, growing on a
tall flexible stem (see woodcut). But to descend to more minute
detail, the animal consisted, 1st — of a solid root, formed of many
layers of calcareous stony matter deposited round the base of the
stem, as may be seen in a section. 2nd — of a long stem, composed
of about 150 circular discs, with radiated surfaces. In old speci-
mens, the stem was from 10 inches to a foot in length. The de-
tached discs were described by old authors as Entrochi, or wheel
stones, they were also popularly called "giant's tears," fairy stones,
&c; and as each is perforated in the centre, they were used as rosaries,
hence in the North of England, joints of some of the species of
Encrinites are still known as St. Cuthbert's beads, 1 in this part of
the country they are vulgarly called "coach- wheels." 3rd — The
body. The upper plates of the stem gradually increased in thick-
ness and diameter, so as to form the elegant vase shaped body of
the creature, towards the middle of which, the circular plates were
succeeded by a more complicated structure, consisting of a set of
five angular basal plates, two sets, of five each, of intermediate plates,
1 "On a rook by Lindisfarn,
St. Cuthbert sits and toils to frame
The sea borne beads that bear his name." — Marmum.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington, F.O.S. 7
and five superior plates, each of the latter being provided with two
articulating surfaces from which sprung the arms or fingers. These
were ten in number, and were fringed on both sides with rows of
minute tentacula, formed of a vast number of small joints or bones,
constituting altogether a beautiful star-shaped net, capable of con-
tracting and folding in, so as to bring its prey within reach of the
month. The mouth was conveniently situated, just within the base
of the arms,, so as to receive the Animalcules, &c, on which it fed.
The late Mr. Channing Pearce of this town, who possessed a most
remarkable series of these fossils, succeeded in obtaining specimens
having some of their fingers and tentacula preserved even to their
most minute joints. As many of the Apiocrinitee are found lying
prostrate on the clay, he concluded that the fingers on the upper
side would as they decomposed, be carried away by the action of
the waves, whilst those on the under side would by sinking into
the clay be protected, and remain uninjured. He very ingeniously
proved the correctness of his views by casting plaster of Paris on
some specimens as they lay in the quarry, thus forming a solid bed
for the upper surface, and then turning them over, he carefully
washed off the clay, and found the arms perfect as he had antici-
pated. The entire structure of these delicate organs was thus
fully demonstrated.
The stem of the Apiocrinus contained about 150 joints, the body
about 50, and the arms and tentacles together about 8000, forming
a total of no fewer than 8200 bones in the complete animal. The
more perfectly preserved specimens often retain a pink or light
purple tinge, doubtless the remains of their original colour.
The period during which the Apiocrinites flourished in such
great profusion, was comparatively short, as their remains are
principally confined to a few inches only in depth on the surface
of the Oolite.
Sir Charles Lyell in his Manual of Geology, speaks of a sudden
irruption of water charged with mud, which broke the stone lilies
short off near the roots: but I would suggest another cause for
their partial destruction, to which I believe Sir Charles himself
would not object. As proved by Mr. Pearce, the Apiocrinites were
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
8 Bradford Clay and its Fossils.
subjected to the action of the wanes after they had fallen down upon
the bottom of the sea, which could not have been the case had they
been suddenly covered up with a considerable bed of clay. Instead
of the catastrophe of mud, it is I think more probable that the clay
was very gradually deposited; and as it accumulated, it would in
process of time, form a sea bottom totally unfit for the attachment
of the roots of these animals. They could not fix themselves upon
a bed of soft clay, and consequently, although their m remains are
found thinly scattered through some of the upper rocks, they
ceased to exist in this particular neighbourhood, as soon as the
change in the sea bottom rendered it unsuitable to their habits.
It is most probable, that like the fry of many other animals (the
oyster, &c.,) which are fixed to the rocks in the adult stage of
their existence, the young Apiocrinites were furnished with organs
of locomotion, so that they could rove about and suit themselves as
to the place of their permanent habitation.
D'Orbigny the French naturalist, speaking of the habitation of
the Apiocrinidm says, "All the species being fossil, it would seem
difficult to define their mode of existence. If, however, I may
judge from the places where they lived, and where I have found
them in abundance, still in situ, I should say that in the lower
coral banks of the different geological epochs, they lived in the
great cavities of the coral rocks. Here at least, near Rochelle, my
father and I have always found them with their roots, the stem
and top being still either in a vertical position, or lying by the
side. There is reason to think that they sometimes lived at great
depths in the bosom of the ocean, either in places where the cur-
rents were but little felt, or in the cavities of the corals, where the
waves and currents could not disturb them. There fixed by their
roots, their stems erect, their graceful heads crowned with their
many flexible arms, they could spread themselves out, and wait for
their prey, in a position exactly the reverse of that of the Asteria,
and other Echinodenm, which always have the mouth beneath,
instead of above them, like the Crinoides"
The first recognisable figures of Apiocrinites published, were by
Luid a Welshman, in 1699 ; but the French naturalists, Bourguet
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington, F.G.S. 9
and Guettare, about the middle of the next century gave much
more complete representations. Walcott, in 1775, in his work en-
titled " Descriptions of Petrifactions found near Bath/' figures the
Bradford clay Apiocrinus in the name of Entrochus. In 1811 we
have a full and interesting description of this fossil, with excellent
engravings, published by Parkinson, and in compliment to him, it
is now known by the name of Apiocrinua Parkinson*. Since his time,
many other authors have given attention to the Crinoides, more es-
pecially Miller, who in 1821 published his elaborate work entitled
"Natural History of the Crinoidea, " and the late Alcide d'Orbigny
whose admirable "Histoire Naturelle des Crinoides," is illustrated
with very beautiful engravings. The late Mr. Ohanning Pearce
wrote a description of the Bradford clay and of the Apiocrinus,
which was read before the Geological Society, May 29th, 1833.
We are indeed most abundantly supplied with books of reference,
but allow me to remark, en passant, that to the geologist no know-
ledge of his science is so valuable as that which is the result of his
own observation and research.
In the " Annals and Magazine of Natural History " for 1848,
Professor M e Coy gave descriptions of a new species, "the Apiocri-
nus exutus:" as however no plates were given, it is difficult to
identify the species, and knowing to how great an extent these
fossils were liable to changes of form, I am disposed to think that
it is a variety only of Apiocrinus Parkinsoni. D'Orbigny figures as
a distinct species Apiocrinus elegans, and as this is a form which
occurs frequently in the Great Oolite, and is so much more elon-
gated than Apiocrinus Parkinsoni, it may probably be retained as
a species ; but a larger series of specimens, and a more extended
knowledge of these forms, may lead to the conclusion that this too
is merely a variety. Some fine examples of the Apiocrinus elegans
are now exhibited from the collection of Arthur Adye, Esq., of this
town. The Bourgueticrinus ooliticus, an animal very nearly allied
to the Apiocrinus, but differing principally in having oval instead
of circular plates in the stem, is added to the fauna of the Bradford
clay by Professor M c Coy who described it in the " Annals and
Magazine of Natural History/' 1848.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
10
Bradford Clay and its Fossils.
Of fossil remains which have been found at Bradford, I have
63 species. But I would remark that these are the result of a few
visits only to this locality. Professor Woodward during his re-
sidence at Cirencester, found no fewer than 107 species near that
town. The collection formed by Mr. Pearce is also very rich in
these fossils. I have no doubt that any diligent collector living in
this neighbourhood could soon obtain an extensive and interesting
series.
List of Fossils from the Bradford Clay.
Wood.
Dicotyledonous
Amorphozoa,
Spongia
Zoophyta.
Anabaoia orbulites
Stylina Delabeohii P
Comoseris iiradians
sp.
Cladophyllia sp.
Thamnastrsea soita
-sp.
-sp.
Isastnea sp.
Crinoidea.
Apioorinus Parkinsoni
elegans
Pentacrinus sp.
1 sp.
Echinoidea.
Cidaris Bradfordensis
Hemioidaris (spines)
Acrosalenia spinosa
Diadema sp.
Pseadodiadema homostigma
Articulata,
Serptda triangnlata
■ - grandis?
Bryozoa.
Terebellaria ramosissima
sp.
Diastopora diluviana
Six other Bryozoa, not determined
Brackiopoda.
Terebratula digona
cardium
maxillata
flabellum (rare)
ooarotata
fnroata (rare)
Rhynchonella spinosa
conoinna
obsolete
■ varians
— — angnlata
Conchifera.
Ostrea Sowerbii
oostata
sp. (large)
Exogyra sp.
Flaounopsis sp.
Lima duplicate (young)
Peoten vagans
hemioostatus
Aviculata eoninata
oostata
sp.
Mytilus furoatus (Goldf.)
Area sp.
Four species of Bivalves undetermined.
Oa8teropoda.
Fleurotomaria sp.
? sp.
Pisces.
Pyonodus sp.
Lepidotus sp.
These fossils were exhibited to the meeting, as well as a fin e col-
lection sent by Arthur Adye, Esq., of Bradford.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
3
o
P
P5
ffl
H
A
a
h
8
8
tf
H
P
8
Pi
ajj*
3s
It i
SI*
all
HA
38
i £ I r .
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
11
Pistotjr of §wtt$tjm §ifforir.
By the Ret. Jobs Wqkqtsoh.
Continued from Vol. v. p. 341.
The Hardings.
j|HE next most considerable proprietor is Edward Talbot
Day Jones, Esq., 1 of Hinton House, Co. Somerset. These
landscame by the Hardings, whose genealogy I have endeavoured
to trace through family deeds, Court Rolls, and the Parochial re-
gisters of B rough ton Gifford, and Hinton Charterhouse. Whatever
the labour, it has been well bestowed, for there was an especial ob-
ligation to preserve from oblivion the ancestors of that family, to
which our place and people are indebted for righteous deeds and
alms, which here at least should always be had in grateful remem-
brance. A few particulars will be sufficient to illustrate the pedi-
gree. The earliest mention of the name occurs in an inquisition
held on Guido Palmes, in which one William Harding appears a
tenant 1507. The next notice is in the Court rolls of the manor,
in which one John Hardinge was (1544) tenant to Robert May ;
he was also in that year one of the jurors, as well as one of the
1 The Parish is to he congratulated on still having a Talbot among its pro-
prietors, and one so worthily representing the name. Mr. Jones is a nephew of
Lord Talbot de Malahide, who is descended from the same original stock as
John the first Earl of Shrewsbury. Both have probably the same remote ances-
tor. Bat the Malahide Talbots went to Ireland in the time of Henry II., and
the family have continued there ever since. They were summoned by writ to
the Irish House of Lords as early as Edward II. They include in their quar-
terings the original Talbot Arms, Bendy of ten pieces. They have at different
times married into the Shrewsbury branch, and the late Earl of Shrewsbury
(who died 1852) included an Archbishop of the Malahide branch among the
effigies in his chapel at Alton Towers, and even said he considered that family
to have a better title to the Earldom than the Ingestrie line. In this he was
mistaken. The Ingestrie claim, is, after all, doubtful : but it would be impossi-
ble to include the Malahide Talbots among the descendants of the first Earl.
There might have been the same common early progenitor, but there was a
divergence before £he time of the first Earl.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
12 Brougkton Gifford.
affeerers or arbitrators to fix the amount of fines payable at the
court. He died before 15589 for then his widow Alicia was tenant,
and ordered "to mend a stile between Barfurlong and Chessel."
In 1590 (I see no notice of the name in the interval) John Har-
dinge was admitted tenant to Henry May, who granted to him, for
his own .life and that of his son Henry, the moiety of a certain
pasture called Barley Leas on payment of £16 fine. The son Henry
paid to the lord of the manor half a farthing as chief rent, for cer-
tain tenements called St. Mary's hold. From this time the name
frequently occurs in the Court rolls, as belonging to those who
were of some consideration in the parish. They stand at the head
of the list of copyholders and jurymen. Sometimes they got into
trouble. In 1621 William Hardinge was presented by the over-
seers of the fields and the hay ward, "for that he refused to give us
an account of his sheepe and of the common that should feed them,
and with violence withstood us, and yet biforre we drove them to
the pound Mr. Edward Long provided the forfeiture which is 3s. 4d.
and it is yet remaining in his hand.'' His friend Mr. Edward
Long was undoubtedly at that time the principal resident, so that
we may suppose William Hardinge to have been somebody. This
was not their only quarrel with the court. I find them allied in
their resistance to lawful authority again in 1629, where they are
both presented for enclosing ground that " by the custom of the
manor ought not to be inclosed," Edward Long in "Bradley field,"
William Hardinge in "Mounton Ley." Sir John Horton in his
memoranda, and his son Thomas, mention different members of the
family as renting under them, from 1630 — 82. William Harding
had Parkes, and was succeeded by his grandson John, who also
held Norrington and Great Breaches.
Henry Hardinge, William's brother, rented of Sir John, Light-
woods and other lands, which continued in the family, till the time
of " Widdow Hardinge" in 1682. They were diligent in the dis-
charge of their Parochial duties, collecting the Royal subsidies
and aids, for his Majesty's use, on his restoration, and acting as
churchwardens eighteen times between 1690 — 1738. A tithe case,
Harding against Golding, 8th May, 1696, refers to this William
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. WiMnton. 13
Harding. It appears lie was farmer of the tithes here, under a
lease from William Hicks, Rector; and after various answers, re-
plies, rejoinders, examination of witnesses, hearing of counsel and
reading of proofs, the defendant was ordered " to account with and
pay to the plaintiff the value of his tithe fruit, his fallen and other
apples, the tithe hay of the half acre of land, the cock of hay taken
away, and 8d. each calf; the tithe lambs which had fallen, the tithe
wool which he shore/' and various other titheable things. But
this William had other and more profitable pursuits than picking
up fallen apples. He was a clothier; and, like many others in this
neighbourhood at that time, by the cloth trade he rose, bought
land, and made a family. He is himself always described in deeds
as a clothier, and probably never aspired to be anything more dur-
ing a long life ; but his grandsons are called gentlemen and be-
longed to the " country party." His first purchase was from John
Long of Monkton in 1650, of various lands part of the Broughton
estate, for which he paid £440 only, seeing he had previous claims
on them. His next was from Agatha Curtis, widow of Thomas
Curtis, also part of the Broughton manor, a license for the aliena-
tion (1641) still existing. On this property another William, the
clothier's grandson, but himself a gentleman, built a great house.
He added to the family estates by purchasing from William Prior,
certain lands (the farm in the west of the parish) formerly alienated
from the Broughton manor by Sir John Horton (1632). He, and
two elder brothers, John and Thomas, were the sons of John and
Hannah. The father migrated to Hinton Charterhouse, and there
his eldest son John, described as of Symon's Inn, who married
another Hannah, succeeded him, purchasing and enlarging (1700)
the house in which his father lived, now called Hinton House, and
the present seat of the representatives of the family. The three
brothers seem to have been alike in their tastes, each of them built
a big house, John at Hinton, Thomas at Holt (I leave the historian
of that place to identify it), and William at Broughton. Our big
house is noticeable for its handsome stair-case, embossed ceilings,
and lofty, though small, rooms. It is now occupied by the tenant
of the form- On the death of William in 1738, this, the younger,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
14 Broughton Qifford.
but the more opulent, branch of the family, ceased to reside at
Broughton.
John, the elder brother, had two sons, John and William, both
childless. On the death of the last named John in 1761, intestate,
Mary and Catherine Jacob, the two grand-daughters of his uncle
Thomas of Holt succeeded, as coheiresses. The property ultimately
centered in Mary, wife of Stephen Skurray of Beckington. Their
daughter Mary, wife of Samuel Day of Burnett, survived her only
son, Samuel Skurray Day, and bequeathed her estates in Broughton
and Hinton to Thomas Jones, Esq., who married the Honble. Mar-
garet Nugent Talbot of Evercreech, Co. Somerset, sister of Lord
Talbot de Malahide. Mr. Jones died in 1848, leaving two sons and
one daughter, Edward Talbot Day, Felix Thomas, and Margaret Ann
Mary, now living, and residing with their mother at Hinton House.
I must now go back to Henry Harding, the elder brother of
William the clothier, and himself a clothier. In 1652 he pur-
chased of John Long of Monkton (who seems about this time to
have been in want of money) certain portions of the Broughton
manor. He married Margaret Gore, a Broughton lady, of many-
namesakes at the present time, coheiress with her sister Mary (the
wife of William Hicks, gent.) of William Gore.
I have traced Henry's descendants down to their present repre-
sentative, the Rev. Robert Bailey Fisher, Vicar of Basildon, Co.
Berks. It is noticeable that in both branches of the family male
issue failed in the same generation. I have no occasion to remark
on any individuals, except on Henry Harding and his two sisters,
Mrs. Ann Harding and Mrs. Betty Paradice. The latter, who was
the survivor of the three, " in compliance with the desire and to
fulfil the intention of her sister," as the monument to the memory
of the three in the Church says, "in the year 1782 vested in Go-
vernment securities £900 stock, which producing an annual interest
of £27, is to be applied for ever under the direction of three trus-
tees, appointed for that purpose, as also the Rector and Church-
wardens for the time being, to the following charities, viz. : — £20
per annum to a master for the education of 20 poor boys or girls,
£7 per annum to be distributed at Christmas among such 10 poor
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Rev. /. Wilkinson. 15
persons as have not been entered in the Parish book, or received
relief of any kind from the Parish for one twelvemonth previous to
their making such application." From that time to this* ears that
never heard the two sisters have blessed them, and eyes that never
saw them have given witness to them.
Court Leets.
We have seen that the lords of our two manors used to hold
separate courts here, the spiritual lord at Monkton, the temporal
at Broughton. We have also learnt how the former was lost by
disuse and paucity of tenants, and so became merged in its larger
and more active neighbour. Of the Monkton Court there remain,
as far as I know, no records. The rolls of the Broughton
court leet and court Baron date from 1544, Robert May and
Sir John Talbot being the lords. This was the date also of Robert
May's purchase from Sir Richard Bruges, and in fact the existing
records relate solely to that half of the manor which was Catharine
Gilford's. Many of the earlier rolls are wanting. There is a lapse
of six years after 1554. Then another of eight years. But from
that time to the present, there are no more such serious gaps.
I will give such extracts from the court rolls as may seem to
have any local interest, and do not range themselves under any
other head.
1558. John Bonham, Esq. was a freeholder. Was this Leland's
host at Haselbury P Leland says, in his itinerary, that the "Bone-
homes afore that tyme [before Haselbury manor house was built
by Mr. Bonehome's father] dwellied by Lacock upon Avon."
1560. Michael Quintyn, Esq. freeholder. And afterwards there is
frequent mention of Quintin's lands. In the pedigree of Long by
Charles Edward Long, Esq. it is said, that Michael Quinton held
Monkton under Sir Henry Longe. This I doubt. The Longs
had no part in Monkton, till a much later date.
1571. "The tythingman reports that John Aust and Nicholas
Gregory are common brawlers, and have sold beer in measures not
sealed (mensuris insigillatis), for which they are fined iv d ." " Also
that Robert Timyse made an assault on William Peirce with a stick
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
16 Broughton Oifford.
of no value, and drew blood from him, for which he is fined ix a ."
1582. " Thomas Golding and Edward Somes played at ball (lus-
erunt globis) against the form of the statute, fined 6 a . 8 d ." 1583.
" Figs are not to range at large, except watched, unless at mast
[acorn] time." Mr. Gore is presented for " putting pigs into the
fields before the corn was rid' 1 [carried.] 1624. " The custom
of Broughton Gifford is that when a tenant do die the day after
Michaelmas day that the Executor is to hold it [the tenement],
and have the use of his living, untill Michaelmas next following,
except the Broad meade and the summer fallow." This present-
ment is often repeated. 1629. " They present that there are no
Butts (met®, anglicd Butts) to practise archery (ad exercendos
sagittarios; anglicd artillery) 1 within the parish of Broughton Gif-
ford, therefore, the inhabitants must erect proper butts before the
end of Lent next, under a penalty of 40 shillings." 1629. "Ed-
ward Barrett, one of the residents within the jurisdiction of this
court, put dead and putrid flesh (anglicd carrion) into the church
brooke to the damage of all the inhabitants, for which he is fined
6 d ." " The way across that part of the meadow called Michell
meade, which is beyond the brook, ought and is customarily used as
a bridle road (cum saccis et fasciculis, anglicdntlA sack andmmpter
only), and not with wagons." Notices are frequent of assaults,
dung heaps (stercoraria), ditches not scoured out, houses out of
repair, drocks (quidam canales, anglicd thorough) wanted, stiles
(climaces) in various directions to be put up, found in decay (to be
repaired by the lord), pojind breach, trees destroyed, gates to be
repaired (Awfield gate seems to have given a deal of trouble),
" driver of the fields " (agrophylactes) appointed, boundaries to be
set out by arbitration, sawpits unlawfully dug in the street, cattle
not pastured according to the order of the stint agreed upon, but
above all, cottages built, and gardens enclosed out of the lord's
waste ; — sometimes as many as nine in one presentment. Unhap-
pily the court, however right in its decisions, had not the power
of enforcing them. Sometimes the Homage complain, "we can
have no reformation, though we have often presented." At last
1 " And Jonathan gave his artillery onto his lad." 1. Sam. xx. 40.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 17
they seem to have retired from the thankless duty of finding fault,
without finding a remedy ; accordingly the more recent present-
ments are meagre, while the courts are held at long intervals
(now every three years), instead of every six months as in the
olden time. We are suffering under their failure. Our high poor
rates are owing to those very encroachments against which they
protested in vain. Had the Homage been properly supported by
the lords of the manor and by the stewards, the population, squat-
ting hibernict on the margin of the common, would have been kept
down, and the farmers here would not have had to support out of
their profits those who contribute nothing by their industry to the
agricultural employments of the place. They console themselves
by the reflection — " delicta majorum immeritus luis" — meaning
by majorum, lords and stewards.
I should add that, from some old Bradford papers, it appears that
" the tything of Broughton" (as it is called) paid at Michaelmas
yearlyl6 d . at the court of the Abbess of Shaston at Bradford. The
Abbess, being lady of the manor of Bradford, held a court for the
hundred of Bradford, as well as for the borough of Bradford. And
Broughton, being in the hundred, made the payment at the hun-
dred court.
Parochial Registers.
These begin 1665, 1 old style, Edmund Proby, who happily wrote
an excellent hand, being Rector. They have been kept with toler-
able regularity, excepting the baptisms between 29th November,
1812, and 25th April, 1813. The entries are in separate columns,
and appear from the first to have been made singly and contem-
poraneously with the events recorded. During a vacancy in the
incumbency the clerk seems to have made the entries, but generally
the clergyman was the writer, signing his own name and sometimes
those of the churchwardens at the foot of each page. 2 The induc-
1 Earlier Registers going back to the 16th century once existed, but are now
lost. They were here in 1786, for the then Rector made some extracts from
them at that date. In 1831 they were gone, as appears from a Parliamentary
return then made. I have made every inquiry for the missing volume, but as
yet without success. The loss is serious, and Boandalous too.
* In accordance with a constitution made by the Archbishop and Clergy of
C
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
18 Broughton Oifford.
tions and readings in of the several Rectors are recorded up to the
middle of the last century, with the exception of Mr. John Rogers,
1742, where a leaf has been cut out. Good Doctor Proby seems to
have been seized with illness 1675, and not to have attended to the
Register after that time. His name re-appears at the bottom of
the page for 1680 together with "Phillip Carpenter, minister " (cu-
rate). In the interval the clerk's hand is observable, but not very
legible. Charles Michell appears as minister 1682, and continues
officiating during the remainder of Dr. Proby's incumbency (he
was buried January 3rd, 1685), and also during the incumbencies
of Anthony Beeby and Nathaniel Resbury, till the induction of
William Hickes 9th September, 1689.
This last Rector is more full than any other in his comments and
notices on subjects of interest within his parochial sphere, whether
strictly ecclesiastical or secular, or even physical. We are most
thankful to him ; he certainly provided for, if he did not anticipate,
the demands of the parochial historian. He resigned in the spring of
1733, and it is curious to trace the declining vigour and boldness in
the formation of his letters during forty-three and a half years.
When the pen at last dropt from his hand, it was with evident
difficulty and with much blotting, that for once more, he traced
largely (as if his sight failed him) his own name and those of the
churchwardens. In very different style indeed are the decided,
rather small, and clearly defined letters of "William Hickes, Rector,
and William Harding and Edmund Lewis, Guardians," in 1690.
To judge him by his registers and the memoranda there, he was a
keen, observant man, not unkindly, but tenacious of his own righto
and of the law, very bitter against dissenters in the way of disci-
pline, but very zealous too in his endeavours to compel them to come
in by more spiritual ministrations. He was not without a touch
of humour, was somewhat of a gossip, and believed in ghosts and
apparitions. Like most active minded men, he was given to emula-
tion. Does Dr. Proby tell you that he baptised, three sets oT twins,
Canterbury 1597, that parohment register books should be provided, and trans-
cripts made in them from the paper books previously in use: the correctness of
the transcripts and future entries being certified by the Clergy and Churchwar-
dens at the foot of each page.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 19
Charles and Lucy Gerrish, Christopher and Henry Winne, Martha
and Mary Leeter, within less than six weeks, between 26th Dec, 1686
and 2nd Feb., 1687 ? Mr. William Hickes, not to mention various
doubles, rejoices in two triplets, three sons of John and Hannah
Flower in 1703, and three sons of Abram and Jane Cleve in 1720.
I regret to add that none of these survived many days. He tells
you, 1696, of " Susannah an unlawfully begotten daughter of Judith
Boll, widow." Mr. Hickes's meaning is clear, but the widow's
selection of the name of "a daughter of Israel in whom was found no
dishonesty " is almost ironical. He is not so perspicuous, when
•peaking of "Illegal marriages" (of which he gives a list), "to
pay 6d. more at Christmas." Are these couples who ought to
have married before P Some of them are ticked off as having paid,
but full half seem to have declined payment, which indeed amounted
to self condemnation. There are lists of the "births of Dissenters 9
children not baptised into the Church/' from 1699. " 1696. Wil-
liam Chantry, sen. and Ann Goar, widow, were married. This
couple made about 160 years. The man 75, the woman about 80."
" 1702. Frances Twiford or Nash, married to one Walter Nash,
but never lived together." 1729. "Marriages. John Tomkins of
the paroish of Holt and Ester Stevens of the paroish of Broghtoa
were maryed by licence, May 8th. The man was about 65 years
old, and was sick 3 or 4 weeks. The woman about 25 years. He
soaroe ever saw her till they came to Church to be married, nor
spoke a word to her above his sign to mary her, but by another
person, and it was agreed upon but the night before mariage, and
were maried the next day, and he dyed the next day after mariage.
So that the woman was a maid, wife, and widow within 24 hours."
The further revelations of the plain-spoken Rector concerning Mrs.
Tomkins, do not admit of publication. But if Mr. Hickes be rich
in his marriages, be is glorious in his burials. He tells you 1701
that Mary Kedman "was in full health, about 17 years old, and
dyed suddenly in the churchyard at the burial of another." 1711.
"Isaac Bull was buried, Aug. 13. He was thrown of his hors on
Lansdown and dyed the next day. His mother he curs'd at his
going out and she wishM that he might break bis leg or ev*r be-
c 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
20 Broughton Oifford.
fore he came home. He mockt her, calling her snocking . . .
and other like reproachful words." Lansdown fair was then and
is now held Aug. 10th. "1715. Elizabeth Aust, widow of Arthur
Aust. She died suddenly while she talking to her cosen's Hunt's
wife and in his house." The years 1723, 4, 5, 7, were deadly
from the small pox, which then raged in the parish. 1727. A
clinical baptism, followed by death : " Isaac Gay (of Anabaptist
parents) about 24 years old baptised in his bed, being supposed
near his departure, and dyed 9 days afterwards." 1727. " Mrs.
Mary Bilson who came from London and liv'd in Broghton for
cure of a distemper in the breast above 1 year and a half, ljer
husband kept a great number of cows at Totna court by London,
and was buryd Dec. 16." 1728. "Edmund Lewis, anciently
of Broghton, was buried at Semington, where he last lived in
a house of his son's, Fe. 21. He pined away in a kind of sor-
rowful despair." About 1714 seems to have commenced the
Rector's exercise of Church discipline. He then tells you, "Ste-
ven Redman dyed Fe. 5, and was bury'd in his garden ;" and in
1727, "Mary, widow of Steven Redman, was bury'd in her
orchard." From this time (1714) there is hardly a page without
mention of some " buried without the office," or " without Christian
prayers of the church ;" and at the end of the book he has a list
headed, " Burials of the prophane and unbaptised Dissenters not
buryd with the office of the dead, and of such as very seldom or
never come to the Public Worship of God at Church." Here are
pilloried among others : " 1719 John Geerish one that contemned
and neglected the Publio Worship of God everywhere for six and
twenty years, a daily drunkard and blasphemous common swearer."
" 1723 Jane Ellis a company keeper with Wm. Peirce (whose wife
was living at Bradford), a dissenter and prophane talker." Others
are mentioned as "pretended" wives. He now calls them "Ana-
baptists," some " dissenters of no sect," and " ill livers." What-
ever the offences of these unhappy condemned, it does not appear
that, living or dead, they were brought before any other tribunal
than that set up in the Rector's parlor, with himself for prosecu-
tor, judge, and jury. Assuming that substantial justice was done,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 21
however irregularly, and that the offenders deserved all they got,
one can only regret that their surviving relations did not think so>
and that public opinion did not support the Rector in his rigorous
measures. These certainly, well intentioned as they were, did not
meet with that vulgar criterion of wise counsels — success. In
spite of the Rector's discipline, perhaps because of it, the people
became more and more embittered, not only against him (which
would have been a temporary misfortune), but also against the
whole race of Rectors and the Church which they personified, a
calamity yet enduring and likely to endure. Instead of availing
themselves of "the office and the Christian prayers of the Church,"
as good Mr. Hickes intended, they founded Dissenting chapels
and enclosed burial grounds of their own. Parsons as well as
farmers, say, " Delicto, majorum immeritus luis"
There are some rather interesting entries in connection with
Bishop Burnet in 1711. " Mary Nutt (of 16 years of age) bap-
tised July 18, and confirmed by the Bishop immediately at the
Font. His lordship abiding at the Font during the service of bap-
tism." " Mary, widow of Robert Collet, was baptised Jan. 6, 1 aged
50 years." "The said Mary Collet was confirmed by Bishop
Burnet July 21, 1711." "Dr. Gilbert Burnet Lord Bishop of
Sarum preached in the Church of Broghton Tuesday July 21,
1711." This is a pleasing illustration (and there are many such
elsewhere) of Bishop Burnet's diligence in visiting every part of
his Diocese. His custom was to make some market town his head
quarters, entertaining the clergy there, and making excursions
from thence to the neighbouring parishes. If he were expected,
and a congregation waiting to hear his earnest and powerful
preaching, no roads, no weather, no floods detained him. He risked
his life in these excursions, as readily as John Wesley. The next
Bishop who visited us was the late Bishop Denison, when, at the
re-opening of the Church, in October 1850, he preached a sermon
which will long be in the memories of those that heard it. The
1 Old style being used, Mary Collet was confirmed before sho was baptised.
Her want of baptism was doubtless not then known, when discovered it was
supplied.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
23 Broughton Qjffbrd.
present Bishop of Salisbury has visited the parish more than once,
and confirmed here, Feb. 25th 1858. The event has been duly and
circumstantially chronicled in the Parish Register for the informa-
tion of posterity.
Houses.
There are 165 houses in all, of which 16 are vacant. No new
houses have been built of late years (except the Rectory), nor are the
old ones always repaired. They are often allowed to fall down, or are
pulled down. The inhabited house duty amounts to £3 8s. The
number of houses chargeable with it (being rated at £20) is 4.
The number of cottages coming under the operation of the small
tenements act (rated at, or under £6) is 140, and the whole rate-
able value of this description of property is £411 9s. 6d. The
payment on a shilling rate is £10 12s. rated at a reduction of 25
or 50 per cent. So that the average charge on each cottage is a
fraction more than Is. 6d. The labouring population are very
indifferently lodged. The cottages are abundant, but the dwelling
rooms are few and small (the weavers devote the best lighted and
largest apartments to their shops), the sleeping accommodation is
not such as to admit of the decent separation of ages and sexes.
Wells are infrequent (notwithstanding the excellent water within
a few feet of the surface), nor are the offices convenient or proper.
The drainage is defective. This state of things is no more than
might be expected in a parish, where the landed proprietors, being
non-resident, want that interest in the people, which would natu-
rally arise from personal communication. The poor here are not
neighbours to the rich. In this respect we are no worse off than a
large proportion of out of the way parishes, but we have disadvan-
tages of our own. With hardly an exception, the cottages (originally
for the most part encroachments on the commons) belong either
to the poor occupiers themselves ; or to proprietors, who are hardly
removed from the labouring class ; or to the farms, with which
they are let. The owners or the managers want either the means
or the will (generally both) to promote domestic comfort. Though
there are so many cottages and some vacant, yet rents are not low;
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. Wilkinson.
23
three small rooms and 10 or 15 perches of garden ground fetch £4
a year. The explanation is, that a large proportion of the cottages
for hire are owned by one person, who also keeps a beer shop and
general store of such articles as the poor require. He works the
rent against the shop, and the shop against the rent, so that he is
able to keep up prices in both commodities.
Population.
The earliest official enumeration of the population, with houses
and occupations, was in 1801, and the results for this parish in that
year, and in every succeeding tenth year up to the present time,
are as follow : —
TKAB.
1 Hotrsta.
PorvL
TuVMtffl
Untab.
Mates.
Parnate*.
1801
114
1
1
i
282
331
1811
125
4 I
i
291
365
1821
139
1
393
383
1831
149
6
360
375
1841
156
9
i
378
363
1851 i
156
11
353
339
TttaL
613
656
776
735
114
187
145
184
Oooopatxom ofFamiuii.
Agrteul. Trade or! Other
" Lf.
35
62
43
58
.Manaf. jOocap.
77
120
99
64
5
3
62
741 -
692 ,' —
In the return for 1831, it is evident that the families, engaged
in trade or manufactures, and in other occupations, are not classi-
fied on the same principle as in the preceding returns. In 1841
the birth places were given, and of the 741 then living here, 725
were born in Wilts and only 16 elsewhere. In 1841, 1851, the
families and their occupations are given generally in the census
abstracts, but not in detail for each parish. I estimate our families
now to be 148, of whom 63 are agricultural, 33 weavers, 52 of
other or of no occupation. The present population may be given
at 612. The proportion then of acres to a person is 2'6, of persons
to a house 3 a 7. Throughout the county generally these proportions
are 3*4, 4'9, respectively.
The population is steadily decreasing. The cause is decline of
employment for the hand-loom weavers. We dwell pretty well
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
24 Broughton Clifford,
together. About 320 skirt Broughton common, then the tide
flows down " the street " to the church, and over the brook. The
two outlying portions are about 50 round Norrington common, and
about 12 at Challeymead. The houses edging the two commons are
taken out of them, some with, mostly without leave or license.
The population is not of a variable character. Whatever our
exports, our imports are very few. The present generation, with
many before them, are Broughton born and bred: with very few
exceptions, the names occurring in the earlier court rolls and paro-
chial registers are the existing names. This remark applies to the
labouring class, who have been induced to remain by the possession
of small cottages and by the operation of the law of settlement,
rather than to their employers. The chief names now, and in all
known previous periods, in this parish, are — Mortimer of whom
there are now 75, Keen 49, Cantelo 26, Gore 21, Wakely (or Weak-
ly) 20, Harding 16, Bull 15, Collet 12. Our Mortimers are of " an
honourable house," and if they have not the lands, they have the
name of Ralph Mortimer who came in with the Conqueror and got
131 English lordships for his trouble. Like Jack Cade they are
mostly " clothiers," and " are able to endure much :" but they do
not pretend " to dress the commonwealth and turn it, and set a
new nap upon it," though they have more right than he to say,
" My father was a Mortimer," and quite as much to claim Planta-
genets for mothers, and Lacies for wives. 1 They are not ignorant
of their high place in the Battle Abbey Roll. Speaking in con-
tempt of the Keens, the " head of the Mortimer family," old John, 9
once said to me, " They came in with the plundering Danes,
we with the Normans." Nor is this improbable. If the Mortimers
be so called from a town in Normandy, 3 Keen is from the Anglo
1 2 Henry VI. Act 4. so. 2.
8 Old John used to attend church most regularly, with his white head and
prayer book, though his relations were all Dissenters. Once he strayed into the
chapel. The minister looking straight at him exhorted his congregation to pray
for whited sepulchres, who carried their prayers in their pockets, instead of in
their hearts.
8 1 am aware of the derivation implied by " Bogerus de Mortuo mari." This
is as old as 1306 : but I believe it to be a mere after-thought, like that which
in grammar derived the English possessive case from the possessive of the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 25
Saxon xoot Kene strong. The derivations of the rest may not be
uninteresting as a specimen of the origin of English surnames.
Canielo is written in the old registers Cantle, and such also is the
existing pronunciation. Oantle or Cantel is one of our oldest
words, meaning a corner or piece of anything. 1 Now a portion of
our common is to this day called the corner. There is the original
seat of the Cantelos. They are the Gantles of that ilk. Gore
signifies in old deeds a narrow slip of ground, so that, as a surname,
this word also comes from the locality. Weakley is from a personal
quality, just as Long, Longman, Thynne, Little, &c. Harding is
to be similarly accounted for, ing being simply an affix denoting a
patronymic Harding is the son of Hard, as Birmingham is the
residence of the descendants of Beorm (Beorm-inga-ham). Bull
requires no more explanation than Walter le bouf, Bartholomew
le swan, and Peter le cuckoo, which occur in the inquisition* about
1340. Collett is from the Eastern Saint, Nicholas, who in a
French form has given names to many families since the Crusades,
Nicol, Nicolet, Collet, Collette. Thus, in this small parish, we
exemplify Camden's comprehensive remark, that " we have bor-
rowed names from every thing, both good and bad."
There have been 122 marriages celebrated in the parish church
during the 20 years ending Christmas 1857. Of these 76 belong to
the first ten years, 46 to the second. The 6 and 7 of William IV.
c. 85 evidently began to tell on the number of church marriages
during the latter period. During the first ten years, 12 males
were under age, and 21 females; or 31'58 and 55 '56 percent.
masculine personal pronoun, the King 1 $ palace — the King his palace, forgetting
that the Queen'e palace could not be thus accounted for, and ignorant of the
good old Saxon inflection. Heralds too have many such after-thoughts. One
of the most curious is the derivation of Arundel from the swallows (hirondelles)
in the arms of that family, which, however, unquestionably took its name from
the town in Sussex. So our Mortimers had their name from a place in Normandy,
ftnd are so described as early as the Conquest. Camden says there is not a
single village in Normandy, which has not surnamed some family in England.
1 " No part, ne cantel of a thing. 11 Chaucer. And the well known passage
in Shakespeare (1 Henry IV. Act. 3. So.. 1).
" See, how this river comes me cranking in,
And outs me, from the best of all my land,
A large half-moon, a monstrous cantle out' 1
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
26 Broughtm Qifford.
respectively. During the latter ten years 5 males were tinder age,
and 13 females ; or 2174 and 56*52 per cent, respectively. Taking
all the 122 marriages, few are between those whose united ages
make up 50 years. Thus we add another proof to the conclusion
derived from general enumerations elsewhere, as to the early age
of marriage in the agricultural districts. How can it be otherwise f
A young man at 20 earns his 9 or 10 shillings a week, and he
never will earn any more. Why should he not marry at once, and
make his young woman happy P If he cannot support his wife and
family, from sickness or other cause, there is the Parish bound to
do so for him. Such is the reasoning of our youths, who have
never studied political economy. As ratepayers, we grumble ; as
moralists, we acquiesce.
The marriage ceremony is conducted about here in a manner
which is not pleasing. It is a ceremony and no more. There are
no pretty bridal customs, no strewing of flowers, no favouro, no
stocking or slipper-throwing, no nosegays. That we retain the
ring is owing to the requirement of the rubric (they dispense with
it at the Registrar's office), and we may thank the milliners for the
artificial orange blossoms. Nobody comes to church, but the bride
and bridegroom, walking down the "street," arm in arm, followed by
one or two couples more, who are "keeping company." Parents
never think of gracing the union with their presence. On one
occasion indeed the bridegroom (but he came from South Wilts)
did observe an ancient custom. He was married on a Sunday,
during service, and gave his bride the nuptial kiss in church before
the whole congregation ; following therein the rubric of the manual
for the diocese of Sarum, " Surgant ambo, sponsus et sponsa, et
accipiat sponsus pacem (the pax) a sacerdote, et ferat sponsae [sic],
osculans earn, et neminem aliam, nee ipse neo ipsa."
The same remark applies to games and amusements ; we have
next to none. There were indeed, ten years since, the remains of
a Michaelmas revel. Bushes were hung out at unlicensed houses,
and the whole thing had degenerated into a mere drinking bout.
The excise officers and the police extinguished it. Bull-baiting
lingered here longer than elsewhere : there is a tradition of it on
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 27
the common. So there is of cook-fighting : the pit is said to have
been where the Rector's cucumber frame now stands. The moral
odour of the place still hangs about it : the only thing he ever
missed were 5 cucumbers stolen one Sunday morning. The chief
village dissipation takes place at the Whit-sun meeting of the
Benefit club. The neighbouring fair at Bradford Leigh used to be
much frequented, and was generally accompanied by mischievous
midnight revelry. This holiday gave a mnemonic date to " the
simple annals" of domestic life. I have heard old people reckon
events, " come next Bradford Leigh fair.' 1 I have known a skim-
mingion. A mob, with tongs, gridirons, saucepans, or anything
they could get, surrounded the house of one who was said to be an
unfaithful husband, and made most unmelodious music. Kattern
cakes are carried about for sale on St. Katharine's day, November
25th. It seems a pure matter of vulgar merchandise. There are
no rhymes, no bowl, no jollity, no maidens making merry together
and looking out for good husbands by help of the patroness of
spinsters. We do not here realise Goldsmith's pleasing picture,
" When all the Tillage train from labour free,
Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree."
We have no " merry wakes, May games, and Christmas triumphs,"
of oourse no christening customs, but not even a harvest home.
We are rather dull. The reason I suppose to be the early and
continued prevalence here of a stern Puritan feeling, anxious to
disengage itself from all observances, whether innocent or not,
which could be traced up, as many of these, to Roman Catholic
times. Whatever the necessity, still we may be allowed to regret
" that many precious rites,
And customs of our rural ancestry,
Are gone, or stealing from ns."
The general sanitary report ought to be favourable. On the whole
we are healthy. The only exception is the common, and this is of
man's making. The common is the highest, and might be as healthy
as any part of the parish. But, because it is a common, it is nobody's
business to improve and drain it. In former times, fevers used to be
periodical there, even now any disorder is of a far more virulent cha-
racter there than elsewhere. During my incumbency a scarlet fever
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
28 Broughton Qifford.
broke out in the parish during the autumn of 1851. In three months
there were 17 deaths from that cause alone, and of these every
one occurred on the common . Children were attacked elsewhere,
but not one died elsewhere. While on the common, one in every
twenty of the whole population perished. These facts were ear-
nestly represented in the proper quarter by the medical officer 1 for
the district and by myself, but in vain. The victims belonged to
the lower orders only, children of poor labourers and weavers.
Some of these suffered severely, 2 and 3 taken out of one family. The
cause was patent. While the soil elsewhere was firm and healthy,
the superfluous water being filtered through the gravel or carried
off by drains ; on the common, where the subsoil is clay, it was a
rotten sponge, which would hardly bear the weight of man or
beast.
As specimens of longevity there are in the Burial Register 1852,
3, five consecutive entries of Broughton people, whose united ages
amount to 381 years, making an average of 76*2 each. But for
the circumstance that these entries follow each other, the average
longevity would not be so remarkable. I may add that these five
include one 60, and do not include two deaths which occurred in
the same year and in which the united ages were 180 years.
During the last seventeen years (the limit of the Baptist chapel
entries), there have been buried at church 142, at the Baptist chapel
144, in all 286; which make 16*8 per annum, or 2-4 per cent, on a
population of 700. During the last ten years there have been
buried at church 94, at the Baptist chapel 86, in all 180; which
make 18 per annum, or 2*7 per cent, on a population of 650. The
imported and exported burials would so nearly equal each other,
that no perceptible difference in the results would arise from taking
them into the calculation. That this rate of mortality is high will
appear by comparing it with a statement lately made by the Re-
gistrar General. He says that on an average of ten years (1841 —
1 The following is the return made by the medical officer for the Quarter end-
ing the year. "Broughton Common where scarlet fever has prevailed since 17
October, 1851, and proved fatal to eleven children, is very badly drained and
is the most unhealthy place in my district" Six more died in the beginning
of the following year.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. Wilkinson. 29
50) the mortality was at the annual rate per cent, of 1*5 in three
English districts, 16 in fourteen, 1*7 in forty-seven, 1'8 in eighty-
seven districts. That the disadvantageous contrast is owing to our
undrained common, there is no reasonable doubt.
Agricultural Industry.
The general quality of our land is well adapted for agricultural
purposes. It is strong land, the surface soil being deep, with gra-
vel or sandy clay for subsoil. There is no brash rock, not even stone
to mend the roads with, though much in the immediate neighbour-
hood to the north. Some few acres lying near the clay may burn
in a dry season, but generally no drought is felt. Our growth is
not early, as in shallower and drier soils, but strong and steady,
when it does come. The Monkton pastures used to be of good note
in Smithfield, from the very feel of the beasts. There are no more
" proofey" fatting grounds in Wilts. " The graziers told me," says
John Aubrey, " that the yellow meadowes are by much the better ,
and those white flowers (ladysmocks, cardamine, ranunculus aquati-
cus), are produced by a cold hungry water." All our meadows are
yellow with gold cups.
The number of acres at present arable is about 254, of pasture
1207. About 72 acres have been broken up since the Tithe Com-
mutation Act. But the appearance of our pasture, in ridge and
furrow, the ancient mode of carrying off the surface water, tells the
tale of the land having been once under the plough. Our fore-
fathers here were evidently corn farmers, while we are dairymen
and graziers. Domesday book shows that in Broughton proper
there were only 20 acres of grass ground ; while in Monkton there
were four acres of meadow and the pasture was five furlongs long
and two broad; and this property was increasing in value, while
Broughton was decreasing. Wherever we get a glimpse at the
condition of the soil, up to the sixteenth century, we find a steady
preponderance of arable. There were no means of transport, no
passable roads, generally no navigable rivers, no canals. Each
district was necessarily self-supporting, raised its own corn, fed
its own hogs in the wood, made by women's labour its own
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
80 BrougMon Gifford,
clothing. The home market was the only market. Landlords and
farmers were content to raise corn, because it paid as well or better
than anything else. The government was content, because the
people were employed and fed. The opening of new markets for
wool, both at home and in Flanders, by the developement given to
the clothing trade at the commencement of the 16th century,
brought about a great change in the management of the land.
Landlords found that, English wool being up, it was much more
profitable to breed sheep than to grow corn. Accordingly they
turned their arable into pasture, they enclosed the commons (which
were generally arable), threw several small farms into one, and
beoame large flock-masters. This, like all other industrial changes,
operated to the peculiar disadvantage of those who were lowest
down in the particular department of labour affected, and who
could not turn to other pursuits even had any been offered to
them. The landlord was founding a house and a fortune, the
labourer was losing all. The instincts of nature and the claims of
affection alike impelled him to rise. He joined 1536 the "Pilgri-
mage of grace," or 1549 the Devonshire and Norfolk insurrections,
and, being led by those who had ecclesiastical grievances to redress,
whatever they thought of the agricultural, well nigh turned back
the tide of the Reformed religion in this country. The Tudor
sovereigns, and Parliament at their instance, did all they could to
help the labourer. Many statutes, prosecutions in the courts, and
Star Chamber fines, 1 endeavoured to restrain the proceedings of the
landlords in turning arable into pasture, and thereby throwing men
out of work. But self interest was too strong for legislation,
especially with landlords for legislators and magistrates. Enclos-
ing and grazing went on, to the great suffering of the people for
the time. I cannot forbear copying, from Fronde's History, a very
graphic description of grievances, embodied in a petition to Henry
YIIL, from a discontented district, which might well have been
1 Sir Anthony Cooper was fined by the Star Chamber no less a sum than
£4000, for converting arable into pasture, in Charles the First's time. But
this exoessive punishment may have been partly from political motives, partly
to fill an empty exchequer.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson, 31
oar's. The burden of complaint is, "scarcity of victual by reason
of great and covetous misusages of the farms." The petitioners
■ay:—
"Gentlemen, merchant adventurers, ctoth-maker$, goldsmiths, butcher*, tan-
ners, and other artificers and unreasonable oovetous persons, do encroach
daily many more farms than they can occupy in UUh of corn ; ten, twelve, four-
teen, sixteen farms in one man's hands at once, when in time past there hath
been in every farm of them a good house kept, and in some of them three, four,
five, or six ploughs kept and daily occupied, to the great comfort and relief of
your subjects, poor and rioh. For when every man was contented with one
farm, and oooupied that well,' there was plenty and reasonable price of every
thing that belonged to man's sustenance by reason of tillage. Forasmuch as
every acre of land tilled and ploughed, bore the straw and chaff beside the
corn, able and sufficient with the help of the shakke in the stubbe to succour
and feed as many great beastes (as horses, oxen, and kine) as the land would
keep. And further by reason of the hinderflight of crops and seeds tried out in
cleansing, winnowing, and sifting the corn, there was brought up at every barn
door, hens, capons, geese, ducks, swine, and other poultry [sic], to the great
comfort of your people. And now, by reason of so many farms engrossed in one
man's hands, which cannot till them, the ploughs be decayed, and the farm
houses and other dwelling houses ; so that where there was in a town twenty or
thirty dwelling houses, they be now decayed, ploughs, and all the people clean
gone, and the churches down, and no more parishioners in many parishes, but
a neat herd and a shepherd instead of threescore or fourscore persons."
Well might Sir Thomas More say, in his Utopia, that an English
sheep was a more ravenous animal than a lion or wolf, and devoured
whole villages. Another turn in the trade is noted by Aubrey :
but this complaint comes from the landlord class, while the
labourer is well off. "The falling of rentes," he says, "is a con-
sequence of the deoay of the Turkey trade, which is the principal
cause of the Jailing of the price of wooll. Another reason which con-
duoes to the falling of the prices of wooll is our women wearing so
much silk and India ware as they doe. By these means my farme
at Ohalke is worse by £60 per annum than it was before the civill
wanes. Sir William Petty told me, that when he was a boy, a
seedsman had £5 a year wages, and a countrey servant maid be-
tween 30 and 40 shillings. But now wages are deare in the coun-
trey, from the gentry living in London, and the dayly concourse
of servants out of the countrey to London/'
Our commons are Broughton common (the common), Norrington
common, Challeymead, and Amblecroft. The law for the use of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
82 Broughton Oiffard.
the two former is, that a tenant may put on them in summer what-
ever stock he can maintain on his own land in winter. But in
practise they are stocked at any season when the ground will bear
the tread of cattle. With regard to the two latter, I find the fol-
lowing entries in the court manor rolls. 1568. "They [the
homage] say that Nicholas Gyrish now tenant of Challeymeade
has no right to common with any animal at any time between the
feast of St. Peter ad Vincula [August 1.] and the feast of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary [February 2.]" The
meaning is that the tenant of Challeymead is precluded from using
that land as common during the period when it is commonable to
the other tenants in Broughton. That period is after stated in the
court rolls as above, but it is now from the 13th of August to the
13th of February. From 13th August to October 20th for horses
and cows, from October 20th to February 13th for sheep. " They
say that all the tenants of this village have a right of common in
the eastern part of Abey [Avon] in Michelmead near Broadmead."
This must allude to the meadow now called Amble-croft, which is
subject to common on the same condition as Challymead.
Arable commons seem to us agricultural anomalies, but they
were the customary sort of thing to our ancestors. In old deeds
and terriers, there is frequent mention made of " common fields/'
all of which are now enclosed, and in the court rolls there are such
presentments, as these : — 1629, " that the tenants of this manor do
not make their furrows, (lacunas suas, anglic£ gripings) in the com-
mon fields of Broughton, as they ought according to the penalty
imposed by will of the court." Again, " every tenant of this manor
ought and should furrow (lacunare, anglic£ gripe) his land in the
common fields of Broughton Gifford, whether it be sowed or not ;
it is therefore ordered that every tenant do furrow his land before
the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist (18th October) next, under a
penalty of 10s. for each offender." No doubt, the object was to
keep the ground dry during the winter, and we see now in our
pasture very plain " gripings." 1
1 The word is good Anglo Saxon for a small ditch to carry off the water.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. Wilkinson. 33
All these common fields are now enclosed. I have no certain in-
formation of the when, and the how. But from the change in the de-
scription of the glebe land in a terrier dated 1783, as compared with
one about 1700, I suppose the inclosures to have been made in the
interval. In all the earlier terriers, portions of the glebe land are
described in acres, and half acres, and landyards (perches), lying
dispersedly and uninclosed in lots and furlongs, 1 bounded by the
lots of other people. But in 1783 the land is put together, as it is
now.
In the years 1848, 9, and 50 (a period of agricultural and manu-
facturing depression), an endeavour was made to enclose the ex-
isting commons, under 8 and 9 Vic. c. 118, and other amending
acts. The measure was recommended on the following grounds: —
1. The rate-payers would benefit. Some 35 additional acres would
be rateable. The poor rates would be lowered by the rent received
from the allotment gardens (which the act required to be laid out
for the poor), and by the greater ability of the poor to maintain
themselves without parochial relief. 2. The poor would benefit.
Additional labour would be provided, for the enclosed lands would
very generally be broken up. Allotment gardens would be laid
out. These would be managed by " allotment- wardens," the in-
cumbent, aud three parishioners (one being churchwarden) elected
by the rate-payers, under the following regulations: the quantity
not to exceed a quarter of an acre per family ; the rent not to be un-
der that given for farming land in the neighbourhood, with the
addition of all rates and taxes; no tenement whatever to be erected;
and any other regulations which the wardens may make not incon-
sistent with the act. It would seem that these rules would abun-
dantly guard against abuse, and that anything like the Irish cottier
system would be impossible. But if not, the discretionary powers
of the wardens, prompted by self interest, would provide an instant
remedy. It would have been well, if the commons had been en-
closed long ago. There is already an Irish cottier population,
which is altogether owing to the erection of dwelling houses on
1 A furlong is a seotion of an open or commonable field prior to an enclosure
taking plaoe.
D
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
84 Broughton Oxford.
pieces of land, gained by old encroachments on the common. 3.
The improvement in the health of the adjoining population. In
winter Broughton common is hardly passable, even in summer the
wet rises under your feet. The subsoil is clay. Towards evening,
a fog settles over the whole. A low fever breaks out occasionally. 1
The drainage, for which there is every facility, would be an effec-
tual remedy. In all old documents this common is called Brough-
ton Marsh. 4. The expenses of the enclosure would be small. They
have been estimated by a most competent surveyor at £250, inclu-
ding new roads, footpaths, fences, and other works, together with
legal and valuing charges. These expenses would be met by the
sale of frontages and odd corners, which would fetch an "accommo-
dation" price. 5. The tenants were most favourable. Without
an exception, all the principal tenants signed an address to their
landlords in favour of the measure. One of the largest renters
said, that if he had twenty hands, he would hold them up for the
enclosure. 6. The landlords were favourable. The requisite form
of proposal to the Inclosure commissioners was signed by persons
representing interests far more in value* than the act required.
Probably few measures, involving the rights and feelings of many,
were ever proposed with a greater amount of agreement.
The following is the disposition of the arable land in the summer
of 1858.
ACRES.
Wheat -
97
Barley -
20
Oats
18
Beans
24
Peas
10
Turnips -
20
Sweeds -
20
Mangold -
25
Green crops -
20
254
Of the pasture, about 700 are shut up for hay, leaving 507 for feed.
1 A melancholy proof of the truth of these representations was given by the
mortality in the autumn of 1851 , as I have already shown.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 35
Daring the last ten years agricultural improvement has been
largely developed in this district. The application of artificial
manures to arable land has much increased. Now, as a general
rule, a farmer will drill in superphosphate, or guano, and burnt
ashes, with his roots. Such practise was formerly quite exceptional.
In the field, new and improved implements have been introduced :
no one chooses now to be without BentalTs broad-share, to work his
stubbles and clean his land. I have seen the flail displaced by the
threshing machine with horse power, which in its turn has given
way to the travelling steam engine. The ear misses the tapping
on the barn floor, but I do not think the labourer misses the work.
He used to destroy the machine ; he has come round to think flou-
rishing a big stick round his head to be rather slow. He finds that
a saving of labour one way increases production, which provides
labour another way.
As to stock we have some very handsome cows, of the most ap-
proved breeds. There is a pack before my windows which will match
with any in Wilts. We reckon that a fair cow will give about
seven quarts of milk a day, one time with another; or 475 gallons
for (say) 275 days in the year. Our cheese has a very good name.
The estimate of produce is 4 cwt. per cow per annum per three
acres. Or, a pack of 50 cows on 150 acres will produce 10 tons of
cheese in a year. This does not mean that a cow will consume all
the grass and hay of three acres, for other things will be main-
tained; but cows, and in fact all stock, require change, in order to
do well.
Our live stock in the summer of 1858 may be thus roughly re-
turned : —
Horses -
32
Graziers -
40
Colts
10
"Wethers -
100
Milch Cows
270
Young Sheep -
300
Calves
50
Ewes and Lambs
200
Oxen
30
Swine
250
Garden allotments were provided for the labouring poor by the
Hector in 1852. The results of this system are greatly dependent
on the quantity of land held by each occupier. No family should
p 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
36 Broughton Gifford.
have more than a quarter of an acre. The labourer must not be
tempted to turn small farmer. He will do himself no good by any
such ambition. He cannot possibly successfully compete with the
capital, organization, and machinery of the regular farmer. But,
gem humana ruit per vetitum nefas. He aspires to be his own mas-
ter, and if you give him the chance, he will try it on, and ruin
himself in the attempt. Such is the struggle for land that the
labourer very much exaggerates the good which 40 perches do
him. If he were to keep an account of the labour expended on his
ground, and value that labour at the rate which he himself receives
from the farmer, he would find that his pig, his potatoes, and his
other produce cost him dear. But then, there is the occupation of
odd hours, the something for the wife and children to do, the in-
dependent position, the procuring vegetables which are not to be
purchased, the interest in working for oneself, the pride in the re-
sults however painfully attained, the health gained — all this is not
estimated by the political economist, but it is worth paying for,
if happiness be a good. So perhaps the labourer is right after all.
Our home supply of labour is generally sufficient all the year
round. There is some excess of supply over demand in the winter;
and, during the pressure of the hay and corn harvests, some turn
their hands to out-door work, who are not usually so employed.
Wages are paid in hard cash. There is nothing like the truck
system, said to exist in some localities, of so much tail corn, wood,,
&c., to make up scanty money payments.
Manufacturing Industry.
•
Our hand-loom weavers, whose numbers are rather more than half
our agriculturists, work at their own homes, in their weaving "shops,"
many hours for little money. When in full employment they are
fourteen hours a day at it, hands, arms, legs, and feet in full play.
A good weaver can turn out four, five, or six yards per day, for
which he receives 10d., 8d., or 6d. per yard. But this is not all
profit. He has to pay perhaps two children, at least one to change
shuttles for him. Another child "quillies." Besides, he is subject to
deductions for all faults. Nor is he thus employed every day. If
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 37
trade be very brisk, he may reckon on five days of such work each
week: often he has to be content with three, or none. On the
whole, it may be questioned whether he is better off than his agri-
cultural brother, as regards means of living : in respect of strength
and health, he is certainly in a worse condition. Nor is the pros-
pect before him re-assuring. That he has so long held his own
against the steam power-looms of the factory is a marvel to all ob-
servers, a strong evidence of his skill, endurance, and energy.
Time was, when the weaver kept his hackney or pony on the
common, and drove backwards and forwards with his "goods" to
his master at Trowbridge in style. Now he is compelled to trudge
a-foot, driving a pair of hand-trucks before him ; and is glad
enough to bring back a " chain " with him, after hanging about
master's office all day for it. Within the last few years, the de-
scription of cloth thus manufactured has entirely changed. It
used to be all "broad." Now none is so. The power-looms do all
this. Our cloth is "narrow," "fancy stuffs" for summer wear, jacket-
ings, trouserings, and waistcoatings. That the hand-loom weaver
retains this slender portion of the trade is greatly owing to the
circumstance, that the master manufacturer doubts as yet, whether
it be worth his while to lay out his capital in the purchase of looms
and machinery, specially adapted to this kind of cloth. Were his
orders greater, and likely to be permanent, he would imitate his
Yorkshire confrere, enlarge his mill, and do all there. With this
indifferent present, and worse future before him, why does not the
weaver turn his hand to something else ? Why not become an
agricultural labourer P Employment on the land is increasing and
will increase. This is easier said than done. Transplanting full
grown trees is an operation attended with very poor success. In-
door and out-door habits, the loom and the plough, the shuttle and
the sickle, the soft hand and the hard hand, cannot be interchanged
at pleasure. The female Spitalfields silk weaver dares not even do
the household work about her own house: her hand would be
"furry," would catch the delicate threads like briars, and the
"goods" would be spoilt. The nervous system must be cared for,
though of course not so carefully, where wool is the material. Be-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
38 Broughton Qifford-
sides, no employment requires a longer education or greater natural
powers of observation, than that of the agricultural labourer. Small
wits may sneer at him as uncultivated ; but the eye, the hand, and
the judgment, which can mark out a field into ridges, turning up
a furrow straight as an arrow from end to end, the intelligence
which can detect so well something ailing in the stock from the touch
of the skin, the appearance of the eye or hair, when to an ordinary
observer there is nothing calculated to excite attention; these things
demand considerable natural powers, improved and strengthened by
sharp observation. I have officiated both in town and country,
and I consider the agricultural labourer a more agreeable conver-
sationist than his civic brother ; his range of observance is larger,
his employment is less special, his topics have more general interest.
Parochial Economy.
The Parish is in the Bradford Union, and the average number
of persons in receipt of relief is 52, of whom 43 are out-door, and
9 in-door paupers. So that 8*7 of the population are receiving re-
lief. The allowance per week per head of the entirely destitute is
2s. 6d. The rest are lower, according to their means. I am not
aware that any degradation is attached to the receipt of parish pay.
That is an old fashioned idea which has passed away with the
wearing of pauper badges. We should all get on the parish pay
book, if we could. The indignity and the allowance would be
pocketed together. Such is human nature. Happily human na-
ture provides the remedy also. The same self interest which
prompts the demand of the recipient, sharpens the investigations
of the paymaster. Alter either side of the proportion, and you
give selfishness play on the other side, and do what you can to
bring ruin on both sides. Before the Poor Law Amendment Act
our rates were nearly double their present amount. The rate-payer
was on the road to insolvency. Out of his hard earned profits he
had to maintain a weaving population who did not care to do, per-
haps could not do, such out-door labour as he could supply. The
poor were gradually becoming poorer, as is always the case with
those who are taught to rely on others. Why should they work f
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Eev. J. Wilkinton. 39
They could have Is. 6d. per week per head from the justices, for
the asking, and with a long family that was better than wages.
" Broughton would not long have been Broughton, at that rate,"
a farmer once said to me. We are mending now, though still
there are things against us. The rate-payers are better able to
live. The poor acknowledge that they are better off. I know a
family which used regularly to receive 9s. per week under the old
system, but have maintained themselves ever since, and feel hap-
pier, to their own surprise. We are still held back by the cottier
weaving population on the skirts of the commons, and by two ad-
joining "close" parishes. There being no cottages in these parishes,
the labourers there dwell here, and so come on our rates when they
are in want, though in no way contributing by their industry to
our wants.
Means of Communication.
We have the remains of an old pack road. It enters our parish
from the west, by a hedge one mile and a half in length (said to
be the longest in the large parish of Bradford) : it crossed the brook
close to Mill farm by a bridge, which fell in while a horse was
crossing about 1812, and the foundations of which are now visible.
From this point the road diverged, one branch going to the ford
over the Avon above Monkton, the other passing Holmbrook to
Shurnell. Both branches are easily traced, particularly the one by
Monkton. On crossing the river, this last turned to the east, and
even now exists in all its integrity of deep holes and sharp turnings
round the corners of fields, with the greatest possible respect for
private boundaries and rights, with none whatever for the public
convenience. Such crooked paths as these are signs of peaceful
times. The straight Roman roads are memorials of a conquest, and
of forced labour; vcb victis was all the auswer given by the Roman
engineers to the remonstrances of the British proprietor. They
were made as much by the sword, as by the spade.
In the year 1762 an act was passed " for repairing, widening,
turning, and shortening the road leading from Forrard's common,
in the parish of Bradford, through Holt and Melksham to Homan's
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
40 Broughton Oifford.
stile in the parish of Lacock; and for completing a communication
between the said road and the Bath turnpike road on Kingsdown
hill." Hence arose a great change in our means of communication.
The road which now runs along the south of the parish, between
Holt and Melksham, was then cut; so also was the road across the
common. The then existing roads were improved. For the new
road a portion of the glebe was taken, which Mr. Robert Addams
Hickes, the then rector, thus commemorates in a terrier dated 1783.
" N.B. About 20 years ago on making a Turnpike road from Melk-
sham to Holt, Bradford, &c, rather more than an acre and a half
was taken from the glebe through part of which the road passes.
The turnpike commissioners valued this ground at £50, gave a
bond for this money to Mr. Hickes the incumbent, and agreed to
pay the interest of this sum, viz. 50s. per annum, to Mr. Hickes
and his successors for ever." The commissioners were too much
for good easy Mr. Hickes and his successors. The whole transac-
tion was illegal. They had no power to give a bond instead of
money. Their paper was not the " Government securities " re-
quired in the act. And so loss has come on the "successors." The
" 50s. per annum for ever " is now 20s. Had the £50 been inves-
ted as directed by the act, it would have realised about £3 per
annum; were the land available to let, it would be worth about
£4 108. The commissioners "for ever" was terminated a few years
since by the Home Secretary. The trust was insolvent. The re-
pairs of the roads were thrown on the parish, but the toll-gates
remain to pay the bondholders. So that the unhappy rate-payers
are doubly taxed : they pay tolls for the use of the roads, which
they also repair. Lord Palmerston, as Home Secretary, interfered,
by a provisional order, reducing the rate of interest from 5 to 2 .
per cent., and winding up the whole concern within 20 years. The
grievance, arising from the intermixture of trusts and their
insolvency in this neighbourhood, is probably not surpassed else-
where.
Our roads, turnpike qud tolls, parochial qad repairs, are six
miles in extent. They cost us £120 a year. Of this the carriage
is about £50, the material £20, the labour £50. The Wilts,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 41
Somerset and Weymouth Railway runs through the south of the
pariah for a distance of rather more than two miles. The Devizes
line (rather less than half a mile in the parish) effects a junction
at the western extremity.
Among the means of communication, causeways and bridges
ought to be included. We have (I ought to say, we had) a "cau-
sey," " the street " we call it, between the common and the church.
It was an object of solicitude to our ancestors. The representations
of the homage are frequent in the court rolls. This is one of them.
" 1629. The causeway (via strata, voeata the causey) between the
marsh and Broughton Gifford church is greatly out of repair, and
ought to be repaired by the inhabitants of Broughton before Mi-
chaelmas under a penalty of 40s/' The " via strata " no longer
deserves the name. An enterprising surveyor, some thirty years
since, signalised his year of office by employing the labouring poor,
during a slack time, in taking up some lengths of the paving stones
and breaking them to pieces; consequently we have to walk in the
dirt. Portions remain, the energies of the surveyor having happily
been turned in another direction.
Of bridges, we have two, Church bridge over the brook, and
Monkton bridge over the river. Of the former (under the name
of Parsonage bridge), I observe these entries in the court rolls.
"1568. It belongs to the whole village (totce [sic] villae) of
Broughton to repair the bridge called Parsonage bridge before the
feast of St. John the Baptist next, under a penalty of £10." The
same presentment is made, with the substitution of " all the tenants"
for the " whole village," 1582, 4. In 1624 there is this entry.
"Parsonage bridge being new built is not thoroughly finished,
and is to be amended by the parish." The largeness of the penalty
shows the importance attached to this bridge, which in fact is the
only direct outlet to the west.
Our other stone bridge, Monkton, was the subject of much in-
quiry a few years since. The bridge was " valde in decasu" as the
court rolls would say, the crown of one arch having fallen in, and
the parapet on one whole side being down; the question arose, who
was to pay for the repairs P The occupiers of the adjoining lands
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
42 Broughton Qifford.
on either side did not care for the preservation of the bridge, they
did not want horse ways and foot paths across their grounds. There
were others who thought the destruction of the bridge would be a
subject of much regret ; it was a handsome structure, with four
arches, in a most convenient position for the public, being the only
means of crossing the river between Melksham and Staverton, and
equidistant from either, being also the direct line of communica-
tion between Broughton Gifford, Atworth, Chalfield, Whitley, and
Monkton Farleigh on the north, with Whaddon, Hilperton, Sem-
ington, Seend, Bulkington, Eeevil, and Steeple Ashton on the
south of the river. They determined therefore, in order to fix the
liability of repairing on some one, to bring the question before the
Quarter Sessions. The law was clear that the highway must not
be lost to the public, and that the county must repair, except there
were legal proofs of the liability of others. The court very pro-
perly resolved to make every inquiry on this head, before throwing
the burden of the repairs on the county. Investigations elicited
that Monkton bridge was built in 1725. The owner of Monkton
has a map of the estate, and at a line denoting the bridge is this
note: — "A foot bridge built with stone, Anno 1725, in the place
where a tree laid across had before afforded a passage to foot tra-
vellers across the river." The tree must have been a noble stick, for
the river is there twenty- six yards wide. In 1737 an order was made
on the hundreds of Bradford and Melksham, not exceeding £25
each, for the repairs. At this time the justices in Quarter Sessions
were empowered under the Statutes 22nd Henry VIII. and 1st Ann
to make assessments on every parish or place within their jurisdic-
tion towards the maintenance of bridges. And this separate rating
continued until 12th George II., when the several rates were con-
solidated and a general county rate substituted. Hence a common
saying about here, when any mischief was done to the bridge,
"There's something for the two hundreds to pay." It was dis-
covered also that the bridge had been repaired by the late Mr.
Thomas Bruges of Melksham, a magistrate, in 1811 and 1819, but
nobody knew at whose expense. The upshot of the whole matter
was, that the county, being unable to fix any legal liability else-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 43
where, undertook the repairs, and executed them most substantially
in 1856.
Ecclesiastical and Religious History.
"Gundrada, l with her kinswoman Albreda de Bosco RoaldaD, gave
the chapel of Broctune with its lands and tithes to the Abbey of
Shaftesbury." 2 Whether any remains of this chapel exist, it is hard
to say ; but certainly portions of the existing structure are of the
beginning of the 13th century. An early English church of much
plainness appears to have been built here, without tower or porch.
About the middle of the 15th century it was extensively remodelled.
But the changes which the building has undergone will best appear
from the following sketch, for which I am indebted to Mr. Edward
Kite.
"Ground Plan. — Chancel, Nave, Western Tower, Chantry Chapel
on the south side with a connected Porch, (forming together a South
Aisle), and North Aisle.
1 From the manner in which this lady's name is mentioned, it would seem
that she is a historical personage, and ought to he known. I suppose her to
have been either the wife, or the daughter of William the Conqueror. Matilda
and Gundrada are the Dano-Norman and Flemish names of the same individual :
indeed the component parts of either name are synonymous with those of the
other, though in inverse order. Gundrada, the Conqueror's daughter, was the
wife of William de Warrene, the founder of Lewes Priory, to which our neigh*
bouring Priory of Monkton Farleigh was subordinate. She died in child-birth
at Castle Acre in Norfolk, 27th May, 1085, and was interred in the Chapter
House of Lewes Priory. Her tomb was found in Isfield Church in Sussex, co-
vering the remains of Edward 8hirley, Cofferer to Henry VIII., who is supposed
to have appropriated it on the dissolution of the Monasteries. The ornaments
were Norman, and the inscription, though mutilated, showed the names of Gun-
drada and St. Pancras, the patron saint of the Priory. Ellis's introduction to
Domesday, and Mr. Blaauw's papers in Arohseol. xxxi,
3 Hutchins' Dorset in Shaston Monastery. King John by charter confirmed
to the Church of St. Mary and St. Edward at Shaston in free demesne all those
lands which Emma the Abbess proved (dirationavit) to belong to her, in the
presence of King Henry his grandfather and his barons at Ealing. Among the
rest— «* The chapel of Broctone with its lands and tithes, given by Gundrada
with her kinswoman Albreda de Bosco Roaldie." All these were proved by
Abbess Emma. "Given by the hand of Henry de Welle, Arohdeaoon of Wells
at Norh ... 23 May a.b. 7. 1205."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
44 Broughton Oiffbrd.
Length. Width.
Measurements — Chancel 23 ft. 2 in. 14 ft.
Nave 44 ft. 6 in. 14 ft.
Tower 12 ft. 11 ft.
Porch 10 ft. 10 in. 9 ft. 2 in.
Chantry Chapel 20 ft. 6 in. 10 ft. 8 in.
North Aisle 41 ft. 8 in. 11 ft. 2 in.
"Chancel. — The east window, of three lights, is of a late cha-
racter, in the south wall a Priest's door with trefoil-head; on the
east side of this a square headed two light window of Decorated
date, the tracery forming an inverted trefoil ; a stone seat formed
in the recess of the window, which may have served as sedilia;
close to this eastward is a trefoil-headed piscina. On the west side
of the Priest's door is a narrow light, also trefoil-headed. The
Chancel Arch, which is of two chamfered orders, springs from
semi-octagonal shafts. In the north wall a late window of two
lights. Ceiling plastered over, but the roof externally of good
pitch.
"Nave. — This is divided from the North Aisle by a series of five
pointed arches, of the Early English style, springing from three
massive circular piers and two responds. The arches are of two
chamfered orders with hoodmoulds. Roof of plaster.
"Tower. 1 — The Tower is of three stages, and terminates with a
row of continuous battlements. On the north side is a square turret,
also embattled, and rising to the height of the tower. The buttresses
are of three sets-off and terminate at the stringcourse, between the
middle and upper stages ; the turret also decreases in size, with
a set-off, at this point. Two boldly carved gurgoyles look out
from the wall, at the base line of the parapet, on each side of the
tower. In the west wall is a square headed doorway, with a three
light window immediately above it. The upper stage exhibits four
windows of two lights with a transom a little below the centre.
1 On the south side of the tower are two dials; one, much the older, has Ro-
man characters and no index : the other, helow, has Arabio numbers, a gilt sun,
and the mottos, " Umbra videt umbram" " Vive hodie" not indicating a very
religious spirit, hut happily in a tongue unknown to the vulgar.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 45
The arch connecting tower and nave is without shaft or capital;
the moulding is of two chamfered orders, the inner of which dies
into the wall at the impost.
"North Aisle. — This is lighted by three windows, two of which
are of three lights and in the north wall, the other is of two lights
with a square head, and at the east end. One of the former con-
tains some remnants of stained glass in the tracery. A crowned
figure occupying one of the central compartments is evidently in-
tended to represent the Yirgin ; she is seated and wears a cope, the
hands are crossed on the breast, the hair dishevelled, and the head
surrounded by a circular nimbus ; the cope is lined with ermine
and reaches to the feet, the edges are ornamented with embroidery,
and the morse or clasp, by which it is fastened at the neck, is clearly
visible. Two figures on each side of this, in smaller compartments,
apparently represent angels, but the instrument or symbol, which
they bear in their hands, has not been identified. Many traces of
crowns may also be seen on separate quarries, also the head of a
crozier, which belonged to a figure of considerable size. The roof
of this aisle is of plaster, 1 and nearly semicircular ; it is divided by
moulded ribs into fourteen compartments, at the intersection of the
ribs are bosses. In the centre of the north wall is a low doorway,
now blocked up. Roof gabled.
"Chantry Chapel.* — This is divided from the Nave by two arches
of similar character to the Chancel arch. Beneath the east win-
dow, which is of three lights, square headed, was formerly an altar,
the piscina attached to which still remains perfect. In the south
wall a three light window, and to the west of this a narrow trefoil-
headed lancet. The roof is gabled.
"Sooth Porch. — This is merely a continuation of the Chantry
Chapel westward ; the roof of the chapel appears to have been
originally fiat with a parapet, but on the erection of the Porch
both were gabled, in order to correspond as nearly as possible with
the North Aisle. From the existence of a staircase in the west
1 "The churoh was ceiled 1720."— Mr. Hickes.
•In Mr. Hickes' memoranda, this is called Hor torts lie, because (I take it)
the Hortons sat there, it being the aristocratic portion of the churoh; though it
may have been built by a former lord.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
46 Broughton Qifford.
wall, it may perhaps be inferred that a Parvise, or Priest's chamber,
once existed over the Porch, but no trace of a window by which it
was lighted is now to be seen. In the east wall are several small
oblong apertures (now blocked up) by means of which a view of
the Chantry altar was obtained from the interior of the Porch.
Two large stones built into the wall over the outer doorway are
carved in low relief, and represent, each an angel bearing a blank
shield, and placed in a cinquefoil-headed niche with crockets and
a curiously formed finial ; from the points of two pinnacles which
terminate the shafts of the first canopy, springs a second cinque-
foiled arch enclosing the finial of the first and forming a sort of
double canopy. (Query, if, on the shafts of one of these, are some
shears represented, which would connect a clothier with any altera-
tions made in the church at an early date.) On either side of the
Porch is a stone seat.
" The earlier portions of the building appear to have been the
Chancel Nave, North Aisle, and Chantry Chapel. The Chancel
retains several features of " Early English" date; the arcade divid-
ing the Nave from the North Aide, also of " Early English" date,
proves the existence of a North Aisle at an early period. The Tower
and Porch appear to have been both erected at the same date : the for-
mer is a good specimen of plain Perpendicular work. It "may be re-
ferred to about the middle of the 15th century. At the same date,
perhaps, the Chancel arch was re-built, also the arches connecting the
Nave and Chantry Chapel, and the greater portion, if not the whole
of the Church, fresh roofed. Possibly some of the walls may also
have been repaired, or re-built, and windows of Perpendicular
character inserted to correspond with the newly built portions."
It may be added to Mr. Kite's account, that the present Porch
might have been originally the basement floor of a belfry, and that
the steps (which are now a puzzle) led to some upper apartment in
it; that long afterwards, when the Tower was built, the belfry was
turned into a South Porch, the large entrance made, the floor of
the upper apartment removed, but the steps from the basement
allowed to remain ; and at the same time the west end of the belfry
and the east end of the South Aisle were cased over with ashlar.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. Wilkinson. 47
It may also be remarked that the ovolo mouldings of the circular
pillars are not alike, two together. The hood moulding which
supported the roof loft on the north is very clear. The steps which
led to it on the south were brought to view, when the Church was
restored. This was in 1850, under the superin tendance of Mr. T.
H. Wyatt, Diocesan architect, and at a cost of £321, which was
provided, without any rate, by grants from the Incorporated and
Diocesan Church Building Societies, and by private subscriptions.
It was high time. The area was divided into thirteen enclosures, 1
corresponding to the principal farms, of different sizes, but all so
high, that the clergyman at the communion table could not see his
congregation, nor they him. The accommodation for the poor
was confined to a singing gallery, 8 which completely filled up the
western arch and window, and to some few seats under it. Another
gallery closed another window in the North Aisle. The Church
being then made rather dark, five attic windows (one for the
preacher's special benefit over the pulpit) were inserted in the roof,
which they extensively weakened. The damp and decay were
such, that fungi were growing on the altar steps. The paths were
uneven and unsafe: here a hard stone had resisted the tread, here
a soft one was hollowed. Some walls were split. The heavy sound-
ing board was like to tear itself by its own weight from its hold-
ings, and overwhelm the unhappy preacher in his pulpit. The
bases of the large circular pillars were cut away to fit in the pews,
the foundations (originally shallow) were undermined by vaults
(the fee for burying in church was only 13s. 4d. a century since).
1 "Mr. Weekes built a new seat of deal. December 1726." (Mr. Hickes'
memoranda.) This may have been the beginning of the lofty pew system,
which in 1850 was defended here on the authority of Scripture : " when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door"
* " 1708. This year the gallery was erected and built. Towards the same
Thomas Horton gave four pounds one shilling and sixpence. William Hickes,
Rector, gave ten shillings. The whole cost was twelve pounds.' 1 ' (Mr. Hickes 9
memoranda). The neglect of the labouring poor was based on an intelligible
prinoiple. One of the ohief tenants said to the Rector, 1850, that the church
was for the use of the rate-payers, and that, if it were held that money was to
be spent for the advantage of those who did not contribute it, he would be an
anti-church rate man.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
48 Broughton Qifford.
The whole interior was burrowed. Some of the vaults were filled
with water. That the roof stood was a mercy : it certainly would
have gone, but that the pillars on the south, which are much out
of the perpendicular, incline inwards. Had the pressure been the
other way, the roof must have been split asunder. We have now
set all right, except the roof. That we leave to the next genera-
tion. The plans for it are in the parish chest, and I hope my suc-
cessor will carry them into execution. 1
We have a brass, of which an engraving is annexed. The lines
are quaint, but touching. The age of Robert Long is stated as 46,
but this must be an error. Some Long papers in the British Mu-
seum (Add. MSS. 15,561) contain most careful statements of the
births of all the eleven children of Henry Long and Mary May.
Robert, the sixth child, was born 10th Nov. 1574, and was conse-
quently 48 at his death on 13th Nov. 1622.
Of bells we had one of renown ; 2 everybody said there was not
such another between this and Hungerford, where was its fellow.
There is a constant tradition that this bell was given to the parish of
Broughton Gifford by the parish of Melksham, on consideration of
a right of holding a fair here on our common being transferred to
Melksham, and that there was a large admixture of .silver (some
said gold) in its composition. However this may be, its charms,
provoking temptation, proved, as with other beauties, its own ruin
and that of others. On the marriage of the late clerk's son, some
of his young bachelor friends, fresh with beer from the marriage
feast, locked themselves up in the belfry, determined to try the
tones of the bell to the uttermost, and for this purpose, not conten-
ted with the bell rope, they struck the bell itself with a sledge
hammer. It rang magnificently its own knell. Split and frac-
1 Mr. Hickes was the Church restorer of the last century. He enumerates, the
" Reading desk altered 1725, the iles of the Church new laid 1726, the gallery
built 1708, Church ceiled 1720, Church walls adorned with Scripture sentences,
the ten commandments, Lord's Prayer, and Apostols' creed or belief, and King's
arms Done 1724. "
* " Church Goods. 1553. Certificates of Anthony Hungerford, William
Charington [Sherington] and William Wroughton, Knights." (Augmentation
office, Carlton Eide.) • • • • • « Broughton. Delivered to Miohel
Quinton and to Thos. Redman by indenture iij belles." The sign of our Tillage
ale-house has been (time out of mind) " The Bell."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Robert Longe second sqne or Hen: Longe or whae
DON IN THE COVNTY OF WILTS ESQ; MARRIED MlLLESADT
DAVGHT*OF Tko.WfrTSEY PREACHER OF GOBS WORD: BY
WHOM HE HAD HH. SONES: ROBERT. BdWARD.H£NRY,PoST
HYMVS. HE DIED AN°D$S. MDCXX. NOVEBERXffl. JETAtSVS
XLVI.IN HOVSE MEMORY OF WH0*E,H1S MORNFVLL WIFE E
SECXED THIS MORE LOVING ,THEN COSTLY REPRESENTATION.
7ht Iaj% tfMann is a tr+w* Lett arte
'When. t/tnterouseDeati draws Jortb lotts short ScLonae
Yet free jTromfraude , and partia/i 'flatter it .
Hte shufVd Sot i ids afeeuerall sifi ctmonce ,
~^rewe Longe: and sot drtwt lonqtrpis short dates
heyonde all time to prctist.
onot : t
mm
r. St*, 4*1. m% uuttt
Brass of Robert Lonce , A.O. 1620;
//v Brouchton Girroao Chukch.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
f
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 49
tared, it was sold and re-cast. Whilst being broken up a quarter
of a cwt. of it was stolen. The thief was convicted, and died soon
afterwards. In Lombardic characters on its circumference was the
inscription, " Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum." A cast of
this was taken, and deposited in the Museum of the Oxford Arch-
aeological Society. There was a smaller bell, also cracked, as ru-
mour says, at another and more aristocratic wedding, that of the
lord of the manor with Jane Lewis in 1732. It had this inscription,
"William Harding, Nicholas Gore, Churchwardens 1665. W±P±
RP." Our two present bells were cast by Llewellyn of Bristol, 1850.
In the parochial register there is a " Memorandum. That the
Communion Plate of silver was given to the Parish of Broghton
by Mr. John Horton, gentleman, of the said Parish, June the
eleventh, Ano. Dni. nri. Jes. Xtri. 1731." This refers solely to the
paten, which has the date 1731, and a shield bearing a single
buck's head, the proper coat of the Derbyshire Hortons. The cup
i%older, having the date 1546 scratched on its cover.
Of our church -yard there is nothing to say, but that it had a
hatch once as Mr. Hickes takes care to record, adding, " 1698 Me-
morandum. This year was the wall on the west and north of the
Church-yard built by Tho. Big and Will. Sertane, Churchwardens.
But Sertaine, being tenant to the next ground, out of covetousness
took in above two foot of the Church-yard, for the outmost bounds
of it were in the midel of the ditch, where it was bounded with
posts and rails which stood in or about the midel of the ditch that
remains still." Let all removers of ancient landmarks beware.
Their misdeeds may be imperishably recorded against them, while
they fancy that the memory thereof has perished.
Under the head of Church Temporalities, I should mention that
Henry Longe of Wraxhall (thrice Sheriff of Wilts) gave, by his will,
dated 1st May, 1490, (among similar bequests to every church in the
neighbourhood), to the church of Broughton 13s. 4d. for vestments.
I also give this extract from Nonarum Inquisitiones. " Parish of
Broughton Church. The Presentation of Robert le Couk, Walter
de Gore, Robert Martyn, and Roger le Yong, parishioners of the
church aforesaid : who present on their oath that the said church
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
50 Broughton Oifford.
is taxed at £10, and that the ninth part of grain, wool, and lambs
is worth this year, in the parish aforesaid, £8 and not more ; that
the rector of the church aforesaid hath by gift to his church 40
acres, which are worth per annum 13s. 4d., the tithe of hay and
other small tithe, (which) are worth per annum 26s. 8d. There is
no chapel situate within the said parish : nor are there any other
temporalities than those declared above ; nor is there any one living
within the said parish who gets his living otherwise than by agri-
culture and store of sheep : and therefore cannot be taxed for a
fifteenth. This Presentation was made at Marleberg before Robert
Selyman and his fellows, assessors and setters of the ninth aforesaid,
3 April, 15 Edward III. 1341. In witness whereof the parties
hereto have severally affixed their seals to this Indenture. Dated
- on the day, at the place, and in the year aforesaid."
^'The explanation to be given of the assessment is this. The feu-
dal military system, however available for home defence, was not
adapted to the prosecution of those foreign wars in which Edward
III. engaged. These demanded money, money was procurable
only by taxation, taxation was imposable only (as all the Edwards
found) by the authority of Parliament and Convocation, for civil
and ecclesiastical property respectively. From the date of the
Statute de tallagio non concedetido, 1297, which had been extorted
from the necessities of the first Edward by the firmness of Arch-
bishop Winchelsea and the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk, it had
been unlawful (though the thing had been occasionally done) to
raise supplies, either by aid or by tallage, on the sole authority of
the King. The Parliament was the more liberal in granting legal
aids, through jealousy of royal tallages. The amount assessed
Was a fractional part of the value of moveable property, and was
called a subsidy. In 14 Edward III. Parliament granted a ninth
and a fifteenth. In the same year the clergy granted a tenth for
two years. But, notwithstanding this liberality, they were ass-
essed to the ninth. Archbishop Stratford remonstrated, and redress
was given. A commission was issued to the Royal Commissioners,
instructing them to ascertain, on the oaths of some of the principal
inhabitants, the value of the ninth of such moveable goods as corn.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 61
wool, and lambs; if this ninth should exceed the amount of the
assessment made, 1291, in Pope Nicholas 9 valor (called in this in-
quisition "the tax"), the larger sum was to be collected ; if, on
the contrary, the ninth should be less than the valor, then the
lower sum should be collected, and an account given of the defici-
ency. Thus the parishioners here say, that the assessment in the
valor was £10; but that their return is £8 only, the difference
(forty shillings) being owing to the exemption, from such taxation,
of the glebe worth 13s. 4d., and the tithes worth 26s. 8d. The
fifteenth appears to have applied only to towns and cities, and
therefore was not to be assessed here.
The valuation of Pope Nicholas continued in force, till, the first
fruits and tenths being transferred to the Crown, a new survey was
made by commissions issued by the King under an act of Parlia-
ment, 26 Henry VIII. o. 3. This, which is still in force for. pay-
ment of first fruits and tenths, is called Liber regis, or valor eccie&i-
asticus. The return of this parish is as follows: "Rectory of
Broughton Gilford, with the fraternity there. Henry Yong,
Hector. £ s. d.
Value per annum . . . . 20 8
Deductions. s. d.
Annual pension to the
Abbot of Malmesbury . . 6 8 ]
Procurations to the | 18 8 i
Archdeacon . . 7 7± J — — ~
Balance . . 19 14 8}
Tenth thereof. . 39 6±'
My next extract 1 is from the report of the Commissioners ap-
pointed to survey Chantry property in the Diocese of Sarum in
1 One copy of the report of the Chantry Commissioners (from which this
extract is taken) is in the Cathedral muniment room at Salisbury. Rsehyn is
the same as Heches, like houien for houses, the regular Anglo-Saxon plural
termination. The lieches were the Roches of Bromham, of which family Sir
John Uoches Et. died seiz< d of lands and tenements here in 1401, and his niece
Edith Eoches married Harry Iropanell of Great ChalMcL
B 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
52 Broughton Gifford.
the second year of Edward VI. " Parish of B rough ton. William
Rechyn gave one messuage in Broughton with a close adjoining to
the same, 4 acres of arable land in the Common-field, half acre of
Meddowe in Broad-mede, for and to the maintenance of the yerelie
anniversary within the saide Churche; all which premises be in the
tenure of one Johan Diddell widdowe, and payeth, over and besides
the yerelie goinge oute, to the chefe lorde of Broughton 10s. 6d."
There are five terriers in the Diocesan Registry relating to the
glebe house and lands, all written by the rectors, and signed by
them and the churchwardens for the time being. Three of them
are dated 1671, 1677, 1783. Two are without any date, but from
internal evidence they may be assigned to 1600 and 1700. In the
first, signed by "Johannes Bold, Rector, and Mychaell CufFe,
Nicholas Gore, Churchmen/' the " som total is 36 acres arrable, 8
of* Pasture, and 2 acres of Meadowe." In the next, 1671, it is re-
duced to " 37 acres and 3 yards by estimation, 37 acres and 1 yard
by measure, and the annual value £30." Very high for that time,
when the tithe of the whole parish was only £60. In 1677 the
quantity is still further reduced to 36 acres and 3 yards. The same
in 1700. In 1780 the " glebe lands were measured, and a plan
taken of them by order and at the expense of the Rev. Mr. Hickes
the present incumbent." This account is curious, as shewing that
the lands, which in all preceding terriers are described as lying very
dispersedly (an acre lot here and a quarter acre lot there), are thrown
more together; and also, as marking the change which had taken
place in agriculture. In 1600 out of 46 acres, 36 were under the
plough, and only 10 in grass. In 1780 the whole was in grass.
After saying that this total was 34a. 2r* 12p., Mr. Hickes in his ter-
rier of 1783 accounts for the deficiency as compared with previous
•terriers, by the land taken for the turnpike road before mentioned.
The present condition of the glebe marks another change in
agricultural practice. Though none has been broken up of late
years, 20 acres are now arable. It has been drained, and the whole
is in high condition.
Of the Church house there are these memorials. Court roll 1568.
" The jurors say that the house called the Church. house was built
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By tike Rev. J. Wilkinson. 53
and founded upon a piece of waste ground belonging to the lords of
this village." 1629. "Also they present that the Church house is
fiituate and built on the waste of the lord of this manor, and, as
they have heard, was the house of the parishioners, and 60 years
and more since was at their use and disposal ; but during 30 years
and more the lords of this manor have held it and disposed of it."
The purposes for which the Church house was used having been
superseded by the more orderly, though less festive operation of
rating, we find Mr. Hickes making in the parish register this in-
structive entry. " In Novemb. Ano. Dni. 1732, a House called the
Church House, which had two chimnys, one at each end, was
pulled down, and the stones and timber used in the rebuilding the
House near the Parsonage House [Church farmhouse]. This House
reached from the Lower Stile (going to the brook) to the rails east-
ward, as may [be seen] from the stoone wall left for bounds of the
Church yard. This Church House was built by one Thomas Cock-
son, as appeared by a stoone in the wall of the said house next the
Church yard side, in which was engraven a Pedlar's Pack, and on
each side a cock. Some poor people liv'd in it in the memory of
man, who liv'd in the year sixteen hund. eighty and nine, and in
particular cas I have been inform'd by some that could remember
it, the father of John Oatridge, which John Oatridge had a leg cut
of, and mended shoes in a house belonging to Esqr. House, in the
lower end of the field near the brook, and was buried in May 1706,
which House was pulled down about year seventeen hundred and
eleven or twelve. About this Church House, after it was pulled
down, were noises in the night, like throwing the timbers about
one upon another and upon the stones that lay near, by Mrs. Hunt
and her two daughters that liv'd just by. Likewise in the Farm
House (lying by the Parson's House, in which then liv'd one
Robert Newman), while the Church House was pulling down and
after, they heard the treading of one going up and down stairs.
Also a noise of throwing the stones that were brought from the
said Church House into their Barton, from one heap to another."
There was an old Rectory house here, built probably about 1600.
Having fallen into a state of extensive decay, it was pulled down
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
64
Broughton Qifford.
1849, and the present one built on the same site, from the designs
of Mr. T. H. Wyatt.
The following are the institutions of Rectors, according to Sir
Thomas Phillipps' printed lists, as corrected by comparison with
the originals : —
Rector.
Nicholas de Lavington.
John de Selewode.
Peter de Wymborii.
Walter deKemeseye (exchanged for Patney).
Wm. de Abendon (from Patney).
John de Ombury : by exchange from Fenny
Ralph Northern (revoked). [Sutton.
Thomas Tremer.
Stephen Avebnry. [Olneye.)
Peter le Wyse (exchanged with Ralph de
Thomas Pol ton, vice Johannis Croxsale.
Wm. Stoke, vice Thomas Pulton.
Wm. Frank.
John Teffonte, by resignation of Wm. Frank.
Wm. Aas, by resignation of John Teffonte.
John Lawrence, on death of Wm. Aze.
John Fovent, on resignation of John Law-
Wm. Whitmer, vice J. Fovent. [renoe.
Richard Olyver, by exchange with Wm.
Wm. Notte. [Whitmer.
Rob. Tonge, exchanged with Wm. Notte.
John Daldeyn, vice Rob. Tonge. [Daldeyn.
Stephen Mourepath, on resignation of John
Rich. Rede, on death of Stephen Mourepath.
John Seymonr, on death of R. Rede.
John Parke, vice John Seymonr.
Roger Favel, vice J. Parke.
Nicholas Peresson, on resignation of R. Favel.
Richard Estmonde, on death of Nicholas
Godfrith.
Thomas Chafyn, on death of R. Estmonde.
Thomas Oronow, on resignation of T. Chafyn,
John Goldvye, exchanged with T. Gronow.
Henry Yonnge, on death of J. Goldvye.
1 There are evidently in this list 2 lacuna, one between 1349 and 1399, and
another between 1459 and 1487. There is an entry in the Institutions, " 1361.
Brutton. Patron, Bishop. Reotor, Wm. Byde." This may belong to Brongh-
ton, and the Bishop may have appointed by lapse. But it is also to be observed,
that the Institutions are wanting from 1366 to 1375. Parts also of the years
1474, 5, are lost, as also 1481 to 1464 inolusivs.
A.D.
Patbok.
1308
Abbess of Shaftesbury
1314
Ditto
1322
Ditto
1326
Ditto
1328
Margaret, Abbess of S.
1336
Abbess of S.
1337
The King, for the Abbess
1337
Ditto
1347
Ditto
1349
Abbess of S.
1399 1
Ditto
1400
Ditto
1400
Ditto
1407
Ditto
1412
Ditto
1419
Ditto
1422
Ditto
1424
Ditto
1429
Ditto
1434
Ditto
1438
Ditto
1438
Ditto
1443
Ditto
1446
Ditto
1447
Ditto
1457
Ditto
1457
Ditto
1459
Ditto
1487 1
Ditto
1504
Ditto
1509
Ditto
1513
Ditto
1523
Ditto
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By th$ Em. J. WiOdtuon.
66
1568
The Queen
1600
Ditto
1621
The King
1632
Ditto
1633
Ditto
1681
Ditto
1687
Ditto
1689
Ditto
1733
Ditto
1742
Ditto
1742
Ditto
1742
Ditto
1763
Ditto
1788
Ditto
1812
Ditto
1848
The Queen
John Bolde, on death of H. Younge.
John Bold, on resignation of Doctor Bold.
Paul Hood, on death of last Rector.
Robert Thompson, on death of Paul Hood.
Edmund Proby, on death of R. Thompson.
Anjxray Beeby, on death of Edmd. Proby.
Nathaniel Resbury, on death of Ant. Beeby.
Wm. Hickes.
James Webb, on resignation of Wm. Hickes,
John Rogers, on death of James Webb.
Griffin Scurlock, by cession of J. Rogers.
James Sparrow, on death of G. Scurlock.
Robert Addams Hibkes, by resignation of J.
Sparrow.
Wm. Walker, on death of R. A. Hickes.
Charles Strong, on death of Wm. Walker.
John Wilkinson, on resignation of C. Strong.
That they lived and died are almost the only records of my pre*
decessors. In consolation for our obscurity, the poet tells us that
" The world knows nothing of its greatest men."
Some lived long and peacefully in troublous times. The two cen-
turies pre-eminently fraught with change to the Church of England
were the 16th and 17th. But these were precisely the periods of
the two longest incumbencies in the whole list, Henry Younge was
rector here 45 years, all through the Reformation: and Edward
Proby 51 years, all through the Great Rebellion.
Dr. Proby was not, however, resident all that time. He was
ejected by the Commonwealth, but lived to come back with the
King. He was of the family of Proby, which coming from Chester
(Lancastrian again), settled at Elton, Co. Huntingdon. Our rec-
tor was the third son of Sir Peter Proby, Lord Mayor of London
1622, and of Elizabeth his wife, daughter of John Thoroughgood
of Chivers, Co. Essex. The present representative of the family is
the Earl of Carysfort. The following account of Dr. Proby's con-
nection with Jesus College, Cambridge, has been most kindly sent
me by Dr. Corrie the present Master.
"Edmund Proby was admitted Pensioner of Jesus College,
Cambridge, in the year 1617: took the degree of B.A. on 23rd May,
1620 (as " Edmundus Proby, Londinensis ")» and proceeded M.A.
February 28th, 1624. His name does not appear among the Fel-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
56 Broughton GiJJbrd.
lows of the College, but by his will, dated July 6th, 1674, he de^
vised the sum of £1200 to Jesus College, with the view of founding
Two Fellowships in that House : — one for Divinity, the other for
Civil Law. He provided that, in case the College should decline
to accept his bequest, then the £1200 should be laid out by
his executors in the purchase of an Impropriation, the proceeds of
which should be applied, from time to time as they accumulated,
to buy up other Impropriations, with a view to uniting them to
the vicarages to which they might severally belong. By a codicil
to his will, dated 10th May, 1676, in which he takes notice of his
former bequest to Jesus College, he directed that the £1200 above
mentioned might be applied to found Two Bye-Fellowships, with-
out prescribing any conditions, except that these Fellows should
not be entitled to any emoluments beyond what the investment of
£1200 might produce, giving the College power, in case the Fel-
lowships were declined, to apply the £1200 in the first place to the
purchase of the Impropriate Tithes belonging to any vicarage in
the gift of the College, so as to unite the tithes to these vicarages.
'And, also, for the buying in of Advowsons, of Rectories, and
Vicarages, and settling the same in such legal manner as that the
same might be presented unto and disposed from time to time, for
ever, by the said College.'
" It appears that soon after the death of Dr. Proby, the £1200
was paid over to certain Trustees for the purposes expressed in the
Codicil: and that four Advowsons were purchased within the fifty
succeeding years. But in the 9 George II. an act passed by which
Colleges were restrained from purchasing Advowsons, if the num-
ber of livings in their gift equalled half the number of the Fellows
of the College. Jesus College being thus precluded from any fur-
ther applying the proceeds of Dr. Proby's bequest in the manner
they had hitherto done, they had to obtain an act of Parliament to
enable them to invest those proceeds in public securities, with a
view to accumulating a fund, out of which they might augment
the income of their smaller livings: and to that purpose the pro-
ceeds of Dr. Proby's legacy are at present devoted."
It only remains to add that Dr. Proby was buried, 3rd January,
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By th$ Rev. J. Wilkinum. 57
■
1684 (old style), on the north side of the chanoel, and that the
following inscription, surmounted by his arms deeply cut, is on his
tomb stone: —
" Spe oerta resurgendi in Christo sub hoc
Marmore deposits sunt exuviae Reverendissimi
Edmundi Proby S.T.P. filii natu tertii
Petri Proby de Elton in oomitatu Huntingdoniie
Equitis Aurati qui per annos quinquaginta
Et ultra fere duos hujus Ecclesiee Rector,
Tandem A°. Dni 1684 Matia su» 86°
moriens obdormivit."
John Seymour (mis-spelt, in Sir Thomas Phillipps' Institutions,
Sowdon and Southern) was elected Fellow of All Souls, Oxon,
1447 ; installed Canon of Windsor 1470 : died 1500. He was a
benefactor to Windsor, and his obit was kept on September 4th. 1
Mr. Hickes has so fully described himself in the parochial re-
gisters, 9 that he has well nigh been his own biographer. It has
been mentioned that he was careful to maintain his rights. Of
course, next to " Anabaptists and Dissenters of no sect," tithes
were the most frequent cause of dispute. Of tithe-payers no one
seems to have been more disputatious than Golding. Not satisfied
with his defeat in his cause with the rector's farmer of the tithes,
William Harding, he in 1720 entered the lists with the rector him-
self. Golding occupied different lands, some subject to tithe,
others (Hutton's land) where the tithe was (as he said) compounded.
He kept "divers cows " on all his lands ; and every year, some few
days before they calved, drove them on Hutton's land, where they
calved, leaving nothing but "dry, barren, and unprofitable cattle"
and no " fatted calf" to the parson. The defendant did not deny
the fact, but disclaimed any design to injure the rector : it was his
custom, he said, to keep his cattle during the winter season in
1 Ashmole's Berks iii. 251. History of Windsor. A list of the canons by
Thomas Frith (himself a canon.) " Johannes Seymour, Coll: Omn: An: Oxon.
Booius electus 1447. Installatus 1470. Rector Ecclesi® de Broughton in
Wilts, ob. 1500. Benefactor, oujus obitus celeb. 4 Sept."
3 " Hie velut fidis arcana sodalibus olim
Credebat libiis ; neque, si maid cesserat, usquam
Decurrens alio, neque si bend : quo fit, ut ononis
Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella
Vita senif." Hot. Sat. II. i. 30.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
*8 Broughton Gijjhrd.
houses and stalls until the inclement weather abated, that always
on the approach of spring and calving time, he drove his cows from
their houses and stalls to the best ground he could get, to preserve
the calves. He failed, however, in convincing the court that his
motives were purely bucolic, and was ordered "forthwith to come
to an account with the plaintiff." The rector was more successful
in the enforcement of his material, than of his spiritual rights. The
law could reach men's cattle, but not their consciences.
The means of education were partly provided here for the labour-
ing population, as we have seen, by good Mrs. Paradice in 1782.
Further facilities were afforded in 1850 by the erection of commo-
dious school and class rooms.
Natural History.
Land.
We lie in an extensive valley, which measures eight miles across.
Eingsdown is on the north, the line of hill trending away towards
Corsham (thus separating us from the Box valley), and Monks
park; then (the river Avon intervening) follow, Bowden, Sand-
ridge, Rowde, Roundway Hills, and the projecting hog's back of
Seend, on the east; Salisbury Plain, the heights of Bratton, Ed-
ington, and the White Horse of Westbury are on the south ; the
hills about Farleigh-Hungerford, West wood, Bradford (the river
escaping here through a narrow opening), Winsley, and Conkwell,
close us up westward, and connect themselves with Kingsdown.
The surface of the parish presents no commanding eminences,
and yet cannot be called a flat. There is scarcely a field from
which the water does not readily fall, and yet there is nothing
which can be called a hill. Old deeds so call Norrington common,
which cannot be more than 50 feet above the level of the river.
In the south, including the railway, the upper soil is a fine
mould, resting on a bed of gravel, which again rests on Oxford
clay, increasing in consistency according to depth. These beds
are of varying thickness. The mould, geologice brick earth, is three
or four feet thick before it touches the gravel; which again is as
thick, before the clay is reached. Sometimes, where the ground
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By th$ Rev. J. Wilkinson. 69
begins to rise from the river meadows, the gravel is much nearer
the surface. In the northern and higher part of the parish, far-
ther from the river, there is no gravel. The subsoil is also clay,
bat of a different character to that beneath the gravel, more porous
and sandy; having beneath it, at a considerable depth, the same
Oxford clay. Here, also, the upper soil is of varying thickness ;
and, as the gravel in the south, so the clay here, comes near the
surface, when the ground increases in elevation. The gravel is
known to geologists as " Mammalian drift," from its frequently
containing remains of those animals. It consists of debris and
rolled fragments of those secondary rocks which belong to the
lower, middle, upper oolite, and cretaceous groups, particularly
great oolite, forest marble, combrash, Kelloways rock, calcareous
grit, coral rag, Eimmeridge clay, green sand, chalk, and chalk-
flints. All these materials were furnished in the immediate neigh-
bourhood, by those hills which I have mentioned as encircling our
happy valley. This gravel contains great numbers of Ammonites
and Belemnites out of the Oxford clay, much rolled and worn, also
many land and fresh water shells. It has been extensively quar-
ried in the parish, for the purpose of ballasting the lines of railway
to Salisbury and Weymouth. So, a scientific traveller, meeting with
these remains at a distant station, will know where they come from.
There are irregular thin seams of sand in this drift, containing
several species of Rhizopods, or Forameniferous shells, exceedingly
minute, but very beautiful under a microscope. They are often
injured by rolling, but their very preservation shows that the de-
posit must have been very quietly formed. 1 At the bottom of the
gravel, and on the surface of the Oxford clay, are found (wherever
the railway cutting is sufficiently deep) numerous vertebra and- fe-
mora of Saurians. There also, in a portion of the glebe, were lying
a fractured portion of a gigantic deer's horn, and a beautiful piece of
ivory tusk, 2 ft. 4 in. long, with an average circumference of 9 in.,
as white as on the day when it parted from its owner. It was
1 For the names of these shells and for a section of onr geological system, I
refer to Mr. Cunnington's interesting paper in vol. iv. p. 131 of the Magazine.
The sand seams are, it strikes me, rather too thick in the wood-out there.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
60 Broughton Oifford.
placed in the museum of the Bath Institution. Many more such
remains would be brought to light, were the cuttings made for
scientific, rather than for utilitarian purposes. Descending we
come to the Oxford clay, which is full of large eeptaria, masses of
stone intersected by septa or seams of calcareous matter, which
others have called, from their appearance, "tortoise stones," but
which we, with our dairy associations, name "cheeses."
The moral and physical influences of the geology of this district
on man, is a subject which has engaged the attention of John Au-
brey. " According to the severall sorts of earth in England (and
so all the world over) the indigence are respectively witty or dull,
good or bad. In N. Wiltshire (a dirty clayey country) the uuft-
gence or aborigines epeake drawlinge; they are phlegmatique, skins
pale and livid, slow and dull, heavy of spirit : hereabout is but
little tillage or hard labour, they only milk the cowes and make
cheese; they feed chiefly on milke meates, which cools their braines
too much, and hurts their inventions. These circumstances make
them melancholy, contemplative, and malicious: by consequence
whereof, come more law suites out of N. Wilts, at least double to
the Southern parts. And by the same reason they are generally
more apt to be fanatiques ; their persons are generally plump and
feggy ; gallipot eies, and some black; but they are generally hand-
some enough." This is a melancholy picture of the state of things
here 200 years since. We have not been able, in the interval, ab-
solutely to " alter the sort of earth" on which we live ; but we hope
that by clearing away the forest, by draining, by more tillage, and
by general agricultural improvement, (to say nothing of moral and
intellectual agencies), we have considerably modified its ill effects,
and are the better in body and in mind accordingly.
Water.
Avon, Even, Sevon, or Severn, is the appropriate name of rivers
whose course is smooth and gentle ; l and our part of the lower
1 " There is a gentle nymph not far from hence,
That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream,
Sabrina is her name." — Milton'* Comus.
" Oh, oould I flow like thee ! and make thy stream
My great example, as it is my theme :
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 61
Avon (so called to distinguish it from the upper or Warwickshire
river, though not happily, for there is another Avon in Wilts, lower
still) does not belie its ancient British designation. The stream
is not anywhere rapid : except at Monkton ford, it passes on, with
a gentle current of a mile an hour, at a depth of 10 or 15 feet,
between banks 3 feet high which it has cut for itself through the
rich alluvial soil.
11 Rura, qu® Liria quiets
Mordet aqua, taciturnns omnia."
The easiness of its flow may be estimated from the fact, that
between Bradford and Bath, about 12 miles, the Canal which runs
by the river side is without a lock. The water is apt, whenever
increased by freshets or floods, to cover the level meadows by its
side. In 1852 the floods were unprecedented, both in height and
frequency. That of June 9 was the highest within memory. This
was followed by others, on August 11, September 6, November 8
which lasted till the 16th, being at its highest on the 12th at 11
p.m. when the water ran into the Bear Inn at Melksham. On the
24th the* river again rose to an extraordinary height. These floods
lay about 80 acres in this parish under water.
As to its source, our Avon, a North Wiltshire river, rises very
appropriately in the territory of Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, one of our
North Wiltshire members. There are two small streams, often
dry in summer, one coming from Weston-Birt, the other from the
hollow below the town of Tetbury ; they meet at the head of the
lake in Estcourt Park, where they are joined by a copious source
of water always running. The lake, a picturesque piece of orna-
mental water, about a mile long, was formed by damming up the
lower extremity of the valley, about 60 years since, by the grand-
father of the present proprietor. This may be taken to be the
source of the river Avon. The boundary line between the two
counties of Gloucester and Wilts passes through the middle of the
lake, and follows the right bank of the stream for about a mile till
Though deep, yet clear ; though gentle yet not dull ;
Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full." Sir John Denham.
Pliny drew the comparison between life and a river. Sir H. Davy has beau-
tifully extended it in prose (Salmoni*), Mrs. Hemans in vene.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
62 Broughton Oifford.
it touches Foss bridge, where Acman street, part of the Roman
road or Fosse way from Bath (Aqum Solis) to CirencesterfCbrt/iwim),
crosses the stream, and marks the boundary South westward for
nearly two miles more. On its emerging from the lake, the river
is wholly in Wilts, whilst in the womb of the lake, Gloucestershire
must be allowed to claim half the honours of its birth. Winding
through a narrow and tortuous valley it reaches, in five miles,
Malmesbury, where it is joined by Newnton stream, a not inconsi-
derable brook, from Badminton through Easton Grey : in six
miles, still tortuous, it reaches Dauntsey ; four more carry it to
Christian Malford; one more to the Great Western Railway; three
more to its junction with the Marden, a stream receiving various
contributions from the western slopes of the Marlborough Downs,
communicating with the lake at Bowood and flowing by Stanley
Abbey : two miles with a wide loop take it to Chippenham ; five
more, with many a bend, to Lacock Abbey, four and a half more
somewhat straighter to Melksham, two and a half, also pretty direct,
to Monkton. In all, thirty-three miles from Estcourt lake to
Broughton.
About seven miles south-west of Cirencester on the Roman way,
where it crosses the Thames and Severn canal, in the parish of
Kemble, is the source of the river Isis, or rather of the Thames.
Both rivers rise in the same stratum, stone corn-brash or bastard
Oolite. The water-shed between the two sources (divortium aquarum),
turning the Avon to the south and the Thames to the east, is a
spur of the Cotswoid range, thrown out from the main line by way
of Rodmarton, into the clay vale, bounded by Minety to the east and
by Somerford to the west.
It has been held by Bergmaun that, in mountain chains running
north and south, the western slope is most abrupt, while in chains
running east and west the southern slope is the steepest. 1 What-
ever be the correctness of this law, .here there is certainty an
example of it. The direction of the Cotswoid range is S.S.E. by
N.N.W. and its steepest side looks west, while the inclination on
1 The most striking example of the great geographer's theory is the Scandi-
navian mountain chain, with its scarped precipices facing the Atlantic
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. Wilkinson. 6&
the eastern slope is mostly easy. The spur in question is no excep-
tion ; the ascent from the vale of Minety is gentle and continuous.
The river scenery changes, gradually increasing in interest.
Here the stream, strongly coloured by the alluvial deposit through
which it eats its way, flows between meadow banks ; a few miles
lower down, towards Bath, it passes through deep and green val-
leys ; further on still, at Clifton, through rock and wood. With
us its beauty is of a more tranquil, though never of a tame charac-
ter. The reaches, now straight now winding, the volume of water,
the dipping willows and bulky elms by the side, the banks gay
with the purple loose-strife, bull-rushes, and broad-flags; the shel-
tered nooks of the surface, paved with the platter-like leaf, and
yellow flower of the water lily ; the level meadows dotted with
large grazing beasts, sheep and horses; the gentle slopes which
lead the eye to the distance beyond, the sharp angular outline of
Roundway, the more curved lines of Sandridge and Bowden Hills,
the straighter barrier of the Plain, the crowned heights of Monktoa
Farleigh ; in the mid distance, the different farm homesteads, the
factory chimnies and Church tower of Melksham, reminding of th*
business of this life and the happiness of a better, —
" In the mixture of all these appears
Variety, which all the rest endears."
The parish is otherwise well watered. The brook, from which it
takes its name, flows through its south-western part. Broughton
brook rises in the southern slope of Kingsdown, behind Monkton Far-
leigh House, close to the Monks 1 Well. The water is thence conveyed
in pipes to a large cistern, supplying once the Monastery and now
the great house on its site. It is then lost for a time " underneath
the ground," but re-appears again in different spots on the hill's*
side, "where the morn's sun doth look," in Park wood, in a large
fish pond, at Rushinead, till " the struggling water breaks out in
a brook," 1 crossing the road leading from Monkton Farleigh to-
Wraxhall and dividing those two parishes; crosses the road again,
below Little Chalfield Poor House, passes Little Chalfield and Great
Coalfield, skirts a hazel wood, cuts its way deep in the alluvial soiL
1 Beaumont and Fletcher's ' Faithful Shepherdess,' before quoted.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
64 Broughton Clifford.
through the meadows, between a double file of pollard withies,
reaches Broughton church in a course of about seven miles, and is
finally lost in the Avon near some fine elms at Monkton. About
six furlongs to the north of the church, it is joined by another and
smaller stream, which rises near Mr. Long's manor house at Wrax-
hall, also on the southern slope of Kingsdown, whence it struggles
on its way between hawthorns, withies, nuts, and now and then a
pollard oak, most " unwedgeable and gnarled with very knotty en-
trails" indeed, the eccentricities of whose growth would be remark-
able on a transverse section, till it mingles with its future associate,
a fine pollard standing sentinel at the point of junction.
Climate.
The climate of a district in this part of England chiefly depends
on its elevation above the sea level, its slope or the aspect which it
presents to the sun's rays, the prevalent winds, the nature of the
soil, the degree of agricultural improvement, the direction of the
mountain ranges, and the fall of rain.
Our elevation is not considerable. The top of the church tower
is only 192 feet above the level of the sea. 1 The slope of the sur-
face is to the south. The prevalent winds are westerly. Kings-
down shelters us to the north. The temperature, as influenced by
all these causes, would be mild. The scenery is that of Somerset-
shire, and the climate, both in regard of heat and moisture, would
be the same, were it not extensively modified by the mountain
ranges, the character of the soil there, and the winds which come
thence, Marlborough downs and the high table land of the Plain,
both with a porous soil, and within ten miles, to the east and south.
The Cots wolds to the north are not more than fourteen, as the wind
travels, and their offsets come within three. The Subsoil of that
district near us is Cornbrash. These causes sharpen, as well as
purify our atmosphere. Neither do we have as much rain as might
be expected from our position on the map. Mountain ranges no
1 This information is derived from the Ordnance Map Office, Southampton.
As they are not published, I give, on the same authority, some other heights in
this neighbourhood, Westbury down 752 feet, Monument on Farleigh down
(top) 733, Steeple Ashton ohuroh (top of pinnacles) 358, Bromham church, do.
437, Seend church (top of tower) 348, Trowbridge spire (top) 286: all above the
level of the sea.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. WHkitmn.
65
doubt attract the vapours generated in warmer regions, condense,
and discharge them in rain. But this influence depends much on
two circumstances: the height of the mountains themselves and
their consequent power of attraction, and their proximity to the
Atlantic, that great reservoir of moisture for the whole of Western
Europe. The hills about us are insignificant compared with others
which lie between them and the sea. Bain usually comes, in these
latitudes, from the west and south-west, that is from the ocean.
But in that direction lie the Purbeck and Dorset heights, Black-
down, Dartmoor (Gausand Beacon is 1792 feet), Exmoor (Dunkery
Beacon 1668), Quantook 1000, Mendip 1100 (levying all those con-
tributions from the Bristol Channel with which we should other-
wise be favoured). The highest portions too of the Cotswolds are
at a distance, on the northern portion of that range, near the War-
wickshire Avon; Oleeve Hill 1134, Broadway Beacon 1086, are
45 miles off in a straight line. These circumstances may perhaps
account for the popular reputation which this valley has of being
dry and healthy.
A Barometrical record has been kept for the three years ending
with 1853. The observations were taken at 8*30 a.m., and, when
the weather seemed to require it, the instrument was watched dur-
ing the day. I subjoin a table of the readings.
Months.
M>*n.a,
1851.
Maxima. Minima.
1852.
Means. Marlm*. Mini nu.
1853.
Means. Maxim* J Minim*.
January
29*59
30*20
28-88
29-95
30-22
28-91
29-56
3006
2915
February
29-75
3030
29-30
29-89
30*80
2911
29*52
3005
28-85
March
29-60
30*24
28-57
30*03
30*62
29-29 1
29*78
3004
29-40
April
29-73
3003
29-31
3002
30-70
29-52
29-67
3019
29*20
May
29-92
30-38
29-43
29-84
30-30
29-51
29-77
3005
29-54
June
29-97
30-29
29-55
29-63
29-85
29-16
29*78
3008
29-50
July
29-80
3006
29-41
29-94
3008
29-78
29-80
3017
29*25
August
29-95
30-27
29-65
29*20
30-21
28-79
29-94
30-80
2911
September
3009
30-48
2927
29-74
30*38
28*96 i
29-88
30*32
29-20
October
29-76
30-29
28-83
29-82
30*24
28-80 '
29*53
29-96
28-95
November
29-81
30*35
29-27
29-46
3010
28-72
29-29
30-46
29-57
December
30-41
30-44
29*35
29-56
30*01
28-90 !
29 83
29-748
30-25
29-22
Annual Means.
29*865
29-756
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
66
Broughton Qifford.
I am enabled, through the kindness of the late Mr. Belville of
the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to give his observations there
during the same period.
Months.
Means.
1851.
Maxima. 'Minima.
1 Means.
1852.
Maxima.
Mlnfarm.,
Means.
1853.
Maxima.
Minima.
January
29-75
30-33
29-15
29-71
30-35
29-01
2964
30-18
29-02
February
2£-99
30-40
2941
, 29-95
30-64
2908
29-60
30-17
28-96
Maroh
29-70
30-37
28-68
3010
30-72
29-18
29*86
30-15
29-36
April
29-82
3013
2936
3004
30-30
29-51
2979
30-24
29-22
May
29*98
30-46
29-57
: 29-87
30*21
29-57
29-83
30-12
29-44
June
29-99
30-34
29-50
29-64
30-00
2918
29-80
3011
29-50
July
29-80
3011
29-42
29-93
30-11
29*66
29-82
3019
29*20
August
30-00
30-34
29-50
29-73
30-20 29-02
29-88
30-29 2911
September
30-12
30-57
29-39
29-83
30-44 1 28-87
29-90
30-36
29 02
October
29-81 , 30-33
29-03
29-76 J 30-43 ; 28-74
29-63
30-04
28-91
November
29-86 | 30-45
29-30
29-53
30-14 1 28-86
30-02
30-49 29-64
December
30-22
30-51
29-50
29-66
30-29
28-99
29-85
30-33 | 2916
Annual Means.
29-920
29-812
29-801
1
A few obvious remarks occur on a comparison of the above tables.
At Broughton Gifford during 1851 the means were lower for
every month, except December, when '19 higher. The maxima
were invariably lower. The minima lower every month except
August, when '15 higher.
At Broughton Gifford during 1852 the means lower every month
except January, July, and October, when respectively '24, -01, '06
higher. But the means run each other very close this year, except
in August, when there is a difference of *53 in favour of Greenwich.
The maxima lower every month except February, April, May, and
August, when respectively '16, '40, '09, '01 higher. The minima
lower every month except March, April, July, September, October,
(nearly half the year), when respectively '21, '01, -12, *09, -06
higher.
At Broughton Gifford during 1853, the means lower every month
except August, when '06 higher. Maxima lower every month ex-
cept August, when '51 higher. Minima lower every month except
January, March, May, July, September, October, December, (more
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 67
than half the year), when respectively 13, 04, 10, 05, 18, 04,
•06, higher.
The general conclusion, to which this comparison leads, would
seem to be, that on the whole the climate of Broughton Gifford is
less hot, and less dry, than that of Greenwich ; heat and moisture
being the principal causes of variations in the weight of the atmos-
phere, and consequently of the mercury's rise or fall in the tube
of the barometer. If there be any exception, it would be that the
atmosphere appears less heavy at Broughton Gifford in August.
A comparison of the annual means for the three years at the two
places supports this general conclusion, and shows the amount of
difference between Broughton Gifford and Greenwich. In 1851,
1852, 1853, the readings were lower here respectively -055, -056,
"053. The great similarity, and almost uniformity of the figures
is remarkable, and is a sort of test of the accuracy of the observa-
tions in both places. The mean of three years is almost identical
with that for any one year, being '0546 (rather more than l-20th
of an inch), which figures express the regular depression of the
atmosphere at Broughton Gifford (as far as can be inferred from
three years observations) below that of Greenwich.
This may be taken to be a favourable testimony to the climate
here, for Kent (it should be remembered) is one of the driest, and,
in summer, one of the hottest counties in England. There are few
places where the barometer ranges higher than at Greenwich.
Were the comparison made between the general climate of Eng-
land and that of Broughton Gifford, the result would be greatly
in our favour.
True, the years 1852, 1853, (particularly the former), were very
exceptional in their atmospheric character. But then they were
exceptional in the West, as well as in the East of England. It may
be worth while, as they have never been published, to mark a few
of these meteorological discrepancies for 1852, as observed at Green-
wich. The general annual Barometrical mean, as deduced from a
comparison of thirty consecutive years ending 1844, is 29*870. In
1852 it was 29*812, and this in spite of the dryness of that year's
spring, when the barometer ranged far above the average. But
£2
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
68 Broughton Qifford.
as we proceed in the year, we soon find the oause of its low annual
mean. During the five last months of the year it was continually
depressed below 29. On August 11th the mercury was depressed
here to 2879. On November 16th it was at 2872. The alterna-
tions in the rise and fall of the mercury were violent and rapid.
It sometimes rose '8 in eight hours, and was often highest, and the
weather finest, just before the greatest fall. In November there
was only one fine day, the 18th, the day of the Duke's funeral.
The whole atmosphere was charged with electricity, thunder and
lightning were continual. This was owing to the disturbance of
the equilibrium of the atmosphere by excessive evaporation; for
during all this bad weather the range of the thermometer was far
above the average. The winter of 1834 was thought remarkable
for its high temperature; the thermometer in December being 55°.
But in November 1852 it was 61°*8, and in December 56°. The
mean for those months, on an average of thirty-five years, has been
observed to be 43°62, 39°- 41; but in 1852 it was 48°*6, 46°7.
The exceptional character of the weather in 1852 appears further
from the measurements of the rain gauge. The average annual fall
of rain at Greenwich is about 24 inches. But in 1852 it was 35*52
inches; and that again in spite of the dry spring; in March and
April only 0525 inch fell, one-sixth of the usual quantity. As we
proceed in the year, the figures soon begin to mount up. On the
7th and two following days of June, 2*34 inches fell, more than on
any three consecutive days for at least twenty-six years. On
August 11th more than 1 inch. During August and the three
following months 18*81 inches fell, an amount never before observ-
ed in Kent. In November alone there were upwards of 6 inches.
The inundations all over the country were excessive. Of those
here mention has already been made.
The Flora op Broughton Gifpord 1
Is not without interest to the Botanist. The following is an enu-
meration of some of the more interesting plants that have been
1 For this Parochial Flora my best thanks are due to Mr. Thomas Bruges
Flower.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Rev. J. Wilkinson.
observed, from time to time, in the neighbourhood, and is now
drawn up, not because it will be found to contain any very remark-
able species, but in the hope that it may be the means of attracting
the attention of those persons who may feel desirous to pursue the
study of this interesting science, to the Botany of their own im-
mediate district.
Ranunculacect.
Clematis vitalba, L.
Anemone nemorosa, L.
Ranunculus aquatilis, L.
R ficaria, L.
R auricomus, L.
R aoris, L.
R repens, L.
R bulbosus, L.
R arvensis, L.
Caltha palustris, L.
NympJueacea.
Nuphar lntea, S.
Papaverace*.
Papaver dubium, L.
P rhseas, L.
Ghelidonium majus, L.
Fumariacece.
Fumaria officinalis, L.
OruciferG.
Capsella Bursa pastoris, D.C.
Armoracia rustioana, B.
Draba vema, L.
Cardamine pratensis, L.
C hirsuta, L.
Barbarea vulgaris, B.
Nasturtium officinale, B.
Sisymbrium officinale, S.
Erysimum Alliaria, L.
Cheiranthus Cheiri, L.
Brassica campestris, L.
Sinapis arvensis, L.
8— alba, L.
8 nigra, L.
Violacea.
Viola odorata, b. alba. A.
V — sylvatica, F.
V — tricolor, L.
CaryophyUacea,
Silene inflate, L.
Lychnis flos-cuouli, L.
L diurna, 8.
L Yespertina, 8.
Arenaria serphyllifolia, L.
Stellaria media, W.
8 Holostea, L.
8 graminea, L.
8 uliginosa, M.
Cerastium aquaticum, L.
C glomeratum, 8.
C triviale, L.
C semidecandrum, L.
Linacea.
Linum oatharticum, L.
Mahacea.
Malva sylvestris, L.
M — rotundifolia, L.
Hyperieaeea.
Hypericum perforatum, L.
H quadrangulum, L.
H hirsutum, L.
Aceracea.
Acer campestre, L.
Oeraniaeea.
Geranium pratense, L.
G molle, L.
G lucidum, L.
G robertianum, L.
Celastracece.
Euonymus europceus, L.
Leguminiferce.
Ulex europaeus, L.
Ononis arvensis, L.
Medicago lupulina, L.
Melilotus officinalis, L.
Trifolium repens, L.
T pratense, L.
T procumbens, L.
Lotus oorniculatus, L.
L — major, 8.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
70
Broughtan Gifford.
Yioia craoca, L.
V — sativa, L.
V — sepium, L.
V — hirsute, K.
Lathyrus pratensia, L.
Rosacea.
Prunus spinosa, L.
Spirsea Ulmaria, L.
Geum urbanum, L.
Agrimonia Eupatoria, L.
Potentilla anserina, L.
P Tonnentilla, 8.
P fragariastrum, E.
Ruhus frutioosus, A.
R rhamnifolius, W. and N.
Rosa carina, L.
R — arvensia, L.
Poterium Sanguisorba, L.
Crataegus Oxyaoantha, L.
Pyrus malos, L.
Onagracea.
Epilobinm hirsutum, L.
E parviflorum, 8.
E montanum, L.
Haloragiacece.
Callitriche yerna, L.
Lythracea.
Lythrum salioaria, L.
Ourcurbitacete.
Bryonia dioica, L.
Cra88tUacca>.
Sedum Acre, L.
Saxifragacece.
Saxifraga tridactylites, L.
Chrysosplenium oppositifoliun, L.
Araliacea.
Adoxa mosohatellina, L.
Hedera Helix, L.
Cornacea.
Cornus sanguinea, L.
Umbellifera.
Conium maoulatum, L.
Helosciadium nodiflorum, E.
Bunium flexuosum, W.
Pimpinella Saxifraga, L.
Sium angustifolium, L.
CEnanthe crooata, L.
iEthusa cynapium, L.
Bilaus pratensis, B.
Pastinaca sativa, L.
Daucus carota, L.
Torilis anthriscus, G.
Soandix pecten, L.
Anthriscus Sylvestris, H.
Chaerophyllum tern alen turn, L.
Caprifoliacea.
Sambuous nigra, L.
Viburnum opnlus, L.
Lonicera Periclymennm, L.
ItubiacecB.
Galium verum, L.
G palustre, L.
G Mollugo, L.
G Aparine, L.
Valerianate**.
Valeriana officinalis, L.
Fedia olitoria, V.
DiptactG.
Dipsacus sylvestris, L.
Enautia arvensis, C.
Composite,
Helminthia echioides, G.
Trincia hirta, R.
Apargia hispida, W.
A autumnalis, W.
Hypocheeris radicata, L.
Sonchue arvensis
8— oleraceus
Crepis virens
Hieraoium pilosella, L.
Taraxacum officinale, W.
Lapsana communis, L.
Cichorium Intybus, L.
Arctium lappa, L.
Carduus nutans, L.
C acanthoides, L.
C lanceolatus, L.
C arvensis, C.
Centaurea nigresoens, A.
C scabiosa, L.
Eupatorium oannabinum, L.
Tanacetum vulgare, L.
Artemisia vulgaris, L.
Gnaphalium uliginosum, L.
Filago germanica, L.
Tussilago Farfara, L.
Seneoio vulgaris, L.
8 erucsefolius, L
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson.
71
Senecio Jaoobaa, L.
8— aquatious, H.
Inula conyza, D.C.
Pulicaria dysenterioa, Q.
BeUis perennis, L.
Chrysanthemum leuoanthemum, L.
Matricaria chamomilla, L.
Achillea Millefolium. L.
Jasminacea.
Ligustrum vulgare, L.
Fraxinus excelsior, L.
Convolvulacea.
Convolvulus arvensis, L.
C sepinm, L.
Scrophulariacea.
Veronica arvensis, L.
V serpyllifolia, L.
V-
V-
V-
V-
- beccabunga, L.
• Cham&drys, L.
• hederifolia, L.
• agrestis, L.
polita, L.
Euphrasia officinalis, L.
Rhinanthus Crista galli, L.
Sorophularia nodosa, L.
8 aquatica, L.
Linaria vulgaris, M.
Perbenacea.
Verbena officinalis, L.
Lamiaeea.
Lyoopus europesus, L.
Mentha aquatica, L.
M arvensis, L.
Origanum Tulgare, L.
Ajuga reptans, L.
Ballota nigra, L.
Lamium album, L.
L purpureum, L.
Galeopsis ladanum, L.
G— — tetrahit, L.
Stachys sylvatica, L.
Prunella vulgaris, L.
Scutellaria galericulata, L.
Boraginacea.
Myosotis palustris, W.
M arvensis, L.
Symphytum officinale, L.
CynoglosBum officinale, L.
Primulacea.
Primula vulgaris, L.
P veris, L.
Anagallis arvensis, L.
Plantaginaeea.
Plantago major, L.
P media, L.
P lanoeolata, L.
Chenopodiacea.
Chenopodium album, L.
C Bonus Henrioua, L.
Atriplex patula, L.
Polygonacea.
Polygonum amphibium, L.
P persicaria, L.
P Hydropiper, L.
P avioulare, L.
P convolvulus, L.
Rumex crispus, L.
R obtusifolius, L.
R acetosa, L.
R acetosella, L.
Euphorbiacece.
Euphorbia helioscopia, L.
E peplus, L.
Mercurialis perennis, L.
Urticacete.
Urtioaurens, L.
U dioica, L.
Parietaria officinalis, L.
Ulmus montana, Sm.
Ammtiferce.
Quercus robur, L.
Fagus sylvatica, L.
Corylus Avellana, L.
Populus treroula, L.
Salix alba, L.
8— viminalis, L.
Iridacea.
Iris Pseudaoorus, L.
LilliacecB.
Hyaointhus nonscriptus, L.
Tamacea.
Tamus communis, L.
Alismacea.
Alisma Plantago, L.
Sagittaria sagittifolia, L.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
72
Broughton Oifford.
Aracea.
Lemna minor, L.
Arum maoulatum, L.
Sparganium ramosum, L.
Juncacece*
Junous oonglomeratus, L.
J— — eflusus, L.
J glauous, L.
J— — aoutiflorus, L.
J bufonins, L.
Luzula oampestris, B.
Oyperaceee.
Soirpus lacustris, L.
8 sylvatious, L.
Carex vulpina, L.
C— vulgaris, F.
C— acuta, L.
C ■ panioea, L.
C pendula, L.
C glauoa, S.
C precox, L.
C riparia, C.
Oramina.
Anthoxanthum odoratum, L.
Phleum pratense, L.
Alopecurus pratensis, L.
A genioulatusy L.
A agrestis, L.
Agroitis oauina, L.
A vulgaris, W.
A alba, L.
Arundo phragmites, L.
Aira osespitosa, L.
A — fLexuoaa, L .
Avena pratensis, L.
Arrhenatherum avenaceum, B.
Holous lanatus, L.
Catabrcsa aquatioa, P.
Glyoeria aquatioa, 8.
G fluitans, L.
G rigida, 8,
Poa annua, L.
P — pratensis, L.
P — trivialis, L.
Briza media, L.
Cynosurus cristatus, L.
Daotylis glomerata, L.
Festuoa ovina, L.
F duriusoula, L.
F— pratensis, L.
Bromus giganteus, L.
B asper, L.
B sterilis, L.
B mollis, L.
Braohypodium sylvatioum, B.
Triticum repens, L.
Lolium perenne, D.
Hordeum pratense, L.
F&ice:
Polypodium vulgare, L.
Scolopendrium vulgare, 8.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
73
^ecmmt oi a §amfo <m ®Macg Pill Milts
Opened by Mb. Ctotnington, F.G.S., Febbttaby, 1868.
Funereal Urn, found in a barrow on Oldbury Hill, Wilts. In the
Museum of the Wilts Archaeological and Natural History Society,
from a photograph by Marahman.
$N the early part of the present year, a man engaged in dig-
ging flints on this hill suddenly struck his pickaxe into a
hollow space, which proved to be the interior of a large urn. It
was slightly mutilated by the blow, but was carefully lifted out
and taken charge of by Mr. Clarke of Bourton, who kindly pre-
sented it to me. I have since restored the broken part with Port-
land cement, (a material admirably adapted to the purpose,) and
the urn now forms part of the collection of the Wilts Archaeological
and Natural History Society. I subsequently visited the spot where
it was found, and had the barrow re-opened. More than half of it
had been turned over by the workmen in search of flints, but the
following details were obtained. It is a large low circular barrow
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
74 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
of 50 feet diameter, and about 2 feet high ; situated on sloping
ground on the eastern side of Oidbury Camp, about twenty yards
from the exterior of the camp, and due east from Lord Lansdowne's
obelisk. The interment, which consisted of burnt bones, was in a
cist 18 inches deep, and 18 inches wide, and a few feet from the
centre of the barrow. That it was eccentric is probably owing to
the materials of the barrow having gradually sunk on the sloping
ground. The bones were those of an adult, but no weapon or im-
plement was found. The urn was inverted over the ashes. It is
of rude early British make, is 16 inches high, and 14 inches broad
in the widest part. Like many others of this date, it is rudely
ornamented round the upper portion, with zig-zag rows of indented
dots, the interspaces of the angles being filled up with diagonal
lines of similar dots, alternately sloping to the right and left, except
in some instances where the workman has made some sad blunders
in his design, and has filled up several consecutive angles with
lines in the same direction. It was not turned in a lathe, and is
formed of coarse clay, containing minute fragments of flint. The
bottom of the urn was so near the surface, 'that a horse treading
on the spot would certainly have put his foot into it. Ashes of
wood, and fragments of bones of the domestic animals, were found
throughout the barrow.
By William Boym, F.8.A. 1
SHE small coinage of England from the earliest times was of
silver ; transactions requiring money of inferior value were
earned on by means of blackmail, turneys, Abbey-pieces, crockards,
dotkins, staldings, and other base foreign currency, as well as by
1 The following paper is extracted, with the Author's permission, from his
work called " Tokens issued in the 17th century in England, Wales, and Ire-
land, by Corporations, Tradesmen, &c. ;" by William Boyne, F.8.A. Smith,
Bono Square, £2 2s. Some additions have been made, from a List published
in 1846 by J. T. Akerman, Esq., F.S.A. : and from some other sources of local
information. Editor,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 75
English leaden Tokens, all of which were illegal, and against the
circulation of which many severe laws were enacted by our earlier
Kings. Silver money was coined as low in value as the penny,
three-farthings, half-penny, and farthing ; all these were in com-
mon use, but from their small size and weight — the silver half-
penny of Elizabeth weighing only four grains — they were extremely
inconvenient and were easily lost. Small change of a more useful
size and weight was required, even though it must consist of a
baser metal. In the reign of Elizabeth, pattern-pieces were struck,
and a proclamation drawn up, legalizing the circulation of copper
money ; but owing to the difficulties the Queen had experienced
in restoring the standard of silver money, which had been much
debased during the extravagant reign of Henry VIII., her aversion
to a base currency was so great, that the project was abandoned
without trial. Pennies and half-pennies of small size, however,
were issued in 1601 and 1602 for circulation in Ireland, and
authority was granted by Elizabeth, to the Mayor and Corporation
of the city of Bristol, to issue a Corporation farthing Token.
The need for small change being urgent, leaden Tokens, generally
of mean workmanship, continued to be issued by tradesmen until
1613, the eleventh year of the reign of James I., who then delega-
ted his prerogative of striking copper money to John, Baron
Harington, for a money consideration ; the patent however was
granted for farthings only.
On the accession of Charles I. to the throne in 1625, the patent
for the coinage of farthings was renewed. The privilege was grossly
abused by the patentees, who issued them in unreasonable quanti-
ties, and of a merely nominal intrinsic value, the coins weighing
only six grains each. They encouraged the circulation by giving
twenty one shillings in farthings for twenty shillings in silver ; by
this means many unprincipled persons were induced to purchase
them, and would force five, ten, and even twenty shillings' worth
of them at a time on all with whom they had dealings. In a short
time, not only the city of London, but the whole kingdom, and
especially the counties adjacent to the metropolis — Kent, Essex,
Suffolk, and Norfolk — were so burdened with them, that in many
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
76 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
places scarcely any silver or gold coin was left, the currency con-
sisting entirely of farthing Tokens. The issue of this patent was
one of the many arbitrary acts of the first two Stuart Kings, which
tended to destroy the attachment of the people to the Royal Family.
It is remarkable that among nearly 9500 Tokens [described in the
work mentioned in the Note to the previous page], the name of
Charles is found on only 44. The numerous families named Smith,
who issued above one hundred Tokens, have not a single Charles
amongst them. James, being a Scripture name, has been more
fortunate, though it is not so common as might have been expected.
The accumulation of the patent farthings in the hands of small
tradesmen, caused the latter so great a loss, from the refusal of the
patentees to reohange them, that in 1644, in consequence of the
public clamour, they were suppressed by the House of Commons,
which ordered that they should be rechanged from money raised
on the patentees' estates. Apparently an authorized currency was
then intended, as two pattern farthings were struck, one of which
is dated 1644 ; the design however was never carried out, men's
minds being then too much occupied with the Civil War between
the King and the Parliament.
The death of the King put an end to the exclusive prerogative
of coining copper and brass ; Tokens (such as those which form the
subject of this Article) immediately began to be issued, and were
circulated without authority, and, as stated on some of them, for
" necessary change." As they were reoeived again by the issuer
when presented, they were far preferable to the patent farthings.
The earliest date on Tokens is 1648. — (A few were probably struck
previous to the King's death.)
During the whole period of the Commonwealth, no copper money
was coined by the government, except a few farthings, which are
very rare, and were probably only patterns for an intended coinage.
Silver money continued to be issued of the value of two-pence, one
penny, and half-penny. That the government of the Commonwealth
was as unpopular as that which it had overthrown, is evident from
the Tokens, which were undoubtedly an index of publio opinion :
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 77
whilst after the Restoration the Royal Arms, the King's Head, and
other insignia of Royalty, are exceedingly common.
The spelling of words in the inscriptions is most irregular, owing
partly to the unsettled state of English orthography at that period,
and partly to the ignorance of those who struck the coins. — Thus,
" on," is often spelled onb; "Hennere" for Henry, "sr. beds"
for St. Neot's : " olfa-tkbb " for olive-tree ; " horses show " for
horse-shoe: &c.
The coining of the Tokens seems to have been performed by the
Issuers themselves. In the ' Gentleman's Magazine/ vol. xxviL
page 499, there is an account of the discovery of a Token-press and
dies, found at Chesterfield.
For the convenience of rechanging the numerous varieties of
Tokens, tradesmen kept boxes with several divisions, into which
those of the various tradesmen and corporations were sorted, and
when a sufficient number were collected, they were returned to the
issuers, to be exchanged for silver.
The devices on Tokens are very numerous, and may be classed
under twelve divisions.
I. The arms of the Incorporated Trade Companies of the city
of London. These were generally adopted by persons of the same-
trade throughout the country. The colours of the Arms are not
shown on the Tokens, and parts of the bearings are often omitted,,
with other inaccuracies. In addition to the Trade Companies,
numerous individual tradesmen issued them, as Coalman, Comfit-
maker, Pipe-maker, &c. : as well as Bailiffs, Churchwardens, lord*
of the Manor, Mayors, Members of Parliament, overseers of the-
Poor, one Rector and one Esquire.
II. The Arms of Cities, Towns, Abbeys, the Nobility, and
private families.
III. Merchant's marks. In early times, when few persons
could read, these curious marks must have been very useful, to
enable work-people and others to distinguish bales of merchandise
by the particular mark stamped on them. They appear to have
been in use from the twelfth century. Common devices of this
kind are, a cross, the figure 4, a heart, a circle, and the initials of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
78 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
the issuer. Many merchant families adopted for armorial bearings
their trade-marks in a shield. They are partially used by shipping
merchants at the present day.
IV. Taverns and Shop Signs. The earliest Tokens having been
issued by publicans, they have, on that account, been frequently
called Tavern Tokens. The usual* device is the sign of the Inn.
The oldest were often of a religious character, as the Holy Lamb,
the Salutation of the Virgin (which had degenerated at that period
into two men saluting each other), the cross keys, &c.
V. Articles of Dress sold by the issuers ; as hats, caps, neck-
whisks, piccadillies, leggings, &c.
VI. Implements of Trade, Agriculture, and War ; as hammers,
croppers' shears, teazle-brushes, scissors, windmills, swords, &o.
VII. Animals: as oxen, antelopes, cranes, peacocks, lobsters, &c.
VIII. Articles of domestic use : as blackjacks, tankards, grid-
irons, cleavers, tennis bat and ball, &c.
IX. Heraldic signs : as a phoenix, griffin, portcullis, Catharine-
wheel, three legs of Man, &o.
X. Conveyances : as coaches, waggons and packhorses, fishing
boats.
XI. Views of Public edifices : as churches, castles, bridges.
These are mostly unlike the structures represented.
XII. Punning Devices on the issuer's name, after the manner
of canting heraldry. As examples, there are Bush (a thornbush),
Cox (two cocks), Harbottle (a bottle on a hare), Samson (Samson
standing), Tate (a gate, still pronounced yate in the North), &c.
The earliest dates are 1648, 1649 and 1650 ; but Tokens of these
years are scarce. After 1650, until 1660, they are more plentiful :
and nearly the whole of them are farthings : half-pennies are few
in number, and there are no pennies. Those of a date subse-
quent to the Restoration of Charles II. are the most abundant ;
half-pennies are very common among them ; and there is a good
number of pennies. The years 1665, 1666, 1667, 1668 and 1669
are the most prolific, in particular 1666 (the year of the great Fire
of London) ; whilst in 1670, 1671, and 1672 they again became
scarce ; of the latter year there are very few.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 79
The Tokens were in circulation exactly a quarter of a century ;
they originated with a public necessity, but in the end became a
nuisance ; they were issued by nearly every tradesman as a kind
of advertisement, and being payable only at the shop of the issuer,
they were very inconvenient. The Government had for some time
intended the circulation of Royal copper money, as we have pat-
tern-pieces of half-pennies and farthings of the year 1665 ; but it
was not until the year 1672 that the farthings of Charles II., of a
similar size to those of the present day, were ready for circulation.
Tradesman's Tokens were then put down by a stringent Proclama-
tion dated 16th August 1672. A few attempts were made to con-
tinue them, but the threat of Government proceedings against the
offenders effectually suppressed them, and we hear no more of them
in England. In Ireland the latest circulation was in 1679.
On the Tokens the initial of the surname is usually placed over
those of the Christian names of the husband and wife : though
sometimes the wife's initial is at the top, sometimes the three
initials are in a line, the middle one being the surname, and at
other times the surname is at the bottom. For the convenience of
printing, the three initials are placed in one line.
The contractions used are, 0. for the Obverse side of the Token,
jR. for the Reverse; the mark=signifies that what follows it is in the
field or central part of the Token ; 1, |, and J, signify Penny, Half-
penny, and Farthing, showing the size of the piece.
SHtftjifjjm.
Among the Wiltshire Tokens, whioh are all of an ordinary cha-
racter, there are no Pennies. They commence early, one of them
(John Gage of Bradford) bearing the date of 1649, and they con-
tinue to 1671, almost the last year Tokens were permitted to cir-
culate. There are corporation-pieces of Marlborough and Salisbury.
ALDBOURNE.
1. O. IOHN . AJDEE . OF . ALBOBff = I . A. J
B. in . wiLTSHiEBB . 1656 =» Three rabbits feeding.
2. O. BICHABD . CLAM . IN = 1668. 1
B. ALBOKN . WILT8HEB afi.S.C.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
80 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
AMESBURY.
3. O. JOHN . MOOEBS . OF = HIS HALFE PENNY. i
R. AMBB0SBT7BY . 1667. = I . M . D.
BARFORD. [Mr. Akerman.']
3, # O. Xaby . bbine . rN = The Arms of the Ironmongers' Company. J
R. babjobd . 1667 = In the field her . halfpenny and a oinquefoiL
BI8HOPSTONE.
4. O. I . CLAEK . BISHOP8TON = 1.0. i
R. in . wiltshiebe . 1656 = The Mercers' Arms.
BRADFORD. 1
5. O. william . batly . MEBCEB = The Mercers' Arms. J
R. IN . BRADFORD . 1668 = A NAG'S HEAD. W . B.
6. 8 O. William . chandler = The Grocers' Arms. £
R. IN . BRADFORD . [16]63 = W . C.
6.* O. William . ghanler = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. IN . BRADFORD . 1650 = W . C.
7. O. DANTELL . DEYERRELL = A CTOWn. i
R. IN . BRADFORD . 1663. = D . D.
8. O. john . gage . of = The Mercers' Arms. £
R. BRADFORD . 1649. = I . G.
9. O. paulb . methwin = A ohevron ensigned with a cross pattee, in
base a heart.' i
R. in . Bradford = A cross between p . m.
CALNE.
10. O. JAMES . BARTLETT = A OTOWU. J
R. OF .CALNE. 1669 =»I.B.
11. O. Stephen . baylie = The Meroers' Arms. J
R. OF . 0AT7LNE . 1669 = S . 8 . B.
12. O. john . dash = The Tallowohandlers' Arms. J
R. IN . CALNE . 1669 = I . P . D.
1 Several towns in England having the same name, it is difficult to apportion
the Tokens bearing that name. Under the name of Bradford there are tokens
in Yorkshire, Wilts, and Somerset. By searching Parish Registers, and by
other kinds of inquiry, Mr. Boyne has done his best to distinguish them. To
Bradford in Yorkshire, he assigns the following : Wm. Bancks. — John Cooke
1666. — John Cook and Josiah Farrand. — John Durham 1667. — Wm. Hopkinson.
— Thos. Ibbotson.— John Preston 1666.— Jacob Selbee 1665.— To Bradford (near
Taunton) Co. Somerset, Will. Serle 1659. Those in the text, to Bradford, Wilts,
now oalled Bradford-on- Avon. It will be seen by reference to Wilts Archaeolo-
gical Magazine, vol. v. p. 50, that some of the Tokens there considered to belong
to Bradford in Wilts, are among those assigned by Mr. Boyne to Bradford in
Yorkshire. Editor.
* See wood-cut in Wilts Mag. vol. v. 50. This is the merchant's mark of the
issuer of the Token, not the coat of arms of the Methuen family. Editor.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 81
13. O. ARTHUR . FOBMAM = HIS HALF PENNY. 1
R. CHANDLER . OF . CALVE = A . I . F.
14. O. johk . forxan = Two Tobacoo-pipes crossed. 1 i'
R. IN . CALM *=> I . A . F.
15. O. John . Jeffreys = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. of . caun . 1668 = i . m . I.
16. O. wil . Jeffrey . elder = The Grocers' Arms. i
R. IN . CALNE = W . I.
17. O. grace . Lawrence = An Anchor. i
R. OF . CAULN . 1669 = I . O. L.
18. O. witherstone . MESENQEB = Three rolls of bread. £
R. OF . CALNE . BAKER = W . M . M.
19. O. john . nobman = The Grocers' Arms. i
R. IN . CAULNE = I . M . N.
20. O. at . the . glass . house = A warehouse with turret on the top. £
R. IN . CALNE . 1669 = A . I . S.
CASTLE COMBE.
21. O. jebemiah . bebbt = The Grocers' Arms. i
R. OF . CASTLE . COMBE . [16]68 = I . E . B.
22. O. THOMAS . BEBY . MERCER = T . I . B. I
R. in . castle . combe . [16]66 = A castle.
CHIPPENHAM.
23. O. WILL . ADYE . MERCER =W . E . A. i
R. in . chifGnham . 1665 = w . e . a.
1 The pipes on this and other Tokens are of the kind oalled by the vulgar,
"Fairy Pipes," which were made at the commencement of the 17th century.
They are frequently found in ploughed fields, whither they have been carried in
manure. They are generally without stems, but when perfect are about eight
inches long, thicker in the stem than modern pipes, with small heads almost
egg-shaped. In some districts they are found with the maker's initials at the
bottom of the head. By some they are believed to have been made long prior
to the reign of Elizabeth, during whose reign tobacco was first introduced ; there
are certainly reasons for supposing that the custom of smoking is more ancient
than the introduction of tobacco. When half of the great tower of Kirkstall
Abbey, Co. York, fell down in 1779, a number of these " fairy pipes" were
found imbedded in the mortar, and it is known that the most modern part of
the tower was built in the reign of Henry VII. ; and after the Abbey was dis-
mantled at the Reformation, there was no acoess to the upper part of the tower.
Several were lately found at Newcastle in the Castle midden, on removing the
houses built on that ancient accumulation. These pipes are called in Ireland
"Danes' pipes." One was found in a Danish Cairn in 1855. See Ulster Journal
of Archaeology, iii. p. 320.
F
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
82 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
24. O. JOHN . EDWARDS = I . B. {
R. OF . CHIPPENHAM . 1665 = LINEN DRAPER.
25. A variety larger, having an ornamented knot between i . R.
26. O. samuell . elliote = Two swords crossed, and a carbine. |
R. of . Chippenham = s . A . B . 1668. [1666. Akerman.']
27. O. Samuell . gage . of = Three doves (Tallow ohandlers' Arms). \
R. CHIPPENHAM . 1668 = S . B . G.
28. Akerman gives one dated 1653.
28.* O. JOHN . HEORMAN . 1671 i
R. OF . CHIPPENHAM.
29. O. HENRY . LAMBERT . IN j
R. CHIPPENHAM . MERCER = H . S . L.
30. O. JOHN . STEVENS . OF = I . M . 8. J
R. CHIPPENHAM . 1652 = I . M . S.
31. O. JOHN . webb = The Tallow chandlers' Arms. J
R. IN . CHEPPENHAM = I . I . W.
32. O. JOHN . WILLSHEARE . OF = CHIPPENHAM. J
R. ANDREW . WILCOX . 1668 = MERCER.
CLACK. (Parish of Lineham.J 1
33. O. Robert . goodman = A pair of scales. £
R. of . clack = A orescent moon.
34. O. Francis . ROGERS = The Mercers' Arms. i
R. OF . CLACK . 1658 = F . I . R.
COLLLNGBOURNE.
35. O. babnabab . RUMSBY = The Grocers' Arms. \
R. OF . COLLLNGBOBNE . B . R. = 1667.
CORSHAM.
36. O. WILLIAM . GIBBONS.
36. # O. RICHARD . BLACKMORE = 1565.
R. of . COLLINGBORNE =r . e . b. [From the Rev. W. C. Lukis.]
37. O. edw . SALWAY . CLOTHER = A pair of shears. J
R. IN . CORSHAM . WILTS = E . K . 8.
38. O. EDITH . A D . DA» . WOODMAN = A still. J
R. MBRSER . IN . OORSHEM = D . M . W.
CRICKLADE.
39. O. thomas . deighton = A cross plaoed on steps. i
R. MERCER. IN. CRICKLAD=T.S.D.
1 This is not quite oertain, as the name of Clack occurs in Yorkshire. Editor.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 83
40. O. ANTHONY . WORMS. 1
R. CRICK7LAD • CARRIER = A . A . W.
DEV1ZE8.
41. O. Stephen . batlt. op = A mermaid. J-
R. DEVIZES . MERCER = 8 . B . 1668.
42. O. john . fret . op = The Grocers* Arms. J
R. THB . DEVISES = I . P.
43. O. john . fry . 1664 = An open hand. ". J
R. in . the . devises = Two pipes crossed. I . p.
44. O. prancis . goulding = A oastle. J
R. in . r* . devise . grocer = The Grocers' Arms.
45. O. EDWARD . HOPE = A ship. J
R. of . the . devizes . 1652 = An anohor.
46. O. JOHN . HAMMOND = 1 . 8 . H. A
R. of . the . devizes . 1652 = Three olasped hooks.
47. O. GRACE . NAISH . OF . THB = A Castle. \
R. devizes . 1652 = Three cloves.
48. O. Francis . PARADICE = The Tallow ohandlers , Arms. i
R. CHANDLER . IN . Y* . DEVIZES = P . M . P . 1669.
49. O. john . blade . grocer •= A sugar-loaf. J
R. IN . THE • DEVIZES . 1668 =1.8.
50. O. Richard . blade = The Grocers' Arms. i
JR. IN . THE . DEVIZES . 1663 = R . 8.
51. O. William . 80MNER . of = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. THE . DEVIZES . GROCER = W. 8 . 1652.
52. O. william . Stevens = The Grocers' Arms. i
R. IN . THE . DEVIZES . 1663 = W . A . S.
53. 0. Richard . WATTON • 1666 = r . w. and two mallets. J
R. GROCER. IN .Y«. DEVIZES = R. W.
54. O. RICHARD . WOTTEN = R . W. J
R. GROCER . IN . DEVISES = R . W.
DOWNTON.
55. O. Phillip . rooke = A rook. f
R. IN. DOWNTON . 1670 = HIS HAL! PENY . P . R.
GREAT BEDWTN
56. O. john . bushel . of . great = Three doves (Tallow chandlers 1 Arms). J
R. BEDWIN . MERCER . 1669 = I . E . B.
F2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
84 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
HARNHAM.
57. O. JOHN . VBNABLBS . AT . HARNHAM = A shuttle.
R. NEAR . 8ARUM . 16 . . = HIS HALFE PENT . I . A • Y.
HIGHWORTH.
58. O. EICH . BATSOJT . HIGHWORTH = R . B.
R. EDWARD . FORDER = E . F.
59. O. Leonard . boll . in = The Grocers' Arms.
R. HIGHWORTH . OBOCEB = L . B-
60. O. john . elton . in = A pasehal lamh.
R. highwobth = i . c . e. A dog ?
61. O. tho . habtwkll . of . highwobth = A crown . J.
R. THO . HABTWELL . OF • ABINGDON = A Hon . \.
62. O. edmund . hide . in . hiworth = A bear with chain. £.
R. bich . leader . in . hiworth = A greyhound running. J. (Heart
shape,)
63. O. edhund . lewis . BBAZEAE = The Armourers' Arms.
R. in . highwobth . 1669 = his half peny . e . k . l.
64. O. WILLIAM . MATHEW = W . M
R. in . highwobth . 1659 = A lion rampant.
65. O. thomas . osbobne = Arms.
R. of . highwobth . 1653 = t .o.
66. O t john . tomes = The Grocers' Arms.
R. OF . HY WORTH . 1652 = I . T.
67. O. bichard . Williams = A pair of spectacles.
R. WILLIAM . FBANKLIN . OF . HYWOBTH . = W . F.
HILMARTON.
68. O. ABTHTTB . NOBMAN.
R. HILMABTIN . 1669.
KINGSWOOD.'
69. O. EDWARD . TANNER = 1658-
R. IN • KINGS . WOOD = E . D . T.
70. O. thomas . walfobd = The Cloth -workers' Arms.
R. OF . KINGS . WOOD = T . P . W.
LAVINGTON.
71. O. JOHN . HAYWARD = A ship.
JR. IN . LAVINGTON . 1663 = I H.
72. O. ROBEBT . HAYWARD = A ship.
R. IN . LAYINGTON . 1668 = R . H.
1 Eing8wood occurs in several counties.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 85
LACOCK.
73. bichabd . obist = A pair of scales. J
R. m . lacock . 1669 = K . G . g. [Another : with lion rampant. Akermani]
LUDGER8HALL.
74. O. (iVb legend) A castle. J
jK- of . luggasale . 1665 = w . I. conjoined.
MAIDEN BRADLEY.
75. O. OEOEOE . AXTDBEr.
R. IN . MAIDEN . BBADLEY = G . A.
76. O. james . isheb = The Grocers' Arms. i
12. OF . BBADLEY. 1 1669 =1.1.
MALMSBURY.
77. O. ebwabd . bbowne = A man standing by a still. J
R. OF . MALMBSBEBY = r . m . b.
78. O. bamubll . chapp . in = Arms obliterated. \
JR. MALMESBEBY . 1665 = 8 . M . C.
79. O. phillip . edwabds = The Tallowohandlors* Arms. J
R. IN . MALM8BTTBY 1659 = P . M . E.
80. O. THOMAS . EVANS. R. MALMSBURY , IN . WILTS.
81. O. elias. FEBBis. apothecaby = The Apothecaries' Arms. £
-R. IN . MALMSBUBY . 1669 = HIS . HALF . PENY . E . A . F.
82. 0. JOHN . GOLDNEY . IN = I . M . G. J
It. CL0THYB . MALMSBUBY = I . M . G.
83. O. nico . JAFFRis . wool = A woolcomb. J
R. MALMESBUBY . ABYE = N . M . I.
84. O. BICHABD . PLAYEB. 22. MALMSBUBY.
85. O. john . SAN8UM = A pump. i
R. OF . MALMSBUBY . 166 . . =1.1.8.
86. O. TH0S . TANNEB . CABIEB = A WOOlpack £
R. IN . MALMESBUBY = T . . T.
87. O. BOB . THOMAS . OF = A bull. ±
R. MALMESBUBY . [16]64 = B . H . T.
88. O. BICH . thobneb . in = The Grocers' Arms. i
R, MALMESBUBY . [16]64 = B . T.
89. O. William . wayte = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. IN . MAMSBUBY . 1651 = W . W.
90. O. walteb . woodman = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. CABIEB . malmesbuby = w . m . w. in monogram.
MARLBOROUGH.
91. O. A . mablbbough . farthing = A castle. large I
R. in . y* . county . of . wilts . 1668 = A bull.
The bull and castle are part of the bearings of the Anns of the Borough of Marlborough.
1 There are several Bradley s in various parts of the country.
G
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
86 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
92. O. john . batly = The Grocers' Arms. \
R. IN . MALBROW = I . N . B.
93. O. henry . coleman = A pair of scales. J
R. IN . MARLBOROUGH . 1657 = H . S . C.
94. O. William . crabbe = A man making candles. J
-R. OP . MALLBROUGH . 1668 = W . M . C.
95. O. edward . delamaine = Crest; a hand . E . D. J
R. Or . MARLBORO w = 1665.
96. O. john . hammond . of = A clasped book. i
It. MARLBOROUGH . [16]66 = I . X . H.
97. O. thomas . kebne = Three doves. \
R. in . marlebrough = t . x . 1652.
98. O. john . morgan . 1656 = The Grocers' Arms. J
It. AT . MALBURROW = I . M.
99. O. jane . fearce = The Ironmongers' Arms. J
R. in . marlbobow = i . f.
100. O. william . pureur . finn = The Pinners' Arms. \
It. MAKER . IN . MARLRBOW = W . D . P.
101. O. thomas . shippers = The Meroers' Arms. \
It. IN . MARLBOROUGH = T . A . 8.
102. O. richard . 8HIFRE = The Salter's Arms. £
It. OF . MOULBROUOH = R . 8.
103. O. oliter. Shropshire = An angel. J
R. IN . MARLBROUGH . 1665 =0.8.
104. O. jebemiah . 8LOPER = A sugar-loaf. ±
R. IN . MARLBROUGH = I . E . 8.
105. O. john . smith . in = Two tobacco-pipes crossed £
R. OF . MARLBROUGH . 1665 = I . K . 8.
MELKSHAM.
106. O. a . a . of . melkesham = The Mercers' Arms. [Ambrose Awdry] J
R. i . a . of . steeple . ashton = 1665. [John Atodry']
[Another dated 1668. And one, richard . lukey. Akerman.']
MERE.
107. O. THOMAS . GAMBLIN 1665. J
R. IN . MEERE = T . G.
108. O. richard . pitman = A man making candles. J
R. OF . MEERE . 166 . . = R . I . P.
109. O. ROBERT . PITTMAN . OF = HIS . HALFB . PENNT. }
R. meerb . draper. 1668 = The Drapers' Arms.
110. O. william . roggers A horse ambling. J
R. in . meere . 1 666 = w . R . conjoined.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 87
PURTON.
111. O. JOHN . EABMEB = I . F . B. J
22. OP . PYBTON . 1668 = HIS . HALF . PENT.
1 12. O. john . fabmab . 1666 = A roll of tobaoeo. J
22. nr . pybton = The Grooers' Aims.
RAMSBURY.
113. O. johk . ston . of = A man making oandles. I
22. BAMSBTJBY . 1655 = I . M . S.
114. O. William . whitb = The Haberdashers' Anna.
22. IN . BAM8BEBY = W . B . W.
BOLLSTONE. (Near Amesbury.)
116. O. james . swan . in = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. BOLSTON . GROCER =1.8.
SALISBURY.
116. O. fob . the . major . of . the . 1652 = A double-Headed eagle dis- i
22. ciTTT . of . new . sabtjm = Arms of the City; four bars, [played.
This is curious in baring a double-headed eagle for Mint-mark on both aide* ; on other piece*,
these marks are usually stars, mullets, dnquefoils, eto., which are not worth describing.
117. O. george . glemens = A dragon.
22. IN . 8ABCM . 1664 = G . A . C.
118. O. HENBT . cole = A Saraoen's head.
22. OF . SABTJM . 1655 = H . C.
119. O. william . cotTBTNET . boox = Two angels supporting an open book.
22. BINDER . IN . SABTJM . 1670 = HALF . PENT.
120. O. THOMAS . CT7TLEB . JTJNIOB = HALF . PENT.
22. IN . SABTJM . 1666 = T . I . C.
121. O. THOMAS . CT7TLEB . SENIOR = HIS . HALF . PENT
22. in . sabtjm . 1666 = Two snakes entwined. T . c.
122. O. chistopheb . ego = The Ironmongers' Arms.
R. IN . SABTJM = C . E.
123. O. ooDDBBD . elliot . in = Arms of the Elliot family ; a fease.
22. sabtjm . grocer . 1666 = The Grocers' Arms.
124. O. in . sabtjm . 1667 = & . b . F.
JR. his . halfe . pbnnt = Two snakes entwined.
125. O. edward . FAT7LCONEB = The Skinners' Arms.
R. IN . NEW . SABTJM = E . M . F.
126. O. edwabd . FBIPP = Arms.
22. IN . SABTJM . 1668 = HIS . HALF . PENT.
127* O. JOHN . GILBERT . AT . THE = A bell.
22. BELL . IN . NEW . SABTJM = I . H . G.
128. O. GEORGE . GODFERY = A rat.
22. in. sabtjm. 1659 = g.g.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
88 Wiltshire Tradesman* 8 Tokens.
129. O. GEOBGE . GODFEBY = A rat. |
22. RAT . KILB . IN . BAKU*. = G . G.
130. O. bogeb . Godfrey . in = A knife and dearer. i
22. NSW . SABUM . 1666 = B . B . G.
131. O. john . hale = A lion rampant. £
12. GROCER . IN . SABUM = I . H.
132. O. JOHN . HANCOCK . IN . NEW = I « H. J
22. sabum . apothecary = The bust of a Turk.
133. O. Nicholas . hasxoll . 1658 = The Ironmongers' Arms. J
22. IBONMUNGEB . IN . 8 A RUM = N . H. OOnjoined.
134. O. thomas . hattob . of . 8ABUM = The Cordwainers' Arms. }
22. HIS . HALFE . PENT . 1666 = T . H.
135. O. JONATHAN . HILL . 1668 = HIS . HALFE . PENT. £
22. IN . SABUM = I . E . H.
136. O. william . jotce = A camel eonchant. i
22. in . sabum . 1652 = w . I.
137. O. chbistopheb . legg = The Ironmongers' Arms. ±
22. in . sabum = c . L.
138. O. EDWABD . LISTER . IN . SABUM = The Sun. 1
22. AT . WINCHESTER . GATE = HIS . HALF . PENT.
139. O. edmond . maces = A mitre. i
22. OF . SABUM =£,X,
140. O. FRANCIS . MANNINGS = A goat. 1
22. IN . SABUM . 1664 = F. I . M.
141. O. edwabd . mason = A naked boy. a
22 SABUM . 1658 = E . E . M.
142. O. henby . MATTEBSHAW = A oook's knife. 1
22. IN . SABUM . COOKE . 58 = H . P . M.
143. O. bichabd . minifie = The Skinners' Arms. i
22. IN . SALSBUBY = B . M.
144. O. THOMAS . PARISH . IN = I . D . P. }
22. cheese . cross . sabum = The Grocers' Arms.
145. O. george . page . groceb = A dove with olive-branch. \
22. in . sabum . 1656 = g . x . p.
146. O. edwabd . penny . in = The Butchers' Arms. a
22. SABUME . 1671 = HIS . i . TOKEN.
147. O. chables . phelps . of = The Skinners' Arms. J
22. SABUM . CONFECTIONER = C . 8 . P.
148. O. i . poors . at . basnets = A oross calvary. |
22. CBOSS . IN . SABUM = 1 . 8 . P.
149. O. VAUGHAN .RICHARDSON = A dolphin. I
22. XATHEBINE . 8TB . IN . SABUM = V • U . B . 1668.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 89
150. O. Simon . kolfb = Arms of the Rolfe family; three ravens. Crest; J
J?, in . babum . 1666 = his . half . peny. [on a helmet a raven.
151. O. abther . sanders = A squirrel. J
R. OF . SARUM . 1656 = A . s.
152. O. Joseph . saxton = St. George and the dragon. i
R. in . salsbuby = i . s. conjoined.
This and Minffic's are the only Tokens where the City is called Salsbcrt.
153. O. THOMAS . 8HEBOOLD . OP . SABTJM = A Crown. £
R. HIS . HALFE . PENNY . 1666 = T . 8.
154. O. chbis . willmott = A lamb. i
R. in . sabum . 1666 c . w.
154 # . O CLOTHIER. R. OF . SALISBURY. J
SHALBOURN.
155. O. john . bbadill . lenabd . lee = A bear. I
R. in . shlatboubn. [16]71 = i
STEEPLE ASHTON.
156. O. rob . jfefbeyes = A church J
R. steple . ashton = B . M . i. ISee Melksham.]
STRATTON (St Margaret).
157. O. john. cann = The Mercers 1 Arms. \
R. op . stbatton . 1652 = i . c.
There are places named Stratton in several counties.
SWINDON.
158. O. WILLIAM . HEATH = W . E. J
R. IN . SWINDON = W . E.
159. O. henry . mtjnday . chandler = The Grocers' and Tallowchandlers' J
jR. his . half . peny . in . swindon = h . m. 1669. [Arms.
160. O. heneby . bestal = Two tobacco-pipes crossed. i
R. in . swindon . 1656 = Three sngar-loaves.
161. O. heneby . bestall = Two pipes crossed. J
R. in . swindon . 1664 = Two pipes crossed.
162. O. john . smith = The Bakers' Arms. \
R. in . swindon . 1664 = i . c . s.
163. O. william . webb = Two pipes crossed. a
R. OP . SWINDON . 1669 = HIS . HALF . PENY . W . W.
164. O. Amos . wtlkins . in = The Grocers' Arms. J
R. SWINDON . IN . WILKBHEB = A . W.
165. O. amos . wilkins . at = The Mercers' Arms.
R. swindon . in . wilts = a . m . w.
H
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
90 Wiltshire Tradesman's Tokens.
TINHEAD (Parish of EdingtonJ.
166. O. johk . besbt . of = The Mercers' Arms.
22. TIKHEAD . 1668= I . A . B.
TROWBRIDGE.
167. O. tbowbbidg . IK . wiltis = B . d. [probably Edward Davis, Ed.]
JR. TBOWBBIBGE . IK . WILTIS = H . D.
168. O. bobebt . dabcke . 1669 = An anchor. B . d.
R, IK . TUBBBIDGR . IK = WILLTS.
169. O. william . smith = Two pipes creased.
R. IK . TBUBKIDGE = W . S.
170. A variety with tub . bridge as the name of the town.
171. Another reading tbeubbidgb.
172. O. bobebt . wrrcHBLL = A fleur-de-lys.
R. IK . TBOWBBIDGB = B . W.
WARMINSTER.
173. O. johk . buccheb = A heart crowned.
R. IK . WABMISTEB . 1651 = I . B.
174. O. jambs . eliatt = An open hand.
R. OF . WABMISTEB = A OOOk.
175. O. johk . sladb . 1667 = A heart.
R. IK . WABMISTEB = I . 8.
176. O. thomas . toomeb = A dove with olive-hranoh.
R. of. wabmbsteb. 1651 =t.t.
WESTBURY.
177. O. william . cockell . of . west = The Merohant Tailor's Arms.
R. BTTBT . COUKTY . IK . WILTS = W . 8 . C. [16]58.
178. O. THOMAS . HAKCOCKE = A OOOk.
R. ik . westbubt . 1656 = A hand.
179. O. walteb . hatkes = The Grocers' Anns.
R. OF . WE8TBT7BY = W . H.
180. O. johk . MATBAYEBs . ik = A fleur-de-lys.
R. WESTBUBY . 1669 = I . E . M.
181. O. FBAKds . pashekt = The TaUowchandlers' Arms.
R. OF. WESTBUBY. 1668 =F. K. P.
WESTPORT [Malnubury].
182. O. giles . hookb . at . THE = Three cups.
R. ik . webstput = e . i . h.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. William Boyne, F.S.A. 91
WILTON.
183. O. STEPHEN . BRASSIER . 1667 = S . H . B. |
JR. WILLTON . IN . WILTSHEEBE = HI8 . HALPE . PEST.
184. O. thomas . clark = The Wearers' Arms. J
R. OP . WILTON . 1664 = T . c.
185. O. IN . WILTON . 1666 = G . H. I
R. his . halpx . penny = Two swords in saltire, a fleur-de-lys in each,
quarter.
186. O. willi ah . nbwman . in = A pair of shears. i
R. WILTON . HIS . HALPE . PENT = W . N . 1667.
187. O. Francis . wage . op = Two swords in saltire. J
R. Wilton . 1658 = Arms; three crowns.
WOOTTON BASSET.
188. O. gabbiel . arman = The Mercers' Arms. }
R, IN . WHETEN . BA8ETT = G . B . A.
189. O. john . KNIGHTON = A crown. J
R. IN . WOOTTON . BASSETT I . I . X.
1 90. A variety has on the Ohyerse two keys orossed. J
WRAXHALL (South).
191. 0. valentine . stetens = The Butchers' Arms. J
R. IN . SOUTH . WRAXILL = V . M . S.
191.* O. Joseph . stone . 1667 = A fleur-de-lys.
R. IN . SOUTH . WRBXflBLL =8.1. M.
H2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
92
% flora of Milium:
COMFBISINQ THE
llfftomng flants anlr $txw iuMgromts ia i\t Cmmtg ;
By Thomas Bruges Flower, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., &c, &c.
No. IV.
ORDER. BERBERIDACE^l. (VENT.)
Berberis, (Linn.) Barberry,
Linn. CI. vi. Ord. i.
Name, Berberys, being the Arabic word used for this plant by
Averroes, but some writers derive the name from the Greek berberi,
signifying a shell, from the leaves of the common species having a
hollow surface.
1. "B. Vulgaris" (Linn.) common Barberry, Pipperidge bush.
Engl. Bot t. 49. Reich. Icones iii. 4486.
Locality. Hedges and thickets, but not common in the county.
Sh. Fl. May and June. Fr. September. Area, * 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
2. South Middle District, " Side of a lane leading from Old Sarum
to Stratford," Dr. Maton, Hatcher's Hist, of Salisbury. (This station
is now destroyed.) "Hedges near Market Lavington," Mr. Coward.
"Drew's Pond, Devizes," Miss Cunnington.
3. South-west District, " Britford," Major Smith.
North Division.
4. North-west District, "Chippenham," Dr. R. C. Alexander Prior
and Mr. C. E. Broome. " Kington St. Michael, in plenty," Miss
Ruck. " Minety ; truly wild," Mr. Perry Keene, (Miss Ruck in lift.)
" Indigenous near Bradford," Flora Bath. 1
1 Aubrey in his Natural History of Wiltshire, page 57, gives the following
locality for the berberry. " In the old hedges which are the boundes, between the
lands of Priory St. Marie, juxta Kington St. Michael, and the West field which
belonged to the Lord Abbot of Glastonbury, are yet remaining a great number
of berberry trees, which I suppose the nunnes made use of for oonfeotions, and
they taught the young ladies that were educated there such arts. In those days
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 93
5. North-east District, Hedges near Purton.
Notwithstanding the above authorities, I fear the barberry is not
truly indigenous in the county. My own observations would lead
me to consider it a naturalized species, and from its frequently be-
ing planted in gardens it is difficult to arrive at any satisfactory
conclusion. In Somerset, and throughout the West of England
competent observers consider it introduced.
The barberry ranges over the greater part of Europe and tem-
perate Asia, to the Himalaya: but owing to its cultivation the real
limits of its area cannot be satisfactorily ascertained. The rate of
growth when the shrub is young is rapid, and in consequence in
five or six years it will attain the height of seven or eight feet, and
will thrive for two or three centuries without increasing much in
size. The leaves are agreeably acid, and according to Gerarde were
much used in his time as a salad.
The berries are so acid that birds seldom touch them. With
sugar they form an agreeable refreshing preserve, their acid being
the malic. They are also made into jelly, which is not only deli-
cious to the taste, but extremely wholesome. In gardens it is cul-
tivated as a fruit tree, or fruit shrub, and the variety, or rather
variation, in which the seeds are said to be wanting, and that in
which the fruit is sweet, are recommended in preference. The stem
and bark of the barberry are excessively astringent, and are em-
ployed for that reason in the arts. The late Prof. Royle informed
me that the lukion indikon of Dioscorides was a barberry. To this
day an extract of the root, stem, and branches of Indian barberries
is employed in cases of Ophthalmia with much advantage. The
shrub makes an excellent hedge, but there exists a prejudice against
it among agriculturists, from its supposed influence in producing
blight or mildew on the corn adjoining. This prejudice is of
unknown antiquity, but it is now generally considered to be errone-
ous. A small parasitical fungus " ^Ecidium berberides" (Pers.) is
frequently observed on the Mbves, and some have supposed that it
there were not schools for young ladies as now, bnt they were educated at reli-
gions houses." The Rev. Canon Jackson informs me, that the berberry still
continues to grow in the hedges alluded to by Aubrey. T. B. F.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
94 The Flora of Wiltshire.
generates the dust, which, carried from the bush by winds, gives
rise to the minute fungus which is the cause of the rust in wheat.
This opinion is groundless, for the rust in corn is occasioned by
the growth of "Puccinia graminis" (Pers.) a very different plant
from that which grows on the leaves of the barberry. There is
however another parasite still more common on the leaves of this
shrub than the "JEcidium" and that is the " Erysiphe penicellata,"
(Schlecht) or Barberry Mildew. This frequently covers the whole
surfaca of the leaves with a thin white substance, which, when ex-
amined with a microscope, appears to consist of very delicate forked
filaments, with very minute dark coloured globular bodies inter-
spersed amongst them. Whether this has any influence in causing
the mildew in corn growing in its neighbourhood, Cryptogamio
Botanists are as yet undecided.
The barberry affords a good example of leaves acquiring the con-
dition of spines from their parenchyma being absorbed, and the
ribs becoming indurated, and afterwards in their axil spring up
leaves of the ordinary kind. The flowers yellow, in elegant droop-
ing racemes, consist of three sets of floral envelopes, (which are
modified leaves, 1 ) containing six stamens highly curious in their
formation opposite the petals 9 which surround a single pistil.
When first expanded the stamens are inclined back upon the petals ;
on the filaments being touched near their base, they immediately
start forward towards the pistil so that the anther is brought into
contact with the stigma. Jf the anther be fully matured it is burst
by the violence of the motion, and the pollen projected on the stig-
ma. The stamens after a short time resume their original position,
and may be again stimulated. If we examine more minutely this
beautiful contrivance, it will be found that the stamen is capable
of moving towards the pistil by a hinge-like motion, and that the
filament is endowed with an exquisite irritability, so that it is
1 The idea that the leaf is the type of all the floral organs, originated with
Linnaeus. A clearer enunciation of this theory, and a fuller development of the
whole were made by Goethe.
3 This is an apparent exception to the truth of that general and important law
of the alternate disposition of vegetable organs. A more detailed account of
this beautiful arrangement, will be given in the order Primulacea,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 95
sensible to the contact of extraneous substances, which thus causes
the stamen to approach the pistil. This is not the result of elasti-
city, for the stamen is not forcibly detained in contact with the
floral envelopes, but it is a truly vital act, the result of the operation
of an organic sensation. This organic sensibility is of a similar
kind to that by which the heart of an animal is sensible of the pre-
sence of the blood which it contains, and by which it is stimulated
to contract in order to effect its expulsion. The absence of favour-
able mechanical arrangements is therefore compensated by the pre-
sence of an extraordinary vital power. The probability of the irri-
table stamen being touched by foreign substances, would however
have been too remote to serve the economy of the plant. This
defect is therefore remedied by the contraction of the stamen being
ensured through the agency of insects, which visiting the flower,
touch the irritable filaments, and thus cause the stamen to arise.
It is to be observed, that the visit of the insect to the barberry does
not depend on chance, but is necessary for purposes in its own econ-
omy, and thus the insect creation is indissolubly connected with
that of vegetation, the subserviency of actions affording us demon-
strative proof of the unity of design in the various departments of
the organic creation. At the base of each petal, there are two
orange coloured glands, which secrete a sweet juice, and it is to
gather this nectareous fluid that the insect visits the flower. The
filament of each stamen, when it is expanded, lies between these
two glands; and the irritability is confined to the part of the fila-
ment which thus corresponds to their situation. The contraction
of the stamen is therefore ensured by the attempts of the insect to
procure the fluid, which exuding from the contiguous glands, mois-
tens the seat of irritability in the filament. Again, if with all
these contrivances the anthers had opened as in other flowers, either
by longitudinal slits on their inner or outer surface, or by pores at
the very summit, the fertilization of the seed would scarcely have
been effected, for the absorbing surface of the stigma is not as in
other instances situated at the extremity of the pistil, but occupies
the circumference of the circular disk, by which it is terminated.
This is the only part which is moistened with the glutenous secre-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
96 The Flora of Wiltshire.
tion, serving to retain the pollen which is applied to the part, and
not thrown upon it by the starting up of the stamens, as is generally
supposed. The motion of the stamens is not sufficiently powerful
to throw the pollen forwards, as the pollen instead of being a fine
dry powder, is in the barberry somewhat tenacious, and adheres to
the two lateral valves by which the anther opens. As the circum-
ference of the disk which terminates the pistil is, in the barberry,
the absorbing surface, it is obvious that the mere falling down of
the pollen from an anther, situated above it, would have been a
somewhat imperfect mode of arrangement, while it becomes neces-
sary that the pollen should rather be applied to the moistened mar-
gin from an extended surface. Hence the necessity for the lateral
valves, which completely effect this latter purpose: hence also the
necessity for the tenaceous pollen, the moveable stamens, the irrit-
able filaments, the nectariferous glands, the organization, and
instincts of the insect, by the co-operation of which all the appar-
ent disadvantages are fully compensated. In pursuing the study
of nature, we are constantly reminded that every event or action,
however trivial it may appear, is intimately connected with nume-
rous others, whose difficulties it serves to explain, and from whose
connection it derives additional importance. In the present instance
we see that the visit of the insect to the flower is not only necessary
for its own purposes, but likewise for those of the plant; whilst the
structure of the flower has especial reference to the instincts of the
insect, by which the proper performance of the functions of both
is ensured.
ORDER. NYMPH^EACE^l. (DE CAND.)
Nympilea (Linn.) Water Lily.
Linn. CI. xiii. Ord. i.
Name. (Gr.) Numphaia; from Numphe, a Water Nymph, so cal-
led from its inhabiting the waters, as the nymphs or naiads were
poetically supposed to do.
1. "N. alba," (Linn.) Great White Water Lily. Water rose,
Water can, Can dock. Engl Bot. t. 160. Reich. Icones, vii. 67.
Locality. In ponds and slow rivers, but oftener planted. Rare
in the county. P. FL June, July, August. Area. * 2. 3. 4. *
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 97
South Division,
2. South Middle District, "In the river Avon near Stratford,"
Dr. Maton, Hatcher's Hist, of Salisbury.
3. South-west District, " Moat at Britford," Mqjor Smith. " In
abundance in the river at Bemerton," Mrs. Blackmore, Mr. J. Hus-
sey, in litt. 1859.
North Division.
4. North-west District, "In the river at Lacock," Dr. R. C. Alex-
ander Prior. " In the neighbourhood of Malmesbury," Miss Ruck.
Introduced in all the above localities ; nor have I observed this
magnificent species truly wild nearer the county than Hants, where,
in the New Forest, it may be observed spreading its broad leaves
over the surface of the water in almost every deep ditch, and ex-
panding its delicate and pure white petals in great abundance and
beauty.
This species may be occasionally seen with smaller flowers, when
it is the P. minor (Bresl), Duly Bot. 20. Reich. Icones t. 68,/. 118.
This form was observed in my botanical wanderings during the
past summer (1858), through the romantic Pass of Llanberis, in
the lower lake, and the adjacent inundated meadows by the side of
the turnpike road. The flower being only half the size of " N.
alba," (Linn.) in all their parts. The roots of the water lily have
a bitter astringent taste, they are used in Ireland, in the Highlands
of Scotland, and in the Island of Jura, for dyeing. They were
formerly employed medicinally as astringents, but their use is now
become obsolete. From its leaves oxygen gas is copiously evolved
in bubbles, and the Chinese carp ("Cyprinus auratus," Linn.) is
said to delight in the shade of its expansive foliage.
NUPHAR, (Sm.)
Linn. 01. xiii. Ord. i.
Name. From naufar, or nyloufar, the Arabic name of Nympbfloa.
1. " N. lutea." (Smith.) Yellow Water lily, Yellow Water can,
Brandy bottles. Engl. Bot. t. 159. Reich. Icones, vii. 63.
Locality. Rivers and slow streams, truly wild in the county. P.
Ft. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
98 The Flora of Wiltshire.
South Division.
1. South-east District, " In the river above Salisbury, at Strat-
ford, Durnford, and Woodford," Mr. James Hussey. " Amesbury,"
Dr. Southby.
2. South Middle District, Canal and Basins in the neighbourhood
of Devizes. "Westbury," Mrs. (herbury. " Heytesbury," Mr.
Rowden.
3. South-west District, " Neighbourhood of Warminster," Mr.
Wheeler.
North Division.
4. North-west District, River Avon at Malmesbury, Christian
Malford, Chippenham, Melksham, Whaddon, and Bradford.
5. North-east District, Canal and Brooks at Swindon, Purton,
and Harden.
More distributed through the Northern than the Southern dis-
tricts of Wilts, and according to the majority of our local floras,
more frequent in England than " N. alba," (Linn.) while the latter
possesses a rather more horizontal area. It differs from the genus
"' Nymphcea " in the petals and stamens, being inserted into a disk
at the base of the germen, not into one which surrounds and ad-
heres to the side of it: and the seed vessel when ripe bursts irregu-
larly, not dissolving away into a mass of pulp like "N. alba "(Linn.)
The flowers are about two inches wide, cupped all over, of a golden
yellow, with the scent of brandy or ratifia. Fruit large, smooth,
shaped like a bottle or flagon, whence they are called brandy-bot-
tles in some places. The white and yellow water lilies may readily
be distinguished when not in flower by their leaves. In " N. alba,
(Linn.) the leaf is rounded ovate usually purplish beneath, the
lobes at the base are almost parallel, and the leaf stalk is cylindri-
cal. In "N. lutea" (Sm.) the leaves are ovate pointed, not rounded
at the apex, as is the case in those of the white lily : the basal
lobes are slightly divergent, and tfre leafstalk is angular, especially
in the upper part.
The elegance and chaste beauty of the flowers of the water lily
tribe, which float like brilliant gems upon the mirrored surfaoe of
the placid waters, have ever caused them to be objects of general
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Fhwer, Esq. 99
interest, while the extraordinary magnitude of some species, the
carious circumstances connected with the habits of others, the im-
portant peculiarities of their structure, and the obscurity which
until lately has hung over their true systematic relations, have
contributed to make them also favourites with the scientific botan-
ist. It is only within a recent period that we have become ac-
quainted with the most magnificent species of the " NymphueaeeeB"
which was discovered in the still waters or Igaripes of tropical
America, especially in Guiana, and in the tributaries of the Amazon
by Sir Robert H. Schomburgh, the eminent traveller sent out by
the London Geographical Society to investigate the geography and
natural productions of that region. According to this botanist,
" The flower is from twelve to fifteen inches in diameter, consisting
of upwards of a hundred petals passing in alternate tints from pure
white to rose and pink. When the flower fiist opens, it is white
with pink in the middle, which spreads over the whole flower as it
advances in age, and it is generally found the next day entirely of
a pink colour. The calyx is four-leaved, each leaf being upwards
of seven inches in length, and three inches in breadth. The stem
of the flower is one inch thick near the calyx, and is studded with
sharp elastio prickles about three quarters of an inch long. The
leaves which float on the surface of the water are somewhat circu-
lar, of a light green on the upper surface, and a bright crimson
beneath, from five feet to six feet five inches in diameter. They
are not simply flat, like the leaves of our water lilies, but are fur-
nished with an upright rim from three to five and a half inches
deep surrounding the margin, and giving the leaf the appearance
of a large salver. The stalk is inserted into the under surface of
the leaf near to its centre, from which radiate eight large prominent
veins, nearly an inch in elevation, branching towards the circum-
ference, and connected by intermediate raised bands, at right
angles, giving the whole an areoiated structure, similar to a gigan-
tic spider's net. These reticulated elevations, as well as the leaf
stalk itself, are covered with long elastic prickles, like those with
which the flower is supplied. The upper surface of the leaf is
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
100 The Flora of Wiltshire.
marked in an areolated manner, by the projections of the promi-
nent branchings on the under surface." 1
One purpose served by this elevated reticulated venation, is the
buoyancy which is communicated to the leaf from the large air-
cells which pervade the leaf stalk, and its numerous branchings.
Sir Robert H. Schomburgh says, that "many parts of the smooth
water were covered by these gigantic leaves, and studded with the
magnificent flowers, which in addition to their other attractions, are
sweet scented." This truly superb floral Titan, forms the type of
a new genus, which (by permission of Her present Majesty) is
called Victoria, to which the appropriate specific appellation regia
has been added. The " Victoria regia" certainly well deserves its
characteristic name from its magnitude, its elegance of form, its
brilliant colouring, and delicious fragrance. 9 The NympfusacecB
exhibit an interesting instance of the organic sensibility of the ve-
getable organs, manifested by the action of heat and light. Other
plants, as is well known, expand and close their flowers on the al-
ternate approach of day and night. For example, " Papaver nudi-
caule" (Linn.), " Sonchus oleraceus" (Linn.), " Anagallia arvensis"
(Linn.), " Calendula arvensis " (Linn.), " Ornithogalum umbellatum"
(Linn.), " Sikne noctiflora " (Linn.), &c, &c, but the flowers of the
water lily tribe, in addition to this common habit, are elevated
above or buried beneath the surface of the water on similar occa-
sions. This curious circumstance appears to have been very early
observed by the anoient naturalists; for Theophrastus describing
the Egyptian Lotus (believed by botanists to be " Nelumbium speci-
osum") says "The leaves of the flowers (petals) at sunset fold them-
1 For a history of this remarkable aquatic, see Botanical Magazine for 1847,
tab. 4275 — 4278, and for a more full aooount, see "Figures and Description of
the Victoria Water Lily," by Sir William Hooker, published by Messrs. Reeve,
in Imperial folio.
3 On a recent visit to the Conservatories at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew,
this splendid plant was in full perfection, with its enormous leaves and flowers,
which has recently been the object of so much attention ; other aquatics scarcely
less interesting were observed, viz., the "Nelumbium speciotum" supposed to
be the saored Egyptian Bean, found throughout the East Indies, but no longer
in Egypt; the "Nymphcea carulea" and the crimson "N. Cavendishi" illus-
trating the brilliancy and variety of colour in this beautiful order.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 101
selves together, covering the seed vessel. At sunrise they expand,
and rise above the water .... It is reported that in the
Euphrates, the flowers keep sinking in the water till midnight,
when they are so deep as to be out of reach of the hand, but to-
wards morning they return, and still more as the day advances ;
at sunrise they are already above the surface, and expanded; after-
wards they rise high above the water." Pliny repeats the same ac-
count, and Prosper Alpinus has the following passage: "The celebra-
ted stories of the Lotus turning to the Sun, closing its flowers, and
sinking under water at night, and rising again in the morning, are
conformable to what everybody has observed in the 'NymphceaJ "
Sir James Smith, from whom the above quotations are taken, con-
firms from his own experience the report of Linnaeus, who (Flora
Suecica) describes "Nymphcea alba" as "closing its flowers in the
afternoon, and laying them down on the surface of the water till
morning, when it rises and expands them, often in a bright day to
several inches above the water." Sir James Smith observes, that
the veracity of Theophrastus has been impeached, and defends the
truth of his narrative, not only on account of his character as "the
most faithful and philosophical botanist of antiquity," but also
from the actual occurrence of the same phenomenon (though indeed
in a minor degree) in " Nymphaa alba" believing that it is suffici-
ent to render Theophrastus's account exceedingly probable, when
we recollect that the circumstances, related in the letter, are de-
scribed as taking place in a country where the sun has so much
more power; to which he might also have added, and where there
exists so much greater an intensity of the solar light. The causes
of the motions as affecting the flowers of the Nymphwacew, as far
at least as can be ascertained by observing the circumstances
under which these motions take place, will be found exceedingly
interesting, when viewed in all their bearings. They are indeed
of a more complex nature than appears on a merely superficial ex-
amination. It is usual to consider the increased temperature con-
sequent on the return of day, to be the chief agent in effecting the
periodic motion. Some of the more recent German physiologists are
disposed to think otherwise, and to attribute the first step in the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
102 The Flora of WiUehire.
process to the influence of the light alone, the combined action of
heat with light not being exerted till the flower has emerged from
the water. Again, the mode in which the plant is affected by the
operative agent has not been fully or correctly explained. I shall
therefore endeavour to show that light and beat acting at first
separately, and afterwards conjointly, produce the different stages of
elevation, not by primarily affecting the peduncle with the flower,
but by acting primarily on the flower alone : the peduncle being
affected secondarily, only by means of that vital sympathy which
most contiguous organic structures have with each other. 1st. The
water beneath which the flower reposes in the early morning, being
a bad conductor of caloric in a downward direction, intercepts the
transmission of the calorific portion of the solar rays. The light
above then in any considerable degree penetrates the translucent
fluid, to the flower; and occasions not only the commencement of
the motion, but its continuance upwards till the flower emerges
above the surface, when its full expansion and further elevation are
effected by the combined influence of the heat and light. This ex-
planation is rendered more probable from the circumstance that the
flower emerges from its watery asylum at an early period in the
morning, before the water could have been affected in any consi-
derable degree by the solar heat. 2nd. That the ascent of the flower
is caused by the action of the peduncle, whose motion results, not
from the direct influence of the light upon itself, but by sympathy
with the flower whioh it supports, is also rendered probable from
the circumstance that these periodic motions cease, as soon as fer-
tilization of the ovules or immature seeds has taken place, at whioh
time the petals wither, and the germen descends to the bottom,
there to remain permanently for the ripening of the seeds. Now
if the stalk had been in the first instance sensible to the direct ac-
tion of the luciferous rays, we might expect such sensibility to con-
tinue independent of the state of the floral organs. It would appear
therefore that the cessation of motion of the peduncle after impreg-
nation, is indicative of its dependance on the organic sensibility of
the flower. It can scarcely be said that the elevated germen de-
scends finally, in consequence of the loss of the buoyant apparatus
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq, 103
of the floral organs, or from the increased size and weight of
the germen itself; because the former when in perfection did not
interfere with the nocturnal demersion, and the latter is scarcely
equal to the weight of the entire flower, which nevertheless had
hitherto continued to perform its periodic motions. And lastly,
because from the circumstance of the flower haying been daily ele-
vated and supported several inches above the surface of the water,
the buoyancy of the floral organs could have contributed nothing
to the effect in question. The fertilization of the ovules being
effected, which can only take place in the air, the petals decay and
separate, and the germen is deposited at the bottom to ripen its
seeds, which are ultimately dispersed in the mud by the rupture
or dissolution of the germen itself. From the above considerations,
and others which may be brought to bear upon the subject, it may
be concluded that the motions of the flower stalk are determined
by the increased vital sensibility of the floral organs, consequent
upon the process of fertilization.
Again the " Nymphceaeece" are very interesting, as affording a
good example of the mutual relationship and dependence of the
organs of plants. * I shall briefly explain the doctrine, as it is at
present received : —
1. The leaf is the simple type of all the floral organs, as far as
regards structure and relative disposition.
2. Bracts are leaves modified in the first degree, differing but
little from the condition of the archetype.
3. The caUx consists of sepals, variously united, which are still
further modifications of the leaf.
4. The corolla consists of petals, whose relationship to leaves is
still further obscured, by their having attained a greater delicacy
of texture, and a more brilliant and varied colouring.
5. The stamen presents a filament and anther, the former being
analogous to the petiole of the leaf, and the latter to the lamina,
whose lateral edges are rolled inwards, and connected to the mid-
rib on the upper surface, forming two somewhat cylindrical cases,
for the generation and preservation of the pollen.
6. The pistil consists of germen, style, and stigma. The germen
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
104 The Flora of Wiltshire.
being formed (as it were) of the lamina of the leaf doubled up, so
as to have the lateral margins united in their whole lengths, the
upper surface of the leaf forming the inner surface of the germen.
The stigma is thus formed of the extremity of the midrib, and the
style, of its prolongation.
In most cases the ovarial leaf is sessile, but in some instances,
("Gentiana") the petiole exists in the form of a stalk (Oynophore)
to the germen. In thus briefly describing the relationship of the
floral organs to each other, and to the leaf, it may be proper to
observe, however, that the proof is founded 1st, on the insensible
transitions of the organs; 2nd, on their reversion to the state of
leaves; 3rd, on their mutual substitution; and 4th, on the perfect
similarity of the laws which determine their situation and varied
combinations. The flowers of " Nymphoea" afford an example of the
first order of reasons, viz., insensible transitions. The sepals differ-
ing but little from the petals, and the petals passing insensibly into
stamens, no line of demarcation can be pointed out where the for-
mer terminate, or the latter commence. In the outermost series,
we observe the broad, ovate, perfect petals, which in the succeed-
ing series become more and more contracted, having at first small
imperfect anthers in their margins at the apex, separated by a suc-
cessively diminishing portion of the true petaloid lamina. The
contraction of the lamina of the petals continues as we proceed
towards the centre of the flower, until the innermost series of pis-
tils are found to have become merely flattened filaments, to what
are now perfect stamens; the progressive enlargement of the
anther cases, and their mutual approximation having kept pace
with the contraction and diminution of the petaloid lamina. I
have chosen to preface the description of these petaloid stamens by
a reference to the other organs of the flower, and to the leaf, in
order to point out more plainly the importance of the peculiar
structure of the petals and stamens; which otherwise would appear
merely as an interesting but isolated fact. All knowledge is rela-
tive, and it becomes useful only in proportion to our capability of
associating and combining the disjunct parts of the perfect whole.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 105
ORDER. PAPAVERACKE. (JTJSS.)
Papaveb (Linn.) Po£py.
Linn. CI. xiii. Ord. i.
Named because it is administered with pap (papa in Celtic) to
induce sleep, or more probably from pasco pavi, (Lat.) because
eaten by the Romans.
"Lilia verbenasque premens, vescumque papaver." — Virgil.
1. P. hybridum (Linn.), hybrid Corn Poppy, round rough headed
Poppy. Engl Bot. t 43. Reich. Icones, iii./. 4476.
Locality. Open cornfields on a chalky or sandy soil; not frequent
in the county. Annual Fl. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. *
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Cornfields at Salisbury," Mr. James
Hussey. "Waste ground near Salisbury," Bot Guide. "Border
of a cornfield by the side of the road from Milford to Clarendon,"
Maton in Hatcher 9 s Hist, of Salisbury. " Amesbury," Dr. Southby.
2. South Middle District, Cornfields near Stonehenge.
3. South-west District, Cornfields near Wick, plentifully. " Bor-
der of a cornfield at Wardour Park," Major Smith.
North Division.
4. North-west District, " Sandy fields at Bromham," Miss L.
Meredith.
Further localities for this species, in the Northern as well as in
the Southern Districts, will be required before its distribution in
Wilts can be accurately determined. " P. hybridum " appears to
be principally confined to chalky or sandy soils, where it should be
sought. It is generally less branched, but nearly as tall, as " P.
Rhasas, ( Linn.) the leaves smaller but with stiffer and shorter segments,
The figure of this species is not well represented by Sowerby in
Engl. Botany.
2. "P. Argemone," (Linn.) Argemone like; long, rough headed
Poppy. The name Argemone was given by the Greeks to a plant,
which was supposed to cure (Argema,) Cataract of the eye. Engl.
Bot t 643. Reich. Icones, iii./. 4475.
Locality. In cornfields and their. borders, on gravelly or sandy
ground, not uncommon in the county. A. June, July. Area, 1.2.3.4.5.
i
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
106 The Flora of Wiltshire.
South Division.
1. South- east District, "Cornfields at Salisbury and its neighbour-
hood/' Mr. James Hussey. " Amesbury," Dr. Southby.
2. South Middle District, Cornfields near Devizes, Market Lav-
ington, Erlestoke, Codford St. Peters, and Westbury.
3. South-west District, Clay Hill, Warminster, Hindon and
Stourhead.
North Division.
4. North-west District, By the road side near Limpley Stoke,
Cornfields between Corsham and Puckridge, Bowden and Derry
Hill, and Spye Park. "Neighbourhood of Chippenham," Dr. R. C.
Alexander Prior, and Mr. C. E. Broome.
5. North-east District, Swindon and Marlborough..
This is the " P. laciniato folio, capitulo hispido longiore," of our
great Ray, and much resembling the preceding species, from which
it should be carefully distinguished. It is the weakest and not
unfrequently the smallest of our red Poppies.
P. Rhceas (Linn.) Pomegranate or common red Poppy, round
smooth-headed Poppy, Corn Rose, Red-weed, named from Rhoia
(or Rhoa. Gr.) a pomegranate which it resembles in its scarlet
flowers. Engl. Bot. t. 645. Reich. Icones iii. /. 4479.
Locality. In cultivated land amongst corn, clover, &c. abun-
dantly. A. June, August. Area. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts, and by far the most abundant of our
Poppies, and, where it abounds, denotes a light chalky and shallow
soil. It is singular that when such land is broken or ploughed
up in the spring, when there can be no Poppies to scatter their seed,
and although it be where none have ever been seen, yet it is a
great chance that such land shall not be covered with these plants
during the summer. This has frequently been observed on the
Wiltshire Downs, where lands have been first broken up, also
about our railway cuttings, I have seen their embankments glow
with the red petals of the Wild Poppy. P. Rhceas is an abundant
plant throughout England and Ireland, less so in Scotland, and
scarce in the Highlands. It is also remarkable that this, and the other
species of Poppy, the disposition of which to wander obtained for
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 107
them, amongst the old writers, the title of "erraticum," should,
according to Dr. Bromfield, have little or no tendency to establish
themselves in the United States or in Canada, where so many of
our European weeds have obtained an extensive, and in some cases,
injurious footing, favoured by the similarity of soil and climate to
the country from which they migrated. This species was thought
by the ancients so necessary for the prosperity of their corn, that
the seeds of this Poppy were offered up in the sacred rites of Ceres,
whose garland was formed with barley or bearded wheat, interwo-
ven with Poppies. An antique statue of this goddess in the Louvre
in Paris, represents Ceres as holding Poppies in her hand, mixed
with corn, as well as having them braided in her hair ; and in the
same collection Sabina holds a cornucopia filled with Pomegranates,
Grapes, and Poppyheads. The Carnation Poppy, which adds so
considerably to the gaiety of the garden during the months of July
and August, and which is so much cultivated in France, is a variety
of the common Poppy " P. Rhceas" of our cornfields. In a double
state it is a plant of great beauty, both on account of its crumpled
and delicate texture, elegance of shape, and variety in colouring;
some being perfectly white, others plain-rose, blush, scarlet, or
crimson. This flower bursts out of its confinement at maturity
with considerable force, throwing off the two-leaved caducous calyx
to some distance, and astonishing the beholder who sees so large
and so beautiful a corolla escape from so small a dwelling. For
medicinal purposes, the petals of the red Poppy should be gathered
just as they begin to blow; they possess a faint narcotic odour, and
are generally thought to have a slightly sedative effect. They
yield their virtues to boiling water, but are merely used for their
fine colouring matter. A syrup of them was formerly prescribed
in coughs and catarrhal complaints, but no faith whatever is now
placed in its medicinal powers. Opium has been obtained from
the capsules, but in so small a quantity as to render it an object
unworthy of the trouble. By some foreign practitioners this ex-
tract as a sedative is preferred to opium itself.
P. (labium, (Linn.) doubtful Corn Poppy, or long smooth-headed
Poppy, a species between Argemone and Rhseas. Engl. Bot. t. 644.
Reich. Icones. iii. 4477. i 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
108 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Locality. In cultivated fields, especially on a light soil, old walls,
and gravelly banks, frequent. A. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Distributed throughout all the Districts. Perhaps less frequent
than " P. Rhceas" (Linn.) from which it is distinguished by the
thickly accumbent bristles on the flower stalk: these bristles in
the other species standing horizontally from each other. The flow-
ers too are by no means of so fiery a red, but are somewhat paler.
"P. Argemone" (Linn.) which also, although more rarely, grows
among the corn, has a club-shaped bristly capsule, small and still
paler petals, and* bluish antheree and filaments which are thick
above. "P. hybridum" (Linn.) which grows still more rarely in
the county, has an almost spherical, sulcated, bristly capsule, dirty
dark red flowers, and bright blue anthera.
"P. somniferum" (Linn.) somniferous or Opium Poppy, White
Poppy. Engl. hot. t. 2145. Reich. Icones, iii./. 4481.
Locality. Occasionally observed in many parts of the county, on
waste and newly turned up ground, building lots, rubbish heaps,
and railway embankments. A. Fl. June, August.
From the exotic origin of this species, I am quite unprepared to
state its area of distribution in Wilts. A plant so universal in old
gardens, where it is annually carried out with garden refuse to the
roadsides, banks of rivers, &c, the seeds retaining their vitality
for many years buried in the ground, will readily account for its
being frequently observed for a season or two on soil thrown out of
deep diggings about the banks of railways, and in newly trenched
ground. The "P. somniferum," (Linn.) is one of the most anciently
known and described plants ; Homer speaks of the Poppy (mekon)
growing in gardens, (II. viii. 306 J so that it appears to have been
in cultivation even in that early period: and it is likewise men-
tioned by Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Pliny. It is one of those
plants which are remarkable for the extensive range of their geo-
graphical relations; being found in England, especially near the sea,
in the fens of the Eastern counties (where it assumes the appear-
ance of a wild plant), in France and the rest of Europe, from
Portugal to Petersburgh; in the Morea, Egypt, Persia, Japan,
Mauritius, &c, &c. Some writers have accounted for its present
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 109
naturalized state, by supposing it to have escaped formerly from
the gardens of the curious, having been originally brought into
this country together with the opium of commerce from the East.
The flowers are solitary, the calyx bisepalous, falling off as the
flower expands. Corolla tetrapetalous, Stamina hypogynous, a
single pistil, which has no style, but having a radiating persistent
stigma which forms tha crown of the ovary. The germen or cap-
sule goblet-shaped, one celled, formed of three or more carpels,
which are modified leaves. The seeds, (which are beautiful micro-
scopic objects) are attached to parietal placentae* escaping through
little orifices or opercula beneath the radiated stigma ; each oper-
culum being guarded by a delicate valve, which closes in damp and
opens in dry weather.
There are two principal varieties of the " Papuver somniferum,"
(Linn.) a. nigrum, "P. somniferum," (Qmelin) and b. album, P. offi-
cinale, (Gmelin.) These have been considered by some botanists to
form two distinct species. De Gandolle however, whose Prodromus
is the latest work of authority, retains them as varieties merely,
and as such we shall here consider them. The plants are common
in gardens, where they are cultivated for the gaudy beauty of their
variously coloured flowers. These are single, semi-double, or double,
in var. a. purple, rose or lilac, variegated, and edged with the same
colours, never blue, nor yellow, generally with a black or purple
mark at the bottom of each petal. In var. b. the petals are
white or red. The petals in both varieties are entire toothed or
fringed. The seeds of var. a. are dark coloured, and are sold un-
der the name of mawseed for birds ; those of var. 6. are white, and
will answer the same purpose. The plant which grows sponta-
neously about Petersburgh has however white flowers, with dark
coloured seeds, and by thus combining the characters of the two
varieties, seems to establish their claim to form but a single species.
According to Linnaeus, a capsule of "P. somniferum" contained
32,000 seeds, a wonderful example of vegetable fecundity. The
plant abounds in a milky juice, which is collected from superficial
incisions made in the capsule, through the epicarp into the mesocarp
or diploe, taking care not to carry the incisions through the cndo-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
110 The Flora of Wiltshire.
carp into the cells when it has become inspissated, and of a brown-
ish colour from evaporation, and the action of light. It is then
further evaporated by the heat of the sun, forming the ductile mass
called opium, {Opos) sap. It is for the production of opium that
the Poppy is cultivated in Turkey, Asia Minor, Egypt, Persia, and
India, occasionally in Europe, and even in this country. Both the
varieties are cultivated for the production of opium, though it ap-
pears that the var. b. album with white flowers, ("P. officinale,"
Omelin) is alone used for this purpose in Persia, and the plains of
India; and the vqr. a. nigrum, dark flowered, ("P. somniferum"
Ghnelin) in the Himalayas. Opium from the Poppy cultivated in
this country yields, according to Brande's analysis, as much mor-
phia as the best from Turkey, but the uncertain state of the wea-
ther will prevent the preparation from becoming in Britain a source
of profitable enterprise. The seeds of the Poppy are used for the
expression of a bland oil, which they yield abundantly, and which
possesses none of the narcotic properties of the plant. It has been
procured sufficiently pure for use in salads, but its principal use is
in the arts. The origin of the medicinal use of the Poppy is in-
volved in utter obscurity, although from the derivation of the word
opium, and indeed from the many allusions to the soporific property
of the Poppy in the Grecian Mythology, as well as the direct testi-
mony of several of the early Greek writers, it appears that the Greeks
were acquainted with its powers at a very early age. Hippocrates
is said to have recommended Opos mekonos, the juice of the Poppy.
Diagoras, about 416 years B.C., gave directions respecting the pro-
per time for collecting the juice which forms the opium. The mode
which Pliny describes the Romans to have adopted to procure the
opium, does not materially differ from that practised at the present
day in this country, and in the East, (Phillips.) A solution of
opium in a spirituous menstruum forms the laudanum of the shops.
This name which was originally given to the solid opium itself,
was expressive of thankfulness for its wonderful properties, Lam,
praise, Deo to God. Formerly much of the opium was produced
in the territory of Thebes in Egypt, whence the terms Thebaic extract
and tincture, by which it and laudanum were known. It was with
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. Ill
good reason that the ancients applied the term laudanum to opium,
for it is indeed powerful to do good, though, as in the case of other
energetic instruments, it is when misdirected strong to work evil.
Stimulant or sedative, excitant or narcotic, as concurrent circum-
stances may determine, it has for ages been used as a preparative
for deeds of enterprise, to mitigate the sufferings of disease, or to
obtain respite from the canker- workings of consuming care.
The operation of opium is usually considered to be confined to
the nervous system, its effects on the other organs of living animals
being of a secondary character, acting on them through the medium
of their nerves. This, although true to the fullest extent in the
higher order of animals, is nevertheless but a partial view of the
subject. It is against the Principle of Life, whose simplest condi-
tion is sensation, that it* operation is directed. Its primary or es-
sential action on the nerves of animals obtains, because these are
the media of sensibility in those species which possess them. Ani-
mals without a detectable nervous system, ("Polygastrica," 8fc.) have
their vitality extinguished by opium. "The action of opium va-
ries with the degree of development of the nervous system," i.e.,
the manifestations of its actions are varied according to the condition
of the co-existing and co-related structures. In plants which have
no nerves, nor other especial organs of sensation, but in which sen-
sation still exists as the result and the evidence of life, the delete-
rious power of opium is fully shewn. If watered with a solution of
this poisonous substance, the organic sensibility of the sensitive
plants, "Mimosa sensitiva and pudica," is destroyed, they droop and
die. Even the Poppy itself, the elaborator of this powerful con-
troller of vital action, succumbs beneath its influence, affording the
analogue in the vegetable kingdom, to the instance among animals,
which perish from the effects of their own virus — Rattle-snake, &c.
The structure of the capsule likewise presents many points of
considerable interest. It bears so close a resemblance to that of
Nymphcea, that it formed one of De Candolle's reasons for consider-
ing the " Papaveracece" and " Nymphceaccce" to be allied. 1 The
1 " Ob. struoturam, fruotus et stigmatis Papaveri, valde siaiilem." Regni
Vtget. Syst. Nat. vol. ii. p. 42. This similarity of structure is repeatedly
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
112 The Flora of Wiltshire.
capsule in each genus is syncarpous with ovuliferous dissepiments,
and is crowned with a many-rayed stigma, the number of rays cor-
responding to that of the dissepiments. The chief structural differ-
ence hitherto observed between these capsules, consists in that of
Nymphcea being composed of distinct carpels, surrounding the axis
and haying the dissepiments formed by the juxta-position of the
ovuliferous sides of the perfect cells, with intermediate plates
of cellular tissue. Whilst, in Papaeer, the inflected sides of the
conjoined carpels not being continued to the axis, the imperfect
ovuliferous dissepiments project only midway into the cavity of the
capsule, and thus leave it one-celled. The minute structure of Pa-
paveracece, and its relations to Nympheeacece and Banunculacece will
probably form the substance of a future paper in these pages, un-
connected with the present series.
Chblidonium (Linn.) Celandine.
Linn. CI. xiii. Ord. i.
Name. From Chelidon (Gr.) a swallow, flowering about the ar-
rival of that bird.
1. " 0. majus," (Linn.) Greater or Common Celandine. Engl.
Bot. t. 1581. Reich. Icones,/. 4466.
Locality. In hedges, rough shady places, on rubbish, old walls,
and uncultivated ground, generally near houses, frequent. P. PI.
May, June, July. Area. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, Salisbury, -Amesbury, Upavon, Allcan-
nings, Pewsey, and Burbage.
2. South Middle District, Codford, Heytesbury, Westbury, Trow-
bridge, Devizes, Netheravon, Market Lavington, and Shrewton.
3. South-west District, Wilton, Boyton, Warminster, Longleat,
Stourhead, Hindon, and Broad Chalk.
alluded to by this author, thus, in Nymphreaoeae " Styli .... con-
nati stigmatibus supra urceolum peltatim (exacts ut in Papavere) radiatis basi
oonnatis apioe liberis." p. 39. Again " Papaveracece acoedunt hino mediante
Papavere ad Nymphfieaceas." p. 68. In Fl. Fran. Decandolle included Nym-
phcea and its immediately allied genera in Papaveracea, in which this great
botanist followed the example of Linnaeus, who had previously referred Nym-
phaia to his 27th order MJueadea, which very nearly corresponds with the
Papaveracece of modern authors.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 113
North Division.
4. North-west District, Bradford, Melksham, Chippenham, Woot-
ton Basset, Malmsbury, Castle Combe, Colerne, and Box.
5. North-east District, Calne, Swindon, Cricklade, Marlborough,
and Great Bedwyn.
From the above area of distribution, "0. tnajus," (Linn.) may be
considered not an unfrequent plant in Wilts. Yet so constantly
does it occur in the vicinity of old houses, cottage gardens, orch-
ards, and other suspicious places, that many botanists scarcely
deem it a native species. The Common or Greater Celandine is so
named in contradistinction to u Ranunculus Ficaria," (Linn.) Pile-
wort Crowfoot, which was called by the old botanists Lesser Cel-
andine. It approaches to the natural order CrucijercB in the cruci-
form shape of the corolla, and its silique or pod; which however
differs essentially in being only one-celled, thus allying it to Papa-
veracece. The whole plant is very brittle, and when broken or
wounded, exudes an orange-coloured fetid juice. Its taste is in-
tensely bitter and acrid, occasioning a sense of burning in the
mouth and fauces similar to that produced by Cayenne pepper,
which lasts for a considerable time. Externally the juice has been
long known as a popular remedy to destroy warts. The method
of applying it, is simply to break the stalk and touch the part af-
fected with the yellow juice that exudes : when taken internally
the juice is a violent acrid poison, producing inflammation in the
textures to which it is applied. M. Orfila has seen speedy death
produced by it. A variety with very hairy stalks and laciniated
petals, has been supposed by M. De Candolle and Lamarck to be a
distinct species. It is mentioned by Clusius, Bauhine, and several
other of the old botanists, and is the var. b. of Sir J. E. Smith's
Flora Britannica and English Flora, where it was first mentioned as
a British plant, and likewise by Dr. Dillenius in the 3rd edition of
"Ray's Synopsis," p. 309. This variety differs from "C. mqjus,"
(Linn.) in the segments of the leaves being cut into narrow strap-
shaped, jagged, pointed lobes, and in the petals being deeply cut
into two or three principal divisions, which are again cut or ser-
rated. It has not as yet been observed in Wilts.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
114 The Flora of Wiltshire.
ORDER. FUMARIACEiE (DE CAND.)
CORYDALIS, (DB CAND.)
Linn. CL xvii. Ord. i.
Name. Korydalis, the ancient Greek name for Fumitory. From
korudak>8, a lark, on account of the spurred flower resembling the
foot of that bird.
1. " 0. lutea" (Lindl.) yellow Corydalis. Fumaria Engl. BoL t.
588. Reich. Icones, t. 6, 4459.
Locality. Old walls, rare. P. May, August. Area. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Old walls in the neighbourhood of Salis-
bury," Mr. James Hussey.
2. South Middle District, Devizes.
3. South-west District, "Clay Hill Farm," Miss Griffith. " On a
wall at Road Hill," Rev. Edward Peacock, in litt. April 1859.
North Division.
4. North-toest District, Walls at Corsham. " Chippenham," Dr.
R. 0. Alexander Prior, and Mr. C. E. Broome. " Langley Burrell,"
Mr. C. E. Broome.
5. North-east District, Old walls at Swindon and Purton.
Naturalized on old garden walls in many parts of the county,
where it has escaped from cultivation. It is a troublesome weed
in the flower garden, springing rapidly from seed, which it per-
fects in great abundance.
" C. solida," (Hook) solid, bulbous rooted Corydalis. Engl. Bot.
L 1471. Reich. Icones, t. 7,f. 4462. Has been observed at Great
Bedwyn by Mr. William Bartlett, but I fear under circumstances
that will scarcely warrant its being considered indigenous or even
naturalized. Miss L. Meredith also reports "C. solida," (Hook) as
occurring in Stocky Lane, Bromham, 1 but at the same time intima-
1 It is not improbable that this plant escaped from the garden at Nonsuch
House, formerly the residence of the late James Norris, Esq., who devoted his
leisure time in studying the " Natural History of his native county, (Wilts.)
He was particularly attached to the study of botany, and contributed much
valuable information to the 3rd edition of Dr. Withering' s " Arrangement of
British plants," published in 1796. (" This edition of Withering," says the late
Sir James Smith, " is the last which its worthy author completed." It is the
only one quoted by Sir James himself in the pages of. his English Flora. His
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 115
ting its escape from the flower garden, where it increases rapidly
by the multiplication of its bulb-like tubers, but seldom by seed.
" C. claviculata," (De Cand.) White climbing Fumitory, Engl.
Bot. t. 103. Reich. Icones, f. 4457. This species has not as yet
been recorded, or observed growing in any part of Wilts. In
Somerset and Hants it is more or less distributed, being found in
thick woods, stony bushy places, especially in hilly districts, where
in similar situations it will doubtless be detected in this county,
and added to our " Flora. 99
Fumaria (Linn.) Fumitory.
Linn. 01. xvii. Ord. i.
Name. The fumaria of Latin authors; so called from the smell
of some species resembling smoke (fumus), French fumeterre, whence
the English Fumitory.
1. "F. capreolata," (Linn.) tendrilled or ramping Fumitory, Engl.
Bot. t. 943. Reich. Icones, f. 4456. The name capreolata means
furnished with capreoli (Lat.) tendrils, which word is a diminutive
of caprea, and signifies first a roe or deer, secondly a branch that
putteth forth tendrils, and is used in this sense by Varro.
Locality. Cornfields, gardens, hedges, and road sides, not unfre-
quent. A. June, September. Area. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Cultivated fields and gardens in the
neighbourhood of Salisbury," Major Smith. "Amesbury," Dr.
Southby.
2. South Middle District, Cultivated ground about Devizes.
North Division.
4. North-west District, "Chippenham," Dr. R. C. Alexander
Prior and Mr. C. E. Broome. " Gardens and cultivated land at
Bromham," Miss L. Meredith.
5. North-east District, not unfrequent about Swindon and Crick-
lade.
Not uncommon in Wilts, though possibly passed over for the
botanical collections have been unfortunately dispersed, but his name is entitled
to be included with the other Naturalists of Wiltshire in the pages of this
Journal.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
99
116 The Flora of Wiltshire.
next species "F. officinale" (Linn.) by most of my correspondents.
It varies much in habit, bat is best distinguished by its large petals
and ealycine leaves, with globose fruit, rather longer than broad, its
stems generally climbing, sometimes only diffuse. This plant can
never be confounded with the next, if attention is paid to the struc-
ture of the flowers and fruit, although the variety " F. media"
(Lois.) of that species closely resembles it in appearance.
2. " F. officinalis" (Linn.) officinal or common Fumitory. Engl.
Bot. t. 589. Reich. Icones,f. 4454.
Locality. In waste and cultivated ground, hedge banks, fields,
and gardens. A. Fl. May, September. Area. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Generally distributed throughout all the Districts. A very variable
plant both in habit and growth, sometimes having its stems erect,
occasionally becoming diffuse and rampant-like "F. capreolata,
(Linn.) (the diffuse form of Ray and Smith), when it is the "F.
media " (Lois.) and of British botanists, it has paler flowers, broader
and flatter segments to the leaves, but does not otherwise differ.
This species may readily be distinguished from the last, as Mr. H.
C. Watson observes, by the very broadly dilated and almost orbi-
cular extremity of (particularly) the lower petal, which in " F. ca-
preolata" (Linn.) is narrowly spoon-shaped, and ladle-shaped in "F.
officinalis" (Linn.)
3. F. " micrantha " (Lagasca.) Small flowered Fumitory. Engl.
Bot. Suppl. t. 2876. Hook Ic. PL t. 633.
Locality. In cultivated fields. A. June, September. Area.
1, * * + +
South Division.
1. South-east District, Plentifully in cultivated fields near Wick,
where Mr. James Hussey and myself discovered it in June 1850,
and I am not aware that it has been since noticed in Wilts.
This is the " F. micrantha" (Lagasca.) who separated this from
" F. parviflora," (Lam.) in his " Generum specierumque, plantarum
novarum aut minus cognitarum diagnoses," where he gives the fol-
lowing characters of the two. F. parviflora, " calycibus minimis,
floribus erectis, foliis pinnato-decompositis, foliolis tripartitis incisis
linearibus ;" and "F. micrantha," "calycibus cordate* rotundatis cor-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 117
ollae, tabo latioribus, foliis pinnato-decompositis linearibus angus-
tissimis," so that the latter may be described to be " F. parviflora "
as to the foliage, but with large broad sepals in proportion to the
corolla, by which it is best distinguished. This species may possi-
bly proTe to be not unfrequent in the county when attention has
once been drawn to it. The flowers are deep rose colour, as in the
erect form of " F. officinalis " (Linn.)
In studying the " Fumaria," the best distinguishing characters
are to be obtained from the forms of the fruit, and of the calyx,
and the proportions of the latter to the other parts of the flower,
the length of the bracteas to the pedicel is of next value, the direc-
tion of the pedicel, the proportion of the spike to the leaves, and
its being sessile or stalked ; the breadth of the foliage and the erect
or climbing nature of the plant are of less than secondary import-
ance, while the green or glaucous hue is in some species not suffi-
ciently constant to mark a variety.
j$tanl*g %llt^ % |ie%*e at
By the Rev. J. E. Jackson.
the late Mr. Bowles's account of Stanley Abbey (formerly
near Chippenham, but long since entirely destroyed) are
given a few (Latin) extracts, from a Bodleian Manuscript, relating
to that Religious House. Among them is the following itxans?
lated into English) :
" Fulco Fitzwarine took refuge, July 2nd, in the Abbey of Stanley
in Wiltshire, and was there besieged, together with his followers, for
fourteen days, by almost the whole county and by many others who
had flocked to the place. But he came out safe in the peace of the
church, and was reconciled in the following year 1202." (Hist, of
Bremhill, p. 118.) To which Mr. Bowles adds: "It is impossible
to say to what this entry alludes, but some criminal had evidently
taken sanctuary in this convent."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
118 Stanley Abbey. A Refugee at.
There can be no doubt to whom it refers. The adventures of
Fulke Fitzwarine the younger, a powerful Shropshire Baron, temp.
King John, are preserved in the once very popular " Romance of the
Fitzwarines" originally written in Anglo Norman verse, and subse-
quently transformed into an English prose version. Fulke Fitzwarine
the younger was one of King John's most persevering opponents.
The enmity between them is said to have taken its origin from a
boyish quarrel. While they were little more than children in
King Henry II. 's household, Prince John and Fulke were one day
playing at chess, and the former, angry at his playfellow's superior
skill, struck him violently on the head with the chess board. Fulke
returned the blow with so much force that the prince was thrown
with his head against the wall, and fell senseless on the floor.
When restored to his senses he immediately ran to his father to
make his complaint. But Henry who knew his son's character,
not only told him that he had deserved what he had got, but sent
for the tutor and desired that the Prince might be again beaten,
"finely and well," for complaining.
John never forgot that Fulke Fitzwarine had been the cause of
this disgrace. Immediately after cooping to the throne, he deprived
him of his large estates and gave them to another Baron. Then
began the adventures that form the " Romance" above mentioned.
Fitzwarine raised his friends and supporters : was joined by other
sufferers from the King's injustice, and carried on for a considerable
time, a petty but very troublesome rebellion. The account of his
wanderings, and narrow escapes, disguises and gallant deeds, some-
abling those of the popular Robin Hood, is very amusing.
The reader will find them given in Mr. T. Wright's History of
Ludlow, p. 63, from which we extract the following passage rela-
ting to Fitzwarine's sojourning in Wiltshire.
"Fulke and his company went to the Forest of Bradbnb"
(Stanley Abbey was not far from the skirts of the forest,) where
they remained some time unobserved. One day there came ten
merchants who brought from foreign lands rich cloths and other
valuable merchandise, which they had bought for the King and
Queen of England, with money furnished from the royal treasury.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 119
As the convoy passed under the wood, followed by twenty four ser-
jeants-at-arms to guard the King's goods, John Fitzwarine was sent
out to inquire who they were. John met with a rude reception ;
but Fulke and his companions came forwards, and, in spite of their
obstinate defence, captured the whole party, and carried them
with their convoy into the forest. When Fulke heard that they
were the King's merchants, and that the loss would not fall upon
their own heads, he ordered the rich cloths and furs to be brought
forth, and, measuring them out with his lance, gave to all his men
their shares, each according to his degree and deserts, " but each
was served with large measure enough." He then sent the mer-
chants to the King, bearers of Fulke Fitzwarine's grateful thanks
for the fine robes with which his Majesty had clad all Fulke's good
men."
Two seals of Fulke Fitzwarine are given in Sir R. C. Hoare's
Modern Wilts. [" Warminster " p. 5.] The parish of Stanton
Fitzwarine takes its name from his family, formerly lords of that
manor. J. E. J.
The Committee feel great pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the follow-
ing articles, presented to the Society : —
By J. Yonge Akerman, Esq., Sec. to the Soc. of Antiquaries: — Amber and other
Beads from Anglo-Saxon and Romano -British graves at Harnham, Wilts ;
and Kingsholme, co. Gloucester. Stone Celt from Ireland. Bronze Celt and
five examples of Roman or Romano-British Pottery discovered on the site of
kilns in the New Forest. Lamp, in Terra Cotta, from Melos. Spindle whirls,
Ac., from a ruin near Sebastopol. Fragment of Pavement from Caerwent;
and seven Flint Implements from Barrows on the Yorkshire Wolds. Roman
ampulla and other remains, found by Mr. Cuunington at a Roman Station
near Bay don, Wilts, June 1859.
By Mr. B. J. Wilkes, Bay don Manor Farm: — An Iron implement; probably
used for carding wool or flax, also found at the Roman Station at Baydon.
Second Report of Researches in an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Bright- Hampton,
co. Oxon, from Vol xxxviii. of the Archeeologia: — By the Donor.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
120 Contributions to the Museum and Library.
By J. £. Nightingale, Esq., WiUon:— Impressions, in Gutta Percha, from
the Seals of Wilton Abbey, a.d. 974; Hospital of St. Giles; Common Seal of
the Mayor, and Guild of Weavers at Wilton. Also from an ancient Seal of
Joane daughter of Johannes Westone, found near Wilton Abbey.
By Dr. Thttrnah, F.S.A., Devizes:— Photographs of a skull and other objects
from a Barrow on Roundway Hill.
By Alf&ed J. Dtoxin, Esq., Dartford:— Part xl. of the History of Kent, by
the Donor.
By Mr. Oiwnikgtoit, Devizes: — Bronze dagger, flint arrow-head, and frag-
ments of a wooden chest which enclosed an interment of burnt bones, from
the Long Barrow on Roundway Hill. Specimens of Death's head hawk moth
(Chrysalis and Moth).
By Mr. Faxkneb, Devizes: — Specimen of Carose of Death's head hawk moth.
By the Rev. P. A. L. Wood, Devizes : — Faculty for re-pewing, &c, the Church
of St. Mary's, dated August 11th, 1854. Specimen of Coral Rag from West-
brook.
By Mr. Jomr Ellen, Devizes: — Encaustic Tiles from Bradenstoke Abbey.
Deed, bearing date 1st Dec. 8th of Queen Anne, addressed to Walter Ernl£,
Esq., "late Sheriff," and William Benson, Esq., of Amesbury, Sheriff of
Wilts.
By Mrs. Bbttton, West Croydon ; — Pamphlet by H. Browne, of Amesbury,
against the destruction of the Druidioal Temple at Abury, Wilts, written in
1823; also several letters by Mr. Britton and others on the same subject, from
the Devizes Gazette.
By Miss Wick ens, Salisbury : — Photograph from an original drawing of an
ancient painting representing the Great Doom, discovered in St. Thomas's
Church, Salisbury in 1619. Sketohes of paintings from the spandrils of arches
in Salisbury Cathedral. Drawing of a pulpit panel at Durrington.
By the Rev. Henbt H. Methuen, AUcannings: — Preserved specimen of Sterna
hirundo — Tern or Sea Swallow, shot at Allcannings.
By C. Dabby. Gbippith, Esq., M.P., Padworth House, Beading: — Correspond-
ence respecting the Affairs of Italy, January to May 1859.
By Mr. R. Blanchett, Wootton Basset : — Roman Coin, and three Tradesman's
Tokens.
By T. S. Haxliday, Esq., Warminster: — Two Tokens issued by Tradesmen in
Salisbury.
By Mr. J. N. Ladd, Calne ;— Fac-simile of two entries in the Parish Register of
' Calne, Wilts ; one a baptism by Bishop Jewel 29th Oct. 1570, the other a
license to eat flesh in Lent, remarkable from its being of so late a date as
1615— both lithographed by the Donor.
H. Bull, Printer, Saint John Street, Devise*.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
KISTOH.Y OP 3DB3VIZHS-
IN THE PRESS,
AND SHORTLY WILL BE PUBLISHED,
In One vol. Demy 8vo, with numerous Illustrations,
A NEW
HISTORY OF DEVIZES,
AND THE
Pmtutri* of $ ottflrne anb (knrunp,
FROM THE EABLIEST PERIOD, AND A CHRONICLE OF COUNTY
AFFAIR** DURING THE LAST CKNTURY AND A HALF.
The late Mr. Burrow, not long ago remarked in a letter to a friend, that a good History of
Devisee might and ought to constitute the nucleus of a body of fact* highly interesting to
the entire oounty. Such an object* the publisher hopes very shortly to realize. But
besides this, the work will oontain rauoh exclusively local matter which has never yet been
published, relating especially to the period of the Civil Wars, and will moreover be illustrated
by a variety of woodcuts and steel engravings. In one word, it is intended that the new
History of Devises shall supply that long felt desideratum, a popular and portable history
of Modern Wilts.
LONDON :
Longman, Brown, & Co., Paternoster Row.
DEVIZES:
Henry Bull, St. John Street.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
present list of Subscribers.
Addington, Hon W. W., Upper Ottery, Devonshire.
Adlam, Mr. S., Devizes.
Anstie, P. Esq., Devizes.
Aiistie, E., Esq. Devizes.
Arnold, Mrs., Castle House, Calne.
Ayton, Mr., Devizes.
Bellers, Captain, E. W. Militia, Portsmouth.
Besley, E. Esq., London.
Bidwell, Miss, Devizes.
Bigg 8 > J- Esq., R.N., Torbay Cottage, Rook Ferry, Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire.
Biggs, R. Esq., Devizes.
Bretton, Captain, R. W. Militia, Portsmouth. (2 Copies.)
Brinkworth, J. H. Esq., Chippenham.
Bruges, Mrs. Ludlow, Seend, Melksham.
Bruges, W. Esq., Puokshipton.
Bruges, W. Esa., Marden.
Brown & Co., Messrs., Salisbury.
Brown, Rev. F., Nailsea Rectory.
Brooke, 8. B. Esq., Cowbridpe House, Malmesbury.
Butcher, H. Esq., Jun., Devizes.
Burt, H. P. Esq., 2, Charlotte Row, City, London.
Burt, Mr. J., Devizes.
Burrowes, W. Esq., Dunkirk Hill, Devizes.
Cadby, C. Esq., London.
Carter, W. Esq., Conook.
Caswall, Mrs., Devizes.
Champ, J. Esq., Nurstead, Devizes.
Clarke, Miss, Heddington. (Two Copies.)
Clarke, Mr. C, Devizes.
Colston, Mrs., Round way Park, Devizes.
Copner, Rev. J., Devizes.
Crook, Rev. H., Upavon.
Davies, Mr. W., Dfcvizes.
Dodd, 8. Esq., Kentish Town, Hartland Terrace, London.
Downes, E. Esq., St. Helena House, Richmond, Surrey.
Dowding, Rev. B. C, Southbroom Rectory, Devizes.
Ellen, Mr., Southbroom Cottage, Devizes.
Ellen, Mr. F., Andover.
Ellis, Mr., Devizes.
Estcourt, the Rt. Hon. T. H. 8. Sotheron, M.P., Estcourt House, Tetbury.
( Two copies.)
Estcourt, Rev. W. B., Newnton Rectory, Tetbury.
Ewart, W. Esq., M.P., Broad Lease House, Devizes.
Figgins, V. Esq., London.
Figgins, J. Esq., London.
Flower, T. B. Esq., 7, Beaufort Buildings, Bath.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS CONTINUED.
Fuller, J. B. Esq., Neaton Park, Melksham.
Furze, T. Esq., Richmond, Surrey.
Furze, T. Esq., Jun. Lewisham, kent
Giddings, Mr. E., Devjzes.
Glafctone, Capt. J. N., M.P., Bowden Park, Chippenham.
Goddard, H. N. Esq., The Manor, Clyffe Pypard.
Goddard, Rev. F., Hilmarton Vicarage, Calne.
Gore, Hon. Miss, Wiloot Manor, Pewsey.
Grant, J. Esq., Highfield, Lymington, Hants.
Griffith, C. Darby Esq., M.P., Padworth House, Berks.
Grubbe, Major-General, Eastwell House, Devizes.
Hall, Marshall, Esq., Blaoklands Park, Calne.
Hamilton, Kerr Walter, D.D., Right Rev. Bishop of Salisbury.
Hay ward, J. Esq., Brow Fort House, Devizes.
Hay ward, J. E. Esq., St John's Court, Devizes.
Haywood, Mr. F., Derby.
Hiscoke, J. G. Esq., Richmond, Surrey.
Hulbert, H. H. Esq., Devizes.
Jackson, Rev. Canon, F.8.A. Leigh Delamere, Chippenham.
Jones, Rev. W. H., Bradford-on-Avon.
Kingsbury, Rev. T. L., Savernake, Marlborough.
King, Lieutenant, Devizes.
Lansdowne, The Most Hon. The Marquis of, Bowood House.
Lanois, Mons. De, Melksham.
Leach, R. V. Esq. Briton Ferry, Neath, South Wales.
Lewis, W. Esq., Raymond's Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, London.
Locke, F. A. S. Esq., Rowde Ford. f3 Copies.)
Long, Walter, Esq., M.P., Rood Ashton.
Long, W. Esq., Lansdowne Crescent, Bath.
Long, C. E. Esq., Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square, London.
Long, W. Esq. Preshaw House, Bishop's Waltham, Hants.
Lucas, C. R. Esq., London.
Lukis, Rev. W. C., Rectory, Collingbourne Ducis.
Macdonald, The Venerable Archdeacon, Bishop's Cannings.
Meek, A. Esq., Hillworth, Devizes.
Methuen, Rev. H. H., Alloannings.
Methuen, Rev. T. P. Guernsey.
Mullings, R. Esq., Cirencester.
Mullings, J. R. Esq., Eastoourt, Malmesbury.
Nisbet, Miss, Southbroom House, Devizes.
Norris, H. K. Esq., Devizes.
Pellew, The Hon. and Very Rev. Dean, Norwich.
Penruddocke, J. H., Esq., Seend.
Picket, H. Esq., Temple, London.
Plank, G. Esq., The Green Hill, Hampstead, London.
Player, Jacob, Esq., Hillworth, Devizes.
Price, R. E. Esq., Marlborough.
Prower, The Venerable Archdeacon, Purton, Swindon.
Reynolds, Mr. J., The Hill, Stroudwater.
Salmon, Colonel, Manor House, Potterne.
Sedgwick, Mr. Alfred 0., (A.I.B.A.) Devizes.
Simpkins, Miss, Castle Grounds, Devizes.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
LIST OP 8UB8CBTBBB8 COHTUnTBD.
Sladen, Rev. E. H. N., Alton Barnes.
Sloper, G. E. Esq., Devizes.
Smith, Lady, Hyde Park, London.
Smith, Rev" A., Old Park, Devizes.
Smith, Rev. A. C, Reotory, Yatesbury.
Smith, J. G. Esq., Winkfield House, Trowbridge.
Swayne, J. Esq., Wilton.
Taylor, S. Watson, Esq., Erlestoke Park. (3 Copiss.)
Taylor, Emilias, Esq., Oxford.
Thurnam, Dr. F.8.A., County Asylum, Devizes.
Tripp, Rev. F., Poulshot.
Tylee, Rev. Mortimer, Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire.
Tylee, J. Eso., 1, Burlington Villas, Redland, Bristol.
Tylee, T. P. Esa., Bayswater, London.
Tylee, E. Esq., Hyde Park, London.
Vincent, Rev. E., Rowde.
Vines, D. Esq., Somerset House, Eingsdown, Bristol.
Wadworth, Mr., Heddington.
Ward, Mr., Devizes.
Warriner, Mrs., Gay Street, Bath.
Waylen, G. Esq., Devizes.
White, F. G. Esq., Erchfont.
White, W. Marriatt, Esq., Springfield Villa, Lansdowne, Bath.
Wilton, Rev. E., Bishops Laving ton.
Wood, Rev. P. A. L., Rectory, Devizes.
" Pistorg oi gdrijw."
To Mr. Henry Bully Dmnes,
Sir,
Please add my name to the List of
Subscribers for your new History of Devizes.
No of copies,
Name,
Address,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
THE
WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE.
'KULTOOTM MANIBU8 GRANDE LEYATUB ONUS." — Ovid.
itstoncai Memoirs <rf % f) arfej] of §i$^s
Cannings C0. Milts.
By the Venerable Archdeacon Macdonald.
Manorial History.
Parish of Cannings Episcopi, or Bishop's Cannings, is,
in point of extent, the largest in the Hundred of Potterne
and Cannings, containing upwards of 11,000 acres.
It was anciently part of a larger district called Cannings, which
included both this parish and that of All-Cannings. 1
As to the meaning of the name " Cannings." there have been
several conjectures. The most rational explanation appears to be
that which is given by the late eminent Anglo-Saxon scholar, Mr.
J. M. Kemble.
In his "Saxons in England," Vol. i. p. 456, Mr. Kemble has
collected a list of nearly 1400 names of English parishes ending
in ing; either simply as Reading, BarktVigr, Mailing, &c. : or in
composition, as Bucktw^-ham, Walltw^-ford, Shert/i^-ton, &c. Of
these names so ending in ing, the greatest part were merely the
patronymics, or family names, of emigrants in very remote times
from the Continent, either from Northern Germany or Scandinavia.
As they settled and spread themselves in this country, they natu-
rally gave to the estates which they obtained, their own family name,
either simply or in composition.
1 This name is printed ^fte-Cannings [i.e. White] in the Taxation of Pope
Nicholas, taken a.d. 1291. Al % beginning the name of a parish, is often derived
from Saxon M\d, old.
VOL. VI. — NO. XVII. K
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
122 Bishop* 8 Cannings..
Thus, the family of the Basings, is recognised in (simply) Basing
(Hants) ; and in composition, Basing-stoke (Hants), Bassing-bonrne
(Camb.), Bassing-ham (Line), Bassing-ton (Northumb.), Bassing-
field (Line.) : the adjuncts, stoke, bourne, ham, ton, fyc, being
merely the ordinary Saxon words for village, stream, farm, toum,8fC.
So with the family name of the Homings, Mannings, and others :
which in composition become Homings-ham, Manning-ford, &c.
Among such patronymics Mr. Eemble includes the name of Can-
nings: which in the present instance remains simple : but in com-
position is found elsewhere, as Canning- ton (Som.), Kenning- ton
(Surrey), Kenning-hill (Norfolk). This derivation of the word,
by one of the best Anglo-Saxon scholars of his day, not only simple
in itself, but supported by a large analogy, may serve as a good
illustration and key to the history of names. For in numerous
other cases, the course of derivation has been exactly the same as
in this. Cannings was first a family name, imported into England
twelve centuries ago. The foreign settlers who bore it, naturally
gave it to the place at which they settled. The next step was, that
individuals born in or connected with the place, distinguished them-
selves from other Johns or Williams, as John or William de Can-
nings. Presently the de fell into disuse, and so the word insensibly
passed into a family name once more. As such, it has not only
survived to the nineteenth century, but has become known to the
whole world: first, in connexion with one of England's most ac-
complished Orators, and now as her Representative in the Empire
of India. 1
In Domesday Book, Bishop's Cannings appears to be called
Kaining-ham ; i.e. Canning's estate or farm : but in other records
of or about that period, it is simply " Canynges ;" as in Bishop
1 In the 13th and 14th centuries when Ecclesiastics almost universally used
simply their Christian name followed by the place of their birth, or home, Simon
de Kanynges was Abbot of Hyde; a.d. 1292. John de Canynges, Prior of Ab-
ingdon, 1322. Richard de Canynges, Chantry Priest at Little Cheverell, 1297,
and Chaplain at Hardenhuish, in Wilts, 1299. A Nicholas Martyn de Canynges
was Rector of Boy ton, 1332. The first of the celebrated Bristol family who
used it as an established sirname was William Canynges, Bailiff of the City in
1361, the grandfather of the builder of Redcliff Church.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 123
Osmund's Deed of Foundation of Old Sarum Cathedral, a.d. 1091,
in which it is called "Ecclesia de Oanyngot. This is, in fact, the
true original word, being the nominative plural, in the Saxon de-
clension of the Family, or Clan, of Canning.
The parish is bounded on the south by that of All -Cannings ; on
the east and north by the Marlborough Downs ; and on the west
by portions of the parishes of Potterne, Rowde, and Devizes : from
which town the village and church are distant three miles to the east.
Along the Downs, to the east and north of the village, runs for
several miles the celebrated Earthwork called the Wansdyke, which
enters Wiltshire at Great Bedwyn, and, leaving it at Monkton
Farley, is traceable to Maes Knoll in Somersetshire. Whether this
extraordinary work was originally constructed for a boundary
merely, or for a defence as well as a boundary, is not quite cer-
tain. But as that portion of it which traverses this parish, pre-
sents a very deep ditch (on the north side) as well as a lofty
rampart for its protection, I incline to think that here at all events,
both purposes were intended. This is evidently the strongest part
of the whole line, which is perhaps accounted for by its being im-
mediately opposite to the British strong-hold at Old-Bury, the
Temple of Abury, and the mount of Silbury. The Roman road
from Bath to London is traceable across these Downs ; and at Mor-
gan's Hill, just above Calstone, not only do the Wansdyke and
Roman road coincide, but the rampart of the former has been cut
away to form the road.
Numerous sepulchral memorials of their ancient inhabitants
abound on these Downs; among them I would particularly no-
tice a remarkable group of three barrows not far from the turnpike
road, and near to Shepherd's Shore. 1 These barrows are enclosed by
a ditch somewhat of the figure 8, and are most probably the resting
places of three members of a Celtic family, a child and its parents,
who perhaps fell together in some hostile attack, or from some other
1 Aubrey calls this " Shepherd's Shard," which is the more correct word: from
Saxon $ceard t division, boundary, or breach in the dyke, and in fact many of the
peasantry speak of it as the shard.
K 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
124 Bishop's Cannings.
cause died about the same time. The three tumuli are connected
together by slight bands of earth, with a cross on each, the smaller
barrow being in the middle.
The parish is divided into two chief portions. 1. Bishop's Can-
nings proper; being the part more immediately connected with the
mother-church: and 2. The Chapelry of St. James, Southbroom.
To which two divisions may be added, 3. The outlying hamlet of
Chittoe.
The first division contains the following Tythings. — Cannings,
Bourton and Easton consolidated : Cote, and Horton. The Chapelry
of St. James, Southbroom, comprehends the Tythings of Bound-
way, Wick, Nursteed, and Bedborough. Of these I propose to give
such particulars as I have been able to meet with. The outlying
hamlet of Chittoe will be mentioned subsequently.
Tything of Cannings.
The Dean and Canons of Salisbury had here a small manor
called "Cannings Canonicorum :" which they held till lately
together with the great tithes of the parish, by gift of Osmund,
first Bishop of Sarum after the Conquest, and nephew by the half
blood to the Conqueror.
But the principal estate is held under the See of Salisbury, to
which it has belonged from time immemorial : together with the
whole lordship of the manor. When this manor was first given to
the See, we do not know. But according to the course of endow-
ments, it was in all probability a grant in very ancient times from
the Crown of Wessex. The Episcopal estate is thus described in
Domesday Book. (Wyndham, p. 75.)
"The Bishop of Salisbury holds Cainingham. 1 It was assessed
1 The name of Eainingham in this Record, included of course not only the
Tything of Cannings, but the whole parish, or manor, of Bishop's Cannings: of
which, at the time the Domesday survey was taken, the borough, park, and castle
of Devizes formed a part, as will be explained. There is at least no mention of
Devizes, by name, in the Record, and as it was then included in the Bishop's
manor, it is presumed to have been included under this name of Eainingham.
Florence of Worcester, in a passage relating to one of the incursions made by
the Danes many years before the time of Edward the Confessor, mentions a local
name very similar to this of Eainingham : but whether he is alluding to this
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 125
T. R. E." (that is, in the time of King Edward the Confessor) "at 70
hides — there are 45 ploughlands — ten hides are in demesne, where
are 5 ploughlands and 6 servants — 48 villagers and 40 borderers
occupy 28 ploughlands — 6 mills pay 7 shillings and 6 pence — here
30 acres of meadow — the pasture is a mile and a half long, and a
mile broad — the wood is a mile and a half long, and a mile and a
quarter broad — a house in the borough of Gaune belonging to this
manor pays 20 pence a year — a Priest holds 2 hides of the lands
of this manor — Ebrard 10 hides — Herman 4 hides — Quintin 3 hides
— Walter 2 hides — Brictward 5 hides — Alward 1 hide — the wife of
the bailiff 1 hide — ail these have 8 ploughlands with 3 villagers,
and 30 bordarers 1 occupying 4 ploughlands* — the Bishop's demesne
is worth 60 pounds, and what the others held is worth 35 pounds."
The whole manor continued to belong to the See of Sarum with-
out disturbance, until the time of Bishop Roger a.d. 1102-1139.
This celebrated Prelate, successively the favourite of Henry L, of
his daughter the Empress Matilda, and of Stephen, became Jpo
rich and powerful for the times. Having deserted his first patron's
daughter, he was himself repaid by treachery. Stephen deprived
him both of personal liberty, and of the whole of the Episcopal
estates, including Cannings, and Devizes Castle which (among
others) the Bishop had newly built. These were, in turn, wrested
from Stephen by the Empress. The successor of Bishop Roger,
supported by the Pope's authority, prevailed upon her to promise,
by deed dated 1148, whole and entire restitution of the lands ab-
stracted from the See. But in the following year, on the arrival
part of Wiltshire, and if not, to what other place in England, is uncertain.
44 a.d. 1010. After this, ahout the feast of St. Andrew the Danes burnt North-
ampton, and then crossing the river Thames went into Essex, [? Wessex] and
having set fire to Cainingamcr&ee and the greatest part of Wiltshire, they as
usual returned to their ships about Christmas."
1 The bordarii were tenants of a less servile condition than the villani ; they
held a cottage with lands, on condition of supplying the lord's table with small
provisions, doing his domestic work, and even any base service he might re-
quire. Hida is the valuation of the estate, caruoata the measurement of the
land. Mr. Wyndham, the editor of the Wiltshire Domesday book, considers a
hide to be worth about twenty Norman shillings, and as the value depended
upon the quality of the land, it consisted accordingly of a greater or less num-
ber of acres in proportion to their poverty or fertility.
. Digitized by LjOOQ IC
126 Bishop* 8 Canning*.
of her son Henry (at that time Duke of Normandy), the expected
restitution was largely qualified by deductions which his necessities
obliged him to make. To a competitor for the Throne, fortified
places were useful. Accordingly when confirming, by deed dated
13 April 1149, his mother's engagement to restore to the See the
Manor of Cannings, Henry specially excepted "the Castle of Devize*
situated in the aforesaid manor of the Church of Sarum, and the
Burgh and Park ; excepting also the services of the knights of the
said manor; till God shall so magnify me that I shall be in a con-
dition to give them back: exoepting also seven and a half hides of
the said manor." 1 But these never were, and evidently never were
intended to be given back to the See. The King's advisers having
the will to keep, easily found the way.
By a Deed dated a.d. 1157, eight years after Henry's last pro-
mise, and three years after he had established himself on the throne,
an arrangement was made "for the adjustment of a quit claim of
oujr Lord the King in the matter bf the Castle of Devizes with the
two Parks and Burgh, as the same are at present divided and en-
closed by the Dykes." 2 This arrangement was amicable. The
King gave to the See, in lieu of what he retained, thirty pounds
per annum of Royal demesne elsewhere, and restored four churches
and two Prebends. From this time therefore (a.d. 1157) Devizes,
including what is called Old Park, (about 600 acres, long since
sub-divided into fields and in the hands of various owners, 3 ) was
finally severed from the Episcopal manor. With the town, Old
Park forms in fact the parish of Devizes : and the town itself is
still surrounded on three sides by the parish of Bishop's Cannings.
From 1157, the year of the amicabla exchange, the rest of the
mauor of Bishop's Cannings continued to be the property of the
1 Waylen's Chronicles of Devizes, p. 68.
3 Devizes Park, originally the only one, and attached to the Castle, was after-
wards called Old Park, to distinguish it from a less ancient rival, New Park,
on the opposite side of the town. From the document above referred to, it is
clear that the Old Park itself in the year 1157, had been already #t*0-divided into
two parts and enolosed by dykes. These two sub-divisions are the "two Parks"
mentioned in the text.
3 The chief of them being the Rev. Alfred Smith, who possesses a handsome
residence there.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
By Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald, 127
See of Salisbury without further disturbance for about 500 years,
and, as usual with this kind of property, has passed through the
hands of successive Lessees, under the Bishop. The Lessee, called
the Lord Farmer, held his two courts annually, a Court Baron and
a Court Leet, on the site of an ancient Manor House, which has
long since disappeared.
In 1 Richard II. (a.d. 1377) Bishop Erghum 1 obtained leave
from the Crown to make castellated houses, ("crenellare sua man-
eria") at Cannings and Potterne: adding as it would seem, in this
parish, a ditch and rampart: for of these some traces are still per-
ceptible.
At the Court of Cannings, the Farm of Bupton (in the parish of
Cliff Pypard, but Hundred of Potterne) used formerly to render an
annual payment, as holding of the Bishop. Bupton belonged for
a great many years to an old family of the name of Quintin : so
far back, it would seem, as the Domesday survey: for in the ex-
tract from that Record relating to the Bishop's manor of Cannings
(or Kainingham) given above, among the landowners under the
See, appears the name of " Quintin, 3 hides. 4 ' (See p. 125.) The
payment of Is. 6d. " Lawday silver," for Bupton, continued to be
made so late as 1661.
Among the " Lords Farmers" who have held this episcopal estate
on lease, the oldest name that has been met with, is that of Thomas
Southam: who in 1402, as "Firmarius de Canyngges," also nom-
inated the vicar.*
In 1616 Robert Drew, Esq. of Southbroom was a Lessee. In
1637 Thomas Shuter. In 1639 Mr., afterwards, Sir Robert Hen-
ley, of Henley, Co. Somerset. [See Burke's Extinct Baronets.]
In 1646, under the temporary domination of the anti-church
party, an Act was passed for abolishing Archbishops and Bishops :
1 Ralph Erghum, Bishop of Salisbury 1375 — 1388, seems to have been a timid
man, or to have lived in unsettled times: for he fortified, not only his houses at
Potterne and Cannings when Bishop of Salisbury, but also, when removed to
Wells, the Episcopal palaoe there: surrounding it with the moat and walls, &c.,
as seen at the present day.
* Sarum Registers. In the same year a Thomas Southam (perhaps the same
person) appears as Maguter Chortstarum and Patron of Preshute.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
128 Bishop's Cannings.
and a valuation of their estates for sale, was ordered. The annual
value of the Bishop's estate here was found to be £218 8s., capable
of improvement to the amount of £469 13s. 2d. per annum, in
addition. Between a.d. 1647 and 1651 it was sold to Samuel
Wightwick, Esq. for £6065 15s. 7d. But in 1660, on the return
of Charles II., the Bishop's lands were restored: and Sir Robert
Henley accordingly continued as Lessee.
About this time a small portion was alienated, as will be described
under "Chittoe" Ty thing. Sir Edward Nicholas, Et. was at this
time the principal landowner in the parish. (Subsidy Boll.) On
6th January 1661, Sir Robert Henley sold the rest of his interest
ix} the lease to Sir William Turner, merchant tailor and Alderman
of London, for J68700. 8 The next Lessee was Mr. Paul Methuen,
mentioned by Aubrey, as "of Bradford and Bishop's Cannings."
He died 1667. His son inherited, and died 1725: having in Sep-
tember 1720 sold it to Benjamin Haskins Styles, Esq. On his
death it descended to Sir Francis Haskins Eyles Styles, who sold
it in Chancery. Mr. Willy the purchaser, was succeeded by his
nephew, son of his sister the wife of Mr. Prince Sutton, in 1762.
Mr. Sutton's daughter and heiress was Eleanor, wife of Thomas
Grimston Estcourt, Esq. In a.d. 1856, his son, the Rt. Hon.
Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron Estcourt, having experienced diffi-
culties as to the renewal of his lease under the Bishop of Salisbury,
(occasioned by a rule of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, to allow
of no renewal of leases in which they have a reversionary interest,)
determined to dispose of his interest in the episcopal "manor, and
accordingly in 1858 sold this with other property in the parish to
the Commissioners of Land Revenue, that is, to the Crown.
Ty thing of Bourton and Easton (Consolidated).
Bourton was one of the seats of the ancient family of Ernie, 3
* Sir Wm. Turner, Lord Mayor of London in 1669, was the munificent Founder
of a Hospital and Free 8chool at Kirk-Leatham in Yorkshire, where he was
buried. His nephew and heir was Cholmley Turner, Esq.
3 Originally from Co. 8ussex. The Attorney-General to King Henry VIII.
(lolfl) spelled his name John Erneley.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 129
who came into possession of this property in the time of Henry VIII. ;
John son of William de Ernie having purchased the estate on the
dissolution of the monasteries ; the land being said to have been
Priory property, but for this we only have vague traditional autho-
rity, no account of any religious house there, being to be found in
any of the best works on the subject. The Ernie property at Echil-
hampton belonged to the ancient family of Malwyn, came into
the Ernie family with Joan Best wife of John Ernie, who had pro-
perty also in another part of this parish which will be mentioned;
at Echilhampton in the neighbouring parish of All-Cannings;
at Haddington, and elsewhere in Wilts. Their residence at Bour-
ton has long been converted into a farm house. It seems to have
been a large mansion, gradually lessened as different parts fell into
dilapidation. Much of the building was removed a few years ago,
and there is no difficulty in tracing foundations of other portions.
The walks, orchards, and fish-ponds, still discernible through the
changes which the face of the residence and grounds have under-
gone, sufficiently indicate the wealth and importance of the Ernie
family. Their estate here, called in the deeds of the family, "the
manor farm of Bourton, within the manor of Bishop's Cannings,"
was conveyed by deed dated 10 March, 5 Charles I., by Sir John
Ernie of Whetham (near Calne) son and heir of Michael Ernie,
Esq. and Dame Margaret his wife, and by his son and heir, to
Robert Blackborrow of Bristol, brewer. Peter Blackborrow of
Bourton, gentleman, by deed dated the 28th of June 1658, conveys
the said manor to Robert Henley, Esq. of the Middle Temple, London,
(already mentioned as a Lessee of Cannings.) Sir Robert Henley
of the Grange, in the county of Southampton, knight, by deed
dated 5th December, 19 Charles II., conveys it to Henry Wool-
nough of Bramsholt, in the said county of Southampton, clerk;
from Henry it descended to Joshua Woolnough his son, and from
him to Rollstone Woolnough his son. By will, dated 16th Nov.
1757, Rollstone Woolnough devised the manor to his three sisters
for their lives: and upon their deaths to his niece Elizabeth Smyth,
wife of John Hugh Smyth, Esq. eldest son of Sir Jarrit Smyth,
bart. Lady Smyth left her estate in this ty thing to the Rev. Israel
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
130 Bishop's Cannings.
Lewis, and after his death the trustees, under his will, sold it to
George Skeate Ruddle the present possessor. The other proprietors
in Bourton are Mr. Thomas Brown, Mr. Thomas Giddings, and
the Commissioners of the Inland Revenue, to whom (as already
mentioned) the Rt. Hon. T. H. S. Sotheron Estcourt has recently-
disposed of his interest as Lessee under the Bishop of Salisbury.
In Bourton and Easton, Sir Edward Nicholas, Sir Robert Hen-
ley, Mr. Hay ward, Sir William Turner, and William Sloper were
owners in 1660.
Ty thing of Cote (now Coatr.)
In 9 Edward II. (1319) this was shared by two owners, William
de Cotes, and John Mautravers. The latter portion had belonged
(Richard I. and Henry III.) to Sir Walter Mautravers. His de-
scendant John Lord Maltravers, one of the cruel keepers of the
unfortunate Edward II., obtained in the 12th year of that reign,
a charter of Free warren for this and his other demesne lands in
this county. He died in 1365 leaving no male issue surviving : and
this estate passed by the marriage of his grand-daughter Eleanor to
Reginald Lord Cobham of Sterborough. His son Reginald, dying
in his father's lifetime, left a daughter Margaret who married
Ralph Nevill Earl of Westmoreland (who died 1485) and carried
with her these and other estates into his family. 1
In the beginning of the 16th century, we find an estate here in
the possession of the Ernley family, from whom it passed in the
following manner to its present possessors.
Sir Edward Ernley married a daughter of General Thomas Erie,
by whom he had two daughters. One of these died unmarried ;
the other was the wife of Henry Drax, Esq., by whom she had a son
Thomas Erie Drax, Esq. To this gentleman his maternal grandfather
Sir Edward bequeathed his estates at Cote and Echilhampton.
Thomas Erie Drax dying without issue, was succeeded by his bro-
ther Edward Drax, Esq., whose daughter married Richard Grosve-
nor, Esq., by whom she had a daughter, who married J. Wanley
1 "Canynge Marsh" belonged to Edward Nevill Lord Bergavenny, who died
16 Edward IV. (1476) I. p. m.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 131
Sawbridge, Esq. In addition to his own paternal name, he assumed
that of Erie Draz: and the descendants of this marriage are now
the joint proprietors of this estate.
Mr. George Elgar Sloper, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Thomas Brown, and
Mr. Harris are the other proprietors at Cote. To the last named
gentleman belongs the farm of Cold-cote; sometimes miscalled
Calcot, or Cold croft.
"Cold-cotes in Cote" belonged in 49 Edward III. (a.d. 1375),
and in 13 Richard II. (a.d. 1389) to the family of Hastings, Earl
of Pembroke. (I. p. m.)
In later times, it belonged to Mr. Weston ; from whom it was
bought by Mr. William Salmon. He sold it to Mr. Samuel Adlam
who left it to his daughter, the wife of the Rev. Henry Baynton.
From him it was purchased by Mr. Line, whose trustees disposed
of it to Mr. Harris.
Tything of Horton.
Among the landowners in the manor of Cannings who used to
be charged, temp. John and Henry III., with an annual payment
towards the expenses of guarding Devizes Castle, are mentioned
Alan de St. George, William de Derham, and Owayn de Inemane,
for their lands in Horton.
Horton is mentioned in the Inquis. post mortem as held of the
manor of Canynges in 17 Richard II. (1393) by Cicely wife of Sir
Nicholas Berkeley. In 2 Henry IV. (1400) Sir John Roche, kt.,
died owner. His estate passed to the Bayntons of Fallersdon, and
was their's in 1465 and 1475. In 1517 John Vinor was principal
landowner here. (Subsidy Roll) In temp. Charles I. Thomas Wes-
ton, gent. In 41 Elizabeth (1597) some part of this Tything bore
the name of Horton Quarks}
The landowners in Horton, about 1665, were Sir Edward Nicho-
las, Sir William Turner, Benjamin Gifford, Esq. of Boreham, Thomas
Weston, and John Unwyn, Esqs. of Yabington, Hants. Mr. Un-
wyn was the largest proprietor. Part of his estate passed to Mr.
1 In 1315 Quark was owner of half the manor of Luckington in North Wilts.
Quarles is a name found at Salisbury in 1597.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
132 Bishop's Cannings,
Bennett (P of Steeple Ashton) and from him to Mr. Smith his son-
in-law. He sold it to Mr. Adams of whom it was purchased by
Dr. Rigge. He left two daughters coheiresses, one of whom mar-
ried — Worrell Esq., and the other, James Rooke, Esq., a Major
in the army. This now belongs to Mrs. Rooke.
Another portion of Mr. TTnwyn's estate came to James Sutton,
Esq., of Devizes, who took it in exchange for some other property
nearer to that town. It has also passed from the Rt. Hon. Mr.
Estcourt (as before mentioned) to the Commissioners of Inland
Revenue.
Mr. Thomas Brown inherited his house and premises from a near
relative; it formed originally part of the property of a Mr. Weston
whose sister succeeding to it, married Mr. Simon Ruddle, who be-
queathed it to his niece Mrs. Lawrence, by whom it was left to Mr.
Thomas Brown.
Mr. Thomas Qiddings also holds in this tything a freehold farm
of about 150 acres.
II. Chapelry of St. James, Southbroom.
This division of the parish consists of four tythings, viz. Round-
way, Wick, Nursteed, and Bedborough ; and contains altogether
nearly 3000 acres, with a population according to the census of
1851 of 2517 souls. It is assessed to the Poor at £7980 9s. lOd.
In all temporal matters these two divisions of the parish are dis-
tinct: in spiritual things they were till within these few years un-
der one head, and the vicar of Bishop's Cannings had the cure of
souls here, as in the rest of the parish. In 1831, at the instance
of the vicar, with the aid of an Act of George II., it was made a
Perpetual Curacy, and a separate Incumbent provided for it on the
nomination of the vicar of the mother-church. All the tythings,
mentioned as constituting this parochial chapelry, are within the
manor of Bishop's Cannings, and Mr. Sotheron Estcourt whilst
lord farmer, exercised the manorial rights. Besides the Bishop of
Salisbury, there are other large proprietors in this part of the
parish. Among these, the chiefs are Mr. Estcourt, Mrs. Colston,
Mr. Watson Taylor, and Mr. Ewart.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 133
Sotdhhroom is perhaps so called, to distinguish it from a small
hamlet in the more Northern part of Wilts, Brome near Swindon.
In 2 Henry III. (1217) Godfrey de Clifton and John de Holt,
clerk, represented the Bishop here. In 11 Henry III. (a.d. 1226)
a Fair was granted, and in 12 Richard II. (a.d. 1388) was con-
firmed to the Bishop of Salisbury, to be held at South broom ("ad
Suth Bram extra villain de Devizes"). It was held on the Green,
a portion of the waste of the lord of the manor, of which the Bishop
had toll, and which toll is still paid, the fair being held on 20th
April and 20th October in each year.
In 1439 Thomas Norton of this place held under lease from John
Fyton, lands in Canyngs episcopi, Stert, Vyse-wyke, and elsewhere
in the neighbourhood. 1 About 1498 it became the property of the
Drew family, in whose hands it continued for 200 years, to (about)
1680. Drew's pond near Devizes still bears their name; which is
found in many entries in the registers, and on monuments, in the
churches of St. James and St. John. In 1615 was printed a Ser-
mon called "Life's Farewell" from Sam. xiv. 14, preached on the
death of John Drew, Esq. by George Ferreby, Vicar of Bishop's
Cannings. A copy of this is in Magd. Coll. Library, Oxford.
Robert, son of this John Drew was M.P. for Devizes 1597 — 1625. 8
1 Wilts Arch. Magazine, I. 288, No. 46.
•It has been stated in Vol. iii. p. 177 of this Magazine, that in a deed of
temp. Henry VII., the first Lessee of Southbroom is called John Trewe; and
that this is the oldest form of the name at this place. On this point our Editor
has observed to me that he is not acquainted with Trewe as a Wiltshire genti-
litial name: but that Drew was an ancient and abundant name in the Western;
counties, and, as such, still adheres to three parishes whioh some have considered,,
but as be thinks quite erroneously, to have been called after the Druids: viz.
Drew's Teignton (Co. Devon), Stanton Drew (Co. Som.) and Littleton Drew (Co.
Wilts). There were also in North Wilts, Drews of Seagry, temp. Edward III. ;
and of Ogbourne St. George so late as 1565. He thinks that in the case of John
Tretce, above mentioned, there may have been an accidental error by the clerk
who wrote the deed, such as often happens either from similarity of sound (as
Tenison for Denison, or Tuckett for Duckett), or when a deed is prepared at a
distance from the spot. In this case the error seems to be immediately corrected
in the deed next following, by the restoration of the proper name Drew, "alia*
Trewe," as such mistakes, once made, are obliged to be referred to in subsequent
documents. The representatives of the Southbroom family repudiate the varia-
tion of Trewe. The name of William Ferrebe, clerk, and Lawrence Drewe are
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
134 Bishop'* Cannings.
About 1680 Southbroom was purchased by Sir John Eylee, of a
Devizes family, a Lord Mayor of London, and elder brother of Sir
Francis Eyles created baronet 1714. The baronetcy in the younger
branch expired 1768. The last of the elder branch who resided at
Southbroom was Edward Eyles, Esq. 1770. His eldest sister
Maria was wife of George Heath cote of London, whose son was
Josiah Eyles Heathcote. This gentleman's executors sold it to
William Salmon, Esq. : who sold it to the trustees of Mr. Watson
Taylor, father of the present owner. It is now the residence of
R. P. Nisbet, Esq.
Tything of Roundway.
This is a small hamlet about two miles north of Devizes. In the
oldest documents it is most frequently spelled Rynd-way : perhaps
from Ryne, in Saxon a spring.
The principal estate here, now called Roundway Park, was till
lately called New Park, to distinguish it from the Old or Castle
Park. It is probable that originally the whole tything, as well as
the vill, was held under the See of Salisbury; but that some part 1
passed to the Crown with Devizes Castle ; as in a.d. 1327 (1 Edw.
III.) Henry Estmond and others were found to hold 120 acres of
arable, &c, at Divises in a place called the New Park — " loco voc'
Novo Parco" — doing suit and service at Devizes Castle. (I. p. m.)
In later times the Bishop's estate was dispersed about the tything :
but by an arrangement in Mr. James Sutton's time, New Park be-
came independent of the See.
Braden stoke Priory had a small portion of land here called
"Holdcroft, under Cofle-grove:" and the College de Valle Schola-
rum (Yaux) at Salisbury received 10s. per annum rents from
" Ronway " in 1534. [Val. Ecc]
For 500 years (with only a brief temporary interruption,)
" Ryndway " was the property of one of the oldest Wiltshire fami-
found in juxta-position so early as 1398, as fellow-commissioners sent to attend
a Convention. (Rymer, viii. 54.)
1 Perhaps the 2 hides, printed IbWeveran, in Mr. Waylen's " Chronicles of
Devizes." p. 68.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 135
lies, still lineally represented but no longer here — that of Nicholas. 1
John Nicholas was of Ryndway so early as a.d. 1300. The family
branched off and is found at several other places in Wilts : as at
Compton Chamberlayne, Cote in Bishop's Cannings, Brokenbo-
rough, Stert, and All-Cannings, all in 1553. At Seend, 1669 ; and
Manningford Braose, 1706 ; also at Ashton Keynes. In Ryndway
their original holding (under the Bishop in socage) seems to have
been called " Nicholas Place." They had also " Cray's " in 1504.
In 1598 Robert Nicholas held at his father's death, as of ancient
inheritance, a capital messuage, toft, and six virgates of land, here
and at Southbroom: also "Le Hould croft in Ryndeway" then
fallen to the Crown as parcel of the estates of the dissolved Priory
of Bradenstoke : also a small piece of ground in Ryndway, held of
John Sloper as of his share of the manor of Horton Quarles. (I.p.m.)
Griffin Nicholas, Esq. was a benefactor to the poor of Devizes.
By will 1634, he bequeathed to the poor of St. James's parish £105.
To St. Mary's poor £155. To St. John's poor £52 10s. : and to
Calne poor £50. Total £362 10s.
In 1659 Ryndway was under-leased to Captain Robert Chaloner,
whose family (of Co. Denbigh) was connected with that of Nicholas
by marriage. 8 Thomas Chaloner, Lancaster Herald 1668, appears
to have lived here. 3
1 The following notices of this family are principally taken from documents
kindly lent by Edward Richmond Nicholas, Esq. of Bewdley, Co. Woro.
2 Joan Chaloner was the mother of Robert Nicholas, Esq., Recorder of Devizes.
The family notices say that she died at Devizes in 1732, aged 97: and that she
dressed singularly, always wearing a black cap.
3 Time renders so harmless the sting of personality, that we hope no living
person is likely to take offence if we revive out of John Aubrey's letters to An-
thony a Wood, the character which those two oddities settled for this gentleman.
A. Wood was trying to obtain a situation in the Herald's Office. Aubrey makes
some enquiry on his behalf, and then writes "There is not yet any vacancy: but
Mr. Dugdale supposes that one I know is not fit for the place will be contented
to resign for money. He is Lancaster Herald : and one that the Office (and I
thinke every body) hates, or ought to doe, if they knew him as well as I doe:
for he hath been the boutefeu (fire-brand) to set me and my dame" (his
intended) "at variance." To which A. Wood replies. "The person that you
mentioned in your letter that is now Lancaster Herald, his name is Chaloner,
whose character I have heard by one of his neighbours that liveth at the Devizes.
I know also that he hath been an Officer in the Army, a bustling man for the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
136 Bishop* s Cannings.
In 1663 among the names of the rate-payers in Ryndway occurs
that of Sir Edward Nicholas, the celebrated Secretary of State to
King Charles II., an old and faithful servant of the Crown, who
was dismissed through the intrigues of Lady Castlemaine, the
Royal mistress.
Robert Nicholas, counsel on Colonel Penruddocke's trial, and
afterwards Baron of the Exchequer, died owner of Ryndway in
1670. He left no son surviving. One of his daughters married
Thomas Hulbert of Corsham: and their daughter Elizabeth marry-
ing Brereton Boucher, Esq, of Barnesly, Co. Gloucester, carried
the estate into that family. But in 1705 it was re-purchased by
Robert Nicholas, Esq., Recorder of Devizes, descended from a
younger brother of Robert the Baron of the Exchequer above
mentioned.
John Nicholas, the Baron's nephew, was Fellow of All Souls
College Oxford in 1674.
In 1706 Edward Nicholas of Manningford Braose held the manor
of Potterne under the See.
Robert Nicholas, Esq., the first Recorder of Devizes under
Charles I.'s charter, was born at Ryndway 2nd March 1661 : was en-
tered of Balliol College Oxford, and then of the Inner Temple.
He married Jane only daughter of Mr. John Child, M.P. for De-
vizes, brother to Sir Francis Child the first banker. The Recorder
died 7th January 1725, aged 64.
The name of Edward Richmond Nicholas his grandson is found
among the juvenile authors of the Musae Etonenses. 1 He left Eton
as Captain of the Commoners, and took a degree in Civil Law and
Physic at Queen's College, Oxford. He died 1770. His son Robert
Nicholas, Esq., M.P. for Cricklade (by petition) in 1784, was of
Ashton Keynes, (where his grandfather Edward had married the
daughter of Oliffe Richmond). He sold the Round way estate about
1790 to Mr. Willy, M.P. for Devizes, from whom it passed to his
relative Mr. Sutton: and from him by the female line to tlft late
world, of great acquaintance with the gentry, and one that nnderttandeth his
trade well. He will not stick to ask enough."
1 Edit. 1755, pages 43, 45, 50, 53, 56, 60.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 137
Mr. Estcourt. From him it was purchased by Mr. Holford whose
trustees sold it to the late Edward Francis Colston, Esq, whose
widow is the present proprietress.
On the hill above, called Roundway Hill and Roundway Down,
there is an earthwork, commonly called Oliver's camp, from the
notion that Cromwell occupied it when his army or a portion of it
was in this part of the county, and surrounded, in 1645, the town
of Devizes. This little earthenwork is situated on the western ex-
tremity of the hill, upon a high point of Down projecting towards
the village of Rowde. It has an entrance from the Down, guarded
by a single rampart. On the other side it is rendered inaccessible
by nature. The whole area of the camp does not contain three
acres. It has not the appearanoe of a very old work, and though
not strictly of the usual form of a Roman encampment, yet as some
articles of Roman personal furniture have been found in the neigh-
bourhood, it was probably used by them as an exploratory camp
attached to the Station of Yerlucio.
On this plain, since called King's Play Down, a battle took place
13th July 1643 between the Royalists commanded by Lord Wil-
mot and Sir Ralph Hopton, and the forces of the Parliament under
Sir William Waller; when the latter sustained a signal defeat.
The narrative may be found in Clarendon's History of the Rebel-,
lion.
On this Down a barrow was opened by Mr. Cunnington, and at five
and a half feet below the surface a skeleton was found in a fixed po-
sition, with its head towards the north, and lying on the left side.
This, according to the opinion of a distinguished medical member of
the Wiltshire Archaeological Society, was the skeleton of an Ancient
Briton, an old man. 1 In 1858, Mr. Cunnington made a second
investigation, and on this occasion the interment was found at the
western end of the barrow, and consisted of a deposit of burnt hu-
man bones and a small bronze dagger, which had been fastened to
its handle by three bronze rivets. The peculiarity of this inter-
ment was the fact that the bones were contained in a wooden chest
1 See his account, Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, vol. iii. p. 187.
I
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
138 Bishop* 8 Cannings.
or small coffin, a circumstance which has not hitherto been noticed
in Ancient British harrows.
In the summer of 1852, as some men were employed in draining
a field in Roundway farm, their spades came in contact with a
hard substance which proved, on opening the ground, to be a
leaden cist or coffin. It was rectangular in shape and much cor-
roded, and must have lain there undisturbed for many centuries, and
from its position (nearly north and south) was probably of the
Anglo-Roman period ; but this of course is only conjecture, as no
coins, personal ornaments, or pieces of pottery were found to indi-
cate the date, nor were any remains of the body found, except some
traces of phosphate of lime, usually discovered in earth which has
been in contact with animal matter.
" Another discovery of a leaden coffin was made in an open field
near Heddington, presenting exactly the same appearance as the
one at Roundway. In that instance also there were no remains of
the body, nor any clue to the time of interment, but in the same
field some pottery of a very early period was found.
In 1787 was printed a poem called " Roundway Hill," by T,
Needham Rees, surgeon, of Devizes.
Wick.
This is now a suburb of Devizes. " Wic;" Saxon for village, in
Latin, tncus, is known in some cases to indicate a Roman site. A
discovery in 1699 of several hundred Roman coins on ground here
belonging to Sir John Eyles of Southbroom ; and another in 1714,
of a whole set of pocket household images or Penates (for which
see a plate in Waylen's Chronicles of Devizes, p. 279), close to the
site of the present Southbroom House; besides other relics men-
tioned by Stukeley as being continually found near Devizes ; lead
to a fair supposition that there were Romanized Britons here. To
what extent it is impossible to say : but perhaps this was the ori-
ginal village which afterwards under episcopal and royal patronage
grew up into the larger town. It is sometimes called "Vyse-wyke."
Nursteed : about two miles south-west of Devizes, is perhaps a
corruption of New-stead — new place — but sometimes called NuTst-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 139
wood, though there does not seem to have existed near the hamlet
any woody land, from which the name could come. Mr. Sotheron
Estcourt and Mrs. Smith are the chief proprietors, the last men-
tioned lady having a handsome villa residence in it.
Bedbokough is the remaining tything; the boundaries of which
it is not easy to ascertain and more difficult to describe. It em-
braces portions of Devizes Green, and runs up the London road,
becomes intermixed with the tything of Roundway, and is stopped
by the lane leading to the Silk mill.
III. Chittob. Anciently Chetowe, and Chitfow: now sometimes
called Chit way.
This tything adjoins the parish of Bromham, but is an outlying
part of the manor of Bishop's Cannings, from which by the nearest
road over the Downs it is six miles distant. The larger part of it
belongs to the Spye Park estate. In the year 1661 Sir Edward
Baynton of Bromham being engaged in building a mansion house
on a new site, Old Bromham House, the seat of his ancestors, hav-
ing been burnt in the civil wars ; Mr. Robert Henley, already
mentioned as Lord Farmer at that time of the entire manor, con-
veyed to Sir Edward, by an underlease, all his right and property
in Ghittoe. This included about 100 acres of waste which were
added to the new domain called Spye Park; a condition being
annexed that by way of acknowledgement, the Bayntons should
pay to tha Bishop as chief lord an annual contribution of two fat
bucks. Mr. C. Wyndham is also a landowner in the tything.
Tradition relates that there was anciently a chapel here : and
this appears to have been the case: for in the Valor Ecclesiasticua
(Henry VIII.) the vicar of Bishop's Cannings is charged with a
payment to the rector of Bromham of 6s. 8d. per annum "pro
capelld de Chiftow." This, I doubt not, was in consideration of his
celebrating the sacraments to the inhabitants of Chittoe, on account
of their inconvenient distance from their proper parish priest. It
is not known when the chapel was destroyed, nor when this pay-
ment was discontinued. The parishioners of Chittoe have for very
many years been accustomed to be married at Bishop's Cannings,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
140 Bhhop's Canning*.
but for the offices of baptism and burial, to attend at Bromham
church.
The Spye Park estate pays to the vicar of Bishop's Cannings
every year £2 6s. 8d., which may have been the value of the tythes
in ancient times, when nearly all the land in the tything was
waste. It would appear by a deed of the 13th century, of the na-
ture of an " Impeximu8y 9 that the whole of the tythes of this part
of the parish were given to the vicar of Bishop's Cannings: and if
he were possessed of sufficient legal evidence to establish his claim
to them, now that they are of greater value, the income of the
curacy, to which they would be assigned by the incumbent of the
mother-church, would be considerably augmented. The tything
consists of about 1100 acres.
The present vicar of Bishop's Cannings, who even from the date
of his induction to the living, had a wish to build a chapel in this
outlying part of his parish, at last, in 1844, saw a prospect of hav-
ing his desire accomplished : and in the following year, by the
Christian liberality of Mrs. Charlotte Starky, Bishop Denison of
Salisbury, and other friends, was enabled to erect one, of sufficient
size to accommodate both the inhabitants of the tything, and some
of those of the adjoining parish of Bromham. A district being
thus assigned it became a Perpetual Curacy ; the patronage being
vested in the Bishop of Salisbury, who had endowed it by a charge
on his estate of £25 per annum : to which the vicar of the parish
added an annual grant of £10. To these endowments some addi-
tion has been made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England ;
whilst Mr. Sotheron Estcourt has generously enabled the Bishop to
provide a glebe and otherwise augment the curacy. The dedication
of this church is observed every year on the 16th of October by the
celebration of Divine Worship, on which occasion there is generally
a full attendance of the inhabitants of the district.
The church is built of native stone, with free stone dressing, in
the Decorative style of architecture. It consists of nave and chan-
cel, and contains 175 sittings, the whole of which are " free and
unappropriated for ever." The pitch of the roof and the chancel arch
are generally admired. Four of the windows, including the large
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdanald. 141
east window which was executed by Wailes at the expense of
the present incumbent, are filled with stained glass, two of them
being erected in pious memory of J. Schomberg, Esq, (late of "Wans
House) by his widow. The situation of the church, and indeed of
the whole district, is almost unrivalled for picturesque beauty. In
the latter are comprehended Sloperton Cottage, the last residence
of Thomas Moore the poet, and Nonsuch House, formerly Mr.
Morris's, now the property of the Rev. Meredith Brown, the in-
cumbent of Chittoe. But the principal feature of this kind is Spye
Park the seat of J. B. Starky, Esq., which may be fairly considered
one of the most beautiful parks and residences in the county. The
house is a structure of stone, in the Italian style, with a handsome
pediment; and is situated on the brow of an eminence, commanding
from the back, or south side, a prospect towards Bath, which the
cultivated and fastidious John Evelyn has pronounced to be incom-
parable. "On the 19th July 1654," says Mr. Evelyn, "went to
Sir Edward Baynton's, Spie Park, a place capable of being made
a noble seat, but the humorous old Knight has built a long sin-
gle house of two low stories on the precipice of an incomparable
prospect, and landing on a bowling green in the park." 1 The
gateway by which the park is entered from the Lacock or Bowden
side deserves attention. It is considered a perfect specimen of
a Tudor Arch, and is said to have been presented to the Baynton
family by one of the Queens of Henry VIII. It formerly stood
at Old Bromham House, long since levelled with the ground.
The park consists of about 500 acres, and contains every element
of the picturesque.
Ecclesiastical History.
The church "of Cannings" with glebe, great tythes, and a cer-
tain portion of the small tythes, was granted April 1091 by the
munificent Bishop Osmund to the Dean and Canons of Salisbury,
with episcopal jurisdiction over the parish ; which jurisdiction con-
tinued and was exercised by the present incumbent as Official of
the Dean and Chapter until within these few years past, when all
the Peculiars in the Diocese were merged in the jurisdiction of the
l Vol. i. p. 279. ~~ ~~~~
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
142 Bishop's Cannings.
Bishop. It is not easy to understand why it pleased Bishop Os-
mund to exempt from episcopal authority the parish, which com-
prised his own manorial estate, and to assign it to others ; but it is
in agreement with one of the statutes of the Cathedral, in which
he counsels the Dean and Canons to be on their guard against the
influence of the Bishop in their concerns.
Under the Land Tax Act, in the beginning of this century, the
great tythes and a portion of the small tythes, were sold by the
Dean and Chapter to Sir Anthony Abdy, then Lord Farmer of
their manor of Cannings Canonicorum. He assigned them to T.
Sutton, Esq. of New Park in this parish ; by whose will they were
bequeathed to his daughter Eleanor, wife of Thomas Grimston
Estcourt, Esq. ; and from her they descended to her son, Mr. So-
theron Estcourt. Of these tythes Mr. Estcourt, senior, merged the
greater portion in land by a certain agreement between himself and
the Bishop of Salisbury. The rest (under the arrangement for the
general disposal of his interest in the episcopal property, already
referred to) has been most liberally surrendered by Mr. Sotheron
Estcourt, for the augmentation of the chapels of Southbroom and
Chittoe, and for the maintenance of the chancel of Bishop's Can-
nings church.
This Vicarage.
The Dean and Canons are the patrons of the vicarage, which is
valued in the King's books at £17 19s. 2d.
In a.d. 1778 an Act of Parliament was obtained to lay several
certain common lands, which was carried into effect, and a portion of
pasture assigned to the vicar. In 1812 the whole of the tythes of the
parish due to the vicar were under the provisions of another Act of
Parliament commuted, for the great and small tythes of certain
lands in the ty thing of Coate, and of a farm (now Mr. Gidding's)
in the ty thing of Horton; and for an assignment of a certain ad-
ditional quantity of land at Coate and Bishop's Cannings. Under
the more recent general commutation, all these tythes have been
converted into a rent charge of £360 a year. The Dean and Chap-
ter of Salisbury in selling their property, and the great tythes to
their tenants (as mentioned above), were careful to charge them
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Fen. Archdeacon Macdonald. 143
with an annual payment to the vicar of sixteen quarters of barley
and twelve quarters of wheat.
Vicars of Bishop's Cannings,
with the dates of their respective Institutions.
A.D.
1290. " Johannes, Vioarius de Canynges " witnesses a deed of Lacock Abbey.
1313. Simon Ingham.
1316. Wmns de Carleton.
1329. Wmns de Cherleton.
1332. Johannes de Keston, by exch. with T. Welewyk of Colerne.
1334. Nicholas Thurstayn.
1339. Hngonis de Lambele, vice John de Keston (sic .)
1389. Wmns de Gilbert, by exch. with Robert Elteslee of Corsham.
1390. William Chitterne, v. Robert Elteslee.
1402. Johannes Kentif, vice Wm. Shirard (sic.)
1410. Philippus Goffe, vice Johannes Eentyf.
1419. Johannes Dygon, vice Philippi Goffe.
1421. Johannes Marreys, vice Johannis Dygon.
1425. William Hankyn, vice John Marys.
1428. Nicholas Yonge, by exch. with William Hatikyn.
1468. John Boleyn, p. m. Nioh. Yong.
1472. John Leoke, on reeig. John Boleyn.
1489. Riohardos Baldry, vice John LeoAe.
1491. Christopher Chatres, p. m. Rioh. Baldry.
1602. Edmund Crome.
1604. Thomas Sloper, on ret. Ed. Crome.
1535. Gnlielmns Cake, p. m. Thomas 81oper.
1643. Richard Aoars, v. Wm. Cake.
Hugh Gongh.
1593. George Ferrebe, on res. of Hugh Gough.
1623. Thomas Ferrebe, on death of G. F.
1660. Thomas Etwell.
1683. Nathanael Godwyn.
1704. Avery Thompson.
1720. Jonathan Waterman.
1760. Arthur Dodwell.
1815. William Macdonald, M. A., Archdeacon of Wilts.
It would appear from the dates of Institutions that the incumben-
cies of the earlier vicars of the parish were but of short duration : the
contrast is great between them and the incumbencies of later min-
isters. Nothing is known about the earlier vicars. Among the later,
Mr. George Ferrebe (1593 — 1623) deserves mention. Of him it
is said that he was skilled in music; and that by his exercise of this
talent he particularly pleased Anne, Queen of James the First,
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
144 Bishop* s Cannings.
when on her return from Bath 11th June 1613, she pasted over
Wansdyke in his parish. Haying received intelligence of this,
Mr. Ferrebe, it is related, dressed himself in the habit of an an-
cient bard, and clothed certain persons of his family whom he had
taught to play and sing in parts, in shepherd's weeds, and proceeded
to meet her Majesty. The Queen having had some notice of their
intention, stood still and suffered them to draw up to her, which
when done, they played their lessons on their wind instruments
admirably, and sung some pastoral eclogues which he bad composed
for the occasion, to the great liking of the Queen and her Court.
Soon after this, Mr. Ferrebe was sworn one of the King's Chap-
lains, and was ever after much valued for his ingenuity. 1 Aubrey
in one of his letters says that "G. Ferrebe was Demy if not Fellow
of Magd. Coll. Oxford : and that it was he who caused the eight
bells to be cast there, being a very good ringer."
The Parish Church.
This is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, and is a very ancient
and noble structure. It has some traces of Norman, but a large
portion of it is of the earliest age of the Pointed style: which
doubtless was the prevailing character of the whole before certain
changes, hereafter noticed, were made.
The chancel with the transepts and tower afford pure specimens
of the Early English, and lancet windows ; those of the chancel
especially being very beautiful, and much admired both by profes-
sional and amateur architects: whilst the pillars of the nave, adorn-
ed with well finished capitals, furnish evident marks of having
been set up at that transition period, when the massive Roman
was giving way to the lighter architecture of the 12th century. 2 The
1 See a further account of this eccentric vicar in Aubrey's Nat. Hut. of Wilts,
p. 108.
3 The late Mr. Britton in his "Architectural Antiquities" vol. iv. p. 121,
gives an engraving of the church from the south ; and " safely refers the ear-
liest part of it to the reign of King Henry II." 1155-1189. Joceline de Bailol
being Bishop of Salisbury during nearly the whole of that period, it is not un-
likely that upon recovering the Manor of Cannings from the crown in A.D. 1159,
(See above, p. 125.) he undertook the erection of this fine building. Its charac-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
'WV
V V
IV
&
Sk
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdomld. 145
whole edifice consists of a nave with two aisles ; a porch on the
south side; decorated with the ball flower ornament; a transept
with a .tower and spire rising from the centre; a chantry attached
to the east side of the south transept; a chancel, whioh till within
these fifty or sixty years was furnished with stalls; and a very
ancient building now used as a vestry room, attached to the north-
east corner. The church from east to west measures 122 ft 6 in.;
length of chancel 52 ft.; width of transept 16 ft. 2 in.; length of
nave 56 ft. 4 in. ; length of transept, from north to south, 66 ft.
6 in. 1 The Chantry chapel on the east side of the south transept
was, at the time of the Reformation (5th .Elizabeth), made over by
the ohurohwardens to John Ernie, Esq. of Bourton, in this parish,
as a burial place for himself and family, according to the tenor of
the following deed of gift, dated 6 Nov. 1563: —
" To all the faithful in Christ to whom this our present writing shall come,
Thomas Sloper and John Perse wardens or guardians of the parish ehuroh of
Bishop's Cannyng, in the oounty of Wilts, greeting in the Lord everlasting : —
Whereas in the parish ohuroh of Bishop's Cannyng aforesaid, a certain ohapel
oommonly called our Lady Bower, for the oelehration of papistical masses is
constructed and built, and suoh masses repugnant and contrary to divine law
by the laws and statutes of this famous kingdom of England are lawfully abolished
and prohibited : by pretext whereof the aforesaid ohapel now is of no use to
the said church or the parishioners thereof, nor can be converted, but the charges
of the repair of the same ohapel whioh now begin to be great (and increasing
unless a remedy be provided, cannot but be in future days greater and heavier)
fall upon the wardens or guardians and parishioners of the parish ohuroh of
Bishop's Cannyng aforesaid: Know ye therefore that we the aforesaid Thomas %
Sloper and John Perse the wardens or guardians beforesaid, as well in regard of
the premises as for divers other just and lawful causes and considerations us
hereunto moving, as well for us and our suooessors, wardens, or guardians of the
said parish ohuroh as for all and singular the parishioners of the aforesaid parish
ohuroh, their consent and assent being also expressly had to these presents ;
Do give and grant to our beloved in Christ, John Ernie of Bishop's Cannyng
ter, borne out by the known history of the Manor, sufficiently denotes that at
all events it must have been built under influence connected with Salisbury
CathedraL It is illustrated by Mr. Owen B. Carter in his unfinished folio work
of Wiltshire churches.
1 The chancel being so long, and being separated from the body of the ohuroh
by the transept and having pillars supporting the steeple, the minister oannot
read the Communion service from the proper place : and it is worthy of note
that among the muniments of the Chapter there is an order direoting the
vioar not to read the servioe in the chancel but in the reading desk of the nave.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
146 Bishop'* Cannings.
beforesaid, in the said county of Wilts, Esquire, and his heirs and assigns for
ever, the use and occupation of the aforesaid ohapel, viz., as well to make and
procure to be constructed and built seats in such chapel, and also to use and
have the same seats for the purpose of hearing Divine service, to be had and
ministered in such parish church, as for burying and delivering to burial the
bodies of deceased persons in the same ohapel. To have and to hold the use and
occupation of the beforesaid ohapel in manner and form aforesaid, together with
the tree and direct ingress and regress to the same to the aforesaid John Ernie,
his heirs, and assigns for ever. Provided always that the beforesaid John
Ernie, his heirs and assigns, the aforesaid chapel in all necessary repairs, at his
proper charges and expenses from time to time, as often as need shall be, shall
well and sufficiently repair and maintain and sustain : and if it shall happen
that such ohapel in any part thereof, by the beforesaid John Ernie, his heirs, or
assigns, be unrepaired by the space of one year after lawful notice to the same
John Ernie, his heirs, or assigns, by the aforesaid wardens or guardians, or our
successors made, then our present writings shall be of no value or effect. And
then and from thenceforth it shall be lawful for us and our successors, wardens or
guardians of the said parish church, into the aforesaid chapel with all its appur-
tenances to re-enter, and the same with the appurtenances as in its former slate,
to retain and re-possess, our present gift and grant in any wise notwithstanding.
In faith and testimony of all and singular the premises, we have affixed our
seals to these presents, dated the 6th day of the month of November, in the 5th
year of the reign of Elizabeth, by the grace of God of England, France, and
Ireland, Queen, Defender of the faith.
" By me Johk Erstlb."
It was dedicated to Our Lady of thp Bower, 1 and having fallen
into dilapidation, and private masses being no longer legal and
allowable, it was accepted by Mr. Ernie on condition of his keeping
it in due repair. Having passed to his heirs it is now maintained by
them, though no longer used for the purpose of interments, and I
am sorry to say is not in so good a condition as might be wished. It
contains two sepulchral monuments. 1st. In memory of John Ernie
1 Boure (from the Saxon Bur) is an old word used by Chaucer signifying, not,
as it generally does now, an arbour, but a chamber, as opposed to a hall.
" Heres thou not Absalon
That ohaunteth thus under our boure's wall." — Miner's Tale.
So in a Scotch ballad;
" There shall neither coal nor candle light
Be seen within my bower mair."
And Milton :
"in hall or bower."
Chapels were dedicated to " Our Lady" under various titles : "Adpriesepe" of
the manger. De navicelld, of the boat. Ad nives, of the snow, Ac. The pre-
sent one is rare.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 147
of Bourton, Esq., who died February 1st, 1571. 2nd. In memory
of Edward Ernie of Echilhampton, son of Michael Ernie of Bour-
ton, who died November 30th, 1656; and of Edward his grand-
child, January 21st, 1675. The building attached to the north-east
corner of the chancel, called a chantry chapel by Mr. Britton, but
more probably used as a sacristy, is that portion of the church which
bears the mark of the highest antiquity. Unlike chantry chapels,
it has an upper chamber, probably a priest's room, anil had origin-
ally a bell turret, the vestiges of which consist of some steps ending
in the ridge of the roof. Though there can be little or no doubt
that this church was built in the time of Henry II., it has never-
theless undergone considerable alteration at a subsequent period,
probably early in the 14th century, when the Perpendicular style
came into fashion with architects. At this time the original high
pitched roof of the nave was replaced by a late Pointed clerestory
and roof; the triplet at the west end being preserved. The walls
of the north and south aisles were raised, and windows of the early
Perpendicular substituted in these aisles for the smaller lancets,
specimens of which are to be seen in the sides of the transepts.
There is in this church a singular, and I believe an unique article
of furniture, the design and use of which it has puzzled many per-
sons to discover. By some antiquaries it has been considered to be
a portion of a Confessional ohair; but a different, and probably
more correct account of it is thus given by a writer in the "Eccle-
siologist," (vol. v. pp. 150-2.) "Of this (alleged) "Confessional
chair," an unscientific drawing and copy of the inscription were
published in the "British Magazine" for April 1835. The inscrip-
tion however was both incompletely and incorrectly transcribed.
The chair itself, or rather stall, is now moveable, and is placed
against the west wall of the north transept. It consists of an up-
right panel, with some mouldings at the top and sides: the inner
face of which is painted with a large hand, inscribed with sentences,
and with two labels below, proceeding from the mouths of a white
and a black cock respectively, also charged with legends. Against
this panel is constructed a seat, facing videxcaya, with a flooring, a
back of the ordinary height of a pew, a door, (facing the panel, but
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
148 Bishop's Cannings.
on the right hand of the person occupying the seat) and a desk in
front of the seat, lower than the back or side. In the absence of
accurate drawings we cannot help thinking that the seat is later than
the painted panel to which it is attached. The inscriptions are in
letters of the 15th century. Now, even supposing the whole to be
of the same date, there can be little or no question that this seat is
not a confessional : first, because there is no arrangement for whis-
pering or secrecy: secondly, because the mantis medttationi* is quite
unsuitable to the case of either penitent or confessor: thirdly, be-
cause everything people do not understand is, as a matter of course,
attributed to confessionals. Some have thought the back to be a
panel of the rood, or some other screen. But the inscription seems
also quite inappropriate in such a position, or for any use in con-
nection with the Divine offices. Whether, however, the unpainted
scat, and doskwork be of the same date or not, it is certain that
the whole stall is of ante-reformation date. We subjoin an ingeni-
ous theory of a valued correspondent on the use of this seat.
"For myself, (he says) I conjecture that this so called Confes-
sional chair is a valuable, and perhaps unique, example of the
ancient 'Carrel,' 1 or stall, usually fixed in the cloister pf monastic
buildings, and which probably occurred as frequently in connexion
with large parochial churches, 6uch as Bishop's Cannings, in imme-
diate dependance on the Cathedral. These carrels were used by
the monks or clergy for daily private study and meditation : hence
the peculiar propriety and beauty in such a position of the manus
meditationis. The following account of the carrel is transcribed
from the well known " Rites of Durham Abbey." [Surtees Society's
edition, pp. 70, 71.] 'In the north side of the cloister, from the
corner against the church door to the corner over against the Dor-
ter (Dormitory) door, was all fynely glased from the hight to the
sole within a litle of the ground into the cloister garth. And in
every window iij. pews or carrells, where every one of the old
monks had his carrell, severall by himselfe, that, when they had
dyned, they dyd resorte to that place of cloister, and there studyed
upon there books, every one in his carrell, all the afternonne unto
1 Of course from " quarree" a square box, stall, in closure, pewe, or pen.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Xdw. iLifc dsL et jouuiil
j^cicicttt j=?tall m 33te&ttp> Cftamiuj# C^tacli, tMfittj* .
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
By Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald, 149
evensong tyme. This was there exercise every dale. All these
pews or carrells were all fynely wainseotted and verie close, all but
the forepart which had carved wourke that gave light in at their
carrell doures of waynscott. And in every carrell was a deske to
lye there bookes on. And the carrells was no greater than from
one stanchell of the wyndowe to another. And over against the car-
rells against the church wall did stande sertaine great almeries of
waynscott all full of bookes, wherein dyd lye as well the old aunc-
yent written Doctors of the Church, as other prophane authors, with
dyverse other holie men's workes, so that every one did studye,
what Doctor pleased him best, having the librarie at all tymes to
goe studye in besides there carrells.' Until better informed, there-
fore, I am disposed to conclude that this very remarkable relique is
a carrell used for study and meditation, and not a confessional
chair. Of the manus itself, I will only remark, that the singular
marking of each joint, and tip of the finger, as a separate subject
for pious meditation, might perhaps have been taken from the
common use of the hand in learning vocal music, which though
revived by Wilhelm, is as old as Ghiido d'Arezzo, in the eleventh
century."
The brief admonitory sentences on the Hand are as follows: —
Nescis quantum, Nescis quoties, Dium oflendisti.
M Finis tutu ViU tua Yenisti in
F amarus eat. brerts est. mundum Com peecato.
2 Nihil tecum feres Vltamtnam Mortem tuam
nisi quod fecisti. non potea non notes Mortens.
Meditari elongare. evader*.
debes
j. quod Needs quo Nesois qualiter Neaois ubi Hora mortis
g dercnies. morieris. morieris. incertaest.
3 Clio oblivisceris Raroftwiet Quibusbona Status tuns
a charts. protehsres. relinquispa- miserabilis
rum faoiet est.
prote.
Memorare norissima tua Non homo toteris tibi copia si fluat a>rts.
Et in externum non peccabis. Hie non semper eris , memor esto quod morieris.
JEb evanebit: quod babes hie alter habebit
Corpus putrebit : quod agis tecum remanebit.
Organ. In a.d. 1809, the sum of £1000 was given to the church-
wardens by Mr. William Bayley, a native of the village, to purchase
an organ for the church, which was accordingly procured from Mr.
England, the great organ builder of the day, for the sum of £400.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
150 Bishop's Cannings.
The rest of the money was invested for the purpose of providing
an organist, and for the tuning and repairing of the instrument
when necessary, to which purpose the interest of the money has
been faithfully applied. 1
Of the donor of the organ, I am able to give a short account.
Mr. William Bayley was the son of a small farmer at Bishop's
Cannings, and assisted his father in his business, devoting his
leisure hours to reading, writing, and summirfg. Feeling a desire to
see more of the world than he could in his native village, he pro-
ceeded to Portsmouth and went to sea. After some experience
in navigation he was taken on board Captain Cook's ship, when
that great navigator was about to commence his second voyage
round the globe, and having evinced an aptitude for astronomical
pursuits, was employed by Mr. Wales, (the astronomer in some of the
voyages,) in assisting him in taking observations and making calcu-
lations. On the ship's return, availing himself of the knowledge
he had acquired during the expedition, he set up a Naval Academy
at Portsea ; and becoming head of the Royal Naval School there, had
the honour of training many young gentlemen for the Royal Navy.
Having obtained considerable wealth, he retired from his tutorial
duties ; and on making a visit to his native village, expressed to
Mr. Brown, one of the principal inhabitants and a churchwarden,
his desire to confer on the parish of his birth a benefit, by which
he should also be remembered. His wish was to build and endow
a school in which the youth of the parish should be taught arith-
metic and practical mathematics; but difficulties interposing to
prevent the accomplishment of this desire, he determined to give
(as above mentioned) an organ to the church, with a sufficiency for
the payment of an organist, and the repairing of the instrument.
He purchased an estate at Imber, in this county of Wilts : but if
he ever resided there it must have been for a very short time, for
he was living at Portsea in 1810, and died there in December of
that year; at what age is not recorded.
1 The money was originally placed in private hands, it was afterwards trans-
ferred to the Public Funds, where it now stands in the names of T. H. S. Soth-
eron Estcourt, Esq., Wm. Macdonald, clerk, Thomas Brown, and George Skeate
Buddie.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 151
In the lapse of time, the open seats of the church having become
much dilapidated, and the rest of it disfigured by unseemly and in-
convenient pews, it was resolved in vestry, a.d. 1829, to remove the
whole of the old and decayed seats and square pews, and by refit-
ting to increase the accommodation of the church : which was
accordingly effected at the expense of £490 ; the Society for Promo-
ting the Building and Repairing of Churches contributing a con-
siderable portion of the outlay.
At the same time a ringing loft was constructed, and the steps
in the tower leading to the belfry repaired. In a.d. 1840 the stocks
of the bells eight in number, and the rest of the apparatus for ring-
ing being much out of order, it became necessary to engage
some competent person or persons to repair and render them fit for
the purpose for which they were placed in the tower. Accordingly
Messrs. Hears of Whitechapel were employed : and by them one
bell was re-cast, and the whole peal, at the expense of much time
and money, were re-hung. Since that time nothing of any im-
portance has required to be done.
Registers. The earliest Parish Register is dated a.d. 1591;
there was no interruption down to the time of the Common-
wealth : but from 1642 to 1650 the entries are fewer, and no
clergyman's name appears, as heretofore, at the foot of each page.
Charities.
Naish's. Two pieces of land, each measuring about two acfles,
were given to the tything of Bishop's Cannings for the benefit of
the poor, by a benefactor, traditionally said to have been a Mr.
Naish : but the name of the donor, as well as the date of the gift
have not been so carefully recorded as they ought to have been.
These two pieces are bestowed whenever a vacancy occurs, on the
oldest men of the tything, born and residing in it, and in commu-
nion with the church. The patronage is with the vicar and parish
officers, viz., the two churchwardens and four overseers.
There are also other lands called Church lands, consisting of
several parcels, let on leases to different persons by the feoffees.
It is not known how the land was originally acquired. The oldest
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
152 Bishop 9 a Cannings.
deed relating to it in the possession of the feoffees, is dated Febru-
ary 5th, 1760, and is a conveyance to the feoffees therein named,
of the several parcels of which it then consisted; all of these par-
cels are still in the possession of the feoffees, except certain portions
of them, which have been exchanged for other parcels, in pursu-
ance of several Aots of inclosure. The trusts of this deed are for
the reparation and uses of the parish church of Bishop's Cannings,
and for no other purpose whatsoever. These trusts have been
faithfully executed by the present feoffees, viz., Wm. Macdonald,
vicar of Bishop's Cannings; Thomas Brown, William Brown,
Charles Giddings, and Mark Sloper.
With other charities, we must not omit to mention, though
small in amount, those of Mr. Paul Weston, and Mr. Stevens,
which have become unavailable for the intended objects of the
donors. Mr. Weston left to the overseers £20, and Mr. Stevens
£10, the interest arising from which to be distributed in bread
among the second poor. This was regularly done every year on
St. Paul's day, until the present Poor Law came into force, when
the Commissioners refused to allow it to stand on the parish
accounts. £30 therefore lies in abeyance, and the poor lose their
loaves.
Thomas Stevens. Among those who have done honour to their
native parish by their talents, their industry, and their Christian
beneficence, the name of Thomas Stevens, Esq., Alderman of the
city of Bristol, is deserving of a record in this memoir. He entered
Bristol a poor rustic boy. His father had a wish that his son
should obtain a more profitable calling than his own, which was
that of a labouring man, and went to Bristol (probably on foot) for
the purpose of apprenticing him to some tradesman there. This
was in March 1622, and at the expiration of the month he was
apprenticed to a grocer for eight years. On the expiration of the
term of his servitude, March 15th, 1630, he took up his freedom
to the trade to which he had served his time, and soon after com-
menced business on old Bristol Bridge, which ancient structure
was then crowded with houses. Stevens was successful in trade
and on the 15th September 1660, held so good a position in the
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Vm. Archdeacon Macdonald. 153
city, that he was chosen Sheriff, and on refusing to serve was fined'
£200. In 1668 he was elected Mayor of Bristol, and in April
1679 he departed this life, and according to his desire was interred
in the churchyard of St. Nicholas. By his will he left lands, &c.,
at Bridge Gate, Wick and Abson in Gloucestershire, to build and
endow two large Alms-houses for twelve poor men and women in
each ; one in the parish of St. Philip and Jacob, and the other in
the parish of Temple ; and at the present time the funds arising
from the above mentioned estates are so increased as to enable the
Trustees to pay twenty-eight poor women, who mu6t be the widows
or daughters of Bristol men, freemen, or born in the city, and mem-
bers of the Church of England, in the Alms-houses, and fourteen
out at five shillings per week each. Amongst other bequests was
one of £10 to the poor of Bishop's Cannings, the interest of which
as elsewhere mentioned in this memoir, was every year distributed
in bread amongst the second poor on St. Paul's day. Alderman
Stevens desired by will to be buried " with his wives and children,
suitable to his degree and quality, and according to the usage and
course of Bristol.' 9 His third wife (Cecil Selfe) survived him: to
whom he left (inter alia) "the scabbard of the sword borne before
him when he was Mayor, and presented to him by the Sheriff.
The Charities in the ohapelry of St. James, Southbroom, consist
of the rents of certain houses on Devizes Green, on a site purchased
in 1757, with money given by a donor now unknown. The family
of Eyles also gave money for the second poor: but in what way it
was applied is not explained in the report of the Commissioners,
1834. (Report 28, p. 369.)
Dr. James Pound.
The family of Pound, in this parish, recently extinct in the direct
line, was ancient and respectable, and one of the name appears as
churchwarden in the oldest register, viz. 1591 ; which contains also
the names of the forefathers of the present Browns, Slopers, and
Buddies, proprietors and occupiers in the parish. Of this family
was Dr. James Pound, rector of Wanstead in Essex, the maternal
uncle and early instructor of Dr. James Bradley, the distinguished
K
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
154 Bishop's Cannings.
astronomer, and learned professor of that science at Oxford. Dr.
Pound was a man of great ability and genius, and eminent as a
divine, a physician and mathematician. In the two former capacities
he went to the East Indies, in the service of the Company, and was
one of those who had the good fortune to escape from the massacre
of the factory on the island of Pulo Condore in Cochin China. A
description of this shocking scene, written by Dr. Pound, is to be
found in Dr. Bradley's papers, in the Bodleian Library at Oxford,
together with a journal kept by him on board the Rose sloop, giv-
ing an account of their sufferings, until after many difficulties and
distresses they arrived at Batavia, on the 15th of April, 1705. The
public suffered much in this catastrophe by the loss of Dr. Pound's
papers, and other valuable curiosities collected by him, which all
perished in the conflagration, as he had no time to save any thing
but his own life.
It was while staying with his uncle at Wanstead that Bradley
first began his observations with the sector, which led to his future
important discoveries. 1 Dr. Pound was born in February, 1669,
and died at Wanstead November 16th, 1724.
Natural History and Geology.
With regard to the Natural History of this parish, I am not
aware of any peculiarity. It is much the same as that of the
surrounding district.
There is a considerable variety in the nature and properties of
the land, as will be evident to the reader of the following geologi-
cal sketch, for which I am indebted to Mr. Cunnington of Devizes.
Extensive as is the parish of Bishop's Cannings, its geology is
very simple. The Chalk and the Upper Green Sand are the only
strata found within its limits; unless indeed a small portion of the
Gault (the clay which lies immediately below the Upper Green
Sand) may be found at Drew's pond, or in the meadows near
Roundway Park. But the Chalk has the largest superficial area.
The extensive Downs of Roundway and Beckhampton are wholly
formed of this stratum, and it is so well known, and so easily dis-
1 See Chalmers's Biography, Art, "Bradley."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 155
*
tinguished from the Upper Green Sand, that it will not be necessary
further to define its limits. It has in the neighbourhood of Devizes
a depth of about 500 feet, probably a little more. Roundway Hill
is 740 feet above the sea; Morgan's Hill 940. On the summits of
some of the hills, there are beds of the Upper Chalk, with layers
and nodules of flint. Here the Chalk is very pure and soft ; at a
lower level there are layers of a hard splintery limestone, occasion- '
ally of a yellowish tinge, and towards the base of the stratum it
becomes more argillaceous, and of a grey tint; sometimes when
wet, it approaches to a slate colour. The general appearance of
the Chalk however is that of a soft whitish limestone: chemically
speaking, it is carbonate of lime. In some localities, it is much af-
fected by the weather, and breaks up into thin scales, whilst in other
instances it is sufficiently hard and enduring to serve as a material
for building rough walls.
Phosphate of lime, the most valuable of all inorganic manures,
abounds in the hard beds of the Lower Chalk. The pieces in which it
occurs may be known by their yellowish tinge and irregular nodular
structure. The stone containing it is much used in the town and
neighbourhood of Devizes as a material for road making : some of it
contains as much as 25 per cent, of phosphate of lime. In its passage
into the Upper Green Sand, the Chalk gradually becomes mixed with
coarse silicious sand, and the great abundance of organic remains,
would lead to the conclusion that these particular beds were depos-
ited at the bottom of a shallow sea, abounding with vegetable as well
as animal life. The fossils here found mostly constitute the nuclei
of small masses of phosphate of lime, or they are filled with that sub-
stance. The nodules generally contain 40 per cent, of phosphate
of lime. The following is the analysis of some specimens from the
neighbourhood of Roundway, by Dr. Wrightson of Birmingham.
Sand and silicates - - - 25 • 33
Carbonate of lime - - - 27-70
Phosphate of lime - - - 42*46
Alkalies, &c. - - - 4-51
100
k 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
156 Bishop's Cannings.
The presence of so large a quantity of carbonate of lime, will
prevent the economic use of this material for some time to come;
until the present supplies of phosphate are so far exhausted, as to
raise its marketable value.
It is to the abundance of phosphatic earths in the Chalk, that
much of the fertility of the soil in this district is due. There are
however other elements which must be taken into consideration.
Many plants require large quantities of carbonate of lime, and it is
absolutely necessary to the health of some species. Thus carrots
oontain 164 lbs. of lime in every ton ; mangel wurzel 17£ lbs., and
turnips 55 lbs. per ton. The Chalk on the higher hills is very
pure, and yields but few materials capable of supporting a healthy
vegetation, and the corn crops in these situations are thin; but the
action of the rain, frosts, &c, during many ages have tended to
bring about, on the lower slopes of the hills, and in the vallies,
an admixture of materials which possesses all the inorganic elements
of fine fertile soil. In some localities, as for example, in the neigh-
bourhood of Horton and Bishop's Cannings, the soil partakes of
the character of a stiff clay. This has probably been derived from
the marly beds of the Chalk by the long continued action of rain
water containing carbonic acid, which has dissolved the carbonate
of lime, and carried it away, leaving the aluminous or clayey
constituents of the Chalk undissolved on the surface. The Upper
Green Sand too has supplied silex to the soil of many of these
vallies.
Fossil remains are not very abundant in the Chalk of North
Wilts, except in the flints, and in the lower or junction beds.
A few fine and rare Ammonites have been found on Boundway
Hill; and in the "Fossil Shells of the Chalk/' published by
the Palffiontographical Society, at Plate x. are figures of Am-
monites peramplus, a very fine species from this locality. The
smaller figure is from Morgan's Hill. In Plate xiii. of the same
publication, are engravings of Ammonites catinus from Boundway,
of which the late Mr. Sharpe, when President of the Geological
Society, says, "This rare ammonite of which only two specimens
have been met with, is the only species yet known in the Chalk,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 157
of the family of the Coronarii so abundant in the Middle Oolites/'
Mr. Sharpe paid Wiltshire the compliment of naming a remark-
able, though small species, found on Morgan's Hill, Ammonites
Wiltoniemis. It is the only known
specimen. 1 There are also some
fo8siliferous beds in the Lower
Chalk or Chalk Marl, as for ex-
ample on Canning's Hill on the
London road, and it may be re-
Ammonites wutanieaflifl (sharpe). marked that many of the forms
which exist in the Upper Green Sand are continued into these beds
of the Chalk, though they cease to exist soon after the commence-
ment of that stratum. The sponges occur very rarely in the Chalk
itself, although so abundant in the flints. The Devizes collections
are rich in these remains.
The Upper Green Sand follows the outline of the Chalk hills,
forming terraces round their bases, and throwing out picturesque
promontories into the surrounding Tallies. It is to these slopes,
clothed as they usually are with luxuriant timber, that much of
the beauty of the scenery around Devizes and Roundway is due.
The greatest depth of the Upper Green Sand in this parish is about
140 ft. It is very silicious towards the top, and mostly consists
of a greenish quartzose sand, but the greater portion of the stratum
is a fine sand with grains of mica. Towards the bottom, as it ap-
proaches the Gault, it is Very argillaceous, and gradually passes
into a heavy blue clay. With the exception of certain layers or
blocks of rough sandstone, ' which occur about the middle of the
stratum, the Upper Green Sand of North Wilts yields no stone
capable of being used as a building material. The sandstone is
composed of sand united by a calcareous cement, probably derived
from the decomposition of the shells which it contains, and of these
there is sometimes a great abundance.
The fossils of the Upper Green Sand are usually found in the
condition of casts only, but these are so sharp that all the charac-
teristic lines and markings are preserved, and the species are easily
1 The fossils mentioned above are in the collection of Mr. Cunning ton.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
158 Bishop's Cannings.
determined. Some shells, particularly some of the Pectens, are
converged into silex, and in these instances they retain the original
form with much minuteness and beauty. There are few localities
in which so great a variety of fossils may be found as in this, and
the researches of the geologist will be amply repaid by the abund-
ance whioh even a few years will supply to his cabinets.
Mr. Cunnington's collection contains upwards of 200 species
from this immediate neighbourhood. Several kinds of Ammonites
are found, some of them appear to be peculiar to this locality.
Sponges which are so fine in the Green Sand of Warminster, and
the Yale of Pewsey, are rare in the Sand of Bishop's Cannings,
there are two or three species only, and these not common.
The soil of the Upper Green Sand is variable; where it is cov-
ered by the mixed detritus from the chalk and other beds it is very
fertile; but in these spots where the sand itself comes to the surface
it is very light, and is what is usually called a "hungry soil," that
is, it requires large quantities of manure. Not only does the light-
ness and looseness of the sand allow the free passage of the rain
water, and thus the soluble constituents are easily washed away,
but the organic manures are so much exposed in these porous soils
to the oxygen of the atmosphere, that they are rapidly decomposed.
Where practicable, the best remedy for soils of this kind is, probably,
the application of considerable quantities of chalk or heavy loam.
Producb, &c.
From the foregoing aooount of the qualities of the soil, it is clear
that any sort of cereal crop is grown with advantage; whilst the
meadows yield pasture for the milk cows, and the Downs afford a
range for the Southdown sheep, which are here bred in great num-
bers. At the time in which I write, the quantity of live stock is
as follows, Sheep, 11,310; Horses, 164; Oxen and Cows, &c.,262;
Pigs, 323. The number of acres of different sorts of corn was in
1856 as follows,' Wheat, 1208; Barley, 226; Beans, 168; Peas,
102 ; Oats, 145. The white crop is usually and for the most part
got out by the steam engine ; the beans by the flail.
The population of the ty things of Bishop's Cannings, Horton,
Bourton, and Coate, according to the census of 1851, is 1246.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 159
The assessment to the poor is £8642 4s. 4d. The average rate of
18s. lOd. the last three years was £1001
Population of Southbroom, 2300.
Wages are low, frequently not exceeding seven or eight shillings
per week, but in order to help the married labourer, a considerable
portion of land has been set apart by the late landlord, Mr. Estcourt,
and divided into lots of twenty perches, more or less, for which a
very moderate rent is exacted, and for the most part very regularly
paid. A good deal of piece-work is also done, to the great advan-
tage of the labourer; who also receives double pay for part of his
harvest work. Nor should it be forgotten that the poor man* pays
for his cottage much less rent than is paid in those districts where
wages are higher. From £2 to £2 10s. per annum is the ordinary
rent in this parish,
Though the climate be cold, and the subsoil damp, this is on the
whole a healthy parish, and has been particularly improved by
draining. Rheumatism is the prevailing complaint among the
aged ; and scrofulous affections are too common. The deaths
average a fraction above 2 per cent, of the population.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
ON ROUNDWAT HILL, IN THE PARISH OF BISHOPS
CANNINOS.
By Mb. CuNNiwexoN, F.G.S.
SEVEN Barrows have been opened on this spot. — The first,
( No. 1, (see map p.160) was opened in 1855, by Mr. Coward and
Mr. Gunnington, and again in 1856. A considerable section was
made, but nothing found except a fragment of burnt bone, and a
piece or two of broken pottery. It is a circular and somewhat
fiat barrow, about forty feet in diameter and one foot in height.
Barrow No. 2 is described in the Wiltshire Magazine, vol iii.
p. 185.
Barrow No. 3 is situated close to, and on the south side of the
large chalk pit. It is thus described by the late Mr. Cunnington,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
160
Barrows on Roundway Hill.
by whom it was explored in 1805. " It is circular in its form, and
about two feet and a half in elevation. At the depth of four feet
and a half, we found a skeleton lying from west to east, and with
it an iron ring, and thirty bits of ivory, in form and size like ohil-
drens 9 marbles cut in two : these articles were intermixed with a
large quantity of decayed wood, which was probably once attached
to the ivory." 1
Barn./
No? 7.
CD
□ ••OttverV'
Camp.
O
No. 1.
Ao.4.
«•' o
No. I.
O
Windmill
Knoll.
No. 5.
Chalk Pit.
Q
No. 3.
Plantation.
Ldpric
v/
bsa Mat to tms Bamsowi on Bovxdway Hill.
In 1855 this barrow was again opened, and an antler of a deer,
and a medal, with the inscription, " Opened by Win. Cunnington
1805," was found. The skeleton was disinterred, and the cranium
and some of the bcfties having been examined by Dr. Thurnam, he
has favoured me with the following notes on the subject.
" The skull is that of a man of middle age, probably about fifty
years. Nearly all the teeth are in place, and in good condition,
except that their crowns are considerably worn down. The nasal
bones in this skull do not present the abrupt projection so distinc-
tive in that from barrow No. 2. The face is large ajid broad, owing
to the prominence of the cheek bones. The upper and lower jaw
are deep and large, and strongly marked for muscular attachments.
1 Hoare's Ancient Wiltshire, vol. ii. p. 98.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington. •• 161
The frontal sinuses are fall and prominent ; the forehead is narrow
and somewhat flat and receding. Viewed from above the skull is
seen to have a much more lengthened oval form than that from
barrow No. 2. (Wilts Mag. vol. iii. p. 186). The thickest parts
of the parietals measure a third, those of the frontal bones half an
inch. Immediately behind the coronal suture is a depression which
xtends across the parietal bones, and seems to indicate that this
part of the skull was subject to some habitual pressure or constric-
tion ; from the use perhaps of some form of bandage or ligature.
This may possibly explain the {act of the sutures of the cranium
being more obliterated than is usual in persons of middle age. The
capacity of the skull is large, and such as indicates a brain weigh-
ing about 56 oz. The characteristics of this skull, though Ancient
British or Celtic, are less strongly marked than those of the skull
No. 2, which may perhaps point to a more modern period, though
unfortunately the archaeological evidence as to this is wanting. The
much lighter and more decayed condition of the bones is very ap-
parent, and agrees with the fact of the body having been interred
in a superficial cist, and covered by a barrow of slight elevation."
When Dr. Thurnam made the above remark, as to the insuffici-
ency of the archaeological evidence in this case, it was impossible to
identify this barrow as the one in which the iron ring and pieces
of ivory were found. Our recent researches however leave no
doubt cm the subject, and thus corroborate the opinion of Dr. Thur-
nam, that it is of a more modern period than the barrrow No. 2,
to which he refers. It dates probably muoh nearer to the Roman
period.
Barrow No. 4 is situated on the brow of the hill, very near the
right hand corner of the " Leipsic " plantation. It is doubtless
one of the barrows opened by the late Mr. Cunnington. It is thus
briefly notioed in "Hoare's Ancient Wiltshire." 1
" A small circular tumulus on the right hand as you reach the
summit from Devizes." (The main course of the track has been
diverted from the left to the right hand of the barrow since this
was written.) "At the depth of four feet and a half it produced
^oLii. p. 98.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
162 Barrows on Roundway Hill
#
a skeleton, lying from north to south, but without any accompani-
ments either of arms or trinkets."
On re-opening the barrow, the skeleton as mentioned by Mr.
Cunnington was found at the bottom of the cist, and with it a
halfpenny deposited there when it was formerly opened. The cist
is of oval shape, the longer axis is 6 feet 8 inches in length,
the direction east and west. Some fragments of an Ancient Brit-
ish drinking cup were found in it. The skull was unfortunately so
much broken that its characteristics cannot be determined. Suffi-
cient however remains to show that the person here interred was a
young man, in height somewhat above the middle stature. The
length of the thigh bone, 19 in. £, would indicate a stature of
about 5 feet 10 inches. This bone is remarkably slender in pro-
portion to its length. The tumulus is about fifteen or eighteen
inches high, above the level of the Down. Its diameter is about
twenty-eight feet.
Barrow No. 5, on "Windmill Knoll/' is a circular barrow, forty
feet in diameter and three and a half high. This was opened by
Dr. Thurnam, but without result. There was a small cist, but it
contained no bones, nor were there any signs of an interment. It
was evident that it had been previously opened, but there is no re-
cord of its history.
Barrow No. 6. This is the long shaped barrow near Mr. Coward's
farm buildings, on the further side of the hill. It is an irregular
oval, with an indistinct hour-glass contraction in the middle. It
was as first supposed to be a "long barrow," properly so called, but
subsequent investigations have proved that it is formed by the fill-
ing in of the space between two adjoining round barrows. It is
surrounded by a fosse about eighteen inches deep. The length is
one hundred and thirty- four feet; the greatest width is ninety-five
feet. The general direction of the barrow is about east and west
Its greatest height above the surface of the chalk is seven feet, in
the depression in the middle the height is five fell.
A longitudinal trench was commenced from end to end of the
tumulus, and numerous fragments of pottery, bones of sheep, ox,
&c. were found, also a small iron spike. Near the highest point of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington. 163
the barrow, and about eighteen inches below the turf a skeleton
was discovered, but without any weapon or other relics. This is
certainly a secondary interment. It had been previously disturbed,
as the bones were broken and lying in much disorder, and the
cranium had been altogether removed. Some fragments of the
lower jaw with teeth, prove it to have been an adult.
At forty-five feet from the eastern end of the barrow is a large
oblong cist, ranging from west south-west to east-north east. It
is five feet eight inches in length, by two feet five inches wide, and
two feet deep, having a long ledge or step along the northern side.
Large as is this cist, it contained only a small heap of incinerated
bones, and piled up close by, the following articles: — two neatly
grooved whetstones of coarse silicious sandstone, and a large whet-
stone of the same material; a flat piece of sandstone, which has
evidently been used as a whetstone; a well made flint arrow head;
a small flint knife ; sundry flint flakes ; a small bronze spear head,
having decayed wood adhering to it, probably the remains of the
sheath ; a long instrument, like a netting needle, formed of deer's
horn, and pointed at one end; a portion of deer's horn, cut flat at
both ends, as if to form the handle of some instrument or weapon ;
three oblong pieces of bone, neatly smoothed, one of them bevelled
off at the ends, and a quartz pebble. This pebble was not obtained in
the immediate neighbourhood, and the whetstones are of a material
not found in this county. In the earth, with whioh the cist was
filled up, were numerous flint flakes, and some fragments of pot-
tery. The incinerated bones are those of an adult, beyond this
fact nothing can be ascertained as to the characteristics of the in-
dividual.
The western end of this barrow was not examined till August
1858; on which occasion the Rector of Devizes was present. The
former interment having been found at a distance of forty- five feet
from the eastern end of the barrow, we marked off the same dis-
tance from th8 western end, and commenced by digging a shaft.
Immediately below the turf, evidences of human occupation of the
spot were abundant; fragments of pottery, flint flakes, and bones of
ox, sheep, dog, and other domestic animals were dispersed through-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
164 Harrow* on Roundway Hill.
out the soil. At the depth of two feet a small irregular layer of
wood ashes, and some fragments of burnt bone were found. It ap-
peared as if these were the ashes of the fire used for consuming the
body interred below, having been thrown "up on the mound after
the interment. At five feet we reached the original soil ; on which
was a thin sprinkling of chalk. This being followed, on one side it
was found to increase in thickness, till at last it led to the cist.
On digging downwards, the chalk rubble suddenly gave way
beneath the feet, disclosing a hollow cavity, as the men said, like
an oven. The chalk that had fallen into it was cleared away, and
we shortly arrived at the interment, which consisted of incinerated
bones, mixed with wood ashes, heaped up in the centre, but cov-
ered with a layer of decayed wood, which extended to a length of
two and a half feet, and to a breadth of twelve or fourteen inches.
Beneath the bones was another layer of wood of the same extent,
but in a less decomposed condition, evidently the remains of a
board. As there was a considerable thickness of this substance at
the sides, we came to the conclusion that the burnt bones had been
enclosed in a rude chest or coffin, the decay of which had oaused
the chalk to fall in, and thus produced the cavity mentioned above.
Under the bones was a small bronze spear, or more probably dag-
ger head, with three bronze rivets. The wooden handle of it, ap-
parently about a foot in length, crumbled to dust when touched.
The cist, contrary to that at the other end of the barrow, was
north and south. It was oblong, the south end square, the north
irregularly rounded; length five feet four inches, breadth three
feet, depth three feet six inches. Total depth from the surface to
the bottom of the cist eight feet nine inches. The bones in this,
as in the other instance, were those of an adult. Both the cists
were filled up with chalk, not with earth.
No. 7. This interesting barrow was opened by the desire of the
late E. F. Colston, Esq. in 1840. An account of the investigation
was sent to the Devizes Gazette by the late Mr. Stoughton Money,
and a description of some of the articles found in it, accompanied
with an engraving, was published by J. Tonge Akerman, Esq.,
Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries, in his " Remain* of Pagan
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Mr. Cunnington. 165
Samndom" plate i. From these sources we obtain the following
particulars. " The barrow in question is a small one on the apex
of Roundway down; which though particularly mentioned by Sir
R. Colt Hoare, somehow or other escaped examination by that in-
defatigable antiquary. On digging into it, at the depth of seven
feet the workmen reached the natural chalk level, and came to a
skeleton very much decayed, which had formerly been enclosed in
a wooden cist bound round and clamped together with strong iron
plates or hoops. Several portions of this iron work, though in a
very corroded state, had fibres of the wood still adhering to them,
and remained precisely as originally placed. The skeleton lay east
and west, the head towards the latter point. At the feet was one
of those vessels which are sometimes discovered \h the graves of
this period, in the shape of a pail, hooped with brass, and orna-
mented with about twenty triangular pieces of the same metal.
Near the neck of the skeleton were found some elegant ornaments,
consisting of garnets and vitrified pastes strongly set in gold.
" There were also two gold pins with garnets set in the head,
and connected by a chain of the same metal, suspended to the centre
of which, is a small medallion bearing a cruciform pattern. This,
and a triangular plate of a paste-like composition, set in gold, led
Mr. Money to the conclusion that the grave was that of a Christian
Romanized Briton, who existed in one of the four first centuries
after Christ." Mr. Akerman however expresses a doubt on this
subject, which we are quite inclined to support, and says that it is
by no means certain, that the body was that of a Christianized
Anglo-Saxon Lady, " for though the ornament in the centre of the
chain represents a cross, we cannot receive it as a conclusive evi-
dence of the faith of the wearer. The same remark applies to the
triangular shaped pendant. That this form of necklace was popu-
lar in the sixth century we may infer from the circumstance of its
occurring on the neck of a bust of Roma, which appears on the
coins of the Gothic monarchs, struck in, Italy about this time."
An engraving of one of these coins is included in Mr. Akerman's
plate.
Mrs. Colston having kindly allowed me a further examination
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
166 Barrows on Roundtoay Hill.
of the fragments of the vessel mentioned above, I have been
enabled to ascertain its original size. It was about nine inches in
height, and five and a half inches diameter. The wood of which
it was formed was thin, apparently less than a quarter of an inch
in thickness. Microscopic examination proves it not to have been
coniferous wood. There were two hoops only, one of them is en-
tire; they are formed of thin brass, over-lapping at the ends, and
the joints were made with soft solder. The ornaments consist of
rows of dots, produced by punching on the inside of the hoops.
The broader hoop was fastened to the wood with iron rivets, the
heads of which were plated with brass. The' triangular plates are
also of brass, they were secured to the pail by an iron rivet through
the point of eacfi, the broad ends being inserted under the hoop.
They are decorated with rows of dots, similar to those on the
hoops.
Mr. Akerman remarks, "That it is much to be regretted that
the excavation of this tumulus was not superintended by some
person accustomed to such researches, as the details which have
reached us are not so satisfactory as could be desired." It is in-
deed too true that much valuable information is lost because the
persons who open barrows are not experienced in the matter, and
do not make full and correct observations.
In the same year Mr. Colston made some extensive plantations
on Roundway Hill, and in the early part of August the workmen
disinterred three skeletons, which were found lying close together,
a little more than a foot beneath the surface, at the bottom of an
old trench, which takes a direction east and west across the Down,
immediately opposite Castle Hill. They subsequently found another
skeleton about three quarters of a furlong to the south-west of the
last, at the same depth below the surface, but this was the most
remarkable of the four, inasmuch as the skull exhibited two severe
sabre wounds, one on the front, the other on the hinder part, and
the right arm severed from the body, had been deposited between
the legs of the corpse. The bones were those of a strong young
man, who judging from the thigh and leg would stand upwards of
six feet in height. Each of the skeletons, from the comparative
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
On the Ornithology of Witts [Sihiadm]. 167
freshness of their appearance, may be fairly assigned to the period
at which the battle of Roundway took place, and unquestionably
are the remains of individuals engaged in that memorable fray.
No weapon of any kind was found with them, the bodies haying
evidently been stripped of all military accoutrements before they
were committed to their desolate grave. It would appear that the
greater part, if not all, of the slain were interred on the spot where
they fell; for neither the registers of Bishop's Cannings, Bromham,
Heddington, nor of the three churches in Devizes, contain any re-
cord of burials connected with the battle: the register of Rowde
forming an exception in one instance only. Although no relics
were found in the immediate vicinity of the skeletons, the labour-
ers in the course of their work dug up a oannon'ball weighing
2 J lbs., a stirrup of curious form, a large spur, from half a dozen
to a dozen bullets, and several fragments of iron, the use of which,
owing to their decayed and shapeless state, it is difficult to ascer-
tain.
©it tyt ©mit^lagg of Wflto.
No. 9.— INSESSORES (Perchers).
Dentirostres (tooth-Wled). Continued.
SILVIAD^E (The Warblers).
fjHE very name of this family speaks of warmth and spring
and harmony : and even in the depth of winter, conjures
up before our imaginations lively pictures of the coppice and the
hedgerows bursting into full leaf, radiant in the sunshine ; the air
redolent with the perfume of a thousand flowers, and filled with
the song of countless birds: it is pleasant to bask for awhile in
such a sunny spot, while we pass in review before us the sweet
songsters of the grove, which compose the family we are considering.
The warblers are the largest family amongst all the birds, I do
not mean numerically but specifically; and with a few exceptions
they may all be found in Wiltshire, no less than nineteen species
being either indigenous to our county, or periodical or occasional
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
168 On the Ornithology of WW* [Sihiadw'].
visitants; bat some of these species bear such a elose resemblance to
one another, and are so extremely difficult to distinguish from one
another, that they will defy any but the most accurate and pains-
taking observer to discover their personal identity. Their principal
characteristics are elegance and gracefulness of form, a delicate
structure and slenderness of bill, and a sweetness and richness of
note; and though some may be disposed to cavil at the statement,
I am inclined to the opinion that in a greater or lesser degree all the
species composing this family partake of these three characteristics.
"Alpine Accentor" (Accentor alpinus.) I confess I have no right
to head the warblers of Wiltshire with this rare visitant to our is-
land, as I have no instance before me of its undoubted occurrence
in this county* still from the facts, that one of the three instances
of its occurrence given by Yarrell, was in the adjoining county of
Somerset, from the garden of the Deanery at Wells ; that the
specimen in Mr. Marsh's collection was said to have been killed
near Bath; and that the opinion of that keen and accurate observer
coincides with my own, that these birds are probably much more
common than is generally supposed, their shy retiring habits and
sombre plumage never making them conspicuous; from these pre-
mises I venture to conclude that the "Alpine accentor " probably
visits us occasionally, and I therefore give it a place in our Fauna.
In colour it is reddish brown, but the chief distinguishing features
which mark it at once from its congener, the common "Hedge ac-
oentor," are its greater size and the dull- white throat, thickly spot-
ted with black. It is not uncommon on the Continent, and is
described as courageous and confiding, and frequenting rocks and
stones in preference to bushes.
"Hedge Accentor." (Accentor nodularis) well known to every
one as the hedge sparrow, though the name is most unfortunate,
causing it to be confused in the minds of many with the house
sparrow, with which it has not the smallest affinity, the latter be-
ing bold,~hard billed, and grain loving, while the hedge accentor
or hedge warbler is meek, soft billed, and insect eating. Unlike
most of this family, the hedge warbler remains with us throughout
the winter, and loves to creep about the bottoms of hedges and
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
By the Rev. 4* C. Smith. 169
among shrubs, and if there is a pile of old wood lying about the
yard, there you may invariably see its dusky figure, as it seeks a
scanty subsistence, not disdaining to search for food at the bottom
of drains and gutters, for pride has no part in its composition, not
one of all the race being so modest and humble as this. Its song
though not loud nor continuous, is sweet, but chiefly prized for the
season at which it may be heard; it sings indeed all the year
through, but in winter amid piercing winds and frost and snow it
is refreshing to hear the warblings of this little bird, as it sits
perched on some shrub or bush ; while, as the spring advances and
brings in troops of other and louder warblers, nobody notices the
poor Hedge Accentor amidst the flood of music which then abounds.
There is one exception here however, for at this season the cuckoo
singles out the Hedge Warbler and shows its appreciation of its
domestic qualities, by the doubtful compliment of selecting its nest
oftener than that of any other bird wherein to deposit her egg.
"Redbreast." (Sylvia rubeeula.) Not only in England, but
throughout Northern Europe, in Sweden and Norway, Russia,
and Germany, the Redbreast is a favourite, and has a name of en-
dearment: with us he is Robin; in Sweden he is Tommy; in
Norway and Russia, Peter; and in Germany, Thomas; but in
Italy and France he shares the fate of all other birds, little as well
as big, and is mercilessly killed and eaten. Mr. Waterton says he
has counted more than fifty lying dead on one stall at Rome, so
that it is no wonder English travellers complain of the silence of
the woods and fields in France and Italy, and lament the absence
of the varied members of the feathered race which cheer and en-
liven us at home. Now I have often heard it asked, why the Red-
breast is so great a favourite P and its confidence in man has been
regarded as the result of its immunity from persecution, but I ap-
prehend this is mistaking the cause for the effect ; for this above
all other birds is by nature tame and familiar with roan, fearlessly
venturing close to him, and by its very confidence begetting the
protection which its innocence and bravery seem to claim : for that
indeed must be a bad and cruel heart, which could abuse such an
appeal, and long may our village children, and indeed all of every
L
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
170 On the Ornithology of Wite [SHWacfe.]
age and rank respect this one at least of our winter songsters, as
harmless, so pretty, and so confiding.
"Redstart." (Phmnieura rubicilla.) * Towards the end of April
this handsome and interesting bird arrives in great numbers, and
may be continually seen darting after insects on the wing, and
capturing them with unerring precision; or running after its
prey on the grass with equal certainty of success. In plumage it
is the brightest and gayest of all the warblers ; the female in more
sombre hue than her mate, is clad in a dress of pale reddish brown ;
but the male, with his jet black head and throat, bright chesnut
breast and tail, white forehead, and grey back, presents a handsome
appearance from the contrast and combination of colours ; but the
distinctive peculiarity of these birds consists in their spreading out
the feathers of the orange-red tail, and jerking it from side to side,
an action belonging to the redstarts alone, and by which they may
be distinguished from all other birds : they delight in buildings,
especially old walls, in the crevices of which they make their nests ;
they are good songsters, and continue their song from morning
till night.
" Stonechat." (Saxicola rubicola.) This and the two following
species comprise the genus " Ghat," and all of them are tolerably
numerous in this county : they are pretty, little, lively, restless,
noisy birds, and their absence would cause a sad blank on our
Downs, which they chiefly frequent : their habit is to flirt the tail
up and down continually, but not after the manner of the redstart.
The stonechat is the only one which remains with us through the
winter, and may generally be met with in stony places, or open
pastures covered with small shrubs : it is of bright plumage, the
head, neck, back, and throat nearly black ; wing and tail coverts
and sides of the neck white ; and rich chesnut breast : it utters a
kind of clicking note, and is for ever on the move from one stone to
another, or from the summit of one bush to the next. Mr. Marsh
says it is called the " Furze Robin" in his neighbourhood.
"Whinchat." (Saxicola rubetra.) The haunts, habits, and
general character of this warbler are very like those of the last
described : it is to be met with in the same localities, and though
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. 0. Smith. 171
not quite so common as the stonechat, may often be seen on our
Downs. Montagu speaking of it fifty years ago, says "it is plenti-
ful in Wiltshire/ ' but being a shy and solitary bird, only seen
singly or in pairs, it is certainly not now numerous. In plumage
it is not so gay as its congener, but prettily marked, and in colour
mottled brown ; and in song it is pronounced superior : it is also
said, when reared from the nest in a cage, to be a skilful imitator
of other birds. It derives its name of " Whinchat" and " Furze-
chat," from the whin or furze which it loves to frequent : with us
it is migratory, arriving in April and departing for more Southern
latitudes in the autumn.
" Wheatear." (Saxicola anatUhe.) This is essentially one of our
Down birds, and few inhabitants of Wiltshire can be ignorant of
its handsome active figure: it loves the bare open Down, especially
a stony Down, where it flits from stone to stone in search of its in-
seet food : it is the largest of the genus, and very prettily marked;
the upper part of the head and back pearl grey, the wings and
cheeks black, the under parts pale buff, while the upper part of the
tail is pure white, and from the singular manner in which by a
lateral expansion of the feathers it spreads its tail like a fan, it
may a( once be recognized : it is migratory, but one of the first to
arrive, and the last to leave us. For several years past I have
noticed its first appearance here on or within two days of the 26th
March : it is considered a great delicacy, and in consequence is
much sought for in some districts ; it breeds in a deserted rabbit
burrow, or some deep hole under the turf. Mr. Marsh says, it is
called in Wiltshire the "Horse Snatcher," but he does not know
the reason of the term, and the name is quite new to me.
" Grasshopper Warbler/' (Salicaria locustella.) This, the most
shy and retiring of all the warblers, derives its name from the
rapid ticking noise which it will continue for a long time without
intermission ; and its curious note is so like the chirp of the grass-
hopper, that it is often mistaken for it. As soon as it arrives in
the spring, it makes known the fact by the cricket-like ticking
which proceeds from the midst of the very thickest bush or furze,
where it hides itself from human sight, and here it skulks and
l 2
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
172 On the Ornithology of WiU$ [fiWt*o<te].
creeps, and at the bottom of the furze amid the thickest grass it
conceals its nest : indeed so shy is it that it is rarely seen, and but
for its incessant chirp would escape general notice. Selby calls it
a ventriloquist, because it not only imitates the notes of several
other birds, but in uttering its peculiar note can cause the sound
at one moment to proceed from the immediate neighbourhood of
the listener, and at the next, as if removed to some distanoe, and
this without any actual change of place in the operator ; a pecu-
liarity which it shares with the corn crake, also a bird very diffi-
cult to raise on the wing. It is of elegant shape, and its plumage
consists of mottled shades of brown. Montagu speaking of the
localities where he had seen this bird, says, "we have found it in
Hampshire, South Wales, and Ireland, but no where so plentiful
as on Malmesbury Common in Wiltshire, to which place the males
come about the latter end of April/' I have also many notes of its
occurrence in all parts of the county, but sparingly, for it is not
so common as either of its congeners, and is much more retiring
and timid.
" Sedge Warbler." (Salicaria phragmitis.) We must look for this
elegant species by the banks of streams or the margins of lakes,
and there amongst the tall sedge and reeds we shall be almost sure
to find it, for it is by far the commonest of the genus, and few
patches of sedge or willow beds are without it : it is an incessant
songster, or rather chatterer, for'its notes though very various and
rapid, are not particularly melodious, and yet from its habit of
singing throughout the summer's night, it has been sometimes
mistaken for the nightingale: when silent, it may be excited to
renew its song by the simple expedient of throwing a stone into
the bush where it is concealed. Its colour is on the upper parts
oil green and yellowish brown, and below yellowish dusky white,
but though it closely resembles its congeners in other respects, it .
may on comparison be distinguished from them by the distinct
white streak that passes above the eyes.
"Reed Warbler." (Salicaria arundinacea.) Very difficult, but
for the mark over the eye, just described, is this species to be dis-
tinguished from the last, which it resembles in the time of its ar-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Eev. A. C. Smith. 173
rival and departure, in the localities it frequents, in habits, general
appearance, and colour : it is however not nearly so common. Mon-
tagu says that " in Wiltshire and Somersetshire where the Sedge
Warbler abounds, not a single Reed Warbler is to be found;" here,
however, our worthy countryman is mistaken, for I have myself
observed it by the banks of more than one reedy stream; Mr. Marsh
has frequently seen it on the Avon; Mr. Withers has taken it near
Devizes, and I have several other notices of its periodical appear-
ance among us. Mr. Selby pronounces its song to be superior to
that of the Sedge Warbler, both in volume and in sweetness, but in
truth it requires a very accurate ear as well as eye to distinguish
these two graceful little warblers from one another.
" Nightingale." (Philomela hucinia.) I need not point out the
localities which these birds frequent, for who does not know whe-
ther a nightingale haunts the thicket near him, and who does not
remember the spots where he has listened to this wondrous songster
of the grove, or as good old Izaak Walton styles it, this "chiefeet
of the little nimble musicians of the air that warble forth their
curious ditties, with which nature has furnished them, to the shame
of art P" But the nightingale seems very fanciful in her selection
of habitation, and is guided by some choice which we cannot
fathom: in the most western and warmest parts of our island it is
rarely heard, and in our own county while one wood resounds night
after night, and year after year with their wondrous melody, a
neighbouring copse, apparently in all respects equally suited to
their tastes, is never honoured by their presence. It arrives here
towards the end of April or beginning of May, and being of a very
shy, timid nature, seeks the thickest hedges and most impenetrable
copses, where though so often listened to, it is rarely seen, and few
are acquainted with the form of the humble but elegant little brown
bird, which charms them so with its unrivalled song. Its name
is derived (as Pennant informs us) from our English night, and the
Saxon word galan to sing; not however that it is silent during the
day, but then the chorus of voices, loud and shrill and numerous,
drown it so that it cannot so readily be distinguished as in the witch-
ing hour of twilight, when other songsters are hushed in repose.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
174 On the Ornithology of Wilis [SUviadai].
" Blackcap Warbler." (Curruca atricapilla.) This aotive little war-
bier is second only to the nightingale in song, and being a regular
summer visitant to oar gardens and orchards, as well as hedgerows,
is known to most observers: its general colour is ash grey, but its
jet black head marks it at once from all others: insects and fruit
are its favourite food, but few will quarrel with it on the latter ao-
count, as it makes ample amends for any petty thefts it may com-
mit in the garden by the sweetness of its song, and its interesting
and engaging manners: it is a timid bird and very restless, scarcely
stationary an instant, except when it pours forth its rich and clear
notes from the top of some tree or bush. Mr. Marsh thinks it is
not very oommon in Wiltshire, but my own observation does not
agree here, as I have seen it frequently in many parts of the county;
and it arrives here as well as in the neighbourhood of Devizes re-
gularly every spring in some numbers.
" Garden Warbler." (Curruca hortensis.) Though closely re-
sembling in general colour and appearance several others of this
family, the garden warbler may on 'comparison be distinguished
from its congeners by its superior size, being nearly an inch longer
than any other species answering to the same description. Its
plumage is greyish green above, and greenish yellow below: it is
even more restless, more shy, and more retiring than the last de-
scribed, and is at least equally common. It frequents the same
localities, has the same propensity for fruit, and is an excellent
songster : this and the two following species are indiscriminately
called " Nettle Creepers " by our Wiltshire lads. It is the "Greater
Pettychaps " of Pennant, Latham, Montagu, White, and our ear-
lier ornithologists: and it is the famous " Beccafico," so highly
prized as an epicure's morsel in Italy and France. Montagu says
of it ; " In Wiltshire where I have found this species not uncommon,
it resorts to gardens in the latter end of summer, together with the
Whitethroat and Blackcap for the sake of currants and other fruit."
" Common Whitethroat." (Curruca cinerea.) This is the com-
monest of all our little summer warblers, and may be seen in every
shady lane or thick hedge, almost in every bramble and bed of
nettles. Its head and back are light brown, under parts dusky
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 175
white slightly tinged with rose red : in habits it resembles its con-
geners previously described; but it has one peculiarity, which
consists in its often singing on the wing, as it rises with a very
peculiar flight, sailing round in little circles, till it attains a con-
siderable height in the air, and then descends slowly to the same
spot whence it started : at other times it will erect its crest, puff
out its throat, stretch its neck, and exhibit every mark of excite-
ment and defiance, while it seems to strain every nerve to raise its
voice above its rivals.
" Lesser Whitethroat." (Curruea sylviella.) Quite as common
in Wiltshire, if not more so, than the last, with which it is often
confounded. Indeed the eggs of this and the preceding species
form a large proportion of the whole on every schoolboy's string,
a table by the way of no mean authority in calculating the abund-
ance or rarity of any species in any particular locality. It is even
more retiring than its larger namesake, and creeps away out of
sight among the brambles the instant it is discovered, threading
its way with the rapidity anA adroitness of the mouse. From the
peculiar character of its note, a low soft warble, it is called the
"Babbling Warbler," and by Continental naturalists, "0. garrula"
and " Bee-fin babillard;" and from the clicking sounds with which
it repeats its call-note, somewhat resembling a mill-wheel, it is
styled in German "Miillerchen," or "Little Miller." Montagu
says that he observed the arrival of this bird in Wiltshire for seve-
ral years together, and that it ranged from April 21st to May 10th.
"Wood Warbler." (Sylvia sylvicola.) Extremely difficult is it
to identify this pretty little bird from its two congeners, more par-
ticularly from the one next to be described: both are graceful and
elegant, and frequent woods and plantations; both have a plumage
of grey green above and primrose yellow below : both feed on in-
sects, and sing sweetly from the top of some tall tree. There are
however several marks by which we may distinguish them ; on
close examination, we shall find that the wood warbler has a purer
green on the upper parts of its body, and more white on its under
plumage, while the willow warbler has more yellow: and again,
the nest of the wood warbler is always lined with fine grass and
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
176 On the Ornithology of Witts [StMada*].
hair, while that of the willow warbler contains feathers. To Gil-
bert White is due the credit of separating and calling attention to
the points of difference between these closely allied species, and his
19th letter to Pennant is entirely occupied with this subject. The
wood warbler (called by White the "Sibilous Pettychaps,") is a
trifle larger than its congeners, and has a remarkable tremulous note ;
hence its scientific name : it is not so numerous as the other species,
but it visits us annually, and I have often met with its nest near
Devizes.
"Willow Warbler." (Sylvia trochilue.) This is by far the most
abundant of the genus, and may be seen in every plantation and
hedgerow, but chiefly in meadows intersected with streams and
water courses, which give birth to osiers and willows, for amongst
these it delights to revel. In addition to the points of difference
mentioned above, it far surpasses its congeners in song, indeed so
sweet and musical are its notes, as to give it the sobriquet of the
" Warbling Pettychaps," and ' l Melodious Willow Wren." Gilbert
White says it has a "joyous, easy, laughing note ;" it is constantly
in motion, flitting from branch to branch, in search of the smaller
insects that constitute its food.
"Chiff Chaff." (Sylvia hippolais.) This is one of our earliest
spring arrivals, making its appearance in March, and immediately
beginning its monotonous song of two notes, which it continues to
repeat throughout the summer, and from whence it derives its name.
It is the smallest of the three species, and differs very little from
the last, but may be always distinguished by the dark colour of its
legs and feet, those of the Willow Warbler being of a pale brown :
it is much more familiar than its congeners, and as it reaches us be-
fore the trees and hedges are in leaf, is more frequently seen and
better known. It is sometimes styled the "Lesser Pettychaps, and
is sprightly and active.
"Dartford Warbler." (Melisophilm Bartfordiemis.) I have
many instances before me of the occurrence of this pretty little
warbler in Wiltshire, though I have no personal acquaintance with
it in a living state. It is said to frequent open Downs and com-
mons abounding in furze, in the thickest parts of which it will
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 177
conceal itself: and over which it will hover on outstretched wing,
while it utters its short hurried note. It is a hardy bird, and re-
mains here throughout the year: its body is very small, scarcely
exceeding that of the common wren, but its great length of tail
gives it the appearance of superior bulk : the general colour of its
plumage is dark brown above, and ohesnut brown beneath. Mr.
Withers informs me that some years since, several of these birds
were shot annually by Mr. Edwards at Amesbury: they were de-
coyed from the midst of the bush wherein they concealed themselves
by a certain noise made by Mr. EdwaftU, when they rose to the
top spray and were easily killed. Mr. Marsh was also informed by
the man who procured the specimen in his collection, that by imi-
tating their note he could bring these birds to the top of the furze,
and that he had so killed three in one morning in the neighbour-
hood of Chippenham.
"Golden Crested Regulus." (Regains cristatus.) Well known to
every one is this charming little favourite, the smallest and most
fairy like of all our British birds; three inches and a half only in
length, and 75 grains in weight, yet it braves the cold of winter,
and remains with us throughout the year. It prefers fir planta-
tions, but may be seen in hedgerows and gardens : it is incessant
in motion, hopping from branch to branch, now clinging to the
under boughs of the firs with back downwards, in search of its in-
sect food; wherein it closely resembles the titmice, with which it
often associates ; now hovering over a twig or flower, suspended in
the air, and fluttering its wings, and all the while singing melo-
diously; wherein it resembles the little warblers last described, and
so forming a link between the two families. Its colours are brown-
ish green and greenish yellow, while its head is ornamented with
a stripe of long silky feathers, yellow tipped with orange, forming
a golden crown. It abounds in this county, as I know by personal
observation, and it sometimes breeds in my garden.
PABmE {The Titmice).
Exceedingly interesting are all the members of this pert active
family, ever restless, creeping and running and flitting from bough
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
178 On the Ornithology of Witt* \Paridm\
to bough, in quest of insect food; careless whether they are hang-
ing beneath or climbing along, or running up or down the branch ;
hardy too, for they are all permanent residents here; chattering,
and bold and familiar and pugnacious withal* The genus Paras
contains in all seven species, of which five are to be found abund-
antly in Wiltshire, the remaining two, the "Crested Tit," (Porte*
cristatus) and the "Bearded Tit," (Parus biarmicus) being of very
rare occurrence in England, and no instance having reached me of
the appearance of either of them in this county.
"Great Titmouse." (Parus major.) First in point of size, and
therefore at the head of the family, stands this well known bird,
whose peculiar markings and well contrasted colours render it un-
mistakeable. The black head, white cheeks, and yellow breast
parted down the middle by a broad black stripe, distinguish it
at once from all others. The Great Tit is to be found in every
wooded district, and it clears the buds and leaves of trees from an
incredible number of insects; but it loves fruit as well, and being
somewhat bold, fierce, and bloodthirsty, will occasionally vary its
diet with the flesh of some dead bird, whose bones it picks with
wonderful skill.
"Blue Titmouse.' 9 (Paras ccBruleus.) Commonly called the
" Tom Tit," and as well known by its blue cap and pert appear-
ance, as by its lively active habits: like the Great Tit, its efforts
are directed not against the buds and blossoms, with which it is so
often charged, but against the larva and eggs of the insect tribe,
which are therein deposited in incredible quantities, and which
these useful little birds seek out and consume: it is for its size, the
most bold and pugnacious of the feathered race, and will attack
and sometimes kill birds considerably larger and heavier than it-
self. It is so constantly before our eyes, that I need say no more
of its appearance or habits.
" Cole Titmouse." (Parus ater.) Not so common as the two last
species, but generally distributed, and of similar habits: it closely
resembles in appearance the Marsh Tit, next to be described, both
having black heads, white cheeks, and greyish olive-green backs,
but the Cole Titmouse may at once be recognized by the irregular-
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Bev. A. 0. Smith. 179
white patch at the back of its neck, which is totally wanting in the
Marsh Tit.
" Marsh Titmouse." (Parus palustris.) The specific name points
out the localities which this Tit frequents. I should say it is not
so common in this county as the last, at least I have not met with
it so often ; but wherever there is moist ground, and alders and
willows flourish, there it may frequently be seen.
"Long-tailed Titmouse/' (Parus caudatws.) This very ball of
feathers with a long tail is common in all woods, and may be found
in hedgerows, but rarely visits our gardens : its body is scarcely
bigger than that of the " Golden Crested Regulus," but its very
long tail, and its habit of puffing out its feathers give it an appear-
ance of greater size than it really possesses: its beautiful oval nest,
so cleverly formed of moss and wool, coated with lichen and lined
with feathers, is the greatest marvel of the kind we possess in this
country, and in this snug cradle it will rear twelve or more young ;
and in the winter months you may see the whole family, including
the parents, flitting with undulating movements from tree to tree,
and hanging in an inverted position from the ends of the small
twigs, while in search of insect food. It is sometimes called pro-
vincially "Bottle Tom" from the shape of its nest, and in this
county is generally styled " Huckmuck," a truly Wiltshire word,
the derivation of which I cannot fathom.
AMPELID^l (TFaxwings).
Of the family of Fruit-eaters we have but one single example
occurring in England: their characteristics are short bill but wide
gape, enabling them to swallow whole the large berries and fruits
on which they feed ; and short legs and feet formed for perching,
as they are never seen on the ground. The single species visiting
us is styled the
" Bohemian Waxwing." {Bombycilla garrula.) Called also the
"Silktail," and "Chatterer;" it is a winter visitant, and though
it occasionally comes in some numbers, it is by no means regular
or periodical in its arrival ; an interval of several years often elaps-
ing between its visits. It is recorded by Ray to have appeared in
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
180 On the Ornithology of Wilts [MotacMidee].
this country in large flooks in the winter of 1685: Gilbert White
records its visit in 1767 : Bewick in 1790, 1791: Selby in 1810,
1822, and 1823: Yarrell in 1830, 1831, 1834, and 1835, since
which with the exception of an occasional straggler it has only ap-
peared in 1848 and 1850, the latter year in immense numbers, and
nothing has been seen of it in England since. Its true habitat is
Northern Asia, and the North Eastern parts of Europe, where a *
friend of mine two years since discovered its nest and eggs which
up to that time were unknown to science. It is a handsome, gay
bird, of a cinnamon brown colour, tinged with red : the feathers
on the head are long and silky in texture, forming a crest, but the
peculiarity from which it takes its name, consists in its haying on
* the tips of the wing quill feathers, little flat scarlet horny append-
ages, exactly resembling drops of red sealing wax : the tail fea-
thers are tipped with pale yellow. Its natural food appears to be
the berries of the hawthorn, juniper, and mountain ash ; and it
usually associates in flocks. I was told in Norway that this bird
visits that country also at irregular periods, many years sometimes
elapsing between its visits. It was as abundant throughout Scan-
dinavia in 1850 as it was here. I have many notices of its occur-
rence in this county. Mr. Marsh has seen it in the woods at Win-
terslow, and states that a pair were killed in Clarendon Park in
1820. Mr. Withers tells me that many were killed at Potterne in
1850 ; and (besides a few more instances) the Rev. H. Hare of
Bradford sent me notice of one killed in his field Deo. 7th, 1857.
MOTAOILLIDJB (The Wagtails).
Graceful and elegant are the epithets best suited to this family,
as everybody will confess who has watched their engaging manners,
running along the grass-plots, darting by the streams, and ever
flirting their long tails, which alone seem to preserve their equili-
brium, as they hurry this side and that, and seem in danger of
losing their balance. They are of slender form and very active,
the lightest and most buoyant of birds; and as most of them re- .
main With us during the winter, they are doubly valued and doubly
welcome.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 181
"Pied Wagtail." (Motacilla YarreUii.) No one can be ignorant
of this very common bird, with its party coloured dress of black and
white: its food oonsists of insects which it finds in running over
the grass, or on the margins of streams and lakes, in the shallow
waters of which it will wade in search of its tiny prey. Gilbert
White also long ago called attention to its habit, which we may
constantly verify, of running close up to feeding cows, in order to
avail itself of the flies that settle on their legs, and other insects
roused by the trampling of their feet. A pair of these pretty birds
return every year to rear their young in a rose tree trained against
my house. The provincial name for it here is " Dishwasher."
" Grey Wagtail." (Motacilla boarula.) By no means common,
but yet generally though sparingly dispersed, and to be found in
most localities : it is even more graceful and slender, and has a
still longer tail than the last ; its prevailing colours are slaie-grey
above, and bright yellow below, with black throat, wings, and tail:
it haunts the margins of streams, which it seldom leaves, and is on
the whole less sociable and familiar than its pied relative: like the
last, it remains here throughout the winter.
"Grey-headed Wagtail." (Motacilla neglecta.) I place this rare
wagtail amongst the Wiltshire birds, on the authority of Mr.
Marsh, who possesses a specimen killed at Marshfield near Chip-
penham, in Oct. 1841. It bears so close a resemblance in every
respect to the next to be described, that it is extremely difficult to
see any difference between them : it may however be distinguished
by the white line over the eyes, which in Rays Wagtail is yellow ;
and by the grey head, which in M. flaw is light olive : moreover,
it is a winter visitant when M. flaw has left us.
" Rays Wagtail." (Motacilla flava.) This is our common yellow
wagtail, which flocks here every summer, and leaves us in the
autumn : it frequents open plantations and arable land, has a
shorter tail, and is altogether less graceful than the Grey Wagtail :
in colour too it is more yellow, the olive-green of its upper plumage
partaking of the yellow tinge, which is so bright and clear below.
ANTHID^J (The Pipits).
This is the last family of the tooth-billed tribe, and it forms an
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
182 On the Ornithology of Witt* [Anthida*].
excellent connecting link between the soft-billed insect eaters, and
the hard-billed grain consumers. In many respects allied to the
wagtails last described, in others nearly resembling the larks, the
first family of the Conirostral tribe, it is however a true soft-billed
race, and subsists entirely on insects,
" Tree Pipit." (Anthus arboreta.) This is a summer visitor, and
though far from common, may be seen in most woodland districts:
it is by far the most beautiful of the genus, and the sweetest song-
ster ; and has a habit of rising above the top of some tall tree, and
singing with outstretched wings on its descent : in colour it very
much resembles the larks; is somewhat larger than its congener
next to be described, from which it differs in the stronger and
broader bill, and in the short and hooked hind claw: also its gait
on the ground is a slow walk, while the " Meadow Pipit" runs af-
ter the manner of the wagtails.
"Meadow Pipit." (Anthus prateneis.) Very common, especially
on our furze-clad Downs, where it remains the whole year, though
it will occasionally assemble in flocks, and haunts stubble and tur-
nip fields in winter: it is generally known as the Titlark, and sings
in the air as it descends to the earth, as its cousin the Tree Pipit
does in descending to some lofty tree top; it is a quiet, unobtrusive
bird, builds its nest on the ground, and is very frequently the fos-
ter parent of the young cuckoo: its hind toe is furnished with an
elongated and straightened claw : its bill is slender ; it warbles
rather than sings; and its flight consists in short jerks. Mr.
Marsh says that its scent is so strong, that pointers commonly mis-
take it for the partridge, indeed much more frequently than they
do the skylark.
This closes the list of the tooth-billed perchers, resident in or
visiting Wiltshire.
Alfred Charles Smith.
Yatetbury Rectory, Cains,
February 8iA, 1859.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
183
$mb* an3r <f orgeats ti "Qdiqm"
|HE following observations, on the various frauds which have
been practised in forging or falsifying works of art and an-
tiquity, were made by A. W. Franks, Esq., at a Meeting of the
Society of Antiquaries 16th Dec. 1858. As they may be of use
in warning Archaeologists and the public against imposition, it has
been thought desirable to give a further circulation to them in
our Provincial Magazine.
" The exhibition of some leaden objects at our last meeting gave rise to
observations on the system of counterfeiting ancient works of art, to the detri-
ment of archaeological scienoe, and the discouragement of many from pursuing
the study of antiquities. I have therefore thought that it might be acceptable
to the Fellows of the Society to have an opportunity of examining a few speci-
mens of such counterfeits, and of hearing a few observations on the subject.
" The forging of flint arrow-heads has been brought before the Society on two
former occasions,* and has likewise been noticed in the Archaeological Journal,
vol. xiii. pp. 85, 104, and 411. The modern arrow-heads appear to have been
manufactured in Yorkshire, though itinerants have offered them for sale in
other parts of England, and still continue to do so. They are stated to have
been made by a man who resides or used to reside at Fylingdales, close to Robin
Hood's Bay. J The dusty appearance of the surface is said to be produced by
boiling them in mud. The best criterion of the genuineness of arrow-heads
and other objects in flint is the state of the surface, as, exoept under certain
rare conditions, the outer coat of the flint becomes oxydised by long contact
with the earth. Another fraud has been practised with regard to flints, which
I think was first exposed by Mr. Syer Cuming, which oonsists in obtaining chips
of flint from some old manufactories for making gun-flints on the north coast of
Kent, and pretending that they were discovered in British urns.) Celts of
basalt are said to be manufactured in the North of Ireland, and I have reason
to believe that some stone axe-heads, of very peculiar form, have been fabri-
cated in Yorkshire. British urns have been forged in the neighbourhood of
Scarborough. The same district has furnished the numerous jet seals whioh
have appeared in various parts of England, and the original type of which is the
genuine seal of Osbert de Hilton in the Whitby Museum. We appear to be
indebted to Italy for the greater part of the forged matrices of seals in brass
whioh are to be found in curiosity shops. They are, however, simply casts from
• Proceedings, ▼ol. It p. 5, and 233.
+ Arenaologioal Journal, yoL xiii. p. 411.
X Journal of Britiah ArefajBologioal Association, yoI. xIt. p. 94.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
184 Frauds and Forgeries of "Antiques."
other matrices, or from ancient impressions of seals : and, therefore, although
they are worthless as being of modern make, the designs upon them are really
old, and perhaps will only reach us through their means.
" Before entering on the question of forgeries of classical antiquities, it may
be well to say a few words on a matter relating to our own oountry, in which
the fraud does not rest with the articles themselves, but with the circumstances
under whioh they are stated to hare been discovered. The older collectors
regarded but little the locality in which, or the circumstances under which, the
various relics were found ; but this is no longer the case. The numerous local
antiquaries who have sprung up since archaeology has been more carefully
studied, are anxious to obtain antiquities from some particular locality, and are
prepared to pay larger prices for them in oonsequence. Spurious localities are
therefore invented, and Greek, Etruscan, Egyptian, and Italian antiquities are
palmed off on the unwary as having been found in his own native soil. I have
been informed by dealers in curiosities that labourers frequently come to their
shops and purchase miscellaneous rubbish to be retailed to any stray archaeolo-
gist who should venture near their work.* I remember some years since being
shown a modern Abyssinian sandal duly steeped in oil, which purported to have
been found in Roman London ; and I have seen even Greek vases, whioh were
said to be found in digging the foundations in the city ; one of them I strongly
suspect to have been recently brought from the Gyrenaica, and another had all
the marks of having been through the hands of an Italian restorer of modern
times. Suoh frauds are carried on to a great extent in coins, and the recent
works in the city have supplied a profitable outlet for the rubbish of coin sales.
" With regard to foreign antiquities, forgeries of Egyptian remains are not
unfrequent, some of them shewing considerable skill in their workmanship.
Mr. Cuming has recorded in the Journal of the British Archaeological Associa-
tion his having seen some scarabaei, formed of amethyst whioh had been manu-
factured in this country for a foreign market, t Italy has not been behind hand
in seeking for fraudulent gain ; although its ancient soil teems with remains of
the past, the number does not seem to be sufficient to supply the demands of the
travellers of all nations who visit it, and accordingly terra-cotta figures, bronzes,
vases, gems, &c, appear as required, and are carried home as trophies by the
•deluded traveller. Suoh fabrications are of some standing. The clever imita-
tions of Roman coins produced by those famous Faduan artists, Giovanni Cavino
and Alessandro Bassiano, are well known ,J and in several museums are to be
found bronze lacrymatories whioh, from the inscription upon them, purport to
contain the tears of Caesar's wife. At the commencement of the last century,
several supposititious remains of Christian antiquity appear to have been fabric-
ated, including, as I have been informed by a distinguished foreign arobssologist,
some of the small pictures formed of gold and glass, made in imitation of those
found in the Catacombs, whioh are so much valued in museums. The imitation
of ancient glass vessels seems to be carried on at Naples, and is well exemplified
* For an account of similar frauds see Journal of British Archaeological Association, rol. ix. p. 89,
and vol. xL p. 72. Much credit is due to Mr. Gunston and Mr. Syer Cuming for baring exposed
these frauds.
t Journal of British Archaeological Association, toI xi. p. 72.
I See a catalogue of their works in " Cabinet de I' Amateur et de l'Antiquaire, " torn. i. p. 566.
Paris, 1842.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Frauds and Forgeries of "Antiques." 185
by the specimen on the table, which I am enabled to exhibit by the kindness of
a friend ; a broken Venetian vase, of remarkably fine form, has been taken,
the mis si ng foot supplied by one of terra-ootta, and the whole covered with
some glutinous matter whioh serves to fix on the surfaoe decomposed flakes of
ancient glass, concealing the fractures and the discrepancy between the body
and the foot. The wonderful skill with which ancient gems were imitated has
caused the comparative neglect under which that interesting branoh of aroheeo-
logy has fallen in this country.
" With regard to medieval and cinque-cento works of art, the same fraudu-
lent practices are carried on. In imitating ivory carvings, the forgers have
been very industrious, and have practised with considerable suocess their ne-
farious trade. There seems to be two distinct schools of fabrication. One, the
French, situated, I believe, in the south-east of France, which has confined its
attention ohiefly to Gothic carvings, several of which I have seen for sale in
London. The other school is German, probably not far from the Rhine, and
its productions are marked by considerable erudition; it generally imitates
Roman or Romanesque carvings.
" Enamels have been also extensively copied ; and I may here remark that
specimens, imitating nearly all the different varieties of enamel work, were to
be met with in the Manchester Exhibition. The early German and Limoges
enamels have been very skilfully imitated, and a very competent judge may be
deceived by the practice of restoring, by filling up with enamel, specimens from
which the vitreous matter has been decayed or removed by violence. The skill
with whioh the later Limoges enamels have been copied is shown by a trial
which has recently taken place in France : according to the statement published
in the papers, M. Boissel de Monville, a distinguished collector and a good
judge of articles of virtu, and who purchases such things to a large extent for
the sons of Baron Rothschild, had bought for those gentlemen various specimens
of Limoges enamels, such as cups, vases, and saltcellars, from one Chalvet, a
bookseller, who had taken him to Aries and various other places to see these
pretended antiques. It appears that a man named Fierat was the actual fabri-
cator, and had employed Chalvet as his agent. The deception seems to have
been very cleverly carried out. The tribunal came to the satisfactory result of
condemning Pierat to fifteen months' imprisonment and 1000 francs fine. Italian
Majolica has likewise found its imitators — not merely its legitimate imitators,
like Minton and the Imperial manufactory at Sevres, but also fraudulent copiers,
who seek to give all the imperfections of the old ware, and imitate marks in
order to deceive collectors. Some of this ware is made at the manufactory at
Doccia, near Florence, where probably was produced the specimen I now exhibit
— a plate with a olever sketoh of a Satyr's head.
" Similar frauds are daily carried on in porcelain. Muoh of the fine old blue
and white oriental China, whioh used to adorn our grandmothers' corner cup-
boards, has been coloured and gilded, to give it a more gay appearance, and the
repainting of Dresden and Sevres is very extensively carried on. With regard
to Dresden porcelain, it is useful to remember that when the specimens are sent
out unpainted a grooved and indelible out is made at the manufactory across
the blue swords, with which the china is marked, so that, in the case of all
coloured specimens, the existence of the cut shows that the decoration has been
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
186 Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591.
put on elsewhere. Sevres is most cleverly imitated, audi fraudulently imitated,
at some of the English poroelain works, even to copying all the old marks ; and
I have been told that some of it is exported to the continent in order to return
here as foreign porcelain.
"The forgeries of ooins are equally numerous and extensive. The best
imitations of Greek Coins seem to be made in the Greek Islands and in India.
The latter are generally oast, but the former are struck from false dies. Becker,
a German forger, produced an immense number of false coins, ranging over the
whole extent of numismatics ; a valuably set of impressions from his dies is
preserved in the British Museum, and has served to convince many a collector
of the falseness of some of his specimens. The best forgeries of English ooins
were made by Emery : a man named Singleton is also said to have been simi-
larly employed.
" In fact there is scarcely an object in the range of ancient or medieval art to
whioh the attention of the forger has not been given, seeking his ill-gotten
gains at the expense of the hapless collector, and tending to depreciate the value
even of the genuine remains of the past by his dishonest industry."
$«% af Lancaster. Sbwcbq of fa ^moxz
IN CO. WILTS, TAKEN 33 Elk. (a.d. 1591.)
3HE following documents have been obtained by C. E. Long,
Esq., from the Duchy of Lancaster Office : and are ex-
tracted from the "Second Book of Surreys xxxiii. Eliz. Northamp-
ton and Wilts." They relate to the Manors of 1. North Standkn
(near Hungerford.) 2. Albourne. 3. Hannington (near High-
worth.) 4. Upavon. 5. Easteeton G^rnon (in the parish of
East or Market Lavington.) 6. Manningford Bohun. 7. Ever-
let. 8. Nbtheravon. 9. Berwick St. James. 10. Poole. 11.
Oakset. 12. Ashley (near Tetbury.) 13. Bradon Forest.
It is to be remembered that the " Freeholders," &c, mentioned
in the Survey do not necessarily imply all the freeholders in the
several parishes : but merely those connected with the Duchy of
Lancaster property in each parish. The No. of Acres, and the
Rent, also apply only to the Duchy estates.
Besides those named in this Survey there were in the county of
Wilts other manors, or parcels of estates, that in earlier times are
found connected with the Duchy ; having formed part of the in-
heritance either of the Bohuns, Earls of Hereford, or of the Earls
of Lancaster : as at Amesbury, Alton Berners, Collingbourne Ducis,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Ducky of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591. 187
Chesingbury de la Folie, Chitterne, Crofton, Chirton, Luckington,
Sheepridge, Shrewton, Trowbridge, Wiisford, Winterbourne Earl's,
and Tatton Keynell, (See Nom. Villarum and " Hundred Rolls."
Among the Printed Public Records also are the Duchy Charters
from Hen. IV. to Edw. IV., and the Inq. p.m. from 1. Hen. V. to
16. Chas. I. In Manuscript, are the Patents of Officers from 1.
Hen. VIII. in the Bodleian Library; and a catalogue of Charters
in the Ashmol. Libr., Oxford. The Fee farm Rent Rolls (temp.
Commonwealth) in the Augmentations Office : and Collections by
the 3 Holmeses, in British Museum: a Rental for Wilts 1636, 1640,
and Estates not granted in Fee, in Univ. Lib. Cambridge.
1. — North Standen (alias Standen Chaworth). 6 Aug. 1591.
" The manor of Standen Northe. (fol 18.)
44 ^^SdS* " That ' lt beginneth pad as they thinck moost fitt on
mB3UUxr - the northe parte of the saide mannor at a yeatt there
called Marshe yeatt, from thence eastwards alonge by the brooke
there to Fremans Marshe to a hedge there w*h devideth this mannor
and the mannor of Hungerforde, and soe ffollowinge the saide hedge
southwarde to thende therof compassinge in Claye meade ; there
hence south- westwards to a hedge of Thorns Goddardes gent., w c h
devideth this mannor and the mannor of South Standen, and soe
contynuinge the saide hedge south- westwards to Southfielde, com-
passinge in the same fielde with a closse in the south-west corn'
therof, therehence leading north warde by the hedge there to Littell
Bedwynn yeate, from thence eastwarde as the waie leadeth to the
oomon downe, retorninge to the hedge on the north pte therof,
followinge the same hedge eastwarde to Marshe yeat aforesaide,
where it beganne. Within w c h circuitte and boundarie all waieffes,
straies, &c, and all other thinges incident to a royaltiedoebelonge
unto her Ma tfe &c. .
"Woodes there, (fol. 19.)
" There are within the saide mannor v seu r all woodes and cop-
pices apptayninge to her Ma* 1 ' viz., Highe woode cont. xxv acres,
Frithe woode cont. x acres, Comesanger woode cont. iij acres, Trim-
lane woode cont. x acres, and Littell woode cont. v acres.
m 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
188 Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591.
" wSmlflM " Alsoe there apptayneth unto this mannor iij seuerall
mwmor - landes lyinge w*hin the mannor of Hungerforde and
in the west fielde therof by Lanohierd, cont. by estimacon vj acres.
"^gjJoa?t£P "And alsoe two acres of meadowe in Woodmarshe
meadowe within the mannor of East Garton. One other
meadowe benorthe the water leadinge to Fremans marshe oont. vj
acres. One other meadowe bewest the waie that leadeth from
Hungerforde to Mr. Thomas Ooddardes called Brownes meadowe,
oont. iiij acres. All w c h doe belonge unto this mannor and are
poell of the same.
" The scituacon of the said mannor. (fol. 19a.)
"Beinge neare two miles southwest from Hungerforde, the soile
whereof somewhat barren for the moost pte, beinge heretofore rea-
sonablie well wooded with a small river or brooke on the — part
thereof."
Edward Hungerford held the manor. Acres 608. Rent £13
18s. 4d. Copyholders, Richard Blisse, Thomas Checken, Robert
Arnold and Edmund Hungerford, Walter Burtin and William his
son.
2. — Albourne.
The Survey of the Manor of "Aldeborne" was taken 10 Aug., 33
Elizabeth, by John Worth, deputy to Sir John Poyntz, kt., General
Surveyor of the Duchy in the South parts ; on the oaths of a Jury
of the Court of Survey, viz. Robert Scorie, Richard Nutte, John
Brighte, Thomas Bacon, &c, who being examined, saie ;
" That they thinck the same moost begynneth in the southeast
pte of the saide mannor, at a pcell of ground called Ducke lane,
from thence to a waste plott of grounde at the north end of Lordes
meadowe, compassinge the same plott, and soe ouer thawrte the
waie unto Lordes meade, followinge the east hedge therof to the
south fielde, and thence south east to the brooke to the nether pte
therof, w ck deuideth this mannor and the mannor of Ramisburie,
and soe followinge the saide brooke to the lower end of the Gallie
close, from w ch close south westwarde to Milleredge Coppice-hedge,
therehence out thawrte Louers lane to Letimer coppice hedge, and
soe continuynge the same hedge westwarde to Prestlande, and soe
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591. 189
forth as the same hedge leadeth to Poles closse, and from thenoe
leadinge as the same hedge lyeth to Saundredge yeatt, from thenoe
alonge by Mushes hedge to Mushes land end, therehenoe to White
Shurde, and soe thence alonge the ditche to Yeldons hedge corner,
wharehence leadinge north warde alonge the same hedge to Mores
lane, and from thenoe alonge the ditche or waie that leadeth to
Motelie croft, followinge the same waie to Snapp common, and there-
henoe continuynge the said waie or ditch to High Strate waie, from
thence to Badburie mere, w* devideth this manner Badburie and
Liddtnton, from the said mereeastwarde along the ditch to Shuger
waie, therehence to the mere stone on the top of Digehill, divid-
inge this manner Wambrough and Liddtnton, from w^ mere stone
alonge a ditche then to Bordes plott, compassinge in the same plott,
from thence east warde to Rickatta crosse, therehence along by east
lease hedge to Whitt pitte, thence by a linche and waie that
leadeth to & Williams Crosse, and from the said Crosse alonge the
mere w* devideth this mannor and Beadon to Bed Dea&e, from
thence alonge by the same mere to Crockbrigh, therehence follow-
inge the same mere to Forde lane, and from thence to Duck lane
afores d where in began ; within w* circuit and bondarie all waieffes,
straies, ffellons, goods, &c., and all other things incident to a roy-
altie belonge vnto her Ma* 8 .
"And thus mitch for the circuit and bondarie of the said
mannor."
3.— Hanninoton. (13 Aug. 1591.)
" The manor Hmnington ah Hammingdon. (fol. 31a.)
"That the boundarie of the saide mannor verie aptlie begynneth
on the north pte therof at a Bridge called Thomes Bridge, at a
doble tressell there; from thence along the river there eastwarde
called Thames, w*h devideth this mannor and Kempfforde untill
ye com to a brooke called Bidebrooke, w c h devideth this mannor
and Inglesham, and soe followinge the saide brooke to Westropp
field, therehenoe contynuinge the same brooke south warde to Gos-
pell Corner deviding this mannor and Staunton, from w c h corner
along by the quioksett hedge called Berreton hedge, southwest-
warde to thend therof, to a mere there, followinge the**ame mere
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
190 Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591.
to thend therof, thence retorninge northwestwarde by the Mere
stones there to a quicksett hedge of Walter Becketts, followinge
the same hedge northwarde to the river of Thames, and soe follow-
inge the said river eastwarde to thaforesaid bridge where it first
beganne. Within w*h circuit and boundarie all waiefles, straies,
fellons, goodes, &c., and all other thinges incident to a Royaltie
doe belong onto her Ma u *
"^t£>Stt£ "Without w e h saide boundarie there apptayneth un-
bondarie - to this mannor one hamm of meadowe cont. iij acres
and halffe lying bewest the saide boundarie, being on the north pte
invironed w*h the olde Thames, and on the west alsoe with a pcell
of the same river, now in the occupacon and tenure of one John
Jenkins, tennte therof unto her Ma*°. There lyeth alsoe in the
castell field of Eaton iij " acres of arr. land and leise in iij<* seve-
rall rudges, and one acre in Sentham meadowe, w c h alsoe belongeth.
unto this mannor, now in the tenure of John Symons a copie holder
of the said mannor.
" The scituacon of the said mannor. (fol. 37.)
"It scituatethe from Highworthe west, near one mile distant
the villadge wherof standeth .on a hill, on the east pte wherof is
verie good pasture grounde neare adioynige unto the river Thames,
with good meadowes to the same apptayninge, the arrable lande
whereof is somewhat fertile, verie apte for come and grain."
No. of Acres 1755J. Rent £65 2s. ljd. freeholders, John
Brinde, Humphrey Gunter, William Parker, Robert Saverie.
Copyholders. John Symonds and Henrie his son; William Yorke,
Robert, William, and Humphrey Yorke; Thos. Boughton; Rob.
and Will, his sons; Richard Coxe and Giles Coxe; Wm. Werton:
Walter and Wm., his sons. Also the names of Willier, Sheperd,
Batson, Plomer, Pennell, Sherman, Jenkins, &C. 1
4. — Upavon.
" The mannor of Uphaven. (fol. 36a.)
" Thatt the bondarie of the saide mannor begynneth, and as they
1 The boundaries of Hannington above given, are stated (1859) to be very oor-
reot. The "one acre in Sentham" is probably in Stanton Fitzwarren. At the
"double tressells" there is now a stone bridge across the Thames. The "1755 £
acres" form only part of the muoh larger estate now belonging to the Freke
family. Copyholders have disappeared.
Digitized by
Google
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591. 191
think moost fitt on the east pte therof at a bridge, knowne by the
name of Cartridge, from thence following the riuer there eastwarde
to Prince Crosse, there thence southeastwarde by the landes w c h
deride this mannor and Manningforde, to the middell Borrowe,
deviding this mannor and the mannor of Everleigh, from thence
southwarde leadinge to the Balle w c h devideth this mannor Chez-
enburie and the said mannor of Everleigh, therehence westwarde
to thend of Hare pitt, and thence downe the riuer to Shefforde, and
aoe over thwarte the water there to Neaton meade, from thence to
Waterdeane, deviding this mannor and West Chezenburie, there-
hence westwarde to a Borrowe, w e h devideth this mannor and En-
forde, thence north westwarde to Honnie downe Balle, from thence
eastwarde to old Ditch, w e h devideth > this mannor and Russalle,
and soe thence to Flower ditch, therehence to Brodewaie w c h lead-
eth to Cossum Bridge, and from thence following the saide riuer
to Cartridge aforesaide, where it beganne.
" ******- "Within w*h circuit and Bondarie all waieffes, straies,
fellons, goods, &c, and all other thinges incident to a Boyaltie
doe belonge uiito her Ma**.
" And thus mitch for the circuit and bondaries of the said mannor.
"The scituacon of the said mannor. (fol. 44.)
" W c h standeth southwest from Marellborrowe, vj miles distante,
and from the Vies vij miles, the village wherof standeth somewhat
lowe, w'h a verie proper riuer runninge on the south pte adioyninge
to the same* the soile wherof yealding reasonable storr of fishe, is
reasonable fertile and apte for come, &c, with good meadowes
and pasture groundes to the same apptayninge."
Sir Walter Hungerford kt. held the manor. No acreage given.
Bent £70 18s. Od. Freeholders. Henry Sadleir, Esq., William
Thornehill, Esq., Nicholas Bacon, gent., Thomas Bushell, Robert
Hurle, George Pike, Edmund Bayliffe. Leaseholder. Roger Orme.
5. — Easterton Gernon 1 (in East or Market Lavington.)
"The manor of Easterton Oarnham. (fol. 44a.)
"Thatt the bondarie of the said mannor begynnneth and as they
1 So oalled from a Family. "Roger Gernon held 1 knight's fee in Lavington
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
192 Duchy qf Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591.
think moost fitt on the north pte therof at a meadowe called the
Kinges Croftes, from thence eastwarde by Flowers hedge to New*
mans Corner, therehence southwarde as the mere leadeth, deriding
this mannor and Eastcott to Foote burrowe, and thence oontynuing
the same mere southwarde to Easterton Coomes, and soe by the
eastermost pte of the same Coomes to Ellborrowe, being the uttmoost
pte on the south : therehence westwarde followinge the Bailee and
markes w°h deride this mannor and Fydington to Green Cliffe, and
soe thence north warde by the mere stones to Redd land, wherehence
to the wester pte of Courte closse, from thence northwarde as the
hedges leade to the west end of Easterton sande, and soe thence
followinge the hedges to the wester side of Twentie Acres, and
therehence oontynuing the hedges northwarde to the south pte of
Fotterne parke, and from thence followinge the hedges eastwarde
unto Kinges Croftes aforesaide, where it beganne.
"Boyaitie. "Within which circuit and bondarie all waieffes,
straies, fellons, goodes, &c, and all other thinges incident to a
royaltie doe belonge unto her Ma tt °."
Walter Fisher held the manor. Acres 447. Rents £10 10s. 8d.
Freeholders. Robert Bisshopp, Christian Saintsbury, Thomas Kill,
William Kill.
"There is within the saide mannor one woode called "Kinges
Stedies," cont. 3 acres, meanlie sett with oke trees or other timber
trees."
6. — Manningford Bohun.
*' The manor of Manningforde Boundes. (fol. 48a.)
'^oftoeSd 68 "That it verie aptlie begynneth on the south west
manor# pte of the saide mannor, at a Bridge called Woode bridge,
w e h devideth this mannor and Newton, from thence followinge the
river to the south end of Longe meade, thence eastwarde alonge the
of Wm. Bland, and he of the King in chief,'' temp. Edw. I. (Test, de Nev.)
The name is now oorrnpted to "Garland's." The Rev. E. Wilton informs the
Editor that there used to be two constables: one for "Garland's side," the other
for the " King's side." The 447 acres belonging to the Duchy were probably
the "King's side:" as Easterton contains 1596 aores. The boundaries above
are stated to agree with the present manorial limits. The manor does not now
belong to the Crown. A small copper shield with the arms of the Duke of Lan-
caster, picked up near Green Cliff, is in the possession of Mr. Benj. Hay ward.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of iU Manor*. a.d. 1591. 193
mere to Prince Crosse, w*h devideth this mannor and Uphaven,
therehence to the highe waie called Sheepe pathe waie w c h leadeth
from Uphaven to Pewsey, wherehence alonge the balke untill ye
come within halfe a furlong or neare thereaboutes to the iij Bur-
rowes, within the mannor of Everleighe; and thence north warde as
the Ball leadeth to White Crosse, deviding this mannor and Manning-
ford Brewse from the said White Cross westwarde to Earles Crosse,
from thence to a plott of ground© called Kites waie greene, com-
passinge in. halfe the said greene, which devideth this mannor and
Manningforde Brewse, therehence leadinge alonge Weekelande to
Newe Yate, from thence followinge the hedge to the south ende of
the towne of Woodburrough, from thence to Botewells Forde, and
soe following the riuer to Newton dalles, therehence along the dike
to the riuer, and soe contynuing the same riuer to Woodebridge
aforesaid, where it beganne.
"Hoyaitie. "Within w*h circuit and bondarie all waiefls, straies,
fellons, goodes, &c, and all other thinges incident to a Royaltie
doe belong unto her Ma"*.
iJ^Sd?1dthoat "Without w c h circuit and bondarie there is one pcell
the mannor. Q f mea( i owe apptayninge to the Ferme, be west the
riuer in Newton Field side, oont. iij roodes w c h is possessed accord-
inglye.
" The scituacon of the said mannor. (fol. 52.)
" W c h standeth southwest from Morrell burrowe neare v miles
and a halfe distant, the arrable lande wherof mitch agreeth in na-
ture with Uphaven, on the north pte wherof is verie goode mea-
dowe grounde for the moost pte, on the north west pte wherof is a
river, but reasonablie stored with fishe."
Freeholders. Anthonie Webb gent., William Button, William
Dowley, John Thornborough. Acres 980. Rent £25 4s. 6d."
7. — Evbrley.
" The manor of Euerleighe. (foL 52a.)
" That the bondarie of the said mannor begynneth, and as they
think moost fitt at a certen Burrowe neare Shudburie [now Sid-
bury] Hill, w c h devideth this mannor and the mannors of Fid die ton
and Collingbome [Dmcm], from thence leading westwarde to a
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
194 Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591.
burrowe on the west pte of Sarum waie, deviding this mannor and
Fiddleton, therehence southwestwarde to Comesdeane well, thence
westwarde by the boundes as they lie to a bound on the west side
of the iij burrowes w e h devideth this mannor andUphaven, where-
hence northwestwarde followinge the balkes and merestones to a
balle without the two burrowes nere adioyninge to Pewsey waie,
therehence northwarde to Carrell Pitt, from thenoe to Popplestone,
deviding this mannor Pewsie and Milton, wherehence northwest-
warde to Three Knightes burrowe, therehence eastwarde to London,
being poeU of the demeasnes of this mannor, from thence along the
balles and boundes without Neates Penne, eastwarde to a merestone
deviding this mannor and Kinges Collingburne, therehence south-
eastwarde to Gourdon Balle, from thence south to the balle or bur-
rowe in the bottome nere unto Ludgersledge waye, therehence
southwarde to the burrowe at Shudburrowe hill aforesaide, where
it beganne.
"Royaitfe. "Within which circuit and bondarie all waieffes,
straies, fellons, goodes, &c, and all other thinges incident to a
royaltie doe belong unto her Ma**."
Henry Sadleir, Esq. held the manor.
freeholders. Earl of Hertford, Henry Sadleir, Esq., John Chai-
ney, Richard Fishe, John Jeffries, clerk. Acres 1552. Bents
£39 5s. 6d.
8. — Netheravon.
Survey taken 21 Aug. 1591, by John Worthe, gent., Deputy to
Sir John Poyntz, kt., Gen. Surveyor of the Duchy on the South
parts.
" The manor of Netherhaven}
" The Bondarie of the said manor begynneth, and as it is thought
moost fittest on the north part of the Biver at the Dotes, being be-
north the end of Cock Meadow, therehence followinge the said
Biver southwarde to Borne Meadowe, and so compassinge in the
said Meadowe to the Dike in the east side thereof, and also oom-
passeth in another Meadowe in the said east parte, being Brunise
meade ; therehence southwarde taking in a Dovecot, thence follow-
1 The Duohy manor was not oo-extensive with the pariah.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591. 195
ing the waie there be-east the same to the River contynuinge the
same River southward to Ivie Bridge, therehenoe to the west hedge
of Ivy meade, following the said hedge south warde to Mr. Longs 1
Clifte, from thence westwarde as the meres and boundes leade to
the west ende of all the said Mr. Long's lande, which abutteth on
the south part of this mannor, therehence to the West Borne,
wherehence northeastwarde followinge the boundes and balkes to
Fifield Mere, and from thence to the Dottes aforesaid, where it be-
ganne.
■•Royaitte. "Within which circuit and boundarie all waieffes,
straies, fellons, goods, &c, and all other things incident to a roy-
alty doe belong unto her Majestic.
"Miing-- "The Fishinge of the said River from the aforesaid
Dotes, southward unto Mr. Longe's Clifte, doth appertaine unto
her Majestye in respect of the said royaltie, &c."
Freeholders : paying quit rents. Wm. (Bourchier) Earl of Bathe,
Henry Brewynn, Esq., The Lady Jane Brydges, Chidiock Warder,
Esq., Thos. Goddarde of Standen, gent., (no quit rent.) Wm. Lam-
bert, Esq. (do.) f Thos. Bushell, Rich. Legge, Thos. Hearne, John
Sutton, Richard Gyne. The Parson there for certain glebe. Total
quit rents 22s. 6d.
8. — Berwick St. Jam£s.
" The mannor of Berwick St. James. (foL 58.)
" That the bondarie of the saide mannor begynneth, and as they
thinck moost aptest on the north east side of the same at the upper
end of Einges marshe, at the riuer there leadinge westwarde as the
hedg lieth to a linohe ; . there contynuinge the same linch to Mad-
ington Waie, thence torninge northwarde to Manhide hedge, fol-
lowinge the same hedge westwarde to thend therof, from thence
north warde as the quicksett hedge lieth nere to the middell of the
said close, therehence westwarde by the meres and boundes devid-
1 The Mr. Longe, here mentioned, was John Longe, who died in 1630, and
was grandfather of Colonel Samuel Long, one of the most distinguished Colonists
after the oonquest of Jamaica in 1655. He is presumed to have been nephew to
Edward Long of Monkton. The lands of which he was in the occupation were
charged with the repairs of one of the aisles of the church of Netheravon.
(C. E. L.)
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
196 Duchy qf Lancaster. Survey qf its Manors. a.d. 1591.
ing this mannor and Winterborne Stoke, to the easter end of Heavie
Hedd furlonge, wherehence leading northwarde fower acres breadth,
and then retorninge westwarde nere halfe the length therof, and
soe northwestward as the boundes lie to London waie> following
the same waie westwarde to the boundes and bailee w e h devide as
before, northward to a great bounde or balke at the Lower end of
a bottome called Nettellbedd, from thence westwarde as the boundes
leade to Mill waie, therehence north westwarde to a bond on the
ditch end, wherehence to the waie leading to Warminst', followinge
the boundes on the north side therof to the upper end of the Ferme
downe, compassinge in a pcell of grounde invironed with a banke,
from thence southeastwarde followinge the balles and boundes to
the middell gate of Yarneberrie castell, passings thoroughe the
same castell southwarde, as the boundes and Balles leade w c h de-
vide this mannor and Langforde, continuing the same balle south-
eastwarde to the wester end of the Cowe downe of this mannor,
followinge the same downe southwarde to Pennecot bottome, there-
hence southwarde as the boundes leade to Langforde waie, by w c h
waie west a littell distance, then torninge southwarde to thend of
the Queens fermors fielde, from thence torninge east on a furlonge
as the boundes leade w c h devide this mannor and Stapleforde to
Hed corner hill, therehence eastwarde to Pipe marshe end to the
riuer there, from thence northwarde followinge the hedge to an
easter pte of the riuer, untill ye com to the north pte of New meade
hedge corner, from w c h corner northwestwarde towards the riuer,
to a certen pece of grounde inclosed by Willm Hewlett, from the
north east pte of the said inclosure to the bankes on theast pte of
Kinges marshe, followinge the same banke northwarde, to the
Banke w'hout the Eolles on the southwest corn* of Asserton marshe,
contynuinge the hedge of the saide marshe, northeastwarde to the
upper end of kinges marshe aforesaide, where it beganne.
"^Sthout^?** "Without w°h bondarie there apptayneth unto this
manor * mannor one meadowe called Berwick meade, cont.
xxxviij acres, lying within the mannor of
"Boyaitie. "Within w c h circuite Bondarie and meadowe all
waieffes, straies, fellons, goodes, &c, and all other thinges incident
to a royaltie doe delonge unto her Ma*'.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
Duchy qf Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591. 197
"The scituacon of the saide mannor. (fol. 62.)
"It standeth north from Salisburie neare iiij or miles distance the
villadge wherof standeth somewhat lowe, w*h a riuer on the south
east pte therof, yealdinge a verie good Trowte, &c. : the arrable
lande wherof is not verie fertile, but reasonable apte for corne and
graine, with reasonable good shepe slightes to the same apptayninge,
but noe great store of meadowe within the same/'
Freeholders. Thos. Walters, Eliz. dau. and heir of Thos. Sent-
burbe (St. Barbe), Wm. Frauncis, Thomas South, Henry Sadleir,
Esq., The Manor. Acres 678. Bents £18 18s. 8d.
10. — Poole.
" The mannor of Poole, (fol. 62a.)
"That the bondarie of the said mannor begynneth on the north
east pte therof, at a Crosse there called Ewen Crosse, from thence
eastwarde by the north hedge that boundeth in Tommes fielde app-
tayninge to this manor, therehence southeastwarde to Mill ham
ditch as it leadeth to Hobbes bridge, wherehenfee eastwarde to
Horse hamme hedge, w c h devideth this mannor and Sommerforde
Keynes, from w c h hedge torninge westwarde as Studham hedge
leadeth to littell Easter Mill, from thence followinge the riuer
south warde as it leadeth to the south end of Agney meade, and so
retorninge by the south hedge therof, weBtwarde to thend therof to
the riuer there w e h devideth this mannor and the mannor of Yewen,
oontynuinge the saide riuer and the hedges southeastwarde to Ney
bridge, therehence southward as the dick leadeth to Oke lake, from
thence westwarde as the ditches and hedges leade w c h devide this
mannor and Wokesey unto New meadow corner, therehence west-
warde by the ditphe to the wester end of Pke meade, and thence
followinge the brooke there, northwarde to Ridinge corner neare
Week Elme, from thence northwarde to the over end of a close
called the Ridinge, followinge the north hedge therof eastwarde
by the hedges w c h devide this mannor and Kimbell, to theast
end of Letmoor, therehence to Portwaie Yeatt, and soe northwarde
to Ewen Crosse aforesaid, where it beganne.
"**»ttb. "Within w c h circuit and Bondarie all waieffes, straies,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
198 Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors, a.d. 1591.
fellons, goods, &c, and all other thinges incident to a Royaltie doe
belonge unto her Ma***.
"The scituaoon of the saide mannor.
"The which standeth northeast from Mamesburie iiij" miles
distance, beinge a fertile woodland cuntrie, w fc h fruitfull come
fields, beinge well meadowed, &c."
Freeholder. John Blandford. Indenture holder. Henrie Poole,
the Manor. Acres 776, Rents £21 6s. 3£d
11. — Oakset.
" The mannor of Wokesey (fol. 69).
" Thatt the bondarie of the saide mannor begyneth on the aast-
moost pte therof, at a bridge there called Stockum Bridge, from
thence eastwarde as the riuer or brooke leadeth to Pilles moore
corner, therehence southwarde alonge the highe waie to Swele
Bridge, thence followinge the brooke there westwarde to Sideham
gate, contynuinge the same brooke westwarde to Wokesey bridge,
and soe westwarde as the same brooke leadeth to Hick moore cor-
ner, therehence as Hiokmoore streame or riuer leadeth, north west-
warde to Hickmoore bridge, from thence followinge the same
streame or riuer to Silvester corner, and soe westwarde as the hedge
leadeth to Quallestockes lane, w«h devideth this mannor and the
mannor of Crudweil, coiftynuing the same lane northwarde to Mid-
dell hill, and so as the waie leadeth to Groveridge yate, therehence
northwarde as the hedges leade to the Lines Yate, from thence
northeastwarde to Eame Crosse, therehence northwarde alonge the
waie to Wick greene, thence soutbeastwarde followinge the highe
waie w c h leadeth to Rogers hamm, and soe to Oke well head to a
brooke there, followinge the same brooke southwarde to Nocketts
Pill, therehence contynuinge the same brooke eastwarde to Yagg-
ham Bridge, thence alonge the same brooke eastwarde to South-
meade corner, wherehence southeastwarde, followinge the same
brooke to Pistredg corner, then torninge northeastwarde by a hedge
to Longe meade corner, therehence southeastwarde as the hedge
leadeth to Mill ham corner, and from thence eastwarde as the
brooke leadeth to Stockum bridge aforesaid, where it beganne.
••Royaltie. «« Within w c h circuit and Bondarie all waiefls, straies,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.d. 1591. 199
fellons, goods, &c., and all other thinges incident to a Royaltie doe
belonge unto her Ma* 1 ".
" The scituacon of the said mannor. (fol. 79.)
"It standeth somthinge highe in a verie holsome aire, well fur-
nished with woode, havinge fertile come fields, and well stored
with good meadowe groundes, and also large scope of comon, iij
miles east from Malmsburie, &c. And mitch beautified by the
parke and faire okes therin."
Freeholders. Henry Poole, kt., Andrew Keddelbie, Esq., Thos.
Strange, Will. Partridge, Anthony Herle, John Packer, John
Fettiplace, gents. ; Walter Kite, Laurence Michelbone.
Manor held by, James Unninge, Will. Baker, Rich. Baker,
Thos. Allis, Will. Unninge. Henry Chaderton held the Parson-
age. Acres 1448. Rents £4.
12. — Ashley. (Near Tetbury.)
"The mannor of Aisheley. (fol. 80.)
"The bondarie of the saide mannor begynneth on the north west
pte therof, at a hedge called Rivie hedge, being on the north pte
of Warren Hill, therehence eastwarde alonge the saide hedge, un-
till ye come to the highe waie that leadeth to Kulkerton (Co. Olouc.)
from hence eastwarde by a littell gutter to a greene mere belonginge
to the demeasnes of this mannor, called Mnch bank, wherehence
eastwarde out thwarte the highe waie that leadeth from Crudwell to
Kulkerton, to a mere there w c h leadeth to Rowdowns hedge, folio w-
inge the same hedge eastwarde to Force (Foes) waie, therehence re-
torninge southwarde as the same waie leadeth to the southermoost
end of Furr leise, torninge there westwarde by the south hedge of
the said leise to the westmoost corner therof, from thence contynu-
ing the same hedge northwarde neare the length of a furlonge or
more, being on theast pte of the mannor, and therehence folio winge
the meres and boundes w e h devide this mannor and the mannor of
Newtonn, untill ye com to Rivie hedge aforesaide, where ft beganne.
"Within w c h circuit and bondarie aforesaid all waieffes, straies,
fellons, goods, &c, and all other thinges incident to a royaltie doe
belonge unto her Ma"*.
"The scituaoon of the said mannor. (fol. 82a .)
en I
Digitized by V^jOOgle
200
Duchy of Lancaster. Survey of its Manors. a.q. 1591.
"Standinge alsoe in a good aire, the ferine wherof is rerie fer-
tile, as well Tor pasture as tilladge, but the copieholders soil is more
barren: lying north from Malmsburie vj miles distante."
freeholders. Richard Sherborne. Manor, William Pike. Bents
£27 5s. 9d. Acres, 682.
13. — Bradon Forest.
"The Dutchie woodes adioyninge unto the Forest ofBraidon, and
the Temple closes to the same appertayninge. (fol. 83.)
" The bondarie and circuit of the said woodes and closes begyn-
neth on the north east pte therof, at the north west end of the 6aid
Tempell closes, from thence leading westwarde to Stony hurste 1
waie, and soe contynuinge westwarde to Turntrowe oke, therehence
to Gospell Oke, thence to the southeast pte of Lodge Lawne, con-
tynuinge the hedge of the same Lawne to Armyn Crosse, from
thence to Gharlame Oke, therehence downe the grene slade to
littell Charlman, and soe leadinge alonge by the south pte of the
saide woode to a tree called Dumm Cowe to a mere there, follow-
inge the same mere to Mapell Zell, from thence to Abbottes Bridge,
w e h boundeth upon Gestynn lye, and therehence to Purton Marshe,
and soe to the south west end of Tempell close,
••waste ground. « Within which marshe and on the south pte of the
said close there appertftyneth to the saide woode a large pece of
verie goode waste grounde, cont. by estimacon 120 acres, as by the
dick or particon there yet appeareth.
44 ^o^wdT 11 "There is alsoe one other pcell of Ragge of woode 1 there
apptayninge to her Ma Ue , lying on the north west pte of the {for-
mer woode, boundinge upon the woode of M r John Hungerford,
called the Punchars woode on the south pte, and the lodge there on
the west, the Queens woode on the north, and Neevells wood on the
northeast, shoting downe to Chelworthe marshe, being of a great
lengthe.
1 Probably now called "Standing House." In the Arehaeologia vol. xxvii. p.
304 — 314, there is a map and account of the Limits of Braden Forest by J.
Y. Akerman, Esq., with copies of several ancient perambulations, and a frag-
ment of a map, temp. Eliz.
» "Duchy Rag."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
201
(No. 2.)
By G. £. Long, Esq.
§N the previous communication 1 respecting the life and ad-
ventures of the last of the Darells of Littlecote, William
Darefi, but better known by the sobriquet oonferred upon him by
popular tradition of " Wild Darell," a prospect was held out of the
possibility of some additions to the narrative in the way of supple-
ment. At that time little else than the correction of a few errors,
and the printing in full of one or two of the original papers then cur-
sorily noticed, seemed, in the least likely to be forthcoming. In the
mean while some most unlooked for discoveries, made at the Bolls'
Office by my friend, Mr. Duffus Hardy, although they do not conduct
us to the point originally aimed at, viz. the charge of the murder,
and the trial and acquittal of the prisoner, yet bring to light some
startling incidents in our hero's eccentrio and not very creditable
career.
The. perusal of them will, doubtless, lead many who would incul-
pate even innocence itself, so that their faith in mystery and murder
should not be shaken, to argue that, with such antecedents and ac-
companiments, Darell was guilty, or at all events capable, of the
outrage and crime which popular parochial tradition has affixed to
his memory.
In the first place it seems most fitting to correct, according to
the succession of the paging, those errors which have crept into
the previous communication.
1. Yol. iv. p. 213 and notes p. 229. In allusion to Darell's
sister, she is ambiguously spoken of as being, possibly, of the
half blood. ' It is clear that she was not. What became of her,
whether she really married Egremont Ratcliffe, as was hinted, and
as Mr. Bayley in his history of the Tower distinctly asserts
1 Wilts Archaeological Magazine, vol. iv. p. 209.
N
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
202 WUd Barell of LUUeoote.
(though accompanied by the error that she was the heir of her
brother,) we are not in a position to state. It will have been
remarked (vol. iv. p. 228, note 18) that Sir Edward Darell, the
father, mentions this daughtet, Ellen, in his will, but makes no
mention of his younger son Thomas. However as the father
and reputed son would seem, the one to have been born and the
other to have died, in the same year, the son may have been post-
humous. Still this omission tends to confirm the assertion made by
Mary, Lady Darell as she called herself, in the Chancery proceed-
ings, viz., that this son though legitimate, was at all events, not the
son of Sir Edward Darell. The mention also of herself in the will
of Sir Edward by her maiden name of Daniell is even more con-
firmatory of tbe suspicion that she was not his lawful wife. Ellen
Darell was living in 1574, as appears from an award made in a mat-
ter between "Hyde and Dorrell," relative to the affairs of the latter,
and in which the charge on his property of £200, payable to her
under his father's will, is mentioned; hut she is only spoken of as
" DorrelTs sister;" whether married or unmarried does not appear.
Several of Ratcliffe's letters are given in Strype's History of the
Reformation, in not one of which is there a solitary allusion to his
having any wife. The only additional unpublished notice of him
which has been met with is among the Flanders papers at the State
Paper Office, in a letter from Mr. John Lee to Lord Burghley
dated March 18, 1571, 2, wherein he states that " Mr. Egremond
Radcliffe would be sent with letters of great importance" by some
other party, of course, and that " his" ( E. R/s) "man had promised
to open the letters by the way, and reveal their contents." Rat-
cliffe's mode of life, his continued residence abroad, or his short stay
in his own country, and while there as a prisoner, appear to cast
doubts on the truth of this marriage. We must therefore leave
Ellen Darell in darkness, though not necessarily in suspicion. If,
as Mr. Bayley affirms, Ratcliffe was married to her " at an early
age," it must have been before the rebellion of 1569 in which he
took part, and then it would be strange that, having no issue by
her, the result of an incestuous intercourse with her brother,
twenty years afterwards, should be the birth of the infant whose
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C, & Long, Esq. • 203
supposed horrible fate the villagers of Ramsbury have moulded
into a tale of terror.
2. At page 214 (vol. iv.) the first edition of Camden is spoken
of as having been published in 1607.- It should have been said the
first Folio edition. There was an octavo edition in 1586 and an-
other in quarto in 1596. Camden's silence is strong evidence, and
should satisfy us that, if he ever heard, he never believed the
tragic tale: and more especially as he knew the place, and speaks
of it as "long since a seate of the Darells."
3. The next point to which we have to allude is at page 215
(vol. iv.) where a letter (in the Stourhead Library and signed "A.
Hungerford,") is referred to as having been written by an Anthony
Hungerford. This baptismal name being only inferred from the-
initial A, the writer of it, was from a comparison of dates and
and other circumstances conjectured to be an Anthony, cousin and
possibly a brother scape-grace of Darell. A copy of this letter,
together with others in the same handwriting, has since been found
at the Bolls' Office, and, very much to our amazement, it turns out
to have been written not by any Anthony Hungerford, but by
Anne, Lady Hungerford, who was divorced in 1569-70 by her hus-
band, Sir Walter Hungerford, (of Farley Castle, who died 1595,)
and retired to Louvain where she died in 1603, advanced in years,
and, if we may judge by the writings of her confessor, in the full-
est odour of sanctity. It would seem to be almost beyond a doubt
that Darell was the cause of this separation between Sir Walter
and his wife. But no record of the divorce case can be found.
The dates of such documents at Doctors' Commons do not extend
beyond 1635, and a search at Lambeth was productive of no result.
This lady was the second wife of Sir Walter, and the daughter of
Sir William Dormer of Ascot, Co. Bucks. Her other letters, (al-
luded to above as having been found at the Rolls' Office) are of a na-
ture that would have been fatal to any reputation even in the days
of our second Charles. For instance, she writes to her "dear Dorrell "
begging him to "think" as she says "what you have to doe, and
let me not be undone, for the bearer telleth me that my counsell is
marvellously astonied for he cannot goo forward according to his
n2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
204 Wild Darell of Littleeote.
further instructions," and she concludes "in haste at midnight, all
yours during life, A. H., rede and burn." Another letter beginning
" my good Dorrell " alludes to the case being got up against them,
and she writes " for the love of God my good Will be carefull for
me in this matter." " I pray you bring in as many witnesses for
the proofe of your being at London all Easter Term as by any
possible meanes you can." She was labouring to establish an
alibi. " During lifFe ever one " she subscribes herself " A. Hun-
gerford." In a third letter, dated London, she concludes "In any
case lowes not y r letter, small thinges can doo no harem and ffrend-
ship we shall not lake." Then comes another document, which,
from its singular and otherwise not very intelligible endorsement
would appear to have fallen into the hands of the husband who
rather laconically, forwarded it to his faithless spouse. It may be
interesting to give this in full.
" Myster Dorrell. I by the othe that I have swo'ne apone the holy Evangeliste
do acknolege that if Sir Walter Hungerfor, my husband, now liveng do departe
oute of thys lyfe, that thene by the othe that I have sworne and wytneas of
thys my hande, that I wyll take you to my hnsbonde. WytneB ther of thys
my hand suflresith.
" Aha Hungebfobd."
Directed. " To hye well belovyd wyffe the Lady Hnngerford at the Castell of
Frogges thys be delyveryde."
This bears strong marks of criminal intrigue; yet history has
frequently two faces. "Do not read history to me" said Sir Robert
Walpole to his son, when suffering under an attack of gout, "for
that I know must be false." A MS. memoir of the Duchess de
Feria, the sister of Lady Hungerford, written by one Henry Clif-
ford, gives an elaborate account of Lady Hungerford's good deeds
while at Louvain, insinuating that her husband was the aggressor;
and that she "pretended his leave to go beyond seas to her grand-
mother where she might have liberty of conscience to serve God
freely." In the end, she is stated to have " passed out of this world
the 19th of December 1603, full of good works."
Among the papers, recently brought to light, we are startled on
finding our "wild" friend involved in another, and earlier accu-
sation of murder, charged as an accomplice. It may be best to
give a full copy of the letter relating to this calumny, and which
was written by Mr. Forsterof Aldermaston, in Berkshire, a gentle-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Long, Esq. 205
man of considerable position in his county, who died in 1574, and
was connected with Darell by his marriage with a Hungerford.
[ Wm. Foreter, Esq. to Sir Jame$ Croft, written 26 December, before 1574.
but the year not named."]
" Bight honorable in most humble wise, my oomendations pmised. Under-
standing bj Thomas Hewse servaunte to William Darrell, esquier, that youer
pleasuer is to be advertised of the dealinges that happined at Nubery the twen-
tithe of December against the saide William Darrell and John Whithed his
servaunte by one George Essex, gentleman, and Mr. Cater, towelling a murther
that sholde be doon abowt three yeares past by the said John Whithed, nowe
servaunte to thafore named William Darrell, and at the time of the murther
doen servaunte to one George Darrell, gentleman, dwelling in Kentte. Maye
hit please yo r honor, the sixtinthe of Deoember by vertue of comition owt of the
right honorable and highe oourte of Staroke ohamber, directed to 8 r Henry
Novell, * Mr. Anthony Bridgis,t Mr. Roger Younge,} and my selfe for the exami-
nations of oausisse in controversie betwene the aforsaide William Darrell of the
one ptie, and Mr. Hide of Denohwoorth on thother ptie, upon interogatorisse
and Witnicisse of both ptes, produced after the most pte of those caucisse hardde
and the oomitionerse in good hope the varience sholde be appeased beetweene
the ptise greeved, yet whilse we were sitting in examination, Mr. Essex and
Mr. Cater aforsaide desired to speake w* the oomitionerse. Wheruppon verry
earnestly they did shewe unto us that thaforenamed, John Whithed, had ©om-
itted a murther and did disier that he might bee apprehended and putte to his
answeare : So hit was thought good by & Henry Novell and the rest of the
Justices that the saide Whithed sholde be attached and brought beefore us to
answere to that lawe, required by the bailye of the towne. Who after he had doon
his best to searohe the ptie to be chardged, signified that he oolde notfindehim.
Wheruppon for the dischardge of the dewtise of the Justices aforsaide, hit was
thought good that Mr. Younge and my selfe sholde gooe to a house in the towne
where Mr. Darrell laye, to see what we might dooe for thapprehenmentte of the
ptie accused. And after ower oomminge thether imparting to Mr. Darrell the
cause of ower oomminge, presently he used such diligenee as by his good
meandes the ptie aooused was brought before us and putte under arest, at whiche
time and place thafore named George Essex and one Mr. Edmunds Essex his
brother did verry muche misuse in woordes Mr. Darrell, who with greate
patience endured the same, and in thend Mr. Edmunde Essex served him with a
writte called a supind, and so for that time we departed and signified to 3 r
Henry Novell ower dooings, and theruppon hit was thought good that Mr.
Essex and Mr. Cater sholde charge the prisoner in what they oolde saye in the
princisse behalfe, and therfore Mr. Younge, Mr. Bridgisse, my selfe with many
others wentte backe againe to Mr. Darrell' s lodginge, and called the prisoner
beefore Mr. Essex and Mr. Cater, both whioh gentlemen did arest thafore named
Whithed of the murtheringe of one Bloutte, wherwithall Mr. Cater stepping
forth, verily to my remembraunce, and if 1 sholde be deposed I thinoke saffly
with my oonsienoe, I maye afferme saiinge these woordes I arrest Mr. Darrell
his M r . as acoessarie to the same. Wheruppon hit was thought good that he
• Sir II. NeT^roToaksej', died 1583. + Of Great Staefford, Bcrk». tProbably of Basildon,
Berks, died 1589.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
206 Wild Darell of Littlecote.
tholde oome where Mr. Darrell was to charge his pson, at whiehe time he used
the verry speaehe and woordes as hy this hill heere enclosed yo r honor maye
peeive. 80 Mr. Darrell thinoking him selfe verry hardly and maliciously dealte
withall hy Mr. Cater, brake out with sume woordes, the woorst wherof to my
rememhraunoe was, he called Mr. Cater promowter. Wherunto Mr. Cater
replied and saide he was as honest as him selfe, a gentleman and his fellowe in
any place in England© : farther the saide George Essex did moste often and
Terry earnestly requier the good ahoringe (behaviour J against Mr. Darrell and
all his servavntes, and truly in my oonsienoe hy that I oolde gather hy the
reportte, the saide Mr. Essex withowt any greate cause deserved of Mr. Darrell.
Wherfore hit was thought verry hard to graunte the good ahering uppon suche
causisse as were alledged heeing no greater. Neverthelesse the peace was
graunted against him, the ooppye wherof is also heere enclosed. Thusse hum-
bly I take my leve of yo r honor, and heeseche God to send you much encreaoe
of the same, flrom my house at Aldermaston the xxvj" 1 of December.
" Your honners holy to oomand,
" WlLLM. FOESTBE.**
Directed. " To the right honorable & James Croft/ Knight, Controler of the
Queens Ma** housholde, and one of her most honorable privy oounsaile these
be delivered."
The next correspondence whioh we have been able to find rela-
ting to Darell, introduces him to our notice under circumstances,
not only unexceptionable, but favourable to bis character. The fol-
lowing letters refer to his offer to serve the Queen for the defence
of her kingdom against the apprehended Invasion. No less a pei>
sonage than Sir Francis -Walsingham who, Cecil not excepted,
was the mainspring of her vigilant ministry, seems to have been
on terms of intimacy with Darell, on whom no suspicion of want of
integrity is cast, and the letters of such a man may therefore be
well worthy of being given in extenso.
(Secretary Sir Francis Walsingham** Letters to William Darell, Esq.)
S r . I oomend me verie heartely unto yo r , and calling to mynde yo r Gentl-
manlike offer made to me of late to s*ve her Ma tte in case of neoessitie w tt 20**
men, furnished besides those otherwise charged uppon yo* in the Shire. I have
at this p*sent thought meete to wishe yo a yo r selfe to 00m upp hither to me, and
I will make her M u * aquainted w* that yo r comendable and voluntarie offer,
wherby yo" shall boath have aocesse, and reoeave suche thanks as apteyneth at
her Ma to hand, yo u shall not neede to stay at yo v coming at all ; in the mean
tyme I have sent yo u suche newes of the Spanishe fieete as is newly 00m to the
Court. And even soe wishing yo* to be in readines w th that yo* are hahle to
doe, I bidd yo" heartely farewell. Fro the Court this 23 th of July, 1588.
" Yo* assured lovinge frend,
" Mr. Darrell. " Pra. Walsyngham."
Directed. "To my verie loving frend WUlm. Darrell, Esq."
• Died 1590.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Lang, Esq. 207
" After my hartie oomendations, I have reoeaved yo r Lre the xxvj* of this
present for whiohe I doe thanoke you and for answeare you may understand that
trewe it is that Mr. Knevitt was sent to his brother S r Henrie with such Ires
from some of my Lords here, (the rest beyng then absent), as the copie of S r
Henries Ire to the Justices of yo r Shire (w* h you sent mee) dothe import. And
the trust reposed in B r Henrie Knevitt by theire Lords sayd Ires growethe partly
of some speciall reeomendation of him to hir M* 4 * by the Erie of Pembrooke, of
late for his sufnciencie and forwordnesse in the Marshall servioes of yo* Countie.
"My advise therefore unto you is, that for the 2000 footemen required out of
yo r whole Shyre, you have in a readinesse at the place and tyme appoynted by
S r Henrie Knevits Ires to the Justices, so manie as shall appertayne to yo r oir-
cuite as a Justice of that Countie.
"And towching such horsse w th men and their furniture as you are able to sett
forthe, I doe wishe you made them pntly readie and that you send them hither
yf possibly you can by Thursday nexte to attend here neere the Court on hir
Ma tiM pson : at what tyme I will not fayle to lett hir Ma tic understand, both
what nomber of horsemen and howe well furnished you have sent to wayte on
hir. As for my selfe yf you only send mee one serviceable horsse I shall accept
the same in good part at yo r hands. And thus I oomitt you to God.
"From the Court the xxvij th of Julye 1588.
" Yo r assured loving frend,
" Mr. Willm. Darell, Esquire. " Fha. Walstngham."
Directed. "To the right Worrhipfull my loving frend Mr. Willm. Darell, Esq."
" After my hartie oomendations, I doe hartely thanck you for the oare and
goodwill you have to helpe furnishe my Cornett. I have written to such effect
as you may see to the deputie Lieutenants of yo r shire to be content only w**
twoe horsemen furnished by you, that the rest may with yo r selfe make yo n
repaire presently unto me who mynd to receave you into my ptection and ser-
vice. And so oomitt you to God. Prom the Court the xxix* of July 1588.
" Yo r loving frend,
« ' Mr. "Willm. DareU. • " FaA. Walsinoham."
Direoted. " To my loving frend Mr. Willm. Darell, Esq."
" After my hartie oomendations. Beeyng as this pnt tyme requireth desy-
rouse to erect a cornett of horsses to atend uppon hir Ma tie at and neere tie
Court, and beeyng uppon this sodayne occasion not so well furnished of men
and horsse for this purpose as I wishe ; amongst other gentlemen and persons
to furnishe my oornett, I have made choyoe of Mr. Willm. Darrell of yo r Coun-
tie to serve mee personally w th as manie horsses as he conveniently maye,
wherof I thought good not only to gyve you notice, but also verie earnestly in
this respect to pray you besydes suoh footemen as he is appoynted to furnish in
that Shyre you would accept and. take only twoe horsse w" 1 their men furnished,
becawse myselfe have and shall use bothe him and the rest of his horsses for my
sayd cornett, herein I trust you will make no diffioultie consideryng that what
soever he furnishe in horsse or man there in the contre or here above w* and
under mee is for hir Ma tie * service, and that he doth under mee so muoh the
more neccessarie becawse it serveth for the defence of hir Ma tim pson more
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
208 Wild Darell of Littlecote.
neerly. And thus I oomend you hartely to God. From the Court the xxix 1 *
of July 1588.
" To r loving frond,
" The Deputie Lieutenants of Wiltahire. " Fa. W."
" S r , Since dinner I receaved yo r Ire written yesterday, for w 4 * and for the
horsses you have prepared to serve hir M tie in my band, I do thincke myselfe
more behouldinge to you than I will expresse, and assure yo r selfe as occasion
may bee oflred mee, I will not only lett hir Ma Ue for yo r good and comfort un-
derstand the readinesse and furniture you weare nowe in for hir service : but
also at all tymes to the best of my power in anie yo* oawses studie howe to
requitt this goodwill of yo r s towards mee so effectually nowe deolared.
" Towohing yo r desyre to knowe where and howe yo r horsses shall be dis-
posed, you may understand that sinoe I receaved yo r Ire, order is given to
the Counties abroade from my Slf here, for the staye of the forces nowe comyng
out of the same hitherwards, beoawse (God be thancked) the suocesse of hir Ma 1 '
service at the sea is suohe that wee are in good hope to stand in no need of land
service ; howbeit the stay of theise forces is suoh that they may be in readinesse
uppon anie sodayne or short warnyng againe to bee given them. And therfore
I pray you not to poead further hitherwards, but to return home w* yo r horses,
and there so tp dispose of them w tt less charges to yo r self, as yf wee have anie
newe alarme given us here, I may uppon newe warnyng given you have them
readie. And thus I oomend you hartely to God. From the Court the thyrd of
August 1588.
" Yo r assured loving frend,
"Mr. Willm. Darell. "Fka. Walstwgham."
Directed. "To my verie loving frend Mr. Willm. Darell, Esq."
" 8*. I have by this bearer, yo r servant, receaved yo' present of partridge
and other fowle, and by my servant Fraunces Mylles Ire from you understand yo r
goodwill in wishing Greenes and Norton unto mee, for w* I yeald you thanckes,
but see no great hope of so good a matter to fall uppon mee. In yo r particular
affaires, I hope as occasion shalbe oflred you will not spare mee, wherein I shall
allwayes be glad to doe you the best pleasure I can, and so oomitt you to God.
From the Savoy the xL* of Sept. 1588.
" Yo r assured loving frend,
"Fba. Walsyngham."
Directed. "To my verie loving frend Mr. Willm. Darell, Esq."
Sir H. Knevett's letter to Wm % DareU, Esq.
" So yt is that upon Tuesday night last very late, her Ma tie and my Lords of
y* privie oouncell sent my brother Thorn's Knevett unto me at my house in 8 l
James pke in Weston, straytly comaundinge me w" 1 all possible speed to hast
me into the Cuntry w to all possible speed, where I should meet w* Ires from
them w ch shauld throughly directe me in their'will and pleasure. And because
I understood from them by worde of mouthe that yt was principally to bringe
upp twoo thowsand foote men armed out of o r Shire w ft all hast that might be,
to attend her Ma 1 * pson, I thought yt good to lett you understand thereof in
any waves. In her Ma tc name earnestly requiringe you to see forthw th all soul-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Lang, E*q. 209
diers w^in 70' division in p'sent readines to attend their Captaynes, thorowly
furnished in manner followinge, at Marlebronghe upon Sunday at after none at
the furthest, yf they here no word to the contrary by the said Captaynes, for
that I think the fittest place of meetinge. Itm that they be olenely armed w**
their weapons fully furnissed. Itm that there be levyed for the conduct of ev'y
souldier vj' viij d , the same to be brought to M r lebroughe aforesaid, by the Con-
stables of the hundred of ev r y division, at the tyme assigned for Cote money, I
can say little to yt. Itm that there be prided for ev'y Caly ver shot, iij pounds
of powder at the least, or so much money as will buy the same after xiiy d the
pound, which I like better, because they shall not spoile yt by the way. And
threescore bulletts at the least. And for ev r y muskett iiij u of powder, or money
for the same, and fiftie bulletts. And for the more expedioon of this svice I pray
you fayle not to send this Ire fourthw* you kepinge the double thereof to Mr.
Brunker, 8* James Marvign, and Mr. Penruddock, and the rest of the Justices
of that pte of the shire. Whereby I do in like manner require them to see the
contente of the same furnished on their behalf, the tenor therof I hope they will
accept my hast considered. The rest of the Justices from 6 r Edw* Baynton
northwards, I will hereof advtise upon my oominge home. And so in hast I
hartely betake you to God and salute you all. At Newbery this XXV th of July,
at twoo of the Clook after midnight.
" Yo r * assured in all power,
11 H. Kwevjstt."
Subsequent to this correspondence we meet with the following
letters relating to a dispute with some 'Wiltshire neighbours, the
Wroughtons of Broad Hinton. Darell seems to have lived in a
perpetual vortex of altercation: but as we have no means of judg-
ing of the real facts of this story, it would be unfair to suppose
him in all cases the aggressor. The tone of his letter would rather
imply the contrary. Walsingham 9 s letter of condolence, in reply,
is dated, as will be observed, very near the time, viz. in the very
same year when Darell died, and when the pretended child-murder
is said to have been perpetrated.
W. Darell, to certain Gentlemen of the County complaining of the Wroughtons,
" Right worshipfull, after my hartie commendacions, thes may be to adver-
tise yo u that the xiiij* daie of September last (being Sondaie) ther came to my
house a man of the retynew of Mr. Wroughton (they call him Powell), who de-
siring to speake w* me, gave great causes of quarrell. And (shewing in himself
a malicious hart towards me) although his mysdemeaner was not tollerable, yet
was he suffered quietlie to depart. Over and beside the forsaid Mr. Wroughton
hath gotten together other of the like faotion. And he and his complices hath
done actes of great force to the great dysquieting of the Quenes Ma*" peace, and
to the lewde and pvers example of other in chasing now thes, now thos, not
suffring men peoeablie to passe on the Quenos highe waie, no not to be in their
houses w'out assulting and hurting. Yf thes Cattelyn parttes (right worship-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
210 Wild Darell of Littlecote.
full and indifferent friends) be suffered, so put up, and go upunysshed, to what
end they will come, neither oann I gesse, nor yo n very well tell. Ye may thinke
that either envy or tymeronsnes causeth me to writ, but therin may ye err, for
not envy, ne tymeronsnes, but sorrow to heare other so handled, and quietnes
for myne owne parte, being donbtfoll of thende hath caused me to writ, phaps
ye will sey I may hare the peace, if any thing I doubt surelie that may not I,
safelie do, no, nor willnot, but if yo r auethoritie and willing peceable myndes
will no farther streteh towards the reprehending of this mannes unshamefaat
demeaner, one onlie thing have I for my self, that I have written to yo u , let
thende be such as fortune then hath willed, I protest to yo u here by my Ires,
that neither I, nor any of myne will or meane to have any thing to do w l the
said Mr. Wroughton or any his complices, if ye swelling pride, envy or dysdayne
sholde cause them to follow their accustomed demeaner, so that we must of force
be dryyen to defend o r selves, we wold be also hartelie sory therfore. And hereof
I shall desire yo" all be witnes. What tumultes, what byckerings, this man
w* thother fensors of his sect hath of late stired and caused, and dailie goeth
about to stire I need not to writ, for ye cannot be of his Countie and strangers
in thes oauses, should I writ the cause why this man w* the rest of his evill dis-
posed fellowes hang on Mr. Wroughton no, I may not They are of yo* famelie
(Mr. Barwiok*), and yo u know not these things, yt may be yo n know them and
cannot redres them, and phaps they bring sorrow to yo r hart, therfore I certain-
lie know yo r meaning to be good by olde proofe therof, I onlie wishe thes people
to be reformed. And he that saw Powells beha?io r to me, I have sent him w*
my Ires to make report therof. And' if nede be, to be sworen theron. And
this fare ye well, from Lytlecott the second of October.
"Your loving frind,
" W. Dabbjell."
Directed. " To the right worshippfull and loving ffrindes John Seynt John,
John Ernley, John Barwick, and Richard Kyngesmyll, Esquiers, geve thes."
Sir Franis Walsyngham to W. Darell.
& I thanke you for your kynd and lyberall offer. I woold fyrst be glad to
deserve, before the yelding to accept any thing from you. I doe assure you the
py ttye I have of your oppression mo vethe me to doe for you what I may, and
not any regard of benefyt as you shall hereafter more at large understand
by my servant Stobbs. And so in the mean tyme I oomyt you to the protection
of the Ahnyghtye. At Barnes the X th of Maye 1589.
" Yo 1 " assured frend,
"Fba. Walstosham.
"I can not but advyoe you to staye all proceadinges ageynst 8* Tho. Wrough-
tons men, for that I am in hope to end all controversye between you I wyll use
your letter w* all seoracye."
Directed. "To my verie loving frend Mr. William Darell. 9 '
Before we part with our hero it may be well, in order to afford
a clearer insight to his disposition, to print a couple of his letters
differing in character: the first which was noticed at page 217 (vol.
* Sir Thomas Wroughton married (2nd wife) Anne dan. and coheir of John Barwiok of Wilcot.
Digitized by UOOQ IC
By C. E. Long, Esq. 211
iv.) of the previous Article, addressed to Anthony Hinton; the other
to his cousin Reginald Scriven.
*" Yo* Ires make xnenoon that you understand I beare you displeasure,
and that yt hath appeared by sundry attempts of myne of late, grounding©
my quareU upon words of Cawley, who doth utterly deny yt, verily I hare
heard by a longe tyme you have not byn well, but so farr to be distempered,
as by yo* Ires appeareth, I knew not That you were the Autho* of all ill
attempts and seereat workings, of all w** I knewe nothing© before the receipt of
those Ires. Yf you had expressed those attempts, the matter would appear© the
playner, for sure I am you have uttered as foolish© as that, I have heard saye
that you have not byn well a good while, but so farr distempered I knew not
That you had byn run into any suohe distemperature and unseasonablenes I
would not have thought yt, had not yo* owne Ires expressed yt, That maketh
me also to knowe that Cawleys adYtisements were not altogether w^out matter
and truth©, that shewed me that you were one that envied me, and other watch-
ing© to do harme, when occasion should rise, That you were the setter on of the
tennts of Chilton in all their ptended villanies. This can four© peons witnes,
honester men then he. But in the latter pte of yo r Ires, very excellent in yt
self, you say very magninoally that you did little look© fo r suohe hard dealing©
at my hands, you say magnifically that, I pray where dwell you or what pa-
rents came you from, that you take yt, or howe eometh yt about, that I have so
muohe forgotten my self, there is nothing© but hard dealing© in yo r mouthe.
Yf you have lent me money at any tyme, as yo r Ires menoon, w 4 * hath not byn
past wise, once xx u and another x u . Another tyme I remember you would, rfnd
in faith I never sent to you for yt, nor neded yt not, w* 11 lone of yo*" was all-
wayes upon good pawne of plate, and not above three monethes or sixe. But
now© you have upbrayed me w" 1 yt, I trust you have yo* peniworthes and are
.satisfied, yf not send me somuch plate, and I will lend you somuohe money as
ever you lent me and twise as longe. And then are you double aunswered upon
that point, that you say I brake day w* you I cannot forbear© you, for playnly
and truly you do lye in yt, And lying© in a miser is a miserable thing©. But
yt is allways proper to base oondicon. And further, in yo r Ires you say that yf
you have honestly and faithfully travelled in my causes, you are ill repayed w*
hard dealing©. What cause of myne that you should be so traveled in, and so
mightie in remembraunce w" 1 you I oannott gesse. But sure I am that I have
in many things borne w tt you, And sufficed harmes and losses by you; And used
you allwayes better then belonged to yo r condioon. But I will mend yt and
poead in truth as T think good, gevinge you w* all to understand that I am not
he that is in erro T or hath not what to follow©. And this for aunswere to yo*
Ires written fo* some devise.
44 He that fo* all yo* seereat envy,
" and private malice must lyve by you."
"Cosin, my helth not so well serving© me as it hath downe, whereby I cannot
visyte frinds nor follow my bussynes as I have bynn aocostomed to do hearto-
fore, I am dryven oftner to Letters to aoquitt me in the one, and to express©
• Gen. Record Office, London. " Darcll Correspondence." Miao . 458.
• Digitized by G00gle
212 Wild Darell of LMleeote.
and serve me in thother, more then willingly I would To yo° my cosin and
frinde, I woulde a letell oomplayne me of Infortnnyte, .my oosin die lyffe we
have in this worldell is shorte, and to the happyest somwhat of Trouble, But to
the afflycted what it is of infelyoitie, none bat the afflyoted can only therm
justly speake. To ease the lyffe of man hear, thoughe nothinge oann make it
justly pleasant, I fynde that frynds do wourke much therin, And fronds ar got-
ten bound and kepte by blonde or deaerte, deserte I take not too for the least
Myself a man muoh of infortnnyte, thoughe to many that ar right good neare
in bloode, and som of the better sorte, and to som have also not deserved amisse.
And oould not have lyved too but to som have bynn right good, yeat have I not
reoeaved that in elearenes at any tyme of any one that myght justly bynd me,
but whether destinye, ohaunce, or that that is called fortune, or my devylyshe neg-
lygenees or and yll deservynge be the cause unto this day, as a man troubled,
and therby of noe good judgement I oould not deserve, But what a man un-
luokye am I. I will therfore at this tyme oall to memory the good things I
have reoeved and not requitted, And after I will offer my self as one that eertynely
hadd ever a mynde to requitt all things to make satisfaction for the same. And
so farr therin to poeade, that it serve may hereafter for indifferent frindshipp in
things well compounded. And for reasonable favour in reasonable causes that
maye be. My Lorde whom yo n serve and I love, and have done before all other,
nor any was more glader, not the nearest blonde to him, of his advancement
then I was. When he was solioytor he certeynly was, and I may yet seye it,
my good frind, and I stoiflde a barren lover only for it, I reoeaved many bene-
fitts of him, I hadd many tyme counsell and paid nothing, I hadd seoreatly ad-
vice of him, w* h was more, I hadd many favoures as his letters and requests
tendinge to my pfytt, that I might not even heare sey too, that he hadd binn
my good Lorde also — But so that I may not be ungrateful for things passed,
And if it may be to have him my good and indifferent Lorde, I pray yo u move,
and as yo u may lett fall in substaunoe this. I have a mannor standinge in good
sorte w* me, of the valewe of coo 11 by the year, in every condition not to be had.
This will I oonvey to my Lorde and M r Harry that hath maryed my kinswoman,
and to his eyers, in suche sorte as I now have it of that valewe, if I dy w*out
heyer male of my body begotten. And that this I will do, not sett it downe
only in letters, but I will also enter into covenant or be bounde in statute of
y m u for the doinge of it, w ft this condition added to it more, that if I fortune
to have eyer of my body, Then shall my Lord have one M marcs payd him or
*° his w^in three yeares after, or ells shall he or his have soe much payde after
my deoesse, w^fa one year as from a friend. This in ohoyse. To this what is
said and howe it is taken, I would gladly knowe, my health not being good I
myght know him for my frind to my comfort, And as yo u ar my cosyn, so do
I take to have a portion in yo u , and do make bold of yo tt . So I pray yo u to
thincke, for so shall yo u fynd it, That in me and myne shall alwayes be a parte
for .yo u , w to my comendations. I do also pray yo u that as yo u may, I may hear
from yo a , at my lodging the xvy* of June 1583.
"Yo r Loving cosin,
"and frind, W. Darell.
"To my lovinge cosin and assured frind, Mr. Reynard Scriven govc thes."
Endorsed. "To M r Scriven geve thes."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Long, Esq. 213
It has been previously asserted that, until the publication of
Rokeby, and of Aubrey's Memoir of Judge Popham, in the "Let-
ters from the Bodleian/ 9 no printed aooount of this Littlecote tra-
gedy could be met with. Researches were made in the library of
the British Museum for one or two old works of the period bearing
on such subjects, such as "A Mass of Murders" printed in 1595;
"London's Cry," in 1620; and "God's Revenge," in 1621, but they
have not been found. Nevertheless there is in a modern compilation
called "Anecdotes and Biography, selected from the Portfolio of a dis-
tinguished literary character lately deceased," and collected and edited
by "L. T. Rede/ 1 a story somewhat similar. My attention was
drawn to it by the kindness of Mr. Hunter of the Record Office.
At page 41, second edition 1799, we have a tale commencing thus.
"In a county verging on London, lived within this century, &c.,
&o." " The counsel himself" it is stated in conclusion "is a peer
with at least £10,000 per annum." It may be that Mr. Rede, or
the "literary character," may have heard the Littlecote story, and
endeavoured to give it greater effect by fixing it on some unnamed
living parties. This story, nearly word for word, is the one re-
counted in Burke's Commoners, vol. ii. p. 12, of the "Alterations
and Additions." There is, however, this exception, viz. that Mr.
Burke has fastened it upon "an ancient and respectable family in
Wiltshire," and by so doing has virtually stamped it as the Little-
cote story.
But we now come to another, and a real narrative bearing a
most exact similarity to our Wiltshire legend. This was lately re-
marked by Mr. John Bruoe, while employed in the arrangement of
his Index at the State Paper Office, and obligingly made known to
ine. In a letter dated "Hague, May 30, 1616," from Dudley,
afterwards Sir Dudley, Oarleton, then our Ambassador in Holland,
to his friend, Mr. John Chamberlain, and addressed to him "at Mr.
Richard Chamberlain's house in Aldermanburie," the following
passage occurs.
" We hear" he writes "of a bloudie accident on the Archduke's
side," (he means, of course, in Flanders) " where two men came
masqued into a midwife's house, and carried her away, partly by
force partly by persuasion, to a woman in child-bed whom she found
% Digitized by G00gle
214 Wild Darell of LMlecote.
likewise masqued ; and after she had done her office the child was
presently taken by these fellowes and cast into a fire, which was
made in the chamber for that purpose, and consumed to ashes, the
mother crying owt and exclayming uppon them for that crueltie,
which she sayde in the midwife's hearing was the fifth time they
had used in like sort upon her children. This will not quit your
Mrs. Vincent, because though these men were barbarous the woman
was in some sort oompassionit, but I expect before long to heare
your Catholique gentlewoman putt into the number of Saints as
well as Qarnett and his companion, whose pictures and names I
saw in the Jesuit's Legend at Augusta."
There is no further mention of this story in Carleton's subse-
quent letters. It may readily be imagined with what buoyant ex-
citement the contributor of this Article on " Wild Darell" hurried
off to refer to the "Court and Times of James the First/ 9 contain-
ing Chamberlain's letters to Carleton, in the not altogether despe-
rate hope of finding some allusion to the nearly precise parallel at
Littlecote, then a talfeonly twenty-seven years old. Not defeated
by again finding nothing in the printed letters, he then hastened
to the Museum to test their accuracy by a reference to the original
MS. It appears that Chamberlain wrote two letters, one dated
June 8th, the other June 22nd, but strange to say, he never even
noticed the dark tale at all. It is clear that Carleton's letter was
received by him, and that his letter, dated June 8th, was in reply
to it, as we find in this latter (although for some unexplained rea-
son the passage is omitted in the printed copy), the acknowledge-
ment, that, "Two days since I received both your letters of the
24th and 30th of last month." In the face of these recent discov-
eries we dare not affirm that we have yet thoroughly sifted Darell's
history; but, as regards his crowning enormity, this Littlecote
legend, my anticipation is that nothing will be discovered to bear it
out, and, individually, I must be content, to remain, and peradven-
ture to stand alone in my unbelief, the "sceptical archseologist "
cast aside with somewhat of compassionate disdain by my more
credulous but very worthy friend and school-fellow, the author of
the interesting and admirable article headed "Wiltshire" in a
late number of the Quarterly Review. 0. E. L.
Digitized by UOOQ IC
215
C|e Jeafc grammar:
A LEGEND OF SALISBURY PLAIN, 1786.
§N Friday, 16th June 1786, a sailor, by name Q-ervase Mat-
cham, attended by a companion, went before James Easton
Esq. the Mayor of Salisbury, for the purpose of making a voluntary
declaration that he had committed a murder in Huntingdonshire
about seven years previously. But his story was so confused and
his conduct so strange, that the Mayor entertained doubts of his
sanity; and accordingly gave him into safe custody until an answer
might be obtained from the Town-clerk of Huntingdon, with whom
Mr. Turner the Salisbury Town* clerk was thereupon directed to
put himself in communication.
On the following Tuesday morning a letter arrived from the
Town-clerk of Huntingdon, declaring that it*was quite true that a
murder had been committed near that town, at the period stated;
and adding, that diligent search had been made for the perpetrator
thereof at the time, but to no effect. This information, though
scanty, was sufficient to create a strong suspicion against the pri-
soner, who was accordingly had up the next day before a full
bench of Justices, in whose presence he made the following confes-
sion. "In the early part of his life he had been engaged in various
employments by sea and land, particularly in the services of Cap-
tain O'Kelly, and Mr. Dymock of Oxford Street, London, as a
jockey. Abotft seven years since he enlisted into a regiment then
lying at Huntingdon, (the name or number he could not remember) ;
that after he had been in the corps about three weeks, he was
travelling upon the turnpike road, about four miles from Hunting-
don in company with a drummer, about 17 years of age, the son of
a sergeant in the regiment [name, Jones], when words arising
about the poor lad's refusing to return and drink at a public house
they had passed, Matcham knocked him down, and then, as he
declares, first conceived the idea of murdering him, which, after
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
t
J
216 The Dead Drummer: a Legend of Salisbury Plain.
some struggles on the part of the unfortunate youth, he effected
by cutting his throat with a clasp-knife. He then took from his
pockets about six guineas in gold, money entrusted to him by the
sergeant his father; and leaving the body by the way-side, made
the best of his way to London, where he got work for. some time
upon the craft on the Thames at Tower wharf. From that time
he had been in various employments as a seaman, in France, the
West Indies, and in Russia. He was last on board the Sampson
man of war, lying off Plymouth, whence he and his companion
John Shepherd (a native of the Soke in Winchester) were lately
discharged. The unhappy man further declared that with th£ ex-
ception of this murder, he had at no time done any injury to
society; — that until the moment of committing it, he had not the
least idea thereof; — and that he had no provocation from the de-
ceased, excepting that he gave him ill language. But from that
fatal hour, he had, he said, been a stranger to aU enjoyment of life
or peace of mind, the recollection thereof perpetually haunting his
imagination, and at times rendering his life a burden almost insup-
portable: — that in travelling with Shepherd on Thursday the 15th
inst. upon the road to Salisbury, they were overtaken near Wood-
yates Inn by a thunder storm, in which he saw several strange # and
dismal spectres; particularly one in the appearance of a female,
towards which he walked up, when it instantly sank into the earth
and a large stone rose up in its place; — that the stones rolled upon
the ground before him, and often came dashing against his feet."
Such were the forms in which the terrors of a guilty conscience
arrayed themselves. His comrade John Shepherd saw not the
spectres, but he corroborated the story so far as related to the ex-
ternal deportment of the unhappy man, who, he said, was often
running about like one distracted, and anon falling on his knees
and imploring mercy. When more composed, he questioned him
as to the reason of his extraordinary conduct, when Matcham at
once acknowledged himself a murderer, and begged Shepherd to*
deliver him into the hands of justice at the next place they might
reach, for life was hateful, and his sleepless nights crowded with
visions of misery and woe.
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
The Dead Drummer: a Legend of Salisbury Plain. 217
Both men having now been heard, the prisoner persisted in his
confession, though he declined signing it; and as his manner no
longer indicated anything like aberration of mind, he was com-
mitted to the city-gaol in order to take his trial at the ensuing
Huntingdon assizes. His companion Shepherd was at the same
time bound in a recognizance to give evidence of what he had
heard him confess.
This affair having been re-published in the London Journals,
soon attracted general attention; and on the following Thursday,
22nd June, two letters reached Salisbury, both of which are inter-
esting. The first is from John, fourth Earl of Sandwich.
To the Worshipful the Mayor of Salisbury.
"Hertford Street.
"Sib. Having thrown my eyes by accident on the enclosed article in yester-
day's Morning Post, I take the earliest opportunity to inform yon that a murder
of a drummer within four miles of Huntingdon happened about the time men-
tioned in the article, and the circumstances appear very similar to those therein
desoribed. I must most earnestly recommend it to you to detain the man, and
to write to me for further particulars, with which 1 will take care that you shall
be fully supplied. I must beg at the same time that you will let me know
every thing that has appeared on the examination of the man before you, or
whatever can be collected from him upon any further investigation. The druxn-
mei was killed and his body found at a place called Weybridge, between Bugden
and Alconbury, in the great North road. I am, Sir, your obedient, humble
servant, " Sandwich.
"P. 8. I have dated this from my house in London, intending to have put it
into the post to-morrow in town; but as I think the business requires despatch,
have, sent it from hence by express.
" Maidenhead Bridge, 21 June 1786.
The other letter is from Owen Fann, Esq. the coroner of the
county of Huntingdon.
To the Worshipful the Mayor of Salisbury.
"Sib. On reading in a newspaper yesterday, of a drummer-boy being mur-
dered by a sailor, it struck me with an idea that it might be the same drummer
that was murdered in Huntingdonshire, but that I think the offender's name
was then different, and his being called a sailor did not confirm my first appre-
hensions: but by the account I have just read in the Morning Post I think there
is no doubt of the man you have committed being the real person. I was the
coroner who took the inquisition on view of the body of the drummer. If I re-
oollect, the offender was then a late recruit in the same regiment with the
drummer boy, with whom he went to the Officer, Major Reynolds, then of Did-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
818 The Dead Drummer: a Legend qf Salisbury Plain.
dington, and now of St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, for subsistence and recruiting
money, to be paid to the boy's father who was the enlisting sergeant: and between
Bugden and Aloonbnry with Weston, in the said county, he the said boy was
found murdered by the side of the road leading to York, on a Sunday morning;
and it was thought that the offender made off towards York. The boy's throat
was cut, and a pocket-knife found a little way from the body; and, as well as
I recollect, the money was about that sum. The spot where the body was found
was about four miles from Huntingdon: I cannot here recollect the name the
offender went by; he might have been a sailor by the name of Matoham, and
enlisted by another name in Major Reynold's corps. I cannot in this haste of
writing recollect the time: — I think it was in August; — nor the year; but it
was at a time when the Huntingdonshire Militia were encamped in Essex, be-
oause the person who would have taken the inquisition instead of me was gone
thither. The man was advertised and sought after very much, and a full
description given of him ; and I recollect that a tooth was wanting in his mouth
before, but whether upper or under I cannot say. This may be of some use till
I hear further, as I think a person will be Bent over, perhaps the sergeant (if
living) or his wife, whoever can swear to the person of the man. I shall leave
this part to-morrow and go to my own residence at Huntingdon, and will then
look into the inquisition, and give you a further account, if necessary; or most
probably such person as I mentioned before will be sent over on purpose. You
will please to excuse any omissions and incorrect matters which you may find
in this hasty epistle, from, Sir, Your most obedient, humble servant,
" Owen Fan*.
"London, Wednesday, 21 June 1786.
" P.S. If there be a tooth wanting in the fore part of his mouth, that must,
with the other circumstances, be conviction enough for detainer at present. If
not, he may be an innocent person disordered in his mind ; and having heard of
the murder or having conversed with the murderer, may have improperly told
the tale as of himself."
On the receipt of this letter at Salisbury, Matcham's mouth was
examined, and a lost front tooth corroborated Mr. Fann's letter.
He admitted likewise that he did enlist under the false name of
Jarvis, to avoid discovery, having previously deserted from on
board a vessel. Justice therefore was allowed to take her course.
The Ingoldsby legend entitled " The Dead Drummer," founded
on the foregoing narrative, differs slightly in some of its minor
features : but as it would be vain to attempt to adjust the discre-
pancies of the two accounts, we may be satisfied that, in the present
instance, poetic licence has not carried the scene entirely beyond
the sympathetic range of the dwellers on Salisbury Plain.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Dead Drummer: a Legend of Salisbury Plain. 219
Thb Dead Drummer:
A Legend of Salisbury Plain.
By Thomas Ingoldsby, Esq.*
Oh ! Salisbury Plain is bleak and bare;
At least, so I've heard many people declare,
For I fairly confess I never was there.
Not a shrub nor a tree,
Nor a bush can you see;
No hedges, no ditches, no gates, no stiles,
Much less a cottage or house for miles.
It's a very sad thing to be caught in the rain
When night's ooming on upon Salisbury Plain.
Now I'd have you to know,
That a great while ago,
The best part of a century, may be, or so,
Across the same Plain so dull and so dreary
A couple of travellers wayworn and weary
Were making their way.
Their profession, you'd say
At a single glance did not admit of a query.
The pump-handled pigtail and whiskers worn then
With scarce an exception by seafaring men ;
The jacket, the loose trowsers "bows'd up" together— all
Guiltless of braoes as those of Charles Wetherall;
The pigeon-toed step and the rollicking motion
Bespoke them two genuine sons of the ocean;
And showed in a moment their real ohar&ters.
(The accent's so placed on this word by our Jack Tars.)
The one in advance was sturdy and strong,
With arms uncommonly bony and long;
And his Guernsey shirt
Was all pitch and dirt,
Which sailors don't think inconvenient or wrong.
He was very broad-breasted
And very deep-chested;
His sinewy frame correspond with the rest did :
Except as to height, for he oould not be more
At the most, you would say, than some five feet four,
And if measured, perhaps had been found a thought lower.
The other, his friend and companion, was taller
By five or six inches, at least, than the smaller.
From his air and his mien
It was plain to be seen
• The late Bar. Richard Barham.
o 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
220 The Dead Drummer: a Legend of Salisbury Plain.
That ho was, or had boon,
A something between
The regular "Jack" and the "Jolly Marine."
For though he would give an occasional hitch,
Sailor-like, to his slope, there was something, the which
On the whole savoured more of the pipe-olay than pitch.
Such were now the two men who appeared on the Hill,
Harry Waters the tall one, the short "Spanking Bill."
To be caught in the rain,
I repeat it again,
Is extremely unpleasant on Salisbury Plain.
And when with a good soaking shower there are blended
Blue lightnings and thunder, the matter's not mended.
Such was the case
In this wild dreary place
On the day that I'm speaking of now, when the brace
Of travellers alluded to quiokened their pace,
Till a good steady walk became more like a race,
To get quit of the tempest which held them in chase.
Louder and louder
Than mortal gunpowder
The heavenly artillery kept orashing and roaring,
The lightning kept flashing, the rain too kept pouring,
While they, helter-skelter
In vain sought for shelter
From what I've heard termed "a regular pelter."
But never a screen
Gould be any where seen,
Or an object, exoept that on one of the rises
An old way-post showed
Wnere the Lavington road
Branched off to the left from the one to Devizes.
And thither the footsteps of Waters seemed tending,
Though a doubt might exist of the course he was bending,
To a landsman at least, who wherever he goes,
Is content for the most part to follow his nose;
While Harry kept backing
And "filling" and "tacking;"
Two nautical terms which, I'll wager a guinea, are
Meant to imply
What you, Reader, and I
Would call going zigzag, and not rectilinear. *
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Bead Drummer : a Legend of Salisbury Plain. 221
To "return to our muttons."-)- This mode of progression
At length upon Spanking Bill made some impression.
" Hollo, messmate, what cheer?
How queer you do steer"
Cried Bill, whose short legs kept him still in the rear.
"Why, what's in the wind, Bo?— What is it you fear ?"
For he saw in a moment that something was frightoing
His shipmate much more than the thunder and lightning.
"Fear ?" stammered out Waters, "Why, Him, — don't you see
What faces that Drummer-boy's making at me f
How he dodges me so
Wherever I go —
What is it he wants with me, Bill, — do you know ?"
"What Drummer-boy, Harry?" cries Bill in surprise,
With a brief exclamation that ended in "eyes."
" What Drummer-boy, Waters ? — the coast is ail clear ;
We have'nt got never no Drummer-boy here."
" Why there ! don't you see
How he's following me ?
Now this way, now that way, and won't let me be.
Keep him off, Bill, — look here —
Don't let him come near;
Only see how the blood-drops his features besmear !
What, the dead come to life again, — Bless me, — Oh dear."
Bill remarked in reply, "This is all very queer,
What, — a Drummer-boy, bloody too, eh! well, I never!
I can't see no Drummer-boy here whatsumdever."
"Not see him — why there, — look he's close by the post.
Hark, hark, how he drums at me now; — he's a ghost.
Oh mercy" roared Waters, "do keep him off, Bill:
And Andrew, forgive ! — I'll confess all, I will ;
I'll make a clean breast;
And as for the rest,
Tou may do with me just what the lawyers think best.
But haunt me not thus — let these visitings cease,
And, your vengeance accomplished, Boy, leave me in peace."
Harry paused for a moment, — then turning to Bill,
Who stood with his mouth open, steady and still,
Began spinning what nauticals term "a tough yarn,"
Viz. his tale of what Bill called "this precious oonsarn."
[The "tough yarn" was a confession which Harry thereupon
made to his comrade, to the effect, that his name was not Waters
+ Bevenoni a not moutons. Fr.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
222 The Dead Drummer : a Legend of Salisbury Plain.
but Gervase Matoham, — that £e had been a soldier, and reached
the rank of sergeant, — that he and a drummer-boy named Andrew
Brand had been selected by his Colonel to carry some regimental
pay to a detachment at a distance, — that on passing oyer Salisbury
Plain, the Tempter urged him to secure the treasure to himself
and to take the life of Andrew, — that after a conversation with
the Fiend, he accomplished "the deed that damned him/ 9 and
sought to hide his shame by going to sea; but after seeking death
in flood and fight for fifteen years, inexorable Fate had dragged
him back to the very seen* of his villainy. His confession finished,
— his companion says]
"Hark ye, Waters, or Matoham, whichever^ your purser-
T'other, your own is, I'm sartain, the worser name :
Twelve years have we lived on like brother and brother,
Now — Your oourse lies one way, and mine lies another."
"No William, it may not be so,
Blood calls for blood, T'is Heaven's decree.
And thou with me this night must go
And give me to the gallows-tree.
Ha I see, he smiles — he points the way —
On, William, on I— no more delay."
Now Bill, as the story as told to me, goes,
And who, as his last speech sufficiently shows,
Was "a regular trump,"— did not like to "turn Nose,"
But then came a thunder olap louder than any
Of those that preceded, though they were so many.
And hark ! as its rumblings subside in a hum,
What sound mingles too P — by the Hokey — a Drum !
I remember I onoe heard my grandfather say,
That some sixty years since he was going that way,
When they showed him the spot
Where the gibbet — was not —
On which Matcham's oorse had been hung up to rot.
It had fall'n down ; but how long before, he'd forgot.
And they told him, I think, at the Bear in Devizes,
Some town where the Sessions are held, or the 'Sizes,
That Matoham confessed,
And made a clean breast
To the Mayor; but that after he'd had a night's rest,
And the storm had subsided, he pooh-pooh'd his friend,
Swearing all was a lie from beginning to end ;
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Dead Drummer : a Legend of Salisbury Plain. 223
Said he'd only been drank —
That his spirits had sank
At the thunder, — the storm pat him into a funk :
That in faot he had nothing at all on his oonsoienoe,
And found out, in short, he'd been talking great nonsense.
But one Mr. Jones
Comes forth and depones,
That fifteen years ago he had heard certain groans
On his way to Stonehenge to examine the stones,
Described in a work of the late Sir John Soane's ;
That he'd followed the moans,
And, led by their tones,
Found a raven a-pioking a Drummer-boy's bones.
Then the Colonel wrote word
From the King's Forty-third
That the story was certainly true which they'd heard :
For that one of their Drummers and one Sergeant Mateham,
Had " brushed with the dibs " and they never could oatoh'em.
So Justice was sure, though a long time she lagged,
And the Sergeant in spite of his " gammon," got scragged ;
And the people averred
That an ugly black bird
The same raven, t'was hinted, of whom we have heard,
Though the story, I own, appears rather absurd,
Was seen (Gervase Matoham not being interred)
To roost all that night on the murderer's gibbet
An odd thing, if so, — and, it may be, a fib. — It
However' 8 a thing Nature's laws don't prohibit.
Next morning they add, that " black gentleman " flies out
Having picked Matoham's nose off, and gobbled his eyes out
J. w.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
224
% fitte,
By the Rev. J. L. Boas, M.A., Oxon.
Vimr of Arebory and Monkton.
a paper which I drew up some time since for the Archaeo-
logical Journal, I endeavoured to shew that the Druidical
remains in this county were the work of the Phoenicians, who not
merely had a very early commercial intercourse with Cornwall, but
subsequently colonized to a considerable extent the South Western
district of England, and to a still greater extent Ireland. It his
been observed however by Pinkerton and others, among whom we
may mention Barry in his history of the Orkneys, that both in
Orkney and other parts of Scotland, stones, pillars, circles, and
tumuli are to be found, similar to those which are met with in some
of the Southern districts of England, and particularly Stonehenge;
and they would hence infer that neither Stonehenge nor what are
usually considered as Druidical circles and stones were erected by
the Druids or Phoenicians, but were the works either of a later age,
or were the memorials of a Saxon or Scandinavian race. In this
view there would appear to be the same jealousy of Stukeley enter-
tained by these writers Aid those who adopt their opinions, which
has, I am afraid, not been confined to their country or age.
Now without assuming Stukeley to be an infallible guide on
subjects of antiquarian interest, or subscribing in all particulars
either to his views or deductions, many of which are confessedly
fanciful and have received little credit, the attention that has been
recently paid to such antiquarian remains in this county by several
writers, would seem to indicate that the ground plan of the two
great temples or circles of Abury and Stonehenge as laid down by
Stukeley, namely, in the latter circle, of a mere round open build-
ing with approaches, and in the former, of a Dracontic erection,
has resulted in a decided disposition in most quarters to receive his
statement of the appearance of these circles in his time, as well as
their probable design. That Aubrey the first discoverer of Abury
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. L. Moss. 225
should not have observed many things afterwards discovered by
Stnkeley is not surprising, as he made a very cursory survey of
Abury at least, and formed very naturally an imperfect conception
of the original shape of the building: nor is it at all matter of sur-
prise that he should not have had made any mention of the avenue
to Beckhampton, as that important feature of Stukeley's ground-
plan, namely, the serpent's tail, was then much less perceptible than
the other avenue or the head of the serpent terminating on Over-
ton Hill, owing to its passing through fields and meadows employed
as arable and pasture land, through which no public road had been
formed, and from which the stones of this approach or avenue had
been necessarily removed. If Aubrey had leisure or inclination
to make the enquiries which his successor Stukeley afterwards did
during a series of visits extending over several years, he would
then have heard something of the doings of certain un-antiquarian
farmers, as Fowler and Green, who were even still more successful
than the Herostratus Tom Robinson in destroying almost every
vestige of the Beckhampton avenue at least, with the exception of
two of the largest stones still existing, nearly midway between the
circles and Beckhampton, where it was supposed, upon good
grounds, to terminate. Any one who has remarked the cottages
and walls of premises in the upper village of Abury, must have
presumed that there had been either some considerable quarry in
the neighbourhood from which these stones were then taken, (for
the buildings elsewhere are usually of brick), or must incline to
Stukeley's opinion that they were formed from a large assortment
or collection of stones, similar in all respects to those used in the
circles and Kennet avenue, namely, the Grey- Wethers, most pro-
bably conveyed from the valley of stones on the road between
Abury and Marlborough. If moreover it can be proved, as is ad-
mitted, that the Kennet avenue from its gyrations and other pecu-
liar features, is the head of the serpeiit emerging from the circles
at Abury, there is then a very high degree of probability,
amounting I conceive to moral certainty, that the other avenue,
partly observed and partly traced by Stukeley, was the serpent's
tail, or very unnecessarily and unreasonably the ancient and wise
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
226 The Pick.
builders of these mysterious erections must have allowed themselves
in a "lu8U8 naturae" or an animal with a body and head but with-
out a tail. They had not even the apology of the eccentric Lord
Monboddo who entertained a notion that mankind were originally
created with tails, but in course of ages, from their sedentary habits
like the Simia or monkey race, wore them away by sitting upon
them.
I proceed now however to enquire how far Pinkerton and Bany
are correct in depriving the Phoenicians and their sacred and literary
order the Druids, of their claim to be the builders of the circles so
frequently found in Britain, or rather I should say to enquire who
were the authors of many similar structures elsewhere, who are
confessedly not of the Phoenician or Druidical race.
From the laborious enquiries of Sir William Betham, the Ulster
King of Arms in Ireland, and many other modern writers, it has
been proved by the testimony of very ancient historians, as Gildas
and Nennius, &c, that the original inhabitants of the Central and
Northern divisions of Britain were Picts. "This" says Dr. M e
Pherson, minister of Slate in Skye, (Dissertation on Ancient Cale-
donians, section xii.) "was an established tradition a thousand years
ago, that the Picts were the original inhabitants of the Northern di-
vision of Britain." Bede says, in his Ecclesiastical History, " that
they came to Caledonia from Scythia, the European part of which,
according to Pliny, comprehends Germany." The authority of
this venerable writer was never questioned on this head ; and a be-
lief has ever since obtained that the Picts were a different race from
the Gauls who possessed the Southern parts of Britain. By the
Phoenicians on their arrival in Cornwall, these aborigines were cal-
led in their language Britons, or painted ipeople, which is more
properly the derivation of the word than that of Tin, which is
commonly assigned to it. When the Romans subsequently inva-
ded Britain, they seem to have merely changed or translated this
term into Picti, a Latin word expressing the same meaning,
namely, the painted people. These two names however were not
the generic designation of the aboriginal inhabitants of this coun-
try, who were it has been satisfactorily shewn, either Oymbri
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Ret. J. L. Ron. 227
or Cimbri, from a German or Teutonic word signifying a warrior,
or warlike. The ancient writers have universally described the
Cimbri as a tall, gigantic, and brave people, and Omar describes
them as being originally equally warlike and successful as the Gauls,
or the principal body of the Celtic or Phoenician race. Whitaker
considers that the "names Celt®, Galatce, and Gauls belong to
the Gael," or the Phoenician race; but as the languages of the
Cymry and Gael are perfectly distinct, they must be independent
nations ; just on the same principle that the Tyrrheni and Pelasgi
were distinct people. His language is as follows : — If natural
affinity produces similarity of language, the reverse produces diver-
sity of language; on this principle I am persuaded that the Pelasgi
are a different people from the "Tyrrhenians." From this and
circumstances of a kindred nature, Whitaker was convinced that the
Cymri, and Gauls or Celt© are distinct nations, and had arrived by
different routes into Britain ; " the Cimbri/' he says, " from the
north, and the Gael by a route to the south of Mount Hoemus and
the Alps." The Ecclesiastical historian, Bede, is also of opinion
that the Cimbri came to Caledonia or Scotland from Scythia in
Germany.
Sir W. Betham has given several pedigrees of the Celtic and
Gothic nations, and among others, one in relation to the Cimbri,
which deserves, he conceives, consideration. The Cimbri were
a nation from the North of Europe, who inhabited Jutland, or
the Cimbric Ohersonesus. There were two great divisions of this
race, the Caledonian Cymbri who peopled the British Islands and
were afterwards called Picts, and the Cymbri who invaded Gaul,
and were destroyed by the Roman General Marius, b.c. 103.
" Plutarch (says MA Humphrey Lloyd 1 ) in his history of Marius
affirmeth, that the Cymbri departed out of a far country, and that
it was not known whence they came, nor whither they went, but,
like clouds, they issued into France and Italy with the Almayns.
Whereupon the Romans supposed that they had been Germans,
because they had big bodies, with sharp and horrible eyes. So
much he. Since then he hath left their origin unknown ; and
1 Breviary of Great Britain.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
228 The Picts.
our Chronicles do testify, how that the Britaynee had always great
familiarity with the Northern Germans, as it is like enough that
the British Cymbri passed over into Denmark, whereby it was
called Cymbrica, and so joining with the Almayns, made war upon
the Romans, &c, &o. And to confirm all this, I read late, in a
most ancient fragment in the British tongue, how that, long since,
there departed a very great army of Britayns into Denmark, which
after many valiant wars, in most parts of the worlde, never returned
again." This hypothesis would seem to indicate that Britain had
been peopled at some very early period by a race which had at the
same time colonized Germany, from which great seat of the Teu-
tones, and particularly Denmark and Jutland, emigrations took place
to the Northern and Southern divisions of Britain, long previous
to the invasion of the Saxons under Hengist and Horsa. 1
From the former or Caledonian Cymbri, in whom we are at pre-
sent more particularly interested, were derived the Welsh, the
Cornish, and the Armoricans or Britons, a race still inhabiting
Brittany and speaking a language of a nature kindred to the
Welsh. These Cymbri having been compelled to forsake Jutland
or the Cymbric Chersonesus, owing to an irruption of the sea
which devastated their country, seem to have divided into two
great bodies, the 'one of which attempted a settlement in Italy,
from which they were driven by Marius, and afterwards obtained
some footing in Gaul, while the other division landed in Britain,
then or more probably at a much earlier period, and became the
principal opposers of Casear after he had triumphed over the Belgse
or Silures, an Iberian race, who inhabited the Southern Maritime
districts, These Silures or Belgae are usually considered to be a
Celtic race, closely connected with the Gafls or Celts on the oppo-
site coast, and may in ail probability have been a detachment of
Phoenicians, who at an early period discovered and subsequently
colonized the more Southern districts of Britain. They were of a
dark olive complexion and curly hair, the reverse of the Cimbri
or Teutonic races, who were of a lighter hue and had fairer hair.
Tacitus' remarks are as follows: —
1 Sir W. Bctham, p. 387.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. L. Moss. 229
"At the time of the Roman invasion there were three distinct
nations inhabiting Britain, the Gael, the Cymbri, and the Belgae.
The former were those who inhabited South Britain, including
Wales, and fought with Caesar; the second were the Caledonians
found in North Britain by Agricola ," (and probably the interior
of South Britain) ; " and the third were the people from Belgio
Gaul, who had formed trifling settlements on the coasts, but were
not either numerous or powerful. . . . I am inclined to think
that the ancient Caledonians (the Cymbri or second nation men-
tioned) were the first inhabitants of all the British Islands, including
Ireland." . . Tacitus is the first wiio gives any succinct account
of these Northern Britons in his life of Agricola.
" Whether " he " says the first inhabitants of Britain were natives
of the Island, or adventitious settlers, is a question lost in the mists
of antiquity. The Britons, like other barbarous nations, have no
monuments of their history. They differ in habit and make of
their bodies, and have various inferences concerning their origin.
The ruddy hair and lusty limbs of the Caledonians indicate a German
extraction. That the Silures (or Belgre) were at first a colony of
Iberians is concluded, not without probability, from the olive tinc-
ture of their skin, the natural curl of their hair, and the situation
of the country so convenient to the coast of Spain. On the side
opposite to Gaul, the inhabitants resemble their neighbours on the
continent ; but whether that resemblance is the effect of one com-
mon origin, or of the climate in contiguous nations, operating on
the make and temperament of the human body, is a point not easy
to determine. All circumstances considered, it is rather probable,
that a colony from Gail took possession of a country so inviting by
its proximity. You will find in both nations the same religious
rites 9 and the same superstitions. The two languages differ but little.
In provoking danger they discover the same ferocity, and in the
enoounter the same timidity. The Britons, however, not yet en-
feebled by long peace, are possessed of superior courage."
Ther^ is a distinction drawn between the Caledonians (or Cym-
bri) and the Southern Britons (or Celtic race). The former are
said to indicate a German origin by fair complexion, sandy hair,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
230 The Pick.
large and robust form of limbs, while the Silures, who inhabited
what is now called South Wales (and formerly the maritime coasts
of South Britain), are declared to be of a Spanish race, from their
swarthy dark skins and curly hair.
"After Tacitus " says Betham, " we hear little of the Caledonians
by that name, for, it may almost bo said, that they disappear from
history. At the period of the decline of the Roman power in
Britain, the country which they inhabited was in the possession of
a people called the Picts, because they painted their bodies, the very
reason their ancestors received the name of Britons from the Phoeni-
cians. It would appear, therefore, that the Phoenician Gaelic inva-
ders exterminated or expelled the Cymbrio Britons from the South
of Britain and Ireland; those who escaped were driven to the north,
where they were found by Agricola many centuries afterwards,
and received a name from the Romans, exactly indicative of that
they obtained on their first discovery by the Phoenicians." 1
These Belgae are supposed in time to have become amalgamated
with the Romans, and to have acquired their customs and language.
Gildas, when he describes Ouneglas, speaks of the Latin as his own
language, " In lingu& nostrft lanio falve;" and other authorities
inform us that the Britons boasted of their knowledge of the Latin
language : Tacitus remarks that the Britons in Donation's time,
"affected even the eloquence of the Latin tongue."
The British Oymbri after many engagements with Caesar were
ultimately driven by him towards the Northern Provinces, and
finally founded a Pictish Kingdom in Caledonia or Scotland, in the
district of Strathclyde near Glasgow and Dumbarton, having Edin-
burgh or Dunedin as their capital. Under the name of Picts these
Cymbri long retained possession of the Southern division of
Scotland, and engaged with Agricola near the Grampian Hills, as
recorded by Tacitus in Agricola. The Welsh have constantly af-
firmed (that is, the better informed of their writers) that they came
from Scotland, and are descendants of the Strathclyde Britons, who
were Caledonians or Picts. These Picts or Caledonians we
have seen, were regarded by the Romans as the same race, and the
1 Betham, p. 329.
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. L. Boss. 231
Emperor Constane a.d. 306, found it necessary to oome over to
Britain, we are informed, to repel the Caledonians and other Picts.
The terms, Caledones aliique Picti, were employed by Eumenius in
a Panegyrick a.d. 297 and 398; and in the end of the fourth cen-
tury Ammianus Marcellinus mentions the Caledonians and Picti
as the same people : — " Eo tempore Picti in duas gentes diviei Di-
caledones and Yecturiones." 1 At that time the Picts were divided
into two nations, the Dicaledonians and Yecturiones.
The hill in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh called Arthur's
seat, evidently shows that this was the principal settlement
or metropolis of the Aboriginal British race, among whom
Arthur the British Prince is traditionally celebrated. Many places
in the Southern and Western districts of Scotland retain names of
Welsh derivation, or the original language, not of the Scots or
Celts, but of the Caledonians or Picts. Detachments of the British
Picts obtained possession of Cumberland and Wales, subsequently.
After a long possession of the Southern and Western districts of
Scotland, the Picts suddenly disappeared as a nation from history,
but we are informed that they had long been engaged in a struggle
with the Northern inhabitants or Scots. These Scots are believed
to have been connected with the Phoenicians, and to have colonized
the Western Isles or Hebrides, and the Highlands of Scotland from
Ireland, which was the principal seat of the Phoenicians or Gaels.
The following account from Fordun, details the last struggle and
annihilation of the kingdom in Scotland of the Caledonian or Pictish
race, the descendants of the Cymbri.
"The Picts" (says Sir W. Betham, p. 413) "made good their
settlement in Armorica about the same time they subdued Cumber-
land, Wales, and Cornwall, and have ever since been there, a dis-
tinct people keeping up their language and customs, which closely
resemble that of the inhabitants of Wales. . . . After detach-
ments of the Picts had made good their conquest of Wales, Corn-
wall, and Armorica (or Britanny), those who remained in Pictland
were engaged in constant wars with the Gael of the Western
mountains of North Britain, which country they had, a very short
1 Am mi an, Maroell. lib. xxvii. c. 7.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
232 The Picts.
time before conquered from them ; for the Ficts and Scots, though
they appear as joint invaders of the Roman Province, do not seem
to have ever acted in concert, but as independent and unconnected
plunderers. The Scots (or Gael) had the sole object of plunder,
*nd it was not a matter of much consideration who was the object.
From one incroachment on the Ficts they proceeded to another,
until they completely exterminated ike whole race, under Kenneth
* Mao Alpine ; and but for their colonies in Wales, Cornwall, and
Britanny, their descendants would not now exist, but the name of
Cymbri would have disappeared from the earth."
" This Kenneth Mac Alpin, King of Scots, having determined on
the conquest of the Picts, commanded his troops to destroy not only
the men, but also the women and children ; and neither to respect
sex or holy orders, nor to take prisoners, but to destroy every one with
fire and sword. Therefore in the sixth year of his reign, the Picts
being much occupied with the defence of their shores against the
vexatious and distressing depredations of the Danish pirates, Ken-
neth attacked them on their mountainous border, called Drum Al-
ban, or the back of Albion, which having passed, he slew many of
the Picts, put the rest to flight, and thus conquered and acquired
both the kingdoms of the monarchy. The Picts recovered a little
by the help of the English, and for four years annoyed Kenneth.
But after some ineffectual struggles, and destructive slaughters, in
the twelfth year of his reign, he engaged them seven times in one
day, and completely destroyed the whole nation of the Picts; and
thus was united, under one monarch, the whole country from the
Tyne to the Orcades, as was lately prophesied by Saint Adamman,
Abbot of Hye, which was, in all respects, confirmed. So, indeed,
not only were the kings and generals of that nation destroyed, but
also the people, root and branch, and even their language is alto-
gether obliterated, so that whatever is found respecting them of
old times, is considered by many Apocryphal."
" We have now " says Sir W. Betham, 1 " satisfactorily accounted
for the disappearance of the Picts from Scotland, and . . shewn
that the Welsh were originally a colony of Picts, who conquered
1 The Gael and the Cymbri.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. L. Ross. 233
Wales, after the withdrawing the Roman legions from Britain.
The chapter on the Cymbri shews the strong probability, if it does
not demonstrate the fact, of their being the same people as the
Cimbri who invaded Gaul ; if they lose anything by being deprived
of their supposed Celtic ancestry, they acquire as ancient and glo*
rious a one. Their ancestors, the Cimbri, were always illustrious in
arms ; often a terror to the mistress of the world, and, eventually,
one of her conquerors. It will give them what their triads claim •
for them — the honour of being the first settlers in Britain ; it will
restore to them the undisputed possession of their cherished hero
Arthur; it will shew that the existence and acts of that illustrious
ohampion of his country were not fabulous ; in short, it will give
the Cimbri an existence in real history, while it only deprives them
of an imaginary position which they never occupied. If they were,
in a very early age, conquered and expelled from the Southern
parts of Britain, and driven to the Northern extremity of the island,
by the intruding Phoenician Gael, who, in their turn, were sub-
dued and amalgamated with their conquerors the indomitable
Romans, they had the honour of resisting, with effect and success,
the invincible legions of that haughty and encroaching people,
and preserved their independence by their vigorous arms and un-
conquerable hearts; and when the time of retribution arrived,
their descendants rushed on the Roman province — extended the
bounds of Pictavia beyond the wall — re-conquered a part of their
ancient possessions, Cumberland, the northern part of England,
the beautiful and romantic Cambria and Cornwall, and even secu-
red a part of the province of Gaul, which their descendants have
kept to this day, from them called Britanny."
It would appear from Mr. Skeen's elaborate account of the "High-
landers of Scotland," that this annihilation of the Picts, if it really
occurred to the extent here related, had reference merely to the
Yecturiones or Southern division of that race, who under the name
and the designation of Piccardach had been long separated from
the Northern Cymbri or Picts, known generally as the Dicaledones
or Cruithni. This Northern division of the Pictish race, had, we
learn from their Chronicles, been for ages at variance with the
p
234 The Pick.
Vecturiones who inhabited the Southern division of Scotland, and,
when repeatedly conquered by Angus Mao Fergus, the King of the
Vecturiones or Piccardach, invited the assistance of the Dalriads
or Hibernian Scots, who had previously effected a settlement in
Argyllshire and Cantyre. After numerous engagements, which
rendered Angus Mao Fergus finally the Sovereign of the whole
Pictish realm, a Prince of the Dalriads or Scots, who had become
connected by marriage with the Royal family of the Gruithni or
Northern Picts, at length entirely subjugated the Vecturiones, and
transferred the Sovereignty of Alban or North Britain to the
Scottish race. By this cbnquest of the Southern Picts, a.d. 842,
the Northern division of that people — the Dicaledones or Gruithni —
regained their independence, though at a subsequent period amal-
gamated with the Dalriads or Scots. It is probably owing to this
amalgamation of the Gruithni Picts with the Soots or the Oymbri
and Gael, (whose language formed merely different dialects of the
universal and primitive tongue,) that we find in the present time
two distinct races in the Highlands of Scotland, one resembling the
Cymbri or Picts in their ruddy complexion and hair, while the
other exhibits the darker hair and features of the Beiges (or Silures)
and Celts, thus indicating a more direct and immediate Oriental
extraction. The alliances which were formed for upwards of a
century by the Northern Picts with the Dalriads or Scots (or more
properly the Gael) against the Vecturiones or Southern division of
this race, will account for their almost complete extermination,
their own preservation, and their amalgamation with the Gael or
Scots. Such would seem to be the descent of the present Scottish
Highlanders: though it is probable that the Aborigines of the
Orkneys were a more ancient colony from the "Northern Hive."
But it is time now to make some enquiries respecting the original
inhabitants of the Orkneys, which, previous to the Conquest by the
Norsemen in a.d. 870, were regarded as a Pictish race. If so, and
there is no reason to doubt the correctness of this belief, they must
have arrived from Jutland or some other part of the Northern
Coasts; driven from what has been well designated "the Great
Northern Hive;" and are believed to have long remained in posses-
Digitized by LjOOQIC
By the Rev. J. L. Bon. 235
don of these Islands. The principal question for ns at present to
consider is, what connexion they had with the Phoenicians or Cel-
tic race, to whom have been ascribed the erection of Stonehenge
and Abury, and other supposed monuments of Druidism P Though
the Celtic and Cymbric races had no connexion for many ages, there
is little doubt that they retained many of the original religious cus-
toms and rites which were probably, nay must have been, univer-
sal in a very early age. As Stukeley and other writers have shewn
there are numerous similar customs, religious and others, of a kindred
sort, whioh have been discovered among nations distant in time and
locality, and among others the worship of the serpent and the same
deities under different names, representations of the Deity (as in
Persia of a figure in a circle with wings), of circles and monumental
pillars or stones, as in Egypt and other parts of the East. If then
the original inhabitants of the Orkneys came over from the North-
ern Coasts at a very remote period, they would naturally bring
with them this kind of structure or circle, whether for religious or
civil uses. A more simple description of building whether for
religious, judicial, or other civil objects could not certainly have been
adopted; and its form representing the Sun or the first visible deity
worshipped on the declension of mankind into idolatry, was the
most obvious form these Aborigines would employ. Besides we are
informed in Barry's history of these Islands that certain of them
have received and still retain the name of Pap© or Papley, from,
he conjectures, a priestly or Sacred Order who had either been in-
vited from, or had voluntarily or accidentally come over from Ire-
land' and settled in the Orkneys. Now as Ireland was the principal
seat or stronghold of the* Phoenicians or Celts, it is by no means
improbable that these Pap® or Papley belonged to their Sacred
Order of Priests the Druids, and if so it is not unreasonable to pre-
sume that they would erect structures in a circular form, as are
found at Stanhouse and elsewhere in Orkney. The following is
Barry's account of these Pap® or Priests : —
"The Orkneys were first invaded by Harold Harfayer, King of
Norway, a.d. 870, who discovered on landing, besides their own
countrymen, two distinct people, named Peti, and Papa), whom
• • r 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
236 The Picts.
they seem to have regarded as different nations. . . . With
regard to the first of them, namely, the Peti, there is no difficulty
whatever; for they are plainly no other than the Peihta, Picts, or
Piks, whom, on probable evidence, we have already considered as
the Aborigines, or first inhabitants of this place. And what puts
the matter beyond all doubt, the Scandinavian writers generally
call the Piks Peti, or Pets: one of them uses the term Petia, in-
stead of Pictland; and besides, the Frith that divides Orkney from
Caithness, is usually denominated Petland Fiard, in the Icelandic
Sagas or histories.
" With regard to the Pap®, it is more difficult to ascertain who
they were. Some have thought they were a people that had, in
some former age, come from Norway; and in support of this opi-
nion, mention a place of the name of Papa sound, in that country.
"An opinion much more probable has been adopted by others;
at the head of whom is an ingenious author Pinkerton 1 , whose
labours have thrown much light on the ancient state of Europe-
He supposes they were the Irish Papas or Priests, who had long been
the only clergy in the Pictish dominions; 2 and as they spoke another
language, and were also different in their appearance and manners,
they might readily have been taken by these strangers for a dis-
tinct race, instead of a separate profession. To give still more
probability to this opinion, it may be observed, that in Iceland
there was a place of the name of Papay, which was perhaps the
residence of these priests; for such priests seem evidently to have
been there, though expelled in some commotion of the people; as
the Norwegians, on their arrival, found some of their books, and
other articles, which they had left behind them.
" It may also be remarked, that there are many people of the
name of Papay or Papley here (in the Orkneys) still, as there were
formerly, at least in Iceland; and both of them may have sprung
from the same origin, namely the Hibernian Priests, whose zeal
carried them into distant lands, to diffuse the principles of their
religion.
^ntrod. Hist. Scotland.
2 The Irish were of Phoenician 05 Celtic origin, whose clergy were Druids.
CaJSiir says the Germans had no Priests.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. L. Ross. 237
" But what is still more to the point, there are also several places
here which still retain the name Papay or Papley, which, when
-viewed with attention, seem to have something strikingly peculiar.
They are all in a retired situation, distinguished for the richness
of their soil, and the variety of their natural productions, no less
than for the pleasantness of their exposure, and their agreeable
prospect; and when all these circumstances are considered, along
with some venerable ruins which some of them contain, we are almost
compelled to believe that they once were the abode of men of that
sacred character. In particular, there are two whole islands that
bear that name; both of which, besides the ruins which they exhi-
bit, are distinguished among the group for their commodiousness,
their pleasant appearance, and the productive richness of their soil,
no less than for their retired situation.
" These might have been the chief residences of the Papce or
priests; 1 they might have been their property ; or they might have
been the places to which they at last retired, when their labours
had become unacceptable to the people, and they had been driven
from other parts of the country."
Let us now, however, consider the following extracts from Barry's
history of the Orkneys, regarding the religion and circular struc-
tures of these Islands.
" The ancient mythology of Iceland (also of Teutonic or Cym-
brio origin) taught in strong energetic language the existence of
a "Supreme God the Ruler of the Universe, to whom all things
were subject," which Tacitus relates was the belief of the Germans.
"In it the object of their worship is styled the author of every
thing that exists ; the eternal ; the living and awful being, who
searches into concealed matters, and is subject to no change ; of
incorruptible justice, infinite power, and unbounded knowledge.
From this all perfect God sprung, as emanations of his divinity, an
infinite number of inferior deities, who presided over and directed
the operations of nature ; and who, on account of the service which
they thus performed to mankind, challenged a share in their
adoration'. Agreeably to this notion, the Picts inhabiting Caledo-
1 Probably Druids having oome from Ireland peopled by the Celts.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
238 The Picts.
ma in the sixth century, paid a sort of (Urine worship to fountains,
and acknowledged many of these inferior gods, whom they reck-
oned superior to the God of the Christians. The same people
had also magi or priests, who they vainly supposed could raise
stones, and perform other miracles ; with them the good St. Co-
lumba had many pious conflicts in defence of his mission.
" To offer up sacrifices to their Supreme Being; to address thanks
and supplications to him ; to do no wrong to others ; to be bold and
intrepid, — were the moral precepts which they drew from these
doctrines ; and their firm faith in a future state cemented the vener-
able fabric, and finished the structure of their religion. In that
state, tortures of the most excruciating kind awaited those that des-
pised these most important precepts ; and joys without number,
and without end, were the portion of such as had been honest, vali-
ant, and religious.
" This system, at once so pure and so rational, and at the same
time so creditable for human nature to have adopted in its unen-
lightened state, was of such antiquity, as to be derived from the Scy-
thians; and teas long believed and practised among the nations of the
North which sprung from that root. But unhappily, this beautiful
structure, in the course of ages, was much corrupted.
" The Supreme Being, instead of being considered as extending
his attention and energy to all nature, was now confined to one
province ; and passed, with the bulk of the people, under the name
of Odin or the God of "War." . . In the Icelandic writings
Odin is styled " The severe and terrible deity ; the father of slaugh-
ter ; the god that oauseth desolation and fire ; the active and tre-
mendous majesty who giveth victory, and reviveth courage in the
conflict, and marketh those in battle that are to be slain !
" To that branch of this extraordinary people, which so long oc-
cupied the Orkneys, ought we perhaps to ascribe some objects of
antiquity which could not be conveniently classed under any of the
foregoing heads. The first of these we shall mention, are those
tumuli or barrows, which so often present themselves to the eye in
wandering over the surface of these islands ; and whioh are plainly
the rude memorials of persons of *note in early days. The most
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Bev. J. L. Boss. 239
ancient method of disposing of the dead was by interment. The
earliest Greeks adopted this custom, in which they were imitated
by the Romans in the infancy of their state; and the Celts, a very
ancient people, seem also to have preferred this method; and on the
graves of illustrious persons, they gathered heaps of stones into a pile,
which they called Cairns or Cromlechs, to distinguish them from
those of the multitude.
"The remains of people of the same eminence among the Gothic
tribes, were treated in a different manner. Though their enemies,
and the inferior ranks were interred, the bodies of men of distinc-
tion, as has been already stated, were either wholly, or in part,
consumed to ashes, which were carefully collected either into an
Urn, or a coffin formed of stones; and a heap of earth, or tumulus,
was raised over them. Hence, the number of these tumuli or bar-
rows, spread over the countries inhabited by the different branches
of that ancient people in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, and
the East coast of Scotland, as well as in some of the Hebridae in
Iceland, and the Orkney Isles. The numbers found hefe are con-
siderable; seldom single, but two, or three, or more in the same
place; all of a circular form, and different in dimensions; placed
without any distinction of hill or dale, by the sea, or inland; gene-
rally in dry places, and for the most part in sandy ground. Some few
of them are encircled with stones set on edge around their bottoms;
a remarkable one has two stones set upright on its top; and, when
curiosity has penetrated their interior, they are almost all found to
exhibit contents in which there is much similarity. As in Eng-
land, those that have been opened have discovered, some of them,
urns with ashes; some stone coffins, in whioh the bodies have been
deposited; and some, naked skeletons: 1 — so here also, when looked
into, they have been found to contain the same things. But be-
sides these, which are the principal, several other articles have
sometimes been found along with them; such as the bones of some
domestic animal; swords of metal, or of bone; helmets, combs, with
other things, the use of which cannot now be discovered.
1 Pinlyrton, &o.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
240 The Picts.
. . . " To the same people, perhaps, and about the same period,
most be referred another class of objects, that in different places,
raised their lofty heads to arrest the attention of the curious. These
are the huge standing stones, one or more of which, may be seen in
most of the islands. They are commonly from twelve to twenty
feet in height above ground, their breadth five, and thickness
one or more; and as the most of them seem, from the places in
which they are erected, to have been carried from a considerable dis-
tance, it may justly excite wonder, how in the ignorance of mecha-
nical power (P) this could be effected. Numbers and perseverance
united, will achieve deeds, to conceive which would baffle the efforts
of imagination.
" By whatever means they were brought, or in whatever manner
erected, they are rude blocks of hard stone, of the same shape in which
they are brought from the quarry; without any marks of an instru-
ment; without carving, inscription, or hieroglyphics; they are plainly
the monuments of an early age, when the people were ignorant of arts
and letters (?).
" For what purpose, .or with what design, they were erected, an-
tiquity furnishes us with no account; records are silent; and tra-
dition, to which recourse must be sometimes had, in the penury of
other evidence, ventures not in this case to hazard an opinion.
" Some have supposed them intended to mark the spot that con-
tained the bones, or ashes, of a beloved prince, or brave chieftain,
or dear departed friend ; or to serve as a boundary between the ter-
ritories of one great man and those of another : while others have
imagined them designed to preserve the remembrance of some
noted event that concerned the safety, the honor, or the advantage
of the community.
" Since no tumuli, urns, or graves, have ever been found near
them, they cannot certainly be considered memorials of the dead ;
nor is it more probable that they were intended to mark the limits
of contiguous proprietory as land-marks, equally well calculated
to serve the purpose, might have been erected with infinitely less
labour. If therefore, they were not intended to serve the purpose
of places of worship, they were most likely raised to preserve the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. L. Moss. 241
remembrance of some fortunate event, or perpetuate the memory
of some noble action ; and the rough simplicity of their appearance
sufficiently justifies us in referring them to an early age, and to the
first inhabitants of these islands."
In a later portion of his description of the Orkney Islands, Mr.
Barry relates that the Island of Westray, in particular, contains,
on the north and south-west sides of it, a great number of graves,
scattered over two extensive plains, of that nature which are called
links in Scotland. 1 "They have, at first/' he states, "perhaps, been
covered with tumuli or barrows, though of this there is no absolute
certainly, as the ground, on which they are, is composed entirely
of sand, by the blowing of which the graves have been only of late
discovered. They are formed either of stones of a moderate size,
or of four larger ones on end, arranged in the form of a chest, to
contain the body, and such other articles as the custom of the time
interred with it. Few or no marks of burning are observable in
these remains of the dead, which are occupied mostly by bones, not
of men only, but of several other animals. Warlike instruments
of the kind then in use, also make a part of their contents, among
which may be reckoned battle-axes, two-handled swords, broad-
swords, helmets, swords made of bone of a large fish, and also dag-
gers. They have, besides, been found to contain instruments em-
ployed in the common purposes of life, as knives and combs ; and
others that have been used as ornaments, such as beads, brooches,
and chains; together with some other articles, the use of which is
now unknown. Of this last kind may be mentioned, a flat piece of
marble, of a circular form, about two inches and a half in diameter ;
several stones, in shape and appearance like whet-stones, that have
never been used ; and an iron vessel, resembling an helmet, only
four inches and a half in the cavity, much damaged, as if with the
stroke of a sharp weapon, such as an axe or sword. In one of them
was found a metal spoon, and a glass cup that contained two gills,
Scotch measure ; and in another, a number of stones, formed into
the shape and size of whorles, 1 like those that were formerly used
for spinning in Scotland.
1 Sandy flat ground, generally near the sea.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
342 The Pick.
. . . " Strange as they may appear, the stones (previously
referred to) are not peculiar to this place : they are found in Scan-
dinavia, from whioh perhaps the first inhabitants of this country
(the Orkney Islands) originally came ; and they are also sometimes
found in Great Britain.
" But those that are formed into figures of various sorts, especi-
ally circles and semicircles, are the most curious and remarkable ; and
it is truly astonishing, that though they occur in different places, they
have not, so far as we have learned, been taken notice of by any of the
ancient writers. The reason perhaps is, that, as they bear marks of
being Gothio monuments, they must be referred to a later age, when
that people had spread themselves, in nations, tribes, and coloniee,
through most of the countries of the West of Europe." We shall
not stop to refute this hypothesis, which would deprive these ex*
traordinary remains of an antiquity which extended, as we learn
from GsBsar, long prior to his invasion of Britain, and which are
to be met with in Eastern and other nations, as at Gilgal, &c., and
long antecedent, it is thought, to Roman times. That they would
have shared the fate of the Druidioal groves, had they been of
Druidical origin, is also, we conceive, a fallacy, as besides being
less easily destroyed than the sacred groves, they were probably
not always strictly confined to religious rites, but may have been
appropriated as in Scandinavia and Gilgal for the " administration
of justice," as well as performance of sacrifice.
" In the largest class," Mr. Barry observes, "we may certainly rank
Stonehenge in England," (he had not probably heard of the still lar-
ger circles that formerly existed at Abury), and "which might have
been the place for the meeting of their national assembly, as they
met in the open air. To the same class may be referred that noble
circle of Glasserness in the Lewis, which may have been a court
house, in which affairs of importance might have been transacted,
relative to the interest of the community. Their kings and chiefs
were also sometimes elected in these large circles, while the lesser
ones were used as temples of the inferior gods, and not un-
frequently as family burial places. (?)
1 A round perforated piece of wood put upon a spindle.
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. L. Boss. 243
" On the Loch Stennis in the principal island of the Orkneys
called the Mainland, there ia a circle sixty fathoms in diameter,
formed' by a ditch on the outside, twenty feet broad, and twelve
deep ; and on the inside by a range of standing stones, twelve or
fourteen feet high, and four broad; several of them are fatten down:
of others fragments remain, and of 'some only the holes in which they
stood. The earth that has been taken from the ditch has been car-
ried away, and very probably been made use of to form four tumuli
or barrows, of considerable magnitude, which are ranked in pairs on
the east and west sides of this remarkable monument of antiquity.
" The plain on the east border of the Loch exhibits a semicircle,
sixteen fathoms in diameter, formed not like the circle with a
ditch but by a mound of earth, and with stones in the inside, like
the former in shape, though of much larger dimensions. Near the
circle, there are standing stones that seem to be placed in no regu-
lar order that we can now discern ; and near the semicircle are
others of the same description. In one of the latter is a round hole,
not in the middle, but towards one of the edges, much worn, as if
by the friction of a rope or chain, by which some animal was bound.
Towards the centre of the semicircle, too, is a very large broad stone
now lying on the ground; but whether it stood formerly like those
around it, or has been raised and supported on pillars to serve a
particular purpose, we shall not take upon us to determine. 1
. . . "For the combined and important ends of law and
religion no spot could have been devised more convenient in its
situation than the Loch Stennis for such a circular structure. Not
far distant from the middle of the Mainland, which is itself in the
centre of the island, at nearly an equal distance from Birsa where
the Princes and Earls used to reside, and Kirkwall, which had long
been considered as the capital, — Stennis is within a mile of the
bay of Frith, to which boats from the North Isles have ready
access ; and still nearer to the bay of Kairston in which boats land
from th* South Isles with equal facility. Before any civil business
commenced in these conventions, sacrifices would be performed ;
and the perforated stone that stands near the semicircle might have
1 Perhaps it served for an altar on which the victims were sacrificed.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
244 The Picts.
served for fastening the victim, while that near its 6ide was pro-
bably made use of as an altar for the immolation.
" At Applecross, in the West of Boss-shire are standing stones
similar to these ; some of which are formed into a circle, and others
into a triangle; 1 with one in the midst of them, perforated in the
same manner. Yery near these too, are tumuli or mounds of
earth, such as those mentioned near the stones of Stennis. Ano-
ther of these circles, composed of stones of the same nature, and in
the same circumstances, stands in a moor, near Beauley, in Inver-
ness-shire."
The frequent subjection of the counties of Caithness and Ross
by the Earls of Orkney, may account for the existence of monu-
ments and circles in the Northern districts of Scotland, similar to
those which are frequently met with in Orkney. It is not impro-
bable that the Aborigines of Scotland were the Northern division
of the Picts, who had emigrated at a very early period from the
Jutland Ghersonesus to Orkney and the Northern districts of Scot-
land, or to some extent formed a detachment of the same Aborigi-
nal race who colonized England, long antecedent to its discovery
by the Phoenicians. In either hypothesis, to this source may pro-
bably be traced the enmity which existed between the Southern
and Northern Pictish races, and which terminated in the conquest
of the former by the Hibernian Scots, and their subsequent invasion
of Cumberland and Wales.
The inference I would venture to draw from this account of
the circular structures in Orkney is, that all such circular build-
ings and stones whether in this country, Scotland, Ireland, or
elsewhere, are monuments of the very earliest ages, and existing
proofs of the one universal religion which prevailed for many cen-
turies after the deluge, whether in the Patriarchal or a more sub-
sequent age. There need therefore be no controversy caused by
the different races who are presumed to have been their builders,
whether ancient Phoenicians or Celts, the ancient Cymbri, Caledo-
nians, or Picts.
1 Perhaps a Dracontio temple as at Abury.
H. Buix, Printer, Beint John Street, Deiriset.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
THE
WILTSHIRE MAGAZIM
' MULTOOTX MANIBU8 GBASDE LEVATUB OFT78." — Chid.
THE SIXTH GENERAL MEETING
OF THE
aHtttefjire arrijeeologital at* Natural Jtistorg Socirtg,
HELD AT MARLBOROUGH,
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 27th, 28th, and 29th September,
1859.
PRESIDENT OF THE MEETING,
G. POULETT ScROPE, ESQ., M.P.
§HE Town- Hall of Marlborough having been kindly placed
at the service of the Society, the proceedings of the Sixth
Anniversary Meeting commenced at 12 o'clock on Tuesday, Sept.
27th, under the Presidency of G. Poulbtt Scropb, Esq., M.P. — On
% taking the chair,
Mr. SCROPE said it was with great reluctance he had under-
taken the duties of the office in which they had been kind enough
to place him, because he felt that the chair would be far better
occupied by others whom he saw present, and who were locally
connected with the town and neighbourhood of Marlborough. In-
deed, but for unavoidable, absence, the Marquis of Ailesbury,
who by his personal character, no less than by his rank, held such
a high position in that neighbourhood, would, no doubt, have
presided over the meeting on this occasion. They were now
entering upon the seventh year of the existence of this Society,
and he thought he might congratulate the members upon the suc-
cessful progress which it had made during that period. It was a
progress neither too rapid, nor too explosive in its character; other-
wise, they might not expect it to endure; but it had been gradual,
and, as such, might lead them to hope that it would be permanent,
VOL. VI. — NO. XVIII. Q
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
246 The Sixth General Meeting.
and that they might hand down the Society to another generation
when they who formed it were called upon to leave it. Al-
though this was the seventh year of the Society's existence, it
was only the sixth Annual Meeting which had been held. It was
not thought advisable to hold any meeting last year, inasmuch as
the two central Societies, which claim to be exclusively national
associations, met during that year either in this county or upon its
borders :— one at Salisbury, the other in Bath : and notwithstand-
ing the increasing popularity of Archaeology, still many might
be of opinion that it is possible to have too much even of a thing
so useful and rational as that. Even within the last week one of
the Societies he had alluded to had held its Annual Meeting at
Newbury. Although the close pressure of these Societies might
have its inconveniences, it must be regarded as a satisfactory in-
dication of the variety and attractiveness of the antiquities which
abound in this part of England. With regard to this particular
district, as yet, no body of archaeologists had ever paid a special
visit to this place : he did not, however, go too far when he said
that there was no part of the county — scarcely any part of England
— which exceeded it in the abundance of ancient monuments and
objects of antiquarian interest. They were here, in fact, in the
centre of that great chalk platform of Berkshire and Wiltshire
which might be called the cradle of the prae-historic races which
colonized and inhabited Ancient Britain, and had left their traces
over all the hills around them. Stonehenge itself must yield the
palm in antiquity And mystery to the circles and avenues of Ave-
bury, whilst the wonderful earthwork of Silbury Hill was not equal-
led in magnitude in any part of the island. Again, there was the
Castle-hill of Marlborough, which almost rivalled Silbury in mys-
tery. This place, as they knew, had in later times been occupied by
many of the early Norman kings, and during the last year of the reign
of Edward the Third, had been the scene of one remarkable event,
the enactment of the Statutes of Marlborough by the Parliament,
then held here, which he believed was the first occasion in which
the Commons of England made their appearance in Parliament.
Placed as this district was about midway between London and
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Sixth General Meeting. 247
Bristol, the two early capitals of the South of England, -it was
the peculiar battle-field of contending factions, during the 12th,
13th, and 14th centuries, and the scene of many a struggle between
the barons and their sovereign, or between the barons themselves.
Again, during the great rebellion in the middle of the 17th cen-
tury, and even in later times, the rival forces here met during the
civil conflicts which then occurred; so that he was correct in
saying that for historical and antiquarian interest, this district, if
not pre-eminent, equalled any other upon the face of our island.
As to Ecclesiastical buildings, the neighbourhood certainly had no
Cathedral like that of Salisbury, no Abbey like that of Lacock ;
but it had several interesting parish churches, such as Preshute and
Bedwyn, which would well repay an examination. There was also
close to the town a Roman Station of considerable importance.
He would now only add that this meeting would conclude in three
days — and they would find those three days probably too short for
the variety of subjects they had to examine — and that the com-
mittee having taken into consideration the place of their nex^
Annual Meeting, had come to the conclusion to hold it at Malms-
bury. Malmsbury had many objects of antiquarian interest in and
around it, and he hoped that the selection would be approved.
The Rev. A. C. Smith (one of the General Secretaries) then read
THE REPORT.
"The Committee of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural His-
tory Society have much pleasure in reporting the general well-being
of the Society, which still maintains a steady increase in its number
of members, the list of names now amounting to 388 : being a slight
addition since last year ; and this, though we have to lament the
deduction of ten members, by death, or withdrawal, or removal
from the county. Thus the Society has gradually advanced with-
out a single drawback from the day of its inauguration at Devizes
in 1853, when it numbered 137 supporters, making a steady pro-
gress every year, and attracting the attention and cohesion of resi-
dents in all parts, until it has now gained a firm hold in the county,
and your Committee would fain believe, has secured the good-will
and interest of most educated Wiltshiremen. .
Q 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
248 The Sixth General Meeting.
"Still, however, it must not be lost sight of, that our object being 1
to attract the assistance and sympathy of all who feel an interest
in the past history and natural productions of our county, and oar
earnest desire being to embrace within our ranks all who have
these things at heart, and can aid us in their several localities, we
are most desirous of enlarging the list of our members to a yet
farther extent. We hope to induce many more to join us who at
present keep aloof from a most mistaken notion that our Society is
a very learned and scientific body, whereas it proposes nothing
more for its objects than the investigation of little-known facte,
the elucidation of half- forgotten occurrences, the collecting infor-
mation about past generations, and some insight into the Natural
History of the county in all its branches. In effecting this, such,
a Society can only hope to be thoroughly successful through the
instrumentality of many scattered throughout the several parishes ;
and therefore it cordially invites the assistance of all who feel dis-
posed to combine for this worthy object — viz., investigation of the
past and natural History of Wilts.
"Our finances claim your particular notice, for though apparently
— and in reality — in a very flourishing condition, they are much
hampered, and considerable inconvenience and loss caused, by many
members neglecting to pay their subscriptions regularly, the ar-
rears of which, for past years, still amount to a considerable sum,
. notwithstanding the earnest appeal on this matter in the Report
of last year.
" Your Committee would next direct your attention to our library
and museum at Devizes, both of which are daily available to mem-
bers of the Society ; and to the augmentation, and consequently
increased usefulness of which, we confidently look forward, by
donations of books and specimens, illustrating the two objects we
have in view — viz., the Archaeology and Natural History of the
county. Both the library and museum have been enriched by
many valuable contributions since last year. The Society has also
received additions to their collection of Wiltshire tokens from seve-
ral kind friends ; a complete catalogue of the coins issued by Wilt-
shire tradesmen has been printed in the Magazine, and the Corn-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Sixth General Meeting. 249
mittee would express a hope that such of the friends of the Society
as have it in their power, will aid in making this portion of their
museum more complete.
"The Magazine, under the management of Canon Jackson, (for
whose labours as editor your Committee cannot sufficiently express
their thanks), has now entered upon its sixth volume with, it is
hoped, no lack of interesting material and undiminished ability.
It will be seen that in prosecuting researches into the past history
of the county, the Society has not forgotten the other object it has
in view, but from time to time varies its treatises on antiquities
with geological, botanical, and ornithological notices.
"It only remains for your Committee once more to impress upon
your attention the necessity for your zealous co-operation: not
only in enlisting new members as recruits to our ranks, (though
that is of considerable service, and much strengthens our hands),
but in making known anything of interest that may come under
your notice in your several localities, illustrative of the Archaeology
or the Natural History of Wiltshire."
Thanks were given to the Committee for the Report, and for the
pains and trouble which they had taken in presiding over the
financial arrangements of the Society; and the same officers (with
the exception of the President) having been re-appointed;
Mr. Scbope said it had been proposed that.in the place of Mr.
Sidney Herbert, whose term of office had just expired, Mr. Sotheron
Estcourt should be requested to take the Presidency of the Society
for the next three years. [This proposal met with unanimous as-
sent.]
The Rev. Canon Jackson then read the Paper of which he had.
given notice: "On the Grey wethers, and their uses at Avebury
and Stonehenge."
THE DINNER.
At half-past three o'clock the members and their friends, includ-
ing a great number of ladies, and amounting altogether to about
100, dined in the large school-room lately built in St. Peter's
parish. An excellent repast was provided by Mr. Hammond of
the Castle and Ball Inn, with liberal addition of venison and fruit
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
250 The Sixth General Meeting.
sent by the Marquis of Ailesbury. F. A. Carrington, Esq. of Og-
bourne St. George, Recorder of Wokingham, and one of the most
constant supporters q( the Society, rendered further assistance upon
this occasion by discharging most ably the duties of Chairman.
In giving, after other introductory healths, that of the Bishop and
Clergy of the Diocese, Mr. Carrington said: "I must in this in-
stance depart from the usual form, and adopt that of the Bishops
and Clergy: for perhaps all who are here are not aware that the
town of Marlborough has, at the present time, the advantage of
being presided over by two Bishops — viz., the Bishop of Salisbury,
in whose diocese it is situated, and another Bishop, who is more im-
mediately connected with it. 1 We are under great obligations to
the clergy in their public capacity, and there can be no doubt that
the County Antiquarian Society depends in a main degree upon
them for its support. The resident clergyman in each parish is
able to look after its antiquities, to present them, or cause them to
be presented, and give some account of their existence which we
should often not know of, but for him." The compliment to the
clergy was acknowledged by the Rev. E. B. Warren, vicar of St.
Mary's, Marlborough.
The healths of the Marquis of Lansdowne, President of the
Society, and of the Magistrates, were then given; with special al-
lusion to George Matcham, Esq. of New House, near Salisbury,
who was present: one of the Authors of the History of South
Wiltshire, printed under the name and at the expense of Sir R. C. *
Hoare.
Mr. Matcham, in the course of returning thanks said, he believed
he was almost the Nestor, not only of the magistrates, but of the
antiquaries of Wiltshire. It was now between thirty and forty
years ago that he first had the pleasure of seeing the town of
Marlborough, as one of the magistrates of the county attending
the Quarter Sessions.
The Chairman next ventured to propose the healths of two emi-
1 The Rev. Edward Wyndham Tuffiiell, D.D., Prebendary of Salisbury and
Rector of St. Peter's, Marlborough, consecrated June 14th, 1859, to the newly-
erected Bishopric of Brisbane, Australia.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Sixth General Meeting. 251
nent statesmen at once. They were the Right Hon. Sidney
Herbert and the Bight Hon. Sotheron> Estcourt. Mr. Sidney
Herbert had for three years been the President of their Archaeolo-
gical Society. He might observe that no one took a greater inter-
est in the archeology of the county to which he belonged than
Mr. Sidney Herbert, and every archaeologist ought to feel very
much obliged to him for having given the Society his services during
the last three years. With regard to the other right hon. gentle-
man — Mr. Sotheron Estcourt — it had been suggested that he should
be asked to become the President of the Society for the next three
years, and he (Mr. Carrington) hoped he would accept the office,
for a man of his talent could not do otherwise than discharge its
duties with advantage to the Society. [The toast was very heartily
received.]
The Marquis of Ailesbury's name was next welcomed with much
satisfaction, and in his absence, his brother Lord Ernest Bruce
kindly promised to do the honours of Tottenham Court the next day.
The Chairman said he would now propose the health of a gentle-
man who had been one of the best supporters of the Wiltshire
Archaeological Society from the first hour of its institution to the
present moment : Mr. Poulett Scrope. Some years had now elapsed
since the Wiltshire Archaeological Society was first started, and
throughout its existence one of its most influential and persevering
supporters had been Mr. Poulett Scrope. He had never for an in-
stant slackened in his antiquarian energy; and to him it was in
great measure owing that this was one of the best County Societies
in England. Others — the Bristol Society for one — had crumbled
into dust more than the very antiquities which they sought : but
the Wiltshire Society was going on as it had begun: for which
they were very much indebted to their friend the President of the
Marlborough Meeting.
Mr. Poulett Scrope in reply, only claimed the merit of having
► taken the same interest as others had shown in the archaeology of
the county. He had wished to join in doing for the Northern part
of Wiltshire, what Mr. Matoham and his colleagues had done for
the South.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
252 The Sixth General Meeting.
The health of Lord Ernest Bruce was then given, and acknow-
ledged by his Lordship. •
In thanking both the General "Secretaries" of the Society, as
well as Mr. T. B. Merriman and Mr. R. £. Price who had under-
taken the Honorary office for the temporary arrangements at
Marlborough, Mr. Garrington alluded more particularly to the
work which belongs to the office as connected with the publication
of the Society's Magazine. "With regard to the papers that ap-
peared in it, they took days and weeks and months to compile. It
sounded very pleasant to ears polite to hear papers read, but he
must remind them that it was only by great diligence that those
papers were got into a complete form; and to the Secretaries, they
were very much indebted, not only for those papers, but for the
many other services which they unostentatiously performed. The
papers published by other provincial Societies were in no way to
be compared with those of this Society. That upon Avebury, read
this morning, had given him the greatest satisfaction."
The Rev. Canon Jackson desired that among those whom the
toast included, as having given much time and trouble to the com-
position of Articles for the Magazine, might more particularly be
named, the Rev. W. H. Jones, vicar of Bradford-on- Avon, and the
Rev. J. Wilkinson, rector of Broughton Gifford; who, during the
past year had each completed careful and excellent Histories of
their respective parishes.
After the healths of " The Mayor and Corporation of Marlbo-
rough," to which the Mayor, Mr. Gwilijm, replied, following up
his speech with a proposal of hearty thanks to " Mr. Garrington,"
for having added so much to the hilarity of the day : and then
" The Ladies ;" on which the Rev. W. C. Lukis specially men-
tioned the kindness of Mrs. John Britton (the Antiquary's widow,
then present), in making many donations to the museum; the
company separated.
THE CONVERSAZIONE.
In the evening, the Rev. Canon Jackson resumed his paper,
which now bore particular reference to the origin and date of
Stonehenge. On this perplexing question, he felt, upon the whole,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Sixth General Meeting. 253
most inclined to adopt the opinion that it was a work of the 5th
century after Christ: constructed by the Britons during the inter-
val of restored independence, between the dominion of the Romans
ajad that of the Saxons.
Mr. Matchah stated some of the difficulties which prevented his
concurring in this view of the matter.
Mr. W. Cunnington then read a paper on some recent disco-
veries in a Roman Station at Baydon.
SECOND DAY. WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2»th.
Under the guidance of Mr. T. B. Merriman a large party went
this morning to inspect places of interest on the east of Marlbo-
rough. Passing up Forest Hill to Folly Farm, certain vestiges on
the brow of the hill were pointed out as part of the site assigned
by Sir R. C. Hoare to the Roman Station called Cunetio. The
next point was Chisbury Castle, a few miles off. This is the name
of a commanding position crowned with entrenchments and earth-
works much hidden in wood. There are no old military buildings
within the area, but a farmhouse and premises, and near them an
ancient chapel (14th century) of flint and stone, which before the
Reformation belonged to the Priory of St. Denis, near Southamp-
ton. It is now used as a barn. The Rev. F. H. Buckerfield, vicar
of Little Bedwyn, and the Rev. George Stallard, curate of East
Grafton, kindly attended with plans and other information.
Great Bedwyn Church was the next object, and the improve-
ments it had undergone were explained by the Rev. W. C. Lukis:
who then conducted the party into the middle of a wood called
Castle Copse where in 1854 he had discovered the site of a Roman
villa. This had been again opened for the present occasion. The
spot is remarkable from having a branch of the Wansdyke running
across it; from having an early British earthwork enclosing a con-
siderable area, and from being the site of perhaps several Roman
villas. Upon one of the pavements had been found a lady's gold
ring, on which a cross was engraved : and which is now in the
Society's museum.
Tottenham presented a timely refuge under a storm of rain, and
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
254 The Sixth General Meeting.
by the permission of Lord Ailesbury, the company (about ninety in
number) took a pic-nior dinner in the Orangery. After which
Lord Ernest Bruce politely conducted his numerous visitors over
the House, and caused several very curious family relics to be ex*
hibited: among others, the celebrated Savernake Horn, and the
Seymour Pedigree.
SECOND CONVERSAZIONE.
In the evening at the Town-Hall, Mr. F. A. Cabrikgton gave
some amusing particulars about the "Ancient State of Marlborough
and its inhabitants/ 9
Mr. Poulett Scrope called the attention of the Society to the
curious discoveries recently made in France, of celts (stone axes)
in a stratum of gravel or drift, containing relics of extinct species
of animals, and suggested that search should be made for similar
objects in the gravels of this county.
Mr. Edward B. Merriman read an account of "The Charity of
the Velvet Pall, and the Maces of the Town of Marlborough."
THIRD DAY. THURSDAY, Sept. 29th.
This day was spent on the western side of Marlborough. On
the way to the greater wonders of Silbury Hill and Avebury, the
newly restored Church at Preshute (Priest 9 8 Holt), and its cele-
brated black marble Font, said to have been used in the reign of
King John for Royal baptisms, were shown by the Rev. T. W.
Dowding.
The "Grey wethers'* came next. The vast collection of these
remarkable blocks of stone, lying either imbedded, or on the sur-
face of the ground, in a combe on the right hand of the turnpike
road about four miles from Marlborough, though called " The Val-
ley of Stones/' is in fact only one of several such vallies. This and
the great Cromlech called " The Devil's Den," having been ex-
amined, a diversion was next made from the road beyond West
Kennet to the "Long Barrow" on the brow of a hill south of Sil-
bury. This had been partly opened under the direction of Dr.
Thurnam of Devizes, who under the friendly roof of a cart-shed
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Sixth General Meeting. 255
(the wind being rather boisterous) gave an account of this burial
place: as well as of the result of his discoveries in thirty other
barrows opened by him during the last five years.
The ascent and descent of Silbury Hill, the walk to the great
upright stones called "The Devil's Coits," and thence to the vast
circular vallum of Avebury, the Parish Church, &c, occupied the
rest of the afternoon until about four o'clock, when the proceedings
of this Meeting were brought to a conclusion at another pic-nic
dinner (of nearly 100) in the School-room, which had been prettily
decorated by Mr. Laurence Chivers the worthy and venerable
parish clerk. The Rev. J. Lockhart Boss, vicar, Mr. George
Brown, Mr. T. Kemm, and Mr. Hillier, gave the Society a very
cordial welcome to their parish and its antiquities, and were in
return as cordially thanked for the trouble^they had all taken in
providing for its accommodation.
Before finally separating, the Rev. A. 0. Smith, vicar of Tates-
bury, read an interesting Paper on the subject of Silbury Hill, in
which he very strongly advocated the Sepulchral side of this dis-
puted question. After having made deserved acknowledgement to
Mr. Poulett Scrope for his Presidential labours, the company took
their leave.
The temporary Museum arranged by Mr. Edward Kite in the
Assembly-room was an exceedingly good one: and to the Mayor
and Corporation, the Local Committee, and more especially to Mr.
T. B. Merriman and Mr. R. E. Price, the Society returns its grate-
ful thanks for the exertions by which they enabled their visitors
to enjoy a very satisfactory Anniversary Meeting at Marlborough.
' The subjects of the different Papers read at this Meeting have
been here only briefly alluded to, as the Papers themselves will
probably all appear in due time in this publication.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
256
§, fist of Articles feptrir
XX TBI
TEMPORARY MUSEUM AT THE TOWN-HALL, MARLBOROUGH,
September 27th, 28th, and 29th, 1859.
Those marked with an Asterisk have been presented to the Society.
By G. Poulett Scbopb, Esq., M.P., Cattle Combe : —
The Rev. J. M. Jephson's Walking Tour in Brittany, with a Box of Photo-
graphio views of scenery, churches, the megalithie monuments at Carnao, &o.
By Riv. W. C. Luna, F.S.A., CoUingbourne Ducis:—
A series of 250 oasts of Initial Crosses, Letters, Founder's Marks, and
other devices from Church Bells in the counties of Wilts, Sussex, Norfolk,
Yorkshire, Kent, &o. *Bone Pin, Beads of amber, jet, and Eimmeridge
ooal; and small drinking cup of coarse pottery, from Barrows in the parish
of CoUingbourne Duois. • Portions of Mortaria and other vessels, glass,
stuooo, iron, and bronze articles found in a Roman Villa at " Castle Copse,"
in the parish of Great Bedwyn in 1853. [A small gold ring, engraved with,
a cross, together with other articles of bronze, iron, and ivory, from the same
Villa, have been before presented to the Museum of the Society, by the Mar-
quis of Ailesbury, and the Rev. W. C. Lukis. See Vols. ii. p. 26, and iiu
p. 14.] • An Ancient British silver coin, of Greek type ; Roman coins,
Tradesmen's Tokens, Nuremberg Tokens, &o. found at CoUingbourne Ducis.
By Hsnbt J. F. Swatke, Esq., Recorder of Wilton, Netherhampton House: —
• Photograph from the Charter granted by Henry I. to the Burgesses of
Wilton.
By T. Rawdon Wabd, Esq.
Petition presented by Mary Burden, of Corsham (widow of Captain William
Burden), to Oliver Cromwell, for relief; and Cromwell's order thereupon,
bearing his autograph. Two autograph letters of John Locke. Also ten
roundels, or fruit trenchers, temp. Queen Elizabeth, bearing quaint inscrip-
tions.
By Fbakcis Letboxtbve Popham, Esq., LittlecoU Park:—
Two swords ; one of extraordinary length, dug up near Chiseldon in 1852.
Portions of Encaustic Tile found at Littlecote. Also a small oollection of
Nuremberg and other Tokens.
By Hobatio Nelson Goddabd, Esq., Clyffe Manor House: —
Beads, glass, and iron Spear Head, found with skeletons on Thornhill Hill,
in the parish of Clyffe Pypard, in 1836. Ancient iron key found on Holborow
Castle in 1832. Ancient brass seal found in 1853 on the site of Bradenstoke
Abbey, and figured in "Wilts Magazine," ii. p. 387. Also several other
ancient seals, bearing the arms, &c. of the Goddard* family. Curious silver
watch, temp. James I., ancient silver and brass spoons, &o.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Museum. 257
By Rev. E. B. Warren, Marlborough : —
Two quarto volumes belonging to St. Mary's Library ; viz. u Eora Beatis-
simce Virgini* Maria, $c, ad legitimum Sarisburiensia Ecclesice ritum" A.D.
1535 ; and " Manuale (or Book of Offices) ad u$um insignia Ecclesice Sar;"
imprinted at Paris, by Anthony Verard, and probably of about the same date.
The former volume contains many curious specimens of early wood engrav-
ings.
By F. A. Carrington, Esq., Recorder of Wokingham, Ogbourne St. George:—
A very large and miscellaneous collection of Antiquities, including an iron
"brank," or "bridle" used for the punishment of soolds, from the time of
Charles I. to that of Queen Anne. Cavalry and Infantry Officer's, and Pike*
man's helmets, gauntlets, &c, of the time of the Civil Wars. German, Rus-
sian, Chinese, Circassian, and Indian weapons, of various kinds. Sword of
John Banning, Esq., M.A., of Burbage, temp. Charles I. Sword of the
Marlborough Cavalry 1794. Girdle Purse of the time of Queen Elizabeth.
Exchequer Tally. Drawings of ancient Tobacco pipes (some manufactured
by Gauntlett of Amesbury) found at Ogbourne St. George. A series of im-
pressions from Wiltshire Brasses, and Monumental Slabs, enumerated in Yol.
ii. p. 14.
By Thomas B. Merriman, Esq., Marlborough: —
Model of the Cromlech in Clatford bottom. Small Roman or Romano-
British Urn, found at Beokhampton. Six Roundels, or fruit trenchers. En-
graving of the Tottenham Park Horn from Vol. iii. of the Aroheeologia.
Painting of the old House at Tottenham. * Wasp's Nest (species apparently
11 Vespa Norwegica ") from a fir tree in Savernake Forest. ^Impressions, in
Gutta Percha, from the Common Seals of Marlborough, and Great Bedwyn.
Helmet, Breast and Back Plates, Gorget, Sword (with Toledo blade), and
Sword sling of Sir William Davy, of Mildenhall. Ring Dial. * Chalk fossils
from the neighbourhood of Marlborough, inoluding specimens of Lima spioosa,
tooth of Oxyrhina, Terebratula oarnea, serpula on ananohytes, and Micraster
cor-anguinum.
By the Mayor and Corporation of Marlborough : —
Remains of the Marlborough Pillory, preserved in the Town-Hall.
By Rev. T. W. Dowding, Preshute :—
Ancient knife and pipe, the former found under the font, and the latter
under the chancel walls of Preshute Church during a restoration in 1853 ;
also specimens of the material of Preshute Font.
By Miss Appleford, Ogbourne St. George : — .
Egg shaped watch, made by Grinkin of London, circa 1630, formerly the
property of John Brunsden, Esq., of Ogbourne, who was fined by the Parlia-
ment for his loyalty to Charles I. Alms bag, date 1632. Cribbage board,
with legend, temp. Charles II. Shoes, &c. of the last century.
By R. E. Price, Esq., Marlborough:—
Sevres vase. Malachites from South Australia. Household god, bronze
jug, and glass oil bottle, from Pompeii. Chinese joss, teapot, and Prayer
book to the Goddess of Mercy, &c, &c.
By Dr. Somerset,
Curious carved wooden chair of the 17th century, with drawer beneath the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
268 The Museum.
seat. Chinese shoe. Australian shield, boomerang, spear, instrument for
throwing spear, waddie, &c.
By Henby Fox Talbot, Esq., Zacock Abbey ; —
• Ten specimens of Engraving by Photography, including views of The
Tuileries at Paris ; Statue of Charles I V. at Prague ; Chamber of Deputies,
Madrid; Great Bell of Moscow ; Doorway of San Gregorio, Valladolid ; Bird's
eye view of Paris ; Cascade in the Tyrol ; Sea view on the English Coast, &o.
By Rev. T. F. Ratrnshaw, Pewsey .•—
• Twelve Stereoscopic views, including Amesbury, Pewsey, and Wootton
Rivers Churches, Stonehenge, &o.
By John Thubnam, Esq., M.D., F.S. A., Devizes : —
Fossil Sponges and Shells from the Upper Green Sand near the Wilts
County Asylum. Model of the large trilith at Stonehenge, showing the mor-
tises and tenons. Ancient British skull from a barrow on Morgan's Hill.
Small earthen oup from a barrow at Wansdyke ; also several cards of flint, bone,
ivory, and jet objects from barrows in the neighbourhood of Marlborough.
By W. Babtlett, Esq., Burbage : —
Three ancient horse-shoes found near Silbury Hill; accompanied by a
printed description from Mr. Braoy Clark's work on shoeing horses, in which
two of the examples are represented in a lithographic plate. [Mr. Clark con-
siders them to be the oldest known specimens, and to have belonged possibly
to the same horse, although not found together. The close resemblance in their
peculiar formation, shows beyond doubt that they are of the same period ; and
from the appearanoe of the shoes, with the nails in them, Mr. Clark conjec-
tures that the horse was buried with the shoes on its hoofs. No bones of the
horse are said to have been seen, but a human skeleton lay near the spot
where one of the shoes was found.] An ivory carving of the Virgin and
Child, about ten inches in height, found at Martin, in the parish of Great
Bedwyn. [This probably belonged to the ancient chapel of St. Martin, some
other relics from the site of whioh were also exhibited by Mr. Selfe. The
top of the head, in the effigy of the Virgin, is flat, and has a hole or socket,
by means of whioh a small moveable crown (perhaps of silver) seems to have
bean attached.] A collection of Chalk Fossils from the neighbourhood of
Burbage, with specimens of fossil wood, and horns of Cervus elathas, from
the same locality ; and fossil ivory from Shalbourn. Tomtit's nest and eggs
found embedded in a large elm tree at Burbage. An iron weapon or gisarme,
and two ancient spurs and rowel. Also, a small but interesting collection of
English coins, -including many gold pieces, some of early date. Exchequer
Tally. Gold ring, with initials I. H. and a true lover's knot, found at Frox-
field. A landscape, composed of lichens and mosses from the neighbourhood,
by Miss Wride of Froxfield.
By Rev. J. H. Austen, Embury, Dorset :—
• Specimens of "Kimmeridge Coal Money," found in Dorsetshire.
By J. Iveson, Esq., Marlborough : —
Preserved heads of Red and Fallow Deer, from Savernake Forest.
By J. Tttrnbtxix, E9Q., Durley:—
Specimens of fifteen varieties of Ferns, from Savernake Forest and neigh-
bourhood.
By Rev. E. Wilton, West Lavington :—
Stone celt from the Shannon. Bronze ring with the initial "9" found at
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Museum. 259
Little Gheyerel: Gold ring, with opal stone, bearing the motto "igi je * sns *
Hici * en * uet * n' " found at Goataore. Siege piece of -Charles I. found on
Imber Down. Several varieties of fibulae, two bronze celts (one of an unusual
type), and one of a pair of hawk's varvels, with inscription, from West La-
vington Downs. Impression from bell metal seal of John Wykes, found at
Littleton. Metal spoon found in digging for the foundation of the New Corn
Exchange, Devizes.
By T. Bbuges Flower, Esq., Bath .—
" Two folio volumes containing a complete series of British Grasses and Ferns.
By Johk Halcokb, Esa., Hungerford: —
John of Gaunt's Bugle Horns, belonging to the Town of Hungerford. The
more ancient one, which is in a mutilated condition, bears an almost oblite-
rated inscription in black letter; the words "aotel" or "astel," and " — gur-
ford" only remaining (according to Lysons): the other is inscribed thus:—
"IOHN * A • GAVN • DID ■ GIVE • AND ' GBAKT " THE ' BIALL • FISHING ' TO • HVN-
GBRFOBD a TOWNE ' FROM ' ELDRBN * 8TVB * TO * IRISH ' STIL ' EXEPTING • SOX .
SEVERAL • MIL • POVND ' IEHOSAPHAT • LVCVS • WAS • CVN8TABL • 1634."
Charters of Edward IV. and Henry VI. to the Town of Hungerford, with
Great Seal attached; also the Common Seal of the Borough of Hungerford.
An elegant silver basket, supposed to be of an almost unique style of work-
manship; date 1692.
By H. Selfe, Esq., Martin : —
Portions of lead, quarries of stained glass, nails, key, knives, spoon, and
other relics, found in digging on the site of the ancient chapel of St. Martin,
at Martin, in the parish of Great Bedwyn.
By Rev. G. 8tallard, Bast Orqfton :—
A thick volume containing a series of engravings, lithographs, and original
drawings, ohiefly of Wiltshire Churches, and their details. Specimens of En-
caustic Tile from the chapel of St. Nicholas, East Grafton.
By the Mayor of Wootton Basset: —
Remains of the Wootton Basset Cuoking Stool, bearing the date of 1668.
This vehicle in its perfect state is figured in " Wilts Magazine," i. p. 68.
By Mr. C. May, Marlborough :—
An interesting series of objects from the collection of the late J. Stoughton
Money, Esq., F.8.A.; among whioh the following are particularly worthy of
notioe, as relating to the county of Wilts : — Portion of leather in whioh a
skeleton, found some years since at Bradenstoke Abbey, was enveloped. [The
discovery of this early interment is mentioned in Bowles and Nichols's "An-
nals, &c. of Lscock Abbey," p. 33.] Roman and other coins found, in 1849,
in a field, called Boxbury, in the parish of Yatesbury. Quarry of stained
glass, bearing the arms of Fettiplace, from a window in the Old Parsonage
House at Yatesbury. Encaustic Tiles found on the site of Bradenstoke and
Stanleigh Abbeys, and in the ohurchyard at Yatesbury. Fragments of a
ooffin formerly suspended from the roof of Heddington ohuroh, and mentioned
in Britton's Wiltshire volume»of the Beauties of England and Wales. Por-
tion of Samian Ware, Fibula, &o. from the supposed site of the Roman Sta-
tion Verlucio, near Wans House. Two large saucer shaped Anglo-Saxon
fibulie of copper gilt, amber beads, pin, &o. found with a skeleton near Mil-
denhall, in 1827. Arrow head of bronze from a barrow near Charlton, Don-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
260 The Museum.
head, Wilts, opened in 1832. Flint implement*, two coins, and fragments
of iron, from a tumulus near Devizes, opened in 1840. Spur from Roundway
Down. Portion of a Tessellated Pavement, together with numerous bone pins,
fibula, glass, pottery, &c, from a Roman Villa, near the site of Old Bromham
House, excavated by J. Stoughton Money, Esq. in 1840. [Two Roman Sepul-
chral Urns, presented to the Museum of the Society by the Rev. A. C. Smith,
Rector of Yatesbury, (see "Wilts Magazine," i. p. 60l) were also discovered
at the same time.]
By Mr. Samuel Dodd, Kentuh Town Road, London • —
An original Warrant of Edward I. bearing date May 1, 1302, addressed to
the bailiffs and burgesses of the town of Bonnegarde, and issued from Devizes
Castle. A somewhat mutilated impression of the Great -Seal is appended.
By Mb. CtrainireTON, F.G.8., Devizes : —
Four cases containing selected specimens of Fossil Sponges, from the Chalk
flint, ammonites and other fossils from the Chalk Marl of North Wilts. Iron
card or comb for carding wool or flax. Roman ampulla, scoria of iron, nails,
coal, fragments of pottery, including Mortaria, &o., red tile, and specimens
of building stone, found on the site of a Roman Station near Baydon. Draw-
ing in water colours of Avebury restored, by George Cattermole.
By Mb. B. J. Wilkbs, Manor Farm, Baydon : —
Ampulla, and other specimens of Roman ware, bronze fibula, coins of Con-
stantine, Magnentius, &c, sooriee of iron, and quern found lying on a human
skeleton, on the site of a Roman Station at Baydon. Piece of Tapestry, about
15 inches by 12, representing the Creation, and apparently of about the time
of Queen Elizabeth.
By the Rt. Hon. Lobd Craven, Ashdown Park :—
Roman coins from the Station at Baydon ; and a rude hatohet-shaped wea-
pon of iron, found near Ashdown House.
By Mb. Edw. Kite, Devizes : —
Model of Preshute Font. Warrant of Alienation of the Manor of Chiseldon,
temp. James I., with Great Seal appended. Memorandum of the Court of
Quarter Sessions held at New Sarum 1 5th Jany. 1649, respecting an allow-
ance of £60 4s. 6d. to Daniel Drake, keeper of the Gaol at Fisherton Anger,
for maintenance of prisoners during the Commonwealth.
By Mb. W. F. Pabsokb, Wootion Basset:—
Piece of ancient Tapestry, formerly in an old mansion at Greenhill, in the
parish of Wootton Basset.
By Mbs. Pabsoxs, Wootton Battel :—
Large oil Painting of the ancient Palace at Richmond.
By Mb. Jambs Bbown, Salisbury: —
Portion of a bronze dagger (Roman) found at Upton Soudamore ; also an iron
article resembling in form a human foot (use unknown), found at Old Sarum.
By Mb. T. Eemk, Avebury:—
A collection of Butterflies, Moths, &o.
By Mb. N. K. Wentwobth, Beckhampton :— .
Two Roman coins (one a silver coin of Valentinianus) found near Silbury Hill.
By Mb. W. Bavebstock, Marlborough: —
Case of Butterflies and Moths from the neighbourhood of Marlborough.
A number of objeots were also contributed from the Museum at Devizes.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
261
<6«at §t&fop,
By the Rev. John Wabd, M.A., Rector of Wath, Co. York.
1. Account of the Parish and Church.
jjHE small market town of Great Bedwyn is situated in the
Hundred of Kinwardstone, about two miles south of the
great road from London to Bath, between the towns of Hungerford
and Marlborough. By an Act of Her Majesty in Council, a.d.
1847, it is now comprised in the Deanery of Marlborough, the
Archdeaconry of Wilts, and the Diocese of Salisbury : but formerly
the archidiaoonal jurisdiction was vested in the Prebendaries of
Bedwyn, and the episcopal jurisdiction in the Deans of Salisbury.
The Anglo Saxon name was " Bedan-beafod," sc. Graves' Head.
Aubrey's and Stukeley's suggestions, the one that it is derived from
the Celtic, bed, grave, and gwyn, white : the other, that it was the
Leucomagus of the Romans, are not sustained by any authority.
The indications of a Roman station are still visible to the south
of the town in a wood now called Bedwyn Brail, but in former
times " BruelT de Bedwynde," BruelT being a contraction of Bruel-
letus, a small coppice or little wood. A small castrametation sur-
rounding about two acres of land was the centre of the station,
and still contains a large quantity of bricks, tesserae, and many
other evidences of Roman habitation. It was situated about half
a mile east of the Roman road, which connected Winchester with
Marlborough, Cirencester, and other large towns to the north; and
between the station and the road were discovered, about 80 years
ago, the remains of a villa, with valuable specimens of tessellated
pavement, foundations of brick- work, and a massive lead cistern,
which were all unfortunately destroyed. In 1853 several pavements
were discovered near the same spot ; one was of coarse tessera in
a chequered pattern of red and white, and the others were of more
elaborate designs. Drawings 1 of them were fortunately taken at
1 They are in the possession of the Rev. W. C. Lukis.
&
igitizedby Vj(
262 Great Bedwyn.
the time, for they have since been destroyed by idle boys. Bronze
articles, earthenware vessels of numberless patterns, implements of
iron, nails, Roman coins, glass, &c., were also met with, as well as
a small gold ring, on whioh is engraved a cross, and which from its
size belonged to a lady. These articles are in the Society's Mu-
seum. Another villa, about a mile and a half to the north-Vest
of the station, existed in Tottenham Park, a short distance from
the mansion, and its pavement was exposed to view on the occasion
of the Society's Meeting in Marlborough in September, 1859.
But though undoubtedly an ancient town, and once of consider-
able importance, the history of Bedwyn is involved in obscurity.
Prior to the Conquest we only find it mentioned once in the Saxon
Chronicle, as having been the scene of a sanguinary and undecided
conflict in a.d. 674, between Wulphere, King of Mercia, and Es-
cuin, King of Wessex. At that period it is supposed to have been
the chief post of Cissa, Viceroy of the Counties of Wilts and Berks
under Escuin : whose stronghold was the adjoining fortification of
Chisbury, to which he gave his name, and probably added very
greatly to its strength. The Camp at Chisbury contains an area
of fifteen acres, doubly, and in some places, trebly embanked, the
acclivities being very steep and high. A section of these mounds,
made by Sir Richard Hoare, proved that they had been very con-
siderably increased in height, as the turf covering of a former em-
bankment was exposed, fifteen feet below the present surface.
This addition, however, may have been made by the Danes.
In Domesday, the tax-book of William the Conqueror, completed
in the last year of his reign, we find that the king held Bedvynde,
and that it had been previously held by Edward the Confessor ;
also, that Bristoardus, a priest, held the Church of Bedvynde, hav-
ing succeeded his father, who had held it before the Conquest.
The town was obliged to provide one night's entertainment 1 for
1 On Sunday, the 17th of February, 1442-3, the King's Chamberlain and
Secretary supped at Bedwind on pullets, capons, and wine, which were fur-
nished by the parish. They also dined there on the 18th. The king (Henry
VI.) was himself at Bedwyn on the 12th of the preceding June; and King John
was in the town December 3rd, 1200, on his way from Abingdon to Ludgershall
Castle.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 263
the king's household, with all usual customs. There were twenty*
five burgesses belonging to this Manor.
The Lordship of Bedwyn was subsequently granted by Henry
II. to John Mareschal, who held the office of marshal to the king.
His eldest son John was confirmed in this office, and in the lands
which he held of the Ctfown, but dying issueless, his brother Wil-
liam Mareschal, Earl of Pembroke, succeeded as his heir. Isabel,
one of the earl's daughters, carried his Wiltshire estate into the
De Clare family, Earls of Gloucester and Hertford. From them it
passed by marriage to Hugh de Audley, second husband of Mar-
garet, sister and co-heir to Gilbert de Clare, the last earl of that
name. Hugh de Audley was created Earl of Gloucester, and died
without male issue in a.d. 1347 ; but his daughter tad heir carried
his possessions into the family of Ralph de Stafford, Baron, and
afterwards Earl of Stafford, and they continued in this family un-
til the death of Henry de Stafford, second Duke of Buckingham,
who was beheaded at Salisbury, in a.d. 1483. Thus Bedwyn passed
again into the possession of the Crown, but was immediately be-
stowed by Richard III., with many other estates, upon John
Howard, Duke of Norfolk. This nobleman was slain, two years
afterwards, at the battle of Bosworth, and being attainted, Bedwyn
once more reverted to the Crown. It is not known whether, on
the restoration of Thomas, son and heir of John, Duke of Norfolk,
this lordship was again conferred upon the Howards; but it is
believed that it remained in the Crown until granted by Henry
VIII. to his brother-in-law, Sir Edward Seymour, created Viscount
Beauchamp, of Hache, a.d. 1536, Earl of Hertford a.d. 1537, and
Duke of Somerset a.d. 1547. On the premature death of William,
third Duke of Somerset, under age, a.d. 1671, many of his posses-
sions devolved upon his sister, Lady Elizabeth Seymour. On the
death of Francis, fifth Duke of Somerset, without issue, a.d. 1678,
she inherited other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, as
right heir to her uncle, John, the fourth Duke, who, by his will,
had devised them, first to Francis and his heirs male, and afterwards
to his own right heirs. She married 21st August, 1676, Thomas
Lord Bruce, who became third Earl of Elgin and second Earl of
r2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
264 Great Bedwyn.
Ailesbury ; and in this family the estates have continued to the
present day, being now vested in George William Frederick, Mar-
quis of Ailesbury, the noble owner of Tottenham Park in thia
parish.
The former mansion of the Seymours was at Wolf hall, the Ulfela
of Domesday. Before the Seymours it was the seat of the Esturmys,
who held lands in this immediate vicinity at the Conquest, and were
Wardens of Savernake Forest for many generations, till all their
possessions passed through females into other hands in the fifth
year of the reign of Henry VI. Maud Esturmy, co-heir of Sir
William Esturmy, having married Roger Seymour, brought all his
lands in this parish and in Burbage into that family. The Sey-
mours, also, had the wardenship of Savernake Forest continued to
them by the Crown.
The old house at Wolfhall was partially destroyed about the
year 1662, and nothing remains now but "The Laundry" and an
ancient barn, in which, it is said, the feast was kept on the mar-
riage of Henry VIII. with Jane Seymour. William, second Duke
of Somerset, commenced the building of a new mansion at Totten-
ham. He also laid out a princely place, and planted many trees,
but neither he nor his grandson, the third Duke, lived to see the
completion of their plans. The present house was enlarged under
the eye of the celebrated Earl of Burlington; but was entirely re-
modelled by the late Marquis of Ailesbury, who added many noble
rooms to the former building.
Among the curiosities at Tottenham Park are three ancient
swords, about one of which there is no certain information. The
others are both Andrea Ferraras. One of them belonged to Robert
Brace, King of Scotland, the arms of which country are repeated
six or eight times on the hilt; the other was the sword of the
Black Douglas. The hilt is inlaid with silver, and bears the cog-
nizance of the Douglas. The blade, which seems to have been
used with effect, records the service in which it was engaged, in
the following couplets, engraved one on each side : —
" This is the sword that once was worn
By the Black Douglas at Bannockburn."
Digitized by VjOOQ IC ,'
2:
the
\te
•if
oft
Tl«
;W
ft!*
■ccf
bees
A'
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
OTWW]
I
is m
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 265
" At Bannockburn I served the Bruce
Whereof the English made little use."— Anno 1314.
There is also a magnificent hunting horn of ivory, with mount-
ings in enamelled silver, which has descended to the Bruce family
from the Esturmys through the Seymours. The possession of this
horn is said to be the title by which the wardenship of Savernake
Forest is held under a charter, granted 23rd July, 1 Edward VI., to
Edward, Duke of Somerset. The horn (See Plate), is about two feet
long, and the diameter across the largest end is five inches and a half.
The thickness of the ivory at this end is about an inch, and it is
covered by a plate of silver, polygonal at the circumference, but with
a circular opening in the centre. It is divided into sixteen compart-
ments (corresponding with the polygon) by uprights diverging from -
the centre, and connected at .the top by trefoiled arches ; in each
compartment is the figure of a hawk upon a diapered ground, each
bird being in a different attitude. The band round the large end
of the horn, which is attached to the edge of the above plate, is
two inches and a half wide; this also is divided into sixteen com-
partments by uprights resembling hunting spears. The three
centre compartments have each three trefoiled arches set level,
like a corbel table, under the rim of the band. In the middle is
the figure of a crowned king sitting on a throne, holding up his
right hand, and bearing the soeptre in the left. In the compart-
ment On his right, sits a bishop, habited in his episcopal dress and
mitre, holding up his left hand, and having a book in his right.
In the compartment on the king's left hand is a huntsman, intended
perhaps to represent the warden of the forest. He is blowing a
horn, has a sword in his left hand, and a belt over his left shoulder.
The other thirteen compartments are somewhat different from those
in the centre, having a series of plain segmental arches running
along the top, instead of the trefoiled arches. They contain represen-
tations of a lion, a fox, a rabbit, a doe, an unicorn, two stags, and
six hounds of different descriptions. Behind the animals are trees of
various kinds, and all the back grounds are diapered. A second
band is set about an inch from the first ; it is two inches broad,
and has sixteen compartments similar to the thirteen mentioned
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
266 Great Bedwyn.
above. A ring occupies the upper compartment, and the rest are
filled, as before, with hounds and beasts of venery, the lion and
unicorn being omitted, and a squirrel added. A third band of the
same breadth Its the last, and similarly divided, carries the seoond
ring for the belt Only hounds and deer are represented in these
compartments, accompanied by the huntsman and a person on
horseback. The mouth-piece is also of silver, with diaper work
between the edgings.
The belt, which could not have belonged originally to this
horn, is a fiat band of green worsted weft, mounted with en-
amelled silver medallions and other ornaments. The two ends
of the belt are attached to the horn by rings set on to fiat pieces
of silver, which are fastened to the worsted band; on one of them
is the figure of a stag couohant, and on the other, a coat of arms
bearing Argent, three lozenges within a double tressure, fiory and
counter-fiory, Gules, with two birds as supporters. 1 The two ends*
of the belt are joined, at no great distance from the horn, by a
curiously shaped ornament, connected on each side by hinges, to a
medallion on the centre of the band. This ornament resembles in
shape and form a rather flat dos d' ftne, only it is shorter, and the
wide end is round. In the triangular figure formed by this round
end and the lines running up from the extremities to the point of
the ridge, is a lion couchant; in the triangle at the opposite end
is a butterfly. The two sides of the dos d' &ne are filled with a
lozenge, containing the figure of a heron ; and four smaller tri-
angles are filled with three leaves.
The arms, as above, are repeated on fourteen medallions, set at
equal distances on the belt: between the medallions are silver ban
across the belt, with a hole in the centre to receive the tongue of
the buokle.
There is also at Tottenham Park a magnificently illuminated
pedigree of the Seymour family, bringing their genealogy down to
1 These arms, which are on the belt, not on the horn itself, seem to be those
of Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, the Brace's nephew, who bore, Or, three
lozenges (uot cushions, says Mr. Laing, Scottish Seals, Nos. 689, 690,) within a
double tressure flory counter-flory Gules. There is an engraving with some
account of this born in Archseologia, vol, iii. p. 28, [.£&]
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 267
the beginning of the seventeenth century. It is about six feet
wide and twenty-three feet long, containing many miniature por-
traits, blazonings of arms, fac-similes of seals, deeds, grants, &c.,
and an elaborate drawing of the celebrated horn just described.
The Ecclesiastical History of Bedwyn, which comes next to be
noticed, is made up of scanty materials collected at various times,
as sources of information have sprung up. A church existed here,
as we have seen, as early as Edward the Confessor's time; and it
is supposed that the Prebend of Bedwyn was founded in the
Cathedral of Old Sarum, at the time of the consecration of that
building on the 5th of April, 1092, when the episcopal see was re-
moved from Sherborne by Bishop Herman. It certainly existed
prior to the foundation of the present Cathedral in a.d. 1220.
This prebend was dissolved, with some others in New Sarum, by
Henry VIII., and its possessions subsequently granted to the Duke
of Somerset, who, with his successors, continued to exercise the
privilege of the prebendary's archidiaconal jurisdiction (through the
medium of an official) down to the year 1847, when all peculiar ju-
risdiction was abolished within the limits of the Diocese of Sarum.
Of the ancient ecclesiastical prebendaries, the names of only five
have been preserved, viz., Riohard de Dynteworth, instituted in
1337: John de Gudwell, also of the time of Ed ward III.; Nicholas
Wickham, who, in a.d. 1405, visited the church of Bedwyn parva ;
Thomas Beckington, secretary and formerly tutor to Henry VI.,
and afterwards the munificent Bishop of Bath and Wells; and
Peter Yann, in a.d. 1534, who afterwards became Dean of Sarum.
The Originalia Bolls in the Exchequer state that John de Gud-
well made a fine with the king (Edward III.) for 40d., to have the
restoration of certain liberties which had formerly been seised into
the king's hands; and, in a.d. 1340, he was allowed cognizance of
pleas in his court of Bedwyn, which had jurisdiction also in the
parish of Collingbourne Comitis, afterwards Collingbourne Ducis.
The vicarage of the church has always been, unless by lapse, in
the patronage of the prebendaries, which is now exercised by the
Marquis of Ailesbury. Its revenues in the year 1341 amounted
to £8 6s. 8d. In a.d. 1534, it was worth by the year clear
£8 10s. 8d. ; but in 1810, it had increased to about £90. Some
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
268 Great Bedwyn.
exertions were made about that time to raise the income upon a
fresh valuation, and the result eventually placed the yearly sum of
£154 2s. lljd. at the disposal of the vicar. This sum was com-
muted, in the year 1850, for £212. The vicarage has also been
augmented from private benefaction, from the Parliamentary
Grant Fund, and from Queen Anne's Bounty. The glebe, includ-
ing the church-yard, is about two acres.
The succession of vicars, prior to the year 1548, is not preserved
either in the Registry of the Deans of Salisbury, or in the First
Fruits Office in London.
Mr. Boger Derby was, however, vicar in 1405, and
Thomas Dogeson died vicar in 1600 or 1501.
Richard Yonge is mentioned as vicar in the Ecclesiastical Survey (26 Henry
VIH.)
Joseph Smith preceded
William Wingfield, the first vicar enrolled in the Dean's Registers as having
been instituted in a.d. 1564. Patron, Thomas Blagrave, Esquire, as tem-
porary Lessee of the great Tythes.
Henry Shawe succeeded on Wingfield's resignation in 1673. Patron, Sir
Edward Seymour, Knt.
Henry Shawe, in 1574. Patron, Queen Elizabeth.
Riohard Baylie, not mentioned in the Dean's Registers, is repeatedly styled
vicar in the Registers of the parish between the years 1676 and 1562, when
he was buried.
Roger Glass, instituted in 1681, the year before Baylie's death. Patron, the
Earl of Hertford.
Adam Noyes, in 1595, on the resignation of Glass. Patron, Queen Elizabeth.
Henry Tayler, in 1598. Patron, the Earl of Hertford.
William Slatyer, in 1611. Patron, James I., by lapse.
Joshua Slatyer, in 1616.
Henry Tayler, in 1617. Patron, the Earl of Hertford.
Richard Plummer, in 1627. The same Patron. Richard Plummer was buried
27 August, 1649.
Solomon Renger is styled vicar in the Parish Registers in 1650, 51, and 53, but
his name does not occur in the First Fruits Offioe or in the Dean's Register.
He was buried 17 January, 1653-4.
Robert Billings, in 1661. Patron, William, Duke of Somerset.
Robert Randall, in 1668. The same Patron. Robert Randell died in 1679.
William Meaden, in. 1679. Patron not mentioned.
Nicholas Andrews, in 1714, on Meaden's resignation. Patron,. Charles, Baron
Bruce of Whorlton.
John Arnald, in 1733, on the deprivation of Andrews. The same Patron.
Thomas Giffard, the younger, in 1736, on the resignation of Arnald. The same
Patron.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 269
Henry Howard, B.A., in 1739, on the cession of Giffard. The same Patron.
William Loggon, M.A., in 1742, on the oession of Howard. The same Patron,
.then Earl of Ailesbury.
Charles King, M.A., in 1748, on the resignation of Loggon. Patron, Thomas,
Baron Bruce of Tottenham.
William Harrison, D.D., in 1759, on the death of King. The same Patron.
Henry Jenner, B.A., in 1768, on the oession of Harrison. The same Patron.
He was elder brother of the celebrated Edward Jenner, M.D.
Thomas Brown, B.D., in 1774, on the oession of Jenner. The same Patron.
John Roberson, M.A., in 1784, on the oession of Brown. Patron, the Dean of
Salisbury, by lapse.
David Williams, in 1787, on the death of Roberson. Patron, Thomas, Earl of
Ailesbury.
Henry Williams, in 1789, on the oession of D. Williams. The same Patron.
William Moore, in 1796, on the death of H. Williams. Patron the Dean of
Sarum, by lapse.
William Skey, B.A., in 1799, on the resignation of Moore. Patron, Thomas,
Earl of Ailesbury.
Henry Wilson, B.A., in 1614, on the cession of Skey. Patron, Charles, Earl
of Ailesbury.
James Hall, M.A., in 1822, on the oession of Wilson. Patron, Charles, Marquis
of Ailesbury, K.T.
John Ward, B. A., in 1826, on the oession of Hall. The same Patron.
William Collings Lukis, M.A., in 1850, on the oession of Ward. The same
Patron.
John Dryden Hodgson, M.A., in 1855, on the oession of Lukis. The same
Patron.
During the incumbency of the Bey. John Ward, a new Church,
with a District annexed, was built at East Grafton, the central
hamlet of an extensive outlying portion of the parish. This build-
ing, dedicated to St. Nicholas (the patron saint of a former chapel
in this hamlet), and erected chiefly by the munificence of the late
Marquis of Ailesbury and his son (then Earl Bruce,) is one of the
most successful results of modern Church architecture. 1 It is in
the style of the early part of the 12th century, and consists of a
fully developed chancel, terminated with a oircular apse; a well-
proportioned nave with clere story and aisles; and at the north-west
angle a plain tower pierced in the upper story with open arches,
and covered with a low stone spire. The architect was Benjamin
Ferrey, Esq. The site and endowment were given by the Marquis
1 See detailed account in Gent. Mag., July, 1844.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
270
Great Bedwyn.
of Ailesbury, who also built the parsonage. The first incumbent
was the Rev. Henry Ward, M.A., who was instituted on the 11th
of April, 1844, the day of the consecration of the Church. He
resigned the incumbency on the 25th of November, 1845, and the
Rev. William Collings Lukis, M.A., was instituted by the Dean of
Salisbury, on the 19th of January following. The Rev. John Dry-
den Hodgson, M. A., late Fellow of St. Peter's College, Cambridge,
was instituted on the cession of Mr. Lukis, in 1850, and the Rev.
George Stallard, M.A., on tl*e cession of Mr. Hodgson in 1855.
New Church at Bart Grafton, WUt».
Bedwyn Parish formerly contained 14,098 acres of land, which
still constitute the prebend. There were five Chapels of Ease to
the mother Church, four of which have been ruined for several
centuries. 1. At Grafton was St. Nicholas, which was presented to
so lately as in a.d. 1579, and which stood in a field nearly opposite
to the new Church. The foundations of this Chapel with debris of
stained glass and pavement tiles, were dug up and removed in the
year 1844. In plan it was a simple parallelogram, with two but-
tresses at each angle, the interior dimensions having been 53 feet
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
The Borough Seal of Great Bedwyn
Ancient Pax, found at East Grafton.
— VdwJtU.tM.
By the Rev. J. Ward. 271
i
long, by 17 feet 6 inches wide. An ancient Paz (of Laten gilt), which
dpubtless belonged to this Chapel, was found in 1846 by a labourer
in levelling a hedge not far from the site of the Chapel, and was
presented to the Society's Museum by the Rev. W. C. Lukis. It
is probably of the date of Henry VII. or Henry VIII. (See Plate.)
2. At Chisbury, the Free Chapel of St. Martin, presented to in a.d.
1496, by the Bishop of Salisbury, by lapse. The building still re-
mains, and is a very beautiful specimen of Decorated architecture.
It is 52 feet 6 inches long, and 20 feet 2 inches wide in the interior,
and at 18 feet 6 inches from the east end stood the screen which sepa-
rated the chancel from the nave. It was endowed, as mentioned
in the Inquisitions of Ninths made in the year 1341, with tythe
then amounting by the year to 48s. 6d., and with ten acres of land
worth 5s. 3. At Enowl was a Chapel, of which there is no known
record, but parts of the building still remain. 4. At Little or East
Bedwyn, the Chapel of St. Michael, which contains some portions
of building older than any extant in the mother Church. It con-
sists of a nave with clere story and aisles, a chancel, a south porch,
and a tower and spire at the west end. The nave is 41 feet 3 inches
long, and 12 feet 5 inches wide : the north aisle is 8 feet 2 inches
wide, and the south aisle 9 feet 7 inches; and the whole breadth of
naye and aisles, including the piers, is 35 feet 2 inches. The
chancel, including the rood arch, is 28 feet 4 inches long, and 16
feet 2 inches wide. The whole length, with the space under the
tower, is 82 feet 7 inches. The nave is late Norman, having a
range of piers and circular arches with billet moulding on the north
side, and a range of pointed arches on the south side, supported on
Norman piers. The rest of the Church is late perpendicular with
square-headed windows, the chancel window at the east end being
the only one that has an aroh. There is a good piscina and a
priest's door in the south wall of the chancel. The tower and
spire are admirably proportioned, and rise to the height of about
70 feet. The Church has been very well restored during the last
few years, and, in particular, the very beautiful Perpendicular roof
over the north aisle has been thoroughly repaired. In or before
the year 1405 the now Church at Little Bedwyn, with an area of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
272 Great Bedwyn.
4234 acres, taken out of Great Bedwyn, was erected into a distinct
vicarage, and endowed with a portion of the tythes of the prebend.
The patronage is in the Marquis of Ailesbury, and the present in-
cumbent is the Rev. Francis Henchman Buckerfield, M.A., who
was instituted in a.d. 1843. 5. The remains of the fifth Chapel,
recently discovered at Marten, will be described presently.
Besides the town of Great Bedwyn, there are, within its ecclesi-
astical charge, the hamlets of Crofton, Stock, Bedwyn-common,
Brail, and Harden. In East Grafton District, there are East and
West Grafton, Wilton, Marten, Wexcombe, Kinwardstone, Sudden,
Freewarren, and Wolf hall, with the Laundry. In the parish of
Little Bedwyn, are the village of Little Bedwyn, and the hamlets
of Chisbury, Enowl, PuthaU, Little worth, and Timbridge.
Several of these are mentioned in Domesday-book, and almost
all in the early records of the country. Stoche was held in the
Confessor's time by Stremius, a name probably identical with Stur-
mid, Sturmy, and Esturmy, which flourished in this parish for
many centuries. Richard Sturmid held Haredone, and a hide in
Graftone, in the Conqueror's reign ; Martone was held by Odolina,
Tubertus, and Radulphus; Graftone was the lordship of Wilelmus
de Ow, and under him was Hubert. Robert, son of Radulphus,
held lands there; so did Radulphus de HalviUe, who also held
Ulfela (Wolf hall).
After this period, the Sturmys continued in their possessions
here down to the death of Sir William Esturmy, in a.d. 1426,
when they passed to the Seymours, as before stated. Many other
families of distinction were proprietors of manors and estates in
the parish. The De Hardenes had the manor of Hardene, till it
went by an heiress to Sir Robert de Bilkemore. Matthew de Co-
lumbariis died in a.d. 1269 possessed of Chisbury. Thomas de
Seymour died seised of Chisbury in a.d. 1358, and it was soon
after possessed by the Cobhams. On the death, in a.d. 1407, of
John de Cobham, second Baron Cobham, his grand-daughter and
sole heir, Joane de la Pole, succeeded to his estates. She was then
the wife of Sir Nicholas Hawberke, having previously been married,
first to Sir Robert Hemenghale, and, secondly, to Sir Reginald
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
<
o
D
LxJ
<
id
a.
<
r
o
Z
U
u
z
<
z
<
u.
O
z
<
k
|
* i
k *
^ r
Sb ;
1
^S
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Carving in Ivory of the Ble
S4.ur. JOLU **.cL*tt%t
lesseo vmc^^eoole
rot/fTo jir M/mrc/f, Wilts.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 273
Braybroke. After Sir Nicholas Hawberke's death, she married
Sir John Oldcastle, Knt., the celebrated leader of the Lollards.
He was summoned to parliament as Baron Cobham, in right of his
wife. He died a.d. 1417 ; and she married, fifthly, Sir John
Harpenden. She died in a.d. 1433, when her possessions devolved
upon her only child, Joane, by Sir Reginald Braybroke. This
Joane, espoused Sir Thomas Brooke, who became fourth Baron
Cobham in her right. The barony became extinct in this family,
on the death of Henry Brooke, ninth baron, in a.d. 1619; but
Chisbury had been previously sold to a Mr. Bead, whose successor,
Edward Read, Esq., resold it in a.d. 1602 to the Earl of Hertford.
The De Braboefs, and afterwards the Fitzwarrens, possessed the
manor of Crofton. It came into possessibn of the Seymours through
Ann, first Duchess of Somerset, and grand-daughter of Fulke, Lord
Fitzwarine.
Stokke manor belonged to the De Stokkes, but was carried by
Geva, widow of Sir Adam de Stokke, who afterwards married
Robert de Hungerford, into the family of her second husband. It
was afterwards an estate of the Earl Verney, who sold it to the
•late Earl of Ailesbury in a.d. 1766.
The De Bohuns, Earls of Hereford and Essex, had lands in
Grafton ; and the De Clares had the manor of Wexcombe, as well as
of Bedwyn, also lands in Wilton, Puthall, and East Bedwyn. The
Seymours were at Enowl a oentury before they inherited the Es-
turmy estates.
Of the manor of Marten, it is very difficult to trace the descent,
on account of the name being confused in ancient documents with
another manor of Marten, in a different part of the county. In
a.d. 1278, it belonged to Paganus de Cadurcis, and is called Mar-
thorne. This seems to be the only notice that can be safely identi-
fied with the Marten in Bedwyn. The foundations of a chapel were
discovered here in November, 1858, by Mr. Henry Selfe in a mea-
dow opposite to the Manor-house, and close to a remarkable moated
inclosure. The internal dimensions were 47 feet long by 19 feet
6 inches wide. It was a simple parallelogram like the East Graf-
ton Chapel, but it differed in the position of the buttresses; having
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
274 Qreat Bedivyn.
had a diagonal one at each angle, with two intermediate ones on
the north and south walla. The masonry was composed of flint
and green sand stone, four feet thick, with freestone quoins, and
the only piece of carved stone that was met with was a portion of
a saddle-stone of one of the gables. Foundations, 2 feet 9 inches
thick, the object of which it is not' easy to divine, were found both
within and without the chapel at its west end. Within its area,
were also found portions of stained glass with its lead work at- .
tached, coarse pottery, some of it decidedly Roman, stone roofing
tiles, Roman coins, (one of Constantino,) a blue glass bead, either
Roman or Early British, &c, (all in Mr. Selfe's possession,) which
were exhibited in the Society's temporary Museum in Marlborough.
There was likewise exhibited a piece of ivory, 10 inches high by
4 inches at the base, gracefully carved to Represent the Blessed
Virgin and Child, which probably belonged to this fthapel ; and is
in the possession of Mr. Bartlett of Burbage. It was found by him
a few years ago, used as a plaything by some children who had
tied a piece of string round the neck of the principal figure, and
were dragging it after them in a lane in Marten. There is a screw
hole in the top of the head by which perhaps a golden aureole was
fixed, another hole in the back, and two similar holes in the base.
The painted glass clearly belonged to the Decorated period.
Several pieces bore armorial bearings, all of them alike, viz. Per
pale Sable and Argent, a cross moline, counterchanged. There may
be somq doubt as to the exact colours, for the glass is much decom-
posed and almost impervious to light; but the above appear to
have been the original colours. If so, the chapel was probably
connected in some way, either by benefaction or by erection, with
the Malwyne family, one of whom, John Malwyne, it is said, held
lands at West Grafton in the 44th year of Edward III. (See Gent.
Mag., vol, iii. n.s. p. 591.)
In the present day, Marten belongs to the representatives of the
late Admiral Fanshawe; Wexcombe to the heir of the late Joseph
Tanner, Esq. ; an estate in Wilton to the Dean and Chapter of
Salisbury ; another in Little Bedwyn was sold in 1858 by Sir
William Curtis, Bart., to Mr. Bevan, the owner of the Fosbury
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 275
property ; and the rest of the two parishes, with the exception of
some small quantities, to the Marquis of Ailesbury.
The population of Great Bedwyn, with its hamlets, is now 1153
„ of the District of East Grafton .. . . 1040
„ of the parish of Little Bedwyn . . . . 600
We now proceed to a descriptio&of the Church at Great Bedwyn.
The Ground Plan, with an orientation of five degrees to the
south, remains very nearly the same as it was five hundred years
ago, the only addition being a staircase turret to the tower at its
north-east angle. It consists of a nave with aisles, a transept, and
a chancel : from the large piers, at the intersection of the nave and
transept, rises the tower, to the height of 60 feet : its square, out-
side, is 26 feet north and south, and 25 feet east and west.
The Exterior. The west front of this Church was rebuilt in the
year 1843, in consequence of the ruined condition of the former
wall. Very little alteration was introduced, except a new door-
way in the north aisle, an enlargement of the principal door,
(which has since been removed and a new one inserted), and a
reduction of the excessive height of the centre window. This
window is of three lights, with tracery in the head, which at first
sight appears to be Decorated, but it is really Perpendicular, with
dripstone and corbel terminations of the same character. There is
a Decorated west window to the south aisle, and to the north a
similar window was inserted, in place of the small doorway, above
mentioned, in 1854. On pulling down the west front, it was dis-
covered that the buttresses had been built of ancient stone coffins,
out into lengths and the hollows filled with flints and mortar. As
many as eight or ten coffins had been thus used. A small part of
a lid was also found, on which was cut a large cross pattle within
a circle, conjectured to be the symbol indicating the deceased to
have been a Knight Templar. This, with two other sculptured
stones, found in the old wall, were built into the new front, and
exposed to view. The old buttress stones were also used again.
The aisles of the nave were formerly much lower than they are
at present, and the clere story of the nave is altogether an addition,
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
276 Great Bedioyn.
as is evident both within and without ; and in fact the original
covering of this part of the Church was what is called a compass
roof, which stretched across both nave and aisles in one sweep.
The present aisles are roofed up to the base of the clere story,
which in 1854 was reduced in height : the north aisle and the
clere story were, till very lately, the most recent portions of the
Church, exhibiting nothing peculiar or interesting in their archi-
tecture ; and the south aisle is Decorated. The north porch [now
removed] was a curious structure of Perpendicular woodwork, and
was probably composed of materials from the ancient rood loft. It
rested on a base of brick walling. In the spandrels of the arch
were carved the badges of the Seymour and Hungerford families.
To the north west of the nave, stands the ancient churchyard
cross, in tolerable condition : the style is Decorated, and on the
south face of the octangular stem is a shallow niche, containing a
time worn sculpture of the Virgin. The top is a modern stone set
np for the purpose of a sun-dial, but the gnomons are gone.
From the South-east are seen the beautiful proportions of the
chancel, transept, and tower ; the whole of which must have been
erected early in the fourteenth century. The chancel is a few
years older than the transept, and the transept preceded the tower
by a few more. The date of the transept is ascertained to within
a very few years, as it was built by Sir Adam de Stokke, who died
in early manhood in the year 1313.
The north and south transepts are very nearly uniform in struc-
ture and decoration ; the unique window on the south face is re-
peated on the north, and all the smaller windows, exactly similar
to each other, are very elegant. They consist of two lights, tre-
foiled in the head, with a cinquefoil (each foil trefoiled) between
them ; the whole enclosed in a drop arch, haying a hood moulding,
terminated with grotesque heads. The north and south windows
are not so elegant, but much more elaborate ; they are of three
lights, cinquefoiled in the head ; above the two outer lights is a
sixfoil, having the upper and two lower points ogeed, and the
other three round, forming altogether a triangular figure ; between
these is a magnificent eightfoil, set diamond-wise, in the head of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 277
the window, the foils being alternately round and ogeed. The
whole is inclosed in an arch slightly ogeed, covered with a hood
moulding, supported by heads of unknown animals, and crowned
with an elegant finial.
At each angle of the transept are two buttresses set square ; they
are of great strength, have a deep overhanging projection all round
at nearly half their height, and are terminated by gable heads.
The transept is constructed of flint- work, with stone dressings ; and
the former is, perhaps, as excellent a specimen of that mode of
building as can be found in this district of flint-work.
It was clearly the original intention of the architect or builder to
make the walls (of the north transept at least,) of work chequered
with alternate squares of stone and flint ; but the plan was, for
some reason, soon abandoned.
During the restoration of the church in 1854-5 under the super-
intendance of T. H. Wyatt, Esq., it was found necessary to repair
the transept buttresses, and in doing this, portions of stone coffins,
and coffin lids of Early English character were found. It is eyident
therefore that a great destruction of ancient sepulchral memorials
must have taken plaoe here during the Decorated period.
The chancel is supported by buttresses all round, has a priest's
door in the south wall, and ten side windows, each being a narrow
slit, with decorated jamb mouldings, and trefoiled heads ; the two
next the tower have low openings under a transom. The original
east window (now replaced by a new one) which was of three
lights, was subsequently rebuilt and altered. The centre light, had
a foliated head, similar to the two side lights. The hood moulding
was the simple decorated roll, with projecting corbel heads, like
gurgoyles, for terminations. All the roofs of the church which had
been lowered, were renewed in 1853-4, and made to follow the
original pitch, traces of which were clearly marked on the tower.
The tower is decorated up to the parapet, but this feature is a
pierced embattlement of light Perpendicular. The string course or
cornice under this parapet is singular, being frequently interrupted
by small square embattled openings, to let off the water from the
tower roof. There is a window of two lights, with a quatrefoil in
s
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
278 Great Bedwyn.
the head, on each face of the tower ; and on the north and <
sides there is a small opening which gives light and air to the ring-
ing-floor. The staircase turret is modern, having been built in
1840. The tower contains an harmonious peal of six heavy bells.
Their inscriptions are as follows : —
1. 2. 3. Henry Knight of Reading made mee 1671.
4. William Bnrd, Robert Wells, C. W. 1671. H. K.
5. Edward Brunsden, John Shadwell, Churchwardens, 1656. W4P4N4B.
6. In the Lord doo I trust. I. W : D. 1623.
Priest's Bell :— " John Corr. B. F. 1741."
The 5th and 6th were cast in Salisbury ; the former, by William
Purdue and Nathaniel Bolter, is the best bell in the tower ; the
latter by John Wallis and John Dauton, weighs about 28 cwt.
The priest's bell was cast at Aldbourne by John Gorr bell founder.
The bells were entirely new hung with new frame work, stocks,
wheels, &c, in 1855, and some of them turned one quarter round.
The Interior. The oldest portions of the church are the piers
and arches of the nave. The style is Transition Norman, but it is
combined with so much Early English ornament, that it cannot be
dated earlier than the reign of Richard I.
There are three round piers and two responds on each side,
between the tower piers and the west end ; the base mouldings of
these piers are decidedly of Early English character, and there are
foot ornaments of that style on the angles of the plinth. The capi-
tals rise from a round fillet ; and a profusion of Norman and Early
English ornament fills the space between the fillet and the abacus
above, which is square. Each capital has different ornaments, and
in only one instance does the same pattern run round every side.
The foliage of the second or middle capital on the south side is al-
together Early English, having three heads, also of that character,
mixed with the foliage, on the face next to the nave ; this is the
richest capital of the whole, and has been the least injured. The
arches springing from these piers and capitals are pointed, and are
what are called drop arches. The archivolt is recessed and cham-
fered ; the recess on the nave side being filled with a zigzag or
chevron moulding, surmounted by a hollow label, billetted. A
niche, containing a figure of the Virgin, carved in stone, and highly
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 279
ornamented with gold and colour, still exists in the centre of the
half-pier, or north respond, next the tower ; it is, however, much
mutilated. The effect of this vista, with its piers, capitals, and
arches, is very fine, now that the roof has been carried up to its
original pitch.
The piers which support the tower have plain, square, recessed
mouldings, chamfered at the edges, and carried up to the points of
the arches without interruption. These arches have a label or hood
moulding on both faces, supported by heads.
The screen under the chancel arch is of oak, in the Perpendicu-
lar style. On each side the centre opening are two bays consisting
each of three arches, cinquefoiled in the head : over these, *nd
over the entrance, is a series of pierced cinquefoils, the whole
surmounted by an embattled cornice.
The transepts are nearly similar. In the north are some excel-
lent Decorated corbel heads of bishops and kings supporting the
roof.
Under the south window of the south transept are two Decorated
arched recesses, one of which contains a stone figure of Sir Adam
de Stokke, encased almost entirely in chain mail (the knees only
being covered with plate) ; the legs are crossed, and the feet rest
on the figure of a lion ; the hands grasp the sword hilt and scab-
bard, and on the left arm is a shield bearing the ensigns of De
Stokke. The head, which is covered with a cap of chain mail,
rests on two pillows, one set square, and the other diagonally upon
it. There are evident traces of this effigy having been painted,
and the colours on the shield may be made out. De Stokke bore,
Argent, five bars Gules, over all a bend charged with three escal-
lops of the field, between six martlets Sable. In the other recess
is a broken slab of Purbeck marble, on which are still evident the
indent of a brass cross, and an inscription to the memory of Sir
Roger de Stokke, supposed to be the son of Sir Adam.
Over Sir Adam's tomb is a good but curious Decorated piscina,
the drain supported by a head, being close to the angle of the
transept walls, and the crocketted canopy, with a stone shelf, not
over it, but at some little distance. It has a handsome finial.
s 2
Digitized by UOOQ IC
280 Great Bedxcyn.
The walls of the transept were originally covered with curious
drawings, which were with some pains satisfactorily exposed to
view in a.d. 1842 : they were undoubtedly coeval with the finish-
ing of this part of the church. In the north transept were large
figures of saints, bishops, and knights; and in the south, several
histories of saintly personages, and of the Redemption. On the
east wall, over a space where formerly stood an altar, was a row of
ten or twelve saints of small size, all of them very indistinct.
These drawings were executed in red and yellow ochre, with dark
outlines, and some of them had been gilt, but, becoming faded by
a fresh exposure of eight years, they have been again hidden from
view by a coat of stone colour. One of the consecration crosses
also in red ochre, was drawn on the west wall of the transept near
the south end.
The large window of the south transept has been filled with
good stained glass. The subjects were designed by G. E. Street,
F.S.A., architect, and executed by Mr. Hardman of Birmingham.
This painted window was presented by the sons of the late Rear
Admiral Sir Thomas Fellowes, Kt., C.B., D.O.L., &c, in memory
of their father, and for the glory of God. The large opening
in the head contains a half figure of our glorified Saviour, with
His right hand raised in the act of blessing, and the Book of
the Testament in His left. The artist has succeeded in throwing
a great amount of dignity into this figure, and by a judicious ap-
plication of white glass in the eight points of the star-like opening
has conveyed the idea of rays of light issuing from the Lord of
Glory. In the centre light is a medallion containing a representa-
tion of the descent from the Cross ; in that on the right is the
Entombment, and in that on the left, our Lord in the garden with
Mary Magdalene, after His Resurrection. There is great harmony
of colouring throughout, and a freshness and brilliancy which are
very striking. As a work of art the window is of a superior order,
and has been executed with great care.
The interior of the chancel is very good and imposing. As be-
fore stated, there are ten narrow slits, one of which is blocked up
by the staircase turret on the outside, the others have been recently
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 281
filled with stained quarry glass, with ornamented borders, which
subdues the light, and gives much warmth of tone to this part of
the church. The east window has plain glass, which should be
replaced by a good painting.
There is a very fine Decorated piscina in the south wall of the
chancel, having an eightfoiled drain supported by a corbel of foli-
age ; the niche is trefoiled under a very rich ogeed canopy, with
crockets, a finial, and head terminations to the drip. The shelf,
which was of wood, is gone.
In 1858 a new altar, designed by Mr. Street, was made with the
wood of a yew tree which was cut down in the churchyard in the
year 1840. At the same time a new altar cloth and hangings were
supplied. The superfrontal is of the best crimson silk velvet, and
the frontal of green silk velvet of the same quality, both richly
embroidered by Messrs. Jones and Willis, in coloured silks, in pat-
terns of alternate roses and lilies growing out of vases, under ogee-
headed canopies. The dossel is of the richest satin damask, bearing
patterns of lilies, suspended from a brass rod running under the
window sill.
There is an Elizabethan monument to the memory of Sir John
Seymour, father of Queen Jane Seymour and of the Protector,
Duke of Somerset. Sir John died at the age of sixty years, on the
21st day of December, 1536, and was originally buried in the
Priory Church of the Holy Trinity at Easton Royal in this county ;
but that Church having become totally ruined, his body was re-
moved to Bedwyn in the year 1590. In the following year, the
Seymours built the present parish Church at Easton, but not on
the site of the former Priory. The following is the inscription : —
"Here lyeth in tombed the worthie 8 r John Seymovr
of Wolpnall Knight: who by Margeiie his Wyfe,
Davghter of S r Henry Wentworthe, Knight, from whome
the nowe Lorde Wentworthe is discended, had Six
Sonnes and Fower Davghters: To wete, John, who
dyed vnmarryed. Edward, Dyke of Somerset.
Earl of Hertforde, Viscovnt Beavechampe and
Baron Seymovr, Uncle to Kinge Edwarde the 8ixt,
Governor of his Royale Person, Protector of all his
Dominions and Svbjects, Lorde Tresorer and Earle
Marshall of Englande; w ch Dvke maryed Anne, Davghter
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
282 Great Bedwyn.
of & Edwarde Stanhope, Knight, 9 hy Elisaheth his Wyfe,
Davghter of 8^ Foylke Bvfgchier, Lorde Fitzwaryn,
from whome the xnoderne Earlea of Bath are diacended.
S* Henry Seymovr, Knight, who maried Barbara, Davghter
of Thomas Morgan, Esqvier.f Thomas, Lorde Seymovr of
Svdeley, Highe Admirall of Englande, who maryed
Katherine, Qveene of Englande, and Wydow to Kinge
Henry the Eight. One other Jhon and Anthony, who
dyed in theire Infancy. Jane Qveene of Englande, Wyfe
to Kynge Henry the Eight, and Mother to Kynge
Edwarde the Sixt. Elizabeth, firste maryed to S r Henry
Vghtred, Knight, after to Gregorie, Lorde Cromwell,
and last to Jhon, Lord Sainot John of Basinge, after
Marqvesse of Winchester. Margerie, who dyed in
her Infancy, and Dorothe, maryed to S r Clement
Smythe, Knight.
" This Knight departed this Lyfe at LX yeares of age,
the XXI day of December, Anno 1636, and was fyrste
bvryed at Eaton Priorie Chvroh, amongst divers of
his Avnoestors, bothe Seymovrs and Stvrmyes ; Howbeit
that Chvroh being rvined, and thereby all theire
Monvmentes either whollie spoyled, or verie mveh defased
dvring the Mynoritie of Edwarde, Earle of Hertforde, Sonne
to the said Dvke, The said Earle after, as well for the
dvtifvl Love he beareth to his said Grandefather, as
for the better Contynvans of his Memory, did eavse
his Bodie to be removed, and here to be in tombed at
his own Coste and Chardge, the laste daye of September,
Anno 1590, in the XXXII year of the mo9t happye Baigne
of ovr gratiovs Soveraigne Ladie, Qveene Elizabeth."
In the year 1829, the three shields on the upper part of the monu-
ment were still in existence; two of them were broken, but the
• Nothing is said of the Duke's first marriage to Catharine dan. and coheir of Sir William FQlol of
FiHol Hall, eo. Essex, and of Woodlands, eo. Dorset, knt. by whom he had two sons ; 1. John, who
died without issue in 1552 and was buried at the Savoy Hospital on the 19th Dec., and 2. Sir Edward
of Biry Pomeroy, co. Devon, and of Maiden Bradley, co. Wilts, knighted at Musselburgh, 10 Sept.
1547, when he was only 18 years of age. From this Sir Edward descend in an unbroken line the
direct ancestors of the later Dukes of Somerset, a descent strangely contrasted with the complicated
succession of the Protector's second family, to whom, as well as to his brothers and their heirs, Anne
Stanhope had managed to secure, by a special entail, the honours of her husband ; yet in failure of
her male issue and that of his brothers, with remainder to his issue male by his first wife Catharine
Fillol. This singular entail died out in the year 1750, when the Dukedom passed to the elder line,
and Sir Edward Seymour sixth in descent from the above Sir Edward, became the eighth Duke of
Somerset.
* This statement is at variance with the records of the family preserved m the College of Arms and
also with the impalement with Sir Henry's Arms, placed over this inscription ; by which evidences
it would appear that he married Barbara daughter of Morgan Wolfe by GwenlUan daughter and heir
of John de Barri. Morgan Wolfe was the son of Howell Wolfe, the son of John Wolfe, Esq., the son
of Sir William Wolfe, knt., by the daughter and coheir of Sir Mauger Le Sore of St. Fagaas, eo.
Glamorgan. Both Sir Henry and his Lady died in the year 1578, or about twelve years before the
suction of this Monument.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Tomb of Sir. John Seymour., Kn T
The arm* restored Jrotn* Aubrey's skktch,, circa, ^i.D i€7£j and the- shield* arrange
in the order set down in/ At* JH&.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 283
fragments had been preserved by the care of the parish clerk, and
were readily put together and secured in a bed of plaster of Paris.
In the same year fac-similes of them were made in Bath stone by
a clever sculptor at Oxford, and fixed in their respective places on
the monument.
The shield on the dexter side of the inscription, the only one
that remained but little injured, is that of Sir John Seymour, viz. ;
Gules, two wings conjoined and inverted Or, impaling Sable, a
chevron between three leopard's faces Or for Wentworth.
One half of the shield over the inscription had been broken off ;
it bore the ensigns of Sir Henry Seymour, K.B. viz. Seymour, with
a crescent Gules for difference, impaling Quarterly, 1. Argent, a
fees between three martlets Gules, on a chief Sable, three wolf's
heads erased Argent, for Wolfe of Gwerngotheyn; 2. Per pale
Sable and Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, for Wolfe Newton ; 3. Or,
three wolves passant Azure, for Nanfant ; 4. Argent, on a chevron
Gules, between three stag's heads caboshed Sable, three bugle
horns Argent, stringed Or, for Le Sore of St. Fagans. It is diffi-
cult to conjecture why this shield was fixed in so conspicuous a
position on the monument, for Sir Henry was perhaps the least
distinguished of the whole family.
On the sinister side of the inscription the arms are those of Sey-
mour quartering the heiresses, with whom the family had previously
intermarried, viz., Quarterly of six — 1. and 6. Seymour; 2. Vaire,
for Beauchamp of Hache; 3. Argent, three demi-lions couped
Gules, for Esturmy ; 4. Per bend, Argent and Gules, three roses
in bend counterchanged, for Macwilliams ; 5. Argent, on a bend
Gules, three leopard's faces Or, for Coker.
The six shields on the face of the tomb, which were smaller than
those above, having in the year above mentioned entirely disap-
peared, the spaces were filled up with newly sculptured bearings
representing, 1. Seymour; 2. Beauchamp of Hache; 3. De Forti-
bus, (through Beauchamp,) viz. Argent, on a chief Gules, a label of
five points Or ; 4. Esturmy ; 5. Macwilliams ; 6. Coker.
These are the arms now on the face of the tomb, but it has been
recently ascertained from Aubrey's MS. so frequently quoted in
this Magazine by its indefatigable Editor, that of these six spaces
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
284 Great Bedwyn.
five were originally filled with the bearings of Sir John Seymour's
children.
The five as described by Aubrey, who visited the Church in or
about the year 1672, were as follows : —
I. — France and England (Hen. VIII.) impaling Quarterly, 1. and
4. Or, on a pile Gules, between six fleurs de lis Azure, three
lions of England, being the coat of augmentation granted by
Hen. VIII. to the Seymours on his marriage with Queen Jane;
2. and 3. The original Seymour coat as before.
II. — Seymour (old) as before, for the Duke of Somerset, impaling
Quarterly, 1. Quarterly, Ermine and Gules, for Stanhope ; 2.
Azure, three talbots courant in pale Or ; 3. Sable, a bend be-
tween six crosses croslet Argent, for Stanhope (old) ; 4. Argent,
three saltires engrailed Sable.
III. — Seymour, original coat, for Sir Thomas Seymour, Baron Sey-
mour of Sudeley, impaling, Quarterly, I. Argent, on a pile be-
tween six roses Gules, three others of the Field, being a Royal
augmentation ; 2. Argent, two bars Azure, a bordure engrailed
Sable, for Parr ; 3. Or, three water bougets Sable, for Boos of
Kendal ; 4. Assure, three chevronels interlaced in base, a chief
Or, for Fitzhugh. For Queen Katharine Parr.
IV. — Quarterly per fess indented, Azure and Or, four lions passant
counterchanged, for Gregory, Lord Cromwell, impaling the ori-
ginal arms of Seymour.
V. — Argent, a cross Gules, between four peacocks erect Azure, for
Sir Clement Smyth, impaling Seymour as in the last coat.
The sixth shield was wanting in Aubrey's time, and it is im-
possible to conjecture with any degree of probability, whose coat
filled the vacant space, or whether it were ever filled at all. The
arms of all Sir John's children, who grew up and lived to be mar-
ried, are quoted by the Antiquary. Possibly the Earl of Hertford,
who erected the monument, may have added his own arms, or the
coat of Seymour impaling the six quartering^ of Wentworth.
There is also a brass to the memory of Sir John's eldest son and
heir, John Seymour, who died unmarried a.d. 1510. This was pro-
bably removed from Easton to Bedwyn at the same time. Near
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 285
to this is a Latin inscription on a brass plate to the memory of
Edward, Lord Beauchamp, eldest son of Edward, Earl of Hertford,
by Lady Catherine Grey : he was buried on the 21st of July, 1612.
The inscription runs thus : —
"Bellocampus eram, Graia genetrioe Semerus,
Tres habui natos, est quibus una sorer."
Near to Sir John Seymour's monument is another of marble, com-
memorating the decease of Frances, daughter of Robert Devereux,
Earl of Essex, and widow of William, second Duke of Somerset.
For other inscriptions in the Church, also for a very interesting
collection of extracts from the Registers of the parish, the reader
is referred to Nichols's Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica,
vol. v. p. 20.
In 1854, when the eastern portion of the chancel was excavated
for the purpose of making a vault for Lord Ailesbury's family,
several of the graves of these noble personages were found. The
Elizabethan monument, above mentioned, was taken down and re-
erected, but no coffin was discovered beneath or very near to it.
A remarkable leaden coffin was however met with about 5 feet in
front of the marble monument of Frances, Duchess of Somerset,
which most probably contained the body of Queen Jane's father.
It was of a plain form, and of heavy lead, the head end being
somewhat wider than the foot. Upon the top eight strong iron
handles had been soldered, probably for the convenience of lifting
and conveying it from Easton. No traces of wood were observed
surrounding it, and it appeared to have been disturbed at an early pe-
riod ; for a small hole about three inches square had been cut out
above the breast of the deceased. No grave or coffin was found
beneath the slab of John Seymour, which together with the brass
inscription to Edward Lord Beauchamp, has been placed against
the north wall of the chancel.
The brick grave of Frances Duchess of Somerset was at some
distance from her monument and in the north-east angle of the
chancel, the foot of it coming close up to the east wall. It con-
tained a leaden coffin of large dimensions, and also a drum-shaped
cylinder of lead, about eighteen inches high, in which her heart
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
286 Cheat Bedwyn.
&c., inclosed in a cloth, were preserved in liquid. The oak
coffin had perished, but some of its fawn-coloured velvet lining re-
mained in a sound state, as well as silver-plated coffin handles and
nails, and a brass plate with this inscription : —
" The most noble Lady Franoes Devereux Dutchess of Somerset*, wife to
William Duke of Somersett and daughter to Robert Earle of Essex, aged 74
yeares and 6 months, dyed Aprell y* 24, 1674."
The Parish Register thus briefly records her burial : —
"1074 Franoes Dutches of Som'sett was buried May the 7 th ."
In her youth when, as Countess of Hertford, she lived at Ames-
bury, she presented a bell to that church, the 5th of the present
peal, on which is inscribed
" Be strong in faythe prayes God well
Frances Countess of Hertford's bell."
Her noble husband's grave was found at a short distance from
hers. He was created Marquis of Hertford in the year 1640,
restored to the Dukedom of Somerset and Barony of Seymour in
1660, and died in the same year aged 74. On his coffin plate is the
following inscription : —
" Depositum nobilissimi et illustrissimi Principle Gullielmi Somersetire Ducis,
Hertfordiae Marchionis et Comitis, Baronis Beau champ, Ozoniensis Academies
Canoellarii, Carolo beat© memorise nuper Regi, serenissimoque nunc Carolo se-
cundo a oubiculis et secretioribus consiliis, nobilissimi ordinis Garterii militia,
neonon Somersetise et Wiltoni® oomitatuum, et Bristolli&e civitatis, locum ten-
entis, qui obiit vicesimo quarto die Octobris, A. Domini MDCLX et iEtatia
sua LXXIIII ."
The entry of the burial in the Parish Register is: —
"William Semor Duke of Somerset late Marquis of Hartforde was buried on
the feast of all Saints at night, .'being the first day of Nov'ber in the yeare of
our Lord God 1660." 1
Their son Henry Lord Beauchamp, who died in his fathers life-
time, aged 27, lay in front of Sir John Seymour's monument. His
1 Dugdale has the following memorandum in his diary: —
11 1660 Oct, 31. I went out of London to Reading with y e Duke of Somer-
set's Body.
"Nov. 1. I came to Bedwinde (four^miles beyond Hungerford) where we
interred the sayd Duke of Somerset's Body, and thence y* evening to
Hungerford. -
"Nov. 2. We came back to Beading.
"Nov. 3. We came back again to London."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 287
leaden coffin was of a curious form, not unusual at that period! and
took the shape of his body, having the head moulded to his features.
It was six feet six inches long, and sixteen inches wide across the
shoulders. The breast part had been moulded into the shape of a
coffin plate, fourteen inches long by ten inches and a half wide,
and had this inscription in raised letters: —
"The Lord Henary Beauchampe deyed the 14 th day of Maroh 1653, aged 27.' '
The Parish Register thus records the burial: —
" In the yeare of our Lord 1654 The right honerall lord henry Beohum who
died at Tilsy, was buryed hear the 30 th of Maroh."
In this case it was observed that upon the inscription had been
laid a bunch of rosemary and other flowers, the stems and seeds of
which preserved their form.
Lord Henry Beauchamp's youthful son, who became third Duke
of Somerset and died at the early age of 19, lay alongside. Rich
crimson velvet had lined his coffin, and the brass plate bore the
following : —
" Depositum Nobilissimi and Illustrissimi Principis Gulielmi Somerset*'
Duois, Hertfordiae Marchionis et Comitis, Vicecomitis Beauchamp, Baronis de
S cto Mauro, qui obiit. .XII. . . Die Deoembris Anno Domini MDCLXXI, ^Etatis
siue XIX." " 1671 Will. Lord Duke of Somerset was buried December 20 th .' '
(Parish Register.)
In 1612, Edward Lord Beauchamp ; 1637 Lady Arabella Sey-
mour; 1 1658 Lady Katharine Wincheuse;* 1678 Francis Duke of
Somerset; 1699 Frances Lady Downes, 3 among other noble per-
sonages, obtained their last resting places in this chancel.
All the leaden coffins, which were met with, were carefully de-
posited in Lord Ailesbury's new vault, in graves immediately
1 The second Duke named this his first daughter, by Lady Frances Devereux,
after bis early love and stolen bride, Lady Arabella Stuart, by whom he had no
children.
3 This should have been Lady Katharine Finch, daughter of Heneage Earl of
Winchelsea, by Lady Mary Seymour, daughter of the second Duke of Somerset
by Lady Frances Devereux.
* Frances, daughter of Sir Francis Seymour afterwards first Lord Sey-
mour of Trowbridge. She married Sir William Ducie of Tortworth, Go.
Gloucester, (created Viscount Down in Ireland,) became a widow in 1697 and
died without issue in 1699.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
288 Great Bedwyn.
beneath the spots where they had lain for so many years, and their
coffin plates let into the pavement over them.
The Registers have been well preserved, and date, Baptisms from
1553, Marriages from 1539, and Burials from 1538.
In the year 1620-21, is the following entry of Doctor Thomas
Willis.
" Thomas Wyllis the sonne of Thomas Wyllis and Rachel his Wyffe was bap-
tysed the xiiij day of February anno predieto."
The next entry was erased in order that his grandson, the cele-
brated antiquary, Browne Willis, might insert the following
remark,
" N.B. He was the most Famous Physitian in the World in his tyme &
dying Nov. the 11th, 1675, in the 54th year of his age, was buryed in West-
minster Abby."
Dr. Willis was born 27th Jan., 1621, in a house still standing,
and bearing evidence of having been much more considerable than
it is at present. He was sent to school at Oxford, and at an early
age was admitted a battler of Christchurch, where he prosecuted
his academical studies with a view to taking Holy Orders. He
took the degree of B.A. 19th June, 1639, and of M.A. 18th June,
1642; but being diverted from his purpose by the national troubles
of that period, he applied himself to the study of physic, and took
his Bachelor's degree in that faculty, 8th Dec, 1646. He attached
himself to the cause of the King, and bore arms in the garrison of
Oxford until its surrender to the Parliament forces. His practice
soon became famous at Oxford, both for its skill and success, in the
midst of those distractions which rent the public affairs of this
country. He married during this period, Mary, daughter of Dr.
Samuel Fell, the ejected Dean of Christchurch, and sister to Dr.
John Fell, afterwards Bishop of Oxford. In 1660 he was chosen
Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy at Oxford, and on the
30th of October in the same year took the degree of Doctor in
Medicine. In 1666 he removed to London, and took a house in
St. Martin's Lane, Westminster, where he soon grew into the
most extensive practice, and became one of the first members of
the Royal Society, a Fellow of the College of Physicians, and
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 289
Physician in Ordinary to King Charles II. He published many
medical works, of which his treatise on the Anatomy of the Brain
is the most celebrated, and highly valued in the present day. He
was zealously attached to the Church, and constantly attended daily
prayer even in the troublous times of the Revolution, when he
established a private Chapel in his house at Oxford, and used the
then proscribed Liturgy of the Church. In London he invariably
attended early prayer at St. Martins'-in-the-Fields, and at his death
left an endowment of £20 a year for the continuation of that ser-
vice. He was extremely liberal to the poor, although frugal and
self-denying in his own habits. He died of pleurisy on the 11th
of Nov., 1675, his wife having predeceased him on the Vigil of All
Saints, 1670. Both were buried in the north transept of West-
minster Abbey, where there is an inscription to their memory.
He left one son, Thomas, of Whaddon Hall and Bletchley in
Buckinghamshire, father of the antiquary Browne Willis; and
two daughters, Jane married to Robert Symonds, Esq., High She-
riff for Herefordshire in the last year of William III. ; and Rachel
married to Roger Lingen, of Radhook in Gloucestershire, Esq.
There is an admirable engraving of Dr, Willis, by Vertue.
In Aubrey's MS. description of the Northern Division of Wilt-
shire, preserved in the Ashmolean Museum, and printed by Sir
Thomas Phillipps, Bart., from which we have already given (p. 284)
the minute account of the heraldry on Sir John Seymour's monu-
ment as it was in 1672, we also read of some stained glass then extant
in the church, and also that the chancel was fitted up with stalls*
In Gough's Camden, (vol. i. p. 158) is given a strange engrav-
ing of a figure on crutches, copied by Gough from Stukeley, and
by him from Le Neve, who pretended to have found it described
in some book in the Library at Holkham as the representation of
a priest formerly in the east window of Great Bedwyn Church.
As no such book can now be found at Holkham, as the dress is not
sacerdotal, and the subject is utterly unsuitable to the east window
of any church, it is considered that Le Neve, or his alleged author-
ity, was altogether mistaken, and that the whole story may be
safely rejected.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
290 Great Bedwyn.
The communion plate belonging to this church consists of a
paten, two chalices, not very ancient, a flagon, given in a.d. 1840
by the Marquis of Ailesbury, and an offertory dish, parcel gilt,
haying in the centre a representation of the Adoration of the
Magi, presented on Easter Day 1847 by the four eldest daughters
of the then vicar.
There have been made, at several periods, grants of land and
money for the benefit of the poor in this parish, the most consider-
able of which are Sir Anthony Hungerford's charity of £10 an-
nually, granted by deed, dated 24th August, 1604, to certain
trustees and their heirs, to be paid for ever out of his lands at
Eysey and Water Eaton, in North Wilts, for apprenticing two
children yearly, which should be born in the borough of Great
Bedwyn. This rent-charge being insufficient to procure good
masters in the present day, one boy only has been annually appren-
ticed for some time, and the premium raised to the whole sum of
£10.
Mr. John Bushell's charity of ten shillings yearly, to be paid
out of his free land in the parish of Great Bedwyn to the church-
wardens, six days before each Christmas, to be distributed to the
most honest poor widows of the town of Great Bedwyn.
Mr. William Cox made a grant in a.d. 1799, of land situated in
Frog Lane, to certain trustees, the rents and profits of which were
to be applied after his death to the education of ten poor children
of the parish of Great Bedwyn. Mr. Cox died in a.d. 1812, but
the profits were not immediately available in consequence of dila-
pidation on the premises, and other hindrances, but a school has
been in operation for more than thirty years upon this foundation.
In 1832, a conveyance was made by the surviving trustee under
Mr. Cox's deed of feoffment, to five new trustees, two of whom are
now living.
Mr. William Gale Pike, by will dated 30th March, 1839, be-
queathed the sum of £100 to the poor of Great Bedwyn, and £50
to the National Charity School. Mr. Pike died on the 25th of May
following, and his executrix paid these bequests with interest,
sometime afterwards, to the vicar and churchwardens, by whom
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 291
they were placed in the Savings Bank at Marlborough, and the
interest has been distributed ever since at Christmas.
There is also a fabric fund belonging to the Church, arising from
lands in the parish of Little Bedwjn, at present under lease to the
Marquis of Ailesbury. The rent, £18 per annum, is received by
the churchwardens, and applied by them to the repair and other
uses of the Church.
There is an excellent National School for boys and girls
erected in a.d. 1835, and supported by annual gifts from the
Marquis of Ailesbury, and other beneficent contributors, in aid of
the income derived from the small payments of the children. An-
other school was established at East Grafton, after the building of
the Church, which has been conducted on the most improved prin-
ciples. And there is a third school in the parish, situated very
romantically in the grounds at Tottenham Park, and entirely sup-
ported by the Marchioness of Ailesbury. In these schools there is
accommodation for more than 300 children, in addition to which,
an infant school has been lately established at Great Bedwyn.
The Borough of Great Bedwyn is governed by a Portreeve, who
is annually chosen at Michaelmas, at the Court Leet of the Lord
of the Manor; and the Portreeve elects the bailiff, constable, and
other officers for the ensuing year.
The Corporation of Great Bedwyn possess a seal, on which the
ancient Arms of the Borough are engraved, viz. Azure, a Tower
domed Argent. The crest is a Griffin passant Or. 1 (See Plate.)
II. The Representative History of Great Bedwyn.
Bedwyn was one of the Wiltshire boroughs in King Edward the
Confessor's time, and when the Domesday Survey was taken, it had
twenty-five burgesses. This is nearly all that is known of its position,
as a borough, at that early period. The history of its representa-
tion states, that it sent members to all the Parliaments of Edward
x In preparing for the Society's Magazine the foregoing account of Great
Bedwyn Parish and Church, in which various changes have taken place since
his own incumbency, the writer of this Paper desires to acknowledge the kind
assistance of the Rev. W. C. Lukis, his successor at Bedwyn, and now Rector
of CoUingbourae Duois.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
292 Great Bedwyn.
L, to the Parliaments of the 1st and 8th of Edward II. to those of
the 36th and 37th of Edward III., and to the early Parliaments
of Richard II.
Except in the 1st of Henry IY. it sent no members after the
10th of Richard II. until the 9th of Henry V., after which year
it almost constantly returned representatives.
The names of the members, previously to the reign of the first
Mary, have not, however, been regularly handed down, but from
that period, the list appears to be correct.
The right of election was in the freeholders and inhabitants of
anoient burgages, and the returning officer was the Portreeve of the
borough.
In the year 1762 the number of burgage houses had dwindled
to 100 ; of these, 46 belonged to the Earl Verney, 42 to the Lord
Bruce, 9 to the Church of Bedwyn, 1 to Benjamin Bond Hopkins,
Esq., 1 to Mr. Thomas Potter, and 1 to Mr. Thomas Batten.
In 1766, Lord Verney sold to Lord Bruce his estate at Great
Bedwyn, including the manor of Stokke, the ancient property of
the Stokkes, and afterwards of the Hungerfords. In 1787, Mr.
Hopkins sold his burgage and other property to Lord Bruce, then
Earl of Ailesbury, who soon afterwards purchased Mr. Potter's
burgage. In 1792, the Church burgages were made Lord Ailes-
bury 's freehold by an exchange under the Bedwyn Inclosure Act :
Batten's burgage still remains in the representatives of that gen-
tleman.
By the Act of Parliament passed on the 7th June, 1832, 2 Gul.
IY., for amending the Representation of the people of England and
Wales, the borough of Great Bedwyn, with many others, was dis-
franchised.
In the following list, the names of the members down to the
reign of Queen Mary, are taken from a manuscript, compiled,
apparently about two centuries ago, from the Tower Records, and
brought down to the third Parliament of Car. I. To this MS. are
now added the dates of the Christian epoch. From Mary's reign,
Willis's Notitia, Beatson's Register, and other publications, have
also been used.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward.
293
Members of Parliament for the Borough of Great Bedwyn.
A.R.
A.D.
23. Parlt. at Westr.
30. Parlt. at Lond.
33. „ at Westr.
34. „ Do.
35. „ at Carlisle.
1. Parlt. at Northt.
8. f , at Westr.
John Faremer. 1294-5
Edward I.
Wm. Russel.
WilTns Russel
Estbedewiiid maner' extent' \ Wilts.
Knolle maner* extent' ) inter alia.
Inq. p. mort. 4 Edw. II.
Half le Em. Rob. le Palmere. 1301-2
Edw.le Irmanger. John le Irmanger 1304-5
Half le Eym. 1305-6
Rob. le Palmere. John Stryg. 1306-7
P Strug, a family near Heytesbury.
Edw. II.
Walter Seamour. Rob. le* Palmere. 1307-8
Gilbert de Capperugg.
Will, le Ironmonger. 1314-5
Edw. III.
36. Parlt. at Westr,
37. „
Will. Wyk. Nic. Hommedieux. 1362-3
Do. John Hardene. Roger le Ferrour. 1363-4
One of the Hardenes of Hardene in the parish of Bedwyn,
who were bailiffs of the bailiwick in Savernake Forest
called " The Broyle, or Bruell', de Bedwj^d." Anas-
tatia, heir of William de Haredene, married Sir Robert
de Bilkemore, Knt., circa a.d. 1360.
Richard II.
2.
Parlt.
The Bailiffs made no return.
1378-9
3.
„ at Westr.
John Coumb. •
Rich. Horlback
1379-80
6.
Do.
John Coumb.
Tho. Smith.
1382-3
7.
„ Do.
Tho. Smith.
Will. Plomer.
1383-4
7.
„ at New Sarum Tho. Smith.
Tho. Horlebat.
1383-4
8.
„ at Westr.
Will. Plomer.
John Coumb.
1384-5
9.
Do.
Tho. Smith.
Will. Plomere
1385-6
10.
„ Do.
John Coumb.
Henry IV.
Will. Bailiffe.
1386-7
1.
Parlt. at Westr.
Tho. Smith.
Geffry Mansill.
1399-400
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
294
Cheat Bedwyn.
a.b. Henry V. a.d.
9. Parlt. at Westr. Tho. Husee. Maurice Homedenx. 1421-2
" In the Tower Records are no other returns than these, Bedwyn
sending Burgesses, only on compulsion seemingly,- to some few
Parliaments before the end of Hen. the 5 th1- Reign. Few or
none of the Wiltshire Boroughs sent regularly, except New
Sarum, Wilton, Malmsbury & Marlbo\ — Hindon, Heytesbury,
Westbury, Wotton Basset, never sent at all till the 27 Hen. 6/'
1, Parlt. at Westr.
Henry VI.
Rob. Erie.
Tho. Stock.
1422-3
2.
4.
5.
8.
9.
One of the Stocks of Stock or Stokke Manor in Great
Bedwyn. In 1431 Tho. Stokke conveyed to Sir Walter
Hungerford and others, the Manor of Stoke and lands
elsewhere. (Close Rolls.)
Do. Rich. Hardene
at Leicester. Rich. Hardene.
at Westr. Walter Corp.
Do. Rich. Brigges.
Hen. Chauncey.
Jeffry Pokam.
Ralf Panter.
Tho. Tropenell.
1423-4
1425-6
1426-7
1429-30
Tropenell, of Great Chalneld nr. Bradford.
Do. John Sturmy. Rob. Colyngbome.1430-1
Doubtless a scion of the Sturmy family, Wardens of Sa-
vernake Forest.
11.
„ Do.
John Bradley.
Hen. Linby.
1432-3
13.
„ Do. ^
Will. Hall. *
Bich. Forbour.
1434-5
14.
„ Do.
Will. Hall.
Bioh. Forbour.
1435-6
15.
„ at Camb.
John Appulton.
Bob. Walton.
1436-7
20.
„ at Westr.
Tho. WeU.
Will. Halle.
1441-2
25.
„ at Camb.
Tho. Sturgill.
—Daniel orDamil.1446-7
27.
„ at Weatr.
Tho. Well.
Hen. Bottiler.
1448-9
28.
„ Do.
Tho. Wellys.
Tho. Mallory.
1449-50
29.
„ Do.
Will. Brigg.
Tho. Nott.
1450-1
31. .
„ at Reding.
Tho. Umfrey.
Bich. Baron.
1452-3
33.
„ at Westr.
John Adderby.
John
1454-5
Edwabd IV.
Do. John Benger Rob. Sheffeld. 1466-7
Joh'es Benger — Pro Priore de Eston, ad quod damnum.
Stapulford, advoo* ecol'te, Wiltes? — Inq. p. mort. Hen.
VI. (diversis annis.)
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 295
A.R. A.D.
12. Parlt. Westr. Tho. Strangewish. John Gi£ard. 1472-3
Sir R. C. Hoare prints this name Gylford.
17. „ Do. Will. Paston, Esq. Tho. Wareyn. 1477-8
Edward VI.
1. » Do. 1547-8
6. » Do. 1552-3
"The writts, indentures and returns are all lost through
England from 17 Edw. 4. to 33 Henry 8, of which year
and Edw. 6 th * parliam* the Wiltshire returns are want-
ing." — (John Hungerford, Esq. is said to have heen
member for Bed wyn in the last Parliament of Edward VI.)
Marls.
1. „ Do. Rich. Fulmerston, Esq. John Hun-
gerford, Esq. 1553-4
Richard Fulmerston, afterwards knighted, sat for Thet-
ford in the Parliament of 5 Eliz. He died 3 Feb. 1566,
and in the Church of St, fcl ary, Thetford, is a monu-
ment to his memory. He appears to have been a great
benefactor to that town, in founding a school and hospi-
tal, with endowment for masters and almspeople. (Topog.
ii. 395.)
John Hungerford was eldest son of Anthony Hunger-
ford, by Barbara dau. of Sir John Wriothesley, knt. aunt
to Lord Southampton: which Anthony wa» second son
of Sir Thomas Hungerford of Down Ampney, by Christian
Hall. Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Lord
Chancellor, by will, 1551, gives "to his coussin John
Hungerford, besydes the legaoye generallie given to his
servants, 20 u ." (Trevelyan Papers, Camd. Soc 213.)
L „ at Oxford. Edm. or Edw. Rowse, knt. Rich.
Fulmerston, Esq. 1553-4
Philip and Mary.
1-2. „ at Westr. Rich. Fulmerston, Esq. Edw. Hun-
gerford, Esq. 1554-5
Edward Hungerford, 3rd son of Sir Anthony Hungerford
of Down Ampney by his first wife, Jane Darell, was of
Weston, in Welford, co. Berks: he died in 1569.
2-3. „ Do. Henry Clifford, Esq. David Seymer. 1555-6
Henry Clifford of Bosoombe, co. Wilts, who married
2d
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
296 Great Bedwyn.
A.B. A.D.
Mary daughter of Sir John Hungerford of Down Amp-
ney, sister to Mrs. Blagrave mentioned in a succeeding
note. He was descended from the Cliffords ancestors of •
the Earls of Cumberland and of the Lords Clifford.
David Seymour was arrested as one of the Duke of So-
merset's adherents in Oct. 1551, and on the 22nd Not.
was "prysoner in hys house," as appears by the King's
journal, and the register of the Privy Council. (Literary
Remains of King Edw. VI.) His wife's name was Mary,
and he enjoyed two pensions or annuities, one of £6 13s.
4d., the other of £75 (MS. Soo. Antiq. 209.)
4-5. Parlt. Westr. John Temple, Gen. Geo. Eden, Gen. 1557-8
Elizabeth.
1. „ Do. Francis Newdigate,Esq. Henry Clifford. 1558-9
Francis, 5th son of John Newdigate Esq. of Earefield, oo.
Middlesex and of Arbury, oo. Warwick, married Ann
(Stanhope) relict of Edward, the Protector Duke of So-
merset. He had been ' ' Unus generosorum hostiariorum ' '
to the Duke.
5. „ Do. JohnThynne,Knt. Stephen Hales, Esq. 1562-3
John Thjmne was secretary to the Duke of Somerset and
was knighted by him. He built the noble mansion at
Longleat, and died in 1 680. • He was lessee of the tythes
of the prebend of Bedwyn.
13. „ Do. Nicholas St. John, Esq. Thomas
Blagrave, Esq. 1570-1
Nicholas St. John, son of John St. John, was of Lydiard
Tregoz, oo. Wilts, and ancestor of the Viscounts Boling-
broke.
Thomas Blagrave of Bulmarsh Court, near Sunning, oo.
Berks, married Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony Hunger-
ford of Down Ampney. He was father of John Blagrave,
a great mathematician. (Wood's Ath. Oxon, ii. 96.)
At the time of his election, Mr. Blagrave was owner of
the tythes of the prebend of Bedwyn and he sold them
to the Earl of Hertford in 1594.
14. „ Do. Simon Bowyer, Gent. George Ire-
land, Gent. 1571-2
27. „ Do. Richard Wheeler, Esq. Roger
Puleston, Gent. 1584-5
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 297
A.R. A.D.
Roger Puleston sat for Flintshire in the 1st and 12th Jao.
I. The following funeral certificate probably relates to
him (MS. Harl. 2180, f. 14.) "Sir Roger Pulestyn of
Emerall in the county of Flynt, Knight, dyed on the
xvij ,th day of December 1618, and lyeth interred in Ores-
ford church in the county of Denbigh. He maryed Susan
the daught. of Sir George Bromleigh de Halone in the
county of Salop, Knight and Cheef- Justice of Chest',
sans yssue."
28. Parlt. Westr. Richard Wheeler, Esq. Roger
Puleston, Gent. 1585-6
31. „ Do. John Seymour, Esq. Henry
Uchtred, Gent. 1588-9
Henry Uchtred descended from Sir Henry Uchtred, Knt.
who married Elizabeth 2nd dau. of Sir John Seymour,
Knt., sister to Queen Jane. He was Sheriff for Hamp-
shire, 23 Eliz.
35. „ De. Tho. Hnngerford of Stoke, Esq.
James Kirton of Bedwin, Gent. 1592-3
James Kirton sat 43 Eliz. and 1 Jao. for Wells city.
39. „ Do. . Anth. Hungerford, Esq.
Fra. Castillion, Esq. 1596-7
Anthony Hungerford ofStokke Manor in Gieat Bedwyn,
afterwards of Black Bourton, co. Oxford, "sonne of An-
thony Hungerford, esquire, and Bridge tt his wife, was
haptized the xxix* day of October 1567," at Great Bed-
wyn ; second brother of Sir John, at that time head of the
Down Ampney branch. He was knighted at Whitehall
11 Dec, 1606. He married first, Lucy one of the co-
heirs of Sir Walter Hungerford of Farley Castle, and
their son was the Parliamentary Colonel, Sir Edward,
of Corah am, who in his will, says that he was "nursed
in the parish of Great Bedwyn." Sir Anthony of Black
Bourton married seoondly, Sarah dau. of John Crouch
of London, and had several children baptized at Bedwyn.
He died 27 June 1627, and was buried at Black Bourton.
Francis Castillion, afterwards knighted, was son of
John Baptist Caitillion, a Piedmontesc, who having been
of service to Queen Elizabeth, in her troubles, had the
manors of Benham Valence and Wood Spene, co. Berks,
granted to him in 1565. Sir Francis sold this property in
1630 to the trustees of Sir William Craven.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
298 Great Bedwyn-
A.R. A.D.
43. Parlt. Westr. Anth. Hungerford, Esq.
Lewen Monk, Esq. 1600-1
Levine Monk, Esq. was one of those created M.A. on
the King's visit to Oxford, 30 August, 1605. In 1612-13,
he was destined to aooompany the Lady Elizabeth to the
Palatinate, as secretary to the Commission for settling her
jointure. (See King James's Progresses, i.*556, ii. 601,
606.) Some of his letters ooour in Winwood's Memorials.
J AC. I.
1. „ Do. John Rodney, Esq.
'Anth. Hungerford, Esq. 1603-4
12. „ Do. Anthony Hungerford.
Giles Mompesson. 1614*5
Giles Mompesson of the Bathampton Wily family, was
knighted at Newmarket 18 Not. 1616. He married
Katherine, daughter of Sir John St. John of Lydiard
Tregoz. She died 28 Mar. 1633. He was degraded temp.
James I.
18. „ Do. Fra. Popham, Knt.
Giles Mompesson, Esq. 1620-1
Sir Franois Popham of Littleoot, Knt son of Sir John
Popham hy his wife Amy, heir of Robert Games of Casel-
ton, oo. Glamorgan. Sir Francis married Anne heir of
John Dudley of Stoke Newington, Esq., by whom he had
13 children.
21. „ Do. Hugh Crompton, Esq.
Wm. Cholmley, Esq. 1623-4
"Hue Crompton, gentilman, was buried the XXX th of
August 1645," at Great Bedwyn.
Car. I.
1. „ Do. John Brook, Knt. Wm. Cholmley, Esq. 1625-6
1. „ Do. John Selden, Esq. Maurice Berkley, Knt. 1625-6
John Selden was born 16 Dee. 1584 at Babington in Sus-
sex. The publio character of this distinguished scholar,
politician and antiquary, is too well known to call for
notice in this plaoe. In the last Parliament of James I.
he had been returned for Lancaster, but does not ap-
pear to have had a seat in Charles's first Parliament.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 299
A.R. A.D
— Anno 3 Car. I. he was returned for Ludgershall, and
Anno 16 Gar. I. for the University of Oxford. He pub-
lished Analeotum Anglo Britannienm, — England's Epi-
nomes, — Jani Anglornm faoies altera, — a Latin and
English Treatise on the Progress of English Law,— Titles
of Honour, — De Diis Syriis, — History of Tythes,— Mar-
mora Arundeliana, — Treatises on Jewish Antiquities, —
Mare oftusum, — De jure naturali et Gentium juxta Dis-
ciplinam Ebneorum, — Table Talk published posthu-
mously, and many productions of minor notoriety. His
works were collected and published in 3 vols, folio by
Dr. David Wilkins in 1726. He died 30 Nov. 16M,
at 70.
3. Parlt. Westr. Edward Kirton, Esq.
John Trevor, Jun. Knt. 1627-8
(This is the last entry in the MS. compiled from the Tower
Records.)
Edward Kirton sat in the Parliament of 21 Jao. I. for
Ludgershall, and in that of 16 Car. I. for Milbourne
Port His burial is thus entered at Easton, near Pew-
sey;— "1653-4, Edward Kirton, Officer to the Lord
Marquesse of Hertford, was buried Jan, 30."
A.D.
1640. 15 Car. I. Richard Harding, Esq. Charles Seymour, Esq.
Petition, April, 1640. Richard Harding and Charles
'Seymour, Esquires, were chosen, which was contested.
The account in the Journals is as follows: — "Mr. Jones's
second report from the Committee of Privileges, That the
election for this place did belong to the Bailiffs, Portreeves
and ancient Burgesses of the Town; that there were some
misdemeanors in one Franklin, that got the precept in
the Bailiffs hand, and caused a new Election for his own
ends, and Returned Burgesses under the hands of an offi-
cer, to whom the warrant was not directed. It was denied
on the other side, that the Election of Burgesses did be-
long to the ancient Burgesses of the Town, which were
the Bailiffs, Portreeves and those that had been officers of
the Town, and the Election wafc free to every one, that
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
300 Great Bedwyn.
A.D.
paid soot and lot. The Committee being not satisfied it
did belong to the ancient Burgesses by prescription, they
remitted the Election to the Inhabitants that paid scot
and lot, who chose Mr. Harding and Mr. Seymour.
Resolved : That in the opinion of the House, grounded
upon the whole Report now made fr Mr. Jones, Mr.
Harding and Mr. Seymour are well elected.
Charles Seymour, Esq. was the son of Sir Francis Seymour, who
was oreated Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, 19 Feb. 1641, by
Franoes coheir of Sir Gilbert Prinne of Allington, oo. Wilts.
Charles married first at Preshute, 4 Aug. 1632, Mary heir of
Thomas Smith of Soley, oo. Wilts, Esq., the parties being then
children. He married secondly, Elizabeth daughter of William,
first Baron Allington, by whom he had issue Francis and Charles,
who became fifth and sixth Dukes of Somerset He succeeded his
father as Baron Seymour of Trowbridge in 1664, and died in the
following year. He appears to be the only member of his family
deposited in the Seymour vault in Trowbridge Church. The
inscription on his coffin plate is as follows ; — "Corpus Caroli Dni
Seymour, | Baronis de Trowbridge; Obiit | Yioesimo quinto
Die Augusti | Ano Dni 1665, Su» Etatis 45." His widow mar-
ried Sir John Ernie, Knt, (See a subsequent note.)
1640. 16 Car. I. Walter Smith, Knt. Richard Harding, Esq.
This Parliament, commonly called " The Long Parlia-
ment," continued until the year 1660. At some period
during the interval, Henry Hungerford, Esq. and Edward
Harvey, Esq. were returned for Bedwyn in room of the
above.
Sir Walter Smith, knighted 25 April 1616, was of Shalbourne and
Great Bedwyn. He was buried at the latter place 28 April 1648.
In 1646 he was of the number of those adherents to the Royal
cause, whose projferty was amerced to the value of a tenth. He
paid the snm of £685, and £40 per ann. settled on the ministry.
Mr. Harding was one of those who voted against the Bill for the
attainder of Lord Strafford, 21 April 1641. Lord Strafford's friends
in the House were called "Straffordians," " betrayers of their coun-
try," and were threatened with punishment as enemies of justice.
Tbeir names were posted on a wall in Old Palace Yard, whioh
unusual proceeding had the effect of exciting against them the
indignation of the populace. There is a list of them in "Notes of
proceedings in the Long Parliament," published in 1845 by the
Camden Society, p. 57, &c.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 301
A.O.
After the murder of King Charles the First on the 30th
Jan. 1648-9, the government took the form of a republic,
and the style assumed was, "The Parliament of the Com-
monwealth of England." This lasted until Cromwell's
soldiers, at his command, expelled the members of the
House of Commons on the 20th April, 1653, 5 Car. II.
1653. 5 Car. II. July 4. Oliver Cromwell, exercising absolute
authority as General of the Army, convened "The Little
Parliament," the members of which were chosen by him-
self, a few from each county, and none from any cities or
boroughs, except London. Wiltshire sent three mem-
bers. This Parliament only held together until the 12th
December following.
1654. 6 Car. II. Sept. 3. Cromwell was now styled "Protector."
The Parliament convened at this time, consisted of re-
presentatives returned from counties, cities, and some
boroughs. Wiltshire sent ten. Cromwell dissolved this
Parliament on the following 22nd January, on account
of its not being sufficiently tractable.
1656. 8 Car. II. Sept. 17. No members were returned to this
Parliament, but such as were approved by Cromwell's
Council. Wiltshire returned ten as before. They were
dissolved 4 Feb. 1657-8, and on the 3rd Sept. in that
year (the anniversary of his great successes, at Dunbar
in 1650, and at Worcester in 1651), Cromwell quitted
the scene.
1658-9. 10 Car. II. Jan. 27. Henry Hungerford, Esq. Thomas
Manley, Esq. This Parliament was called by Richard
Cromwell, and dissolved by him on the 22nd April 1659.
He resigned the Protectorate at the same time, the Long
Parliament, convened in 1640, re-assembled on the 7th
May, but was again ejected on the 13th Oct. On the
25th Dec. it was once more restored, and after sitting
three months, the members "dissolved themselves on the
16th March 1659-60.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
302 Great Bedwyn.
A.D.
Henry Hungerford of Btanden, oo. Wilts, son of Sir Anthony
Hnngerford of Blaok Bourton, knt., by his second wife, Sarah
Crouch; and half brother of Sir Edward of Corsham and Farley.
He was baptized at Great Bedwyn 23 July 1611, died 23 May
1673, and was buried at Hungerford on the 29th. He was one of
the members exoluded from the House by that atrocious invasion
of Parliamentary rights, commonly called " Pride's Purge," the
prelude to the murder of the King.
1660. 12 Car. II. Robert Spencer. Thomas Gape.
" The Convention Parliament," which met on the 25th
April and prepared the way for the happy return of the
Monarch to his kingdom, 29 May.
Mr. Spencer and Mr. Gape's election was petitioned
against 16 May 1660. Mr. Turner reported that upon
examination of the fact, the question (upon the election
for this borough) being, whether the inhabitants in gene-
ral ought not to elect. The Committee were of opinion
that the Burgesses at large have a right to elect.
Resolved: That Mr. Spencer and Mr. Gape are duly
elected.
Mr. Gape was of an old family of that name at St. Alban's and
afterwards of Harpsfield Hall, oo. Herts, several of whom sat for
the borough of St. Alban in Parliament.
1661. 13 Car. II. Duke Stonehouse. Henry Clarke.
Petition 17 May 1661. Serjeant Carleton reported from
the Committee of Privileges, that Duke Stonehouse and
Henry Clarke, Esquires, are returned by one indenture,
and the said Mr. Stonehouse and Mr. Thomas Gape by
another: and the opinion of the Committee, Mr. Clarke,
being returned by the proper Officer, ought to sit: to
which the House agreed.
Duke Stonehouse was probably one of the family of Stonehouse
of Radley, oo. Berks, Baronets, originally of Kent; but his name
has not been met with in their pedigree. He died 9 Feb. and was
buried at Great Bedwyn 14 Feb. 1662. In this year a new Bo-
rough seal of silver (see plate p. 271,) was given to the Corporation
by Mr. Daniel Finch, eldest son of Sir Heneage Finch, Bart., af-
terwards Baron Finch, Earl of Nottingham and Lord Chancellor.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 303
A.D.
Perhaps Mr. Finch succeeded Mr. Stonehouse at Bedwyn, but
no evidence of the foot has been met with.
1678. 30 Car. II. Francis Stonehouse. John Deane.
Francis, son of Mr. Duke Stonehouse was baptized at Great Bed-
wyn 19 Oct. 1653, and was buried at Hungerford 8 June 1738.
He was of Oriel Coll. Oxford, B.A. 1674, M.A. 1676. He had
purchased Standen Hussey in 1719 and was of Hungerford Park
in 1729.
John Deane was of Oxenwood in the parish of Tidoombe, Wilts,
son of Mr. James Dean of the same place, Gent. His burial is
thus entered in the Tidoomb Register, "1694-5. Colonell John
Deane Esq' of Oxenwood buried January y 6 4 th ."
1679. 31 Car. II. Hon. William Finch. Francis Stonehouse.
The Hon. William Finoh was third son of Sir Heneage, Baron
Finch, afterwards Earl of Nottingham.
1681. 33 Car. II. . Sir John Ernie, Knt., Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. John Wildman.
The Right Hon. Sir John Ernie of Whetham, near Calne, knighted
in Not. 1665, Chancellor of the Exohequer and a Privy Council-
lor, was son of John Ernie, Esq. of Whetham, and a firm adher-
ent to the Stuarts. He was one of the gentlemen of Wiltshire
proposed by Charles 11. to be a knight of the Royal Oak in 1660,
a new Order of Knighthood projected on the Restoration but finally
abandoned. Sir John married first, in 1646, Susan daughter of
John Howe of Compton, co. Gloucester, Esq., and secondly in 1672,
Elizabeth, Lady Seymour, reliot of Charles, Lord Seymour of
Trowbridge, and had issue by both those Ladies. He died in
1697 and was buried at Calne.
1685. 1 Jac. II. John Lowder. Lemuel Kingdon.
A Lemuel Kingdon, Esq. was buried at St. Giles-in-the-Fields,
oo. Middlesex, from Great Russell Streeet, 19 Feb. 1685-6.
1688. 4 Jac. II. Sir Edmund Warneford, Knt. John Wild-
man, Sen.
Sir Edmund Warneford of Sevenhampton, co. Wilts, Knt., son of
Henry Warneford of Buckland, co. Berks, Gent., was baptized at
Great Bedwyn 29 Not. 1652, knighted 11 Nov. 1681. He was
ohosen High Sheriff for Wilts in 1683, and died in 1700, leaving
a daughter and heir Anne, married to Thomas Estoourt Creswell
of Sherston Pinkney, oo. Wilts.
1690. 1 Gul. and Mar. Sir John Raymond. Anthony, Viscount
Falkland.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
304 Cheat Bedwt/n.
AD.
1694. Francis Stonehouse loco Viscount Falkland deceased.
Anthony 4th Viscount Falkland was sworn of His Majesty's Privy
Council 17 March 1691, and died in the year 1694. He was
grandson of Lucius the distinguished Lord Falkland, who fell in
the Royal cause at Newbury, 20 Sept. 1643.
1695. 7 Gul. III. Sir Ralph I)elaval, Knt. Francis Stonehouse.
Presumed of Seaton Delaval, co, Northumberland, who became
the second Baronet of that House on the death of his grandfather
Sir Ralph Delaval. He married Diana 4th daughter of George,
first Baron Delamere, and died young in 1696, leaving an only
daughter.
1698. 10 Gul. III. Charles Davenant, D.C.L. Francis Stone-
house.
Petition: 12 December 1698, of Patrick Bird and John
Morgan, inhabitants of this Borough against Dr. Charles
Davenant. — Withdrawn. Petition of Thomas Neal, Esq.
to a similar effect. Mr. Neal died and thereupon,
Ordered that the Committee be discharged from pro-
ceeding in the said Petition.
Dr. Davenant eldest son of the celebrated poet, Sir William Da-
venant, was born in 1650 and died in 1714. He was appointed
joint inspector of Plays, about the year 1685, and subsequently a
commissioner of the Excise, in which post he did himself much
oredit in detecting abuses and improving the method of keeping
accounts. He was also eminent as a statistical writer.
Mr. Neal had sat in the House for Ludgershall for the last 20
years, and had been elected to represent that Borough in this
Parliament.
1700. 12 Gul. III. Charles Davenant, Doctor of Laws. Francis
Stonehouse.
1701. 13 Gul. III. Michael Mitford, merchant. Francis Stone*
house.
1702. 1 Ankjb. Hon. James Bruce, Francis Stonehouse.
The Hon. James Bruce was youngest son of Robert, Earl of Ailes-
bury and Elgin.
1705. 4 Anks. Nicholas Pollexfen. Sir George Byng, Knt.,
Vice Admiral of the Blue.
1705. Et. Hon. Charles, Lord Bruce, loco Vice Admiral Sir
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Eev. J. Ward. 305
A.D.
George Byng, who made his eleotion for Plymouth.
Petition: 2 Nov. 1705 of the Rt. Hon. Charles, Lord
Bruce and the Hon. James Bruce, complaining of an un-
due return of Sir George Byng and Mr. Pollexfen by
bribery and other corrupt practices. — Petition withdrawn.
Sir George Byng, the distinguished Naval Officer, son of John
Byng, Esq., was born at Wrotham 27 Jan. 1663, knighted by
Queen Anne 22 Oct 1704, created a Baronet in 1715 and a Peer
in 1721, as Baron Byng of Southill and Viscount Torrington.
He was also K.B. Rear Admiral of Great Britain, Treasurer of
the Navy, and in 1727 First Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
in which office he died 17 Jan. 1732-3, and was buried at Sout-
hill, oo. Bedford.
Charles, Lord Bruce was the only surviving son of Thomas,
Earl of Ailesbury and Elgin, and was born 29 May 1682. He was
summoned to the House of Peers in his father's barony of
Whorlton in 1719, and suooeeded to the Earldoms in 1741. On
the 17th of April 1746, having no male heir, the King created
him Baron Bruoe of Tottenham, co\ Wilts, with remainder to his
nephew Thomas Bruce Brudenell. He died 10 Feb. 1746-7.
1707. 6 Annjb. May 1. Et Hon. Charles, Lord Bruce. Nicho-
las Pollexfen, Esq. Mr. Pollexfen being disabled by
being made a Commissioner of Prizes, a new writ was
ordered 18 Nov. 1707.
1707. Tracy Pauncefoot, Jun. (not duly elected). Nicholas
Pollexfen, Esq.
Petition : 4 Dec. 1707, of Nicholas Pollexfen, Esq.
against Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot for bribery and undue
practices. 22 Dec. Mr. Compton reported that the right
of election was agreed to be in the freeholders and inhabi-
tants of ancient burgage messuages. The poll was, for
Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot, — 68 ; — for Mr. Edward Paunce-
foot, 29 ; — for the Petitioner, 22 : that eight voters of
Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot's, and one of Mr. Edward Paunce-
foot's, were admitted to be unqualified, living in houses
erected on new foundations. As to bribery, several wit-
nesses were called : — Richard Bartholomew said, he was
called out of his bed on Sunday night 23rd Nov. to go to
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
806 Great Bedwyn.
A.D.
Monday's, at the King's Head ; and when he came, he
found many of his neighbours there ; and it was proposed
to set their hands to a writing to join at the Election of
Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot, and £3 a man was offered ; but
some insisted to have £4, but it was answered that £3
was a pretty deal of money for the time this Parliament
was like to continue, and so £3 a man was agreed to. —
Nalder and seven others said, they were sent for between
2 and 3 o'clock at night to Munday's, and were called
up stairs, and a writing was offered to them to sign, to
choose Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot : that there was in the room.
Captain Hall and Mr. Hall and a person, whose name
they did not know ; that they received two guineas and
seventeen shillings in silver from the nameless person,
and when they received it, they saw a great sum on the
table divided into parcels. Bezant said, that about 60
were called up into the room, one by one, but some that
were so called, voted for the Petitioner. They then pro-
duced a note under Mr. Tracy Pauncefoot's hand as fol-
lows: — "Nov. 6, 1707, I promise to pay Mr. Bushell or
order, the sum of Forty nine pounds, on demand, value
received, T. Pauncefoot." It was endorsed, "John Bush-
ell," who, they alleged, was a leading man in the town,
and that the money was given him for his interest. Upon
the whole, the Committee resolved, " That Tracy Paunce-
foot, Esq. was found not duly elected, and he was ordered
into custody for bribery and corruption, as also John
Bushell, Gent, his agent." — " That Nicholas Pollexfen,
Esq. was duly elected."
The Paunoefoot8 were of Witham, oo. Lincoln, descended from a
long line of ancestors seated at Hasfield, co. Gloucester, Bentley
and Compton Pauncefoot, oo. Worcester, and at Cowern, oo. Here-
ford. They are now represented hy the Pauncefoot-Duncombes
of Great Brickhill Manor, oo. Bucks, and of Witham on the Hill,
oo. Lincoln.
1708. 7 Ann*. July 8. Charles, Lord Bruce. Samuel Sam-
broke, Esq.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 307
A.D.
Petition: 23 Nov. 1708, of Tracy Pauncefoot, Esq. against
Samuel Sambroke, Esq. for bribery, &c. — Withdrawn.
Samuel Vanaker Sambroke, son of Sir Jeremy Sambroke of Gobions
in North Minims, oo. Hertford, and Lord of Erith, oo. Kent, knt.
succeeded in 1710, after his father's death, to his uncle, Sir John
Yanaker, whose brother, Sir Nicholas Vanaker, a Turkey merchant
in London, had been created in 1700 a baronet with remainder,
first to his brother, John Vanaker, and then to Jeremy Sambroke
and their heirs male. Sir Samuel died in Chancery Lane, 27 Deo.
1714, and was buried at Edmonton.
1710. 9 Ann*. Not. 25. Charles, Lord Bruce. Sir Edward
Seymour, Bart.
1711. Thomas Millington, Esq. loco Lord Bruce, who made his
election for Marlborough, and a new writ was ordered for
Bedwyn 9 June 1711.
Sir Edward Seymour, Bart, was the son of Sir Edward, Speaker
of the House of Commons in 1678, &o. He married Letdtia, dau.
of Sir Francis Popham, K.B., and died in Jan. 1740, aged 80.
Thomas Millington, son of Sir Thomas Millington, M.D. Pre-
sident of the College of Physicians, who died in 1703-4, leaving
to this only son, an estate of £2000 per ann. (Le Neve's mem.)
1713. 12 Anna. Nov. 12. Sir Edward Seymour, Bart. Thomas
Millington, Esq.
1715. 1 Quo. I. Mar. 17. Stephen Bisse, Esq. William Sloper,
Esq.
■ Stephen Bisse was a Commissioner of the Equivalent, also a Com-
missioner of the Victualling Office.
1722. 8 Geo. I. May 10. Hon. Robert Bruce. Charles Longue-
ville.
Petition: 25 Oct. 1722, of several of the Burgesses of this
Borough complaining of an undue return of Mr. Bruce
and Mr. Longueville by partiality of a smith, who acted
as Portreeve; and other illegal proceedings. — No Report.
At this eleotion there were six candidates for the representation
of Great Bedwyn; viz. Robert Bruce, Esq. — Charles Longueville,
— Stephen Bisse, — John Hopkins, — John Tyssen, — and Robert
D'Oyley. (Commons' Journal, xx. 44.)
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
308 Or eat Bedwyn.
A.D.
The Hon. Robert Bruoe, was brother to Thomas, Earl of Ailes-
bury and Elgin, and to James Bruce, mentioned above. He died
in May 1729, aged 62.
1727. 1 Geo. II. Nov. 28. George, Viscount Lewisham, declared
not duly elected 26 Mar. 1728. Sir William
Willys, Bart.
1728. William Sloper, Esq. loco Viscount Lewisham.
1732. Francis Seymour, Esq. loco Sir William Willys, who died,
and a new writ was ordered 21 April 1732.
Lord Lewisham, son of William first Earl of Dartmouth, died of
small pox in 1732, before his father, leaving a son, who inherited
the title, and two daughters, one of whom, Anne, married James
Brndenell, afterwards 5th Earl of Cardigan.
Sir William Willys was the 6th Baronet of Fen Ditton in Cam-
bridgeshire. He died 14 April 1732, when the Baronetcy expired.
His estates were afterwards sold to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough.
Franois Seymour was seeond son of Sir Edward, before men-
tioned, and was of Sherborne, oo. Dorset. He was baptized at
Easton, near Pewsey, 1 Oct. 1697, and was buried at Maiden
Bradley 2 Jan. 1762. In the next Parliament he sat for Marl-
borough.
1734. 8 Geo. II. June 13. William Sloper, Eaq. Col. Robert
Murray.
Petition: Jan. 1735, of John Crawley and Abel Ketelby,
Esqrs. — No Report.
1738. Edward Popham, Esq. loco Col. Robert Murray deceased.
The new writ was ordered 29 March 1738.
William Sloper was at this time deputy Cofferer of His Majesty's
Household.
. Robert Murray was Colonel of a Regiment of Foot, and a Bri-
gadier General.
John Crawley was of Stockwood in the county of Bedford. He
afterwards sat in this, and again in the next Parliament for Marl-
borough.
Edward Popham, Esq. of Littleoot, who sat in the four next
Parliaments for the County of Wilts.
1741. 15 Geo. II. June 25. Sir Edward Turner, Bart. D.C.L.
Lascelles Metcalf, Esq.
Sir Edward Turner, Bart, of Ambrosden, oo. Oxford, and a mem-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 809
A.D.
ber of Lincoln's Inn, was ton of Sir Edward the first Baronet, also
of Lincoln's Inn and Director and Chairman of the East India
Company. The son was born in 1719, and was oreated at Oxford
M.A. in 1738, and D.C.L. 23 Aug. 1744. He inherited large for-
tunes from his great uncle Edward Turner and his uncle John
Turner, of Sunbury, oo. Middlesex, Esqrs,
1747. 21 Gtbo. II. Aug. 13. William Sloper, Esq. Laacelles
Metcalf, Esq.
Double return of Sir Edward Turner, Bart, and William
Scott, Esq., and of William Sloper and Laacelles Metcalfe,
Esquires.
Petition against eaoh return, each candidate claiming
the right to be returned, and the majority of votes. It
appeared upon the evidence (Dec. 7) that the double re-
turn was made by consent of the Candidates, and further,
that this measure proceeded from some confusion in tak-
ing the poll, but the precise question is not stated. It
was tried at the Bar of the House, and the question, that
the return should be considered separately from the me-
rits, was negatived.
Sir Edward Turner and Mr. Scott were found not duly
elected.
William Scott, Esq. was Equerry to H.R.H. Frederick, Frinoe of
Wales.
1754. 28 Gbo. II. Nov. 14. Sir Robert Hildyard, Bart. William
Sloper, Esq.
1756. The Hon. Robert Brudenell loco William Sloper, Esq.
made a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations, and a
new writ ordered 4 Deo. 1756.
Sir Robert Hildyard was tbe third Baronet of Winestead in Hol-
derness. He married in 1738 Maria Catharina, heir of Henry
D'Aroy of Sedbury, Esq., by whom he had a son Robert D'Arey,
on whose death in 1814 without issue, the Baronetcy expired.
1762. 3 Geo. III. Thomas Cotes, Esq. William Woodley, Esq.
1766. William Burke, Esq. loco William Woodley, Esq. who
accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new writ was
ordered 6 June 1766.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
310 Great Bedwyn.
A.D.
1767. Sir Thomas Fludyer, Knt. loco Thomas Cotes, Esq. de-
ceased, a new writ having been ordered 24 Nov. 1767.
Thomas Cotes, Esq. was a Vice Admiral of the Red and an Elder
Brother of the Trinity House.
William, son of John Burke, Esq. of London, a near relative of
the celebrated statesman, Edmund Burke, and an intimate friend
of the Earl Verney, was educated at Westminster and at Ch.
Ch. Oxford, where he took the degree of B.C.L. 31 May 1755.
Mr. Burke, who had been Secretary to the Island of Guadaloupe
and afterwards Under Secretary of State, first for the Southern
Department, and then for the Northern, went in 1777, by overland
route, to Madras, with despatches for Lord Pigot, who, on Mr.
Burke's arrival was dead. He returned to England as agent to
the Rajah of Tanjore, in whose behalf he laboured successfully
with the home authorities. In 1779 he went back to India, and
was appointed Deputy Paymaster General of the King's troops,
and in 1782, Commissary General of the Forces in the East In-
dies. He came home in 1793, without having amassed a fortune,
but with his health much impaired. He died in 1798. (Alumni
Westms. p. 341.)
Sir Thomas Fludyer was a merchant in London, knighted by
George III. in 1761. He was next brother to Sir Samuel Flud-
yer, Bart., Alderman of London and Lord Mayor in 1761, who
married for his second wife, Caroline daughter of The Hon. James
Brudenell, second son of Francis, Lord Brudenell, who died in
the life time of his father, Robert, second Earl of Cardigan.
1768. 9 Geo. III. May 10. The Hon. James Brudenell. The
Hon. Robert^Brudenell.
1768. William Burke, Esq. loco The Hon. Robert Brudenell,
who made his election for Marlborough, and a new writ
was ordered 13 May 1768.
1768. William Northey, Esq. loco The Hon. James Brudenell,
who accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new writ
was ordered 8 Nov 1768.
1770. William Northey, Esq. having been made a Commissioner
of Trade and Plantations, was re-elected on a new writ
ordered 12 April 1770.
1770. Benjamin Hopkins. Esq. loco William Northey, Esq. de-
ceased. The new writ was ordered 22 Dec. 1770.
The Hon. James and Robert Brudenell, second and third sons of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 311
A.D.
George, third Earl of Cardigan. Their eldest hrother was George,
fourth Earl of Cardigan, K.G., created in 1766 Marquis of Mont-
hermer and Duke of Montagu ; and their youngest hrother was
Thomas, second Baron Bruce of Tottenham, oreated in 1776 Earl
of Ailesbury. James Brudenell, horn 10 April 1725, was Master
of the Robes. He was oreated Baron Brudenell of Deane in 1780,
whioh dignity expired on bis decease. He succeeded his brother
in the Earldom of Cardigan and Barony of Brudenell of Stanton
Wyvill in 1790, and died without surviving issue 24 Feb. 1811.
Robert Brudenell, born 20 Oct. 1726, died 20 Oct. 1768. He was
Lieut. Governor of Windsor Castle, Colonel of the 4th regiment,
Groom of the Bedchamber to the Duke of York, and Vice Cham-
berlain to Her Majesty. His only son Robert, born posthumous
26 April 1769, succeeded as sixth Earl of Cardigan in 1811.
William, son of William Northey, Esq. of Compton Basset and
other manors in the oounty of Wilts, by Abigail, daughter of Sir
Thomas Webster of Battel Abbey, Bart, and grandson of Sir Ed-
ward Northey, who was Attorney General to Queen Anne, was a
Groom of the Bedchamber to George III. He was created D.C.L.
at Oxford 2 July 1754, was a Fellow of the Royal Society and
Lieut. Col. of the Wiltshire Militia. In the House of Commons
he was a distinguished member, espousing the cause of the Oppo-
sition in the eventful period, in which he lived. This William
Northey sold Compton Basset in 1761, but his descendants still re-
tain the manors of Box and Haselbury in this county.
Benjamin (Bond) Hopkins, Esq., had a considerable property
in the parishes of Great Bedwyn and Burbage, all of which, ex-
cept the manor of Wexcombe, he sold to the Earl of Ailesbury in
1787.
1774. 15 Geo. III. Nov. 29. James, Earl of Courtown. Paul
Methuen, Esq.
1774. James, Viscount Cranbourn loco James, Earl of Courtown,
who accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new writ was
ordered 4 Dec. 1774.
James, second Earl of Courtown, oo. Wexford, was created a Peer
of Great Britain in 1 794 as Baron Saltersford, co. Chester. He
married Mary, coheir of Richard Powys, Esq, of Hintlesham Hal],
co. 8uffolk, by Mary, daughter of George, third Earl of Cardigan.
Paul, son of Thomas Methuen of Bradford-on-Avon, Esq., by
Anne, daughter of Isaac Selfe of Benacre, Esq., purchased Cors-
ham House, co. Wilts. His relative Sir Paul Methuen, K.B.
the distinguished Minister in the reigns of Queen Anne and King
George, bequeathed to him the fine collection of pictures, which
now adorns the gallery at Corsham; but Corsham never belonged
to Sir Paul. Mr. Methuen died 1795.
2 U
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
912 Great Bedwyn.
A.D.
Viscount Granbourne was the only ton of James, sixth Earl of
Salisbury of the house of Cecil. He was created D.C.L. at Ox-
ford, 7 July 1773. He inherited the family title in 1780, was
created Marquis of Salisbury in 1789, and elected a Knight of the
Garter 12 June 1793, but not installed until May 1801. He died
13 June 1823.
1760. 21 Gw>. III. Oct. 31. Sir Merrik Burrell, Bart. Paul
Methuen, Esq.
1761. Paul Cobb Methuen, Esq. loco Paul Methuen, Esq. who
accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new writ was
ordered in Feb. 1781.
Sir Merrik Burrell, second son of Peter BurreU of Beckenham,
eo. Kent, Esq., by Isabella, second daughter of John Merrik of
Stubbers, oo. Essex, Esq., was of West Grinstead Park, Governor
of the Bank of England!, and created a Baronet 15 July 1766,
with remainder, in default of his own male issue, to Peter Burrell
of Beckenham, Esq. Sir Merrik died issueless in 1787.
Paul Cobb Methuen, son of the above Paul Methuen, was father
of Paul, raised to the Peerage in 1888, as Baron Methuen of
Corsham.
1784. 24 Gbo. EEL May 18. James, Marquis of Graham. Robert
Manners, Esq.
1789. James, Marquis of Graham, having been made Joint
Paymaster General of the Land Forces, and a new writ
ordered 31 July 1789, was re-elected.
James, Marquis of Graham, was the only son of William, seoond
Duke of Montrose, whom he suooeeded 23 Sept. 1790. He was of
Trinity College, Cambridge, and took the degree of M.A. in 1775.
He was installed a Knight of the Garter 21 March 1812, became
Lord Justice General of Scotland, Lord Lieutenant of the counties
of Stirling and Galloway, and Chancellor of the University of
Glasgow. He died 30 Deo. 1836.
Robert Manners, Esq. was son to Lord Robert Manners and
grandson of John, second Duke of Rutland, He was Lieut. Col.,
afterwards a General, in the Army, and one of His Majesty's
Equerries.
1790. 31 Geo. III. Nov. 25. James, Marquis of Graham. John,
Lord Doune.
1790. James George, Viscount Stopford, loco the Marquis of
Graham, who succeeded to the Dukedom of Montrose,
and a new writ was ordered 12 Deo. 1790.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 313
A.XJ.
1792. Edward Hyde East, Esq. loco Lord Donne, deceased. The
new writ was ordered 1 Feb. 1792.
1793. James George, Viscount Stopford having been made
Treasurer of His Majesty's Household, and a new writ
ordered 21 June 1793, was re-elected.
John, Lord Donne, second, bnt eldest surviving son of Francis,
eighth Earl of Moray, by Jane, eldest daughter of John, twelfth
Lord Gray, was born in Edinburgh 11 Feb. 1768, and died, un-
married, in his father's life time, 6 July 1791. He was buried at
Dunibrisal, on the ooast of Fife, N.B.
James George, Viscount Stopford, eldest son of James, second
Earl of Courtown, succeeded to the Earldom in 1810, and died in
1835.
Edward Hyde East, son of Edward East, Esq. of Whitehall,
Jamaica, was born in 1784. He was an eminent lawyer and
the author of the celebrated "Term Reports," "East's Reports,"
and of a work entitled " Pleas of the Crown." He was knighted
in 1812, on being appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Judicature at Caloutta, where he will be long remembered as
the founder of the Hindoo College. After his return to England,
he was created a Baronet, his patent bearing date, 25 April 1823.
He was a Privy Councillor and a Fellow of the Royal Society, and
died in 1847.
1796. 36 Ghso. III. Sept. 27. The Hon. Thomas Bruce. John
Wodehouse, Esq.
1797. Robert John Buxton, Esq. loco the Hon. Thomas Bruce,
deceased. The new writ was ordered 15 Deo. 1797.
The Hon. Thomas Bruce was third son of William, eighth Earl of
Kincardine; brother to Charles the ninth Earl, who inherited the
Earldom of Elgin on the death of Charles, Earl of Ailesbury and
Elgin; uncle to William Robert, and Thomas, the tenth and
eleventh Earls, the latter of whom was the celebrated collector of
the Elgin marbles, whilst Ambassador in Turkey. Thomas Bruce
was a Lieut. General in the Army and Colonel of the 16th regi-
ment of Foot.
John Wodehouse, Esq. was son of Sir John Wodehouse, the
seventh Baronet of Kimberley, oo. Norfolk, who was elevated to
the Peerage as Baron Wodehouse of Kimberley, on the 26 Oct.
1797. He succeeded his father in 1834, was appointed Lord
Lieutenant of the county, and Vioe Admiral of the Coast, of Nor-
folk, Colonel of the East Norfolk Militia, and Lord Steward of
Norwioh Cathedral. He died in 1846.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
314 Great Bedtcyn.
A.D.
Robert John, eldest son of John Buxton, Esq. of Chaxraons
Hall and Shad well Court, co. Norfolk, by Elizabeth, heir of John
Jacob, Esq. of Norton and Tockenham, co. Wilts, was born in
1753. He was one of William Pitt's intimate friends and firmest
supporters. On 25 Nov. 1800 he was created a Baronet and died 7
June 1839.
1801. 41 Geo. III. Feb. 2. Sir Robert John Buxton, Bart. The
Hon. John Wodehouse.
1802. 43 Geo. III. Nov. 12. Sir Robert John Buxton, Bart.
Nathaniel Holland, Esq.
1806. 47 Geo. III. Dec. 10. James George, Viscount Stopford.
James Henry Leigh, Esq.
1807. Sir Vicary Gibbs, Knt. loco Viscount Stopford, made Comp-
troller of His Majesty's Household, and a new writ ordered
13 April 1807.
James Henry, son of James Leigh, Esq. of Adlestrop and Long-
borough, co. Gloucester, by Lady Caroline Brydges, eldest daugh-
ter of Henry, Duke of jDhandos, by Mary, eldest daughter and
coheir of Charles, Earl of Ailesbury and Elgin, was born in 1765.
Mr. Leigh was afterwards of Stoneleigh Abbey, co. Warwick, and
father to Chandos Leigh, who in May 1839 was created Baron
Leigh of Stoneleigh. Mr. Leigh died 27 October 1823.
8ir Vicary Gibbs was eldest son of George Abraham Gibbs, a
surgeon at Exeter, and also of Clyst St. George, co. Devon (where
the family had possessed an estate from the time of Queen Eliza-
beth), by Ann, daughter and eventually coheir of Antony Vicary,
Esq. He was among the Alumni Etonenses of the year 1770, and
in due time became a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, B.A.
in 1775 and M.A. in 1778. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's
Inn, became Recorder of Bristol, Solicitor General, and was
knighted 20 Feb. 1805, Attorney General in 1807, in which year
he was chosen a burgess in Parliament for the University of Cam-
bridge, having resigned his seat for Bedwyn. He was appointed
a Judge of the Common Pleas in 1812, Lord Chief Baron of the
Exchequer in 1813, and in the same year Lord Chief Justice of
the Common Pleas. This office he resigned in 1818 in conse-
quence of ill health, and died on the 8th Feb. 1820. He was buried
at Hayes in Kent where he had purchased an estate. He married
Frances Cerjat H umbers tone Mackenzie, sister to Lord Seaforth,
by whom he had one child, Maria, now widow of General Sir
Andrew Pilkington.
1807. 47 Geo. III. May 11. James Henry Leigh, Esq. Sir John
Nicholl, Knt.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. J. Ward. 316
A.D.
The Bight Hon. Sir John Nicholl, Knt., D.C.L., F.R.S., of Mer-
thyrmawr, co. Glamorgan, who represented this Borough for so
many years, was second son of John Nicholl, Esq. of Llanmaes,
co. Glamorgan. He was born 16 March 1759, was educated at
Cowbridge and Bristol Sohools, became in 1775, Fellow of St.
John's College, Oxford, as founder's kinsman, and took the de-
gree of B.G.L. 15 June 1780, and D.C.L. 6 April 1785 In the
latter year he was admitted an advocate in Doctor's Commons,
and in 1798 appointed His Majesty's Advocate General, when he
was knighted. In 1809 he was raised to the office of Dean of the
Court of Arches and Judge of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury,
and he was sworn of the Privy Council. In 1821, towards the
latter end of the year, he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, in order
to stand for the University of Oxford in the room of Sir William
Scott, created Baron Stowell, but the suffrages were in favour of
Bichard Heber, Esq. In 1833 he was appointed Judge of the
Admiralty Court, and was allowed to hold his other offices in
commendam. He died after a long and eminently useful life, on
the 26 August 1838.
1812. 52 Gbo. III. Oct. 10. James Henry Leigh, Esq. The
Bight Hon. Sir John Nicholl, Knt.
1818. John Jacob Buxton, Esq. loco James Henry Leigh, Esq.
who accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new writ was
ordered 21 Mar. 1818.
John Jacob Buxton, eldest son of Sir Robert John Buxton, Bart,,
mentioned above, was born 13 Aug, 1788, succeeded his father in
1839, and died 13 Oct. 1842.
1818. 58 Geo. III. June 16. The Right Hon. Sir John Nicholl,
Knt. John Jacob Buxton, Esq.
1820. 1 Gbo. IV. Mar. 6. The Right Hon. Sir John Nicholl,
Bint John Jacob Buxton, Esq.
1822. The Right Hon. Sir John Nicholl, having accepted the
Chiltern Hundreds, and anew writ being ordered 11 Feb.
1822, was re-elected.
1826. 7 Geo. IV. June 9. The Right Hon. Sir John Nicholl,
Knt. John Jacob Buxton, Esq.
1830. 1 Gul. IV. Aug. 2. The Right Hon. Sir John Nicholl,
Knt. John Jacob Buxton, Esq.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
316 Oreai Bedwyn.
A.D.
1831. 1 Gui* IV. Apr. 80. The Bight Hon. Sir John Nioholl,
Knt. John Jacob Buxton, Esq.
The notes to the above list have been taken in general from well known
sources, but some have been furnished by the kind favour of the Rev. Canon
Jackson, John Gough Niohols. Esq., and George £. Adams, Esq. J. W.
Page 284. II. — The Arms impaled with Seymour are not cor-
rectly described in the text. They should be given thus : —
1. Quarterly, Ermine and Gules, for Stanhope.
2. Vert, three wolves passant in pale Or, for Mallovell.
3. Sable, a bend between six cross croeslets Argent, for Long-
villiers.
4. Argent, three saltires engrailed Sable, for Lexington.
Additional Noto.
Under a.d. 1722, page 307.
Charles Longueville of the Temple, Esq., was Auditor to Caroline,
Queen of George II., and son of William Longueville, Esq.
a younger branch of the Wolverton family. He sat after-
wards for East Loe in Cornwall.
Under a.d. 1734, page 308.
John Crawley, Esq. married in 1740, Susannah, daughter of Sir
Samuel Yanaker Sambroke, Bart.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
317
EXAMINATION OF
§amfo8 on % gcfons oi Ifartjj MUtsJjitt,
in 1853-57.
By John Thurnam, M.D., F.S.A.
|OST of the barrows on the North Wiltshire Downs have
been examined: some by Sir It. G. Hoare, some by his
eolleague Mr. Ounnington, and others by the late Dean Merewe-
ther; bat many by unknown and unqualified persons, who, whilst
they have defaced these ancient mounds, have left no record of their
operations. It is clearly the duty of those who engage in such
researches to describe them, and I have pleasure in responding to
the request of our Committee, that I would give some account of
the few barrows I have opened on these Downs, during the past sum-
mers. I will oommence with those near Shepherd's Shore, about
five miles to the north of Devizes.
1. The first is close to the London road at New Shepherd's Shore,
and immediately adjacent to the remarkable triplet barrow, exam-
ined in 1804 and 1814 by Mr. Ounnington and Sir It. C. Hoare,
the curious proportions of which are in course of gradual oblitera-
tion, by the foot-paths and trackways made across them to the
adjacent farmstead and cottages. 1 That we opened in 1855 is a
bell-shaped barrow about five and a half feet in height. In the
centre, in a shallow cist scooped out of the chalk rock, was a deposit
of burnt human bones, without an admixture of charcoal, or any
object of art or other relic It may be observed that when the
other barrows of this group, including two of those forming the
1 In June 1852, through the kindness of Mr. William Cunning ton, the writer
witnessed the large but unsuooessful excavation made in the large mound, the
more northern of this triplet, which had previously baffled Sir R. C. Hoare. See
Ancient Wilts, voL ii. p. 92. The external form of these curiously arranged
barrows is well described by Mr. Falkner of Devises, in the Arohs&ologia, 1847,
vol. xxxii. p. 457.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
318 Examination of Barrows on
triplet, were opened, they were also found to cover interments
after cremation.
2. This barrow is on Morgan's Hill just above Old Shepherd's
Shore, close to, and on the south of, the barrier of Wansdyke. It is
of the simple bowl-form and about three feet high. The turf over
it was perfectly smooth and appeared never to have been disturbed.
At a depth of three and a half feet, in an oval cist in the natural
surface of the chalk was the skeleton of a man, about thirty years
of age and probably six feet in height. The skeleton was in a con-
tracted position, with the head to the north, the knees drawn up
and the legs completely flexed behind the thighs. There was no
other relic of any kind. The skull (of which four views are given 1 )
is of full size, and had contained a brain weighing upwards of
53 oz. It approaches to the shortened-oval or brachycephalic
form. The forehead is narrow but moderately fall and high : the
nasal bones project most abruptly. The facial bones are of full
size and rugged. The ascending process of the lower jaw is broad
and rectangular. The teeth are large, one molar only having been
lost during life, from the effects of an alveolar abscess. Their
crowns are much worn, the eroded and hollow surfaces having an
oblique position. The thigh bones measured nineteen and a half,
and the leg bones (tibiae) fifteen and a half inches in length.
3. A large conical mound, with steep irregular sides and nearly
seven feet high, on the west of Morgan's Hill, close to the foes on
the north side of Wansdyke and just above its junction with the
Roman road from Cunetio. 2 A large shaft was sunk through the
centre to the depth of seven feet, but nothing was found excepting
some black wood ashes at two feet, and again at five feet. The
probable conclusion is, that this was a beacon or specular mound
commanding the extensive vale of the Avon, which spreads out below
1 We are indebted to Mr. J. B. Davis, F.8.A., for the use of these wood en-
gravings, which are taken from the Fourth Decade of the " Crania Britannioa,"
where a lithographed fall -sized profile view of this skull is also given.
a Shown in Hoare's Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. pi. 5, No. 2; and in Stukeley's
Abury, pi. 10. The mound described must have been close to the gibbet seen
in this last plate.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Guogfc
Digitized by
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North Wiltshire. 319
to the Roman Verlucio and the vicinity of Aquse Solis. An adja-
cent mound of similar form may be of the same character.
4. A very inconspicuous barrow on the northern slope of Mor-
gan's Hill, about half a mile to the north of that last described,
not laid down in the Ordnance or any other map I have seen. It
is about two feet in height, and had no marks of prior opening.
In the centre, in a round hole in the chalk, was a deposit of black
ashes, and beneath these a heap of burnt human bones, with which
were two beautifully barbed arrow heads and a rudely formed knife
or dagger, all of flint, very brittle and white, probably as the result
of incremation.
5. A small mound, still less conspicuous than No. 4, lying about
a stone's throw to the west and nearer the Roman road. At a
depth of eighteen inches, was a heap of burnt bones, apparently
those of a child, and with them some ill-formed and discoloured
flint flakes.
On the open Down below Morgan's Hill, and pointing towards
Oldbury, is a conspicuous group of barrows, chiefly of the bell- form,
and from eight to twelve feet in height. All bear traces of having
been opened; but as there is no record of the results, we dug into
two of them. The most southern is upwards
of seven feet high and remarkable for an en-
closing dyke of earth which surrounds its foss.
A few bits of burnt bone were thrown up,
and at a depth of about eight feet a half-
penny of the reign of George the Third, and
a square leaden plate, stamped
The fourth of the group is a small bowl-shaped barrow, in
which, at a depth of a foot and a half, were the fragments of
a very large wide-mouthed urn, of unusually black colour and
brittle texture. It was with difficulty in part restored, and
must when complete have been fifteen inches in height and
twelve inches in diameter. With it were many fragments of
burnt bones, and beneath the whole, one of Mr. Cunnington's lead
plates, of the same date as the other. It is hence probable that
the entire group was opened at that time, and it is to be regretted
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
OPEN'D
1804
w. c.
320 Examination of Barrow on
that no record of the investigation has been published: perhaps
such may remain in manuscript among Mr. Cunnington's papers
either in the Library at Stourhead, or in the possession of his
family. 1
A small low barrow on Pound Down, within a short distance of
1 It appears from the remarks of Sir R. C. Hoare (Ancient Wilts, voL i. p.
166, 173,) that "daring the early period of Mr. Cnnnington's researches, no
very regular account was kept of his discoveries," as at first " no idea was en-
tertained of prosecuting them to the extent" to which they were ultimately
carried, and " not the most distant thought was entertained of laying the result
before the public" Mr. Cunnington's claim to be the first accurate inquirer into
the sepulchral antiquities of Wiltshire, is repeatedly stated by Sir Richard Hoare,
who, referring to his death in 1810, calls him "the Alpha of his publication," — the
"Ancient Wiltshire," (vol. i. p. 173.) The first volume of these magnificent
folios, oommenoed in 1810 and published in 1812, is " appropriately dedicated"
to Mr. Cunnington, as " a tribute due to justice and friendship." In the dedi-
cation of the second volume to Sir Joseph Banks, in 1819- 21 , Sir R. C. H. says Mr.
Cunnington " fiist induced me to explore the ancient relics of the Britons,
and to him I chiefly owe the valuable information I have received from a
minute inquiry into the local antiquities of our county." In a later work, Sir
Richard repeats these acknowledgements, and observes that " it was reserved
for Mr. Cunnington of Heytesbury to investigate barrows in a more perfect
manner, and to prove that the primary interment was not near the top but al-
ways on the floor of the barrow, and generally in a cist out in the chalk."
(Tumuli Wiltunenses 1829, p. 3, 7.) Sir Richard Hoare associated himself with
Mr. Cunnington in these undertakings in 1804, when he agreed to bear the ex-
pense of further researches in the barrows (" Britten's Autobiography," vol.
i. p. 370.) ; and from this date an exact record of their joint and extensive labours
appears to have been kept. The name of Sir Riohard Hoare, whose —
"search
Has dived the Druid mound, illustrating
His country's annals, and the monuments
Of darkest ages,"— {Daye Departed," W. L. Bowles.)
merits indeed the place it must ever hold in connection with the most elaborate
investigations of ancient British antiquities yet made; as without his co-
operation there is no probability that they could have been prosecuted so exten-
sively, or given to the publio with such a profusion of costly illustration. The
Rev. Joseph Hunter, F.S.A. speaking of the "Ancient Wiltshire," may perhaps
somewhat underrate Mr. Cunnington's contributions, to at least, the first volume,
when he says, " In this great work Sir Richard Hoare is entitled to stand very
muoh alone as its author ; and it is but in that spirit of modesty, which was a
striking part of a character singularly gentle and amiable, that he assigns to
any other person any material share in the labour." (Salisbury Vol. Arch. Inst,
p. 20.) The only unavoidable regret, in connection with these researches into
the barrows, is that anatomical and ethnological science was not brought to
bear on the human remains, and especially the crania, which were so extensively
exhumed.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North Wiltshire.
321
the last group and nearly opposite the fifth mile-stone from De-
vizes, was also examined. This proved to be the one opened by
Sir R. C. Hoare August 11th, 1814, 1 which was the subject of
a lengthy poem, entitled "Beth Pennard, or the British Chief-
tain's Grave," 2 by the Rev. John Skinner, who with Dean Mere-
wether, 3 was present at the opening. From the terms in which
Sir Richard Hoare describes the situation of this barrow (in which
the richly ornamented earthen drinking cup, here figured, 4 was
found near the head of a skeleton)
it was at first by no means clear to
which he refers. Its identity with
that which we re-opened was how-
ever proved by the discovery of a
brass medal, inscribed
with the fragments of a skeleton in a cist, which had been exca-
vated to some depth in the chalk. Much poetical merit cannot be
claimed for Mr. Skinner's unpublished verses; from which, however,
"~ "~~ ~~ l Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. p. 92, No. 4. — — —
8 Wilts Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, vol. iv. p. 361, note.
8 " Proceedings Archaeological Institute, at Salisbury," 1849, p. 109. The
Dean's description of the locality is also ambiguous ; but one of Sir Richard's
11 pioneers," the octogenarian John Parker, perfectly remembers the barrow as
the one we re-opened. "Dr. Stukeley " says Sir R. C. Hoare, "has recorded
the merits of Reuben Horsall, the Town Clerk of Abury : and why should I
not do equal justice to those of our Heyteshury pioneers . . . John Parker
and his father Stephen, to the former of whom we feel much indebted for many
interesting discoveries." — Ancient Wilts, vol. i. p. 97.
4 For the use of the wood-cut of this cup, from the Catalogue of the Museum at
Stourhead, we are indebted to Messrs. Nichols and Sons, of Parliament Street.
The vase is here represented of about one-third its actual size.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
322 Examination of Barrows on
as referring to the opening of this particular barrow, and as con-
taining a complimentary allusion to Sir Richard Hoare, the follow-
ing lines may be quoted.
" Two feet beneath the verdant glade,
By Bards a narrow cist is made,
Tet ample to contain
Those listless limbs, in speed and force
Which rival'd ones the fleetest horse,
Light bounding o'er the plain.
• • • •
Now fill the hallowed cup of clay
With dew from Cromlech's summit grey,
Last night procured in looks of wool,
Fill it with care and fill it full.
Such beverage suits etherial sprite
Ere it ascends to realms of light.
Place it contiguous to the head
And o'er its mouth a oovering spread,
The liquid pure awhile to keep,
To guard it from the incumbent heap.
Two thousand years their course will fly
Before the vase be void and dry.
Then 'tis decreed — I hail the sign —
The grave its treasure must resign
To a kind Chief, who will revere
A ohieftain's relics buried here.
One who with us delights to ken
The ancient works of Celtic men ;
Who makes their labours by his own
Survive, when falls each magio stone,
Or roaming midst the hills and groves,
Views soenes which every Druid loves.
The cup our benefactor's hand
That time shall grace, when through the land
Soft peace and all her festive train,
By Britain hailed, shall smile again.
To him alone, by Belin's doom,
The gifted treasure of the tomb
Shall pass, to guard with constant spell
Each stream and shade, each hill and dell ;
That all his days may tranquil glide,
As his we place it now beside !"
There are several groups of barrows, mostly of small size, on
the Downs to the east of Shepherd's Shore, close to Wansdyke on
the north. The first of these, near the road, consists of three very
small mounds, two of which had been opened before.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Down* of North Wiltshire. 323
6. In the third, at a depth of two feet, was the skeleton of a tall
female in a shallow cist, in the usual contracted posture, with the
head to the north : under the turf were a few teeth of an ox. No-
thing else was found.
About a quarter of a mile to the east, on Roughridge Hill, are
two groups, the first consisting of four, the other of three low
mounds.
7. In the second of the first group, counting from the south, at
the depth of a foot, was a deposit of the burnt bones of a female or
young person. The other three had been previously opened by
Mr. William Cunnington, and all found to cover interments after
cremation.
In each of the more northernly group of three, we also found
deposits of burnt bones :
8. In the first, these were at the depth of between three and four
feet, mixed with a few ashes, and with fragments of sun-dried pot-
tery, of both the coarse and finer sorts. There were also two pins
of ivory, one of them tinged with bronze.
9. This yielded nothing beyond a heap of burnt bones, on the
surface of the chalk.
10. In this, at a depth of two feet, was a small deposit of in-
cinerated bones, with much burnt wood and ashes, and likewise a
small cup of ornamented but coarse sun-dried pottery, and a per-
forated bead of bone or ivory an inch long. At a distance of two
feet on the same level, was the jaw of a pig, and in another place a
bone or two of an ox.
11. A single barrow on the slope of the hill about half a. mile to
the north of the last, (marked on the Ordnance Map, but not on
those in "Ancient Wilts/') at the depth of two feet, yielded a few
burnt bones, a fragment of black pottery and a tooth or two of
an ox.
Further east, on the summit of Easton Hill, are a long barrow,
and one of a fine bell-shape.
12. In this last, at the depth of two feet, was a grooved pin of
bone two inches long, and a few scattered teeth and animal bones.
At six feet was a large pile of burnt bones, probably those of a
male ; and below and around these, a quantity of wood ashes.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
324 Examination of Barrows on
13. The long barrow, of moderate size, ranges almost due east
and west, has the usual slight trench on the north and south sides,
not continued round the west or east end, which last is the highest
and widest part of the mound. There were marks of former dig-
gings at the east end, near which a large opening was made down
to the natural soil. Here, were the scattered bones of four human
skeletons, two adult males, and two apparently young persons.
The teeth were much worn, the erosion being most marked on the
outer edges of the lower, and inner edges of the upper, teeth.
There were also a few chippings and fragments of Sarsen stones.
14. On Horton Down, about half a mile further east, is a single
barrow of low elevation, in which, at a depth of two feet, was a
simple deposit of burnt bones.
Still further east, on St. Anne's, or as it is commonly called,
Tan Hill, 1 to the south of Wansdyke and overlooking the villages
of Allington and All Cannings, are four barrows, all of the bowl
form, sur rounded by shallow trenches.
15. In the first of these, to the west, at a depth of three feet
and a half, were the burnt bones, apparently of a female or young
1 The vulgar name of Tan Hill has almost supplanted its proper designation
of St. Anne's Hill, by which it is still known on the Maps. The great annual
fair held here on old St. Anne's day, (Aug. 6th) is sufficient proof of the etymo-
logy, and of the unsatisfactory nature of the speculations of the late Canon Bowles
and others, by whom its name was connected with that of the Celtic Jupiter, Tar-
anis. — (Bremhill, 1828, p. 35 ; Hermes Brit. p. 14.) Stronger testimony may be
derivable from Anglo-Saxon charters of the 10th century, of Edward the elder,
Edwy and Edgar, in which, if Fosbroke's reading is to be accepted, mention is
made, in describing the boundaries of the adjoining parish of Stanton, of "Anne's
Thorn" and "Anne's Stone," probably on this very hill, (Hoare's Regist. Wil-
ton, p. 6; Cod. Dip. Nos. 335, 467, and 482). In.the 17th oentury, Aubrey
writes of "St. Anne's Hill" as "vulgarly called Tann Hill, where every yeare on
St. Anne's day (26 July) is kept a great fair, within an old camp." (Nat. Hist,
of Wilts, p. 114). Mr. Duke,^who thought the fair of St. Anne may have sue-
oeeded to the feruB of Diana, observes "the corruption of St. Anne's Hill to
Tan Hill is obviously thus, St. Anne's Hill— S'tan Hill— Tan Hill." (Druidical
Temples of Wilts, 1846, p. 9-5.) There can be little doubt that this hill has
been the site of pagan rites, but to what deity these were paid, there is, we
think, no proof. The Beltein may likely enough have been here celebrated ;
but these midsummer fires were especially in honour of the solar god, Belin.
The hill, it seems clear, derives its name from that of the patron saint of the
parish church (All Cannings) viz. St. Anne.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North WiiUhire. 325
person, and with them a small bead of bluish glass and three larger
ones with a pendant, all of jet.
16. In the most eastern, at the depth of a foot, was an urn of
ooarse red earth, holding from one to two gallons, and filled with
burnt human bones; the mouth inverted on a rough flat stone. The
urn was broken, but has been restored sufficiently to show its form
and size. On each side of the urn there is a deep orack, and on
each side of the cracks are neatly bored holes, evidently made for
the insertion of thongs or cords, by which the urn might be held
together and the further extension of the cracks prevented. The
two intermediate mounds had been previously opened ; but in one
of them was a circular chipped diso of flint, such as, though un-
usual in the Wiltshire barrows, are oommon in those of Yorkshire
and Derbyshire.
Three low barrows, between St. Anne's Hill and Milk Hill, on
the escarpment of the downs close to Wansdyke, were examined ;
in the first of whioh a few scattered bones of ruminants, and in the
third, traces of incinerated bones were alone met with.
17. In the second, at a depth of two feet, were bones and teeth
of sheep and oxen; at three feet two small pieces of deer's horn
and a fragment of coarse black pottery, and at four and a half feet,
two circular cists scooped out of the chalk rook, a foot or two apart,
each two feet and a half in diameter. These were filled with grey
ashes, with no distinot trace of burnt bone. Deposits of this kind,
to the exclusion of interments, properly so called, have before been
found in the barrows of Wiltshire, and are termed cineraria in the
descriptions of Sir R. C. Hoare.
On Walker's Hill, Alton-Priors Down, near the very large
long barrow, by whioh it is distinguished, 1 are three small mounds;
two of whioh disclosed marks of interment after cremation; they
had been previously opened. The smaller one was not examined.
11. A small barrow, under cultivation, somewhat more to the
west and not more than a foot in height, presented no trace of in-
terment, after careful investigation.
To the east of Walker's Hill is Enap Hill, having on its sum-
1 Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. pp. 12, 46. Salisbury VoL of the Arch. Inst p. 98.
X
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
326 Examination of Barrows on
rait a small defensive earthwork or camp. At the foot of this,
(close to the road to Kennet, and to the line of the old British
trackway which stretches by Avebury into Berkshire,) are two
defaced barrows connected by a dyke, extending sixty yards east
and west.
19. To the south of the eastern mound, is a small low barrow
not two feet in height. In digging into it, a few pieces of burnt
bone were found, and near the centre, the carelessly buried skele-
ton of an infant. On the west side of the barrow, in a narrow cist
in the chalk, more than six feet long, was the skeleton of an adult
female of large stature, stretched at length, the feet to the east, as
in Christian cemeteries at the present day;
" Mindful of Him who in the orient born
There lived, and on the oross His life resigned;
And who from out the regions of the morn
Issuing in pomp shall oome to judge mankind." 1
In the absence of any accompanying relic it is impossible to assign
a period to this last interment. From the traces of cremation,
however, it may be inferred that this was an ancient British bar-
row, which under peculiar circumstances had been used for the
interment of a woman and child in mediaeval times. Might it not
be the case of some unhappy infanticide or suicide, who, excluded
from the graveyard of the village church, had been taken for inter-
ment to this pagan burying place on the hill P
Within the area of the camp on Knap Hill, Sir R. C. Hoare
describes "two small barrows, and another on the outside." 9
20. This last, to the south-west of the earthwork, is not more
than a foot high. An opening, of at least three yards square, was
made in the centre; but excepting some animal bones near the
summit, nothing was found after a most careful search.
1 Wordsworth, it is true, here alludes to the orientation of churches; but
there can bo no doubt that similar views have determined the position of the
dead in Christian cemeteries. The great mediaeval ritualist, Durandus, thus
writes: "Debet autem quis sic sepeliri ut, oapite ad occidentem posito, pedes
dirigat ad orientem : in quo quasi ipsa positione orat et innuit quod, promptns
est ut de oocasu festinet ad ortum." De Divinis Officii*: quoted by Abbe Co-
ohet, Arch. vol. xxxvi. p. 261.
* Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. p. 12. Maps of Marlborough Station and of Wans-
ditch.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North Wiltshire, 327
21. The simple bowl barrow at the west end of the camp, is
about two feet high and surrounded by a slight trench. Near the
summit, were a few bones of a sheep and perhaps other rumi-
nants, such as are commonly found in this position in the barrows of
Wiltshire : they are probably the relics of funeral feasts or of
sacrifices over the graves. In the centre, was a circular cist in
the chalk rook, two feet in diameter and two feet deep, nearly full
of ashes and burnt bones, but without any other relic. At the east
end of the camp, the ground has been much disturbed by digging
for flints, and no trace of any barrow remains.
The downs and fields around Avebury abound with barrows;
this locus consecratus, like the later one of Stonehenge, being sur-
rounded by its primitive British necropolis. One of the most
remarkable groups is on Eennet or Overton Hill or Down, near the
site of the "sanctuary" and commencement of the Eennet avenue
which led to the great circle at Avebury, and a little beyond the
seventy-ninth milestone from London. There are about ten bar-
rows in all, seven of which are or have been of conspicuous size,
and must be those called the Seven Barrows (seofon beorgas) in an
Anglo-Saxon charter of the tenth century referring to Kennet.
{Cod. Dip. No. 571). The hill itself went by the name of "Seven
Barrowes Hill " as late as the seventeenth century, as appears from
a passage in the curious work, "A Fool's Bolt soon shot at Stonago." 1
Of this group, seven were opened by Sir It. C. Hoare about 1815.
The most southerly of the ten is a low mound, not examined by
Sir Richard, or numbered on his plan. 9 It is situated in a ploughed
land called "Mill-field," where was the double circle of the "sanc-
tuary," which field was enclosed in 1685, as we learn from the
curious letter of Dr. Toope of Marlborough. Here, close to the
sacred circles, a large number of skeletons were found, with "the
1 Collected and published by Hearne, with Langtoft'a Chronicle, in 1725, and
usually attributed to a Mr. John Gibbons. I am, however, indebted to the Rev.
Canon Jackson for the information, that a note preserved among the Aubrey
MSS., at the Bodleian, shows it to have been written by a Mr. Jay of Nettle-
combe, Somersetshire, who died about the year 1675.
2 Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. p. 70, pi. x. A view of this group of barrows, with
a distinct representation of the triplet in the centre, is given by Stukeley. A bury,
pi. xxix. p. 56.
2x
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
328
Examination of Barrows on
feet intending the temple." The Doctor obtained from this spot
" many bushels " of bones, of which he says, " he made a noble medi-
cine that relieved many of his distressed neighbours!" Cranium ko-
minis has now lost its reputation, even in epilepsy; and if, at the
present day, a skull be removed from an ancient barrow, it is for pre-
servation in the cabinet of the anatomist; where it is treasured for
the purposes of science. The low mound in this field is perhaps the
base of the barrow, which Dr. Stukeley says was levelled for plough-
ing, in 1720, in which was found an unburnt skeleton " within a
bed of great stones forming a kind of arch," and with it " several
beads of amber, long and round, as big as one's thumb end, and
several enamelled beads of glass, some white and some green." 1
View from " Seven Barrow Hill," Overton Down, showing the village of West Kennet,
SUbury Hill, and a restoration of the Double Circle and Avenue of Stones leading
to the Great Circle at Avebury. (From a sketch by Mr. J. WaylenJ
Our excavation, in 1854, disclosed deep trenches in the chalk and
bits of old fashioned pottery, several large nails, and a ring or loop
of iron. If not the remains of the barrow described by Stukeley,
it may perhaps have been the site of a windmill removed before
the time of Aubrey, and whence the name of the field.
1 Abury, p. 44.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North Wiltshire. 329
We re-opened the large barrow, Ko. 1 on the plan of Sir R. C.
Hoare, in which he found the large skeleton of a man, " the chief,"
as he supposed, "of the clan that inhabited these downs," interred
in "the post of honour adjoining the sacred circle." Near the head,
were a small celt, a pin with a handle, and the blade of a small
Blade of Knife or Lance, Pin, and Celt of Bronze.— Actual size.
lance (or knife) all of bronze. The skeleton was in the contracted
position, but did not as usual range north and south, but east and
west, the feet being to the west — the reverse of the position in
Christian cemeteries ; reminding us of thq passago in Cymbeline
(Aot iv. se. 2.), where Shakespeare makes Guiderius say of the sup-
posed corpse of Imogen,
" Nay Cadwal, we must lay his head to the east :
My father hath a reason for't."
The skull was well preserved, and has been described and figured
in the "Crania Britannica;" and the whole skeleton justified the
statement of Sir R. C. Hoare, who says it was "ono of the most
perfect interments he had ever found." 1
1 Ancient Wilts, vol. ii. pp. 90, 91.
Digitized by VjOOQlC
330 Examination of Barrow on
The other barrows of this group, opened by Sir Richard, yielded
interments after cremation. Three of the number, of an elegant
bell-form, are curiously united within a common trench, having a
sort of hour-glass shape. Twin barrows thus united are not un-
common, but a three-fold union is very rare; indeed the only other
example, with which we are acquainted, is that at Shepherd's Shore,
already referred to. Two of those forming the triplet on Overton
Hi ll are large barrows (Nos. 3 and 4 on Sir R. C. Hoare's plan,)
with an elevation of upwards of ten feet, whilst the intermediate
mound is not more than three feet high. In each of the large
barrows, was a deposit of burnt bones; in one, on the surface of the
chalk, in the other, in a oist scooped out of it ; and with these, in
one (No. 4) a small "lance-head" of bronze and a bit of ivory, sup-
posed to have belonged to its sheath or handle; of the wood forming
which there were traces. There was also, in this last, a secondary
interment of burnt bones in a large rude urn, about two feet from
the summit. The small central mound is not numbered as a
barrow on the plan, and was not examined by Sir Richard, who
perhaps did not regard it as a barrow.
22. In August 1854, it was found, on opening, to contain a
deposit of burnt bones in a shallow cist, and a rude bone pin nearly
five inches in length, which had likewise passed through the fire.
The bones were of small size, probably those of a female. The
three barrows doubtless formed a family sepulchre, that perhaps of
two brothers, with the wife of one, or perhaps of both of them, in
the centre. 1
Attention was next directed to the miniature mounds in this
group, immediately to the north of the Roman road, and to the
south of the barrow numbered 6, on the plan of Sir R. C. Hoare.
It was extremely doubtful, from their form and trifling elevation,
whether any of these were sepulchral. In the most southern no-
thing whatever was found. The second was not examined. In
the third, of rather larger size, at a depth of less than two feet,
were a few bits of decayed bronze, of doubtful purpose, and two or
1 The Britons were poly androus, as we learn from Caesar, (b.o. lib. v. c. 14.)
"Uxores habent * # # inter se communes, ot maxime fratres oum fratribus,"
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Dawns of North Wiltshire. 331
three fragments of black pottery, with a thin coin the size of half-
a-crown, which fell to pieces on removal. There were also some
ashes and slight traces of burnt bones.
23. A disc-shaped, or so called, "Druid's" 1 barrow, on the brow
of the hill, a little to the north of that numbered 7, by Sir It. 0.
Hoare, was examined. It is figured by Dr. Stukeley, in Tabs. xix.
and xxii. of his " Abury." After digging down to the undisturbed
chalk in the small central mound, nothing whatever was discovered
to indicate its having been used for sepulchral purposes.
24. To the south of this last, directly above West Kennet, are
two barrows, in a ploughed field called "Eight Acres." Some
years since, several projecting sarsen stones, we were told, were
removed from the summit of the most northern, when the skeleton
of a small horse with his iron shoes, 3 and three or four large urns
full of burnt bones were uncovered. In 1857, the skeleton of a
child, of two or three years, was found at a depth of about two
feet, with fragments of burnt bones, a bit or two of coarse pottery,
and the perforated head of a bone pin. Towards the south side of
our large excavation, several large sarsen stones were uncovered,
beneath which, at a depth of two and a half feet, lay an entire
skeleton of small size, in the contracted position, with the head to
the west, probably that of an aged female. The form of the skull
is remarkably similar to that of the large man found in the neigh-
bouring barrow, described above. (No. 1 on Sir It. C. H.'s plan.)
The other barrow of larger size was excavated to a depth of more
than seven feet, before reaching the chalk rock, and yielded nothing
but a tine of deer's horn. We were afterwards informed that, many
1 It is much to be regretted that this ill-founded designation of Stukeley's
(Stonehenge, pp. 10, 45,) should have been adopted by Sir E. C. Hoare; especi-
ally as he had come to the reasonable conclusion, from their contents, that the
barrows so called were the burial places of females. (Ancient Wilts, vol. i. p.
21 ; vol. ii. p. 110.) The designation of disc-shaped, which we propose for them,
seems sufficiently to express their form, which resembles a circular flat dish, sur-
rounded by a deep rim, presenting, sometimes, one or two slight eminences in the
centre.
3 As neither the Britons nor Romans used horse-shoes, this skeleton must
have been a secondary deposit, possibly of late date.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
332 Examination of Barrows on
years since, nearly a bushel of burnt ashes had been accidentally
discovered, under a large sarsen stone in this barrow.
A few barrows, which have been opened on the Downs of South
Wiltshire, may also be noticed. Near West Everley, on the south
side of the road to Andover, and about a mile to the west of the
village, are three low barrows in a ploughed field, which were
opened in 1853. Nothing was found in the two smaller; but in
25. the third and central mound, which was between three
and four feet in height, was a small deposit of burnt bones, some
charcoal and a small bit of soft reddish pottery.
On the down, about a mile to the north of those last described,
and close to the traok between Pewsey and Everley,' are two very
fine bell-shaped barrows placed close to each other ;* and in front
of these, one disc-shaped, or so called, "Druid's" barrow, and behind
and to the north, a small mound, probably not sepulchral, both of
whioh last were dug into, without result.
26. The most eastern of the bell-shaped barrows is upwards of
thirteen feet in elevation; and in this, in a slight cist scooped out of
the chalk, was a large deposit of burnt bones, probably those of a
man, unaccompanied by urn, weapons, or ornaments; and proving,
as Sir Richard Hoare often found, that " we must not judge of the
contents by the form of a barrow. Fronti nulla fides."* The up-
per part had been used in later times for a secondary interment ;
the skeleton of a tall man being met with, about a foot from the
summit, laid at full length and with the head to the south. The
arms were close to the sides of the skeleton; the thigh bones
measured nineteen and a half inches. The skull has an ovoid form,
the orowns of the teeth are flatly eroded; and, notwithstanding the
discovery of a few fragments of coarse Roman pottery close by, the
interment may be attributed to the Anglo-Saxon period.
27. The more western barrow is not quite so high as the eastern.
At the depth of about eleven and a half feet, was a heap of burnt
bones, apparently those of a man ; and with these a small bronze
1 These fine barrows are not referred to by Sir Kiohard Hoare, in his acoount of
the tumuli of this district. They are close to the south side of the " very per-
fect oblong earthen work/' described by him. Ancient Wilts, vol. i. p. 190.
• Tumuli Wiltun. p. 33. Ancient Wilts, vol. i. pp. 46, 166, 210.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Dawns of North WitUhire. 333
blade three inches in length, retaining one of the rivets by which
it had been attached to its handle, and altogether similar to that
figured at page 329. Adjoining the burnt bones, was a pile of
grey ashes mixed with wood oharcoal. No secondary interment was
discovered in this barrow.
The two groups of barrows above described, are clearly those
alluded to in a survey of "The Manor of Everleigh," of the
time of Elizabeth, printed in this Magazine, by Charles E.
Long, Esq. -, 1 where they are named as follows : — " Thence
westwarde by the boundes as they lie to a bound on the west side
of the iij burrowes w c h devideth this mannor and Uphaven, where-
hence northwestwarde followinge the balkes and merestones to a
balle without the two burrowes nere adioyninge to Pewsey waie,
therehence north warde to Carrell Pitt, from thence to Popplestone,
deviding this mannor, Pewsie and Milton."
In the preceding paper, the writer has described twenty-seven
barrows, in addition to others opened and described by former in**
vestigators. If from these be deducted one specular mound (No. 3),
one long barrow apparently before opened (No. 13), three tumuli
in which, if not of the nature of cenotaphs, the interment must have
been overlooked (Nos. 18, 20, 23), there will remain twenty-two
in which the original interment seems to have been found. In
three only of the number, this consisted of the entire skeleton, in
the primitively contracted position. In the large proportion
of nineteen, there was distinct evidence of the practice of crema-
tion; in one of these a cinerarium alone was found (No. 17), in
another the burnt bones had been collected into an urn (No. 16),
whilst in the remainder they had been simply deposited in a
heap on the surface, or in a more or less superficial cist, scooped out
of the chalk. In two cases, the mound originally devoted to
burial after cremation, had, in a later age, been resorted to for the
interment of an entire body stretched at length. (Nos. 19 and 26).
In seven only of the whole number, and these barrows containing
interments after cremation, were there the remains of personal
~~~ , Ant€f p 194
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
334 Examination qf Barrows on
ornaments, weapons, or other relics. In one of these were beauti-
fully barbed arrow-heads and a knife of flint, (No. 4. ); in three,
pins of bone, (No. 8 — in which there was also an earthen cnp^-12,
22) ; in one, pins of ivory (No. 9), in one, beads of jet and glass
(No. 15); and in another, a small blade of bronze (No. 27).
The researches of the writer in the barrows of North Wiltshire,
like those of Dean Merewether in the same district, in 1849, 1 con-
firm the observations of Sir Richard Hoare, who tells us that he
found in them " no oostly ornaments of jet, amber, or gold," such
as "so often had rewarded his labours in the Southern district of
the county/ 19 Sir Richard hence draws an inference as to the
" very high antiquity " of the tumuli near Avebury, and also as to
the "poverty" of theolan of Britons who inhabited these downs.
It is perhaps more to the point to insist on a difference of race in the
tribes in the two districts; that occupying the North Wiltshire Downs
appearing to have consisted of the Dobuni of Ptolemy, who clustered
round their aboriginal fane at Avebury ; whilst the tribe in posses-
sion of South Wiltshire, for some time, perhaps two centuries,
before our era, consisted of the immigrant Beiges. These last
brought with them from the Continent a more advanced civiliza-
tion; probably erected Stonehenge; and doubtless maintained a
more intimate traffic with Gaul than did their northern-neighbours.
Another argument in favour of the priority or distinction of race,
of those who raised tiro barrows to the north and south respec-
tively of Wansdyke and the Yale of Pewsey, is derived from the
external form of the barrows themselves. It is true/indeed, that
no form of tumulus is distinctive of either distriot ; but it is also
true that the more elaborately formed barrows are much more com-
mon in the Southern district. On the plains around Stonehenge,
it is the elegant campaniform, or bell-shaped 3 barrow, and the
1 Salisbury Yol. of Aroh. Institute, p. 82.
a Ancient "Wilts, vol. ii. pp. 91, 93. Tumuli Wiltun. p. 4.
3 In North Wiltshire, the bell-shaped barrows are rare, but the disc-shaped
ones of very muoh rarer occurrence ; and indeed, so far as the writer is aware,
they do not exceed five or six in number. Now that in the present season,
1859-60, a large portion of the down north of Shepherd's Shore is been ploughed
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
the Downs of North Wiltshire. 335
equally elegant disc-shaped barrow that most frequently arrest
attention; whilst in North Wiltshire these are of much more rare
occurrence and give place to the more primitive and simple bowl-
shaped barrow.
A few words may be added on the mode of opening barrows.
Like Mr. Cunnington and Sir R. 0. Hoare, our plan has been to
dig a hole, ten or twelve feet square, in the centre of the mound ;
and to sink a shaft from the top to the bottom, until the undisturbed
chalk rock is reached, and the original interment disclosed. By
this method, when carefully filled up and the turf replaced, the
external form of the mound is hardly at all affected; and, as Sir It.
0. Hoare observes, barrows so opened scarcely bear the appearance
of any examination. 1 It is the more desirable to allude to this
point, as in the adjoining county of Dorsetshire, the much more
oostly and tedious method of cutting a trench through the entire
mound seems to be the plan still usually adopted. The external
form of the barrow is by this means much more defaced ; though
except in rare cases, such an extensive section cannot be requisite
for the full disclosure of the contents of the tumulus. It is, however,
hardly possible to write in measured terms of the injury inflicted on
these ancient monuments, through the recklessness of thofee modern
barrow-diggers, who after satisfying their curiosity, entirely neglect
to restore
These grassy barrows of the mighty dead
to their original form. During a visit to the Dorsetshire coast,
in August last, the writer witnessed with regret the condition
in which the remarkable tumulus called "Culliford Tree Bar-
up, two or three tumuli of this rare form, situated about half a mile to the west
of the fifth mile-stone from Devizes, are unfortunately threatened with obliter-
ation.
" They do sac that a travelling chap
Have a put in the Newspeaper now,
That the bit of green ground on the knap,
Should be all a-took in vor the plough.
He do fancy 'tis easy to show,
That wo can be but stunpolls at best,
Yor to leave a green spot where a flower can grow,
Or a root weary walker med rest."
Poems in the Dorset Dialect, 2nd Series, By Rev, W. Barnes.
1 Tumuli Wiltun. p. 6.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
336 Examination qf Barrows.
row/ 9 of so much interest as the place of meeting in old times
of the Courts of the Hundred of the same name, had been left by
those who had excavated it a year or two before. A wide trench
had been dug through it on one side, from the summit, and the
rubble which had been thrown out had not been replaced ; though
the labour of a single day would have sufficed for the purpose.
Another subject of regret was the fact, that though, as we were told
by the neighbouring rustics, human remains, with pottery and cer-
tain other relics, were found in the barrow, no authentic account
of the exploration had, so far as we could learn, been put in print.
I have now completed the account of the examinations I have
made in the barrows of North Wiltshire. The results may often
appear insignificant, and the details tedious, and the question may
arise, Cui bono f If, however, we have failed in discovering the
rich arms and ornaments of the native Briton, or elaborate urns and
other objects of aboriginal manufacture, yet, speaking for myself
and occasional companions, as well as for those by whose manual
labour the work has chiefly been accomplished, we can at least look
back to pleasant days passed in active exercise on the breezy downs ;
where if, like the eastern monarch in the apologue, we have found
no basilisk, we, like him, have found healthful recreation suited to
our taste, the results of which, are not, we think, entirely without
value and interest.
Erratum,
In the description of Barrow No. 1, at p. 317, line 22, for " bell-shaped,"
read "bowl-shaped."
/
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
837
COHFRISINQ THE
Hfffemng |lants snfr itm% inWpunw to ity tontg;
By Thomas Bbtjgbs Flowbk, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., &o., &o.
No. V.
ORDER. CRT7CIFER.E. (JUSS.)
CHE1RANTHU8, (LlNN.) WALL FLOWER,
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. Kheyry is the Arabic name of some sweet scented plant;
cheir is the Greek for the hand. From this and anthos (Gr.) a
flower, Linnaras formed cheiranthus, hand flower, and applied it to
this plant as fitted for bouquets, with an allusion to the Arabic
name, which is retained in the specific.
1. C. Cheiri, (Linn.) Common Wall Flower. Engl. Bot t. 1934.
Reich. Icones, ii. 45.
Locality. Generally distributed, and apparently wild on walls,
old buildings, and near habitations throughout the county, spread-
ing rapidly from cultivation. P.FL April, May. Area, 1.2.3.4.5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, Old walls in the neighbourhood of Salis-
bury, Amesbury, All Cannings, and Pewsey.
2. South Middle District, Walls at Devizes, Trowbridge, West-
bury, Heytesbury, and Market Lavington.
3. South-west District, Warminster, Maiden Bradley, and Mere.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Bradford, Melksham, Chippenham, Abbey
walls Malmesbury, and Wootton Basset.
5. North-east District, Calne, Swindon, Cricklade, and Marl-
borough.
The common Wall Flower, a native of rocky situations in
Southern Europe, is found wild in Switzerland, France, and Spain;
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
338 The Flora of Wiltshire.
and we may presume it was one of the earliest plants which was
cultivated in our gardens, from its being so constantly found on the
ruins of our oldest buildings. Turner, one of the earliest English
writers on plants, calls it Wallgelouer, or hartis-ease. Gerarde
names it Wall Flower, yellow stocke gillo-flowers, and wall gillo-
flower. It is the Keyri or Keiri of the Arabians, the leukoion of
the Greeks, the Viola lutea of the Latins, and the Qiroflel dee Jtfu-
railles of the French. In floral language the Wall Flower has
been considered the emblem of fidelity in misfortune, because it
attaches itself to the desolate, and enlivens the ruins which time
and neglect would otherwise have rendered repulsive. It conceals
the savage strokes of feudal times on the castle walls, fills the space
of the wonted stone in the mouldering abbey, and wreathes a gar-
land on the crumbling monument no longer noticed by friendly
relatives.
" For this obedient zephyrs bear
Her light seeds round yon turret's mould,
And, undisturbed by tempests, there
They rise in vegetable gold."
There are several varieties of this plant cultivated in gardens, the
two principal being the red and yellow. These by intermixture of
impregnation have created nuYnerous trivial varieties, as the yel-
low striped with a reddish brown, or the red striped with yellow,
but none of these impart a more delightful fragrance than the wild
one. Parkinson is the earliest writer that notices the Wall Flower
with striped or variegated petals. Gerarde notices only the plain
yellow variety. Some years since the late Mr. Lambert of Boyton,
introduced into his garden, from Moscow, a most singular and
beautiful variety of this plant, which was named by him the Cha-
meleon Wall Flower, as its petals, at first appearance, were of a
bright yellow, but gradually became paler until they were nearly
blanched white, after which they changed to a purple tint, so that
the top flowers were yellow, those in the middle white, and the lower
blossoms of a lilao or purple. He supposed it to be a mixture of the
yellow Wall Flower with its kindred the white and purple stock.
Not unfrequently the Wall Flower presents several interesting
deviations from normal structure in the floral organs, that cannot
Digitized by Vj(
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 339
fail to arrest the attention, not only of the most casual observer,
but more especially the vegetable physiologist. Sometimes the
petals are observed very diminutive, and the anthers changed into
carpels. Again, in the double state the pedicels or partial flower
stalks are found very much elongated with joints or constrictions
at intervals, the constrictions appearing to have been the sites of so
many whorls of petals, and perhaps of sepals, the pedicel becoming a
common axis to several flowers, which successively develope them-
selves as the pedicel advances in length, and then fall off in the
same order. Instances of deviation from customary modes of struc-
ture should always engage the particular attention of the botanical
student.
Nasturtium, ("E. Br.) Cress.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name from Nasus tortus (Latin) a convulsed nose, in allusion to
the effect produced by the pungent quality of the plant.
1. N. officinale, (R. Br.) officinal. Common Water Cress. Sis-
ymbrium. Engl. Bot. t. 885. Reich. Icones, ii. 50.
Locality. Running waters and rivulets. Frequent. P. Fl. June,
July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General throughout all the districts in Wilts, where it is univer-
sally used as an early and wholesome spring salad. When growing
out of water it is more slender with smaller leaves, and is the "N.
microphyllum," (R. 4360). When found in deep water with stems
many feet in length, and often an inch thick, leaves large, resembling
those of a Sium, it is "N. Siifolium" (R. 4361). Neither of these
forms have as yet been observed in the county. The upper sur-
faoe of the leaves of Water Cress, like those of other aquatics of
similar habit, is of an oily smoothness which repels moisture,
especially when the plant grows floating, its natural and most
luxuriant state.
2. N. terrestre, (Sm.) land or marsh Cress. Engl Bot. t 1747.
Reich. Icones, 4362.
Locality. Muddy places and river banks, not common in the
county. P. Fl. June, September. Area, 1. * * 4. *
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
340 The Flora of Wiltshire.
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Watery places about Salisbury/ 9 Major
Smith.
North Division.
4. North-west District, "About Chippenham/ 9 Dr. Alexander
Prior.
It is N. palustre, (De Cand.) and similar in its localities to "N.
sylvestre," (R. Br.) which latter plant has not been recorded as yet
for Wilts. This species may possibly be not unfrequent : the an-
nual not creeping root and the copious short thick pods at once
distinguish it from " N. sykestre"
Barbarea, (R. Br.) Rocket or Winter Cress.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. The "Sanctw Barbara herbaP Herb of St. Barbara, of
some of the old herbalists probably, from its flowering about her
day.
1. B. vulgaris, (R. Br.) common Yellow Rocket. Bitter Winter
Cress. Winter Hedge Mustard. Engl. Bot. t. 443. Reich. lames,
t. ii. 47.
Locality. In moist waste places, about hedges, banks of ditches,
and in marshy meadows, frequent. B. Fl. May, August. Area,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts throughout the county. A minute
species of Tipula or Gall-Gnat, sometimes renders the flower like
a hop-blossom, but this metamorphosis does not strictly partake of
the nature of galls, as it originates not from the egg, but from the
larva, whioh in the operation of extracting the seed, in some way
imparts a morbid action to the juices causing the flower to expand
unnaturally. A parasitical white fungus " Uredo Candida" of Persoon
is common on the under side of the leaves, and on the stem of this
plant in the summer.
Turritis, (Linn.) Tower Mustard.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. From turris (Lat.) a tower, from the pyramidal growth
of the plant.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 341
1. T. glabra, (Linn.) smooth Tower Mustard, Long-podden Tower
Mustard, Tower's Treaole. Engl. BoL t. 777. Beich. Icones, ii. 44.
Locality. On banks by road sides, and newly cut copses, on a
dry sandy or gravelly soil Very rare in the connty. A. FL June,
July. Area, * * * 4. *
North Division.
4. North-west District, " In a wood between the gate of Spye
Park and the House," Dr. Alexander Prior, N.B.O. In the lane
leading to the lodge from the Chippenham road. Sandy Lane and
banks at Westbrook. This species appears at present confined in
the county to the above district, where it was first noticed by the
late Mr. Sole as far back as 1782. Ray likewise mentions having
found this plant in Wiltshire.
Arabis, (Linn.) Rook Cress.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. So called because originally an Arabian genus.
1. A. hirsuta, (R. Br.) Hairy Rock Cress. Engl. Bot. t. 587.
Beich. Icones,/. 4342.
Locality, On walls, rocks, and banks, not unfrequently distri-
buted in the county. B. FL May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, "On the walls of Old Sarum," Mr. James
Hussey. " Walls about Salisbury/' Major Smith. " In the neigh-
bourhood of Bulford," Dr. Southby.
2. South Middle District, "On banks near Westbury," Mrs.
Overbury.
3. South-west District, "Warminster and Heytesbury," Mr.
Bowden.
North Division.
4. North-west District, " Chippenham," Dr. Alexander Prior and
Mr. C. E. Broome. Conkwell, Box, Kingsdown, and Atworth
quarries.
5. North-east District, "Silbury Hill," Mr. Coward.
I have observed one or two forms of this plant. Koch and
Reichenbach divide this into two or more species.
Y
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
342 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Cardamine, (Linn.) Bitter Cress.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name, kardamine, an old Greek name of some plant similar (as the
name implies) to water cress, kardamon, the latter is derived from
kardia, the heart, or rather the stomach; water cresses being
reputed stomachic.
1. C. impaUens, (Linn.) Narrow-leaved Bitter Cress. Engl. Bot.
t. 80, Reich. Icones, ii. 26.
Locality. Hilly districts, generally preferring limestone. Very
rare in the county. A. Fl. May, June. Area, * * * 4. *
North Division.
4. North-west District, "Colerne Teak," Mr. Sole, M.S.Flora. This
is the only authority I have for the occurrence of " C. impatient "
in Wiltshire. The station has been repeatedly sought unsuccess-
fully by myself and others for many seasons. The plant may
always be distinguished by the stipules at the base of oach leaf
being narrow, acute, and finely ciliated. Flowers very minute,
the petals white, but generally wanting; valves of the silique re-
curving upwards, scattering the seed with great force when touched,
whence the specific name.
2. C. hirsuta. (Linn.) Hairy Bitter Cress. Reich. Icones, ii. 26.
Sturms' Deutschlands Flora, 45, 14.
Locality. Shady waste ground, and damp walls, frequent. A. FL
April, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts, moist and rather shady spots seem its
natural habitats, but it is capable of accommodating itself to all
soils and situations ; plant generally hairy, but not alway so much
so as to warrant the specific name.
3. C. sylvatica, (Link.) Wood Bitter Cress. Engl. Bot t. 492.
Reich. Icones, ii. 26. St. 45, 14.
Locality. In damp woody places, and by banks of streams, fre-
quent. A. Fl. April, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Not uncommon in all the Districts. This is the " C. hirsuta,"
of English Botany, and the " C. flcxiwsa," of Withering. The
stems are stouter, more deeply channelled, and zigzag than those
of " C. hirsuta" leaves more notched, lobed, and elongated. Petals
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 343
larger, pods not quite straight on longer, and more spreading pe-
dicels. Whether really distinct or merely a form of the preceding,
am quite unprepared to state, after a careful examination of numer-
ous specimens of both, collected in many parts of the county.
Bentham, in his excellent " Handbook of the British Flora," con-
siders this plant only a luxuriant form of "0. hirsuta." Koch
with Grenier and Godron, in their " Flore de France" describes
them as distinct In the Cybele its distribution is combined with
that of "0. hirsuta.
4. 0. pratensis, (Linn.) Meadow Ladies'-smock Ouckoo Flower.
Engl Bot. t. 776. Reich. Icones, ii. 28.
Locality. Meadows and marshy places. P. April, June. Area,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Common in all the Districts. Frequently producing
double flowers.
This is perhaps one of the most delicate and beautiful of our
native plants, which Shakspeare enumerates among the beauties of
Spring.
"When daisies pied, and violets blue,
And Lady-smocks all silver white,
And Cuckoo-buds of yellow hue,
Do paint the meadows with delight."
The happy expression " silver white," exactly describes the tint of
these flowers, some of which are nearly of a pure white colour,
whilst others have that purple cast so peculiar to highly polished
silver. As this plant flowers in April, and is in full beauty in the
month of May, it generally forms with the cowslip, primrose, and
harebell, a conspicuous figure in the May-day garlands of the
children of our Wiltshire peasantry. The flowers appearing with
the Cuckoo, hence one of their English names, and covering the
meadows as with linen bleaching, is supposed to be the origin of
the other. The Cuckoo-bud of Shakspeare is thought to be the
wild Yellow Ranunculus, he mentions the Cuckoo Flower as one of
those that formed the crown of the wretched Lear.
5. C. amara, (Linn.) large flowered Bitter Cress. Engl. Bot. t.
100. Beich. Icones. ii. 27.
Locality. Moist meadows, near streams, rare in the county. P.
Fl. May, June. Area, 1. • 3. 4. *
y 2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
344 The Flora of Wiltshire.
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Sides of rivulets near Fisherton Mill/ 1
Dr. Maton.
3. South-west District, "Sides of rivulets neap West Dean/ 1
Major Smith.
North Division.
4. North-west District, " Not by any means unfrequent in damp
meadows at Bromham, as soon as a field is drained it disappears.
' C. pratensis 9 grows with it." Miss L. Meredith.
The localities for this species in the " South Division" may be
held as doubtful, it would be desirable to have them again verified
by some good practical botanist. The locality for the "Northern
Division " rests on the authority of Miss L. Meredith, an accurate
and most trustworthy observer.' I would here remark, that in
habit " 0. amara " is more aquatic than " 0. patensis," seldom be-
ing found in the open meadow, unless the soil be swampy, but
preferring the margins of brooks, streams, and ditches. A young
botanist would be apt to confound the two, but the broad and deeply
toothed leaflets of the upper leaves, the yellowish rather than pur-
ple hue of the large petals, and the deep violet colour of the anthers
distinguish this species at a glance.
Hesperis Matronalis, (Linn.) Garden Rocket. Dames Violet. "H.
inodora," Engl. Bot. t. 736, has been observed occasionally in dif-
ferent parts of the county. It can only be considered an escape
from the " Flower Garden " where it has been cultivated ever since
the days of Gerarde, for its delightful fragrance which the flowers
emit after sunset.
Sisymbrium, (Linn.) Hedge Mustard.
Linn. GL xv. Ord. ii.
Name. From sisibos, (Gr.) a fringe, as some of the species have
fringed roots.
1. S. officinale, (Linn.) common Hedge Mustard, Engl. Bot. t.
735. Reich, Icones, ii. 72.
Locality. Banks and waste grounds, very common in all the
districts. A. Fl. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 345
Frequent in almost all soils and situations, and readily distin-
guished throughout the summer by its long spreading branches,
densely set with closely pressed siliques, and terminating in a little
cluster of small lemon coloured flowers. The Hedge Mustard was
once valued as a stimulant, hence the specific name ' officinalis*
2. S. Irio, (Linn.) London Rocket. Broad-leaved Hedge Mus-
tard. Engl. Bot. t. 1631. Reich. Icones, ii. 75.
Locality. In waste ground, on walls, and amongst rubbish, very
rare. A. Fl. June, August. Area, 1, * * * *
South Division.
1. South-east District, " Sides of rivulets near Upper Charlton
Farm," The late Dr. Maton, " Hatcher's Hist, of Salisbury:* "Banks
and walls, scarce/' Major Smith.
I have considerable hesitation in quoting the first of the above
localities, (" by the sides of rivulets,") for the occurrence of this
very local species, fearing some other plant may have been mis-
taken for it. The other likewise requires to be confirmed on more
trustworthy authority. Mr. James Hussey, who is well acquainted
with the "Flora of Salisbury," informs me he has carefully searched
the neighbourhood for many seasons ppst without being successful
in finding it. This plant has likewise been reported for the adjoining
county (Somerset), but I know not on what authority. That cele-
brated naturalist, the Rev. John Ray, remarks, that after the great
fire in London, in the years 1667 and 1668, it came up abundantly
among the rubbish in the ruins. Dr. Morison, Professor of Botany
at Oxford, who was living at that time, was particularly struck with
so singular an appearance, and in his "Prseludia Botanica" has a
long dialogue on this very subject, in which he seems to argue,
though certainly very unphilosophically, for its production by spon-
taneous generation from the fixed and volatile salts, sulphur, &c.
3. S. Sophia, (Linn.) Fine-leaved Hedge Mustard. Flix Weed.
" Sophia Chirurgorwn, the Wisdom of Surgeons/ 1 (an old name of
the plant,) " would not be evinced by any reliance on this herb for
the cure of fractured limbs, nor are its antidysenterio virtues, to
which its old English name (Flix or Flux Weed) alludes, better
ascertained." Engl Bot. t. 963. Reich. Icones, ii. 74.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
346 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Locality. Waste places, not uncommon in the county. A. Fl.
June, August Area, • * • 4. •
North Division.
4. North-west District, "In hedges near Bromham," Miss L.
Meredith.
Not unfrequent among rubbish and in waste places, more gene-
rally where the soil is calcareous. A highly elegant plant, growing
to the height of two feet, with a rather slender round branched
stem : the beauty of its finely divided feather-like foliage fully
compensates for the inconspicuous character of the inflorescence.
It was formerly employed as a remedy in hysteria and dysentery,
from its efficacy in restraining the latter, originated the popular
name.
4. S. thalianum, (Gaud.) common Thale Cress, so called after J.
Thalius, a German Physician. Engl. Bot. t. 901. Reich. lames,
ii. 60. (Conringia.)
Locality. On walls, banks, oottago roofs, and dry gravelly soils,
frequent. A. Fl. April, May. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. *
South Division.
1. South-east District, " Salisbury and its neighbourhood," Mr.
James Hussey.
2. South Middle District, "Shady banks about Fugglestone,"
Major Smith.
3. South-west District, "Warminster/* Mr. Rowden.
North Division.
4. North-west District, "Chippenham," Dr. Alexander Prior.
Spye Park walls, by the side of the Chippenham road, near "Wans
House," and Monkton Farley.
This species has the habit of an Arabis, but the cotyledons are
incumbent instead of accumbent, characters of so much importance
in the generic distinction of this order, that I have not hesitated
to follow Sir W. Hooker in retaining it in its present place. Ad-
ditional habitats for this species are desired for the Southern as well
as Northern part of the county. I have no memoranda for this
species in the neighbourhood of Marlborough, where it can scarcely
be wanting.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 347
Alu aria, (Adans.) Hedge Garlic.
Linn. 01. xv. Ord. ii.
Name, (Lat.) From allium, garlic, which, the plant smells like
when bruised.
1. A. officinalis, (Andrzj.) offioinal. Jack by the Hedge. Sauce
alone. Garlick. Treacle Mustard. Engl. Bot. t 796. Reich, Icones,
ii. 60. Sisymbrium Alliaria, Smith, Koch.
Locality. Hedge banks, borders of fields, and waste places,
especially where the soil is moist and shady. Common, except in
barren ground. B. Fl. May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts. This species is ranked by some bot-
anists in the genus Sisymbrium and Erysimum, but differing from
both in having the stalks of the seeds fiat and winged. The plant
is common in most parts of Europe, and is occasionally used as a
pot-herb by the poorer peasantry of Wilts.
Erysimum (Linn.) Treacle Mustard.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. Erusimon, a Greek name, derived from eruo, to draw ; a
poultice of the seeds raising a blister.
1. E. cheiranthdides, (Linn.) Wall Flower (cheiranthus) like.
Worm seed Treacle Mustard. Engl. Bot. t. 942. Reich, Icones, ii. 83.
Locality. In turnip fields, gardens, osier holts, and hedges, rare.
B. Ft. June, August. Area, 1. * * 4. *
South Division.
1. South-east District, "Fields and gardens in the neighbourhood
of Salisbury," Major Smith.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Cultivated ground about Box and Brom-
ham. Not truly wild in the county.
Country people give the seeds to destroy intestinal worms in
children, and with good effect. It is one of the ingredients of the
nauseous Venice Treaole, hence its name of Treacle Mustard.
Brassica, (Linn.) Cabbage.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. From the Celtic bresie (modern Gaelio praiseach), a kind
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
348 The Flora of Wiltshire.
of cabbage, or rather pottage made of it. Dr. Withering says it is
probably derived from brasso, ((Jr.) to boil, it being commonly so
prepared as an esculent vegetable.
1. B. campestris (Linn.) Field Cabbage, or Wild Navew. Engl.
Bot. t. 2254. Reich. Icones, 4434.
Locality. Cornfields, and about the banks of ditches. A. or B.
Fl. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In all the Districts throughout the county. Root fusiform, slender
and annual in the wild plant ; often turnip shaped and biennial in
the cultivated one. Apparently the origin of the Swedish Turnip of
our agriculturists, and in Scotland it has never been found except
where the Swedish Turnip had been previously cultivated.
2. B. Rapa, (Linn.) Rape root or wild Turnip. Rape is the old
Latin name of the plant. Engl. Bot. t. 2176. Reich. Icones, ii. 96.
Locality. Cultivated fields and their borders, and in waste places,
more or less completely naturalized. B. Fl. April, May. Area, 1.
2.3.4/5. *
In all the Districts. Varying exceedingly in height according
to soil.
3. B. napus, (Linn.) Rape or Cole seed. A word used by Pliny
and others. Engl. Bot t. 2146. Reich. Icones, ii. 93.
Locality. Borders of fields. A. or B. Fl. May, June. Area,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In all the Districts. The slender rooted variety is cultivated for
the oil produced by its seed, which after pressure, are formed into
cakes, and used as manure for feeding cattle. Following the ma-
jority of my correspondents, in here keeping the above three species
as distinct, I am far from being convinced in my own mind of their
claims to be considered such, feeling myself utterly at a loss to find
characters by which they maybe distinguished. Mr. Babington in
his excellent " Manual," unites Rapa and Campestris, and while
keeping Napus apart as a species, he observes of it, that "it is dif-
ficult to find any character by which to distinguish this plant from
the preceding." Hooker, Arnott, and Bentham state there are
strong grounds for considering all to be varieties, as they scarcely
differ in other respects.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 349
Sinapis, (Linn.) Mustard.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. ii.
Name. An old Latin word, used by Pliny and others, and bor-
rowed from the Greek word sienpi.
1. S. nigra, (Linn.) common black Mustard. Engl. BoL t. 969.
Reich. Icones, ii. 88. Brasska (Koch).
Locality. In fields, waste ground, and on willowy river banks,
frequent. A. Fl. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, Salisbury.
2. South Middle District, Devizes.
3. South-west District, Warminster.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Bradford, Chippenham, Malinesbury.
5. North-east District, Calne, Marlborough, Swindon, and Crick-
lade.
Probably introduced into the county from or with cultivation.
This is easily distinguished from the other species of sinapis by the
upper leaves being pendulous, and by the pods being closely pressed
to the stem. The seeds of this plant, when reduced to powder,
make the common mustard, so much in request at our tables. It
is much cultivated in Essex, and the seeds sold to the manufacturers
of flour of mustard. It is prepared by drying the seeds on a kiln, and
grinding them into powder. The black husks of the seeds are sepa-
rated by very delicate machinery. The French either do not at-
tempt or do not succeed in separating the husks, as their mustard
when brought to table is always black. It is, however, more pun-
gent than ours, because the quality resides chiefly in the husk.
The constituents of mustard appear to be chiefly starch, mucus, a
bland fixed oil, an acrid volatile oil, and an ammoniacal salt, but
the best is that from which the oil has been expressed, as originally
prepared by Mrs. Clements of Durham.
Pkalcena fuliginosa lives upon the different species, aud the cater-
pillar of Pontia daplidice devours the seeds.
2. S.- arvensis, (Linn.) Field Mustard. Charlock. Engl. Bot. L
1748. Reich. Icones, ii. 86.
z
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
350 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Locality. Cultivated and moist arable land, especially on clay,
likewise on waste ground, hedge banks, &o., particularly where the
soil has been recently disturbed. A. Fl. May, October. Area,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Much too general in all the districts throughout Wilts. A na-
tive probably of Southern Europe, but now one of the most abun-
dant weeds of cornfields .all over Britain.
11 O'er the young ooro the charlock throws a shade,
And clasping tares cling round the sickly blade. 11
3. S. alba, (Linn.) White Mustard. It is called alba, white, be-
cause the seeds are paler than S. nigra, the black or table mustard.
S. alba with Lepidium sativum form the salad called mustard and
cress. Engl. Bot. t. 1677. Reich. Icones, ii. 85.
Locality. Frequent on road sides, waste ground, hedge banks,
and cultivated fields, especially on chalky soils. A. Fl. July. Area,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Frequent in all the Districts. Well distinguished from the other
British species by its long thin beak, which contains a single seed.
Draba, (Linn.) Whitlow Grass.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Name. Drabe, (Or.) acrid, as are the leaves of many of this tribe.
1. D. verna, (Linn.) vernal. Common Whitlow Grass. Nailwort.
Engl. Bot t. 586. Reich. Icones, ii. 12. Erophila vulgaris (D.C.)
Locality. On walls, rocks, banks, and dry waste ground. A. Fl,
February, March, April, and withers away soon after the seed is
scattered, the dry scapes supporting the membranous dissepiments
of the silioulad, remaining, however, nearly through the summer.
Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Very common throughout the county.
This is one of our earliest plants, enlivening the tops of walls,
rocks, and barren uncultivated places, with its little white blossoms
at a time when there are very few other flowers to attract our at-
tention, and though it is insignificant in itself, yet it excites in us
the pleasing reflection that the season is approaching when
" All that is sweet to smell, all that can charm
Or eye or ear, bursts forth on every side,
And crowds upon the senses."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Brugen Flower, Esq. 351
For this reason De Candolle, in making it the type of a new genus,
has named it Erophila, from Er, the Spring, and phileo, to love.
Linnraus in his Tour in Lapland, informs us that the Drdba
Verna in Smoland is called Rye Flower, because as soon as the
husbandman sees it in bloom, he is accustomed to sow his Lent
corn. He observes also, that the flowers hang down in the night,
and in rainy weather. In some countries, abundance of this little
plant is supposed to prognosticate dearness of corn, which may have
some foundation, as a wet season produces a great orop of this little
weed.
Armoracia, (Ruff.) Horse Radish.
Linn. 01. xv. Ord. i.
So named by the Romans, from Armorioa or Brittany, where it
was supposed to grow abundantly. The French call it " Cranson
de Bretagne."
1. A. rusticana, (Baumg.) Common Horse Radish. Engl. Bob
t. 2323. Reich. Icones, ii 17, Cochlearia armoracia, (Linn.)
Locality. By the sides of rivers and ditches, but more common
on rubbish and waste ground near villages, especially where the soil
is deep and moist. P. FL May. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Common in all the Districts. The outcast of gardens. Roots long,
running deep into the ground, proving a troublesome weed when
once established ; well known at our tables, and esteemed for their
pungent flavour. But probably dates its introduction into England
with the foundation of Monastic Institutions.
2. A. amphibia, (Eoch.) Amphibious Yellow Cress. Great Water
Radish. - Sisymbrium, (Linn.) Engl. Bot. t. 1840. Reich. Icones,
4363.
Locality. By the sides of rivers, streams, and ditches. P. FL
June, August. Area, 1. * * 4. 5.
South Division.
1. South-east District, " Ditches and watery places about Salis-
bury," Major Smith and Mr. James Hussey.
North Division.
4. North-west District, By the river side at Avon Cliff, near
z2
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
352 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Bradford. " By the aide of the Avon at Chippenham and Laoock,"
Dr. Alexander Prior.
5. North-east District, By the canal between Swindon and Crick-
lade.
Perhaps not uncommon in the county. The leaves of this specie©
vary much, sometimes being found entire, pinnatifid or toothed ;
this may be owing to the depth of water or strength of the current.
On such plants as grow entirely out of the water, the leaves are
smaller, broader, and merely serrated. Two varieties of A. amphibia
(Koch.) are noticed by Grenier and Godron in their " Flore de
France/' viz. Var. a. longisilgiuum, pods long, tapering at both ends,
twice as long as the styles. Var. b. rotundisiliguum, pods globular,
as long as the styles. The shortness of the pod in this and some
varieties of the Marsh Water Cress, has induced many botanists
to associate them with the horse radish in the present genus.
Camelina sativa, (Crantz.) Gold of Pleasure. Alyssum Engl Bot.
t. 1254. C. fietida of " Babington's Manual 11 has occasionally been
found in cornfields in several parts of the county. Probably intro-
duced from Germany with corn and flax, where it is extensively
cultivated for the expressed oil of the seeds.
Vella annua, (Linn.) Annual Cresset. Yalencia Cress. Cress
Rocket. Found on the authority of Ray, by Mr. Lawson in 1690 on
Salisbury Plain, not far from Stonehenge. This is the only locality
in England where Y. annua (Linn.) is said to have been found. I
have sought for it, as many botanists have done, in vain. This
curious little plant is a native of sandy and waste fields, and along
way and wall sides in Spain, Balearic Islands, Mauritania, Sicily,
Greece, and Syria. Flowering in June. It is represented in English
Botany t. 1442, and there is a well preserved specimen in the
Sherardian Herbarium.
i
Thlasfi, (Link.) Penny Cress.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Name. From thlao, (Gr.) to compress or flatten, on account
probably of its compressed seed vessels.
1. T. arvense, (Linn.) Corn Penny Cress, or Mithridate Mustard.
Engl Bot. t 1659. Reich. Icones, ii. 5.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 363
Locality. Fields and road sides, rare. A. Fl. May, July. Area,
* 2. • 4. 5.
South Division.
2. South Middle District, " Westbury Downs," Jfr«. Overbury.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Road side near Sandy Lane. "Rudlow
and Box," Mr. C. E. Broome.
5. North-east District, Cornfields at Morden in Purton.
The only localities recorded at present for this species in Wilts.
The name of Penny Cress alludes to the form and size of the seed
vessels resembling a silver penny.
Teesdaua, (R. Be.) Teesdaua.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Named by Dr. Robert Brown in honour of the late Mr. Robert
Teesdale, an excellent British botanist.
1. T. nudicaulis, (Br.) naked-stalked Teesdalia. Heath Cress.
Small Shepherd's Purse. Iberis. Engl. Bot. t. 327. Reich. Icones,
ii. 6.
Locality. In dry, barren, gravelly, and sandy fields, and mar-
gins of gravel pits. Very rare in the county. A. Fl. May, June.
Area, * * • 4. *
North Division.
4. North-west District, u Sandy banks at the Iron Works, Seend,"
Miss L. Meredith.
This plant should be looked for in other parts of the county,
where it can scarcely be absent.
Ibems, (Linn.) Candy Tuft.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Named from Iberia, or Spain, where many of the species grow.
1. I. amara, (Linn.) bitter or common Candy Tuft. White
Candy Tuft. Clown's Mustard. Engl. Bot. t. 52. Reich. Icones,
ii. 7.
Locality. Chalky fields, rare. A. Fl. July, August. Area, * *
3. ••
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
354 The Flora of Wiltshire.
South Division.
3. South-west District, " Chalky fields near Boyton, also near
Norton Bavant," Miss L. Meredith.
Confined to Chalky fields in the South of the county. This
species is a native of Europe, from Portugal to Germany, and from
England to Italy. It is often cultivated in the flower garden,
where its brilliant white blossoms are very ornamental.
Lepidium, (Linn.) Pepper Wort.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Name. Lepidion, a kind of cress, a diminutive of Lepis, a scale,
referring to the form of the little pouches.
1. L. campestre, (R. Br.) Field Pepper Wort. Engl. Bot. L.
1385. Reich. Icones, ii. 9.
Locality. Borders of cornfields, and on cultivated ground, gene-
rally where the soil is dry and gravelly. A. FL June, August.
Area, * 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
2. South Middle District, More or less distributed over Salisbury
Plain. "Westbury," Mrs. Overbury.
3. South-west District, " In the neighbourhood of Warminster/'
Mr. Bowden.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Fields about Bromham and Sandridge.
" Chippenham/' Dr. Alexander Prior.
5. North-east District, Marlborough Downs. "Burbage," Mr.
William Bartlett.
I have seen no specimens from the South-east District, where it
can scarcely be absent. The little glossy scales with which the
pouch is covered, and the shortness of the style distinguish this
species at a glance from L. Smithii (Hook), which has not been
observed as yet in Wilts, all specimens so called are merely refer-
able to " L. $ampestre. >f
L. sativum, (Linn.) occasionally observed on waste ground in
several parts of the county, is merely an escape from cultivation.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 355
Oapsella, (Vent.) Shepherd's Purse.
Linn. CI. xy. Ord. i.
Name. A corruption of Capsula, (Lat.) a capsule, which is a
diminutive of capsa, a case.
1. 0. Bursa Pastoris, (D.O.) common Shepherd's Purse, Bursa
signifying a purse, Pastoris, of a Shepherd, referring to the form
of the seed vessel. Engl. Bot. t 1485. Reich. Ieones. Thlaepi,
(Smith.)
Locality. Waste and cultivated ground, abundant. A. Fl. March,
October. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts. This plant is a native of almost every
part of the world, and begins to flower long before it has attained
its full size, the flowers at first forming a corymb, which after-
wards becomes a long spike-like raceme. The stem also, at first
simple, in time becomes branched, the first branches issuing from
its upper part.
March and April are the months in whioh it is most generally
found in flower, yet like the Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and Poa
annua it may be found in this state at almost any time of the year.
The radical leaves differ so exceedingly in their appearance, that
the most expert botanist is often obliged to have recourse to its
most striking character, the shape of its seed vessels, before he can
with certainty distinguish it. When it grows on walls and in dry
situations, the root-leaves are more deeply divided and the seg-
ments become much narrower, in cultivated ground they are broader
and less jagged, and in dry barren chalk the leaves are all entire.
It is a strong instance of the influence of soil and situation, some-
times not being more than two or three inches high when it flowers
and perfects its seeds, whilst in other situations it attains the height
of as many feet. A small white parasitio fungus, Uredo Candida,
Grev. Scot. Crypt. Fl. t. 251, and Hook. Br. FL vol. ii. pt. ii. p.
384, is frequently met with on this plant. Another minute white
fungus, Botrytis parasitica, Hook. Br. Fl. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 343, is
also common on this plant, being parasitic on those parts of it which
are attacked by the Uredo.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
356 The Flora of Wiltshire.
Senebiera, (Pers.) Wart Cress.
Linn. 01. xv. Ord. i.
Named in honour of M. Senebier, an eminent Genevese physio-
logist.
1. S. coronqpus, (Poiret.) common Wart Cress. Swines Cress.
Compounded of korone, a crow, and pous, a foot, illustrative of the
shape of its leaves. Engl. Bot. t. 1660. Reich. Icones, ii. 9. Coro-
nopus Ruellii (Smith).
Locality. Rich waste ground, chiefly in the vicinity of farmyards.
A. Fl. June, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Although this plant has not been observed but sparingly in any
of the districts, yet it may not be uncommon, but inconspicuous.
Raphanus, (Linn.) Radish.
Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i.
Name. From ra, (Gr.) quickly, and phainomai, (Gr.) to appear,
from its rapid vegetation.
1. R. Raphaniatrum, (Linn.) Wild Radish. Jointed Charlock.
White Charlock.
The termination,-astrum or-istrum, was attached by the Romans
to the names of cultivated plants, to denote wild ones resembling
them, thus, apioslrum from apium; menthastrum from mentha;
rapistrum from rapa; siliquastrum from siliqua; and similarly ole-
aster and pinaster from oka and pinus. Raphaniatrum therefore
means garden-radish-like. Engl. Bot. t. 856. Reich. Icones, 4172.
Locality. In cornfields and waste grounds, on a gravelly soil,
often a troublesome weed. A. Fl. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts. Equally frequent and troublesome
a weed as Sinapis arvensis, which is its general companion in arable
land, and liable to be confounded with it by the student. The closed
calyx, however, and deeply veined petals sufficiently distinguish
this, even previous to the production of the siliques, which render
the generic character too obvious to be mistaken. Flowers mostly
yellow, with deep purple veins changing to white in maturity. The
fruit of Raphanus consists of a very small two-celled pedicelliform,
usually sterile pod, with a long moniliform beak bearing the seeds,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Fhwer, Esq. 367
and dividing transversely into as many indehiscent oells, as there
are seeds. This is the true structure of the siliqua lomentacea.
ORDER. RESEDACKE. (DE CAND.)
Reseda, (Linn.) Mignionette.
Linn. CI. xL Ord. iii.
Name. From resedo, (Lat.) to allay pain. "Reseda morbos reseda."
(i.e. "Reseda, allay these diseases") are part of the words of a charm
quoted by Pliny.
1. R. lutea, (Linn.) Wild Mignionette. Yellow Rocket. Engl.
Bot. t. 321. Reich. Icones, ii. 100.
Locality. Waste places in chalky and limestone districts. B.
FL June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
South Division.
South-east District, " Not uncommon on the chalk in the neigh-
bourhood of Salisbury/' Major Smith and Mr. James Hussey.
"Amesbury," Dr. Southby.
2. South Middle District, More or less distributed over Salisbury
Plain. "Devizes," Miss Ounnington. "Westbury," Mrs. Overbury.
3. South-west District, "Warminster," Mr. Wheeler. "Fifield,"
Miss C. M. Griffith. Hindon and Great Ridge.
North Division.
4. North-west District, Abundant in neglected quarries about
North Wraxhall, Castle Combe, and Corsham. "Chippenham,"
Dr. Alexander Prior. Kingsdown and Atworth.
5. North-east District, "Great Bedwyn," Mr. William Bartlett.
This species much resembles the Sweet Mignionette "R. odorata"
of the gardens, a native of Egypt. 1
1 By a manuscript note in the library of the late Sir Joseph Banks, it appears
that the seed of the Mignionette was sent in 1742, by Lord Bateman, from the
Royal Garden at Paris to Mr. Richard Bateman at Old Windsor, but we should
presume that this seed was not dispersed, and perhaps not cultivated beyond
Mr. Bateman's garden, as we find that Mr. Miller received the seed from Dr.
Adrian Van Royen of Leyden, and cultivated it in the Botanic Garden at Chel-
sea, in the year 1752. From Chelsea it soon got into the gardens of the London
florists, so as to enable them to supply the metropolis with plants to furnish out
the balconies, which is noticed by Cowper, who attained the age of twenty-one
in the year that this flower first perfumed the British atmosphere by its fra-
AA
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
358 The Flora of Wiltshire.
2. R. luteola, (Linn.) Dyer's Rocket. Yellow Weed. Weld.
Luteolus signifying yellowish, a diminutive of luteus. Engl. Bot. t.
320. Reich. Icones, ii. 99.
Locality. Waste ohalky ground, frequent. B. Fl. July, August.
Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General throughout all the District* in waste places, particularly
on chalk or limestone. The whole plant gathered in the flowering
season yields a rich yellow dye, much employed by our manufac-
turers of cotton and woollen stuffs, for which purpose it is cultivated
in some parts of England.
ORDER. CISTACKE. (JUSS.)
Hrlianthbmum, (Gaert.) Rock Rose.
o Linn. CI. xiii. Ord. i.
Name. From Helios, (Gr.) the Sun, and Anthemon, a flower;
the flowers opening only in bright sunshine.
1. H. vulgar e y (Gaert.) Common Sun Rose or Rook Rose. Dwarf
Cistus. Cistu8 Helianthemum, Engl. Bot. t. 1321. C. lomentosus,
Engl. Bot. 2208. Reich. Icones, 4547, 4548.
Locality. Dry hilly pastures on gravelly soil, and pretty gene-
ral wherever the chalk comes to the surface, increasing in fre-
quency northwards. P. Sh. Fl. May, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts. Varying much in the size and shape
of its leaves, and the amount of hoariness and pubescence.
The corolla consists of five roundish petals, that are large in
comparison to the size of the plant, and which burst from the con-
finement of the small calyx with such velocity, that although they
instantly expand to a horizontal position, their crumpled petals
never become smooth, which circumstance forms a general charac-
ter in nearly all the species.
The Rock Roses of our gardens are chiefly varieties of H. vulgare,
which under cultivation varies much in the colour of its flowers.
grance. The author of the " Task " soon afterwards celebrates it as a favourite
plant in London,
" the sashes fronted with a range
Of orange, myrtle, or the Fragrant Weed."
Elsewhere he calls it
41 The Fragrant Weed, r
The Frenchman'! darling."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 359
ORDER. VIOLACEiE. (DE CAND.)
VlOIA, (LINN*) VlOLBT.
Linn. CI. v. Ord. i.
Name of Celtic origin, in modern Gaelic fail, signifies a smell,
and fail-chuach a violet.
1. Y. palustris, (Linn.) Marsh Violet. Engl. Bot. t. 444. Reich.
Icones, iii.
Locality. Bogs and marshy grounds, very rare in the county.
P. FL April, June. Area, * * 3. 4. *
South Division.
3. South-west District, "Boggy ground between Donhead and
Semley," Mr. James Hussey.
North Division.
4. North-west District, " Swampy ground near the Mill in Spye
Park," Miss Meredith.
The Marsh Yiolet being a plant of cold mountainous districts,
should be looked for in the Northern parts of Wilts, especially in
spongy bogs, wet pastures, swampy woods and thickets. The petals
are beautifully pencilled with dark purple veins, terminating pos-
teriorly in a very straight and obtuse spur.
2. V. hirta, (Linn.) Hairy Violet. Engl. Bot. t. 894. Reich.
Icones, iii.
Locality. Woods and pastures, principally in a chalky or lime-
stone soil, frequent. P. Fl. April, May. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Frequent in all the Districts. Closely allied to the next species,
11 V. odorata," (Linn.) and often mistaken for a scentless variety of
that general favourite, as it begins to flower nearly as soon, but
lasts much longer in blossom ; chiefly distinguished by the want of
creeping scions, by the greater hairiness of the plant, the hairs on
the petioles always spreading, and the spur of the petals compressed,
not channelled. Bracts below the middle of the flower stalk. 1
V. odorata (Linn.) Common Sweet or March Violet. Engl. Bot.
t. 619. Reich. Icones, iii.
Locality. Groves and shady banks, frequent, P. Fl. March,
April. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1 The stipules on about the middle of the stem should always be examined in
determining the speoies of Viola. 2 ajl
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
360 The Flora of Wiltshire.
General in all the Districts. A white variety of this species is
equally common. Bracts above the middle of the flower stalk. Petioles
with deflexed hairs. Some of the later flowers are occasionally found
more or less imperfect or apetalous.
Independent of the delightful perfume of this humble flower,
that ere the swallow comes,
" Take the winds of March with beauty,"
discovering its name and retreat to the most unlettered admirer of
nature, before our science
" Ranged the wild rosy things in learned order,
And filTd with Greek the garden's blushing border."
Other marks sufficiently distinguish it from the preceding.
V. sylvatica, (Fries.) Wood Violet. Engl Bot. t. 620. Reich.
Icones, iii. t. xii.
Locality. Everywhere in woods, thickets, pastures, on banks,
and bushy places. P. Fl. April, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Very general in all the Districts. This is the common plant of
our banks, hedges, and woods throughout Wilts. In its usual states
it is known at once by its short upright central stem, from which
the flowering branches are produced laterally, and extended almost
horizontally, though ascending towards their extremities. The
leaves are thin and flexible, broadly cordate, the upper more or less
attenuating into a point, the lower usually cordate reniform.
The flowers are lilac purple, with a paler spur and scentless. The
green colour of the plant has a yellower cast than in the other species.
This is the " V. canina" of Smith and Hooker, and the "V. sylva-
tica " of Babington. In its dwarf state it is the " Y. flavicornis" of
Foster, (Engl. Bot. Suppl. t. 2736J which has small leaves and *
large flowers, with a pale, and sometimes yellow, spur.
V. canina, (Linn.) Dog Violet. Reich. Icones, iii. t. x. Gfren.
et Qodr. Fl. de France, i. 180.
Locality. Open heaths and commons, and on hedge banks, in
sandy and peaty ground. P. Fl. April, May. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In all the Districts, but sparingly distributed. This is a distinct
species from the " Viola sylvatica" of Fries, and according to Mr.
H. 0. Watson, has been almost always confused with Y. sylvatica
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 361
and Y. laetea, its larger states or forms being referred to the former
of these two, and its smaller forms to the latter. It is not nearly
so abundant throughout the county as "V. sylvatica" but may be
distinguished by the want of the short central and barren stem.
The flowering branches are produced by repeated sub-division of
the stem itself, and are not lateral growths from it. The leaves
are thiok and rather rigid, variable in shape, with a cordate base,
mostly inclining to ovate if small and early, and to triangular ovate
if large and produced later. The flowers are bluish purple with a
yellow, never blue spur, and scentless ; the prevailing colour of the
leaves and whole plant is a dark grayish or bluish green, and in its
dwarf form is the V. flavkomis of Smith's Herbarium. I should
feel particularly obliged to botanists for any information on the
distribution of this species in Wilts; and in reporting localities for
it, care should be taken to particularize the species really intended,
which the name canina cannot do without explanation, as it may
now signify either syleatica, flavicornis, or even laetea, according to
the "cybele."
V. tricolor, (Linn.) three coloured Violet. Pansy or Heart's-ease.
Pansy, from the French pensie, a thought,
" There's pansies, that's for thoughts." — Hamlet, Act iv. s. 5.
Engl. Bot. t. 1287. Reich. Icones, iii. 21.
Locality. Cultivated and waste ground, common. A. Fl. May,
September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts with the Var. b. arvensis (Murr.)
Engl. Bot. Suppl. t. 2712.
Y. Intea. b. amc&na, (Symes.) has been reported by Miss Meredith
from the Downs near Imber, (District 2). Further information re-
specting this species would be desirable. I have seen no specimen.
In studying the structure of the Violaceae, we cannot fail to ad-
mire the very simple and beautiful arrangement adapted by nature
for the protection and dispersion of its seed. The capsule consists
of three valves each, containing about an equal number of germs.
During the process of ripening, the seed-vessel hangs in a perpen-
dicular position, and is defended from any excess of moisture by
the natural umbrella of the calyx. When the seed is nearly ripe,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
362 The Flora of Wiltshire.
the containing vessel shrivels and begins to open, and from the
shrinking and consequent erection of the stem, the whole apparatus
gradually assumes an upright position, in which the capsule, in-
stead of being shielded by the calyx, is supported by it. But
why, it may be asked, should not the seed fall at once from the
opening vessel, without being elevated to an upright and higher
position, where its timely dispersion appears to be a matter of greater
difficulty ? If we examine further into this beautiful contrivance,
we shall find from the gradual evaporation of moisture, the sides
of the valves shrink and roll up, and the sharp edges of each at
this stage pressing upon the contained seeds, bring them, though
previously arranged in a very irregular manner, into nearly a
straight line. Each seed is of an oblong shape and is hard, smooth
and shining, and hence, when the unfolding edge of the shrivelling
valve presses upon it and slides down behind it, the pressure throws
it out with a jerk to a distance, proportioned to its elevation above
the ground. Now may we see the reason why, previous to the
scattering of the capsule's contents, that vessel is considerably ele-
vated, as by a meohanioal agency contrived for the purpose. The
seeds projected from an increased elevation are dispersed through
a wider circuit, and thereby more effectually fulfil the object of
their formation. With such wonderful skill is the mechanism of
a single flower constructed, and with such admirable precision does
it accomplish all its purposes.
ORDER. DROSERACE^J. (DE OAND.)
Dbosbra, (Linn.) Sundew.
Linn. 01. v. Ord. vi.
Name. From droseros, (Ghr.) dewy, from drosoe, dew, the pellu-
cid drops which are secreted by its glandular hairs, appearing like
drops of dew, and continue in spite of the sun which is fatal to the
true dew. In Latin of the middle ages, (for it was unnoticed by
the ancients,) it is called Roe solis, a mere translation of the com-
mon name. Nearly all the species stain with a purple colour the
— ^ r j n w hioh they are placed.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 363
1. D. rotundifolia, (Linn.) Round-leaved Sundew. Engl Bot. t.
867. Reich. Icones, iii. 24.
Locality. In bogB amongst sphagnum, rare. P. It July, Au-
gust. Area, 1. * * * *
&wlA Division.
1. South-east District, " Boggy ground about Downton," Major
Smith. " Bog on Alderbury Common," JKr. James Hussey. "Lang-
ford and Plaitford Common," Rev. E. Simms.
2. D. intermedia (Hayn.) Spathulate-leaved Sundew. D. longi-
folia, (Sm.) Engl Bot. t. 868. Reich. Icones, iii. 24.
Locality. Bogs and moist heathy ground. A. Fl July, August.
Area, 1. • • • •
South Division.
1. South-east District, " Bog on Alderbury Common," Turner and
DittwyiCs Botanists Chide, observed (1850) growing in the same
locality. Messrs. James Hussey and W. H. Hatcher. " Langford
and Plaitford Common/ 9 Rev. E. Simms and Mr. W. H. Hatcher.
Well distinguished by its rough and not loose coat adhering
firmly to the rest of the seed, a character observed and figured by
Dreves and Hayne.
Parnassia palustris, (Linn.) Grass of Parnassus. I am recently
informed by Mr James Hussey, that his late brother, Mr. Ambrose
Hussey, when on a visit at Warneford Place near Highworth, ob-
served this rare plant in a bog in some plenty, whilst out shooting,
and brought home a handful of it. His widow, Mrs. A. Hussey,
has still a specimen preserved in her Herbarium. The adjoining
county (Berks) coming close up to Warneford Place, I am not in
a position to state that the plant was seen in Wiltshire, though it
is believed to have been picked at Sevenhampton, within the county.
This fact I hope to ascertain by a visit to the locality during the
ensuing summer.
About the year 1830, the late Mr* Drummond, an excellent and
trustworthy observer, whose name appears frequently in the pages
of Sir W. Hooker's "British Flora," discovered this plant growing
near Devizes, but I am not aware of its ever having been since
observed in the neighbourhood, although repeatedly sought for by
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
364 The Flora of WiUshire.
myself and other botanists. It should be looked for where the soil
is a black peat, saturated with spring water, in the Northern Dis-
tricts of the county.
ORDER. POLYGALACK33. (JUSS.)
Polygala, (Linn.) Milk Wort.
Linn. CI. xvii. Ord. ii.
Name. Compounded of polu, much, and gala, milk, the Greek
name of a plant, supposed to increase the milk of cattle which feed
on it.
1. P. vulgaris, (Linn.) Common Milk Wort. Engl. Bot. U 76.
Reich. Icones.
Locality. On chalky, heathy, and moorish grounds, in bushy
places, pastures, and woods, frequent. P. J7. June, September.
Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
General in all the Districts. Varying much in colour, accord-
ing to soil.
P. calcarea, (Schultz.) "P. amara" (Don.) Specimens obligingly
sent me from numerous correspondents, so named from the chalk
districts of Wilts, are merely referable to P. vulgaris. I have not
gathered the true P. calcarea nearer the county than Cuxton in
Kent. It is figured in Engl. Bot. Suppl. t. 2764.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
365
% fast ffltypt gtom
Of December 30th, 1859.
By the Bey. Alfbeb Charles Smith, M.A.
JINOE remarkable atmospheric and meteorological pheno-
mena, which have been observed in Wiltshire, do undoubt-
edly belong to its Natural History, I shall offer no apology to the
members of our Society for bringing before them a detailed account
of the terrific hurricane, (of unprecedented violence in this country,
as I believe,) which swept over a long but narrow district in
the Northern division of the county on December 30th, 1859.
This has been deemed of sufficient importance and interest, not
only to attract hundreds of the curious from various distant parts
to see the scene, but to call forth the attention of Mr. G. A. Bo well 1
the scientific assistant keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford,
who has for many years given his attention to such subjects, and
who has carefully investigated the phenomena of our hurricane, to
^— ertain their bearings on the theory of storms, and with a view
(as T understand) of bringing the subject under the consideration
of the Meteorological department of the Board of Works.
But I would crave the indulgence of my readers for the imper-
fect manner in whioh I have explained some of the details, arising
from an insufficient acquaintance with the science of meteorology.
At the same time, as I am well aware that in giving a full account
of this most extraordinary tornado, I shall have to state facts whioh
will appear to the uninitiated to border on the marvellous, and to
relate occurrences, which at first sight seem almost impossible (but
which, as I know them to be true, I shall not on that account flinch
from detailing) I would disarm the incredulity of the sceptical, by
1 1 would beg here at the outset to express my warmest thanks and obligations
to Mr. Rowell, not only for the kindness and oourtesy with whioh he has replied
to my numerous questions, but for very much useful information, and many valu-
able hints, of whioh I have availed myself largely throughout this paper pamm.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
366 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
entreating their patience and forbearance, until at least they have
investigated the subject in some degree for themselves ; and I can
assure them that the deeper they dive into the mysteries of this
science, the more they will find to astonish and amaze them, more
particularly if they extend their enquiries beyond our island to
tropical latitudes, where it is notorious that the hailstorm, the
rainstorm, the hurricane, and the tornado have their home. And
if this latter remark seems to weaken my argument, and to allude
to another phase of the subject inapplicable to our Wiltshire storm,
I beg at once to bring forward the valuable testimony of Captain
Sherard Osborn,' R.N. who declares that in all his experience of
typhoons in China and other Southern and tropical countries, he
never had an idea of the power of wind till the day he visited the
scene of our Wiltshire tornado.
With these preliminary observations, I now address myself to
my subject.
The close of the year 1859 will long be remembered by the in-
habitants of some of the villages of North Wilts as the period of
"the Great Storm." It oocurrctd at about half-past one p.m. on
Friday, December 30th, and beginning its devastations about a
mile to the south of Calne, and coming up for the west, it shaped
its course for E.N.E., and took nearly a straight line in that
direction for about thirteen miles, its breadth varying from 250 to
about 400 yards: at what velocity 1 it rushed over this course it is
1 To avoid misconception I should explain here, that when I speak of the
rapidity of its passage, I would not by any means imply that the destructive
effects of the storm were in consequence of the velocity with which it rushed
over its track. I believe this could not have been the oase, as it would have
been at a rate of much more than a mile in a minute, whereas several persons
distinctly heard the roar of the storm (not the thunder) at least three or four
minutes before it came on or passed by. In the case of the storm, to whioh I
shall afterwards allude, at Clyffe Pypard, it passed from Glastonbury to Oxford at
the rate of about 32 miles per hour, whereas the wind to produce such effects
must have had a velocity of from 60 to 80 miles in that time. If the destruc-
tive effects had been produced by the velocity with which the storm paued along
its track, they would have been more uniform, and the greater violence of the
hurricane could not have occurred as it did at particular spots; but it is not
difficult to conceive such jumps or breaks as resulting from the irregularity of
the rainfall, and consequently of the rarefaction produced by it, as I shall after-
wards more fully explain. I believe a storm cloud may pass along at a mode-
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 367
impossible to conjecture, but it seems to be universally allowed
that from two to three minutes was the time occupied in passing
over any given spot; and during these few moments, it swept a
clear and most perceptible path in its onward progress, tearing up
by the roots and snapping short off the huge trunks of some of the
largest elms and other trees, unroofing houses, stacks, and cottages,
and hurling men and cattle to the ground, and dashing them
furiously to and fro, and rolling them over and over in its rough
embrace.
Several persons saw it from a short distance, coming up over
the open down, but being on one side of its course, they were
entirely out of it, and felt none of its breath as it tore by. Some
of these witnesses describe it as a thick volume of smoke, or a
dense cloud of steam rushing through the air: but to those with-
in its line, so appalling was its appearance, and so terrific the
roar of its approach, that the stoutest heart felt unnerved, and the
steadiest head bewildered at so sudden, so unusual, and so fearful
a visitation. Most of the villagers sought refuge within their
houses, apprehending some unwonted catastrophe; while others
who could not gain shelter in time, had to cling with all their
\ might to posts or gates, and even so found great difficulty in with-
• standing the fury of the gale. In an instant the storm was upon
them, ushered in by a most vivid flash of lightning and an instan-
taneous clap of thunder, and attended by abundant rain and hail-
stones of a large size. These, however, seem to have been
partial in their favours, covering the ground in some places, while
in others not one was to be seen. And so sudden and furious was
its onset, so loud and deafening its roar, so strange and unearthly
the darkness, (not unlike that attending the annular eclipse of the
rate rate, and yet the wind resulting from the vacuum within the oloud may be
of any velocity it is possible to imagine ; and (as far as I can learn) our hurri-
cane seems to have passed along in the general direction of the wind blowing at
the time, which was very high : how high in this particular locality I have no
means of knowing, but I learn that at Oxford on the 29th it had an average
velocity of 22 J, and on the 30th (the day of our storm) 24 J miles per hour ;
which is undoubtedly a very high wind : tie direction on the two days was
from 8.W. and W.S.W.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
368 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
sun the previous year,) so terrific the orash of falling roofs, (tiles
and rafters and thatch seeming to fill the air, while the windows
were beaten in by the hail,) that many thought the Judgment Day
had arrived, and others believed an earthquake was demolishing
their homes. Indeed, so appalling was the whole scene, and in
consequence men's senses seem to have been so paralyzed with ter-
ror, that, (strange to say,) along the whole line of storm, where
hundreds of trees were thrown down, scarcely a single individual
saw or heard a tree fall, and nobody realized what was occurring
till the hurricane had gone by. But in three minutes the storm
had passed on, and then when the frightened villagers emerged
from their cottages, what a sight met the eye on all sides; the
largest trees torn up by the roots, upheaving tons of earth attached
to them to a height of fourteen feet above the ground, large
branches snapped off and carried on many yards from where they
fell; barns in ruins or prostrate on the ground; ricks demolished,
and the sheaves carried away ; their own houses unroofed, and
their gardens filled with straw, fallen chimneys, and tiles; and all
this havoc effected in three minutes of time !
Such is the general description of the storm, as I have gathered
it from many eye-witnesses along its whole line, and from a per-
sonal and very minute inspection of its scene from end to end. I
proceed now to relate more in detail the exact course it took, and
the mischief it caused.
The first intimation we have of its assuming any great force, the
first mark indeed of its prowess, is on the property of the Marquis
of Lansdowne, near the Devizes road, about a mile south of Calne,
where it broke off the large branch of an oak tree within the pre-
cincts of Bowood Park: thence, steering eastwards, it partially
tore off the thatch of a cottage ; blew down three trees at Stock
Street, the property of Mr. Robert Henley; and passed on to the
Rookery Farm, where it also prostrated several fine elms and de-
capitated others. Thence to Quemerford Villa, astonishing the
inmates by bursting in the door and windows: and so on to Mr.
Blade's Mill, the property of Mr. Tanner, who suffered so largely
at Yatesbury: here it scattered far and wide the stone, tiles of the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 369
roofing of the stables and otber buildings, in addition to other
damage. And now hnrling down several trees on its way, it
reached Blacklands Park (the seat of Mr. Marshall Hall), hitherto
renowned for its magnificent timber, and then the work of destruc-
tion began in earnest, all its previous efforts haying been mere
child's play compared to the fury of its attacks here. First it par-
tially unroofed the new lodge, and snapped off many of the firs
which formed a shelter at its back, then rushing forth into the Park,
swept down no less than one hundred and forty eight trees, some
of great size and beauty, tearing up some by the roots, and snapping
off other large trunks, as if they had been twigs ; so that to the in-
mates of the house, who were looking from the windows, and who
were slightly removed from the main line of the storm, it appeared
as if all the trees in the Park were simultaneously, and in an in-
stant dashed headlong to the earth. But the work of desolation
goes on apace now, and away goes the storm, leaving Blacklands
far behind, along the Bath road, which for a good mile from this
spot and towards Marlborough was blocked up by fallen timber.
Here too it crossed the road, and visited Mr. Bodman's farm,
the property of Lord Lansdowne : then the Hail farm, occupied by
Mr. Arnold, and belonging to Mr. Heneage, where a vast number
of trees (amounting in all to about one hundred) were prostrated
in every direction : and thence to Mr. MaundrelTs farm, the
property of Mr. Poynder, when again forty more trees were added
to the list of victims. Here it seems to have contracted its breadth,
and to have rushed up the gully, along which the greater part of
the village of Oherhill is built, and here, confined within narrower
limits, its fury seems to have been poured upon every thing which
came in its way, so that scarcely a tree stands unscathed, while
hundreds are lying in every direction, and scarcely a cottage
retains its roof, the thatch and tiles and in some cases chimneys
falling victims to its attacks. A few of the most prominent parti-
culars in this locality may exemplify its violence : and first Oherhill
Mill deserves especial mention, no less than fifty trees (half of them
elms, and the remaining half apple and other fruit trees) having been
thrown down within a very small space ; and yet Mr. Reynolds the
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
370 The Great WiUehire Storm.
miller, (who in passing to the mill oould not reach it before the
storm was upon him, and clung to a rail of the orchard during its
entire passage) assures me that he neither heard nor saw a single tree
fall, so awful and bewildering was the effect of its sudden tremen-
dous and deafening attack. Again, in another instance, the roof of
a cottage was lifted off in a mass and deposited in the road : while
both the Church and the School sustained injury, though not to a
considerable amount. Throughout this village again the property
of Mr. Heneage suffered severely, more especially in the farm
occupied by Mr. Neate, where the roofs of the farm buildings and
barns were all more or less injured, in addition to the loss of many
magnificent elms and other trees, to the number of about thirty
five overthrown or dismantled. And again the farm of Mr. Hanks
sustained considerable damage, to the roofs of the house and out-
buildings, as well as to the barn, stack-yard and the trees which
sheltered them. And now " Excelsior " was the battle cry of the
hurricane, and with a shriek of victory and a roar of exultation it
rushed up the narrow ravine at the extreme east of Cherhill, leav-
ing that village behind it, and on and away for the open down ;
and chancing to fall in with a wheat rick which stood in its path,
it carried the greater part along with it, hurling whole sheaves
several hundred yards, threshing out the corn all over the field,
and whirling large quantities of straw above a mile. Here it seems
to have gathered fresh strength, as it reached the high table land
or plateau of the open down, and to have attained its greatest fury;
and spying six large trees standing out on the exposed plain, in
an outlying tract occupied by Mr. Salter, it hurled five of them to
the ground like ninepins, as it rushed by in its mad career, and
then on it dashed towards Yatesbury, which was to be the principal
scene of its triumph. And first, singling out here and there a fir
tree in some long plantations and belts on my glebe, it snapped
them off or tore them up, to the number of forty, with most fan-
tastic partiality, as if sending out a whiff for the purpose, as the
main body of the storm hurried by, and leaving the surrounding
trees apparently unruffled by the breeze. Thence, abstaining from
the slightest injury to the Church, and scarcely removing a tile from
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. O. Smith. 371
the School, it began a furious onslaught on the timber all around,
uprooting one of the large yews on my glebe, but sparing the pride
of our churchyard, (which without partiality I believe to the finest
and best grown yew tree in the county) and overturning right and
left, on either side of the church, the large trees on the property
of Mr. Charles Tanner, which were the ornament of that portion
of the parish. Then straight away for Mr. John Tanner's and the
south end of the village, where it did more damage than in any
other spot in its whole course : for first it entirely unroofed several
cottages, ricks and barns : then threw down chimneys and out-
houses : lifted off in a mass the entire roof of a long cattle-shed,
which was in a measure protected on the windward side by a large
barn at no great distance from it : smashed in the windows on
the south front of the house : laid flat the east and west walls
of the kitchen garden : prostrated two barns ; and uprooted or
broke off almost all the fine elms round the house : in addition
to the playful freaks of throwing a cow into a pond, hurling one
of the large cart horses from one end of the yard to the other, and
dashing him at length against the shed at the extreme end ; and
as a climax, taking up a heavy broad- wheeled waggon weighing 22
cwt., and lifting it over a high hedge, depositing it on its side a
dozen yards or more from where it stood. After these eccentric
manoeuvres and wondrous feats of strength, away goes the hurri-
cane for Winterbourne Monkton, coursing again for two miles over
the open country, and only marking its path here and there by
overthrowing the few trees which stood in its way. Arrived at
Monkton, a large barn, a cattle shed, and the trees which sur-
rounded the stack-yard, all in the occupation of Mr. Eyles, were
the first victims it attacked, throwing down the barn; an excellent
one, and of great strength and in good repair ; seizing the heavy
substantial roof of the long and perfectly new cattle shed, (mea-
suring 53 feet by 16,) and lifting it off the walls which supported
it in a solid mass ; snapping off the fir trees, and uprooting a
vast number of elms : indeed Mr. Eyles, is the chief sufferer at
Monkton, though not by any means the only one. The Church
received considerable damage, the west window being beaten in,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
372 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
and the roof injured : the School too lost its bell turret and was
otherwise maltreated : the old Rectory House, which had stood for
many generations was altogether dismantled and became a ruin,
and the cottagers who inhabited it were driven out to seek shelter
elsewhere ; in addition to the unroofing many ricks, sheds, and
other buildings belonging to Mr. Reed and others. But there is
no lingering here for the hurricane, for again the cry "Excelsior"
seems to have rung out upon the blast, as the spirit of the storm
once more began to mount, and this time to the highest down,
even to the summit of old Hackpen. Here as it hurried by the
cottages and barns on the bleak hill-top, that rejoice in the won-
derful name of "Glory Ann," (as may be seen in the Ordnanoe and
other maps,) it seems to have had a friendly feeling towards
buildings so exposed and solitary, and merely giving a passing
salute by scattering a little thatch here and there, down it rushed
to Temple Farm, in the occupation of Mr. Eemm, where it over-
turned several trees, and tore off the thatch of barns and other
buildings. Thence up again to the heights above Rockley, and up-
rooting a few trees there with its aocustomed eccentric partiality,
away over the open country, and down into the valleys, and up
again over the intervening downs to Ogbourne St. George, where
it left its last parting token, by blowing down a small barn and
two trees. From this point we lose all trace of it, and we may
conclude it did no farther damage, but had ended its career ; for
though many reports have been circulated of its effects farther on
and in several localities, they all appear on investigation to have
been the result of other gales, which were very prevalent all over
the kingdom at that time, but to have had no connection with
this, neither the hour nor even the day of such catastrophes
agreeing with those of our " great storm " of December 30th.
Here then we have before us the whole route of the hurricane,
and its principal points of attack within that route (for to enume-
rate every item of damage would have been impossible.) And now
we are in a position to comment upon the above facts, and to draw
out and examine more leisurely several very remarkable peculiari-
ties which will not have failed to strike the careful observer.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 375
And first I would call attention to the wonderful preservation of
life, both of man and beast, for which the infidel with his maxims
of chance, would find it difficult to account, but wherein God's
Providential care for His creatures has been most signally dis-
played. For though the storm passed through three villages in
its course ; though it oocurred in the very middle of the day; and
though it extended for no less than eleven miles in length by
nearly a quarter of a mile in breadth; and though hundreds of
trees were in an instant thrown down, across the roads, and over
the gardens, and in several cases upon the cottages themselves, yet
most mercifully not a single life was lost, nor did any serious ac-
cident occur to either man or beast. Hair-breadth escapes indeed
there were in abundance: for instance, several men and boys were
buried under the ruins of fallen barns both at Yatesbury and Monk-
ton, and how they all escaped the heavy beams and rafters which
fell around them, seems perfectly miraculous, but they were all
extricated from their perilous position with no worse result than
sundry bruises and an exceeding terror. Again, on the north side
of the road nearly opposite Blacklands a tree fell across a shed, into
which an old man had run for shelter, but while the shed was
crushed to the earth, the man escaped unhurt: and again, at Yates-
bury, Mr. Pontin, the relieving officer of the Calne Union, was in
imminent danger, from the falling of two large trees, close to him.
Still more remarkable are some of the instances of narrow escape
of destruction among the cattle. At the extreme west of Cherhill,
near Mr. Maundrell's farm, lies a narrow strip of meadow of about
half an acre in extent, surrounded with elms, no less than twenty-
three of which were swept down in an instant, and appeared com-
pletely to choke up the field ; yet it will hardly be believed that a
donkey belonging to the carpenter, Charles Aland, who dwells
hard by, and which had been turned into this meadow, was found
unhurt amidst the prostrate timber, though there appeared scarcely
a vacant space wherein it could stand. Nor was this the only ani-
mal bearing a charmed life which the worthy carpenter possessed,
for a large tree fell across his pig-sty, crushing it to the earth, but
the pig crept out uninjured, and was found standing by its ruined
BB
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
376 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
home perfectly untouched. Again at Mr. Neate's farm in the same
village, eight cows were inclosed with hurdles in a narrow space,
and across this enclosure several trees fell in different directions,
yet not a cow was even scratched, to the amazement of every one
who has seen the spot. I have already remarked on the overthrow
of Mr. Tanner's cart horse and cow at Yatesbury ; but when the
storm was gone by, they seem to have emerged, the one from the
shed into which he was whirled, the other out of the pond into
which she was cast, none the worse for their temporary discomfi-
ture. No less strange was the escape of Mr. Eyles's oxen at Monk-
ton, the roof of whose shed was blown off, as I have already de-
scribed; but when a passage could be effected through the debris,
hastened by very reasonable doubts as to the possibility of their
existence, they were discovered tied to their respective posts, in
no degree injured nor apparently much alarmed. Indeed the only
creatures which seem to have lost their lives in the hurricane, were
sundry hares and partridges, three or four of the former having
been picked up dead, immediately after the storm, and I myself
having chanced to ride by some of the latter, which I found almost
entirely denuded of feathers, doubtless the effect of their being
repeatedly dashed with violence on the earth : but surely with such
proofs of its fury before us, it is no wonder that such feeble crea-
tures were powerless before the blast: rather would it have been an
additional source of astonishment, had they been able to sustain it.
My next observation refers to the beginning and end of the
hurricane, for we all feel inclined to enquire whence did it come,
and whither did it go P And here I will not pretend to affirm
what must be matter of pure conjecture; for whether it descended
from above at its first point of attack, as some suppose, or whether
(as seems more probable) it had been gathering strength farther
westward; and again at the other extremity, whether it mounted
aloft, or whether it disported itself farther on the open down, ex-
pending its fury on the bleak hill side, and so gradually subsiding
and at length dying away, there is no direct evidence to show: but
to any one visiting the spot, it is clear that it began with compara-
tive gentleness, contenting itself at first with tearing off branches
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 377
and limbs of trees only, but gathering strength in its onward pro-
gress, and lashing itself into frenzy, very rapidly it increased in
might, in good sooth crevit eundo, and by the time it reached Black-
lands Park, had attained such power, as to be capable of the greatest
feats of strength, which indeed it was not slow to exhibit. Even
here, however, I contend it had not attained the height of its fury,
and not at any rate till it was compressed within the narrow limits
of the gulley at Cherhill, perhaps not till it reached its mid course
at Yatesbury, did it put forth its whole stroagth. And again,
precisely the same method of gradual decrease seems to have marked
its finale, for though the overthrow of part of a small barn was its
last and not unworthy effort, yet it left the surrounding trees and
buildings comparatively scatheless, and its victims for several miles
previously had become few, far between and ignoble. For these
reasons I apprehend, that it began and ended at no great distance
from the limits I have assigned it, and that it was a genuine
Wiltshire storm, its birth, life, and death having occurred within
the heart of the county.
And now I come to one of the most interesting portions of my
subject, and would invite careful attention to the general direction
of the storm, and the remarkable peculiarities attending its pro-
gress, with reference to the position of the trees and buildings as
they were prostrated on the ground. I have already said that the
direct course of the storm was E.N.E., and it'will be seen by any
one who will take the trouble to consult a map, that a line drawn
from the point of its commencement, one mile south of Calne, to
that of its final disappearance at Ogbourn St. George, will very
nearly pass through every farm estate and village enumerated
above, so that the course of the storm was undoubtedly in a direct
line ; or if the ends did incline slightly towards the north, the
curve was so slight, as to be almost imperceptible. But notwith-
standing that the hurricane came up from West to East, we do not
find the trees and buildings invariably lying in the general direc-
tion of the storm, indeed there are very many most remarkable
instances to the contrary, from which I select a few of the more
'prominent. For example, in the narrow strip of meadow above
2 BB
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
378 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
mentioned, where Aland's donkey was feeding, the field being in
shape an acute angled triangle, the acute angle lying towards the
storm or westwards, the trees which stood on the two long sides of
the field were almost all thrown inwards and towards one another,
scarcely a tree on either side falling outwards towards either of the
adjoining meadows. Again, from the top of Aland's house (for here
the storm exhibited great violence) a slate ridge-crest, (or crease, as
it is provincially termed) weighing 27|lbs., and measuring 4£ feet
long by 7 inches wide, was carried northwards about 40 yards; while
a rick and some trees standing in a parallel line at Oar, (commonly
called Whyr) farm, were blown due south. Again at Cherhill, seve-
ral large elms on Mr. Neate's land fell across one another in diamet-
trically opposite directions ; precisely the same thing occurred with
reference to my own trees in a long plantation, the firs in-more than
one instance fell with their tops towards one another, and in one case
actually crossing each other on the ground. And again in a field
to the west of the churchyard at Yatesbury, a row of elms 1 and a
row of ash, in parallel lines, and of sufficient size to have served
for years as the favourite nesting places in a thriving rookery, have
been uprooted, both lines falling inwards, across the direction of
the storm, and towards one another. And once more, the east and
west walls of Mr. Tanner's kitchen garden were both blown in-
wards, and so laid flat on the ground: while the cart horse before
mentioned was blown from the east towards the west, directly in
the teeth of the general line of the gale. But these are merely
instances of what may be observed in many localities, and are by
no means to be considered the only oases of the storm's attack from
an unexpected quarter, for several of the houses and other buildings,
though standing directly exposed to the fury at the hurricane, ex-
hibit their western fronts perfectly unscathed, while the opposite
1 These elms, eight in number and eaoh measuring 70 feet in length, were all
thrown down without an exception; of the ash (which measured 60 feet in
length) three only of the row of nine were prostrated; the rows of elms and ash
were about 60 yards apart. In the field east of the churchyard two large elms
were blown down towards S.E.; and four N.N.W. ; these also were 60 yards
apart: between these two fields stand the ohuroh and ohurohyard, which were
uninjured.
/ Digitized by G00gle
By the Rev. A. C. 8tnith. 379
sides bear marks of injury ; and so the eastern no less than the
western sides of the corn stacks were hurled to the ground, the
wind appearing to have wrapped round them, and so scattered the
sheaves in all directions, and to an incredible distance: while the
trees throughout the whole distance lie facing every point of the
compass, 1 though the great majority of course fell eastwards, in the
general direction of the storm. Now these are very remarkable
circumstances, and well deserve careful attention, for there must
be a cause to account for the peculiarity, and for this manifest
tendency in many instances both in the trees and buildings at-
tacked to fall inwards towards a common centre and in a narrow
space. How then is such a phenomenon to be accounted forP There
are some who affirm that the storm came on with undulatory move-
ment, like the waves of the sea, and thus account for its selection
of certain houses and trees here and there, leaving others all around
them untouched, as occurred more especially in my own plantations;
and in the case of a cottage occupied by one Anthony Edwards,
near Blacklands Park, which stands uninjured in the midst of de-
struction, not to mention the church at Yatesbury, which seems to
have been specially protected. But this theory, however ingenious
and plausible as regards the single question of the eccentric parti-
ality shown to some, and the furious attack on other objects, utterly
fails to account for the reversed position of so many of them : but
certainly if a theory be correct, it ought to meet every case : this
therefore must at once be abandoned. Others again say that it had
a rotatory movement, spinning in circles, revolving very rapidly,
and drawing everything within reach into its vortex as it whirled
along; and this is probably correot, so far as it goes; for I appre-
hend that such woe the movement of the tornado, 8 but even this
1 1 should explain here, that though there were occasional instances, (two at
Quemerford, one at Cherhill, and one at Yatesbury) of trees failing, as it were
backward*, with their heads turned towards the west, and many others in the
direction of south and south east, yet by far the more usual position of those
which were not prostrated in the line of the storm, was more or less northward,
at every inclination from right across, to the general direotion of the storm.
2 1 am bound to say that on this point Mr. Howell entertains a different
opinion, though in this one particular I venture to differ from him ; his remarks
on this head are as follows, " Although the whirling of the storm would not tell
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
380 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
advances us only a little way in explanation of the back and side
currents, driving objects across and in the teeth of the general
course of the gale, and is not sufficient to account for the more re-
markable results of the storm. Now no one seems to me to have
given so probable a solution to this mystery, (and certainly no one
has made such deep researches and investigated so diligently the
whole theory of storms) as Mr. Rowell. He states in one of his
publications on the subject, 1 after some very masterly arguments
and a chain of proofs in support of his opinion, " that the vacuum
or rarefaction created by the fall of rain and the escape of its elec-
tricity is the cause of storms and tornadoes of all kinds, on the
theory that particles of vapour are carried up and supported by
their coatings of electricity; and as water is 860 times heavier than
air at the sea-level, and as each particle must occupy the space of
an equal weight of air, it follows that on the fall of an inch of rain
a vacuum or rarefaction would result in the space above, equal to
that which would be produced by the abstraction or annihilation
of 645 cubic feet of air over every square yard where such rain
might fall, and during the time in which it was falling;" and
again, that when portions of a cloud are attracted towards the
earth, or when heavy rain falls, a vast conductor is thus formed
" for the accumulated electricity of the cloud to the earth ; then
as the passage of electricity is so instantaneous, an enormous va-
cuum or rarefaction would be produced within the cloud, on the in-
stant of the passing off of the electricity: matters beneath the
against the theory I advance still I cannot say that I could see any evidence of
a whirlwind in it, and I believe that the position of the trees that fell (as far as
I saw them) may be accounted for, either from a rush of air right onward into
the rarefied spaoe produced by the passing of the storm cloud, or by an occa-
sional lateral rush of air from the northward or southward, but ohiefly from
the latter. A man in answer to my question of how the rain seemed to fall,
said, "it came down in swathe*" and I think it may also be said that
occasionally the wind oarae in swathe* too. The effect of the wind on the lea-
side of houses, &c, gives no evidence of a whirlwind, as I think it may be
caused by the rarefaction of the air being more complete on the lea-side than on
the windward of a building as the clouds passed over, and I think that the lateral
rush of air into such spaoes would produce such effects as those I saw."
1 See Mr. RowelPs very able Essay "On the cause of rain and its allied
phenomena," (Oxford, 1859) which will well repay a careful perusal.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 381
cloud would have a tendency to rise into the rarefied space, and
the inward and upward rush of air into the cloud would carry up
whatever was within its vortex, in proportion to the intensity of
its upward force, the rising air assuming; more or less the charac-
ter of a whirlwind, or rushing upwards in sweeping currents from
all points towards the centre of the tornado." Now if these state-
ments are correct (and I see no reason to doubt their accuracy) I
think when we put them together, we have before us a deduction
exactly suiting our purpose, and that the heavy fall of rain, as well
as the abundant discharge of the electric fluid, both of which cer-
tainly attended our storm, must have produced, throughout the
whole course of the tempest, an excessive rarefaction and an enor-
mous vacuum, sufficient to account for every particular, astonishing
as some of the incidents undoubtedly are.
I now propose to apply this theory to some special cases, and
take the principal feats of the storm in detail. First with reference
to the waggon, on whose flight over the hedge some of the more
incredulous have made merry, but which is not in reality by any
means the most extraordinary instance of the power of the wind.
I am glad that I have Mr. Howell's authority for stating on this
head, that it may be accounted for, from the expansion of the air
beneath it first heaving it up, and then the onward rush of air
carrying it over the hedge; though surely those who accept the
above theory, will have no difficulty now in assenting to this
fact, for the waggon, measuring 11 feet by 6, if the whole of the
pressure of air above it was taken off as the storm cloud passed,
the expansive force acting on it must have equalled about 63 tons;
but a sudden rarefaction of one-tenth that amount would have suf-
ficed to upheave it as the storm went by. The same prinoiple will
apply to the seizure of the cart horse and the cow, and their inabil-
ity to stand against the wind, viz. the rarefaction of the air above
them, and their consequent buoyancy and tendency to rise into the
rarefied space, while the gale, acting from without the vortex,
drove them on towards the centre of the tornado, without reference
to the general direction whence the storm blew. And again, the
fact that the eastern and western walls of Mr. Tanner's garden
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
382 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
were both blown inwards, shows that the air must hare been
rarefied by the passing of the cloud, and that they were driven
in by lateral pressure. But not to prolong the question unneces-
sarily, I come now to what I apprehend to be the greatest feat of
the storm, whioh was the breaking off and hurling to a distance
of nearly 60 yards before they struck upon the soft ground, the
heavy tops of three elm trees, standing just above Cherhill Mill,
whose length was about 25 feet, and whose weight may be conjec-
tured from the fact, that Mr. Reynolds assures me it required three
horses, and even then was as much as they could do, to drag them
one by one into his yard. The above theory of the production of
a vacuum and its absorbing tendency, aided by the force of the
gale from without, accounts very satisfactorily to my mind (and
nothing else will account) for this extraordinary feat ; as well as
for similar instances, of whioh there are several, of other trees and
other large limbs hurled a considerable distance ; among whioh I
would particularise one at Quemerford Mill, another at Mr. Maun-
drell's farm blown across an entire meadow, and another in Barrow-
way at Yatesbury. The removal of the three entire roofs, viz. of
the cottage at Oherhill (measuring 16 by 13 feet) of the shed at
Yatesbury (41 by 15 feet) and the cattle shed at Monkton (53 by
16 feet) though to be accounted for on the same principle, differs in
certain respects. In neither case does it appear that the walla
supporting those roofs are in any degree injured, but the roofs seem
to have been lifted up by some strong upheaving force, as the
cloud passed over, and then a current in the direction of the storm
carried them on. And this (I learn from Mr. Bowell) is no un-
common occurrence during tornadoes, for (I quote again from his
book) " the great diminution of atmospheric pressure within the
whirl is shown by the fact that in violent tornadoes, the windows,
doors, &c, of buildings near the centre of the line of the tornado,
are very often burst outwards, as if from the expansion of the air
within the building on the sudden cessation of external pressure :
even the cellar floors of buildings have been burst upwards during
such storms, where it has been impossible for the wind to get
beneath them to force them up." (276). The same principle of
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 383
the expansion of the air within the building will acoount for the
striking fact, that in the case of a somewhat lofty house with a
tiled roof at Cherhill, as well as in the case of several thatched cot-
tages both at Cherhill and Yatesbury, the sides of the roofs most
exposed to the full fury of the hurricane, and on which the storm
blew, were uninjured; while the opposite or eastern sides, which
were apparently protected from the wind, were carried off; where-
by it seems probable that the expansion of the air within the build-
ing forced off the roofs on the eastern sides, as the storm cloud
passed over, while those on the western sides were kept on by the
air pressing onwards towards the rarefied space in the cloud itself.
Perhaps the same principle may account for the apparent incon-
sistency, that in several cases low buildings attached to the eastern
sides of more lofty houses, and where it would seem impossible for
them to be affected by the storm, have been completely unroofed,
as is most strikingly shown at Quemerford Mill. And again, in
the same manner, on the N.E. side of Cherhill Church, where the
bank is very steep, and across the line of storm, and the low trees
and shrubs growing on it are apparently protected from the gale,
and are very little, if at all higher than the churchyard; where (in
addition to all this) there was a rick standing on the edge of the
bank and broadside to the storm, yet the trees on the bank were
crushed down as by an avalanche, which can only be accounted for
by the rarefaction of the air in the glen as the storm cloud passed,
and then by the rush of heavier air down into it.
I come now to speak of the hail-stones which accompanied the
storm in large quantities, and which from their enormous size and
peculiar shapes were almost as extraordinary as the tornado itself:
moreover, their forms seem to have varied in different localities ;
thus Mr. Spenser of Bowood saw some more resembling flat pieces
of ice than hail : they were nearly half an inch in thickness, and
from two to three inches in diameter, star-shaped, with rays rang-
ing from four to seven in number, and the rays of different sizes.
Others again were wedge-shaped and about three inches in length,
and in some cases several of these were frozen together ; these
hail-stones fell clear of the rain-cloud; and Mr. Rowell suggests that
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
384 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
hail of this character probably has given rise to the idea, that has
sometimes prevailed, that ice had fallen from the clouds, as if the
water had frozen in sheets and then broken up into angular pieces.
Others have described them as wedges three inches long, tapering
to a point at one end, but heavily weighted with a massive lump at
the base : this was where it was raining at the time; and Mr. Howell
considers that this form resulted from the fall of some of the
wedge-shaped stones precipitated through the lower clouds and
becoming increased in size by the accumulation of vapours frozen
on their larger and heavier ends. At Yatesbury again, the hail-
stones were of an entirely different shape, for they had now lost
their wedge-like character, and resembled rough irregular stones
of about two inches in diameter, and this form may perhaps have
been produced by their being whirled about and retarded in their
fall, when the storm was at its greatest violence. At Gherhill
there was little or no hail, but to the north on the hill above, they
fell freely, and I have a graphic description of their shape from
Mr. Neate's shepherd, who likened them to the middle of a waggon
wheel, with the spokes all broken off. At Monkton no hail was
seen, though there was an abundance of rain, but at Berwick Bae-
sett, within little more than half- a- mile of Monkton northwards,
the hail-stones fell in large quantities, and for their enormous size
I am happy to be able to adduce the testimony of the Rev. It. Mead
and Mr. Viveash, who measured some and found them to be 4f
inches, and others again, measured accurately with compasses,
proved to be no less than 5J inches, and some even to have ex-
ceeded 6 inches in circumference, with a diameter of half an inch.
This is undoubtedly a very extraordinary size for English hail-
stones, though we shall cease to marvel at them so much when we
come to read the account of hail in tropical regions, as detailed be-
fore the British Association in 1850 and 1855 by Colonel Sykesin
his communication "on Indian Hailstorms.'' There we are told on
the best authority, that the hail-stones, which fall in India, in the
great majority of cases, exceed the size of filberts; but that occa-
sionally they are as large as pullets' eggs, oranges, and even cocoa
nuts and pumpkins; that two pounds have been given as the actual
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 385
weight of a single hail-stone; and that they have on several oc-
casions caused great loss of life among cattle, and have sometimes
been fatal to human beings. I may instance the great storm of
Peshawur, in the Himalayas, in May 1853, when eighty-four hu-
man beings, and three thousand oxen were killed, the hail-stones
being hard, compact, and spherical, and measuring nearly a foot
in circumference : and that at Naine Tal, in the Lower Himalayas,
in May 1855, where some of the stones weighed above a pound and
a half, exceeded the dimensions of a cricket ball, struck down men
and animals, unroofed houses, and destroyed trees. I have the
greater confidence in adducing the particulars of this latter storm,
because they are abundantly corroborated by a near relative of my
own, who was an eye witness to their occurrence. But to return
to our storm in North Wilts.
I regret that I have no means of ascertaining the precise amount
of rain which fell during the hurricane, but that a very copious
discbarge then took place is certain, and by way of obtaining the
nearest information on this head within my reach, I have instituted
enquiries at all the mills near which it passed, and from one and all
I derive the same reply, that the rise of the water was both greater
and more sudden than was ever remembered on any former occasion
of other heavy rains: this is the unanimous opinion of the millers
at Cherhill, Quemerford, and Blacklands Mills, where, though
within a mile of the source of the stream which turned them, it
was found necessary to draw the hatches and stop the works for a
time, on account of the rush of water which bore down with irre-
sistible fury immediately after the storm had passed by.
I believe that I have now examined every phenomenon attending
our great storm: that it has been most disastrous in its effects, and
that the destruction of property occasioned by it has been very con-
siderable, there can be no doubt ; but the greatest, because the ir-
reparable, loss consists in the overthrow of so large a number of our
finest trees, for it may readily be conceived that in the bleak down
district, every large tree is of unspeakable value as a shelter from
the wind. But though in these high exposed situations, we are
often assailed by boisterous breezes, yet in the memory of the oldest
inhabitant no tradition of anything resembling such a hurricane
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
386 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
exists, with the exception of the storm of September 22nd, 1856,
which beginning at Glastonbury, and ending at Oxford, devastated
a portion of the adjacent village of ClyfFe-Pypard : the particulars
of this storm however, though sufficiently astonishing, do not in-
dicate the same amount of violence as that which marked our recent
hurricane, neither was its course so continuous or its attacks so uni-
form, for though its total course from point to point extended no
less than 75 miles, there were such wide gaps in its appearance,
and it bounded over suoh considerable intervals in its onward pas-
sage, that it was extremely difficult to trace its route. At Glyffe,
however, and especially on the property of Mr. Goddard, it certainly
expended its greatest fury, demolishing the fine old trees round the
Manor House and Vicarage, and leaving a scene of destruction sad
to behold. One more notice I have of a great Wiltshire storm,
and that was as long ago as the year 1703, which, however, was
not confined to this county, though some of its effects here are re-
corded. We are told 1 that, "at Salisbury nearly all the trees in the
Close fell flat," and Bishop Een, then on a visit to his nephew, Mr.
Isaak Walton, Rector of Poulshot, narrowly escaped with his life:
while at Oollingbourne Ducis, as we learn from a memorandum in
the Register, " few places in England suffered more than the Par-
sonage here ; one long barn blown down; all the rest of the barns,
outhouses, stables, and ricks unthatched, and the dwelling-house
uncovered: the lead on the chancel was shrivelled up like a scroll,
and the tower and the body of the Church much damnified/' Th»
account closes by saying that " Providentially both man and beast
escaped all manner of hurt in these parts ;" a Providence in which
we of 1859 have participated. Another remarkable fact recorded
in the same Register states, that the winter preceding the great
storm had been unusually mild, a circumstance which as signally
differs from our present case, the whole season since last autumn
having been extremely boisterous, with short intervals of excessive
mildness. Thus, the close of October set in with the most violent
winds, and the 25tb of that month will long be remembered for
the loss of the Royal Charter, and many other disastrous shipwrecks
1 " A History Military and Municipal of the Ancient Borough of Devizes," p..
330. (Devizes, 1859.)
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 387
and the sad loss of life occasioned thereby all round our coasts. The
middle of December was no less notorious for the severity of the frost,
wherein the thermometer on one occasion sank as low as 1° below
Zero, a degree of cold (as I believe) unparalleled within the memory
of man, as occurring in this country be/ore Christmas. This was fol-
lowed by "the great storm" on December 30th, and that again
by such extreme warmth on the 1st January, 1860, that the ther-
mometer rose higher on that day than had been recorded for the
whole month of January for 17 years, standing at one period of
the day at 57° in the shade. Subsequently to this, the reading of
the rain guage, for the first four weeks of this year, shows that
a greater amount of rain had fallen than within the same period
for several years. Again on Tuesday the 17th of January, the sky
being perfectly clear and not a cloud to be seen, loud rumblings,
resembling a heavy discharge of artillery prolonged for above a
minute startled many persons from the strangeness of the sound,
and caused all who heard them to look upwards involuntarily.
These atmospheric noises were heard by numbers in different parts
of the county, at Yateabury, Berwick, Collingbourne, the Pewsey
Yale, on Salisbury Plain, and even (as was stated in the public
journals) in the neighbourhoods of Reading and Wantage, and they
are supposed by those most capable of forming a correct opinion to
have been produced by the passing of a meteor through our atmos-
phere, near enough to produce sound, but yet invisible on account
of the broad daylight ; or even if it had been near enough to have
been within the range of sight, it might have passed unnoticed,
as the sound produced would have occupied so long a time in
reaching the ear, that the object which caused it would have passed
far away from the point to which the sound would direct the eye
before the noise could be heard. 1 Since the middle of January we
1 About ten or twelve years since, a very large meteor was observed in the
zenith of Bristol, and it exploded about fifteen miles from the zenith of Bedford,
at the estimated height of twenty-one miles, that is, a horizontal distance of about
forty miles; and although the air at that height must be exceedingly rare, yet
the report was heard at Oxford like a loud olap of thunder, at between four and
five minutes after the explosion had taken place. This meteor gave a light like
that of day, and appeared as large as the moon, but it is probable that it would
not have been seen in broad daylight. Another meteor fell in 1826 about fifteen
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
388 The Great Wiltshire Storm.
have experienced more boisterous winds and a longer continuance of
stormy weather than for many years past, the whole of the month
of February partaking largely of this character, and another hur-
ricane blowing on the 28th of that month, with sufficient force, to
overturn two more magnificent elms in Blacklands Park, and several
trees here, to scatter the tiles of my cow house, and unroof many
cottages, barns and ricks at Cherhill and Yatesbury, which had
justbeen re- thatched; but this storm was not confined to Wilt-
shire, nor even to our island, for it seems not only to have swept
across the whole breadth of England and Wales, (doing especial
damage on the East Coast, where it raged with unwonted violence,)
but to have included in its destructive course a great part of the
Continent, from the latitude of Berlin to that of Paris.
I should add that the day of our hurricane was marked
throughout by sudden and violent gusts of wind, accompanied with
hail and rain in heavy showers ; those who were hunting with the
Duke of Beaufort at Bremhill on that day will not readily forget
the hail-stones, which descended with such force as to cut their
hands till their knuckles bled, and to make their horses kick and
plunge from the pain inflicted by them. Still more will the day
long be remembered in England as the disastrous day of storm,
which cost her the life of one of her best officers, as deeply lamented
as he was highly respected by all, the gallant Captain Harrison of
the Great Eastern. While those of the inhabitants of North Wilts
who live within its limits, will never forget to the last day of their
lives "the great Wiltshire storm of December 30th, 1869."
rat *^rcf^ifm! ne ' Alfred Chaklbs Smith.
miles from Oxford : it was evening but still daylight at the time: consequently
but very little was seen of it as it passed, but several reports like the fixing of
cannon were heard. And again, sinoe writing the above (viz. March 10th,) a
similar phenomenon occurred at Drogheda, whioh is said to have struck with the
deepest terror those who witnessed it The moon shone out dearly, the atmos-
phere was calm, and the sky was dotted over with stars, when, about nine o'clock,
a rumbling noise was heard above, and suddenly the heavens seemed to cleave
asunder, when a ball of fire, the most brilliant that fanoy oould imagine, rolled
along the blue vault, and appeared to descend with the most fearful rapidity.
For a few seconds the entire town was lighted up so intensely, that many of the
inhabitants were completely overwhelmed with terror, the startling novelty, as
well as the brilliancy of the phenomenon combining to cause a complete panic.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 389
P.S. — Since the above paper has been in type, our Editor, Canon
Jackson, has communicated to me two facts connected with my
subject. The one is simply a very brief notice from an old paper, of a
great storm in North Wilts, just 100 years since, (viz. on February
16th, 1760,) which passed over Wootton Basset and Rodborne
Cheney; killed a child and a cow, and prostrated trees and houses.
The other relates to a hurricane, or rather compound of whirlwind
and hurricane, which took place at Grittleton, on the afternoon of
August 14th, 1851. The day had been fine, and very hot: about
five o'clock an extremely violent storm of rain fell. Just as the
rain ended, there was a sudden rush of wind, due West to due East :
and a very black cloud, with a kind of core "as big as a haycock"
traversed the country, right across in a perfectly straight line, but
all the time whirling round and round; overthrowing much tim-
ber, twisting off the tops of tough old oaks with the greatest ease,
and scattering the ground with great boughs and branches innu-
merable. * It did not make a dear sweep of all before it, but
appeared to bound along, knocking down at intervals : hitting one
tree, but entirely missing the next, though quite close and in the
same straight line. The whole was the work of two or three
minutes: and the havoc was confined to a breadth of about a hun-
dred yards. It could be traced by these marks for about four
miles: and appeared to have then vanished altogether. Canon
Jackson concludes his account of it by expressing his opinion
(which I am glad to quote) that this rotatory motion must have
had a great deal to do with the prostration of the trees (in our
recent hurricane) against the direction of the storm.
A. C. S.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
390
» garell of piiecote.
(No. 3.)
By 0. E. Long, Esq.
<jg$Y the kind permission of the Master of the Rolls I have, for
some time, had free access to all documents in the Record
SctTin any degree connected with the county of Wilts; and my
attention, as the readers of this Magazine are aware, has been, on
two previous occasions, especially directed to the unravelling of
those entangled threads by whioh the story of Darell, and the sup-
posed Littlecote child murder, has been so long enveloped. With
the assistance of my friend, Mr. Duflus Hardy of the Record Office,
I am enabled to place before the public an accidental, and most
interesting discovery. This consists, not indeed of the testimony
long asserted to have been given by the midwife on the imaginary
trial of Darell at Salisbury, because she, being, as it now appears,
already dead, could never have attended it; nor before "Judge
Popham," who as Aubrey solemnly tells us, "gave sentence ac-
cording to law;" because he was then no Judge at all; but it is
the deposition made by her, just previous to her death, at Great
Shefford in Berkshire, where she lived, a place some six miles
distant from Littlecote, and taken by Mr. Anthony Bridges, the
principal magistrate and landowner there, confirming, in nearly
every particular, excepting the most important particulars, viz.
the ingenious embellishment of the bed curtain — her counting the
steps of the staircase — her second visit to, and recognition of the
house — and the crimination of Darell, the tale, as told on tradition-
ary information, by Lord Webb Seymour to Sir Walter Scott.
This deposition, together with other papers, all at one time
evidently in DareLTs possession, were found, during some recent
repairs, at the Rolls' Chapel. They were confusedly mixed up with
other documents with which they had no connexion. All these
Darell papers, however, appear, from holes at the top of each folio,
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By 0. E. Long, Esq. 391
to have been, at one time, stitched together. With the exception
of this deposition, and a short and irrelevant letter from Bridges
to Darell about a lease of lands, they relate to one subject only, viz.
the assassination of a person of the name of Brind of Wanborough,
by two brothers of the name of Browne, in a brawl at the above place.
With this affair Darell was only connected as a magistrate and a
landowner. His conduct seems to have been rather praiseworthy
in objecting to the "price of blood" to be paid to the widow,
whereas, that of Sir Henry Knevett is open to censure, and the
result was somewhat of a rupture between Enevett and Darell,
and their adherents. The dates of these papers are 1577, and
part of the year 1578. The second letter of Bridges to Darell, the
last in date on the list, and which will be given as, apparently, al-
luding to the deposition of the midwife, is, as to the ink, the writ-
ing, and the age of the paper, similar to the deposition itself. I
have, therefore, little doubt but that Bridges, according to his pro-
mise made in that letter, had subsequently the interview, as intima-
ted, with Darell at Littlecote; that he then gave him the deposition,
and that the whole set of documents were, eventually, tied up
together, and kept perad venture in those "greate chestes" alluded
to in Yol. iv. page 220, which came into Popham's possession on
DarelPs decease, were sent up to London, as we are told, by Pop-
ham's agent, Mr. Rede, and ultimately, with a mass of other docu-
ments, found their way into the Court of Chancery in a cause in
which the widow of Sir Francis Walsingham, who had purchased
DarelPs lands at Chilton, was a plaintiff in 1592. (See Yol. iv. p.
221.) If, therefore, we arrive at the conviction, that the letter
and the deposition bear nearly the same date, the whole tradition
of DarelPs trial and acquittal, and the breaking of his neck two
or three months afterwards, is scattered to the winds, inasmuch as
we know that the date of his death was Oct. 1, 1589, eleven years
subsequent to the taking of the deposition.
I now give the letter of Mr. Bridges, subjoining the deposition
of the midwife.
Anthony Bridges to William Darell.
" My good Coaen, 1 oommende me hartely unto you, being very wry that my
happ was not to be at home when yon were laste at my house, for I am w*
CC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
392 Wild Darell of Littlecote.
ohilde to speake w te you as well for myne owne matter of twentye poundes, as
also for other matters w ch yow wyll wonder to heare, and yet I suppose they
ooncerne youre selfe. 1 have hyn of late amongeste craftye erowders, whoe
walked w th me on parables a longe tyme, and oowlered |theyre doinges w tt
suttell sophistrye, still gropinge and undermininge me in matters of greate
importance, yea, as greate as may be to those partyes to whome they dyd
apperteyne, but I at the firste, peroeaved theyre inglynge, and gave theyre
doinges in the begininge suohe a dashe, that they seemed therew** 1 alle utterly
discomfited, being as they said, a commissioner chose for them. The matter
feare you not y f it be no worse then I knowe, there was no partye named whome
the said matter dyd ooncerne, otherwyse then a gentleman dwellinge w^^n
three myles of my house, but I peroeaved theyre fetehe was not to have me a
commissioner, but a deponente, yf they ooulde have gotten any thinge from
me that mighte have made for theyre purpose. I wyll tell you alle the suh-
stance of the matter (as I conjecture) at oure nexte meetinge, but the partyes I
may not name. I am nowe rydinge towardes Hampshyre in earnests busines,
and doe mynde, God willinge, to be at Ludgarshalle this nighte at bed, where
my busines is suche that I muste remayne thies three dayes as I suppose, and
in my retorne I wyll God wyllinge, see you at Lyttlecote. My wyfe is already
rydden towardes Ludgarshall. This I oommitt yow to Almighte God from
8hefforde the xxiiij* of Julye 1578.
" Youre lovinge Cosen and assured
frende to oommande,
" Anthoitye Bbidgbs.
Addressed. "To the righte worshipfulle my very lovinge Cosen Wylliam Dar-
rell, Esquier, geve thes at Lyttlecote w to speede."
A. Bridges 9 8* account of Mrs. Barnes 9 8 Deposition.
" Thes are to testefye my knowledge touchinge oerteyne speohe, w eh Mother
Barnes of Shefforde uttered not longe before her deathe, in the p r sence of me
and others, videlt, that there oame unto her house at Shefforde, two men in
maner leeke servinge men in blaoke fryse cotes, rydinge uppon very good
geldinges or horses, w ch deolared unto her that theyre mystres (as they then,
called her) nameinge M rt Knevett, w^ is nowe the wyfe of S r Henry Knevett, f
Knighte of Wyltesh, had sente by them oomendaoions unto her, prayenge
her of all loves to come unto her forthw* aooordinge to her p ro mise, shea
• He was of the family of Bridges of Coberley oo. Gloucester, Vide ColUns's Peerage. The Inqui-
sition at his decease was taken at Abingdon 11 Jac. 1. Eleanor his daughter, and the inheritrix of hie
estates, was married to George Browne, and it was at their mansion at Sheflbrd that Charles the First
slept, as appears in Symonds's Diary recently edited for the Camden Society by the contributor of
this article. " His Majestie lay" Nov. 19th 1644 "at Great Sheflbrd in the old manor house of
Mr. Browne Esq. co. Berks ; a parke belonging to it." (Symonds p. 158.). Mr. Brydges was allied
to Darell in three ways. 1. by the marriage of bis great grandfather with a Darell, Tide the Darell
pedigree ; Wilts Mag. iy. 236. 2. through his grandmother a Hungerford. S. through her mother,
a Fetyplace. Ludgershall Castle belonged to him. By the kindness of the Rer. T. T. Churton,
Rector of Great Sheflbrd, I am informed that Mr. Bridges was buried March 4th, 1613. Also that
the entries of Burials at Great Sheflbrd commence in 1599, too late to giro us the entry of Mrs.
Barnes's name.
+ Sir Henry Knevett married the daughter and heir of Sir James Stumpe of Malmesbury. One of
their three daughters and coheirs was the wife of the first Earl of Suffolk, by which marriage he
became possessed of the Charlton Estate.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Long, Esq. 393
beinge as they said, at that time neare her tyme of traveyle of ohilde whoe
presently prepared her selfe redy to ryde, and beinge somwhat late in the even-
inge, shee departed from her said house in the oompany of the two before
recited persons, whoe rode w* her the moste parte of alle that nighte. And
towardes daye, they broughte her unto a fayre house and alighted her neare a
doore of the said house, at the w** doore one of those that broughte her, made
some little noyse, eyther by knookinge or rynginge of some belle, Whereuppon
there oame to the said doore a tall slender gentleman havinge uppon hym
a longe goune of blaeke velvett, and bringinge a lighte w tt him, whoe so
soone as shoe was entred into the said doore, made faste the same, and shutt
out those that broughte her, and presently broughte her upp a stayres into a
m fayre and a large greate ohambre, beinge hanged all aboute w^ arras, in the w* h
chambre there was a chymney, and therein was a greate fyre, and from thenoe
throughe the said ohambre shee was conveyed unto an other ohambre of leeke
proporcion, and hanged in leeke sorte as the fyrste was, in the w° h ohambre
was also a chymney and a greate fyre, and passinge throughe the said seoonde
chambre, shee was broughte into a thyrde chambre, hanged also rychlye w*
arras, in the w 1 * ohambre there was a bed rychlye and gorgeouslye furnished
the curteynes of the said bed beinge alle close drawen about the said bed. And
so soone as shee was entered in at the doore of the laste resited ohambre, the
said party e in the longe velvet goune zouned softly in her eare, sayenge, loe,
in yonder bed lyethe the gentle woman that you are sente for to come unto,
goe unto her and see that yow doe youre uttermoste endevoyre towardes her,
and yf shee be safely delivered, you shall not fayle of a greate rewarde, but yf
shee mysoarry in her traveyle, yow shall dye. Wheruppon as one amased,
shee departed from the said gentleman to the beddes syde, fyndinge there a
gentlewoman in traveyle, lyenge in greate estate, as by the furniture uppon her
and aboute her it dyd appeare, this gentlewomans face beinge covered eyther
w* a visar or a call* but w to w* h I doe not remerabre. And shortly after her
oominge shee was delivered of a man ohilde, whoe for lacke of other clothes
was fayne to be wrayped in the myd wyfes apron, and so was carried by the
said mid wyfe into one of the two fyrste ohambres that shee passed throughe
at the fyrste w* the gentleman fyndinge the said gentleman there at her
oominge thither whoe demaunded of her, whether the partye that shee came
from was delivered of ohilde or no, whoe aunswered that shee was safely deliv-
ered of a man child w* shee there presently shewed him, requiringe him that
some provision of clothes mighte be had to wrapp it w ft alle, whoe incontinently
broughte her to the fyre syde, into the w** fyre he oommaunded her to caste
the ohilde, wheruppon shee kneeled doune unto him, desyringe him that he
woulde not seeke to destroye it, but rather geve it unto her, promisinge him to
keep it as her oune, and to be sworne never to disclose it, the w* h thinge the
gentleman woulde not yelde unto, but forthw th the ohilde was oaste into the
fyre, but whether by the mydwyfe her selfe, or by him, or by them both, I doe
not perfectly remembre. And so soone as this horrible facte was done, shee
was oommaunded to goe baoke agayne to the gentlewoman, where she remayned
all that day and by nighte' was broughte backe agayne by those two men that
broughte her thither, whoe sett her some myles distante from her house, but
* A contraction for oallot, or calotte ; a cap or coif.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
\
894 Wild DareU of Littlecote.
whether two myles or more, I doe not remembre. And I demaundinge of her
w* way shoe wente in rydinge thither, shee. annswered that as shee supposed
thee wente faste by Dunington Parke, leavinge the said parke on her righte
hande, and demanndinge of her by what houses shee traveyled by, shea aun-
swered that shee traveyled by dyvers houses w* h shee knewe not, and demannd-
inge oyer or throughe what waters shee passed, shee aunswered shee passed
oyer a greate and a longe bridge w cb as shee veryly supposed was a bridge
oyer the Thames, as by the water w* passed throughe the said bridge beinge
very greate shee dyd imagin.
" By me, Akthoittb Bridges."
It will not be necessary to offer more than a few comments on
the above documents. The reader may safely be left to draw his
own conclusions as to the connexion between the passage in
Bridges'* letter and the date of the deposition. On the deposition
itself I would observe
1st. The mention of the Knevetts was, obviously, a "blind " to
induoe Mistress Barnes to move, and so, in no way, inculpates Sir
Henry Knevett as regards the murder, though it does lead to a
suspicion that some of his party may have concocted the affair in
order to damage the reputation of DareU. But there is another
point. Are we to believe that this " Mother Barnes," who was so
well known as to have made a promise to oross the county, some
thirty miles, to Malmesbury, was yet, herself, so ignorant of her
own immediate neighbourhood as not to be aware that she had
merely been carried some five or six miles from her home, and
that she remained a whole day in a house of suoh pretensions as
Littlecote, in utter ignorance of where she was staying P Why, it
would have been dangerous for Darell himself to have faced her,
as she might very frequently have seen him in her own village
hard by, , where Bridges, being his friend and relation, resided.
2nd. She is asked to describe her route, and she states that she
thought that in "going thither" viz. to the unknown mansion,
"she left Dunington Park" that is the Park of Donnington Castle
near Newbury, on her "right." Now if this was the fact, a glance
at the map will show that she may have gone, we know not where,
certainly anywhere but to Littlecote. But let us suppose that she
thought she detected Donnington on her return, and that she was
taken round by way of Speen, and so by the Lambourne road to
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
By C. E. Long, Esq. 395
Shefford. I speak advisedly on these points, baying been born and
bred in the neighbourhood. Is it credible, I ask, that even by
night (for she does not say that she was blindfolded) she should
not have recognised her own little market town of Hungerford,
five miles only from her own door, and the bridge over the Ken-
net, mistaking that, to her, well known stream for the broad
Thames? ! Incredible.
3rd. We come next to the most preposterous part of the whole
story, viz. that if the lady was safely delivered, she, the midwife,
was to be well rewarded, whereas if the lady miscarried, poor Mis-
tress Barnes was to be immolated forthwith. The infant was born
alive; Mistress Barnes's throat was not cut; but the poor child
was committed to the flames ! And so we are called upon to credit
the fact that the tall slender gentleman in black velvet, not being
a lunatio at large, had such an appetite for infant cremation as,
unnecessarily, to enact the part of an assassin, and thereby volun-
teer the making of a halter for his own neck, when a miscarriage
would have answered his object in a perfectly honest and satisfac-
tory manner. But perhaps there is no accounting for whims!
With these observations I am, notwithstanding these periodical
discoveries, almost tempted to close the case, contented to nonsuit
the midwife out of her own mouth. Although throughout, I have
not hesitated to avow my scepticism, I do not say that traditions
are, in all cases, to be cashiered with scorn, far from it; but we
well know how, in the ordinary intercourse of our every day life,
a story improves, and becomes embellished in its progress from
mouth to mouth ; heightened in its colouring, enlarged, if not
falsified in its facts ; and so it turns out as to this Littlecote story
with its most mysterious beginning, its most magnified middle
passage, and its most abortive end. One by one the facts have
melted away, and nothing is left of the dish first served up by our
good gossip, Aubrey, and subsequently seasoned by the fire-side
credulity of the villagers, but this contemporaneous tale of " Mo-
ther Barnes/' narrated eleven years anterior to Darell's death, and
when Popham, reported to have saved him from the hangman, and
in payment, to have got his estate, was not only no Judge, but not
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
396 Wild Darett of Littlecote.
even Solicitor General; while, in the interral, Camden, the historian
of the county, even if he heard the rumour was no believer in the
truth of it, and while Walsingham continued op terms of intimacy
with the criminal, whom we further find acting as a county
magistrate, and taking a prominent part in bringing other mur-
derers to justice. Is it conceivable that a person, with his own
hands so imbrued, would have .ventured to appear as the punisher
of others at all, that he would have been in the Commission of the
Peace at all, still less have been selected by Walsingham to take a
leading part in bringing Brind's murderers to justice P And to
crown the value of this village scandal, I may observe, that Great
Bedwyn, quite in the contrary direction, has, hitherto, been re-
garded as the home of the midwife.
C. E.L.
I avail myself of this opportunity to correct two errors in the pre-
vious article (No. 2) viz. 1. Wilts Mag. Vol. v. p. 203, 1. 9. For "long
since a seat of the Darells" read " not long since, &c." 2. do. page
212, 1. 31, after "Mr. Harry" the name Bromley should be inserted
although in the original the name appears as if erased, but why,
one cannot tell, as the individual was really Henry Bromley son
and heir of Sir Thomas Bromley, who became Lord Chancellor in
1579, being succeeded, as Solicitor General, by Popham. This
Henry Bromley married a Pelham, who, as well as Darell, derived
her descent from William Lord Sandes, K.G.
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
i
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
>
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
397
gmtatwnij to % ^immm mtir ^ikatg.
The Committee feel great pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the follow-
ing artioles, presented to the Society : —
By the Rt. Rev. the Bishop of Brisbane : — A large collection of Minerals
and Fossils, amounting to many hundred speoimens; amongst which are
numerous illustrations of the geology and mineralogy of the counties of Wilts
and Somerset; also fine specimens of Gold ore from the Brazils. As a
collection of minerals, this series is generally very interesting.
By the Rt. How. T. H. Sothebok Estcottbt, M.P. :— Tradesmen's Token issued
by William Somner, of Devizes, Grocer, in 1652.
By G. Poulett Sckope, Esq., M.P. :— Pamphlet on the mode of formation of
Volcanic cones and orators (from the Journal of the Geological Society, Nov.
1859) octavo.
By T. E. Blackwell, Esq., C.E., Managing Director of the Grand Trunk
Railway of Canada : — About 70 skins of various speoies of birds from Canada.
By the Rev. Hbnby H. Methtten, AUcannings :— Speoimen of Fossil wood
from Tisbury. A series of about 80 coins, medals, and tokens found at All-
cannings.
By M. Boucher de Pebthbs : — Voyage en Espagne et en Algerie en 1855. By
the Donor. Paris 1859, octavo.
By Mr. Cunninstow, Devize* : — Remains of a large Ancient British Funereal
Urn, found at Bishop's Cannings, Wilts, by Mr. M. Sloper, Jun.
By Miss Wickbn a, Salisbury : — 500 impressions from an anastatic plate repre-
senting two Seals, one the ancient Seal of the Company of Weavers in Salis-
bury.
By Mr. W. Butcher .- — Nest of the Norway wasp (Vespa Norwegioa}, from
Rangebourn Mill, Potterne.
By Mr. R. H. Bbackstone, Lyncombe HiU 9 Bath : — lithographic drawing of
two bronze Celts and Palstave, found near UUeskelf , Yorkshire, and now in
the collection of the Donor.
By Mr. W. F. Parsons, WooHon Basset : — Drawing of a Chimney piece at
Little Park Farm (formerly Little Fasterne) in the parish of Wootton Basset.
By Mr. H. Bull, Devizes : — " A History Military and Municipal of the Anoient
Borough of The Devizes ; and subordinate^, of the entire Hundred of Pot*
terne and Cannings in whioh it is included." 1859, octavo.
END OF VOL. VI.
H. Bull, Printer, 4, Saint John Street, De?iie*. .
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Page
130,:
Line 4
ii
132,
ii
9.
19
267,
ii
11.
If
267,
ii
11.
II
270,
9f
11.
Erratum.
For "the Commissioners of Inland Revenue," read "the
Crown, to whom, under the management of the Woods,
Forest and Land Revenue, &o."
Make the same correction.
For "when" read "after."
For "was" read "had been."
Dele the words "of Ease."
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
<^
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitized by LjOOQ IC
Digitize j by LjOOQ IC
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11