England directory, 1820

Radley-hall, late Admiral

Boi/er.

Queens Arms.

Inn - Sican.

Lungleif-hall, Charles Beck- ford Long, esq. L Priors Courts Lcms Buckle,

The Grove, W. Brun27nel, esq. The Cottage, George Inn - George and Fellcan

Oxford to Baily Wood Steven ton

Great Shefford New Town Cross the Kennet

Charlton-house, Wfn. Henry

Price, esq. R Fnns - Beur,K.AIfred''sHeadi

Wi'oiighton. L Faicleij, - Pococky esq. L

Fnu - Black Bear,

Abingdon - First Monday in Lent, May 6, cattle Monday before Old Mi cliaelmas, statute ; Dec. 11, horses and other cat-

Aborfield - Oct. 5. cattle.

Aldermaston - May, 6, July horses, cattle, &c.

Bracknell - April 25, cows, sheep, &c. August Ui, October 1, sheep and other cattle.

Chapel Row, near Reading- July 30, pleasure, toys,

Cook/iam - ^lay 16, cattle pedlary, ^cc. October 11,

J^ast Hai^bu7m - Thursday before St. Michael, O, S. Oct. 10, pleasure.

Ead Ihley. Wednesday

in Easter week, and every other Wednesd^ay till July, August 6, sheep and lambs ; First Wed- nesday after Sept. ^9 Wednesday after Octo- ber 17, Wednesday after Every Wednesday fort-

night from Easter to Midsummer, a great market for sheep.

Favingdon - February 13, iiorses and fat cattle ; Whit Tuesday, do. do. Tuesday before and Tuesday after Old Mi- chaelmas, statute; Oct. 29, horses, fat cattle, and large quantities of

Fiiickmmtead April 23,

Hungerford - Last Wed- nesday in April, August sheep ; Monday before and after New Michael- ma«, statute.

ber 2, December 4, and young foals.

Long Cromarch - August 2, cheese, horses, toys, and

Maidenhead - Whit Wed- nesday, iiorses and cat- cattle, and hiring ser- and cattle.

Mortimer - April 27, horses

eows, sheep, hogs and pedlary ; November 0, horses and Welch cattle.

Nca- Bridge - March 31, Septemher 28, cheese and horse*.

^eicbury - Holy Thursday, horses and other cattle; 1, cheese and horses.

Oakingham April 23,

Nov. 2, horses and cattle.

Heading - Feb. 2, horses, cattle and pigs ; May 1, horses, cattle, and pigs. Septevuher 21, cheese, horses, cattle and hogs.

Thatcham Second Tues- day after Easter Aveck, and first Tuesday after

Twiif'ord - July 24, and October 11, horses, other cattle, and toys.

Walling ford - Tuesday be- fore Easter, pleasure ; December 14, fat hogs.

Wadletiy near T'trvingdon -

Witnlage - First Saturday in March, First Satur^ day in May, horses, cows, pigs and cheese ; July lb, do. and cherries. cows, pigs, cheese, and hops, and hiring ser*-

Waltham St. Laurence - April 10, horses and cat-

Windsor - Easter Tuesday, horses and cattle; July October 24, horses and

Yatton, near Newbury -

That have been Published

111 Illustration of the Topography and Aniiqmties of

*' Magna Britannia, being a concise Topoiiraphical Account of the several Connties of Great Britain. By the Rev. Daniel Lysons, and Samuel I.ysons, Esq. Ist. Volume, 1806, contains a most valuable Account of Berkshire," as does Messrs. Britton and Brayley'-i " Beauties of England and Wales."

" The Antiquities of Berksiiire,'"' by Elias Ashraole, tory and Antiquities of Berkshire, &c." Folio=

" Account of some Antiquities between Windsor and Oxford," by Thomas Hearne, 8vo, L. P. Oxford,

" Letter to Dr. Mead concerning some Antiquities 'J'iiis was replied to in a Pamphlet called " The Impertinence and Imposture of modern Antiquaries displayed, &c. 4to. Lond. written by Mr. Asplin, vicar of Banbury, ('under the signature of Philalhes Rusti- cus,) who was deservedly reprehended in another pani- plet by Mr. George Xorth, Rector of Coddicote, lierts, in his "xAnswer to a scandalous Libel, entitled, the same year, pi!l)ii-hcd, " Further Observations upon the White Plorse, and other ^Antiquities in Berkshire, with an Account of \Vhiteieaf Cross, Bucks, &:e." 4to

" History and Antiquities of Windsor Castle," by

" History of that most famous Saint and Soldier of Christ Jesus, St. George ofCappadoiciii, 6:c. to which i» subjoined, the Institution of the most >.oble Order

of St. George, named the Garter/' by Dr. Heylon, 4 to.

" The Institution, Laws, and Ceremonies, of the Most Noble Order of the Garter," by Elias Ashmole, Lond. fol. with fine engravings by Hollar, 1672. This was abridged and republished by Walker, under the Title of " The History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the several Orders of Knighthood extant in Europe, &c." Illustrated with Plates of the Habits.

" A New Historical Account of St, George, and the Order of the Garter," by Thomas Salmon, Lond. 8vo.

" Memoirs of St. George, the English Patron," (from Selden's Titles of Honor,) " and of the Most Noble Order of the Garter," (abridged from Ashmole)

" TliG Register of the Most Noble Order of the Garter," from the " Black Book," so called from its cover of Black Velvet : " with Notes, and an Intro- duction;" by John Anstis, a volumes, fol. 1724, plates.

" Dissertations on the Original of the Equestrian Figure of the George, and of the Garter, " by Dr. Pettingal. Lond. 1753. The system about the George ill this Dissertation was refuted by Mr. Pegge, in the fifth volume of the Archseologia.

" The Institution of the Garter, a Dramatic Poem," by Gilbert West, Esq, 4to. 1742. This was re-printed in the 2d volume of Dodsley's Collection.

" Some Account of the Antiquities of Old Windsor," by Dr. Girdler, printed with Robert of Gloucester, hy

printed in Dryden's Miscellanies.

« The Rights of the Forest of Windsor; " by Nat.

" A Black Scene opened; being the true state of I\Ir. John KendricL's Gift to tlie Town of Reading,

Some Account of Readino; Abbey, by Sir Henry Englefield, is contained in the sixth volume of the

« The Meyrrour of the Cliurch of St. Austyn o^ Abinc^don, with a petytyon of Robert Copeiaud*

'' Collections towards a Parochial History of Perk- shire, &c." 1783, and some account of the Parish of Great Coxwell, were published in the BibUotheca

*' The History of Mr. John Winchcomb, alias Jack of Newbury," was reprinted at Ne'vvhury about 20 vears since, from an old j^aniplet. In Fuller's Wortliies there is also an account of the same person.

In the Philosophical Transactions, No. 261, is some account of the Oyster Shells near Reailing, by Dr. Dc-criptioii of the Peat near Ncwburv. The latter is reprinted in the Bibliotheca Topographica.

A brief Description of the Towns, Villages, and Scenery of Berkshire, bordering on the Thames, has been given in B jydeli's and in Ireland's Account of that River.

The third volume of the Archsologia contains an En- graving of tlje Puaey Horn, with some particularb con- cerning it.

Several Poems, descriptive of different parts of t])e county, have been published. The rao»t eminent are Pope's " Windsor Forest," i'yc's " Fatringdon Hill,'* Sir John Denham's " Cooper's Hill," and " St. Leo- nard's Hill," by Robert Morns.

A small Map of the County was engraved by Hollar, in 1670; and a Topographical Survey of Berks, in 13 ulicfits, on a scale of 2 iucLes to a mile, was published

miles round Newbury, witli a plan of the town and Speenhamland, were made and printed by John Willis,

Views of the town of Reading, south, Windsor Cas- tle and Palace, and Donnington Castle, north-east, have been engraved by Buck. A view of the latter castle has also been published by Hearnc and Byrne, and a plan of it, in its original state, in Grose's x'Vnti- quities. In the "Brauni Civitates Orbis, 1572," is a view of Windsor Castle by Iloefnagle, probably the oldest existing. The Cielings of the Apartments in the Castle, painted by "\^errio, were engraved by P. Van- rierbank. Four Elevations and a plan of the castle were drawn and engraved by B. and T. Langley, 1743. Eight Views in the Green Park, by T. Sandby, were> engraved by Mason^ P. Sandby, W. Austin, Canot, Vivares, ^nd Rookor. Eight Views of Reading Abbey, by Charles Tomkins, were published in 1791; ana views of Basildon House and Pelling Place, by Angus, in his Select Views, 1800. In the Copper-Plate Maga- zine, Vol. I. are Views of Bishara Abbey and Windsor, Vol. n. of Basildon Park. Vol. III. of Bear Place. Vol. V. of Benham House, and Abingdon Market House; drawn by Dayes, Girtin, Corbould, &c. and engraved by Ellis and Walker.

BEHKSHIRE is an inland coimty,of a very irregu- fonn. According to Roque's Mensuration it i» 207 miles in circumference : its greatest length, from Old Windsor to the County Cross, near Hini- gerford, 42 miles : its greatest breadth, from Wi- tfaam near Oxford to the borders of Hampshire, south of Xrwbury, about 2S miles, and its narrow- est, from the Tnames near Reading, across to the borders of Hampshire, in a direct south line, onlr seven miles. It is bounded on the north by the counties of Oxford and Buckingham, on the east by Surrey, on the south by Hampshire, and oil the west 'by the county of Wilts. A part of the latter county lies in the heart of Berkshire, includ- ing the parishes of Wokingham, Hurst, Stuntield and Swallowiield ; a smaU portion of Berkshire lies on the north side of the Thames, surrounded by

The county of Berks contains about 464,500 acres, including the parishes of Langford and Shilton, north of the 'fhanies, and omitting that part of Wiltshire within the county. According to tlie returns under the population act in ISOl, Berk* shire then contained 10y,iM5 inhabitants, of whom 3^,155 were employed in agriculture and l6,[)2l in trades, manufactures, or handicraft.

xA.ccording to Camden, the county now called Berkshire was anciently named by the Latin writers Brrc/ttria ; by the Saxons Bcroc-Hci/rc, which name Jsser Mcnevensifs, an ancient English historian, de- rives from Bar roc, a certain wood, where grew plenty of box. It is more probal>le that it may have been derived from the quantity of BircL wood growing anciently in the county; the soil, in general, being more adapted to the grovvtii ci

that wood than any other and there being several instances of other places deriving their name from the same circumstance.

The ancient inhabitants of a great part of this county were the Attrebatii or AltrchaLcs^ who are supposed to have emigrated from Gaul.

The soutii-eastern part of the county was inha- bited by a people called the BlLroci, or Rhemi, and a small portion of it next Hampshire, by the Scgon- fica. And it appears from the derivations given by Mr. Owen, in the second volume of the Caw- brian Recisier^ that the nanje of each tribe had itr> origin from the general characteristic of that portion of the county they occupied.

Under the division of Britain by the Roman Emperor Constantine, this county was included in the Britannia Prima. During the Saxon heptarchy it formed a part of the kingdom of Wessex or West Saxons. In the reign of Alfred it assumed the present name of Berocshire or Berk- shire, and was by him divided into twenty-two

The principal of Berkshire, are the Thames, the Kennet, the Lodden, the Ock, the Lanlbourne, and Enborn, The first of these, which indeed is the First of all the British streams, enters the county at its northern extremity, about a mile south of Lechdale, and pursues a beautiful winding course, along the whole of the northern side of the county, dividing it from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and watering in its progress the towns of Abingdon, Wallingford, Henly, Maidenhead, Windsor, &c. There are seventeen bridges over this river between Datchet and Lechdale, and it is navigable during the whole of its course. Mr. Pope has beautifully described this fine river in his Windsor Forest. " From his oozy bed,

Old Father Thames advanced his rev'rcnd head,

His tresses dropM witti dews, and o'er the stream Crrav'd on his urn appear'd the moon, that guides, His sweilini: waters, and alternate tides : The fiuur'd streams in waves of 'ilver roll'd, And on her hanks Augusta, rob'd in gold ; Around his throne the sea-born brothers stood, Wlio swell with ti :i. 'tary uins his flood : First the fam'J autnois of his ancient name, ' The winding; Isis, and the fruitful Thame ; The Kennct swift, for silver eclsrenowu'd ; Tiie Lodden slo'v, with verdant alders crown'd; Cole., whose dark streams his flow'ry islands lave, And chalkey UVy, that rolls a milky wave ; The blue transpai cit, VanJalls appears ; And sullen Mole, that hides his divine flood; And silent Du?rnt, stain'ci with Danish blood." The name of this river has been variously de- rived ; some calling it the L-^s, till its conflux with the little Thame, and from Thame and Isis, have formed Thamisis or Thames. The notion that the name of the river Thames is thus derived has in- deed been generally received ; and yet there is incontestible proof tiiat it is erroneous ; the name his has seldom been heard but among scholars, though it has been almost constantly copied out of one book into another. The common people call this river the Thames quite from its source: and in an ancient charter, granted to abbot Al- deim, particular mention is made of certain lands on the east part of the river ''cujus vocabulum and as this Summerford is in VVMtsliire, it is evident that the river was then called Tcmisor Tom, before its junction wi'Ji the Thame. The same thing appears in ever;* charter and authentic history wliere this river is mentioned, parlicuhirly in several charters granted to the abbey of Malmsbury, and some old

deeds relating to Cricklade, both which places are also in "Wiltshire. All our historians vho mention the hicursions of Ethelwold into Wiltshire, in the passed over the Thames at Cricklade. The Saxons called it Temese, quite from its source, and from Temese our Terns or Thames is immediately de- rived. The word seems indeed to have been ori- ginally British, as it is the name of several other rivers in difit'erent parts of the island, particularly the little riverThame, whose name the Isis has been sup posed to borrow, the Tame in Staffordshire, the Teme in Herefordshire, and the Tamer in Cornwall. Mr. Lchwyd, the antiquary of Wales, affirms that the Saxon Temese was derived from their Taf or Tcn>i/ys, a name which is common to many rivers in W' ales, and signifies a gentle stream ; the Ro- mans having first changed their/ or v into m as they did in their word Demetra, which in Welch is

The Kennet enters Berkshire at Hungerford, and becoming navigable at iSewbury, passes from thence through a rich vale, and after flowing tiirough Reading, unites its waters with the Thames. " It TS remarkable" says Mr. Gough, " that at Read- ing those wells, between which and the Thames the Kennet has its course, rise and fall with the Thames, not with the Kennet ; hence it is argued that the bed of Thames is much lower than that of the Kennet, and detaches its springs under the bed of the latter."

The river Lodilen rises near Aldershot in Hamp- shire ,' at Black-water it begins to be a boundary between that county and Berkshire, and so continues for about eight miles pur^uing a westerly direction. It enters Berkshire in the parish of Svvallowfield, and after a course of about twelve miles it falls in- to the Thames near W'ingrave. The waters of the

Lodden are encreased by a brook called the Emme, which it receives at Sandford Mill.

The river Ocl: has its source near Uflington, and after an easterly course of nearly 20 miles^ at length falls into the Thames, near x\bingdon.

The Enlnirn rises in Berkshire, near Inkpen, and soon becomes a boundary between this county and Hampshire. It eontinues an eastward direc- tion for nearly twelve miles^ when bending north- ward it again enters the county, and a little below Wasing, falls into the Kennet, after a course of about seventeen miles.

The L'liubuurne rises near the town of that name, and after a course of about litteen miles passing through Bockington Easthury, East Garston, the brook, Boxford, Bagnor, Donnington, and Shaw, it at length falls into the Kennet. The river Lam- bourne has been much celebrated on account of its being always^ fuller in summer than winter, which does not appear to be the fact. It indeed preserves during the whole year an uniform degree of fulness, being neither alfected by the drought of summer or inundations in winter. During the re- iiiarkable drought of tiie summer of 1803, its source was entirely dried up for several months.

Navigable Canals.

The Wilts and Berks Canal, which was under- taken in 1793, v/ill enter Berkshire at Hackson Bridge, near Shrivenham, pass by Shrivenham and Liftington, leave Sparsholt and Childrey on the south, pass by the Challows, and near Wantage, to which there is to be a collateral cut, and be- tween Hanney and Drayton to Abingdon.

The Kennet and Avon Canal enters Berkshire at Jiungerford, and passes parallel with the Kennel to

The following appears to be a correct statement of the agricultural appropriation of land in this county.

Sheep-walks, uninclosed on the Clialk Hills 25,000

The residue of the land is taken up in the

Close to the Thames, in the northern part of the county, there is a fertile line of meadow, from which the land rises gently towards a range of moderately elevated hills, extending from Oxford to Faringdon. There is some very good corn land upon these hills, though in some parts too

Descending to the south we enter tiie remarkably fertile vale of Berk-aiire, which crosses the county from tiie parish of Shriven ham on tiie west, to Chol- sey on the eastern boundary. The soil of this vale is in general a strong, grey, calcareous loam.

On the south of the vale are the Clialk Hills, covered with a fine turf of sheep pasture.

The greatest part of the southern side of the county, from Hungerford to Windsor (except a part of the Kentbury hundred, and some land on the south side the Kennet, and the greatest part of Windsor Forest) consists chiefly of a gravelly

From Hungerford to Reading there is a line, consisting of a bed of peat, through which the river Kennet lakes its course.

Near Hungerford, south of the Kennet, there Gommences a tract of poor gravel and clay.

The tract of meadows contiguous to the river Kennet, from ilungerford in the west to Reading in the east, are all of them watered in a masterly style ; and the quantity of hay cut from them, in- dependent of the early feed, is very great.

Part of the tract of 'meadow, however, has for its surface a gravelly soil, which, of all others, is best adapted for water meadows. The other part, of tract from one quarter to three quarters of a mile in breadth, and sixteen miles in length, consists of peat, a soil thou2;h known by name in most coun- ties is not elsewhere of that peculiar and excellent quality as in the neighbourhood of Newbury, and other 'parts of Berkshue, towards Oxford.

Such meadows as have peat under them are not reckoned so valuable to the tenant, but to the landlord much more so. One acre of land has beenlet for 3001. where the purchase, was limited.

First, to cut no deeper than six feet.

Secondly, to cut and clear off the whole in the course of'the year, and lastly he was to pare oft" the sward, that was on the acre at the time of the agreement, and relay it in a proper manner on the surface, after he had got out the peat ; in order that it, when returned to the landlord, be in a state for meadow land again.

The great value of peat arises from the demand for it as a iuel, and for its ashes as a manure. This manure is considered as an excellent improver of grass lands, particularly clover leys, and santfoin, which shew to an inch 'where the* peat ash has been laid upon them. Tiie quantity necessary to dress an acre is reckoned from fifteen to twenty-five bushels, according to the condition of the land.

Within the peat great numbers of trees have been found, lying irregularly on each other, of various kind, oaks, alders, willows, and lirs ; and others so much decayed that their species could not be ascertained. iSo acorns are found in the

peat, though tlie cones of the lir-tree frequently are, and also a great quantity of hazel nuts.

Some years ago, an urn, of a light brown colour and large enough to contain above a gallon, was found in the true peat, about eight or ten feet from the river on Speen Moor. It lay about four feet below the level of the ground, and about a foot witliin the peat, and over it was raised an artificial hill, about eight feet higher than the neighbouring ground. As the whole hill consisted both of peat and meadow land mixed together, it plainly ap- peared that the peat was older than the urn, and that the person who raised the hill must first have dug a large hole in the peat to bury the urn, and then formed the hill of the peat and meadow ground mixed together. Round the hill where the urn lay, were several semicircular ridges, with trenches be- tween them : the extremities of the semicircles were bounded by the line of the river. The horns, heads, and bones of several kinds of deer, the horns of the antilope, the heads and tusks.of boars, the lieads of beavers, human bones, and various other things, have at different times been discovered im* bedded within the peat, and generally at the bot- tom of it, next the gravelly stratum upon which it

Alode of Management,

In consequence of the great extent of barreri heath, on the south side of the country in its east- ern parts, and of the sheep walks on the Chalk Hills, the proportion of cultivated land does not exceed the general average of the kingdom.

With respect to the various modes of manage- ment of the arable land, it will be sufficient to observe, that the best systems of modern husban- dry are universally adopted and successfully pur-

'The farms in this county are in general large ;'for unless it is from some local circumstance;, it is

very rare to find a farm under one hundred pounds a year. In the vale of White Horse indeed some smaller dairy and grazing farms are to be found ; but there are more farms ol from two to five hundred a year thanofan\ other size.

In the open and hilly parts of the county there is a necessity indeed for large farms; since the soil is made the most of, by that kind of husbandry which depends on a large stock of sheep, which the little farmer cannot avail himself of. Lice Stuck.

The neat cattle grazed in this county are gene- rally of the Herefordshire, Shropshire, Glamorgan- shire, and other parts of South Wales, bought in at spring and fall. The systejn of fatting with tur- nips is not universally adopted. In the grazing parts of the vale of W'liite Horse, where a great quantity of beasts are annually stall-fed, they are generally fatted with hay, beans, and barley meal, oil cake. Sec. Linseed, both dry and steeped, is given by some graziers, and found to answer exceeding

The cows most esteemed in this county are those of the north-country breed ; they are excellent milkers, and well adapted to the dairy farms of the vale. The dairymen keep up the succession partly by rearing and partly by buying heifers in calf, at Lambourn and other fairs in the county.

The Herkshire farmer derives a considerable pro- fit from the rearing of horses. Some breed their own stock, and others buy in sucklers, which they put to work very early, and after using them for two or three years, sell them off to the brewers in London, and to the stage waggons, at high

Berkshire has, and ever must ha/e, from the na- ture of the soil, a great quantity of sheep kei)t upon it :*the present are certainly not only a very useful but handsome stock, and are in great repute

in the neighbouring counties. They are well adapted for folding ; being strong and active \ they travel long ranges during the day, and from their size and weight are good folding sheep at night. The Leicestershire sheep and South Down have been introduced into this county with consi- The Dorset breed is also much approved.

The quantity of swine fattened in Berkshire is cer- tainly very great. In the small town of Faringdon only upwards of 4000 are annually slaughtered for the London and Oxford markets, betv>'ecii the beginning of November and the beginning of April. This, however, is in a part of the county were the dairy farms are situated ; but neverthe- less when it is considered how many store pigs aie sent annually to the distillers and starch-makers in the vicinity of London, Berkshire receives no inconsiderable return from this prohtable kind of

At the east end of the county, poultry becomes very profitable from its vicinity to London. A great number of higlers attend regularly on mar- ket days to purchase them, and the number weekly sent away is prodigious.

Berkshire, with respect to the situation of its markets, is pecuharly well situated. They are distributed so well that a distance of ten miles to a market is difficult to be found.

Newbury, Reading, Abingdon, VValHngford, and AVindsor have all the advantages of water carriage to London, and the interior parts of the kingdom. The two former send a prodigious quantity of flour to London, and the others barley and malt to a con- siderable amount.

East Ilsley has of late become a sheep market of the

first importance, not only to Berkshire but to the

neighbouring counties. Not less than 20,000 sheep

have sometiines been sold in one market day ; and

it is computed that the annual average is not un- ewes ; but they are chiefly lean sheep.

Newbury has, time out of mind, been justly considered a most excellent corn market, and still retains some customs that would be of great use if they were observed in all other markets. Here the grain is pitched in open market, and offered to the public in small as well as large quantities, and the farmer, fet him sell much or little, has his money paid on delivery of the article, verifying the old observation on Newbury market that : " The farmer may take back " His money in his sack." JVaste Lands.

There are some extensive waste lands in the eas- tern part of the county, such as MaidenheadThicket, several parts of Windsor Forest, and its neighbour- hood. These wastes consist principally of large tracts of barren heath land, amounting in the whole to nearly 30,000 acres. Their improvement must cer- tainly depend in a great measure, on the comparitive value of money, and the produce of agriculture. - For it cannot be expected that this improvement should be made to any great extent, unless the value of that produce will evidently afford to the improver a rent which shall sufficiently indemnify him for his expences. We apprehend, h)wever, that these wastes might be more advantageously improved by plant- ing than by their conversion into tillage.

Windsor Forest was formerly of much greater extent than it is at present, including parts of Buck- inghamshire, besides the whole of the south-eastern parts of Berkshire as far as Hungerford. The Vale of the Kennet was disforested by charter in 1226. Norden's map of the forest, taken in the year 1607, makes its circuit 77 miles and a half, exclusive of those parts which extended into Buckinghamshire. It was then divided into seventeen walks, including

Friennes Bailiwick, witiiin wiiicli were situated the parishes of Rem Mihani, Hurley Vv'argrave, Bray, the two Walthams, bhottesbrcok, Hurst, Ruscomb and Binfield. Rocqiie in his map describes the cir- cuit of the forest to be about 56 miles, including the whole of the parishes of Aborfield, Barkham, Bin- field, East Hamsted, Finch-Hamsted, Sandhurst, Sunninghill, Warf!i;ld, Winkheld, New and Old Windsor, together with part of the parishes of Bray, Clewer Hurst, Wokingham, Swallowfield and White Waltham. A considerable part of Bagshot Heath i* within the forest ; the greater part of most of the parishes within its limits are in a state of cultivation. WindsorGreat Park, which reverted to his present majesty on the death of the Duke of Cumberland in tion. The whole tract formerly abounded with its scanty produce hardly afforded a sufficient sup- port for 3000 deer. Far different is its present state : the wet parts have been rendered firm and sound by the Essex mode of under ground draining ; the rolling ; the moss and small hillocks extirpated by harrowing ; the large ant-hills cleared by the scari- gular banks levelled ; th.e pits filled up ; the vallies t!ie stiff line of trees, the vestiges of hedge rows judiciously broken: and the park, though now reduced to 1800 acres, supports the samenunVoer of deer in much better health and condition. The residue of the park is disposed into two farms, res- pectively denominated The Norfolk and Flemish

The Norfolk Farm, consisting of about 1000 acres of a light sandy loam and gravelly soil, is divided into two parts one allotted to sheep walks the other

is disposed in arable land, managed in a live course shift of 100 acres in a class, and cropped in the fol- lowing course: first wheat or rye, second vetches, rye, and potatoes ; third, turnips ;'^fourth, barley or oats ; fifth, clover.

In order to Jareak up and clear some of the strong land on this farm, whicli was found difficult and ex- pensive to be done in the common Avay, an experi- ment was made, which from the success attending it deserves particular notice. In the early part of the winter it was ploughed to a full depth, with a swing plough whose mould board was so placed as to lay the turf in an inverted position. This was well trod- den with cattle and rolled, and the sheep occasio- irally driven over it. In the spring it was harrowed and cropped with oats, which were no sooner off than the surface was again harrowed and dragged, so as to get as much loose earth as possible without bring- ing up the turf; early in autumn it was sown with winter vetches, and the beginning of June ploughed cross ways, when the turf turned up quite rotten, and the land was got into a clean state by the first week in July ; both turnips and wheat were afterwards sown and succeeded admirably.

By the impjovements made upon the land of this farm its value has been encreased at least six times. The folding or penning of sheep upon the fallows has considerably promoted this beneficial result, from 600 to 800 Vv iltshire wethers being common- ly kept as a folding flock.

In theTransactions of the Society of Arts, Vol. XVII. the following singular mode of folding the sheep, in hard or wet weather, is described by N, Kent, Esq. the superintendant of the agricultural establishment. " A dry sheltered spot is selected; and sodo of maiden earth, a foot deep, are laid over the space of a large fold. It is then bedded thinly with rushes, leaves of trees, fern, moss, short straw or stubble; and the flock instead of being penned upon the clo-

Ver in the open fields are put into this warmer fold, when the usual quantity of hay is given to them in racks ; and every night they are so penned, the fold is fresh littered. \V lien this has been continued, at intervals, during the winter, a lime-chalk rubble or ashes six inches thick is spread over the whole sur- face, and when it has heated together the whole is turned up about the month of April, and when mixed, it makes the best manure that can be used for turnips."

The Flemish Farm contains about 1000 acres, situated at the north extremity of the park, and it was originally proposed to have managed the land according to tlie system of husbandry pursued in Flan- ders ; the soil, however, being found too strong and cohesive a mode of culture more congenial to its nature was of necessity adopted. The first year after breaking up wheat is sown : second cabbages or clover ; third oats ; fourth beans. The al-a- ble land on this farm comprehends about one third of it.

In addition to its agricultural improvement, the park has had its natural beauty very much en- creased by several valuable plantations, w^hich have been made on the higher grounds.

The south and east sides of the county have a large proportion of wood-land appertaining' to them. The predominant wood is hazel ; sometimes, how- ever, it is mixed with ash, oak, beech, willow, and alder. There are also some few beech woods to be found entire.

There are none of any value as yet discovered in this county. In a small field, called Catsgrove near Reading, there is a stratum of sand, about two feet thick, in which are great ciuantities of o^ster sJjells ; above this is a bed ©f blue clay, about a* yard thick*

and immediately above this is a ajratum of fuller'^ caiih, nearly two feet and a half deep.

Lime-stone is to be found in various parts of the county, especially near Faringdon, in the stratum of which fossil shells, and other marine productions, are to be seen in great abundance.

Tiie remarkable stones called by the country people Sin\'idrn-stoncs, or the Grtj/-iiethns, which are scattered over the Berkshire and Wiltsliire Downs^ are of a tine siliceous grit : they are frequently used for pitching^ after having been burst in pieces by means of gunpowder, but they are too hard to be worked with the tool.

There is no satisfactory account of the removal of these stones to the situation in v.'hich they are found ; which evidently does not naturally belong to them.

The appellation oi Grey TTV^/?ers their appearance at a distance well warrants ; being very much like grey sheep lying on the ground.

There is a mineral water at Cumner in this coun ty, which was formerly in much repute, but long since disused.

There is another at Sunninghill, and a strong chalybeate spring, called Gorrick Well, near Luck- ley iiouse in the parish of Wokingham, and some springs near Windsor of the nature of Epsom waters.

About ten years ago a vein of free-stone was dis- covered at H')se Hill in the parish of Burghfield, on the south side of the river Kennet it was, however, found to be of too soft a texture to be serviceable. The probability of an under strata of coal being sug- gested, a shaft was dug to a great depth to ascertain the fact ; nothing, however, was discovered worthy of observation birt a bed of cockle shells, about twelve feet beneatli the surface, one foot in thickness. The shells were (irmly concreted with sand.

In digging for gravel upon Mortimer Heath, many bones of elks and moose deer have been found.

Berkshire is divided into twenty hundreds ; which contain twelve market towns, 148 parishes, 67 vica- rages, and about 670 villages and hamlets. This county is in the diocese of Salisbury, in the Oxford Circuit. It sends nine members to parliament, viz. two for the shire, two for Reading, two for Wal- iingford, two for New Windsor, and one for

Berkshire is an Archdeaconry, comprising four Deaneries : Abingdon, Newbury, Reading, and

Journeij from Hin^gerford to Reading ; through

The market town of Hungerford is situated in the hundred of Kentbury Eagle, on the banks of the river Rennet, and at th'e western extremity of tlic county next AViltsiiire. It is upon tlie road to Bath, 64 miles from London. A large part of the parish is in the county of Wilts.

Tlie parish of Hungerford comprises the several tithings of Hungerford, Eddington, Newton, Char- man Street and Sandon Fee. The three lirst, with partof Sandon Fee are in Berkshire.

Hungerford, appears to have been anciently called Inglejhrd Churman Slreet,\\]i\c\\ Mr. Gough derives from the circumstance of there having been a ford here of the Angles over Her/iuin Street, a Roniaji road that crossed this town, in which there is still a street called Charman Street.

'Yhe town is ancient, and contains many well-built houses ; near the centre of the principal btreet is the iMarket House and Shambles, over which is a room for transacting the town business. A curious piece of antiquity is preserved in this room, denominated the Hujigcrford Horn, holding about a quart, which

\yas given as a charter to the town by John of Gaunt ; another, more modern, is also kept in the Town-Hall, which has upon it the following in-

John a Gaun did giue and grant the reall OF Fishing to Hungerford Towne fkom Eldren Stub to Irish Sfil excepting som several mil pound.

Jehosphat Lucas was Cunstable.

The right of hshing granted by the above charter does not at present extend more than seven miles. The horn is made of brass, and is now blown annually on Hock Tuesday to assemble the inhabitants to chuse the constable, in whom is vested the munici- pal government of the town. This officer is also coroner, clerk of the market, and lord of the manor for the time being. He is assisted in the execution of his office, by twelve feoffees and burgesses, a portreeve, a steward, town-clerk, and some inferior

The Church is an ancient structure, built at diffe- rent times, situated at the end of the pleasant avenue of lime trees, in the %vestern quarter of the town. - Among the monumental inscriptions in this church there is a curious one to the memory of Robert de Hungerforde in Norman French. The following is a translation : *' Whoever shall pray for Master Eobert de Hungerforde, he shall have whilst he lives and for his soul after his death 530 days of pardon,

S anted by fourteen bishoj)S whilst he (Robert de ungerforde) was living. Wherefore, in the name of charitv, sav paternosters and ave-marias. Obit.

Sir Thomas de Hungerford, the nephew of the above person, was the first speaker of the house of Commons iu the 51st. year of Edward III. His son Walter is the person with whom Mr. Camden begins his account of the family. He appropriated the

-manor and advowson of Cricklade to the dean and chapter of Salisbury, *^ to keep the tall spire stee- ple of that church in repair/' and was buried in the nave of that cathedral, under what was the mayor's pew, removed some years since, with the bones which it covered, to the south side of the choir.

On the walk leading to the church is the free Grammar-School, founded and endowed by i\:\ house. Mrs, Cummins, a widow, and Mr liamblin, endowed the school wiih 171. per annum, lor four boys and three girls, and also towards providing a grammar master. Edward Capps (commonly known by the name of Trusty) an ancient servant of the family of Ilungerford, left 501. for the building of a new schoolroom, and 41. per annum a? an addi- tion to the master's salary from Chantry "Nlead, given by the above Mr. Ham'blin. I'he church croft was also given for the use of the boys.

There are no manufactures of any consequence at Hungerford : the principal business of the place ari- sing from its thoroughfare situation. The navigable canal froin Newbury passing through this town, Rams- bury, Marlborough, and so on to Bath and !3ristol, promises to encrease its general trade. An at- tempt was made some years ago to employ the parish poor in the workhouse, in weaving coarse woollen stutfs and a loom was put up at a great expence ; but whether owing to bad management or otherwise this truly laudable undertaking tell to the

According to the returns under the population act in ISO I the number of inhabitants of Ilunger- ford amounted to i987.

The occupiers of houses in Hungerford have a right of common on Hungerford down, adjoining the .town, according to the amount of their rental.

The manor of Hungerford was anciently the pro-

perty of Eobert Fitzparnell Earl of Leicester. In 1297 it was granted by Edward I. to Edmund Earl of Lancaster, from whom it descended to John of Gaunt. His son Henry, whilst Duke of Lancaster, granted the manor to ^ir Waller Hungerford, who died seised of it in 1448. In the reign of Edward A^l. being again in the crown, it was granted to the t)uke of Somerset, atterwhose attainder it was grant- ed, with all the appurtenances, tiie park excepted, to

Hungerford Park, situated at the extremity of the above mentioned down, was anciently the residence cf the Barcns de Hungerford, but at present the seat of John Willis, Esq. 'ihe house was built by Mr. Dalbiac, the former possessor, upon the site of the ancient mansioii which is said to have been built by Queen Elizabeth, and given by her to the Earl of Essex. The lands surrounding the house are chiefly cultivated, and the pleasure grounds have a neat and agreeable appearance. The south and west sides are occupied by tine woods.

About two miles and a half south east from Hun- gerford, on the right of our road, is the village of Avington, remarkable forks ancient church, which exhibits a curious specimen of Saxon architecture. This building remains nearly in its original state ; half, 'i'he nave is separated from the chancel by an arch richly ornamentt-d with a zig-zag moulding and a great variety of grotesque heads, springing from two enriched piers. The arch is formed ot the segments of two circles, having different centres. This cliurch has a very singuiav font of rude workmanship ; it is surrfvunded witn grotesque iiu'ures executed in bas

Sir Francis Rurdet, Bart, is lord of the manor and patron of the rectory.

About half a mile further is the village of Kenlbury, which derives iti. name from tJie river" Kennet, upon

\vhich it is situated. Tiiis was formerly a market- town, and gives name to the hundred in which it is

About a mile before we reach Speen, on the right of our road, is Benham House, the seat of the Mar- gravine of Anspach, formerly the property of the late Lord Craven. The entrance to the park from the high road is by a gate, with a handsome lodge on each side. The grounds are well wooded, and from many situations command extensive and beautiful views. - The house is a regular building of the Ionic order, built of freestone. It stands upon a gentle eminence rising from a sheet of water, which Hows before the

Hampstead Marshall Park is seen from these grounds, and forms, with its woody accompaniments, a very line prospect. Hampi'tead Marshall, of which there are now no remains, was once the magnificent seat of the Craven family.

Speen is a small village situated about a mile north-west of Newbury. It is a place of great anti- quity and supposed to have been the Roman Spi/ue. It had formerly a market on iSlondays, which was granted in 12r8 to William Marshall Earl of Pem-

The Church contains some ancient monuments, and near it is a well called our Lady's Weil, where there is a distinct and clear echo.

The Roman station is said to have been in Speen field, between the village andSpeenham-land, which running from this village connects it with the town of Newbury.

Speenham-land, a tithing of the parish of Speen, is upon our road contiguous to Newbury, and appears to be part of its suburbs. There is an alms-house here for two poor widows, founded by Mrs. Anne

Is a large market-town, in the hundred of Fair-

cross, situated on the banks of theKennet, which crosses the town near the centre. The principat streets are spacious and well paved. The houses mostly built of brick

The ancient name of this town was Nerj-hh-^ which it most probably obtained in reference to the old town of Speen (the Roman Sphue) from the luins of M'hich it rose ; it certainly is a place of considerable antiquity, having been a town of some consequence at the time of taking the Norman survey. In the thirtieth year of Edward I. it returned two members to parliament ; and in tiie eleventh of Edward III. it \vas represented by three pei^sons in a great council h-^ld on account oi trade at Westminster. There was formerly a great qua4itity of broad cloath made here; and in the reign of Henry VIII. the famous John Winscombe tlourished here, commonly called Jack olNewbury ; he was one of the greatest clothiers that had ever flourished in England, keeping one hun- dred looms in his house. In the expedition to Fiod- den lield against the Scots, he marched withonehuu- dred of his men, all armed and cloathed at his own expence This celebrated person died in the year 1519, and lies buried in. Newbury Church, by the nameof Jolin Smallwode, alias Wsnchcombe.

Newbury is a market by prescription. The mar- ket which is on Thursday, is principally for corn of whicli great quantities are brought for sale. Tlie clothing trade has long left tlie town for the more -wes'ern parts of tlie kingdom, and at present nothing but serge is n-anufactured h-^re ; the general trade ofthe place is however very great, in consequence of the ready communication it has with London and Bristol, by means of the various navigable canals, which have been completed within the last twenty years. According to the returns of the population tants, exclusive of the adjoining tithing of Speen- ham-land,

Newbury was incorporated in 1586 by Queen Elizabeth. The corporation consists of a mayor, high steward, recorder, six aldermen, and 24 common

The Church is a handsome structure, supposed to have been built in the reign of Henry VIII. That part of it westward of the pulpit was raised together with the tower, at the expence of the before men- tioned John Winchcombe ; a brass plate with the effigies of this gentleman, which was formerly placed over his tomb, is now fixed against the east wall of the north aisle, it contains also the following inscrip-

" Of your Charity pray for the

Soule of John Swalwood, alias

Winchom and Alice his wife

Which John died the 15th. day of

The Town-Hall is a handsome building, over the market place, near the bridge which crosses the Ren- net. Upon the rebuilding of this bridge a leaden seal of Pope BoniVace, the ninth, was found, together with a pix, some knives of a singular make, some spurs, and, a few English coins from Henry 1. to William the third.

The number of Almshouses in this town, are very great, not less than sixty. One of these, called St. Bartholomew's Hospital, consists of fourteen dwel- ling houses, and is said to have been endowed by King John. The original endowment has been encreased by various subsequent benefactions. It was formerly under the superintendance of a mas- ter, warden; or prior, by the charter of Queen Elizabeth, the government was vested in the cor- poration. The pensioners who inhabit the houses, six men, and six women, are allowed 3s. Cd. a 'week each, besides which they have coats and gowns once in two years; J3s. 4d. on St, Thomas's day and 5s. each, arising from the tolls of the hir,

held in an adjoining meadow on St. Bartholomew V day. Each person has also yearly a load of peat^ ancl another of faggots, for fuel.

Opposite to St. Bartholomew's Hospital there are twelve almshouses, erected in 1670, and endowed by Philip Jemmet, Esq. for six poor men and six v.'omen inhabitants, born in the town of Newbury ; each person was allowed one shilling per week in .1670, which lias been encreased, at different times, to tiu'ee shillings and sixpence. They are also allowed one load of wood and one of peat in the vear, and gowns and coats as the pensioners of St. r>artholomew's Hospital. There are twelve gar- dens belonging to these Almshouses.

In Cheap Street there are twelve Almshouses, en- dowed by John Kimber, Esq. a malster of the town, who died in 1793. Six poor men and the same number of women are maintained in these houses^ upon an allowance of 5s. a week and tiring e:\ch, and clothes every other year.

The twelve Church Almshouses, near the churchy are for the maintenance of six poor men and six women parishioners of Newbury, nominated by the

Besides the above there are two Almshouses- for poor weavers, founded by Thomas Pearce, 1671 ; with two others for poor men united un* der the direction of the protestant dissenters ; an Almshouse for three poor widows ; founded by Thomas Hunt in 1729. Three Almshouses for poor weavers, founded by Benjamin Rol^nson, in 1 754, and an Almshouse in St. Mary's Hill, founded ibout the year 1656, by an unknown benefactor, for six old maids, endowed with an allowance of 2s. 6d. per week each, w hich has been encreased by Mr. Kimber's benefaction to 3s. 6d.

The sum of 40,000l. was bequeathed to the town by Mr. John Kendrick, of Reading, who died in lt*24, to be laiU gut m tiie purchase of a house and

garden for the employment of the poor in the clotli- ing manufactory, and providing them with neces- sary materials. The original intention of the tes- tator appears to have been defeated ; at present an income of I60I. per annum, the produce of the legacy is lent by the corporation, without in- terest, in sums of lifty pounds to weavers for three

Adjoining to the church is a Charity School for. the education of forty-four boys.

During the Civil War between King Charles and liis parliament, Newbury, and its immediate neigh- bourhood, became the scene of two obstinate bat- tles, fought in two succeeding years. I'he first on a common called the Waste, in the year 1643, on the 18th of September, the second in the fields between Newbury, Speen and- Shaw, on the 27th October, in the year 1644 : the king command- ing his army on both days in person ; the army of the parliament commanded by the Earl of Essex. The battle commenced in the morning, and conti- nued the whole day v/ith such doubtful success thai each party claimed the victory; for although the earl left the royal army in possession of the held of battle, yet he effected his purpose of marching^ with his own army to London,

In this battle the king sustainec' an irreparable Joss in the deaths of many of his most distin- guished ofticers : the Earl of Sunderland, the Earl Caernaven, and Lord Viscount Falkland, were among the number of the slain.

In the succeeding year the king having entered Newbury, for the purpose of relieving Donnington Castle, w^as waiting for the return of the Earl of Northampton from Banbury, when the united par- liament armies, under the Earl of Essex, Sir Wil- liam W^aller, and the Earl of Manchester, further strengthened by the trained bands from London, determmcd to attack the royal army. It was how-

ever, two days before the general battle was fought ; \vhich,'although the king's force was so in- ferior, was attended with various success, till at length the arrival of night put an end to the san- guinary conflict. Each party again claimed the victory, but the parliamentary army were left in possession of the field, from which 'they marched into Newbury, which they fortified and resolved to Jceep. Theking retreated to Oxford, where being joined by the Earl of Northampton, he returned to Newbury, retook his cannon, relieved Donnington Castle, and supplied it wirh provisions without in- terruption from the parliamentary army, who re- mained in their quarters at Newbury.

Donnington Castle is situated at a short distance northward from the village of Speens, raising its lofty head above the remains of the venerable oaks which once surrounded it. The time of its erection is uncertain ; it is said to have been built by Sir Richard Abberbury, who was guardian to King Richard II. during his minory, and was expelled from court by the discontented lords in 1388, for his attachment to that monarch. It was afterwards in the possession of a son of Geoffry Chaucer, the father of English poetry.

TJiis son, Thomas Chaucer, was sheriff of the county in the 2nd of Henry IV. his daughter and heiress married William De la Pole, Duke of Suf- folk, who made Donnintjton Castle his occasional residence, and considerably enlarged the buildings. Donnington afterwards became vested in the crown, and was granted by Henry VIII. to Charles Bran- don, created by him Duke of Suffolk.

During the Civil Wars it was garrisoned by Charles 1. and the government entrusted to Colonel Bo}s, being a post of great importance, command- ing the high road leading from the west to London, and that from Oxford to Newbury. It was twice besieged, first oa the 31st July 1644, by Lieutenant

General Middieton, at the head of three thousand- men, who was repulsed with the loss of one colonel,: eight captains, one serjeant-major, and many in- ferior officers and soldiers. It was again besieged on the 27th of September in the same year, by Colonel Horton, who raising a battery against it, at the foot of a hill near Newbury, fired upwards of a thousand shot, by which he demolished three of the towers, and a part of the wall. During this attack, the governor, in a sally, beat the enemy out of their trenches, killed a lieutenant colonel, the chief engineer, and many of the private men. At length, after a siege of nineteen days, the place was relieved by the king, who at Newbury re- warded th<? governor with the honor of knighthood. After the second battle of Newbury the king, re- tiring towards Oxford in the night, left his heavy baggage, amunition, and artillery, under the cas- tle walls ; upon which the place was summoned by the parliamentary generals, who threatened that if it were not surrendered tliey would not leave one stone upon another. To this Sir John Boys re- turned no other answ^er than that he was not bound to repair it ; but, however, he would, by God's help, keep the ground afterwards. The king, how- ever, returned in a few days, from Oxford, as we have above related, revictualled it without opposi- tion, and slept the same night in the castle, sur- rounded by his army. After the Civil War was over, Mr. Packer, the proprietor, pulled down the ruinous parts of the building, and with the mate- rials erected the house standing under it.

A gateway and two round towers are all that remain at present of the castle, which Camden de- scribes to have been, in his time, " sl small but very neat place, seated on the biow of a woody hill, hav- ing a tine prospect, and lighted by windows on every

The manor of Donnington is now held under

the king, by William Lowndes, Esq. as parcel of the honor ofWallingtord.

At the foot oi Donnington Hill, on the north side of th'.' Kennet, is a handsome modern house, called the Grove, built in the gothic style, by the late James Petit Andrews, Esq. ifwas purchased of him by the late \V, Brummel, Esq. who considerably improved the place. 1 he situation is on a rising ground, backed by a hill, crowned with wood, out of which rises Donnington Castle. A lawn spreads round the house, and tails towards a very tine piece of water : the Lambourne stream enlarged into a river ; which takes a wmding course, nearly a mile long, and of a considerable breadth. There are three or four islands in it ; one of which is thickly planted, and aifords shelter to many swans and wild fowls, which frequent the water, at the same time they add to the beauty of the place. Over the river the country consists of corn helds, which rise agreeably - The lawn is very neat, the trees and plantations beautifully disposed, and the manner in which the water terminates at each end, linishes the scene in a pleasing manner. There is a wind- ing gravel walk, through both the groves, on the banks of tlie river, which open to several recluse and pleasing scenes. On one spot is a pretty rus- tic gothic temple, built of flint near a cascade, Avhich the river forms by fulling over a natural ridge of stones. The whole place is laid out with great taste. The house is a good one, the stair- case of peculiar construction, but agreeable. The library is a large, handsome, and well propor- tioned room ; there is a good collection of pictures, by some of the best masters, at this house.

'The Hospital at Donnington, founded by Sir Rich- ard Abberbury, or as Leland says, by William De la Pole, was restored by Charles Howard Earl of Not- tingham, in the time of James I. and still subsists for a master and twelve poor men. This hospital

appears to have been the same foundation with the priory of Trinitarians, also said to have been found- ed by Sir Richard Abberbury.

About a mile east from Donnington Castle is Shaw House, a large brick edilice, celebrated for having been the head-quarters of King Charles, at the time of the last battle of Newbury. A hole in the wainscot in one of the rooms is shewn as hav- ing been made by a bullet fired at the king, and which narrowly missed : the wainscot has been carefully preserved in memory of the circum-

This house was built in the year 1581, by an opulent clothier of Newbury, named Doleman, who thereby very much excited the envy of his neighbours, as appears from the sarcastic hu- mour of the following distich made on this occasion.

" Lord have mercy upon us, misei-able sinners;

Thomas Doienian has built a new house,

And has turned away all Ins spinners."

Over the portico is still to be seen the following inscription in the style of the times : '* Edentnlus Vescejitiwn Dentibus hividet et oculo Citpreariim Talpa Contemnit.^' Mr. Doleman was sheriff ofthis county

Sir Joseph Andrews, Bart, is the present owner ofthis estate, and lord of the manor of Shaw.

Three miles north-west from Newbury is En- bourne. The manors of East and Wost Enbourne had formerly a peculiar custom. On the death of a copyhold tenant, the widow is to have her free bench in all his copyhold lands, dam so'a et ainta J'uerit ; but if she commit incontinency she forfeited her widow's estate; nor could they be restored un- less she mounted a black ram, and came into the next court held for the manor, riding backwards, and repeating a quaint formula of words.

At Sandlefoud, or New Town, two miles south of Newbury, a priory, dedicated to St. Austin

Tv'as founded by Geoffi y Earl of Perche before was annexed by Edward l\. to the collegiate church of Windsor.

The course of parts of the two Roman roads described in the 13th Iter of Antoninus, and the 12th of Richard, may be easily discovered in vari- ous parts of this neighbourhood; one of them led from Durocornovium, and the other from Aqua Solis (Bath) appear to have met as Spinas in the parish of Speen.

About three miles from Newbury we pass through Thatcham, now a small village, but formerly a mar- ket town, and it is described as an ancient borough in Doomsday and other records, but it does not appear that it ever sent representatives to parlia- ment. The market has been long discontinued- It still has two annual fairs, on the days mentioned in our list.

There is a good Charity School in this village, founded by Lady Frances Winchcomb, in the year The income at present amounts to 2001. per an- num, with which 40 boys, twenty of whom are of the parish of Bucklebury, are cloathedand educated, and six of them annually apprenticed with a premium of 101. each. The school-house was a decayed cha- pel, purchased by Lady Winchcombe for the pur- - Near the village was Dunstan House, the an- cient seat of the Waring, and Crofts, described by Rocque in 1761 as one of the most magnificent mansions in the county. It was pulled down by the purchasers of it, at Sir John Croft's sale, for the sake of the materials.

In the parish church are several ancient monu-

The parish of Thatcham is the most extensive of any in the county, excepting Lambourne, contain-

Topographical description. 49

ing, according to Rocque's survey, 11^491 acres; it extends to the town of Newbury, and includes some part of its suburbs. It comprises the hamlets of Midghani, Greenhain, Crokenham, Chamber- liouse, Henwick, ('oldasli and Coklthorpe.

At Greenbam there was anciently a preceptory of the knights-hospitallers, to whom the manor be- longed in the reign of Henry II. At Greenhani Tvlills, about three miles south from Thatchani, is a large and flourishing blanket manufactory.

At Brimpton, about three miles south-east from Thatcham, the knights-templars are said to have had a , preceptory. At the time of the Norman survey there were two churches in this parish. About a mile from the present church, there are the remains of an ancient ecclesiastical building ad- join g a farm house.

About thre-e miles to the right of our road, six miles from Thatcham, is Aldermaston House, the seat of Mr. Congreve, upon the borders of the county next Hampshire. This house was almost entirely rebuilt by Sir Humphry Forster in 1636. The windows in the hall, and some other rooms, Iiave a great quantity of stained glass, representing the arms of the families of Achard, Dela Mare, and Forster. The hall is lofty, and surrounded by a spa- cious gallery. The house has been lately fitted up, and all the ornaments restored, as they were in 1636. There are three annual fairs at Aldermaston, on the days mentioned in our lists. The lordship be- longs to Mr. Congreve.

At WooLHAMFON, in the hundred ofTheal, be- gin the peat-pits, which extend by the side of the Kennet to Newbury. AVoolhamton is now the property and residence of ' Mrs. Elizabeth' Crewe, widow of John Crewe, Esq. who purchased the manor of Lord Fingal, about twenty years since.

About two miles to the left of our road, nine miles from Thatcham, is Englefield, the site of a well-

known battle, fought between the Danes and the

Saxons in 871. The village is pleasantly situated in a rich valley, which extends from Paugbourn west- ward nearly as far as Xewbury.

In the pari^ii Church there are several monuments of the Englefield family, and an interesting one to the memory of the second and last Marquis of Winchester, who so nobly defended Basing House for Charles I. On this monument are the following lines, written by Dryden:

" He who in impious ti'nes untainted stood, And midst rebehion durst be great and good ; Whose arms asserted, and whose suiTrings more Contirmcd the cause fur which he fought before ; Rests here, rewarded by some heavenly Prince For what his earthly couid not recompense ; Pray, reader, that such times no more appear. Or if they happen learn true honour here. Ask of thy ages faith and loyalty, Whicli to preserve them Heaven conferred on thee: Few subjects rould a king like thine deserve, And fewer sucii a king so well could serve : Blest king ! blest subject ! whose exalted state By suiierings rose, and gave the law to fate: Such souls are rare, but mighty patterns given To earth, were meant for ornaments to heaven."

Ey.ToHN Dkvden, toet Laurent, The seat of Richard Benyon, Esq. in this village formerly belonged to the Paulet family. The house is agreeably situated under a verdant hill, which shelters it from the north-east winds; a iiandsome lawn is in front, and a tine sheet of water, inter- spersed with several small islands, inhabited by nu- merous wild fowl.

The village of Theale, tlirough which we next pass, on. the Bath road, is a tithing within this parish, and gives name to an adjoining hundred : il had formerly a chapel of ease.

The rectory of Tvlehurst, a parish adjoining

Englefield, about a mile and a half west from "Read- ing, is said to be the largest in Berkshire, In the church there is a very costly monument to the me- mory of Sir Peter Vaulone, a rich merchant, v.ho died productive heath, which might be very advantage- ously converted into tillage.

William Lloyd, a learned and pious bishop of the last and present centuiy, was born at Tylehurst, on the 18th of August, ]627. He was instructed in the languages by his father, and made so rapid a progress in his studies, that having acquired at eleven years of age, a competent knowledge of the Latin, Hebrew, and Greek, he was entered, l63S, a student of Oriel College, Oxford, where he soon after took up his degrees.

Being in sentiment averse to innovations in reli- gion, he could not comply with the changes that took place during the Usurpation, but became a tutor to the children of a nobleman.

In 1 660 he was sworn a chaplain in ordinary to the king, and appointed prebendary of Ripon. In 1672 the king promoted him to the deanery of Ban- gor, and soon after to the valuable living of St. Martin's in the Fields. In 1680 he was appointed bishop of St, Asaph, about which time he wrote a learned essay on the ancient church government in this island, which brought him into a controversy with Sir George M'Kenzie, the learned Scotch law-

When King James II. published the declaration for liberty of conscience. Dr. Lloyd was one of the seven bishops w'ho refused to concur with that measure, as contrary to the express letter of the statute. They presented a petition to the kins, praying to be excused, but the infatuated prince^ who looked upon himself as above law, ordered the seven bishops to be committed to the Tower. At that time there was no parliament, which obliged

Iheir. to move tlie court of king's-bencli for a writ of habeas corpus. After many learned argu- ments before the lord chief justice 'Wright, and the other judges, the court granted the writ, and the same day it was serv^ed upon tlie lieutenant of the Tower. ' On the return of the writ, many Itjavned arguments were used by the council on both sides concerning the power ot the court, and privilege of the bishops, the king's official proclamation, and the nature of a libel.

When the pleadings were over, the court proceed- ed to give judgment, which to their everlasting in- famy, was " That to petition the king to redress grievances was finding fault with his government, and finding fault vYith the government was, in its own nature, a libel."

But the cliaracter of those judges is best known from what was said by that great ornament of the law. Lord Camden, when he gave judgment upoa the imprisonment of Mr. Wilkes. '^* Wright and Plolloway (says his lordship) it is feared were put into office to h^ ready to serve the court, AHibovne ,was a profest papist, and Powel, the only honest man among them, did not say any thing." Judg- ment being given, the attorney-general filed an in- formation against the bishops, upon which they were tried and honourably acquitted.

On the accession of King William he was ap- pointed almoner, and in 1692, translated to the see of Litchfield and Coventry. In l6i/l), he succeeded his learned friend Dr. Stillingfieet in the se^ of WorcesUir, which he enjoyed till 1717, when he died at Hartlebury-Castk,' in the nihety fir.st year of his age.

He was a very learned person both in the classics and British anticjuities, as appears from his writings; and Bnrnct, who was well acijuainted with him, says, that he spent above twenty years in studying tlie

In Leland's Itinerary, we find the following de- scription of this town :

'' There is no manner of token that ever the town of Reading was waullid, yetitisa very auncient town, and at this time the best toun of all Berkshire. There was a castel in the Saxon time in this toun, nnd the name of Castle-street yet remains, ly- ing from east to west to pass to Newbury ; but I conld not perceive or clearly learn where it stood. But by all likelihood at the west end of Castle-street, and as some think about the place of execution. It is very likely diat a piece of the abbey was built of the ruins of it: peradventure it stood where tiie abbey was. St. Edward Martyr's mother-in-lavr for penance built as I have read a monastry of nuns, in Reding. Ther is a constant fame that this nun- nery was wher St. Mary's paroch churche is now. King Henry I. making an abbey of black monks heresupprcst this house as I heard, giving the lands thereof to his abbey. On the north side of the Castle Street was a fair house of Grey friars. In the town are three paroch churches ; St. Jiles on this side the river, St. Mary's in the middle the oldest, and St. LawTence beyond Kennet. West north-west of St. Lawrence's church was an Alms- house of poor sisters, probably founded by some of the abbots. Abbot Thorn supprest it Henry VII. and gave the lands to the use of the almoner of his abbey ; but Henry YII. coming hither and asking what old house that was, willed him to convert it and its land in plus usus, and at the abbot's desire made it a grammar school. The river Kennet runs through the town in two arms, one called about the quarters of tlie town, the hulozoid brooke. Above the town about the Bcre the abbot had a fair manor place of brick."

Reading is an ancient and populous borough

and market town, pleasantly situated on the viver Kennet which joins the Thames, a little below the town. Camden supposes the name to be derived from the Saxon word R/iea, river, or tfie . British Redin, fern ; which grew here in great plenty.

The town consists of three very considerable parishes, viz, St. Mary's, St. Laurence's, and St. Giles, separately maintaining their own poor. The prinicipal streets are extensive, well paved, and lighted ; and the buildings in general remarkably handsome. According to the returns under the population act, in ISO I, there were then 1735

The 'municipal government of the town is vested by the charter of Charles II. m a mayor,, recorder, twelve aldermen, and as many burgesses, from whom the vacancies in the list of aldermen are sup- plied. The corporation, who possess the ancient, manor and rights attacii.ed to it, hold four quarterly sessions for the trial of felonies, and a court every Wednesday for the consideration of smaller olfeu- ces against the peace. *

Reading sends two members to parliament, which, it has done ever since the 25 Edward L tliough we do not find any charter of incorporation older tliaa Henry VII. The right of election is in the inhabi- tants paying scot and lot, the mayor being the re- turning officer ; the number of voters is somewhat

Reading has two markets weekly, held on Wednes- days and Saturday:. The latter is chiefly for corn. A cattle market is also held every Monday morning, where there is a considerable shew of neat cattle, from the western parts of the county on their w^ay to Sniithfield. For the convenience of the iniiabitants, and to prevent forestalling, the mayor regulates tiii-t market hours, which begin at eight in the summer and nine in the winter season. The market on Wednesday is well supplied with

all sorts of provisions, particularly poultry, butter, and eggs, and sea and Thames fish. There are four fairs held here on the days inserted in our list.

There are several manufactories in Heading which aft'ord employment to a great numberof its poorer in- habitants. Among them are to be mentioned an ex- tensive gauze and ribbon manufactory, the sail-cloth and sacking manufactory, and the pin manufactory.

The river Kennet runs through tlie town, and in its passage forms several excellent wharfs. The ri- ver is navigable west\Yard to Newbury, a distance of 17 miles, and the completion of the Kennet and Avon Canal opens a communication, by the junction of those rivers, from the Severn to the Thames. The principal articles sent from Reading by water- carriage are timber, hoops, bark, corn, wool, malt and Hour. Upwards of 20,000 quarters of the latter commodity are annually sent from hence to the me- tropolis. The articles brought in return are gro- cery, iron, deals, &c. to a great auiount.

Reading is a place of considerable antiquity, and its origin unknowai, nor has it been determined whether at the time of the Roman invasion it was a British settlement, or whether ft then became first inhabited. Dr. Salmon, indeed, has asserted, that Reading is the Spinae of the itineraiy, but has failed in-the evidence adduced to support his opinion.

The earliest mention of this town, in history, is in the year 871, when it is described to be a fortified town, belonging to the Saxons, but then in the pos- session of the Danes, who had retreated hither after their unsuccessful battle at Englefield, with Earl Ethel wolf.

In 1006 the town was burnt by the Danes, and a convent of nuns, then existing uncler the government of an abbess, destroyed. The town, however, appears to have soon recovered from this calamity, and in the reign of King Stephen held out against the Em- press Maud, which induced her son Henry [I. to

demolish the cai;tle, which he did so effectually that there is not a single vestige of it now to be seen.

Leland imagined it might stand at the west end of t!ie street now called Castle Street, perha[>s only be- cause it seems probaole that a street built on, or near the site ofthe castle, should be so called, 'Ihere are the traces of two bastions near the ruins of the abbey, but tliey are known by their figure to be mo- dern ; and were probably constructed during the Civil War in Charie:* I. tniie, and destroyed at the

In 1121 Henry I. laid the foundation of a magni- ficent abbey on the site of that destroyed, which he completed in ) l'i4. The charter of establishment re- cites tiiat, *' The abbeys of Reading, Cheisey, and Leominster, having been destroyed for their sins, and their possessions fallen into t!ie hands of the laity, the king with the advice of his prelates, Sec. liad built a new monastery at Reading, and endowed it with the monasteries of Reading, Cheisey, and Leomins'er, together with, their appurtenances of woods, fields, pastures, Sec. with exemption from all

Besides these privileges the abbot and the monks were invested with the power of trying criminals, and entrusted generally with the conservation ofthe peace within the town and neighbourhood. In re- turn for these extensive grants, their charter provi- ded that the monks should hospitably entertain the poor and all travellers, which part of their tluty was so well performed, that, according to Wiiiiam of Malmsbury, there was always more expended iipofi

Althougii this famous abbey was completed in fonr years, the church was either not consecrated till the reign of Henry H. or else that ceremony was by Thomas-a-Becket, archbisliop of Canterbury ; the king and manv of tiie nobility being present.

It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity., the blessed Virgin Mary, and St. John the Evangelist; but com- monly called the Abbey of St. Mary, at Reading ; probably from the extraordinary veneration paid in those days to tiie Holy Virgin. It was endowed for ^00 monks of the Benedictine order. It was a mi- tred abbey, the abbot having the privilege of sitting in parliament.

Henry I. was so delighted with this establishment that he continued heaping favours upon it, until the time of his decease, when he left orders for his body to be interred in the chancel, which was accordingly

Adeliza, Henry's second queen, was likewise in- terred, as were also William, the eldest son of Henry IF. and a great nmnber of other persons of rank and

Henry II. confirmed all the grants of his prede-

Notwithstanding the obligation contained in their charter it appears that the necessities of the poor were not always attended to. Hugh, the eighth abbot, in his deed for the foundation of a new hospi- tal observes, " tiiat whereas King Henry had ap- pointed all persons to be enrertained there, yet he found that the same was performed in a decent man- ner towards the rich, but not according to the king's intention towards the poor, which miscarriage he, as the ward to that noble charity, was resolved to correct." He accordingly built an hospital without the abbey gate, that those persons who were not ad- mitted to the upper house might be entertained there. By the above-mentioned deed he gave the church of St. Laurence to this hospital, for ever, for the maintenance of 13 poor persons, in diet, clothes, and other necessaries, and allowed sulhcient for the support of thirteen others out of the usual alms.

This abbey continued to flourish till the reign of Henry VIII. when Hugh Farringdon, the then ab-

bot, refusing to deliver an account to the visitors of the revenues and treasures belonging to the founda- tion, was, with two of his monks "named Rugg and Onion, attainted of iiigh treason, and being condem- ned to death, were in the month of November, 1539, all three hung, drawn, and quartered, at Heading. This happened on the same day that the abbot of Glastonbury suitered the like selitence, for a similar provocation. Immediate possession being taken of the abbey, immense quantities of jewels, and other articles of great value were found, besides the reve-

The greatest part of this stately edifice, which ap- pears to have occupied a space nearly half a mile in circumference, remained till the Civil Wars in the reign of Charles I. when the army of the parliament pulled down the upper part of the walls, considering it as a relic of Popish idolatry, however there arc som.e ruins still remaining ; from a view of which a tolerable idea may be formed of its original gran-

The walls are nearly eight feet thick, and faced with free-stone^ but the interior part is compo-^ed of flints, cemented with mortar of a dry hard tex-

Towards the east end is a large room of a semi- circular form, having iive narrow windows, and three doors. It is arched over, and seems to have su[>- ported a chapel, in which it is imagined mass was daily said for the souls of the great personages who are here interred.

The hospital for the poor knights at Windsor, was built, soon after tiie Dissolution, with the materials from the ruins. Queen Elizabetli in her charter giants the corporalion liberty to take away 200 loads of fine stone from tht' abbey , and a con*,iderable quantity was carried away by the late General Con- way, tor the erection of that Linutslar bridge at Park

Place, which is thrown across the high road leading from Henley to Waigrave.

Fuller, iri his Church History, has the following anecdote of one of the prelates of this abbey, which he stiles a pleasant and true story, and which we shall relate in his own words, '* As King Henry VIII. fPHS hunting in ^^'indsor Forest, he either casually lost, or more probably wilfully losing himself, struck down, about dinner tmie to the abbey of Reading, \vhere disguising himself (much for delight, more for discovery unseen), he was invited to the abbot's table, and passed for one of the king's guard ; a place to- which the proportion of his person might properly entitle him, A sirloin of beef was set before him (s'<?> knighted, saith tradition, by t'nis Henry), on which the king laid on lustily, not disgracing one of that place for whom he was mistaken. '* Well fare thy lieart (quoth the abbot), and here in a cup of sack I remember the health of his grace your master. I would give an hundred pounds on the condition I could feed so lustily on beef as you do. Alas! my weak and squeczie stomach will hardly digest the wing of a small rabbit or chicken." The king plea- santly pledged him, and heartily thanked him for his good cheer ; after which he departed as undisco- vered as he came thither. Some weeks after the abbot was sent for by a pursuivant, brought up to London, clnpt in the tower, kc-.'t close prisoner, and fed, for a shorttime, with bread and water ; yet not S.0 empty his body of food as his mind was filled with fears, creating many suspicions to himself, when and liow he had incurred the king's displeasure. At last * sirloin of beef rvas set before hin), on wliich the abbot fed as the farmer of hts grange, and verified the proverb that two hungry meals make the third a glutton. In springs King Henry, out of a private iobby, where lie had placed himself, the invisible spectator of thie abbot's behaviour. ** My Lord, (quoth the king) presently deposit your hundred

pounds in gold, or else no going hence al! the dales of your life. 1 have been your physician to cure you of your squeezie sto.iiach, and here, as 1 de- serve, 1 demand my fee for the same." The abbot down with his dust, and, glad he had escaped so, returned to Reading, as somewhat lighter in purse, so much more merry in heart than when he came

Near the abbey church there was an hospital for lepers, founded by Ausgerus or Aucherius, the second abbot, and dedicated to Mary Magdalen. There were also several other religious foundations in Head- ing, particular!} a priory or house of grey-friars, which in 1360, was converted into an hospital or work-house, and afterwards, in ]Gl3, into a house of correction. Tiiis part was the south transept of the church of the grey-friars : the walls of w hich are still entire.

l"he Granmiar School, Nvhich Leland mentions to have been founded out of the produce of the estates of a suppressed Almshouse of Poor Sisters, on the north-west of Saint Lawrence's Church, is situated on the east side of the Forbury, and is now in great reputation under the care of the Rev. Dr^'^Valpy. The vice chancellor of Oxford, the pre^ident ofbt. John's college, and the warden of All Souls, hold a triennial visitation, and the senior scholars annually make public specche ^ in the town-hall. Sir Thomas White, who was born at Reading, founded at St. John's College, two scholarships lor natives of Read- ing educated at tiiis school.

Among the public buildings of the town the first to be noticed are the three parisJi churches, which although very respectable structures have nothing sufficiently remarkable, either in their architecture or antiquity, to require a very particular descrip-

St. Lawrence's Church appears to«liave been re-

lies, among Nvhicli was, '' a gridiron of silver, gilt, with a bone of St. Lawrence thereon, weighing three quarters of an ounce, the gift ofThonias Lynd, Esq." In this church lies interred John Blagrave, the celebrated matJitmatician ; his monument has his effigies, a half length, under an arch, habited in a cloak and rutf, holding a globe in one hand, and a quadrant in the other, underneath is the following

" Johannes Bla<j;ravus,

Totus Mathcmuticus,

There are also s(nne indifierent English verses. The church contains no other monument worthy of

The chapel of St. Edmund, in this parish, near t1ie west end of Friar Street, was -built in 1204, by Lawrence Burgess, bailifl of Reading, by permission of the abbot, on condition of his giving an endow- ment for its support ; the founder built an hermitage near it, in wiiich he died. The chapel has long since been pulled clown.

St, Mary's Church was rebuilt about the year 1551, of materials purchased for the purpose from the abbey clmrch, which was then pulled down. The only monument worthy of notice in this church is that of AViliiam Kenrick, or Kendrick, said to be descended from the Saxon kings.

St. Giles's Church contains little that is remarl:- able, the spire which is 70 feet high, is made of wood, coveicd with copper, and was erected in 1790, at the

In the year 156G, the upper part of the" ancient hospital of St. John, was converted into a Town-hall. In 1672 it was repaired at the expence of John Bla- very handsome room, 108 feet in length, 32 in widtli, find 24 in height. Adjoining to it is a spacious

council-chamber, in \vhich are, among others, the portraits of Sir Ihomas White, founder of St. John's College, Oxford, Archbishop Laud, and Mr. John Kendrick, all natives of Reading, and great bene- factors to the town, as we shall hereafter mention. Here are also portraits of Eichard Aldworth, Esq. ancestor of Lord Braybrooke^ who was founder of the blue-coat school, and Sir Thomas Rich, Cart, a benefactor to that charity.

The present County Gaol was erected about the year 1793, on the site of some of the old abbey buildings. It is a handsome structure, l63 feet in front and 137 feet in depth. It contains a commo- dious house for the keeper, a room for the reception of the magistrates, a neat chapel, and an infirmary. The male and female prisoners are confined in sepa- rate wings of the building, each of them divided in- to severc.1 courts, day rooms for labour, and other apartments. There are a few cells for the refrac- tory, and some for the purpose of solitary confine-

The income arising from the various benefactions, legacies, &c. bequeathed or given to this town for charitable purposes amounts to upwards of 3000U annually ; the following is a brief account of the principal charities, and the mode of their applica-

Sir Thomas White, a native of this town, and lord mayor of London, in the year 1553, placed Reading' the fourth in his list of 24 cities and towns which were to receive 1041. in yearly rotation for ever from lands vested in the corporation of Bris- tol. This sum, as often as it is paid, is to be lent to four necessitous young men, clothiers, 251. to each, for ten years, without interest.

In 1658 Mr. Richard Aldworth, bequeathed 40001. to found a blue-coat school, and maintain a master, lecturer, and 20 boys. This charity has been increased by various subsequent donations,

and the school is now a very respectable establish- ment, the funds being sufficient to support and edu- cate from 30 to 43 children.

Mr. John Hall, of London, apothecary, by will, in December I696, provided a house for a school-mas- ter. He has five pounds a year, a cloak once in two years about two pounds value, eighteen pounds a year, and one pound a year for shoes and stockings, to be paid him, to enable him to teach three boys, one out of each parish, of the age of fourteen, or fifteen years to read, write, and cast accounts, and to maintain them ; and he also gave six pounds, and a bible, to €ach boy to put him out apprentice. The school- house is situated in Chain-lane. The parents of these children must have been parishioners of one of the parishes at the time of their birth, and they are elected into it by the mayor and aldermen. Tlie same benefactor also gave five messuages adjoining to the school, for iive poor single persons, of good reputation, of the town of Reading ; and endowed them with eighteen-pence a week, twelve shillings a year for fuel, and once in two years a cloth gown.

tnthe year 1782 the three vicars of Reading insti- tuted a Charity-school for six girls, now augmented to twelve, supported by public contributions. On St. Thomas's day, when Mr. West's charity-sermon is alternately preached in three parish churches, an annual collection is made at the church doors, in aid of this institution by the trustees.

John West, Esq. by will, made an endowment for the maintenance and education of three boys, between the ages of seven and eleven 3'ears, in the charity-school of Christchurch, London, to be elected by the minister, church-wardens, and payers to the poor-rates, out of each parish alternately on every vacancy ; with each of whom an apprentice- fee of 20 pounds is given by the donor, and the children are apprenticed out to such masters and trades as their parents approve. The same donor,

and Frances his wife, gave to the cloth-workers com- \ear, in trust, to pay the rents and profits thereof to blind men and women, live pounds a year each for life. The poor blind in Newbury and Heading to be preferred before others.

Arciibishop^Laud, a native of this borough, by deed in his life-time, gave 120l. a year for ever, to be employed two years successively in apprenticing ten boys born in Reading, one belonging to the pa- rish of Bray, and one belonging to the parish of Wokingham, Berks ; and every third year to be divided into 20l. shares, and given to live such maid-servants born in Reading, with one other maid- servant born in the parish of Bray or Wokingham, alternately, who have respectively lived three years in one service, in Reading, Bray, or Wokingham, as the ma\or and aldermen shall direct, to promote them in marriage.

Mr. John Ailen, late of Hariield, in the county of Middlesex, who was educated in the blue-coat cha- rity-school in this borough, gave, by will, the sum of lobol. to be laid out in the purchase of lands, nine tentlis of the clear yearly value of which for the put- ting out three boys, not under 15 years, one out of eacii parish in the town of Reading, apprentices in London, every year, by the ministers of the three l)arishes, and the other tenth to be equally divided belv.een the said three ministers. He likewise gave ten pounds to be distributed by the church-wardens tu the poor of the parish of St. Mary. His monu- ment and rails, in St. Mary's church-yard, to be painted and repaired, as often as there shall be oc- i asion, by the three ministers, out of the nine-tenths of the estates above-mentioned.

ii,ave oOl. one third part'of whicl> he directed to be ili^tributed to the poor of each parish separately, by the churcli-wardens and overseers at Christmas,

yearly, for ever, which is regularly done. He also gave lOl. yearly, issuing out of lands at Mattingly, and of a farm in Nortli-street, in the parish of 1 ile- hurst, Berks, purchased by the corporation in trust, towards the maintenance of morning prayers at St. Mary's Church. The same gentleman also gave by will to the town of Reading, two other very considerable gifts, one of 75001. and the other of 5001. Out of the first gift the corporation purchased lands in North-street, in the parish oVTilehurst, and a tenement in Minster Street, in Reading, which cost lyOOl. There was bought of Anthony Blagrave, Esq. a plot of ground adjoining to the said tenement, which cost 321. and in building the new part and al- tering the old, to make it fit for carrying on the trade of cloathing, there was laid out the sum of 18461, There was likiiwise laid out in shop-stuif 1221. and the remainder was, by the mayor and al- dermen, lent to such persons as had the best inter- ests with them, but upon slender securities. The people of the town, being apprehensive that there might be great losses accrue to the charity through negligence and partiality, petitioned the king, m council, to direct them what course to take to pre- serve that great charity. Upon which it was left to the archbishop ol Canterbury, to give his opinion in what manner the said charity should be applied for the use and good of the poor of Reading, which was, that the money should be secured by the purchase of lands, and the profits and produce thereof to be employed in lending to young tradesmen, that could give good security for the repayment in a limi- ted time, without interest ; to bind out poor father- less and motherless boys to handicraft trades ; and to give to poor maids, that had lived with one mas- ter or dame a limited time, and behaved well in her place, and had no friends to give her any portion ill marriage, the several sums specified m the de-

cree, which are limited, and not to exceed the sums therein mentioned.

This ajudication of the archbishop, was soon after cxibited into the court of Exchequer ; and in trinity decree passed in that court that the sum of 3600). Kendrick's hrst gift, should be laid out in land?, and the income and produce of the same to be em- ployed to the uses abovementioned. By virtue of which decree, soon after there was bought with part of the said money, of Ealph Verney, Esq. and Mary his wife, a farm at Greenmer-'hill, in South Stoke, and Goring, in the county of Oxon, which cost 10501. There was also bought, with a farther part of the said money, another iarm called Brazen- head, or Parr's Land, at Sulhamstead Abbots and Banisters, which cost 8071. lis. 7d. bought of Wil- liam Parr and son. With a farther part of the said money was purchased of Richard Knollys. Esq. cer- tain lands called by the name of the Crown-lields, in "Reading, which cost llOOl. All which said pur- lay out in land, according to the decree, the sum of 801. each were lent out upon security for ten years gratis, without interest, and at the end of that thne, pursuant to the decree, to be lent to other persons for the like time, and so to continue, from ten years to ten years, for ever. Yet, by the accounts of the said charity, the money was not received back and lent again in twenty years, and some a much longer time, and some of them quite lost : some of the aldermen themselves, though to their dishonour, formerly made use of the same ; some without giving any security, and others upon very slender ones ; so that tliis branch of Mr. Kendrick's charity is so much diminished, that one half, if not more, of the said eight suras of eighty pounds, are

iiink and lost, to the great hurt ct tiie trading peo- ple in Heading. The second gifi, as before obser- ved, was 5001. to be lent gratfs, after his first no- mination, to ten trading men, from three years to three years, they giving security lor the repayment time and conditions were altered, so that in time it came into the hands of Mr. Joseph or John Wigg, where it rested till his death; and then, aljout the certain alderman, as ciiambeilain of the hall-re- venues, where it did not belong, it being for a cha- ritable use, he having acknowledged the same u\ one of his chamberlain's accounts : so that this part of Mr. Kendrick's cliarity is not employed for the benefit of those for whom it was intended, either by negligence or misapplication of the managers of the said charity, who, by a printed publication, were clearly proved debtors to this chaiit\ in tlse sum of

The building which was originally erected for a clothing manufactory, in pursuance of Mr. Keii- drick's will, is now called the Oracle; and is at present weavers, pin-makers, &.c. who are allowed the u./j of the building gratis.

On Good Fri<lay, in every year, three maid ser- vants, who have lived m one service rive \ears, are appointed by the corporation, who throw lots in tlie council-chamber for twenty nobles, the gift of Mr. John Blagrave, June 10, Hill. At tiie nomination oftb^mayor elect, on the last Monday in Augu^rt in every year, three other maid-servants, appoint- ed at last mentioned, also throw lots in the council- chamber for eight pounds, the gift of the late alder- men, Mr. John Deane and Mr. John Richards; and the sum of live pounds has of late years been given by Martin Annesley, Ebq. brother to the member. And the late Awberry Fiory, Esq. also gave by will

Ihe interest of 1001. for tver, to be added to Mr. Aiinesiey's gift, and equally divided bttween the two unfortunate maids.

Sir Ihomas Vatchell, Knt. in 1634, founded alms- houses for six poor men, and endowed them with forty pounds per annum for ever. - John Leche, otherwise John A'Larder, Esq. in 1477, founded iive alms-houses ft.r hve poor men; and endov.ed tlieni with twenty-pence a week, and three others adjoining for three poor women, with the sam* endowment : rebuilt by the corporation 1773. - John Webb, Esq. in 1633, founded four alms-houses, and endowed them with two shillings a week, which were rebuilt by the corporation in 17yO. Mr. llichard Keys founded four alms-houses for four poor women, and endowed them with lands of 101. a year. - There are several charity-houses in Ho- ;»iers-lane, and the persons enjoying them are elected by the minister of the parish of St. Mary's for the time being.

The celebrated William Laud, archbishop of Can- terbury, was the son of an eminent clothier of iieading, where he was born at an ancient house, now ^landing in Broad-Street, in the year 17-83. He was tirst educated in the free-school here, from whence he was removed to St. John's College, Oxford, where be took his degrees, and was chosen one of the fellows of that society. He was also chosen university rea- der ol granunar, in which profession he was greatly followed, being admired for bis extensive know ledge of the learned languages.

Laud obtained several considerable preferments, but remained fellow of the college, till he was elect- ed master in 1611. This election, however, was warmly contested, and the king (James I.) hearing of the dispute, sent for both partittf to Titchbourn in Hampshire, where he examined the matter and gave his opinion in favour of Laud, He was soon after appointed one of the royal chaplains, and in I6l6

promoted to the deanery of Gloucester. Iii 1621 he was advanced to the bishopric of St. David's, when he resigned liis mastership of the college, and at the coronation of Charles I. ot^iciated as Dean of

We have hitherto considered Laud as a scholar and churchman, rising from one degree of prefer- ment to another ; but from the period last men- tioned of Charles's accession to the throne he was called forth to public action, both m church and state, which ended in the ruin of himself and his royal master.

In 1626 he was promoted to the see of Bath and Welis, made dean of tlie chapel royal, sworn of the privy council, and next year translated to the bishop- ric of London.

In proportion as he possessed the royal favour, he became the object of envy, both to the nobiiity and churchmen ; and Sir James Whitelock one of tlie judges, and a man of great experien.ee, used to say, that " Laud was too tull of lire, though a just and good man, and thc.t his want of experitnce in state matters, and his too much zeal for the ciiurch cere- monies, if he proceeded in t!ie way he was then in, would set tiie nation on lire !"

\n 1633 he was appointed archbishop of Canter- bury, and the same year accompanied the king to Scotland, where being ofi ended with the simplicity of their worship, l.e projected the scheme of impo- sing on that church the English liturgy, which the people considered as little betierthan tl>e mass book. His conduct in tiiat affair, with his cruelty to thost; whom he prosecuted in the court of slar-chamber, so alienated tlie atieclions of the people from ihv sovereign, that they found themselves under the necessity of taking up arms in the defence of theii injured rights and privileges.

In l64o, when the long parliament met, he was accused by the Scotch commissioners as an incen-

diary, and next day the commons lm|natlied Jiim of high treason, whicl: was carried uj) to the bar ot the house of lords In Daniel Holies, son of the Earl of Clare, whereupon iie was taken into custody of the usher of the black rod, and afterwards com- mitted to the tower, where he remained above three

At iirst the parliament resolved to try him at common law, but it was considered as unsafe to trust a niatter of such importance with a jury ; and there- fore a bill of attainaer was carried up from the com- mons to the lords,, where it passed without much opposition, and a warrant was made out for his exe- where after some time spent in devotion, his head was cut of at one blow, in the 7ind year of his age.

Mere we bigoted hig!) churchmen, we should represent Laud as a martyr ; were we rigid dissen- ters, we should consider him as a merciless inhuman persecutor. But without the least attachment to any party farther than is consistent with reason and truth, we shall not omit his virtues, while we con- sider his failings.

That he was a man of great learning is evident : not only from his learned answer to Fisher the Je- suit, but also from his judicious collections of manu- scripts, which he left to the university of Oxford. His assiduity in the discliarge of his episcopal duty was equal to his abilities as a scholar ; and his piety in private as a christian appears front his diary, published after his death. But such i« thiO contaminating nature of pride, especially in churchmen, and so infatuating is the love of power, that wlien trusted with a person unacquainted with the world, and destitute of prudence, it fn^- quentlv carries him to such unwarrantable heiuhts, as seldom fail to procure his destruction. Laud was brought up in all the unfeeling apathy of a col-

H'giate lite, and when called to act in a public cha- racter was utterly unacquainted with the world. He imbibed high notions of episcopal authority, and was so fondly attached to the exteriors of religion, that he forgot that saying of his divine master - '* [ will have mercy and not sacri-fice." To this may be ascribed all those miseries, which his infatuated conduct brought upon the nation, by deluging it in the blood of its inhabitants, and overturning the established form of government, both in church and state. He had gone so far towards Rome, that even the papists had hopes of him, and (as he says himself?) actually oftered him a cardinal's hat. But we are of opinion, with Burnet and some others, that his chief intention was, to establish all the ri- diculous ceremonies of popery, without acknow- ledging the papal power ; or in other words to make the archbishop of Canterbury pope in En-

During the Civil Wars in the reign of Charles I. the inhabitants of Reading nobly defended the place against the army of the parliament, under the command of the Earl of Essex, i hat nobleman hav- ing advanced with his forces consisting of I6OOO foot and 3000 horse, immediately began the siege in form, the garrison under Su* Arthur Aston, consisting only the siege, Sir Arthur received a wound in his head, and being unable to attend his duty, the command devolved on Colonel Fielding. Infonnation being given to the king that the place was invested, his majesty considered it of too much importance to lose, and therefore detaciied Commissary Wilmol: with a body of horse, who managed the affair with so much prudence that he asNi^^ted the town with 500 auxiliary forces, besides a considerable quan- tity of ammunition. Fielding, however, did not think this supply sufficient, and therefore agreed to capi- tulate ; but before he had time to deliver up thg

place, the king marched with his army from Oxford, and detached the Earl of Bath, with' 1000 musque- teers to relieve the place, who being ignorant of the capitulation, attacked with great vigour, the regi- ments of Lords Roberts and Buckley, who defended Coversliam bridge, expecting to be assisted by the garrison; but finding that the governor did not make any sally upon the besiegers, he retreated to the royal army, and Fielding having found means to escape from the town, went to the king, and re- presented the place was unable to hold out any longer; upon which he obtained his majesty's leave to capitulate, and the garrison marched out with all the honours of war.

In the year 1688, an alarm began at Reading, which instantaneously spread through the whole kingdom, that the Irish disbanded soldiers of king James's army, were ravaging; and murdering where- ever they came. Every town believed the next to it was actually in fiames ; and such a panic was raised, that every one was up in arms to defend himself. It was soon, however, found to be a false report , but, from the singularity of the circum- stance and the consequence that ensued, it was af- terv.ards distinguished by the name of tlie Irish ciy.

About the same time'there happened a skirmish between a party belonging to the prince of Orange, and another of King James's troops, in which the lat- ter were ri. pulsed. This skirmish gave rise to the famous ballad of Lilliburlero, and the day on which it happened is still conmiemorated by the inhabi-

We have already noticed the fossil oyster shells, found at Catsgrove, near Reading, in a small hill, called Bob's Mount, Some of them are of a very large size, with the valves closed ; there are also found numbers of small bones, like the teeth offish: these fossils are found in a bed of green sand, of one foot six inches to two feet thick, lying upon chalk, the

next stratum over this sand is a soft loamy earth, of about twenty inches thick ; over this another stratum of green sand, live feet to five feet six inches thick ; and over this is a stratum of fuller's eartli, two feet nine inches to three feet thick ; and to the top of the hill clay of about seventy or eighty feet thick, from which they make bricks. The oyster shells are only found in a direction from north to south ; and it is supposed this stratum does not ex^ tend more than half a mile in length.

Near Reading, on the opposite side of the Thames, is Caversham, the seat of Major Marsac. 'I'he house was erected by the Earl of Cadogan, who was created baron of Reading in the year 1716. This was a most magnificent building, but was reduced by his successor, and again altered by the present proprietor It is situated on an eminence, com- manding a very extensive and diversified view of the county of Berks and the adjacent counties. The grounds are beautifully laid out, and the park, though not large, is remarkably picturesque.

There was a priory of Black Canons at Caver- sliam cell to Nattley Abbey, in Buckinghamshire ; famou's for the story of the angel with one wing, who brought hither the spear that pierced our Savi- our's side on the cross.

About two miles south-east from Reading is White Knights, the seat of the Marquis of Bland- ford. The house is a plain white f building, si- tuated in the centre of the grounds, which are re- markable for their combining, in an eminent degree, the agreeable with the useful. White Kniglits was one of the earliest examples f)f the FermcOrntc.

About three miles from Reading, on the left of our road to Maidenhead, is the village of Sun- ning, pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, near the banks of Thames. According to Camden, this place was formerly the see of a bishop, whose diocese included tlie counties of Berks and Wilts .

and Leland asserts that no less than nine bishop? successively tilled this see ; the last of whom, Harrison, removed it to Sherborne in Dorsetshire, from whence it was translated to Salisbury. In Leland's time there remained *' a fair old house of stone at Sonning, by the Thamise ripe, longing to the bishop of Saresbyrie, and thereby afaire parke." In the parish Church are several ancient inscrip- tions and sepulchral monuments ; on one of the lat- ter are the following pleasing lines, to the memory of two infant children of the family of Rich, \vho long resided on this spot.

"The father's air, the mother's look, The sportive smile, and pretty joke, The rosy lip's sweet bahblinj: grace, The beauties of the mind and face, And all the charms of infant souls, This tomb within its bosom holds."

The parish of Sunning is very extensive, con- taining, according to Kocque's survey, above 7000 acres, exclusive of that part, which is within an insulated district of Wiltshire before mentioned. Near Suniiing Bridge, a plain modern structure of brick, is Holme Park, the seat of Richmond Pal- mer, Esq. 'i^he house is bituated upon an emi- nence above the river Thames, which is seen to great advantage, {lowing through a beautiful valley, and vyinding between the distant hills.

About two miles from Sunning, on the line of our roLiie, is Tai./ord, a small village, ishich receives its name from tv.o fords, over the river Loddon, on which it is situated, near its conlluence witli the river Thames.

About two miles north-east from Twyford is the small Village of Wuvixiavc, near the Thames, over which it has a ferry ; though now much neglected, it was formerly a market town, and part of the pos- sessions of_ Queen Emma, Vvho passed the liery

6rdeal of the Saxons for female chastity. Here th^ ]ate Earl of Barrymore had a beautiful seat, wheie lie likewise titted up a private theatre in a mo!.t sumptuous manner, at the expence of upwards of 60001. where himself and many of the nobility and gentry of the neighbourhood acted plays for their amusement. By the expences attending these and other pursuits his lordship dissipated a large fortune, so that all the scenery, &c. of the above mentioned theatre were brought to the hammer and sold. Soon after, the magnificent owner lost his life, by his fusee going off as he was getting out of his phae-

The manor of Wargrave, and the hundred of the isame name, in -which it is situated, were given by Queen Emma to the see of Winchester, but are now the property of Lord Braybrook.

In the parish Church there is a monument to the memory of Thomas Day, Esq. author of ''Sand foi'd and Merton/' and other pleasing and usefu publications, who lost his life by a fall from his horse, as he was riding from his house in Surrey, to his mother's at Bears Hill, in tiiis parish. Upon the tomb is the following inscription :

" In memory of Thomas Day, Esq. who died Septem- moted, by the energy of his writiui^s, and encou- raged by the uniformity of his example, the im- remitted exercise of every public and private vir-

" Beyond the reach of time or fortune*s power Remain, cold stone, remain, and mark the hour When all the noblest gifts that Heav'n e'er gave Were centered in a dark untimely grave : Oh ! taught on reason's boldest wings to rise. And catch each glimm'ring of the openino^ skies* Oh, gentle bosom ! Oh, unsullied mind ! Oh, friend to truth, to virtue, to mankind !

lliy dear remains we trust to this sad shrine, Secure to led no feecoud loss like thine." The inipropriatf.' rectory of this parish is ciiargecJ vth the payment of :d. per annum, towards the c-ducation of the children of the poor inhabitants, ?>Ir. llobert Figott, in 179(3, gave the interest of t),700l. three per cefit. bank annuities for the edu- cation and cloathing of i?0 boys and 20 girls of War- grave parish, and directed by his will that a part of tiie annual income should be paid in weekly allowances to the parents, to encourage them to- send their children regularly to school, and conti- nue them there a proper time : these allowances encreasing gradually during five years, if the chil- dren remain so long at school.

Laurence Waltham, about five miles soutl> \vest from Maidenhead, was also part of the posses- sions of Queen Emma, and given by her to the bi- shop of Winchester. It is reported to have an- ciently been a place of some consequence, and the buildmgs wear the appearance of having flourished in better times : the ruins of many others are also visible. The entrance to the village is through an ancient arched gate-way, composed of large oak timbers. Camden mentions that m his time there were the foundations of an old castle to be seen here,, and tliat Koman coins were freciwenlly dug up. Mr. Hearne dug np a silver one of Amyntas, the grantlfather of Alexander tlie Great.

Jn the parish church of Lawrence Waltham are several tombs of liie Neville family.

About a mile from hence is Shottesbrook, a jtmall parish, formerly part of White Waltham, aixl the seat of a college, founded by Sir William Tressel, in the year 1337. This gentleman also built the church, in which he was buried together with his lady According to Hearne, the antiquary, u native of ^Vhite Waltham, " the knigiit lies wrapt

up in lead, with his wife in leather at his feet, as appears by a defect in the wall."

The church is a handsome gothic structure, and besides the monument of the founder and his lady, contains several others of great antiquity. In the north transept among others is the tomb of Sir Thomas Noke, with his effigies on brass, " who for his great age and virtuous life was reverenced of all men, and commonly called Father Noke, created Esquire by KingHenry VIII. He was of stature high, and comely : and for excellence in artillery made yeoman of the crown of England ; which had, ia his life three wives, and by every of them some fruit and offspring ; he deceased the 21st August, 1567,

The completion of Shottesbrook Churcli is said to have been attended with a very extraordinary accident. The architect having eitlier laid the last stone of the spire, or lixed the weatlier-cock, called for some wine to diink the king's health, which be- ing given him he drank it, and immediatelv fell to the ground, where he was dashed to pieces, and afterwards buried on the spot. A rough stone, in the shape of a coffin, was placed over his remains, he uttered, engraven on it. Mr. Hearne admits the general validity of the story, but upon examination found that the two oval ligures, were only portions of the form of a cross. lie also observes that upon opening tlie grave some bones were found in it.

The parish Church at White Waltham, about four miles from Maidenhead, contains the monuments of Sir Edward Sawyer, who died in 1676, and of Sir Constantine Phipps, lord chancellor of Ireland, who

" An entry in the parish register, bearing date 1652, records that Mr. John Blower was vicar of this parish of White Waltham, the space of 67

yearsf, namely from that of our lord 1577, to the year of our lord lG44, as appeareth from the (hne of ills induction to the time of his deatii." It is said that he removed hither from another benefice ; and tiiat when he died he was nearly 100 years of age. - A story is told of him, that preaching before Queen Elizabeth he addressed her by the appellalion of ** my royal queen," which a little while afterward* he changed for " my noble queen." - " What, says her majesty (in a sort of whisper, it is to be suppo- sed) am I ten groats worse than I wasr" The pun being overheard by the preacher he was so discon- certed that he resolved never to preach another ser- mon, and for the future always substituted one of the homilies." - Lj/f;on's Mugna Britannia.

Maidenhead is situated partly in the parish of Cookham, and partly in that of Bray, in the hun- dred of Barnesii in the deanery of Reading. The ancient name of this place was South xVrlington or iiudlington, and according to Leland its present name was acquired from the great veneration paid here to the head of a British iirgin,one of theelcven thousand who are said to have been martyred with St. Ursula^ their leader, near Cologne in Germany. It appaars however tluit it was incorporated in the 26th of Edward ill. by the name of the fraternity or guild of the brothers and sisters of Maidtn-hithe, and the town is so called in the most ancient records relating to it. As to the slaughter of the eleven thousand virgins it has been satisfactorily proved that only two of them were put to death Ursula and Undecimilla. The name of the latter having been mistaken by the ignorant monks for the words, un decern mille.

The town is situated on the borders of the Thames, and consists principally of one long paved street, the south side of which is in the parish of

Before the building of the bridge the great wes-

tern roa4, which now passes through Maidenhead, went through Burnham, and crossed the Thames near Cookham at Babhatn ferry, opposite to which is still to be seen a hollow way, now almost overgrown, leading up Cliefden Hill.* The bridge appears to have been built soine time about the year 1297, and from this period the town began to flom-ish and increase. A cjjapel was soon afterwards erected dedicated to St. Andrew and Mary Magdalen. The lirst bridge was of wood, audit appears to have been one of the principal objects of the fraternity above mentioned, to keep the bridge in repair, for which purpose a toll was granted, and another for all conunodities sold in the market, and the corpora- tion was besides allowed annually a tree out of Wind- sor forest. The present bridge is a work of consi- derable merit, and was began in 1772, from the designs of Sir Robert Taylor. It consists of seven semicircular arches, built with stone, and three smal- ler ones of brick at each end. The expence of building amounted to 19,0001. exclusive of the pur- chase of some contiguous land to render the work

The Barge Pier Bridge is maintained by the cor- poration, for which they are allowed the tolls both over and under it. The Barge Pier divides the counties of Berks and Buckingham.

After the Reformation the town was again incor- porated by the name of the warden and burges3e9 of Maidenhead, and James 11. granted them another charter of incorporation, by the style of mayor, bridge-master, and burgesses. Two of the bur- gesses, who are eleven in number, are annually «?lected bridge-masters. The high steward, the steward, a recorder, the mayor, and the mayor for the preceding year, are justices of the peace. The mayor is clerk of the market, coroner, and judge of a court which is held once in tl^ree weeks.

The mayor also holds a sessions twice a year. The town contains a gaol for debtors and felons.

There is a great trade here in malt, corn, meal, and timber, which articles are conveyed in barges to London.

The market, granted by the charter of Henry VI. is still held on Wednesdays, and there are three annual fairs on the days inserted in our list.

Eight almshouses were erected here by James Smith, Esq. citizen of London, in the year 1659, for eight men and their wives, who are allowed four shillings a week, and one pound ten shillings a year for coals, also a coat and gown once in two years.

According to the returns under the population act, tlie number of inhabitants in 1801 appears to have amounted to 949 ; but a subsequent enume- ration, supposed to be more correct, encreases the

A little to the south-east of Maidenhead is a village called Bray, which though it hath not any thing remarkable, is still of some note, on account of the incumbent of the living, in the sixteenth century, \vhose conduct gave rise to a proverbial expression, that has ever since been preserved ; namely, when any time-serving person complies with different modes of government, for the pecuniary emolu- ments, he is called or compared to " the vicar of Bray." The story is thus related : when King Henry VIII. shook off the papal supremacy, the vicar of Bray preached in the most zealous manner against the innovations and encroachments made by the court of Rome, and when the five articles were published he vindicated idolati-y with ail the strength of prostituted logic. In the reign of Edward VI. when the protestant rehgion was established by act of parliament, the vicar renounced all his former priii- ciples, and became a strenuous advocate for the reformation. On the accession of Queen Mary, he again vindicated the doctrines of the church of

^Koine, and became a zealous papist, inveighing %ith great acrimony against all those worthy per- sons who abhorred the Romish religion. He enjoyed his benefice until the reformed religion was esta- blished in llie reign of Queen Elizabeth, when he once more changed with the times, and enjoyed his vicarage till his death.

It is little to be wondered at, that such a charac- ter, utterly devoid of every principle, except ava- rice, should often meet with reproach ; but so insen- sible was he of every thing, that bore the name of moral honesty, that instead of being in the least afiCected by it his constant answer was" I will live and die vicar of Bray."

William Goddard, Esq. in the year l627foundedaii hospital here for fortv poor persons, who, inadditiori to their place of residence, are allowed eight shilling* a month. Over the door of the almshouse is a statue of the founder.

Camden supposes that Bray was the Roman Bi- BRACTE, and to have occupied by the Bibroci, who submitted to Caesar.

- In Ferrar's Tour from Dublin to London, we are inforincd that some workmen, digging in a bed of stitK' clay, not many years since, somewhere in this neighbourhood, discovered the perfect petrefaction of a turtle, weighing forty-nine pounds and measur- ing sixteen inches in its largest diameter.

Juurnej/ from Highworlk in WiUshi) c to Abingdon ; through Faringdov. About two miles from Highworth we enter the county of Berks at its western extremity, and pass througli CoU'shilly which seems to have derived its name from its elevated situation above the river Cole, which runs near the bottom of the village, and forms the western boundary of the parish.

The church is a handsome structure, dedicated i6 Saint Faiti), ornamented at the west end by a tewor, with battlements and pinnacles. The inside

of the church is fitted up in an elegant manner, zr\& there is some tine painted glass, of modern work- manship, in a curious circular window in the south aisle; the painting represents the arms of Sir Mark Stuart Ple\ dell and liis lady. In the same aisle is an elegant marijle monument, executed by Rys- brack, to the memory of the only daughter of the above persons, and wife of the Honourable William Bouverie, afterwards Earl of Radnor. There is ano-* ther of artihcial stone, in the gothic style, in me- tnory of Sir M. S. Pleydell, Bart, and h'is lady. In the east window of the chancel is some finely stain- ed glass, representing the Nativity, purchased at Anglers, in 1787, by tlieEarl of Radnor, and put up here at his expence.

llie Rev. John Pinsent, vicar of this parish in num, for apprenticing the children of such of the poor inhabitants of Coleshill and Great Coxwell, (a neighbouring village) as had never received re- lief from their parish. The sum of 3l. to be allotted for each chiid

Coleshill House, the seat of Lord Viscount Folkstone, eldest son of the Earl of Radnor, is si- tuated near the village. It was built by Inigo Jones, about the middle of the 17th century, and still retains its original form.

The late Lord Orford, speaking of Inigo Jones as an artist, observes that lie was " the greatest in his profession that has ever appeared in these king- doms ; and so great that in that reign of arts ((^liarles 1.) we scarcely know the name of another architect." 7'he grounds have within these few years undergone a complete alteration, and have been laid out under the direction of the Earl of Radnor, according to the present improved taste of landcape gardening. They are remarkably beautiful, pos- sessing every requisite to render the scenery per-

About four miles north from Coleshill, on the road from Faringdon to Leclidale, is Buscot House, the seat of Edward Lovedon, Esq. It forms a conspicuous object from the Faringdon road. The pariv coinprises about 150 acres, for- merly a farm, which was repurchased by Mr. Love- don, after having been out of the family 150 years. The parish of Buscot, anciently Burwardscot, con- tains 2850 acres of land, enclosed by a decree in chancery in !6l4.

In the parish church of Great Coxwell, about two miles south-west of Faringdon, are some tombs of the family of Mores, ancestors of Edward Rowe Mores, the anti(|uary, who collected some mate- rials towards a history of this county. In the chan- cel window are the arms of several possessors of the manor, put up by the Earl of Kadnor, who is now lord of the manor, and impropriator of the great tythes. The manor-house great barn, and some tives of John Richmond Webb,Esq. lately deceased. The barn is a remarkably fine piece of masonry, 148 feet long, by 40 in breadth. The walls are four feet thick, and the roof is supported by two rows of large upright timbers, resting upon massy stone pillars. It was originally built by the abbots of Beaulieu, to whom tlie manor was granted by King

Shrivenham, about three miles south from Coleshill, was anciently a place of considerable note, and was a market town, with a fair on the festival of Saint Mary Magdalen, both of which however have been long discontinued. The church is a large and handsome gothic structure. Withinside is a double row of circular columns and arches, extend- ing the whole length of the building, and forming jiisles both for the nave and the chancel. The tower, -which u in the centre, is supported by four painted arches. In the chancel are the monuments of Sir

John WiWman, John AVildman, Ksq. his son, the first Viscount Bairington, and his son the second Viscount. To the memory of the last is tlie follow- ing inscription.

" In the soutli-castern part of the chancel arc depo- sited the remains of William VViJdman, Viscount Barrington, born January 15, 1717, died February 1, 1793. His strong discriminating understanding, his active taleiUs, and unremitting assiduty in public bu- siness, rendered him early conspicuous in the House of Conunons, of which he was 39 years uninter- uptedly a member. During 34 years of that pe- riod, under the reigns of George H. and HI. (two the crown with inflexible integrity, high honour, and distinguished abilities, in the office of secretary of the admiralty, master of the great wardrobe, secre- tary at war, chancellor of the exchequer, and trea- surer of the navy. In 1778, he retired from par- liament and public employment, to private life ; in full possession of his bodily and mental powers, and in the highest merited favour with his sovereign. The candour of his mind, the soundness of his judg- ment, his accurate knowledge of mankind, and the urbanity of his manners, made him the delight of every society in which be lived. Ilis'zeal to promote the public good, his wish to diffuse happiness all around him, his benevolence which flowed from the heart, his kindness to the tenants and poor of his estates, and his affection to his family, secured to his character an esteem, attachment, veneration, and love, which it has been the lot of few to expe- rience. This monument is erected to his memory by his three surviving brothers, to whom he was the best of fathers and of friends."

The honourable Samuel Barrington, admiral of the white, brother of Lord Barington, wiio died August 16^ 1800, distinguished himself by his gal-

ticularly by the capture of the Count de Florentine, aFrench sliip of 60 guns, the flag of which still re- mains in the Chancel of Shrivenham church ; he gained immortal honour by his repulse of a very su- perior force of the enemy at St. Lucie, when he had the command of a fleet in the West Indies in 1779. 'I'he Admiral lies buried in the family vault at Shrivenham, where a monument has lately been erected to his memory wMth the following inscrip- tion. I'he verses were composed by the celebrated Mrs. Hannah Moore.

" Sacred to the memory of the honourable Samuel Barrington, admiral of the white, and general of *' Here rests the hero, who in glory's page Wrote his fair deeds for more than half an age ; Here rests the patriot, who for England's good, Each toil encounter'd, and each clime withstood; Here rests the Christian, his the loftier theme, To sieze the conquest, yet renounce the fame. He, when his arm St. Lucia's trophies boasts, Ascribes his giory to the Lord of Hosts ; And wlien the luuder task remained behind, The passive courage and the will resigned, Patient the vet'ran victor yields his breath, Secure, to him whoconquer'd sin and death."

" On the top of Badbury Hill, on the north side of the turnpike road leading from Faringdon to Ilighworth, and within a few yards of it, is a camp of a circular form, 200 yards in diameter, with a ditch twenty yards wide. About nine years ago, in levelling the north rampart, human bones and coals were found ; and human bones are found every year in digging for peat in the swampy ground about one mile soutii of the hill. Leland, in his Itinerary, savs, that he learned of certainty, that,

*' a mile out of Faringdon, towards the right way to Highworth, appeared a great ditche, wher a for- tresse, or rather a camp of warre, had been, as some say, diked by the Danes as a sure camp,'' Mr. \Vise, in his letter to Dr. Mead, supposes tliat the battle of JMons Badonkus, or Badbury Hill, in the year 5C0, mentioned by Bede and Gi/das, in wliich Arthur gained his twelfth victory, was fought near the \\'hite Horse Hill, but if from similarity of names it may be concluded that the battle hap- pened in this neighbourhood, there is much' more probability of this being "the spot, than the Wilt- shire hills ; as this camp is Danisii, and nearer to the Wliite Horse Hill, tlian the other in Wilts, the fortifications of which are Roman. Between the camp and the White Horse Hill is a plain dead flat, five miles wide, a very proper place for the en- gagement of two armies."

Is a small market town by prescription, plea- santly situated on the west side of Faringdon Hill, about two miles from the Thames. It now gives name to a hundred, but w'as formerly in the hun- dred of Wifol. According to the returns made under the population act in ISOl, Faringdon and

The market is held on Tuesday, and there are three annual fairs on the days mentioned in our list.

The town is governed by a bailirf and inferior

Faringdon was part of the ancient demesne of the crown, and the Saxon kings had a palace here, in which Fdward the elder died in the year 923.

Robert Earl of Gloucester built a castle here in the reign of King Stephen, against whom he forti- fied and defended it ; but after a close siege of four days, it was taken and razed to the ground. The site of it, according to the chronicle of Waverley Abbey, quoted by Camden, was by King John, in

the year 1202, " by divine admonition grantee! with'aliits appurtenances to build an abbey of the Cistertian order."

** These tVuitful plains, in that unhappy hour

Of papal sway and sacerdotal power,

Were dooni'd the uew-nmdc abbey to maintain,

And distant Beaulieu ruled the fair domain."

Fariiigdon Hill.

After the dissoUition of monasteries the manor ot "Faringdon, with the other possessions, of the Abbey of Beaulieu were granted to I'homas Lord Sey- mour, by Edward \'i. but again vesting in the crowii by the attainder and execution of this nobleman,, it \vas granted, in the second year of Queen jSIary to Sir Frederick Englelield, and again by Queen Eliza- beth to Sir Henry Unton. The present proprietor is William Ilallet"^ Esq.

The parish cluirch of Faringdon fe a handsome goalie structure of considerable dimensions. It is built in form of a cross, but with a double transept. \.'pon the low square tower there was originally a s^pire, which was destroyed during the Civil Wars, 'ihere are several ancient monuments in this church of the Purefoys of Wadley, and their ancestors. Sir Alexander, Sir Edward, Sir Thomas and Sir Henry Unton. Upon that of Sir Alexander are figures in brass of himself, and his hidy, inhabited in surcoats, with their arms blazoned. Sir Henry Unton, who resided at Wadley in this parish,, was knighted for his bravery at theseige of Zutphen. He was twice uinbassador from Queen Elizabeth to the court of France, where he distinguished himself by sending a remarkable challenge to the Duke of Guise, who tad spoken disrespectfully of his mistress.

Sir Henry died during his second embassy in 1596.

In the nave of the church is the tomb of Sir INlar- niaduke Kawdon, governor of Faringdon, who suc- cessfully defended "the garrison against the parlia- mentary forctis. He died April 26, lt)46.

In the year 1771, as some labourers %vere digging stones in a field called Lamb Close, in this parish, Ihey discovered six human skeletons, lying there in a row ; under the heads of two of them were found some pieces of silver coin of James I. and Charles i. and one of the skulls appeared to have had a bulkt gone quite through it. By the size of the bones and soundness of the teeth they v/c-re probably young men, and soldiers, slain in the reign of Charles 1-

At Kadcot Biidge, situated at Jthe extremity of the parish, a battle was fought between Robert Vere, Duke of Ireland, Richard tlie Second's favourite, and the Earl of Derby (afterwards Henry 1\'.) and other confederate lords. The duke was defeated, and escaped by crossing the river at the hazard of his life. Farixgdox House is an elegant modern edifice^ built by Henry James Pye, Fi!sq. the presePit poet laureat, and sold by him with the manor to Williaiii Hallet, Esq. the present proprietor.

The liouse stands in a small park, on the north side of the town. During the Civil AV'ar* the ancient mansion was garrisoned for Charles I. ajid "was one of the last places that surrendered. Crom- welLhimsclf made an unsuccessful attack upon this garrison, with 600 men from the garrison of x\bing- don ; a second attack, with as little success, was made the following year by Sir Robert Pye, the owner of the house : Sii' George J^isle was then governor. In this attack the spire of Faringdoii Church is said to have been beaten down.

In the immediate vicinity of the town isFaringdon Hill, an eminence gradually rising from the vale of Wiiite Horse, upon tlie summit of which is a small grove, which forms a kind of land mark for the sur- rounding counties, being seen at a great distance in every direction.

Faringdon Hill commands a rich and extensive, . lew over parts of Oxfordshire, Glocestershire, and

Wiltshire, in addition to the whole of the fertile vale

" Here loftv mountains lift their azure heads.

There its green lap the grassy meadow spreads :

Enclosures here the sylvan scene divide,

There plains extended spread their harvest wide.

Here oaks their massy limbs wide stretching nieet,

i^nd form impervious thickets at our feet.

Through aromatic heaps of rip^iing hay,

There silver ]sis wins her winding way ;

And many a bower, wnd many a spire between,

Shouts from the groves and cheers the rural scene.''

Fije's Faringdon Hill. About five miles from Faringdon, on the right of ©ur road, is the manor of Pusey, said to have been granted to the family of Pusey by King Canute, and an ancient horn is still preserved, by which it is said to have been held. Upon it is the following inscrip-

Mr. Gough describes this horn to be of a dark brown tortoise shell colour, mounted at each end with rings of silver, and a third round the middle, on which the inscription is written in characters of much later date than those of the time of Canute. The feorn is of an ox or buffalo, two feet are fixed to the Ebiddle ring, and the stopper is shaped like a dog'* ring. The length of the horn is two feet and half an mch ; its greatest circumference one foot. The traditionary story is, that the person to whom the horn was originally given was an officer in Canute's army, and having informed his sovereign of an am- buscade formed by the Saxons to intercept him was rewarded with a grant of the manor for his intelli-

It is certain, however, that this estate was possessed by the family of Pusey from the earliest period of ©ur history until it became extinct in the year 1710.

The Hon. Philip Bouverie, uncle of the present Earl of Kadnor, and a descendant from a colaterai i)ianch of the ancient family, lias taken the name of Pusey, and has been in possession of the estate since

In the reign of Edward I. Alice Paternoster held lands in Pusey by service of saying a paternobter five times a day for the souls of the king'^ ancestors; and it appears that Richard Paternoster, on succeed- ing to an estate in this parish, instead of paying a sum of money as a relief, said the Lord's prayer thrice before the barons of the exchequer as John bis brother had done before.

The parish Church, which was rebuilt at the expence of Mrs. Allen Pn^ey, contains several ancient monuments, and one by Sche;miaker, remark- ably handsome, in memory of John Allen Pusey, Esq. and his lady.

About a mile from Pusey, on the right of our road is Clierbury Camp wliich according to tradition is the site of a palace vvJiich belonged to Canute. It is nearly circular, and double-ditched, much resem- bling Badbury Castle in Dorsetshire, but smaller. - Its longest diameter is 310 paces.

About a mile from this, in the parish of Henton Walridge, there are the traces of another camp, now an orchard, and between a hill called Windmill-Hill, which perhaps might have been used for signals.

In the parish of Ktngston Bagpuzey eight miles from Faringdon, upon our road, is Newbridge, over the 7'hames, where two annual fairs are held on the days mentioned in our list. At this bridge the par- liamentary army were repulsed, on their attempt to pass it, the 27th May l64i. It was however passed the 2d June by Waller, without opposition.

In. the parish church of Fylield, about nine miles from Faringdon, in the south aisle is a curious monument of Sir John Golafre, who die-d in l442, lord of the manor. His efngies in armour lie on an

Open altar tomb, beneath which is the ligiire of » skeletoa in a shroiHl. The common people call it Gulliver's tomb, and say that the figure on the top rqjresents him in the vigour of youth ; the skeleton m liis old age. There are also several other ancient monuments. One to the memory of Lady Gordon, who died about the year 1527, stands under an arcb ki the nortii side of the chancel. It has a roof of rich tracery, blue and gold, and over the arch is a cornice of gilt foliage. The brass plates have been

AtTubney, near Bessels Leigh, there was a church in Lelaud's time, now down. The siHccure rectory belongs to Magdalen College, Oxford.

*' Bessels Leigh, a little village three miles from Hinksey-feiTv, in the highway from Oxford to Far- jngdon. The Bessels have been lords of it ever since Edward I. The manor-house is of stone at the west end of the church. They had a another strong pile, now a manor place at Radcote on the Isis, both estates came by marriage of the heir general to Feti-

In the manor-house at this place, now pulled down, was formerly the celebrated picture of Sir Thomas More's family, now in the possession of John Lentliall, Esq. lord of themanor of Bessils Leioih.

The following is the description of this tovvn, as given us by Leland in his itinerary :

'* yl^i^i'T/o^t" stands on the right side of the Isis, and was of very old time called Seukesham, since Abendune, The abbey was first began at Baiikii- wood in Berkshire, two miles higherjon the Ise than Abingdon now is ; afterwards translated to Seuke- sham, and there finished most by the costes ot King Cissa, that thereafter was buried ; but the very place and tomb of his burial never known syns the Danes

At Seovesham was found the famous cross madtt

of the nail> of the cross, ^vhich struck deatl all ulio forswore thcmsolve> on it. " One Eanus a noble Saxon began to build a little monaslery by the per- mission ofCissa his master, king of the Savons, at a place called (Ixigley Wood or) Chisewel, two miles from Abingdon north north-east. The place after not being thougiit convenient, it was translated to Seiisham, whereupon the new monastery being built, it was called Abandnne, i. e. Abbatis OupitJuniy wdiere Cissa wa<5 buried. The abbey rose again, after its destruction by the Danes, but it was a pore thing ontill such time as kin^ Edgar, by the counsel of i£thelwolde bishop of Winchtrster, 9j3, afterwards abbot here, richly encreased it. There was one Faribitius a stranger and pliysician made abbot after tlie concjuest. He removed the old church that then stood more northerly, where now the orchard is, and made the east part and transept new, adorn- ing it with small marble pillars." '' The central tower and tlie west front \\ ith its towers w^ere built by four abbots in the lath century. Ethclwold, another abbot, brought the stream of Isis close to and through the abbey. The chief stream of lsi> before ran betwixt Anderseyisle and Culnehani (Culham) where now is the south end of Culneham. The other arm that breaketh out of Isis, about a quarter of a mile above Culneham, and cummeth down through Culneham bridge, is now the Jesse piece of the whole river. In great floods Culneham water goes partly to the bottom of Isis, and thenther by three streams. There was of olde time a for- tress in Andersey by south-west of Abandune, in a meadow againe St. Helen's almost in the middle between the old and new bottom of Isis : part of it stode after the conquest, and there were kept the king's hawks and hounds. One of the abbots gave the Sutton lordship in exchange for it : the scite is still called the Casfle oUkc Rhe a Jluvio preterlabente, aud is occupied by an old barn. St. Edward the

martyr's reliques were kept in lliis' abbey, where some say he was in his tender age broiight up. The rents of "the abbey were ^\mo^t'JQOO]. per annimu

Abingdon, the county town of Berkshire., is situa- ted at the conflux of the Ock and the Thames, in the Bimdred of Horjntr : it appears to have been origi- ^ery remote period of our history a large and weal- thy town, where was the royal residence, and the seat of government, and where, before theestablish- Bicnt of Christianity, the Britons had their principal place of religioiis worship. It is also said to have be-ccme the settlement of the Britons, on their first conversion, and a cross is said to have been dis- covered by the Saxons after they liad expelled the ancient inhabitants : the following legendary tale is brought forw ard to support the fact.

" At tlie time when the wicked pagan Hengist basely miirdered 400 noblemen and barons at Stone- hcngist or Stonehenge, Abt^rt a nobleman's son, esTcapf d into a wood on the south side of Oxfordshire, ^here, leading a most holy life, the inhabitants of the country tlocking to him to hear the word of C7od, buik him a dwelling house, arid a chapel in honor of the Holy Virgin, but he disliking their resort, stole away to Ireland ; and from him the place where he dwelt is called Abingdun."

The foundation of the town is however more gene- rally ascribed to the Saxons, and, according to Camden, as soon as Cissa, king of the West Saxons, i'oimdi'd the monastery or abbey here, it gradually dropt its older name, and begau to assume that of Abbandiin or Abbingdofl : i. e. the town of the

by Ileane or his uncle Cis^a, one of the viceroys of Centwin, king of the \Ve^t Saxons, in the year 675. It was begun near Bagwell Wood, in tiie parish of Cunmer or, according to others,, ueav Bagworth, in

the neighbouring parish of Sunning-well, and wa^ afterwards removed to Seusham,

Dugdale, in his Monasticon, informs u^, that *' There were twelve mansions about this monastery at first, and as many chapels, inhabited by twelve monks, without any cloister, but shut in with a high >vali ; none beins; allowed to go out witlioiit great necessity and the abbot's leave. No woman ever entered'the same ; and none dwelt there but the twelve monks and tiie abbot. They wore black haliits, and lay on sackcloth, never eating tlesli unless in dangerous sickness."

After llourisJiing two centuries, this abbey was destroyed by the Danes in the reign of King Alfred. Their estates were also taken by Alfred, as a com- pensation to him for having vanquir lied their enemies the Danes. It continued desolate and in ruins till Ed red, the grandson of Alfred, restored some part of the possessions of the convent, and laid the lirst stone of a new monastery. St. Ethelwold, the abbot, \vho was afterwards bisliop of ^^'inchester, and his successor Adgar, completed the work. Suc- ceeding abbots encreased its splendor, and it was soon raised to the highest rank among the monastic institutions of the kingdom, becoming one of the- mitred abbeys. At the time of the Norman survey it appears that they possessed upwards of 30 manors in Berkshire, in their own possession, besides several others, which were held under them as lords of the fee. At the time of the Dissolution, their annual was a magniticent pile of building, of whicli the gate house, with some remnants among the old buildings, are occupied as a brewery by the proprietor, Mr. Child. The gate- way i» now used as a gaol.

time, evident marks of its forn:>er grandeur.

Several illustrious persons were buried in the abbey. The remaiiis of Cissa, the founder were

interred within its walls, but his tonib was entirely destroyed by the Danes. Among the eminent per- sons who have received sepulture here, may be reckoned St. Edward, king and martyr, Kobert IJ'Or- ley, the builder of Oxford Castle, a powerful baron in the reign of William the Conqueror, and Geoffry of Monmouth the historian, who is said to have been abbot of Abingdon.

The convent was surrendered to the king by Thomas Pentecost alias Rowland, the last abbot, who was among the first to acknowledge his supre- macy, a conduct w hich obtained for him a pension of 2001. per annum, besides the capital mansion and Packet Cumner (wliich had been his country-seat as abbot of Abingdon) for life.

The site oftlic abbey was granted to Sir Thomas Seymour, and afterw ards to Sir Thomas Wroth.

There was another religious establishment in Abingdon, founded by Cissa sister to Heane, for nuns, near the 'J hames called Helnestow, of which she afterwards became th.e abbess. On the death of Cissa, the nuns were removed to Witham, whence they dispersed at the commencement of the war between Offa king of the Mercians, and Kinewulph king of the WV'st Saxons.

Ihere are at present two parish Churches in Abingdon, dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Helen. I'he former is said to have been built by abbot Nicholas, near the outside of the west -gate of the The circular door at the west end, with zig-zag ornaments, appears to be of a much earlier age. - Leland says that there was " of old tyme the chefe paroche church of Abyndon, but thegreatest rosorte of all the towne was to St. Helens." The church of St. Helen's is a large got hie building, with a hand- some spire. Jt is situated near the river, and appears to have been altered and enlarged at various times. In a gallery of tlK- aisle, called our Lady's

Aisle, in tliis church, hangs a tablet, \vi<:h a portrait '1 he portrait is accompanied by a genealogical tree, and an inscription, which records that he had seven- teen children (of which 15 were by his second wife), 78 grand children, and 102 great grand children. In tlie nave is a brass-plate, which covers the bones of Geoffery Barbour, the great benefactor of the town, who died April 21, l4l7. They were removed from the abbey after the Dissolution.

The vicarage of St. Helen's is in the crown.

The town of Abingdon, as it owed its eminence to, so it entirely depended on the abbey, before the building of Benford and Culham Bridges, by means of which tlie great road was turned through this town. The above mentioned Geoffery Barbour, a merchant of Abingdon, was a great pro- towards the erection of the bridges, and making a causeway between them.

ble manufactory, but before Queen ^Iary's reign it had greatly declined, as appears from her ciiarter of incorporation, granted to the town in 1556, stating ^*' that the town had fallen into great ruin and decay by the dilapidations of houses, fulling mills, &c. and was like to come and fall into extreme calamities," in consideration of the state to which the town was reduced, she also granted the townsmen lands to to pay their fee-farm rent, and to maintain the state and reputation of the town. By the charter the government of the town was vested in a mayor, two bailiifs, and nine aldermen. This charter also granted the privilege of sending one member to par- liament, vesting the right of election in the corpora tion. It has, however, of late been determined to be in the inhabitants at large not receiving alms. - The number of electors amounts to about 600.

The town consists of several streets, which centre in a spiicious area, where the market is kept, toll free, on Monday and Friday for corn. The Market- liouse is a liandsorne bnildmg, of curious workman- ship ; over it is a noble iiall, where the summer assize is held. The county court is kept here once a month, at which the members for the county are elected, as also the coroners and verdurers of Wind- sor Forest.

There was formerly a beautiful cross, which stood in the centre of the market, mentioned by Camden, as remarkable for its superior elegance. It was destroyed on the 31st May, 1644, by the troops of Waller, the parliamentary general. It was compo- sed of stone, of an octangular shape, and adorned with three rows of statues, the lowest row consisted of three ^rot/e kings ; the next of tlie Virgin Mary, four female saints, and a mitred prelate ; and the uppermost row of small ligures either of prophets or apostles. It was also ornamented with numerous shields of arms carved and painted. Mr. Gough supposes it to have been built by the Guild of Holy- Cross, as the arms of Sir John Golafre, one of th« commissioners by whom that fraternity was incorpo- rated in the reign of Henry VI. was, with many others, found on it, in the year 1605, when it was repaired, and the shields of the then benefactors

The Gild or Brotherhood of the Holy Cross had established themselves at a very early period in this town, but were first incorpo'-ated by royal charter, as abovementioned, in the year 1442. About this time it appears *'^ they annually made on the third of May, l)eing the day of the invention of the holy cross, a very bountiful feast, unto which came many of the brethren and sisters of the society. I'hey spent usually six calves, which in those days cost piece ; above bO capons, which tost 3d. a piece ;

above SO geese, which cost 2|d. a piece ; SCO egga which cost 5d. a hundred ; many iwarrow bones, much fruit and spice, great quantities of milk, cream, and Hour, (wheat was good cheap being sold for 12d. a quarter, in the 33rd year of Henry M.) besides all this provision, they had much sent them by the tenants, and by the brethren and sisters of the said fraternity. Tiiey had also at their feasts, 12 priests to sing a dirge, to whom they gave 4d. a jjiece for their pains. They had 12 minstrels, some from Coventry, and some from Maidenhead, to make them merry, to whom they gave 2s. and 3d. a piece; besides their diet and horse-meat. They had like- wise at their feasts a solemn procession, according to the blind superstition and zeal of those dark days, pageants, plays, may-games, all to captivate the senses of the zealous beholders, and to allure the people to greater liberality ; for they did not make their feasts without protit'; but those that sat at din- ner paid one rate and those that for vv^ant of room, did stand paid another ; so that they of "the frater- nity that governed the feast (who were commonly four in number) always made gain to the common stock for public uses. Their feasts were kept a long time in Banbury Court in West St. Helen's Street ; afterwards in a house of their own, given them by Mr. William Dyer, vicar of Bray, in East St, Helen's street, commonly called the brotherhood feast house." After the dissolution of religious houses in 1547, Edward VI. at the request of Sir John Mason, granted a new charter to some of the principal inha- bitants of the town, incorporating them by the n.;ime of the governors of Christ's Hospital, which hospital had been built in 1446, by the dissolved fraternity ; for the reception of thirteen poor persons maintained by them. In 1718 a new building was erected out of the hospital funds, in which 18 jfpoor persons are maintained. There are now 14 in the old hospital. Iliey have all 6s. per week each, and deaths once in

two years. Tlie original hospital, built in 1446, of timber and plaister, is still standing.

There are several other ahnshoiises in the town. The sums coliected for charitable purposes amount to about 9001. per annum ; part of which is appropriated to support a Free-School, founded 'ibomas leasdaie, the first scholar on this foundation, left the sum of 3001. to Baliol College in Oxford, to purchase lands for the maintenance of seven fel- lows and six scholars, to be chosen from Abingdon School, by the master and governors of Christ's Hospital. Baliol College having declined -the be- quest, it was given to Pembroke College, which was founded in 1624. The school at Abingdon has for many years been in great repute; and many eminent characters iiave here received the rudi- ments of learning. Among others may be reckoned Sir John Mason, Lord Cliief Justice Holt, Dr. New- come, the late Primate of Ireland, a native of Abingdon, and the late Rev. Richard Graves, au- thor of the " Spiritual Quixote," and many other

Sir John Mason,, above mentioned, was the son of a cow herd, and born near Abingdon, towards the latter end of the reign of Henry VII. His mo- ther being the sister of a monk in tiie abbey, that ecclesiastic took him under his tuition, and in- structed him in grammar learnii^g; after which he procured his admission into All Souls College, Ox- ford, where he obtained a fellowship.

Oxford, Mason, on account of his graceful appear- ance and distinguished address, was appointed to make the complimejits of that learned body to their sovereign ; and this task he performed witli so much applause, that the king was charmed with his uncommon abilities, and generously sent him, at his own expence, to finish hh studies at Paris.

"While abroad he acciuired so much knowledge of the nature of public ailairs^ that he was employed in several embassies, and on iiis return to Llngland, he was knighted, and sworn sl member of the privy

In the reigns of Edward VI. and his sister Mary, Sir John xMdSon, discharged the duties of several high employments ; and on the accession of Queen Elizabeth, he was chosen chancellor of Oxford. This dignified character he enjoyed till his death, whicli happened in 1566 ; and his remains were de- posited in St. Paul's Cathedral.

The most considerable manufacture of the towri of late years has been the dressing of hemp, and making sacking, biscuit-bagging, and floor and sail cloths, which has constituted the principal employment of the poor. A great trade is also car- ried on in malt for the London markets. For the convenience of the barges employed in this trade, a commodious wharf has been completed at the ex- tremity of the town, beyond which the new cut, forming a small curve, joins the main river a short distance below Culham Bridge.

Leland in his Itinerary says, " There yet ap- pear two camps by Abingdon, one called Serpen Hill, a quarter of a mile north-east out of the town. Here it is said was a battle between the Danes and Saxons ; part of the trenches yet remains : the other is called Barrow, a little west from the town."

Journei/from Faringdon to WalUngford ; through

The village of 5/^rt;(/b7v/, four miles from Faring- don, sometimes called Stanford-in-thc-Fale, was formerly a market town, by virtue of a charter from Henry III. The market has been long discon- tinued. '1 he parish Church is a handsome gothic building, the tower forming one of the most distin- guished ol)jects in the vale. It contains among

others a curious monument of the Knolis family, 3 iicjjhew of the iirst Earl of Banbury, who died in

The fine and fertile vale in which this parish is situated extends almost from Faringdon to Abing- don, though not in a direct line. It takes its name from the most remarkable antiquity of the county : the figure of a White Horse, 'formed on tiie north-west side of a high and steep hill. ISlr. Wise in ins "Observations on theWhite Horse," and "Let- ters on Berkshire" ascribes the formation of this figure to Alfred, who ordered it to be made as a trophy of the signal victory which he obtained over the Danes at Ashdown in this neighbourhood, in the year 871.

" Carv'd rudely on the pendnnt soil, is seen The snow-white courser stretching o'er the green : The antique figure scan, with curious eye, The glorious monument of victory ! Then England rear'd her long-dejected head, Then Alfred triumph'd, and Invasion bled."

Fyes Faringdon Hill.

The horse is represented in a galloping position, in the upper part of the hill and is 374 feet in length, occupying nearly an acre of ground ; its shape is determined by trenched lines cut in the white chalk, between two and three feet deep, and about ten broad- The head, neck, body and tail, are composed of one line varying in width, and one line or trench, has also been made for each of tlie

Though the situation of this figure effectually preserves it from all danger of obliteration, yet the neighbouring parishes have a custom of assembling annually at Midsummer, for the purpose of clear- ing it from weeds. This practice is called scouring the horse, and is generally attended by a rustic fes- tival and the celebration of various games.

Mr. Wise, and other antic^uaries, have satisfac^

torily proved that this figure must liave been the production of the West Saxons, not later than the. age of Alfred, in whose reign the white horse, the original standard of the Pagan Saxons, was dis- carded fc/T the Christian banner of the cross. As to the particular event which occasioned its formation, Mr. Wise determines it to have been the battle of Ashdown, which, according to him, was fought in that part of the neighbourhood wliich includes the range of hills from Letcombe running into Wiltshire, and now crossed by a very ancient tract called the Kidge Way. 1 he names of Ashes, Ashenden, Ash- bury, and Ashdown, all found within this district, tend to corroborate the opinion.

suaded to look for the held of battle, and was agree- ably surprised to find my expectation answered in every respect. Upon the highest hill of these parts Borlh-easiward, is a large Roman entrenchment, called Uffington Castle, where, I suppose, the Danes lay encamped ; for as their marches were generally hasty, and more hke that of plunderers than of a regular army, they had not time to throw- up fortifications ; nor indeed was there occasion, w here they found enough of them ready made to their hands. This place I chose for the rianes, be- cause Asser says, they had got the upper ground. About half a mile lower westward on the brow of the hill, nearer to Ashbury, overlooking a farm- house, is a camp fortified, seemingly after the Saxon manner, with two ditches, but not near so strong as the former, which has only one; this is called Harduell Camp, and here I suppose King Ethelred lay the night before the engagement. About a mile or more from hence, beneath the wood of Ashdown Park, is a slight roundish entrenchment, which seems to have been thrown up in haste, and which, as I have been informed is called Ashbury Camp, and Kin^ Alfred's Custle. Such a signal

victory as the Saxons obtained in this place, de- served not to pass without some token or memorial of it; and such I take to be the White Horse, de- scribed on the hill almost under Uffington Cas- tle. Alfred in setting up his banner for a token did nothing but what was exactly agreeable to ancient practice ; and though he had not the opportunity of raising, like other conquerors, a stupendous mo- nument of brass or marble, yet he has shewn au admirable contrivance in erecting one magnificent enough, though simple in its design, that may hereafter vie with the pyramids for duration, ancl perhaps exist when those shall be no more.".

About a mile westward from White Horse Hill, near the Ridge Waij, leading over the downs, tiiere is a large tumulus called the W'aylan'D Smith ; supposed to be a druidical remain. The surface oi this tumulus is covered with several of the large stones, called Sarsden stones, found in the neigh- bourhood, irregularly placed. It is also surrounded with a circle of stone ; tiiree of the largest have a a fourth laid on them, in the manner of Brittsit crom- lechs. There is a singular tratlition respecting this piece of antiquity, accounting tor its present appel- lation. Hie peasants relate that tliis spot was for- merly iniiabited by an invisible blacksmith, who good-naturedly shod any horse that was left here, provided a piece of money was deposited at the same time to reward the labours of the work-

Just under the White Horse ITlll there is another large tumulus or barrow, called Dragon Hiii, which Mr. Auberry and otiiers have conjectured to be the burial place ot Uter Pendragon.

About a mile before we reach Wantage we cross the Berks and Wilts Canal.

Is a large handsome town, situated near a brook which runs into the river Ock. It is a market tovvii

by prescription ; the market being on SaturJay^. The municipal government of the town is vested in u chief constable, and the niiniber of inhabitants, according to the returns made in 1801, appear to in the hamlet of ^^'est Locking, 247 in Charlton, and 397 in the hamlet of Grove,

Th.e inhabitants of \^'antage are chiefly employed in the manufacture of a coarse cloth, called foul- weather cloth, and sacking.

The parish Church is a spacious and liandsome gothic structure, built in form of a cross. It t:ontains several ancient monuments of the family of Fitzwarren, who are said to have erected the

In the parish register is the following remarkable entry: "September 1598 - a strange miracle I the J 9 daye was buried two men children, growing together from the breast to the navels, having all their right members, each of them being the chil- dren of John Russel and Elizabeth his wife."

Round the Old Maiket Cross is the following^ hi-

" Pray for the good Earl of Bath, and for goorf mas- ter William Barnabe, the builder hereof, 1580, and for William Lord Fitzwarren."

Leland notices Wantage as being remarkable for having two churches in one church-yard ; one of liie cliurchcs he speaks of is an ancient building now used as a school ; the north door has a circular arch, enriched with spiral mouldings and grotesque

By an act passed in the year 1598 the town lands, given in the reigns of Henry VI. and Henry \'ll. for charitable uses, were vested in twelve of the better sort of inhabitants, who are to appropriate the revenues to the relief of the poor, the repair of the highways, and the support of », grammar-school.

There is also an Englibh school supported out of the profits of these lands.

In 1680 Mr. Robert Styles founded and endow- ed an Ahnshowse, for 12 poor persons, who receive

A variety of concurring testimonies render it pro- bable that Wallhigford was once a Roman station. The vallum or surrounding wail being easily dis- covered on the south of the brook above mentioned, inclosing a space now called the High Garden. The hollow way from Faringdon makes another side, as does the morass and rivers the others. The site of the station ^appears to have occupied a space of six acres, within an inclosure called Limborough. On the north side of the brook, a great many Roman coins have been found, and between this spot and the rivers, the remains of a building were disco- vered which was paved and appeared to have been a Roman batli.

Two Roman roads appear to have gone either through or very near Wantage, in a parallel direc- tion, across the county from Wiltshire, to the Tiiames. The Ikening or Ikeneld Street, or as it is called in Berkshire the Ikleton Way, and that known by the name of the Portzcai/, a title common to the Roman roads in many parts of the kingdom : the former of these enters the county from Wilt- shire, between Ashdown Park and Ashbiiry ; and proceeds by Uftingt6n Castle before mentioned. Let- combe Castle, Cuckhamsley, over the Ridge Way, and East Ilsley, down to Streatley upon the Thames. The Portway Road enters this county at Idston, passes close by Ablebury, and from thence, in an eastward direction, passes the south end of the town of W^antage, and through the parishes of East Hin- dred, towards the Thames, between Wallingford and

In the Saxon times Wantage was a place of some consequence, and a royal residence, having been

"^^Mtli t!ie sarroinuliiig country, the patrimony of tiie ^^ est Sa\on Kings. Tht manor was bequeathec} by Alfred to his wife Ealswilh, daughter of Ethel- ri^^d King of Mercia. Wlu-n the Norman survey vas taken it was part of the royal demesne.

Alfred, cr .Alfred, the Great, king of England, the fifth and youngest son of .Ethel wolf, king of the West Saxons, was born at Wantage, in the year 849. He distinguished himself, during the reign of his brother Ethelred, in several engage- ments against the Danes ; and upon his death suc- eceded to the crown, in the year 871, and the twenty-second of his age. At* his ascending the throne he found himself involved in a dangerous var with the Danes, and placed in such circuni- f-tances of distress as called for the greatest valour, resolution, and all the other virtues witli which he was adorned. Tlie Danes had already penetrated into the heart of his kingdom, and before he had been a month upon the \hronc, he was obliged to take the held against those formidable enemies. Af- ter many battles gained on both sides, he w-as at length reduced to the greatest distress, and was entirely abandoned by his subjects. In this situa- tion, Aifred,_ conceiving himself no longer a king, laid aside all marks of royalty, and took shelter in the house of one who kept his cattle. He retired afterwards to the Isle of ^Ethelingey in Somerset- shire, where he built a fori for the security of him- self and family, and the few faithful servants who re- paired thitherto him. ^^'hen he had been about a year in this retreat, having been informed that some of his subjects had routed a great many of the Danes, killed their chiefs and taken their magical standard, he issued his letters giving notice where lie was, and inviting his nobiliTy to come and con- sult with him. Before he came' to a hnal determi- nation, Alfred, putting on the habit of a harper, vent into the enemy's camp, where, without suspi-

c'lon, he was every where admitted, and had the honour to play before their princes. Having there- by acquired an exact knowledge of their situation, he returned secretly to liis nobility, whom he or- dered to their respective homes, there to draw to- gether each man as great a force as he could ; and upon a day appointed there was a general rendez- vous at the great wood, called Sehcood, in Wiltshire. This atlair was transacted so secretly and expediti- ously, that in a httle time, the king, at the head of an array, approached the Danes, before they had the least intelligence of his design. Alfred, taking advantage of the surprise and terror they were in, fell upon them and totally de-feated them at .'f'-thendune, now Eddington. Tliose who es- caped fled to a neighbouring castle, were they were soon besieged, and obliged to surrender at discretion. Alfred granted them better terms than they could expect: he agreed to give up the whole kingdo/n of the East Angles to such as would embrace the Christian religion, on condition they should oblige the rest ol their countrymen to quit the island, and, as much as it was in their power, prevent the landing of any more foreigners. For the performance thereof he took hostages ; and when in pursuance of tlie treaty, Guthrum, the Danish cap- tain, came, with thirty of his chief officers, to be baptized, Alfred answered for him at the font, and gave him the name of JFAhehtan, and certain laws were drawn up betwixt the King and Guthrum for the regulation and government of the Danes settled in England. In 884 afresh number of Danes landed in Kent, and laid siege to Rochester ; but the king coming to the relief of that city, they were obliged to abandon their design. Alfred had now great success ; which was chiefly owing to his fleet, an advantage of his own creating. Haying secured the sea coasts, he fortified the rest of the kingdom with ^castk's and wulicd towns : and he besiege<l and re-

covcM-ed from the Danes the city of London, which ne resolved to repair, and keep as a frontier.

After some years respite, Allred was again called into the held : for a body of Danes, being worsted in the west of France, came with a fleet of 250 sail on the coast of Kent : and having landed, lixed themselves at Appletree : shortly after, another ileet of eighty vessels coming up the Thames, the men landed and built a fort at Middleton. Before Alfred marched against the enemy, he obliged the Danes, settled in Northun^berland and Essex, to give him hostages for their good behaviour. He then moved towards the invaders, and pitched his camp between their armies, to prevent their junc- tion. A great body, however, moved otf to Essex ; and crossing the river, came to Farnham in Surrey, where they were defeated by the king^s forces. Meanwhile the Danes settled" in Northumberland, in breach of treaty, and notwithstanding their hos- dering the northern and soutliern coasts, sailed to Exeter, and besieged it. The king as soon as he received intelligence, marched against them ; but before he readied Exeter, tliey had got possession of it. He kept them, however, blocked up on all sides ; and reduced them at last to such extremities, tiiat they were obliged to eat their horses, and were even ready to devour each other. Being at length rendered desperate, they made a general sally on the besiegers ; but were defeated, though with great loss on the king's side ; the remainder of this body of Danes lied into Essex, to the lort they had built there, and to their sliips. Before Alft-ed had time to recruit himself, another Danish leader, whose name was Laf, came with a great army out of Northumberland, and destroyed ail before him, marching on to the city of Werheal in the west, which is supposed to be Chester, where they re- mained the rest of tiiat year. Tiie year following

they invaded North Wales ; and after having plun- dered and destroyed every thing, they divided : one body returning to Northumberland, another into-ihe territories of the East Angles : from whence they proceeded to Essex, and took possession of a small island called Mcresig. Here they did not long remain ; for having parted, some sailed up the river Thames, and otiiers up the Lea road ; where drawing up their ships, they built a fort not far from London, which proved a great check upon the citi- zens, wlio went in a body and attacked it, but were repulsed with great loss : at harvest time the king himself was obliged to encamp v.ith a body of troops in the neighbourhood of the city, in order to cover the reapers from the excursions of the Danes. As -lie was one day riding by the side of the river Lea ; after some observation, he began to think that the Danish ships might be laid quite dr}' : this he at- tempted, and succeeded ; so (hat the Danes de- serted their forts and ships, and marched away to the banks of the Severn, where they built a fort, and wintered at a place called Quathrig. Such of the Danish ships as could be got oil, the Londoners car- ried into their own road ; the rest they burnt and

Alfred enjoyed a profound peace during the three last years of his reign, which he chiefly employed in establishing and regulating his government, for the security of himself and his successors, as well as the ease and benefit of liis subjects in general. After a troublesome reign of 28 years, he died October 28th, 900 ,' and was buried in the parish church of Little Driffield, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

All our historians agree in distinguishing hiin as one of the most valiant, wise, and best of kings that ever reigned in England ; and it is also generally allowed, that he not only digested several particular laws still in being, but that he laid the first foundation of our present happy constitu-

tion. There is great reason to believe that we are indebted to this prince for trials by juries ; and the doomsday book, which is preserved in the Exche- quer, is thought to be no more than another edition of Alfred's book of Winchester, which contained a survey of the kingdom. It is said also, that he Was the first who divided the kingdom into shires : what is ascribed to him is not a bare division of the coun- try, but the settling a new form of judicature ; for after having divided his dominions into shires, he subdivided each shire into three parts, called ^/v/- things. There are some remains of this ancient division in the ridings of Yorkshire, the laths of Kent, and the three parts of Lincolnshire. Each trything was divided into hundreds or wapentakes ; and these again into tythings, or dwellings of ten householders : each of the^^e householders stood engaged to the king, as a pledge for the good beha- viour of his family, and all the ten were mutually pledges of each other ; so that if any one of the tythings was suspected of an offence, if the head- boroughs or chiefs of the tything would not be f-ecurily for hin\ he was imprisoned ; and if he nade liis escape, the tything and hundred were fmed to the king. Each shn-e was under the go- vernment of an earl, under whom was the rieve, his deputy ; since, from his office, called shire-rieve, or sheri.*if. And so effectual were these rt-gulations, that it is said he caused bracelets of gold to be hung lip in the highAays, as a challenge to robbers, and they remained untouched.

In private life, Alfred was the most amiable man in his dominions ; of so ecjual a temper, that he never suffered either sadness or unbecoming gaiety to enter his mind ; but aj>peared always of a calm, yet cheerful disposition, familiar to his friends, just even to his enemies, kind and tender to all. He was a remari^able economist of his time, and Asse- rius htii given us an account of the method he look

for dividing ai,Q keeping an account of it : he caused six wax candles to be made, each of twelve inches, long, and of as many ounces weight ; on the can- dles the inches were regularly marked, and having found that one of them burnt just four hours, he committed them to the care of the keepers of his chapel, who from time to time gave him notice how the hours went : but as in windy weather the can- dles were wasted by the impression of the air on the ilame, to remedy this inconvenience he invented lanthorns, there being then no glass in his dominions. This prince, we are told, was twelve ye^rs of age before a master could be procured in the western kingdom to teach him the alphabet ; such was the state of learning when Alfred began to reign. He had felt the misery of ignorance ; and determined even to rival his cotemporary Charlemagne in the encouragement of literature. He is supposed to have appointed persons to read lectures at Oxford, and is thence considered as the founder of that uni- versity. By other proper establishments, and by a general encouragement to men of abilities, he did every thing in his power to diffuse knowledge throughout his dominions. Nor was this end pro- moted more by his countenance and encourage- ment, than by his own example and his writings. - For notwithstanding the lateness of his initiation, he had acquired extraordinary erudition ; and, had he not been illustrious as a king, he would have been famous as an author. His works are, \. Breviarum Breviary collected out of the laws of the Trogans, Greeks, Britons, Saxons, and Danes ; in one book. Leland saw this book in the Saxon tongue, at Christ- church in Hampshire. 2. Visi SaxoniMi LcgeSfWh. I. The laws of the West Saxons, in one book. Pitts tells us, that it is in Bennet-College Library, at Cambridge. 3. Imtituta quuedam, lib. I. Certain Institutes, m one book. This is mentioned by Pitts,

ami seemed to be the second cru>itulation widv Gulhruiii. 4. Contra Juc/ices inujuos, lib. I. An Invective against Unjust Judges, in one book. 5. Ada JMugislfatuum suorum, lib. I. Acts of his Magistraies, in one book. This is supposed to be the book ot judgments mentioned by Home ; and \vas, in ail probability a kind of reports, intended for the us«.' of succeeding ages. 6. Regum Yortun(t rariw, lib, i. The A'arious Fortunes of Kings, in one book. 7. Dicta Sapientiun^Wh. \. The Sayings of Wise Men, in one bo(jk. 8. t^arhola et Sales*. lib. I. Parables and pleasant Sayings, in one book. S>. Col/tctioncs Chroniconimy Collections of Chro- Epistles to Bishop Wulfsig. in one book. 1 1. Majiu- ule Meditutlonum. A iVlanual ef Meditations. - Besides these original works, Jie translated many authors from the Latin, &c. into the Saxon lan- guage, viz. 1. Bede's History of England. 2. Paulinus Orosinus's History of the Pagans. 3. St. Gregory's Pastoral, Sec. The first of these, with his prefaces to the others, together with his laws, were printed at Cambridge, 1644. His laws are likewise iiiserted in Spt'hnan's Councils. 4. Ben tins de Conso/atione, lib. V. Boetius's Consolations of Philosophy, in five books. Dr. Plot tells us King Alfred translated it at Wood- stuck, as he- hnuid in a MS. in the Cotton Library. iiave translated from the Gr».ek both in Latin and Saxon. G. Fmb.eiiuvi Daiidkuw^Xxb. I. David's Psal- ter, in one book. This was the last woik the king attempted, death surprising him before he had fini- shed it ; it was however con^pleled by another hand, and published at London in l(34o, in quarto, by Sir John Speiman. Several others are mentioned by Malmsbury ; and the old History of Ely a>serts',. liiat he translated the Old and New Testaments.

Tiie life of tliis great king was first writttii by Abserius Minevensis ; andlirr^t publislied by Arcii-

bi.-hop

bishop Parker, in the old Saxon character, at the end of his edition of Hassingham's history, printed

The learned Joseph Butler, bishop of Durham, was born at Wantage, in the year 1692. He diedM Bath in 1 732, when his remains were carried to Bris- tol, and interred in the abbey church.

In Sparsholt Church, about three miles west from Wantage, are some very ancient monuments. The effigies of a knight templar in wood lies on the floor, formerly placed upon an ancient altar tomb, in the middle of the chapel. In the south wall, under arches, are two altar tombs, on which are two female iigures in wood. Leland, in his Itinerary, says " at Sparsholt lyeth one of the Orchards honourably buried in a chapel annexed, hard to the side of the paroche churchc, having a chauntry and on eche side of him lyeth a wife of his. Ther^is a comune saying, that one of them was a duchess and the other a coun- tess ; but this saying hath little appearance of

On the floor are several grave stones with brass figures, but their inscriptions are not legible. The doors of the church have circular Saxon arches.

About four miles from Wantage, upon our road, are the villages of East and West Hendred, - The former, thougli now consisting only of about 150 houses, was at the dissolution in the reign of Henry VI 1 1, a considerable market town. The parish contains five manors, four of which belonged to religious houses. The church is a handsome fabric, in which are several memorials of the

In the reign of Edward I. John Paternoster held a virgate of land in this parish, by the service of saving a paternoster every day for the king's soul. The land is still called Patei-noster Baitk, upon the road leading to West Hendred.

Ift the parish Church of Harwell, three miles

from East Heiulretl, there is a tablet, recording the iin^ular benetuction of Christopher Rklerlield, an eminent divine, who was a native of this parish, and died in 1Gj2 : he uave lands for the ))nrpose of purchasing, in the spring of eveiA' year, two milch cows, to be given to two of the poorest men in the parish of Harwell (burlhened with faniilies)^ for their su>tentation.

The trustees of the charitT have not been able to carry into effect the benevolent intentions of the founder, from the impossibility of a poor man's pro- curing pasture for a cow in this parish, where the land is cliietly arable. They therefore purchase two cows or oxen in winter, kill them, and distribute the meat among the poor. In this parish there is an almshouse for six poor widows, founded by a lady of the name of Jennings, hi 1715, and a school for the education of 12 poor children, supported by the rents of an estate given by Mr. Anthony Leder.

At Brightwlll, inthehundred of Moreton, on. the left of our road, about two miles before we reach Wallingford, there was formerly a castle. It ^vas delivered by King Stt-phen to Henry II. then Duke of Normandy, pursuant to an agreement made between them, when the peace was con- cluded at Wallingford, and probably was then de-

'* The town of Wallingford hath been a very notable thing and well waulled. The ditch of the town and the crest wereon the waullts stood be vet manifestly perceived and begin from the castelle, going in compace a good mile and more, and so Cometh to Wallingford bridge, a large thing of stone over the Tamise. There remain yet the names of these streets among others : Tamise- street. Fish-street, Bread-street, Wood-street, Goldsmith's-row. By the patents and donationg ©f Edniuad earl of Ci^rnwal)^ aad lord of the

honor of Wailingford, there were 1 4 parish churches ill ^Vallingford, and there be men alive that can shew the places and cemeteries wherein they all stood. At this time there be but three pore pari&b. churches in the town. There was a priory of black monks, a cell to St. Alban^ suppressed by Cardinal ' Wolsey, standing hard within the west gate of Wal- lingford. The town and the castle were sore defaced by the Danes wars. Yet they metely reflourishetl in the time of Richard king of the Komans and earl of Cornwal, brother to King Henry the Third. I'his "Richard did. much cost on the cas- tle. It joins to the north-gate of the town, and has three dykes, large and deep, and well-watered. - About each of the two first dykes, as upon the crest of the ground, cast out of them runnitli an embattled wall now sore in ruin, and for the most part defaced. All- the goodly buildings with the towers and dun- geon be within the third dyke. There is also a col- legiate chapel among the buildings within the third dyke. Edmund earl of Cornwall, son to Richard king of the Romans, was the founder and endower of this college, which one told me was augmented by Edward the black prince. There is a dean, four priests, six clerks, and four choristers ; the late dean, before Dr. London that now is, built a fair stone steeple at the west end of the chapel." - LelmuVs Itinerary.

Wallingford is a very ancient borough and mar- ket town, situated on the banks of the Thames, on the road fro.m Reading to Oxford. The name of the town is said to be derived from the British word Guallen, or the Roman Vallum, both signifying a place surrounded by a wall or fortifications, and its ford over the Thames. Among other evidences of its having been occupied by the Romans, is to be mentioned the discovery, at various times, of coins and other antiquities of that people. Mr. Gougli observes, in bis additions to Camden, *^ that the

outer work of the castle is evidently Roman, and in a fragment of the wall, at the entrance, the stones are laid Jierring-bone fashion, just as in the walls of Silchester." And adds, " that a manuscript note now in his possession, in the hand-writing of Mr. Gale, asserts that many coins of Gordian, Posthumus, Victorinus, and the Tetrici, were dug up in the town of Wallingford, in August 1726, and afterwards some of Vespasian and Gallienus."

In the year 1006 this town was destroyed, but appears to have been soon afterwards rebuilt, and in 1013 was visited by Swainking of Denmark. In the reign of Edward the Confessor Wallingford was a royal borough, in which there were 276 houses, pay- ing gabel tax to the crown.

At the time of the Norman invasion the castle was possessed by Wigod, a powerful Saxon, and it appears to have been repaired and considerably enlarged by William the Conqueror, eight houses having been, according to the doomsday-book, demolished to make room for alterations. William is said to have encamped at Wallingford, after the defeat of Harold ; having being defeated by the before mentioned Wigod, and here he received the submission of Archbishop Stigand and the principal English barons, before he proceeded to London.

In the wars between Stephen and tiie Empress Maud the castle was fortihed in behalf of the latter by Brian Fitz Count, who then possessed it. I1ie empress found a secure retreat here after her escape from Oxford, and Stephen several times beseiged the castle without success. At length proposals were made for an accommodation between the adverse parties, and a peace was concluded before the walls of Wallingford.

Henry II. upon his accession to the throne, took possession of the honor and castle of Wallingford, where oil the following Easter he held a great coun-

c\l of the bishops and barons, in order to receive their oaths of allegiance to him and his heirs.

In the reign of King John Wallingford Castle was several times the place of meeting between him and the discontented barons. Leland describes the cas- tle as having in his time " tliree dykes, large, deep, and well watered : about each of the two first dikes," says he, *' are embattled waulles sore yn mine, and for the most part defaced. All the goodly buildings with th-e toures and dungeon be within the three dikes." Camden, speakingof this castle, says, "Its size and magniiicence used to strike me with amaze- ment, when I came thither a lad from Oxford : it being a retreat for the students of Church. It is environed with a double wall and a double ditch, and in the middle, on a high artificial mount, stands the citadel ; in the ascent to which, by steps, I have seen, a well of immense depth." The buildings of the keep, comprising two dungeons or prisons, were standing in the year 1555.

At the commencement of the civil war between Charles I. and his parliament, Wallingford Castle was repaired and garrisoned for the king. It was not surrendered till nearly the close of the war, and about four years afterwards, in 1653, was so com- pletely demolished, and the materials carried away, that at present there is scarcely a vestige of the buildings to be seen. Fart of a wall towards the river being all that remains of this ancient and cele- brated castle. The Duke of Schomberg, who was eminent for his knowledge of military tactics, after having viewed the keep with great attention, declaredthat he could so fortify itin a little time that it would be impossible for an enemy to approach it; and that he scarcely knew any place in the king- dom that might be made so secure as this in the time of danger or distress : the keep is now over- grown with trees.

VVallingjord at present contains only tliree churches.:

St. Mary's, St. Leonard's,, and St- Pe(cr's^. During the siege of the town in 1646, the two latter were laid in ruins. St. Leonard's was repaired and opened for divine service, about the year 1704. St. Peter's was rebuilt about forty years ago, by tlie exertions of Sir William Rlackstone, who erected the spire, which is of a very singular form, at his own expence.

Just within the west gate of the town there was anciently a convent of Benedictine Monks, founded in the reign of WilHam the Conqueror, by the abbot of St. xVlbans. It was suppressed by Cardinal Wol- sey, 1533, who procured a grant of it for his New College at Oxford, but on his attainder it reverted to the crown.

Of the ancient college mentioned by Leiand, as being within the walls of the castle, the clerk's lodging still remains, and is occupied as a dwel- ling house; the priest's lodging is inhabited by cot-

Near the south gate, without the town, there was an hospital for poor men and women as early as the beginning of the reign of Edward I. and upon its suppress in 1533, its revenues were valued at 61. per annum.

At present there are six almshouses for six poor women, who are allowed three shillings and two- pence each per week.

According to a passage in Doomsday Book, it appears that there was then 276 houses in this town, yielding a tax of 111. and this number continued to encrease until the year 1348, when the town was visited by the plague, which swept away great numbers of the inhabitants. But the principal occa- sion of the decay of Wallingford was, the turning off the Gloucester road, by "the bridges erected at Abingdon and Dorchester, by which a great part of its trade was removed to those places and their neighbourhood. By the zealous exertions of Sir

William Blackstone abovementioned, who was then their representative, two new turnpike roads were formed some years ago ; one opening a com- munication between Oxford and Reading, and the other leading to Wantage, through the vale of White Horse. These roads have contributed much to the restoration of the business of the town, and its con- sequent improvement. It at present consists of two principal streets ; and, according to the returns made to parliament in 1801, there were 362 houses and 1744 inhabitants, whose principal employment is in agriculture and malt-making. This trade is in a very flourishing state ; the demand amounting to upwards of 150,900 bushels annually.

Wallingford is a market town by prescription, and the markets are on Tuesday and Friday : over the market-house is a Town-Hall, wdiere the ses- sions for the borough are held, and according to tradition the assizes for the county have also been held here.

This town was incorporated by James I. The corporation consists of a mayor and iive aldermen (who are justices of the peace within the borough) a town-clerk, and other inferior otlficers, chosen out of the burgesses, who are 18 in number.

Wallingford has sent members to parliament from the eaili(^st period of parliamentary history. They are chosen by the corporation and inhabitants pay- ing scot and lot, the number of voters amount to

Leland in his itinerary records that Richard, abbot of St. Alban's, was a native of this place. He w*as a famous mathematician, and the inventor of a clock, that shewed not only the course of the sun, moon, and principal stars, Ijut also the ebbing and flowing of the sea. This machine, the most ingenious of the kind then in England, he presented to the abbey church.

The Free School at Wallingford was founded by

\V alter Bigg, an alderman of London, In 1659, and endowed by him with lOl. per annum.

Wallinglord Bridge, over the Thames, is of great antiquity. It is a substantial stone structure, con- sisting of 19 arches.

About two miles south from Wallingford is CiioL- SEY Farm, which was formerly reputed to be the largest and most compact , in England ; the rent amounting to lOOOl. annually.

The Great Barn, in which the abbot of Reading, to whom the manor belonged, deposited his tithes, is yet standing. It measures 101 yards in length, and eighteen in length, and eighteen in breadth. The roof is supported hj seventeen pillars on each side. They are four yards in circumference, and in the centre rise to a great height, but next the walls are not more than eight feet high.

Journey/ from Himgerford to Oxford ; through Great iSliefford, Faruborough, and Abingdon.

Two miles from Hungerford we pass through Newton, a large village, one of the four tithin'gs in Hungerford parish.

Three miles from hence, on the left of our road, is the village of Great or West S/ieJfard, in the hundred of Kentbury Eagle. The principal and scholars of Brazen-Nose College, in Oxford, are patrons of the rectory, which is in the deanery of Newbury. The advowson was purchased by the College, of Mr. Leuton, who purchased it of Sir George Browne, the lord of the manor in 170S.

King Charles I. was quartered here on the 19th

About a mile to the right hand of our road is East Shefford, \n the same hundred. The ruins of the ancient mansion-house yet remain, and exhibit the arms of Besils on the stone work of some of the windows. 1 he manor was at a very early period possessed by the family of Fettyplacc^ one of whom

married the heiress of Besils, and rebuilt the manor- house here.

In the parish Church there is a handsome monu- ment, with alabaster ligures, of a man in armour, and a female, witiiout any inscription or coat of arms. In the window there is some painted glass, representing the arms of Fettyplace, and the figures of saints.

About three miles from hence, on the right of our road, is the parish of C/iadd/ecorth, in which is situated Wooliey Park, the seat of the Rev. Philip Wroughton. The house was originally built by Bartholomew Tipping, Esq. 1690, but has been con- siderably altered and improved by the present pro- prietor, from designs of Mr. Jefftiy AVyatt.

A school was founded in 1720 at Chaddleworth, ty Mr. William Saunders, for the education of eight poor children, two of Chaddlewick, two of Brightwalton, two of Leckhamsted, one of Fawley, and one of Great Shefford : the children are cloalh- ed and apprenticed out of the funds of the charity. Mrs. Susan Winn, the sister of Mr. Saunders, also left 101. per annum for educating ten poor children of Chaddleworth.

At a place anciently called Ellenfordesmere, in the parish of Chaddleworth, near Lambourne, there Avas an hermitage in very early times. In the year 1160 a priory for regular canons of the order ot" St. Austin was founded upon the spot where the hermitage had stood, by Ralph de Chaddlevrorth, \vho dedicated it to the honour of St. Margaret. This priory was afterwards called Poghill, and in the time of Edward IV, was endowed with 501. per annum. It was one of the smaller monasteries dis- solved by Cardinal Wolsev, and the annual value

From Chaddleworth we continue our route tlirough Farnborough, without meeting with any remarkable object of curiosity.

About three miles east from Farnborougli is Eati Ils/ej/y or Market Ilslei/, anciently Hieldesley, or Hildesley, in the hundred of Compton, a 'small market town, situated on a gentle eminence in a pleasant valley, in the centre of a range of downs, ^.vhich extend across the county from Aston to

The market is on Wednesdays, and there are two fairs on the days mentioned m our list. That on the 26th August is a large sheep fair. This town is indeed famous for its sheep market, which, next to that of the metropolis, is supposed to be the largest in England. It commences on the Wednes- day in Easter week yearly, and continues to be held every alternate Wednesday till Midsummer. This market of late years has become of the first importance : not less'than 25,000 sheep having been sometimes sold in one day. The annual average is upwards of 250,000 comprising lambs, hogs, wethers, and ewes. These are principally bought by the graziers coming from the counties of Hertford- shire and Buckinghamshire, who feed them for the London market.

At West Ilsley, about a mile and a half to the north-west of East Ilsley, there are two extensive breweries, the beer of which has acquired consider- able celebrity,

About four miles south-east from East Ilsley, pleasantly situated on a hill, is Aldworth or Alder, a small village of very remote origin. It is supposed by Hearne to have' been a settlement in the time of the Romans. At the time oftakingthe Norman survey the manor of Aldworth belonged to Theodoric the goldsmith ; it afterwards formed part of the posses- sions of the family of -De la Beclie, who flourished here in the reigns of the second and third Edwards. The Mansion-house was situated on an eminence near the village, and in the 12th of Edward III. was fortified: not the least remains of this structure

are now existing : its site is designated by the ap- pellation of BeclieFarm.

The Church is a very ancient structure, and has become celebrated for its ancient monuments. These are nine in number ; three of them situated on the north side, tJiree on the south side, and some in the centre of the church, between the oc- tangular pillars that support the roof. The tombs on the north and south sides are disposed under en- riched arches, ornamented with pilaster columns^ and pinnacles. The effigies of six knights in armour,, elegantly carved in stone, lie in different positions on the upper part of the tomb ; the seventh is a per- son in a common habit, the remaining two are fe- males. They are supposed to represent the De la Beche family, and appear to have been executed in the fourteenth century. The workmanship is remarkably tine ; and the attitude and expression of such of the figures as remain perfect exceedingly graceful and appropriate.

Jn the church-yard there is a yew tree of im- mense size. The trunk measuring nine yards in circumference, at upwards of four feet from the ground. The branches spread to a considerable distance and rise to a great height.

At Steventon, about six miles from Farnborough, there was formerly an alien priory of black monks, a cell to the abbey of Bee Hariewin in Normandy, ta which monastery the manor had been given by King llenry I. It was afterwards granted to the abbot and convent of Vv est minster.

Having already described the town of Abingdon, through which we next pass, we shall proceed from thence to I^orth or Lauicnce Hinksey, commonly called Ferri/ Hijiksei/, a small village, about a mile beibre we reach Oxfor<l. It appears to have been anciently called Hengistesigge, from its ele- vated situaiion : the exact meaning of the word, as defined by a modern antiquary, being ** a path-

way on the side of a hill." In Ihe parish Church, which is an ancient low structure, with a single doorway of Saxon arcliitecture, there is a memo- rial for Thomas Willis, Gent, who lost his life in the royal cause at the siege of Oxford, August 4, 1643- On the monument of William Finmore, of Saint John's College, who died in 1()46, is an epitaph with this quaint beginning: "Reader, look to thy feet : honest and loyal men aresleeping underthem. Here lies, &c." In the church-yard is an ancient cross, with a tall fluted shaft. By a charter granted in the year 935, by King Edwy, both Ferry Hinksey and South Hinksey, were given to t!ie abbey at Abing- don, though neither of their names are mentioned in Doomsday. John Piers, archbishop of York, vas a native^of South Hinksey.

About three miles to the north-west of Oxford is Wit ham or Winhtham, in the hundred of Hornier, a small decayed village, where in ancient times there was a nunnery, originally founded at Abingdon by the sister of King Ceadwall, and afterwards re- movt^d hither. It was deserted by the nuns during the war between Offa, king of the Mercians, and Kinewulf, king of the West Saxons, in con>equence of a castle having been built at Witham. The niin- nery was never afterwards inhabited.

'Ihe village is situated at the t'tjot of a hill, on the summit of which the vestiges of the casile above- mentioned are still to be discovered. The battle, through which Otfa became master of this fortress, appears to have been fought at a place calU-d S.ind- field, in the neigiibouriiood, where, according to Hearne, in his Liher Niger, armour, swords, and human bones, have be<'n found.

Witham Ciiurch is a small building, with a board- ed roof, supported by three wooden arches. Against the wall on each side the nave is a series of gro-

with caps similar to these worn by canons regular of the order of St. Augustine.

In the north window, near the west end of the nave, are the portraits of Edward IL and his Queen, supposed to have been placed there by- some pilgrims, when travelling to the monarch's shrine at Gloucester. Ihe king is represented with a curled beard, the hair divided and hanging on each side the chin. Each is covered with an open crown fleury.

In this village is an ancient mansion, belonginj^ to the Earl of Abingdon, erected in the reign of Henry VL by Sir Richard Harcourt, soon after he became possessed of the manor. It is a stone fa- bric within a moat. It has an embattled tower in the centre, surmounted by two octangular turrets. ' The hall remains in its original state, aixl the vestiges of its former splendor are still appa-

Adjoining to the parish of Witham is Seacaurt or Seckwurth, formerly a large town, which, as we are informed by Mr. ^VIiarto^, in his History of Kid- dington. abounded with inns for the reception of pilgrims, and once maintained the Roman army. It at present consist? of but live houses. The foun- dations and other remains of its buildings may how- ever still be discovered on the brink of the river, which separated the territories of the Attrebatii and Dobuni ; and at low water the fragments of a bridge crossing the stream to Binsey are very visi-

About three miles south of Witham is the village of CuxMXOR, built on the brow of a hill, command- ing an extensive view over the counties of Oxford and Gloucester. The manor belonged, from a very early period, to- the abbot and convent of Abingdon. We have before mentioned that the occupation of this- estate with the manor was granted by Henry VIIL to Thomas Pentecost, alias Rowlaud/the last abbot^

for life. After his deatii it became the seat of An- thony Forster, Esq. who hes buried in Cumnoc Church. His epitaph represents him to have beea a very amiable man, very learned, a great musician, builder, and planter. He has, however, bt-en ac- cused of having been accessary to the murder of the Countess of Leicester at his own house at Cum- wer, where she was sent for that purpose by lur husband, Sir Richard Veriiey, one of the Earl's retainers, was the chief a^ent in this horrid business.

Part of the old mansion is titted up as a farm-house, the shell of the residue is nearly entire, it is a large monastic building, with a quadrangular court in the centre. A chamber is still shewn called the Dud- ley Chamber, where the countess is said to liave been murdered, and afterwards thrown down stairs, tO' make it appear her death was accidental. She was buried at Cunmor, but her body was afterwa-'ds removed t^ St. Mary's Church, 0.\ford. One of the perpetrators of the murder beint^ afterwards appre- hended for a different crime confessed this, and was privately destroyed. Sir Richard Verney is re- ported to have died about the same tim^ in a de- plorable mani>er.

In the south transept of Cumnor Church are two ancient tombs supposed to be those of two abbots of Abingdon. It contains also the monument of An- thony Forster before mentioned, and a memorial for Dr. Benjamin Buckler, editor of the Stemmata Chicheleiana, and keeper of the archives in the university of Oxford. In the church-yard is the tomb of Richard Brown, a shepherd, aged 109.

Tlif parishioners who pay vicarial tithes have a C'lstom of repairing immediately after prayers on Christmas-day, to the vicarage house, claiming to be there entertained with four bushds of malt brewed into ale, two bushels of wheat made into bread, and half a Jiundred weight of cheese ; what

may be left, is the next morning, after divine ser- vice, given to the poor.

Lonnjoorth, about three miles south-east from Cumnor, was tlie native place of John Fell, a learned divine ; he was the son of Samuel Fell, dean of Christ-Church, Oxford, and was born on the 23d of June. I6i?5. He received his tirst education at the free-school of Tame, in Oxfordshire, after which he vas placed in Christ-Church College, Oxford, under the direction of his- father, where he soon made a considerable progress in all sorts of literature ; par- ticularly the study of the holy scriptures and the Christian fathers of the four centuries.

When King Charles [. established his head quar- ters at Oxford, many of the students took up arms for the royal cause, among whom was Mr. Fell, who was jTi'omoted to the rank of ensign.

In 1648 having taken his degree in the arts, he was turned out of the l^niversity, with many others who refused to acknowledge the then government, upon which he was entertained in the house of Dr. Willis, till the Restoration in 16tiO, when he was appointed prtbendary of Chichester, and soon after promoted to tiie deanery of Christ-Church, where lie remained several years. The principal part of his time was s))ent in repairing his college, and en- couraging learning ; for which purpose he gave up almost the whole of his salary.

Burnet gives liim a most excellent character. He says his piety as a Christian was equal to his. abilities as a scholar ; and adds, that some time be- fore his death, being wearied out with study, he lost entirely the use of his intellectual faculties, and be came, as it were a child : an affecting consideration for those who boast either of natural or acquired abilities.

He died in the year 1686, and was buried in the Divinity Chapel, near the choir of Christ-Church.

At Charney, a large hamlet in the parish of Longworth, there is a chapel of ease, of Saxon archi-

tecture. The manor ot Charney was anciently part of

the possessions of the abbot and convent of Abingdon.

Juuntei/Jrom llcadiug to Windsor ; tlirougk

We n->eet with nothing sut'ticiently remarkable to arrest tiie attention of the curious, previous to our arrival at

Or Oakingham, about seven miles from Reading. This is a large m.arket tov.n, in tlie hundred of Sunning, situated on the edge of Windsor Forest, partly m. Berkshire, and partly in an inralated part of Wiltshire, before mentioned. It consists of se- veral streets, which meeting in the centre, form a spacious area, in wiiich the market house is situated. Over the market house, which is an ancient timber building, is the Town Hal!, wherein the paiblic busi- ness is transacted.

The government of the town is vested in an alder- man, eleven capital burgesses, a high steward, a re- corder, and a town-clerk.

The market is on Tuesdays, and is particularly famous for its abundant supply of poultry, whicii however is soon bought up by the London higlers.

According to the returns under the population act, there were in the year 1801, I3S0 inhabitants m this town, who are employed- in agriculture, throwing silk, sorting wool, making shoes, gauze, &c.

The Church is a handsome and spacious structure, situated in that part Of the parish which is in Wilt- shire. The inside ot its walls is principally chalk, the outside is composed of Hints and rough grout work. In tlie chancel is a monument to to the me- mory of Thomas Goodwin, bishop of Rath and epitaph, which was written by his son Francis God- win, bishop of Hereford, the learned author of *' De FrcEsiiUbus Angiue Commentariwi'^ informing

town, Tvhitlicr he liad removed by the advice of his physicians.

Many legacies ar.d charitable donations liavebeen given to this town. Archbishop Laud gave some fee-farm rents, which produced about 40h per an- num, which every third year is divided between three poor maidens of the age of eighteen, natives, of the town, and members of the church of England, -^'ho have served the same master or mistrees for three years together : the other years the income

Dr. Charles Palmer bequeathed 201. yeaily to- them for apprentices to mechanic trades. A school for twelve girls, called the Maiden, was founded in pursuance of the will of Mrs. Martha Palmer, who died in 1723. The children are directed to call each other sister, and to be taught to read, work, spin, &c. George Staverton in 166 1 left a house, now producing twelve guineas per annum, ioT the purpose of buying a bull, to be baited and killed at Christmas: the meat to be given to the duce to be laid out in the purchase of shoes and stock- ings for poor children.

Thomas Goodwin, D. D. was born at Ocking- ham, in tlie year 1517. He was rirst educated in the free school of this town, from whence he was removed to Magdalen College, Oxford, where hav- ing taken tiis degrees, he entered into holy orders, and became chaplain to the bishop of London, and afterwards dean of Christ's-Church, Oxford ; but having imbibed the sentiments of the reformers, he was obliged to resign his deanery in the reign of Queen Mary, during which time he supported him- self by following the practice of physic.

On the accession of Queen Llizabeth he was re- stored to his church preferments, and became one «t the aiost celebrated preachers during that reign.

llcr maje'^ty appointed him bishop of Bati? and ^VeIls ; and' this office he enjoyed till his deaih, which happened in the year 1590, in the seventy- tUird year of his ag-e.

lie was a curious student in Jewish antiquities having written a book on that subject, lie like- wise published a caiaiogue of all the bishops of England, prior to the times hi which he lived.

At Luckleif or Locherle^/ Green, m the parish of Oakinghani,' there is an hospital for sixteen pen- sioners, founded pursuant to the will of Henry JLucas, Es(j. who died in 1663. Tiie pensioners are allowed fourteen pounds per annum, and are chosen alternately by sixteen parishes in Berkshire, iind the like number in Surrey. There is a chap- lain, who has apartments in the hospital, and a sa- lary of 701. per annum. The original bequest is said to have amounted to 7,0001. of wliich nearly 2,3001. was laid out in the erection of the necessary buildings and the residue invested in the purciiase^ of lands in Bedfordshire. The draper's company of London act as trustees for this charity.

At a small distance from the hospital is Luck£ley HoH!>e, the seat of ^Jharles Fyshe Palmer, Esq.

About three miles and a half south-east of Oak- icingham, near East Hamstead Park, there is a large ated on the bummitofa hill, and surrounded by a double ditch. At no great distance from this camp is a raised road, nearly 90 feet wide, vulgarly called the Devil's Higiiway, with a trench on each side, running east and west.

East Hanipstead Park was for a long time a royal residence- Richard 11. went thitlier to recreate Jiimself with hunting in August 13S1. In 1331 Catherine, the first Queen of Henry VIII. was at -East Hanipstead Park, when tlie king sent some of the lords of his council to persuade her to con- sent to 1 divorce. King James I. resided be^'e in

property of the marchioness of Downshire.

BinfieH, about three miles from Wokingham, on the left of our road, is a pleasant village, surrounded with elegant seats, and situated in the midst of the tract called the Royal Hunt in Windsor Forest, Mr. Pope, the celebrated poet, spent the early part of his life in this village. It has been said tha't he was born here ; but D\\ Wilson, the late rector, ascertained that he did not come to Bintield un- til he was six years of age. The site of Mr. Pope's house is now the residence of Ihomas Neate, Esq.

There are several elegant villas in this place ; tlie beauty of the situation, its vicinity to Windsor^ and ready access to the metropolis, having been strong kducenicnts to persons of fortune to fix themselves m so desireable a spot. The most conspicuous ©f these villas is that of Onesiphorus Elliot Elliot^

Among the monuments in the parish Church there is one to the memory of Admiral Sir Edward Vernon, who commanded the British fleet at the taking of Pondicherry, and died in 1794 ; and ano- ther to the memory of the celebrated female histo- rian Catherine Macauly Graham, who died at

The parish of Warfield, through which we next pass, presents nothing particularly interesting to the a4itiquary. In the parish Church are several monu- ments of the Stavertons, who anciently possessed estates in this parish. At New Bracknel a hamlet m this parish, there are three annual fairs, on the days mentioned in our list.

In the parish Church of Winkficld, two miles from Wartield, there is a tablet, with the figure, engraved on brass, of an aged man distributing bread to the poor, in memory of Thomas Mounta- gue, yeoman of the guards, who died in 1(330, aged

ninety-two ;

ninety-two ; and the tomb of Thomas Wise, mas-

The Earlof Ranelagh, m 1710, built a free school for boys, and another for girls, under the same roof, on Winkheld Plain, and endowed them with