This Book is one of the scarcest among those which treat of the Topography of England, and is only occasionally to be purchased. Two or three copies have lately been sold as high as L40. each. It is in one volume folio, and the page divided into two columns. Its Contents are as follow. Title. Dedication to John, Earl of Bridgewater, 4 pages. Historical Antiquities of Hertfordshire, 600 pages. Addenda et Corrigenda, 2 pages. Index of the principal Matters, and Names of Places, 11 pages. Index of Names of Persons, 9 pages. Correction of a Passage in page 84, and the Pedigree of the family of Willymots of Kelshul, 1 page. This work opens with a general account of the County, comprising, 1. The Soil, 2. The Rivers, which are the Thames, the Pirre or Pirrall, the Hiz, the Oughton and the Rhee; all of which rise on the borders of Hertfordshire, and im of which he has given the History. In the year 1647 he was admitted of Gonvil and Caius College, Cambridge, and in 1649 removed to the Middle Temple. In 1656 he was called to the Bar, and in 1661 consti. tuted a Justice of the Peace for the county of Hertford, made one of the Benchers of the Middle Temple in 1675, and Steward of the Borough Court of Hertford. In 1680 he was appointed by charter, Recorder of that place, and in the year following elected Reader of the Middle Temple, and received the honour of Knighthood, at Windsor Castle, from King Charles II. In June, 1688 he was called to the degree of Sergeant at Law, and the same year advanced to be a Welsh Judge, or one of his Majesty's Justices for the Counties of Glamorgan, Brecknock and Radnor in Wales, He died in the year 1700, and was buried at Yardley in Hertfordshire. Sir Henry Chauncy was well qualified for writing the work now before us. In the Preface he observes "That the near affinity Historical mediately run into other counties; the Verlume, Ver, or Mure, the Colne, the Gade, the Bulborne, the Luy, or the Lea, the principal River of this County; the Mimeram, or Marran; the Kime; the Beane, or Benefician; the Rib; the Quin; the Ash; the Sturt; and the New River, or Middleton's Waters; all these run through the body of the county. The Laws made to preserve the Navigation of the River Lea from London to Ware and Hertford are then given, and an account of the cutting of the new River from the Springs of Chadwell and Amwell to London, by Sir Hugh Middleton. 3. Of Medicinal Waters found at Barnet, Northall and at Cuffely, and the Petrifying Springs at Broadfield and Clothall. 4. Of the Air. 5. Of the Inhabitants, and the Tenures by which the Saxons held their lands; with a List of the Tenants in Capite, or those who held lands in this county at the time of the Domesday Survey. Sir Henry then treats of the Government, and gives an account of the distinctions observed among men during the Feudal times. These distinctions include Military men, Socmen and Labourers: among the first are reckoned the Great Barons, the Vavasors, Thanes, Knights, Esquires Antiquities have to that Science which he had studied (the law), and all along practised, obliged him to be conversant in Authors that treat thereof. Nor had his frequent view of Records, immediately relating to several parts of Hertfordshire, in many cases where he had been consulted, a little contributed to qualify him for an undertaking of this kind; though for completing it, he was obliged to have recourse to all the Records that concerned that County, the better to enable him to serve such gentlemen as had lost their Grants or Charters, and would know the privileges belonging to their several manors. Sir Henry complains that many Gentlemen who mistook their Interest delayed, and others denied him the opportunity of asserting their rights. He however proposed to add whatever Grants and Records he might afterwards obtain, and which should prove useful to lords of Manors, in an Appendix, to be printed separately. and Gentlemen; the second consisted of Socmen in ancient Demesne, Socmen by free service, and Socmen by base service; the third sort were the Bordars, Cotars, Villans, Servants and Rustics. He then gives the History of the introduction of Arms to distinguish the Military; and proceeds to describe the nature of the Military Service, and the gradations by which the people came to be admitted into a share of the Government, by choosing representatives to sit in Parliament. He next gives a list of those gentlemen who resided in the County of Hertford in the time of King Henry VI, who could expend L10 per annum, the number of whom then amounted to 80. Then follows a Catalogue of the Members of Parliament for this County from the 20th of Edward I, to the 7th of William III. The manner in which the Counties were governed by the Saxons and Danes is next mentioned; after which is given an account of the Earls of Hertford, beginning with Richard Strongbow, son of Gilbert de Tonebridge, who about the year 1124 obtained the title of Earl of Hertford, and of whose family there succeeded seven other Earls, the last of whom was killed in the Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland, in 1814. In 1537, King Henry VIII created Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, Earl of Hertford, in whose family the title yet continues. This part is concluded by a List of the Sheriffs of Hertfordshire from the Conquest to the year 1696, and an account of the Lords Lieutenants of Counties. The Topographical part now cominences, and is divided into five divisions. The first is an account of the divisions of the hundreds of Odsey and Edwinstree, in which is described the Boundaries of the hundred of Odsey, and the Topography of sixteen parishes contained in that hundred. In the history of Hensworth, Sir Henry gives an account of the origin of Parishes, and in that of Ashwell of the Endowment of Churches. Under the parish of Cal decote he introduces the history of the Right of Presentation to Churches; in that of Radewell, an account of the differences observed in building these Structures, and under Bigrave the forms made use of in consecrating them. In the History of Yardley, he gives an account of the payments, called Procurations and Synodals; and under Risden, takes occasion to enter upon the manner of creating Sergeants at Law, of whose office and privileges he gives a detailed account. In the Parish of Tharfield he takes notice of the Degree of Doctor of Divinity, and its Origin. The Author now enters upon the Hundreds of Edwinstree, corrupted from Ermine Street, the name of a Roman Road which crosses it; it contains 25 Parishes. In giving an account of the first Parish, Barley, he shortly mentions the History of the Origin of Manors, and under Barkeway treats of the Formation and History of the Court Leet. Under Ainstie is given a short account of the office of Churchwarden, and its origin, and in his description of the Parish of Aspeden there is a long account of the Banquet and Masque given by Ralph Freeman, Sheriff of London, in 1633, to King Charles I, and his Queen. Under Albury he treats of the office of Baron of the Exchequer ; and in the History of Hadham Parva gives an explanation of several words made use of in the grants of our earlier Kings, viz. Soc, Sac, Toll, Them, Infangthef and Outfangthef, Hamsoken, Gritbreach and Frithsoken. The second division of this County comprises the liberty of the hundreds of Braughing and Hertford, the former of which contains 13 Parishes. Under the Parish of Bishop Stortford, Sir Henry gives the History of Bells, and their introduction into Churches, and in that of Standon an account of the order of Knights Banneret. The Hundred of Hertford comprises the Town and Liberty of Hertford, and 15 Parishes. In giving the History of that Town, the Author introduces an account of the origin and quality of the Boats and Vessels made use of in Navigation by the ancients; the origin of Cities and Towns; the history of the invention of Music, and its introduction into Religious Worship, accompanied by the Organ; account of Christ's Hospital in London, and that branch of it in this Town. In the Parish of Thele he explains the term Donative, as applied to an Ecclesiastical Benefice. The third division of this County comprises the Hundreds of Bradewater and Hichin; the former of which, containing 26 parishes, is first described. In the parish of Hatfield, Sir Henry introduces a history of the origin of the noble Order of the Garter; in that of Eyot St. Lawrence an account of Rahere, founder of the Hospital of St. Bartholomew, in London, and the vision which induced him to undertake that foundation; in Knebworth an account of the order of Knighthood among the Grecians and Romans, &c.; in Baldock the History and forms of proceeding in Trial by Ordeal, with Fire or Water, with the Ritual observed in those purgations, and an account of the Trial by Battle. The fourth division of this County comprises the hundred of Caishoe, the history of which commences with an account of the Roman City of Verulam, and of the affairs of that People in Britain; of the introduction of Christianity into this Island; Life of St. Alban; History of the Town and Abbey of St. Alban's; of the Institution of Cathedral and Parish Churches, and Monasteries; Lives of the Abbots of St. Alban's; Pensions to the Abbot and Monks of this Monastery at the dissolution; Charter granted by King Edward VI; List of Members of Parliament for this Borough, from the 1st of Queen Mary to the 7th of William III; List of Mayors, Stewards, Recorders, Chief Burgesses, Aldermen, Chamberlains, Town Clerks and Assistants; Accounts of the Hospitals of St. Julian, and St. Mary de Pre; Chapel of St. |
