English county histories

English county histories, in other words historical and topographical (or "chorographical") works concerned with individual ancient counties of England before their reorganisation, were produced by antiquarians from the late 16th century onwards. The content was variable: some recorded archaeological sites, but others were heavily slanted towards the genealogies of county families and other biographical material, particularly relating to property and the descent of lordships of manors. The tradition continues with the series of Victoria County Histories.

A closely related genre, which emerged in the second half of the 17th century, was the county "Natural History", which focused on the county's flora, fauna and natural phenomena, but which also often included chapters on antiquities. The best known examples were Robert Plot's two volumes on Oxfordshire (1677) and Staffordshire (1686); and John Aubrey's unpublished work on Wiltshire.

Development

William Lambarde's Perambulation of Kent (completed 1570; published 1576) is generally acknowledged as the first example of the genre. It was followed by Richard Carew's Survey of Cornwall (1602), and William Burton's Description of Leicester Shire (1622), as well as a number of other projects (such as those of Sir William Pole, Thomas Westcote, and Tristram Risdon in Devon, and Sampson Erdeswicke in Staffordshire) which, although they sometimes circulated in manuscript, did not come to completion or publication. Following the appearance of William Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire (1656), a pattern was set. In the nineteenth century John Bowyer Nichols followed the line of a history of Leicestershire compiled by his father John Nichols, and saw numerous counties histories through the press at his printing firm.[1] The scope of county histories varied, but the titles became quite standard: "Antiquities of", "Worthies of", "Geological survey", "Description of", later "Directory of", all could indicate the intention of producing a "history", a term that only in later times acquired the narrower meaning it carries today. Chorography, topography and toponymy might all be involved. Materials and collections for their counties were made by antiquaries, but publication might await sponsorship or enough subscriptions, as well as a capable author who would make a readable book, perhaps of multiple volumes, from notes.

Listing by county

Bedfordshire

See: History of Bedfordshire; Category: History of Bedfordshire;

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

See: History of Buckinghamshire; Category: History of Buckinghamshire; Victoria County History edited by William Page

Cambridgeshire

Cheshire

Cornwall

The Cornwall history was supported by Francis Vyvyan Jago Arundell.[3]

Cumberland and Westmorland

This goes back to the manuscript Accompt of the most considerable estates and families in the county of Cumberland of about 1603 by John Denton.[5] Through copies made by Daniel Fleming, it used material collected by Christopher Rawlinson.[6] Joseph Nicolson (born 1706, baptised William – 1777), son of John Nicolson of Hawkesdale, was a nephew of Bishop William Nicolson, and inherited from him collections relating to Carlisle.[7][8][9][10] Burn and Nicolson used in particular material collected by Thomas Machell, vicar of Kirkby Thore, and collated by William Nicolson.[11]

Derbyshire

Glover used an unpublished history by William Woolley.[12]

Devon

John Swete provided material to Polwhele.[13]

Dorset

Durham

Both Hutchinson and Surtees drew on the work of George Allan.[14] John Brewster assisted Surtees.[15]

Essex

Morant used collections of Thomas Jekyll;[16] and also material from Richard Symonds he obtained via Gregory King.[17] A major source was the parish descriptions of William Holman.[18] These had been acquired by Nicholas Tindal, for whom Morant worked as a curate; Tindal made a small start on publishing Essex history, around 1732.[19] They then passed via Nathaniel Salmon, Anthony Allen and John Booth, before Morant had them from Booth about 1750.[20]

Thomas Leman and probably Joseph Strutt assisted.[21]

Gloucestershire

Rudder's work was based on Atkyns and a manuscript of Richard Furney.[22]

Hampshire

Herefordshire

Duncumb used work by Richard Blyke;[24] and an older manuscript by Silas Taylor (Domville).[25]

Hertfordshire

See: History of Hertfordshire; Category:History of Hertfordshire; Victoria County History

Salmon drew on unpublished material of Chauncy.[26]

Clutterbuck used collections of Thomas Blore.[27]

Kent

Philipot drew on materials originally collected by his father, John Philipot, and the Villare Cantianum is sometimes said to be John's work published under Thomas's name.[28] He also drew on notes inherited from Robert Glover, his great-uncle.

Lancashire

Baines used Edwin Butterworth as researcher and author;[29] he also took much from Gregson's Portfolio.[30]

Leicestershire

Burton made use of notes of Augustine Vincent.[31]

Nichols included unpublished material from William Burton, Francis Peck, and Richard Farmer.[32]

Lincolnshire

Middlesex

Norfolk

Blomefield used materials from Peter Le Neve and Thomas Martin of Palgrave.[35] Charles Parkin worked to complete the history.[36] Blomefield used material collected by Antony Norris, who later worked on completing and revising the history with John Fenn.[37]

By Crouse and Booth of Norwich, this was largely copied from Blomefield.[35]

Northamptonshire

This resulted from a project started by John Bridges, and took several generations to come to fruition.[38][39]

Northumberland

Nottinghamshire

Oxfordshire

Rutland

Shropshire

This included an edition of the 1779 History and Antiquities of Shrewsbury by Thomas Phillips, which drew on the work of James Bowen and John Bowen.[40]

Dukes used a manuscript of Edward Lloyd.[41]

Somerset

Staffordshire

Suffolk

Surrey

Sussex

Warwickshire

Dugdale used notes from William Burton;[45] and much material from Simon Archer.[46]

Wiltshire

Worcestershire

Nash used collections of Charles Lyttelton, including older research of Thomas Habington.[47] He also was aware of the work of Thomas Dingley.[48]

Yorkshire

Related histories

Worthies

Urban and parish histories

Histories were also written of cities, ancient boroughs, newer municipalities, and even individual parishes (parochial histories).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑  "Nichols, John Bowyer". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  2. ↑ Broadway, Jan. "Hals, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/12027. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ↑ North, Christine. "Arundell, Francis Vyvyan Jago". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/715. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ↑ Baigent, Elizabeth. "Gilbert, Charles Sandoe". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10683. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ↑ Wane, Mary; Winchester, Angus J. L. "Denton, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74666. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ↑  "Rawlinson, Christopher (1677-1733)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  7. ↑ John Burke (1838). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry; Or, Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Etc. - London, Henry Colburn 1837-1838. Henry Colburn. p. 396 note.
  8. ↑ "Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society". Internet Archive. Highgate, Kendal: T. Wilson. pp. 240 note. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Alexander Chalmers (1815). The General biographical dictionary. Printed for J. Nichols. p. 187.
  10. ↑ http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-2055-1/dissemination/pdf/Article_Level_Pdf/tcwaas/001/1884/vol7/tcwaas_001_1884_vol7_0018.pdf
  11. ↑ Winchester, Angus J. L. "Machell, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/61544. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  12. ↑ O'Sullivan, Margaret. "Glover, Stephen". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10834. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  13. ↑ Marchand, J. A. "Swete, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26827. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  14. ↑ Fraser, C. M. "Allan, George". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/355. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  15. ↑ Sweet, R. H. "Brewster, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3373. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  16. ↑ Reynolds, J. S. "Jekyll, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14711. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  17. ↑ Roy, Ian. "Symonds, Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26890. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  18. ↑ Powell, W. Raymond. "Holman, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13581. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  19. ↑  "Tindal, Nicholas (1687-1774)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  20. ↑ Martin, G. H. "Morant, Philip". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19159. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  21. ↑ Mitchell, Rosemary. "Ogborne, Elizabeth". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20577. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  22. ↑ Herbert, Nicholas. "Rudder, Samuel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24248. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  23. ↑ Whittaker, Robin. "Duncumb, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8245. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  24. ↑ Marchand, J. A. "Blyke, Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2722. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  25. ↑ Whitehead, David. "Taylor, Silas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7789. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  26. ↑ Doggett, Nicholas. "Chauncy, Henry". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5197. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  27. ↑ O'Sullivan, Margaret. "Blore, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2681. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  28. ↑ McLellan, Ian William. "Philipot, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22109. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  29. ↑ Crosby, Alan G. "Baines, Edward". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1089. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  30. ↑ Rees, D. Ben. "Gregson, Matthew". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11477. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  31. ↑ Brown, A. E. "Vincent, Augustine". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28307. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  32. ↑ Pooley, Julian; Myers, Robin. "Nichols family". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63494. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  33. ↑ McConnell, Anita. "Marrat, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18088. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  34. ↑ An edition is published as Christobel M. Hood, The Chorography of Norfolk (Norwich 1938). Hood's attribution of the work to John Norden is no longer accepted.
  35. 1 2 Stoker, David. "Blomefield, Francis". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2663. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  36. ↑ Stoker, David. "Parkin, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21367. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  37. ↑ Stoker, David. "Norris, Antony". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20263. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  38. ↑  "Bridges, John (1666-1724)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  39. ↑ Brown and Foard 1994
  40. ↑ Marchand, J. A. "Phillips, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22173. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  41. ↑ Haycock, David Boyd. "Lloyd, Edward". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64842. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  42. ↑ Baker, Anne Pimlott. "Rack, Edmund". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22971. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  43. ↑ An edition is published as D.N.J. MaCullough, The Chorography of Suffolk, Suffolk Records Society vol. 19 (1977).
  44. ↑ Two manuscript recensions survive. One (now in the British Library) was published as Robert Reyce, Suffolk in the XVIIth century: the Breviary of Suffolk, ed. Lord Francis Hervey (London, 1902). The other (now Suffolk Record Office HD 474/1) is superior.
  45. ↑ Cust, Richard. "Burton, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4141. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  46. ↑ Cust, Richard. "Archer, Simon". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/626. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  47. ↑ Nurse, Bernard. "Lyttelton, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/17305. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  48. ↑  "Dingley, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  49. ↑ Broadway, Jan. "Hopkinson, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13757. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Bibliography

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