By the Rev. Canon Jackson, F.S.A. 805 
lands in ancient times were in very small holdings indeed. This is 
more evident in North Wilts, because the small inclosures tell the 
tale, not so distinctly told in open unenclosed country. In course 
of time, in Henry VII., and especially after the Dissolution of 
Monasteries, these small holdings were thrown into farms, larger 
and larger. The small homesteads would be pulled down, and the 
people must have disappeared : i.¢., the population resident would 
hecome fewer. The inclosing went on at a great rate all through 
the seventeenth century. John Aubrey, who lived at that time, 
says that even within his remembrance, “a world of labourers had 
been maintained by the plough, but had been dispossessed.” 
The late Mr. William Cobbett, in his amusing work, called 
“Rural Rides,” frequently refers to this subject,and in his interesting 
description of his ride along this vale, lays great stress upon the 
number and size both of the Churches and churchyards within it, 
as evidence of the fact that at the remote period when they were 
made the population must have been “ numerous, great and opulent.” 
But his references to the different parishes are so confused, and his 
statements as to the size of some of the Churches so ridiculously 
exaggerated, indeed so absolutely false, as to render his conclusions 
upon the subject (so far as regards this part of his tour) very un- 
satisfactory. . 
_I will bring my paper to an end with the impressions which 
Warminster left upon his mind ; and I trust they may not be found 
as inaccurate as his other observations :—“ Before I speak of my 
ride from Warminster to Devizes, I must once more observe, that 
Warminster is a very nice town: everything belonging to it is solid 
and good. There are no villanous gingerbread houses running up, 
and no nasty, shabby-genteel people; no women trapsing about 
with showy gowns and dirty necks; no Jew-looking fellows, with 
dandy coats, dirty shirts and half-heels to their shoes. A really 
nice and good town. It is a great corn market, one of the greatest 
in this part of England. Besides the corn market, I was delighted, 
and greatly surprized to see the meat. Not only the finest vea/ and 
lamb that I had ever seen in my life, but so exceedingly beautiful, 
‘that I could hardly believe my eyes. I am a great connoisseur in 
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