By the Rev. JF. C. Plenderleath. 323 



down by tradition for the instruction or warning of posterity. 

 It is time however that I should return to my historical sketch of 

 the progress of registration. In the year 1754 occurs an attempt to 

 relievCj by the addition of a separate book for marriages, the chaos 

 of entries which had before been bound up between one pair of covers. 

 This book consisted of printed forms in which were first recorded 

 the publication of the banns, and then the performance of the 

 marriage. Being however only of paper, this book did not entirely 

 supersede the vellum book, and I find a good many marriages be- 

 tween this date and 1813 entered in both books, with the usual 

 results of numerous discrepancies in spelling. During this time the 

 only thing of particular interest that I note at Cherhill is the des- 

 cription of one Richard Bush as a " scribbler,^' a designation with 

 which I may cap that of Richard Michels of St. Griles, Cripplegate, 

 in 1607, as an " aquavityman," and of Brian Pearson of St. Mary- 

 lebone, Durham, in WZ% as "the Abbey Dog-Whipper." The 

 Westbury and Dilton books of this period are rich in curious entries, 

 made by a Vicar of the name of Hewitt, who held the living for 

 between forty and fifty years, and deceased in the year 1793. I copy 

 a few of them from transcripts with which the present Vicar, the 

 Rev. H. DukeJ has kindly favored me, indicating the names by 

 initials only : — 



Westbury. 



" E. H., a kind of Cannibal man had eat some horseflesh raw, and was never 

 well afterwards : he died soon upon it : his father was hanged some years ago 

 for the murder of one B, of Westbury — I say buried E. H,, October 27, 1766." 



" F. P., widow, found dead at her door. She had been drinking drams, &c., 

 all day : so suffocated with strong liquors. Buried March 15, 1767." 



•' J. S., aged 63, who sold the Vicar's house next the millpond to J. M. which 

 I sued for in Chancery, and the parish put me into possession of it September, 

 1759. Buried Feb. 11, 1769." 



'* M. N., widow, aunt to J. H., who rents of Thos. Phipps, Esq.. of Leigh, 

 four Farms, viz : two Dilton Farms, Grant's Farm on the hill, and Colton's 

 Croft, near £500 a year : and £500 a year or nearly of W. Bennett, Esq. of 

 Norton Bavant. Yet he and his cousin J. H., called Bacon H., let their poor 

 aunt M. N. starve, though both rich men, and to be kept by the parish, and to 

 be buried out of Westbury Workhouse, May 5, 1774, at the parish expense." 



