By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 3 
It is the object of this paper to give a sketch of the history of 
the two first named districts; the tithings forming them comprising 
the town and its immediate neighbourhood. The history of the 
other tithings will only be alluded to so far as such reference may 
be necessary for the purpose of illustrating our narrative. 
Our plan will be, first of all, to give a general history of Brad- 
ford from earliest times to the present, and this as far as possible in 
chronological order, interweaving with the narrative such materials 
‘ as we have been able to collect on subjects more or less directly 
connected with it. In separate sections we shall afterwards lay 
before our readers information on several topics of interest and — 
importance. 
From Earuiest Times To A.p. 80. 
John Aubrey in the Preface to his Natural History of North 
Wilts describes in the following terms its probable condition in 
earliest times. “Let us imagine what kind of country this was in 
the time of the ancient Britains, by the nature of the soil, which 
is a sour, woodsere land, very natural for the production of oaks 
especially ; one may conclude that this North-Division was a shady, 
dismal wood; and the inhabitants almost as salvage as the beasts, 
whose skins were their only raiment.” There have been some per- 
sons in recent days, who have come forward as the apologists for 
the old Britons, and have claimed for them a far greater degree of 
civilization than is implied in Aubrey’s words. But all, we should 
suppose, are agreed that he is perfectly right in his opinion con- 
cerning the general character of this part of the country in the 
remote times of which he is speaking. No doubt it was covered 
with forest; here and there a small portion was cleared away to 
afford habitation for the native population, few comparatively in 
number, perpetually at war amongst themselves, and frequently 
shifting their abode from one locality to another. Indeed, the site 
tithing, e.g. and some small portions both of Leigh and Woolley, as being in the 
town or its immediate vicinity, form part of the Parish Church district. Other 
small portions of the Winsley tithing are attached to the district of Christ 
Church, 
B 2 
