meet with no place of the name of Througham 

 in New-foreft ; and neither the remains, nor 

 the remembrance of any chapel. It is pro- 

 bable, that Througham might be what is now 

 called Fritbam , where the tradition of the 

 country feems to have fixed thefpof with more 



credibility from the tree. The chapel 



might only have been fome little temporary 

 oratory, which having never been endowed, 

 might fpeedily have fallen to decay : but the 

 tree, it is probable, would be noticed at the 

 time by every body, who lived near it; and 

 by ftrangers, who came to fee it : and it is as 

 probable, that it could never be forgotten 

 afterwards. They who think a tree inefficient 

 to record a fact of fo ancient a date, may be 

 reminded, that feven hundred years, (and it is 

 not more fince the death of Rufus) make no 

 extraordinary period in the exiftence of an oak. 

 About fifty years ago however, this tree became 

 fo decayed, and mutilated, that, in all pro- 

 bability, the fpot would have been forgotten, 

 if fome other memorial had not been raifed. 

 Before the ftump therefore was eradicated, a 

 triangular ftone was erected, by the late lord 

 Delaware, who lived in one of the neigh- 

 M 3 bouring 



