WHERE IZAAK WALTON DIED 167 



and dates are sadly wanting, but such as it is, the Wain- 

 scot Book throws much interesting light upon what 

 hitherto has been a very obscure subject, and enables 

 us, in a large number of instances, to discover the names 

 of prebendaries who occupied particular houses. 



The book begins with the period immediately follow- 

 ing the Restoration, although during the seventeenth 

 century six only of the twelve houses are dealt with. 

 During the eighteenth century the record, however, is 

 fairly complete, and a good deal of information has been 

 obtained. That the residences differed much in com- 

 fort and convenience is clear, for we find the Chapter 

 petitioning Charles II. to permit them so far to alter the 

 statutes of the Cathedral as to allow the prebendaries, 

 in the order of their seniority, to change houses as 

 vacancies occurred. The result of this new but most 

 reasonable arrangement was that not infrequently 

 there was a good deal of shifting of residences in the 

 Close. The senior canons naturally moved into the 

 better houses and the new-comer had to content him- 

 self with what he could get. Indeed several of the 

 residences came to be regarded simply as resting-places, 

 to be put up with for a while, until in the course of 

 time a better dwelling could be obtained. 



My first endeavour, in dealing with the Wainscot 

 Book, was to discover, if possible, the residence of Dr 

 Hawkins, and therefore the house in which Izaak 

 Walton died. It would be thrilling indeed if I could 

 discover this. Every little detail in the career of the 

 old fisherman is treasured up by a large circle of en- 

 thusiastic admirers. Witness the late discussion in 

 The Times with reference to his supposed fishing-creel. 

 What would not be the excitement if the house in 



