114 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1771. 



look into this kingdom, we see the chestnut tree, not confined to Sittingbourne 

 woods, or to Dean forest; but scattered with a free hand, through many parts 

 thereof; shooting up with all the healthy vigour of genuine natives, and giving 

 denomination to several places among us. Thus the chestnut wood of Sitting- 

 bourne, has given the name of Chestnut-street, to the neighbouring road; and 

 the old Saxon half of the name. Street, strongly intimates the other half to be 

 very ancient. The appellation occurs in the first map that notices the names 

 of the roads, the map of Kent by Morden. In Hertfordshire is a town, called 

 in old writings, Cheston, Chesthunte, Shesterhunte, and Cestrehunt; and 

 Norden, (in his description of Hertfordshire, p. 15), says, Cur non Cher^in ? 

 Castanetum of Chesse-nut trees? 



The Saxons were well acquainted with this tree, and, according to Skinner 

 and Lye, called it Cyri^^l-and Cyrz-beam ; the same word evidently with our 

 present Chest-nut. Dr. Johnson, in his Mercurius Botanicus, l634, remarks 

 the chestnut to have been not unfrequent in the woods, as well as in the plan- 

 tations, of his own times; Castanea Vulgaris in sylvis nonnuUis et viridariis; — 

 Mr. Dale, in his History of Harwich, mentions various chestnut trees to be 

 growing in Stour wood, within the parish immediately adjoining to Harwich. 

 Blackstone, in his Specimen Botanicum, p. 12, speaks of chestnut trees growing 

 in Bulwin woods, between Dartford and Bexley, in Kent, plentifully; not 20 

 miles distant from London. Mr. Philipot, in his Villare Cantianum, which was 

 printed in 1659, says in p. 237, " There is a manor called Northwood 

 Chasteners, which name complies with the situation; for it stands north from 

 the town, in a wood where chestnu^ trees formerly grew in abundance." " The 

 noble chestnut tree, says Morton, (Northamptonshire, p. 897), belonging to the 

 worshipful Thomas Tryst, Esq. of Marford, is the largest of that kind I have 

 any where seen: the body of it is no less than 15 feet 8 inches in circumference; 

 and it extends its branches proportionably." On the outside of the Roman 

 station at Temple Brough, near Sheffield, in Yorkshire, says Gibson's Camden, 

 (vol. 2, p. 847), " is a large bank, on which are huge trees, and on the side of 

 the bank of the highway, there grew a chestnut tree that had scarcely any bark 

 on it,but only on some top branches which bore leaves; it was not tall, but the 

 bole could scarcely be fathomed by 3 men." " There was standing, says 

 Evelyn, (in his Sylva, Fol. London, 1706, p. 223), an old and decayed chestnut 

 at Fraiting, in Essex, whose very stump did yield 30 sizeable loads of logs. I 

 could produce you another of the same kind in Gloucestershire, -which contains 

 within the bowels of it, a pretty wainscoted room, enlightened with windows, 

 and furnished with seats, &c." And to these we may add 2 great chestnut trees 

 flourishing at Tortworth, in Gloucestershire, and at Writtlepark, in Essex; the 

 former is allowed, even by Mr.^ Barrington, " to be the oldest tree that we have 



