PREFACE. xxv 



The Botanical History of the County, and that of its inestimable 

 Mineralogy, follow in regular order; its Zoology is also described 

 in detail; and the Corinthian column of its Topographical Archi- 

 tecture terminates in numerous illustrations of MAN, in those 

 "Biographical Sketches of Eminent Natives of Staffordshire/' 

 which will doubtless gratify the self-love and the patriotism of 

 every native of the County who reads this authentic record of their 

 ingenuity, wisdom, and heroism. 



A very complete History of the Agriculture of Staffordshire fol- 

 lows the Topographical part; and the produce of the soil, under 

 various modes of cultivation, is faithfully detailed from actual ob- 

 servation. 



An Account of the different resident Noble Families who derive 

 their honours from names of places in the County, interspersed 

 with historical and characteristic anecdotes, concludes the Work. 



Such is the HISTORY op STAFFORDSHIRE now offered to the 

 attention of the public; and the Publisher cannot conclude, without 

 expressing his warm and grateful acknowledgments to those nu- 

 merous Subscribers who have so liberally patronized his publica- 

 tion ; several of whom have supplied him with documents commu- 

 nicative of much valuable information upon the various subjects 

 which the Work embraces. It would have afforded him great 

 pleasure had he been permitted to give the names of several gen- 

 tlemen who have thus kindly assisted him in his first effort to obtain 

 public patronage as a Publisher; but that native and retiring mo- 

 desty, which is the constant attendant of true merit, has left him 

 no appeal from their sentence. It only remains for him to return 

 them his sincere thanks for their favours and their support. 



If his Book should be deemed worthy the notice of criticism, the 

 Publisher must plead the general issue. He is aware that it will 

 be found " fruitful in error ;" but all who are acquainted with the 

 subject, will allow, that error is inseparable from such a work, 

 than which none is more liable to inaccuracies, that all the dili- 



