By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson. 



281 



The " watch " probably means what we now call the clock-face 

 or dial. 



Destroying of Vermin. 



The Churchwardens used formerl}' also to spend the parish, 

 money in destroying vermin ; or what they pleased to consider 

 such in those days. In 1705, are several charges to the rate- 

 payers for killing grays (badgers), martins, adders, and foxes. As 

 many as twelve foxes are charged in one year's bill, and the name 

 of the person who seems at that time to have devoted his particular 

 attention to that branch of the subject was John Dunn. But 

 John Dunn carried on his business in 1705, when the fox was an 

 animal which anybody might catch and kill, that could. For there 

 were no foxhounds in this neighbourhood so early as 1705. 

 Among His Grace the Duke of Beaufort's papers is an old account 

 book, containing all the particulars of the first establishment of 

 the hunting there. The book begins in the year 1729 ; in the 

 time of the third Duke of Beaufort. They kept at that time 

 nothing but hariers. In 1734 deerhounds came in : and the 

 kennel in that year consisted of 61 hariers, and 12 deerhounds. 

 The deerhounds then increased and the hariers fell off; for in 

 1742 the deerhounds were 61 and the hariers 43. In the next 

 year, 1743, there was another variety introduced for the first 

 time, and the list then stands as "no hariers, 65 deerhounds, 

 and two foxhounds" the names of the two being Thunder and Giddy. 

 So Thunder and Giddy in 1743 were the original founders of the 

 celebrated Beaufort pack. John Dunn, of Chippenham, who 

 amused himself with catching foxes in 1705, might do so without 

 spoiling sport, for there was no pack of foxhounds at Badminton 

 till forty years after his time. 



The Plague. 



Two or three occurrences of later date may be mentioned. In 

 the year 1608, and for three years following, a plague raged among 

 the population of England. At Chippenham, fair-days and markets 

 were closed, because in certain towns adjoining, especially in 

 Corsham, the pestilence had broken out, and special constables 



