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T]ie History of Chippenham, by the Rev. J. J. Daniell, Eector of 

 Langley Burrell. Compiled from researches by the Author and 

 from the Collections of the late Rev. Canon Jackson, F.S.A. 

 B. F. Houlston, Chippenham and Bath. 1894, Cr. 8vo, cloth, 

 Price 5s. nett. 



This little book of 248 pages, with two illustrations of Old Chippenham, 

 does not pretend to be an elaborate history of the town. Tbe author has aimed 

 rather at giving an account of the more notable persons, events, buildings, and 

 institutions connected with the history of the place and neighbourhood, gathered 

 from the best available sources of information and arranged and written in 

 such form and style as that the public at large may find it both easy and 

 interesting to read, and may not be deterred from so doing by any appearance 

 of archaeological dryness — and he has done his work well. As he tells us in 

 the preface, a great deal of the historical information comes from Canon 

 Jackson's unpublished papers, now at the Society of Antiquaries, and much of 

 it is exceedingly interesting, not only to the general reader, but to the student 

 of local history and antiquities. As will be seen from the following " contents," 

 almost everything connected with the place is touched upon — The site of 

 Chippenham — the Manor, Sheldon, Rowden, Monckton, Cocklebury and 

 Foghamshire, Allington — Forests — Geology — River Avon, springs and 

 wells, Lockswell Spring — The Garden of Wilts— Stanley Abbey — The Parish, 

 Borough, Charters, Town Hall, M.Ps., Bailiffs, Town, Trade, Bridge, Cause- 

 way, Plague, School, Fire of London, Riots, Manor of Ogbourne St. George — 

 Nomina Villarum — Sheriffs of Wilts — Maud Heath's Causeway — The Civil 

 Wars — Parish Church, Chantries, Vicars, Church Lands, Registers, Communion 

 Plate, Bells, Churchwardens' Records, Monumental Inscriptions — WestTyther- 

 ton — St. Paul's Church — List of Celtic and Saxon Words — Distinguished 

 Natives — Persons of Note who have lived in the Neighbourhood — A useful 

 index completing the book. The greater part of these subjects are treated 

 shortly, accurately, and well, but there are one or two blemishes. The section 

 on the Geology of Chippenham, for instance, really conveys no accurate idea of 

 the facts ; whilst the surprising natural history stories on pages 36, 37 are 

 quite unworthy of the rest of the book. In the list of words of " Celtic or 

 Saxon origin " in local use, too, it is hard to see why such words as con- 

 traption, whippersnapper, taut (tight), lackadaisical, fractious, humbug, 

 hullaballoo, bran new, rapscallion, swop, blubber, wallop, &c, should find a 

 place. The book has been favourably reviewed in the Devizes Gazette, August 

 30th, 1894. 



Letters, Remains, and Memoirs of Edward Adolphus Seymour, 

 Twelfth Duke of Somerset, K.Gk, in which are also included some 



