124 



Reviews a? id Book Notices. 



Notes on the Earlier History of Barton=on=Humber, by Robert 

 Brown, Jnr., F.S.A., Vol. II., a.d. 1154-1377. London: Elliot Stock, 

 xvi. + 238 pp., price 15/- 



A year ago we had the pleasure of drawing attention to the first volume 

 of this work (' Naturalist,' 1907, pp. 122-3). "the present, which we are 

 sorry to find is to be the concluding volume, the history of this ancient 

 township is carried on to the end of the reign of Edward III. A few matters 

 however, referring to subsequent periods, have been included. Personally, 

 we should have liked to have seen a third volume, bringing the history 

 up to say the end of the eighteenth century. That Mr. Brown could pro- 

 duce such a volume we have ample evidence — as it is, we are debarred from 

 having much valuable information about Barton, particularly in reference 

 to that unusually interesting period, the seventeenth century. The present 

 work, however, we notice is the Earlier History of Barton, and as such, it 

 is all that can be desired. 



In the preface to this volume , the author takes the opportunity of 

 briefly rephdng to the criticims made upon the first volume. He is more 

 than ever convinced that ' a Roman port once existed at Barton, and that 

 many centuries ago, it disappeared beneath the Humber.' Land is cer- 

 tainly being washed away by the Humber at Barton, and a few Roman 

 relics have been found in Barton itself. But whether it was ever a Roman 

 port, it is difficult to prove, as the author admits. 



In volume two there are two sections, and six appendices. The first 

 sections refer to Earlier Plantagenet Times, and deal with the House of 

 Gilbert of Gaunt, Ecclesiastical Progress, and the Town and Lordship 

 in the reign of Llenry III. The second deals with the House of Beaumont, 

 Ecclesiastical Progress, and the Port and Trade of Barton. Mr. Brown 

 is to be congratulated upon the amount of valuable material he has gathered 

 together relating to a period so often neglected in local histories. His 

 descriptions are also given in a clear style, such as can be read and appre- 

 ciated by anyone. His explanations of the various place-names, etc., 

 referred to in the old ' charters ' are very valuable to students in any part 

 of the country. His account of the two exceptionally interesting Barton 

 churches contains much new material. We certainly agree that the carved 

 heads in St. Peter's Church are probal;)ly portraits — that of a woman, at 

 the west end of the south aisle (Fig. 16), being an unuasually fine piece of 

 work. Perhaps the most generally interesting part of the book is that 

 referring to the Port of Barton — its trade, and ferries. In this connection, 

 the once relatively great importance of Barton is dealt with, and formerly, 

 as now, the ferry to and from Hull was a valuable asset to the town. To 

 those in the habit of using the ferry to-day, and are occasionally stuck on 

 a sandbank, or kept for hours in the fog, it is perhaps of some consolation to 

 know that formerly matters were much worse. In 1759, it was ' a sorry 

 and dangerous Passage to Hull, in an open ferry-boat, in which sometimes 

 fifteen horses, ten or twelve cows, intermingled with seventeen or eighteen 

 passengers, were tossed about four hours, more or less, on the Humber, 

 before they can get to the Harbour at Hull.' 



Apparantly, Barton people were not always as they should be, and we 

 find records of quarrels with London merchants and others, which some- 

 times were of a serious nature. There was also a gallows, tumbrill, and 

 pillory for dealing with felons and others. 



The appendices are (i) a list of the Chantry Priests connected with the 

 Capella Sancte Marie de Barton, (2) Vicars of Barton-on-Humber appointed 

 subsequently to 1377, (3) Lords and Ladies of the Manor of Barton, (4) 

 Pedigree of the family of Rudston, (5) Some female names used in Lincoln- 

 shire in the thirteenth century, and (6) Extract from a paper on Girl 

 names in Lindsey in the olden time. There are three good maps, and 

 several illustrations from photographs shewing details of Churcji archi- 

 tecture. Mr. Brown has earned our gratitude for making so much valuable 

 material accessible. 



Naturalist, 



