BEAUTIES OF England and Wales; OR, ORIGINAL DELINEATIONS, TOPOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND DESCRIPTIVE, Printed by Thomas Maiden, Sherburn-Lane, NEW-YORK FOR VERNOR, HOOD & SHARPE; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, & ORME; J. AND A. ARCH; J. HARRIS AND B. CROSBY. 1808. THE RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE CAPEL CONINGSBY, EARL OF ESSEX, VISCOUNT MALDEN, AND BARON CAPEL OF HADHAM, HIGH STEWARD OF LEOMINSTER, THE completion of the present VOLUME once more gives me an opportunity of speaking in the first person; and I seize it with eagerness, to express the grateful and strong sense which I feel for the many kindnesses I have received from the numerous Gentlemen of whom I have had occasion to make enquiries during its progress and also to acknowledge my obligations to the many Friends and Correspondents who have favored me with informa tion, either verbally or by letter. The extent of my own researches, though by no means commensurate with my wishes, has been fully equal to what can be accomplished in a Periodical Publication of this kind, and will be readily appreciated by those acquainted with the Counties herein described. Taking the Histories of Chauncy and Salmon for a ground-work in the account of HERTFORDSHIRE, I have been enabled to correct various mistakes of those Authors, to supply many of their omissions, and to add much new matter; particularly as to what regards the present state of places and parishes. In these efforts I have been greatly assisted (and for that assistance I return my most sincere thanks) by my friends, MR. THOMAS FISHER, and THOMAS BLORE, Esq. The former Gentleman, with a liberality which can be duly estimated only by those acquainted with the expence and trouble of making Topographical Memoranda on the spot, has not scrupled to lay open his extensive Collections, both in this County and in Kent, for my service; a privilege of which I have made great use, as it saved me the labor of travelling over much ground; the unquestionable accuracy of his remarks and drawings, rendering any corroboration from personal review utterly superfluous. With a similar degree of liberality, Mr. Blore, also, who has made many Collections relating to the descent of property in Herts, permitted me to make whatever extracts from his papers I judged sufficiently to accord with the nature of my own Work. For reading the proof sheets of St. Alban's, and for various useful remarks and notices, I am highly indebted to JAMES BROWN, Esq. of that town; who, to the information of the scholar, unites the urbanity of the gentleman. Among the other individuals whose polite attentions I am at liberty to acknowledge, I have the pleasure to include the EARLS of CLARENDON and ESSEX; the latter for the loan of a very searce and valuable book,) LORD. VISCOUNT GRIMSTON, and MISS GRIMSTON, the COUNTESS DOWAGER SPENCER, the RIGHT HONORABLE CHARLES YORKE, GEORGE ANDERSON, Esq. RICHARD GOUGH, Esq, the Rev. MR. NEWCOME, GEORGE HARRIS, Esq. THOMAS BROOKE, Esq. GEORGE FOSTER, Esq. and MR. J. ANDREWS. For |