Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/418

Rh BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 103 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Oxfordshire, and (Jieenland llou.-c, i. also held HIT the king. Thu latter wus Driven up parliament in Kill, and tin- lunni-r not till 164(3. Tho skinni-li in which Hatnpd. n i,. . i, ,1 hi- mortal wound, took pi.-ic. in .In Chalgrovo Field, in Oxford- shire, it few niii is of this county. The principal natural features of Buckinghamshire are the chalk hill- i :i range, and the Vale of A Ii slmry. TheChiltornhi ross the southern part ot tin .;ii Bledlow ai..l "i -t " i unLe on id-hire, in ^ .11, by Eisborough, Wunloiei. I. 1 Kddlesborougli, into Bedfordshire. At some points they li'. lion of about 000 feet, but generally they ai ably lower. This di.-' ivo been an- ( iently a dense forest, but the larger part of it is now under cultivation. The Valo of Aylesbnry, to the north- west, extends across ihe middle of the county, forming part of the basin of the Thame, which is separated by the Chiltern hills from that of the Thames. North o'f this fertile vale arc some low hill* of sandstone and lime- stone. The principal woodland districts are on the Chil- 1 1 rn hills and in the southern part of the county, Bern wood Forest on the edge of Oxfordshire, and Whaddon Chase between Buckingham and Fenny Stratford. ] leech and oak are the principal timber. Tho abundance of the former has by some been conjectured to hare given rise to the name of th>' county, //<?,,,/> being the Saxon t r "beech." There is much beautiful and varied < south of the Chili, in i.in^e. The most extensive pros- pect* are obtained from points near Brill, Eddloaborough, and 1'enn, the latter cmhrai ing. it i- said, ]>ortion8 of i: n count;. , '1'iie pictures of rural life which it affords I'hicallv described by Milton in the " I/ Allegro" and "II Penseroso." The rivers of Buck- inghamshire are the Thames, with 'its tributaries the Thume and the Colnp, and the rivers Ouse and Ouzel. The Thames touches the county a little to the north of Henley, forming its southern "boundary for nearly 30 miles, and flowing in an easterly and southerly course past Great Marlow, Hwlsor, Taplow (opposite to which is Maidenhead, in Berkshire) > Eton, and Datchct. It is navigable the wholo distance. The Colne separates Buckinghamshire from Middlesex, first touching the former a few miles to the north of Uxbridge, where it is joined by the Mishbourn, a river which rises in the Chil- tcni hills, near Great Missenden, and runs in a south- easterly direction past Ameraham. The Colno thence flows southward past Iver, Colnbrook, and Hortonto the Thames, into which it falls at the south-ea : of the, county, near Stuines. This river is not navigable, and has several channels in some parts of its course ; trout are found in it. Tho Thame, which has :- sources, flows from the eastern side of the county and the borders of Uertford.-liire, by a winding course through Vale of Aylesbury, south-wi .-twiird to the town of Thame. After forming the boundary of the county for a few miles, it enters Oxfordshire and joins the '11 at Dorchester. Tho length of its course through Buck- inghamshire is iH-irly :;ti miles. It becomes navigable when it readies the' edge of Oxford-hire. Kcis arc abun- dant in tin- ihcr. wh: lins pike, perch, roach, and other tish. Tho Ouse rises in N and lirst touches this county at Turw.- '.raek- ley. Alter forming the boundary fora few miles, it flows eastward to Buckingham, thence noi, hom- I'ni, where it at tv tiom North- amptonshire, ai.d h. l..w stony Stratford crosses the v to, v ;i It, eoiir-o thence is north rdcrs of Bedfordthire, which county it in Odd I'.rn field. That part of its course which is in Bnckinghainahirt m.irkably circuit about 45 miles in length, or 'le the dinct llistallee hetW'II the point* .nty. The I In/el liiltem hills, and i: the K.dl. i.Muro. past l-ei-hton Buzzard, Lin-lad, fwlpn- it. liters Buckinc! I-', liny Stratford, and "oo! :!,. QOM at Now- U. This ri bream. The Wick is a small stream hi 'ycomhc. in tie ' . and flowing south-eaM past High V. ito the Th: ; : Buckinghamshire docs i. importance. Tl . mild and le .i;li . I Vale of Aylcsbury, which is pro- ''I'ty, arc some of the riehi .ds in Kngland. Its abundant produce of com ai.d cattle ura n the -a Inir, ' Itn, kii Sandy soils are found n vale, next Bedfordshire, and clay and loam in the valley of the Turnips and wheat are grown in the latt' ; trict. There is much - i:ii;lily-( -ultivat. d laud between the Chilterns and the Thamc-s, the soil of the level <li-:: ic t m xt the latter ami the i 'olno being a : alMive the London clay. Meadows and p.i land . it half the surface of tin- county. Dairy j farms are very numerous, and the quantity of butter] produced is enormous. The munher of cows kept fl^l the dairy is said to exceed 20,000, and the annual pro- duce of butter is about 1,900 tons, or 500,000 Ibs. In is chiefly sent to thu London market, made up in rolUofl two jiouiids in weight, and packed in baskets calltfl " flats," of various capacity but of the uniform depth of 1 1 inches. Cream cheeses are made, but only in small quantities. Most of the dairy cows are of the Vorkst^H or Hereford short-horn breeds. There arc also xd^B Welsh and Aldcrney cows. Tho stock of sheep is very large, and the principal breeds are the PorseUhn. . South Down, Gloucester, Lei. the two latter. The 1' 1 l..r their Iambs, the South Downs for mutton, and the > breeds for their wool. 11. L-S, rhi. lly of the Berl. breed, are kept in largo nu This county is noted for a peculiar method of rcarinfl and fattenmg ducks very early in the spring. ThaH are some extensive cherry orchards. Buckingham is dhid'd into the following eight hui don, Aylehury, Buckingham. Burnham, Desboro'ugh, Newport, and Stoke. At the time of the Norman survey it was divided into I*. Hurnham, Desborough, and Stoke are the " Chiltern Hundi the steward of which was at first an olli. ]>ut down robbers and wild beasts in tl duties and profits of the office arc now merely nominal, ami it is only heard of as a post u. d l.y a member of parliament wi. vacate his scat. The county contains aboul 20(1 14 of which arc market towns, viz. : Bucking] (nominally the county town), Ayh-liui i in at .Mallow, High Vycon sham, Newport I'agncll, Vinslow, B. ' liney, I'll' and Stony Stratford. The first four are parliament .:h-. reluming two m.mheis each. T' n-tunis three members to parliament. A  1. - ; l'.uckiin.'h. and 1. are ]."lliiiL- pi ii H'.. kii L-hamghiro i- included in the Norfolk Circuit, and tlie aiwize- quarter sessions are held at Ayle.-'mr_ . 1 vemi' .d in a lord-lieutenant, will deputies, a high iheiill. and a lar^. ),..,; 'Jon in nui. in the county, the seats of which ai. . yles- 1'iiry, Buckingham, Kt'.n, Nevj.it r.-ignell, Winslow, and High V.omle. I h- anh.li ic.pl liuckiii": which i.- very n. n-l ivo with ti is in ii )foid. in il.. It was formerly part of the dioc. <>l Lincoln. manufai-ture.s ( -arrii'd on in Buckinghamshire an thoneof - of much 1 lol-mi lly, anil is now cliii-lly can in tin i, ...id i.f i >lm y and II i: iong been establi-ln d on lln Wick, and above 350 perrons are at pie-, nt employed in. the in Vooden chair making also o<>
 * niw -plait, and i silk weaving. '1 In