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 THE ADVISORY COUNCIL OF THE VICTORIA HISTORY His GRACE THE LORD ARCH- SIR JOHN EVANS, K.C.B., D.C.L., COL. DUNCAN A. JOHNSTON, C.B. BISHOP OF CANTERBURY LL.D., F.R.S., ETC. R.E. His GRACE THE DUKE OF SIR EDWARD MAUNDE THOMP- Late Director General of the Ordnance BEDFORD, K.G. SON, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., F.S.A., ETC. Director of the British Museum SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.S.A. President of the Zoological Society His GRACE THE DUKE OF DEVON- SHIRE, K.G. Chancellor of the University of Cam- bridge His GRACE THE DUKE OF PORTLAND, K.G. His GRACE THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, K.T. Survey PROF. E. RAY LANKESTER, M.A., F.R.S., ETC. Director of the Natural History Museum, South Kensington President of the 'noyal Geographical REGINALD L. PoOLE, M.A. Society University Lecturer in Diplomatic, Oxford }. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D. WALTER RYE SIR HENRY C. MAXWELL-LYTE, K.C.B., M.A., F.S.A., ETC. Keeper of the Public Records THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF SIR Jos. HOOKER, G.C.S.I.,M.D., W. H. ST. JOHN HOPE, M.A. RoSEBERY K.G. K.T D.C.L., F.R.S., ETC. Assistant Secretary of the Society of THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF SlR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE, LL.D., COVENTRY KR.S., ETC. President^ of the Royal Agricultural REV. J. CHARLES Cox, LL.D., Among the original members of F.S.A., ETC. the Council were r .b.A., ETC. T HE LATE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY HON. THE VISCOUNT LlONEL CusT> M .V.O., M.A., '.S.A., ETC. Director of the National Portrait Gallery THE RT. HON. THE LORD LISTER CHARLES H p M A LL D Late Preset of the Royalty Re^s Pr^or 0} Modern History, T E THE LATE DR. MANDELL CREIGHTON, BISHOP OF LONDON LATE DR. STUBBS, BISHOP THE RT. HON. THE LORD Oxford OF OXFORD ALVERSTONE G.C.M.G. ALBERT C. L.G. GUNTHER,M.A., THE LATE LORD ACTON M.D., F.R.S., PH.D. THE LATE SIR WILLIAM FLOWER THE^ HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Late President of the Linncan Society THE LATE PROFESSOR F. YORK F. HAVERFIELD, M.A., LL.D., POWELL and SIR FREDERICK POLLOCK, BART., F-S-A. THE LATE COL. SIR J. FAROJJ- LL.D., P.S.A., ETC. Camden Professor of Ancient History HARSON General Editor WILLIAM PAGE, F.S.A. GENERAL ADVERTISEMENT The VICTORIA HISTORY of the Counties of England is a National Historic Survey which, under the direction of a large staff comprising the foremost students in science, history, and archaeology, is designed to record the history of every county of England in detail. This work was, by gracious permission, dedicated to Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, who gave it her own name. It is the endeavour of all who are associated with the undertaking to make it a worthy and permanent monument to her memory. Rich as every county of England is in materials for local history, there has hitherto been no attempt made to bring all these materials together into a coherent form. Although from the seventeenth century down to quite recent times numerous county histories have been issued, they are very unequal in merit ; the best of them are very rare and costly ; most of them are imperfect and many are now out of date. Moreover, they were the work of one or two isolated scholars, who, however scholarly, could not possibly deal adequately with all the varied subjects which go to the making of a county history. VII