126 flucaIN. . [ KELLY'S • including a. conventual church; this religious house by Benedict !thell, who built the present house, a very was surrendered in 1539, and being granted to Ralph perfect and beautiful example of domestic architecture Radcliffe, has remained in the possession of the family of the reign of Queen Anne. Temple DinsIey is now ever since; the grounds extend over about lIO acres. the property of and occupied by James Barrington-Wll1te Foxholes is the residence of William Tindall Lucas esq. esq. J.P. At Wainwood is "Bunyan's Dell," in which RA., J.P.; FairfieId, of William Ransom esq. J.P. and it is said the author of the" Pilgrim's Progress" used to Benslow, of Alfred Ransom esq. The Newlands, the pro­ preach, now the property of J. Barrington-White esq. J.P. perty of Robert Percy Wilson esg. is at present (1902) St. Martin's church, erected in 1900, will seat 163 per. occupied by Mrs. Webb. sons; there is also a Baptist chapel seating about 150. Besides the Priory there was another religious frater­ There is a village reading room with a library of about 300 nity .in Hitchin, called the "Brotherhood," to which volumes; R. de V. Pryor, librarian and hon. sec. 'J.na guild a chantry was attached; its possessions were area of Preston is 1,142 acres; rateable value, £1,363;, seized by the Crown in the reign of Edward VI. but the population in 1891 was 230. the house in Bancroft, known as "Brotherhood House," Post, Telegraph & Express Delivery Office.-Mrs. Hannah remains, though greatly modernized. Frost, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive from Hitchin at In the reign of Henry n. the manor of Hicche 8.10 a.m.; dispatched at 9 a.m. & 5.50 p.m. week days (Hitchin) was possessed by Bernard de Baliol, who held & 10 a.m. sundays. Postal orders are issued here, but it under King Stephen, and was the founder of the not paid. Hitchin is the nearest money order office Preceptory of the Knights Templars of Temple Dinsley; his great grandson, John de Baliol, and Devorgilla, his Charlton, which forms part of the township of Hitchin, wife, were the founders, in 1282, of Baliol College, is three quarters of a mile south from the town, but Oxford; John de Baliol, son of the preceding, and consists only of a few cottages and scattered farms. King of from 1292, forfeited the manor of The mission and reading room, established here in 1893, Hitchin to Edward I. in 1296. was closed as such in 1895, and is now used as a Sunday school. The river Riz rises at Wellhead, near Charlton. His Majesty the King is now lord of the manor. and runs through this locality and Hitchin. The principal landowners are Francis A. Delme-Rad­ Wall Letter Box, closed at 7.20 a.m. & 6.55 p.m. week cliffe esg. Thomas Alexander Dashwood esg. M.A. of days only Sonning, Berks, Miss Wilshere, of The Frythe, Welwyn, Francis Frederic Lovell esq. of Hincheslea, Lymington, 1,YALSWORTH, a hamlet, I mile north-east, on the Pur· Hants, A. Ransom esg. W. Ransom esg. W. T. Lucas esg. 'well stream, was constituted a civil parish under the and S. Lucas esq. "Local Government Acts of 1894," but is still in the ecclesiastical parish of Hitchin; St. Faith's mission The area is 6,405 acres of land and 15 water; about chapel here was built in 1895; Purwell, I mile east 60 acres are planted with lavender; rateable value, on the river Hiz ; Bearton, half a mile north. • £48,040; the population in 1891 was 9,510. The area of Almshoebury is 3 miles south; near this place the Urban District is 2,075 acres; rateable value, and in the parish of Hitchin, are the remains of Minsden £48,3°4; the population in 1901 was 10,072. chapel, formerly attached to the church of Hitchin, but Deputy Parish Olerk, William AlIen. disused and in a decayed condition in 1650; baptisms and marriages were, however, regularly performed here PRESTON, which contains a few scattered houses, down to 1626 and occasional marriages after that date. formerly a hamlet in the ecclesiastical parish of Hitchin, the last mentioned being in 1738; the registers are in·· but was constituted a civil parish in 1894, under the corporated with those of Hitchin; rateable value, £3,943. "Local Government Act, 1894"; it is 3 miles south. Wall Letter Box, collections 9.35 a.m. 6.55 p.m Castle farm now occupies the site of Preston Castle, and has an old well, considered to be the largest in the LANGLEY, a hamlet in the parish of Hitchen, and on the road from Hatfield to Hitchin, was constituted a countv• • civil parish under the" Local Government Acts of 1894," TEMPLE DINSLEY (originally the Royal manor of but is still in the ecclesiastical parish of Hitchin: it is 6 Deneslai, described in Domesday Book), takes its prefix miles south-east from the town, and 2 south-west from from the Knights· Templars, who acguired it by grant Stevenage and consists of a few farms and cottages. from the Crown during the 12th century, and established The National schoolroom, seating 100 persons, is licensed a preceptory of their order. After the suppression of for divine service, which is held here at II a.m. on the the Templars in , the manor passed into the 2nd Sunday in the month, and on other Sundays at 3 hands of the Knights IIospitallers of St. John 011 Jeru­ p.m. There is also a Baptist chapel, erected in 1897' salem, who held it until the dissolution of the religious The area is 1,668 acres; rateable value, £1,088; and the houses, when it was granted to Sir Ralph Sadler, one population in 1891 was 152. of King Henry VIII.'s principal secretaries of State. The Letters through Stevenage, which is the nearest money manor remained in the hands of the Sadler family until order & telegraph office the beginning of the 18th century, when it was purchased

OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, LOCAL INSTITUTIONS &c. Head Post, M. O. & T. 0., T. M. 0., Express Delivery, foreign, 9.30 p.m.; reg. till 9 p.m.; sundays, 9.30 S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office & 1. R. Office, p.m. Parcels dispatched at 10.10 a.m. & 4.30, B It 9 Market place.-George Willis, postmaster p.m

Outgoing Mails:- Incoming Mails. London & general, 1.15 a.m.; reg. 9 p.m. previous day. Night mail, all parts of kingdom, foreign, 7 a.m.; Day Bedford, Biggleswade, Sandy, Luton, Baldock & Roys­ mail, all parts of kingdom, 10 a.m.; Mid-day mail, all ton, 2.20 a.m.; reg. 9 p.m. previous day. London day parts of kingdom, 2.50 p.m.; Evening mail, 6.20 p.m mail, 10.10 a.m.; reg. till 10 a.m. Mid-day mail, Cam­ Parcels delivered at 9.30 a.m. & 2.50 & 6.20 p.m bridge, Ipswich & Newmarket &c. London & towns south On sundays there is bnt one delivery, commencing at 7 of Hitchin, 12.45 p.m.; reg. till 12.30 p.m. North a.m mail, 1.20 p.m. Bedford & Shefford, 1.55 p.m.; reg. till 1.45 p.m. Baldock & Royston, 3.20 p.m.; reg. till On sundays the office is closed for the sale of stamps &; 3.5 p.m. London day mail, England, Ireland & Scot­ registered letters at 10 a.m land generally, foreign, 4. IS p.m.; reg. till 4 p.m. The office is open for the sale of stamps and postal order Cambridge & Baldock, 5. IS p.m.; reg. till 5 p.m. business from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m West, North-West, South & South-East of England, Money order, savings bank, inland revenue business. Scotland, Ireland & Wales, 6.30 p.m.; reg. 6.15 p.m. stamp duties, licences &c. from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Late day mail in connection with London midnight saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; all licences issued mail, 7.30 p.m.; reg. till 7.30 p.m. Peterborough, Manchester, York & north-eastern towns, 8.30 p.m. ; Post Office Telegraph.-Messages received &; dispatched reg. till 8.30 p.m.; sundays, 8.30 p.m. London from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Attendance is given on sun­ night mail, general, sundays only, 8.30 p.m. Cambridge, days from 8 to IQ a.m.; messages may also be sent Royston, St. Neots, Sandy & eastern counties, 9.30 any time during the day, to offices that are open, at p.m.; reg. till 9 p.m. Baldock, Cambridge, Royston extra charges . & south of Cambridge, sundays only, 8.30 p,m. London Town Sub-Post, M. O. 0., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance night mail, England, Ireland & Scotland generally, Office, Walsworth road.-Mrs. Elizabeth Watts, sub·