T W O LEC T U RES O N THE HIS T O R Y AN D AN T IQU IT IES B ERKHAMS T ED . J HN MA. O WOLSTENHOLME OBB . Q , LO NDO N P E Y HO O RI N T D B N I C L S AN D S N S , 25 P L ME EE , AR IA NT STR T . M. D CCC . LXXXIII. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION , T HE Lectu res contained in the following pages forme d par t of th e c ou rse deliver e d to th e Members ’ of th e B erkham ste d Mech anics Institu te du ring the - wint er of 1 85 4 53 . They ar e printed at th e re quest of those w ho heard them thou h fr om th eir sim le and con er s ti n , g , p v a o al st le it will at once b e e cei ed that the w er e y , p r v y i inall w ritten w i h ou t an idea of u bli c or g y t y p ation . om iled indeed as th e were onl in the sh ort C p , y , y intervals which p ar ochial engagements all owed for as o i l ble m nothin elabo ate w ss b e . Trou how the , g r p , ever has not b een s a ed to r ender them a tru stwo th , p r r y and c on nec ted r ecord of th e His t ory and Antiqu ities of B e kham sted It is er ha s needless to sa that r . , p p , y mu ch was omitted in th eir delivery for the sake of i being as little tediou s as poss ble . Instead of encu mb e in each a e w i h r efer ences r g p g t , it has been th ou ght su fficient t o append a gene ral list of b ook s consulted . Many th anks are du e to nu mer ou s friends for t heir v lu le c ontribu tio n s an d c o ections a ab rr . ' Any profit w hich irnay arise from the sale of this pu blication will be added to the fu nds of the Institute . d c mber 1 B r khamste e e 8 55 . e , D , PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. ’ AT th e request of th e Committee of th e Mechanic s Institu te I have car efull r evis ed th ese Lectu r es with , y a view to r e u bli cati n I h v th ou ht it b est to p o . a e g make as fe w alterations as possib le in the tex t of the I w ork, and to thr ow su ch further infor mation as have acquired into th e shape of not es and Appen di s - re II hich T t ion f ctu . ce [VII . XI . ] ha port o Le w elates to the Chu r ch m u st of cour s e be alwa s su le r , , y pp mented by App endix VIII which contains an acc ou nt of the Chu rc h a s it This is the only instance in which I h ave thou ght it r ight to mak e any r efer ence t hat h h ne d in our ow n tim es I am o w as appe . thank ful to say that the necessary co r rec tions of e rrata “ h ave no t b een nu mero u s . It h as b een with m e a labour of love to comply with th e re qu est of th e mmittee and an a e eable t ask as Rector o Co , gr t r e c all many p leasant asso ciations o f form er day s wh en I h e ain to ex r e m I w as C urate . av ag p ss y best t hanks for additional infor mation to many old and n fr i n s It m a er ha s be ll not a fe w ew e d . y p p w e to state that the c opyright of the b ook still r emains in the hands of the Institu te . I add with pleasur e th at for the plan of th e Chur ch the b est thank s of the Institu t e ar e du e to Mess rs . B t rbu r an Hu xle a chitect s who have a te y d y , r , pr e ared it and to Dr . B atter bu r the esident of the p , y , Pr h nt ib ut d it T h e w o has c o e . o t e r es Institu t , r P ident and to the C ommitte e fo r th eir ki nd co - O pe ration I s lf am reatl indebted and most es eciall my e g y , p y to old f ie nd Mr . He n Nash still the S ec etar my r ry , r y . tor B er kha msted Janu a r 1883 . Rec y , , y , HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF BERKHAMSTED. E E L CTUR I . E 2 1 VERE T HE EVE I or UE J U 3 85 5 . D LI D ON N NG T SDAY , AN ARY , IT is cer tainly r ight that w e shou ld all know something of the history of the place in w hich w e live ; and though I dar e say m an r o - n ar e as old n ab an ou to be w e y he e t ight , i h it ts ght , ll acqu ainted w ith everything that r el ate s to the history of Ber k hamsted no ou b er e ar e ome w ho ha e e om if e er , still d t th s v s ld v f r a to en the ub e an ou at all. ru er e o e giv s j ct y th ght I t st, th , th t u amon ou at an r a e the fa a e been ab e to o e c s ch g y , y t , cts I h v l c ll t abou t the histor y and antiqu itie s o f this tow n and neighbou r oo ma not r ove u n n ru c e and hou to m an he h d y p i st tiv , , t gh y t y ar e not new o e e m a not be w ou om e e r ee , still I h p th y y ith t s d g of n er e to ou all . m e f can a ur e ou a e fe no i t st y I ys l , I ss y , h v lt or dinary inter est in the colle cti on of mater ials for a le ctu r e on the histor y of a place of w hich I mu st say I have e very reason to be er fon ou a e been r e den in bu t so or a me . v y d , th gh I h v si t it sh t ti f ou r e from the er na ure o f m ub e ou mu see at O c s , v y t y s j ct , y st once that I can pr ete nd to little o r iginality in the r emar ks I am ab u to off r F or mu of w ha a e u t o e her am o t e . ch t I h v p t g t I boo i ndebted to those o f my fr i ends who have ki ndly l ent m e ks d w hen or other wis e given m e valu able help and inform ation an to the I tell y ou fur ther that I have m ad e sever al pilgr images B 2 HISTORY or BERKHAMSTED . me B r itish Mu seu m and there consulted many cu r iou s volu s n e ere n ou ll a e a r e which I cou ld not fi d lsewh , I thi k y wi h v p tty general idea of the sour ces from which my lecture has b een om e c pil d . of efa e at on e Having said thu s mu ch by way pr c , I will c m proceed with y subj e ct . The fir st thi ng w e shall be anxi ou s to know is the meaning of n n - n r on e a er e the ame of our tow n. In the A glo Saxo Ch icl , s i s o f annals written pr obably almost contemporaneou sly with the e en s e e r e w e f n m en on of our o n in the a oun v t th y d sc ib , i d ti t w cc t h B h m a oo of t e Norman Co nqu est as ee ph a rt eb e ; in D omesd y B k , w as om e e in 1086 w e r ea B er hehamstede and which c pl t d , d it c , in the early Latin Chronicles w e constantly meet with it simply as B eor cham .