Mdm.  The poore’s rate of St. Giles-in-the-fields, London, comes to six thousand pounds per annum. [The sixth chapter of Mr. Rowland Dobie’s “History of the United Parishes of St. Giles- in-the-Fields and St. George, Bloomsbury,” (8vo. 1829) contains some curious and interesting “historical sketches of pauperism.”  Speaking of the parish workhouse, the author says, “It contains on an average from 800 to 900 inmates, which is however but a small proportion to the number constantly relieved, at an expense [annually] of nearly forty thousand pounds."-J.  B.]
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Dunhead St. Mary.-The reason why so few marriages are found in the register bookes of these parts is that the ordinary sort of people goe to Ansted to be married, which is a priviledged church; and they come 40 and 50 miles off to be married there.
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Of periodicall small-poxes. — Small-pox in Sherborne dureing the year 1626, and dureing the yeare 1634; from Michaelmas 1642 to Michaelmas 1643; from Michaelmas 1649 to Michaelmas 1650; &c.  Small-pox in Taunton all the year 1658; likewise in the yeare 1670, &c.  I would I had the like observations made in great townes in Wiltshire; but few care for these things.

It hath been observed that the plague never fix’t (encreased) in Bridgenorth in Salop.  Also at Richmond it never did spread; but at Petersham, a small village a mile or more distant, the plague made so great a destruction that there survived only five of the inhabitants. 1638 was a sickly and feaverish autumne; there were three graves open at one time in the churchyard of Broad Chalke.

PART II.

CHAPTER I. WORTHIES.

[In this chapter Aubrey has transcribed that portion of Fuller’s Worthies of England which relates to celebrated natives of the county of Wilts; but as Fuller’s work is so well known, it is un- necessary to print Aubrey’s extracts from it here.  He has interspersed them with additional matter from which the following passages are selected. - J. B.]

Princes. — There is a tradition at Wootton Basset that King Richard the Third was born at Vasthorne [Fasterne], now the seate of the earle of Rochester.  This I was told when I was there in 1648.  Old Mr. Jacob, then tenant there to the Lady Inglefield, was then eighty yeares old, and the like other old people there did affirme.

[According to the best authorities, this tradition is incorrect:  Richard was born in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, on the 2d of October, 1452.-J.  B.]

Anne, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Hyde, Knight, was born at Purton,
in this county, and married to His Royal Highnesse James Duke of
Yorke, [James ii.] by whom she left issue Mary Queen of England, and
Anne Princesse of Denmark [afterwards Queen].
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