Duchy lands til we came to the house of one John Stoneham (an Ale house)1 then thrô the Estate of the Rev. Mr. Butler being Dutchy lands leaving the Hedge Cricklade Road and the Exchequer Lands of the said Mr. Neal stil on the left hand til we came thro into Cricklade Road then leaving the Hedge belonging to the Dutchy and the Exchequer lands on the left hand til we came to the Gate at the end of the lane, then leaving the said Gate on the left hand we went thrô the Hedge on the right hand into the lands of Mr. Rich being Dutchy lands leaving the hedge and the Exchequer lands on the left hand til we came to the Corner of the Poors Plot2 where a Gospel was read and a Crosse made from thence thro a Ground called Pancake Hall crossing the Brook3 into Stoake Common along the said Comon til we came to the north Corner of the said Poors Plat leaving the Hedge of the said Platt on the left hand where the Perambulation for this day ended.

Meeting the fourth day of May in Stoake Comon' against the North Corner of the said Poors Plat to continue the said Perambulation from thence we proceeded to the upper End of Stoake Comon leaving the lands of the said Mr. Rich (being the Exchequer) on the left hand so on directly up the Berry Hill Grounds leaving the lands of the said Mr. Rich stil on the left hand so stil directly on thrô the lands of Georges Pitt Esqr. til we came to a lane leading from Minety Comon to Momes leaze Leaving the lands belonging to the said Mrs. Monday & the said Mr. Nott on the left hand (being Exchequer land) where a Gospel was read and a Cross made. Then proceeding crosse the End of the same Ground leaving the said Lane on the left hand where a Gospel was read and a Cross made. then returning down the lands of the said George Pitt til we came to a pond at the corner of the Ragg meads leaving the lands of the said Mrs. Jacob and of the said Mr.Nott on the left hand (being Exchequer lands) making a short turn on the left hand down the Ragg mead & so on til we came to the Corner of the Great Ragg, 1 Called the " Black Dog" in Map of Purton, 1744.

2 This is the land, 25 acres, allotted to the poor of Purton Stoke at the time of the disafforesting of Braden. It lies in the parish of Cricklade St. Sampson.

3 Rey river.

4 This land was presumably ancient common but some of it was perhaps allotted to the copyholders of Purton Stoke at the time of the disafforesting of Braden in lieu of their rights of feeding in the forest. By the Purton Enclosure Act of 1737 it was divided up between these owners of property. 5 Of Strathfieldsaye. His son was raised to the peerage as Baron Rivers. The third Baron took the name of Pitt Rivers. The title became extinct in 1880. Aubrey tells us that "George Pitt, Esq.," was owner of the Manor of Minety. He was father of the man mentioned in the text, and married the relict of George Brydges, Lord Chandos, to which family the manors of Minety and Purton were granted, 8th May, 1544. It was sold by Lord Rivers early in the last century. (Britton's North Wilts, p. 56.)

6 This word is used with reference to tracts of wood, e.g., Dutchy Ragg, Pouchers Ragg, but also of fields, as here and in other parts of Purton (1744 map).

leaving the lands of Mrs. Cox' Widow on the left hand where a Gospel was read and a Crosse made Then proceeding in a direct line til we came to a corner against the Great Purlieu where a Gospel was read & a cross made and so all throgh the lands of the said George Pitt (formerly Enclosed out of the Comon of Purton Stoake) til we came to a small Stream called Stoake Brook leaving the lands of the said Mrs. Cox and Thomas Warner Esqr. on the left hand from thence we crossed the said Stream into a Ground called Monks the land of Samuel Shepherd then thrô a Ground of the Widow Trinders into Littleworth Lane leaving the lands of the said Thomas Warner & of late Henry Sheppard on the left hand from whence we proceeded on to the Midway in the said Lane where a Gospel was read and a Cross made near the Shore of the ditch on the Right Hand & also on an Ashen Tree over against the same and to every person there present was Given Cakes & Ale from thence we went thrô into a Ground the lands of Henry Broadway and so into a ground called Littleworth the lands of Mr. James Dyer then into a Ground called East Mead the lands of Mr. Robert Moulden then into a Ground called East Mead the lands of Mr. Robert Carter then into a ground called Hay laines the lands of the said Henry Broadway then into two grounds called Hay laines the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury and also into a Ground called Great Hayes the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then into a Lane called Hayes Lane leaving the Lands of Mr. John Self of the late Henry Sheppard of Edward Pleydel Esqr. of the said Widow Trinder of the late William Orchard and three other Grounds belonging to the Parish of Cricklade on the left hand where a Gospel was read and a Crosse cut on an Oak on the right hand side thereof belonging to the Earl of Shaftesbury from thence into a Ground called Little Hayes the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then into a Ground called the Hayes the lands of Richard Gardiner then into a Ground called Marsh furlong the Lands of Mr. Thomas Pleydel then into a Ground called also Marsh furlong the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury. Then into a Ground called Ten Acres the Land of Martha Pepwal Spinster then into a Ground called Gossey Mead then into a Ground called the Langett and also into another Ground called the Langett, all three the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury leaving the Lands of the said Richard Gardiner and a large Comon Mead called South Mead belonging to the Parish of Cricklade on the left Hand where a Gospel was read & a Crosse made at the North East Corner of the said Langett last mentioned from thence into a Mead called the Ham the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then into a Ground called the Ham the lands of the said Henry Broadway then into a Ground called the long Acres, the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then into a Smal Ham belonging to the late Mr. Joseph Hall then into a Ham the Lands of James Long Gent. then into a Mead called the Lower Mead the Lands of Mr. William Wilkins, then into a Ground called the lower Ground the lands of William Bathe Gent. then into a smal Langet and Mead & a Ground called Gamons Ground all three the Lands of Mr. Thomas Moulden then into a Ground

The Cox family of Ashton Keynes were for many years lessees under the Crown of the Slyfield Lodge Estate.

called Gamons Ground the lands of the late Mr. Dyke then into a Ground called also Gamons Ground the Land of Mr. Richard Pannel then into a Mead & then turning short on the left Hand into another Mead the land of the said Thomas Moulden & up to the Rivers side called the Rea and so on by the River's side till we came to the bridge called Woodward's Bridge leaving Queen Ham the Lands of the said John Self in the Parish of Cricklade, the Land of the late 1 Keck Esqr. in the Parish of Blunsden St. Andrew and a Mead belonging to several persons in Haydon in the Parish of Rodbourne Cheyney on the left hand we came to the said Bridge called Woodward's Bridge where between the two Bridges a Gospel was read and a Crosse made then we came into a Mead called Norths Mead then into a Mead called Long Ham's the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then into a Mead the Lands of Mr. John Herring then into a Common Mead called Common Brook Mead then into a Mead called Smalways End the Lands of the said Nevil Maskelyne then into a Mead called Wroughton Mead the Lands of the late Mr. Phelps then into two little meads the lands of George Clarke Esqr. then into a Mead the lands of the said late Mr. Phelps stil leaving the River on the left hand til we came to the said Comon Mead called Brook Mead where the river divides til we came to almost the upper End of the said Common Mead. Then leaving both Rivers on the left hand and stil leaving the River on the left hand til we came to a Mill heretofore called Elvers Mill2 now Orchard Mill where in the Hall there at the upper End of the Table a Gospel was read and a Penny was then paid by Orchard the Miller (being an Ancient Custom) to the Minister of Purton then we crossed the said River at the Mill Taile and went thrô two little Meads lands belonging to the said Mill then into a Mead the lands of the Rev. Mr. Coker3 up the middle part thereof to Elvers Bridge leaving a Watercourse heretofore a River (according to ancient Tradition and the best information that can be had) stil on the left hand we came on the said Bridge called Elvers bridge where on the East side of the said Bridge belonging to the Parish of Purton a Gospel was read and a Crosse cut on the Post there. then we came into a Mead called Elvers bridge mead the lands of the said Nevil Maskelyne then into two meads the lands of the said late Mr. Phelps then into a little mead called the Moor the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then we crossed a little Brook or Rivulet into a Mead called Brimhil the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury about thirty perches up to a Meerstone there stil leaving the said River and some lands lying in the Parish of Rodbourne Cheney on the left hand where a Gospel was read

i John Keck died Aug. 1729. His grandfather, Sir Anthony Keck, purchased the Manor of Blunsdon St. Andrew about 1693 (see Wilts N. & Q., vi., 314-9).

2 "Elvers" is evidently a corruption of " Ayleford," William de Ayleford being mentioned as tenant of the mill in an Inq. of 11 Sept., 1306 (MalmReg., ii., 406). Now called Ridgeway Mill. Mr. Akerman in his paper (Arch. xxxvii., 304) suggests that "Ayleford" was at Woodward Bridge, but this is most improbable.

3 Rev. Thomas Coker, Rector of Little Hinton (1684-1741). VOL. XL. NO. CXVIII.

I

and a Crosse made then we proceeded in a direct line from the aforesaid Meer stone to a Stone Bridge and went over the same into a little Mead to the South East corner thereof the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury then turning up the Strait West Hedge leaving the lands of the Earl of Shaftesbury in the Parish of Liddiard Millicent on the left hand we came into the Backside belonging to a Farm called Spressels' the Estate of the said Earl of Shaftesbury where every Person there present eat Cakes & drank ale; from whence up the said Backside into a pasture ground part of the said Farm leaving the Barnes, Stables & outhousing in the said Parish of Liddiard Millicent on the left hand and so on up the said Ground in a direct line into a ground the land of the said Thomas Bray then into a Ground the lands of the said George Clarke then into a Ground of the Reverend Mr. Richard Glasse Vicar of Purton stil leaving the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury in the said parish of Liddiard Millicent on the left hand then into the highway leading to Swindon where a Gospel was read and a Crosse made then crossing the said Highway into a ground the Lands of Mr. Richard Tuckey then into the Estate of the late Mr. Anthony Goddard2 called Longs to the West corner thereof where a Gospel was read and a Crosse made leaving the Lands of Mr. Oatridge George Riddle a smal parcel of the said Ground called Longs & the Lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury on the left hand then thrô a Ground called Free Close the lands of Arthur Evans3 Gent then thrô a ground called the Moor and a Ground called Heycroft both the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury leaving the lands of Francis Mundee and the lands of the said Earl of Shaftesbury in the said Parish of Liddiard Millicent on the left hand then we came thrô the hedge to the Water in Jobbers Lane where the Perambulation was completed and so there ended.

[I am indebted to Canon F. H. Manley for most of the foregoing footnotes and other helpful suggestions. T.S.M.]

1 The extreme S.E. corner of the parish, still called Sparcel's Farm. ? The owner of the estate now called Purton House and the mill adjoining. Buried at Purton, 31st Aug., 1725.

3 The owner of property in Rodborne Cheney, Sheriff of Wilts, 1755, and guardian of Mr. Anthony Goddard's children. His wife was a daughter of the Rev. Thomas Coker and his sister Mary was wife of Anthony Goddard.

WILTSHIRE NEWSPAPERS-PAST AND PRESENT.

Part II.

By J. J. SLADE.

MARLBOROUGH JOURNAL (1771).

Outside of Salisbury, which from its ecclesiastical and political importance held a unique position in the county, there was only one Wiltshire town which possessed an 18th century newspaper, so far as we have any record. It was Marlborough. Although Marlborough was no mean place at any time in the historical period, it might be thought that Devizes enterprise would have been at least equal to that of Marlborough, and that there we might expect to find the first essay in newspaper publishing in North Wilts. The fact is, however, that while Devizes had no newspaper until Simpson's Salisbury Gazette was removed thither in 1819, Marlborough had its paper in 1771. The fact that it could not be made a financial success, and came to an end in rather over three years, does not detract from the credit due to the effort; it suffered in good company. Like its Salisbury contemporary, it was styled

66

Journal"-The Marlborough Journal. Fortunately there exists a practically complete file of the paper. Some forty years ago Mr. Stephen Neate, of Marlborough, acquired the volume at a sale of the effects of a successor to the publisher. He thought that it would have a suitable, also a safe, resting place in Marlborough College, and when Canon Bell was Master there he first lent and then presented it to the College library. The Rev. J. M. Lupton, College librarian, has inspected the file for the purposes of this article, and the Journal is thus the witness to its own history, which after this lapse of time could not otherwise be recovered.

The first issue in the file is No. 2 of the series, published on Saturday, April 5th, 1771. The title is printed in the usual old English type, and is flanked on the one side by the figure of