English county histories


English county histories, in other words historical and topographical works concerned with individual ancient counties of England, were produced by antiquarians from the late 16th century onwards. The content was variable: most focused on recording the ownership of estates and the descent of lordships of manors, thus the genealogies of county families, heraldry and other antiquarian material. In the introduction to one typical early work of this style, The Antiquities of Warwickshire published in 1656, the author William Dugdale writes:
Thus his work was designed primarily to be read by his fellow county gentry of Warwickshire, whose public lives and marriages were largely confined within their own county of residence, which they administered as Justices of the Peace and Sheriffs, and represented in Parliament. The genealogical and heraldic tradition continues with the series of Victoria County Histories commenced in the late 19th century.
Other forms recorded archaeological sites. A closely related genre, which emerged in the second half of the 17th century, was the county "Natural History", which focused on the county's flora, fauna and natural phenomena, but which also often included chapters on antiquities. The best known examples were Robert Plot's two volumes on Oxfordshire and Staffordshire ; and John Aubrey's unpublished work on Wiltshire.

Development

Continental models

Dugdale quotes as his foreign models César de Nostredame, historian of Provence in France, author of Rerum antiquarum et nobiliorum Provinciae, written c.1560, published 1615; Ottavio Rossi, historian of Brescia in Italy, author of Memorie Bresciane, Opera Historica, E Simbolica ; Guillaume Catel, historian of Languedoc in France, author of Mémoires sur l'histoire du Languedoc ; Samuel Guichenon, historian of Bresse in France, author of Histoire de la Bresse et du Bugey and Antonius Sanderus, historian of Flanders, author of Flandria Illustrata.

English pioneers

's Perambulation of Kent is generally acknowledged as the first example of the genre in England. It was followed by Richard Carew's Survey of Cornwall, and William Burton's Description of Leicester Shire, as well as a number of other projects which, although they sometimes circulated in manuscript, did not come to completion or publication. Following the appearance of William Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire, a pattern was set. In the nineteenth century John Bowyer Nichols followed the line of a history of Leicestershire compiled by his father John Nichols, and saw numerous counties histories through the press at his printing firm. The scope of county histories varied, but the titles became quite standard: "Antiquities of", "Worthies of", "Geological survey", "Description of", later "Directory of", all could indicate the intention of producing a "history", a term that only in later times acquired the narrower meaning it carries today. Chorography, topography and toponymy might all be involved. Materials and collections for their counties were made by antiquaries, but publication might await sponsorship or enough subscriptions, as well as a capable author who would make a readable book, perhaps of multiple volumes, from notes.

Listing by county

Bedfordshire

See: History of Bedfordshire; :Category: History of Bedfordshire;
  • Magna Britannia
  • three volumes, 1904–1912

    Berkshire

  • Elias Ashmole, Antiquities of Berkshire
  • J. Rocque, A Topographical Survey of the County of Berkshire, 1761

    Buckinghamshire

See: History of Buckinghamshire; :Category: History of Buckinghamshire; Victoria County History edited by William Page
  • George Lipscomb, The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham published in eight parts, 1831–47
  • James Joseph Sheahan, ''History and Topography of Buckinghamshire: comprising a general survey of the county, preceded by an epitome of the early history of Great Britain''

    Cambridgeshire

  • Edmund Carter, ''History of the County of Cambridge''

    Cheshire

  • Sir Peter Leycester, 1st Baronet, Historical antiquities
  • Peter Perez Burdett, Survey of the County Palatine of Chester
  • George Ormerod, ''The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester''

    Cornwall

  • Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall
  • William Hals, Compleat History of Cornwall, from about 1750
  • An historical survey of the county of Cornwall, etc., compiled by William Penaluna
  • Richard Polwhele, The History of Cornwall
  • Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Magna Britannia
The Cornwall history was supported by Francis Vyvyan Jago Arundell.
  • Charles Sandoe Gilbert, Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall
  • Fortescue Hitchins and Samuel Drew, ''The History of Cornwall''

    Cumberland and Westmorland

  • Richard Burn and Joseph Nicolson, The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, 1777.
This goes back to the manuscript Accompt of the most considerable estates and families in the county of Cumberland of about 1603 by John Denton. Through copies made by Daniel Fleming, it used material collected by Christopher Rawlinson. Joseph Nicolson, son of John Nicolson of Hawkesdale, was a nephew of Bishop William Nicolson, and inherited from him collections relating to Carlisle. Burn and Nicolson used in particular material collected by Thomas Machell, vicar of Kirkby Thore, and collated by William Nicolson.
Glover made use of, and expanded, an unpublished history by William Woolley.
  • Samuel Bagshaw, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Derbyshire
  • White, ''History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby''

    Devon

  • John Hooker, Synopsis Corographical of the County of Devon, unpublished
  • Sir William Pole, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, notes made, published by Sir John-William de la Pole, London, 1791
  • Thomas Westcote, Survey of Devon of 1630
  • Tristram Risdon, Chorographical Description or Survey of the County of Devon
  • Richard Polwhele, The History of Devonshire
John Swete supplied material to Polwhele.
  • William White, ''History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Devon: including the city of Exeter, and comprising a general survey of the county''

    Dorset

  • John Hutchins, History and Antiquities of Dorset
  • John Hutchins, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, Vols. 1–4, 1815.

    Durham

  • William Hutchinson, History and Antiquities of the Country Palatine of Durham
  • Robert Surtees, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham
Both Hutchinson and Surtees drew on the work of George Allan. John Brewster assisted Surtees.
  • James Raine, The History and Antiquities of North-Durham, 1852
  • William Fordyce, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham
  • Whellan, ''History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham''

    Essex

  • Philip Morant, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex, two volumes 1763–1768
Morant used collections of Thomas Jekyll; and also material from Richard Symonds he obtained via Gregory King. A major source was the parish descriptions of William Holman. These had been acquired by Nicholas Tindal, for whom Morant worked as a curate; Tindal made a small start on publishing Essex history, around 1732. They then passed via Nathaniel Salmon, Anthony Allen and John Booth, before Morant had them from Booth about 1750.
  • A New and Complete History of Essex, from a late survey
  • Elizabeth Ogborne, The History of Essex
Thomas Leman and probably Joseph Strutt assisted.
  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Essex, 1848

    Gloucestershire

  • Sir Robert Atkyns, The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire
  • Samuel Rudder, A New History of Gloucestershire
Rudder's work was based on Atkyns and a manuscript of Richard Furney.
  • Ralph Bigland, Historical, Monumental & Genealogical Collections relative to the County of Gloucester
  • Thomas Rudge, The History of the County of Gloucester, compressed and brought down to the year 1803
  • Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, Abstracts of Records and Manuscripts Respecting the County of Gloucester
  • ''Gloucestershire Victoria County History''

    Hampshire

  • William Bingley, The Topographical Account of the Hundred of Bosmere 1817
  • William White, ''History, gazetteer and directory of the County of Hampshire''

    Herefordshire

  • John Duncumb, partial work continued by others.
Duncumb used work by Richard Blyke; and an older manuscript by Silas Taylor.

Hertfordshire

See: History of Hertfordshire; :Category:History of Hertfordshire;
  • John Norden, Speculi Britaniae Pars: the Description of Hartfordshire
  • Henry Chauncy, Antiquities of Hertfordshire
  • Nathaniel Salmon, History of Hertfordshire
Salmon drew on unpublished material of Chauncy.
Clutterbuck used collections of Thomas Blore.
  • John Edwin Cussans, ''A History of Hertfordshire, containing an account of the Descents of the various Manors, Pedigrees of Families, Antiquities, Local Customs, &c.''

    Kent

  • William Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent
  • Richard Kilburne, A Brief Survey of the County of Kent ; and A Topographie, or Survey of the County of Kent
  • Thomas Philipot, Villare Cantianum: or Kent Surveyed and Illustrated
Philipot drew on materials originally collected by his father, John Philipot, and the Villare Cantianum is sometimes said to be John's work published under Thomas's name. He also drew on notes inherited from Robert Glover, his great-uncle.