PREFACE.

THE compiler of the present chronicle of events, hereby tenders his cordial acknowledgments to the following gentlemen for their assistance:-To ALEXANDER MEEK Esq., town-clerk of Devizes, for liberty to inspect the borough records;-To HENRY BUTCHER jun. Esq. for papers relating to modern history, including letters from Lord SIDMOUTH; to the Hon. and Rev. Dean PELLEW his lordship's son-in-law; to the Rev. ALFRED SMITH of Old Park; to COARD W. SQUAREY Esq. of Salisbury; to Mr. WILLIAM CUNNINGTON; to Mr. L. J. ABINGTON of Henley; to Archdeacon MACDONALD; to General GRUBBE of Potterne; to Mr. JOHN ELLEN of Devizes Green; and to Mr. EDWARD KITE:-but especially to the Rev. EDWARD WILTON of West Lavington, whose freehanded surrender for inspection of a mass of original documents touching the great Civil War, besides his able adjustment of various debateable points in more recent periods of history, cannot fail to array the present work with some authority, in spite of its shortcomings in other respects. For instance, the war warrants directed to the Hundred of Potterne and Cannings, with other issues of the like nature, scattered over pages 133 to 212, are, almost without exception, furnished from Mr. WILTON's papers. This pleasing task being accomplished, it only remains to invoke the reader's forbearance for the cursory manner in which matters so heterogeneous as the following must necessarily be treated.

November, 1859.