Mr. Cadby, bookseller, of 83, New Street, Birmingham, recently
advertised for sale "Some Memoirs relating to the Church and City of
Worcester, collected by one of the Ancient Family of the Abingtons,
which came to the hands of Robert Dobyns, late of Easbath, and now of
the City of Hereford, Esq., who, out of the Love he bears to the said
Church and City where he was Born and Baptised, _transmitted this Copy
to the Library at Worcester, there to be kept_, supposing the original
to be lost in the late Civill Warrs; small folio, old vellum, neatly
written in contracted German characters, about the period of Elizabeth
and James I, 143 pp., 20 Guineas. The original could not be found when
the above was bequeathed, nor has it been heard of since; consequently
this is the only one in existence, and must now take the place of the
original." I have not myself seen this Manuscript, but a friend informs
me that it wears the appearance of genuineness. After referring to
Worcester in connection with Roman times, its possession by the Wiccian
Kings is spoken of, and then the foundation of the bishopric in A.D.
680. Year by year it records the events in the history of the bishopric
up to 1486, which is the last date. Some reference is also made to the
city, but the bishopric and its various prelates occupy most of the
book. The chief towns and villages in the county are also referred to.
BISHOP SWINFIELD'S ROLL.
"A roll of the household expenses of Richard de Swinfield, Bishop
of Hereford, during part of the years 1289 and 1290." This valuable
Manuscript was discovered about forty years ago by Dr. Prattinton, of
Bewdley, among the muniments at Stanford Court, the seat of Sir T.
E. Winnington, Bart. Dr. Prattinton made an abstract of it, which he
presented, with his other Worcestershire papers, to the Society of
Antiquaries; but it was not till the year 1853 that the roll was edited
and published, when the Rev. John Webb, of Tretire, undertook the
task, and by his extensive research in mediæval history has succeeded
in converting the meagre materials of the roll--presenting as it does
nearly the earliest picture of English life in existence--into a most
interesting detail of the character and events, the manners and customs
of the thirteenth century, so as to attract considerable notice among
antiquaries. The work was printed in two volumes, in 1853 and 1854,
for the Camden Society; and as some portions of the Bishop's itinerary
through his diocese is connected with Worcestershire I shall make a few
extracts and comments thereon:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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