OF CITIES AND TOWNS IN ENGLAND.
[1577, Book II., Chapter 7; 1587, Book II., Chapter 13.]
As in old time we read that there were eight-and-twenty flamines and
archflamines in the south part of this isle, and so many great cities
under their jurisdiction, so in these our days there is but one or two
fewer, and each of them also under the ecclesiastical regiment of some one
bishop or archbishop, who in spiritual cases have the charge and oversight
of the same. So many cities therefore are there in England and Wales as
there be bishoprics and archbishoprics.[70] For, notwithstanding that
Lichfield and Coventry and Bath and Wells do seem to extend the aforesaid
number unto nine-and-twenty, yet neither of these couples are to be
accounted but as one entire city and see of the bishop, sith one bishopric
can have relation but unto one see, and the said see be situate but in one
place, after which the bishop doth take his name.[71]
* * * * *
Certes I would gladly set down, with the names and number of the cities,
all the towns and villages in England and Wales, with their true
longitudes and latitudes, but as yet I cannot come by them in such order
as I would; howbeit the tale of our cities is soon found by the
bishoprics, sith every see hath such prerogative given unto it as to bear
the name of a city and to use _Regaleius_[72] within her own limits. Which
privilege also is granted to sundry ancient towns in England, especially
northward, where more plenty of them is to be found by a great deal than
in the south. The names therefore of our cities are these: London, York,
Canterbury, Winchester, Carlisle, Durham, Ely, Norwich, Lincoln,
Worcester, Gloucester, Hereford, Salisbury, Exeter, Bath, Lichfield,
Bristol, Rochester, Chester, Chichester, Oxford, Peterborough, Llandaff,
St. Davids, Bangor, St. Asaph, whose particular plots and models, with
their descriptions, shall ensue, if it may be brought to pass that the
cutters can make despatch of them before this history be published.[73]
Of towns and villages likewise thus much will I say, that there were
greater store in old time (I mean within three or four hundred year
passed) than at this present. And this I note out of divers records,
charters, and donations (made in times past unto sundry religious houses,
as Glastonbury, Abingdon, Ramsey, Ely, and such like), and whereof in
these days I find not so much as the ruins. Leland, in sundry places,
complaineth likewise of the decay of parishes in great cities and towns,
missing in some six or eight or twelve churches and more, of all which he
giveth particular notice. For albeit that the Saxons builded many towns
and villages, and the Normans well more at their first coming, yet since
the first two hundred years after the latter conquest, they have gone so
fast again to decay that the ancient number of them is very much abated.
Ranulph, the monk of Chester, telleth of general survey made in the
fourth, sixteenth, and nineteenth of the reign of William Conqueror,
surnamed the Bastard, wherein it was found that (notwithstanding the Danes
had overthrown a great many) there were to the number of 52,000 towns,
45,002 parish churches, and 75,000 knights' fees, whereof the clergy held
28,015. He addeth moreover that there were divers other builded since that
time, within the space of a hundred years after the coming of the Bastard,
as it were in lieu or recompense of those that William Rufus pulled down
for the erection of his New Forest. For by an old book which I have, and
some time written as it seemeth by an under-sheriff of Nottingham, I find
even in the time of Edward IV. 45,120 parish churches, and but 60,216
knights' fees, whereof the clergy held as before 28,015, or at the least
28,000; for so small is the difference which he doth seem to use. Howbeit,
if the assertions of such as write in our time concerning this matter
either are or ought to be of any credit in this behalf, you shall not find
above 17,000 towns and villages, and 9210 in the whole, which is little
more than a fourth part of the aforesaid number, if it be thoroughly
scanned.[74]
* * * * *
In time past in Lincoln (as the same goeth) there have been two-and-fifty
parish churches, and good record appeareth for eight-and-thirty; but now,
if there be four-and-twenty, it is all. This inconvenience hath grown
altogether to the church by appropriations made unto monasteries and
religious houses--a terrible canker and enemy to religion.
But to leave this lamentable discourse of so notable and grievous an
inconvenience, growing as I said by encroaching and joining of house to
house and laying land to land, whereby the inhabitants of many places of
our country are devoured and eaten up, and their houses either altogether
pulled down or suffered to decay little by little,[75] although some time
a poor man peradventure doth dwell in one of them, who, not being able to
repair it, suffereth it to fall down--and thereto thinketh himself very
friendly dealt withal, if he may have an acre of ground assigned unto him,
wherein to keep a cow, or wherein to set cabbages, radishes, parsnips,
carrots, melons, pompons,[76] or such like stuff, by which he and his poor
household liveth as by their principal food, sith they can do no better.
And as for wheaten bread, they eat it when they can reach unto the price
of it, contenting themselves in the meantime with bread made of oats or
barley: a poor estate, God wot! Howbeit, what care our great encroachers?
But in divers places where rich men dwelled some time in good tenements,
there be now no houses at all, but hop-yards, and sheds for poles, or
peradventure gardens, as we may see in Castle Hedingham,[77] and divers
other places. But to proceed.
It is so that, our soil being divided into champaign ground and woodland,
the houses of the first lie uniformly builded in every town together, with
streets and lanes; whereas in the woodland countries (except here and
there in great market towns) they stand scattered abroad, each one
dwelling in the midst of his own occupying. And as in many and most great
market towns, there are commonly three hundred or four hundred families or
mansions, and two thousand communicants (or peradventure more), so in the
other, whether they be woodland or champaign, we find not often above
forty, fifty, or three score households, and two or three hundred
communicants, whereof the greatest part nevertheless are very poor folks,
oftentimes without all manner of occupying, sith the ground of the parish
is gotten up into a few men's hands, yea sometimes into the tenure of one
or two or three, whereby the rest are compelled either to be hired
servants unto the other or else to beg their bread in misery from door to
door.
There are some (saith Leland) which are not so favourable, when they have
gotten such lands, as to let the houses remain upon them to the use of
the poor; but they will compound with the lord of the soil to pull them
down for altogether, saying that "if they did let them stand, they should
but toll beggars to the town, thereby to surcharge the rest of the parish,
and lay more burden upon them." But alas! these pitiful men see not that
they themselves hereby do lay the greatest log upon their neighbours'
necks. For, sith the prince doth commonly loose nothing of his duties
accustomable to be paid, the rest of the parishioners that remain must
answer and bear them out: for they plead more charge other ways, saying:
"I am charged already with a light horse; I am to answer in this sort, and
after that matter." And it is not yet altogether out of knowledge that,
where the king had seven pounds thirteen shillings at a task gathered of
fifty wealthy householders of a parish in England, now, a gentleman having
three parts of the town in his own hands, four households do bear all the
aforesaid payment, or else Leland is deceived in his _Commentaries_, lib.
13, lately come to my hands,[78] which thing he especially noted in his
travel over this isle. A common plague and enormity, both in the heart of
the land and likewise upon the coasts. Certes a great number complain of
the increase of poverty, laying the cause upon God, as though he were in
fault for sending such increase of people, or want of wars that should
consume them, affirming that the land was never so full, etc.; but few men
do see the very root from whence it doth proceed. Yet the Romans found it
out, when they flourished, and therefore prescribed limits to every man's
tenure and occupying. Homer commendeth Achilles for overthrowing of
five-and-twenty cities: but in mine opinion Ganges is much better
preferred by Suidas for building of three score in India, where he did
plant himself. I could (if need required) set down in this place the
number of religious houses and monasteries, with the names of their
founders, that have been in this island: but, sith it is a thing of small
importance, I pass it over as impertinent to my purpose. Yet herein I
will commend sundry of the monastical votaries, especially monks, for that
they were authors of many goodly borowes and endwares,[79] near unto their
dwellings, although otherwise they pretended to be men separated from the
world. But alas! their covetous minds, one way in enlarging their
revenues, and carnal intent another, appeared herein too, too much. For,
being bold from time to time to visit their tenants, they wrought oft
great wickedness, and made those endwares little better than
brothel-houses, especially where nunneries were far off, or else no safe
access unto them. But what do I spend my time in the rehearsal of these
filthinesses? Would to God the memory of them might perish with the
malefactors! My purpose was also at the end of this chapter to have set
down a table of the parish churches and market towns throughout all
England and Wales; but, sith I cannot perform the same as I would, I am
forced to give over my purpose; yet by these few that ensue you shall
easily see what order I would have used according to the shires, if I
might have brought it to pass.
Shires. Market Towns. Parishes.
Middlesex 3 73
London within the walls and without 120
Surrey 6 140
Sussex 18 312
Kent 17 398
Cambridge 4 163
Bedford 9 13
Huntingdon 5 78
Rutland 2 47
Berkshire 11 150
Northampton 10 326
Buckingham 11 196
Oxford 10 216
Southampton 18 248
Dorset 19 279
Norfolk 26 625
Suffolk 25 575
Essex 18 415
And these I had of a friend of mine, by whose travel and his master's
excessive charges I doubt not but my countrymen ere long shall see all
England set forth in several shires after the same manner that Ortelius
hath dealt with other countries of the main, to the great benefit of our
nation and everlasting fame of the aforesaid parties.[80]