Books: The Natural History of Wiltshire

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They have tryed for coale at Alderbery Common, but was baffled in it.
(I have heard it credibly reported that coale has been found in
Urchfont parish, about fifty or sixty yeares since; but upon account
of the scarcity of workmen, depth of the coale, and the then plenty of
firing out of ye great wood called Crookwood, it did not quit the
cost, and so the mines were stop'd up. There hath been great talk
several times of searching after coale here again. Crookwood, once
full of sturdy oakes, is now destroyed, and all sort of fuel very dear
in all the circumjacent country. It lies very commodious, being
situate about the middle of the whole county; three miles from the
populous town of the Devises, two miles from Lavington, &c.-BISHOP
TANNER.)

[Several abortive attempts have been made at different periods to find
coal on Malmesbury Common.-J. B.]

CHAPTER VI.
STONES.

I WILL begin with freestone (lapis arenarius), as the best kind of
stone that this country doth afford.

The quarre at Haselbury [near Box] was most eminent for freestone in
the western parts, before the discovery of the Portland quarrie, which
was but about anno 1600. The church of Portland, which stands by the
sea side upon the quarrie, (which lies not very deep, sc. ten foot),
is of Cane stone, from Normandie. Malmesbury Abbey and the other
Wiltshire religious houses are of Haselbury stone. The old tradition
is that St. Adelm, Abbot of Malmesbury, riding over the ground at
Haselbury, did throw down his glove, and bad them dig there, and they
should find great treasure, meaning the quarre.
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AT Chilmarke is a very great quarrie of freestone, whereof the
religious houses of the south part of Wiltshire and Dorset were built.
[The walls, buttresses, and other substantial parts of Salisbury
Cathedral are constructed of the Chilmarke stone. - J. B.]

At Teffont Ewyas is a quarrie of very good white freestone, not long
since discovered.

At Compton Basset is a quarrie of soft white stone betwixt chalke and
freestone: it endures fire admirably well, and would be good for
reverbatory furnaces: it is much used for ovens and hearth-stones: it
is as white as chalke. At my Lord Stowell's house at Aubury is a
chimney piece carved of it in figures; but it doth not endure the
weather, and therefore it ought not to be exposed to sun and raine.

At Yatton Keynel, in Longdean, is a freestone quarrie, but it doth not
endure the weather well.

In Alderton-field is a freestone quarrie, discovered a little before
the civill-warres broke forth.

In Bower Chalke field, in the land that belongs to the farme of Broad
Chalke, is a quarrie of freestone of a dirty greenish colour, very
soft, but endures the weather well. The church and houses there are
built with it, and the barne of the farme, w{hi}ch is of great antiquity.
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The common stone in Malmesbury hundred and thereabout is oftentimes
blewish in the inside, and full of very small cockles, as at Easton
Piers. These stones are dampish and sweate, and doe emitt a cold and
unwholsome dampe, sc. the vitriolate petrified salt in it exerts
itselfe.

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I know no where in this county that lime is made, unlesse it be made
of Chalke stones: whereas between Bath and Bristoll all the stone is
lime-stone. If lime were at xs. or xxs. per lib. it would be valued
above all other drugges.
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At Swindon is a quarrie of stones, excellent for paveing halls,
staire-cases, &c; it being pretty white and smooth, and of such a
texture as not to be moist or wett in damp weather. It is used at
London in Montagu-house, and in Barkeley-house &c. (and at Cornberry,
Oxon. JOHN EVELYN). This stone is not inferior to Purbac grubbes, but
whiter. It takes a little polish, and is a dry stone. It was
discovered but about 1640, yet it lies not above four or five foot
deep. It is near the towne, and not above [ten] miles from the river
of Thames at Lechlade. [The Wilts and Berks Canal and the Great
Western Railway now pass close to the town of Swindon, and afford
great faculties for the conveyance of this stone, which is now in
consequence very extensively used.- J. B.]
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If Chalk may be numbred among stones, we have great plenty of it. I
doe believe that all chalke was once marle; that is, that chalke has
undergone subterraneous bakeings, and is become hard: e. g, as wee
make tobacco-pipes.
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Pebbles. - The millers in our country use to putt a black pebble under
the pinne of ye axis of the mill-wheele, to keep the brasse underneath
from wearing; and they doe find by experience, that nothing doth weare
so long as that. The bakers take a certain pebble, which they putt in
the vaulture of their oven, which they call the warning-stone: for
when that is white the oven is hot.

In the river Avon at Lacock are large round pebbles. I have not seen
the like elsewhere. Quaere, if any transparent ones? From Merton,
southward to the sea, is pebbly.

There was a time when all pebbles were liquid. Wee find them all
ovalish. How should this come to passe? As for salts, some shoot
cubicall, some hexagonall. Why might there not be a time, when these
pebbles were making in embryone (in fieri), for such a shooting as
falls into an ovalish figure?

Pebbles doe breake according to the length of the greatest diameter:
but those wee doe find broken in the earth are broken according to
their shortest diameter. I have broken above an hundred of them, to
try to have one broken at the shortest diameter, to save the charge
and paines of grinding them for molers to grind colours for limming;
and they all brake the long way as aforsayd.
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Black flints are found in great plenty in the chalkie country. They
are a kind of pyrites, and are as regular; 'tis certain they have been
"in fluore".

Excellent fire-flints are digged up at Dun's Pit in Groveley, and
fitted for gunnes by Mr. Th. Sadler of Steeple Langford.
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Anno 1655, I desired Dr. W. Harvey to tell me how flints were
generated. He sayd to me that the black of the flint is but a natural
vitrification of the chalke: and added that the medicine of the flint
is excellent for the stone, and I thinke he said for the greene
sicknesse; and that in some flints are found stones in next degree to
a diamond. The doctor had his armes and his wife's cutt in such a one,
which was bigger than the naile of my middle finger; found at Folkston
in Kent, where he told me he was borne.

In the stone-brash country in North Wilts flints are very rare, and
those that are found are but little. I once found one, when I was a
little boy learning to read, in the west field by Easton Piers, as big
as one's fist, and of a kind of liver colour. Such coloured flints are
very common in and about Long Lane near Stuston, [Sherston ?-J. B.]
and no where else that I ever heard of.

It is reported that at Tydworth a diamond was found in a flint, which
the Countess of Marleborough had set in a ring. I have seen small
fluores in flints (sparkles in the hollow of flints) like diamonds;
but when they are applied to the diamond mill they are so soft that
they come to nothing. But, had he that first found out the way of
cutting transparent pebbles (which was not long before the late civill
warres) kept it a secret, he might have got thousands of pounds by it;
for there is no way to distinguish it from a diamond but by the mill.
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I shall conclude with the stones called the Grey Wethers; which lye
scattered all over the downes about Marleborough, and incumber the
ground for at least seven miles diameter; and in many places they are,
as it were, sown so thick, that travellers in the twylight at a
distance take them to be flocks of sheep (wethers) from whence they
have their name. So that this tract of ground looks as if it had been
the scene where the giants had fought with huge stones against the
Gods, as is described by Hesiod in his {Gk: theogonia}.

They are also (far from the rode) commonly called Sarsdens, or Sarsdon
stones. About two or three miles from Andover is a village called
Sersden, i. e. Csars dene, perhaps don: Cæsar's dene, Cæsar's
plains; now Salisbury plaine. (So Salisbury, Cæsaris Burgus.) But I
have mett with this kind of stones sometimes as far as from Christian
Malford in Wilts to Abington; and on the downes about Royston, &c. as
far as Huntington, are here and there those Sarsden-stones. They peep
above the ground a yard and more high, bigger and lesser. Those that
lie in the weather are so hard that no toole can touch them. They take
a good polish. As for their colour, some are a kind of dirty red,
towards porphyry; some perfect white; some dusky white; some blew,
like deep blew marle; some of a kind of olive greenish colour; but
generally they are whitish. Many of them are mighty great ones, and
particularly those in Overton Wood. Of these kind of stones are framed
the two stupendous antiquities of Aubury and Stone-heng. I have heard
the minister of Aubury say those huge stones may be broken in what
part of them you please without any great trouble. The manner is thus:
they make a fire on that line of the stone where they would have it to
crack; and, after the stone is well heated, draw over a line with cold
water, and immediately give a smart knock with a smyth's sledge, and
it will breake like the collets at the glasse-house. [This system of
destruction is still adopted on the downs in the neighbourhood of
Avebury. Many of the upright stones of the great Celtic Temple in that
parish have been thus destroyed in my time.- J. B.]

Sir Christopher Wren sayes they doe pitch (incline) all one way, like
arrowes shot. Quaere de hoc, and if so to what part of the heavens
they point? Sir Christopher thinks they were cast up by a vulcano.

CHAPTER VII.
OF FORMED STONES.

[AUBREY, and other writers of his time, designated by this term the
fossil remains of antediluvian animals and vegetables. This Chapter is
very brief in the manuscript; and the following are the only passages
adapted for this publication.

The numerous excavations which have been made in the county since
Aubrey's time have led to the discovery of a great abundance of
organic remains; especially in the northern part of the county, from
Swindon to Chippenham and Box. Large collections have been made by Mr.
John Provis and Mr. Lowe, of Chippenham, which it is hoped will be
preserved in some public museum, for the advantage of future
geologists.-J. B.]

THE stones at Easton-Piers are full of small cockles no bigger than
silver half-pennies. The stones at Kington St. Michael and Dracot
Cerne are also cockley, but the cockles at Dracot bigger.
Cockleborough, near Chippenham, hath its denomination from the
petrified cockles found there in great plenty, and as big as cockles.
Sheldon, in the parish of Chippenham, hath its denomination from the
petrified shells in the stones there.

At Dracot Cerne there is belemnites, as also at Tytherington Lucas.
They are like hafts of knives, dimly transparent, having a seame on
one side.
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West from Highworth, towards Cricklad, are stones as big, or bigger
than one's head, that lie common even in the highway, which are
petrified sea-mushromes. They looke like honeycombs, but the holes are
not hexagons, but round. They are found from Lydiard Tregoze to Cumnor
in Barkshire, in which field I have also seen them. [See page 9.-J.
B.]
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At Steeple Ashton are frequently found stones resembling the picture
of the unicorne's horn, but not tapering. They are about the bignesse
of a cart-rope, and are of a reddish gray colour.

In the vicaridge garden at Bower Chalke are found petrified oyster
shells; which the learned Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, who lived there some
yeares, assured me: and I am informed since that there are also cockle
shells and scalop shells. Also in the parish of Wotton Basset are
found petrified oyster shells; and there are also found cornua ammonis
of a reddish gray, but not very large. About two or three miles from
the Devises are found in a pitt snake-stones (cornua ammonis) no
bigger than a sixpence, of a black colour. Mr. John Beaumont, Junr.,
of Somersetshire, a great naturalist, tells me that some-where by
Chilmarke lies in the chalke a bed of stones called "echini marini".
He also enformes me that, east of Bitteston, in the estate of Mr.
Montjoy, is a spring,-they call it a holy well,-where five-pointed
stones doe bubble up (Astreites) which doe move in vinegar.

At Broad Chalke are sometimes found cornua ammonis of chalke. I doe
believe that they might be heretofore in as great abundance hereabout
as they are about Caynsham and Burnet in Somersetshire; but being
soft, the plough teares them in pieces; and the sun and the frost does
slake them like lime. They are very common about West Lavington, with
which the right honourable James, Earle of Abington, has adorned his
grotto's there. There are also some of these stones about Calne.

CHAPTER VIII.
AN HYPOTHESIS OF THE TERRAQUEOUS GLOBE. A DIGRESSION.

[THE seventeenth century was peculiarly an age of scientific research
and investigation. The substantial and brilliant discoveries of Newton
induced many of his less gifted contemporaries to pursue inquiries
into the arcana and profound mysteries of science; but where rational
inferences and deductions failed, they too frequently had recourse to
mere unsupported theory and conjectural speculation.

The stratification of the crust of our globe, and the division of its
surface into land and water, was a fertile theme for conjecture; and
many learned and otherwise sagacious writers, assigned imaginary
causes for the results which they attempted to explain.

The chapter of Aubrey's work which bears the above title is, to some
extent, of this nature. It consists chiefly of speculative opinions
extracted from other works, with a few conjectures of his own, which,
though based upon the clear and judicious views of his friend Robert
Hooke, do not, upon the whole, deserve much consideration; although to
the curious in the history of Geological science they may appear
interesting. Its author had sufficient diffidence as to the merits of
this chapter to describe it as "a digression; ad mentem Mr. R. Hook,
R.S.S."; and his friend Ray, in a letter already quoted, observes,
after commending other portions of the present work, "I find but one
thing that may give any just offence; and that is, the Hypothesis of
the Terraqueous Globe; wherewith I must confess myself not to be
satisfied: but that is but a digression, and aliene from your subject;
and so may very well be left out". Ray's work on "Chaos and Creation"
published in 1692, a year after the date of this letter, was a
valuable contribution to the geological knowledge of the time. Some
notes by Evelyn, on Aubrey's original MS., shew that he was at least
equally credulous with the author.

Aubrey concludes that the universal occurrence of "petrified fishes'
shells gives clear evidence that the earth hath been all covered over
with water". He assumes that the irregularities and changes in the
earth's surface were occasioned by earthquakes; and has inserted in
his manuscript, from the London Gazette, accounts of three
earthquakes, in different parts of Italy, in the years 1688 and 1690.
A small 4to pamphlet, being "A true relation of the terrible
Earthquake which happened at Ragusa, and several other cities in
Dalmatia and Albania, the 6th of April 1667", is also inserted in the
MS. Aubrey observes: "As the world was torne by earthquakes, as also
the vaulture by time foundred and fell in, so the water subsided and
the dry land appeared. Then, why might not that change alter the
center of gravity of the earth? Before this the pole of the ecliptique
perhaps was the pole of the world". And in confirmation of these views
he quotes several passages from Ovid's Metamorphoses, book i. fab. 7.
8. He also cites the scheme of Father Kircher, of the Society of
Jesus, which, in a section of the globe, represents it as "full of
cavities, and resembling the inside of a pomegranade", the centre
being marked with a blazing fire, or "ignis centralis". "But now",
writes Aubrey in 1691, "Mr. Edmund Halley, R.S.S., hath an hypothesis
that the earth is hollow, about five hundred miles thick; and that a
terella moves within it, which causes the variation of the needle; and
in the center a sun". Further on he says, "that the centre of this
globe is like the heart that warmes the body, is now the most commonly
received opinion". On the subject of subterranean heats and fires the
author quotes several pages from Dr. Edward Jorden's "Discourse of
Natural Baths and Mineral Waters; wherein the original of fountains,
the nature and differences of water, and particularly those of the
Bathe, are declared". (4to. 1632.) He also extracts a passage from
Lemery's "Course of Chymistry", (8vo. 1686,) as the foundation of a
theory to explain the heat of the Bath waters.

The difficulty of reconciling the various opinions that were advanced
with the Mosaic account of the Creation, was a great stumbling-block
to the progress of geological science at the time when Aubrey wrote.
He was not however inclined to read the sacred writings too literally
on this subject, for after giving a part of the first chapter of
Genesis, he quotes (from Timothy, ch. iii. v. 15) the words, "from a
child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee
wise unto salvation:" upon which he observes, "the Apostle doth not
say, to teach natural philosophy: and see Pere Symond, where he says
that the scriptures in some places may be erroneous as to philosophy,
but the doctrine of the church is right". It is presumed that the
above passages, which indicate the general nature of Aubrey's theory,
will be sufficient, without further quotations from this chapter. - J. B.]

CHAPTER IX.
OF PLANTS.

Præsentemq{ue} refert quaelibet herba Deum.- OVID.

[THIS is one of the most copious chapters in Aubrey's work. Ray has
appended a number of valuable notes to it, several of which are here
printed. Dr. Maton has quoted from this chapter, which he mentions in
terms of commendation, in his "Notices of animals and plants of that
part of the county of Wilts within 10 miles round Salisbury", appended
to Hatcher's History of Salisbury, folio, 1843.-J. B.]

IT were to be wish't that we had a survey or inventory of the plants
of every county in England and Wales, as there is of Cambridgeshire by
Mr. John Ray; that we might know our own store, and whither to repaire
for them for medicinall uses. God Almighty hath furnished us with
plants to cure us, that grow perhaps within five or ten miles of our
abodes, and we know it not.

Experience hath taught us that some plants have wonderful vertues; and
no doubt all have so, if we knew it or could discover it. Homer writes
sublimely, and calls them {Gk: Cheires Theion}, the hands of the gods:
and we ought to reach them religiously, with praise and thanksgiving.

I am no botanist myselfe, and I thinke we have very few in our
countrey that are; the more is the pity. But had Tho. Willisel*
lived, and been in England, I would have employed him in this search.

* THOMAS WILLISEL was a Northamptonshire man (Lancashire - J. RAY), a
very poor fellow, and was a foot soldier in ye army of Oliver
Cromwell. Lying at St. James's (a garrison then I thinke), he happened
to go along with some simplers. He liked it so well that he desired to
goe with them as often as they went, and tooke such a fancy to it that
in a short time he became a good botanist. He was a lusty fellow, and
had an admirable sight, which is of great use for a simpler; was as
hardy as a Highlander; all the clothes on his back not worth ten
groates, an excellent marksman, and would maintain himselfe with his
dog and his gun, and his fishing-line. The botanists of London did
much encourage him, and employed (sent) him all over England,
Scotland, and good part of Ireland, if not all; where he made brave
discoveries, for which his name will ever be remembred in herballs. If
he saw a strange fowle or bird, or a fish, he would have it and case
it. When ye Lord John Vaughan, now Earle of Carbery, was made
Governour of Jamaica, 167-, I did recommend him to his Excellency, who
made him his gardiner there. He dyed within a yeare after his being
there, but had made a fine collection of plants and shells, which the
Earle of Carbery hath by him; and had he lived he would have given the
world an account of the plants, animals, and fishes of that island. He
could write a hand indifferent legible, and had made himself master of
all the Latine names: he pourtrayed but untowardly. All the profession
he had was to make pegges for shoes.

Sir William Petty surveyed the kingdome of Ireland geographically, by
those that knew not what they did. Why were it impossible to procure a
botanique survey of Wiltshire by apothecaries of severall quarters of
the county? Their profession leadeth them to an acquaintance of
herbes, and the taske being divided, would not be very troublesome;
and, besides the pleasure, would be of great use. The apothecaries of
Highworth, Malmesbury, Calne, and Bath (which is within three miles of
Wilts) might give an account of the northern part of Wiltshire, which
abounds with rare simples: the apothecaries of Warminster, the
Devises, and Marleborough, the midland part; and the apothecaries of
Salisbury the south part, towards the New Forest.

Mr. Hayward, the apothecary of Calne, is an ingenious person and a
good botanist; and there-about is great variety of earths and plants.
He is my friend, and eagerly espouses this designe. He was bred in
Salisbury, and hath an interest with the apothecaries there, and very
likely at Bath also. I had a good interest with two very able
apothecaries in Salisbury: Hen. Denny (Mr. Hayward's master), and Mr.
Eires; but they are not long since dead. But Mr. Andrewes, on the
ditch there, hath assured a friend of mine, Robt. Good, M.A. that he
will preserve the herbes the herbe-women shall bring him, for my use.

If such an inventory were made it would sett our countrey-men a worke,
to make 'em love this knowledge, and to make additions.

In the meantime, that this necessary topick be not altogether void, I
will sett down such plants as I remember to have seen in my frequent
journeys. 'Twas pleasant to behold how every ten or twenty miles yield
a new entertainment in this kind.

I will begin in the north part, towardes Coteswold in Gloucestershire.

In Bradon Forest growes very plentifully rank wood-wax; and a blew
grasse they call July-flower grasse, which cutts the sheepes mouthes;
except in the spring. (I suppose it is that sort of Cyperus grasse
which some herbarists call "gramen caryophylleu{s}".- J. RAY.) Wood-
wax growes also plentifully between Easton-Piers and Yatton Keynel;
but not so rank as at Bradon Forest.
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At Mintie is an abundance of wild mint, from whence the village is
denominated.
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Argentina (wild tansey) growes the most in the fallowes in Coteswold,
and North Wilts adjoyning, that I ever saw. It growes also in the
fallowes in South Wiltshire, but not so much. (Argentina grows for ye
most part in places that are moist underneath, or where water
stagnates in winter time. - J. RAY.)
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About Priory St. Maries, and in the Minchin-meadowes* there, but
especially at Brown's-hill, which is opposite to the house where, in
an unfortunate hour,† I drew my first breath, there is infinite
variety of plants; and it would have tempted me to have been a
botanist had I had leisure, which is a jewell I could be never master
of. In the banks of the rivulet growes abundantly maiden-haire
(adiantum capillas veneris), harts-tongue, phyllitis, brooke-lime
(anagallis aquatica), &c. cowslip (arthritica) and primroses (primula
veris) not inferior to Primrose Hills. In this ground calver-keys,
hare-parsely, wild vetch, maiden's-honesty, polypodium, fox-gloves,
wild-vine, bayle. Here is wonderfull plenty of wild saffron,
carthamus, and many vulnerary plants, now by me forgott. There growes
also adder's-tongue, plenty - q. if it is not the same with
viper's-tongue? (We have no true black mayden-hair growing in
England. That which passeth under that name in our apothecaries'
shops, and is used as its succeedaneum, is trichomores. Calver-keys,
hare's-parseley, mayden's-honesty, are countrey names unknown to me.
Carthamus growes no where wild with us. It may possibly be sown in ye
fields, as I have seen it in Germany.-J. RAY.)

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