Books: The Natural History of Wiltshire

J >> John Aubrey >> The Natural History of Wiltshire

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* Minchin is an old word for a nunne.

† Vide my Villa. "Quoque loco primum tibi sum male cognitus infans".
In Natalem, Ovid. Trist. lib. iii.

This north part of the shire is very naturall for barley. Till the
beginning of the civill warrs wheat was rarely sown hereabout; and the
brown bread was barley: now all the servants and poor people eat
wheaten bread.
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Strawberries (fragaria), in Colern woods, exceeding plentifull; the
earth is not above two inches above the free-stone. The poor children
gather them, and sell them to Bathe; but they kill the young ashes, by
barking them to make boxes to put them in.

Strawberries have a most delicious taste, and are so innocent that a
woman in childbed, or one in a feaver, may safely eate them: but I
have heard Sir Christopher Wren affirm, that if one that has a wound
in his head eates them, they are mortall. Methinks 'tis very strange.
Quaere, the learned of this?
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About Totnam-well is a world of yellow weed (q. nomen) which the diers
use for the first tinge for scarlet; and afterwards they use
cutchonele.
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Bitter-sweet (dulcamara), with a small blew flower, plenty at Box.
(And Market Lavington, in the withy-bed belonging to the vicarage.-
BISHOP TANNER.)

Ferne (filix); the largest and rankest growes in Malmesbury hundred:
but the biggest and tallest that ever I saw is in the parke at Draycot
Cerne, as high almost as a man on horseback, on an ordinary horse.

"The forest of Savernake is of great note for plenty of game, and for
a kind of ferne there that yieldeth a most pleasant savour".-(Fuller's
Worthies: Wilts, Hen. Sturmy.)

This ferne is mentioned by Dr. Peter Heylin in his Church History, in
the Pedegre of Seymour. The vicar of Great Bedwin told me that he hath
seen and smelt the ferne, and that it is like other ferne, but not so
big. He knowes not where it growes, but promised to make enquirie. Now
Mr. Perkins sayes that this is sweet cis, and that it is also found in
the New Forest; but me thinkes the word Savernake seems to be a sweet-
oke-ferne: - oke, is oake; verne is ferne; perhaps sa, or sav, is sweet
or savorous. - (Vide Phytologia Britannic., where this fern is taken
notice of. Sweet fern is the vulgar name, for sweet chervill or
cicely; but I never found that plant wild in England.-J. RAY.)

Danes-blood (ebulis) about Slaughtonford is plenty. There was
heretofore (vide J. Milton) a great fight with the Danes, which made
the inhabitants give it that name.

Wormewood exceedingly plentifull in all the wast grounds in and about
Kington St. Michael, Hullavington, and so to Colerne, and great part
of the hundred of Malmesbury.

Horse-taile (equisetum). Watchmakers and fine workers in brasse use it
after smooth filing. They have it from Holland; but about Dracot Cerne
and Kington St. Michael, in the minchin-meadow of Priory St. Maries,
is great quantity of the same. It growes four and five foot high.

Coleworts, or kale, the common western dish, was the Saxon physic. In
the east it is so little esteemed that the poor people will not eate
it.

About Malmesbury "ros solis", which the strong-water men there doe
distill, and make good quantitys of it. In the woods about the Devises
growes Solomon's-seale; also goates-rue (gallega); as also that
admirable plant, lilly-convally. Mr. Meverell says the flowers of the
lilly-convally about Mosco are little white flowers.-(Goat's-rue:- I
suspect this to be a mistake; for I never yet heard that goat's-rue
was found by any man growing wild in England.-J. RAY.)

The middle part of Wilts.- Naked-boys (q. if not wild saffron) about
Stocton. (Naked-boys is, I suppose, meadow saffron, or colchicum, for
I doe not remember ever to have seen any other sort of saffron
growing wild in England. - J. RAY.)
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The watered meadows all along from Marleborough to Hungerford,
Ramesbury, and Littlecot, at the later end of Aprill, are yellow with
butter flowers. When you come to Twyford the floted meadowes there are
all white with little flowers, which I believe are ladysmocks
(cardamine): quaere of some herbalist the right name of that plant.
(Ranunculus aquaticus folio integro et multum diviso, C. Bankini.-
J. RAY.) The graziers told me that the yellow meadowes are by much the
better, and those white flowers are produc't by a cold hungry water.
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South part. - At the east end of Ebbesbourne Wake is a meadowe called
Ebbesbourne, that beareth grasse eighteen foot long. I myself have
seen it of thirteen foot long; it is watered with the washing of the
village. Upon a wager in King James the First's time, with washing it
more than usuall, the grasse was eighteen foot long. It is so sweet
that the pigges will eate it; it growes no higher than other grasse,
but with knotts and harles, like a skeen of silke (or setts together).
They cannot mowe it with a sythe, but they cutt it with such a hooke
as they bagge pease with.

At Orston [Orcheston] St. Maries is a meadowe of the nature of that at
Ebbesbourne aforesayd, which beares a sort of very long grasse. Of
this grasse there was presented to King James the First some that were
seventeen foot long: here is only one acre and a half of it. In common
yeares it is 12 or 13 foot long. It is a sort of knott grasse, and the
pigges will eate it.

[The "Orcheston Grass" has long been famous as one of the most
singular vegetable products of this country. From the time of Fuller,
who particularly mentions it in his "Worthies of England", many
varying and exaggerated accounts of it have been published: but in the
year 1798 Dr. Maton carefully examined the grass, and fully
investigated the peculiar circumstances of soil and locality which
tend to its production. He contributed the result of his inquiries to
the Linnæan Society, in a paper which is printed in the fifth volume
of their Transactions. Some comments on that paper, and on the subject
generally, by Mr. Davis, of Longleat, will be found in the second
volume of the Beauties of Wiltshire, p. 79. That gentleman states that
"its extraordinary length is produced by the overflowing of the river
on a warm gravelly bed, which disposes the grass to take root and
shoot out from the joints, and then root again, and thus again and
again; so that it is frequently of the length of ten or twelve feet
and the quantity on the land immense, although it does not stand above
two feet high from the ground". Although the meadow at Orcheston St.
Mary in which this grass grows is only two acres and a half in extent,
its produce in a favourable season, is said to have exceeded twelve
tons of hay. Shakspere, to whom all natural and rural objects were
familiar, alludes to the "hindering knot-grass", in A Midsummer
Night's Dream, Act iii. sc. 2.
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Ramsons (allium ursinum, fl. albo): tast like garlick: they grow much
in Cranbourn Chace. A proverb: -

"Eate leekes in Lide,* and ramsins in May,
And all the yeare after physitians may play".

* March.

[I have seen this old proverb printed, "Eat leekes in Lent, and
raisins in May, &c." - J. B.]

No wild oates in Wiltshire, or rarely. In Somersetshire, common.
(There is abundance of wild oats in the middle part of Wiltsh.,
especially in the west clay of Market Lavington field, when the crop
is barley. - BISHOP TANNER.)
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Thorowax beares a pretty little yellow flower, not much unlike the
blowing of a furze that growes so common on the downes, close to the
ground: the bees love it extremely. (There is a mistake in thorowax,
or perfoliata; for that rises to a good stature, and hath no such
flower. I suppose the plant you mean is trifolium corniculatum, or
bird's-foot trefoil.-J. RAY.)
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The right honorable James, Earle of Abingdon, tells me that there are
plenty of morillons about Lavingtons, which he eates, and sends to
London. Methinkes 'tis a kind of ugly mushroom. Morillons we have from
Germany and other places beyond sea, which are sold here at a deare
rate; the outer side is like a honeycombe. I have seen them of nine
inches about They grow near the rootes of elmes.

Poppy (papaver) is common in the corn fields; but the hill above
Harnham, by Salisbury, appeares a most glorious scarlet, it is so
thick there.

"Ilia soporiferum, parvas initura penates,
Colligit agresti lene papaver humo.
Dum legit oblito fertur gustàsse palato,
Longamq{ue} imprudens exsoluisse famem". - OVID. FAST. lib. iv.
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In a ground of mine called Swices (which is a neck of land at the
upper end of the field called Shatcomb) growes abundantly a plant
called by the people hereabout crow-bells, which I never saw any where
but there. "Swice", in the old English, signifies a neck.
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Dwarfe-elder (ebulus) at Box, &c. common enough: at Falston and Stoke
Verdon, in the high waies. The juice of ebulus turnes haire black; and
being mingled with bull's fatt is Dr. Buller's remedie for the gowte.

The best way to dye haire browne is to take alhanna in powder, mix't
with fair water as thick as mustard: lay it on the haire, and so tye
it up in a napkin for twelve houres time. Doe thus for six dayes
together, putting on fresh every day for that time. This will keep the
haire browne for one whole yeares time after it. The alhanna does
prepare the hair and makes it of a darke red or tawny colour. Then
they take "takout", which is like a small gall, and boyle it in oyle
till it hath drunk up all the oyle; then pulverize it, and mix it with
water and putt it on the haire. Grind a very little of alkohol, which
they use in glazeing of their earthen vessels, in a mortar with the
takout, and this turnes the haire to a perfect black. This receipt I
had from my worthy and obligeing friend Mr. Wyld Clarke, merchant, of
London, who was factour many yeares at S{an}cta-Cruce, in Barberie,
and brought over a quantity of these leaves for his own use and his
friends. 'Tis pity it is not more known. 'Tis leaves of a tree like a
berbery leafe. Mr. Clarke hath yet by him (1690) above half a peck of
the alhanna.

Dr. Edw. Brown, M.D. in his Travells, sc. description of Larissa and
Thessalie, speakes of alhanna. Mr. Wyld Clarke assures me that juice
of lemons mixt with alhanna strikes a deeper and more durable colour
either in the hands or nailes.
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Tobacco. - We have it onely in gardens for medicine; but in the
neighbouring county of Gloucester it is a great commodity. Mdm.
"Tobacco was first brought into England by Ralph Lane in the eight and
twentieth yeare of Queen Elizabeth's raigne". - Sir Richard Baker's
Chronicle. Rider's Almanack (1682) sayes since tobacco was first
brought into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, 99 yeares. Mr. Michael
Weekes, of the custome house, assures me that the custom of tobacco is
the greatest of all other, and amounts now (1688) to four hundred
thousand pounds per annum. [Now (1847) about three millions and a
half.- J. B.]
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Broome keeps sheep from the rott, and is a medicine not long since
found out by physitians for the dropsy. In some places I knew carefull
husbandmen that quite destroyed their broome (as at Lanford), and
afterwards their sheep died of the rott, from which they were free
before the broom was cutt down; so ever since they doe leave a border
of broome about their grounds for their sheep to browze on, to keep
them sound.
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Furzes (genista spinosa).-I never saw taller or more flourishing
English furzes than at Chalke. The Great Duke of Thuscany carried
furzes out of England for a rarity in his magnificent garden. I never
saw such dwarft furzes as at Bowdon parke; they did but just peep
above the ground.
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Oakes (the best of trees).-We had great plenty before the
disafforestations. We had in North Wiltshire, and yet have, though not
in the former plenty, as good oakes as any in England. The best that
we have now (1670) are at Okesey Parke, Sir Edward Poole's, in
Malmesbury hundred; and the oakes at Easton Piers (once mine) were,
for the number, not inferior to them. In my great-grandfather Lite's
time (15--) one might have driv'n a plough over every oake in the oak-
close, which are now grown stately trees. The great oake by the day-
house [dairy house - J. B.] is the biggest oake now, I believe, in all
the countie. There is a common wealth of rookes there. When I was a
boy the two greatest oakes were, one on the hill at the parke at
Dracot Cerne; the other at Mr. Sadler's, at Longley Burrell. 'Twas of
one of these trees, I remember, that the trough of the paper mill at
Long-deane, in the parish of Yatton Keynell, anno 1636, was made. In
Garsden Parke (now the Lord Ferrars) is perhaps the finest hollow oake
in England; it is not high, but very capacious, and well wainscotted;
with a little table, which I thinke eight may sitt round. When an oake
is felling, before it falles, it gives a kind of shreikes or groanes,
that may be heard a mile off, as if it were the genius of the oake
lamenting. E. Wyld, Esq. hath heard it severall times. This gave the
occasion of that expression in Ovid's Metamorph. lib. viii. fab. ii.
about Erisichthon's felling of the oake sacred to Ceres:-
"gemitumq{ue} dedit decidua quercus".

In a progresse of K. Charles I. in time of peace, three score and ten
carts stood under the great oake by Woodhouse. It stands in Sir James
Thinne's land. On this oake Sir Fr. D---- hung up thirteen, after
quarter. Woodhouse was a garrison for the Parliament. He made a sonn
hang his father, or è contra. From the body of this tree to the
extreme branches is nineteen paces of Captain Hamden, who cannot pace
less than a yard. (Of prodigious trees of this kind you will see many
instances in my Sylva, which Mr. Ray has translated and inserted in
his Herbal.- J. EVELYN.)
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In the New Forest, within the trenches of the castle of Molwood (a
Roman camp) is an old oake, which is a pollard and short It putteth
forth young leaves on Christmas day, for about a week at that time of
the yeare. Old Mr. Hastings, of Woodlands, was wont to send a basket
full of them every yeare to King Charles I. I have seen of them
severall Christmasses brought to my father.

But Mr. Perkins, who lives in the New Forest, sayes that there are two
other oakes besides that which breed green buddes about Christmas day
(pollards also), but not constantly. One is within two leagges of the
King's-oake, the other a mile and a halfe off. [Leagges, probably
lugs: a lug being "a measure of land, called otherwise a pole or
perch". (Bailey's Dictionary.) The context renders leagues
improbable.-J. B.]
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Elmes.-I never did see an elme that grew spontaneously in a wood, as
oakes, ashes, beeches, &c.; which consideration made me reflect that
they are exotique; but by whom were they brought into this island?
Not by the Saxons; for upon enquiry I am enformed that there are none
in Saxony, nor in Denmarke, nor yet in France, spontaneous; but in
Italy they are naturall; e. g. in Lombardie, &c. Wherefore I am
induced to believe that they were brought hither out of Italy by the
Romans, who were cultivators of their colonies. The Saxons understood
not nor cared for such improvements, nor had hardly leisure if they
would.

Anno 1687 I travelled from London as far as the Bishoprick of Durham.
From Stamford to the bishoprick I sawe not one elme on the roade,
whereas from London to Stamford they are in every hedge almost. In
Yorkshire is plenty of trees, which they call elmes; but they are
wich-hazells, as wee call them in Wilts (in some counties wich-
elmes). I acquainted Mr. Jo. Ray of this, and he told me when he
travelled into the north he minded it not, being chiefly intent on
herbes; but he writes the contrary to what I doe here: but it is
matter of fact, and therefore easily to bee prov'd. [See Ray's Letter
to Aubrey, ante, p. 8.] "Omnesq{ue}, radicum plantis proveniunt".
- Plin. lib. xvi. cap. 17.

In the Villare Anglicanum are a great many towns, called Ash-ton,
Willough-by, &c. but not above three or four Elme-tons.

In the common at Urshfont was a mighty elme, which was blown down by
the great wind when Ol. Cromwell died. I sawe it as it lay along, and
I could but just looke over it. [See note in page 14.-J. B.]
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Since the writing this of elmes, Edmund Wyld, Esq. of Houghton
Conquest in Bedfordshire, R.S.S. assures me that in Bedfordshire, in
severall woods, e. g. about Wotton, &c. that elmes doe grow naturally,
as ashes, beeches, &c.; but quaere, what kind of elm it is?
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Beeches.-None in Wilts except at Groveley. (In the wood belonging to
Mr. Samwell's farm at Market Lavington are three very large beeches.-
BISHOP TANNER.) I have a conceit that long time ago Salisbury plaines
might have woods of them, but that they cut them down as an
incumbrance to the ground, which would turn to better profit by
pasture and arable. The Chiltern of Buckinghamshire is much of the
like soile; and there the neernesse of Bucks to London, with the
benefit of the Thames, makes their woods a very profitable commodity.
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About the middle of Groveley Forest was a fair wood of oakes, which
was called Sturton's Hatt. It appeared a good deale higher than the
rest of the forest (which was most coppice wood), and was seen over
all Salisbury plaines. In the middle of this hatt of trees (it
resembled a hatt) there was a tall beech, which overtopt all the rest.
The hatt was cutt down by Philip II. Earle of Pembroke, 1654; and
Thomas, Earle of Pembroke, disafforested it, an°. 1684.
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Birch. - Wee have none in North Wilts, but some (no great plenty) in
South Wilts: most by the New Forest (In the parish of Market Lavington
is a pretty large coppice, which consists for the most part of birch;
and from thence it is well known by the name of the Birchen coppice.-
BISHOP TANNER.)
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In the parish of Hilmerton, in the way from Calne, eastward, leaving
Hilmerton on the left hand, grows a red withy on the ditch side by the
gate, 10 feet 6 inches about; and the spreading of the boughs is
seaven yards round from the body of the tree.
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Wich-hazel in the hundred of Malmesbury and thereabout, spontaneous.
There are two vast wich-hazel trees in Okesey Parke, not much lesse
than one of the best oakes there.

At Dunhed St. Maries, at the crosse, is a wich-hazell not lesse worthy
of remarque than Magdalene-College oake (mentioned by Dr. Rob.
Plott), for the large circumference of the shadowe that it causeth.
When I was a boy the bowyers did use them to make bowes, and they are
next best to yew.
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Hornbeam we have none; neither did I ever see but one in the west of
England, and that at Bathwick, juxta Bath, in the court yard of Hen.
Nevill, Esq.
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Yew trees naturally grow in chalkie countrys. The greatest plenty of
them, as I believe, in the west of England is at Nunton Ewetrees.
Between Knighton Ashes and Downton the ground produces them all along;
but at Nunton they are a wood. At Ewridge, in the parish of Colern, in
North Wilts (a stone brash and a free stone), they also grow
indifferently plentifull; and in the parish of Kington St Michael I
remember three or four in the stone brash and red earth.

When I learnt my accidents, 1633, at Yatton Keynel, there was a fair
and spreading ewe-tree in the churchyard, as was common heretofore.
The boyes tooke much delight in its shade, and it furnish't them with
their scoopes and nutt-crackers. The clarke lop't it to make money of
it to some bowyer or fletcher, and that lopping kill'd it: the dead
trunke remaines there still. (Eugh-trees grow wild about Winterslow.
A great eugh-tree in North Bradley churchyard, planted, as the
tradition goes, in the time of ye Conquest. Another in .... Cannings
churchyard. Leland (Itinerary) observes that in his time there was
thirty-nine vast eugh-trees in the churchyard belonging to
Stratfleur Abbey, in Wales.-BISHOP TANNER. Abundance of ewgh-trees in
Surrey, upon the downes, heretofore, thô now much diminished.-J.
EVELYN.)
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Box, a parish so called in North Wilts, neer Bathe, in which parish is
our famous freestone quarre of Haselbery: in all probability tooke its
name from the box-trees which grew there naturally, but now worne out.

Not far off on Coteswold in Gloucestershire is a village called
Boxwell, where is a great wood of it, which once in .... yeares Mr.
Huntley fells, and sells to the combe-makers in London. At Boxley in
Kent, and at Boxhill in Surrey, bothe chalkie soiles, are great box
woods, to which the combe-makers resort.
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Holy is indifferently common in Malmesbury hundred, and also on the
borders of the New Forest: it seemes to indicate pitt-coale. In
Wardour Parke are holy-trees that beare yellow berries. I think I have
seen the like in Cranborne Chase.
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Hazel.- Wee have two sorts of them. In the south part, and particularly
Cranbourn Chase, the hazells are white and tough; with which there are
made the best hurdles of England. The nutts of the chase are of great
note, and are sold yearly beyond sea. They sell them at Woodbery Hill
Faire, &c.; and the price of them is the price of a buschell of
wheate. The hazell-trees in North Wilts are red, and not so tough,
more brittle.
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Coven-tree common about Chalke and Cranbourn Chase: the carters doe
make their whippes of it. It growes no higher than a cherry-tree.
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Buckthorne very common in South Wiltshire. The apothecaries make great
use of the berries, and the glovers use it to colour their leather
yellow.
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Prick-timber (euonymus).- This tree is common, especially in North
Wilts. The butchers doe make skewers of it, because it doth not taint
the meate as other wood will doe: from whence it hath the name of
prick-timber.
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Osiers.- Wee have great plenty of them about Bemarton, &c. near
Salisbury, where the osier beds doe yield four pounds per acre.
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Service-trees grow naturally in Grettwood, in the parish of Gretenham,
belonging to George Ayliffe, Esq. In the parke of Kington St. Michel
is onely one. At the foot of Hedington Hill, and also at the bottome
of the hill at Whitesheet, which is the same range of hill, doe growe
at least twenty cervise-trees. They operate as medlars, but less
effectually.

Pliny, lib. xv. c. 21. "De Sorbis. Quartum genus torminale appellatur,
remedio tantum probabile, assiduum proventu minimumq{ue} pomo, arbore
dissimili foliis plane platani". Lib. xvi. cap. 18.- "Gaudet frigidis
Sorbus sed magis betulla". Dr. Gale, R.S.S. tells me that "Sorbiodunum",
now Old Sarum, has its denomination from "sorbes"; but the ground now
below the castle is all turned to arable.
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Elders grow every where. At Bradford the side of the high hill which
faces the south, about Mr. Paul Methwin's house, is covered with them.
I fancy that that pent might be turned to better profit, for it is
situated as well for a vinyard as any place can be, and is on a rocky
gravelly ground. The apothecaries well know the use of the berries,
and so doe the vintners, who buy vast quantities of them in London,
and some doe make no inconsiderable profit by the sale of them.
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At the parsonage house at Wyley growes an ash out of the mortar of the
wall of the house, and it flourishes very well and is verdant. It was
nine yeares old in 1686. I doe not insert this as a rarity; but 'tis
strange to consider that it hath its growth and nourishment from the
aire, for from the lime it can receive none. [In August 1847, I
observed a large and venerable ash tree growing out of and united with
the ancient Roman walls of Caistor, near Norwich. The whole of the
base of the trunk was incorporated with bricks, rubble, and mortar;
but the roots no doubt extended many yards into the adjacent soil.-
J. B.]
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