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THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
OF THE VICTORIA HISTORY

HIS GRACE THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEDFORD, K.G.
President of the Zoological Society
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, K.G.
Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF RUTLAND, K.G.
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF PORTLAND, K.G.
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, K.T.
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF ROSEBERY, K.G., K.T.
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF COVENTRY
President of the Royal Agricultural Society
THE RT. HON. THE VISCOUNT DILLON
Late President of the Society of Antiquaries
THE RT. HON. THE LORD LISTER
Late President of the Royal Society
THE RT. HON. THE LORD ALVERSTONE, G.C.M.G.
Lord Chief Justice
THE HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, M.P.

SIR FREDERICK POLLOCK, BART., LL.D., F.S.A., ETC.
SIR JOHN EVANS, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., ETC.
SIR EDWARD MAUNDE THOMPSON, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., F.S.A., ETC.
Director of the British Museum
SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.S.A.
President of the Royal Geographical Society
SIR HENRY C. MAXWELL-LYTE, K.C.B., M.A., F.S.A., ETC.
Keeper of the Public Records
SIR JOS. HOOKER, G.C.S.I., M.D., D.C.I., F.R.S., F.S.A., ETC.
SIR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE, LL.D., F.R.S., ETC.
REV. J. CHARLES COX, LL.D., F.S.A., ETC.
LIONEL CUST, M.V.O., M.A., F.S.A., ETC.
CHARLES H. FIRTH, M.A., LL.D.
Regius Professor of Modern History, Oxford
ALBERT C.L.G. GUNTHER, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., PH.D.
Late President of the Linnean Society

F. HAVERFIELD, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A.
COL. DUNCAN A. JOHNSTON, C.B., R.E.
Late Director General of the Ordnance Survey
PROF. E. RAY LANKESTER, M.A., F.R.S., ETC.
Director of the Natural History Museum, South Kensington
REGINALD L. POOLE, M.A.
University Lecturer in Diplomatic, Oxford
J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D.
WALTER RYE.
W. H. ST. JOHN HOPE, M.A.
Assistant Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries

Among the original members of the Council were:
THE LATE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
THE LATE DR. MANDELL CREIGHTON, BISHOP OF LONDON
THE LATE DR. STUBBS, BISHOP OF OXFORD
THE LATE LORD ACTON
THE LATE SIR WILLIAM FLOWER
THE LATE PROFESSOR F. YORK POWELL
THE LATE COL. SIR J. FARQUHARSON, K.C.B.

General Editor: William Page, F.S.A.

GENERAL ADVERTISEMENT

The Victoria History of the Counties of England is a National Historic Survey which, under the direction of a large staff comprising the foremost students in science, history, and archoælogy, is designed to record the history of every county of England in detail. This work was, by gracious permission, dedicated to Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, who gave it her own name. It is the endeavour of all who are associated with the undertaking to make it a worthy and permanent monument to her memory.

Rich as every county of England is in materials for local history, there has hitherto been no attempt made to bring all these materials together into a coherent form.

Although from the seventeenth century down to quite recent times numerous county histories have been issued, they are very unequal in merit; the best of them are very rare and costly; most of them are imperfect, and many are now out of date. Moreover they were the work of one or two isolated scholars, who, however scholarly, could not possibly deal adequately with all the varied subjects which go to the making of a county history.

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