Editorial note

VICTORIA HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ADVISORY BOARD, 1999–2000

Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education

C. P. Callen, Chairman of C.G.C.H.E. Council

Revd. Dr. A. Munden, Council member

Dr. P. A. J. Easy, Assistant Director (Academic)

Professor P. Martin, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Humanities

J. R. Howe, Head of School of History and Local Studies

Gloucestershire County Council

Cllr. C. P. Clarke

Cllr. Mavis, Lady Dunrossil

Cllr. F. M. Skinner

D. J. H. Smith, County and Diocesan Archivist

Institute of Historical Research, University of London

Professor C. C. Dyer, Chairman of Central V.C.H. Committee

Dr. C. R. J. Currie, General Editor, V.C.H.

Dr. A. T. Thacker, Deputy General Editor

EDITORIAL NOTE

Volume Nine is the fruit of a partnership formed to produce the Victoria History of Gloucestershire in March 1996 by the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education, Gloucestershire County Council, and the University of London's Institute of Historical Research. That replaced the arrangement, made in 1958, under which the County Council and the Institute collaborated to produce the previous seven volumes of the Gloucestershire set. Under the new partnership the College employs the two members of the county staff (Dr. Nicholas Herbert, County Editor since 1970, and Dr. John Jurica, Assistant Editor since 1973), who in addition to compiling the History contribute to the work of the History School at the College. For its part, the County Council makes an annual grant to the College of a little under half the total cost of the project and continues, as before, to provide the staff with accommodation and other office facilities at the Gloucestershire Record Office. The Institute, as before, directs the work and meets the printing and publication costs. An Advisory Board, composed of representatives of the three bodies, supervises the project and receives annual reports fom the County Editor. The agreement of 1996, which was to run for five years, has now been renewed for a further five-year term from April 2001. The University of London wishes to record its warm thanks and deep gratitude for the generous support by the College and the County Council.

Volume Nine was compiled under the direction of the General Editor, Dr. C. R. J. Currie, who retired in 2000 but continued to advise on its final stages in his role as V.C.H. Consultant Editor. Professor Anthony Fletcher became Director and General Editor of the V.C.H. in January 2001.

The authors and editors of the volume have drawn widely on the help, information, and advice of many people, among them Mrs. S. Ballance of Northleach, Capt. J. J. D. Barrow of Farmington, Maj. C. R. W. Bradford, agent of the Stowell Park estate, Mrs. A. Brazington of Farmington, Mr. P. Clark, formerly of Cold Aston, Lt.-Col. R. A. Coxwell-Rogers of Coberley, Mr. R. M. Courtenay Lord of Compton Abdale, Professor C. C. Dyer of Birmingham University, who gave his advice on the deserted medieval settlements of the area, Messrs. G. J. Green of Northleach, B. C. Frith of Gloucester, E. Hulton of Turkdean, T. R. Handy of Lower Hampen, T. Jackson of Sevenhampton, Mrs. D. Mellor of Withington, members of the Mustoe family of Turkdean, Mr. J. W. Stevens of Foxcote, Mrs. A. Sale of Dowdeswell, Mr. J. L. and Mrs. J. Stringer of Whittington, Mr. D. Tongue of Hazleton, Lord and Lady Vestey of Stowell, Mr. G. and Mrs. E. Whent of Northleach, and the Hon. E. R. H. Wills of Farmington. All those, together with other individuals and institutions named in the footnotes to the articles, are most cordially thanked.

For allowing access to records in their possession thanks are offered to Mr. H. W. G. Elwes of Colesbourne, the earl of Scarbrough of Sandbeck Park (Yorks.), Mr. and Mrs. Stringer, the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester, the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College, the County Archivists of Lincolnshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire, the City Archivist of Bristol, and (in respect of estate records of Oxford colleges) the Dean and Canons of Christ Church, the President and Scholars of Corpus Christi, and the Provost and Scholars of Queen's.

The staff of the Gloucestershire Record Office under the County and Diocesan Archivist Mr. D. J. H. Smith continued their indispensable aid; Mr. Smith, who for many years gave his support and encouragement to the Gloucestershire V.C.H., retired in 2000 to be succeeded by Mr. N. W. Kingsley. The staff of the Gloucester Library, home of the Gloucestershire Collection, continued their help, and the library of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, from 1998 housed at the Cheltenham and Gloucester College, remained an invaluable resource.

The structure, aims, and progress of the Victoria History as a whole are described in the General Introduction (1970) and its Supplement (1990).