Editorial note

EDITORIAL NOTE

The present volume, the third in the Wiltshire series to be published, has been prepared under the superintendence of the Wiltshire Victoria County History Committee. The origin and constitution of that Committee are described in the Editorial Note prefixed to the Victoria History of Wiltshire, Volume VII, and it is sufficient here to say that the Committee have been good enough to continue their valuable grants for the support of a local editor, and have thus enabled the University of London to play their part as publishers.

Users of the History will be familiar with the original scheme of arrangement under which the general history of a county was broken into single chapters on ecclesiastical, political, and economic history, each covering the whole period of time. In the case of Wiltshire this plan has not been followed, and a substantial modification is to be found in this volume, where, in place of a single chapter on ecclesiastical history, there will be found three chapters on the Church of England, one on Roman Catholicism, and one on Protestant Nonconformity. In these general sections it has been the aim to bring out the spiritual life of the religious communities no less than their institutional development. The articles on religious houses are of conventional design but are longer than those in preceding county series.

At many stages of editing most valuable services were performed by Mr. J. L. Kirby, F.S.A. Thanks are also due to the Diocesan Registrar (Mr. A. M. Barker), the County Archivist (Mr. M. G. Rathbone), and their staffs, to the late Canon W. J. Barton (sometime Custos Munimentorum to the Chapter), and to the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College, all of whom, by their kindness, facilitated access to documents in their charge.

WILTSHIRE VICTORIA COUNTY HISTORY COMMITTEE

Where not otherwise stated members have served on the Committee from 1947 until December 1955.

Co-opted Members