Thermometer. Rain. Evap. Barometer. Day of 23. Feb. 21. Windy with various clouds in different stations. 22. Rough gales from the South, with rain and hail-showers, and some flashes of lightning, with thunder. Clouds in two strata; evening Cirrostratus and Halo Lunaris. 24. Snow, which fell in the night, melted to-day, and caused a flood in the marshes of the river Lea; clear by night. 25. This day we might truly say-nigerrimus Auster Nascitur, et pluvio contristal frigore cœlum; The marshes still flooded. 26. Hazy morning; fair day, with various clouds; and clear night. 27. White frost, rainy day, and fair night. 28. Fair hazy still day, Cumulostratus, &c. 29. Various clouds and fair; dark cloudy night. March 1. Petroid and mountainous Cumulostratus, &c. wind rose at night. 2. A few very slight showers of snow and hail. 3. Hoar frost, then small rain, and very dark night. 4. Misty morning; some small rain in the day; fair intervals by night. 5. Fair, various clouds, distances clear, and a stiff breeze. 6 and 7. Pretty fair. S. Showers. 9. Clear morning; showers at night. 10. Fair. 11. Much cloud. 12. Dark and rainy by night. 13. Clear morning; hail, rain, and wind, P. M. 14 Showery afternoon. 15. Fair, and hail showers. 16 to 18. Cold N. E. wind and generally overcast. 19. A Corona Lunaris, overcast. 20. Rain, snow, and sleet; 'warmer in the evening. LUMINOUS METEORS. In my last I mentioned the propriety of an artificial division of those luminous accensions called Falling Stars into three kinds; the little stellar meteors, the brilliant meteors, and the caudate meteors: these names are certainly very defective in point of description, but they may serve for meteorologists, in their journals, to point out the peculiar kind of meteor which they wish to record, till a more scientific nomenclature shall be invented. The stellar meleors have much the appearance of the real stars; they abound in clear frosty nights in winter, and in dry weather with easterly winds; they leave no train of light behind them. The brilliant meteors are generally larger and brighter, and happen in warm summer evenings, particularly when Cirrocumuli, and thunder clouds abound. The caudate meteors are phenomena which appear to result from some peculiarity in the atmosphere through which they pass; the long white phosphoric trains of light which they leave behind them, seem to arise from the burning of some gass (hydrogen perhaps) lighted by the meteor in its passage through the air. They generally take place in the intervals of stormy weather, and before the occurrence of high wind, of which Virgil has considered them as a prognostic in the following very descriptive verses: "Sæpe etiam stellas, vento impendente, videbis Clapton March 03 1919 Georg. lib. 1. THOMAS FORSTER 1812.] Topographical Description of Ivinghoe, Bucks. VINGHOE, or Ivingo, co. Bucks, seven miles South East from Dunstable, near the Chiltern Hills, is a vicarage in the hundred of Cotslow and Deanery of Muresley, in the presentation of the Bridgewater family; rated in the King's books at 127. 16s. Id. and is a discharged living, of the clear yearly value of 361. 16s. 6åd. The old Roman road, called the Ikenild Way, which runs through the kingdom from Portsmouth to Tynmouth Haven, passes very near this place, but is impassable in winter or very wet weather for carriages. Iving hoe is seated low, but dry, on a rock of ragstone, an uninclosed open track of land extending from Dunstable to Tring. The air is pure, blowing continually fresh from the Downs. The town has evidently been of much larger extent than at present. On removing some earth lately by the plough, a scull and bones were dug up on a place called Windmill Hill; and some have been found in cellars in all parts of the town when digging. Henry of Bloys, in France, or Henry de Blois, bishop of Winchester, made this, among others, his place of residence, as we find on record. He built a seat here called Berrystead House, which has leng been converted into a farm-house; and all that remains is an old kitchen with a two-tunnel fire-place, the tunnels built lozenge ways. It being the manor-house, the court leet and baron is held in a large room in it, twice a year. It is situated in the South East corner of the church-yard, and is now the property of the Earl of Bridgewater, lord of the manor. The above De Blois had the grant of a Market on Thursdays for this town in 1318. The present market, if it may be so called, is held on Saturday, for butchers' meat and straw plat, with two or three stalls. The Market-house is not much superior to a large tiled cow-crib! The first fair, on St. Margaret's, was granted in 1227; and another, on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, by the - charter of 1318. The present fairs are held on May the 6th and October 17th for cattle, and several good drapers, shoes, clothes, and other -stails. It had originally a gaol, and cri- 209 minals were executed at a place called Gallows Knot.-A large roundhouse, which stood in the middle of the town, was pulled down about 20 years ago, with a cage and stocks beneath, in consequence of a fire in the town, and has not since been erected. The Church (see Pl. 1.) is an antient Gothic structure, of the cruciform plan, standing, originally, in the centre of the houses. It is a lofty building, but small. At a distance it looks like a small cathedral, the shell being a fine piece of good-proportioned architecture, as observed by Browne Willis when he visited it. The side ailes are not so long as they are high, being nearly the height of the nave. It consists of a nave, two side ailes, North and South aile, and chancel, with a strong square embattled tower in the intersection of nave, North and South ailes, chance!, &c. surmounted with a moderate spire covered with lead; a handsome lofty porch at the West end, having an embattled parapet crowned with the arms of Edward, France and England quar tered on a plain shield, with crown and supporters, two lions apparently, placed in the front, carved in stone, as also a cross over it. Above this porch is the large West window, containing four lights, with lofty mullions and ramified head,over which is a niche for the Virgin, &c. and above that another stone cross, neatly wrought, and porch North and South. The nave has a series of five windows of three lights each. The whole pile has an embattled parapet, except the side ailes, which are plain, most of them leaded for preservation, as is the roof entirely, buttresses, projections, &c. The tower rises two stories above the wave, of good proportion, with a small square tower at the North West corner, called by the inhabitants the Buskel Tower, having had a bushel measure placed on it, containing a fruit tree. On the spire is a gilt, ball and weathercock. The tower story on the East side has two lancet windows, and several circular oues are stopped up. There are four eutrances to the church, North, West, and South porches, and small door in the channel. The whole is built with flint and stone grouted; and free stone internal and external angles, windows, frames, and door-cases, ali rough cast. The In the time of king Ed Confessor, Leofstane Abb Alban's gave this manor knights,Turnoth, Waldof,an but in the time of William th ror, Ralph deThony,Toden Toni, his standard-bearer tle of Hastings, held it, a from Domesday Book: Hund. Ralf de Todeny hold stede for two hides of land den states it to have been the father of Ralf. It was place of his residence. H the daughter of Simon de and dying left a son Ralf, ried the daughter of the Ea tington and Northumberland Roger was his heir, and m daughter of the Earl of Ralf was disinherited by k for assisting the Barons, yet favour again, and was res Henry III. Robert, his su the sixth generation, 27 I obtained a charter of that a market on Thursdays, a on the eve, day, and mor the feast of St. Leonard, and following. The present fair is kept eleven days before; ket has been long disused. manor, as Robert died 3 E without issue, Alice his siste of Thomas Ley born, was fo and married toGuy de Beauch of Warwick, whose heir famous Guy, who died near Edward III. His heirs enjoy long time; but male issue fai Anne daughter of the duke wick dying young, his sist inherited, who was married to Nevil Earl of Salisbury, who her the title of Earl of Warwi Richard dying at Barnet fiel Edward IV. the estate fell to th His Countess, 3 Henry VII. I it again, after the death of he ters. Henry VIII. grante George Ferrars and his hei whom it came to Sir John and Knighton Ferrars of whose daughter, Katharine, and Lady Fanshawe sold it to Edward Pecke; from him scended to William his son, ford in Essex, who left a son and he disposed of it to Mr. whose second son is the pres of the manor. |