:

closure-Act of 1812 and is therefore unknown, except by tradition, to all the young people of the existing generation. The elderly inhabitants, however, still remember the glories of "circuiting," and the description which they give of its luxuries is sufficiently spicy to make the mouths water of all the younger part of the community who hear it.

The ceremony took place in Rogation-week.

On Monday morning the "circuiters" went in full procession to Clanfield, as far as the tithing of Bampton extended. Here they took breakfast at the house of Mr. Chiswell, who farmed the tithes coming in from the parish of Clanfield.

On Tuesday they visited Haddon, where they were regaled in like manner with good eating and drinking. On their return they went to a place called Heart's Yat on the common, (then unenclosed,) near Lew. Here they took their seats on the banks of a dry ditch in which were placed a bag of bread and a barrel of beer. When these dainties were consumed, the party returned home.

On Wednesday the circuit went to Aston, where they took their meal at "Cote Hatch gate," which opens from the road upon the common, near Cote House.

On all the three days the "Processioners" were accompanied by a woman who had never been married-the last functionary of this description was Ann Edginton-who carried a paddle, and cut deep crosses at certain places, to mark the bounds of the parish, and the course of the procession in future years.

On each day, also, the party were provided with refreshment on their return; a barrel of beer was distributed among them near the church-yard, and two bags of bread were thrown among the people, who scrambled for the same, and the most humorous scenes were sometimes enacted.

These holidays have now long ago ceased; those persons

who formerly gave the beer and other provisions, have saved their pockets from the expense, but the same economy has taken away from the poor one more gleam of sun-shine which used to enliven their hard lot of daily and incessant labour!

The principal festival of Bampton is its annual fair, which takes place on the 26th of August, and is a sort of carnival to all the neighbouring villages. This fair is of great antiquity, having been originally held by William de Valence in the early part of the thirteenth century. We learn this fact from an Inquisition made in the reign of Edward I before Jurors, who find upon their oath that the "aforesaid William de Valence hath there [i. e. at Bampton] a market and a FAIR; and that he had the aforesaid tenement by the gift of king Henry [the IIId] father of the king Edward that now is."

The celebrity of Bampton fair arises from two causes, first the large number of horses which are sold there, secondly from the large number of children, servants and other persons, who flock thither from the whole neighbourhood, and enjoy it as much as the Greeks and Romans did their Saturnalia.

A curious tradition has been handed down, connecting Bampton fair with the church-establishment; but as the only notice, which I can find of it, occurs in the Rawlinson MS before mentioned, I give the words extracted from that book, where it occurs under the head of Bampton hundred, without word or comment.

"Fair on the 15th of Aug. and on the next Sunday, whether before or after the said 15th, the Vicar of Ensham preaches a sermon and is paid 13s. 4d. by that vicar of Bampton who has the tithes of Aston that year: this, I believe, was due to the abbat of Einsham formerly."

A second fair was once held at Bampton on the 24th of March, on which day an ox was roasted whole, and sold

in small quantities to all who wished to become purchasers. Of this fair no traces now remain.

Another season of festivity is Whitsuntide, when the Morrisdancers exhibit their saltatory powers for the amusement of the people, and to gather a few shillings for their own private emolument. As these functionaries do nothing but dance, and thoroughly fatigue themselves before night-fall, they may be considered to have earned the hot suppers and mulled ale, which probably terminate the festival, but they have no farther claim to delay the progress of this history.

A third attempt at festivity is made at Christmas, when all the officials of the parish are on the move; bent—as are their betters at all times—upon gain, and with honest and smiling faces claiming their Christmas boxes. A troop of lads, also, as mummers, parade the streets during three or four evenings in succession, endeavouring, but, alas with less success than their great-grand-fathers, to gain admission into the houses of the respectable inhabitants for the performance of their knightly deeds of prowess. These are the only vestiges of ancient public customs now remaining, and little else ever occurs, except the arrival of some stray lecturer, conjuror, juggler, or other performer, to disturb the repose which generally prevails in this little town.

§ 14. THE HAUNTED HOUSE, AND DEATH-WARNING OF THE WOOD FAMILY.

Every village has its legends and tales of horror, which, after having caused awe and terror to a former generation, serve to create laughter and amusement to their posterity, like a gigantic broad-sword of former days, which, having long been kept as the monument of some knight's prowess in battle,

at length is degraded from its place and becomes a hobby to one of his great-great-grand-children!

Bampton is not without its ghost-stories: the most remarkable of these is that of the Haunted House, in which a family of the name of Wood formerly resided, and in which certain præternatural noises are said to have been heard, forewarning the family, whenever any of its members was about to die. I have already mentioned this house as situated on the North side of the Church, and, though bearing a respectable and rather smart appearance in front, the effect of modern improvements, it is supposed to be of considerable antiquity, without which of course no ghost-story obtains permanent credit. It is nearly 200 years ago that the Wood family lived at Bampton, and yet the same ghosts, who disturbed their peace, have been suspected of having occasioned similar annoyance to respectable and credible persons still living.

Let us first hear the account which is given of the Wood family's warning, as it is told by Dr. Plott in his Natural History of Oxfordshire, chap. viii, § 3, &c.

The

"I must add also a relation, as strange as 'tis true, of the family of one Captain Wood, late of BAMPTON, now of Brise-Norton, Captain in the late wars for the King; some whereof before their deaths have had signal warnings given them by a certain knocking,* either at the door without, or on the tables or shelves within, the number of strokes, and the distance between them and the place where, for the most part respecting the circumstances of the persons to die, or their deaths themselves, as will easily be collected from the following relation. first knocking that was heard, or at least observed, was about a year after the restoration of the king (anno 1661) in the afternoon a little before night, or upon the door, it being then open, as it was apprehended by Mrs. Eleanor Wood, mother to Captain Basil Wood who only heard it, none being then by or about the house but her; at which she was very much disturbed, thinking it boded some ill to her or hers, and within 14 nights after she had news of the death of her son-in-law, Mr. George Smith, who died in London.

"Three loud and distinct knocks at the bed's head," says Grose," of a sick person, or at the bed's head or door of any of his relations, is an omen of his death."

For further information concerning this superstition see Brand's Popular Antiquities, edited by Sir H. Ellis, vol. III, p. 121.

About three years after that, there were three great knocks given very audibly to all that were then in the house, viz. to the aforesaid Mrs. Eleanor Wood, Mr. Basil Wood, and his wife Mrs. Hester, and some servants, which knocks were so remarkable, that one of the maids came from the well, which was about twenty yards from the place, to see what was the matter; and Mrs. Eleanor Wood, and another maid that was within the house, saw three great pans of lard shake and totter upon a shelf in the milk house, that they were like to fall down. Upon this violent knocking, Mr. Basil Wood and his wife, being then in the Hall, came presently into the milk-house to their mother, where finding her somewhat disturbed and enquiring the reason, she replied, God Almighty only knew the matter; she could tell nothing, but she heard the knocking. Which being within doors, Mr. Basil Wood concluded must be for some of the family at home, that upon the door being for a friend abroad; which accordingly fell out; three of the family, according to the number of the knocks, dying within little more than half a year after, viz. Mrs. Hester Wood, wife of Mr. Basil Wood, a child of Mr. Wood's sister, and Mrs. Eleanor Wood his mother.

About August, 1674, Mr. Basil Wood Junior, son of Basil aforesaid, living at Exeter, heard the same kinds of knockiug, at which being disturbed, he wrote word to his father here at Bampton in Oxfordshire, viz, that one Sunday he and his wife, and her sister and his brother did distinctly hear upon a table in their chamber, as they stood by it, two several knocks struck (as it were) with a cudgel, one of them before, and the other after morning-prayer, a little before dinner. Which letter was shown by Mr. Wood Senior, (as the other knockings before the deaths of any that died, were before-hand told) to several neighbouring gentlemen. After which within about 14 days Mrs. Hester Wood, a second wife of Mr. Basil Wood, Senior, and about a quarter of a year after, her father, Mr. Richard Lesset died, both at BAMPTON: since which time they have heard no thing more as yet.'

This is the account which Dr. Plott gave concerning the Ghost of the Wood family in his Natural History of Oxfordshire, which was published in A. D. 1671, and the reader will find the subject alluded to in a Catalogue of natural and artificial curiosities, &c. printed in the Appendix to this volume, and copied out of a Manuscript which was probably written some years before the appearance of Dr. Plott's History.

The lovers of the marvellous will rejoice to hear that the operations of the Ghost have not ceased, after the lapse of nearly two hundred years, but, as the family of the Woods have long since been deposited "with all the Capulets" in the