This little book has grown out of short papers printed in the Eton Parish Magazine, during the years 1885 to 1888, under the title of " The Place we Live in."
The information contained therein was drawn from such local traditions as had been preserved by aged parishioners, and from such books as were to be found in the Eton College Library.
These monthly papers were often somewhat hurriedly put together in the midst of other work, and without reference to original authorities, but they served the purpose in view, viz. to interest Eton people in the ancient records of the place, and especially to give them some idea of the history of their Church and Nation, as illustrated by what had happened in their own town and parish.
On several occasions since, the wish has been expressed that these scraps might be woven into some more handy and permanent shape, but conscious of many defects in the composition, and knowing that to recast it much time and study would be needed, I could not venture, in the midst of parish duties, to attempt the task. When, however, I found myself with leisure hours and with the opportunities that life in London affords for consulting various authorities and making closer research, I felt that I had no excuse for shirking the needful effort.
On attempting a revision, it was clear that I had by no means underrated the difficulties. Not only did many mistakes come to light, but much fresh material presented itself, often from unexpected quarters, and it was necessary not only to correct much that had appeared in print, but often to rewrite entirely large portions of the story.
Had I been younger, I might have been disposed to attempt a more solid and complete work, but I have contented myself with keeping to my original idea of teaching Church and National history through the local colouring ; and, as I desired especially to interest the rising generation, I have tried to blend some lighter touches with the more serious, and used many small local incidents to illustrate great principles or important changes in our country's history. At the same time, it seemed well for the sake of greater usefulness and completeness, to include certain matters, and to chronicle many occurrences, which some may regard as a little dull and commonplace.
I cannot claim to have exhausted the ground or to have always arrived at certain conclusions; but I trust that this attempt, full of interest as it has been to myself, will be of interest and use to many who are Etonians by birth or residence, as well as to many who owe some of the best of their education and some of their happiest days to the time they spent at Eton. If this venture awakens in others a desire to make further research, still more, if it leads the rising generation to larger views of the place they live in and to recognise their kinship and their heritage in the past,' and to realise and act upon their responsibilities towards those who will come after, my ambitions will be amply satisfied.
I cannot pretend to have recalled the scenes of bygone days with the vividness of the modern pageant, but my hope is that this little book may serve in some degree a like purpose. In parts of the volume I can make no claim to originality, I only profess to be a compiler. Especially is this the case as regards the history of the College Chapel, which for 435 years served as the Parish Church, and as regards such matters in the College as concerned the parish. Here I have largely used the carefully digested works of Sir H. Maxwell-Lyte and Messrs. Willis and Clark, and have often quoted from them freely, and gladly express my obligations to them. I am also greatly indebted to a selection of notes and extracts, newspaper cuttings and other information care-fully preserved in the middle of the last century by Mr. John Wilkinson, who was the Eton postmaster, and a man held in high esteem in the parish.
Grateful acknowledgements are also due to many other good friends, living and departed, who have taken a kindly interest in my work and supplied me with various details. In some chapters I have had some valuable criticism and suggestion from my old Eton friend, Rev. S. Harvey Gem, and I have to thank Mr. Howard Hetherington for access to an old parish map, on which is mainly founded the map inserted in this volume, and also the Bursar of Eton College for opening to me other like sources of local information. Thanks, are also due to the Bishop's Secretary at Lincoln and to members of the Canterbury and York Society for their courtesy in giving me access to the old Lincoln Diocesan Registers and for much useful information connected therewith.
I should like to add that besides the engrossing pleasure I
have found in the fresh study of this subject, and in the new fields of
literature into which this study has led me, it has been a satisfaction to me
to make this slight contribution to the better knowledge of a place where so
many years of my life were passed.
I shall be grateful to anyone who can put me in the way of any further or more correct information, historical or topographical.
J. S.
39 PRINCE'S SQUARE, W. July 25, 1908.
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