*'  The  same  historian  tells  us  that  ibis  town  is  mentioned  in  the  reign  of
King  Alfred,  on  his  division  of  the  kingdom  into  shires,  when  he  fixed  on
this  place  as  the  capital  of  his  newly-erected  county,  and  that  his  son.  King
Edward  the  Elder,  took  up  his  quarters  here  a.d.  918,  caused  two  forts  to
be  built  and  garrisoned  on  each  side  of  the  river  Ouse,  and  then,  advancing
towards  the  Danes,  struck  such  terror  into  them  that  they  were  glad  to
make  peace.  SubsequenUy  to  the  survey  of  Domesday  Book,  in  which
mention  is  made  of  the  town,  few  records  are  to  be  found  until  of  more
recent  date.  Tradition,  however,  preserves  some  memories  of  a  castie,  and
adds,  besides, '  a  local  habitation  and  a  name  ;'  for  we  have  Castie  House,
Castie  Street,  Castie  Mills,  Castie  Farm,  Castle  Fields,  and  Castie  Hill ;
yet  no  written  record  is  extant  of  the  building  of  a  castle^  nor,  as  far  as  I


PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE    SOCIETY.  413

oan  ascertain,  do  any  traces  of  a  foundation  remain,  although  we  read  that
in  A.D.  1484  Richard  III.  made  a  grant  to  John  Grey,  of  Wilton,  of  certain
moneys  *  for  the  food  of  the  king's  bawkes/  secured  upon  the  Castle  and
Manor  of  Buckingham.  My  learned  predecessor,  the  Rev  H.  Roundell,
tells  us  that  the  bailiff  and  burgesses  of  the  Corporation  were  summoned  in
King  Edward  III.'s  time  to  send  three  representatives  to  the  Council  of
Trade  held  at  Westminster  by  that  prince ;  and*  in  Henry  YII.'s  time  the
county  weights  and  measures  were  ordered  by  Act  of  Parliament  to  be  kept
here.  He  informs  us  also  that  the  gaol  delivery  of  felons  and  all  county
business  was  transacted  here  until  (as  it  was  supposed),  by  the  influence  of
Chief  Justice  Baldwin,  a  native  of  Avlesbury,  the  assizes  were  removed  to
that  town  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.
