History OF THE TOWN OF WOBURN. Of the ancient history of this town very little is known. It was formerly called Old Woborn, (or Wouburne) and Abbot's Woborn; in Leland's Itinerary it is termed Owbourne. It is probable, that though at that time but a small village, "viculum quendam," it possessed some local advantages, as it was chosen for the scite of the intended Abbey. The present town is supposed to have been at that time a hamlet in the parish of Birchmore; but some have conjectured that the whole of the village was situated at Birchmore. It appears to have speedily acquired consequence, from the vicinity of the Abbey. In 1242 a weekly market was granted, through the interest of the Abbot, to be held on Fridays; also a fair, supposed to have been kept on the 25th of March annually. The chapel of Woburn was also given to the Abbey by the same charter. The great tithes of the rectory of Birchmore were impropriated in 1308. Fuller, in his Worthies of Bedfordshire, says, that "in the year 1506, this town was distinguished by a martyrdom, viz. that of Thomas Chase, of Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, who was hanged in the bishop's prison in this town, for blaming the prevailing superstition." This is a very great error, as there does not appear ever to have been a bishop's prison here. He mistakes it for Wooburn, Bucks.; where there was both a palace and a prison of the bishops of Lincoln. Fox, in his Book of Martyrs, (p. 829,) describes the cruel murder of this champion in the cause of truth at that place; adding, that he was buried in the highway between Wooburn and Great Marlow. : Roger Hobbs, the last abbot, rebuilt the town chapel; the choir and the tower are said to be more modern; the former having 'been erected by the Earl of Bedford, and the latter by Sir Francis Staunton but this is merely traditional. After the dissolution, in the reign of Edward VI. this chapel was made parochial. It is not known at what time the parish church of Birchmore was demolished. In 1572, this town was visited by queen Elizabeth, in her tour, but we are ignorant of the manner of her reception. On the 13th of September, 1595, the town was nearly destroyed by a most terrible fire, upwards, of 130 houses and buildings being consumed. This county was attached The king passed through 1644. He sent at the Soon after, a more dreadful scourge fell upon the whole kingdom, viz. the Civil War. to the parliamentary interest. this town with his army in same time two parties to Leighton and Dunstable.; those sent to Leighton plundered the town, and at Dunstable most scandalous outrages, were committed. In 1645, he again passed through, and slept at the seat of the Earl of Bedford, who was at that time absent. Previous to these visits, in the month of November, 1642, the royal forces had burnt part of the town. Unqualified detestation must be the consequence of such excesses, wherever they happen and by whomsoever committed. At the same time, every one will exonerate the hapless monarch from the charge of commanding or sanctioning such iniquitous conduct. In strict justice it must also be observed, that the more violent of the other party were not a whit behind them either in rapine, sacrilege, or murder. From that time to the present day, nothing particular seems to have occurred in the history of this town. There is a tradition that it has been severely visited by the plague, which has been corroborated by the discovery of human bones in a field near the town, said to have been interred there at that time. It is supposed that the town was formerly much larger than it is at present. It is certain that the church-yard, which is now rather confined, was at one time very large. The population has very little increased during the last century. If this town has produced no very eminent or distinguished characters, it has at least experienced the fortunate absence of notoriously bad ones. The parish has been the habitation, if not the birth-place, of one of the most distinguished patriots that ever existed, (Hampden not excepted,) viz. Lord William Russell. In so small and inconsiderable a town, nothing very remarkable can be expected; but if loyalty and decency, morality and liberality be honourable, this little town may stand firm, where loftier and prouder ones might shrink. Such it has been, and such we trust it will long continue to be. PRESENT STATE OF THE TOWN. WOBURN, in the County of Bedford, in the hundred of Manshead and deanery of Flitton, (lon. 52 W.; lat. 37 N.) is a small, but particularly neat Market Town, situated on an eminence, on the great road from London to Chester, Manchester, Leeds, &c. It is distant from London 42 miles; from Bedford 15; from Northampton 24; from Dunstable 9; from Ampthill 7; from Leighton-Buzzard 6; and from NewportPagnell 9. The number of houses, principally of brick, is about 290, and the population nearly 1600. In 1724 this town was a second time visited by that dreadful scourge, a fire, and upwards of 100 houses laid in ashes by that devouring element. This was, at first, a most distressing calamity, as it deprived several families of the means of subsistence; but their sufferings were in some degree alleviated by the sympathy and generosity of the surrounding gentry; and the town soon rose, like a Phoenix from its ashes, with additional lustre; proving in this, as in many other instances, |