*ALESBURY, (Buckinghamshire) the best T. in Buckinghamshire, 34 cm. and 44 mm. from London. In Will. the Conq. time it was
a royal manor, several parts of which that K. gave to his favourites, to hold of him by this odd tenure, viz. That they
should find litter or straw for the K's bed and chambers, and provide him three eels in winter, and three green-geese in
summer, besides herbs for his chamber; and this they were to do thrice a year, if the K. came hither so often: and for
this service they had three yard lands given them. The manor belongs now to the family of the Packingtons. The T. consists
of several streets, lying round about the Mt. place, which has a town-house in the middle, where are held the county-
assizes for the summer, that was built in the time of Hen. VIII. by Sir John Baldwin, Kt. Ld. Ch. Justice of the Common-
pleas, the greatest benefactor the T. ever had; for many publick edifices, and the causey leading towards London, for
three miles, were created at his cost, which, with his fixing the gaol (which is under the town-house) and causing the
county-court and business to be held and transacted here, very much improved the building and trade of the T. it having
had nothing memorable, except an hos. of St. John, and St. Leon, and the mon. of the Grey Friars, founded by the Butlers,
Es. of Ormond, which, at the ref. became the seat ofthe said Judge Baldwin, as it did afterwards of the Packingtons, till
it was ruined in the civil wars. By a charter of Q. Mary, in Jan. 1553-4, this, which was only a village, was made a corp.
consisting of a bailiff and ten ald. (out of which ten the bailiff was to be chose) and twelve capital burgesses, to be
chose by the said ald. out of the inh. of the bor. who, in Sept. 1, were to nominate one of the said ald. to be bailiff
for one year, from Michaelmas-day following. She also granted them a power to chuse two members of pt. together with a Mt.
and two Fairs, viz. March 24, 25, and 26, and May 2, 3, and 4, and that the T. should be a corp. within itself. The Mt. on
S. is stored with all sorts of provisions, better and cheaper than any so near London. The principal Fairs here now are on
March 20, Palm-M. and June 3, Whit. Eve, and Holyrood-day; and their chief officer is a constable, put in by the Ld. of
the manor, or else chose by the inh. and by him confirmed. This T. has given title of "E. to the Bruces, ever since 1664,
when K. Ch. II. bestowed it on Rob. Bruce, E. of Elgin, in Scotland.