BANBURY, (Oxfordshire) on the r. Charwel, and the edge of Northamptonshire, in the road from Buckingham to Bridgnorth, 17 m. from Oxford, 57 cm. and 77 mm. from London. A castle was built here, Anno 1125, by the Bp. of Lincoln, then Ld. of the manor, which Hen. VII. gave to Jasper, E. of Pembroke, whom he also created D. of Bedford. In the 1st of Q. Mary it was made a bor. consisting of a bailiff, 12 ald. and 12 burgesses. In the R. of James I. it was made a mayor T. with 12 ald. and 6 capital burgesses; and, in 1718, it had a new charter from his late Majesty, with the style of mayor, ald. and capital burgesses. It is now governed by a mayor, high-sleward, recorder, 6 capital burgesses, and 30 assistants, a town- clerk, and 2 serjeants at mace. It has a fine large Ch. a fr. s. 2 ch. s, and a work-house. There is such good land hereabouts, especially rich pasture, that it was famous, even in Camden's time, for good cheese, as it is now also for cakes and ale; and in the ploughed fields near it are often found coins of the Roman emperors. Here is held in the Mt. at set times of the year, that which in other places is called a statute for hiring servants, but here a mop. Its Fairs are on Holy-Th. Aug. 1, and Corpus Christi-day, besides the two following for horses, viz. the Th. after Epiph. and the first Th. in Lent. Mt. on Th. This T. gives title of E. to the Ld. Visc. Wallingford. The T. including 6 hamlets bel. to it, contains about 700 houses; and it has 2 meetinghouses, here being more dissenters, than in any T. of the Co. Here was formerly a popish chantry. The pyrites-aureus, or golden fire-stone is found here in great plenty, in digging of wells.