NOW as for the general Description of the County; First you have the par∣ticular Division thereof, according to Eccle∣siastical order, branched forth into Ten Dean∣aries, briefly compiled into Eight Columns: In the First, you have an Alphabet of every Parish Church and Chappel belonging to every Deanary in the County, and to what Abby, Mo∣nastry, or other Religious House it formerly be∣longed.
In the Second, you have the Names of the present Patrons; in the Third the Names of each Minister, in the Fourth the supposed Valuation, in the Fifth their Tenths, in the Sixth their Procurations, in the Seventh, their Penticosts, and in the Eighth, their Synodals.
Secondly, you have a particular division of the whole County according to the common, or civil Jurisdiction, principally seperated into Four Divisions, which is afterwards drawn into Thirty Hundreds, and Lastly subdivided into Parishes, Hamlets, and Tythings; all Alpha∣betically.
Thirdly, you have an Account of every Market Town, as it lyeth within its Respe∣ctive Hundred, with it's Original Denomina∣tion, how Situated, Extended and Bounded, either with Hills, Rivers, Woods or Commons; the Constitution of their Goverments, the An∣tiquity of their Charter; Lords of the Man∣nors, and the particular Trade, or Commerce on which each Town dependeth, and how far distant it lyeth from the next adjacent Markets.
Fourthly, you have the Description of every Church belonging to each Market Town, by whom, and when, some of them were built, and to what Saint Dedicated; with an account of all Statues, Monuments, Memorials and Coats of Arms contained in any of them, and to what Family they belonged &c.
Fifthly, To the intent that the Pious and Charitable Endowments of all well disposed Christians, for and towards the Relief of their poor distressed brethren, may be publickly re∣corded to future posterity, I have here inserted a Catalogue of most if not all the Hospitals, Alms-houses, Free-Schools, and other good and commendable Gifts, bequeathed either to Church, or Poor, in any Market-Town or Vil∣lage, within this County; with the names of each Donour, and how many poor People every such Hospital or Alms-house doth entertain, and what weekly allowances, and other priviledges they have, and what every School-master and Usher (if any) have by the Year, and by whom paid.
Sixthly, You have a particular Survey in every Hundred, of all Roman and Mercian Fortifications, Saxon Rampires, and Danish Camps, with the signification of those Piles of Rubbish Earth, called Barrows, and what hath been found under many of them; as also your Checker-work Pavements, Stouphs, Numisma∣ta's, Veins of Ore, Quarries, and variety of Solid Stones, found up and down many places in this County &c.
Seventhly for the better preservation of the Honor, and Antiquity of the Nobility and Gentry of this County to further Ages, I have, at the end of the Forrest Division, inserted an Alphabet of all his Majesties present Justices of the Peace of this County, their Seats and Coats of Arms.
Eighthly, At the end of Kistgate Division, you have the Names, Seats, and Coats of Arms, of all the High-Sheriffs, and Knights of the Shire, that have been in this County since His Majesties most happy Restauration.
Ninthly, at the end of the Seven Hundreds Division, you have an account of the Names, Seats and Coats of Arms of all the Knights, Barronets, and Knights of the Bath, belonging to this County, and when most of them were either, Doub'd, or Created.
Tenthly for the better Illustration of the Work, you have at the end of Barkley's Di∣vision, the Names, Seats, and Titles of Ho∣nor appertaining to the greater Luminaries of the County viz. the Viscounts, Barons, Lords, Earls, Marquesses and Dukes, gradually ranked, according to their Ascending Qualities, with their Shields of Honor, Mantlings, Supporters, and Motto's, displayed by pretious Stones.
Eleventhly you have a small Tract of the Military Jurisdiction, and Discipline of this County; to which is annexed a List of all His Majesties Commissioned Officers that now are, according to their several places of Command in a Regimental Order.
Twelfthly, you have an Alphabet of the pri∣vate Gentlemens Names, Seats, and Coats of Arms.
And last of all, you have the Original Deno∣mination, Situation, Enlargements, and Con∣tinuation, with sundry other remarkable Obser∣vations of the Famous City of BRISTOL, from its first Foundation, to the late Unhappy Wars &c.