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Bedfordshire, England.

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BEDFORDSHIRE

[Transcribed information from The Universal British Directory - 1791]

"BEDFORDSHIRE is one of the seven counties, which, they say, lie together, and have not one city among them; namely, Huntingdon, Bedford, Bucks, Berks, Hertford, Essex, and Suffolk. This county is remarkable for several curious and scarce plants; especially the woad, which, if it be good, is commonly worth 18l. per ton. The ancient Britons, by painting themselves with this plant, used to strike terror into their enemies; who, though not afraid of meeting men cased in complete armour, could not at first stand the shock of these naked barbarians; as was the case in the first invasion of this land by Cæsar.

Tempsford is noted for a camp, in which the Danes took up their winter-quarters when they mined the strong fort of Sandy, about four miles more Southward, by some supposed to have been built by the Romans, and the very Salinæ; of Ptolemy. This is certain, that, in the grounds now occupied by gardeners, there have been many urns, and great numbers of Roman coins formerly dug up. Adjoining to Tempsford, on the East, is the little village of Everdon, noted for the birth of the learned and eminent John Tiptoft, earl of Worcester, and lord high constable of England under Edward IV. and of Sylvester de Everdon, bishop of Carlisle in the reign of Henry III."

[Description(s) transcribed by Craig Pickup ©2002]