Epistle dedicatory (Thoroton)

Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire: Volume 1, Republished With Large Additions By John Throsby. Originally published by J Throsby, Nottingham, 1790.

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'Epistle dedicatory (Thoroton)', in Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire: Volume 1, Republished With Large Additions By John Throsby, (Nottingham, 1790) pp. vii-viii. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/thoroton-notts/vol1/vii-viii [accessed 17 March 2024]

In this section

TO MY WORTHY FRIEND WILLIAM DUGDALE, Esq.

Norroy King of Arms.

Sir,
By your Hand, as it were, I present these Collections to the Nobility and Gentry of our County, and to all other Lovers of this Kind of Knowledge, that your Name may procure the Book that Esteem, which its own Worth cannot give it: This Privilege I claim and use with the greater Confidence, not only because I am sufficiently assured of your Kindness and good Nature, but also because indeed you put me upon the Work, and therefore though I may not have done so much, or so well as you intended I should, I think you are a little obliged to countenance your own Choice of the Instrument. You may remember that some very few Years after your Visitation of our County, you and I being with our Friend Mr. Gervas Pigot, since deceased, at his House at Thrumpton, he brought us a Kind of a Transcript of something, which your old. Acquaintance Gilbert Boun, Serjeant at Law (my Wife's Father) was designing, or beginning, towards a Description of Nottinghamshire, whereof he had been Feodary, which proved to be only Doomsday Book, and a short Note or two on every Town, but that served to give Occasion to both your Importunities that I should attempt something further in it, which I proved more willing than able effectually to obey, notwithstanding your promised Assistance and Directions, which indeed my Professions and other Concerns, would not suffer me in all Things exactly to follow; for I could never get Opportunity to go myself and stay at York, to abstract what might be useful for me from that Registry, as you ever advised me; and others it seems could not well do it for me, for I had several Undertakers who all failed in the Point. Yet I made hard Shift to be as little justly to blame in other Things as possibly I could, so that I hope you will not disown me; and if you do not, I shall be less solicitous what others think, for I allow no Man for a Judge who hath not done something of this Nature himself. And they that have, even for your Sake, I am sure will be apt to be merciful to

Carcolston, Monday in Easter-Week, Apr. 16. Anno Dom. 1677.

Your Faithful Friend and Servant,
ROBERT THOROTON.