PREFACE.

IN this busy age we are apt to lose the inspiration which comes from the voices of the past. It is the humble purpose of this work to try to save that inspiration for the people of Arnold and their children by helping them to see in their immediate surroundings much that will remind them of the long centuries of effort through which there have been shaped and handed down to us the blessings of religion, law and order, under which we live to-day.

Such a study of the past, however humble or imperfect, can hardly fail to help and encourage us in facing the difficulties and trials of the present.

Lack of space and time makes it impossible to draw from each event, as it is recorded, the lessons it suggests; hence a history like this must be more or less a bare record of fairly ascertained facts. For that reason our little sermon is put here first and the compilers hope that the reader will peruse the pages of the book in the spirit we have suggested.

The book itself is the ultimate outcome of notes lovingly and laboriously collected by the late Vicar of Arnold (Rev. Marcus Joseph Truman). The volume containing those notes was found after his death to have on it a label of pathetic significance, "The next Vicar's book," and consequently it was handed over to the present Vicar (Rev. R. W. King) who consulted Mr. John Russell with a view to the editing and arranging of the notes for publication. Subsequently however a more ambitious scheme took shape, and a Committee was formed to prepare a History of Arnold. This Committee composed largely of busy men of affairs with manifold demands on their time and energies, can scarcely hope to have accomplished its self-imposed task with the completeness that might be desired and without serious errors. It is hoped, however, that the volume, deficiencies and errors notwithstanding, contains a fairly full and accurate history of Arnold during several centuries and will help to preserve from oblivion, by systematically recording them, many details that otherwise might have been lost or unobserved.

The compilers have appended their names to their respective contributions and thus each becomes responsible for his own omissions or mistakes.

RUPERT W. KING.
JOHN RUSSELL.

NOTE.—The compilers acknowledge the inspiration and help derived from the Notes made by the late Rev. Marcus Joseph Truman. They also desire to express their thanks to the following gentlemen:

Mr. Robert E. Clarke for acting as an efficient Secretary to the History Committee and collecting for them much valuable information. Mr. James R. Allen, Secretary to the Trustees of the Arnold Parochial Charities for lending documents belonging to the Trustees. Mr. Frank Oscroft for information on the geology, &c, of the district. Mr. Francis Skerritt for copying inscriptions in Arnold Churchyard. Dr. Harvey Francis for notes on the health of the Parish.