A Survey of London

''Stow''s Survey'' is a historical work readily identified by this familiar name alone. John Stow (c.15241605) was a Londoner a member of the Merchant Taylors'' Company but spent most of his life accumulating manuscripts and other historical records. His great work A Survey of London was published in 1603 and is reissued here in the two-volume version edited by C. L. Kingsford (18621926) and published in 1908. Kingsford a government education official was also a writer for the Dictionary of National Biography to which he contributed over 300 entries. His Chronicles of London (also reissued in this series) was published in 1905. In Volume 1 Kingsford''s preface explains his editorial practice; he also provides an introduction including documents illustrative of Stow''s family background and life and a bibliography of sources. Stow''s text begins with general essays on London''s history and follows with a ward-by-ward description.