the chief town of Buckinghamshire in England, stands in a low ground, on the river Ouse, by which it is almost surrounded, and over which there are three handsome stone-bridges. The town is large and populous, sends two members to parliament, and had the title of a duchy. It seems, however, to have been but an inconsiderable place at the conquest; for, according to Doomsday-book, it paid only for one hide, and had but 26 burgesses. Edward the elder fortified it in the year 918 against the incursions of the Danes, with a rampart and turrets. It also had formerly a castle in the middle of the town, of which no vestiges now remain. The shrine of St Rumald, the patron of fishermen, preserved in the church, was held in great veneration. The county-goal stands in this town, and here the assizes are sometimes kept. It was formerly a staple for wool, but that advantage it hath now lost. It is governed by a bailiff and 12 burgesses, who are the sole electors of the members. In its neighbourhood are many paper-mills upon the Ouse. W. Long. 0° 58'. N. Lat. 51° 30'.

BUCKINGHAM-SHIRE (supposed to derive its name from the Saxon word Buc, denoting a hart or buck), an inland county of England. During the time prior to the landing of the Romans it was included in the division of Catteuchlani; and after their conquest was included in their third province of Flavia Caesariensis. During the heptarchy it belonged to the kingdom of Mercia, which commenced in 582, and terminated in 827, having had 18 kings; and it is now included in the Norfolk circuit, the diocese of Lincoln, and the province of Canterbury. It is bounded on the north by Northamptonshire; south by Berkshire; east by Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Middlesex; and west by Oxfordshire. It is of an oblong form, whose greatest extent is from north to south. It contains 441,000 acres, has above 111,400 inhabitants, 185 parishes, 73 vicarages, is 39 miles long, 18 broad, and 109 in circumference. It has 15 market towns, viz. Buckingham and Aylebury the county towns, Marlow, Newport Pagnell, Winiford, Wendover, Beaconsfield, Wiccomb, Chesham, Amersham, Stony Stratford, Colnbrook, Ivinghoe, Olney, Ribborough; besides the considerable villages of Eaton and Fenny Stratford, and 613 others inferior. It is divided into eight hundreds, provides 560 men for the militia, sends 14 parliament-men, and pays 12 parts of the land-tax. Its rivers are the Thames, Ouse, Coln, Wicham, Amersham, Isa, Tame, and Loddon. Its chief produce is bone-lace, paper, corn, fine wool, and breeding rams. The most noted places are the Chiltern Hills, Vale of Aylebury, Bernwood-Forest, Wooburn-Heath, and 15 parks. The air is generally good, and the soil mostly chalk or marle.

(George Villiers duke of). See Villiers.

(John Sheffield duke of). See Sheffield.