There was also our ancient Abbey, and an excellent Hospital well cared for by voluntary subscriptions, well staffed and well filled by patients from a large rural area. The latter fact was one of the inducements of my "buying myself into the Practice".

I have always been interested in History, and antiquities of all kinds, and I found a wealth of material in this ancient Borough, for what became my hobby. I was helped by information given me by local inhabitants, my own observations using a Doctors knowledge of the interior of houses, and again as a collector of books of History of all ages, and any other records of interest of the Borough and surrounding district.

I did this for my personal pleasure and with no intention of ever publishing them, but when asked to do so for the coming "Festival of Flowers", I thought it would be my contribution to the upkeep of the Abbey and of financial help to my Hospital. I have therefore done my best to produce a History of Malmesbury, although short, and believe this has not been attempted since the last "History" by the late James Bird in 1876.

My thanks, and sympathy, are due to Mr. Robin Walker, of Messrs. Taylor and Sons, the printers of Minety, who has had to decipher my typescript with its all too frequent alterations and additions.

I also offer my humble apologies to my long-suffering wife who has seen but little of me during the evenings of the past few weeks when all my spare time has been taken up with the "pains of labour" trying to give birth to this my first offspring in the world of literature. I trust I am forgiven.

To my daughter Carolyn and son Anthony, who have the proud right to call themselves Malmesburians, I dedicate this History of their native town.

May they read it and derive as much pleasure in so doing, as it has given their Father in writing it.

August, 1968

BERNULF HODGE
Oliver House
Malmesbury