Originally published c. 1659, the text is really by John Phillipott (1589?-1645). According to the Dictionary of National Biography, his son Thomas (d. 1682) "endeavoured dishonestly to palm it off as his own." The history is arranged alphabetically according to parish, from Acris to Yalding, with each parish being divided into villages and manors. At rear is an interesting etymology of the names of hundreds and parishes mentioned in the text eg. Dover means "steep."