Peter Ditchfield

Ditchfield was born in Westhoughton, Lancashire in 1854.[1] He was schooled at the Royal Grammar School, Clitheroe and studied at Oriel College, Oxford.[1] He was ordained deacon in 1878 and priest in 1879.[1] Ditchfield served his title as curate of St. Michael's parish church, Sandhurst until 1880, followed by a second curacy at Christ Church, Reading.[1]

Ditchfield was appointed Rector of Barkham in 1886: a post that he held until his death.[1] From 1886 until 1903 Ditchfield was Inspector of Schools for the Diocese of Oxford.[1]

In 1898 Ditchfield married the daughter of Charles Smith of Ravenswood, Berkshire.[1]

Ditchfield was an historian and a prolific author.[1] He also co-edited with W.H. Page three Berkshire volumes of the Victoria County History, which were published in 1907, 1923 and 1924.

Ditchfield was Secretary of the Berkshire Archaeological Society for 38 years until 1929, when he became its President.[1] He edited the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Archaeological Journal from 1897 until his death.[1]

Ditchfield was a Freemason.[1] He was Grand Chaplain of the Freemasons of England in 1917 and of the Mark Masons in 1918.[1]

• Our English Villages Their Story and Antiquities. London: Methuen & Co. 1889.
• The Tourist's Guide to Berkshire; with some preliminary remarks as to its early History, Antiquities, Worthies, etc. London: Edward Stanford. 1892.
• Books Fatal to their Authors. London: Elliot Stock. 1895.
• Old English Customs Extant at the Present Time an Account of Lord Observances, Festival Customs and Ancient Ceremonies Yet Surviving in Great Britain. London: George Redway. 1896.
• Bygone Berkshire. London: William Andrews & Co. 1896.
• The Story of our English Towns. London: George Redway. 1897.
• Old English Sports and Customs. 1900.
• An Illustrated Guide to the Cathedrals of Great Britain. London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1902.
• Memorials of Old Oxfordshire. Bemrose & Sons Ltd. 1903.
• City Companies of London and Their Good Works: a Record of Their History, Charity and Treasure. London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1904.
• The Parish Clerk. London: Methuen & Co. 1907.
• Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1907). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 2. London: Archibald Constable & Co.
• Memorials of Old London. I. London: Bemrose & Sons Ltd. 1908.
• The Charm of the English Village. London: B.T. Batsford. 1908.
• Memorials of Old Lancashire. I. London: Bemrose & Sons Ltd. 1909.
• Memorials of Old Lancashire. II. London: Bemrose & Sons Ltd. 1909.
• The Parson's Pleasance. Mills & Boon. 1910.
• Vanishing England. London: Methuen & Co. 1910.
• Out of the Ivory Palaces. Mills & Boon. 1912.
• The Counties of England. I. London: George Allen & Co. 1912.
• The Counties of England. II. London: George Allen & Co. 1912.
• The Old English Country Squire. London: Methuen & Co. 1912.
• The Cottages and the Village Life of Rural England. London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1912.
• Oxfordshire. Cambridge County Geographies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1912.
• London Survivals. A Record of the Old Buildings and Associations of the City. London: Methuen & Co. 1914.
• The Village Church. London: Methuen & Co. 1915.
• Old Village Life Or, Glimpses of Village Life Through All Ages. London: Methuen & Co. 1920.
• Byways in Berkshire and the Cotswolds. London: Robert Scott. 1920.
• The City of London. The Story of the English Towns. London: SPCK. 1921.
• Country Folk a Pleasant Company. London: Methuen & Co. 1923.
• Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1923). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 3.
• Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1924). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 4.

• Works by Peter Ditchfield at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Peter Ditchfield at Internet Archive
• Works by Peter Ditchfield at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• Berkshire Archaeological Society