r the Danes in 871. According to the Domesday survey it had always been
a royal manor, and comprised three mills and a market. A charter from Henry
III. in 1256 granted to the men of Basingstoke the manor and hundred of
that name and certain other privileges, which were confirmed by Edward
III., Henry V. and Henry VI. As compensation for loss sustained by a
serious fire, Richard II. in 1392 granted to the men of Basingstoke the
rights of a corporation and a common seal. A charter from James I. dated
1622 instituted two bailiffs, fourteen capital burgesses, four justices of
the peace, a high steward and under steward, two serjeants-at-mace and a
court of record. Charles I. in 1641 changed the corporation to a mayor,
seven aldermen and seven burgesses. Basingstoke returned two members to
parliament in 1295, 1302 and 1306, but no writs are extant after this date.
In 1202-1203 the market day was changed from Sunday to Monday, but in 1214
was transferred to Wednesday, and has not since been [v.03 p.0481] changed.
Henry VI. granted a fair at Whitsun to be held near the chapel of the Holy
Ghost. The charter from James I. confirmed another fair at the feast of St
Michael the Archangel, and that of Charles I. granted two fairs on
Basingstoke Down at Easter and on the 10th and 11th of September. The wool
trade flourished in Basingstoke at an early date, but later appears to have
declined, and in 1631 the clothiers of Basingstoke were complaining of the
loss of trade and consequent distress.

See _Victoria County History--Hants_; F. G. Baigent and J. E. Millard,
_History of Basingstoke_ (Basingstoke, 1889).

BASIN-STAND, a piece of furniture consisting of a small stand, usually
supported on three legs, and most commonly made of mahogany or rosewood,
for holding a wash-hand basin. The smaller varieties were used for
rose-water ablutions, or for the operation of hair-powdering. The larger
ones, which possessed sockets for soap-dishes, were the predecessors of the
ample modern wash-hand stand. Both varieties, often of very elegant form,
were in extensive use throughout a large part of the 18th century.

BASKERVILLE, JOHN (1706-1775), English printer, was born at Wolverley in
Worcestershire on the 28th of January 1706. About 1726 he became a writing
master at Birmingham, and he seems to have had a great talent for
calligraphy and for cutting inscriptions in stone. While at Birmingham he
made some important improvements in the process