Banbury
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Banbury. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a town of Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the Cherwell, twenty-two miles north of Oxford. It is a town of about 13,000 people. Banbury of Merrie England was a noted market town. Banbury ale and cakes were famous. Banbury cheeses were so thin that they were "all paring." Shakespeare alludes to persons as thin as a Banbury cheese. The town appears to have been a Puritan stronghold, at least the expression "Banbury saint" and "Banbury man" were used to denote a Puritan. The customary cross that stood in the old open air market of Banbury is famous in nursery rhyme. It was taken down sometime during the reign of Elizabeth, but it is still celebrated in the nursery rhyme: Ride a cock horse To Banbury Cross, To see an old woman Upon a grey horse, With rings on her fingers And bells on her toes, She shall make music Wherever she goes. Ride a cock horse To Banbury Cross, To see what Tommy can buy A white penny loaf, A white penny cake, And a twopenny apple pie. 2026 Editor's Note: Banbury lives on chiefly in a nursery rhyme — 'Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross , to see a fine lady upon a white horse' — and in Banbury cakes, the spiced currant pastries still baked there. The Puritans the entry mentions tore down the original cross; the present one was built in 1859. (Ed: BR 2026-06-23)
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a small town of Oxford- Cherwell, 23 miles N. of Oxford, and 78 N. W. of London by rail. Its strong castle, built about 1125, was demolished during the Great Rebellion, when Banbury was noted for Puritanical zeal. In 1469 the Yorkists were defeated in the vicinity. The town is still famous for its cakes and ale, as it was in Ben Jonson's day; and it manufactures webbing and agricultural implements. Pop. about 14,000.