The author of this work, written in 1700–1 but not published until the nineteenth century, is sometimes confused with his later namesake, the antiquarian Richard Gough (1735–1809), though they are not in fact related. Richard Gough of Myddle in Shropshire (baptised 1635, died 1723) was a farmer and also acted as a land steward. This book on the history of his parish and the families living in it was not apparently intended for publication. However, more than one copy was made, as a version that does not match the text presented here was privately printed in 1834: this version was published in Shrewsbury in 1875. Gough describes his parish, the great local landowners, and the castle, and then gives histories of the local families. This is one of the earliest surviving examples of a local history, and is famous for its detailed account of the minutiae of village life.