Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11

Chapter VII: Part 7

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_Fair_, first Saturday in March and November, for horses, horned
cattle &c.

[A] BAKEWELL. This ancient market town, in which the petty sessions for the High Peak are holden, is situated on the western bank of the river Wye. Of late years, the market has dwindled into insignificance, but the parish is the most extensive in Derbyshire; its length is more than 20 miles, and its breadth upwards of eight. The pasturage in this neighbourhood is remarkably good. The town was anciently called Bath-quelle; it appears to have derived its name from its Bath-well, the immediate site of which has been for many years occupied by a collector of minerals and fossils for private cabinets. From the circumstance of a Roman altar, and other antiquities having been discovered here, there can be but little doubt that Bakewell was a place of some note in the time of the Romans. At the Conquest, Bakewell had two priests and a church. The manor then belonged to William Peverell, ancestor of the Peveril celebrated in the admirable romance by Sir Walter Scott, styled "Peveril of the Peak." Bakewell church is an ancient structure, with a lofty spire. Near the entrance of the town, from Ashford, is a mill, for the carding, roving, doubling, spinning, and twisting of cotton, in which some hundreds of persons of both sexes are employed; the mill was erected by the late Sir Richard Arkwright, the founder of the cotton trade in this neighbourhood. This distinguished character, whose perseverance and admirable inventions raised him from one of the most humble occupations in society--that of a barber--to affluence and honour, was the youngest of thirteen children, and was born in the year 1732, at Preston, in Lancashire. A considerable manufacture of linen goods, and of linen and cotton mixed, was then carried on in that neighbourhood, and Mr. Arkwright had an opportunity of becoming intimately acquainted with the various operations; and being a man of superior powers, he directed his thoughts to the improvement of the mode of spinning, which had probably been conducted for ages without thought of change. The first hint respecting the means of effecting this improvement, he said, he accidentally received from seeing a red hot iron bar elongated, by being passed between iron cylinders. The difficulties which he experienced before he could bring his machine into use, even after its construction was sufficiently complete to demonstrate its value, would, perhaps, have for ever retarded its completion, had his genius and application been less ardent. His pecuniary means were not such as to enable him to commence business on his own account, and few were willing to incur the necessary risk. At length, however, he secured the co-operation of some persons who saw the merits of the invention, and were willing to assist his endeavours, and he obtained his first patent for spinning by means of rollers in the year 1769. To avoid the inconvenience of establishing a manufacture of this kind at the great seat of the cotton manufacture, as it then existed, he removed to Nottingham, when, in conjunction with his partners, he erected his first mill, which was worked by horses. This mode being found too expensive, another mill on a larger scale was erected at Cromford, the machinery of which was put in motion by water. Mr. Arkwright soon effected many improvements in the mode of preparing the cotton for spinning, and invented a variety of ingenious machines for that purpose, in the most correct and expeditious manner, for all which he obtained a patent in the year 1775, and thus completed a series of machinery so various and complicated, yet so admirably combined as to excite universal approbation. That all this should have been accomplished by a single man, without education, without mechanical knowledge, or even mechanic's experience, is truly extraordinary; and is, perhaps, equal to any known example of the wonderful powers of the human mind, when steadily directed to one object. However, at the same time that he was inventing or improving the machinery, he was engaged in various undertakings which might have been thought incompatible with other pursuits. He was taking measures to secure himself a fair proportion of the fruits of his industry and ingenuity--he was greatly extending the business--he was introducing into every department of the manufactory, a novel system of industry, economy, order, and cleanliness; the whole of which he so effectually accomplished, that his example may be regarded as the origin of almost all similar improvements. During this entire period, he was afflicted with a violent asthma, which sometimes threatened the immediate termination of his existence; and for some time previously to his death, he was rendered incapable of continuing his usual pursuits, by a complication of diseases, which, at length, deprived him of life at the Rock House, Cromford, on the 23d of August, 1792. The honour of Knighthood was bestowed on him by George III., in December, 1786, when he presented an address to that monarch. Dr. Thomas Denman, an eminent physician, was born at this place in 1733; after the death of Dr. William Hunter, he was considered as the most eminent man of his profession. Towards the decline of his life he gradually relinquished the more laborious parts of his profession to his son-in-law, Sir Richard Croft, and became a consulting physician. His death, which was very sudden, took place on the 26th of November, 1815. He left two daughters and a son, the latter of whom, adopting the legal profession, is now Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench.

_Market_, Friday.--_Fairs_, Easter Monday; Whit Monday; August 26;
Monday after October 10; Monday after November 22, for cattle and
horses,--_Inn_, Rutland Arms, allowed to be one of the best Inns in
the kingdom, and is much frequented by anglers during the summer
season.--_Mail_ arrives 12.10 afternoon; departs 6.0 morning.

[Sidenote: Seat of the Peverils of the Peak.]

[Sidenote: Sir Richard Arkwright.]

[Sidenote: Cotton mills.]

[Sidenote: Dr. Thomas Denman.]

[A] BALA is situated at the outlet of the lake of the same name. It is a clean and populous market town, consisting of one wide principal street, and others crossing it at right angles. The houses are in general built very low. The young women commonly go barefooted; they are however well formed, and have little of the strong Welsh physiognomy. At this place is carried on a great trade in woollen gloves and stockings. Just before the entrance of the town is an artificial mount called "Tommen y Bala," (the tumulus of Bala) which is supposed to be of Roman origin, and placed here with a small castle on its summit to secure the pass towards the sea, which is about twenty-five miles distant. Bala Lake, or Llyn Tegid, is a quarter of a mile south of the town; it is the largest lake in Wales, being about four miles long, and in some places near a mile in breadth. At Bryn Goleu, its depth is several fathoms. The scenery around is mountainous, and it forms the principal attraction of the vicinity, yet it possesses none of the grand discriminating traits of the lakes of Scotland or Ireland. The overflowings of this lake are sometimes dreadful; but this only happens when the winds rush from the mountains at the upper end. In stormy weather, when swelled by torrents, the water is driven to the height of eight or nine feet, covering great part of the vale of Edeirnion, and almost threatening the town with destruction. In calm settled weather, it has been so smooth as to be frozen over. The river Dee rises from under Arran ben Llyn, the high mountain at the head of the lake; and according to Giraldus Cambriensis, Drayton, and others, passes through this immense body of water without deigning to intermix its waters, as the Rhone is said to pass through the lake of Geneva, and the classic Alpheus through the waters of the Adriatic. Hence it has been asserted, that salmon are never found in the lake, or gwiniad in the river; it however abounds with a variety of excellent fish, among which we may mention pike, trout, perch, and eels. The fishery in the 13th century belonged to the Abbey of Basingwerk; the whole property is vested at present in Sir Watkyn Williams Wynne, Bart., who allows the fishermen to be occasionally employed in attending fishing parties with a boat and nets, without such privilege no person is allowed the use of nets; but angling is freely permitted, and gentlemen as distant as from London visit this place entirely for the sake of indulging in this amusement. Of the inns at Bala, Mr. Hutton says, "although I have often only reposed one night at an inn, yet from agreeable treatment and conversation, I found some regret the next morning at parting; and though I saw the people but once, my mind revolted at the idea of seeing them no more." The town of Bala is governed by two bailiffs, and a common council, and the assizes are held here and at Dolgelly alternately; it is likewise one of the polling places for the county.

_Market_ Saturday--_Fairs_, May 14; July 10; Sep. 11 and 22; Oct. 24;
and Nov. 8.--_Mail_ arrives 8.0 morning; departs 5.0 afternoon.

[Sidenote: The largest lake in Wales.]

[Sidenote: The lake fisheries.]

[A] BALBY. In this village George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, held his first meetings. His father, who was a weaver, gave him a very religious education; he was apprenticed to a grazier, and much employed as a shepherd. From his earliest infancy he displayed a tendency to enthusiasm, and no doubt his solitary employment tended to confirm it. At the early age of nineteen he persuaded himself that he was called to exercise his faculties, solely in the affairs of religion. Forsaking his relations, he determined to devote himself to that alone. Equipped in a leathern doublet, he wandered from place to place, subsisting by the charity of those who received his doctrines. At length he reached the metropolis, where, being discovered by his friends, he was earnestly invited to return. This, however, he refused to do, and after remaining with them a short time, he again betook himself to his itinerant habits. He now walked abroad in retired places, fasting and studying the Bible by day and night, and sometimes a hollow tree was his habitation, book in hand, for a day together. In 1648, he publicly propagated his opinions, commencing as public preacher at Manchester, which place he frequently left to perambulate the adjacent towns, preaching in the market-houses. About this time he began to adopt the manners and habits which are peculiar to the society following his religious opinions; nor was he free from the persecution which constantly follows novelty, in any thing regarded as an innovation of a religious nature. At Derby, the disciples of Fox were first denominated Quakers, from the trembling delivery of their sentences, and their calls on the magistrates to tremble before the Lord. In 1655, Fox was sent a prisoner to Cromwell, who immediately liberated him upon ascertaining the peaceful nature of his doctrines. He was, however, treated by the country magistracy with great severity, from his frequently interrupting ministers, even during divine service, and more than once the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, exerted himself to obtain his freedom. A fast having been appointed on account of the persecution of Protestants in foreign countries, he addressed a letter to the heads and governors of the nation, descrying, in most forcible terms, the impropriety of having recourse to severity of a similar nature at home. Charles II. liberated him from prison in the year 1666, and from that time they formally united as a "Society of Friends." Three years afterwards he married the widow of Judge Fell, in the simple unostentatious manner practised by the sect to the present day. His health, however, was impaired by imprisonment and suffering, and he lived in a more retired manner to the day of his death, which took place in the year 1690, in the 67th year of his age.

[Sidenote: George Fox the Quaker.]

[Sidenote: His wanderings and imprisonment.]

Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+------------------+----------+-----------+-------------+
43|Baldersley[A] to|N.R. York |Ripon 6|Thirsk 6|
22|Balderston chap|Lancaster |Preston 7|Blackburn 5|
30|Balderton pa|Nottingham|Newark 2|Bingham 12|
18|Baldock[B] m.t.&pa|Hertford |Hertford 19|Biggleswade 8|
31|Baldon Marsh pa|Oxford |Oxford 7|Abingdon 7|
31|Baldon-Toot pa|Oxford |... 6|... 7|
+--+-----------------+-----------+-----------+-------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. | Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+------------------+----------------------+-------------+
43|Baldersley[A] to|Borobridge 8| 214| 267|
22|Balderston chap|Clitheroe 12| 217| 658|
30|Balderton pa|Grantham 12| 122| 830|
18|Baldock[B] m.t.&pa|Stevenage 6| 37| 1704|
31|Baldon Marsh pa|Wheatley 7| 52| 318|
31|Baldon-Toot pa|... 7| 53| 272|
+--+------------------+----------------------+-----+-------+

[A] BALDERSLEY. Near this village is an extensive common, called Hutton Conyers Moor, on which there is a rabbit-warren; the inhabitants have a right of estray for their sheep on this moor, in conjunction with some other townships, and each township has a shepherd. The lord's shepherd has a pre-eminence of tending his sheep on every part of the common; and wherever he herds the lord's sheep, the several other shepherds are to give place to him, and give up what is termed their hofiong place, so long as they are depastured thereon. The lord's court is held on the first of January; the shepherds attend the court, and each do fealty by bringing a large apple-pye and a two-penny sweet-cake; each pye is divided into two parts, and distributed by the bailiff between the steward, the tenant of the rabbit-warren, and the shepherds of the townships, reserving a portion however for himself. Each pye contains about a peck of flour, and the bailiff measures them with a rule to see that they are of the proper dimensions; should they not be so he threatens to fine the town; he, however, has to provide furmenty (a food made by boiling wheat in milk) and mustard. The furmenty is put into an earthen pot, and the top of the dish placed level with the ground, all persons present are invited to partake; those who do not accept the invitation are deemed disloyal to their lord. Every shepherd is compelled to bring a spoon with him, and in cases of neglect, or wilful pleasantry, they are obliged to sup the hot furmenty from the pot, and the bystanders not unfrequently plunge the offenders head into the mixture, as a matter of diversion.

[Sidenote: Right of Common.]

[Sidenote: Singular custom.]

[B] BALDOCK is situated between two hills, at the intersection of the great north road, and the Roman Ikeneld street. It was formerly the property of the Knights Templars, to whom Gilbert, Earl of Pembroke, gave the site; it was then called Baudoc: but some antiquarians, with little reason, derive its name from Balbec, a city in Syria, from which this order of knights was expelled by the Saracens. It principally consists of one long ancient street. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a spacious structure, and was built by the Knights Templars, and again partly rebuilt in the early part of the fifteenth century. All the early portion of this structure is of pure Roman architecture, and the latter of the florid gothic. The steeple, which is octagonal, was rebuilt a few years ago. In the church is a richly carved oaken screen, part of the ancient rood-loft, and a very curious font. In cutting through Baldock-hill, to form a new road, a number of fossils, consisting of cornua ammonis, sharks' teeth, &c., were discovered. There is a curious custom in this manor. When the Steward holds his Court Leet, the bell tolls, to summons the copyhold tenants together, to do their suit and service at dinner, to which every baker sends a loaf of bread, and every victualler a flagon of ale or beer. The object of this custom is intended for the Court Leet to examine the measures, as well as to judge of the quality of the articles of food.

_Market_, Thursday.--_Fairs_, March 7; last Thursday in May; August
5; October 2; December 11, for cheese, cattle, and household
goods.--_Mail_ arrives 12.31 morning, departs 2.16
morning.--_Bankers_, Williamson and Co., draw on Hoare and
Co.--_Inn_, White Hart.

[Sidenote: Sharks' teeth found in cutting through a hill.]

Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+--------------------+---------+--------------+--------------+
27|Bale pa|Norfolk |Holt 5|Cley 6|
37|Balham vil|Surrey |Clapham 1|Tooting 2|
43|Balke to|N.R. York|Thirsk 4|Helmsley 10|
46|Balke-Holme to|E.R. York|Howden 2|South Cave 10|
10|Ballidon to|Derby |Ashborne 6|Wirksworth 6|
14|Ballingdon pa chap|Essex |Sudbury 1|Halstead 8|
17|Ballingham pa|Hereford |Hereford 7|Ross 6|
45|Balne to|W.R. York|Snaith 4|Pontefract 10|
39|Balsall chap|Warwick |Warwick 10|Coventry 10|
31|Balscott ham|Oxford |Banbury 5|Chip Norton 14|
6|Balsham pa|Cambridge|Linton 4|Cambridge 8|
35|Balterley to|Stafford |Newcastle 7|Congleton 9|
34|Baltonsborough pa|Somerset |Glastonbury 4|Somerton 4|
29|Bambrough to & pa|Northumb |Belford 5|Holy Island 6|
29|Bambrough[A] to|Northumb |... 5|... 6|
10|Bamford ham|Derby |S. Middleton 6|Sheffield 11|
22|Bamford to|Lancaster|Rochdale 3|Manchester 7|
11|Bampton[B] m.t. & pa|Devon |Exeter 23|Tiverton 7|
31|Bampton[C] m.t. & pa|Oxford |Oxford 16|Witney 5|
+--+--------------------+---------+--------------+--------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. | Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+--------------------+------------------------+-----+--------+
27|Bale pa|Walsingham 6| 117| 275|
37|Balham vil|Epsom 9| 5| ...|
43|Balke to|Easingwold 9| 222| 72|
46|Balke-Holme to|Weighton 12| 182| 107|
10|Ballidon to|Winster 6| 142| 108|
14|Ballingdon pa chap|Bury 17| 54| 283|
17|Ballingham pa|Ledbury 12| 126| 147|
45|Balne to|Thorne 8| 173| 343|
39|Balsall chap|Solihul 5| 100| 1038|
31|Balscott ham|Deddington 9| 74| 213|
6|Balsham pa|Newmarket 9| 52| 1074|
35|Balterley to|Nantwich 12| 153| ...|
34|Baltonsborough pa|Cas. Caray 8| 121| 675|
29|Bambrough to & pa|Alnwick 15| 324| 3949|
29|Bambrough[A] to|... 15| 61| 324|
10|Bamford ham|Castleton 4| 165| 238|
22|Bamford to|Bury 6| 189| 1207|
11|Bampton[B] m.t. & pa|Morebath 2| 162| 1961|
31|Bampton[C] m.t. & pa|Farringdon 7| 71| 2514|
+--+--------------------+------------------------+-----+--------+

[A] BAMBROUGH CASTLE is situated on the romantic coast of Northumberland, near an obscure town of the same name; it stands upon a triangular rock, high, rugged, and abrupt on the land side. But we leave its description, which would be too lengthy, and turn rather to the account of the benevolent institution founded in 1720, by Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, of which it is the seat. The keep of the castle is fitted up for suffering seamen, and property which may have been rescued from the fury of the ocean. Regulations were also adopted to prevent accidents on the coast, and to alleviate misfortunes when they had occurred. A nine-pounder placed at the bottom of the great tower, gives signals to ships in distress; and in case of a wreck announces it to the Custom-house officers, who hasten to prevent its being plundered. In addition to this, during a storm, horsemen patrol the coast, and rewards are paid for the earliest intelligence of vessels in distress. A flag is always hoisted when any ship is seen in distress on the Fern Islands or Staples; or a rocket thrown up at night, which gives notice to the fishermen of Holy Island, who put off to the spot when no boat from the main can get over the breakers. There has also been life-boats added to the establishment. Within the walls of the castle are supported two free-schools, an infirmary, thirty beds for shipwrecked sailors, and a granary, whence poor persons are supplied with provision at the first price. There is also a library, the books of which are circulated gratuitously for twenty miles round. This philanthropic endowment has not been suffered to decay with the romance of olden time, but the charitable intentions of the testator are fulfilled so as to exhibit a lasting record of his active benevolence.

[Sidenote: Seat of the Bishop of Durham.]

[Sidenote: Noble charity.]

[B] BAMPTON. A market town, situated near the little river Batherme, which flows into the Exe at about one mile distance. Mr. Polwhele considers that this was a Roman station, and here, probably, the Romans had artificial hot-baths. A chalybeate spring in this neighbourhood is much celebrated for its medicinal qualities. John de Bampton, a Carmelite, who was the first who publicly read Aristotle in Cambridge, was born here: he died in 1391. The manufactures of the place are serges and pottery.

_Market_, Saturday.--_Fairs_, Whit Tuesday, and last Thursday in
October, for cattle.

[Sidenote: John de Bampton.]

[C] BAMPTON. Here are some slight remains of an ancient castle, supposed to have been erected in the reign of King John. The celebrated poet, John Philips, the son of Dr. Stephen Philips, archdeacon of Salop, was born in this town, on the 30th of December, 1676, and after the preliminary process of juvenile education, was sent to Winchester, where he was distinguished by the superiority of his exercises, and at school endeared himself to all his companions and superiors: it is related of him, that he seldom mingled in the play of other boys, but retired to his chamber, and indulged in the study of the poets and of the ancient and modern classics, particularly Milton. In 1694, he was removed to Christchurch, Oxford, where he finished all his University acquirements; but Milton--the immortal Milton--continued to be his uninterrupted day dream: and he might have exclaimed in the language of that poet, I will study the magnificence of thy etherial phantasy,

"From morn till noon, from noon to dewey eve,
When Urania visits my nightly
Slumbers, or when morn purples the east."

It is said that there was not an allusion in "Paradise Lost," drawn from any hint either in "Homer," or "Virgil," to which he could not immediately refer. While at Oxford he was honoured with the friendship of Mr. Edmund Smith, author of the Tragedy of "Phaedra and Hippolitus;" and also with that of the most polite and favoured of the gentlemen in the University. His first poem was published in 1703, entitled, "The Splendid Shilling," which has the merit of an original design. His next poem, entitled "Blenheim," which he wrote as a rival to Addison's poem on the same subject, was published in 1705, and procured him the patronage of Mr. Henry Saint John, afterwards Lord Bolingbroke. Independent of poetry, Philips was an excellent botanist; in 1706 he produced his third poem on "Cyder," founded on the model of Virgil's Georgics, a book not only of entertainment but of science; and soon afterwards, a latin Ode, "to Henry Saint John, Esq.," said to have been the poet's masterpiece. "It is gay and elegant," says Dr. Johnson, "and exhibits several artful accommodations of classic expressions to new purposes." At the time of his illness, Philips was meditating a poem to be called "The Last Day;" death put an end to so solemn and majestic a finale of genius. He died at Hereford, of a lingering consumption, February 15, 1708, in the thirty-third year of his age, and was buried in the cathedral of that city. Sir Simon Harcourt, afterwards Lord Chancellor, erected a monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey, the epitaph upon which was written by Doctor Atterbury. Philips was a gentleman of a modest and amiable disposition, "and always praised without contradiction," (says Dr. Johnson) "as a man, modest, blameless, and pious, who bore a narrow fortune without discontent--and tedious and painful maladies without impatience; beloved by those who knew him, but not ambitious to be known."

_Market_, Wednesday.--_Fairs_, March 26, and August 26, for cattle
and toys.

[Sidenote: John Philips the poet.]

[Sidenote: Philips's poetical works.]

[Sidenote: Character and death.]

Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-----------+
40|Bampton[A] to & pa|Westmorlnd|Orton 10|Penrith 9|
40|Bampton-Grange ham|Westmorlnd| 10| 9|
9|Bampton, Little to|Cumberland|Wigton 5|Carlisle 7|
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-----------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. |Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-----+
40|Bampton[A] to & pa|Shap 4 | 282| 636|
40|Bampton-Grange ham| ... 4| 282| |
9|Bampton, Little to|Longtown 10| 311| 213|
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-----+

[A] BAMPTON. The river Lowther runs through this parish. Here is a beautiful lake, called Haweswater, three miles long, and half a mile broad; it is environed by lofty mountains, conveying to the mind a grand and imposing appearance: its eastern side is sheltered by rocky eminences, plentifully clothed with verdure, while the western side displays the open fields, with all the sweet varieties of culture. A lead mine has lately been discovered in the neighbourhood. The free grammar-school was founded by Thomas Sutton, D.D., who vested in trustees the sum of L500., collected from estates out of the parish of St. Saviour, Southwark, and other places. Here, also, three parochial libraries were established respectively, in the years 1710, 1750, 1752, comprising about 800 volumes. Thomas Gibson, M.D., who married the daughter of Richard Cromwell, Protector, was Physician-General of the army, and a native of this parish. He was the author of a system of anatomy. The learned doctor, having laid the foundation of his classical learning at a school in this county, he entered as scholar at Queen's College, Oxford, in 1686. The study of the northern languages about this period was particularly cultivated at the University, and Mr. Gibson rigidly applied himself to that branch of literature, in which he was assisted by Dr. Hicks. In a short time he translated into Latin the "Chronicon Saxonicum," and published it together with the Saxon original. Dr. Gibson had an early and strong inclination to search the antiquities of his own country, and being well versed in the knowledge of its original languages, he applied himself with great diligence, and in a few years produced his edition of "Camden's Britannica," and concluded this branch of learning with "Reliquae Spelmannianae," or the posthumous works of Sir Henry Spelman, relating to the laws and antiquities of England, which, with a life of the author, he published at Oxford, in 1698, and dedicated his work to Archbishop Tenison. About this time he was taken as Domestic Chaplain to the Archbishop's family, and soon afterwards was made Rector of Lambeth, and Archdeacon of Surrey. Upon the death of the Archbishop, in 1715, Dr. Wake, Bishop of Lincoln, succeeded him, and Dr. Gibson was appointed to that See; and Dr. Robinson also dying, in 1720, Gibson was appointed Bishop of London. The ministry were so sensible of his great abilities, that a sort of ecclesiastical ministry was committed to his charge for several years. He died on the 6th of September, 1748, with true Christian fortitude, and in perfect tranquillity of mind.

[Sidenote: Haweswater lake.]

[Sidenote: Dr. Thomas Gibson.]

[Sidenote: An Antiquarian.]

[Sidenote: Made Bishop of London.]

[A] BANBURY is pleasantly situated on the small river Charwell, and its staple commodities seem to be cheese and cakes; the former, even in Shakspeare's time, appear to have been celebrated, for Bardolph, when accused by "Slender" of robbing him of his two milled sixpences, exclaims, "You Banbury cheese." The cakes have made this town more celebrated than even its political engagements. The castle of Banbury was founded in the year 1153, by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, and continued an episcopal residence till the reign of Henry VI. During the contentions between the houses of York and Lancaster, when civil discord was a familiar incident in this neighbourhood, Banbury suffered much; but more particularly in the memorable engagement, called "The Battle of Banbury," fought about three miles from the town, in 1469. It took place on a plane called Danesmoor, near Edgecote. The Earl of Warwick was the commander of the Lancasterian forces, and the Yorkists were led by the Earls of Stafford and Pembroke, who had possession of the town. After one of the most determined conflicts ever recorded, the Yorkists were routed; the Earl of Pembroke and his brother were both taken and beheaded, and Edward IV. himself made prisoner a few days after. In 1642, the towns-people took part with the Parliament, but after the battle of Edgehill, this castle was taken by the royalists, under Sir William Compton, who defended it for 13 weeks against all the efforts of Sir John Fiennes, until the garrison was relieved by the Earl of Northampton. It suffered a further siege of 10 weeks, under Sir William Waller, and surrendered on honourable terms. Leland, who wrote in the Reign of Henry VIII., says, "In this castle is a terrible prison for convict men." A stone vault, with grated windows, and traces of the inner ditch, is supposed to have been the terrible prison alluded to, but very small remains exist in the present day. The free grammar-school is now wholly abandoned, and the school-house let out on lease by the corporation. This is much to be regretted, as it was formerly held in such high estimation, that the statutes of this establishment were taken as a model for St. Paul's school, London; and the statutes of the free grammar-school of Manchester, in 1524, ordain, that the grammar taught in that school, should be taught only "after the manner of the school at Banbury, in Oxfordshire, which is called Stanbridge's Grammar." Mr. Stanbridge, the celebrated grammarian alluded to, was a highly learned man, and tutor to Sir Thomas Pope. Adjoining the Ram Inn is a sulphurous well, and at a small distance from the town is a chalybeate spring. The pyrites aureus, or golden fire-stone, is frequently found in this neighbourhood. Among other interesting remains about the town is an ancient hospital, dedicated to St. John, now converted into a farm-house. This borough returns one member to parliament, as it did before the passing of the Reform Bill. The electors of the old constituency were but 18 in number, but the L10. householders are about 365. The borough comprises the parish, and the returning-officer is the Mayor.

_Market_, Thursday.--_Fairs_, Thursday after Jan. 18, for cattle,
horses, and sheep: first Thursday in Lent; second Thursday before
Easter, cattle and sheep; Ascension Day; Thursday and Friday in
Trinity week; August 13, horses, cows, and sheep; Thursday after Old
Michaelmas, hogs and cheese; October 30; and second Thursday before
Christmas. Cheese, hops, and cattle.--_Mail_ arrives 4.15 morning;
departs 10.34 night.--_Bankers_, (Old Bank) Cobb and Co., draw on
Jones, Lloyd, and Co.; Gibbons and Co., draw on Robarts and Co.;
Gillett and Co., draw on Esdaile and Co.--_Inns_, Red Lion, and White
Lion.

[Sidenote: Cheese and cakes.]

[Sidenote: Battle of Banbury.]

[Sidenote: Once a celebrated grammar school.]

[Sidenote: Electors.]

[A] BANGOR, which signifies the beautiful choir, is a Bishop's See; compared to its former size, it is now but an inconsiderable place. It is seated at the mouth of the Menai, near its opening to the Lavan sands, in a narrow valley, between two low ridges of slate rock, opening to the south, towards the majestic mountain, Snowdon, which rises 3571 feet above the level of the sea. Mr. Warner, the intelligent Welsh tourist, and his companion, spoke in raptures of this place. The beauty, repose, and retirement of the whole pleased them wonderfully. The latter observed, "If he were Bishop of Bangor, the only translation he would covet would be, thence to heaven." The former agreed with him, that "Were fate to throw him also into such a spot, very few attractions would have sufficient force to elicit him from it." They had "Never seen a place which united so many beauties in so narrow a circle." From this city the new road finds its way through a low pass in the adjacent ridge, and descends gently along the face of the sloping bank to the great bridge: this road is very smooth and well protected, and worthy of the magnificent scenery by which it is surrounded. Menai suspension bridge is distant about two miles and a half from Bangor. This noble bridge is substituted for the inconvenient ferry; it is 100 feet above the level of high water, even at spring tides. The cathedral is a low plain building, dedicated to St. Deiniol, to whom it owed its origin about the year 525, and he was elected the first bishop in 550. He was the son of Dinothus, Abbot of Bangor-iscoed, and reared under the auspices of a Welsh prince, patron of the bard Talliesin, and perhaps the most liberal prince of his time. In 1402 it was burnt down, during the rebellion of Owen Glendower; and what is rather singular, it was suffered to remain in ruins during the space of 90 years, when the choir was rebuilt by the Bishop in the reign of Henry VII. But that cruel ravager of ecclesiastical property, Bishop Bulkeley, not only alienated the lands belonging to the cathedral, but even had the audacity to sell the bells of the church. The choir is fitted up in a style of neat and simple elegance, and ornamented with an excellent organ, the gift of Dr. Thomas Lloyd, in 1779. The chapter consists of a dean, three archdeacons, two precentors, two vicars choral, six minor canons, six lay clerks, and eight choristers, with an income of L2,000. per annum. The windows of the cathedral were formerly very handsomely ornamented with stained glass, but in the civil wars of Charles I. the soldiers destroyed these, amongst other things. The most conspicuous monument in this building is that erected to the memory of Owen Gwynedd, one of the ancient princes of Wales. Here are several Dissenting meeting-houses, and the town is the resort of many visitors during the summer season; upwards of 50,000 annually are said to remain for longer or shorter periods. Steam-packets ply between this place and Liverpool.

_Market_, Friday.--_Fairs_, April 5; June 25; September 16; and
October 28.--_Mail_ arrives at Menai Bridge 4.15 morning; departs
8.32 afternoon.

[Sidenote: The suspension bridge.]

[Sidenote: Cathedral.]

[A] BANGOR ISCOED is situated on the banks of the river Dee, which here passes under a bridge of five arches. This place, at present very inconsiderable, is famed on account of having been the site of the most ancient monastery in the kingdom, founded by Lucius, the son of Coel, the first Christian King of Britain, sometime previous to the year 180. This abbey was remarkable for its valuable library, and the number of learned men trained within its venerable walls. Gildas Ninnius, who lived in the 7th century, was one of its abbots. He wrote in Latin an incorrect history of England, which is still extant. According to Speed, this monastery, in the year 596, contained no less than 2,400 monks, 100 of which passed in their turns one hour of devotion; there are no remains of the monastery existing.

[Sidenote: The first abbey established in Britain.]

[B] BANSTEAD is celebrated for the excellent herbage which the neighbouring downs afford the sheep, which are highly prized for the delicate flavour of the mutton. There are many elegant seats in the vicinity, amongst which are Banstead House, Miss Motteux; Cold Blow Cottage, General Sir Edward Howorth; and the Oaks, the seat of the Earl of Derby. This celebrated villa was erected by a society of gentlemen, called the "Hunter's Club," and the present noble proprietor can accommodate his guests with more than 50 bed chambers; and a pack of hounds are kept on the establishment, which has been long noted for its hospitality. On the 26th of February, 1834, Mr. John Richardson, a farmer, returning from Epsom to Banstead, was robbed and murdered on these downs.

[Sidenote: Seat of the Earl of Derby.]

[C] BANWELL is an agreeable village, situated under the northern declivity of the Mendip hills, and is supposed to derive its name from a spring strongly impregnated with mineral properties, which expands into a fine sheet of water, and after turning two mills, empties itself into the channel near the ruins of Woodspring Priory. The church, which is a fine specimen of the florid gothic of the Tudor age, contains a richly carved screen and rood loft, a beautiful sculptured stone pulpit, and several windows of the richest stained glass. This manor has been in the possession of the Bishops of Bath and Wells, from the reign of Edward the Confessor, with little exception, till the present time. They had for many centuries a palace here, but nothing of it remains except a private residence called Banwell Court, still interesting for its antiquity. The park has been divided into enclosures, which afford at every point a most pleasing variety of landscapes. The Bishop of Bath and Wells has also a cottage ornee, for the accommodation of his family and of the numerous visitors which are driven hither to view the two singular caverns which have been discovered of late years in this neighbourhood. The monastery of Banwell was founded by the early Saxon monarchs. Asserius, or Asser, the scholar and biographer of King Alfred, was made Abbot by that monarch. This Abbey was destroyed by the Danes; it was afterwards restored, but never recovered its pristine importance; for instead of arriving at the point of prosperity usual in Royal foundations, it sunk into obscurity long prior to the dissolution of religious houses. Banwell is remarkable for two extraordinary caverns discovered in the year 1824, which occasioned no inconsiderable number of the curious to resort to the village. They were first discovered by some workmen digging a shaft in search of Calamine, which intersected a steep narrow fissure; after they had descended about 80 feet it opened into a spacious cavern, 150 feet long and 30 broad, and about 30 feet high. This is called the stalactite cavern, from the beautiful specimens of crystalized stalactite, which lay covering huge fragments of rock about the floor. In this place were found two pieces of candle, encrusted with lime, supposed to have been left by the miners after working for ochre, calamine, &c. A rich vein of iron ore, with some cobalt and manganese, was also discovered, the working of which has long since commenced, and the produce is conveyed to the smelting works on the southern coast of Wales. The workmen, in order to facilitate an easier method of entrance, opened another fissure lower in the rock, when suddenly another cavern presented itself, the floor of which was covered with a mass of sand, limestone, teeth, bones, &c. Professor Buckland, who surveyed this place, states, that a shaft being driven into this mass, proved it to have been nearly 40 feet deep. The bones consisted of various specimens of the ox tribe, including the elk. Skeletons of the wolf, and a gigantic bear, in point of preservation, like what are to be found in ordinary churchyards--supposed to be of antediluvian origin, where found here. In the roof of the cave is a large chimney-like shaft, formerly rising to the surface, but now blocked up by fragments of limestone, mud, and sand, adhering together by incrustation, and through which dreadful pitfall, it is presumed, this immense number of beasts were precipitated at the great inundation. The rubbish has been partially cleared, and the bones are used to decorate the sides of the walls. A British earthwork crowns the summit of the neighbouring eminence, enclosing, within its irregular rampart, an area of about 20 acres; and, about a quarter of a mile further, is an entrenchment nearly square, the ground in the centre of which is elevated in the form of a cross.

_Fairs_, Jan. 18, and July 18, for cattle, sheep, and cheese.

[Sidenote: Formerly a Bishop's Palace.]

[Sidenote: Extraordinary caverns.]

[Sidenote: Antediluvian bones.]

Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+-----------------------+---------+----------+---------------+
28|Barby pa|Northamp |Daventry 6|Welford 11|
39|Barcheston pa|Warwick |Shipston 2|Kineton 9|
38|Barcombe pa|Sussex |Lewes 3|Uckfield 6|
44|Barden pa|N.R. York|Leyburn 3|Richmond 4|
44|Barden to & chap|W.R. York|Skipton 8|Paitley Brid. 9|
14|Bardfield,(Great)[A] pa|Essex |Thaxted 5|Dunmow 7|
14|Bardfield-Saling pa|Essex | 4| 7|
24|Bardney[B] pa|Lincoln |Lincoln 12|Horncastle 9|
+--+-----------------------+---------+----------+---------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. |Number of Miles From|Lond.|Population.
+--+-----------------------+--------------------+-----+---------+
28|Barby pa|Crick 4| 78| 637|
39|Barcheston pa|L. Compton 5| 83| 198|
38|Barcombe pa|Brighton 11| 48| 931|
44|Barden pa|Bedale 8| 231| 106|
44|Barden to & chap|Otley 13| 218| 214|
14|Bardfield,(Great)[A] pa|Haverhill 10| 48| 1029|
14|Bardfield-Saling pa| 10| 48| 359|
24|Bardney[B] pa|Wragby 9| 136| 1098|
+--+-----------------------+--------------------+-----+---------+

[A] BARDFIELD, (Great.) _Market_, formerly Tuesday (now disused.)--_Fair_, June 22, for cattle and toys.

[B] BARDNEY, anciently Beardanam, is situated in a marsh on the north bank of the river Witham. An abbey was founded in the time of the Saxons, prior to the year 641. Here Ethelred, divesting himself of the splendour of royalty, retired to devote his days to religion, and became superior of the monastery. King Oswald is said to have been buried here, but the body was afterwards removed to the church of Gloucester. The hand was retained by the monks as a relique, to which they ascribed the power of working miracles, and for a long period imposed upon the credulity of superstitious pilgrims. In the year 870 the monastery was burned by the Danes, but was afterwards rebuilt by Gilbert De Gaunt, Earl of Lincoln, who annexed to it several extensive estates. At the dissolution its annual revenues were estimated at L429. 7s.

[Sidenote: King Oswald buried here.]

[A] BARDSEY ISLE, is near the south-east point of the promontory of Llyn, in Caernarvonshire: it is of a moderate elevation; in length two miles, and in breadth one. The third part of its contents of 370 acres, occupied by a high mountain, affords sustenance to a few sheep and rabbits. It is about a league distant from the main land, and only accessible to the mariner on its south-east side, where there is a small well-sheltered harbour. There is no reptile ever seen on this island, except the common water-lizard. The soil is clayey, but produces excellent barley and wheat. The inhabitants are employed in cultivating the land, and in fishing. The abbot's house is a large stone building, occupied by several families, and near it is a singular chapel, or oratory, being a long arched edifice, with a insolated stone altar near the east end. Dubricius, archbishop of Caerleon, almost worn out with age, resigned his see to St. David, retired here, and died in 522. He was interred upon the spot, but such was the veneration paid to his memory in after ages, that about the year 1107, his remains were removed, by the procurement of Urban, then Bishop of Llandaff, and re-interred in the cathedral of that see, of which he had been the first bishop. St. Dubricius was a man of singular eminence for learning and piety. He was Archbishop of Caerleon, and Metropolitan of all Wales, in the time of Aurelius Ambrosius; and prior to this elevation, he taught a school on the banks of his native river, which was much resorted to from all Christian countries.

[Sidenote: No reptiles on this island.]

[Sidenote: St. Dubricius.]

[B] BARDSEY, comprises the township of Bardsey, with Rigton and Wathersome. Near the church is a mound called Castle Hill, supposed to have been the site of a Roman fortress. At Bardsey Grange, in this parish, resided occasionally, and died, Francis Thorpe, the tyrannical Baron of the Exchequer; but the same house is rendered memorable as the birth place of the poet Congreve, in 1670. This clever and celebrated poet, was baptised in the church of this village in the month of February of the same year. When an infant he was carried to Kilkenny, by his father, who had the command of the army there. He received his education in the school of Kilkenny, and from these circumstances it is probable that persons had fallen into the erroneous impression that Congreve was a native of Ireland. In 1685 he was admitted into the university of Dublin. In 1691 he became a member of the society of the Middle Temple, but soon relinquished the dry study of the Law. At the age of twenty-one, he published his novel called "Incognita," or, "Love and Duty Reconciled." Soon afterwards, he brought out the Comedy, called "The Old Bachelor," of which Dryden says, "he never saw such a first play in his life;" it was performed in 1793, with the most unbounded applause. Lord Falkland wrote the prologue. The singular success and merits of this production, recommended him to the patronage and notice of the Earl of Halifax, who settled him in an office of six hundred a year, and during his life patronised him in every way he could. His next piece was "The Double Dealer." On the death of Queen Mary, in 1693, he wrote a Pastoral on the occasion, entitled "The Mourning Muse of Alexis," upon the appearance of which King William, her husband, granted him an annuity of L100. per annum. In 1695, he produced his Comedy, called "Love for Love;" and in 1697, the beautiful Tragedy of "The Mourning Bride." Having lived a high and honorable life amongst the most celebrated wits and classical men of the age, he died at his house in Surrey-street, in the Strand, January 19, 1729. On the 26th his corpse lay in state in the Jerusalem Chamber, at Westminster, and the same evening was carried into Henry the Seventh's Chapel, and afterwards buried in the Abbey. His pall was supported by the Duke of Bridgewater, Earl Godolphin, Lord Cobham, Lord Wilmington, Hon. George Berkeley, Esq., and Brigadier-General Churchill. Dr. Johnson says, "He has merit of the highest kind; he is an original writer, who borrowed neither the models of his plot, nor the manner of his dialogue." And Voltaire remarks, "That he raised the glory of comedy to a greater height than any English writer before or since his time."

[Sidenote: Birth-place of Congreve, the poet.]

[Sidenote: His works.]

[Sidenote: Died in Surrey-st., London.]

[A] BARFORD, (Great). At this place is a piece of land, called White Bread Close, left, as is generally believed, by one of the Shepherd family, formerly residents of considerable opulence in the parish, for the purpose of purchasing loaves of white bread, to be thrown among the populace from the church porch. This whimsical custom at last became such a scene of scrambling, fighting, and disorder, that it was prohibited by the curate, and the money applied towards the purchase of coals for the poor, at Christmas. The boys, and even men, seemed to have participated in this sport, the same as at a game at foot-ball, or other play; and an old gentleman in the adjoining village fully remembers taking an active part in the scramble, and bearing off the wheaten loaf in triumph.

[Sidenote: Curious custom.]

[B] BARFORD, (Little), is situated in the hundred of Biggleswade, and is chiefly celebrated as the birth-place of Rowe, the dramatic poet, who was born here in the year 1673. His father having designed him for the study of the law, took him from school at the age of sixteen, and entered him a student in the Middle Temple. He made considerable progress, and was called to the bar, but Homer and Virgil had more charms for him than either Coke or Littleton. He was strongly solicited by his friends to practice, but nothing could overcome his affection for the muses; and his play, the "Ambitious Step-mother," having been received with great applause, he resolved to make poetry his profession. He had imbibed in his youth the most noble sentiments of liberty, of which he gave a specimen in his Tragedy of "Tamerlane." This was the second play that he wrote, and until of late years it was usual to perform it on the 4th and 5th of November, in commemoration of the gunpowder treason, and the landing of King William. Mr. Rowe being out of all employment, went one day to wait on the Earl of Oxford, Lord High Treasurer of England, when, among other things his Lordship asked him, whether he understood Spanish. He replied in the negative, and his Lordship said he would advise him to learn it as soon as possible. Rowe took his leave, applied himself to the study of that language, and expecting some lucrative employment, again waited upon him. How great was his disappointment, when his Lordship, on being informed of his acquisition, merely exclaimed, "How happy are you, Mr. Rowe, that you can now enjoy the pleasure of reading "Don Quixote" in the original!" His death took place on the 6th of December, 1718, in the 45th year of his age, and he was buried with great funeral pomp, in Westminster Abbey, where a handsome monument is erected to his memory.

[Sidenote: Rowe, the Dramatist.]

[Sidenote: Anecdote.]

Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
21|Barfreston pa|Kent |Wingham 6|Dover 8|
19|Barham pa|Huntingdon|Kimbolton 6|Alconbury 4|
21|Barham pa|Kent |Canterbury 7|Dover 9|
36|Barham pa|Suffolk |Ipswich 5|Needham 5|
24|Barholm pa|Lincoln |M. Deeping 4|Stamford 6|
23|Barkby pa|Leicester |Leicester 5|Melton 11|
23|Barkby-Thorpe to|Leicester | 4| 12|
4|Barkham pa|Berks |Wokingham 4|Reading 7|
14|Barking[A] m.t. & pa|Essex |Romford 5|Woolwich 4|
36|Barking pa|Suffolk |Needham Mt 1|Stow Market 4|
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. | Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
21|Barfreston pa|Canterbury 10| 65| 114|
19|Barham pa|Huntingdon 10| 68| 73|
21|Barham pa|Sandwich 11| 62| 1053|
36|Barham pa|Debenham 9| 74| 825|
24|Barholm pa|Bourn 8| 94| 155|
23|Barkby pa|Houghton 5| 100| 806|
23|Barkby-Thorpe to| 5| 100| 72|
4|Barkham pa|Bagshot 11| 35| 247|
14|Barking[A] m.t. & pa|Ilford 2| 7| 8036|
36|Barking pa|Ipswich 10| 70| 1884|
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+

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Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11Chapter VII: Part 7

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