A TOUR Thro' the Whole ISLAND of
GREAT BRITAIN.
Divided into
CIRCUITS
or
JOURNEYS.
GIVING A Particular and Entertaining ACCOUNT of whatever is
Curious,
and worth
Observation
; VIZ.
I. A DESCRIPTION of the Principal Cities and Towns, their Situation, Government, and Commerce.
II. The Customs, Manners, Exercises, Diversions, and Imployment of the People.
III. The Produce and Improvement of the Lands, the Trade, and Manufactures.
IV. The Sea Ports and Fortifications, the Course of Rivers, and the Inland Navigation.
V. The Publick Edifices, Seats, and Palaces of the NOBILITY and GENTRY.
VI. The Isles of
Wight, Portland, Jersey, Guernsey,
and the other
English
and
Scotish
Isles of most Note.
Interspersed with Useful
OBSERVATIONS.
Particularly fitted for the Perusal of such as desire to Travel over the ISLAND.
By a
GENTLEMAN.
The THIRD EDITION. With very great Additions, Improvements, and Corrections; which bring it down to the Year 1742.
And a Copious INDEX to each Volume.
VOL. III.
LONDON: Printed for J. OSBORN, S. BIRT, D. BROWNE, J. HODGES, A. MILLAR, J. WHISTON, and J. ROBINSON. M.DCC.XLII.
A TOUR Through the ISLAND of
GREAT BRITAIN.
VOL. III.
LETTER I. Containing a Description of the Counties of
LINCOLN, RUTLAND, NORTHAMPTON, HUNTINGDON,
and
BEDFORD.
SIR,
F ROM
Newark,
still keeping the Fossway, which lies as strait as a Line can mark it out, we went on to
Lincoln,
having a View of the great Church call'd the
Minster
all the Way before us, the River
Trent
on the Left, and the
Downs
call'd
Lincoln-Heath
on the Right.
Lincoln
is an antient City, govern'd by a Mayor, Aldermen,
&c.
It is so full of the Ruins of Monasteries, and Religious Houses, that the very Barns, Stables, Out-houses, and, as they shew'd me, some of the very Hog-styes, are built Church-fashion; that is to say, with Stone-Walls, and arch'd Windows and Doors. Here are 13 Churches, but the meanest to look on that are any-where to be seen. The Cathedral indeed, and the Ruins of the old Castle, are very venerable Pieces of Antiquity.
Lincoln
was a Colony of the
Romans,
and by them nam'd
Lindum Colonia,
which very easily falls into the present abbreviated Appellation,
Lincoln.
From its bold and noble Situation upon an high Hill, it seems a Collection of Five Cities. For, first, below the Hill, and Westward of the City, the River throws itself into a great Pool called
Swan-pool,
from the Multitude of Swans upon it. All around this Place the Ground is moory, and full of Bogs and Islets; and the Place is called now
Carham,
i. e. a Dwelling upon the
Car,
or Fen. Here was the
British
City in the most early Times, which they used as a Fastness for themselves and Cattle in Times of deep Distress. From this
Carham
is a pleasant View of the West-Front of the Cathedral.
2. The
Romans,
pleas'd with this Eminence, placed their City upon it, which they first built in the Form of a large Square, the Southern Wall being sufficiently secur'd by the Precipice. Quite round the other Three Sides they carried a deep Trench, which still remains, except on the Southeast Angle. This City was divided into Four equal Parts by Two cross Streets. The Two Southern Quarters were taken up, one by the Castle, the other by the Church which
Remigius
built. But when Bishop
Alexander
projected a Structure of much larger Dimensions, the Inclosure was carried beyond the Eastern Bounds of the City, and a new Wall built farther that way, as at present, with Battlements and Towers. The North
Roman
Gate of this Part of the City still remains intire, call'd
Newport
Gate, and the noblest Remnant of this Sort in
Britain.
It is a vast Semicircle of Stones laid together without Morter, and cemented only by their wedgelike Shape. This magnificent Arch is 16 Feet Diameter, the Stones Four Feet thick at Bottom. From this Gate Eastward some Part of the old
Roman
Wall is to be seen, made of Stone, and very strong Mortar. The West Gate towards the Gallows was pulled down within Memory. That on the South Side still shews one Jamb from between the Houses, and two or three Stones of the same Make as the former: the rest has been pull'd down by Mr.
Houghton.
On the East Side one Postern is visible, and big enough for a Bed to stand in. By
Newport
Gate is another large and curious Piece of
Roman
Workmanship, call'd the Mint-wall. This is still 16 Feet high, and above 40 Feet long, composed of Brick and Stone, laid alternately.
3. The
Romans,
finding this City well situated for Navigation, added another to it as big as the former. This they did Southward upon the Declivity of the Hill, and so made it parallel with the other; and the most Southern Side lay upon the River. Eastward, the Ditch without is turn'd into a broad Street call'd
The Beast-Market,
and there below
Claskgate
a great Part of the old
Roman
Wall is left, made of Stone. One Piece of it is now 80 Feet long, and 18 high. A little of it lower down is 12 Feet long, and as much high. Between that Gate upwards, and the old City-wall, by the
Greestone-stairs,
the old Ditch call'd
Weredyke,
is to be seen. To the West the Ditch and Foundation of the Wall are still lost tho' many times repaired and demolished in the frequent Sieges this Town has sustain'd, especially in the Wars of the Empress
Maud.
At the Bottom of it, towards the Water, is a round Tower, named
Lucy-tower,
much known in her History.
4. Another great Addition to the Length of this City, Northward above the Hill, was call'd
Newport,
or the new City, 500 Paces long. This probably was done in the Time of the
Saxon
Kings. It lies on both Sides the
Hermen-street,
and was fenc'd with a Wall and Ditch hewn out of the Rock. At the Two farther Corners were round Towers, and a Gate, the Foundations of which remain. There were several Churches, and religious Houses, in this Place. It was chiefly inhabited by
Jews,
who had settled here in great Numbers, and grown rich by Trade. There is a Well still nam'd
Grantham's-well,
from a Child they impiously crucified, as was said, and threw it into that Place.
5. After the
Norman
Conquest, when a great Part of the first City was turn'd into a Castle, by King
William
I. it is probable they added the last Intake Southward in the Angle of the
Witham,
and made a new Cut call'd
Sinsil-dyke
on the South and East Side for its Security. It is observable, that the
Normans
could not well pronounce
Lincoln,
but vitiated it to
Nichol,
as we find it written in some old Authors: and to this Day a Part of the
Swan-pool
is call'd
Nichol-pool.
Tho' since those Times the City has much declin'd, of late it seems to revive, and Trade and Manufactures to flourish.
In this last Part of
Lincoln,
on both Sides the
Roman
Road, were many of that People's funeral Monuments; some of which they now dig up. There is an Inscription of that Sort behind the House where the Lord
Hussey
was beheaded for Rebellion in the Time of King
Henry
VIII. The great Bow-window, thro' which he pass'd to the Scaffold, was lately taken down. It stands over-against another Stone Building, of an antique Model, which was the Palace of
John
of
Gaunt,
Duke of
Lancaster,
who lived here in Royal State, and had the Privilege of Coining. His Arms are here carv'd in Stone. Over-against the Castle, Westward, is an Entrenchment made by King
Stephen.
The Situation of the City, from what I have said, must appear very particular; one Part is on the flat, and in a Bottom, so that the
Witham,
a little River, that runs through the Town, flows sometimes into the Street: the other Part lies upon the Top of a high Hill, where the Cathedral stands; and the very steepest Part of the Ascent of the Hill, is the best Part of the City for Trade and Business.
Nothing is more troublesome than the Communication of the upper and lower Town; the Street is so steep and so strait, that the Coaches and Horses are oblig'd to fetch a Compass another Way, as well on one Hand as on the other.
The River
Witham
is arch'd over, so that you see nothing of it as you go through the main Street; but it makes a large Lake on the West Side, and has a Canal, called the
Poss-dike,
by which it has a Communication with the
Trent,
whereby the Navigation of that River is made useful for Trade to the City. This River must have run into the
Humber,
had it not been broken off in the Middle by that great Valley under
Lincoln,
and turned into the Salt-marshes. Hence it is that the Stone upon this Western Cliff is full of Sea-shells. For the Shell-fish, when by the restless Motion of the Waters in the universal Delage, they were carried into the midland Places, were hinder'd by the Weight of their Shells from regaining their original Stations; and thus were confin'd within the growing Stone. As a Testimony of which the Skeleton of a Crocodile, or some such Animal, inclosed in a broad flat Stone, was sent to the Royal Society from these Parts, by Dr.
Stukeley,
from whom we borrow this Observation.
There are very good Buildings in the upper City, and several Families of Gentlemen have Houses there, besides those of the Prebendaries and other Clergy belonging to the Cathedral.
The Cathedral is a magnificent Fabrick, and is reputed the largest in Extent of any Cathedral in
England,
except
York.
But there are in it many obvious Blemishes, which I shall particularly take Notice of, in comparing it hereafter with
York
Minster. The Situation is infinitely to its Advantage, as it stands upon a high Hill, and is seen into five or six Counties. It has a double Cross or Transept. The West End receives a great Addition to its Breadth, by reason of Two Chapels on each Side of the Side-Ayles; but the Two Towers and Spires are very mean, tho' not for want of Height.
This Cathedral has many Bells; and particularly the Northern Tower is filled up, as one may say, with the finest great Bell in
England,
which is called
Tom of Lincoln,
being probably consecrated to
Thomas Becket,
Archbishop of
Canterbury.—As loud as Tom of Lincoln
is a Proverb. It weighs 4 Tons, 1894 Pounds, and will hold 424 Gallons Ale-measure; the Circumference is 22 Feet 8 Inches.
The Middle or Rood Tower is the highest in the whole Kingdom, and when the Spire was standing on it, it must, in Proportion to the Height of the Tower, have exceeded that of old
St. Paul's,
which was 520 Feet. The Monks were so proud of this Structure, that they would have it, that the Devil looked upon it with an envious Eye; whence the Proverb of a Man who looks invidious and malignant,
He looks as the Devil over Lincoln.
At present there are only four very ordinary Pinacles, one at each Corner. It has Two great Gate-houses or Entrances from the West. The lower Part of the Fr
t, and of the Two Towers, are of
Remigius
's Building, as is easily discoverable by the Colour of the Stones, and by the Manner of Architecture: but
Alexander
built the Additions upon it, as likewise the Body of the Cathedral, the Choir, and
St. Mary
's Tower, which once had a very lofty Spire. St.
Hugh
the
Burgundian
built the East End, or
St. Mary
's Chapel, (where he had a Shrine) and the Chapterhouse, which is ceil'd with a beautiful Stone Roof, and one Pillar in the Middle.
The Cloisters and the Library are fine; and the latter is well furnished with printed Books and Manuscripts.
Two Catharine-wheel Windows, as they are term'd, at the Ends of the larger Transepts, are remarkably fine for Bullion-work, and painted Glass.
Here are great Numbers of antique Brasses and Monuments.
South of the Church, upon the very Brow of the Hill, is the Bishop's Palace, built by
Robert de Chesney,
who gave Two great Bells. Bishop
Bek,
and other Successors, improv'd it into a Magnificence equal to the Cathedral. It stands just South of the
Roman
Wall. It had many large Bow-windows of curious Workmanship, looking over the lower City into
Nottinghamshire.
The Kitchen had Seven Chimneys. The Hall was stately. The Gatehouse remains intire with the A
of the Founders. This Palace was ruined in the Time of the Civil Wars; but might be rebuilt with no very great Expence. As the Church is very large, so is the Revenue of the Bishoprick, which was formerly immensely great, as may be seen by the
Monasticon,
where is an astonishing Account of the Wealth of the Place.
The Church, as it is the Seat of the Bishoprick, is not so antient as some others; the See being remov'd, since the
Norman
Conquest, from
Dorchester,
a little Town in
Oxfordshire,
on the River
Thames,
not far from
Tame,
of which I have spoken in its Place; but the City is truly antient, and the Ruins of it tell us as much.
Mr.
Camden
says, King
Vortimer,
the valiant
Briton,
dy'd here, and was buried in the Church of the great Monastery.
It is certain, as I have observ'd, that
William the Conqueror
built the Castle, to curb the potent Citizens; and the Ruins shew, that it was a most magnificent Work, well fortify'd, and capable of receiving a numerous Garison.
The Bishoprick of
Lincoln
at that Time contain'd all that now is compris'd in the Dioceses of
Ely, Peterborough,
and
Oxford,
besides what is now its own; and 'tis still the largest Diocese in
England
; containing the several Counties of
Lincoln, Leicester, Huntingdon, Bedford, Bucks,
and Part of
Hertford
; and in them 1255 Parishes, whereof 577 are Impropriations; and there are in these Bounds six Archdeacons,
viz. Lincoln, Leicester, Bedford, Buckingham, Stow,
and
Huntingdon.
Here was the famous Battle fought between the Friends of the Empress
Maud,
Mother to King
Henry
II. and King
Stephen,
in which that magnanimous Prince was overthrown and taken Prisoner.
Lincoln
stands in a most rich, pleasant, and agreeable Country; for on the North, and South-east, the noble Plain call'd
Lincoln Heath,
extends itself, like the Plain about
Salisbury,
for above 50 Miles;
viz.
from
Sleeford
and
Ancaster
South, to the Bank of the
Humber
North, tho' not with a Breadth equal to the Length; for the Plain is hardly anywhere above Three or Four Miles broad.
On the West Side of this Plain, the
Trent
Waters make a pleasant and rich Valley, running from
New-ark
to
Gainsburgh,
thence to
Burton,
and so into the
Humber.
Gainsburgh
hath a large and fine Market, and is very flourishing for Trade and Business, which hath increased of late Years to the Detriment of
Boston
and
Hull.
The Body of the Parish-church of this Place had been under a general Decay, and the Walls, Arches, and Pillars, so shaken and declin'd from their proper Position, that it was judged incapable of Repair. An Act of Parliament therefore passed in 1735, for pulling down and rebuilding it. It is famous for the
Danes
having landed here, when they came up the
Trent.
Passing the
Trent
by a Ferry, you land in the Isle of
Axholm,
which is environ'd by the
Trent
and the
Dun. Littleborough
is the
Agelocum
or
Segelocum
of the
Romans,
a small Village Three Miles above
Gainsburgh,
just upon the Edge of the Water, and in a Nook. It seems only to have been environ'd with a Ditch, and was of a square Form. The Water ran quite round it; for to the West, where
White's-bridge
is, a watry Valley hems it in; so that it was sufficiently strong. The Church stands upon the highest Ground. The
Trent
has wash'd away Part of the Eastern Side of the Town. Foundations and Pavements are visible in the Bank. Here, an Urn, with the Coin of
Domitian,
was found; and great Numbers of Coins have been taken up in ploughing and digging, which they call
Swine-pennies,
because those Creatures sometimes rout them up, and the Inhabitants take little Care to preserve them. Mr.
Ella,
Vicar of
Rampton
hard by, has collected several, and some valuable.
In 1718. Two Altars, handsomely moulded, of coarse Grit-stone, were dug up, which are set as Piers in a Wall on the Side of the Steps, which lead from the River to the Inn. Many very small Coins, like flatted Peas, call'd
Mites,
are also found. Mr.
Hardy
has a large Urn, with a Female Face on the Outside.
In this Field, near
White's-bridge,
are great Foundations of Buildings. Coins are often found at the lowest Edge of the Water, when the Tide is gone off, and in dry Seasons. On the East Side of the River has been a Camp.
By
Tilbridge-lane,
upon the Top of the Heath, is a Spring, which, according to the vulgar Report, flows and ebbs with the
Trent,
tho' at Five Miles Distance. The like is said of several others hereabout.
Ten Miles from
Lincoln
Northward is
Spittle,
all the Way to which Place are Milliary Stones. 'Tis very pleasant Riding, being wholly Champaign or Heath. Of these Stones, I believe, some are
Roman,
others later Crosses to supply their Place. This was, no doubt, a Mansion, because hard by a little Beck runs thro' it. Here is an Hospital, said to be founded in the Year 1308. There are great Foundations all around, some of which perhaps are
Roman.
At present the Village consists of Two Farm-houses, a Chapel, an Inn, and a Sessions-house. Upon the latter, is this Inscription:
Haecce domus dat, amat, punit, conservat, honorat,
Aequitiam, pacem, crimina, jura, bonos.
1620.
That is,
This Court does Right, loves Peace, preserves the Laws,
Detects the wrong, rewards the righteous Cause.
To the Left is
Normanby,
where the last but one Duke of
Bucks
was born, and whence he assum'd his Title of Marquis.
Half a Mile East of the present
Wintringham,
stood the old
Roman
Town, now a Common, bounded by the Marshes upon the
Humber.
The City was plough'd up of late Years, and many Antiquities found.
The present
Wintringham
is a dirty poor Place, but still a Corporation, and the Mayor is chosen only out of one Street next the old Town, where was a Chapel. The Bell of it now hangs in a wooden Frame by the Pillory. Here is a vast Jawbone or Rib of a Whale, which has remain'd Time out of Mind.
As the Middle of the Country is all hilly, and the West Side low, so the East Side is the richest, most fruitful, and best cultivated, of any County in
England,
so far from
London.
One Part is all Fen or Marsh Grounds, and extends itself South to the Isle of
Ely.
And here it is that so vast a Quantity of Sheep are fed, as makes this County and that of
Leicester
an inexhaustible Fountain of Wool for all the manufacturing Counties in
England,
as before observ'd.
There are some good Towns on the Sea-coast, but I include not
Barton,
which stands on the
Humber,
as one of them, being a straggling mean Town, noted for nothing but an ill-favoured dangerous Passage, or Ferry, over the
Humber
to
Hull
; where, in an open Boat, in which we had about 15 Horses, and 10 or 12 Cows, mingled with about 17 or 18 Passengers, we were about 4 Hours toss'd about on the
Humber,
before we could get into the Harbour at
Hull.
Well may the
Humber
take its Name from the Noise it makes; for in a high Wind it is incredibly great and terrible, like the Crash and Dashing together of Ships.
Passing over
Whitton
Brook, a
Roman
Road goes directly to
Aukborough,
by that People call'd
Aquis.
Their Camp is now call'd
Countess-close,
from a Countess of
Warwick,
who, they say, liv'd there, at least own'd the Estate. The
Roman
Castle is square, 300 Feet each Side, very conveniently plac'd in the North-west Angle of
Lincolnshire,
as a Watchtower over all
Nottinghamshire
and
Yorkshire.
The Church is of good Stone, and has a square Tower; but the Choir is ruinous, and separated from the rest of the Church by a wooden Partition. Here are numerous Reliques of the Deluge, as Sea-shells, subterraneous Trees,
&c.
In a square Plot, call'd
The Green,
is a round Labyrinth nam'd
Julian's Bower,
probably from the warlike Games in Use among the
Roman
and
British
Youth, call'd
Ludi Trojani,
and said by
Virgil
to be first introduc'd into
Italy
by
Iulus
the Son of
Aeneas.
And the Boys, to this Day, divert themselves with running in it one after another, and eluding their Play-fellows by their intricate Mazes. It seems that our Tournaments, so much in Fashion till Queen
Elizabeth
's Time, are Remainders of these antient Diversions.
Burton
makes a pretty Prospect, has several Mills, and the Houses are pleasantly intermix'd with Trees. There are also Two Churches, one of which is so low in respect of the Precipice under which it stands, that a Person may almost leap from thence upon the Steeple.
At
Barrow
is a
British
Temple, vulgarly call'd a Castle.
A little Eastward hence is
Thornton
College, a great Abbey founded by
William le Gros,
Earl of
Albemarle,
in the Year 1139. The Gatehouse is very perfect, being a vast Tower or Castle of great Strength both for Offence and Defence. Before it is a large Ditch, across which is laid a Bridge with Walls on each Hand, and Arches which support a broad Battlement to keep off the Enemy. Before it are Two round Towers. There was a Portcullis at the great Gate, and behind it another Gate of Oak. Over the Gate are Three old clumsy Statues in the ordinary Niches; a Woman seeming a Queen, or the Virgin
Mary
; to the Right a Man with a Lamb, probably St.
John
Baptist; and to the Left a Bishop, or Abbat, with a Crosier. Upon taking down an old Wall, they found a Man with a Candlestick, Table, and Book, who was supposed to have been immur'd. The whole Monastery was encompassed by a deep Ditch, and high Rampart, to secure the Religious from Robbers because near the Sea.
A Mile East of
Thornton
are the Ruins of another great Castle call'd
Kelingholme.
In
Goswel
Parish Northward, is
Burham,
once a Chapel, which belong'd to the Monastery, now a Farm-house.
In the same Parish near the
Humber
is
Vere-court,
which belong'd to the antient Family of that Name.
The Land hereabout is good and well-wooded, and many
Roman
Coins are found.
Two Miles West of
Thornton
are the Ruins of a great
Roman
Camp, call'd
Yarborough,
which surveys the whole Hundred denominated from it. Mr.
Howson
of
Kenington,
which is hard by, has Pecks of
Roman
Coins found here.
Grimsby
lies also on the
Humber,
but lower down towards the Ocean. It is a Mayor-town and Seaport. But its Harbour is not very safe for Ships to ride in, as appeared at the Time of the great Storm in 1703. when all the Ships in that Road were driven from their Anchors, and most of them lost. Here is a very large sumptuous Church.
We took the Round of the Sea-coast from hence Southward, all the Way to
Boston,
and pass'd thro'
Saltfleet, Burgh,
and
Wainfleet,
besides several Villages lying on the Sea-side. The Two first are but inconsiderable Market-towns, but
Wainfleet
is a well-compacted Town and neat, tho' situated in the Fens. 'Tis noted for a fine Free-school, and giving an Addition to the Name of the Founder of it, who was call'd
William
of
Wainfleet,
afterwards Bishop of
Winchester,
and who founded also
Winchester
College.
The River
Witham
crosses the County from
Lincoln
to
Boston,
where it disembogues: at the Source of it is a little River of the same Name.
Between this River and the Sea-coast North-east, the several inland Towns of
Bolinbroke,
famous for giving Birth and Title to King
Henry
IV. also Title to Mr. Secretary
St. John,
one of the greatest Genius's of the Age, tho' unhappy in some of his Politics;
Spilsby, Horncastle,
and
Tattersal,
on the South. About the Middle of this Division made by the
Witham,
lie
Stanton, Market-rasen, Louth,
and
Binbroke
; and higher up Northward, stand
Kirton, Glandsord, Brigs
and
Caster.
Spilsby
is a pretty good Town, and has a well-frequented Market.
Horncastle
is almost surrounded with Water, and is a large well-built Town. But the rest are inconsiderable except
Louth
and
Caster
; the first has Two weekly considerable Markets, and is famous for a fine Spire Steeple, as high as that of
Grantham.
Caster
is the ancient
Durobrivis,
tho'
Dornford
retains somewhat of the old Name, where the
Hermen-street
cross'd the River by a Bridge of Brass, according to the Vulgar. At
Chesterton
is a large Tract of Ground, call'd
The Castle-field,
with a Ditch and Rampart around it. The
Roman
Road runs directly thro' it, and still retains its high Ridge. Beyond the River it extends for some Space upon the Meadow along the Bank; then forms an Angle, and proceeds full North.
Caster
is above half a Mile from it, upon the Hill. A Part of the Foundation of the Wall of the old
Roman
Camp is visible in the Street to the North-west Corner of the Church, under the Wall of the House, where the Minister lives. It may be known by the great Strength of the Morter, built of the white Slab-stone of the Country. Underneath this lay the City; for below the Churchyard the Ground is full of Foundations and
Mosaics.
In the
Boot
Alehouse Cellar is a Piece of a Pavement; as are many at Mr.
Wright
's, and in a Garden an intire one; besides great Numbers of
Roman
Coins, in the Possession of Mons.
Baillardeau.
In the plough'd Fields between the Town and the River, toward
Fordgreen,
is a Tract which runs quite thro', whereon Corn grows very scantily. This is nothing but a Road laid with a deep Bed of Gravel, tho' the superstitious Country-people believe it was cursed by the Lady
Kyneburg,
the Abbess who built a religious House, which stood Eastward of the Church, and some Part of which still remains. This Meadow is call'd
Norman-gate
(or more properly,
Dorman-gate
) Field, from the Town, whose Foundations are found all about this Place; and also innumerable Coins, call'd
Dorman-pence.
Part of this is
Berrystead,
where Antiquities are daily dug up.
Mill-field
stands higher toward
Peterborough,
where Mosaic Pavements,
&c.
are found, and seems to have been a little Citadel belonging to the Town.
Part of the Church is an antique Building, but new-modell'd. Upon a Stone over the Choir-door is a curious Inscription, importing that the Church was consecrated on the 17th of
April
1114. The Steeple stands in the Middle of the Church. The Tower is a fine Piece of antient Architecture with semicircular Arches. The square Well by the Porch is
Roman,
surrounded with hewn Stone; and tho' it stands on a Hill, the Water is very high. At the East-end of the Church is a very old Cross.
A little higher up the River, near
Wansford
Bridge, a Gold
British
Coin was found, which is in the Possession of Mr.
Maurice Johnson,
an eminent Counsellor.
The
Fen
Country begins about
Wainfleet,
which is within Twenty Miles of
Grimsby,
and extends itself to the Isle of
Ely
South, and to the Grounds opposite to
Lynn-regis
in
Norfolk
East.
This Part is indeed very properly called
Holland
; for 'tis a flat, level, and often drowned Country, like the Province of the same Name in the
Low Countries
; insomuch that the very Ditches are navigable, and the People pass from Town to Town in Boats, as they do there. Here we had the uncouth Musick of the
Bittern,
a Bird formerly counted ominous and presaging, and which, as some say, thrusts its Bill into a Reed, and others into a Bog, and then gives the dull, heavy Groan or Sound, like a Sigh; which is so loud, that 'tis heard Two or Three Miles Distance as some People say.
Here we first saw
Boston,
and making towards it, found it a Sea-port Town, at the Mouth of the
Witham.
The Tower is the highest and noblest in
Europe,
being 100 Yards, and is seen plainly 40 Miles round this level Country, and farther by Sea. The Octagon Lantern on the Top is very beautiful, and admirable for the Thinness of the Stone-work. Mariners find it particularly useful to guide them into this Port, and even into the Mouth of the River
Ouse
; for in clear Weather 'tis seen quite out at Sea to the Entrance of those Chanels, which they call
Lynn Deeps,
and
Boston Deeps,
which are as difficult Places as most upon the Eastern Shore of
Britain.
This is particularly taken Notice of in an Act passed in the Reign of the late Queen
Anne, for enabling Assessments to be made for Repairing and keeping in Repair this Church:
in the Preamble to which it is described, as it deserves, as an antient, well-built Fabrick; that the Tower thereof is very high, and an useful Sea-mark; and that it being situate near the Haven, a great Sum is necessary yearly to be raised, to preserve it from a violent, constantly ebbing and flowing Water.
There was a prodigious Clock-Bell which could be heard Six or Seven Miles round; it had many old Verses round it, but
Anno
1710. was knocked in Pieces, and the Inscription not taken.
Twenty Yards from the Foundation of this Tower runs the rapid
Witham,
thro' a wooden Bridge.
This Town abounded with religious Houses, whose Lands King
Henry
VIII. gave to the Town.
Queen
Mary
I. was a great Benefactress likewise to it, and gave them Lands called
Erection
Lands, to pay a Vicar, Lecturer, and Two Schoolmasters.
The Church is reckon'd the largest Parish-church without cross Ayles, in the Universe; 'tis 100 Feet wide, and 300 long within the Walls. The Roof is handsomely ceiled with
Irish
Oak, supported by 24 tall and slender Pillars.
Formerly the Town laboured under the Want of fresh Water, which was a great Discouragement to Merchants and others settling there. To remedy which Inconvenience,
John Smyth
of
Heath,
in the County of
York,
Esq
procur'd an Act of Parliament which passed in the Reign of Queen
Anne,
to inclose Two Acres of the great Common, called
The West Fen,
for a Pond or Cistern, and to erect a Water-house and Mill upon the said Common, and other proper Edifices, and to lay Pipes from the Pond for supplying the Town.
The Town is large, populous, and well-built, full of Merchants, and has a good Share of foreign Trade, as well as
Lynn.
'Tis built on both Sides of the River
Witham.
It is a Corporation, governed by a Mayor, and 12 Aldermen. It has two Markets weekly, and a commodious Haven. Here is held one of those annual Fairs, which preserve the antient Title of a
Mart,
whereof I remember only Four in
England
of any considerable Note,
viz. Lynn, Gainsburgh,
Beverly,
and
Boston.
Its Trade of late Years has not increased.
East of
Boston
was a Chapel called
Hiptoft,
and in the Town a Church dedicated to St.
John,
but both demolish'd. Queen
Elizabeth
gave the Corporation a Court of Admiralty over all the Sea-coasts hereabouts.
The Country round this Place is all
Fen
and Marsh Grounds, the Land is very rich, and feeds prodigious Numbers of large Sheep, and also Oxen of the largest Size, the best of which are driven to
London
Market; and from this Part, as also from the Downs or Heath above-mentioned, comes, as I have before noted, a great Part of the Wool, known, as a creditable Distinction, because of its Fineness, by the Name of
Lincolnshire Wool
; which is sent in great Quantities into
Norfolk
and
Suffolk,
for the Manufacturers of those Countries, and indeed to several other of the trading Counties in
England.
These Fens are very considerable for their Extent; for they reach in Length, in some Places, 50 Miles, and in Breadth above 30: and as they are so level, that there is no Interruption to the Sight, any Building of extraordinary Height is seen a long Way. For Example,
Boston
Steeple is seen upon
Lincoln
Heath, near 30 Miles;
Peterborough
and
Ely
Minsters are seen almost thoughout the whole Level; so are the Spires of
Lynn, Whittlesea,
and
Crowland,
seen at a very great Distance, which adds some Beauty to the Country.
From
Boston
we came on thro' the
Fen
Country to
Holbech,
a little Market-town, and so on to
Spalding,
which is another Sea-port in the Level, but standing far within the Land on the River
Welland,
which almost incloses it. Here was nothing very remarkable to be seen as to Antiquity, but the Ruins of an old Monastery, of which the
Monasticon
gives a particular Description. There is a Bridge over the
Welland,
and Vessels of about 50 or 60 Tons may come up to the Town; and that is sufficient for the Trade of
Spalding,
which is chiefly in Corn and Coal.
We must not pass by
Crowland,
another Place of great religious Antiquity, here being once a famous Monastery, the Remains of which are still to be seen. The Monks of
Crowland
were eminent in History, and a great many Stories are told of the Devils of
Crowland
also, and what Conversation they had with the Monks, which Tales are more out of Date now, than they were formerly.
The Abbey was founded 1000 Years ago by
Athelbald
King of
Mercia,
in the midst of Bogs and Thorns, in Honour of his Chaplain
Guthlac,
who chose this Place to mortify in. The Foundation is laid on Piles of Wood, several of which have been found in tearing up the Ruins of the Eastern Part of the Church; for what remains is only Part of the Westend, and of that only one Corner in tolerable Repair, which is at present their Parish-church. In the Middle of the Cross stood once a lofty Tower, and in it was a remarkably fine Ring of Bells; the first, as is said in the County. The Roof, which was of
Irish
Oak finely carv'd and gilt, fell down about 40 Years ago, and Pieces of it are to be found in almost every House. People at Pleasure dig up the monumental Stones for private Use, and what are left in the Pavement are cover'd over with Shrubs. It was made a Garison in the late Civil Wars, and the Soldiers destroy'd the painted Glass in it. All the Eastern Part of the Body of the Church is intirely raz'd to the Foundation. The monastick Buildings, Cloisters, Hall, Abbat's Lodgings, are absolutely demolish'd. In the North-west Corner of the Church stands a strong Tower, with a very obtuse Spire, and a pleasant Ring of small Bells. Over the West Gate are the Images of divers Kings, Abbats,
&c.
among the rest,
Guthlac
with a Whip and Knife, his usual Symbols.
Not far from the Abbey, is the Remnant of a little Stone Cottage, called
Anchor-church-house,
where was a Chapel, in which St.
Guthlac
was bury'd, and where he lived a Hermit.
Over-against the West-end of the Abbey, is the famous triangular Bridge, hardly to be equalled in
Britain,
if in
Europe.
It being too steep for Horses and Carriages to go over, they pass under it. 'Tis formed on Three Segments of a Circle meeting in one Point; and each Base, they say, stands in a different County. Here meet the Rivers
Nyne
and
Welland.
So that the Bridge, being fixed at the very Point where they join, stands upon a Centre in the Middle of the united Waters; and then parting into Two Bridges, lands you one to the Right on
Thorney,
and one to the Left upon
Holland.
On one Side fits an Image of King
Athelbald,
Founder of
Crowland-Abbey,
with a Globe in his Hand.
The Town of
Spalding
is not large, but pretty well built and well inhabited, and is a handsome and large Market-town; but for the Healthiness or Pleasantness of it, I have no more to say, than that I was very glad when I got out of it, as well as out of the rest of the Fen Country; for 'tis a horrid Air for a Stranger to breathe in.
The History of the Draining these Fens, by a Set of Gentlemen, called the
Adventurers
; the several Laws for securing and preserving the Banks, and dividing the Lands; how they were by the extraordinary Conflux of Waters from all the Inland Counties of
England
frequently overflowed, and sometimes lay under Water most Part of the Year; how all the Waters in this Part of
England,
which do not run into the
Thames,
the
Trent,
or the
Severn,
fall together into these low Grounds, and empty themselves into the Sea by those Drains, as thro' a Sink; and how by the Skill of these Adventurers, and at a prodigious Expence, they have cut new Chanels, and even whole Rivers, with particular Drains from one River to another, to carry off the great Flux of Waters, when Floods or Freshes come down either on one Side or on the other; and how, notwithstanding all that Hands could do, or Art contrive, yet sometimes the Waters do still prevail, the Banks break, and whole Levels are overflowed together; All this, and much more that might be said on so copious a Subject, tho' it would be very useful to have it fully and geographically describ'd, yet it would take up so much Room, that I cannot think of entering any farther into it, than just to mention, That an Act of Parliament lately passed to enable the Adventurers, Owners, and Proprietors of the taxable Lands, and the Owners and Proprietors of the free Lands in
Deeping Fen, Pinchbeck,
and
Spalding South Fen, Therlby Fen, Bourn South Fen,
and
Croyland Fen,
&c. in the County of
Lincoln,
containing in the Whole about 30,000 Acres, to raise a competent Sum for the effectual Draining and future Preservation of all the said Fens, according to their Agreement in that behalf, dated
Febr.
23.1737, and to carry the said Agreement into Execution.
We shall only observe further, that Sir
John Heathcote,
Bart. hath made so good a Progress in draining 366 Acres of the
Therlby Fen
Pastures, belonging to him, that he is particularly exempted from paying toward the Sums levied upon others by this Act.
These Fens of
Lincolnshire
are of the same Kind with, and contiguous to, those already mentioned in the Isle of
Ely,
in the Counties of
Cambridge
and
Huntingdon
; and here, as well as there, we see prodigious Numbers of Cattle, which are fed up to an extraordinary Size by the Richness of the Soil.
Here are also an infinite Number of Wild-Fowl, such as Duck and Mallard, Teal and Wigeon, Brand-Geese, Wild-Geese,
&c.
For the taking of the four first Kinds, here are a great many
Decoys,
from all which the vast Number of Fowls they take, are sent up to
London.
The Accounts which the Country People give of the Numbers they sometimes take, are such, that one scarce dares report it from them. But this I can say, of my certain Knowlege, that some of these Decoys are of so great an Extent, and take such great Numbers of Fowl, that they are let from 100
l.
to 3, 4, and 500
l.
a Year Rent.
The Art of taking the Fowls, and especiaally of Breeding up a Set of Creatures, called
Decoy-Ducks,
to intice and then betray their Fellow-Ducks into the several Decoys, is very ingenious; and tho' 'tis not very easy to describe it, I will give it in as few Words as I can.
The Decoy-Ducks are hatched and bred up in the Decoy Ponds; in which are certain Places where they are constantly fed, and being made tame, they are used to come to the Decoy-Man's Hand for their Food.
When they fly abroad, it is not known whither they go, but some conjecture they fly quite over into
Holland
and
Germany
; where they meet with others of their own Kind, and sorting with them, they, by some Art, unknown to us, draw together a vast Number of the Fowls, and, in a Word,
kidnap
them from their own Country; for being once brought out of their Knowlege, they follow the Decoys, as a Dog follows the Sportsman; and 'tis frequent to see these subtle Creatures return with a vast Flight of Fowls along with them, after they have been absent several Weeks together.
When they have brought them over, the first Thing they do is to settle with them in the Ponds, to which the Decoy-Ducks belong. Here they chatter and gabble to them in their own Language, as if they were telling them, that here they should soon see how well they should live.
When the Decoy-Men perceive they are come, and that they are gathering and increasing, they go secretly to the Pond's Side, under the Cover which they have made with Reeds, so that they cannot be seen, where they throw over the Reeds Handfuls of Corn, in such shallow Places, as the Decoy-Ducks are usually fed, and whither they are sure to come for it, and to bring their new Guests with them for their Entertainment.
This they do for two or three Days together, and no Harm follows to the poor Strangers, till throwing in this Bait one time in an open wide Place, another time in another wide Place, the third time it is thrown in a narrower Place; where the Trees, which hang over the Water and the Banks, stand closer together; and then in another yet narrower, where the said Trees are over-head like an Arbour, tho' at a good Height from the Water.
Here the Boughs are so artfully managed, that a large Net is spread near the Tops of the Trees among the Branches, and fastened to Hoops which reach from Side to Side. This is so high, and so wide, and the Room is so much below, and the Water so open, that the Fowls do not perceive the Net above them.
Here the Decoy-Man keeping unseen, behind the Hedges of Reeds, which are made perfectly close, goes forward, throwing Corn over the Reeds into the Water. The Decoy-Ducks greedily fall upon it, and, calling their foreign Guests, seem to tell them, that now they may find, how well the Ducks live in
England
; so inviting, or rather wheedling them forward, 'till by degrees they are all gotten under the Arch or Sweep of the Net, which is on the Trees, and which by degrees, imperceptibly to them, declines lower and lower, and also narrower and narrower, till at the farther End it comes to a Point like a Purse; though this farther End is quite out of Sight, and perhaps two or three hundred Yards from the first Entrance.
When the whole Flight of Ducks are thus greedily following the Decoys, and feeding plentifully as they go; and the Decoy-Man sees they are all so far within the Arch of the Net, as not to be able to escape, on a sudden a Dog, which till then keeps close by him, and which is perfectly taught his Business, rushes from behind the Reeds, and jumps into the Water, swimming directly after the Ducks, and barks as he swims.
Immediately the frighted Ducks rise upon the Wing to make their Escape; but are beaten down again by the arched Net, which is over their Heads. Being then forced into the Water, they necessarily swim forward, for fear of the Dog; and thus they croud on, 'till by Degrees the Net growing lower and narrower, they are hurried to the very farther End, where another Decoy-Man stands ready to receive them, and who takes them out alive with his Hands.
As for the Traitors, that drew the poor Ducks into this Snare, they are taught to rise but a little Way, and so not reaching to the Net, they fly back to the Ponds, and make their Escape; or else, being used to the Decoy-Man, they go to him fearless, and are taken out as the rest; but instead of being killed with them, are strok'd, made much of, and put into a little Pond just by him, and plentifully fed for their Services.
There are many Particulars in the managing and draining these Levels, throwing off the Water by Mills and Engines, and cultivating the Grounds in an unusual manner, which would be very useful to be described; but the needful Brevity of this Work, will not admit of it: yet something of it may be touched upon.
1. That here are some wonderful Engines for throwing up Water, and such as are not to be seen any-where else; whereof one in particular threw up (as they assured us) 1200 Tons of Water in half an Hour, and goes by Wind-Sails, 12 Wings or Sails to a Mill.
2. Here are the greatest Improvements by Planting of Hemp, that, I think, are to be seen in
England
; particularly on the
Norfolk
and
Cambridge
Sides of the
Fens,
as about
Wisbech, Wells,
and several other Places, where we saw many hundred Acres of Ground bearing great Crops of Hemp.
3. Here is a particular Trade carried on with
London,
which is no-where else practised in the whole Kingdom, that I have met with, or heard of,
viz.
For carrying Fish alive by Land-Carriage; this they do by carrying great Buts filled with Water in Waggons, as the Carriers draw other Goods. The Buts have a little square Flap, instead of a Bung, about 10, 12, or 14 Inches square, which, being opened, gives Air to the Fish: and every Night, when they come to the Inn, they draw off the Water, and let more fresh and sweet Water run into them again. In these Carriages they chiefly carry Tench and Pike, Pearch and Eels, but especially the two former, of which here are some of the largest in
England.
Whittlesea
and
Ramsey
Meres are Two Lakes, made by the River
Nyne,
which runs through them; the first is between Five and Six Miles long, and Three Miles broad, and is indeed full of excellent Fish for this Trade.
The
Hermen-street
goes in a strait Line thro' great and little
Stukely,
antiently written
Styvecle,
which Name it acquir'd from its
stiff clay
Soil. In
Great Stukely
Church is a Font of a very antique Make. The
Hermen-street,
after this, becomes notorious by the Name of
Stangate.
Near
Stilton
some Parts appear still pav'd with Stone, which strengthens the Conjecture, that the Name
Stangate
was given it from thence. It traverses great Woods between the Two
Saltries,
where was a religious Foundation of
Simon Silvanect,
the second Earl of
Huntingdon
and
Northampton
; among the Ruins of which lie buried
Robert Brus,
Lord of
Anandale
in
Scotland,
and of
Cleveland
in
England,
with
Isabel
his Consort, from whom the
Scotish
Branch of our Royal Family is descended. Near the Road Side
Roman
Urns have been dug up.
Half a Mile out of the Road is the Seat of Sir
Robert Cotton,
the learned Friend of the great
Camden,
where he had a choice Collection of
Roman
Inscriptions from all Parts of the Kingdom. The House was built in a magnificent manner of hewn Stone; but now lies in dismal Ruins. By it is a most beautiful Church, with a Tower; and in the Windows is fine painted Glass. From those Woods above-mention'd, your Eye commands the whole Level of the Fens, particularly
Whitlesey-mere,
where the Gentry have little Vessels to sail in for Pleasure. Sir
Robert Cotton,
digging the Foundation of a House on the Hill whence you enjoy this Prospect, found the Skeleton of a Fish, 12 Feet long.
A little to the Right lies
Ramsey,
famed for a rich Abbey; little of which is now left, but a Part of the old Gate-house. In the Yard I saw a neglected Statue of the Founder
Alwyn,
who was called
Alderman of all
England, and was Cousin to King
Edgar,
and Son of Duke
Athelstan,
surnamed
Half-King.
This is one of the most antient Pieces of
English
Sculpture which we know of. The Keys and ragged Staff in his Hand denote his Office. The Abbey was dedicated to St.
Dunstan
of
Canterbury,
and St.
Oswald
of
York,
and was a rich Foundation, and at the Dissolution valued at 1716
l. per Annum.
for the Maintenance of 60 Monks. In the Year 1721. a great Quantity of
Roman
Coins were found at
Ramsey
; which were believed to be hid there by the Monks upon some Inroad of the
Danes.
At every Mile from
Grantham
to
Stangate
are Stones set up by Mr.
Boulter,
which he design'd to have carry'd on to
London,
for the general Benefit.
All the Country between
Huntingdon
River and
Peterborough
River, is Clay, Sand, and Gravel; but beyond that, to the
Humber,
Stone.
At
Gunworth
Ferry over
Peterborough
River is a Bridge, a few Years ago erected, where Boats pay Toll. The People of
Peterborough
were a good while averse to having their River made navigable, out of an absurd Notion, that it would spoil their Trade. But they begin to be better inform'd, or, as I may say, to have more Wit, on the Progress made in that Navigation, which I shall mention more particularly by-and-by, when I come to
Oundle.
From the
Fens,
longing to be delivered from Fogs, and stagnate Air, and Water of the Colour of brewed Ale, like the Rivers of the
Peak,
we first set Foot on dry Land,
as I called it,
at
Peterborough.
But before we enter it, we must not omit to take some Notice of
Foderinghay
Castle, situate on a Branch of the
Nyne,
famous for the Imprisonment and Decollation of the unfortunate
Mary
Queen of
Scots.
It seems to have been very strong, and it had a high Mount or Keep, inviron'd with a deep Ditch. 'Tis mostly demolish'd, and all the Materials carry'd off; some say it was destroy'd by Order of King
James
I. in Revenge of his Mother's Sufferings. They pretended to shew me here the Ruins of the Hall, where that Princess was beheaded. It was the Seat of
Edmund
of
Langley,
Duke of
York,
whose Body was bury'd in the Collegiate Church here; a very neat Building founded by
Edward
Duke of
York,
likewise interred here. The Chancel in which they were bury'd, was intirely demolished at the Suppression; but these Monuments were restored by Queen
Elizabeth.
The Church Windows are filled with handsome painted Glass, sav'd by a Sum of Money to the Soldiery in the late Civil War, and represent St.
Denys,
St.
Guthlac,
Abp.
Scrope,
&c.
Peterborough
stands in
Northamptonshire,
and is a little City of great Antiquity seated on the River
Nyne,
and indeed 'tis the least in
England
; for
Bath,
or
Wells,
or
Ely,
or
Carlisle,
are all much bigger; yet
Peterborough
is no contemptible Place neither. Here are some good Houses, a handsome Market-place, and the Streets are fair and well-built; but the Glory of
Peterborough
is the Cathedral, which is truly fine and beautiful, and the noblest Piece of
Gothick
Building in
England
; but it appears to be more modern, than the Story of raising this Pile implies, which was near 1050 Years ago. It wants only, to make it complete, a fine Tower Steeple, and Spire on the Top of it. A Mayor, Aldermen, and Recorder, are the chief Magistrates here.
In this Church was buried the Body of the unhappy
Mary
Queen of
Scots
above-mentioned, but it was afterwards removed by King
James
I. her Son, into
Westminster-Abbey,
where a Monument is erected for her, in King
Henry
VIIth's Chapel; tho' some do not stick to tell us, that tho' the Monument was erected, the Body was never remov'd.
Here also lies interred
Catharine
of
Spain,
another unhappy Queen, and the divorc'd Wife of King
Henry
VIII. and Mother to Queen
Mary
I. Her Monument is not very magnificent, but 'tis far from mean. Here is an old decayed Monument of Bishop
Wulfer,
the Founder of the Church; but this Church has so often been burnt and demolished since tha
Time, that 'tis doubtful, whether the Monument be authentick or not.
In the Cathedral is the Figure of one
Scarlet,
a Sexton, who buried the above named Two Queens, one 50 Years after the other, and under it the following Inscription:
You see old
Scarlet
's Picture stand on high,
But at your Feet there doth his Body lie.
He did interr Two Queens within this Place,
And this Town's Housholders in his Life's Space
Twice over; but at length his own Turn came:
Another Man for him should do the same.
He died at 95 Years old.
The Chapel here, called St.
Mary
's, is a very curious Building, tho' now not in Use. The Choir has been often repaired and beautify'd, and is now very fine; but the West End, or great Gate, is a Prodigy for Beauty and Variety. 'Tis remarkable, that as this Church, when a Monastery, was famous for its great Revenues, so now, as reduced, 'tis one of the poorest Bishopricks in
England.
In the Year 1720. at
Thorp,
the Seat of Sir
Francis St. John,
by
Peterborough,
a Mosaick Pavement was found. This was undoubtedly a
Villa
of some
Roman
of Distinction. In the Garden are some fine antique Marble Statues, which suffer more from the Weather than from Age. In the Middle is a
Livia
of a
Colossean
Proportion: in the Four Quarters,
Diana, Amphion,
an Orator, and a Gladiator: upon the Terrace, an admirable
Hercules
killing the
Hydra:
in the Court, Two Equestrian Figures in Copper, King
Henry
IV. of
France,
and Don
John
of
Austria.
Over most of the Doors of the House, are placed Bustoes of
Bassianus, Caracalla,
and others. These Antiquities were of the
Arundel
Collection.
As great Part of
Lincolnshire,
which is a vastly extended County, remained yet unseen by me, I was obliged to turn North from
Peterborough,
and take a View of the
Fens
again, tho' we kept them at some Distance too. Here we pass'd the
Welland
at
Market Deeping,
an old, ill-built and dirty Town. Then we went thro'
Bourn
to
Folkingham,
near which we saw two Pieces of decay'd Magnificence; one was the old demolish'd Monastery of
Sempringham,
the Seat of the
Gilbertine
Nuns, famous for Austerity; and the other was the antient House of the Lord
Clinton,
Queen
Elizabeth
's Admiral, where that great and noble Person once lived in the utmost Splendor. The House, tho' in its full Decay, shews what it has been, and the Plaister of the Ceilings and Walls in some Rooms is so fine, so firm, and so intire, that they break it off in large Flakes, and it will bear Writing on with a Pencil or Steel Pen, like the Leaves of a Table-book. This Sort of Plaister I have not seen any-where so prodigiously fine, except in the Palace of
Nonesuch
in
Surrey,
near
Epsom,
before it was demolished by the Lord
Berkley.
From hence we cross'd Part of the great Heath mentioned before, and came into the high Road again at
Ancaster,
a small, but antient
Roman
Village, call'd
Segeloci.
It is full of Remnants of Antiquity; a sufficient Testimony of which may be deduc'd from the Traffick which the Town's-people have for many Years carry'd on with the Sale of them. After a Shower the Schoolboys and Shepherds look for them on the Declivities, and never return empty.
The Town consists of one Street, running North and South along the Road. There is a Spring at both Ends of the Town, which, no doubt, was the Reason for the
Romans
pitching it at this Place; for there is no more Water from hence to
Lincoln.
On the West Side of the Town is a Road, formerly design'd for the Convenience of those who travelled when the Gates were shut. In the Churchyard are two Priests cut in Stone.
This must have been a populous Place, from the large Quarries about it, and the Rock lying a very little way beneath the Surface.
From
Ancaster
we came to
Grantham,
famous for a very fine Church, and its Spire Steeple. The general Notion, that this Steeple stands leaning, is certainly a vulgar Error: I had no Instrument indeed to judge it by, but, according to the strictest Observation, I could not perceive it, or any thing like it, and am much of Opinion with that excellent Poet:
'Tis Height makes
Grantham
Steeple stand awry.
The chief Magistrate here is an Alderman, assisted by Twelve Justices. This is a neat, pleasant, well-built and populous Town, has a good Market, and the Inhabitants are said to have a very good Trade, and to be generally rich.
It was certainly a
Roman
Town, and Remains of a Castle have been formerly dug up there. The Spire Steeple is 100 Yards high, and equalled only by another in this County at
Louth,
besides the Tower of
Boston.
Here were many Religious Houses: Ruins of some of which still remain. In one just by the Market-place, is a very pretty little Chapel or Oratory adorned with Imagery. Here is a good Freeschool, erected by
Richard Fox,
Bishop of
Winchestor
; where Sir
Isaac Newton
received the first Principles of Literature, under the famous
William Walker,
then Schoolmaster. This Town lying on the great Northern Road is famous, as well as
Stamford,
for abundance of very good Inns, some of them fit to entertain Persons of the greatest Quality, and their Retinues, and it is a great Advantage to the Place.
Within a Mile of
Grantham
stands
Belton,
a late-built House belonging to the Family of
Brownlow,
Lord
Tyrconnel
in
Ireland,
one of the most regular and beautiful Seats in this County; adorned with curious Gardens, and a large Park. But I should not omit to take some Notice, before I quit
Lincolnshire,
of the Duke of
Ancaster
's pleasant Seat at
Grimsthorpe.
It is a handsome and commodious House: the Park is large and beautiful; the
Lawn
there, whereon is an annual Horse-race, is delightful. In the Middle of the Park stood
Vaudy Abbey,
founded
Anno
1147, some small Ruins of which are still to be seen.
From a Hill, about a Mile beyond this Town North-west, being on the great
York
Road, we had a Prospect again into the Vale of
Bever,
or
Belvoir.
which I mentioned before; and which spreads itself here into three Counties, to wit,
Lincoln, Leicester,
and
Rutlandshires:
also here we had a distant View of
Belvoir
Castle, which, 'tis supposed, took its Name from the Situation, from whence there is so fine a Prospect over the Country, that you see from the Hill into
Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Rutland,
and
Northamptonshires.
The Castle or Palace (for such it now is) of
Belvoir
is the Seat of the noble Family of
Manners,
Dukes of
Rutland,
who have also a very noble Estate, equal to the Demesnes of some Sovereign Princes, extending itself into
Nottingham
and
Derbyshires
far and wide, and in which Estate they have an immense subterranean Treasure, never to be exhausted; I mean the Lead-mines and Coal-pits, of which I shall say more in their Place.
In the fine Gallery of this noble Seat are very antient and modern Family and other Pictures, particularly the Original one of King
Charles
I. as he sat at his Trial.
At
Bottesworth,
on the Edge of
Lincolnshire,
we visited the Tombs of the
Manners
noble Family, which are worth seeing.
The other Towns which lie on the South-west of the
Witham
in this County, not already mentioned, are;
1.
Beckingham,
an inconsiderable little Place lying North of
Grantham.
2.
Dunnington,
a good Market-town, noted for large Quantities of Hemp and Hemp Seed.
3.
Seaford,
situate in a Valley on a little River, which is so rapid, that its Streams never freeze. It has a good Market, and a long, square Market-place facing Three Streets. And also,
4.
Bourne,
famous for the Inauguration of
Edmund
King of the
East-Angles.
Turning Southward from hence we enter'd
Rutlandshire,
remarkable for being the least County in
England,
having but Two Market-towns in it,
viz. Okeham
and
Uppingham.
Okeham
stands in the rich Valley of
Cathross.
It has a Castle, in which the Assizes are held, an Hospital for the Poor, and a Free-school for the Education of Youth. 'Tis a Custom in this Town, that when a Nobleman comes on Horseback within its Precincts, he is obliged to pay Homage of a Shoe from his Horse, or to commute for it in Money.
Uppingham
is a new well-built Town, standing on a Hill; and has also an Hospital and Free-school.
This County, tho' so small, is famous for abundance of fine Seats of the Gentlemen, and some of first Rank; as particularly the Earls of
Gainsborough
and
Winchelsea.
The late Earl of
Nottingham,
at a very great Expence, rebuilt the antient Seat of
Burleigh on the Hill,
near
Oakham,
and on the Edge of the Vale of
Cathross.
It would take up too much of my Room to describe as I ought, this noble House, with its curious Paintings, fine Library, and delightful Gardens. I can only observe, that tho' there may be some sumptuous Palaces in
England
(which abounds with so many fine ones) that excel in this or that Particular; I do not know a House in
Britain,
which excels all the rest in so many Particulars.
I cannot help mentioning here, that I was drawn to make a Visit, in my Journey, to the Reverend Mr.
Edward Roberts
of
Glaston,
in this little County, purely for the sake of his excellent Character; and we were received by him with great Courtesy. This Gentleman had a very small Living in the County, the Income of which, with the Surplus of his Estate, he devoted to the Necessitous; and of late Years had provided himself with all Sorts of Medicines from
London,
so that his Time was spent in relieving the Poor in a double Capacity, as a Divine and a Physician. He often refused Promotions in the Church, tho' his Rectorship was accounted the poorest in the County; he disapproved Pluralities, and always look'd with Love on his Parish, as his Family: but this excellent Clergyman died a few Months after we were there, in
March
1739-40, universally lamented. His Brother,
Thomas Roberts,
Esq
died about Twelve Months before him, with as good a Character for a Lawyer, as this Gentleman had for a Divine; for he would give his Advice
gratis,
as well as his Practice, to all without Exception; and tho' a great Friend to the present Royal Family, would never accept of Place or Pension, and never would interfere in Elections, which he thought should always be left free, and uninfluenced.
From hence we came to
St. Martins,
and stopp'd at the
George,
out of Curiosity, because it is reckoned one of the greatest Inns in
England,
and thence proceeded to
Stamford.
This Town is placed in a kind of an Angle of the County of
Lincoln,
just upon the Edge of Three Counties,
viz. Lincoln, Northampton,
and
Rutland:
this Town boasts greatly too of its Antiquity, and indeed it has evident Marks of its having been a very great Place in former Days.
History tells us it was burnt by the
Danes
above 1500 Years ago, being then a flourishing City: it was also once an University, and here are still the Remains of Two Colleges, one called
Blackhall,
and the other
Brazen Nose
; on the Gate whereof is a great
Brazen Nose,
and a Ring through it, like that at
Oxford
; nor could it take this from
Oxford,
but
Oxford
from that, which is as old as
Edward
III. at the least, while that at
Oxford
was not built before
Henry
VII. But the famous Camps, and Military Ways, which still appear at and near this Town, are a more visible Testimony of its having been a very antient Town, and that it was considerable in the
Romans
Time.
It is now a very fair, well-built, and wealthy Town, consisting of Six Parishes, including that of
St. Martin
in
Stamford-baron
; that is to say, in that Part of the Town which stands over the River, which, tho' it is not a Part of the Town, critically speaking, being not in the Liberty, and in another County, yet 'tis all called
Stamford,
and is rated with it in the Taxes.
The Government of this Town is by a Mayor and Aldermen, and not, as some write, by an Alderman, and 12 Comburgesses.
They boast in this Town of very great Privileges, especially to their Mayor; such as being freed from the Sheriff's Jurisdiction, and from being impanelled on Juries out of the Town; to have the Return of all Writs, to be freed from all Lords-Lieutenants, and from their Musters, and for having the Militia of the Town commanded by their own Officers, the Mayor being the King's Lord-Lieutenant, and immediately under his Majesty's Command, and to be esteemed (within the Liberties and Jurisdiction of the Town) the second Man in the Kingdom; and the Grant of those Privileges concludes thus:
Ut ab antiquo usu fuerunt,
As of antient Time they had been accustomed: so that this Charter, which was granted by
Edward
IV.
Anno
1461, seems to be only a Confirmation of former Privileges, not a Grant of new ones.
In the Church of
St. Martin
in
Stamford-baron,
is a very noble Monument of
William Cecil
Lord
Burleigh,
who lies buried there in a large Vault just under it; and opposite to it, on the North Side, is a more antient (but handsome) Monument, tho' not so magnificent as the former, in Memory of
Richard Cecil,
Esq
and
Jane
his Wife, the Father and Mother of the said famous Lord
Burleigh
; also a more modern Monument for the great Earl who reedify'd the House; and for his Countess, a Sister of the late Duke of
Devonshire:
this is a finished Piece, 'tis all of the finest Marble, and was made at
Florence,
and sent over. The said Earl died on his Return from
Rome,
at
Issy
near
Paris, Aug.
29. 1700.
There is a very fine Stone Bridge over the River
Welland
of Five Arches, and the Town-hall is in the Upper-part of the Gate, upon or at the End of the Bridge, which is a very handsome Building. Here are Two constant Weekly Markets, Three annual Fairs, and a great Midlent Mart; but the latter is not now so considerable, as it is reported to have been formerly.
But the Beauty of
Stamford
is the Neighbourhood of the noble Palace of the Earl of
Exeter,
called
Burleigh-house,
built by the said Lord
Burleigh,
Lord High Treasurer to Queen
Elizabeth.
This House is situated in
Northamptonshire
; it is built all of Free-stone, looks more like a Town than a House, at which Avenue soever you come to it; the Towers and the Pinacles so high, and placed at such a Distance from one another, look like so many distant Parish Churches in a great Town; and a large Spire covered with Lead, over the Clock in the Centre, looks like the Cathedral, or chief Church of the Town.
The House stands on an Eminence, which rises from the North Entrance of the Park, coming from
Stamford:
on the other Side,
viz.
South and West, the Country lies on a Level with the House, and is a fine Plain, with Posts, and other Marks for Horse-races. As the Entrance looks towards the flat low Grounds of
Lincolnshire,
it gives the House a most extraordinary Prospect into the
Fens,
so that you may see from thence near 30 Miles, without any thing to intercept the Sight.
As you mount the Hill, you come to a fine Esplanade, before the great Gate, or first Entrance of the House, where is a small, but very handsome Semicircle, taken in with an Iron Balustrade; and from this, rising a few Steps, you enter a most noble Hall, but made infinitely more noble by the invaluable Paintings, with which it is so filled, that there is not room to place any thing between them.
John
Earl of
Exeter,
Grandfather of his present Lordship, had a great Genius for Painting and Architecture, and a superior Judgment in both, as every Part of this noble Structure will testify; for he changed the whole Face of the Building, pulled down great Part of the Front next the Garden, and turned the old
Gothick
Windows into those spacious Sashes which are now seen there; and tho' the Founder, who had also an exquisite Taste, (as the Manner of Buildings then was) had so well ordered the Situation and Avenues of the whole Fabrick, that nothing was wanting of that Kind, and had also contrived the House itself in a most magnificent manner, the Rooms spacious, the Ceilings lofty, and the Decorations just; yet the late Earl found Room for Alterations, infinitely to the Advantage of the Whole; as particularly, a noble Stair-case, a whole Suite of fine Apartments, with Rooms of State, fit for the Entertainment of a Prince, especially those on the Garden Side.
As the noble Lord above-mentioned loved Paintings, so he had infinite Advantage in procuring them; for he not only travelled Three times into
Italy,
and stay'd every time a considerable while at
Florence
; but his princely Deportment, and fine Accomplishments, procured him the personal Esteem of the Great Duke, who assisted him in the Purchace of many excellent Pieces, and likewise presented him with several others of great Value.
Among the rest, there is, in the great Hall, his Lordship's Picture on Horseback, done by the Great Duke's principal Painter, at his Highness's Charge, and given to his Lordship, as a Mark of special Favour: there is also a fine Piece of
Seneca
bleeding to Death in the warm Bath, and dictating his last Morals to his Scholars; a Piece so excellent, that I have been told, the late King of
France
offered the Earl 6000 Pistoles for it.
The Stair-case, the Ceilings of all the fine Lodgings, the Chapel, the Hall, the late Earl's Closet, are all finely painted by the celebrated VARRIO, whom the Earl kept 12 Years in his Family, wholly imploy'd in them, and allow'd him a Coach and Horses, an Equipage, a Table, and Servants, and a very considerable Pension.
By the Park Wall, or, as some think, thro' the Park, adjoining to
Burleigh-house,
passed an old
Roman
Highway, beginning at
Caster,
a little Village near
Peterborough
; but which was antiently the
Roman
Station, or Colony,
Durobrevum,
as I have said. This whole Town takes in Three Squares of full 300 Feet each, two of which are allotted to the Castle: the third is an Area lying to the East before it, between the Castle and the Hill, which is still the Market-place. From under the Castle-walls, almost quite round, rise many quick Springs; but of these the
Syfer
Spring is the most noted, having now Four Fluxes of Water from between the Joints of great Stones, laid flat like a Wall, and join'd together with Lead, probably by the
Romans,
being under their Wall. It is very pleasantly overshaded with Trees. Its Name is
Saxon,
and signifies
pure,
which Appellation it well deserves. The
Roman
Way is still to be seen, and is now called
The Forty-feet Way,
passing from
Gunworth Ferry
(and
Peterborough
) to
Stamford:
This was, as the Antiquaries are of Opinion, the great Road into the
North,
which is since turned from
Stilton
in
Huntingdonshire,
to
Wandsworth
or
Wandsford,
where is a very good Bridge over the the River
Nyne
; which coming down from
Northampton,
as I have observed already, passed thence by
Peterborough,
and so into the
Fen
Country. But I am of Opinion, neither this nor
Wandsford
was the antient
Northern
Road used by the
Romans
; for 'tis evident, that the great
Roman
Causway is still seen on the Left-hand of that Road, and passing the
Nyne
at a Place called
Water Neuton,
went directly to
Stamford,
and passed the
Welland,
just above that Town, but not in the Place where the Bridge stands now; and this
Roman
Way is still to be seen, both on the South and the North Side of the
Welland,
stretching itself on to
Brig Casterton,
a little Town upon the River
Guash,
about Three Miles beyond
Stamford
; which was, as all Writers agree, another
Roman
Station, and was called
Guasennae
by the Antients, from whence the River is supposed also to take its Name; whence it went on to
Panton,
another very considerable Colony, and so to
Newark,
where it crossed the
Foss.
Hence the Road goes by
Stretton
; then leaves a little on the Left-hand
Colsterworth,
highly memorable for being the Birth-place of the great Philosopher, Sir
Isaac Newton.
This
Forty-foot Way
then must be a Cross-road from
Caster,
and by that from the
Fen
Country, so leading into the great Highway at
Stamford:
as likewise another Cross-road went out of the said great Road at
Panton,
a Village of Antiquity near
Ancaster,
to the Town of
Ancaster,
where a
Roman
Cohort was stationed, and thence joined the
Foss
again at
Lincoln.
Near this little Village of
Caster
lives the Lord
Fitzwilliams,
of an antient Family, but of an
Irish
Title; his Lordship some Years ago built a very fine Stone Bridge over the River
Nyne,
near
Gunworth,
where formerly was the Ferry, as I have mentioned before; for the passing of which in a Coach, we paid 2
s.
6
d.
As we pass by
Burleigh-park
Wall, on the great Road, we see on the West Side, not above a Mile from it, another House, built by the same Lord
Burleigh,
and which might pass for a very noble Seat,
were not
Burleigh
by.
This is called
Wathorp,
and stands just on the great
Roman
Way, mentioned above; this is the House of which the old Earl is reputed to have said, he built it to
remove to, and to be out of the Dust, while
Burleigh-house
was sweeping.
From hence we went to
Oundle,
being told that the famous Drum was to be heard at that time in the Well; but tho' we saw the Well, we heard no Drum, or any Noise at all. No Doubt, it is owing, if there be any thing in it, to the Passage of the Water and Air. Here are two long Stone Bridges.
Lowick
Church, on the Side of a Hill, is very fine. The Monuments of the Founder
John de Drayton,
of the
Veres
and
Staffords,
Earl of
Wiltshire,
&c. are to be seen here: as is that of the late Duchess of
Norfolk,
who, after her Divorce, married Sir
John
Germayn,
of
Drayton-house,
who in a manner intirely new built this antient Seat.
Oundle
is almost surrounded by the River, over which it has Two handsome Stone Bridges. It is a neat, uniform-built Town.
The
Nyne
has a Range of eminent Towns along the Banks of it;
viz. Northampton, Wellingborough, Higham-ferris, Thrapston, Oundle, Foderinghay, Wandsford
and
Peterborough,
all in this County. The two first I have already mention'd.
Higham-ferris
is a small neat and healthful Mayor-town, pleasantly seated on a rising Ground, and is also an antient Borough.
Thrapston
is delightfully situated in a fine Valley, and surrounded wlth a rich Soil, and well water'd. It has a fine Bridge over the
Nyne
; but is not eminent either for Trade or Buildings; tho' it will probably soon change its Face by virtue of an Act passed for making the
Nyne
navigable; which has had so good an Effect, that, when I was last there, the 17th of
November
1737, on that very Day Boats were brought up to
Thrapston
for the first time, which occasioned much Joy in the Town.
Here also is a most beautiful Range of Meadows and Pastures, perhaps not to be equalled in
England
for Length. They stretch, uninterrupted, from
Peterborough
to
Northampton,
which is near 30 Miles in Length, and in some Places are near two Miles in Breadth; the Land rich, the Grass fine, and the Cattle which feed on them, hardly to be number'd.
North-west of this River lies
Kettering,
a handsome well-frequented Town upon a rising Ground; and beyond that again is
Rothwell,
a pretty good Market-town.
From
Oundle
we travelled North-east into
Yarley
in
Huntingdonshire,
a little Town tolerably well built. The Church has a neat lofty Spire. In our Way hither we crossed the
Watling-street
Way. At
Overton,
now called
Cherry Orton,
a Village near
Gunworth
Ferry, is an old Mansion-house, formerly belonging to a very antient and almost forgotten Family of great Men, called
Lovetoft.
On the other Side of the River, is the fine House I mentioned before, belonging to Sir
Francis St. John,
Bart. which affords a very beautiful Prospect to Travellers, as they pass from the Hill beyond
Stilton
to
Wandsford
Bridge. This
Wandsford
has obtained an idle Addition to its Name, from a Story firmly believed by the Country People;
viz.
That a great Flood coming hastily down the River
Nyne,
in Hay-making-time, a Country Fellow, having taken up his Lodging on a Cock of Hay in the Meadow, was driven, on the Hay, down the Stream in the Night, while he was fast asleep, towards
Wisbech
in the
Fens
; when being wakened, he was seen and taken up by some Fishermen, almost in the open Sea; and being asked, Where he lived? he answered,
At
Wansford
in
England. And we saw at the great Inn, by the South End of the Bridge, the Sign of a Man floating on a Cock of Hay, and over him written
Wandsford in England.
Falling down Southward we come to
Stilton,
a Town famous for Cheese, which is called our
English Parmesan,
and is brought to Table so full of Mites or Maggots, that they use a Spoon to eat them. We came again into the
Roman
Way at
Stilton,
which comes from
Caster
aforementioned, and runs all the way to
Huntingdon
; which we followed thro'
Sautery-lane,
a deep Descent between two Hills, in which is
Stangate-hole,
noted for being the greatest Robbing-place in all this Part of the County, and so came to
Huntingdon,
antiently called
Hunters-dune,
the County-town, situated on a rising Ground, on the North Side of the
Ouse.
It is a great Thoroughfair on the Northern Road, and is full of very good Inns, and is a strong Pass upon the
Ouse,
and in the late Civil Wars, it was esteemed so by both Parties. It was given by King
Stephen
to
David
King of
Scots,
as an Augmentation to his Estate, and taken away by King
Henry
II. However, the
Scotish
Kings always claimed it.
It is a Mayor-town, and had antiently Fifteen Churches; of later Days, but Four, and in the Civil Wars they were reduced to Two. The Cause of its Decay at first, is said to be owing to a Court Minion, who procur'd the Passage of the
Ouse
to be stopped, which had been navigable to the Town. The said River is now made navigable for smaller Vessels to
Bedford.
The Witches of
Warbois,
in this County, have made so much Noise, that I shall just mention the fatal End of a Man, his Wife and Daughter, who were all Three hanged for torturing the Children of a Gentleman in the Parish: the History of it is kept in
Queen's
College Library in
Cambridge
; and one of their Fellows preaches yearly, at
Huntingdon,
on that Occasion. The Children being sick, their Urine was sent to Master Dr.
Dorrington
at
Cambridge,
who sent a Medicine against Worms. That prevailing nothing, the Doctor, upon second Thoughts, pronounced the Symptoms were from Witchcraft. It was not long before a proper Family was suspected: the Woman and her Daughter were frequently sent for, and kept with the Children, and the Disease remitted upon the Sight of them; but chiefly upon a Confession, and a sort of Petition added to it. To this Effect was the Girl's:
As I am a Witch, and a greater Witch than my Mother, so I desire, that the Pains shall go off from this Child.
These Confessions were the chief Point against the Prisoners, which they had been prevailed upon to repeat by the Stranders-by, who had observed the Children relieved upon it, as they imagined. And thus Three unhappy Persons were sacrificed to Ignorance and Superstition.
I shall take farther Notice of this Subject when I come to
Lancashire,
a County formerly famous for Witches, and where Persons likewise suffered for this pretended Crime.
Here are the most beautiful Meadows on the Banks of the River
Ouse,
that I think are to be seen in any Part of
England
; which, in the Summer Season, are covered with such numerous Herds of Cattle, and Flocks of Sheep, as are hardly credible.
This Town is one long continued Street, pretty well built, especially from the Ground Plot, where the Castle stood. Here was born
Oliver Cromwell,
of genteel and worthy Parents. The House is newbuilt, but the Room in which he was born is preserved in its first State. It has a good Market-place; but the Free-stone Bridge, or Bridges rather, and Causway over the
Ouse,
are a very great Ornament as well as Benefit to the Place. Here is a good Publick School.
Between
Godmanchester,
or
Gormanchester,
(a
Roman
Camp) and
Huntingdon,
is a wooden Bridge erected over a Rivulet, upon Principles of Gratitude and publick Charity, with this Inscription:
ROBERTUS COOK
emergens aquis hoc viatoribus
Sacrum D.D.
1636.
That is:
ROBERT COOK,
having escaped the Danger of Drowning, consecrated this for the Use of Travellers,
1636.
On the West Side of this Town, and in View of the plain lower Side of the County, is a noble, tho' antient Seat of the Earl of
Sandwich
; the Gardens very fine and well kept; the Situation seems a little obscured by the Town of
Huntingdon.
In the same Plain we saw
Bugden,
a small Village, in which is a very pleasant, tho' antient House or Palace of the Bishops of
Lincoln:
the House and Garden surrounded by a very large and deep Moat of Water. The Chapel is very pretty, tho' small. There is an Organ painted against the Wall, in a seeming Organloft, and so properly placed, and well painted, that we at first believed it really to be one.
Erith
is a large Town, but without a Market.
St. Ives
is a pretty neat Market-town, but is lessen'd, and suffer'd greatly by Fire. Here
Cromwell,
after he had prodigally wasted his paternal Estate, rented a Farm, before he was elected Burgess for
Cambridge.
Hinchinbroke-house,
which gives Title of a Viscount to the eldest Son of the Earl of
Sandwich,
and the Village of the same Name, lie at a small Distance from
Huntingdon.
And a little Way South-west stands the Town of
Kimbolton,
and that most nobly situated and pleasant Seat of the Duke of
Manchester, Kimbolton
Castle, where no Pains or Cost has been spared tu improve the most beautiful Situation in Nature with the Works and Ornaments of Art.
Kimbolton
Town is the
Kiniubantum
of the
Romans.
Here Queen
Catharine,
after she was divorced, resided for some time.
At
Ailweston,
in this County, are two Springs, one of fresh Water, good for dim Eyes; the other brackish, of Use for curing of Scabs, Leprosy,
&c.
From
Huntingdon
we came to
St. Neots
on the
Ouse,
over which is a good Stone Bridge. The Church is strong and well built, and the Steeple manifests the Skill of the Artist, much to his Advantage. The Town takes its Name from
Neotus,
a learned and pious Man, who was interred here; from whom likewise
St. Neots,
in
Cornwall,
takes its Name, where he for some time resided. Hither Coals are brought by Water, and convey'd by Land around the Country.
Here we enter'd
Bedfordshire,
and came to
Bedford,
the chief Town; for it has no City in it, tho' this Town is larger and more populous than several Cities in
England.
It is one of the Seven Counties, which, they say, lie together, and have not one City among them; namely,
Huntingdon, Bedford, Bucks, Berks, Hertford, Essex,
and
Suffolk.
It is remarkable, that tho' a great Part of this County,
viz.
the two whole Hundreds of
Stodden
and
Bedford,
lie on the North of the
Ouse
; yet there is but one Market-town in all that Side of the
Ouse,
beside
Bedford.
It is also remarkable, that tho' the
Ouse,
by a long and winding Course, cuts thro' the County, so as to make above 70 Miles between
Oulney
and
St. Neots,
not above 20 by Land, yet in all that Course it receives only the little River
Ivel,
which falls into it a little above
Temsford.
Bedford
is a large, populous, thriving, pleasant, and well-built Mayor-town; it has five Parish Churches, a very fine Stone Bridge over the
Ouse,
and the High Street (especially) is very handsome and well-built: here is also a fair Market-place; but it is much improved lately in new Buildings. The River hath also been made navigable, and runs thro' the Town. It had formerly a Castle, and now, where it stood, is one of the most beautiful Bowling-greens in the Kingdom. It has Two Hospitals for Lazars, and another for Eight poor People. Here is a Free-school well endow'd, and a Charity-school for Forty Children, and tho' the Town is not upon any of the great Roads in
England,
yet it is full of very good Inns, which afford elegant Entertainment; for here is the best Market for all Sorts of Provisions, that is to be seen at any Country Town in all these Parts of
England
; and the Reason of it is, that, tho' it is so far from
London,
yet the Higglers or Carriers buy great Quantities of Provisions here for the
London
Markets; here also is a very good Trade down the River to
Lynn.
Here likewise is a great Corn-market, and vast Quantities of Grain are bought here, and carried down by large Vessels and Barges to
Lynn,
where it is again shipped, and carried by Sea to
Holland.
The Soil hereabouts is exceeding rich and fertile, and particularly produces great Quantities of the best Wheat in
England,
which is carried by Waggons from hence, and from the North Part of the Country 20 Miles beyond this, to the Markets of
Hitchin
and
Hertford,
and bought again there, and ground and carried in the Meal (still by Land) to
London.
Indeed the whole Product of this County may be said to be Wheat and Malt for
London
; for here are very few Manufactures, except those of Straw Hats and Bone Lace; of which by itself. There are but Ten Market-towns in the whole County, which I shall recount as I took them in my Course.
Potton,
which lies on the Borders of
Cambridgeshire,
and of no Note. Southward stands
Biggleswade,
a pleasant situated Place on the
Ivel,
and furnished with a great Number of good Inns for accommodating Travellers between
London
and
York.
Still more Southward lies
Shefford,
between two Rivulets; over each of which is a Bridge.
West of this Town stands
Ampthill,
a pretty Town, delightfully seated between two Hills. Near it is a large Park, with a great Mansion-house in it, which King
Charles
II. gave to the Noble Family of
Bruce,
who had their Title of Viscount from this Town; notwithstanding which, and that they were always Hereditary Stewards of the
Manor
of
Ampthill,
yet the present Lord
Bruce
lately sold his whole Estate here to his Grace the Duke of
Bedford.
Queen
Catharine,
after she was divorced, chose this Town as one of her Retiring-places. Farther Southward is
Woburn,
noted for having Plenty of Fullers Earth near it; and likewise another Kind of Earth, which petrifies Wood into Stone. This Town, having been almost demolished by a terrible Fire, which happened a few Years ago, is now rebuilt, and makes no mean Appearance. It belongs almost all of it to his Grace the Duke of
Bedford,
who finished, in
Feb.
1737, a fine and commodious Market-place here.
The Duke's House, called
Woburn Abbey,
is just by the Town, a good old House, and exceedingly pleasant by its Situation, which is in a fine large Park walled round. The Duke had once designed to have pulled down the old House, and to rebuild it in a magnificent manner: but laid aside that Resolution, and only repaired it. There are many noble Rooms in it, and particularly a very capacious and long Gallery, furnished with a great Variety of fine Pictures, chiefly of the
Russel
Family: the Wainscoting of this noble Apartment is strewed, as one may say, with gilded Stars, which have a pretty Effect among the Pictures. A Room has been laid into this Gallery at one End, where a good Billiard-table is placed.
Before the House is a very large Bason of Water, surrounded with a fine broad Gravel-walk, which is bounded with Posts and Iron Chains. On the Water is a most beautiful Yacht of between 30 and 40 Tons Burden, elegantly carved and gilt, and completely rigged, and mounts Ten Guns, which are fired on Occasion of Entertainments,
&c.
given on Board her by his Grace. There is also an elegant Boat with a fine Awning over it, a Wherry of the common Shape, and a Skiff, which are very neat, and make a beautiful Appearance on this noble Bason of Water.
Near
Woburn
is
Battlesden,
the Seat of
Thomas Page,
Esq
abounding with many Beauties, and still daily improving by additional Works in a very fine Taste.
Dunstable
is seated on a Hill, in a chalky Ground, in the County of
Bedford.
It consists of Four principal Streets, answering to the Four Quarters of the World. It is well inhabited, and furnished with many good Inns for the Accommodation of Travellers. In the Centre stood one of Queen
Eleanor
's beautiful Crosses, which was demolished by the Parliament Soldiers. The Situation of this Place being high, and no running Water near, they are forced to draw it up from deep Wells by means of great Wheels; and they have Four large Ponds to receive the Rain-water, which, as a Mark of the holding Quality of the Soil, are never dry, tho' they have no other Supply. They have sometimes dug 24 Fathoms deep, in Search of Springs, to no Purpose.
Kingsbury,
once a Royal Seat, over-against the Church, is now a Farm-house. The Church is composed of many Pieces tacked together, as it were, some of which are very old. It was Part of the Priory, and Archbishop
Cranmer
was the last Prior, who here pronounced the Sentence of Divorce against Queen
Catharine.
The Gentlemen of
Bedford
lately came to a laudable Resolution of levelling the Chalk-hill near this Town, for the Benefit of the Road, which in a Frost, or after a Snower of Rain, used to be so slippery that neither Man nor Horse could keep their Feet, which occasioned often great Damage to both; to prevent which for the future, they imploy'd a Number of Hands to lower it.
Dunstable
stands on the
Roman Watling-street,
just where it is crossed by
Icknild-street.
Here have been
Roman
Coins frequently found; and on the Descent of
Chiltern
Hills, not far from the Town, is a large round Area of Nine Acres, surrounded with a deep Ditch and Rampire called
Mardin-hour.
It was burnt by the
Danes,
and rebuilt by
Henry
I. to repress a vast Number of Robbers which infested the Country thereabouts; and it takes its Name from
Dunning,
one of the Thieves, and from
Dunningcestaple
it is now, by Contraction, called
Dunstable.
On the Borders of
Buckinghamshire
stands
Leighton,
famous for a great Cattle and Horse-fair.
North-east of
Dunstable,
on the Edge of
Hertfordshire,
lies
Luton,
a little pretty Town, seated very pleasantly amongst Hills, and noted for a good Market and Market-place.
This County is remarkable for having more Noblemens and Gentlemens Seats in it than any County in
England.
The Middle Part of the County is well stored with Wood, which affords a great deal of Game.
Thro' the whole South Part of this County, as far as the Borders of
Buckinghamshire
and
Hertfordshire,
the People are taken up with the Manufacture of Bone-lace, in which they are wonderfully increased and improved.
Also the Manufactures of Straw-work, especially Straw Hats, spreads itself from
Hertfordshire
into this County, and is greatly increased within a few Years past.
Having thus viewed this County in all its most considerable Towns, we came from
Dunstable
to
St. Albans,
where we saw the handsome Almshouses built and endow'd by the
Marlborough
Family, and so returned to
London.
Yours, &c.
LETTER II. CONTAINING A Description of Part of
Nottinghamshire,
of
Derbyshire,
and Part of Yorkshire.
SIR,
H AVING finished the Account of my several Circuits, which complete the Southern Part of
Britain
; I am now to begin this Circuit from the River
Trent,
and to confine my Observations to the Country, which is called by some
North by Trent.
The River
Trent
is deemed by antient Writers as the fourth capital River in
England,
the other three being the
Thames,
the
Severn,
and the
Humber.
Tho' the
Trent
is not the largest, yet it may be said to run the longest Course, and rises nearer to the West Side of the Island than any of the others; it is also the largest, and of the longest Course of any River in
England,
which does not empty its Waters immediately into the Sea; for the
Trent
runs into the
Humber,
and so loses its Name before it reaches the Ocean.
It rises in the Highlands of
Staffordshire
called the
Moorlands,
receiving from the Edge of
Cheshire,
and towards
Lancashire,
a great many (some say 30, and that thence it had its Name, for
Trent
in
French
is 30) little Rivulets into it, very near its Head; so that it soon becomes one large River, and comes down from the Hills with a violent Current into the flat Country; where, being increased by several other little Rivers, it carries a deeper Chanel, and a stiller Current; and having given its Name to
Trentham,
a small Market-town in the same County, it goes on to
Stone,
a considerable Town on the great Road to
West Chester.
One Branch of the
Trent
rises within a Quarter of a Mile of the
Dane,
from a Moor adjoining to a little Ridge of Hills, called
Molecop Hill,
near
Congleton,
within 22 Miles of the
Irish
Sea. As the
Dane
runs into the
Weaver,
and both into that Arm of the Sea, which the
Mersee
makes from
Frodsham
to
Liverpool
and
Hyle-lake
; and as the
Trent
runs into the
Humber,
which opens into the great
German
Ocean; these Rivers may be said to cut the Island across in the middle.
It is true, the Northern Part is much larger than the Southern, now
Scotland
is united; otherwise the Country South by
Trent,
including
Wales,
is by far the largest, as well as the richest and most populous, occasioned chiefly by the Commerce of the City of
London.
As for the Towns of
Bristol, Exeter, Lynn, Norwich, Yarmouth, &c.
which are large and very populous, and carry on a prodigious Trade, as well in Merchandize as Manufacture, we shall find them pretty near equalled by the Towns of
Liverpool, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle,
and
Manchester,
and the Cities of
Edinburgh
and
Glasgow.
The
Trent
runs a Course of near 200 Miles, thro' the four Counties of
Stafford, Derby, Nottingham,
and
Lincoln.
It receives, besides lesser Waters, the larger Rivers of the
Sowe
from the West Side of the County, and from the Town of
Stafford
; the
Tame
from
Birmingham
and
Tamworth,
the
Soar
from
Leicester,
and the
Dove
and
Derwent,
two furiously rapid Streams, from the
Peak
of
Derby
; the
Idle,
a gentle navigable Stream, from
Rhetford
and
Nottinghamshire,
with part of the
Witham,
called the
Foss-dike,
from
Lincoln,
also navigable; and the greatest of them all, the
Dun,
from
Doncaster, Rotheram,
and
Sheffield,
after a long and rapid Course thro' the Moors, called
Stanecross,
on the Edge of
Derby,
and the West Riding of
Yorkshire.
The
Trent
is navigable by Ships of good Burden as high as
Gainsborough,
which is near 40 Miles from the
Humber
by the River. The Barges without the Help of Locks or Stops go as high as
Nottingham
; and farther by the Help of Art, to
Burton
upon this River in
Staffordshire.
The Stream is full, the Chanel deep and safe, and the Tide flows up to
Gainsborough
and
Newark.
The Navigation, by these Advantages, is a great Support to the Trade of those Counties which border upon it, especially the Cheese Trade from
Cheshire
and
Warwickshire,
which have otherwise no Navigation but from these Parts about
West Chester
to
London
; whereas by this River it is brought by Water to
Hull,
and from thence to all the South and North Coasts on the East Side of
Britain.
The only Towns of Note standing upon the North Shore of
Trent,
are
Nottingham
and
Burton,
of which I shall speak in their Order.
The Counties North of
Trent
are
Yorkshire,
which may not improperly be called three Counties, as it is divided into three Ridings, each equal to some large Counties;
Lancashire,
which is very large;
Derbyshire,
and
Nottinghamshire,
which are more Southerly. I shall begin with these two, and take them together.
Beginning at the Mouth of
Trent,
the first Town of Note that I met with is
Nottingham,
the Capital of that Shire, and the most considerable in all that Part of
England.
The County is small, but, like the
Peak,
full of Wonders. (1.) 'Tis remarkable for its Situation, being bounded intirely by four Counties, and those towards the four Cardinal Points, a Circumstance peculiar to this County only. (2) For its Soil, which on the South Part is the richest and most fruitful, and in the North Part the most wild and waste, even almost to Barrenness, of any Part of
England
within many Miles of it. (3.) For the fine Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, especially those of the Dukes of
Norfolk, Kingston, Rutland, Newcastle,
Lord
Middleton,
and several others.
Nottingham
is one of the most pleasant and beautiful Towns in
England,
from its Situation, were its Buildings not to be named.
It is situated on the steep Ascent of a Hill or Rock, overlooking a fine Range of Meadows of great Extent; a little Rivulet running on the North Side of them, almost close to the Town: and the noble River
Trent,
parallel with both, on the South Side of the Meadows. Over the
Trent
is a stately Stone Bridge of 19 Arches, where the River is very large and deep, having received the Addition of the
Dove,
the
Derwent,
the
Irwash,
and the
Soar,
three of them very great Rivers of themselves, which fall into it, after its passing by
Burton
in
Staffordshire
mentioned before.
The Rock whereon the Town stands is of a sandy kind, and so soft, that it is hewed into Vaults and Cellars, and yet so firm, as to support the Roofs of these Cellars, two or three under one another. The Stairs which lead to these Vaults are cut out of the Rock, two or three Stories deep, to 80 Steps sometimes: And these Cellars are well stock'd with excellent Ale, of which the Inhabitants are very liberal among their Acquaintance, as some in our Company experienc'd.
The Hill or Rock was called of old the
Dolorous Hill,
or
Golgotha,
because of a great Slaughter of the antient
Britons
there by King
Humber,
a piratical Northern Monarch; who, being afterwards drowned between
Hull
and
Barton,
gave Name, as 'tis said, to that Arm of the Sea which is now called the
Humber,
and receives the
Trent,
and almost all the great Rivers of
Yorkshire,
into it; tho' others derive the Name from the dreadful Noise of its Waves.
They tell us, that these Caves and Cellars served the People for a Retreat from their Enemies, and that from thence the Town first took its Name, which was
Snottengaham,
signifying hollow Vaults in a Rock,
Speluncarum Domus
; and, as Mr.
Camden
observes, the
British
Word was
Tui ogo bauc,
which signifies the same as the
Latin,
a House of Dens, or secret Caves to hide in.
Besides the delightful Situation of
Nottingham
towards the River, it is equally pleasant to the Land Side, towards the Forest on the North of the Town; where is a fine Plain for a Horse-course, where Races used to be run once a Year.
At the West End of the Town is a very steep Hill, and at the South Side of it a Cliff, which falls in a Precipice down to the River. On this Hill stood a Castle of so great Antiquity, that the Time of its first Erection could never be traced. The first Account we read of it, is, that there was a Tower here which the
Danes
obstinately defended against King
Alfred,
and his Brother
Aethelred.
Upon the same Situation
William
the Conqueror, or, as others, with greater Probability, maintain,
William Peverell,
his natural Son, built another Castle; which was afterwards repaired, or rather rebuilt, by
Edward
IV. who added fine Apartments to it, which
Richard
III. his Brother, still farther inlarg'd; whereby it became in time very considerable, and so strong, that nothing could reduce it but Famine. 'Tis certain it has not undergone the ordinary Fate of other fortified Places, to be often taken and retaken; for it was never storm'd. Once indeed it was taken by Surprize in the Barons Wars by
Robert
Earl
Ferrers,
who also plundered the Town, or City, as it was then called.
The People here tell us of one of the
Davids,
King of
Scotland,
being kept Prisoner in it; and that
Roger Mortimer,
Earl of
March,
was hid in a Vault under Ground, which they call
Mortimer's-hole,
whence he was taken, and hang'd for Treason.
This Report has some Foundation in History, but is so obscured by vulgar Tradition, that it led Mr.
Camden
first into some Mistakes in his Narration, and afterwards into a Disbelief of it.
Mortimer,
with the Queen, the Bishop of
Lincoln,
and others, being possessed of the Castle, could have no Reason to hide himself under Ground: but it was by this private Passage, which goes by Steps thro' the Rock up to the
Keep,
that Sir
William Montacute,
with others, 5
Edw.
III. found means, in the Dead of the Night, to seize him; and, sending him up to the Tower, he was there beheaded.
The Castle was granted by K.
James
I. to
Francis
Earl of
Rutland
; and K.
Charles
I. made it remarkable, by erecting there his Royal Standard, 1642; but he soon quitted it, and the Parliament kept Possession of it till the End of the War, when it was ordered to be demolished. Some Parts of it however were standing at the Restoration, when
George Villiers,
Duke of
Buckingham,
whose Mother was the sole Heir of the foresaid Earl of
Rutland,
sold it to
William Cavendish,
Marquis of
Newcastle.
He, in 1674, cleared the Foundations of the old Tower, a small Part excepted, and founded the noble Structure which is now standing; and devolved to the House of
Pelham.
The present Duke of
Newcastle
beautified it, and wainscoted the Rooms with Cedar, and had laid out a Plan for the finest Gardens in all that Part of
England,
being to contain no less than 60 Acres; but the Design is changed, and the intended Gardens are made a Park.
The Castle, built on a high perpendicular Rock, as I have hinted, seems to have been modell'd after some of the Draughts of
Inigo Jones.
There are many good Pictures in it; and it commands a vast Prospect. The South Side of the Rock is altogether inaccessible, and vast subterraneous Grottoes are cut underneath; and a winding Stair-case quite to the Bottom ends in
Mortimer's-hole,
above-mention'd.
This Castle at present is much neglected, being stripp'd of its best Furniture and Hangings, and the Floors of some of the noblest Apartments suffer'd to fall in.
St. Mary
's Church is a fine lightsome
Gothick
Building, with a good Ring of 8 Bells; but the great Tower makes a mean Appearance. The Butchers Shambles is an old Edifice built for a Granary.
They shew'd us the Gardens of Count
Tallard,
who, in his Confinement here, after having been taken Prisoner by the renowned Duke of
Marlborough,
at the glorious Battle of
Blenheim,
amused himself with making a small, but beautiful Parterre, after the
French
Taste, which happens not to be the reigning one with us at present. 'Tis said likewise, that this gallant Gentleman left behind him here some
living
Memorandums of his great Affection and Esteem for the
English
Ladies.
A handsome Town-house upon Piazzas has been erected within these few Years, for the transacting of the Business of the Corporation. Not many Years ago, the Hall where the Assizes were held gave such a Crack, that the People were exceedingly frighted, and all ran out of it, leaving Mr. Justice
Powis
upon the Bench, calling out after them,
Is there nobody will take care of the Judge?
for he was so aged and infirm that he could hardly walk. But, finding himself neglected, he made shift to descend from the Bench, and hobble out at the Door, where he denounc'd Vengeance against the Town, which, with a very seasonable Piece of Justice, he fin'd, for neglecting to keep the Hall in Repair.
The Town has been at great Expence in making the
Trent
navigable here for Vessels or Barges of Burden, by which all their heavy and bulky Goods are brought from the
Humber,
and even from
Hull
; such as Iron, Block-tin, Salt, Hops, Grocery, Dyers Wares, Wine, Oil, Tar, Hemp, Flax,
&c.
and the same Vessels bring down Lead, Coal, Wood, and Corn; as also Cheese in great Quantities from
Warwickshire
and
Staffordshire,
as I have already mentioned.
When I said the Bridge over
Trent
had nineteen Arches, I might have said also it was a Mile long; for the
Trent,
the last Time I was there, being swelled over its ordinary Bounds, reached quite up to the Town: yet a high Causeway, with Arches at proper Distances, carried us dry over the whole Breadth of the Meadows, which, I think, is at least a Mile, and may justly be called a Bridge, as that at
Swarston,
and also that of
Poul Spooder
in
Wales,
are called.
The chief Manufacture carried on here is Framework-knitting of Stockens, the same as at
Leicester,
and some Glass, and earthen Ware. The latter is much increased by the Consumption of Tea-pots, Cups,
&c.
since the Increase of Tea-drinking, as the Glass-houses, I think, are of late rather decreas'd. A Proof, one would think, that the Luxury of the Males is less predominant than that of the Females; or, rather as some would say, that the Men are brought over by the Ladies to join with them in the Love of the Tea-table: and indeed the latter seems pretty much the Case; whether it be owing to Gallantry and Complaisance, or to Effeminacy and Indolence, let those concerned in the Observation answer.
As they brew very good Liquor here, so they make the best Malt (and more of it) of any Town in this Part of
England,
and send it by Land-carriage to
Derby,
thro' all the
Peak,
as far as
Manchester,
and to other Towns in
Lancashire, Cheshire,
and even into
Yorkshire
itself; for which Purpose all the Low Lands of this County, and especially on the Banks of the
Trent,
are made to yield prodigious Crops of Barley.
The Government of
Nottingham
is in a Mayor, Recorder, six Aldermen, two Coroners, two Sheriffs, two Chamberlains, and 24 Common-council, whereof six are called Juniors. Here they hold a Court of Pleas. They have two Sergeants at Mace, and another Officer, which they call a Bill-bearer, and two more called Pindars, one for the Fields, and the other for the Meadows. The first is also the Town Woodward, and attends the Forest Courts; for this Town is within the Jurisdiction of the Forest.
I might enter into a long Description of all the modern Buildings erected lately at
Nottingham,
but that would be too great a Task; only I must take Notice of the House of Mr.
Plumtre,
which is justly to be admired for its elegant Front; and observe in general, that as the Castle has oftener been the Residence of Kings and Queens, than any other Place so far distant from
London
; so the Town has more Gentlemens Houses, than any other of its Bigness in
Great Britain.
One may easily guess
Nottingham
to have been an antient Town of the
Britons.
As soon as they had proper Tools, they fell to work upon the Rocks, which every-where offer themselves so commodiously to make Houses in; one Instance of which, tho' perhaps not old enough to be form'd on theirs, is a Ledge of perpendicular Rock in the Duke of
Newcastle
's Park, hewn into a Church, Houses, Chambers, Dove-houses,
&c.
The Church is like those in the Rocks of
Bethlehem,
in the
Holy Land.
The Altar is natural Rock, and there has been Painting on the Wall, a Steeple, where, perhaps, was a Bell, and regular Pillars. The River here winding about, makes a Fortification to it; for it comes to both Ends of the Cliff, leaving a Plain before the middle. The Way to it was by Gates cut out of the Rock, and with an
oblique
Entrance for more Safety.
Between this and the Castle is an Hermitage of like Workmanship.
Clifton,
in this Neighbourhood, is a good Seat, with pretty Gardens, and a noble Prospect; and in the Church are many old Brasses of the
Clifton
Family.
Three Miles from
Nottingham
is
Wallaton-hall,
the Seat of my Lord
Middleton,
and the noblest Building in this County, except
Belvoir,
which only exceeds it in Spaciousness, but not in Beauty.
The Park, inclosed within a Brick Wall, is much finer than the great Park adjoming to the Castle of
Nottingham,
being much better planted with Timber; whereas that at
Nottingham
was all cut down, and sequestred in the late Wars.
There is a pretty Summer-house panelled and ceiled with Looking-glass, which produces a pleasant Effect. Underneath is a Water-house, with grotesque Work of Shells,
&c.
The Hall at the first Entrance into the House, is so high, that a Man on Horse-back might exercise a Pike in it.
The Forest of
Shirwood
is an Addition to
Nottingham
for the Pleasure it affords of Hunting. There are also some fine Parks and noble Houses in it, as
Welbeck,
the late Duke of
Newcastle
's, now Lord
Oxford
's; and
Thoresby,
the present noble Seat of the
Pierrepoints,
Dukes of
Kingston,
which lies at the farthest Edge of the Forest. But this Forest is now given up, in a manner, to Waste: even the Woods, which formerly made it famous for Thieves, are destroyed, so that
Robin Hood
would now hardly find Shelter for a Week; nor is there any Store of Deer now left, at least not worth mentioning.
From this Forest, I went purposely out of my intended Way, to take a View of the Collegiate Church of
Southwell.
Southwell
is a Market-town in
Nottinghamshire,
its Church is both Parochial and Collegiate; which, I think, is the Case of no other in
England,
except
Rippon
in
Yorkshire.
To it belong sixteen Prebendaries or Canons, six Vicars Choral, an Organist, six Singing Men, six Choristers, besides six Boys who attend as Probationers, a Register to the Chapter, a Treasurer, an Auditor, a Virger,
&c.
This Church is generally supposed to be founded by
Paulinus,
the first Archbishop of
York,
about the Year 630. It was surrendered to the King, 32d
Henry
VIII. and was actually in the King's Possession, until by Act of Parliament, 35
Henry
VIII. it was refounded, and restored to its antient Privilege, and incorporated by the Name of
The Chapter of the Collegiate Church of the blessed
Mary,
the Virgin of
Southwell.
Queen
Elizabeth
confirmed its Privileges; as did afterwards, on a Tryal at Law, King
James
I.
The Chapter have a peculiar Jurisdiction, and there are 28 Parishes subject to it, to most of which they have the Right of Presentation; besides some others in
Lincolnshire
and
Yorkshire.
This Jurisdiction is exercised by a Commissary, or Vicar General, chosen by the Chapter out of their Body, who holds Visitations,
&c.
twice a Year. And besides these, there are two Synods yearly, to which all the Clergy of the County of
Nottingham
pay their Attendance; and a certain Number of the Prebendaries, and others of the considerable Clergy, are appointed Commissioners by a Commission granted by the Archbishop of
York
to preside at the Synods.
The Civil Government of the Jurisdiction of
Southwell
is distinct from the County at large. It is called the
Soke
of
Southwell cum Scrooby,
which is another Town in this County. There are about twenty Towns subject to this Jurisdiction.
The
Custos Rotulorum,
and the Justices of the Peace, are nominated by the Archbishop of
York,
and constituted by a Commission under the Great Seal of
England,
who hold their Session both at
Southwell
and
Scrooby,
and perform all other Justiciary Acts distinct from the County.
The Church is a strong plain
Gothick
Building; it has no painted Figures in the Glass Work, nor Images, nor so much as a Niche capable of placing an Image in. And from hence it has been conjectured, that it was probably built before Image-worship was practised among Christians.
On
Monday
the fifth of
November
1711, about Ten a Clock at Night, the Top of the Ball on one of the South Spires of this Church was fired by Lightning; which, backed by a furious Wind, that drove it almost directly on the Body of the Church, in a few Hours burnt down the Spire and Roof, melted the Bells, and spared nothing which was combustible, except the other Spire, till it came to the Choir, where, after it had consumed the Organs, it was by singular Providence stopt and extinguish'd. The Damage was computed at near Four thousand Pounds.
The Church is built in Form of a Cross; a great Tower in the Middle, in which are eight Bells, and two Spires at the West End. There is a handsome Chapter-house on the North Side of the Choir.
The Length of the Church from East to West is 306 Feet, the Length of the cross Isle from North to South is 121 Feet; the Breadth of the Church is 59 Feet.
There are no very remarkable Monuments in this Church, except one of Archbishop
Sands,
which is within the Communion Rails, and is a fair Tomb of Alabaster, with his Effigies lying on it at full Length, with a fine Inscription upon it in
Latin,
greatly to his Honour; but which being very long, I have not Room to insert.
Here was formerly a Palace belonging to the Archbishop of
York,
which stood on the South Side of the Church, the Ruins of which still remain; by which it appears to have been a large and stately Building. It was demolished in the Time of the late Civil Wars. The Church escaped the Fury of those Times, by the good Offices of one
Edward Cludd,
Esquire, one of the Parliament Side, who lived at
Norwood,
in the Parish of
Southwell,
in a House belonging to the Archbishop. Here were no less than three Parks belonging to the Archbishop, which, though disparked, still retain the Name; one of which is
Norwood
Park, in which is a good House, which, has been very much inlarged and beautified by Mr.
Burton,
a Descendant of the above
Edward Cludd,
Esq
who lives in it some Part of the Year.
There is a Free-school adjoining to the Church, under the Care of the Chapter, where the Choiristers are taught
gratis,
and other Boys belonging to the Town. The Master is chosen by the Chapter, and is to be approved by the Archbishop of
York.
There are also two Fellowships and two Scholarships in St.
John
's College in
Cambridge,
founded by Dr.
Keton,
Canon of
Salisbury,
in the 22d Year of King
Henry
VIII. to be chosen by the Master and Fellows of the said College out of such as have been Choiristers of the Church of
Southwell.
From
Southwell
I turned to the Left to
Newsted,
to visit the antient Seat of the very antient Family of the
Byrons,
who even in the
Conqueror
's Time were wealthy. It was a small Priory founded by King
Henry
II. and given by King
Henry
VIII to Sir
John Byron
; one of which Name having signalized himself very remarkably for his Loyalty to King
Charles
I. was created a Baron, which Honour still continues in the Family. Near this Place is the Head of the little River
Lin.
We came next to
Ainsley,
which Town gave Name to a Family that were possessed of it from the Conquest to the Time of King
Henry
VI. from whence are descended the Earls of
Anglesey:
but for want of Heirs Male, it came then by Marriage into the Family of the
Chaworths,
who have a good Seat here, well wooded, and watered with beautiful Fish-ponds.
We then turned again on the Right to
Mansfield,
which lies in the Forest, a large well-built Market-town, noted now for its Trade in Malt, and for haveing been formerly the Place, to which the Kings of
England
used to retire for the Pleasure of Hunting in the Forest of
Shirwood
; insomuch that a Manor was held in this County by
Henry Fauconberg
for Shoeing the King's Horse, whenever he came to
Mansfield.
From hence we kept still to the Right North-east, and came to
Taxford in the Clays,
an ordinary, dirty Market-town on the great Road to
York,
and of no other Note, than being situated in a miry, clayey Country, and call'd by King
James
I.
Taxford in the T—d.
We kept the Road North to
East Retford,
so called as it lies on the East Side of the River
Idle.
It is an antient Bailiwick-town, and noted for an Exemption of all Tolls and foreign Services. It holds Pleas without Limitation of Sums, and enjoys many other valuable Privileges and Immunities. It has a Steward who is generally a Person of Quality.
West Retford
is so call'd from its Situation in regard to the other, tho' they seem to be but one Town, the
Idle
only dividing them. This is famous for a fine Hospital, founded by Dr.
Dorrel
in 1666, and since incorporated. It has a Master, 10 Brethren, a Steward, and a Nurse; and they have a Garden and Orchard divided into 10 Shares.
Chaworth
is a Village just by, noted for a fine Rectory of 200
l.
a Year.
Higher up stands
Blith,
which is a kind of Market-town, where are a very large good Church, and some old Ruins of a Castle and a Priory.
We then fell down Southward, and visited the noble Seats of the Duke of
Kingston
at
Thoresby,
of the Lord
Oxford
at
Welbeck,
and of the late Marquis of
Halifax,
but now of Sir
George Savil,
at
Rufford,
or
Rugford
Abbey, all very magnificent Structures though antient, especially that at
Welbeck,
which is beautified with large Additions, fine Apartments, and good Gardens; but particularly the Park, which is well stocked with large Timber of the finest Kind, and with great Numbers of Deer. For the late Duke of
Newcastle
's Delight (whose Property it was, before it came by Marriage into the
Harley
Family) being chiefly on Horseback, and in the Chace, it is not to be wondered, if he rather made his Parks fine than his Gardens, and his Stables than his Mansion-house: yet the House is noble, large, and magnificent.
Hard by
Welbeck,
near the Head of the River
Ryton,
is
Wirksop Manor,
the sometime stately Seat of the noble Family of
Talbot,
descended by a long Line of Ancestors from another Family illustrious, though not innobled, of
Lovetofts
; one of whom being Lord of this Place under the
Normans,
built a Priory here: and
John,
the second Earl of
Shrewsbury,
being slain at the Battle of
Northampton,
38
Henry
VI. was buried in it; which afterwards, at the Dissolution of Monasteries, was settled on
Francis,
his Great Grandson. This House (though in its antient Figure) is outdone by none of the best and greatest in the County. It now belongs to the Duke of
Norfolk.
Here is a good Market-town also, of the Name of
Wirksop,
where are the Ruins of a Monastery to be seen in the Meadows on the East Side of it, and the West End of the Church, which is still standing, and has Two beautiful and fair Towers. This Place is noted for Liquorice and Malt.
From hence leaving
Nottinghamshire,
the West Part of which abounds with Lead and Coal, we came to
Balsover
in
Derbyshire,
which stands on a rising Ground, and has a Castle, and is the Property of the Duke of
Newcastle,
but is no Market-town.
From hence we intended to pass directly to
Derby
; but being informed, that the Moors, by reason of the Rocks and Bogs which render the Roads difficult and hazardous, were too dangerous to travel over, we left them on the West of us; and passing thro'
Mansfield
in
Nottinghamshire,
and
Alfreton
a small Market-town within the Skirts of
Derbyshire,
we arriv'd at
Derby
the County-town. But tho' we avoided the Moors, yet we had some Reason to complain of the Roads, which we took from the North of
Nottinghamshire,
where we were informed, that if we had come directly from
Nottingham
to this Town, and kept the Mid-way between the
Trent
on the Left, and the Mountains on the Right, we should have found the 12 Miles, which lie between them, as agreeable with respect to the Situation of the Country, the Soil, and the well planting of it, as any of the same Length in
England.
The Town of
Derby
is situate on the West Bank of the
Derwent,
over which it has a very fine Stone Bridge, well-built, but antient, and a Chapel upon the Bridge, now converted into a Dwelling-house. It is a fine, beautiful, and pleasant Town, and has more Families of Gentlemen in it, than is usual in Towns so remote; perhaps the more, because the
Peak,
which takes up the larger Part of the County, is so inhospitable, rugged, and wild a Place, that the Gentry chuse to reside at
Derby,
rather than upon their Estates, as they do elsewhere.
Here is a Curiosity of a very extraordinary Nature, and the only one of the Kind in
England:
I mean those Mills on the
Derwent,
which work the three capital
Italian
Engines for making Organzine or Thrown Silk, which, before these Mills were erected, was purchased by the
English
Merchants with ready Money in
Italy
; by which Invention one Hand will twist as much Silk, as before could be done by Fifty, and that in a much truer and better Manner. This Engine contains 26,586 Wheels, and 97,746 Movements, which work 73,726 Yards of Silk-thread, every time the Water-wheel goes round, which is three times in one Minute, and 318,504,960 Yards in one Day and Night. One Water-wheel gives Motion to all the rest of the Wheels and Movements, of which any one may be stopt separately. One Fire-engine, likewise, conveys warm Air to every individual Part of the Machine, and the whole Work is govern'd by one Regulator. The House which contains this Engine is of a vast Bulk, and Five or Six Stories high.
A Patent passed 5
George
I. to secure to Sir
Thomas Lombe
the sole Property of this Invention for 14 Years; but the requisite Buildings and Engines, and the instructing of proper Persons to work them, took up so much Time, and when all was completed, the King of
Sardinia
prohibiting the Importation of the Raw Silk made by the said Engines, into his Dominions, all which render'd the Undertaking expensive and difficult, and the Term of 14 Years being near elapsed, without any great Benefit accruing from the useful Invention, Sir
Thomas
apply'd for a Consideration from the Publick; and the Parliament accordingly, to preserve so useful an Undertaking for the Benefit of the Kingdom in general, allotted 14000
l.
to be paid to Sir
Thomas,
on Condition that he should allow a perfect Model to be taken of his new-invented Engines, in order to secure and perpetuate the Art of making the same. The Preamble to this Act sets forth, That Sir
Thomas Lombe
did with the utmost Difficulty and Hazard, and at a very great Expence, discover the Art of making and working the Three Capital Engines made use of by the
Italians
to make their Organzine Silk, and did introduce those Arts and Inventions into this Kingdom.
This wonderful Piece of Machinery was under the Direction of Sir
Thomas Lombe,
or, as some say, of his Brother, erected by one
Soracole,
a Man expert in making Mill-work, especially for raising Water to supply Towns for Family Use.
Derby,
as I have said, is a Town of Gentry, rather than Trade; yet it is populous, well-built, has Five Parishes, a large Market-place, a beautiful Town-house of Free-stone, and very handsome Streets. But the Entrance into it every Way is so choaked up with Dirt and Mire, that it is no small Matter of Reproach to the Inhabitants.
In the Church of
All Saints
is the Burial-place of the noble
Cavendish
Family; and an Hospital close by the Church, built by one of that Family, for Eight poor Men, and Four Women.
This Church is remarkable for the Architecture of its beautiful
Gothick
Tower, 178 Feet high; and for the Elegance of its Ornaments, as well as Height, is not to be equalled in this, or in any of the adjacent Counties.
According to an Inscription in this Church, the Steeple was erected about Queen
Mary
's Reign, at the Charge of the Maidens and Batchelors of the Town; on which Account, whenever a Maiden, a Native of the Town, was married, the Bells used to be rung by Batchelors. How long the Custom lasted, I have not read; but I do not find it is now continued. This Union of the Maidens and Batchelors to build a Steeple, reminds me of a Bell cast by a like Contribution, upon which was this Device,
Materiem Juvenes, Formam tribuere Puellae.
The Government of this Town is in a Mayor, High Steward, 9 Aldermen, a Recorder, 14 Brothers, 14 Capital Burgesses, and a Town Clerk. What Trade there is in the Town is chiefly in good Malt and good Ale.
Beyond
Derby,
along the
Ricning Way,
is
Burton upon Trent,
where is a Bridge of 37 Arches. Here was an old Abbey, out of whose Ruins they have within these few Years built a new Church.
A Mile below
Derby,
upon the
Derwent,
stood the old
Roman Derventio,
now
Little Chester.
Remains of the old Walls, Vaults, Wells,
Roman
Coins, Aqueducts, Human Bones, Brass Rings, and other Marks of Antiquity, have been from time to time discovered and dug up. The River being too rapid for a Ford, a Bridge was antiently there, the Foundations of which with a Staff they can still feel.
A little further North, is
Horreston
Castle, whose Ruins on a hoary Rock, are scarce discernible.
It is observable, that as the
Trent
bounds the County of
Derby
South, so the
Dove
and the
Erwash
make the Bounds East and West, and the
Derwent
runs thro' the Centre, all of them beginning and ending their Course in the same County; for they rise in the
Peak,
and end in the
Trent.
The
Derwent
is remarkable for its Brownness, the
Dove
for its blue Transparency, from whence it probably took its Name. It is endued with such a peculiar Fecundity, supposed to arise from a Bed of Lime, thro' which it passes, that it has often been compared to the River
Nile.
It is not less swift in its Operations than effectual; for by hasty Rains, which fall from the Hills, it sometimes strays over the Meadows, and having impregnated them, in 12 Hours time retires into its Bed again.
It was in one of these temporary Inundations I saw it, when having gone from
Derby
to
Dowbridge,
as it is called, I passed it with Difficulty to see Two Market-towns,
Ashbourn,
and
Utoxeter,
the
Utocetum
of the Antients.
The first lies on the East Side of the River in a very rich Soil to the North-west of
Derby,
and the other, commonly called
Utcester,
is situate due West of
Derby,
on the other Side of the River in
Staffordshire,
upon a delicious rising Ground of an easy Ascent, and very fruitful, overlooking a Track of fine, rich Meadow-grounds. The Town is very ordinarily built, but has a good and commodious Market-place, and an excellent Market for all sorts of living Kine, besides Butter, Cheese, and Corn, and also all kinds of Provisions.
In our Way to the
High Peak
we passed an antient Seat, large, but not very gay, of Sir
Nathanael Curson.
From hence we kept the
Derwent
on our Right-hand, which having overflowed its Banks, by the Accession of Floods pouring down from the
Peak
Hills,
render'd it so frightful, that we contented ourselves with hearing at a Distance its shocking Roar; and so came to
Quarn,
or
Quarnden,
a little ragged, but noted Village, where is a famous Chalybeat Spring, to which abundance of People resort in the Season to drink the Water; as likewise a Cold Bath. There are also several other Mineral Waters in this Part of the Country, a hot Bath at
Matlock,
and another at
Buxton,
of which in their Places. Besides these, there are hot Springs in several Places which run waste into the Ditches and Brooks, and are taken no notice of, being remote among the Mountains, and out of the Way of common Resort.
We found the Wells at
Quarn
pretty full of Company, the Waters good, and very physical, but wretched Lodging and Entertainment.
From
Quarnden
we advanced due North, and mounting the Hills gradually for Four or Five Miles, we soon had a most dismal View of the black Mountains of the
Peak
; however, as they were at a Distance, and a good Town lay on our Left, called
Wirksworth,
we turned thither for Refreshment. Here we found verify'd what I had often heard before, that however dreary the Hills might appear, the Vales were every-where fruitful and delightful to the Eye, also well-inhabited, and having in them good Market-towns, abounding with all necessary Provisions; and as for the Ale, the further we went Northward, the better it seemed to be.
Wirksworth
is a large well-frequented Market-town; tho' there is no very great Trade carry'd on in it, but what relates to the Lead-works.
The
Peakrills,
as they are called, are a rude boorish kind of People; but bold, daring, and even desperate in their Search into the Bowels of the Earth: for which Reason they are often imployed by our Engineers in the Wars to carry on the
Sap,
when they lay Siege to strong fortified Places.
The
Barmoot Court,
kept at
Wirksworth,
to judge Controversies among the Miners, and adjust subterranean Quarrels and Disputes, is very remarkable. It consists of a Master and 24 Jurors, who, when any Person has found a Vein of Ore in another's Land, (except it be in Orchards or Gardens) assign two Meres of Ground in a
Pipe
(as they term it) and a
Flat,
the former being 29 Yards long, and the latter 14 Yards Square, appointing to the Finder one Mere, and the other to the Owner of the Land, half at each End of the Finder's; and moreover, certain Fees and Perquisites for the Passage of Carts, the Use of Timber, and the like. This Court not only prescribes Rules to the Miners, and limits their Proceedings in the Works under-ground, but is Judge of all their little Quarrels above.
The Produce of the Mines in this Hundred is very considerable: the King claims the 13th Peny Duty, for which they compound at the Rate of 1000
l.
a Year; nay, I have been informed, that the Tythe of
Wirksworth
alone has been worth to the Incumbent yearly that Sum.
Not far from hence lies
Hartington,
which gives Title of Marquis to the eldest Son of the Duke of
Devonshire.
Near
Wirksworth,
and upon the very Edge of
Derwent,
is a Village called
Matlock,
where, as I said, are several warm Springs. One of these is secured by a Stone Wall on every Side, by which the Water is brought to rise to a due Height; and if it is too high, there is a Sluice to let it out as low as you please. It has a House built over it, and room within the Building to walk round the Bath, and so by Steps go down gradually into it. The Water is but just Milk-warm, so that it is no less pleasant to go into, than sanative.
This Bath would be much more frequented than it is, if a sad, stony, mountainous Road, which leads to it, and no good Accommodation when you are there, did not hinder; for from the Bath you are to cross over the Meadows, and then ascend a
Derbyshire
Hill, before you meet with a House of Refreshment.
For some Miles before you come to
Matlock,
you pass over barren Moors in perpetual Danger of slipping into Coal-pits and Lead-mines, or ride for Miles together on the Edge of a steep Hill on solid slippery Rock, or loose Stones, with a Valley underneath, the Bottom of which you can hardly discover with your Eye. Instead of Trees and Hedges, they fencein their poor Meadow for Arable, with Walls made of loose Stones, pick'd from under their Feet. The extended Sides of the Mountains are generally powder'd over, as it were, with Rocks, Streams of Water dribbling down every where, and sometimes bolder Cataracts diversify the romantick Scene.
At the Smelting-mills, they melt down the Lead Ore, and run it into a Mold, whence it becomes
Pigs,
as they call them. The Bellows are kept in continual Motion by running Water. We were complimented to be let down 200 Yards deep into the Mines, if we pleas'd. Over-against this warm Bath, and on the East-side of the
Derwent,
we came to a monstrous Parcel of gigantick Rocks, seemingly pil'd on one another, called the
Torr.
A few Inhabitants in little Cottages trusted themselves at Bottom, under so ruinous a Shelter. I took the Pains on Hands and Knees to clamber near the Top, and enter'd an Hermit's Cell hewn in the Rock, with a most dreary Prospect before it. On one End is a Crucifix and a little Nich, where I suppose the Anchorite plac'd his Saint. Over-against it, about half a Mile off, is such another Cliff, but by the Care of a Gentleman who lives underneath, Mr.
Ashe,
is hewn out of the Rock an easy Ascent by Steps, and there are abundance of Alcoves, Grotts, Summer-houses, Cellars, Pinacles, Dials, Balustrades, Urns,
&c.
all of the same Materials. And by the Help of Earth carry'd up to the Top, there are fine Grass Walks, with Greens planted along them upon this hanging Terrace; whence you have a fine View over many a craggy Mountain.
A little on the other Side of
Wirksworth
begins a long Plain, called
Brassington Moor,
which reaches from
Brassington
to
Buxton,
full 12 Miles: from
Wirksworth
it is not quite so much. The
Peak
People, who are mighty fond of raising the Admiration of Strangers, told us here of another high Mountain, where a Giant was buried, which they called the
Giant's Tomb.
We rode up the Hill, which seem'd to be round, with a Precipice almost on every Side of it. While we were in quest of the Tomb of the Dead, we found the Rock afforded an Habitation for a poor Woman and her Children. We entered into their Mansion, divided by a Curtain into its several Offices, and a Funnel work'd thro' the Top to carry the Smoke out, where the celebrated Tombstone was. Her Husband, she said, was a Miner, who, if he had good Luck, could earn his Five Pence, and she could also earn her Three Pence a Day, were it not for the Care of so many Children; but, she blessed God, they lived very comfortably. An Instance of that happy Contentment oftener met with in Habitations like this, than in gilded Palaces!
We went next, by the Direction of the good Woman, to a Valley on the Side of a rising Hill, where were several Grooves (for so they call the Mouth of the Shaft, or Pit, by which they go down into a Lead Mine). As we were standing still to look at one of them, admiring how small they were, and scarce believing a poor Man, who told us they went down those narrow Holes to a great Depth in the Earth, we were surprised with seeing a Hand, and then an Arm, and quickly after a Head, thrust up out of the very Groove we were looking at.
Immediately we rode closer up to the Place, where we saw the poor Wretch working and heaving himself up gradually, as we thought, with Difficulty; but when he shewed us that it was by setting his Feet and Elbows upon Pieces of Wood fixt cross the Angles of the Groove like a Ladder, we found the Difficulty was not much, and that if the Groove had been larger, he could not go up and down with so much Ease or Safety.
Those who would have a more perfect Idea of those Grooves, need only see the square Wells in the Church of St.
Paul,
by which the Workmen go down from the Top of the Church into the very Vaults under it, to place the Leaden Pipes, which carry the Rain Water from the Flat of the Roof to the Common-sewer. They have small Iron Bars placed cross the Angles for the Men to set their Feet on, in the manner here represented.
When this subterranean Creature was come quite out, with all his Furniture about him, he afforded us new matter of Wonder, which satisfy'd our Curiosity without venturing down ourselves. For the Man was a most uncouth Spectacle; he was cloathed all in Leather, had a Cap of the same without Brims, some Tools in a little Basket, which he drew up with him, not one of the Names of which we could understand, but by the Help of an Interpreter. Nor indeed could we understand any of the Man's Discourse, so as to make out a whole Sentence, and yet he was pretty free of his Tongue too. He was lean as a Skeleton, pale as a dead Corps, his Hair and Beard a deep black; what little Flesh he had, was lank, and, as we thought, something of the Colour of the Lead itself. Besides his Basket of Tools, he brought up with him about three Quarters of a hundred Weight of Ore, which was no small Load, considering the Manner of his coming up; and it was this which occasioned that Heaving and Struggling at his first Appearance; and it seems he was at work 60 Fathoms deep, but that there were five Men of his Party, two of whom were 11 Fathoms, and the other three 15 Fathoms deeper. The Man seemed to regret, that he was not at work with these three; for they had a Way out at the Side of the Hill, without coming up so high as he was obliged to do. We then looked on the Ore, and got the poor Man's Leave to bring every one a small Piece of it away with us, for which we gave him two Pieces of better Metal.
From hence entering upon
Brassington Moor,
mentioned above, we had eight Miles smooth Green Riding to
Buxton
Bath, which they call
One
of the Seven Wonders of the
Peak,
comprised in that noted Verse of Mr.
Hobbs,
Aedes, Mons, Barathrum, binus Fons, Antraque bina.
House, Mountain, Depth, two Fountains, and two Caves.
This Place has some Advantages beyond what the City of
Bath
can pretend to. Here is an open and healthy Country, a Variety of fine Views to entertain the Curious, and a beautiful Down for the Ladies to take the Air in, much more agreeable than the close City of
Bath,
which is very deficient in this Particular.
And as to the Medicinal Nature of the Waters at
Buxton,
hear what Dr.
Leigh
says of their Virtues, and the Manner of their Operation, in his
Natural History of
Lancashire,
and of the
Peak. His Words are as follow:
"The Waters are Sulphurous and Saline, yet not fetid, but very palatable, because the Sulphur is not united with any Vitriolic Particles, or but very few Saline; it tinges not Silver, nor is it Purgative, because its Saline Parts are dispensed in such small Proportions.
"If drank, they create a good Appetite, open Obstructions, and no doubt, if mixed with the Chalybeat Waters that are there also, may answer all the Intentions of the
Bath
Water in
Somersetshire,
and that of St.
Vincent
's too at
Bristol,
so noted for curing the
Diabetes,
of which I have seen several Instances in these Parts; and likewise for curing of Bloody Urines, of which I saw a most noted Instance at
Liverpool.
"This Bath is of a temperate Heat, and, without question, by a reverberating
Halitus
might be brought to any Degree of Heat; but, I think, in its own natural Heat, it may in general be said to be more agreeable to the Constitution; and where the hot Baths cannot be safely used, this may. This last Summer I saw remarkable Instances of its Effects in scorbutick Rheumatisms in Persons, that could not go before without the Help of Crutches, who came from thence to
Manchester
on Foot without them, distant from
Buxton
full 16 Northern Miles."
The Village where the principal Springs are, is called
Buxton,
tho' there are several of them; for they rise unregarded in the Banks of the Inclosures, and on the Sides of the Hill, so that their Number is hardly known.
The Duke of
Devonshire,
Lord of the Village, has built a large and convenient House for the Reception of Strangers. The Bath-room is arched overhead, and the Whole made handsome, convenient, and delightful. This Collection of tepid Waters, exceeding clear, will receive 20 People at a time to walk and swim in. The Temper of the Water is equal to new Milk, or Blood-warm, procuring a moderate Perspiration. Its Effect is remarkable for giving that gentle Relaxation of the Solids; which takes off the Weariness and Fatigue of a Journey, and refreshes instantly. 'Tis physically useful in many Cases, and may be indulg'd in more, than the Hot-baths of
Somersetshire,
which frequently do Harm thro' imprudent Use. Such a one as this naturally is, was aimed at by the sumptuous Bagnio's of the
Roman
Emperors.
Sir
Thomas Delves,
who received a Cure here, gave the Pump, and a pretty Stone Alcove over the Drinking-spring in the Yard. The Water may be raised at pleasure to any Height. We found in one of the Rooms these Verses written upon the Wall by a Physician who formerly frequented the Place:
Corpore debilior
Grani
se proluit undis:
Quaerit aquas
Aponi,
quem febris atra necat:
Ut penitus renem purget; cur
Psaulia
tanti,
Vel, quae Lucinae gaudia,
Calderiae?
Sola mihi
Buxtona
placet,
Buxtona Britannis
Undae
Grani, Aponus, Psaulia, Calderiae.
Which may be thus translated:
In
Gran
's fam'd Baths the weakly Patient laves;
Whom dismal Fevers seize, in
Apon
's Waves.
At
Psaulia
shall a Purge so dear be bought?
In teeming Throes
Calderiae
far be sought?
When here at
Buxton
(
Britain
's Choice) appear,
Places abroad noted for the Virtue of their Waters.
Gran, Apon, Psaulia,
and
Calderiae,
near.
As to the Antiquity of these Baths, tho' there is not a King
Bladud
to testify for them, as for those at
Bath
in
Somersetshire,
yet the learned Author above-mentioned observes,
"That it is certain they were eminent in the Time of the
Romans. Lucan
and others acquaint us, that they were extraordinary hot,
&c.
and the High-road, called the
Roman Bath-gate,
as Mr.
Camden
says, farther confirms it. But it is especially evident from a
Roman
Wall cemented with red
Roman
Plaister, close by St.
Anne
's Well, where we may see the Ruins of the antient Bath, its Dimensions, and Length."
The Queen of
Scots
took her Leave of this Place with a Distich of
Julius Caesar,
somewhat altered, which is still shewn, written with a Diamond on a Pane of Glass, as the last Classical Authority of Antiquity:
Buxtona,
quae calidae celebrabere nomine lymphae,
Forte mihi posthac non adeunda, vale.
Buxton,
whose Fame thy Baths shall ever tell,
Whom I perhaps shall see no more, farewell.
About half a Mile off is that stupendous Cavern, called
Poole's-hole,
at the Foot of a great Mountain, and deemed the
Second
Wonder of the
Peak.
The Entrance is so low and narrow, that you must stoop to get in; but immediately it dilates into a wide and lofty Concavity, which reaches above a Quarter of a Mile end-wise, and farther, as they say. Some old Women with lighted Candles are Guides in this dark Way. Water drops every-where from the Roof, and incrusts all the Stones with long Crystals and Fluors, whence a thousand imaginary Figures are shewn you by the Name of Lions, Fonts, Lanterns, Organs, Flitch of Bacon,
&c.
At length you come to the Queen of
Scots Pillar,
as the Boundary of most Peoples Curiosity. It was so named by that unhappy Princess, when she visited this Place: Nor needed she any other Monument; for, by this Incident, she may be said to have erected one to her Memory, which will probably last as long as the Works of Nature; tho' every one almost that comes hither, carries away a Piece of it, in Memory of the Princess, or the Place. It is a clear bright Stone like Alabaster, or rather like that kind of Spar, which is found about Lead; and considering the Country where it grows, is probably something of that Sort.
A Stream of Water runs along the Middle, among the falling Rocks, with a hideous Noise, re-echo'd from all Sides of the horrid Concave. On the Left-hand is a Sort of Chamber, where they say
Poole,
a famous Robber, lived, and whose Kitchen, as well as Bed-chamber, they shew you, after you have crept 10 Yards on all Fours.
The most surprising Thing you meet with in it, is the extraordinary Height of the Arch, which however is far from what a late Author has magnified it to, a Quarter of a Mile perpendicular. Dr.
Leigh
spends some Time in admiring the spangled Roof.
Cotton
and
Hobbes
are exceedingly witty upon it. Dr.
Leigh
calls it
Fret-work, Organ,
and
Choir-work.
The Whole of the Matter is this: The Rock being every-where moist and dropping, some of the Drops are fallen, which you see below; some are falling, and others are pendent in the Roof. Now, as you have Guides before you and behind, carrying every one a Candle, the Light of the Candles, reflected by the globular Drops of Water, dazle your Eyes like the Dew in a Sun-shine Morning; whereas, were any Part of the Arch of this Vault to be seen by a clear Light, all this Beauty would disappear.
Let any Person therefore, who goes into
Poole's Hole,
and has a Mind to make the Experiment, take a long Pole in his Hand, with a Cloth tied to the End of it, and wipe the Drops of Water away, he will at once extinguish all those Glories. Then let him wait till other Drops emerge, and he will find the Stars and Spangles glittering as before.
As to the several Stones, called
Cotton's Stone, Haycock's Stone, Poole's Chair, Flitch of Bacon,
and the like, they do not enough resemble what they are said to represent, as to be the Foundation of even a Poetick Metamorphosis.
The petrifying Water indeed might have exercised
Ovid
's Fancy: for you see Drops pendent like Icicles, or rising up like Pyramids, and hardening into Stone, just the Reverse of what the Poet describes of Stones being soften'd into Men.
The
Third
Wonder of the
Peak
is
Mam Tor,
or, as the Word in the Mountain Jargon, or rather in the
British,
signifies, the
Mother Rock,
(for
Mam
is the
British
Word for Mother) upon a Suggestion, that the soft crumbling Earth, which falls from its Summit, produces several other Mountains below. The Whole of the Wonder is this: On the South Side of this Hill is a Precipice, very steep from the Top to the Bottom; and the Substance being of a crumbling loose Earth mingled with small Stones, is continually falling down in small Quantities, as the heavy Rains loosen and wash it off, or as Frosts and Thaws operate upon it. Now, the great Hill, which is thick, as well as high, parts with this loose Stuff, without being sensibly diminished; so the Bottom, into which it falls, being narrow, is more easily perceived to swell. Here then is the pretended Wonder, That the little Heap below should grow up into a Hill, without any Decrease of the great Hill, as it should seem, notwithstanding so much has fallen from it. But the Fact is certainly otherwise, tho' not perceivable.
This Hill lies on the North Side of the Road from
Buxton
to
Castleton,
at which Place you come to the
Fourth
much famed Wonder, styled
The Devil's
Arse in the Peak.
The short Account of it is this: On the steep Side of a Mountain is a large Opening, almost in the Form of an old
Gothick
Arch, from its Centre, only that the Entrance is horizontal. It is upwards of 30 Feet perpendicular, and twice as much broad at the Bottom at least.
It continues thus wide but a little Way, yet far enough to have several small Cottages built on either Side of it within the Entrance, like a little Town in a Vault. In the Middle, as it were, of the Street, is a running Stream of Water: in poetical Descriptions it is called a River, tho' not the River
Styx.
As you go on, the Roof descends gradually, and is now so far from having Houses, that a Man cannot stand upright in it till stooping for a little Way, and passing over another Rill of Water, likewise called a River, you find more Room over your Head. But going a little farther, you come to a third Water, which crosses your Way; and the Rock stooping, as it were, down almost to the Surface of the Water, puts an End to the Traveller's Search.
But when we read in Scripture, that the Caves of
Adullam
and
Macpelah
were able to receive
David
and his Troop of 400 Men, and what Travellers relate of a Cave in the
Apennine
Mountains, near
Florence,
large enough to contain an Army; and when we know, that there are many others in the
Alpes,
and the Hills of
Dauphiné
and
Savoy,
and other Parts of the World; this surely can be thought no Wonder, unless we credit
Gervaise
of
Tilbury,
who tells us of a Shepherd, that ventured into the third River in this Den, and being either carried over it, or down the Stream, he knew not whether, saw a beautiful heavenly Country beyond it, with a spacious Plain, watered with many clear Rivers, pleasant Brooks, and several Lakes of standing Water.
Castleton
takes its Name from the Castle that lies near it, which is a very antient Building, and so situated as to be only one Way accessible, being erected on an high steep Rock; and the Way, that goes to it, is so full of Twinings and Turnings, that it is Two Miles from the Bottom to the Top.
Not far off is a little Village called
Burgh,
frequented by the
Romans,
on account of the Baths, as appears evidently by a Causway leading from hence thither.
The
Fifth
Wonder is called
Tideswell,
or
Weedenwell,
a Spring which, according to some Writers, ebbs and flows, as the Sea does. The Basin, or Receiver for the Water, is about Three Foot Square; the Water seems to have some other Receiver within the Rock, which, when it fills by the Force of the original Stream, the Air being contracted, or pent in, forces the Water out with a bubbling Noise, and so fills the Receiver without; but when the Force is spent within, then it stops till the Place is filled again; and, in the mean time, the Water without runs off, till the Quantity within swells again, and then the same Cause produces the same Effect. So that this
Oceanet,
as Mr.
Cotton
calls it, which has been the Subject of several Philosophick Inquiries, is owing wholly to the Figure of the Place, and is only a mere Accident in Nature; and if any Person were to dig into the narrow Cavities, and give vent to the Air, which is pent up within, they would soon see
Tideswell
turned into an ordinary Stream.
This Spring lies near the little Market-town of
Tiddeswall,
wherein are a very good Church, and a Free-school.
So much for the
Five fictitious
Wonders: I come now to the
Two
real Wonders,
Elden Hole,
and the Duke of
Devonshire
's fine House at
Chatsworth
; the one natural, the other artificial.
In the Middle of a plain open Field, gently descending to the South, is this frightful Chasm in the Earth, or rather in the Rock, called
Elden Hole.
The Mouth of it is about 20 Feet over one Way, and 50 or 60 the other, descending down perpendicular to the Earth; how deep, could never yet be discovered, notwithstanding several Attempts have been made to find its Bottom. Mr.
Cotton
says, he let down 800 Fathom of Line, which is 1600 Yards, near a Mile perpendicular.
The Author has poetically enough described the Noise the huge massy Stones make, which the Country People often throw down here. The Hissing of Spears and Arrows is seldom omitted in Poetry to describe the Terror they bring: he has here improved a similar Noise into a Mark of Fear.
When one's turn'd off, it, as it parts the Air,
A kind of Sighing makes; as if it were
Capable of the trembling Passion
Fear;
'Till the first Hit strikes the astonish'd Ear,
Like Thunder under Ground: thence it invades
With louder Thunder those
Tartarean
Shades,
Which groan forth Horror, at each pond'rous Stroke
Th' unnat'ral Issue gives the Parent Rock:
Whilst, as it strikes, the Sound by Turns we note,
When nearer, flat; sharper, when more remote:
When, after falling long, it seems to hiss,
Like the old Serpent in the dark Abyss.
They tell a dismal Story here of a Traveller, who inquiring his Way to
Castleton,
or to
Buxton,
in a dark Night, two Villains offered to guide him; but, intending to rob him, led him to the Edge of this Gulph, and either thrust him in, or made him believe there was a little Gull of Water, and bad him take a large Step, which he did into this Abyss, and into that of Eternity at the same time. One of the Villains, being hanged at
Derby
some Years after for some other Roguery, confessed this diabolical Action at the Gallows.
It raises an Horror in the Imagination, when one does but look into this frightful Hole; and so I shall leave it with the Words of the forementioned Author, who, supposing it one of the Entrances to the Infernal World, says,
For he, who, standing on the Brink of Hell,
Can carry it so unconcern'd and well,
As to betray no Fear, is certainly
A
better
Christian, or a
worse,
than I.
I come now to the magnificent Seat of the Earls and Dukes of
Devonshire,
called
Chatsworth-house.
This glorious Fabrick may be said to have had two or three different Founders, who have all improved upon one another, in the Completion of this great Design.
The House was begun on a much narrower Plan than it now takes up, by Sir
William Cavendish
of
Cavendish
in
Suffolk,
who by Marriage with the Countess Dowager of
Shrewsbury,
became intitled to a noble Fortune in this Country.
Sir
William
died, after having done little more than build one End of the Fabrick, and lay out the Plan of the Whole. But his Lady finished it in the magnificent manner which it appeared in, when it was was first ranked among the Wonders of the
Peak.
And if it deserved to be so ranked then, how much more does it now, with the additional Improvements made by the first Duke of
Devonshire!
One Thing is observable, That the very Disadvantages of Situation contribute to the Beauty of the Place, and, by the most exquisite Management, are made subservient to the Builder's Design. On the East Side, not far distant, rises a prodigious high Mountain, which is so thick planted with beautiful Trees, that you only see a rising Wood gradually ascending, as if the Trees crouded one above the other to admire the stately Pile before them.
Upon the Top of this Mountain they dig Millstones; and here begins a vast extended Moor, which for 15 or 16 Miles together due North, has neither Hedge, House, or Tree, but a waste and houling Wilderness, over which, when Strangers travel, 'tis impossible to find their Way without Guides.
Nothing can be more surprising of its Kind, to a Traveller, who comes from the North, when, after a tedious Progress thro' such a dismal Desart, on a sudden the Guide brings him to this Precipice, where he looks down from a comfortless, barren, and, as he thought, endless Moor, into the most delightful Valley, and sees a beautiful Palace, adorn'd with fine Gardens. If Contraries illustrate each other, here they are seen in the strongest Opposition. It is really surprising to think what a Genius it must be, that should lay out so great a Design in such a Place, where the Mountains intercept the Clouds, and threaten, were Earthquakes frequent here, to bury whole Towns, and, what seems equal to a Town, this House, in their Ruins.
On the Plain, which extends from the Top of this Mountain, is a large Body of Water, which takes up near 30 Acres, and, from the Ascents round it, receives, as into a Cistern, all the Water that falls; which, thro' Pipes, supplies the Cascades, Waterworks, Ponds, and Canals, in the Gardens.
Before the West Front of the House, which is the most beautiful, and where the first Foundress built a very august Portal, runs the River
Derwent,
which, tho' not many Miles here from its Source, yet is a rapid River, when, by hasty Rains, or the melting of Snows, the Hills pour down their Waters into its Chanel; for the Current, by reason of its many contracted Passages among the Rocks, (Pieces of which, of an incredible Bulk, come sometimes rolling down its Stream) on the least Motion of its Waters, above their ordinary Height, roars like the Breaches on the Shores of the Sea.
Over this River is a stately Stone Bridge, with an antient Tower upon it, and in an Island in the River an antient Fabrick all of Stone, and built like a Castle; which are the Works of the said Foundress, and shew the Greatness of the original Design; but are all, except the Bridge, eclipsed, as it were, by the modern Glories of the late Edifice.
The Front to the Garden is a regular Piece of Architecture. The Frize under the Cornice has the Motto of the Family upon it in gilt Letters, so large as to take up the whole Front, tho' the Words are these two, CAVENDO TVTVS; which is no less applicable to the Situation of the House, than the Name of the Family.
The Sashes of the second Story, we were told, are 17 Feet high, of polished Looking-glass, two Feet wide; and the Wood-work double-gilt.
Under this Front lie the Gardens exquisitely fine; and, to make a clear Vista or Prospect beyond into the flat Country, towards
Hardwick,
another Seat of the same Owner, the Duke (to whom those Things which others thought impossible, were practicable) removed a great Mountain that stood in the Way, and which interrupted the Prospect.
In the usual Approach to this noble Fabrick, it presents itself thus: First, the River, which in calm Weather glides gently by; then a venerable Walk of Trees, where the famous
Hobbes
used often to contemplate; a noble Piece of Iron-work Gates and Balusters, expose the Front of the House and Court, terminated at the Corners next the Road with two large Stone Pedestals of
Attick
Work, curiously adorned with Trophies of War, and Utensils of all the Sciences, in
Basso Relievo.
This Part of the Building is
Ionick,
the Whole being a Square of a single Order, but every Side of a different Model: a Court in the Middle with a Piazza of
Dorick
Columns of one Stone each, overlaid with prodigious Architraves. The Stone is of an excellent Sort, veined like Marble, hewn out of the neighbouring Quarries, and tumbled down the adjacent Hill. In the Ante-room to the Hall are flat Stones of 14 Feet square, laid upon the Heads of Four Pillars, and so throughout. In the Hall-stairs the Landing-steps are of the same Dimensions; the Doors, Chimneys, Window-cases, Stairs,
&c.
all of Marble; the Ceilings and Walls of all the Apartments charged with rare Painting of
Varrio,
and other famous Hands; the Bath-room, all of Marble curiously wrought.
The Chapel is a most ravishing Place; the Altarend and Floor, Marble; the Seats and Gallery, Cedar; the rest of the Wall and Ceiling, painted.
The Gardens abound with Green-houses, Summer-houses, Walks, Wildernesses, Orangeries, with all the proper Furniture of Statues, Urns, Greens,
&c.
with Canals, Basons, and Water-works of various Forms and Contrivance; as Sea-horses, Drakes, Dolphins, and other Fountains, that throw up the Water. An artificial Willow-tree of Copper spouts dropping Water from every Leaf. A wonderful Cascade, where from a neat House of Stone, like a Temple, out of the Mouths of Beasts, Pipes, Urns,
&c.
a whole River descends, the Slope of a Hill a Quarter of a Mile in Length, over Steps, with a terrible Noise, and broken Appearance, till it is lost under-ground. Beyond the Garden, upon the Hills, is a Park, and that over-look'd by a very high and rocky Mountain. Here are some Statues, and other Antiquities.
I should never have done, were I to say all that might be said of this august Palace. But two historical Circumstances in its Honour must not be forgotten,
viz.
That
Mary,
Queen of
Scots,
whom we had occasion to mention as a Visitant of the
Peak,
was for 17 Years in Custody in this House, under the Care of the celebrated Foundress of it. In Memory of this Royal Captive, the new Lodgings, that are built instead of the old, are still called the
Queen's of
Scots
Apartment.
Happy for her, could she have been allow'd to have paid the same fine Compliment to the Owner of it, which the Count
de Tallard
did, and is our other historical Circumstance, when he had been entertained for a few Days by the late Duke of
Devonshire: When I return,
said he,
into my own Country, and reckon up the Days of my Captivity, I shall leave out those I spent at
Chatsworth.
I will close all I have to say of this famous Palace, as I may call it, with the following brief Extract from the Letter of an ingenious Gentleman to his Friend:
"This Place,
says he,
exceeds all the high Ideas and Descriptions that were ever given me of it. The House yields to nothing in
Europe
; it is prodigiously great in every Part. I never saw such a Number of fine Rooms; but the Situation surpasses all. Nature has laid herself out, in amazing Variety of Greatness and Prospects; a fine River below, with fine Banks, some naked and rocky, others declining and woody, many smooth, and proper for Walking; large Groves and Fishponds, and Canals between the River and the House, which rises proudly upon several Terraces, and has behind it a great Lawn, intermixed with Plantations, and great Walks, all rising one above another, at first gently, afterwards over vast Precipices, to the Top of a high Mountain, which was all covered upon the Brows with high Trees, two or three Miles on either Side; then breaks into a thousand Vales, and green Hills; then, resuming its former Height and Bulk, proceeds again a mighty Mountain, covered with Rocks and Heath; its Sides in many Places adorned with Wood; the Whole yielding a most extensive Prospect of many Miles. Every body has heard of the great Cascade."
There are likewise other Curiosities in the
Peak
which I need but just mention; as the Tottering Stones at
Byrch Over,
standing upon a hard Rock, one of them said to be four Yards high, 12 round, and yet rests upon a Point so equally poised, that it may be moved with a Finger; the
Roman
Causeway, called
Bath-gate
; the several Minerals found in the Hills, and in the Lead Mines, as Black Lead,
Stibium,
or Antimony, and Crystal.
Bakewell
is the best Town in the North-west Side of the
Peak:
it lies on the Banks of the
Wye,
and has a good Market; the Parish is exempt from Episcopal Jurisdiction. Near this the Duke of
Rutland
has a very noble Palace, called
Haddon,
now intirely uninhabited. It was antiently the Seat of the
Vernons,
some of whom were Members of Parliament for this County as early as
Edward
III. Sir
George Vernon,
in Queen
Elizabeth
's Time, was styled King of the
Peak,
and his Daughter being married to
Thomas,
the Son of the first Earl of
Rutland,
it came into the Family of the
Manners.
The extended Angle of this County, which runs a great way North-west by
Chappel
in the
Frith,
(which was formerly a Market-town) and which they call
High Peak,
is perhaps the most desolate, wild, and abandoned Country in
Great Britain.
The Mountains of the
Peak,
of which I have been speaking, seem to be but the Beginning of Wonders to this Part of the Country; the Tops of whose Hills seem to be as much above the Clouds, as the Clouds are above the ordinary Hills.
Nor is this all; the Countenance of these Mountains is such, that they have no Bounds to them but the Sea; they run on in a continued Ridge from one to another, even to the Highlands in
Scotland
; so that they may be said to divide
Britain,
as the
Apennine
Mountains divide
Italy.
Thus joining to
Blackstone Edge,
they divide
Yorkshire
from
Lancashire,
and going on North, divide the Bishoprick of
Durham
from
Westmorland,
and so on. All the Rivers in the North of
England
take their Rise from them; those on the East Side run into the
German
Ocean, those on the West Side into the
Irish:
for instance, the
Dove
and the
Derwent
rise both at the South End of them, and come away South to the
Trent
; but all the Rivers afterwards run, as above, East or West; and first, the
Mersee
rises on the West Side, and the
Dun
on the East; the first runs to
Warrington
; and into the Sea at
Liverpoole
; the other to
Doncaster,
and into the Sea at
Humber.
I shall confirm this Observation as I go on; for to give an Account of Rivers is the best Guide to the Geography of a Country. But to return to my Progress:
We went next to
Chesterfield,
a handsome populous Town, situate between Rivulets, on the South Side of a Hill, North-east from
Chatsworth,
well built and well inhabited, notwithstanding it stands in the Extremity of this rocky Country; for being on the North Side of the County next to
Yorkshire,
it leads into the Hundred of
Scarsdale,
which is a rich fertile Part of the Country, tho' surrounded with barren Moors and Mountains, for such the Name
Scarsdale
signifies. It is a Mayor-town of great Antiquity, and was made a free Borough by King
John.
It is now a Place of considerable Merchandice and Dealings in Lead, Grocery, Mercery, Melting of Barley, Tanning, Stockens, Blankets, Bedding,
&c.
in which they have great Intercourse to and with
Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire,
and
London
; also to and with the Towns and Places of
Bakewell, Tiddeswell, Wirksworth, Ashbourne,
the
Peak,
and West of
Derbyshire
; with
Chester, Manchester, Liverpoole,
&c. It has a fair Church. The Spire of its Steeple, being Timber covered with Lead, is warped all awry. It has also a Free-school, and a new large Market-place, which is well supply'd with Lead, and with the Commodities above-mention'd.
Dornfield
is a small Market-town, noted only for its high Situation, just on the Edge of the
Peak.
We are now entered into the County of
York,
which is of larger Extent than any two Counties in
England
joined together, being in Compass 360 Miles. Its Figure is a large Square, and is adequate to the Dukedom of
Wirtemburgh
in
Germany,
and contains more Ground than all the Seven
United Provinces.
I was at first puzzled which way to direct my Course in this large County; but at last resolved to strike thro' the Middle of the County, and along the North-east Part of the West Riding, up as far as
Rippon,
which is about the Centre of the County.
This great County is divided into Three Ridings, North, East, and West Riding. This last, which I chuse first to speak of, is much the largest and most populous, and has in it the greatest Number of Towns, as well as the most considerable, and likewise the best Manufactures, and consequently the greatest Share of Riches.
Sheffield,
situated on a rising Ground, is the first Town we came to from
Derbyshire.
It is famous for Whittle-making, Cutlery Wares and Iron-work, there being a great many good Iron Mines about it, and likewise some of Alum. The Town is very antient, and has been always considerable, tho' no Corporation; and that it was noted, in
Chaucer
's Time, for the same Trade, appears by those Lines of his:
— A Miller —
With a rizzled Beard, and a hooked Nose,
And a
Sheffield
Whittle in his Hose.
The Town is very populous and large, and the Houses built with Stone, but look dark and black, by the continued Smoke of the Forges, which are always at Work; and the Streets are narrow. Here were set up the first Mills for turning Grind-stones in
England.
The Church is very large and spacious, in the Form of a Cross, and has a fine high Spire.
Sheffield
is reputed to excel
Birmingham
in Cutlery Wares and Files, and
Birmingham
is allow'd to out-do
Sheffield
in Locks, Hinges, Nails, and polish'd Steel.
The Cutlers here are incorporated by the Style of
The Cutlers of Hallamshire,
and have many Privileges. They are said to be 600 in Number, and are called
Master-cutlers
; each of whom gives a particular Stamp to his Wares. The Corporation chuse a Master and other Officers yearly; and it is judged, that no less than 40000 are imploy'd in the Irontrade in
Sheffield,
and the adjacent Tract of Land called
Hallamshire.
From hence it will be judged, that the said Parish-church, the only one in this populous Town, was not able to contain one half of the People of
Sheffield
; which induced one Mr.
Robert Downes,
Goldsmith of this Town, to contribute a large Sum, and to procure other Sums by Contributions, for erecting a Chapel of Ease; and accordingly he got Leave,
Anno
1719, from
William
Archbishop of
York,
to proceed in so good a Work, and built a handsome and stately Structure on a Piece of Ground called
Shaw-close,
purchased by the said Mr.
Downes,
who also settled to the Value of 30
l.
a Year for ever, on a Preacher, to be elected and nominated by him, his Heirs and Assigns.
But tho' the Building was thus finished, and Mr.
Downes
had actually nominated to it, his Nephew
Joseph Downes,
yet the Nomination being contested by the Patrons of the Vicarage of
Sheffield,
and the Vicar also, it remained unconsecrated till the Year 1739; when the Parties differing, coming to an Agreement, an Act of Parliament passed, confirming the same; and it is now consecrated by the Name of
The Chapel of
St. Paul
in the Town of
Sheffield.
Formerly here was a very fine Castle, with a noble Mansion-house, the Seat of the Dukes of
Norfolk
; but it is now all demolished and decayed, tho' the Manor remains still in the Family.
In the great Church, in this Town, are several very antient Monuments of the Family of
Talbots,
Earls of
Shrewsbury,
who once had great Possessions in this and the next County.
In particular,
George,
the first Earl of
Shrewsbury,
who died 1531.
George
the second, Grandson to the first, under whose Care the Queen of
Scots
was here in Custody for 16 Years, who died 1590, and
Gilbert
his Son, who founded the stately Hospital in this Town, all lie buried here.
The Gift of this Hospital is perpetuated in the following Inscription:
The Hospital of the Right Honourable
GILBERT
Earl of
Shrewsbury,
erected and settled by the Right Honourable
HENRY
Earl of
Norwich,
Earl Marshal of
ENGLAND,
great Grandson of the said Earl, in pursuance of his last Will and Testament,
Anno 1673.
Here is a fine Engine for raising Water to supply the Town. Here is also a very large and strong Bridge over the
Dun,
as there is another at
Rotherham,
a Market-town Six Miles lower. Of late several Acts of Parliament have passed to make this River further navigable to different Places, which will greatly increase the Trade of those Parts.
It is in the Park here, that the great Oak-tree grew formerly, of which Mr.
Evelyn
gives a long Account in his Book of Forest-trees. And what became of the Chesnut-tree near
Aderclift,
mention'd by
Camden
's Continuator, the Body of which could hardly be fathomed by three Men, I could hear no Account of.
The Remains of the
Roman
Fortification between
Sheffield
and
Rotherham
are still to be seen, and probably will continue to the End of Time.
Here is also the famous Trench, by some called
Devil's Bank,
other
Danes Bank
; which is said to run Five Miles in Length, and in some Places is called
Kemp Bank,
in others
Temple's Bank.
Rotherham
is the next Market-town North-east of
Sheffield.
It is noted for its fine Stone Bridge over the
Dun,
which is here increased by the River
Rother,
from whence the Town, no doubt, took its Name.
The Church is built in the Form of a Cathedral, and is a fair Stone Building, with a handsome Spire Steeple.
From
Rotherham
we turned North-west to
Wentworth,
on purpose to see the old Seat of the
Wentworths,
who have flourished here ever since the Conquest, and been possessed of the Estate of
Woodhouse
from the Time of
Henry
III. Among the several noble Persons of this Family, who have resided here, was the great
Thomas Wentworth,
Earl of
Strafford,
beheaded in the Time of King
Charles
I. whose Body lies buried in this Church. His Honours were extinct in his Son; but his Seat is still in the Possession of Sir
Thomas Wentworth,
Earl of
Malton,
his Great Grandson, who has made such Improvements to it, that it is inferior to few in
Great Britain.
It is situated on the Side of a Hill, defended from the North and West, but opens to the South and East, towards which Quarters it commands a very extensive Prospect over a rich and beautiful Country, which belongs to the Family.
The Gardens are large, and adorn'd with Obelisks, Statues,
&c.
having a Green-house and Bathing-room. On one Side there is an uninterrupted View into the Park and Neighbourhood. Here are two Beauties rarely to be met with any-where else, a Grove of old Fir-trees, and a Mount of above 100 Feet high perpendicularly measured. The Circumference of the Parks is about eight Miles, and is beautified with Fish-ponds, Woods of Timber of an uncommon Size, and with Plantations innumerable. The Turf is of a fine Verdure, and the Soil fruitful.
The House, with the Additions lately made, and now carrying on, will extend 200 Yards in Front, and is built in Imitation of
Wanstead
in
Essex,
the Seat of Earl
Tilney.
And an Improvement has been added to the Park and Fish-ponds, one whereof, consisting of 14 Acres of Ground, receives a small Brook, which being conducted through a winding Cut, for 600 Yards, falling down six Steps, is brought by a Canal of 300 Yards into the Lake, and so affords a pretty Prospect of Water for near a Mile together.
From hence we went to see
Stamborough,
a fine Seat now belonging to the Earl of
Strafford
; the late Earl built the House here, which has an exceeding noble Front, and adorn'd it with large Plantations, fine Water-works, and Gardens; to which if we add the Vista's, Walks, and Woods, which are large and numerous, it may vie with most Seats in
Great Britain
for Elegancy.
We afterwards steer'd our Course back again to
Rotherham,
and leaving that Town, came to
Sandbeck,
a fine Seat of the Earl of
Scarborough
; which, considering the beautiful Lawn before the House, and the Extent of the adjoining Woods, remarkable for the Improvements of Art, as well as for the Bigness and flourishing State of the Trees, may vie with most Seats, in respect to Situation.
From hence we pursued a By-track, in order to see a famous Yew-tree, which stands in a Field called
Cuckolds Haven,
and is a very surprising Production of Nature, and which I shall attempt to describe: It has a strait smooth Stem, about 10 Feet high, from which the Branches extend in Circles above each other, like the Divisions of a Pineapple, and of that Shape, and of equal Exactness. The Figure of the Tree is much more beautiful than could have been made by Art of Man. The Branches from Top to Bottom are so thick, that a Bird can scarce creep through them in any Part; and every Shoot and Fibre put out the same Length each Year, and are of so bright and pleasant a Green in all Seasons, that at some Distance the Cloathing of the Tree appears like Velvet. There is a Hedge planted round it for a Fence, and many People have thought it worth their while to ride 20 Miles to view it.
Upon Sight of this Curiosity, and Thousands of other Trees of the same Species in its Neighbourhood, I could not but lament, that Avarice should so far prevail, especially with Gentlemen, as to consent to grant what I call a dead Warrant for the selling of many noble stately ones, in the Height of their Glory, which for some Hundred of Years had been an Ornament to the Places where they grew, when perhaps one of the largest of them, which in a Garden or Park would be esteemed above any Price, is sold for no more than 20 or 30 Shillings, to make Naves for Wheels.
Afterwards we struck into a By-road, which brought us to the Ruins of
Roch
or
Rock Abby,
hid by a steep woody Cliff, towards the South, and by large Rocks every other Way, except Eastward. One Side of the Nef of this Building, from North to South, under the middle Tower, and some odd Pillars and Arches, are all that is now left, great Part having been carried away, from time to time, to repair adjacent Churches, or build Gentlemens Seats, tho' now Care is taken, by the present Earl of
Scarborough,
to preserve what remains. These Ruins, among which large Trees are now grown up, and the contiguous Borders, make a Picture inexpressibly charming, especially when viewed with the Lights and Shadows they receive from a Western Sun; and its recluse Situation, still from every Noise, except the Murmur of a limpid Rivulet, together with the Fragments of sepulchral Monuments, and the gloomy Shades of those venerable Greens, Ivy, and Yew, which creep up, and luxuriantly branch out and mix with the beautiful Whiteness of the Rocks, give such a Solemnity to this Scene, as demands a serious Reverence from the Beholder, and inspires a contemplative Melancholy, oftentimes pleasing as well as proper to indulge.
The Stone, of which this Abbey is built, was dug out of the famous Quarry near adjoining, and so well known to Masons by the Name of
Roch Abbeystone,
which for Whiteness and Beauty is not to be equalled.
Another thing worthy of Notice in this Neighbourhood, is the Tower and Spire of the Church
Laughton,
which for a Delicacy and Justness of Proportion, is not excelled by any other
Gothi
Piece of the kind. How it happened, that so elegant and ornamental a Structure, superior by far to all others round it, was bestow'd upon a Village-church, is matter of some Wonder.
The Building stands upon a very high Hill, which appears at Distance like that at
Harrow
in the County of
Middlesex.
The Height of the Steeple to the Weather-cock is 195 Feet, and by its Situation the most conspicuous every way, of any perhaps in the whole Kingdom, being seen from many Places 40, 50, and 60 Miles. It has a peculiar Beauty, when view'd in the diagonal Line, the Pinacles at the Corners of the Tower being join'd by Arches to the Spire, as are others above them, which break its Out-lines, and give, at the same time, a beautiful Diminution; but Time will not permit it to stand much longer without considerable Repairs.
The Duke of
Leeds,
whose Seat at
Kiveton
is at about three Miles Distance, has cut a Vista through the Woods of his Park, to take this Steeple into his View.
About two Miles from
Laughton
we saw the said Seat of
Kiveton:
It is an elegant House, and the Apartments and Offices are disposed with great Conveniency. The Situation is in a wholsome Air, and commands fine Prospects. Here are pleasant Gardens, and a beautiful Park.
We omitted visiting many other Places in these Parts, which, had Time allowed, would have answer'd the Trouble of riding uneven Roads, which are tiresome hereabouts, and hastened to reach
Tickhill,
which is a small Market-town, and very antient.
Here is an old Castle, which is large, but surrounded with a single Wall only, and an huge Mount, with a round Tower on the Top of it. it was antiently of such Dignity, that all the Manors round about it, belonging to it, were styled
The Honour of Tickhill.
The Church in this Town is very large, and a handsome Building.
We now return'd once more to
Rotherham,
and pursued our Course higher up on the River
Dun,
to
Coningsborough
Castle, called in British
Caer Conan,
situate on a Rock, where
Matthew
of
Westminster
says, That
Aurelius Ambrosius,
a
British
Prince, vanquish'd
Hengist,
the
Saxon
General, and took him Prisoner, where, in Revenge of his barbarous Murder of the
British
Nobility in cold Blood, near
Stonehenge
in
Wiltshire,
he cut off his Head.
Before the Gate is an Agger, said to be the Burying-place of
Hengist.
It is not only famous for its Antiquity, but its Situation too, upon a pleasant Ascent, having six large Market-towns, 120 Villages, many large Woods of Oak, some containing 100 Acres, and others beautifully cut through into Walks, six Iron Furnaces, many Mines of Coal and Iron, Quarries of Stone for Building, nine large Stone Bridges, 40 Water-mills, six Seats of Noblemen, 60 of Gentlemen, 15 Parks, and two navigable Rivers. Upon the
Dun
also, a little Way from
Coningsborough,
is a Place called
Temple-brough,
a
Roman
Fortification, of which the North-east Corner is wash'd away by the River. The Area is about 200 Paces long, besides the Agger; and on the Outside of it is a large Trench, 37 Paces deep; on the other Side of it is another Trench, cover'd with large Trees.
Travelling North-east from hence, we came to
Bantry,
which stands just at the Entrance from
Nottinghamshire,
into the West-riding, a Town blessed with two great Conveniencies, which contribute to its Support, and make it a very well-frequented Place.
1. That it stands upon the great Post-road from
London
to
Scotland
; which makes it full of very good Inns and Houses of Entertainment.
2. That the little, but pleasant River
Idle
runs by it, which, contrary to the Import of its Name, is a full and
quick,
tho' not rapid and unsafe Stream, with a deep Chanel, which carries Lighters and flat-bottom'd Vessels into the
Trent,
that comes within seven Miles of it, to a Place called
Stockwith,
from thence to
Burton,
and from thence, if the Weather be fair, to
Hull
; if not, 'tis sufficient to go to
Stockwith,
where Vessels of 200 Tons Burden may come up laden to the Town.
By this Navigation
Bantry
becomes the Centre of all the Exportation of this Part of the Country, especially for heavy Goods, which are brought down hither from all the adjacent Countries, such as Lead, Mill-stones and Grind-stones from
Derbyshire,
wrought Iron and edged Tools of all Sorts, from the Forges at
Sheffield,
and from the adjacent Country called
Hallamshire.
From hence to
Doncaster
is a pleasant Road, that never wants Repair, which is something extraordinary in any Part of this lower Side of the Country.
Doncaster
(so called from the River on which it stands, and the Castle which is now ruined) is a noble, large, spacious Town, and exceeding populous, govern'd by a Mayor, and carrying on a great Manufacture, principally for Stockens, Gloves, and knit Waistcoats; and as it stands upon the great Northern Post-road, is full of good Inns. There is a remarkable old Column called a Cross, at the End of the Town, with a
Norman
Inscription upon it.
Here we saw the first Remains of the great
Roman
Highway, which, tho' we could not perceive before, were eminent and remarkable just at the Entrance into the Town, and soon after appeared in many Places. Here are also two strong Stone Bridges over the
Dun,
besides a long Causeway beyond them, the Waters of the River being dangerous to Passengers, when they swell over its Banks, as is sometimes the Case.
This Town, Mr.
Camden
says,
"was burnt intirely to the Ground,
Anno
759; and was hardly recovered in his Time."
But it now looks more decayed by Time than Accident, and the Houses, which seem ready to fall, might rise again to more Advantage after another Conflagration.
It has but one Church, which is large, and its Tower of admirable Work. There is a remarkable Epitaph on one
Robert Byrk,
a famous Man of
Doncaster,
who gave a Place, called
Rossington Wood,
to the Poor.
Howe, Howe, who's here?
I,
Robin,
of
Doncastere,
And
Margaret
my Fere.
That I spent, that I had;
That I gave, that I have;
That I left, that I lost.
A. D.
1597.
Quoth
Robertus Byrks,
who in this World did reign
Threescore Years and seven, but liv'd not ane.
Here lies also, under a plain Grave-stone in the Church, the Body of one
Thomas Ellis,
memorable for having been five times Mayor of the Town, for founding an Hospital there, called
St. Thomas's the Apostle,
and endowing it plentifully.
We ought not to forget, that the celebrated Sailor, Sir
Martin Frobisher,
was born in this Town. He was the first
Englishman,
who, in the Reign of Q.
Elizabeth,
discover'd the North Passage to
China
and
Cathai,
and found some Streights, which he called after his own Name, and a Foreland after the Queen's. At his first Voyage, one of the Company brought back some black Stones, out of which the Refiners, it is said, extracted Gold; which encouraged him to load his Ship with them afterwards: but they were then found to be fit for nothing, but to mend the Highways. He signalized himself against the
Spanish Armada
; and received his Death Wound by a Shot at
Brest
in
Britany
: the Surgeon, having extracted the Bullet, left the Wadding behind; by which means the Wound mortified, and he died as soon as he had brought back the Fleet to
Plymouth.
We set forward directly West, and came to
Barnesley,
a little Market-town, well-built of Stone, where a Manufacture, and Iron and Steel Work, flourishes. It has a smoaky Aspect, and is called
Black-Barnesley
; but whether on that Account, or from the Moors, which look all black, like
Bagshot Heath,
I know not.
After we had passed these Moors, we came thro' a most rich, pleasant and populous Country to
Wakefield.
Wakefield
is a large Town, situate upon the River
Calder,
(which was made navigable in the Year 1698) since which Time the Town has increased considerably in Riches, and Number of Inhabitants. There is a handsome Stone Bridge over the River, upon which stands a Chapel, erected by King
Edward
IV. in Memory of his Father
Richard,
Duke of
York,
who was slain near this Place, as I shall mention by-and-by. The Chapel is 10 Yards long, and six broad; and tho' very much defaced by Time, it appears to have been wrought in a very curious manner. A little above the Bridge is a Wash or Dam, over which the Water rolling, forms an admirable Cascade of a great Length.
This Town consists of three great Streets, which meet in a Centre near the Church, where there might be formed a very spacious Market-place, but by reason of the great Number of Inhabitants it is so crouded with Buildings, that there is only a small Area round the Market-cross, which is a very elegant Building, being an open Colonnade of the
Dorick
Order, supporting a Dome, to which you ascend by an open circular Pair of Stairs, in the Centre of the Building. This brings you to a Room, which receives Light from a Turret on the Top, and may be called the Town-hall; for here they transact all their publick Business.
The Church is a very large and lofty
Gothick
Building, the Body of which was repaired in the Year 1724, but the Spire (which is one of the highest in the County) remains in the same State it was.
In this Town was born
John Green,
the famous Pinder, who fought
Robin Hood
so manfully.
From the Bridge you have an agreeable View to the South-east, where, by the Side of the River, rises a Hill, covered with Wood, at about a Mile Distance. This joins to an open Moor or Common called
Heath-moor,
upon which are several Gentlemens Seats, very pleasantly situated.
South between
Wakefield
and a Village called
Sand
,
they shewed us a small square Piece of Ground, which was fenced off by itself; and on which, before the late Civil War, stood a large Stone Cross, just upon the Spot where the Duke of
York,
fighting desperately, and refusing to yield, tho' surrounded with Enemies, was killed. But tho' Religion has suffered the Cross to fall, the Chapel I mentioned on the Bridge at
Wakefield,
the other Monument of this Battle, is still preserved by being made use of for Civil Affairs. Some say there are more People here, than in the City of
York,
and yet it is no Corporation Town.
Here is a Market every
Friday
for Woollen Cloths, after the manner of that at
Leeds,
tho' not so great; yet as all the Clothing Trade is prodigiously increased, and still increasing in this County, so this M
ket flourishes with the rest.
I cannot here pass by my former Observation, that all the great Rivers take their Beginning in the Mountains of
Blackstone Edge
and
High Peak,
which, as I have said, part the Counties of
Lancaster
and
York,
and that these Rivers all take their Course due East. The
Dun
is the first; the next is the
Calder,
now becoming a very large River at
Wakefield
; and the
Aire
is the next, which rises at the Foot of the Mountain
Penigent,
on the Edge of
Lancashire,
of which 'tis said proverbially:
Pendle-Hill
and
Penigent
Are the highest Hills between
Scotland
and
Trent.
As the
Calder
runs by
Halifax, Huthersfield,
and thro'
Wakefield
; so the
Aire
runs by
Skipton, Bradford,
and thro'
Leeds,
and then both join at
Castleford
Bridge, near
Pontefract,
three Miles from
Bradford,
and in an united Stream form that Navigation from this trading Part of
Yorkshire
to
Hull,
which is of so much Advantage to the whole County.
I went to see the antient Town of
Pontefract,
with the Castle, where so much Blood has been spilt, in different Ages; for here
Henry,
the great Earl of
Lancaster,
who was Lord of the Castle, and whose Ancestors had beautified, inlarged, and fortified it, was beheaded by his Nephew, King
Edward
II. with three or four more of the
English
Barons. Here
Richard
II. was murder'd, and, if History may be credited, in a most cruel manner; and here
Antony
Earl of
Rivers,
and Sir
Richard Gray,
the first Uncle, and the other Brother-in-law to King
Edward
V. were beheaded by King
Richard
III. In the late Civil Wars, a small Party of brave Fellows took this Castle by Surprize, for the King, and desperately defended it to the last Extremity; but being at length obliged to yield, five of them attempted to break thro' the Besiegers Camp, three of whom perished in the Attempt.
The Town is large and well built, but much smaller than it has been. The Castle lies in its Ruins, though not demolished. It is a Corporation by Prescription, and the Mayor and 12 Aldermen are always Justices of the Peace. 'Tis said, that antiently none could be arrested at the Market-cross, call'd
Oswald
's Cross, and a free Way leading to the Cross, with about two Yards around it was kept unpav'd in Memory of that Privilege. But in the Year 1735, the old Cross was pulled down, and a handsome Dome, supported by a Colonnade of
Dorick
Pillars, (the Charge whereof was defrayed by a Legacy left by one
Dupere,
an Inhabitant of the Town) was erected for that Purpose.
The Ruins of the Castle shew it to have been a noble Pile. A round Tower, yet standing, is intire, in or near which, the Tradition is, King
Richard
II. was slain. Adjoining to this Tower are Windingstairs, which descend into several Vaults, and subterraneous Passages.
The Parish Church, which stands near the Castle, and was prodigiously large, received so much Damage in the late Civil Wars, that no more than the Shell is now left standing. It is a handsome
Gothick
Building, in the Form of a Cross, with a Tower in the middle, which is in good Proportion, and was formerly crown'd with a magnificent Lantern, enriched with carved Work; but it received such Damage from a Cannon Shot, during the Siege of the Castle, that it was soon after blown down; and upon the Surrender of the Castle, the Parliament did (by Resolution of the House, of the 27th of
March,
1649) grant One thousand Pounds, to be raised by Sale of the Materials of the said Castle, to the Town of
Pontefract,
towards the repairing of their Place of publick Worship, and re-edifying an Habitation for a Minister. Part of this Grant might be applied in erecting a plain Octagon Building upon the Tower, which finishes the Whole, in a manner not disagreeable, tho' far inferior to the former. In the North west Corner of this Tower, are two circular Flights of Stairs, winding about the same Centre, with separate Entrances below, and distinct Landings above. The Inhabitants of the Town still continue to bury in this Church-yard, but Divine Service is perform'd in a Chapel adjoining to the Market-place, which is very spacious.
At the Bottom of the Market-place stands the Town-hall.
Near the Road is a noble Seat, which belonged to the late Lord
Bingley.
'Tis a new-built, beautiful House, with curious Gardens, tho' not very large.
At
Pontefract
the great
Roman
Highway, which I mentioned at
Doncaster,
(and is visible from thence hither in several Places, tho' not in the open Road) is plain to be discern'd; and from
Castleford
Bridge, which crosses over the united Rivers of
Aire
and
Calder,
it goes on to
Aberforth,
and so thro'
Tadcaster
to
York.
In some Places, where this Causeway is broken up, the Courses appear to be of different Materials, the Bottom of Clay, upon that is Chalk, then Gravel, and upon the Gravel is Stone, and then Gravel upon that, and so other kinds of Earth, where the first was not to be had.
In several Places between this Bridge and
Aberforth,
the Causeway being disused for the common Road, it appears as intire as at its first making, tho' a Work undoubtedly of 15 or 1600 Years old. I take notice of it here, because I have not seen any thing like it in any other Place of
England.
Castleford
is a Village that stands near the Confluence of the two Rivers above, and was formerly a Place of great Consideration, insomuch that some Authors call it a City. There have been dug up here divers Pieces of
Roman
Coin.
Aberforth
is a small Market-town, a few Miles North-east of
Pontefract,
and is noted for Pin-making only.
From
Ferry-bridge,
within a Mile of
Pontefract,
extends a large Stone Causeway, about a Mile in Length, to a Village called
Brotherton,
where
Margaret,
Wife of King
Edward
I. was forced to take up as she was hunting, and was delivered of a Son, called from the Village
Thomas
of
Brotherton.
This Son was afterwards made Earl of
Norfolk,
and Marshal of
England.
Not far from the Church is a Piece of Ground of 20 Acres, surrounded with a Trench and a Wall, where, as Tradition informs us, stood the House in which the Queen was delivered, and the Tenants are obliged by Tenure to keep it surrounded with a Wall of Stone.
Brotherton
is now noted for burning Lime-stone, which is brought from
Tadcaster
in great Quantities, and carrying and dispersing it into the Southern Parts, which turns to very good Account, and imploys a great many Hands.
A little to the South of this Village, the great Road divides in two Parts: one goes on to the Right to
York,
and the other thro'
Aberforth
and
Wetherby,
over
Braham-moor,
to
Scotland.
At
Braham-moor
a Battle was fought between the Royalists and General
Fairfax,
where he was worsted and wounded, but made so Soldier-like a Retreat, that it gained him as great a Reputation as a Victory would have done.
But we followed neither of these two Roads, leaving the Towns that way for the Entertainment of another Journey; so we pass'd directly West along the Banks of the
Aire
to
Leeds,
which is a large, wealthy and populous Town, standing on the North Side of the River
Aire,
with large Suburbs on the South Side, and both joined by a stately, strong Stone Bridge, so large, and so wide, that formerly the Cloth-market was kept upon it; and therefore the Refreshment given the Clothiers by the Inn-keepers (being a Pot of Ale, a Noggin of Pottage, and a Trencher of broil'd or roast Beef, for Two-pence) is called the
Brigg-shot
to this Day.
The Increase of the Manufactures, and of the Trade, soon made the Market too great to be confined to the Brigg, so that it is now kept in the High Street, beginning from the Bridge, and runing up North almost to the Market-house, where the ordinary Market for Provisions begins; which also is the greatest of its kind in all the North of
England.
You may judge of the Plenty of it, when 500 Loads of Apples have been numbered by the Mayor's Officers in a Day.
But the Cloth Market is chiefly to be admired as a Prodigy of its Kind, and perhaps not to be equalled in the World. The Market for Serges at
Exeter
is indeed a wonderful Thing, and the Money returned very great; but it is there but once a Week, whereas here it is every
Tuesday
and
Saturday.
Early in the Morning, Tressels are placed in two Rows in the Street, sometimes two Rows on a Side, cross which Boards are laid, which make a kind of temporary Counter on either Side, from one End of the Street to the other.
The Clothiers come early in the Morning with their Cloth; and as few bring more than one Piece, the Market-days being so frequent, they goin to the Inns and Publick-houses with it, and there set it down.
At about Six o'Clock in the Summer, and about Seven in the Winter, the Clothiers being all come by that Time, the Market Bell at the old Chapel by the Bridge rings; upon which it would surprise a Stranger to see in how few Minutes, without Hurry, Noise, or the least Disorder, the whole Market is filled, and all the Boards upon the Tressels covered with Cloth, as close to one another as the Pieces can lie longways, each Proprietor standing behind his own Piece, who form a Mercantile Regiment, as it were, drawn up in a double Line, in as great Order as a Military one.
As soon as the Bell has done Ringing, the Factors and Buyers of all Sorts enter the Market, and walk up and down between the Rows, as their Occasions direct. Some of them have their foreign Letters of Orders, with Patterns sealed on them, in their Hands; the Colours of which they match, by holding them to the Cloths they think they agree to. When they have pitched upon their Cloth, they lean over to the Clothier, and by a Whisper, in the fewest Words imaginable, the Price is stated; one asks, the other bids; and they agree or disagree in a Moment.
The Reason of this prudent Silence is owing to the Clothiers standing so near to one another; for 'tis not reasonable, that one Trader should know another's Traffick.
If a Merchant has bidden a Clothier a Price, and he will not take it, he may go after him to his House, and tell him he has considered of it, and is willing to let him have it; but they are not to make any new Agreement for it, so as to remove the Market from the Street to the Merchant's House.
The Buyers generally walk up and down twice on each Side of the Rows, and in little more than an Hour all the Business is done. In less than half an Hour you will perceive the Cloth begin to move off, the Clothier taking it up upon his Shoulder to carry it to the Merchant's House. At about half an Hour after Eight the Market Bell rings again, upon which the Buyers immediately disappear, the Cloth is all sold; or if any remains, it is carried back into the Inn. By Nine o'Clock the Boards and Tressels are removed, and the Street left at Liberty for the Market-people of other Professions, the Linen-drapers, Shoe-makers, Hard-ware Men, and the like.
Thus, you see 10 or 20,000
l.
worth of Cloth, and sometimes much more, bought and sold in little more than an Hour, the Laws of the Market being the most strictly observed, that I ever saw in any Market in
England.
If it be asked, How all these Goods at this Place, at
Wakefield,
and at
Halifax,
are vended and disposed of? I would observe,
First, That there is a Home-consumption; to supply which, several considerable Traders in
Leeds
go with Droves of Pack-horses, loaden with those Goods, to all the Fairs and Market-towns almost over the whole Island, not to sell by Retail, but to the Shops by Wholesale; giving large Credit. 'Tis ordinary for one of these Men to carry a thousand Pounds worth of Cloth with him at a Time, and having sold that, to send his Horses back for as much more, and this very often in a Summer; for they travel chiefly at that Season, because of the Badness of the Roads.
There are others, who have Commissions from
London
to buy, or who give Commissions to Factors and Warehouse-keepers in
London
to sell for them, who not only supply all the Shop-keepers and Wholesale Men in
London,
but sell also very great Quantities to the Merchants, as well for Exportation to the
English
Colonies in
America,
which take off great Quantities of the coarse Goods, especially
New England, New York, Virginia,
&c. as also to the
Russia
Merchants, who send exceeding great Quantities to
Petersburg, Riga, Dantzick, Narva,
and to
Sweden
and
Pomerania
; tho' of late the Manufactures of this kind set up in
Prussia,
and other Northern Parts of
Germany,
interfere a little with them.
The third Sorts are such as receive Commissions from abroad, to buy Cloth for the Merchants chiefly in
Hamburg,
and in
Holland, &c.
These are not only many in Number, but some of them very considerable in their Dealings, and correspond with the farthest Provinces in
Germany.
On account of this Trade it was, that the Rivers
Aire
and
Calder
were made navigable, under the Direction of Alderman
Pickering,
the celebrated Author of the
Marrow of Mathematicks,
and performed at the Expence of several private Merchants, without calling in the Assistance of the Nobility and Gentry. By this means a Communication was opened from
Leeds
and
Wakefield
to
York
and
Hull,
so that all the Woollen Manufactures now exported, are carried by Water to
Hull,
and there shipped for
Holland, Bremen, Hamburgh,
and the
Baltick.
And, encouraged by the Success of this Act, in the Session of Parliament
Anno
1740. an Act passed for continuing the Navigation of the River
Calder
from
Wakefield
to
Ealand,
and
Halifax,
which will be a farther Benefit to the Trade of those Parts; and at the same time several other Acts passed for mending of Highways around all these Parts, to
Halifax, Ealand, Doncaster, York, &c.
which will no less promote the Commerce and Trade of this noble County.
There is another Trade in this Part of the Country, become very considerable since the opening the above Navigation, which is the Carriage of Coals down from
Wakefield
and
Leeds,
at both which Places they have inexhaustible Stores. These are carried quite down into the
Ouse,
and then either go up that River to
York,
or down to the
Humber,
where the
Trent
and
Ouse
meet together, and which in a few Miles falls into the Sea. In this Passage abundance of large Towns are supplied with Coal, with this Advantage too, that whereas the
Newcastle
Coals pay four Shillings
per
Chaldron Duty to the Publick, these, being only
River-borne Coal,
are exempted, and pay nothing: So that the City of
York,
which strenuously opposed the first Navigation of these Rivers, in this Particular, as well as in many others, daily experiences the Benefit of it.
I need not add, that by the same Navigation all heavy Goods, imported to
Hull,
are brought up these Rivers, as well as Goods brought from
London,
and other Parts of the Kingdom, such as Butter, Cheese, Lead, Iron, Salt, Sugars, Tobacco, Fruit, Spice, Hops, Oil, Wine, Brandy, Spirits, and the like.
The Antiquity of
Leeds
is very great, being mentioned by Venerable
Bede
; but it was not incorporated till 2
Car.
I. when Sir
John Savile
(afterwards Lord
Savile)
was made the first honorary Alderman, in Memory of whom the Arms of the Town are adorned with his Supporters, and those very suitable, being the two
Athenian
Birds, sacred to that Goddess who was deem'd the Patroness of Spinning and Weaving, as well as Arts in general.
At the West End of the Town formerly stood a Castle, wherein King
Richard
II. was imprisoned before he was carried to
Pontefract.
And on the Scite thereof now stands the antient Manor-house, with the Park,
&c.
lately belonging to Mr.
Richard Sy
es.
Here are two magnificent Halls, both built about the Year 1714; one for White Cloths, supported by Pillars and Arches, which form a Quadrangle like the Royal Exchange, with a handsome Cupola, and Bell on the Top, to give Notice when the Market for these Sort of Goods begins. The other is the Guild or Moot Hall, the Front of which is built likewise on Arches, with rustick Coins and Tabling; where, in a Nich, is placed a fine Statue of Queen
Anne,
done by Mr.
Carpenter,
at the Expence of Alderman
Milner.
Here are three Churches.
St. Peter's,
the Parish Church, is built in the Form of a Cross, with a Tower rising from the Middle, with eight Bells in it. In the Ceiling is
the Giving of the Law,
finely painted in Fresco by
Parmentier,
who voluntarily gave this Specimen of his Art, in Gratitude for the Encouragement he had met with here.
St. John
's was built in 1634, at the sole Expence of Mr.
Harrison,
who likewise built the Alms-houses adjoining, a Free-school, a Market-cross, and the Street called
New-street,
the Rents of which he appropriated to pious Uses.
I must not omit the New Chapel, as it is called, erected by the
Presbyterians
in 1691; which is said to have been the first, as it certainly is the stateliest they have in the North of
England.
From
Leeds
we advanced Northward, and came to
Harwood,
a pretty little Town on the River
Wherfe,
over which is a very costly Bridge, and there formerly was a strong Castle. The Church here is remarkable for several things; particularly for the Interrment of Sir
William Gascoigne,
who had the Courage to commit Prince
Henry,
afterwards K.
Henry
V. to the
King's Bench,
for affronting him while he was in the Seat of Justice, letting him know, that though the Son might bear the Image of the King's
Person,
the Judge bore that of his
Authority.
We passed the
Wherfe
over a fine Stone Bridge of 11 Arches. The River runs in a Bed of Stone (which makes it look as clear as Rock Water).
The Plenty of Stone in the North is, no doubt, the Reason why there are so many noble Bridges in that Part of
England,
insomuch that I don't remember to have seen one of Timber from the
Trent
to the
Tweed.
We travelled along the
Wherfe
into the
Dale,
that takes its Name from the River, which reaches from
York
about 20 Miles, enlivened almost all the Way with Gentlemens Seats at a little Distance from each other; and left
Ottley
on the South-side of the River, a small Market-town, no otherwise of Note than for its Situation, which is under a large craggy Cliff. If
Yorkshire
owed us any Pleasure for the Fatigues of a former Day, it was abundantly made up to us here; for I cannot but think this one of the most delightful Parts of
England,
and I have met with Travellers who have compared it to the Plain of
Palermo
itself. Nor ought you to be surprised to hear some Parts of the North compared with
Italy.
The Testimony of Bishop
Tonstal
is well known, who in his Progress to
York
with King
Henry
VIII. in the Year 1548, declared, that the Country North of
Doncaster,
and South of
Haslewood,
was the richest he had found in his Travels thro'
Europe.
It would be endless to mention all the Seats we passed; but the Motto, at least, of Mr.
Ibbotson
's at
Denton
will naturally engage the Speculation of every Traveller:
QVOD NEC IOVIS IRA, NEC IGNIS, NEC POTERIT FERRVM.
The House, it seems, belonged once to Lord
Fairfax,
General of the Parliament Forces, and was about to be demolished by Prince
Rupert
; but was happily saved by the Sight of a Picture of one of the General's worthy Ancestors. It was afterwards burnt down by Accident, and rebuilt by the present Possessor; and now, after the Rage of War, and Devastation of Fire, in a Poetical Rant, defies them both.
Knaresborough,
known among Foreigners by the Name of the
Yorkshire Spaw,
stands near
Ripley,
a Market-town, upon the River
Nyd.
In the Town, and the Lands adjacent, are no less than four different Mineral Waters. One of the Springs is a petrifying Water, which in a little Cave drops from the Roof of the Cavity, and, as they say, turns Wood into Stone.
The other two Springs are indeed the most valuable Rarities of the kind in
England.
The first is the
Sweet Spaw,
or a Vitriolick Water. It was discovered by one Mr.
Slingsby, Anno
1630; and all Physicians acknowlege it to be a very sovereign Medicine in several particular Distempers.
See Dr.
Leigh'
s Natural History of
Lancashire.
The other is the
Stinking Spaw,
or, according to the Learned, the
Sulphur Well.
This Water is clear as Crystal, but so fetid and nauseous to the Smell, that many are obliged to hold their Noses when they drink it; yet it is a valuable Medicine in Scorbutick, Hypochondriack, and especially in Hydropick Distempers.
The People formerly, for many Years, only drank these Waters, but they now make use of them as a Cold Bath; and in this manner they must necessarily be very good for Rheumatick Pains, Paralytick Numbnesses, and many other Distempers.
These Baths were heretofore well frequented, insomuch that I have been told 200
l. per Annum
Rent has been given for a Cold Bath. But now
Scarborough
has the Vogue.
At
Rippon
are two good Stone Bridges, one of which has, I think, thirteen Arches, or more, over the
Eure,
and is a very stately one. There is another over the same River at
Burrowbrigg,
four Miles lower than
Rippon,
which has indeed but four or five Arches, but then these Arches are near 40 Feet wide, and one of the middlemost much more, and are high in proportion; the Ends of the Bridge are likewise continued by high Causeways, built of Stone, to keep the Water in its Course, which however sometimes overflows them.
From these Bridges, as well as that above-mentioned at
Harwood,
it may be observed, that however low these Waters are in the Summer, they are high and furious enough in the Winter; and yet the River
Aire,
tho' its Source is in the same Ridge of Mountains as the other, is gentle and mild in its Stream, whereas the others are raging and furious. The only Reasons I can give for it, are, that this River runs in a thousand Windings and Turnings more than any other in these Parts, insomuch that, as
Camden
expresses it, near its Head in
Craven
it seems doubtful whether it should run forward to the Sea, or return to its Spring; and from
Skipton
to
Gargrave
it is observed to be passed over eight times within the Compass of three Miles. The next Reason is, that after it has descended from the Mountains it has a deeper Chanel.
Rippon,
the
Isurium
of the
Romans,
is a very neat, pleasant, well-built Town; and an antient Corporation: it has not only an agreeable Situation on a rising Ground between two Rivers, but the Buildings are good likewise, particularly the Market-place, which is accounted the finest and most beautiful Square of its kind in
England.
In the middle of it stands a curious Obelisk, built by Mr.
Aislaby,
whose Seat at
Studley
is about a Mile distant. The Town is govern'd by a Mayor and Aldermen.
Here is a large Collegiate Church, and tho' but a Deanry in the Diocese of
York,
yet it is a very handsome, antient, and venerable Pile, and shews itself a great way in the Country. Mr.
Camden
says,
Rippon
owes its Greatness to Religion. And that here was a famous Monastery built by
Wilfrid,
Archbishop of
York,
in the first Ages of Christianity in this Island, is certain; but this pious Gift of the Bishop was lost some Years after; for the
Danes
over-running
Yorkshire,
rifled and burnt it to the Ground, together with the whole Town of
Rippon.
It afterwards flourished again as a Monastery: but that, with the rest, being given up in the Reign of King
Henry
VIII. the Church only was preserved.
While it was a Monastery, here was a famous Sanctuary, a Thing much abused in foreign Countries. This Privilege was, it seems, granted to the Church of
Rippon
by King
Athelstan,
and whoever broke the Rights of Sanctuary, which he extended a Mile around the Church, were to forfeit Life and Estate; so that, in short, not the Church only, but the whole Town, and a Circle of two Miles diameter, was a Refuge for all that fled to it, where they lived safe, and out of the Reach of all Law.
Annexed to this Monastery was an Hospital, the Purposes of which are very remarkable, and would be worthy Imitation in our Days of Protestant Charity. The House was called the Hospital of St.
Mary Magdalene,
where, according to the Foundation, were to be maintained two Chaplains, to perform Divine Service; and if any begging Clergyman, or other needy Person should happen to travel or stray out of his Way, and call at the said Hospital, he should be relieved there for one Night only, with Food and a Bed, and so be gone in the Morning; and every poor Person that came craving an Alms on St.
Mary Magdalene
's Day yearly, should have one Loaf, Value an Half-peny, (when Corn was at the Price of five Shillings
per
Quarter) and one Herring.
'Tis also recorded, that one Branch of this Hospital was given to a Society of religious Sisters to maintain a Chaplain to perform Divine Service; and to keep all the
Lepers
born and bred in
Hipschire
; but the Sisters being in time removed, a Brotherhood was established in their stead, which continued for a while; and after that a Mastership. At length all, except the Church, was demolished together, and the House with the Monastery suppressed.
The Church is an antient
Gothick
Building, firm, strong, and plain; no Imagery or Statues to be seen about it; there are three Towers, on which formerly were Spires.
The whole Revenues were seized by King
Henry
VIII. so that little or nothing remained for an officiating Clergyman. But King
James
I. having the Case represented to him by his Queen, was pleased to found and endow in this Church one Dean, and seven Prebendaries, besides Petit-canons, Singing-men, and Choiristers, of his own Royal Bounty and Benevolence, under the Jurisdiction of the Archbishop of
York.
But I must not leave
Rippon
without mentioning St.
Wilfrid's Needle,
a Place famous in antient Times, being a narrow Hole in a close vaulted Room under Ground, in which Womens Chastity was tried; and, if chaste, they passed thro', but if otherwise, the Whim was, they could not. Some
Saxon
Coins were found here in the Year 1695.
In the Church-yard of this Minster lies a plain Monument, or Gravestone, over the Remains of a generous Soul, who gave Two thousand Pounds to pious Uses, and yet has no other Epitaph than the following:
Hic jacet
Zacharias Jepson,
cujus Aetas fuit
49.
per paucos annos tantum vixit.
We spent a considerable Part of a Day in the celebrated Park, or rather Garden, belonging to Mr.
Aislabie,
which is visited by all the Curious, and admired as a Wonder, not only with regard to the various Beauties, which Nature has so lavishly bestowed; but those of Art and Cultivation, wherewith it is so liberally adorned: the latter exhibit a noble Specimen of that exquisite fine Taste for Architecture and Gardening, in which the present worthy Owner is allowed to excel. The Temples and Loggio's, built in many delightful Recesses, may vie with the best Models of the Antients; and the wide extended Plantations are judiciously varied, as the Objects of the Landschape become new. In one Part, the Hills gradually ascend, with Tufts of Shade interspers'd over the Verdure; in another, they precipitately rise, with Rocks projecting from their rough Sides, and tall Woods covering their Brows. Above these, a beautiful
Gothick
(but unconsecrated) Tower lifts up its Head; and below, the Skirts of the Cliffs are watered by a River which wanders in one Place with a silent Current, and in another falls down in Cascades: An easy Eminence commands a Prospect of the Town and Minster of
Rippon,
with a large Extent of Country beyond; and the stately Ruins of
Fountain-Abbey
are seen from another, besides Gentlemens Seats in the Centre of many Views. The fine Turf of the Park is constantly cleared of Weeds, and equal Care is taken to preserve the best Trees from Decay: Through the whole Scene of Variety, the Improvements are adapted to follow the luxuriant Fancy of Nature, and humour her different Propensities. You see her deck'd out and inrich'd, where Necessity or Propriety bespeak such Indulgence; but in the Simplicity of her own Dress, where Ornament would disfigure her beautiful Attire.
The House is an old Building, but a noble Plan is laid down for a new one, and in a better Situation of the Park. There are Stables built, which are very grand.
The late Bishop of
Namur,
(Abbot
Strickland
) when he resided in
England
in the Year 1734, took a Journey from
London
to
Studley,
with Intention to transplant some of the Beauties of this Place, as near as might be, in the Disposition of his Plantations, adjoining to a magnificent Palace he was then about to build at his episcopal Residence.
A Mile from
Rippon,
or less, is a stately beautiful Seat, called
Newbie,
built some Years since by Sir
Edward Blacket.
The Park is extended to the Bank of the River
Eure,
and is sometimes in part laid under Water by the River, which, coming down from the Western Mountains thro' a marly, loamy Soil, fructifies the Earth, they say, as the River
Nile
does the
Egyptian
Fields about
Grand Cairo.
As Sir
Edward
spared no Cost in the Building, and Sir
Christopher Wren
laid out the Design, as well as chose the Situation, I shall only say, tbat nothing can be added to the one or the other. The Building is of Brick, the Avenues to it are very fine, and the Gardens not only well laid out, but well planted, and as well kept. But for want of fine Gravel, the Walks cannot shew themselves, as they would do, were they in the Southern Part of
England.
The House has a fine Prospect over the Country, almost to
York,
with the River in View most of the Way; and it has a very noble Appearance to the great North Road, which lies at
Burrow-bridge,
within two Miles of it.
As you begin to come into the
North-riding,
(for the
Eure
parts the
West-riding
from it) you find yourself in a Place noted in the North of
England
for the best and largest Oxen, and the finest galloping Horses, bred either for the light Saddle, for the Race, or the Chace, for Running or Hunting. Sir
Edward
was a Grazier, and took such Delight in Breeding and Feeding large Black Cattle, that he had two or three times an Ox out of his Park led about the Country for a Sight, and shewed as far as
Newcastle,
and even to
Scotland,
for the biggest Bullock in
England,
and 'twas very seldom, if ever, he was over-match'd.
From the Town of
Rippon
the North Road, and the
Roman
Way also, which comes from
Castleford-bridge,
parting at
Aberforth,
leads away from the Town of
Bedal,
in the
North-riding,
and in a strait Line called
Leeming-Lane,
leaving
Richmond
about two Miles on the West, goes on to
Piers-bridge,
on the River
Tees,
which are the utmost Limits of this vast County of
York.
But as I proposed at my entering into this
West-riding
to go no further than
Rippon,
which stands on the Northern Boundary of it, I must stop here, and likewise make it the Boundary, as well of this Journey as of this Letter, since I find it impracticable to take a Survey of this large, populous, and wealthy Division on one Journey, without wandering to and fro, up and down, backward and forward, on purpose, which would be exceedingly fatiguing and uneasy; and as I was resolved to make as perfect Observations as I possibly could, of every thing that I could find remarkable in my way, and especially of the Manufactures of the Country, which I account as well worthy a Traveller's Notice, as the Curiosities and Wonders of Nature, and the most refin'd Operations of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, I have therefore concluded upon another Journey into these Parts, and to enter by the Way of
Lancashire
; and to coast it along the West and North-west Sides of the Country, up to the River
Tees,
and the Southern Side of the Bishoprick of
Durham
; and from thence strike down South into the Centre of the County, and so take a Trip East into the Heart of the
North-riding,
to see the Towns that lie that Way; and then return West into
York,
and passing thence South-east, take in such Towns as stand on the East-side of the
West-riding,
till I arrive at the Fall of the
Trent
into the
Humber
; and crossing that River, view the Towns in the
East-riding
; and lastly, follow the Sea-coast all the Way up into
Durham,
which will complete my Tour through the whole County.
I am, Sir, Yours, &c.
LETTER III. CONTAINING A Description of Part of the
West-riding
of
Yorkshire,
and of all the
North
and
East-ridings,
the Bishoprick of
Durham,
and the County of
Northumberland.
SIR,
A Ccording to what I proposed in my last, I am now going to enter the
West-riding
of
Yorkshire,
from the East-side of
Lancashire.
I must premise to you, that all this Part of the County is so considerable for its Trade, that the Post-master General has thought fit to establish a Cross-post through all the Western Part of
England
into it, to maintain the Correspondence of Merchants and Men of Business, of which all this Side of the Island is full. This is a Confirmation of what I have so often repeated, of the Greatness of the Trade carried on in this Part of the Island. This Cross-post begins at
Plymouth,
in the South-west Part of
England,
and leaving the great Western Post-road of
Excester
behind, comes away North to
Taunton, Bridgwater,
and
Bristol
; from thence goes on thro' all the great Cities and Towns up the
Severn,
such as
Gloucester, Worcester, Bridgenorth,
and
Shrewsbury,
thence by
West Chester
to
Liverpool
and
Warrington,
from whence it turns away East, and passes to
Manchester, Bury, Rochdale, Halifax, Leeds,
and
York,
and ends at
Hull.
By this Means the Merchants at
Hull
have immediate Advice of their Ships which go out of the Chanel, and come in, by their Letters from
Plymouth,
as readily as the Merchants of
London,
and without the double Charge of Postage. The Shopkeepers and Manufacturers can correspond with their Dealers at
Manchester, Liverpool,
and
Bristol,
nay, even with
Ireland
directly, without the tedious Interruption of sending their Letters about by
London.
I followed this Post-road from
Liverpool
to
Bury,
both manufacturing Towns in
Lancashire,
and the last very considerable for a Sort of coarse Goods, called
Half-thicks
and
Kersies.
The Market for them is very great, tho' the Town is situated so remote, so out of the way, and at the very Foot of the Mountains, that it would otherwise be but little frequented.
Rochdale,
farther on in our Way to
Black-stone Edge,
is a good Market-town, and is of late very much improved in the Woollen Manufacture, as are also the Villages in its Neighbourhood.
Here, for our great Encouragement, tho' it was but about the Middle of
August,
and in some Places the Harvest hardly got in, we saw the Mountains covered with Snow, and felt the Cold very acute and piercing; but we found, as in all those Northern Countries, the People had a happy Way of mixing the Warm and the Cold together; for the Store of good Ale, which flows plentifully in the most mountainous Part of this Country, seems abundantly to make up for all the Inclemencies of the Season, or Difficulties of Travelling, adding also the Plenty of Coals for Firing, of which all those Hills are full.
We mounted the Hills, fortified with a little of this Precaution, early in the Morning; and tho' the Snow, which had fallen in the Night, lay a little upon the Ground, yet we thought it was not much; and the Morning being calm and clear, we had no Apprehension of an uneasy Passage, neither did the People at
Rochdale,
who kindly directed us the Way, and even offered to guide us over the first Mountains, apprehend any Difficulty for us; so we complimented ourselves out of their Assistance, which we afterwards very much wanted.
For tho' the Sun shone when we came out of the Town of
Rochdale,
yet when we began to mount the Hills about a Mile from it, we found the Wind rise, and the higher we went, the more it increased upon us; by which I soon perceived, that it had blown before, and perhaps all Night, upon the Hills, though it was calm below. And so we were obliged, in a most discouraging manner, to travel thro' trackless Drifts of Snow, and it continuing snowing too in our Faces, over
Blackstone Edge,
we knew not whether we were wrong or right, till we perceived some Land-marks, that the honest
Rochdale
Men had told us of, which gave us great Comfort.
But after we had passed this dismal
Edge,
it was our constant Labour, as soon as we were at the Top of a Hill, to come down it again on the other Side, and then another Hill arose. I do not remember, that there was one Bottom, that had any considerable Breadth of plain Ground in it, but always a Brook in the Valley running from those Gulls and Deeps between the Hills; and it was observable, that they always cross'd our Way in the Bottoms from the Right-hand to the Left, the Reason of which you shall see presently.
From
Blackstone Edge
to
Halifax
is eight Miles, and all the Way, except from
Sorby
to
Halifax,
is thus up Hill and down; so that, I suppose, we mounted to the Clouds, and descended to the Water-level, about eight times, in that little Part of the Journey.
But now I must observe to you, that after we had passed the second Hill, and come down into the Valley again, and so still the nearer we came to
Halifax,
we found the Houses thicker, and the Villages greater, in every Bottom; and not only so, but the Sides of the Hills, which were very steep every way, were spread with Houses; for the Land being divided into small Inclosures, from two Acres to six or seven each, seldom more, every three or four Pieces of Land had a House belonging to them.
In short, after we had mounted the third Hill, we found the Country one continued Village, tho' every way mountainous, hardly a House standing out of a Speaking-distance from another; and as the Day cleared up, we could see at every House a Tenter, and on almost every Tenter a Piece of Cloth, Kersie, or Shalloon, which are the three Articles of this Country's Labour.
In the Course of our Road among the Houses, we found at every one of them a little Rill or Gutter of running Water; if the House was above the Road, it came from it, and crossed the Way to run to another; if the House was below us, it crossed
from some other distant House above it; and at every considerable House was a Manufactory, which not being able to be carried on without Water, these little Streams were so parted and guided by Gutters or Pipes, that not one of the Houses wanted its necessary Appendage of a Rivulet.
Again, as the Dying-houses, Scouring-shops, and Places where they use this Water, emit it ting'd with the Drugs of the Dying-vat, and with the Oil, the Soap, the Tallow, and other Ingredients used by the Clothiers in Dressing and Scouring,
&c.
the Lands thro' which it passes, which otherwise would be exceeding barren, are enrich'd by it to a Degree beyond Imagination.
Then, as every Clothier must necessarily keep one Horse, at least, to fetch home his Wooll and his Provisions from the Market, to carry his Yarn to the Spinners, his Manufacture to the Fulling-mill, and, when finished, to the Market to be sold, and the like; so every one generally keeps a Cow or two for his Family. By this means, the small Pieces of inclosed Land about each House are occupied; and by being thus fed, are still farther improved from the Dung of the Cattle. As for Corn, they scarce sow enough to feed their Cocks and Hens.
Such, it seems, has been the Bounty of Nature to this Country, that two Things essential to Life, and more particularly to the Business followed here, are found in it, and in such a Situation, as is not to be met with in any Part of
England,
if in the World beside: I mean, Coals and running Water on the Tops of the highest Hills. I doubt not but there are both Springs and Coals lower in these Hills; but were they to fetch them thence, 'tis probable the Pits would be too full of Water: 'tis easy, however, to fetch them from the upper Pits, the Horses going light up, and coming down loaden. This Place then seems to have been designed by Providence for the very Purposes to which it is now allotted, for carrying on a Manufacture, which can no-where be so easily supplied with the Conveniencies necessary for it. Nor is the Industry of the People wanting to second these Advantages. Tho' we met few People without Doors, yet within we saw the Houses full of lusty Fellows, some at the Dye-vat, some at the Loom, others dressing the Cloths; the Women and Children carding, or spinning; all imployed from the youngest to the oldest, scarce any thing above four Years old, but its Hands were sufficient for its own Support. Not a Beggar to be seen, not an idle Person, except here and there in an Alms-house, built for those that are antient and past working. The People in general live long; they enjoy a good Air, and under such Circumstances hard Labour is naturally attended with the Blessing of Health, if not Riches.
From this Account, you'll easily imagine, that some of these remote Parts of the North are the most populous Places of
Great Britain, London
and its Neighbourhood excepted.
We have all this while been in the Parish of
Halifax,
and before I come to the Town, I must add a Word or two of the River
Calder,
to complete the Description of the Country I passed through. As I said before, that all the Rills of Water which we crossed, one at least in every Bottom, went away to the Left or North Side of us, as we went Eastward, I am to add, that following those little Brooks with our Eye, we could observe, that at some Distance to the Left there appeared a larger Valley than the rest, into which not only all the Brooks which we passed emptied themselves, but abundance more from the hollow deep Bottoms among the Hills on the North-side beyond it, which emptied this way South, as those on our Side run that way North. And at the next Village, called
Sorby,
or
Sowerby,
we passed a considerable River (form'd from those Brooks, and the melted Snows) over a stately Stone Bridge of several great Arches. And this was the main River
Calder,
which I mentioned at
Wakefield,
where it begins to be navigable, and which, without any Spring, may be called the Head of it.
The same Observation will hold on most of the great Rivers in the North; there being hardly any that have their Beginning in any publick Springs or Lakes, as the Rivers in the South of
England
generally have; which is the Case particularly of the
Derwent
and the
Don
from the
High Peak,
and the Hills of the same Range more South of the
Edge
; of the
Aire,
the
Wherfe,
the
Swale,
the
Eure,
the
Nyd,
the
Tees,
and the
Were,
all in the same County of
York
; and the
Tyne,
the
Cockett,
the
Till,
and the
Tweed,
farther North; and even the
Forth,
the
Tay,
the
Clyde,
the
Nyd,
in
Scotland
; and the
Mersee,
the
Ribble,
the
Rocke,
and the
Lune,
the West
Calder,
the
Lowther,
and the
Eden,
on the other Side of these Mountains, in
Lancashire, Westmorland,
and
Cumberland.
Having thus accounted for them all at once, I shall only mention them now as they come in my way; for you will observe, I crossed one or other of them at every considerable Town, all the Rivers as well in
England
as in
Scotland,
North of this Place, running from the middle of the Country where these Mountains rise, either East into the
German,
or West into the
Irish
Sea. None of them run like the
Severn,
or the
Wye,
or the Rivers in South
Wales,
or the
Exe
in
Devon,
or the
Avon
in
Wilts,
or the
Arun
in
Sussex,
and others North and South. But I return to my Journey.
Having passed the
Calder
at
Sorby Bridge,
I now came to the Town of
Halifax,
the most populous Parish or Vicarage in
England
; for it is but one, though 12 Miles in Diameter; but it has 12 or 13 Chapels of Ease, besides about 16 Meeting-houses, which they call also Chapels, being conformable in Fashion to them, having Bells and Burying-ground to most of them, not reckoning those of the
Quakers
into the Number.
In the Year 1443, there were but 30 Houses in it; but in the next Century it was much increased: for History tells us, that Queen
Elizabeth
being petition'd by the Inhabitants of
Halifax,
to grant them some Privileges, they set forth, as an Instance of their Loyalty, that no less than 12000 young Men went out armed from this one Parish, and, at her Majesty's Call, joined her Troops to fight the Popish Army, then in Rebellion under the Earl of
Westmorland.
If they then were so populous, what must they be now their Trade is so vastly inlarged by the great Demand of Kerseys for cloathing the Armies abroad? Some maintain, that it is increased a fourth at least within these 50 Years; from their having entred upon a Manufacture of Shalloons, which were never made in these Parts before, at least, not in any Quantities; and 'tis computed, that 100,000 Pieces are work'd up in this Parish only; and yet they do not make much fewer Kerseys than they did before; for I was assured, that there was one Dealer in the Vicarage, who traded, by Commission, for 60000
l.
a Year in Kerseys only, to
Holland
and
Hamburgh.
And of late Years it is still more increased, by the People of a neighbouring Part driving away about 4000
Irish
Manufacturers, who with about 2000 others accompanying them, settled there. As the Vicarage is thus far extended, and so populous, what must the Market be which supplies this vast Number of Inhabitants? And yet these are all brought from other Parts of the Country. For as to Corn, they sow little, and they feed very few Oxen or Sheep; and as they are surrounded with large manufacturing Towns on every Side, all of them imployed, like themselves, in the Clothing Trade, they must necessarily have their Provisions from other more distant Parts.
The Consequence then is plain; their Corn comes up in great Quantities out of
Lincoln,
and
Nottinghamshire,
and the
East-riding
; the Black Cattle from thence, and from
Lancashire
; Sheep and Mutton from the adjacent Counties every way; Butter from the
East
and
North-ridings
; and Cheese out of
Cheshire
and
Warwickshire.
The Markets in the Months of
September
and
October
are prodigiously thronged, that being the Time when the Clothiers buy up as many Oxen as will serve their Family for the whole Year, which they used to drive Home, kill, salt, and hang up in the Smoke to dry. This was heretofore their common Diet, but now they live more upon fresh Meats.
Thus one trading manufacturing Part of the Country in a barren Soil, gives and receives Support from all the Countries round it.
There is nothing extraordinary in the Town itself; but the Multitude of People who resort to it on a Market-day, as well to sell their Manufactures, as to buy Provisions, is prodigious: in this respect no Places equal it in all the North Part of
England,
except
Leeds
and
Wakefield.
The Church is old, but stately and venerable, and has in it many extraordinary Monuments, but most of them of great Antiquity. Here is a very good Hospital, and a Work-house of an antient Establishment; and there are several Charities of like Sort, in different Parts of the Parish.
Halifax
gave Birth to
John
of
Halifax,
or
de Sacro Bosco,
the chief Mathematician of his Age, who was buried at the publick Expence of the University of
Paris
; and to the late Archbishop
Tillotson,
the Model of true rational Preaching; tho' a new Sect, lately sprung up, called
Methodists,
with great Pretences to
Meekness,
and intolerable
Conceit
and
Vanity,
at present seek publickly to depreciate the Memory and Works of that truly great Man.
The Course of Justice antiently made use of here to prevent the stealing of Cloth, is very remarkable. Modern Authors pretend to say it was for all Sorts of Felons; but I am well assured, it was first erected purely, or at least principally, for such Thieves as were detected in stealing Cloth from the Tenters: and it seems very reasonable to think it was so, because of the Conditions of the Trial. The following is a brief Account of it:
The Woollen Manufacture was erected here about the Year 1480, when King
Henry
VII. caused an Act to pass prohibiting the Exportation of unwrought Wooll, and to encourage foreign Manufacturers to settle in
England
; several of whom coming over, established different Manufactures of Cloths in different Parts of the Kingdom, as that of Bays at
Colchester.
Says at
Sudbury,
Broad-cloth in
Wilts,
and other Counties; and the Trade of Kerseys and narrow Cloth at this Place, and other adjacent Towns. And as, at the Time when this Trade began, nothing was more frequent than for young Workmen to leave their Cloths out all Night upon Tenters, which gave an Opportunity for the idle Fellows to steal them, a severe Law was made against stealing Cloth, which gave the Power of Life and Death into the Hands of the Magistrates of
Halifax.
But this Law was extended to no other Crime; and the Conditions of it, as I have said, intimate as much: for the Power was not given to the Magistrates to give Sentence, unless in one of these three plain Cases:
1.
Hand Napping,
that is, when the Criminal was taken in the very Fact.
2.
Back Bearing,
that is, when the Cloth was found upon him.
3.
Tongue Confessing,
which needs no Explanation.
The Fact likewise was to be committed within the Liberties or Precincts of the Forest of
Hardwick
; and the Value of the Goods stolen was to be above thirteen Pence Halfpeny.
When the Criminal was taken, he was brought before the Magistrates of the Town, and they judged, sentenced, and executed the Offender, or cleared him, within so many Days; I think it was three Market Days. If the Offence was committed out of the Vicarage, but within the Bounds of the Forest, then there were
Frith Bourgers
also to judge of the Fact, who were to be summoned out of the
Forest Holders,
as they are called, who were to hold of that Frith, that is, of the Forest. If they acquitted him of the Fact, he was immediately discharged; if they condemned him, nobody could reprieve him but the Town. The Country People were, it seems, so terrified at the Severity of this Proceeding, that hence came that Proverbial Litany, which was used all over
Yorkshire:
From
Hell, Hull,
and
Halifax,
Good Lord, deliver us.
Hull
was included in this Petition, on account of their rigid Discipline to Beggars; for they whipt out the foreign Poor, and set their own to work.
The Manner of Execution was very remarkable, by an Ax drawn up by a Pulley, and fastened with a Pin to the Side of a Wooden Engine, which when pulled out, the Axe fell swiftly down, and did its Office.
The Engine is now gone, but the Basis on which it stood still remains, being a square Foundation of Stone, to which you go up by Steps. The Engine was removed, as we were told, in the Year 1620, during the Reign of K.
James
I.
In the Reign of the same Prince, the Earl of
Morton,
Regent of
Scotland,
passing thro'
Halifax,
and seeing one of these Executions, caused a Model to be taken, and carried into his own Country, where it is made use of at this Day. But his Lordship's own Head was the first that was cut off with it; and it being many Years before that happened, the Engine got the Name of the
Maiden,
before it was handselled by the Execution of the Earl; and this it retains, tho' it has cut off many a Head since.
The Ways to
Halifax
used to be exceedingly bad, and, except at the West Entrance, almost inaccessible; but of late Years they have been much mended; and several Acts of Parliament have passed very lately, which will greatly increase the Conveniences of the People thereabouts, as well as improve its Commerce and Communication all around it, to
Lancaster,
as well as to
Leeds, Doncaster,
and all the great trading Towns, even to the City of
York
itself.
Due East from
Halifax,
is
Kirkley,
a small Village, situated on the
Calder,
near which is the Monument of the famous
Robin Hood
; and upon the Moor, his
Butts,
Two little Hills, so called, about a Quarter of a Mile asunder. I have now traced this Hero from the Forest of
Shirwood,
the Scene of his Exploits, to his Grave. I before doubted whether there ever was such an one; but Epitaphs, as great Liars as they are, I suppose, are Evidence that such a Man once existed. His is as follows:
Here undernead dislaid Stean
Lais
Robert
Earl of
Huntingtun.
Nea areir ver az hie sa geud,
An Pipl kauld im
Robin Heud:
Lick Utlawz hi an is Men
Vil
England
niver see agen.
Near this Place is a little Town, called
Burstall,
where they make Broad Cloth, so called in Distinction from Kerseys and Druggets, and the like, tho' the Cloths in this Country are called Narrow, when they are spoken of in
London,
and compared with the Broad Cloths made in
Wilts, Gloucester, Somerset,
and
Devonshire.
This Town is famed for Dying, and there are made here a sort of Cloth in Imitation of
Gloucester Whites,
which, tho' they may not be so fine, yet their Colours are as good.
From hence to
Leeds,
and every way round, the Country appears exceedingly busy and diligent. The Houses are not scatter'd and dispersed, as in the Parish of
Halifax,
but crouded up in large Villages, and thronged with People.
A few Miles South-west of
Halifax
is
Huthersfield,
upon the
Calder,
which is the first noted Town it comes to. This Town is one of the Five, where that vast Clothing-trade, which I have already mentioned, is carried on. They have a Market here for Kerseys every
Tuesday.
While I am speaking of their Manufactures, I must not forget that very essential one, called
Yorkshire Ale,
which indeed is in its Perfection in all this Part of the County. But I cannot pass over
Huthersfield
without taking notice of its old Neighbour,
Almondbury,
a famous Town in the Time of the
Romans,
and called
Campodunum
; but 'tis now a Village only. Mr.
Camden
calls it a Royal Town; and says, it had a Cathedral Church in it, dedicated to St.
Alban,
from whom it was called
Albanbury,
whence its present Name. The Ruins of a Stone Castle and Rampire are still to be seen near it.
The River
Calder
having been made navigable to
Wakefield,
and great Benefit arising from it, it is now [
Ann.
1741.] about to be made further navigable, to the Towns of
Ealand
and
Halifax
; which will be of inexpressible Service to those populous and improving Places, and all the Villages and Towns adjacent. And as there have just passed new Acts to mend the Road from
Selby
to
Leeds, Bradford,
and
Halifax,
and from
Ealand
to
Leeds,
which have been torn in Pieces by the heavy Carriages passing to and fro in the carrying on the vast extended Trade of those Parts; 'tis hardly to be conceived what Benefit will accrue from these publick Works.
The first Town we came to from
Halifax,
was
Bradford.
It has a Market; but is of no other Note than having given Birth to Dr.
Sharp,
the good Archbishop of
York.
We soon enter'd
Craven,
which is a very hilly and craggy Country, as the Name signifies; for
Craven
comes from the
British
Word
Craig,
a Rock. But, however unpleasant,
We proceeded farther North-west, and arrived at
Skipton,
a good well-built Town, encompassed with Hills on every Side. The Market is well frequented and supplied. Here is a large handsome Church, and a good Grammar School; to which one Mr.
Petyt,
who had been principal of
Bernard
's-
Inn, London,
gave a considerable Parcel of Books, and likewise erected a good Library in the Church. We were agreeably surprised to find so handsome a Town, and such good Accommodations in so mountainous a Country.
This is a healthy Country however, and the Inhabitants live to a great Age: a Father and Son giving Evidence at the Assizes at
York,
it appeared the first was 140, and the Son 100 Years old.
Here the Road turns almost due West, which brought us to a Town called
Settle,
a much better Town than we expected in such a Country. It lies on the Road to
Lancaster,
at the Foot of the Mountains which part that County from
Yorkshire,
upon the River
Ribble.
And a little lower, upon the same River, upon the Borders of
Lancashire,
stands
Gisborne,
but has nothing remarkable in it.
Looking forwards, to the North-west of us, we saw nothing but high Mountains, which had a terrible Aspect, and more frightful than any in
Monmouthshire
or
Derbyshire,
especially
Pingent Hill,
which
Camden
derives from the
British
Word
Pengwin,
i. e.
White-head,
from the Snow lying upon it: so that having no manner of Inclination to encounter them, merely for the sake of seeing only a few Villages, and a Parcel of wild People, we turned short North-east, and came to the great Road leading Northward to
Richmond,
at a Village called
Brumstal,
noted for the Birth of Sir
William Craven,
an Alderman of
London,
who was a great Founder and Builder of Churches, Bridges, Causways, and other publick Edifices in this Country.
Having passed thro' some other inconsiderable Villages, we enter'd
Midlam,
a little Market-town on the River
Youre,
and the North-riding of
Yorkshire
together, and so leaving
Masham,
another inconsiderable Market-town, which lay upon the same River, to the South-east of us, we passed along to
Bedal,
which is likewise of no great Note, saving that the Living is worth 500
l.
a Year, and that we met here again the
Roman
Causway, which leads up through
Richmond
to
Barnards Castle,
in the Bishoprick of
Durham,
and is called
Leeming-lane
for 20 Miles together. We put ourselves upon this Way, and were not long before we arrived at
Richmond.
Tho' I met with nothing else within the Town of
Bedal
worth observing, yet the Country round it, as indeed the whole County, is more or less full of Jockies, and Dealers in Horses; and the Breed in this, and the next County, is so well known, that tho' the Pedigree of them is not preserved for a Succession of Ages, as 'tis said they do in
Arabia,
yet are their Stallions denominated by certain Names, that never fail to advance the Price of a Horse according to the Reputation of the Sire he comes of.
And indeed, let Foreigners boast what they will of
Barbs
and
Turkish
Horses, or of the
Spanish
Jennets from
Cordoua,
for which 500
l.
apiece have been given, I believe that some of the Gallopers of this County, and of the Bishoprick of
Durham,
which joins to it, will out-do, for Speed and Strength, the swiftest Horse that was ever bred in
Turkey
or
Barbary,
take both Advantages together. For tho' the
Barb
may beat
Yorkshire
for a Mile Course,
Yorkshire
shall distance him at the End of the Four Miles; the
Barb
shall carry the Day with Seven and a half, but
Yorkshire
with 12 and 14 Stone. In a word,
Yorkshire
shall carry the Man, and the
Barb
a Feather. But they are universally allowed to be the best Hunting and Road Horses in the World; and are bought up by Foreigners on that Account.
As this Part of the Country is so much imployed in Horses, the young Fellows are bred up in the Stable, and make excellent Grooms.
Besides their Fame for Horses, they have the Reputation also of being good Grafiers over this whole Country, and produce a large, noble Breed of Oxen, as may be seen at
North Allerton
Fairs, where incredible Numbers of them are bought Eight times every Year, and brought Southward as far as the Fens in
Lincolnshire,
and the
Isle of Ely,
where they are fed up to the Grossness of Fat we see in
London
Markets. The Market these North Country Cattle are generally brought to, is at
St. Ives,
a Town between
Huntingdon
and
Cambridge,
upon the River
Ouse.
Richmond
is so called from its Situation upon a Hill or Mount, fruitful, tho' the Country about it is rocky and barren; and it gives the Name of
Richmondshire
to the District it is in, as another, East of this, is called
Allertonshire:
the former is in the Diocese of
Chester,
and the latter in that of
Durham.
This Town, in the Time of
Richard
II. was annexed to the Duchy of
Lancaster,
and so still continues. Earl
Edwin
built a Castle here, the Tower o
which is still standing; as is also the Steeple of the old Priory. It is a Borough governed by a Mayor,
&c.
and holds Pleas in all kinds of Action; has a good Market-place, and Three Gates, which lead to Three different Suburbs. It is well built all of Stone, and some Houses of Free-stone.
We were told, That in the Year 1732, Mr.
Wharton
of
Newcastle,
Agent to his Grace the Duke of
Richmond,
by ordering several Places here to be dug very deep, discovered the Draw-bridge and Moat belonging to
Richmond
Castle, which were of very curious Workmanship.
Here thrives a kind of Manufactory of knit Yarn Stockens for Servants, and ordinary People. Every Family is imployed that way, both great and small; and here you may buy the smallest sized Stockens for Children for 1
s.
6
d.
the Dozen Pair, sometimes less.
This Trade extends itself also into
Westmorland,
or rather from
Westmorland
hither: for at
Kendal, Kirkby-Stephen,
and such other Places in this County as border upon
Yorkshire,
the chief Manufacture of Yarn Stockens is carried on, which is indeed a very considerable one, and of late greatly increased.
We made some Excursions from this Town into the Country round it, and followed the River
Swal
West, which runs under the Wall of the Castle of
Richmond,
and, by reason of Rocks, which intercept its Passage, forms here a natural Cataract. This River, tho' not extraordinary large, is noted for giving Name to the Lands which it runs through for some Length, called
Swale Dale,
and to an antient Family of that Name; the last of whom was Sir
Solomon Swale,
Bart. who wrote himself of
Swale Hall,
in
Swale Dale,
by the River
Swale.
This Gentleman became unfortunate, and was supplanted by a Person not long since dead, who was a Clerk in the Exchequer Office; and observing this Family held their Estate of the Crown, and that they had omitted to renew for many Years, procured a Grant from the Crown, of this Estate for himself. A great many Law-suits ensued; but to no other Effect than to increase the Misfortunes of this Gentleman, who died a Prisoner in the Fleet, but, I think, not till his Adversary had first made away with himself.
Swale Dale
is a low, pleasant, and rich Valley, abounding with Grass, but very bare of Wood; tho' here is a Place just by, called
Swale Dale Forest:
it might have been so antiently, but there are hardly Trees enough in it now to denominate it a Forest.
Not
ar from this Forest lies
Wensdale,
a very rich and fruitful Valley, well covered with delicate green Grass, and stocked with vast Herds of Cattle; and, in some Places, produces Lead Ore. The
Eure
runs thro' the Midst of it, and rises in th
Western Mountains, very near the S
rce of the
Swale,
which, as it were, leaps into it from a Precipice at
Myton.
Both these Rivers are plentifully stocked with Fish, and
Eure
has Cra
sh in it.
But let me stop in this
ce, to take Notice of one of the greatest Ra
es that
England
ever produced; I mean
Henry Jenkins,
whose remarkable great Age deserves our particular Notice: He was born in the Year 1500, and died in 1670, being then 169 Years of Age. There are no Registers of so long a Date, and therefore his Age must be guessed at by other Circumstances, either from his own Account, or the probable Evidences of others. Which are these:
First,
Being demanded by a Gentlewoman, who was curious to know, as exactly as possible how old he was, What Kings he remembred; he answered, after a little Pause,
"That he thought himself about 162 or 163 Years old; and that he could remember
Plowden
(meaning
Floddon
)
Field,
fought against the
Scots,
in King
Henry
VIII.'s Reign."
She then ask'd him:
"Was the King himself there?"
He replied,
"No; he was in
France,
and the Earl of
Surrey
was General."
She asked him then,
"How old he was then?"
He said,
"About 12 Years old."
That Battle was fought
September
9. 1513; King
Henry
being then at
Tournay.
Secondly,
There were Four or Five of the same Parish, at that time, of an 100 Years old or very near it, who all declared, That they never knew him any other than an elderly Man; and that he told them he was Butler to the Lord
Coniers.
The last of that Name died without Issue 3
&
4
Philip
and
Mary
I.
An. Dom.
1557. And he remembred the Abbot of
Fountains,
before the Dissolution in King
Henry
VIII.'s Time.
Thirdly,
He went often to the Assizes on Foot; and was used as a Witness in other Courts, whose Records speak largely of his Age. In the
Chancery
he was sworn, to the Remembrance of above 140 Years; and as much, often, at
York
Assizes. In the King's
Remembrancer's Office
in the
Exchequer,
a Record saith,
"That
Henry Jenkins,
Labourer, aged 157 Years, deposed, as a Witness, in 1665; and, to confirm his Age, divers antient Men, who were Witnesses, swore that he was a very old Man when they first knew him."
He was, for the last Century of his Life, a Fisherman, and used to wade and swim in the Rivers even after he was an hundred Years old, and lived upon very coarse Diet. In some of his last Years, being unable to work at his Trade, he went a begging to Gentlemens Houses, who used to relieve him chearfully, as a great Curiosity. And his great Age was the more to be credited, because he could neither write nor read: and so, what he reported, was from Strength of Memory Two Years before his Death, he was able to bind Sheaves after the Reapers, and had his Sight and Hearing to the last.
The next Excursion we made was up to the Banks of the
Tees,
thro'
Gilling, Eggleston,
and
Bowes,
now ordinary Towns, or rather Villages; tho' the first had, formerly, a great Castle; which, in the
Conqueror
's Time, and long afterwards, was the Seat of the Lords of that Country; whereas
Richmond,
which has since rose out of the Ruins of
Gilling,
was but a Fort, and in Subordination to it.
Eggleston
is famous for Marble, which they dig out of the Rocks there, and imploys a great many Hands.
Bowes
stands upon the Military
Roman
Way, and has been therefore, undoubtedly, a Place of great Note.
In this Part of
Richmondshire,
and up Northward, are no less than Three Forests, viz.
Applegarth
Forest,
New
Forest, and
Lune
Forest; and all these within a Tract of Ground of no great Extent. Not far off is, besides, the Forest of
Swale Dale,
before-mentioned.
The
Tees
is famous for Salmon, and is a rapid River, and sometimes swells up so suddenly, that a Man, in passing the Ford, in the Road to
Darlington,
on Foot, whilst the Water was low, and hardly up to his Knees, was overtaken, as he was going over, by a sudden Swell of the Stream, and carried off and drown'd. The People this way talk much of an antient City they had formerly hereabout. The Antiquaries agree, there was one called by the
Romans, Cataractonium,
but differ as to its Situation; but, I think, Mr.
Salmon
has placed it most probably upon the Confluences of the
Tees
and
Greta,
at a Place called
Merton
; where indeed the Remains of it are very visible; and also about
Gretabridge,
which is just by it.
We crossed the River, and entered
Bernard's-castle,
which lies on the North Side of it, and consequently within the Bishoprick of
Durham.
It was built by the Grandfather of
Baliol,
King of
Scotland,
and is an antient well-built Town, but not large. Here they have an excellent Art of dressing their Hides into Leather, out of which they make the best Bridles, Reins, and Belts; as at
Rippon
they were wont to furnish you with the best Spurs and Stirrups.
The Manufacture for Stockens continues thus far, and flourishes here and at
Marwood,
and other little Villages on the Borders of
Durham
; but the Jockey-trade extends much farther.
Between this Part of the Bishoprick where this Town stands, on the East, and
Lancaster
on the West, a mountainous Tract of
Yorkshire
runs, like a Promontory, up Northward a great way, Hill upon upon Hill, Cliffs, Rocks, and terrible Precipices, most astonishing to behold. This rugged Part of the Country is called
Stanmore Hills,
which are desolate and solitary, excepting one Inn, for the Entertainment of such as may be hardy enough to go among them. As for us, we did not think it worth our while. But here are, it seems, abundance of the Frolicks of Nature in Stone, which exactly resemble Serpents, and other various Forms.
The West Side of the Bishoprick being very mountainous too, and corresponding with that of
Stanmore,
we turned North-east, to visit a little Market-town, but a little way off, called
Stainthorp
; but being of no other Note than having a stately Tomb in the Church to the Memory of one of the
Nevils,
and his two Wives, we passed on to
Raby
Castle, which stands just by it, the antient Seat of that Family; but now of the Lord
Vane.
But it has nothing remarkable in it.
We came next to
Piers-bridge,
to which the
Roman
Causway leads, or, as they call it,
Leeming-lane.
Here have been many remarkable Remains of Antiquity dug up, and particularly an old Altarpiece. We thought to have returned by this Bridge into
Yorkshire
; but were desirous to take in
Darlington
first, and pass over the
Tees
there.
Darlington
is remarkable for its dirty Situation; for a beautiful Church, with a high Spire rising up from the Midst of it; and for a good long Stone Bridge, over very little or no Water. It is a large considerable Market-town of great Resort, and well supplied. The Market-place is large and convenient. It is noted for the Linen Manufacture, as the Water of the
Skern,
on which it is situated, is exceeding good for Bleeching, insomuch that Linen has been sent hither from
Scotland,
to bleech; but it particularly excels in Huggabags of Ten Quarters wide, which are made no-where else in
England
; and of which, as well as other Linen-cloth, it sends up large Quantities to
London.
A greater Rarity, I may mention in this Town, was our Landlord, at the
Fleece
Inn, by Name
Henry Lovell,
who died in
May
1739, in the 93d Year of his Age, and had kept this Inn ever since 1688. He was never known to have one Hour's Sickness, nor even the Head-ach, tho' a free Toper of Ale, sometimes for Days and Nights successively, but had an Aversion to Drams of all kinds, retained his Hearing, Sight and Memory, to his last Moments. He never made use of Spectacles, nor ever lost a Tooth. He was esteemed in his Life, and lamented at his Death, being of a humane Temper, and had the Deportment of a Gentleman.
At
Oxehall,
near this Town, we saw the famous
Hell Kettles
; which are Three deep Pits full of Water; which have occasioned many fabulous Stories among the Country-people, and divers Conjectures among the Learned; but they seem to be nothing else but old Coal pits (and yet there is no Coal near them now) filled by the Water of the
Tees,
thro' some subterraneous Passage, as 'tis said, Bishop
Tunstal
experienced, by marking a Goose, and putting her into one of the Pits; which he found next Day in the
Tees.
Others say, they were occasioned by an Earthquake, which is recorded in the Chronicle of
Tinmouth
for the Year 1179, when the Earthquake happened.
We passed on East, and came to
Yarum
Bridge, where we re-crossed the
Tees.
It is a very good and well-built Bridge. The Town is incorporated, and but small, lying near the Influx of the little River
Levan
into the
Tees.
It has seen much better Days; but, however, of late Years, it is a little recovered, and carries a pretty Trade, by Water, for Lead, Corn, and Butter, with
London.
Stokesby
is also but a small Market-town, and stands near the Source of the same River, a few Miles East of
Yarum,
inland; which lies in a little Tract of rich and fruitful Ground, called
Allertonshire,
and water'd by the River
Wysk.
It is a corporate Town, consisting of one Street, about half a Mile long, well-built, with a very good Market; and is noted for having the greatest Beast-fair in
England.
Here was a bloody Battle fought, in King
Stephen
's Time, between
David
King of
Scotland
and Archbishop
Tunstall,
who was Lieutenant in these Parts for King
Stephen,
which was called
the Battle of the Standard
; which, it seems, never used to be erected but when the Kingdom was in imminent danger. The Bishop prevailed, and routed the
Scots,
tho'
Henry,
King
David
's Son, kept the Field of Battle with a Band of hardy Soldiers, after the Bulk of the Army was fled, with their King after them; and fought valiantly, till he was overpower'd, and oblig'd to follow his Father.
From hence we advanced still South, and passed thro'
Thirsk,
a corporate Town, which has but an ordinary Market, to
Aldborough
and
Borough-brigg,
which lie within Three Miles of
Rippon
upon the River
Eure.
These are Two Borough Towns, each sending Two Members to Parliament, which is a Circumstance peculiar to this Place, and to
Weymouth
and
Melcomb
in
Dorsetshire.
Borough-brigg,
or
Bridge,
seems to be the modern Town risen up out of
Aldborough,
the very Names importing as much, the one being
Borough at the Bridge,
and the other
Old Borough,
that was before it. All the Antiquaries are agreed in this, who place on the Side of
Aldborough,
or
Old Borough,
an antient City, and
Roman
Colony, called
Isurium Brigantium.
At present there are not so much as the Ruins of a City to be seen above Ground. But the Coins, Urns, Vaults, Pavements, and the like, frequently dug up there, give Evidence to the Thing; and some of them are so very remarkable, that I cannot chuse to refer you to Mr.
Camden,
and his Continuator, for farther Satisfaction: only adding to what they have observed, that a curious Piece of Antiquity was discover'd a few Years ago; which is a Mosaick Pavement of singular Form and Beauty, brought to light on digging the Foundation of a House, and which is now about Two Feet from the Level of the Street.
At the Door of the College is another tesselated Pavement of a different Form from the other, and tho' not above Three Yards from it, it is a Foot nearer the Surface of the Street. The former is composed of white and black Squares, with a Border of red; but the Stones of this are lesser Squares, and are white, yellow, red, and blue.
Not long since more Pavements of this kind were discover'd on an Eminence called
Borough-hill
; as also the Foundations of a considerable Building; two Bases of Pillars of some regular Order; large Stones of the grit Kind, with Joints for Cramping; sacrificing Vessels; Flews for Conveyance of Smoke, or warm Air; Bones and Horns of Beasts, mostly Stags; an Ivory Needle; and a Copper
Roman Stylus:
from all which it may reasonably be supposed, that a Temple formerly stood in this Place. I had not so much Curiosity as to go to see the Three great pyramidal Stones in the Fields on the Left-hand, as you go thro'
Borough-bridge,
which the Country People, being unable to comprehend how they came there, will have to be brought by the Devil, and so call them
The Devil's Arrows.
Mr.
Camden
describes them, as also does Mr.
Drake
in his
History of the Antiquities of
York, to whom therefore I refer.
Borough-bridge,
the latest built of the two Towns I have mentioned, is undoubtedly very old; for here, in the Barons Wars, was a Battle; and on this Bridge the great
Humphrey de Bohun,
Earl of
Hereford,
was killed by a Soldier, who lay concealed under the Bridge, and wounded him, by thrusting a Spear or Pike, thro' a Chink, into his Body, as he was passing over it. From whence we may conclude, with Mr.
Camden,
that it was a Timber Bridge then, and not built of Stone, as it is now.
At
Borough-brigg
the Battle was fought between King
Edward
II. and his Barons, who were defeated, and after ensued the bloody Execution at
Pontefract,
of the Earl of
Lancaster,
and others of the Barons, as I mentioned when I spoke of
Pontefract.
These Two Borough Towns lying near the Centre of this vast County, and on the Skirts of the North and West Ridings, and there being a great many Towns about the Middle of the first, that we could not more conveniently visit than from hence; we therefore struck away East, and North-east, through the Towns of
Hovingham, Rydell, Hemesley,
and
Kirkby Moore Side
; which is so called because it lies on the Side of
Blackamoore.
But they were far from answering our Trouble of going so far out of the Way, (excepting that
Hemesley
seemed to be tolerably well-built with Stone, and the Houses covered with Slate) the Two first having hardly a Market. But the Situation of
Rydell
is pleasant, being in a fine fruitful Vale, wherein are 23 Parish-churches.
We then turned South-east, and came to
Pickering,
a pretty large well-built Town, which has a well-furnished Market, and belongs to the Duchy of
Lancaster,
having Jurisdiction over several neighbouring Villages, and is called,
The Honour of Pickering.
It has formerly been a fortified Place, as appears by the Ruins of a Castle, which lie upon a Hill.
It is situate on the West Side of a wild hilly Country, and a Forest which is within the Liberty of the Town, and called
Pickering Forest
; which we did not care to traverse over, and so passed South-west down to
Malton
on the
Derwent.
This Town is divided into Two Parts, by the River, which are called
Old
and
New Malton.
The
Old
is the
Camalodunum
of the
Romans,
and was burnt by
Thurstan,
Archbishop of
York,
in King
Stephen
's Cause, against
Eustace,
the Lord of it, who had betray'd Part of this Country into the Hands of the
Scots
; but
Eustace,
being afterwards received into Favour, rebuilt it, and it has been ever since called
New Malton.
Here has been a famous Abbey, and the Church of it is still standing, but very ruinous, tho' the Castle is quite demolished.
This Town is well-built and inhabited, and has Two well-supplied weekly Markets, which are held by Prescription; for it is not incorporated. It is the best Market in the County for Horses, Cattle, and Provisions; and is noted for Utensils in Husbandry. It has likewise Three handsome Parish Churches, and a good Stone Bridge over the
Derwent.
Near this Town is a Well, whose Water is said to have the same Virtue as that of
Scarborough.
We set out from hence, and for some Miles coasted along the Banks of
Derwent
towards
York,
taking
Hinderskell
in our Way, where the late Earl of
Carlisle
built the magnificent Seat of
Castle Howard,
upon the Spot of Ground where the old Castle stood, in the middle of a Wood; but his Lordship died before it was finish'd. I shall mention this again by-and-by.
But I must not omit, that on the South-side of the
Derwent,
we saw
Auldby,
a little Village, where, 'tis said, stood, in the
Roman
Times, a City called
Derventis,
where a Company named
Derventienses
was station'd.
The
Derwent
is a River very full of Water, and overflows its Banks, and all the neighbouring Meadows, always after Rain. It is likewise well-stock'd with Fish, and runs between the East and North Ridings.
We are now entering the great City of
York,
the
Eboracum
of the
Romans,
and of such Account in their Time, that no less than Three Military Ways pass'd thro' it; and it was not only a
Roman
Colony, but the Seat of some of the Emperors, and principal Generals, particularly of
Severus
and
Constantius Chlorus,
the Father of
Constantine the Great.
In our Approach to it we discovered many visible Marks of Antiquity, not reducible to Description; and tho' Time and Misfortunes have so deeply effaced all Traces of its once glorious Splendor, yet some noble Remains of Majesty are still to be seen there, especially as we viewed it from a rising Hill at some small Distance on the
London
Road: nay, after we were within the Walls, and had Leisure to look about, we found ourselves not disappointed in the Idea we had before conceived of it; and every Traveller, who is inquisitive in the Search of Antiquities or Curiosities, will be tempted to make some Stay at
York
; there being a very great Variety of each to detain and amuse him.
Among the former I shall only mention the Arch at
Micklegate-bar,
and the multangular Tower and Wall, near a Place called the
Mint-yard,
both built in the Time of the
Romans.
But whether the Two Statues now prostrate on the Wall of St.
Laurence Church-yard,
be
Roman
or
Saxon,
is hard to determine: certain it is, that the sepulchral Monument of the Standard-bearer to the Ninth Legion of the
Roman
Army was dug up near
Micklegate
; and in other Parts of the City have been found many
Roman
Altars, Inscriptions, Urns, Coins and the like, now in the Possession of the Curious.
I do not include the Ruins of Abbeys, Churches and Castles, now to be seen in this Place, among the Antiquities of it, because they are but of a late Date, compared with the antient Remains, of the
Roman
Skill and Grandeur, and because they would take up more Time and Room than the Nature of my Work will allow.
The City of
York
is surrounded by a strong Wall, kept in good Repair, in which are four Gates, and five Posterns. It is a County of itself, extending ever all the
Wapontake,
called
Ainsty,
and is governed by a Mayor, who is styled Lord, as at
London,
a Recorder, 12 Aldermen, in Commission of the Peace, two Sheriffs, 24 Prime Common-council Men, eight Chamberlains, 72 Common-council Men, a Town-clerk, Sword-bearer, and Common Sergeant; and the Mayor and Aldermen have Conservation of the Rivers
Ouze, Humber, Wherse, Derwent, Air,
and
Dun,
within certain Limits of each.
This City always gives Title to the second Prince of the Blood Royal, and the two Citizens they return to Parliament, have a Privilege of taking their Places in the House of Commons, next the Citizens of
London,
upon what is called the Privy Counsellor's Bench; a Privilege which, if neglected to be claimed, ought to be made known, as it appertains to the Citizens of
London
and
York
only, and is by those of
London,
exercised the first Day of the Meeting of every new Parliament.
The Situation of
York
is in a Plain on both Sides the River
Ouse.
It was formerly very populous, and had a great Trade; but has declined since the Reformation, and the Difuse of the Court of President of the North. In
Henry
the Vth's Time there were 41 Parishes, 17 Chapels, 16 Hospitals, and nine Abbeys, besides the Cathedral, and now there are only 17 Churches in Use.
The present Support of the City is chiefly owing to the Gentry, who make it their Winter Residence, as there is great Plenty of Provisions of all kinds to furnish an elegant Table at a moderate Expence, so that the Altar, which was found there, with a
Roman
Inscription, is applicable to the present Circumstances of the Place, DIS DEABUSQUE HOSPITALIBUS. And as the Inhabitants abound with the Conveniencies of Life, they likewise partake of its Diversions, there being Plays, Assemblies, Musick-Meetings, or some Entertainments, every Night in the Week.
The publick Edifices which most deserve Mention, I shall now take Notice of, and first of the Bridge over the
Ouse.
It consists of five Arches: the Diameter of the middle Arch, which was the largest in the Kingdom, before that at
Blenheim
House was built, is 81 Feet, and its Height 51 Feet. The Reason it was built so wide, was on occasion of an Accident which once happen'd to it, when upon a sudden Thaw, which occasion'd a great Flood, a prodigious Weight of Ice drove down two Arches of the old Bridge, by which 12 Houses were demolished, and several Persons drown'd.
The great Council-chamber for this City, near which the Records are kept, as also the Exchequer and Courts of the Sheriffs, and beneath them the two City Prisons for Debtors and Felons, are all upon this Bridge.
The Castle which stands at the Confluence of the
Ouse,
and the
Foss,
was built by
William
the Conqueror,
Anno
1069; and tho' the Face it now wears, and the Use made of it, are so different from that which was the primitive State of this Fortress, yet in its present Disguise, it brought to my Memory that Tragical Scene of Bloodshed perpetrated within its Walls, upon the 11th of
March
1189; which being to be met with in very few Historians, I shall give a brief Account of it.
The
Jews,
from their first Introduction into
England,
growing immensly rich by Traffick, never failed to become the Objects of Envy and Hatred, both to Prince and People, and the slightest Pretences were always eagerly laid hold of, to plunder them; so that on every new Accession or Turn of Affairs, they were forced to compound for their Safety, by large Presents to the Prince.
At the Accession of
Richard
I. tho' that Prince gave them no Disturbance, yet he issued out an Order, that no
Jew
should be present at the Ceremony of his Coronation, either at Church or at Dinner.
However the chief of the
Jews,
from all Parts, being summoned to
London
by their Brethren there, in order to agree upon a rich Gift to the new King to obtain his Favour and Protection, many of them, notwithstanding the Injunction, had the Curiosity to see the Ceremony; and being discovered among the Croud by the Guards, they were beat, abused, and some of them killed.
The People hereupon, being possessed with a Notion, that the King had given Orders, that the
Jews
be destroyed, began a Massacre of them in
, and plundered and burnt their Houses, and
them many of their Wives and Children.
And tho' the King immediately ordered a Proclamation to stop these Proceedings, yet the Example at
London
was followed at
Norwich, Lynn,
and
Stamford,
and with still greater Fury at
York,
notwithstanding the King, at his Departure to the
Holy Land,
left Orders for the Protection of the
Jews,
and the Punishment of such as should molest them; for, being inflamed by a wicked Priest, certain bloody Wretches, who had resolved upon the Destruction of the
Jews,
and to inrich themselves with their Pillage, set Fire to a Part of the City of
York
; and while the Citizens were busy in extinguishing the Flames, broke into the House of a principal
Jew,
who had been murder'd at
London,
and whose Wife had strengthened it for her Defence; and murdering the whole Family, and all who had taken Refuge there, burnt the House to the Ground.
The
Jews
hereupon, in the utmost Terror, got Leave to convey all their Wealth into the Castle, and obtain'd Shelter there for their own Persons, and for their Wives and Children, except some few, who were sacrific'd to the Rage of the Populace; who burnt all the Houses of the
Jews
throughout the City.
It unluckily happen'd, that the Governor of the Castle having Business in the Town, the poor
Jews,
being afraid he went out to agree upon delivering them up to their Enemies, refused him Admittance into it; which incensing him, he apply'd to the High Sheriff, who raising the
Posse Comitatus,
besieged the Castle, and reduced the
Jews
to so great Extremity, that being refused Mercy, tho' they offer'd to buy it at the Expence of immense Sums, they took the dreadful Advice of one of their Rabbi's, come lately among them from abroad; and first having burnt all their rich Goods, and so damnify'd even their Plate, that their barbarous Enemies could not be much the better for their Spoils, they set Fire to all the Towers of the Castle, and fell each Man to cutting of the Throats of his own Family, till they had destroy'd all who came into this dreadful Scheme of their Rabbi's, who, in the last Place, followed the Advice he had given.
In the mean time, the Fire of the Castle increasing, a Number of unhappy
Jews,
who would not come into this bloody Action, (in vain endeavouring to extinguish it) from the Walls besought the Mercy of the Besiegers, acquainting them with what had happened; and threw over the dead Bodies of their Brethren, in Confirmation of the Truth of what they said; and offering to become Christians, had Hopes given them of their Lives: but no sooner did their merciless Enemies gain Admittance, than they butcher'd every one of the
Jews,
calling aloud for Baptism, in hopes of escaping their worse than
Paganish
Cruelty.
Not satisfy'd with this, the barbarous Robbers, as well as Murderers, ran next to the Cathedral, where were deposited the Bonds and other Securities of the Money owing to the
Jews
by the Christians, broke open the Chests, and destroyed them all.
There were 500 Men who took Shelter in the Castle, besides Women and Children. So that the whole Number of the
Jews
thus miserably slaughter'd, must be between 1000 and 1500, besides those who were massacred in the City.
We must do this Justice to the King, who was then in the
Holy Land,
that as soon as he heard of this unparalleled Proceeding, he was highly incensed, and sent Orders to the Bishop of
Ely,
his Chancellor and Regent, to go down in Person to
York,
and execute strict Justice, without Favour or Affection, on all Offenders. The Bishop came to the City, but the chief Authors of the Riot had fled to
Scotland.
However, the Citizens were laid under a large Fine, and the Sheriff and Governor of the Castle were removed from their Places, and committed to Prison; and the Soldiers concerned in the Fray were punished, and turned out of Service; but not one Man, either then or afterwards, was executed for the unheard-of Villainy.
The Strength of this Castle has been often experienced in Times of War, and become famous in History, upon Account of several memorable Events. We hope for the future there will never be occasion to make any other Use of it than to the same necessary Purpose, to which it is now converted, namely, a Prison; but a Prison the most stately and complete of any in the whole Kingdom, if not in
Europe.
The present Edifice was erected in the Year 1701. In the left Wing of the Building is a handsome Chapel, neatly adorned with suitable Furniture, and an Allowance of 40
l.
a Year is settled upon a Minister, for performing Divine Service, and Preaching to the Prisoners weekly; and such of the Debtors as attend at Sermons, are allowed each a large Loaf of fine Bread. The Justices of the Peace take great Care, that the Gaol shall be kept as neat within-side, as it is noble without. The Felons are allowed Straw, and their Beds are now raised from the Ground: and there is an Infirmary apart from the common Prison, to which the Sick are conveyed, and a Surgeon has an appointed Salary to attend them.
The Castle-yard is larger than the Areas of the
Fleet
or
King's-Bench
in
London,
and the Situation is so high, pleasant, and airy, that 'tis surprising any Prisoners should remove themselves by
Habeas Corpus,
to either of those Prisons, unless it be with a View of purchasing the Liberty of the Rules, because here they are never permitted to go without the Walls. Strangers, who visit the Inside of it, seldom depart without making a trifling Purchace of some of the small Manufactures the Prisoners work up for Subsistence.
The next Building we come to is the Assembly-room, for the Entertainment of the Nobility and Gentry, who reside at
York
during the Races. It was designed by the Earl of
Burlington.
That Part which is the
Egyptian
Hall, taken from a Draught of
Palladio,
is in Length 123 Feet, 40 broad, and rather more in Height. This Hall communicates with the common Ball-room, in Length 66 Feet, in Height and Breadth 22 Feet, besides other Rooms for Cards and Tea: all richly decorated and illuminated with magnificent Lustres. The Front to the Street is an exceeding fine Piece of Architecture; but the
Egyptian
Hall, if you except the Banqueting-house at
Whitehall,
may undoubtedly claim the Preference of any other Room in the Kingdom, if not in
Europe.
The Expence of this Edifice, amounting to several thousand Pounds, was defrayed by Subscriptions, chiefly among the Nobility and Gentry of the County, who contributed, some 50
l.
and none less than 25
l.
In the Year 1728, a very handsome Mansion-house was erected for the Lord-Mayor; the Basement is a Rustick Arcade, which supports an
Ionick
Order, with a Pediment in it. There is a large Room the Length of the Front, 49 Feet by 29, so that this City has had the Honour to begin a Precedent for the City of
London
to copy after.
The Guild-Hall is a Building very well deserving Notice, as likewise are several other publick Edifices, which are equally useful and ornamental to this antient City.
But what exceeds all others in it, is the Cathedral Church, which for Magnificence of Structure challenges the Pre-eminence of all other
Gothick
Churches, not only in this Kingdom, but throughout
Europe,
if I may rely upon the Opinion of a Gentleman, with whom I viewed it, and who had seen the Churches at
Strasburgh, Milan,
and
Notre Dame
in
Paris.
The City of
Lincoln
indeed contends with this of
York,
for a Preference to its Cathedral; and as this is a Point in which both Cities are very tenacious, I will distinguish the Particulars wherein each of them have the Advantage over the other, as I have promised in Page 6.
In the first Place then,
Lincoln
Cathedral has greatly the Advantage of
York,
in the Height of its Situation; and by different Accounts given by several Authors, of the Dimensions of both Churches, it appears
Lincoln
exceeds
York
in Length, from East to West, either 14, or 11, or three Feet and a half: in the middle Cross or Transept from North to South, five Feet; in the outward Breadth of the West End, by the Addition of two Chapels, as at St.
Paul
's,
London,
53 Feet; in the Height of the West Towers and Spires 72 Feet; and of the middle Tower, including the Pinacles, 75 Feet.
York
exceeds
Lincoln
in the Breadth of its middle Nef, and Side Ayles, within-side, 26 Feet; in the Height of the middle Nef to its Canopy, 17 Feet; and in the inside Height of the middle Lantern, 64 Feet and a half.
The Breadth of the West End of
Lincoln
will not the least avail in this Dispute, as it has so many egregious Defects, not to say Absurdities. The two Steeples are crouded together, instead of being placed at the Extremities of the Front, which by that means would have had an Appearance much more grand. They rise up above the Body of the Church, as if behind a Screen, without the least Affinity to any Part of the Building below. Their Ornaments are but mean, and the Leaden Spires upon them still meaner. The whole Front, extending in a strait Line, wants Boldness when viewed at some Distance; and there is such an Expansion of solid Wall, without Windows, or any sort of Aperture, as gives a Heaviness throughout. The cloistred Work, or Niches for Images, which is the chief ornamental Part of
Gothick
Structures, is disposed with a shameful Disregard to every thing like Design: in one Place, crouded with needless Profusion; in another, wanted to fill up, where now there is nothing but a naked and dead Space; and in the Ornaments the Fancy is so irregularly varied, that all kind of Connexion and Harmony is destroyed, so that the Building to Appearance has the same Effect, as if it were Pieces of different Structures patched up together.
The Plan of the Church is very irregular, the middle Transept from North to South having no Ayles on the West-side, to answer those on the East. The upper Transept, or double Cross, can never be considered as a beautiful Addition, especially since this, and the Eastern Parts beyond, are surrounded with Chapels and Vestries erected without Uniformity, and the Windows of the Church are meanly small, crouded, and out of Proportion.
'Tis to be observed, there is a great Resemblance between the Ground-plat of
Lincoln,
and that of
Canterbury,
and the one was certainly built after the Model of the other.
The only Defect objected to
York,
is, that the middle Tower or Lantern wants Height, and that the Cross or Transept, from North to South, is built in a different Style and Manner from the rest of the Cathedral. Both these must be admitted to be Faults; but, by the way, the middle Lantern is as lofty as the celebrated Towers of
Canterbury
and
Gloucester,
exclusive of their Pinacles, tho' not sufficiently high in proportion to its Breadth, being 70 Feet square, or to the Height of the Church. They have a Tradition in this City, that a Wooden Spire was once intended to have been raised upon this Tower; which in that Case would have exceeded the Height of
Salisbury
Steeple, as the present Battlements are higher by six Feet, and of a larger Square than the present Tower at
Salisbury.
I am not sorry this Project failed, because 'tis obvious all Wooden Spires have a most wretched Aspect.
The only Amendment that can be made, would be to pull down the Bell-turret at one Corner, and to raise the Battlements about 20 Feet, piercing them thro' with proper Ornaments; and carry four Pinacles above them, about 20 Feet more.
However, this Building has two remarkable Beauties not to be found in any other
Gothick
Edifice; which are, that the Height and Breadth of the Nef and Side Ayles of the Church, and of all the Arches and Windows come very near, if not agree with, the Dimensions laid down by the established Rules of
Roman
Architecture; that the Span of the Roof; from East to West, rises very near equal to the modern Proportion; the excessive Height of the Roofs being the chief Blemishes in most Cathedrals, as may be seen at
Lincoln, Salisbury, Westminster,
and particularly
Winchester.
The Plan of the whole Church is uniform, as well as the Superstructure, especially from East to West: the Windows are of a Size and Distance proper to the Magnitude of the Structure, and are admirable for their Workmanship; neither is it crouded and encumbered on the Outside by its Butresses, but every Part is inrich'd with Ornaments, which receive an additional Beauty from the Colour of the Stone, as it retains almost its original Whiteness.
Thus far what I have said of this Building in general was necessary, in comparing it with
Lincoln.
I will now take some Notice of its several Parts distinctly both within-side and without, beginning first at the Outside.
The West End, which is 124 Feet in Breadth, shews a Grandeur inexpressible; this Front contains two uniform Towers, diminished by several Contractions, all cloistred for Imagery, and inrich'd with other Ornaments. In the South Tower hangs a deep Peal of 12 Bells, the Tenor weighing 59 hundred Weight.
Between these Towers, over the principal Entrance into the Church, is a large Window, whose Tracery in Masons Work is of a Figure so beautiful, that it cannot be equalled any-where. The several Windows in the Towers are large, and their Tracery and Ornaments well fansied.
The South Entrance is ascended by several Courses of Steps, and Tradition assures us, there was once as great an Ascent to the West Door. Here a remarkable Spiral Turret is erected on the middle of the Pediment, and called the
Fiddlers Turret,
from an Image of a Fidler on the Top. Over the Door is a Dial both Horary and Solar, on each Side of which two Images strike the Quarters on two Bells.
In viewing the Building from this Part Eastward, we easily discerned it to be much newer than that Westward, tho' conformable to it.
The East Front is exceeding noble, and has the finest Window in the World.
The North Side is the same as the South: only a Wall is built to prevent Night-walkers, and other disorderly Persons, from nesting and intriguing in the obscure Corners of the Buttresses.
The Lantern Steeple, of which I have spoken already, is ornamented in a fine Taste, wanting nothing but a better Finishing at the Top: it has eight Windows, two on each Side, to give Light within; these Windows from Top to Bottom are 45 Feet high.
We now entered the Inside, at the West Door, opening into the middle Nef of the Church, under the largest
Gothick
Arch in
Europe,
which binds and supports the two Towers. The Nef is the most spacious of any in
Europe,
except
St. Peter
's at
Rome
; it exceeds the Dimensions of the Nef of
St. Paul
's Cathedral four Feet six Inches in Width, and 11 Feet in Height; and that of
Westminster Abbey
16 Feet six Inches in Breadth, but its Height is two Feet less. This is an Instance of what I took Notice of before, with regard to the Justness of the Proportion of
York
Cathedral, and at the same time shews the Extravagance of that of
Westminster Abbey,
in this Particular. The Canopy at Top is inriched with curious Knots of Carving.
From thence we proceeded under the Middle Lantern, to a Stone Screen, that parts the Choir from the Body of the Church, adorned with curious Workmanship, among which are placed the Statues of the
British
Kings, from the Conquest, to
Henry
VI.
Over the Entrance into the Choir stands the Organ, having a double Front; it had before been removed from thence by King
Charles
I. to one Side, opposite to the Bishop's Throne. The Reason his Majesty gave for doing it, was, That it spoil'd the Prospect of the fine East Windows from the Body of the Church.
The Choir is adorned with antient Wood-work carved, and set up with Clusters of knotted Pinacles of different Heights. The Ascent from the Body of the Church, thro' the Choir to the Altar, is by a Gradation of 16 Steps. The Altar has lately received a considerable Improvement as to its Situation, and the whole Church in its Beauty, by taking away a large wooden Screen, which almost obstructed the View of the East Window. By this means it was carried one Arch farther back, to a Stone Screen of excellent
Gothick
Architecture; which now not only shews a Beauty in itself, before hid, but opens a View to one of the noblest Lights in the World, both for Masonry and Glazing; which is the aforementioned East Window.
This Window is 30 Feet Nine Inches broad, and 75 Feet high: the Upper-part is a Piece of fine Tracery, but, in my Opinion, not so beautiful as that at the West End. Below the Tracery are 117 Partitions, wherein are represented, in fine painted Glass, most of the History of the
Bible.
This Window was glazed in 1405, by one
John Thornton,
Glazier of
Coventry
; who received, for his own Work, 4
s.
a Week; and contracted to finish the Whole in Three Years.
In a circular Window, at the South End of the Church, is another fine Piece of Masonry, in the Form of a Wheel, called
The Marygold Window,
from its painted Glass, which resembles the Colour of that Flower. The North End has Five noble Lights: each constitute one large Window, and reach almost from Top to Bottom. There is a Tradition, that Five Maiden Sisters were at the Expence of these Lights. The Painting of the Glass represents a kind of Embroidery, or
Mosaick
Needle-work; which might perhaps give Occasion to the Story.
I ought not to omit mentioning, that all the Windows of the Church, except one or two, are adorned with painted Glass, representing the Sacred History, and the Portraitures of eminent Persons. This Painting was preserved at the Time of the Civil Wars, by the Lord
Fairfax,
General of the Parliament's Army, who, at the Request of the Gentry and Citizens of
York,
placed a Guard of Soldiers about the Church for that Purpose.
The Body of the Church has been lately new paved, the Plan of which was drawn by that ingenious Architect Mr.
Kent,
under the Direction of the Earl of
Burlington:
the Figure is
Mosaick,
and properly adapted to a
Gothick
Building.
The Monuments in this Church are numerous, many of them very antient, and several very magnificent; but to enumerate them distinctly, would take up more Room than I can spare.
After taking this View of the Cathedral, we were conducted into the Chapter-house; a Building which, for a
Gothick
Piece, disdains to allow an Equal in the Universe, and well deserves the Encomium bestowed upon it, as is said, by a great Traveller, in an old Monkish Verse inscribed on the Wall, in Golden Letters, as follows:
Ut rosa phlos phlorum, sic est domus ista domorum.
'Tis an Octagon of 63 Feet Diameter. The Height to the Middle Knot of the Roof is 67 Feet ten Inches, unsupported by any Pillars, and intirely dependent upon one Pin geometrically placed in the Centre. The whole Roof has been richly painted, and the Knots of carved Work, gilt; but is now defaced and sullied by Time. Over the Roof is a Spire of Timber-work, covered with Lead, admired as a masterly Piece of Work in the Carpenter's Art. The Eight Squares of the Octagon have each a Window beautifully adorned, and imbellished with painted Glass.
The next Place we saw was the Vestry-room; its Dimensions 44 Feet by 22: wherein are kept several Antiquities, particularly the famous Horn so called, made of an Elephant's Tooth; which is indeed the greatest Piece of Antiquity the Church can exhibit, and to which they ought to pay a high Veneration, on Account of the Benefit they reap, from the Act that it witnessed to. The Account
Camden
gives of it, is;
"That
Ulphus
the Son of
Toraldus,
who governed in the West Parts of
Deira,
by reason of a Difference likely to happen betwixt his eldest Son and his youngest, about his Lordship, when he was dead, presently took this Course: Without Delay he went to
York,
and taking the Horn, wherein he was wont to drink, with him, he filled it with Wine; and kneeling before the Altar, bestowed upon God, and the blessed St.
Peter,
all his Lands."
The Lands are still called
de Terra Ulphi.
The Horn was imagined to have been quite lost; but
Thomas
Lord
Fairfax
was the Occasion of its being preserved. Where it had lain, or where he got it, is uncertain; but stripp'd of its Golden Ornaments, it was restored by his Successor. The Chapter thought fit to decorate it anew, and bestowed the following Inscription, to the Memory of the Restorer, upon it:
CORNU HOC ULPHUS IN OCCIDENTALI PARTE DEIRAE PRINCEPS, UNA CUM OMNIBUS TERRIS ET REDDITIBUS SUIS, OLIM DONAVIT. AMISSVM, VEL ABREPTVM, HENRICUS DOM. FAIRFAX DEMVM RESTITVIT. DEC. ET CAPIT. DE NOVO ORNAVIT, A. D. M.DC.LXXV.
I will now conclude my Account of this noble Pile of Building, with the Character given of it (as Mr.
Camden
informs us) by
Aeneas Sylvius,
afterwards Pope
Pius
II.
"It is, says he, famous for its Magnificence and Workmanship, all the World over, but especially for a fine lightsome
Chapel,
with shining Walls, and small thin wasted Pillars quite round."
The South Side of the Church is inriched by a Library, to which Archbishop
Matthews
's Widow was a great Benefactress. A Bishop was her Father, and an Archbishop her Father-in-law; she had Four Bishops for her Brethren, and an Archbishop for her second Husband.
The Bishop had a Palace in the Minster-yard, where great Hospitality was wont to be kept; but it has been long since leased out. And to shew the wondrous Change of Times, one End of it is now converted into a Dancing-school, and the other into a Play-house.
In the Archbishop's Register and Prerogative Office, is a noble Repository of antient Ecclesiastick Records, bearing Date 93 Years earlier than any at
Lambeth
or
Canterbury.
The Church of
All-Saints
in the
Pavement
is a beautiful old Church, with a
Gothick
Steeple of exquisite Workmanship. Upon the Tower is a fine Lantern (with Pinacles of a considerable Height) not much unlike that of
Boston
in
Lincolnshire.
St. Margaret
's Church has one of the most extraordinary Porches I ever saw. It is a most sumptuous and elaborate Piece of
Gothick
Architecture, with our Saviour on the Cross on the Top of it: but what seems still more surprising is, that they say it did not originally belong to the Church, but was brought hither from the dissolved Hospital of
St. Nicolas.
St. Mary's
in
Castle-gate
is admired for a pyramidical Steeple; as
Christ
's Church is for a very fine modern one.
In the Month of
August
1738, a Subscription was set on Foot for an Infirmary in this City, like those begun at
London, Winchester,
&c. which we have mentioned. And this excellent Charity has found much Encouragement and Support here.
A Manufacture of Cotton is lately established in this City, and is arrived at a very great Perfection; and I could not but be greatly pleased, when I was there last, to see a very handsome Procession made on this Occasion,
viz.
on
May-day
1740, at which Time Mr.
Clough,
the Master of the Manufactory, together with the several Artificers concern'd therein, marched thro' the City in the following manner, preceded by the City Musick;
viz.
There were Three Stages borne, each by Six Porters: On the first Stage were the Teazer, Carder, Rover, Spinner, and Reeler of the Cotton-wool. On the second, the Bleecher and Winder of the Linen-yarn. On the third, the Quill-winder and Weaver. Each Person exercising their several Branches, from the picking of the Wool to the finishing the Cloth. The Men, Women and Children, imploy'd in the Manufactory, closed the Procession, all of them cloathed with Cottons, or striped and figured Fustians of their own making, provided for them by the generous Contributions of the Citizens.
This Manufactory being so well fix'd and establish'd in so short a time, is principally owing to the great Encouragement given by the City, who are determin'd to spare no Pains or Expences to support it. The Bells in the Cathedral, and in all the Parish Churches, rung the whole Time of the Procession.
The City of
York
stands upon more Ground, perhaps, than any in
England,
except
London
and
Norwich
; but then the Buildings are not so close as at
Bristol
or
Durham,
nor is it so populous as either
Bristol
or
Norwich.
But as
York
is full of Gentry, and Persons of Distinction, so they have Houses proportioned to their Quality, which makes the City lie so far extended on both Sides of the River.
While we were here, we took one Day's Time to see the fatal Field, called
Marston Moor,
where Prince
Rupert,
a third time, by his Excess of Valour, and Defect of Conduct, lost the Royal Army, and had a Victory wrung out of his Hands, after he had all the Advantage he could desire.
I made another Excursion to the Duke of
Leeds
's House at
Kiveton,
then to the Earl of
Carlisle
's called
Castle Howard,
and the Earl of
Burlington
's at
Lanesborough
in the East-riding.
Carlisle-house,
or
Castle Howard,
is in the Middle of a Wood, which is as great a Wonder in its Kind▪ as Mr.
Aislabie
's Park. The House is of a vast Extent▪ and tho' it makes a fine Appearance at a Distance▪ yet will it not bear a critical Examination of the Architecture, when viewed near. There goes a Story, That the Architect was so sensible of his Errors in one of the Fronts, that he would fain have persuaded the late Earl of
Carlisle
to pull it down again. The Whole is not yet finished.
The Earl of
Burlington
's in an old-built House, most advantageously situated on a rising Ground, with a noble Prospect as well towards the
Humber,
as towards the
Woulds.
I passed likewise thro' the Forest of
Galtres,
a little North of the City. It is in some Places very thick of Trees, and in others very moorish and boggy: it formerly extended to the very Gates of the City, but now 'tis much lessen'd; and several considerable Villages are built in it.
Having mentioned so many Forests, you'll undoubtedly conclude, there is no want of Firing in this County. 'Tis very true; for here is not only Wood enough, but Coal too; which is a very great Comfort to the Poor, against the Inclemency of this cold Northern Climate, which indeed has very great need of Firing.
At
Hambleton-down
are the Races, where the King's Plate of an hundred Guineas is run for once a Year, by Five-Year-Olds; a Gift no-where better bestowed than on that County, which is so famous for breeding of Horses for the rest of the Kingdom.
From
York
we enter'd again into the West-riding, and, travelling due West, we came to
Wetherby,
upon the River
Aire,
which we omitted to take in our Course as we passed by this River in our former Journey, being then more out of our Way than here. It is a good Trading Town, but has nothing remarkable in it.
Some Miles farther to the South stands
Tadcaster,
upon the South Side of the River
Wherfe,
where the Road from
Chester,
and that from
Cambridge
to
York,
meet; and is consequently well provided for the Reception of Travellers. It is principally noted for Lime-stones, and a fine Stone Bridge over the River. But it has nothing that we could see to testify the Antiquity it boasts of, but some old
Roman
Coins, which our Landlord the Post-master shewed us, among which was one of
Domitian,
of the same Kind, I believe, as that which Mr.
Camden
gives an Account of; but so very much defaced with Age, that we could read but DO, and AV, at a Distance. Here is the Hospital and School still remaining, founded by Dr.
Oglethorp,
Bishop of
Carlisle,
who, for want of a Protestant Archbishop, set the Crown on the Head of Queen
Elizabeth
; but she afterwards, notwithstanding that Circumstance, deprived him.
Here also we saw plainly the
Roman
Causway, which I have before-mentioned at
Aberforth
; and a stately Stone Bridge over the
Wherfe.
Mr.
Camden
gives us a Distich of a learned Passenger upon this River, and the old Bridge at
Tadcaster.
I suppose he passed it in a dry Summer.
Nil,
Tadcaster,
habes Musis vel carmine dignum,
Praeter magnifice structum fine fiumine pontem.
In
English
thus:
Nought,
Tadcaster,
can thee to Fame bequeath,
But a proud Bridge—with ne'er a Stream beneath.
But I can assure you to the contrary of this; for tho', when I travelled this Way, it was about the Middle of
June,
I found the River pretty full.
On this Road we passed over
Towton,
that famous Field, where a most cruel and bloody Battle was fought between the Two Houses of
Lancaster
and
York,
in the Reign of
Edward
IV. I call it most cruel and bloody, because the Animosity of the Parties was so great, that tho' they were Countrymen and Neighbours, nay, as History says, Relations (for here Fathers killed their Sons, and Sons their Fathers) for some time they fought with such Obstinacy and Rancour, that they gave no Quarter. 'Tis certain such Numbers were never slain in one Battle in
England,
since that fought between King
Harold
and
William the Conqueror,
at
Battle
in
Sussex
; for here fell in the Whole 36000 Men, and the
Yorkists
proved victorious.
Tradition guided us to the very Spot; but there remain no visible Marks of the Action. The Ploughmen indeed say, that sometimes they turn up Arrow-heads, Spear-heads, broken Javelins, Helmets, and the like.
Farther South still, or rather South-east, on the Road to
Doncaster,
stands
Shirbourn,
a pretty good Town, famous for a well endow'd Hospital, erected by one
Hungate
a Protestant, for the Maintenance at Bed, Board and Cloathing,
&c.
of Children from Seven till Fifteen Years old; when, according to their Genius and Capacity, some are sent to the University, or apprenticed out to Trades; for which there is a Provision, which, including the Maintenance of the Hospital, amounts to 250
l.
a Year. A noble and well chosen Piece of Charity.
We turned East to
Selby,
situate on the South Side of the
Ouse,
a small Market-town, but very well inhabited, and is famous for giving Birth to our
Henry
I. The
Conqueror
built an Abbey here,
We then fell down directly South, and came to
Snath
upon the
Aire
; which is but an inconsiderable Town; but, like
Selby,
has a pretty good Trade. I should have mention'd, that there are several Merchants that live at
Selby
; and that the
Ouse
is navigable up to the Town for large Vessels, and has a good Share of Trade that Way.
We fell down still lower South, to
Thorn
on the River
Dun,
an indifferent Town, of no other Not
than its Situation within the Marshes; which is called
Marsh-land Island
; for it is incompassed by the
Dun,
the
Aire,
the
Ouse,
and another little River, which parts it from the Isle of
Axholm,
on the Edge of
Lincolnshire,
already spoken of; so that these Two River Islands are contiguous.
Being now come to the Banks of the
Ouse,
near the Influx of the
Trent
into the
Humber,
I shall, after reminding you, that I have now accomplished another Part of the Proposition in my last Letter, cross over the
Ouse
to
Howdon.
Howdon
lies on the
Ouse
North, in the Eastriding of
Yorkshire.
It is a pretty large Town, and is subject to great Inundations from the River, occasioned by the Freshes which come down from the
Woulds
; and has been so, it seems, ever since 1390; when a Bishop of
Durham
built a very tall Steeple to the Church, that in case of a sudden Inundation, the People might save themselves in it. And there have been, within these few Years, several Commissions for Repairing the Banks.
The Fair, or Mart, held here for Eight Days together, is very considerable for Inland Trade, and several Wholesale Tradesmen come to it from
London.
But the Town is more famous for the Birth or Residence of one of our antient Historians,
Roger
of
Hoveden,
or
Howdon,
a Monk of this Abbey. Mr.
Camden
's Continuator is mistaken, in saying this Town stands upon the
Derwent
; for it is above Three Miles South-east of it; tho' the
Derwent
was made navigable, pursuant to Act of Parliament, 1
Annae,
to the
Ouse.
The Bishop of
Durham
has a Temporal Jurisdiction in this Part of the Country, which is called
Howdonshire.
I found nothing in this low Part of the Country but a wonderful Conflux of great Rivers, all pouring down into the
Humber,
which receiving the
Aire,
the
Ouse,
the
Dun,
and the
Trent,
becomes rather a Sea than a River.
I observed, that the Middle of this Division of
Yorkshire
is very thin of Towns and People, being overspread with
Woulds,
which are Plains and Downs, like those of
Salisbury,
which feed great Numbers of Sheep, Black Cattle, and Horses, and produce Corn. The Northern Part, especially, is more mountainous, which makes Part of the North-riding. But the East and West Parts are populous and rich, and full of Towns, the one lying on the Sea Coast, and the other upon the River
Derwent,
as above. The Sea Coast, or South-east Side, is called
Holderness.
From hence we travelled North-east up to
Wighton,
being but a very little out of the Way to
Beverley.
It is a small, but antient Market-town, seated on the Banks of a little River called
Foulness.
Here are some
Roman
as well as
British
Antiquities. 'Tis supposed to be the
Delgovitia
Station of the
Romans,
from the
British
Word
Ddelw
or
Delgive,
signifying
Image.
Some have conjectured, that here has been a Temple of the
Druids,
and that their Groves were in the Wood of
Dierwald,
which they interpret as derived from the
British
Word
Derwen,
an
Oak.
On the North-west of
Wighton
towards the
Derwent,
stands the Market-town of
Pocklington,
which we were told was so inconsiderable, that it would not be worth our while to go so much out of our Way to see it. So keeping on East under the
Woulds,
we arrived at
Beverley,
which is situate just at the Foot of them, about a Mile from the River
Hull.
It is a large populous corporate Town, under the Government of a Mayor, Aldermen,
&c.
It takes its Name from the great Number of Beavers, with which that River abounded. It had formerly a considerable Trade, by means of a Creek, or Cut, commonly called
Beverley-beck,
of old made from the Town to the River
Hull,
which runs into the
Humber,
for the Passage of Ships and Boats, Keels, Wherries, Hoys,
&c.
to and from the said Town; and as it had likewise divers Staiths or Landing-places adjoining to the said Beech, for the Lading and Unlading of all sorts of Merchandize, the Town was wont to receive no small Advantage from this Cut or River. But there being no settled Fund for keeping it open, and cleansing it, and the Expence of doing it being beyond the Ability of the Corporation, the said Beck was, in time, choaked up, and the Staiths grew out of Repair; whence an Act passed,
Anno
1727, for Cleansing, Deepening and Widening the Creek, and for Repairing the Staiths, and for Mending the Roads leading from the said Cut to the Town; and at the same time providing for the Cleansing of the Town itself: all which has had a very good Effect; for before, the Creek lying in the lower Part of the Town, th
Filth, Dirt, and Soil of the Town was washed int
it, which very much contributed to choak it up.
Beverley
is the chief Town of the East-riding, and began to be of great Note from the Time that
John
of
Beverly,
Archbishop of
York,
the first Doctor of Divinity in
Oxford,
and Preceptor to Venerable
Bede,
built a Monastery here, and afterwards retired into it himself, where he died
A. D.
721. King
Athelstan,
having made a Vow at the Altar of St.
John,
before he proceeded against the
Scots,
in his Return,
A. D.
30. instituted a new College of Secular Canons, and granted to the Town many Immunities; particularly, to the Freemen of it, an Exemption from all manner of Tolls, which was afterwards confirmed by King
Henry
I.
and by all or most of the Kings and Queens of this Realm to this Time,
as the Mayor's Certificate expresses it; which he gives to such Freemen as apply for it, in the Form following:
Villa de
Beverley
in Com
' Ebor.
ss.
To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come,
A. B.
Esq
Mayor of the aforesaid Town of
Beverley,
sendeth greeting.
KNow ye that King
Athelstan,
of famous Memory, did grant, and also King
Henry
the First did grant and confirm to the Men of the said Town of
Beverley,
and afterwards to them, by the Name of the Governors, or Keepers and Burgesses of
Beverley,
an Exemption of all manner of Imposts, Toll, Tallage, Stallage, Tunnage, Lastage, Pickage, Wharsage, and of and from all and every the like Exactions, Payments and Duties, throughout and in all Places whatsoever, by Sea and Land, within all their Dominions of
England
and
Wales.
Which said Grants were confirmed by all or most of the succeeding Kings and Queens, to the Time of Queen
Elizabeth,
who confirmed the same to them by the Name of the Mayor, Governors and Burgesses of
Beverley,
with several Grants, which have been also confirmed by all or most of the Kings and Queens of this Realm, till this Time; as by many and sundry Charters under their Great Seals, more at large may appear. These are therefore to certify, that
C. D.
is a Burgess of the said Town of
Beverley,
and is therefore discharged of and from all and every the said Exactions, Payments and Duties. In Testimony whereof the said Mayor hath hereunto subscribed his Name, and caused the Common Seal of the said Town, used in this Behalf, to be affixed this — Day,
&c.
By these, and the like Privileges, the Town keeps up its flourishing Condition, notwithstanding it is within Six Miles of so powerful a Rival as
Hull.
It has all the Advantage, indeed, of a good Situation, to invite Gentlemen to reside in it; and being the nearest Town of Note to the Centre of this Riding, the Sessions are always held here, in a spacious and beautiful Hall, which has a publick Garden and Walks, not inferior to any of their kind in
England.
In this
Hall-garth,
as it is called, is a handsome Register-office for Deeds and Wills within this Division; which is the only County in
England,
besides
Middlesex,
which has such a Registry; to the great Reproach of the Nation be it said, especially when it shall be remembered, that no less than two Bills (one for a Registry for the County of
Surrey,
and another, after that, for a General Registry over the whole Kingdom) were respectively opposed, and miscarried very lately in Parliament.
Here are Two weekly Markets; one on
Wednesdays,
for Cattle; the other on
Saturdays,
for Corn. The Market-place is as large as most, having a beautiful Cross, supported by Eight Free-stone Columns, of one intire Stone each, erected at the Charge of Sir
Charles Hotham,
and Sir
Michael Wharton
; upon which was this Inscription:
HAEC SEDES LAPIDEA FREED-STOOLE DICITUR, i. e. PACIS CATHEDRA, AD QUAM REVS FVGIENDO PERVENIENS OMNIMODAM HABET SECVRITATEM.
That is:
This Stone Seat is called
Freed-Stoole,
or Chair of Peace; to which, if any Criminal flee, he shall have full Protection.
The Common Gaol has been lately re-edified at a considerable Expence, the Windows well sashed; and, as if Works of Piety were more peculiarly adapted to this Place, there are Seven Alms-houses in the Town, and Legacies left for Two more; besides a Work-house, which has cost 700
l.
It has a Free-school, to the Scholars of which are appropriated Two Fellowships at
St. John's
College in
Cambridge,
and Nine Exhibitions.
Here were formerly Four Churches, now only Two, but the largest and finest Parochial ones in the Kingdom:
viz.
the late Collegiate Church of
St. John the Evangelist,
still called the
Minster,
and
St. Mary's.
The Minster being very ruinous, a Brief was procured for the Repair of it in the Year 1710; the Produce of which, and the Subscription Money, being placed in the publick Funds, was farther augmented by the Rise of
South-Sea
Stock, which enabled the prudent Managers to complete their pious Design in the most beautiful manner, assisted by the Advice of that noted Architect
Nicolas Hawksmore,
Esq
King
George
I. encouraged this Work not only by a liberal Donation of Money, but of Stone likewise from the dissolved Monastery of
St. Mary's
in
York.
Sir
Michael Wharton
gave in his Life-time 500
l.
and by Will 4000
l.
as a perpetual Fund towards keeping it in Repair.
The Choir is paved with Marble of Four different Colours, Lozenge-wise, appearing cubical to the Eye. Over the Altar is a large and magnificent wooden Arch curiously engraven, standing upon Eight fluted Columns of the
Corinthian
Order. The Altar-table is one intire Stone of white Marble, finely polished; the Gift of Mr.
Moyser.
The East Window is of painted Glass, collected out of the several Windows about the Church; but so artfully joined, that they make throughout one regular and intire Figure. The Screen between the Choir and the Nef has been lately rebuilt of Roch-abbey Stone in the
Gothick
Style, and is deservedly esteemed one of the chief Ornaments of the Church. The Body of the Church is paved with the said Stone intermixed with black Marble. The Pulpit, Reading-desk, and Cover of the Font, are all new, and of excellent Workmanship: the Galleries also are new, and beautifully finished, supported by Columns of the
Dorick
Order. But not the least surprising Thing in this Pile, is the North End Wall of the great cross Ayle, which hung over Three Feet and a half, but was screwed up to its proper Level by the ingenious Contrivance of Mr.
Thornton
of
York,
who prepared an admirable Machine for the Purpose.
On the 13th of
September, Anno
1664, upon opening a Grave, they met with a Vault of square Free Stone 15 Feet long, and Two Feet broad: within it was a Sheet of Lead Four Feet long, and in that the Ashes, and Six Beads, (whereof Three crumbled to Dust with a Touch; of the Three remaining, Two were supposed to be
Cornelian
) with Three great Brass Pins, and Four large Iron Nails. Upon the Sheet lay a leaden Plate, with this Inscription, in Capital Letters:
Anno ab Incarnatione Domini
MCLXXXVIII.
com
fuit haec Ecclesia in mense Septembri, in sequenti
post festum sancti Matthaei apostoli. Et in Anno
MCXCVII.
sexto idus Martii, facta fuit inquisitio retiquiarum beati Joannis in hoc loco; et inventa sunt haec ossa in orientali parte sepulchri, et hic recondita, et pulvis cemento mixtus ibidem inventus est et reconditus.
Thus
English'd:
In the Year of the Lord's Incarnation 1188, in
September,
the Night after the Festival of St.
Matthew
the Apostle, this Church was consumed by Fire: and in the Year 1197, on the 10th of
March,
Search was made for the Reliques of St.
John
in this Place; and these Bones were found in the Eastern Part of the Sepulchre, and here deposited; and a Mixture of Dust and Mortar was found in the same Place, and deposited.
Over this lay a Box of Lead about Seven Inches long, Six broad. and Five deep, wherein were several Pieces of Bones mixed with a little Dust, and yielding a sweet Smell. All these Things were carefully re-interred in the Middle Ayle of the Body of the Minster, with this Inscription added, in Capital Letters:
Reliquiae eaedem effossae, et ibidem compositae, fornice lateritio dignabantur
XXVI.
die mensis Martii, Anno Domini
MDCCXXVI;
quando
v.
tesselatum ecclesiae hujus pavimentum primo fuit instauratum.
Thus
English'd:
The same Reliques which were dug up, and replaced, were adorned with an Arch of Brick-work, on the 26th Day of
March
1726; when the Fifth tesselated Pavement of this Church was first repaired.
Over it, directly upon the Roof, is an Inscription, to shew where the Reliques are interr'd.
In this Church are several Monuments of the
Piercies,
Earls of
Northumberland,
who have added a little Chapel to the Choir. On the Right Side of the Altar-place stands the Freed-stool, mentioned above, made of one intire Stone, and said to have been removed from
Dunbar
in
Scotland,
with a Well of Water behind it. At the upper End of the Body of the Church, next the Choir, hangs an antient Table with the Picture of St.
John
the Evangelist, (from whom the Church is named) and of King
Athelstan,
the Founder of it, and between them this Distich:
Als free make I thee,
As Heart can wish, or Egh can see.
In the Body of the Church stands an antient Monument, which they call the
Virgins Tomb
; because Two Virgin Sisters lay buried there, who gave the Town a Piece of Land, into which any Freeman may put Three Milch Kine from
Lady-day
to
Michaelmas.
At the lower End of the Body of the Church, stands a fair large Font of Agat Stone.
The principal Trade of the Town is making Malt, Oat-meal, and tann'd Leather; but the poor People mostly support themselves by working Bone-lace, which of late has met with particular Encouragement, the Children being maintained at School to learn to read, and to work this Sort of Lace. The Clothing-trade was formerly followed in this Town; but
Leland
tells us, that even in his Time it was very much decayed.
They have several Fairs, but one more especially remarkable, called the
Mart,
beginning about Nine Days before
Ascension-day,
and kept in a Street leading to the
Minster Garth,
called
Londoners-street
; for the
Londoners
bring down their Wares, and furnish the Country Tradesmen by Wholesale.
About a Mile from
Beverly
to the East, in a Pasture belonging to the Town, is a kind of
Spaw,
tho' they say it cannot be judged by the Taste, whether it comes from any Mineral, or not; yet taken inwardly, it is a great Drier, and bathed in, dries scorbutick Scurf, and all Sorts of Scabs, and also very much helps against the King's Evil.
From
Beverley
I came to
Hull
(properly called
Kingston upon Hull
) Distance Six Miles. If you would have an Idea of
Hamburgh, Dantzick, Rotterdam,
or any of the second Cities abroad, which are famed for their Commerce, you may visit this Town. It is not indeed so large as those; but, in proportion to the Dimensions of it, I believe more Business is done in
Hull,
than in any Town in
Europe. Liverpoole
of late comes very near it; but it has not the Advantage of a
London
Trade, which
Hull
has.
In the last War, the Fleets from
Hull
to
London
were frequently 100 Sail; sometimes, including the other Creeks in the
Humber,
160 Sail at a time; and to
Holland
their Trade was so considerable, that the
Dutch
always imployed Two Men of War to convoy the Merchant-men to and from
Hull,
and those were as many as they sent to
London.
In a word, all the Trade at
Leeds, Wakefield,
and
Halifax,
of which I have spoken so particularly, is negotiated here. All the Lead Trade of
Derbyshire
and
Nottinghamshire,
from
Bautry
Wharf; the Butter of the East and North-riding brought down the
Ouse
to
York
; the Cheese down the
Trent
from
Stafford, Warwick,
and
Cheshire
; and the Corn, from all the Counties adjacent, are shipped off here.
So again, they supply all these Countries with foreign Goods, for which they trade to all Parts of the known World; nor have the Merchants of any Port in
Britain
greater Credit, or a fairer Character, than the Merchants of
Hull,
as well for the Justice of their Dealings, as the Greatness of their Substance. From
Norway,
and the
Baltick, Dantzick, Riga, Narva,
and
Petersburg,
they make large Returns in Iron, Copper, Hemp, Flax, Canvas,
Muscovy
Linen and Yarn, and other Things; all which they get Vend for in the Country in prodigious Quantities. They have also a great Importation of Wine, Linen, Oil, Fruit,
&c.
from
Holland, France,
and
Spain.
The Trade of Tobacco and Sugars from the
West-Indies,
they chiefly manage by the Way of
London.
But besides all this, their Export of Corn, as well to
London
as to
Holland
and
France,
exceeds all of the Kind that is or can be at any Port in
England, London
excepted.
Their Shipping is a great Article, in which they exceed all the Towns and Ports on that Coast, except
Yarmouth,
saving that their Shipping consists chiefly in smaller Vessels than the Coal-trade is supplied with, tho' they have a great many large Vessels too, which are imployed in their foreign Trade.
The Town is situated at the Mouth of the River
Hull,
where it falls into the
Humber,
and where the
Humber
opens into the
German
Ocean; so that one Side of the Town lies upon the Sea, the other upon the Land. This makes the Situation naturally very strong; and, were there occasion, it is capable of being made impregnable, by reason of the low Grounds round it.
The Advantages of this Situation struck King
Edward
I. as he was riding a hunting, after his Return from the Defeat of the
Scots
in the Year 1296. Upon which he immediately granted several Privileges and Immunities to those who would build and settle here, erected a Manor-hall himself, and fitted up an Harbour, from whence it received the Name of
Kings-town.
It held out against King
Charles
I. who went in Person to demand it, when Sir
John Hotham
told his Majesty,
"He kept it for the Parliament against him."
Yet both the
Hothams. viz.
Father and Son, lost their Heads by that very Parliament.
King
Charles
II. on occasion of the frequent
Dutch
Wars in his Reign, had once resolved to appoint a Station for a Squadron of Men of War here, with a Yard and Dock for building Ships; and on this Occasion, resolved to make the Place strong in proportion to what those Affairs required: upon which a large Citadel was marked out on the other Side of the River; but it was never finished.
The Town is exceeding close built, and populous, even to an Inconvenience, having really no room to extend itself by Buildings. There are but Two Churches,
Trinity
and
St. Mary's
; the former is very large, in which is a fine Altar-piece by
Parmentier
; the latter is thought to have been once larger than it is. King
Henry
VIII. used it as his Chapel Royal, and with the same Freedom; for this Defender of the Faith, and Protector of the Church, pulled down the Steeple, because it stood opposite to the Place where he resided. The Inhabitants afterwards built it up again at their own Expence.
They shew us still, in their Town-hall, the Figure of a Northern Fisherman, supposed to be of
Greenland.
He was taken up at Sea in a Leathern Boat, which he sat in, and was covered with Skins, which drew together about his Waist, so that the Boat could not take in Water, and he could not sink. The Creature would neither feed, nor speak, and so died.
They have a very handsome Exchange here, where the Merchants from foreign Countries, and others from the different Parts of the Kingdom, meet, as at
London.
The Business arising from the Navigation of all the great Rivers which fall into the
Humber,
is transacted here. There is also a fine Free-school founded by
John Alcock,
Bishop of
Worcester,
afterwards of
Ely,
who was born at
Beverley,
but chose to extend his Liberality to this Place. Over the School is the Merchant's Hall.
But the Trinity House here is the Glory of the Town. It is a Corporation of itself, composed of a Society of Merchants. It was begun by voluntary Contribution for Relief of distressed and aged Seamen, and their Wives or Widows; but was afterwards improved by the Government, and incorporated. They have a very good Revenue, which increases every Day by Charities.
They maintain 30 Sisters now actually in the House, Widows of Seamen. They have a Government by 12 Elder Brethern and Six Assistants. Out of the 12 they chuse annually Two Wardens, (but the whole 18 vote in electing them) and Two Stewards. These have a Power to decide Disputes between Masters of Ships and their Crews, in Matters relating to Sea Affairs; and with this Limitation, that their Judgment be not contrary to the Laws of the Land; but so great Deference is paid to it, that in Trials at Law in such Affairs, they are often called to give their Opinions.
Here is a noble Stone Bridge over the River
Hull,
consisting of 14 Arches. A
Greenland
Fishery, set up in this Town, went on with Success for a while, but it decayed in the Time of the
Dutch
Wars; and the House built by the
Greenland
Merchants is now turned into Granaries for Corn, and Warehouses for other Goods.
The old Hospital, call'd GOD'S HOUSE, stands near it, with a Chapel; both which were pulled down in the Civil Wars 1643, but were rebuilt in 1673; and the Arms of the
de la Poles,
being found among the Ruins, were placed over the Door of the Hospital, with this Inscription:
DEO ET PAVPERIBVS POSVIT MICHAEL DE LA POLE, 1384.
This
Michael
was the Son of
William de la Pole,
sometime a Merchant at
Ravenspurn,
formerly a flourishing Town of Trade at the Mouth of the
Humber
; but being removed to this new Town of
Kingston,
in the Time of
Edward
III. gave that King a magnificent Entertainment, when, in the Sixth Year of his Reign, he came to take a View of the Place; upon which our Merchant was knighted. The King afterwards, going into
Flanders
against the
French,
met Sir
William
at
Antwerp,
where he supplied him with several Thousands of Pounds, and even mortgaged his Estate for his Royal Master's Use. Such Services could not go unrewarded from so generous, and so successful a Prince. He made him Knight Banneret in the Field, settled on him and his Heirs Lands at
Kingston
to the Value of 500 Marks a Year, and upon his Return into
England
increased them to 1000, and advanced him in Time to be Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
Sir
William
died about 1356, after he had begun a Monastery here for the
Carthusians.
His Son, Sir
Michael,
who, 6
Richard
II. was made Lord Chancellor, not only finished it, but founded likewise the Hospital called GOD'S HOUSE, above-mentioned. He built moreover a stately Palace, called the Duke of
Suffolk
's, which Honour he obtained in Right of his Wife
Elizabeth,
eldest Daughter of Sir
John Wingfield,
who married the Heiress of
Gilbert Granville,
Earl of
Suffolk.
But the Happiness of him, and his Family, being now arrived to the Height, set in Misfortunes; for in the Year 1388, he was impeached of High Treason, and fled for his Life into
France,
where he died.
William de la Pole
was Prime Minister to King
Henry
VI. and suspected to be too familiar with his heroick Queen. He was impeached by the Commons,
Anno
1450, and banished; but his Head was struck off by the Management of his Enemies, as soon as he set his Foot on the
French
Shore.
John de la Pole
married the Sister of King
Edward
IV. and so became allied to Royal Blood, and, by that means, exposed to various Misfortunes; and the famous Cardinal
Polé,
who flourished in the Reign of Queen
Mary
I. descended from that Marriage.
Here are a great many other Hospitals besides, and likewise a Work-house, and a good Free-school.
Tho' this Town, and a small adjacent Territory, be generally reckoned in
Yorkshire,
yet 'tis really a distinct Liberty and County of itself, governed by a Mayor, a Sheriff, 12 Aldermen,
&c.
The Corporation has Two Swords, one a Present from King
Richard
II. and the other from King
Henry
VIII. one of which is, on publick Occasions, carried before the Mayor, and a Cap of Maintenance, and Oar of
Lignum-vitae,
as Ensigns of Honour, the last being also a Badge of his Admiralty within the Limits of the
Humber.
Farther East from
Hull
is a little pleasant Corporate and Mayor-town, called
Heydon
; 'tis handsome, well-built, and hath a little Haven from the Sea, which increases daily.
The Sea incroaches much upon the Land on all the Shore about this Town; and 'tis said, that many large Fields, as well as Towns, which have been formerly known to have been there, have been wash'd away and lost.
History tells us, that a Town called
Ravensburgh
stood somewhere this way; and 'tis memorable for
Baliol
King of
Scotland
having set out thence to recover his Kingdom against
Bruce
; and also for the Landing of
Henry
IV. when Duke of
Hereford,
and the Reception he met with there from the
English
Nobility, against
Richard
II. and yet there are no Vestigia or Traces of this Town to be now met with.
The
Spurn Head,
a long Promontory thrusting out into the Sea, and making the North Point of
Humber,
is very remarkable. But I leave that till I come to the Description of the Sea Coasts. I can only observe, that there is nothing worth Observation upon this Side for above 30 Miles together, not a Port, not a Gentleman's Seat, not a Town of any Note, except
Patrington,
which is a very antient corporate Town, and very pleasantly seated within the Promontory, and had likewise formerly a good Harbour: on one Side it looks into the
Humber,
and on the other over sweet delicious green Fields, which renders its Situation very agreeable. It is supposed to be the
Praetorium
of
Ptolemy.
The
Roman
Way from the
Picts
Wall ends here, as indeed it can hardly go further, unless it should extend to
Kelnsey,
a little Village standing at the Head of the Promontory.
Spurnhead
is likewise supposed to be the
Occellum
of
Ptolemy,
deriv'd from the
British
Word
Y
hell,
which signifies a high Place on the East-side of this Promontory, on the
German
Sea. The Villages lie very thick, but I met with nothing of Note till we came up to
Hornsey,
which is almost surrounded with a little Arm of the Sea. The Steeple here is a notable Sea-mark, but is much fallen into Ruin. Here was a whole Street wash'd away by the Sea, as, 'tis said, a Village called
Hide
was, a little to the North, as well as many other Villages on this Coast.
North-west of
Hornsey,
some Distance from the Sea, stands
Kilham,
a Market-town in the
Woulds,
but of no Note.
We next come to
Burlington,
or
Birdlington,
a good large Market-town, situate on a Creek of the Sea. It is a Place of good Trade, and has a safe Harbour for Ships, and a good Quay to load and unload them. It is much frequented by the Colliers. The Harbour is made still better, and yet improving, by virtue of several Acts of Parliament passed for Repair of its Piers, the last of which, inforcing the former, and supplying Defects, was in 1723. Here
William
of
Newborough,
(a Village just by) one of our Historians, was a Canon Regular, and resided, when he fell so violently upon
Geoffrey
of
Monmouth
's History, and treated him very abusively, which
Leland
blames him very much for, as irreverent and uncharitable to a Bishop after his Death. It seems there was a personal Enmity between
William
and some of
Geoffrey
's Family; tho' the last is in no wise to be justified in some of his fictitious Assertions, no more than the other is for absolutely denying there was such a Man as King
Arthur,
and that the Ground at
Battle Abbey,
where
Harold
was slain in fighting against the
Conqueror,
always sweats Blood after Rain.
The Country People told us a Story here of
Gipsies,
which visit them often in a surprising Manner. We were strangely amused with their Discourse at first, forming our Ideas from the Word, which, in ordinary Signification with us, denotes a Sort of str
lling Vagabonds. But we were soon made to understand, that the People meant by them certain Streams of Water, which at different Seasons (for none knows when they will happen) gush out of the Earth with great Violence and Noise, spouting up to a great Height, being natural
Jette d' Eaux,
or Fountains, which afterwards joining together, form little Rivers, and so hasten to the Sea. I had not time to examine into the Particulars; and as the Irruption was not just then to be seen, we could say little to it. That which was most observable to us, was, that the Country People have a Notion, that whenever those
Gipsies,
or, as some call them,
Vipsies,
break out, there will certainly ensue either Famine or Plague. This puts me in mind, that the very same thing is said to happen at
Swintham
Bottom in
Surrey,
beyond
Croydon,
and that the Water gushing out of the chalky Hills about eight Miles from
Croydon,
on the Road to
Ryegate,
fills the whole Bottom, and makes a large River, running just to the Town's End of
Croydon
; and then turning to the Left, runs into the River, which rises in the Town, and so to
Cashalton.
I mention it, because the Country People here have exactly the same Notion, that this Water never breaks out but against a Famine; and as I am sure it has not now broken out for more than 60 Years, it may, for aught I know, be true.
Near
Burlington
stands
Flamborough-head,
a little Promontory, which bends a little into the Sea, and forms the Bay of
Burlington.
It takes its Name from
Flam,
a
British
Word for a Fire-light; and not far from this Promontory is a very large Ditch, which some of the antient Earls of
Holderness
threw up as a Boundary to their Jurisdiction and Estate. It is call'd
Earls Dyke.
Humanby
stands next, but is so inconsiderable, that it has lost the Privilege of its Market, if it ever had any.
At
Lebberston,
a little Village, a small Way from the Sea, the famous River
Derwent
takes its Rise, and makes its Way West, instead of running into the Sea here. And here I take Leave of the
East-riding,
which is in no wise so fruitful as the other two Ridings, by reason that the middle Part of it is over-run with the
Woulds
; which are high Grounds, barren and moorish; but are however well-stock'd with Sheep: yet the Eastern Part upon the Sea is fruitful and pleasant, which, as well as the Southern Part, produces all Sort of Grain and Grass. But then, if you take in its Trade and Traffick, it excels both the other Ridings.
Scarborough
is the first Town we come to upon the Coast in the
North-riding
: it is a Borough Bailiwick Town, the Situation of which is perfectly romantick; bending in the Form of a Crescent to the main Ocean, of which you have almost an unbounded Prospect from all Parts, it being built on a steep Rock, and the Declivity of a lofty Hill, on the Top of which stood an antient Castle, founded by
William le Gros,
in the Time of King
Stephen,
and repaired and inlarg'd afterwards by King
Henry
II. but demolished in the late Civil Wars. The Summit of this Hill contains no less than 18 or 20 Acres of Meadow-ground. The Town is populous, almost incompassed by the Sea, and walled where it joins not to the Castle, or is more strongly defended by the Sea. It has one of the best Harbours in the Kingdom, especially since the passing of an Act of Parliament,
Anno
1732, to inlarge its Piers and Harbour, by which they have gained 6 Feet Depth of Water, which enables the Harbour to receive Vessels of greater Burden than it could do before. And it is the best Place, between
Newcastle
and the
Humber
capable of receiving in Distress of Weather Ships coming from the Eastern Seas along our Northern Coast.
The
Spaw
Waters (whose admirable Virtues yearly occasion a great Concourse of the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom) were first discovered by Mrs.
Ferrow
about 120 Years ago, then an Inhabitant of the Place.
They are reckoned Cathartick and Diuretick,
much in their Nature like those of
Pyrmont
in
Germany, and are apparently tinged with a Collection of Mineral Salts, as of Vitriol, Alum, Iron, and perhaps Sulphur; but being deemed of the same Nature as those of
Cheltenham
in
Gloucestershire,
before describ'd, I refer to them.
Scarborough
may be said even to rival the
Bath
itself, and, on several Accounts, is more eligible and inviting to Strangers. It is well for the
Bath,
that its Seasons interfere not with theirs; for it is frequented chiefly in the hot Months of the Summer.
There are many new Buildings in it; and more going forward, so that there is now good Accommodation for great Numbers even of the highest Quality; and they have Assemblies and Publick Balls, in long Rooms built on purpose.
The unfortunate Accident that happen'd in
December
1737, whereby this famous
Spaw
had like to have been lost, deserves to be mentioned here. Take then the Account as follows:
The
Spaw,
as to its Situation, lay South from the Town, on the Sands, and fronting the Sea to the East, under a high Cliff on the Back of it, West; the Top of the Cliff being above the High-water Level, 54 Yards; and all about a Quarter of a Mile from the Town.
The Staith or Wharf adjoining to the Spaw-house, was a large Body of Stone, bound by Timbers, and was a Fence against the Sea, for the Security of the House; it was 76 Feet long, and 14 Feet high, and in Weight by Computation 2463 Tons. The House and Buildings were upon a Level with the Staith; at the North End of which, and near adjoining to it, upon a small Rise above the level Sands, and at the Foot of the Stairs that lead up to the Top of the said Staith, and to the House, were the
Spaw
Wells.
On
Wednesday, December
28, in the Morning, a great Crack was heard from the Cellar of the
Spaw
House, and upon Search, the Cellar was found rent; but at the Time, no farther Notice was taken of it.
The Night following, another Crack was heard; and in the Morning, the Inhabitants were surprised to see the strange Posture it stood in, and got several Gentlemen to view it, who being of Opinion the House could not stand long, advised them to get out their Goods; but they still continued in it.
On
Thursday
following, between Two and Three in the Afternoon, another Crack was heard, and the Top of the Cliff behind it rent 224 Yards in Length, and 36 in Breadth, and was all in Motion, slowly descending; and so continued till dark. The Ground thus rent, contained about an Acre of Pasture-land, and had Cattle then feeding upon it, and was on a Level with the main Land, but sunk near 17 Yards perpendicular. The Sides of the Cliff nearest the
Spaw
stood as before, but were rent and broken in many Places, and forced forwards to the Sea. The Ground, when sunk, lay upon a Level, and the Cattle next Morning were still feeding on it, the main Land being as a Wall on the West, and some Part of the Side of the Cliff as a Wall to the East; but the Whole, to View, gave such a confused Prospect, as could hardly be described.
The Rent of the Top of the Cliff aforesaid, from the main Land, was 224 Yards. The Rent continued from each End, down the Side of the Cliff, to the Sands, was measured on the Sands from one End to the other, 168 Yards;
viz.
143 South of the Staith and
Spaw
Wells, and 100 to the North of the
Spaw.
As the Ground sunk, the Earth, or Sand, on which the People used to walk under the Cliff, rose upwards out of its natural Position, for above 100 Yards in Length, on each Side of the Staith, North and South; and was in some Places six, and in others seven Yards above its former Level. The
Spaw
Wells rose with it; but as soon as it began to rise, the Water at the
Spaw
Well ceas'd running, and was gone.
The Ground thus risen was 26 Yards broad; the Staith, which was computed at 2463 Tons, rose intire and whole, 12 Feet higher than its former Position, (but rent a little in the Front) and was forced forwards towards the Sea, 20 Yards.
The most reasonable Account then given for this Phaenomenon, and the Occasion of the Destruction of the Staith, and
Spaw
House, and the Loss for some time of the
Spaw
Spring, is as follows:
When this Staith, or Wharf, was lately rebuilt, (it being thrown down by the Violence of the Sea) Mr.
Vincent,
Engineer for the building of the new Pier at
Scarborough,
was desir'd to rebuild this Staith at the
Spaw
; and digging a Trench to lay the Foundation thereof, with great Difficulty clear'd it of Water; and when he had done it, could, at several Parts thereof, very easily thrust his Stick or Cane up to the Handle; from whence it is concluded, that all the Earth under the Staith was of a porous, spongy, swampy Nature, and was much the same below the Foundation of the
Spaw
House, and all under the Sides of the Cliff adjoining, as well North as South.
Allowing this to be Fact, the solid Earth sinking on the Top of the Cliff, as afore-mention'd, (which was of so vast a Weight, as by Computation to amount to 261, 360 Tons) pressing gradually upon and into the swampy, boggy Earth beneath it, would of course, and did, raise the Earth and Sands as before noticed, and so effected the Mischief we have particulariz'd.
But, very luckily for the Town, after a diligent Search, and clearing away the Ruins, as we may say, they found again the
Spaw
Spring; and on Trial, had the Pleasure to find the Water rather better'd than impair'd by the Disaster. And now the Whole is in a more flourishing Condition than ever.
Here is such plenty of all Sorts of Fish, that I have hardly seen the like. To describe the Herring, the Cod, the Whiting, is only to repeat what is said in other Places, and what we shall have occasion to repeat, more than once, now we begin to go far North.
We travelled a long Way from
Scarborough,
before we came to the next Market-town, which is
Whitby,
situate at the Influx of the little River
Esk,
into the Sea. It has an excellent Harbour, and a good Trade by Sea, and 'tis said to have above 200 Ships belonging to it. Here are built a great Number of good Ships for the Coal Trade. It hath a good Custom-house. The Market is well furnish'd, and supply'd with all Sorts of Provisions.
The Harbour and Piers being somewhat decay'd they were repair'd by virtue of Two Acts of Parliament, in the First and Seventh Years of Queen
Anne
; and in 1733, an Act pass'd to preserve, continue, and keep the said Piers in Repair for ever.
By means of these several Acts of Parliament, the Piers of
Whitby
have been rebuilt and completed; but yet for some Years past the Entrance into the Port has been rendered very narrow and difficult, by reason of a Bank of Sand, which has been gathering about the Head of the West Pier, insomuch that it bid fair to choak up the Harbour; nor could this Inconvenience be redress'd in the Opinion of the best Judges, but by lengthening and extending the West Pier, and its Head, about 100 Yards farther into the Sea. For this Reason another Act passed in the Eighth of King
George
II. for lengthening the West Pier, and for improving the Harbour.
At the Foot of some Rocks, at this Town, have been found Stones naturally as round as a Bullet, which when broken, stony Serpents are found in them, for the most part headless, look'd upon as a
Lusus Naturae.
This Place was antiently called
Streanshall,
and
Oswy
King of
Northumberland
held a Council here, in 663, to determine the Controversy between those who kept
Easter
after the
British
manner, and those who kept it after the
Roman
manner, which
Augustine
the Monk had lately introduced. After the Party for the first had spoken, the other answering, insisted they kept
Easter
after the manner of St.
Peter,
on whom Christ promised to build his Church, and had the Keys of Heaven. Upon which the King ask'd, If it was true, that Christ had spoken so to St.
Peter?
Which the adverse Party allowing, the King swore a great Oath, That he would not disoblige this Porter of Heaven, lest, when he came to the Gates, he should remember him: and so establish'd the Celebration of
Easter
after the
Roman
Manner.
Near this Place are some Alum Mines, belonging to her Grace the Dutchess of
Bucks,
in which there is carry'd on a very considerable Trade.
We inquir'd as to that strange and wonderful Phenomenon relating to the Air here, which, as the wild Geese fly over a Piece of Ground near this Place, in hard Winters, to the Lakes in the Southern Countries, makes them drop down all of a sudden to the Ground; and had it assur'd to us for Truth, though none could assign any Reason for it.
There are
Spaw
Waters at
Whitby,
which have had great Reputation. Several curious and antique Coins have been dug up in this Neighbourhood; and a Monastery was founded here by St.
Hilda,
about the Year 650; and being destroyed by the
Danes,
was afterwards rebuilt: the Ruins of which (very considerable) are still to be seen. In the Month of
November
1710, such a dreadful Storm happen'd here, that the Damage to the Shipping,
&c.
was computed at 40,000
l.
Here the Coast inclines North-west, and we followed it till we came to
Gisborough,
a Market-town pretty well built, a little way from the Sea, upon a small nameless River. It is a fine and delicious Situation, endued with such a grateful Variety and Advantages of Nature, as renders it most delightfully pleasant: a fine Scene of Verdure overspreads all the Grounds about it, which are deck'd with Plenty of Field-flowers, almost all the Year round. Some compare it to
Puteoli
in
Italy,
but allow that it exceeds it in Healthiness. It stands high, and would have been incommoded with cold Breezes (as it stands so Northerly) from the Sea, but that some Hills conveniently interfere, so as to qualify the Cold.
The Behaviour of the Inhabitants too participates of the Pleasantness of the Place; for they are very courteous, well-bred, and obliging, and very neat and cleanly in their Houses.
Here are likewise some Alum Mines, but not so considerable and easy wrought as those of
Whitby,
which has taken off a great Part of that Trade from hence.
This pleasant Town is the last on the East-side towards the Sea, in this
North-riding,
in our Way to
Durham.
It made so delightful an Impression on my Mind, that I left the whole County in general, but this Place, and truly pleasurable Country about it, in particular, with Regret.
And thus have I accomplish'd the third and last Part of my Proposition, with respect to my Circuit through this large and far extended County: and though I have been not a little circumstantial in my Accounts of it, yet there are many curious Matters, that still remain untouch'd, and could not be brought within the Compass of an Epistolary Correspondence of this kind.
But as I have given you only a Description of the County above Ground, take the following Memorandums of the Treasures which are contained in its Bowels:
Alum, Jet, or Black Amber, Copperas, Marble, Pit-coal, Lead, Copper, Limestone, and Kelp.
The first Market-town we come to in the Bishoprick of
Durham,
on the East-side, is
Stockton,
which lies on the North-side of the
Teis.
It has risen, at the Expence of
Yarum,
from a poor pitiful Village, with Clay Walls and Straw Covering to the Houses, to a well-built Corporate Town, of great Resort and Business, govern'd by a Mayor,
&c.
'Tis famous for its Ale, and a good Trade, which it carries on in Lead and Butter, by the
Teis,
with
London,
which formerly was altogether at
Yarum.
But this Town lying nearer the Sea, and consequently more convenient, has almost engross'd the whole Trade to itself.
Coasting along the Sea-side, we come next to
Hartlepool,
which is a famous corporate Mayor-town, and seated on a little Promontory, which juts out into the Sea, with which it is encompass'd on all Sides, except the West. The Market was much more considerable formerly than now; and its chief Subsistence rises only from its good Harbour, which frequently receives the Coal-fleet from
Newcastle,
in bad Weather.
We turn'd from hence to the Left North-west, and came to
Durham
next, which is a fine City, pretty large, compact, well-contriv'd, and well situated, high, pleasant, and healthy, and surrounded almost with the River
Were,
over which are two good Stone Bridges. The Castle stands on an Eminence, with which the River incloses the City; as the Castle does also the Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, and the fine Houses of the Clergy, where they live in great Splendor and Magnificence. All Sorts of Provisions and other Necessaries and Conveniencies for Life, are very cheap, as well as very good, here, tho' it has but one weekly Market, which is kept in a large spacious Area in the Town. It is govern'd by a Mayor, Aldermen, Recorder, and Sheriffs, and has six Parish Churches, besides the Cathedral, which is very noble and magnificent, adorn'd with a high Tower, which rises from the Midst of it, and two Spires at the West End.
Thus from a poor Oratory of wreathen Wands and Hurdles, with which the indigent Monks of
Landisfarn
had first built it, it is become one of the most sumptuous Buildings of the Kind in
England,
and was erected out of the Offerings which were made by the superstitious Multitude at the Shrine of St.
Cuthbert.
And yet, notwithstanding the Residence of so many dignified Protestant Clergy, 'tis said, there are still great Numbers of
Roman Catholicks
in this City.
I need not tell you, that the Bishop of
Durham
is a Temporal Prince, that he keeps a Court of Equity, and also Courts of Justice in ordinary Causes, within himself. He is still Earl of
Sadberg,
and takes Place as Bishop immediately after the Bishop of
London.
As the Country about
Rome
is called St.
Peter
's Patrimony, so that about
Durham
is St.
Cuthbert
's, to whom the Church is dedicated, as 'tis said it was founded by the Monks of
Landisfarn. David
King of
Scots
laying all Waste with Fire and Sword, while King
Edward
III. was at
Calais, Zouch,
the valiant Bishop, fought the
Scots
at
Nevil's Cross,
where they were cut in Pieces, and their King taken Prisoner. He was the sixth Bishop of
Landisfarn,
or
Holy Island,
from whence the See was removed hither.
The Bishoprick is esteemed one of the best in
England
; and the Prebends, and other Church Livings, in the Gift of the Bishop, are the richest in the Kingdom. They told me there, that the Bishop had thirteen Livings in his Gift, from 300
l.
to 800
l.
a Year; and the Living of the little Town of
Sedgfield,
a few Miles South of the City, is said to be worth 700
l.
a Year, besides the small Tythes, which maintain a Curate, or might do so.
This Church is very rich: they have excellent Musick. The old Vestments, which the Clergy before the Reformation wore, are still us'd on
Sundays
and other Holy-days, by the Residents. They are so rich with Embroidery and emboss'd Work of Silver, as must needs make it uneasy for the Wearers to sustain. In this Cathedral lies the Body of the V
rable
Bede.
One of the old Bishops of
Durham
purchased for a round Sum of Money all the Rights of the Palatinate, and other Jurisdiction in this County from King
Richard
I. and, by his last Will, left them to the succeeding Bishops. But King
Henry
VIII. by Act of Parliament, greatly abridged the Temporal Power and Jurisdiction of this Bishoprick; and King
Edward
VI. (or rather his Uncle
Somerset)
by Act of Parliament dissolved the Bishoprick intirely; but it was restored by Queen
Mary.
Neither City nor County ever sent Members to the House of Commons, till the Vacancy of the See, by the Death of Bishop
Cosins, Anno
1672; and since they return each of them Two, which is all that the County send.
We took a Trip from
Durham,
South, to see
Bishops Auckland,
which is a Market-town, pleasantly seated upon a Hill, in a very good Air, and is noted for a most noble Palace, beautified with Turrets, belonging to the Bishop, and also a fine Chapel, founded and built by Bishop
Cosins,
who re-edified the Palace, after the Enthusiastick Rage of the late Civil Wars had ruin'd it.
Here we turn'd West, and following the
Were,
pass'd thro'
Wolsingham,
a little Town of no Note, to
Stanhop,
a little Town also, which had once a Market, but 'tis now discontinued. It is only noted for a very good Park, which lies near it, where King
Edward
III. besieging the
Scots
in their Camp, had like to have been surpris'd in his Tent by one
Douglas,
an adventurous
Scot,
had not the King's Chaplain defended him with the Loss of his own Life.
These Western Parts of the County, all to the upper Part of it, are very hilly and mountainous, and the Fields near them look naked and barren; but the Iron Mines they produce within their Bowels, make ample Amends for the Barrenness of the Surface.
We return'd from these inhospitable Parts to
Durham
; from whence we kept the common Road to
Chester in the Street,
an old, dirty, thoroughfare Town, void of all Remains of the Greatness, which Antiquaries say were to be seen there, when it was a
Roman
Colony. Here is a Stone Bridge, but instead of riding over it, we rode under it, thro' one of the Arches, the Stream not being over the Horses Hoofs in Water; yet, on Inquiry, we found, that sometimes they have Use enough for it.
Lumley-castle,
belonging to the Earl of
Scarborough,
is just on the other Side of the Road, as you pass between
Durham
and
Chester,
pleasantly seated in a fine Park, near the East Bank of the River
Were.
The Park, besides the Pleasantness of it, has this much more valuable Circumstance to recommend it, that it is full of excellent Veins of the best Coal in the Country (for the
Lumley
Coals are known for their Goodness at
London,
as well as there). This, with a sometimes navigable River just at hand, by which the Coals are carried down to
Sunderland
to the Ships, makes
Lumley
Park an inexhaustible Treasure to the Family.
They tell us, that King
James
I. lodged in this Castle, at his Entrance into
England
to take Possession of the Throne; and seeing a fine Picture of the antient Pedigree of the Family, which carried it very far beyond what his Majesty thought credible, turned this good Jest upon it to the Bishop of
Durham,
who shewed it him,
That indeed he did not know, that
Adam
's Surname was
Lumley,
before.
Here we turned from the Road, and crossing the
Were,
followed it East to
Sunderland,
a Corporate Sea-port Town in the County Palatine of
Durham,
populous and well-built, with a very handsome Church in it; and tho' the River be not large, it carries on a great Trade in Coals, at high Water. It is a Peninsula, almost surrounded by the Sea. It has a very fine Church; and its Rector, the Rev. and worthy Mr.
Daniel Newcome,
was the principal Architect in the building of it. This Gentleman spent the greatest Part of his Income in beautifying and adorning it. He began by building a Dome, adjoining to the East-end, into which he removed the Altar, placing it under a Canopy of inlaid Work, supported in Front by Two fluted Pillars of the
Corinthian
Order, with proper Capitals. His Benevolence and Charity were equally extensive to all who were proper Objects of them; and he delighted in doing Good. This worthy Man, however, liv'd not to see his new Works to the Church quite completed, dying very much lamented, on 5
Jan.
1738.
The Eastern Side of the County, along the Sea Coast, and indeed the Southern Side, along the Banks of the
Teis,
is very fertile and delightful, thick of little Towns and Villages, which are very populous; and as the Mountains on the West produce Iron Mines, this Side is full of those of Coals, which lie so very near the Surface of the Ground, that the Cart Wheels press into them.
And indeed from
Durham,
the Road to
Newcastle
gives a View of the inexhausted Store of Coals and Coal Pits, from whence not
London
only, but all the South Part of
England
is continually supplied; and tho' at
London,
when we see the prodigious Fleets of Ships which come constantly in with Coals, we are apt to wonder how it is possible for them to be supplied, and that they do not bring the whole Coal Country away; yet, when in this Country we see the prodigious Heaps, I might say Mountains of Coals, which are dug up at every Pit, and how many of those Pits there are, we are filled with equal Wonder to consider where the People should live that consume them.
At the Mouth of the
Tyne,
which parts
Durham
from
Northumberland,
stands the Village of
Sheals,
the Station of the Sea Coal Fleets, where there have been some Marks of
Roman
Antiquity discovered not many Years since.
Yarrow,
noted for the Birth-place of the Venerable
Bede,
stands a little higher upon the same River; and upon the other Side of the
Tyne
stands
Gateshead,
the Receptacle of the Coal-pit Men, just over-against
Newcastle
; and is supposed to have been antiently Part of it, tho' divided by the River, over which there is a stately Stone-bridge, with an Irongate in the Middle, which serves as a Boundary between the Bishoprick and the County of
Northumberland.
The Air in this Bishoprick is pretty cold and piercing; and 'tis well for the Poor, that Nature has supplied them so abundantly with Fuel for Firing; and indeed all other Provisions and Necessaries are very cheap here. It seems as if the whole County had been originally appropriated to Religion and War; for it is full of the Ruins of Religious Houses and Castles.
We are now entering into the large and extensive County of
Northumberland,
which for many Ages was the Bone of Contention, and Seat of War between
England
and
Scotland.
Newcastle
is a large and exceeding populous Town, under the Government of a Mayor, Aldermen, Recorder,
&c.
and is situate between the Wall of
Severus
and the
Tyne,
which becomes here a fine deep and noble River, insomuch that Ships of a middling Burden may come safely up to the very Town, tho' the large Colliery Ships are station'd at
Sheals.
It may be consider'd as divided into Two Parts, whereof
Gateshead,
before spoken of on
Durham
Side, is one. They are both joined by the Bridge, which consists of Seven Arches, as large, at least, as those of
London
Bridge, and support a Street of Houses, as that does.
The Liberty of the Town, as it is a Corporation, extends no farther than the Gate upon the Bridge; which, some Years since, was the Preservation of it, by stopping a terrible Fire, that otherwise had, perhaps, burnt the whole Street of Houses on the City Side of the Bridge, as it did those beyond it. On the East Side of this Gate the Arms of the Bishop of
Durham
are carved, as those of the Town of
Newcastle
are on the West Side.
There is also a very noble
Exchange
here; and the Wall of the Town runs parallel from it with the River, leaving a spacious Piece of Ground before it between the Water and the Wall; which being well wharfed up, and faced with Free-stone, makes the longest and largest Quay for landing and lading Goods, that is to be seen in
England,
except that at
Yarmouth
in
Norfolk,
it being much longer than that at
Bristol.
Here is a large Hospital built by Contribution of the Keel Men, by way of Friendly Society, for the Maintenance of the Poor of their Fraternity, and which, had it not met with Discouragements from those who ought rather to have assisted so good a Work, might have been a noble Provision for that numerous and laborious People. The Keel Men are those who manage the Lighters, which they call
Keels,
by which the Coals are taken from the Staiths, or Wharfs, and carried on board the Ships at
Sheals
to load them for
London.
Here are several large publick Buildings also; particularly a House of State for the Mayor of the Town (for the Time being) to remove to, and dwell in during his Mayoralty. Here is also a Hall for the Surgeons to meet in, where they have Two Skeletons of human Bodies, one a Man, and the other a Woman, and some other Rarities.
And since this Work went to the Press, I am inform'd, that the Rev. Dr.
Robert Thomlinson,
Rector of
Whickham
in the County of
Durham,
and Prebendary of
St. Paul
's, gave to this Corporation a valuable Collection of Books, consisting of upwards of 6000 Volumes; and also settled a Rent-charge of Five Pounds
per Annum
for ever, for buying new Books. And
Walter Blackett,
Esq
one of their Representatives in Parliament, has, at his own Expence, built a handsome Fabrick for the Reception of those Books, and settled in Mortmain a Rent-charge of 25
l. per Annum
for ever for a Librarian.
The Town is defended by an exceeding strong Wall, wherein are Seven Gates, and as many Turrets, The Castle, tho' old and ruinous, overlooks the whole Town. The worst is, that the Situation of the Town b
ing on the Declivity of Two high Hills, and the Buildings being very close and old, render it incommodious, to which the Smoke of the Coals contributes not a little; and consequently excludes such who seek a Residence of Pleasure: but then as the River which runs between the Two Hills, makes it a Place of great Trade and Business, that Inconvenience is abundantly recompensed.
They have Two Articles of Trade here, which are particularly owing to the Coals,
viz.
Glasshouses and Salt-pans; the first are in the Town, the last are at
Sheals,
Seven Miles below it; but their Coals are brought chiefly from the Town. Prodigious are the Quantities of Coals which those Salt Works consume; and the Fires make such a Smoke, that we saw it ascend in huge Clouds over the Hills, Four Miles before we came to
Durham,
which is at least 16 Miles from the Place. In short, the Town is almost surrounded with Coal-pits; and
London
is reckoned to take off upwards of 600,000 Chaldrons yearly, at Thirty-six Bushels to the Chaldron.
Here I met with a Remark which was quite new to me, and will be so, I suppose, to many others. You well know, we receive at
London
every Year a great Quantity of Salmon pickled or cured, and sent up in the Pickle in Kits or Tubs, which we call
Newcastle
Salmon. In consequence of this, when I came to
Newcastle,
I expected to see great Plenty of Salmon there; but was surprised to find it, on the contrary, so scarce, that a good large fresh Salmon was not to be had under Five or Six Shillings. Upon Inquiry I learnt, that really this Salmon, which we call
Newcastle
Salmon, is taken as far off as the
Tweed,
which is near 50 Miles further, and is brought by Land on Horses to
Sheals,
where it is cured, pickled, and sent to
London,
as above; so that it is more properly
Berwick
Salmon than
Newcastle.
There is but one Parochial Church, called
St. Nicolas,
built by St.
David,
King of
Scotland,
but several Chapels as large as Churches. Here are likewise some Meeting-houses, and a great many well-endowed Charity-schools. It is not only inriched by the Coal Trade, but there are also very considerable Merchants in it, who carry on Traffick to divers Parts of the World, especially to
Holland, Hamburgh, Norway,
and the
Baltick.
They build Ships here to Perfection as to Strength and Firmness, and to bear the Sea, as the Coal Trade requires. This gives an Addition to the Merchants Business, it requiring a Supply of all Sorts of Naval Stores to fit out those Ships.
Here is also a considerable Manufacture of Hard Ware, or Wrought Iron, of late Years erected after the manner of
Sheffield,
which is very helpful for imploying the Poor, of which the Town has always a prodigious Number.
This Town was taken and plundered by the
Scots
in the Beginning of the late Civil Wars; and here it was, (to their eternal Reproach be it remember'd) that the
Scots
perfidiously sold their King for 2000
l.
in hand, and Security for 2000
l.
more, after he had in Confidence intrusted himself in their Hands, and without any Conditions made for him: a Transaction equally detestable with that of cutting off his Head; or more, if possible, as those who did the last were his avow'd and implacable Enemies, whereas the others received him as his Friends and Protectors.
On the 12th of
January,
1738-9, Part of the antient Gate, leading to the
Castle-Garth,
fell down; and tho' several Shops joined to it, yet nobody receiv'd any Hurt.
The Town was formerly fortify'd with a great Castle, the Walls of which are still standing. Its antient Name was
Monk-Chester
; but on the building of a new Castle in the Time of
William the Conqueror,
it obtain'd its present Name. It enjoys great Privileges by the Favour of Queen
Elizabeth,
and being one of those which are called County-towns, governs itself independently of the Lord Lieutenant.
West from
Newcastle
lies the Bailiwick-Town of
Hexham,
(the
Axelodunum
of the
Romans
) a Pass upon the
Tyne,
famous, or rather infamous, for having the first Blood drawn near it in the late Civil War; and where a Detachment of
English,
tho' advantageously posted, were scandalously defeated by the
Scots,
who gain'd the Pass, fought thro' the River, and killed about 400 Men, the rest basely running away; after which, the Town of
Newcastle
was as easily seized upon, without striking a Stroke.
The Country round this Town is vulgarly called
Hexhamshire.
It was formerly the Seat of a Bishop, till
Henry
VIII. annexed it to that of
Durham.
Its Cathedral was stately, before the
Scots
ruin'd the greatest Part of it in one of their Excursions. On the other Side of the
Tyne
from
Hexhamshire,
you see a House very beautifully situated, belonging to the Family of
Errington,
called
Bifront
; and within Two Miles of
Hexham
is a fine House built by the late unfortunate Earl of
Derwentwater,
called
Dilston.
I was greatly tempted here to trace the famous Wall built by the
Romans,
or rather rebuilt by them, from hence to
Carlisle,
the Particulats of which, and the Remains of Antiquity seen upon it, our Histories are full of. I went to several Places in the Fields thro' which it passed, where I saw the Remains of it, some almost lost, and some very visible. But of this more in another Place.
Northumberland
is a long coasting County, lying chiefly on the Sea to the East, and bounded by the Mountains of
Stainmore
on the West, which are in some Places inaccessible, but in many others unpassable.
Here is abundant Business for an Antiquary; every Place shews you ruined Castles,
Roman
Altars, Inscriptions, Monuments of Battles, of Heroes killed, Armies routed, and the like. The Towns of
Morpeth, Alnwick, Warkworth, Tickill,
and many others, shew their old Castles, and some of them still in tolerable Repair,
Alnwick
in particular, and
Warkworth
; others, as
Bambrough, Norham, Chillingham, Horton, Dunstar, Wark,
and a great many more, are sunk in their own Ruins, by mere Length of Time.
We had
Cheviot
Hills so plain in view, that we could not but inquire of the Inhabitants every-where, whether they had heard of the Fight at
Chevy-Chace:
they not only told us they had heard of it, but had all the Account of it at their Fingers End; whereupon taking a Guide at
Wooller,
a small Town, lying, as it were, under the Hills, he led us on toward the Top of the Hill; for, by the way, altho' there are many Hills and Reachings for many Miles, which bear the Name of
Cheviot Hills,
yet there is one of them a great deal higher than the rest, which, at a Distance, looks like the
Pico-Teneriffe
in the
Canaries,
and is so high, that it is plainly seen from the
Rosemary Top
in the East-Riding of
Yorkshire,
which is near 60 Miles off.
We were preparing to clamber up this Hill on Foot, when our Guide told us, he would find a Way for us to get up on Horse-back. He then very artfully led us round to a Part of the Hill, where, in the Winter-season, great Streams of Water come pouring down from it in several Chanels, which were pretty broad, and over-grown on each Side with Alder-trees so close and thick, that we rode under them as in an Arbour. In one of these Chanels we mounted the Hill, as Besiegers approach a fortified Town by Trenches, and were got a great way up, before we were well aware of it; for we were already so far advanced, that we could see some of the Hills, which before we thought very high, lying under us, as if they were a Part of the Plain below. As we mounted higher, we found the Hill steeper than at first; and our Horses being very much fatigu'd, we alighted, and proceeded on Foot. When we had gain'd the Top, we were agreeably surprised to see a smooth and pleasant Plain half a Mile in Diameter, with a large Pond in the middle of it; for we had a Notion, when at Bottom, that the Hill narrow'd to a Point, and that when we came to the Top, we should be as upon a Pinacle, with a Precipice every Way round us.
The Day, to our great Satisfaction, happen'd to be very calm, and so clear, that we could plainly see the Smoke of the Salt-pans at
Sheals,
at the Mouth of the
Tyne,
which was about 40 Miles South from this. We saw likewise several Hills, which our Guide told us were in
England,
and others in the West of
Scotland,
the Names of which I have forgot. Eastward we saw
Berwick,
and to the North the Hills called
Soutra
Hills, which are in Sight of
Edinburgh.
In short, we had a surprizing View of the united Kingdom; and tho' all the Country round us looked very well, yet, it must be owned, the
Scots
Side seemed the pleasantest, and had the best Ground.
Satisfied with this Prospect, and not thinking our Time or Pains ill bestowed, we came down the Hill by the same Rout we went up. Our Guide afterwards carried us to a single House, called
Wooller Haugh-head,
a much better Inn than we expected to meet with thereabouts.
At this Inn, we inquired after the Particulars of the famous Story of
Chevy Chase,
and found that the People had the following Notion of it; That it was an Inroad of the Earl of
Douglas
into
England,
in order to ravage, burn, and plunder the Country, as was usual in those Days: That
Piercy,
Earl of
Northumberland,
march'd with his Friends and Followers, to meet the
Scots
; both Parties encounter'd at the Foot of
Cheviot Hills,
and a bloody Battle ensued, wherein both the Earls were slain, desperately fighting at the Head of their Troops; and so many fell on both Sides, that it could not be determin'd which had the Victory.
They shewed us the Place where this Battle was fought, which, if their Tradition does not mislead them, is on the Side of the Hill near the Road. It is said, the
Scots
were mostly Horse, and therefore the
English
Archers placed themselves on the Side of a steep Ascent, that they might not be broken in upon by them. The Spots of Ground where the Two Earls are said to have fallen, are distinguished by Two Stones to this Day. The Fight the
Scots
call the Battle of
Otterburn,
and make a very famous Story of it, to the Honour of their Nation.
About Six or Seven Miles from hence we saw the ever memorable
Flodden-field,
where
James
IV. King of
Scotland,
invading
England
with a great Army, when
Henry
VIII. was engaged abroad in the Siege of
Tournay,
was met by the gallant Earl of
Surrey,
in which, after a bloody Battle, the
Scots
were totally defeated, and their King, fighting valiantly at the Head of his Nobility, was slain.
The River
Till,
which our Historians call a deep and swift River, where many of the
Scots
were drown'd in their Flight, seemed to me every-where passable with great Ease; but perhaps it might at that time be swelled with some sudden Rain, which the Historians ought to have taken notice of.
I must not quit
Northumberland
without taking notice, that the Natives of this Country, of the ancient original Race or Families, are distinguished by a
Shibboleth
upon their Tongues in pronouncing the Letter
R,
which they cannot utter without a hollow Jarring in the Throat, by which they are as plainly known, as a Foreigner is in pronouncing the
Th:
this they call the
Northumberland R,
or
Wharle
; and the Natives value themselves upon that Imperfection, because, forsooth, it shews the Antiquity of their Blood.
From hence lay a Road into
Scotland,
by the Town of
Kelso,
which I afterwards passed thro'; but at present inclining to see
Berwick upon Tweed,
we turned to the West, and visited that old Frontier, where is a fine Bridge over the
Tweed,
built by Queen
Elizabeth
; a noble, stately Work, consisting of 16 Arches, and joining, as may be said, the Two Kingdoms. The chief Trade I found here was in Corn and Salmon.
I am now on the Borders of
Scotland,
and must call to mind, that I have not yet gone over the Western Coast of
England,
viz.
Lancaster, Westmorland,
and
Cumberland.
I must needs own, that since I entered upon the View of these Northern Counties, I have many times regretted, that my Limits forbid me often to decline the delightful View of Antiquity, of which there is so great and so surprizing a Variety every Day discovered; for the religious, as well as military Remains of the
Britons, Romans, Saxons,
and
Normans,
like Wounds hastily healed up, appear presently when the
Callus,
which was spread over them, is removed; and though the Earth has defaced the Figures and Inscriptions upon most of these Curiosities, yet they are beautiful, even in their Decay; and the venerable Face of Antiquity has something so pleasing, so surprising, so satisfactory in it, especially to those who have, with any Attention, read the Histories of past Ages, that I know nothing which renders Travelling more pleasant and more agreeable.
The Description of the other Three Counties will be the Subject of my next Letter. Mean time, I am,
SIR,
Your most humble Servant.
LETTER IV. CONTAINING A Description of the Counties of
Lancaster, Westmorland,
and
Cumberland.
SIR,
I Entered
Lancashire
at the remotest Western Point of that County, having been at
West Chester
upon a particular Occasion, and from thence ferry'd over from the
Cestrian Chersonesus,
as I have already called it, to
Liverpoole.
This narrow Slip of Land, rich, fertile, and full of Inhabitants, tho' formerly, as Authors say, a mere waste and desolate Forest, is called
Wirall,
or by some
Wirehall.
Here is a Ferry over the
Mersee,
which, at full Sea, is more than two Miles over. You land on the flat Shore on the other Side, and must be content to ride thro' the Water for some Length, not on Horseback, but on the Shoulders of some
Lancashire
Clown, who comes Knee-deep to the Boat's Side, to truss one up; and then runs away more nimbly than one desires to ride, unless his Trot were easier.
Liverpoole
is one of the Wonders of
Britain,
because of its prodigious Increase of Trade and Buildings, within the Compass of a very few Years; rivalling
Bristol
in the Trade to
Virginia,
and the
English
Colonies in
America.
They trade also round the whole Island, send Ships to
Norway,
to
Hamburg,
and to the
Baltick,
as also to
Holland
and
Flanders
; so that, they are almost become, like the
Londoners,
universal Merchants.
The Trade of
Liverpoole
consists not only in Merchandizing and Correspondencies beyond Seas; but as they import almost all Kinds of foreign Goods, they have consequently a large Inland Trade, and a great Correspondence with
Ireland
and
Scotland
for Consumption of their Goods, exactly as it is with
Bristol
; and they really divide the Trade with
Bristol
upon very remarkable Equalities.
Bristol
lies upon the
Irish
Sea; so does
Liverpoole: Bristol
trades chiefly to the South and West Parts of
Ireland,
from
Dublin
in the East to
Galloway
West;
Liverpoole
has all the Trade of the East Shore and the North, from the Harbour of
Dublin
to
Londonderry: Bristol
has the Trade of
South Wales
;
Liverpoole
great Part of the Trade of
North Wales: Bristol
has the South-west Counties of
England,
and some North of it, as high as
Bridge-North,
and perhaps to
Shrewsbury
;
Liverpoole
has all the Northern Counties; and a large Consumption of Goods in
Cheshire
and
Staffordshire
is supplied from thence.
Ireland
is also shared between both; and for the Northern Coast of it, if the
Liverpoole
Men have not the whole Fishery, or, at least, in Company with the Merchants of
Londonderry,
the Fault is their own. The Situation of
Liverpoole
is very advantageous towards improving its Commerce, and extending it into the Northern Inland Counties of
England,
particularly into
Cheshire
and
Staffordshire,
by the new Navigation of the Rivers
Mersee,
the
Weaver,
and the
Dane.
By the last the Merchants come so near the
Trent
with their Goods, that they make no Difficulty to carry them by Land to
Burton,
and from thence correspond quite thro' the Kingdom, even to
Hull
; and they begin to be very sensible of the Profit of such a Commerce.
It is some Advantage to the growing Commerce of this Town, that the Freemen of it are, in consequence of that Freedom, free also of
Bristol
; as they are of the Corporations of
Waterford
and
Wexford
in the Kingdom of
Ireland.
Not that these Corporation Privileges are of any great Value to
Liverpoole
in its foreign Trade; but in particular Cases, it may be some Advantage, as in Town Duties, in admitting them to set up Trades in those Corporations, and the like.
The Town has no Fortifications either to the Land or the Sea; tho' when the late Northern Insurrection reached to
Preston,
the Inhabitants would have been glad of Walls and Gates; and indeed, had the Rebel Party had time to have advanced to
Warrington,
seized the Pass there, and taken
Manchester,
as they would certainly have done in three Days more, it would have fared but very ill with
Liverpoole,
which could have made but little Resistance against an armed and desperate Body of Men: besides, the Rebels would have not only found the Sweets of Plunder here, but Arms, Ammunition, Powder, and Lead, all which they extremely wanted. They would have had Ships also to have facilitated a Communication with
Ireland,
from whence Numbers would have landed, if it had been only in hopes of Plunder. But, happy for
Liverpoole,
as well as the whole Kingdom! the Rebels were defeated, before they proceeded so far.
The Situation of
Liverpoole
being on the North Bank of the River, with the Disadvantage of a flat Shore, the Merchants were laid under great Difficulties in their Business; for tho' the Harbour was good, and the Ships rode well in the
Offing,
yet they were obliged to ride there as in a Road, rather than a Harbour. Here was no Mole or Haven to bring in their Ships, and lay them up (as the Seamen call it) for the Winter, nor any Quay for the delivering their Goods, as at
Bristol, Biddiford, Newcastle, Hull,
and other Sea Ports. Upon this, the Inhabitants and Merchants, by the Aid of an Act of Parliament passed in the Eighth Year of the Reign of the late Queen
Anne,
which was prolonged by another, passed in the Third Year of his Majesty King
George
I. made a large Basin, or wet Dock, at the East End of the Town, where, at a very great Charge, the Place considered, they have brought the Tide from the
Mersee,
to flow up by an Opening, that looks to the South, and the Ships go in North; so that the Town shelters it from the Westerly and Northerly Winds, the Hills from the Easterly, and the Ships lie, as in a Mill-pond, with the utmost Safety and Convenience. As this is so great a Benefit to the Town, the like of which is not to be seen in any Place of
England,
for the Merchants Service,
London
excepted, it is well worth the Imitation of many other tradeing Places in
Britain,
who for want of such a Convenience, lose their Trade; for indeed the Inhabitants of
Liverpoole
suffered not a little for want of it in the great Storm,
Anno
1703. This Dock is capable of holding 100 Sail of Ships.
But tho' these new Works have been of such Advantage to this flourishing Town, yet something more appeared wanting to crown the Work; for, it seems, the Entrance into the Dock or Basin, from the open Harbour, was so streight, that Ships and Vessels lying in the Dock were often hinder'd from getting out to Sea; and those without the Dock, in the open Harbour, were frequently forced ashore and lost. To remedy this Inconvenience, an Act passed,
Anno
1738, for inlarging the said Entrance, and for erecting a Pier in the open Harbour, on the North and South Sides of the said Entrance. And as the Lives of divers Persons were endanger'd and lost, and Goods often run and smuggled, for want of keeping proper and sufficient Lights in the Night-time, about the said Wet-dock or Basin, the same Act impowers the Corporation to set up such a Number of Lamps to enlighten the Dock, as they shall think requisite: all which must be of the highest Benefit to this fine Town, and a great Furtherance to its Trade and Navigation.
The Custom-house adjoining to the Dock is also but the Work of a few Years past, and is not only a commodious, but an elegant Piece of Building.
Liverpoole
had formerly but one Church, dedicated to our Lady, and St.
Nicolas,
and that dependent on the Parish of
Walton
; but upon the Increase of Inhabitants, and of new Buildings, in so extraordinary a manner, an Act of Parliament passed in the Tenth Year of King
William
III. enabling the Corporation to build and endow a new one, and to make
Liverpoole
independent of
Walton. Anno
1704, the Church of
St. Peter
's on the East-side of the Town, which had been built at the Charge of the Parish to which it was appropriated, was consecrated. But this being still not sufficient for this flourishing Town, her late Majesty Queen
Anne,
in the Third Year of her Reign, granted to the Corporation for 50 Years a Lease of the Scite of
Liverpoole
Castle, which had long lain in Ruins, whereon to erect a third Church, and other Edifices, under the yearly Rent of 6
l.
13
s.
4
d.
together with Liberty to use the Materials of the old Castle for that Purpose. And his late Majesty King
George
I. by Act of Parliament, was pleased to make over to the Corporation for ever, on a Reserve of the same annual Rent, the said Scite of the old Castle; whereon the Inhabitants erected the said third Church, and in Honour to that Prince, dedicated it to St.
George.
It was finish'd in the Year 1734, from the Revenues arising from the Corporation-Lands, and the Duty on Merchandize, which are estimated at 200
l. per Ann.
These Churches are very handsome and capacious Buildings. That on the North of the Town has in it a fine Font of Marble, placed in the Body of the Church, surrounded with a beautiful Iron Palisado; the Gift of the late Mr.
Heysham,
a Merchant of
London,
but considerably concerned in Trade on this Side, and for many Years Member of Parliament for
Lancaster.
There is a beautiful Tower to this Church, and a new Ring of eight Bells.
The Town-house is a fine modern Building, standing all upon Pillars of Freestone; the Place under it is their
Tolsey,
or Exchange, for the Meeting of their Merchants; but they begin to want more Room, and talk of inlarging it, or removing the Exchange to the other part of the Town, where the Ships and Merchants Business is nearer at hand.
Here is also a good Free-school, well endow'd, and likewise a very noble Charity-school, which was built, and is supported, by the generous Contributions of the Inhabitants, for 50 Boys and 12 Girls, who are maintained with Cloaths, Meat, and Lodging, and have proper Education bestow'd upon them.
Here are also several Alms-houses for the Support of Sailors Widows, and other old and indigent People: and since the Year 1730, a Work-house for the Poor has also been erected, which, by good Management, has reduc'd the Poor's Rate from two Shillings in the Pound to Ten-pence; and they made no Doubt, when I was there last, that in a Year or two it would be brought under Six-pence in the Pound.
It is a Corporate Town, govern'd by a Mayor and Aldermen. The Harbour is defended on the South-side by a Castle, and the West by a Tower on the River
Mersee.
In a Word, there is no Town in
England,
except
London,
that can equal
Liverpoole
for the Fineness of the Streets, and Beauty of the Buildings. Many of the Houses are built of Free-stone, and completely finished; and all the rest (of the new Part I mean) of Brick, as handsomely built as
London
itself.
Formerly
Liverpoole
was but indifferently supply'd with fresh Water; but they have been for many Years well accommodated in that respect, by virtue of an Act of Parliament pass'd for that Purpose, in the Eighth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen
Anne.
I shall only add, that some of the Streets are named from their Relation to the Family of the
Mores
of
Blank-hall,
formerly chief Lords and Owners of the greatest Part of
Liverpoole,
and who first began to beautify and adorn it with fine Stone Buildings.
From hence the
Mersee
opening into the
Irish
Sea, we could see the great and famous Road of
Hile Lake,
remarkable for the shipping off, or rather Rendezvous of the Army and Fleet under King
William,
for the Conquest of
Ireland, Anno
1689; for here the Men of War rode as our Ships do in the
Downs,
till the Transports came to them from
Chester
and this Town.
Going East, we pass'd through
Prescot,
a large Market-town, but thinly inhabited; and came to
Warrington.
This is a large old-built Market-town upon the River
Mersee,
over which is erected a stately Stone Bridge, which is the only Bridge of Communication for the whole County with that of
Chester.
It is on the great Road from
London
leading to
Carlisle
and
Scotland,
and, in case of War, has always been esteemed a Pass of the utmost Importance. It was found to be so upon several Occasions in the Time of the late Civil War; and had the Rebel
Scots
advanced thus far in the late
Preston
Affair, so as to have made themselves Masters of it, it would have been so again; and, on that Account, the King's Forces took special Care, by a speedy Advance, to secure it.
Warrington
is populous and rich, and full of good Country Tradesmen. Here is particularly a weekly Market for Linen, as I saw at
Wrexham
in
Wales
a Market for Flanel. The Linen sold at this Market, is, generally speaking, a Sort of Table Linen, called
Huk-a-buk.
It is likewise noted for excellent Malt. I was told there are generally as many Pieces of this Linen sold here every Market-day, as amount to 500
l.
sometimes much more, and all made in the Neighbourhood of the Place.
Not far off is the Village of
Winick,
fam'd for its Rectory, worth about 800
l.
a Year.
From hence, on the Road to
Manchester,
we passed the great Bog or Waste, called
Chat-moss,
the first of that Kind that we saw in
England,
from any of the South Parts hither. It extends on the Leftside of the Road for five or six Miles East and West, and they told us it was, in some Places, seven or eight Miles from North to South. There are many of these Mosses in this County: take this for a Description of all the rest.
The Surface, at a Distance, looks black and dirty, and is indeed frightful to think of; for it will bear neither Horse nor Man, unless in an exceeding dry Season, and then so as not to be travelled over with Safety.
The Surface seems to be a Collection of the small Roots of innumerable Vegetables matted together, interwoven so thick, as well the larger Roots as the smaller Fibres, that it makes a Substance hard enough to cut out into Turf or Peat, which, in some Places, the People pile up in the Sun, and dry for their Fuel. The Roots I speak of are in general small and soft, not unlike the Roots of
Asparagus,
or of
Bearbind,
and have no Earth among them, except what they contract from the Air, and Dust flying in it; but the Rain keeps them, as it were, always growing, tho' not much increasing.
In some Places the Surface of this is very thick, in others less. We saw it sometimes eight or nine Feet thick, and the Water that drained from it looked clear, but of a deep brown, like stale Beer. What Nature meant by such an useless Production, is hard to imagine; but the Land is intirely waste, except, as above, for the poor Cottagers Fuel, and the Quantity used for that is very small.
Under the Moss, or rather in the very Body of it, and not here only, but in several like Places, perhaps in all of them, those antient Fir-trees are found, which are so unaccountable, that much Learning has been shewn to very little Purpose on this Subject; for after all, whatever has been said, must be mere Conjecture and Uncertainty: but in my weak Judgment, it may be thus accounted for; That Nature, whose Works are all directed by a superior Hand, has been guided to produce Trees here under Ground, as she does in other Places above Ground: that as the Trees above the Surface grow erect and high, these lie prone and horizontal: those shoot forth Branches and Leaves; these shoot forth none, yet have a Vegetation by Methods directed by Nature, and particular to that Kind; and 'tis remarkable, that if they lie buried, they will grow and increase; but if you take them up, and plant them in the Air, they will wither and die.
It is observable, that these Trees are a Kind of Fir, and are very full of Turpentine. Whether there is any Tar in them, I am not positive, but I suppose there is; and yet I do not see, that for this Reason they should not be a natural ordinary Product, as other Vegetables are.
As to their being brought hither by the general Convulsion of the Globe at the Deluge, the Thought is so repugnant to common Sense, that I think it neither needs nor deserves any other Notice.
From hence we came on to
Manchester,
one of the greatest, if not really,
the
greatest mere Village in
England.
It is neither a Town, City, nor Corporation, nor sends Members to Parliament. The highest Magistrate is a Constable, or Headborough; and yet it has a Collegiate Church, takes up a large Space of Ground, and, including the Suburbs, or that Part of the Town on the other Side of the Bridge, it is said to contain above 50,000 People.
The Increase of Buildings at
Manchester
within these few Years, is a Confirmation of the Increase of People; for here, as at
Liverpoole,
and as at
Froom
in
Somersetshire,
the Town is extended in a surprising Manner; abundance of new-built Streets are added, as also a new Church, dedicated to St.
Anne
; and they talk of founding another, and a fine new Square; by which means the Town is almost double to what it was some Years ago.
So that you have here an open Village, which is greater and more populous than many, nay, than most Cities in
England.
Neither
York, Lincoln, Chester, Salisbury, Winchester, Worcester, Gloucester,
nor
Norwich
itself, can come up to it; and for lesser Cities, two or three put together, would not equal it, such as
Peterborough, Ely,
and
Carlisle,
or such as
Bath, Wells,
and
Litchfield,
and some others.
The Town of
Manchester
boasts of Four extraordinary Foundations, a College, an Hospital, a Freeschool, and a Library, all very well supported.
The College was the Charity of
Thomas West,
Lord
Delaware,
who being but the Cadet of the Family, was bred a Scholar, took Orders, and became Rector of the Parish, which he enjoyed many Years: but, by the Decease of his elder Brother without Heirs, succeeding to his Honour and Estate, he founded the College in the Year 1421. The Pope, in Consideration that the Family was likely to be extinct, is said to have allowed him to marry, on his performing so beneficial a Penance. It was dedicated to the Virgin
Mary,
and the two Patron Saints of
France
and
England,
St.
Denys
and St.
George.
This Foundation escaping the general Ruin, under
Henry
VIII. was dissolved 1547. in the first Year of King
Edward
VI. After this, it was refounded by Queen
Mary
; and then anew by Queen
Elizabeth, Anno
1578, by the Name of
Christ's Church
in
Manchester
; and last of all it was refounded by King
Charles
I.
Anno
1636, consisting then of one Warden, four Fellows, two Chaplains, four Singing Men, and four Choristers, incorporating them, as they were by Queen
Elizabeth,
by the Name of the Wardens and Fellows of
Christ's Church
in
Manchester,
the Statutes for the same being drawn up by Archbishop
Laud.
The Visitor of this Collegiate Church is the Bishop of
Chester,
and his late Majesty King
George
I. haveing made Dr.
Peploe
Bishop of
Chester,
who at the same time was Warden of the Church, the Visitatorial Power and the Wardenship being incompatible, an Act passed
Anno
1729, impowering his Majesty to be the Visitor, whensoever the Warden of
Manchester
happened to be Bishop of
Chester.
The
Hospital
was founded by
Humphrey Chetham,
Esq
and incorporated by King
Charles
II. designed by the said bountiful Benefactor for the Maintenance of 40 poor Boys out of the Town and Parish of
Manchester,
and some other neighbouring Parishes; but it is inlarged since to the Number of 60, by the Governors of the said Hospital, who have improved the Revenues of it.
The said Founder also erected a very fair and spacious Library, which is furnished with a competent Stock of choice and valuable Books, and daily increasing, with the Income of 116
l. per Annum,
settled to buy Books for ever, and to afford a competent Salary for a Library-keeper. There is also a large School for the Hospital Boys, where they are daily instructed, and taught to read and write.
The Publick School was founded,
A. D.
1519, by
Hugh Oldham,
D. D. Bishop of
Exeter
; and the Revenues left by him are, of late, very much increased, and the School has been suitably improved from them.
Besides these publick Benefactions and Endowments, there have been several other considerable Sums of Money, and annual Revenues, left and bequeathed to the Poor of the said Town, who are thereby, with the Kindness and Charity of the present Inhabitants, competently provided for, without starving at Home, or being forced to seek Relief Abroad.
As for the Antiquity of the Place, it is the
Mancunium
of the
Romans
; and what is now called
Knockcastle,
was the Scite of the
Roman Castrum
; and many Antiquities have been found here. The Foundation of the Castle Wall and Ditch still remain in
Castlefield,
as some time called.
The new Church I have mentioned, was finished about the Year 1723, by voluntary Subscriptions: the Choir is Alcove-fashion, and the Pilasters painted of
Lapis Lazuli
Colour. The old Church is very large, and has Three Rows of neat Pillars. They have Looms that work 24 Laces at a time, an Invention they borrow'd from the
Dutch.
For the Space of Three Miles upwards, they have no less than 60 Water-mills. The Town stands chiefly on a Rock, and across the River, the large Town, as it may be called, is named
Salthorp.
The Antiquity of the Manufacture is, indeed, worth taking notice of, which, tho' we cannot trace it by History, we have reason to believe began something earlier than the Woollen Manufactures in other Parts of
England,
of which I have spoken so often; because the Cotton might itself come from the
Mediterranean,
and be known by Correspondents in those Counties, when that of Wool was not pushed at, because our Neighbours wrought the Goods; and tho' they bought the Wooll from
England,
yet we did not want the Goods: whereas, without making the Cotton Goods at Home, our People could not have them at all; and that Necessity, which is the Mother of Invention, might put them upon this; and without such Necessity, Ignorance and Necessity prevented the other.
The River
Irwell
runs close by
Manchester,
and receives the little River
Irke
just above on the North and North-east Side. There is a very firm, but antient Stone Bridge over the
Irwell,
which is built exceeding high, because this River, tho' not great, yet coming from the mountainous Part of the Country, swells sometimes so suddenly, that in one Night's time they told me Waters would frequently rise Four or Five Yards, and the next Day fall as hastily as they rose.
About Eight Miles from
Manchester,
North-west, lies
Bolton.
We saw nothing remarkable in it, but that the Cotton Manufacture reached hither, tho' the Place did not, like
Manchester,
seem increasing.
Here the old Earl of
Derby
was beheaded,
Oct.
15. 1651, for proclaiming King
Charles
II.
As I have noted above, we turned East here, and came to
Bury,
a small Market-town on the River
Roch,
which is the utmost Bound of the Cotton Manufacture, which flourishes so well at
Manchester,
&c. And here the Woollen Manufacture of coarse Sorts, called
Half-thicks
and
Kersies,
begins, which imploys this, and all the Villages about it.
From thence we went to
Rochdale,
a Market-town of good Traffick, a larger, and more populous Town than
Bury
; it lies under the Hills called
Blackstone Edge
; which having mentioned, at my Entrance this Way into
Yorkshire,
I must now go back again to the Sea Coast; for I took my Course that Way up to
Preston
and
Lancaster
in this Journey, having travelled thus far from
Liverpoole,
in my former Journey to
Halifax,
&c. But must first observe, that there are on this Eastern Side of the County, Northward of
Rochdale,
the Towns of
Haslington, Burnley
and
Coln,
which lie just under the Mountains; and likewise
Blackburn
and
Clithero,
a little West of them: all which being merely Market-towns, and of no other Note, I shall say no more of them, other than that
Clithero
stands upon the
Ribble,
and is the most considerable; and that at
Coln
and
Burnley
have been discovered a great many
Roman
Coins.
I take
Wigan
first, in my Way back to the Sea Coast: it lies on the high Post-road to
Lancaster.
This Town has a good Market, and is noted for its Manufacture in Coverlids, Rugs, Blankets, and other Sort of Bedding Furniture; and likewise for Pit-coal, and Iron-work.
Between
Wigan
and
Bolton,
in the Estate of Sir
Roger Bradshaw,
is found great Plenty of what they call
Canel
or
Candle Coal,
the like of which is not to be seen in
Britain,
or perhaps in the World. By putting a lighted Candle to them, they are presently in a Flame, and yet hold Fire as long as any Coals whatever, and burn more or less as they are placed in the Grate flat or edgewise. They are smooth and sleek, when the Pieces part from one another, and will polish like Alabaster. A Lady may take them up in a Cambrick Hankerchief, and they will not soil it, tho' they are as black as the deepest Jet. They are the most pleasant and agreeable Fuel that can be found; but are so remote from
London,
that the Carriage makes them too dear for common Use. We saw some of them at
Warrington
too; but all from the same Pits.
I must not pass over the
Burning Well,
as it is called, near
Wigan
; the Account of which take in the Words of Mr.
Camden
's Continuator:
"Within a Mile and a half of
Wigan
is a Well, which does not appear to be a Spring, but rather Rain-water, at first Sight. There is nothing about it that seems extraordinary; but, upon emptying it, there presently breaks out a sulphureous Vapour, which makes the Water bubble up as if it boiled: a Candle being put to it, it presently takes Fire, and burns like Brandy; the Flame in a calm Season will continue a whole Day; by the Heat whereof they can boil Eggs, Meat,
&c.
tho' the Water itself be cold. By this Bubbling the Water does not increase, but is only kept in Motion by the sudden
Halitus
of the Vapours breaking out. The same Water, taken out of the Well, will not burn; as neither the Mud upon which the
Halitus
has beat."
Dr.
Leigh,
in his
Natural History of
Lancashire, not only describes it, but accounts very judiciously for the Thing itself, and by it for the Warmth of all hot Baths.
On the same Road, a little South, stands
Newton,
which had once a Market, but is now difused. It is only noted for a very eminent Charity-school, founded in 1707, by one
Hornby,
a Yeoman of the same Place. The poorer Sort of Children are taught to read, write, and cast Accounts, and have Dinners every School-day besides. There are also Ten Boys and Ten Girls, who lodge in an Hospital contiguous to the School, where they are provided with all other Necessaries till 14 Years old. The Fund for this Charity was 2000
l.
A large Sum for a Yeoman to give!
From hence we passed to
Ormskirk
West, towards the Sea-coast. It is a Market-town that has a good Inland-trade; but we saw nothing remarkable here, but the Monuments of some of the antient Family of the
Stanleys,
before they were ennobled. And here they still continue to bury the Family, whose Seat is called
Latham,
not far from this Town; to which belongs a very large Estate, and a fine Park.
Latham
House is noted for having been gallantly defended in the late Civil Wars by a Woman, the Lady
Charlotte,
Countess of
Derby,
who held it to the last Extremity against the Parliament Forces, which could never reduce her to capitulate; but kept the Place gloriously, till she was relieved by Prince
Rupert.
It was, however, ruined in a second Siege, and is now sold out of the Family, and in Possession of
Thomas Bootle,
Esq
who is building a magnificent House there.
Fernby,
a Village, lies near the Sea-side, in the marshy Grounds, where they dig Turf, that serves both for Fire and Candle. These marshy Grounds extend a great Way North up, beyond
Eccleston,
and almost up to
Preston.
On the Edge of it Eastward is
Marton Mere,
which has been very large; but much of it is now drained.
Eccleston
is a Market-town, where nothing remarkable is to be seen: Nor at
Charley,
a Town of the same Kind; which lies a little North-east of it.
Preston
stands next, a corporate Mayor Town, having Three weekly Markets, well supplied and frequented. It is a large fine Town, situated on the
Ribble:
it is pretty full of People, but not like
Liverpoole
or
Manchester
; for we now come beyond the trading Part of the County. But tho' there is no Manufacture, the Town being honoured with the
Court of Chancery,
and the Officers of Justices for
Lancaster,
is full of Gentlemen, Attorneys, Proctors, and Notaries, the Process of Law being here of a different Nature from that in other Places, by reason that it is a Duchy and County Palatine, and has particular Privileges of its own. The People are gay here, tho' not perhaps the richer for that; but it has, on this Account, obtained the Name of
Proud Preston.
Here is a great deal of good Company, but not so much, they say, as was before the late bloody Action with the Northern Rebels; not that the Battle hurt many of the immediate Inhabitants, but the Consequences of it so severely affected many Families thereabout, that they still retain the Remembrance of it.
Not far from
Preston
is
Ribchester,
supposed to be the
Bretonomacum
of the Antients; a Town which in its flourishing State was said to be the richest in
Christendom.
So many Pieces of Antiquity have been dug up in its Neighbourhood, that it was most probably a Place of great Importance among the antient
Romans.
Between the
Ribble,
and a little River some Miles South of
Lancaster,
the Land elbows out, in the Form of a Semi-circle, into the Sea; and this Tract they call the
Field-lands,
in which is a small Market-town, called
Kirkham
; only remarkable for a good Free-school which has Three Masters.
Poulton
is another Market-town in the same Tract, very convenient in its Situation for Trade, being near the Mouth of the River
Wire.
We followed the Postroad, and passed through
Garstang,
which stands upon it, about Midway between
Preston
and
Lancaster,
and is of no other Note than having a Market; and so leaving
Wiredale
Forest on our Right, we arrived at
Lancaster,
the County Town, situate near the Mouth of the River
Lone,
or
Lune.
The Town is antient, and has little else to recommend it than that, and to have given Title to many Branches of the Royal Family of
England.
It has a decayed Castle, and a more decayed Port, not capable of receiving Ships of any considerable Burden. The Bridge has Five Arches, and is handsome and strong; but here is little or no Trade, and few People. It surprised me to hear, that there are not above 60 Parishes in all this large County; but many of them are consequently very large, and there are above 120 Chapels of Ease, no less than 16 of which are in one Parish.
The Castle of
Lancaster
is now the County Gaol, and the Assizes are held in it. The Town has only one Parish Church, which is fair and spacious.
It is governed by a Mayor,
&c.
to whom
Edw.
III. granted the Privilege, That Pleas and Sessions in the County should be held no-where but at
Lancaster.
It is the
Longovicum
of the
Romans,
who have had a Station here. On the steepest Side of the Hill below the Church hangs a Piece of a
Roman
Wall called
Wery-wall,
derived, as
Camden
thinks, from the
British
Word
Caerwirdd,
a green City, from the Verdure of the Hills.
As we came along the Sea-side, we observed a Kind of strange Crows, whose Bodies are blue, and Heads and Wings black.
Not far from
Lancaster,
at the Foot of a high Hill called
Warton Crag,
(on the Top of which is a Beacon) stands an agreeable little obscure Town named
Warton,
upon the Side of a Lake, where is a good Grammar-school, with Accommodations, and a Library for the Benefit of the Masters; which, together with an Hospital for Six poor Men, was founded and endowed by Dr.
Hutton,
then Bishop of
Durham,
in 1594, who was afterwards translated to
York
; which certainly must have been then a Bishoprick of very great Value, to have induced him to quit
Durham
for it, notwithstanding its being an Archbishoprick, and the Title of
Grace
annexed to its Prelate. Here is also a very neat-built Church.
Higher up North, towards the Extremity of the County, next
Westmorland,
is
Hornby
Castle, upon the River
L
n
; which is an excellent Building, the Seat of the Lords of
Monteagle,
a Branch of the
Stanleys,
and since of the
Parkers,
one of whom, marrying into that Family, had, in King
James
I.'s Time, the same Title conferr'd on him; and 'twas this Nobleman who discover'd the Powder-plot.
This Part of the Country seemed very strange and dismal to us, after coming from the South-side, which is so rich and fertile, that it is noted for shewing the largest Breed of Cows and Oxen in the Kingdom, whose Bulk, as well as Horns, are of such a Magnitude as is very astonishing; besides their fine spotted Deer, which are said to be peculiar to that Part of the County.
Here, among the Mountains, our Curiosity was frequently moved to inquire what high Hill this was, or that; and we soon were saluted with that old Verse in
Camden,
Ingleborough, Pendle-hill,
and
Penigent,
Are the highest Hills between
Scotland
and
Trent.
Indeed they were all, in my Judgment, of a stupendous Height; but in a Country all mountainous and full of high Hills, it was not easy for a Traveller to judge which was highest.
As these Hills were lofty, so they had an Aspect of Terror. Here were no rich pleasant Valleys between them, as among the
Alps
; no Lead Mines and Veins of rich Ore, as in the
Peak
; no Coal-pits, as in the Hills about
Halifax
; but all barren and wild, and of no Use either to Man or Beast. Indeed here were formerly, as far back as the Time of Queen
Elizabeth,
some Copper Mines, and they wrought them to good Advantage; but whether the Vein of Ore failed, or what else was the Reason, we know not, but they are all given over long since, and this Part of the Country yields little or nothing at all.
West of
Hornby
Castle is a considerable Tract of Ground, which is Part of this County, and runs North, parallel with the West-side of
Westmorland,
and the West-side of
Cumberland,
and on the South it runs out in a Promontory into the Sea; it is called
Fourness.
We passed over the Sands into it, which are very dangerous, and unpassable without Guides, who are kept here for that Purpose, at the Expence of the Government. It contains, besides Villages, Four Market-towns, called
Cartmel, Dalton, Ulverston,
and
Howkshead,
but are of no great Note. It is very mountainous, and full of Lakes or Meres; the largest is
Winander Mere,
which makes the utmost Northern Bound of this Tract of Ground, as of this Shire. It is famous for producing the Char-fish, seldom found, unless it be at
Ulles-water,
bordering on
Westmorland,
and in
North-Wales,
as I have mention'd before. It is a curious Fish, and, as a Dainty, is potted, and sent far and near by way of Present. It must needs be a great Rarity, since the Quantity they take, even here, is but small. Mr.
Camden
's Continuator calls it very happily the
Golden Alpine Trout.
This Mere is 18 Miles in Circumference, 10 in Length, and Two in Diameter, and the Bottom is paved, as it were, with one continued Rock.
Lancashire,
as has been said, is a County Palatine; and was wont to give Title of Duke to a Branch of the Royal Family; and till the Two Roses, the White and Red, were united in the Marriage of
Henry
VII. of the
Lancaster
Line, with
Elizabeth,
Heiress of the House of
York,
these Two Branches of the Royal Family, by their different Pretensions to the Crown, gave Occasion to the Wars and Confusions, which for many Years made
England
a Scene of Blood and Desolation. Three successive Princes,
Hen.
IV. V. and VI. were of the
Lancaster
Line; and the latter lost his Crown and Life, as did his princely Son, to
Edward
IV. of the House of
York,
whose Two Sons being murder'd by their Uncle
Richard
III. and he himself killed at
Bosworth-field,
the
Lancaster
Line was again restored in
Henry
VII. who married the Heiress of the House of
York,
as has been said.
Lancashire Witches
are so much a Phrase, that I have reserved to this Place, to mention, that an Act passed the 9th of his present Majesty, King
George
II. to rescue those poor old Creatures, who, by the Ignorance and Superstition of the rustick Rabble, were styled Witches, from the Terror of the Laws, which tho' in some sort looked upon as obsolete, were nevertheless in Force against them, and had given too much Occasion (till within these few Years past, that the Tryal and Acquittal of
Jane Wenman,
as I have mentioned in
p.
185.
Vol.
II. discouraged the wild Fury and superstitious Ignorance of the Vulgar) for persecuting poor Wretches, whose Age and Infirmities, as well as miserable Poverty, were enough, one would have thought, to intitle them to Pity, rather than to the barbarous Usage they were wont to meet with.
This Act repeals the Statute made in the First Year of the Reign of that Witch-making Prince
'Tis well known, that this Act was
ssed in Compliment to the King's Opinion of Devils and Witch
and to the Book he wrote, intitled
Demonology.
, King
James
I. (who shew'd himself no more in this, than in other Actions of his Life, a Conjurer) intitled,
An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft, and dealing with evil and wicked Spirits
; and also repeals an Act of the Parliament of
Scotland, Anents Witchcrafts,
&c.
And here we may be allowed to give a Caution to many of our fair Readers, as well as to the lower Class of Fortune-casters, by Coffee-grounds,
&c.
For by this Act, Persons pretending to tell Fortunes, and to discover lost or stollen Goods, by virtue of any occult Art or Science, shall be imprisoned a Year; and once every Quarter of that Year, be pillory'd; and oblig'd to find Security for their good Behaviour, at the Pleasure of the Court in which Conviction shall pass. And here let me be further indulged to observe, that certain married Ladies, who may incur the Penalty of this Act, may be still worse off than Maidens, because perhaps their Husbands can, the least of all others, be expected to be bound for their requisite
good Behaviour.
I now enter'd
Westmorland,
a County eminent only for being the wildest, most barren, and frightful of any that I have passed over in
England,
or in
Wales.
The West Side, which borders on
Cumberland,
is indeed bounded by a Chain of almost unpassable Mountains, which, in the Language of the Country, are called
Fells,
and these are called
Fourness Fells,
from the Promontory which I just mentioned, and an Abbey built also in antient Times, called
Fourness.
The whole County is divided into the Barony of
Kendal,
which is very mountainous, and in the Diocese of
Chester
; and the Barony of
Westmorland,
a large champaign Country, in the Diocese of
Carlisle.
It must be owned, however, that here are some very pleasant manufacturing Towns, and consequently populous.
The Manufacture in which the People are imployed, are chiefly Woollen Cloths, especially at
Kirkby-Lonsdale,
and
Kendal.
Kendal
is a rich and populous Town, has a Free-school well endow'd, and drives a great Trade in Woollen Cloth, Cottons, Druggets, Serges, Hats, and Stockens.
Over the River
Ken,
whereon
Kendal
stands, are Two Bridges of Stone, and another of Wood. At some small Distance from the last, are to be seen the Ruins of a Castle; which was the Birth-place of
Catharine Parr,
the Sixth Wife of
Henry
VIII. The Church is fair and spacious, and there are Two Chapels of Ease to it. Near the Church-yard stands a fair publick School, whence a certain Number of Scholars are elected to
Queen's-college, Oxon.
It gives Title of Duchess to
Erengard Schulemberg,
a Lady of prime Consequence in the Reign of King
George
I.
Lonsdale
or
Kirkby-Lonsdale,
is a large Town, has a fair Church, Stone Bridge, and a good Trade for Cloth; and gives Title of Viscount to the noble Family of
Louther.
The Upper, or Northern Part of the County, has Two manufacturing Towns, called
Kirkby-Stephen,
and
Appleby
; the last is the Capital of the County, has a Free-school and Hospital, and is the only Town in the County that sends Members to Parliament. A great Manufacture of Yarn Stockens is carried on at
Kirkby-Stephen.
My Lord
Lonsdale,
of the Family of
Louther,
had a very noble and antient Seat at
Louther,
and upon the River
Louther,
which all together add a Dignity to the Family, and are Tests of its Antiquity. The House was beautiful, but the Stables were the Wonder of
England,
being esteemed the largest and finest that any Nobleman or Gentleman in
Britain
is Master of: and his Lordship breeds as good Running Horses, and Hunters, as most in
England.
But the House was of late unfortunately burnt down, and all its fine Pictures and Furniture consumed, and is not yet rebuilt.
Near the River
Louther
is a Spring, which ebbs and flows several times in a Day.
In this County the noble Family of
Wharton
had their Seat in a Place of the same Name.
When we enter'd at the South Part of this County, I began indeed to think of
Merionethshire,
and the Mountains of
Snowden
in
North Wales,
seeing nothing round me, in many Places, but unpassable Hills, whose Tops, covered with Snow, seemed to tell us, all the pleasant Part of
England
was at an End. The great
Winander Mere,
extending itself like a Sea, on the West Side, from
North Bridge
on the South, where it contracts itself again into a River, up to
Gresemere
North, and is the Boundary of the County, as I have said, on that Side; and the
English Apennines,
as Mr.
Camden
calls the Mountains of
Yorkshire
North-riding, lie like a Wall of Brass on the other; and indeed in the most literal Sense they are so: for it is the Opinion of the most skilful and knowing People in the County, that they are full of inexhaustible Mines of Copper, which is convertible into Brass, and a Quantity of Gold in them also: nay, of late Years, they worked at some Copper Mines here; but the Ore lies so deep, and is so hard to come at, that they did not seem to go chearfully on.
But notwithstanding the terrible Aspect of the Hills, when we had passed by
Kendal,
and descended from the frightful Mountains, the flat Country began to shew itself; and we soon found the North and Northeast Part of the County to be pleasant, rich, fruitful, and, if compared to the other Part, may be said to be populous. The River
Eden,
the last River of
England
on this Side, as the
Tyne
is on the other, rises in this Part out of the Side of a prodigious high Mountain, called
Mowill Hill,
or
Wildbore Fell,
which you please; after which, it runs thro' the Middle of this Vale, which, as I said before, is a very agreeable and pleasant Country, or, perhaps, seems to be so the more, in Comparison with the horrid Height and Narrowness of the Eastern and Southern Parts. An Act passed some Years ago to make this River navigable, in which the neighbouring Country find great Advantage.
In the Vale, and on the Bank of this River, stands
Appleby,
or
Apulby,
the
Abalaba
of the Antients, once a flourishing City, now a scattering, decayed, and half-demolished Town, the fatal Effects of the antient Inroads of the
Scots,
who used to make frequent Incursions on this County, and became several times Masters of this Town, and at length burnt it to the Ground; a Blow it has not yet recovered.
There are not many Seats of the Nobility in this Part, tho' several antient Families receive their Names from hence, as
Strickland
from the Lands of
Strickland, Wharton
(now extinct) from
Wharton-hall, Louther
from the River
Louther, Warcop
of
Warcop, Langdale
of
Langdale, Musgrave
from
Musgrave,
&c.
The
Roman
Highway, which I have so often mentioned, and which, in my last Letter, I left at
Leeming-lane
and
Peers-bridge
in the North-riding of
York,
enters this County from
Rear-cross,
or
Ree-cross,
upon
Stanmore,
and crossing it almost due East and West, goes through
Appleby,
passing the
Eden
a little North from
Perith,
at an antient
Roman
Station called
Brovoniacum,
where was a large and stately Stone Bridge; but now the great Road leads to the Left-hand to
Perith
; in going to which, we first pass the
Eden
at a very good Stone Bridge, called
Louther Bridge,
and then the
Elnot
over another.
Perith,
or
Penrith,
called by the
Romans Verterae,
is a handsome Market-town, populous and well-built, and, for an Inland Town, has a very good Share of Trade. It was unhappily possessed by the late Party of
Scots
Highland Rebels, when they made that desperate Push into
England,
which ended at
Preston.
In the Moor, or Heath, on the North Part of this Town, the Militia of the County, making a brave Appearance, and infinitely outnumbering the Highlanders, were drawn up; yet, with their
usual
Bravery, they ran away as soon as the
Scots
began to advance to charge them, and never fired a Gun, leaving the Town at their Mercy. However, to do Justice to the Rebels, they offered no Injury to the Town, only quartered in it one Night, took what Arms and Ammunition they could find, and advanced towards
Kendal.
In
Westmorland,
not far from the River
Louther,
is a Row of Pyramidal Stones, Eight or Nine Feet high, pitch'd directly in a Row for a Mile together, and placed at equal Distances from each other.
From hence, in one Stage, thro' a Country full of Castles, (for almost every Gentleman's House is a Castle) we came to
Carlisle,
a small, but well fortified City, the Frontier Place and Key of
England
on the West Sea, as
Berwick
upon
Tweed
is on the East; in both which there have been, for many Years, I might say Ages, strong Garisons kept to check the invading
Scots.
From below this Town the famous
Picts
Wall began, which crossed the whole Island to
Newcastle
upon
Tyne,
which was built upon the following Occasion:
When the
Romans
settled here by Force of Arms, they were always harass'd by the
Picts,
on the Side of
Scotland.
To stop their Inroads, the Emperor
Adrian
caused a Wall of Earth to be built, extending from the
German
to the
Irish
Sea, the Space of 80 Miles, or 27
French
Leagues, and caused it to be palisado'd,
Anno
123.
Severus,
the Emperor, built it up of Stone, with Turrets from Mile to Mile, and kept a Garison therein. But the
Picts,
nevertheless, broke in thro' this Wall more than once. At last,
Aetius,
a
Roman
General, rebuilt it of Brick, in 430; but 'twas not long before it was pulled down by the
Picts.
It was Eight Feet thick, and 12 Feet high from the Ground: some Part of it is still to be seen, both in
Northumberland
and
Cumberland.
Here also the great
Roman
Highway, just before named, has its End, this being the utmost Station of the
Roman
Soldiers on this Side.
But before I go on to speak of
Carlisle,
I must return to the Sea Coast, which, in this Northern County, is more remarkable than that of
Lancashire,
tho' the other is extended much farther in length; for here are some Towns of good Trade: whereas in
Lancashire, Liverpoole
excepted, there is nothing of Trade to be seen upon the Coast.
The first Place I shall mention is
Ravenglass,
in the South End of the County, which runs between
Fourness
and the Sea. 'Tis a well-built Sea Port, and Market-town, upon the River
Esk,
and on each Side of it run down to the Sea two other small Rivers, which, together with the Sea, make a good Harbour for Ships, and surrounds three Parts of the Town, which occasions a pretty good Trade to it.
The Cape or Head-land of
St. Bees
(deriv'd from St.
Bega,
an
Irish
Female Saint) still preserves its Name.
In the Town is a very good Free-school, founded by Archbishop
Grindal,
who was born here. It was very well endowed by him, and the Charity much increased by the late Dr.
Lamplugh,
Archbishop of
York,
Dr.
Smith,
Bishop of
Carlisle,
Sir
John Louther,
and others.
The Library annexed to this Foundation is very valuable, and still increasing by several Gifts daily added to it. Tho' the Parish is vastly large, the Vicarage is very poorly endowed.
Near
St. Bees
stands a little Market-town, call'd
Egremont,
noted only for its antient Castle and Barons, and for losing their Privilege of returning Members.
Under this Shore, higher up North, and near the Cape, is the Town of
Whitehaven,
grown up by the Encouragement of the
Louther
Family, from a small Place, to be very considerable by the Coal Trade, which is so much increased of late, that it is the most eminent Port in
England
for it, next
Newcastle
; for the City of
Dublin,
and all the Towns of
Ireland
on that Coast, and some Parts of
Scotland,
and the
Isle of Man,
are wholly supply'd from hence. 'Tis frequent in time of War, or upon Occasion of cross Winds, to have 200 Sail of Ships at a time go from this Place to
Dublin
loaden with Coals. And Sir
James Louther,
particularly, is said to send from hence to
Ireland
annually, as many Coals as bring him in near 20,000
l.
a Year.
This Increase of Shipping has led them on to Merchandizing; but the Town is but of few Years standing in Trade: for Mr.
Camden
does not so much as name the Place, and his Continuator says very little of it.
And indeed the Town must be allow'd to owe principally its flourishing Condition to Two Acts of Parliament, one of the 7th, the other of the 11th of Queen
Anne,
by virtue of which the Harbour was so considerably deepened and improved, and such strong and substantial Moles and Bulwarks erected, that Ships, which before were liable to be driven and cast away on the Rocks and Shoals on that Coast, could lie in Safety, and be secure from the Violence of the Sea. The happy Success of these Works encourag'd the Town to apply to Parliament for Powers still farther to improve the good Design, that so, by inlarging the Moles and Works, and extending them to Low-water Mark, such Depth might be obtained, that the largest Ships belonging to the Town might sail in and out of the Harbour at Neap Tides, and that other Ships frequenting these Seas, might sail in at Half-flood. And accordingly an Act passed for this laudable Purpose, in the Self. 1739-40, which will prebably effectuate these good Ends, and not only preserve the Lives of many Mariners, but still further improve the Trade and Navigation of this already flourishing Town. The same Act provides likewise for the Repair of the Roads about and leading to
Whitehaven,
which were become ruinous and bad, by the great Use made of them since the Improvements made in the Harbour; for before that they were very narrow, and seldom made use of by Carts and Wheel-carriages. All these Advantages and Increase of Trade have occasion'd a new Church to be lately built at
Whitehaven.
Here is likewise a good Trade for Salt.
Still a little higher to the North is
Moresby,
where 'tis supposed has been a
Roman
Fort, there appearing a great many Ruins of Fortifications along the Sea Coast, and other Antiquities.
About ten Miles North-east from
Whitehaven
lies
Cockermouth,
between two Hills, upon the little River
Cocker,
just where it falls into the
Derwent
; and is almost incompassed by the Two Rivers. The former runs thro' it, and is joined again by Two Bridges. It is a Town of good Trade, and well-built. It has a Castle on one Hill, and a fair Church on the other. It is about 12 Miles from the Sea, and Vessels of good Burden may securely come up to it. The
Derwent
is famous for its springing out of those Hills called
Derwent Fells,
where the antient Copper Mines were found in Queen
Elizabeth
's Time, and in which, it was said, there was a large Quantity of Gold. But they are discontinued since, some say, because Gold being found among the Ore, the Queen claimed the Royalty, and so nobody would work them: but this is rather a Reason why they should have applied to the Search with more Vigour; therefore the more probable Cause is, that the Charge of working them was too great for the Profits.
A little East of
Cockermouth
stands
Keswick,
a little Market-town, in Decay, inhabited chiefly by Miners, who have their Smelting-houses here, there being near this Place Mines of Black-lead, which turn to very good Account, and I think are the only Mines of the kind in
Britain.
Here we saw
Skiddaw,
which is there reported to be the highest Hill in
England.
It seems the higher, because it is not surrounded with other Mountains, like most of other Counties, as at
Cheviot, Penigent,
and other Places. From the Top of
Skiddaw
one sees plainly into
Scotland,
and quite into
Dumfriesshire,
and farther.
The Duke of
Somerset
is chief Lord of
Cockermouth,
in Right of his late Duchess, the only Heiress of the antient Family of the
Piercies,
Earls of
Northumberland.
The Castles and great Houses of this Estate fall to Ruin, as indeed all the Castles in this County do; for the two Kingdoms being now united into one, strong Holds are of no more Use here, than in any other Part of the Kingdom. I think they told us, the Duke has no less than 13 Castles in this County, and in
Northumberland.
This
Derwent
is noted for Trout, and also for very good Salmon; which from
Workington,
a Fishing-town at the Mouth of this River, they carry, fresh as they take them, up to
London,
upon Horses, which, changing often, go Night and Day without Intermission, and, as they say, out-go the Post; so that the Fish come very sweet and good to
London,
where the extraordinary Price they yield, from two Shillings and Sixpence to four Shillings
per
Pound, pays very well for the Carriage. They do the same from
Carlisle.
Jerby,
now a considerable Market-town, stands North-east of
Cockermouth.
It is supposed to be the
Arbeia
of the Antients.
From the Mouth of the
Derwent
to that of the
Elen
is supposed to have been fortified by the
Romans,
to prevent the Landing of the
Scots
and
Irish,
who infested these Coasts; for here have been several Ruins of Fortifications discovered, and some of them since
Camden
's Time. At
Elenborough,
'tis said, the first Cohort of
Dalmatians
were garison'd, where are great Remains of them still to be seen, old Vaults open'd, Altars, Stones, and Statues, with Inscriptions dug up, on them. And at
Wigton,
a small Market-town, further North in the Forest of
Allerdale,
are several Altars pitch'd, which they say were brought from
Elenborough,
and old
Carlisle.
But if I was to dwell upon Antiquities, I should find Work enough in this County; and therefore must refer you to such Writers as have treated of them.
In
Whitfield
Park, at the Borders of this County, they shew you a
Hawthorn
Tree, against which the Heads of a Stag and a Dog were formerly nailed up, in Memory of a famous Chace. It seems the Dog (not a Greyhound, as Mr.
Camden
's Continuator calls it, but a stanch Buckhound) singly chased a Stag from this Park, as far as the
Red Kirk
in
Scotland,
which, they say, is sixty Miles at least, and back again to the same Place; where, being both spent, the Stag, exerting his last Force, leap'd the Park Pales, and died on the Inside; the Hound, attempting to leap after him, had not Strength enough to get over, and fell back, and died on the Outside just opposite. The Heads of both were nailed upon the Tree, and underneath this Distich on them. The Hound's Name, it seems, was
Hercules:
Hercules
kill'd Hart-a-Greese,
And Hart-a-Greese kill'd
Hercules.
In the same Park were three Oak Trees, which were called
the Three Brether,
the least of which was 13 Yards about; but two of them being quite gone, and only the Stump of the other remaining, I did not think it worth my Time to visit such a decayed Curiosity.
West of the
Hawthorn
Tree, and upon the old
Roman
Way, is the famous Column, called the
Countess Pillar,
the best and most beautiful Piece of its Kind in
Britain.
It is a fine Column of Free-stone, curiously wrought and enchas'd, and in some Places painted. It has an Obelisk on the Top, several Coats of Arms, and other Ornaments in proper Places all over it, with Dials also on every Side, and a Brass Plate with the following Inscription, in Capital Letters.
This Pillar was erected
Anno 1656,
by the Right Honourable
ANNE
Countess Dowager of
Pembroke,
and sole Heir of the Right Honourable
George
Earl of
Cumberland, &c.
for a Memorial of her last parting in this Place with her good and pious Mother, the Right Honourable
Margaret
Countess Dowager of
Cumberland,
the Second of
April 1616:
in Memory whereof she also left an Annuity of Four Pounds, to be distributed to the Poor within this Parish of
Brougham,
every Second Day of
April
for ever, upon the Stone Table here by.
This Countess of
Pembroke
had a noble and great Estate in this County, and a great many fine old Seats, all which she repaired and beautified, and dwelt sometimes at one, and sometimes at another, for the Benefit of her Tenants, and of the Poor, whom she always made desirous of her Presence, constantly relieving them by her Bounty and Hospitality. But those Estates are since that Time gone into other Families, particularly into that of the Earl of
Thanet,
who has great Estates in
Westmorland.
This Lady was of the Family of
Clifford
; she had no less than Four Castles in this County, of which
Pendragon
Castle was the chief, which is a fine Building to this Day.
Penrith
is accounted the second Town in the County for Wealth and Trade. It is large and well-built, has a very good Market for all Sorts of Commodities and Beasts. The Market-house is convenient and spacious, the Church is large and noble; the West-side was defended with a Royal Castle, tho' now in Ruins. In the Church-yard we saw Two Pillars 14 or 15 Feet asunder, and the lowest of them 12 Feet high, tho' they seem equal. The People told us, that they were the Monument of Sir
Owen Caesar
; but there is no Inscription upon them. This Sir
Owen,
they tell us, was a Champion of mighty Strength, and of gigantick Stature; and so he was, to be sure, if, as they say, he was as tall as one of the Columns, and could touch both Pillars with his Hands at the same time. They relate no other great Actions of him, but that he killed Robbers, and destroyed wild Boars.
On the North-side of the Vestry of this Church is erected in the Wall an antient square Stone, with a Memorial, intimating, that in the Year 1598, there was a dreadful Plague in those Parts, in which there died in
Kendal
2500 Persons; in
Penrith
2266; in
Richmond
2200; in
Carlisle
1196.
By this Account it should seem, that every one of those Towns had separately more People than the City of
Carlisle,
or else the Distemper was not so pestilential there; and that
Kendal,
which is the only manufacturing Town of them, was the most populous.
We did not go into the Grotto on the Bank of the River
Eden,
of which mention is made by
Camden
's Continuator, the People informing us, that the Passage was blocked up with Earth; so I must be content with telling you, that it seems to have been a Lurking-place for Robbers, in old Time. A Place of Strength it could not be; for its Security seems to have consisted solely in its Secrecy. It had certainly been worth seeing, had it been passable. The Entry is long and dark, but whether strait or crooked, I cannot say. The Iron Gates leading to it are gone, nor is there any Sign of them, or what they were hung to.
Higher up on the
Eden,
the East-side of the County, is
Kirk-Oswald,
an indifferent Market-town, that has nothing of Note; and
Brampton
stands N. E. of
Carlisle,
on the River
Itching,
about a Mile beyond the
Picts
Wall, which has likewise nothing worth remarking, saving an Hospital built by the Lady
Carlisle,
Grandmother to the present Earl, for Six poor Men, and as many Women.
At
Burgh upon the Sands,
a little Distance from
Carlisle,
is the Monument of our victorious Prince
Edward
I. who having so far subdued the
Scots,
as to bring away the sacred Stone at
Scone
Abbey, whereon their Kings used to be crowned, died here in his Camp, on his March against them, like a true Soldier, guarding his Frontiers with his latest Breath. In Memory of him there was afterwards erected a fair square Pillar nine Yards and a half high, with these Inscriptions on Three Sides.
On the West Side:
Memoriae aeternae
EDVARDI I.
Regis Angliae longe clarissimi, qui in belli apparatu contra
Scotos
occupatus, hic in castris obiit
7. Julii
A. D.
1
07.
On the South Side:
Nobilissimus Princeps
HENRICUS HOWARD,
dux
Norfolciae,
comes Mareschal. Angliae, comes Arund. &c. . . . . . ab
EDVARDO I.
Rege Angliae oriundus, P.
1685.
On the North Side:
JOHANNES AGLIONBY, J. C. F.
Beneath,
THO. LANGSTONE
fecit,
1685.
Caerlisle,
the
Lugo-vallum,
or rather
Brovoniacum
of the
Romans,
is situated exceedingly pleasant by the
Picts
Wall, and guarded by Three Rivers; by the
Eden
on the North, by the
Peterel
on the East, and on the West by the
Caude.
It is a Place of great Antiquity, being first builtby an antient
British
Prince named
Luel,
and from him called
Caer Luel,
i. e.
Luel
's Town, to which it retains an Affinity of Sound to this Day. It has suffer'd the Fate of most Frontier Towns; been taken, retaken, burnt, and destroyed several times by the
Scots, Danes,
and
Norwegians
; and lay once in its Ruins for near 200 Years, till
William Rufus
rebuilt it, who sent a Colony of Southern
Englishmen
to it, and who is said likewise to have built the Castle.
Henry
I. dignified it with an Episcopal See, and fortified it as a proper Barrier against the
Scots.
The Cathedral Church is a venerable old Pile, but seems to have been built at Two different times, or, as it were, rebuilt, the upper Part being much more modern than the lower. A great Part of it was built by St.
David,
King of
Scotland,
who held this County, together with
Westmorland
and
Northumberland,
in Vassalage from the Crown of
England.
He, and many of his Successors, were great Benefactors to it, and nominated several of the Bishops; but almost the whole Nave, or West Part of it, was demolished by the
Scots,
in the Civil Wars. There is another Church called
St. Cuthbert
's.
King
Henry
VIII. fortified this City against the
Scots,
and built an additional Castle to it on the East Side, which
Camden
calls a Citadel. On the Northwest is a Garison. The City has Three Gates, and the Walls round it are so thick, that Three Men may walk abreast on them, within the Parapet. Over the
Eden
is a Bridge which soon lets you into
Scotland,
the Limits not being above Six Miles off; for the South Part of it on this Side comes at least 50 Miles farther into
England
than at
Berwick.
Carlisle
is a wealthy and populous Place, and the Houses are well-built, but it is not very large. Here flourishes a good Trade in Fustians.
I made a Trip, when I was in these Parts, to
Parton,
in this County, which I the rather mention because of the Improvements made in its Harbour of late Years, by virtue of Acts of Parliament made for that Purpose.
For in the fourth and fifth of the late Queen
Anne,
an Act had passed for inlarging the Piers and Harbour of that Town; but by the Negligence or Death of Trustees, the Works intended by the Act, were not carried to Effect. This proving a great Disappointment to the Inhabitants, who had built Houses on a Prospect of a considerable Trade in Exportation of Coals, and other Commodities of the County; in the Year 1724, another Act passed for Rebuilding the said Piers and Harbour. In Consequence of this Act, the Pier was rebuilt, and the Harbour made capable of receiving several small Ships, and a Trade for Coals to
Ireland
and other Parts commenced. This gave Encouragement for another Act, which passed
Anno
1732, to inlarge the Term for 21 Years after the Expiration of the former, in order to make the Harbour still more complete, for the Reception of Ships of greater Burden, and to inlarge the River, cleanse the Harbour, and to bring into it a small Brook, called
Maresby-beck,
which runs near it. All which will be of great Use to the Place, as well as to Trade and Navigation in general.
In this Northern County are more noted
Roman
Antiquities found, than almost in any other. It has a Lake called
Ulles-water,
noted for producing the excellent Fish called Char, almost peculiar to it, and to
Winander-mere. Wry-nose,
one of its highest Hills, is remarkable for its Three Shire Stones, a Foot Distance each, one in
Cumberland,
one in
Westmorland,
and the third in
Lancashire.
Near
Salkeld
in this County is a Trophy erected, vulgarly call'd
Long Meg and her Daughters,
consisting of 77 Stones;
Long Meg
15 Feet above Ground, and the rest but 10.
This having been a Frontier County, the antient Houses of the Nobility and Gentry are built for the most part Castle-wise, and are called Castles. Thus
Grey-stock
Castle and
Drumbough
Castle belong to the Duke of
Norfolk
;
Cockermouth
Castle to the Duke of
Somerset
;
Naworth
Castle to the Earl of
Carlisle
;
Dacre
Castle to the late Earl of
Sussex
;
Corby
Castle, Mr.
Howard
's. And here I must be a little more particular on the last, which deserves the Observation of the Curious.
Corby
Castle is situated about Four Miles S. E. of
Carlisle,
and is the Seat of the said Mr.
Howard,
a Descendant from the Duke of
Norfolk
's Family. The Building is of Stone, neat, but plain. The Entrance to this House is by a large square Court-yard. On the Right-hand are the Gardens, and on the Left Offices for the Servants, and Stabling for Horses. It is plentifully water'd by Springs in several large Reservoirs made about the House, which stands on the Precipice of a high Rock, which is in the Backpart about 100 Feet high. In this Rock is cut a regular Pair of Stairs of about Six Feet wide, with all their Ornaments down to the Bottom. As you descend these Stairs, you pass by several Rooms hewn out of the Rock, of about 16 Feet square, which have no other Furniture than Tables, and Seats made out of the Stone. At the Bottom of those Stairs you ascend another Pair about 10 Feet high, which leads to a Terrace made in Form of a Semicircle, by the Side of which runs the River
Eden,
having a Pair of Stairs to take Water at. The Terrace presents a fine View of another Part of the Rock, of equal Height with the former; from the Top of which is placed a Cascade so wonderfully curious, that I know nothing like it. It is at least 100 Feet high, and the Water is broken by the pointed Ridges of the Rock into so many various Shapes, and the Springs fly about you in so delightfully rude a manner, as to entertain you with a great Instance of the Power of Art in imbellishing Nature, which is further heighten'd by a natural Cascade, (effected by this artificial one) of which you have a distinct Prospect, when you arrive at the Landing-stairs.
From hence you have another View, of half a Mile long, of the River on the Right-hand; and a hanging Grove of Trees, just as Nature has placed them, on the Left. As you pass along a Gravelwalk, you see several Figures placed there for Ornament; at the End of the Walk is a small Banqueting-room, with a Portico in the Front, facing this Walk: it is call'd
Tempe-alter
'. In this River is a Weir, well-stock'd with Salmon and other Fish. On the other Side of the River, over-against the House, are the Remains of an old Castle, which is called
Weatheral-Tower,
under which is an Hermit's Cave.
Westward of
Lancashire
and
Cumberland
lies the
Isle of Man
; of which I shall take Notice among the Western Isles of
Scotland.
[See VOL. IV. p. 253.]
Cumberland
gives Title of Duke to his Royal Highness Prince
William,
his Majesty's second Son; as it did before to his Royal Highness
George
Prince of
Denmark,
Consort of the late Queen
Anne.
Being now at the utmost Extent of
England
this Way, I shall conclude my Letter with a few Observations upon the ROADS of this Part of the United Kingdom in general. And first of the natural Soil in many Places, where not mended by Turnpikes.
The Soil of all the Midland Part of
England,
even from Sea to Sea, is of a deep stiff Clay, or marly Earth; and it carries a Breadth of near 50 Miles at least, in some Places much more; nor is it possible to go from
London
to any Part of
Britain,
North, without crossing this clayey dirty Part. For Example:
1. Suppose we had been to take the great
Northern
Post Road from
London
to
York,
and so into
Scotland
; you have tolerable good Ways, and hard Ground, till you reach
Royston,
about 32 Miles, and to
Kneesworth,
a Mile farther: but from thence you used to enter upon the Clays, which beginning at the famous
Arrington-Lanes,
and going on to
Caxton, Huntingdon, Stilton, Stamford, Grantham, Newark, Tuxford,
(called for its Deepness,
Tuxford
in the Clays) hold on till we come almost to
Bautree,
which is the first Town in
Yorkshire,
and there the Country is naturally hard and sound, being Part of
Shirwood
Forest.
2. Suppose you had been to take the other
Northern
Road, by
St. Albans, Dunstable, Hockley, Newport-Pagnel, Northampton, Leicester,
and
Nottingham,
or
Derby:
After you are pass'd
Dunstable,
which is about 30 Miles, you used to enter the deep Clays, which were so surprisingly soft, that it was perfectly frightful to Travellers, and had been the Wonder of Foreigners, how, considering the great Numbers of Carriages which are continually passing with heavy Loads, those Ways have been made practicable. From
Hockley
to
Northampton,
thence to
Harborough
and
Leicester,
and thence to the very Banks of
Trent,
these terrible Clays continue; at
Nottingham
you are past them; and the Forest of
Shirwood
naturally yields a hard and pleasant Road for 30 Miles together.
3. Take the same Road as it leads to
Coventry,
and from thence to
West-Chester,
the deep Clays reach through all the Towns of
Brickhill, Fenny
and
Stony Stratford, Towcester, Daventry, Hill-Morton,
or
Dunchurch, Coventry, Coleshill,
and even to
Birmingham,
for near 80 Miles.
4. If we took the Road to
Worcester,
it used to be the same through the Vale of
Ailesbury
to
Buckingham,
and Westward to
Banbury, Keynton,
and the Vale of
Evesham,
where the Clays reach, with some Intermissions, even to the Bank of
Severn,
as they do more Northerly quite to
West-Chester.
This natural Difficulty of the Soil thro' all the midland Country, where the Carriage at the same time was so prodigious, and made some of the Highways in a manner impassable, necessarily brought the Country to apply to Parliament; and the Consequence has been, that Turnpikes or Toll-bars have been set up on the several great Roads of
England,
beginning at
London,
and proceeding thro' almost all those dirty deep Roads, in the Midland Counties especially; at which Turnpikes all Carriages, Droves of Cattle, and Travellers on Horseback, are obliged to pay an easy Toll; which bears no Comparison with the Benefit reap'd thereby: and 'tis well worth recording, for the Honour of the present Age, that this Work has been begun, and is in an extraordinary manner carry'd on, and perhaps may, in a great measure, be completed within our Memory, as to the worst and most dangerous Roads in the Kingdom. And this is a Work of so much general Good, that certainly no publick Edifice, Alms-house, Hospital, or Nobleman's Palace, can be of equal Value to the Country with this, nor at the same time more an Honour and Ornament to it.
The Benefit of these Turnpikes appears now to be so great, and the People in all Places begin to be so sensible of it, that it is incredible what Effect it has already had upon Trade in the Counties where the Roads are completely finished; even the Carriage of Goods is abated, in some Places, 6
d. per
hundred Weight; in others, 12
d. per
Hundred; which is abundantly more Advantage to Commerce, than the Charge paid amounts to; and yet at the same time the Expence is paid by the Carriers too, who make the Abatement; so that the Benefit in abating the Rate of Carriage is wholly and simply the Tradesmens, not the Carriers.
Yet the Advantage is evident to the latter also another way; for they can bring more Weight with the same Number of Horses, nor are their Horses so hard-work'd and fatigu'd with their Labour as they were before; in which one Particular 'tis acknowleged by the Carriers, they perform their Work with more Ease, and the Masters are at less Expence.
The Advantage is also inexpressible to all other kinds of Travelling; such as the Safety and Ease to Gentlemen journeying up to
London
on all Occasions, whether to the Term, to Parliament, to Court, or on any other necessary Occasion.
Also the Riding Post, as well for the ordinary carrying of the Mails, as for Gentlemen, when their Occasions require Speed, is made extremely easy, safe and pleasant, by this Alteration of the Roads.
The Safety of Travelling on this Occasion is the more to be insisted on, because the Commissioners for these Repairs of the Highways do daily order Bridges to be repair'd and inlarg'd, and new ones built, where they find Occasion; which not only serve to carry the Water off, where it otherwise often spreads, and lies, as it were, damm'd up upon the Road, and spoils the Way, but where it rises sometimes by sudden Rains to a dangerous Height; for it is to be observ'd, that there is more Hazard, and more Lives lost, in passing, or attempting to pass, little Brooks and Streams, which are swell'd by sudden Showers of Rain, and where Passengers expect no Stoppage, than in passing great Rivers, where the Danger is known, and therefore more carefully avoided.
In many of these Places the Commissioners have not only built large and substantial Bridges, but have set up Sluices to stop, and open Chanels to carry off the Waters, where they used to swell into the Highway: and I have been told, Years ago, that the several Commissioners, in the respective Districts, where they are concerned, had then built between 300 and 400 new Bridges, where there were none before, or where the former were small, and insufficient to carry the Traveller safe over the Waters. Many of these are within a few Miles of
London,
especially, for Example, on the great Road from
London
to
Edgeworth,
from
London
to
Enfield,
from
London
to
St. Albans,
from
London
to
Croydon,
&c.
Besides the Benefits accruing from this laudable Method, we may add, the Conveniency to those who bring fat Cattle, especially Sheep, to
London
in the Winter, from the remoter Counties of
Leicester
and
Lincoln,
where they are bred: for, before, the Country Graziers were oblig'd to sell their Stocks off in
September
and
October,
when the Roads began to be bad, and when they generally sell cheap; and the Butchers and Farmers near
London
used to engross them, and keep them till
December
and
January,
and then sell them, tho' not an Ounce fatter than before, for an advanced Price, to the Citizens of
London
; whereas now the Roads are in a Way to be made every-where passable, the City will be serv'd with Mutton almost as cheap in the Winter as in the Summer, or the Profit of the Advance will be to the Country Graziers, who are the original Breeders, and take all the Pains.
This is evidenced to a Demonstration in the Counties where the Roads are already repair'd, from whence they bring their fat Cattle, and particularly their Mutton, in Droves, from Sixty, Seventy, or Eighty Miles, without fatiguing, harassing, or sinking the Flesh of the Creatures, even in the Depth of Winter.
I might give Examples of other Branches of Inland Commerce, which are, and still will be further alter'd for the better, by this Repairing the Roads, and particularly that of carrying Cheese; a Species of Provision so considerable, that nothing, except that of live Cattle, can exceed it.
This is chiefly made in the Three
North-west
Counties of
England,
viz.
Cheshire, Gloucestershire,
and
Warwickshire,
and the Parts adjacent, from whence the Nation used to be very meanly supply'd, by reason of the great Distance of the Country where the Cheese is made, from those where it is chiefly expended.
The
Cheshire
Men indeed carry great Quantities about by long Sea, as they call it, to
London
; a terrible long, and sometimes dangerous, Voyage, being thro' the
Irish Chanel,
round all
Wales,
cross the
Bristol Chanel,
round the
Land's End
of
Cornwall,
and up the
English Chanel
to the Mouth of the
Thames,
and so up to
London
; or else by Land to
Burton upon Trent,
and so down that River to
Gainsborough
and
Hull,
and so by Sea to
London.
Again, the
Gloucestershire
Men carry all by Land-Carriage to
Lechlade
and
Cricklade
on the
Thames,
and so carry it down the River to
London.
But the
Warwickshire
Men have no Water-Carriage at all, or at least not till they have carry'd it a long Way by Land to
Oxford
; but as their Quantity is exceeding great, and they supply not only the City of
London,
but also the Counties of
Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Hertford, Bedford,
and
Northampton,
the Gross of their Carriage is by mere dead Draught; and they carry it either to
London
by Land, which is full 100 Miles, and so the
London
Cheesemongers supply the said Counties of
Essex, Suffolk,
and
Norfolk,
besides
Kent,
and
Sussex,
and
Surrey,
by Sea and River Navigation; or the
Warwickshire
Men carry it by Land once a Year to
Sturbridge
Fair, whence the Shop-keepers of all the Inland Country above-nam'd come to buy it; in all which Cases Land-Carriage being long, when the Ways were generally bad, it made it very dear to the Poor, who are the chief Consumers.
I could also inlarge here upon the Convenience that accrues to the Trade in fresh Fish, from the Sea Coasts to the Inner Parts of the Kingdom, whither, when the Ways are bad, they cannot carry them sweet. This of course must greatly increase the Consumption of Fish in its Season, and imploy a considerable Number of Horses and Men, as well as increase the Shipping by that Consumption.
By this I do not only mean the carrying of Herrings and Mackerel to
London,
as is practised on the Coasts of
Sussex
and
Kent
in particular, and bringing Salmon from the remote Rivers of
Severn
and
Trent
; but the carrying of Herrings, Mackerel, and Sprats in their Season, and Whitings and flat Fish at other times, from the Coasts of
Yarmouth, Swole, Ipswich, Colchester, Malden,
&c. and supplying all the Inland Counties with them sweet and good, even as far as
Northampton
and
Coventry,
&c.
I might give Examples where the Herrings, which are not the best Fish to keep, used, even before these Reparations were set on foot, to be carried to those Towns, and up to
Warwick, Birmingham, Tamworth
and
Stafford
; and tho' they frequently stunk before they got thither, yet the People were so eager for them, that they bought them up at a dear Rate; whereas when the Roads are every-where good, they will come in less Time, by at least Two Days
in Six of what they used to do, and 100 times the Quantity will be consum'd.
These, and many others, are the Advantages to our Inland Commerce, which we may have room to hope for upon the general Repair of the Roads, and which I shall have great Occasion to speak of again in my
Northern
Circuit.
Nor are the laudable Undertakings which have of late Years been set on foot for rendering many of the Inland Rivers of this Kingdom navigable, a less profitable Improvement to the Publick, many of which have been completed, and others are completing, according to Acts of Parliament already passed for that Purpose; many of which I have taken notice of, in the Course of my Letters. And hardly a Session passes, but Bills are still continued to be brought in for making others navigable. All which must greatly tend, with the repairing of the publick Roads, as above, to increase the Trade of this Nation.
But 'tis time to conclude this Letter; which I shall do, with the following Transcription from the famous
Milton,
which, not unsuitably to the Subject I have just been upon, thus enumerates the principal Rivers of
England,
with their distinguishing Characters:
Rivers, arise; whether thou be the Son
Of utmost
TWEED,
or
OUSE,
or gulphy
DUN;
Or
TRENT,
who, like some earth-born Giant, spreads
His thirty Arms along th' indented Meads;
Or sullen
MOLE,
that runneth, underneath;
Or
SEVERN
swift, guilty of Maidens Death;
Or rocky
AVON,
or of s
gy
LEE.
Or coaly
TYNE,
or anti
hallow'd
DEE;
Or
HUMBER
loud that keeps the
Scvthians
Name;
Or
MEDWAY
smooth, or Royal-tower'd
THAME.
I am, SIR, Your humble S
ant.
LETTER V. GIVING A brief Account of the Isles of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
and
Sarke.
SIR,
T HAT nothing may be wanting to complete this Work, I shall briefly in this Place touch upon the Isles of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney
and
Sarke,
which are the only Remains of the Dukedom of
Normandy,
now in Possession of the
English
Crown. And, first, of JERSEY.
Various Names have been affix'd to this Island: in the Time of the
Romans
it was nam'd
Caesarea,
probably from the Dictator, who subdued several Nations along this Tract: which Conjecture is confirm'd by the present Name of one of its Forts, which is
Le Fort de César.
In the North of the Island, at
Rosel,
is an Intrenchment preserving the Name of
La petite Césarée.
That the
Romans
were here, is plain from the Remains of an antient Camp near the Manor of
Dilament
; as also from Coins which have been found in different Parts of the Island, particularly One of
Commodus,
and Two of
Probus
and
Posthumus,
all in the Parish of
St. Oûen.
Its modern Appellation is no more than a Corruption of its old one,
Jer
being a Contraction of
Caesar,
and
Ey
signifying Island, q. d.
Caesar
's Island.
Augia
was a Name still elder than the Time when the
Romans
were acquainted with the Place; and supposed to be the original one.
The Island has sustained several Revolutions: first, by
Rollo,
Duke of
Normandy.
2. By the
French.
3. By the
Normans
restored. 4. By the Uniting of it to the Crown of
England.
The Inhabitants behav'd very valiantly in Defence of
Charles
I. and his Son
Charles
II. but were at last reduced by the irresistible Power of the
English
Parliament, altho' they are supposed to have been the last who submitted to the common Fate of the Times, by a Capitulation equally advantageous and honourable.
We shall now proceed to give as clear an Account of the Situation and remarkable Places of this Island as the Narrowness of our Limits will admit.
Jersey
is computed to be 49° 10′ N. L. and 2° 20′ W. L. from the Meridian of
London.
Its Length is 12 Miles; its utmost Breadth between Six and Seven. Its North-side, from its lofty Cliffs, is 40 or 50 Fathoms perpendicular from the Sea; which renders it inaccessible that way; but the South is much lower, and almost level with the Water. Its Form seems to resemble a Wedge, or a rectangular Triangle.
The higher Lands are diversify'd by gritty and gravelly, stony and rocky, fine and sweet Mould; the lower by heavy, deep and rich Soil. All kinds of Forest and Fruit-trees, Shrubs, Roots, Flowers and Herbs, flourish here, with Pulse and Corn, tho' their Wheat is smaller than
English.
The Decay of Tillage (so evident in this Isle) is owing to three Causes: 1. The Increase of the Stocken Manufacture; which naturally inclined the People to slight the more laborious Imployment of Agriculture. 2. The Improvement of Navigation, and Foreign Traffick, which had the same Effect. 3. The Culture of Cyder, by converting the Arable Lands into Orchards for that Purpose; which Commodity is the ordinary Drink of the Inhabitants, who are now over-stock'd with it; so that there is Hope of their returning to the Plough, and to their former Industry. 4. The Increase of Inclosures and Highways; of the latter whereof here are three Sorts; the first call'd
Le Chemin du Roy,
or The King's High-way, sixteen Feet in Breadth; the second,
Le Chemin de huit Pieds,
or The Eight-foot way, which with its Sides makes up 12 Feet; and the third,
Le Chemin de quatre Pieds,
or the Four-foot Way, for Horse-carriages.
On the Rocks about the Island, Sea-weed grows plentifully, which is an Equivalent for the Deficiency of other Things useful in Husbandry, and is the common Manure of the Land in
Jersey.
Here is Plenty of good Water from the inexhaustible Stores of Springs gushing from the numerous
Strata
of Rocks every-where conspicuous. Meat also and Butter are equally good and sweet here, tho' the Cattle are inferior in Size to those elsewhere.
The Ewes of this Isle had four Horns, but the Rams six, in
Camden
's Time, tho' rarely now to be seen. Fowl of all Kinds are here in great Quantities. But none of the volatile Tribe exceed in Beauty the
Jersey
Partridge, having the bright Eyes natural to that Bird, red Legs, and variegated Feathers. The Flesh however is not much preferable to that of the common Partridge.
This Island abounds with Fish, the Species of which we may range thus: 1. Rough-coated Fish, such as Rousses, Haus,
&c.
the coarsest of all. 2. Shell and Rock-fish, among which is the
Ormer,
supposed peculiar to these Parts, and deriving its Name, which is
French,
from its Resemblance, to a human Ear. The Inside of the Shell is made use of in inlaid Works, as Mother of Pearl, to the bright Colour of which it approaches. There is no Under-shell; but the Fish adheres to the Rock with its Back, and is a solid Mass of white Pulp, very grateful to the Taste, which it regales like the Flesh of Land Animals. In great Spring Tides, at low-water Mark, it is found. 3. Flat-fish, as Rays, Thornbacks, Soles, Plaise, large Turbots,
&c.
4. Scale-fish. Of these, one Draught of Base has equall'd a Cart-load. Besides which here is the Mullet, red and grey, the Vrac, or Sea-carp, and the Bar, an exquisite Fish, sometimes two Feet in Length. Other Fish here are, which for their Singularity we cannot pass by in Silence.
The
Gronnard
is so call'd from its
grunting
Noise, when taken. Its Head is almost as big as the Body, and its Colour is a deep Scarlet, resembling Blood.
The
Lançon
(or
little Lance,
from its Shape) is never found in the Water, but in some moving Sandbank deserted by the Sea; when the Sand being mov'd with an iron Hook, the Fish spring up, and are caught by Handfuls. The young Men and Maids take great Delight, during the warm Summer Nights, in this Sport; which is render'd easy to them by the Glistering of the Prey above the Sand. This they term
aller au Lançon.
It is prepar'd as an Anchovy, and, well-dress'd, gives an agreeable Relish.
Another odd Fish is the
Sirene,
which is furnish'd with Teats like a Woman's.
The ugly, but harmless, and perhaps wholsome Animal the Toad, abounds here, as do innoxious Creatures of the Serpentine Kind, particularly Lizards, which gaze on Passengers, as they lie basking in the Sun. But the worst of the reptile Kind are Moles, which damage the Corn and Grass, though they compensate that Detriment by affording a freer Passage to the Rain thro' their
Latibula.
The Climate here is in general wholsome; tho' as Luxury has gain'd Ground, Diseases unknown to former Ages have been its constant Attendants: so that it cannot now boast of that Character given it by
Camden, That here was no Room for the Physicians.
The Rocks are vast and terrible, the Tides rapid and strong; as an Evidence of which, here is no Still-water at any time, as in other Parts of the
British
Chanel.
The whole Island consists of 12 Parishes, which are divided into
Vintaines,
from the 20 Houses which formerly, as is said, constituted each Parish; tho' now some Parishes vastly exceed that Number.
Cueillettes
is the Name for these Divisions in the Parish of
St. Oûen
alone.
But to be more particular: 1. The Parish just mention'd contains six
Cueillettes,
namely,
De Vinchelés, des Millés, de Leoville, des Grontés, Grande Cueillette,
and
Petite Cueillette.
The Seigneur
de St. Oûen
has a large Pond in the West of the Island, containing about 20 Acres of Land, wherein are Carp of so extraordinary a Size, as scarce to be equalled in
Europe
; some of them being four Feet four Inches in Length. Part of the great Bay of
St. Oûen
had been a rich Vale, which was swallow'd up by the Sea.
2.
St. Peter
contains six
Vintaines
; which are,
Des Angueres, du Coin Varin, du Doet, de St. Nicolas, de la Vallée,
and
Grande Vintaine.
3. In
St. Brelade
are four
Vintaines
; call'd
Des Quenves, de la Moye, du Coin,
and
de Noirmont.
In this Parish stands the Town of
St. Aubin,
the second of the Island; and from it the Bay adjoining derives its Name; which consists of white Sand, level and firm; and thence the Travelling from this Town to
St. Helier,
the Capital, is render'd smooth and easy. And as the Church is at a Distance, and intercepted by a bleak Hill, the Inhabitants, who are in plentiful Circumstances, were building, when I was there, a convenient Chapel by way of Contribution. The Port, which is the best and most frequented in
Jersey,
has a strong Pier, carry'd into the Sea, which receives and affords a safe Harbour for Ships. Here a Sixth-rate just floats at a dead Neap, and a Ship of 200 Tons at all times. At Half-flood a Vessel of 130 Tons may find Entrance. Larger Ships indeed, and Men of War, must remain in the Road, where is good Anchorage. The Pier joins to the Fort of
St. Aubin,
which renders the Place very defensible. These Advantages have brought hither many Merchants and Masters of Ships: and every
Monday
is held what is improperly call'd a Market; for it is rather an Exchange, where Merchants and others meet for transacting Affairs of Navigation and Traffick. The Houses are mostly new.
4.
St. Mary
has two Vintaines,
Du Nord,
and
du Sud.
In this Parish was discover'd a Spring strongly impregnated with a purging Mineral; the Water of which was approved of by Dr.
Charleton,
an eminent
English
Physician.
5.
St. Laurence
contains four Vintaines;
viz. Du Coin Motier, du Coin Tourgis, du Coin és Hastains,
and
de la Vallée.
6.
St. John
has three Vintaines; which are
Du Nord, du Doet, de Herupe.
In this Parish is a Hill call'd
Mont-mado,
whereon is a rich Quarry of excellent Stone, capable of being cut into regular Squares, like
Portland
Stone.
7. In
Trinity
are five Vintaines, namely,
De la Ville à l' Evesque, du Rondin, de Rosel, des Augrés,
and
de la Croizerie.
8.
St. Helier
comprehends four Vintaines, which are,
Du Mont à l' Abbée, du Mont au Prétre, du Mont Cochon,
and
de la Ville.
The Situation of
St. Helier
is pleasant as well as commodious, having on the South-west the Sea, with a full Prospect of
Elizabeth
Castle, and of the Road for Ships. To the North are Hills, which are an excellent Defence against the Cold: and at their Feet a Flat of Meadows inliven'd by a pure Stream, which from hence enters the Streets, and even the Houses; so that the Water is easily brought up by Buckets, let down thro' a Trap-door, or from the Reservoirs of Wells and Pumps. Another huge Hill projects, in a manner, over the Town; and being a Common, affords to the Cattle Herbage, and to Gentlemen and Ladies an agreeable Walk, with the Advantage of an extensive Prospect. The usual Name of this Hill is
Le Mont de la Ville.
The unfortunate Duke of
Somerset,
Protector of the King and Kingdom, had probably intended to protect himself from the Malice of his Enemies, by building a new Town here, as he did a Citadel at
Alderney
; both which Designs became abortive by his Death. In
St. Helier,
at present, are about 400 Houses, disposed into divers wide and well-pav'd Streets.
La Cohue Royale,
or the Seat of Justice, stands in a large Quadrangle, on each Side of which are handsome Structures. Here is held every
Saturday
a Market, or rather a Fair, whither People flock from all Parts of the Island to enjoy their Friends, or transact Business. In the Town live few landed Gentlemen, but many Shopkeepers, Artificers, and Retailers of Liquor. Scarce any thing is wanting to the Uses of Necessity or Convenience.
La Halle, la Boucherie,
or the Shambles, is a large Room inclosed, so that the Sight and Smell of Carcases do not here annoy the Eyes and Nostrils of People, as they do in most Country Towns. The Number of Inhabitants, exclusive of some Hundreds in the Out-Vintaines, who are Parishioners, tho' not Townsmen, is supposed to amount to Two thousand. And the Church, tho' very capacious by the Accession of Galleries, when I was there, was crouded with them.
9.
St. Saviour
has six Vintaines, of the following Denominations:
De Maufant, de sous la Hogue, des Pigneaux, de sous l' Eglise, de le Grande Longueville,
and
de la Petite Longueville.
10. Under
St. Martin
are comprehended these five Vintaines:
De Rosel, de la Queruée, de sous l' Eglise, du Fief du Roy,
and
de Faldoit.
11.
Gronville
comprises four Vintaines,
De la Rue, des Marais, de Longueville,
and
de la Roque.
12. In
St. Clement
are three Vintaines, by Name,
Du Mont Roquier, de Samaréz,
and
Grand Vintaine.
In the Canal call'd
Samaréz
are great Numbers of Carp and Eel, the only fresh-water Fish in the Island.
The Cueillettes and Vintaines are in all 52. The Buildings are all of Stone, as may well be supposed, in a Country which is nothing but a huge Rock, cover'd with
Strata
of Earth. The common Sort is Rag-stone. The Stone on
Mont-mado,
mention'd above, is of a reddish White, the whiter the better, of a fine Grain, and may be wrought almost as sleek as polish'd Marble. The Churches and finest Edifices are cover'd with blue Slate; the ordinary Houses are thatch'd with long Wheat-straw.
The principal Trade is that to
Newfoundland,
whither, in the Year 1732, were sent 27 Ships, from thence to proceed to the
Mediterranean,
in order to dispose of their Fish. Another Branch of Trade is that of knit Hose, or Stockens, which are every
Saturday
sold at
St. Helier,
to the Merchants; and many thousand Pairs are made weekly in the Island.
The Language, as you may guess from the Names of Places, is
French,
tho' obsolete, and thence to be esteem'd barbarous. This Remark, however, is not to be extended to their Religious Worship, Judicatures, or even the Conversation of the more polite, in all which the pure
French
is used. Tho' this is the original Language, yet one may observe a pretty good Smattering of
English,
even among the lower Class of People, owing to the Intermixture of the Soldiers in the Garison at
St. Helier
; in the Church of which Town Prayers are alternately in
French
and
English.
The chief Officer, who represents the King's Person, is the Governor. His Excellency, at the Time when I was there, was the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount
Cobham.
Harliston
Tower was so call'd from Sir
Richard Harliston,
Governor of the Island in the Time of King
Henry
VII. who built it in
Mont Orgueil
Castle. The great Sir
Walter Ralegh
bore this high Office, to which his Name does Honour.
Mont-Orgueil
is of so great Antiquity, that no Record subsists, old enough to determine its Origin. 'Tis at present slighted, and in a ruinous Condition; and what it was formerly,
Elizabeth-Castle
now is, equal to any Fortress within the
British
Dominions. It is nam'd
Le Château de l' Islet,
or simply
L' Islet,
from its Situation on a small Island. In Circuit it is little less than a Mile. In 1551 all the Bells in
Jersey,
excepting one to each Church, were sold towards defraying the Expence of the Building. In 1586 the
Upper Ward
was erected, which is properly Queen
Elizabeth
's Castle, every House in the Island furnishing four Days Work. The
Lower Ward
is King
Charles
I.'s Castle, and was begun in 1626. During the Civil War
Charles-Fort
was added; and in 1665, the
French
threatening the Place, the
Green
was inclosed within a Wall.
The Fort of
St. Aubin
is of good Use towards clearing the Road, and for a Safe-guard to Ships within the Pier, which it secures by its Cannon planted on the Bastions; tho' in antient Times it was no more than a great Tower on a Rock, thence nam'd
La Tour.
There are five Regiments of regular Forces on the Island, which are reviewed every 29th of
May,
the Anniversary of the Restoration.
The Civil Government is administer'd by a Bailly, assisted by 12 Jurats.
Here are divers Monuments of the
Druidical Superstitions,
which are flat Rag-stones, of vast Size and Weight, raised three or four Feet from the Ground, and sustain'd by others of less Bulk. These the Natives call
Poquelayes
; and are the Altars, on which Sacrifices, often human, were immolated, particularly, in the Parish of
St. Helier,
three of them contiguous to each other; and on the Summit of a Place call'd
Le Rouge Bouillon,
another; besides one on
St. Helier's Hill.
Another larger, near
Mont-Orgueil
Castle; and near
Rosel-haven,
on a Cliff nam'd
Le Couperon,
an Antiquity seeming to be a little Temple of theirs. At a Place call'd
Les Landes Pallot,
in the Parish of
St. Saviour,
was a Rocking-stone, like that I shall mention in
Scotland,
destroy'd by the
Cromwellians
; erected by the
Druids,
probably to awe the People into a Belief of their Miracles. This also has been demolish'd.
Here are also Monuments of the
Popish Superstition
; two more particularly: The first call'd
La Chapelle de nôtre Dame des Pas,
from the Blessed Virgin, who is said to have left the Print of her Steps on the very Spot of the Rock, whereon the Chapel is erected, and this too after her Body was moulder'd into Dust. The second is term'd
Hoguebie,
a Chapel over a Tomb, built, according to Tradition, by the disconsolate Widow of the
Seigneur de Hambie,
a
Norman,
who fell by Treachery in this Island, and whose Loss was so afflicting to his Lady, that she erected it on Purpose to have the melancholy Pleasure of seeing the Place where her Lord's Corps was interr'd, from her Window in
Normandy
; and to procure his Soul the great Benefit of Masses. Afterwards one
Mabon,
who had been a Pilgrimage to
Jerusalem,
took a Fancy to lengthen the Chapel toward the East, and to hollow a Place under the Altar, in order to represent our Lord's Sepulchre. This Place was made the chief Seat of the Popish Delusion.
Notwithstanding the prevailing Terrors of the Papal Empire in the Days of Queen
Mary,
the Magistrates of
Jersey
had the Courage to put to Death
Richard Averty,
a Priest, and furious Prosecutor of the marry'd Clergy, for murdering his Bastard Child, which he effected without the Mother's Knowlege.
The Mace, borne before the Bailly and Magistrates, at the Convention of the States,
&c.
has this Inscription:
— Tali haud omnes dignatur honore.
CAROLUS Secundus, Magnae Britanniae, Franciae, & Hiberniae Rex serenissimus, affectum regium erga insulam de JERSEY (in qua bis habuit receptum, dum caeteris ditionibus excluderetur) hocce monumento vere regio posteris consecratum voluit: jussitque ut deinceps Balivis praeferatur, in perpetuam memoriam fidei tum augustissimo parenti CAROLO I. tum suae majestati, saevientibus bellis civilibus, servatae a viris clarissimis Philippo & Georgio de Carteret, equitibus auratis, hujus insulae Baliv. & Reg. Praefect.
Of which this is the Translation:
— Not all are with such Honour grac'd.
CHARLES the Second, the most serene King of
Great Britain, France,
and
Ireland,
has resolved, that his Royal Favour towards the Isle of JERSEY, (in which he twice met with a Place of Refuge, while he was excluded from the rest of his Dominions) should be consecrated to Posterity by this truly Royal Monument: And commanded, that thenceforward it should be borne before the Baillies, in perpetual Memory of the Loyalty preserv'd both to his most August Father CHARLES I. and to his Majesty, during the Rage of the Civil Wars, by the most excellent Men Sir
Philip
and Sir
George de Carteret,
Knights, Baillies and Chief Governors of this Island.
St.
Magloire,
the Apostle of
Jersey,
lies bury'd in a little Chapel near a Free-school, corruptly call'd from him
L' Ecole de St. Magloire,
and founded, with another nam'd
St. Anastase,
by King
Henry
VII. who granted a Charter for that useful Purpose.
This Place gives Title of Earl to the Lord Viscount
Villiers,
the second who has enjoy'd that Dignity.
II. The next Isle I am to speak of is GUERNSEY, the antient Name of which was
Sarnia.
From
Jersey
it is distant 20 Miles to the North-west; yet equals not the former, either in point of Fruitfulness, or Extent of Territory; for it has but 10 Parishes. This Advantage however it enjoys above
Jersey,
That here no venomous Creatures can subsist. It is also naturally better fortify'd from Invasion, by craggy Rocks and Precipices. On the contrary, its Situation, compar'd with that of
Jersey,
renders this inferior; for whereas the North of
Jersey
is much higher than the South, as we have said, the South Side of
Guernsey
is high, and the North low; which produces a double Obliquity of the Sun and Land; and hence the Difference in the Soil and Air of each. Notwithstanding this they both agree as to their Original, their Productions, and the Civil, Military and Ecclesiastical Government. Among the circumjacent Rocks is found the sharp and hard Stone call'd
Smyris,
or
Emeril,
and used by Glaziers for cutting Glass, as well as by Jewellers for polishing their Work.
In Trade it is superior to its Neighbour
Jersey,
by having a more convenient Port at its Eastern Extremity, adjoining to the South; where the Shore retiring inward in the Form of a Crescent, makes the Place capable of holding large Vessels. The Foundation of its Pier was laid in the Beginning of
Edward
I.'s Reign by prodigious Stones, heap'd on each other to a considerable Height, and regularly cemented. The Shipping here is not only safe, and may be brought close up to the Town, which we shall presently mention; but the Pier itself is adorn'd with large smooth Flags, and guarded by Parapets; so that being of sufficient Length and Breadth, it is used as the chief Place for Rendezvouses on Parties of Pleasure by the fashionable People of the Town, as well as for its noble Prospect over the Sea, and adjacent Isles.
On the Right-side of the Port stands
Cornet-Castle,
which at high Tides is surrounded by the Sea. Sir
Leonard Chamberlan,
who was Governor of
Guernsey,
in
Mary
I.'s Time, and his Successor, Sir
Thomas Leighton,
improved it with Fortifications. In the Year 1672, the Governor Lord Viscount
Hatton
lost his Lady, and himself escaped with great Difficulty, from a prodigious Storm of Lightning, which, catching the Powder-store, blew up the lofty Tower with the Standard; so that the Castle must have formerly made a much more grand Appearance than at present. However, what it wants in Beauty, it makes up in real Usefulness; for it has the Command of the Town and Harbour; and its Situation alone renders it strong, being divided from the Land by an Arm of the Sea about 600 Yards wide, except in great Spring-tides, when it is fordable.
On the Left-side too is a mean old Castle.
The only Town is call'd
St. Peter
's, has a free Trade, (which is however render'd ineffectual by Privateering) has a Market, is well stor'd with Implements of War, and consists of one long Street, which is narrow, being confin'd between the Sea and the impending Hills. The Market is always plentifully supply'd with Fish.
To the North, joins a Peninsula nam'd
Le Val,
where once was a Priory. And
To the West, near the Sea, is a Lake, a Mile and a half in Circumference, stock'd with Fish, especially a kind of Carp of extraordinary Size, and delicious to the Taste.
The Governor of
Guernsey
was (when I was on the Spot) the late Marquis of
Montandre
; and his Lieutenant,
John Graham,
Esq
From hence the Second Son of
Heneage,
late Earl of
Nottingham,
and Lord High Chancellor, by Name
Heneage Finch,
was promoted to the Dignity of a Peer of
England,
by the Style of Baron of
Guernsey.
In
Guernsey
there are Eight Ministers to its Ten Parishes, Four of them being united.
I cannot take Leave of this Island without a short Recital of a
flagrant
Instance of Popish Inhumanity, which, not content to roll in Seas of Blood, all over
England,
extended itself to this remote Corner. The Fact was thus: In the Days of that Firebrand of her Country,
Mary
I. a poor Widow, and her Two Daughters, one the Wife of
Perrotine Massey,
a Minister, who had happily escaped the impending Fate by leaving his native Soil, were sentenced to the Stake for what was call'd
Heresy.
The marry'd Woman's Body, during the Execution, bursting, by the Violence of the Flames, discharg'd the Pledge of her conjugal Affection, a beautiful Male Infant, which was hastily caught up by the Ministers of
Justice,
and carried before the Magistrates, whose
tender Mercies
commanded, That it should be thrown in with the Mother, which was accordingly done.
Hoc fera religio potuit suadere malorum▪
How far the Practices of this Sect may have been changed by the Illumination of
Truth,
instead of
Faggots,
notwithstanding their obstinate Perseverance in their former
Principles,
I will not pretend to determine: but sure I am, That from bad
Principles
to bad
Practices
the Transition is extremely easy; and Experience has more than once, especially within the
British
Dominions, testify'd the Truth of this Observation. I now proceed to mention (tho' very briefly) an Isle dependent on the Government of
Guernsey.
This is,
III. ALDERNEY, supposed by
Camden,
to be the
Arica
of
Antoninus
; by others the
Ebodia
or
Evodia
of
P. Diaconus.
It is situated about a League and a half from
Cape la Hogue
in
Normandy
; is in Circumference about Eight Miles; and contains One Church with a Town, in which are about 200 Houses, which lodge to the Number of 1000 Inhabitants. The Soil is good for Pasture or Arable. And I was shewn one Field here of about 500 Acres, which, as I was told, had not once lain fallow for 100 Years before. Their Manure is Sea-weed, call'd
Vraic,
of which we have taken notice above. The Land lies high; and to the South is a Harbour, admitting only small Vessels.
The Streight which divides this Isle from
France,
term'd
Le Ras de Blanchart,
or
The Race of Alderney,
is esteem'd a dangerous Passage in stormy Weather, when the Winds happen to encounter with the strong Currents. In calm Seasons it is very safe, and the largest Ships may ride here with Ease. Nay, in 1692-3, Part of the
French
Fleet escap'd this Way, after the Blow they had met with at
la Hogue.
The last Place I shall mention in this Letter, is the Isle of,
IV. SARKE, which, as well as
Alderney,
is dependent on the Government of
Guernsey.
It is no more than Two Miles in Length, and is situated in the midst of all the others, and guarded with steep Rocks. Its Corn is excellent, the Land very high, which, together with its Situation, renders it one of the strongest Places in the World. Its Water is very good. Formerly here was no Way for Draughts and Carriages from the Sea, till
Philip de Carteret, Seigneur ae St. Oúen,
(who had a Grant of the Island from Queen
Elizabeth,
and in whose Descendants the Property is vested) caused one to be cut thro' the impending Cliff, which for some Space is carry'd on in subterranean Darkness, till it emerges within the Island, and is fortify'd with Cannon, and by a Gate. In the Reign of
Edward
III. was standing the Convent of
St. Magloire,
with a Pension from the Exchequer, where that holy Person is said to have resided.
The Island fell into the Hands of the
French,
but in the Reign of Queen
Mary
I. was recover'd; and the Inhabitants have ever since enjoy'd the mild Influence of the
British
Government, equally approving of their present happy Condition, and detesting the Fetters of
French
Slavery. Their Number amounts to about 300; and one Minister performs their divine Offices. Thus, having completed what I promised, I rest from my TOUR, and am,
SIR,
Your most humble Servant.
APPENDIX.
W E have purposely reserv'd the Account of several material Things and Places to the Conclusion of this Volume, for the Sake of being more perfect in the Description of them, than we had Opportunity to be at the Time of printing the several Letters. And we shall now insert the following Articles under this Title; but which, however, may be incorporated in their proper Places, in future Editions of this Work.
We shall begin with a brief Description of the famous Gardens of the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount
Cobham,
at
Stow
in
Buckinghamshire.
VOL. II. p. 105.
WE enter'd on the South-side of the Garden, between Two square Pavilions of the
Dorick
Order, the Work of Sir
John Vanbrugh
; and were struck with the surprising Grandeur and Variety of the Objects that presented themselves to our View, of which I shall give a brief Account in Order, as we passed them.
First, then, in the Middle of a large Octagon Piece of Water, stands an Obelisk of near 70 Feet, which is design'd for a
Jet-d' Eau
to cascade from the Top of it. At a good Distance we beheld Two beautiful Rivers, which join, and enter the Octagon in One Stream. Over One of the Rivers is a
Palladian
Bridge, which is an agreeable Object. A
Gothick
Building, 70 Feet high, presents itself on the Summit of a fine Hill; which, we were told, is intended to be dedicated to
Liberty.
Here we had likewise a View of the South Front of the House, up an Avenue of stately Trees; but great Objections have been made to the Narrowness of it, which is, no doubt, an essential Fault. However, since every Tree may be deem'd a sort of Obelisk to the Honour of the noble Planter, it makes a good Excuse for their standing; and the rather, as, if they were taken away, it would create an Evil, which could not be remedied in 40 Years.
As the
Gothick
Building is on the Right-hand, so on the Lest appears an
Egyptian
Pyramid, dedicated to the Memory of Sir
John Vanbrugh.
In short, here is such a Scene of Magnificence and Nature display'd, the Fields abounding with Cattle, the Trees and Water so delightfully intermingled, and such a charming Verdure, Symmetry, and Proportion, every-where presenting to the Eye, that the Judgment is agreeably puzzled, which singly to prefer of so many collected Beauties.
Leaving this Point, and on the Left-hand passing by Three Statues, we came to the Cold-bath, from whence we beheld a natural Cascade falling down from the before-mentioned Octagon, in Three different Sheets of Water, into a large Lake. One of the Sheets glides thro' an Arch, or Piece of Ruin, which is mostly hid by a Clump of Ever-greens; but his Lordship, as we are told, designs to make a good deal of Amendment to it, tho' at present it has a very natural and agreeable Appearance.
From hence we proceeded to the Hermitage, which is agreeably situated in a rising Wood, and by the Side of the Lake; and passing thro' the Wood, we came to the Statues of
Cain
and
Abel,
fronting the
Veneris Hortus,
a very neat Structure, designed by Mr.
Kent,
the Inside of it painted by Mr.
Sleats
; and on the Frize is the following Motto, alluding to the Painting in the Cave:
Nunc amet, qui nondum amavit;
Quique amavit, nunc amet.
Which is,
He who ne'er lov'd, a Lover grow;
And he who has — continue so.
Here is likewise a
Sophia.
Each Way, from the Entrance of the Room, is a handsome Colonnade, leading to square Tabernacles or Pavilions. Here are also Four venerable antique Bustoes, of
Vespasian, Nero, Cleopatra,
and
Faustina.
Hence to the Head of the Lake we had a pleasant View of the Cascade; and from hence to
Gibbs
's Building, or the
Belvidere,
which is placed on the Top of the Mount, is a noble Prospect of the House, the Church, the Effigies of his present Majesty, and the late Queen; the Rotonda; the Castle, which a Farmer now inhabits, and was built for that Purpose; but on account of its being seated on the Side of a fine rising Hill, makes a beautiful Appearance as well from hence, as from many other Places.
In the Garden is likewise the Temple of
Friendship,
from which the Pavilion at the Entrance, the Cascade, the Lake, one of the Fields that is inclosed in the Garden, all together afford a Scene truly charming.
From hence to
Boycoat
Buildings, passing thro' a pleasant Wood with several agreeable Prospects into the Country, we saw on our Right-hand a noble Terrace. One of the Buildings is a very good habitable House; the other stands on a square Bottom in the Garden; and in the Inside of it are Four Statues, at full Length, in Niches; viz.
Cicero, Faustina, Marcus Aurelius,
and
Livia.
The Buildings are both finish'd with pyramidical Tops, by
Gibbs.
Betwixt them is a very handsome Gate-way, which is the second Entrance to the House, from which leads up a noble Avenue, planted with double Lines of thriving Trees.
From hence to the
Egyptian
Pyramid mentioned before, which is 60 Feet high, and about half Way up, is this Inscription in very large Characters:
Inter plurima hortorum horum aedificia a JOHANNE VANBRUGH, equite, designata, hanc pyramidem illius memoriae sacram esse voluit COBHAM.
In
English
thus:
Among a very great Number of Structures in these Gardens, designed by Sir JOHN VANBRUGH, Knight, COBHAM thought fit, that this Pyramid should be sacred to his Memory.
And in the Inside of the Building is the following Inscription:
Lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti:
Tempus abire tibi est; ne potum largius aequo
Rideat & pulset lasciva decentius aetas.
Which may be thus translated:
Enough you've sported, quaff'd the Bowl, and eat:
'Tis Time that from the Banquet you retreat;
Lest Youth, more fitly frolicksome, may join
To push you, reeling under Loads of Wine.
From hence going along a sort of Fortification Walk on our Left-hand, the Wood on the other Hand, we enter'd the Field, which is inclosed in a military Way, with a staked Fence. At the first Angle, on the middle of the Gravel-walk, are the Statues of
Hercules
and
Antëus.
Hence we proceeded to
St. Augustine
's Cave, which is a Building of Roots of Trees and Moss; and in it a Straw Couch with Three Inscriptions in
Monkish Latin
Verse. It is placed in a natural Wood, and from the Oddness of the Fabrick, and the agreeable Simplicity which is round it, makes a very entertaining Variety.
Leaving this Place, we approached a Building of a very different Nature — the Temple of
Bacchus,
built of Brick, with Paintings in the Inside alluding to the Name. Here we had a fine distant Prospect toward
Aylesbury
and
Wendover
Hills,
&c.
In the Garden we had in full View the Temple of
Venus:
and between the Two is an Obelisk erected to the Memory of a Clergyman, with this Inscription:
To the Memory of
ROBIN COUCHER.
We proceeded from hence to the
Saxon
Temple, which is a solemn Grove with the Seven
Saxon
Deities presiding over the several Days of the Week, placed in Niches; and in the Middle of them stands an Altar, as for Sacrifice. All the Statues are extremely good, and this Scene agreeably strikes the Mind with Serenity and Composure.
Our Eye, after being confined in the Wood, breaking at once out of it, we were surprised with a fine open Country on the North: on the South, the Rotonda appears: on the West, the
Boycoat
Buildings: on the East, the Equestrian Statue of the late King, which stands in the Front of the House. These Objects present themselves from
Nelson's
Seat, which is an oblong square Recess in a Clump of Ever-greens. To the South-east is a View of the Mansion-house, which is an extraordinary good one; but, his Lordship annually adding to and improving it, one may safely say, that it will not be much inferior to the best House in
England,
if his Lordship's Design be finished.
The Offices on the North-side are all inclosed within a most elegant Wall, with Niches, and grand Gate-ways into the Offices and Gardens. The House and Offices, when perfected, will be about 640 Feet in Length, fronting North and South. As
Nelson
's Seat lies to the North-west from the Portico of the House, there is on the North-east a new Bastion building to answer it; and some grand Walks are now making by the Side of a fine Lawn, from which we see numerous Herds of Deer. A Semicircle of fine Timber appears at some Miles Distance with an agreeable Country between.
On the South Front of the House is a very handsome Parterre, decorated with
Apollo
and the Muses, gilt Vessels, and Two Orangeries: but it is likely this will be intirely altered; for if the lower End is laid open, there will appear a noble Scene, where Nature and Art are curiously blended.
The next Object of our View was a
Corinthian
Column, on which is the Statue of his present Majesty, with this Inscription:
GEORGIO AVGVSTO.
Here we had a most delightful Prospect over the Country; and in the Garden several of the Buildings present themselves with great Pomp. The Lake, whose Bounds are beautifully concealed, adds much to the general Agreeableness of the Place.
Dido
's Cave was the next Subject of our Attention: this is a Stone Building, in a Wood, and raised on a sort of Amphitheatre, with this Inscription:
Speluncam
Dido,
dux &
Trojanus,
eandem
Deveniunt —.
In
English
thus:
Repairing to the same dark Cave are seen,
The
Trojan
Hero, and the
Tyrian
Queen.
From hence we advanced to the Rotonda, which is a neat airy Building by Sir
John Vanbrugh.
The Dome of it supported on Ten
Dorick
Columns; and in the Centre, standing on a circular Pedestal, a
Venus à Medicis.
From this Place we had a View of Part of the Octagon; the Lake, the Fields, and several of the Buildings, presenting themselves alternately as we turned ourselves round.
As we went from hence to the late Queen's Statue, by the Side of a Canal, we were delighted with an Alteration of his Lordship's;
viz.
On each Side the Ground is broken, and planted with Clumps of various kinds of Trees, intermixt with Statues, which are promiscuously placed. Her late Majesty's Effigies is erected on Four
Ionick
Columns, which are placed on a large Pedestal, with this Inscription in Golden Letters:
Honori, Laudi, Virtuti Divae CAROLINAE.
To the Honour, Praise, and Virtue of the Divine CAROLINE.
It is situated on a neat Amphitheatre of Slopes, with pastoral Figures each Way from it. Nature and Art here, joining together, make an agreeable Contraste.
Next we were led into the Sleeping Parlour, which is a square Building placed in a Wood with Six Walks centring in it. Within, are painted the
Caesars
Heads, with several Festons of Fruit,
&c.
On the Frize is this Inscription:
Cum omnia sint in incerto, save tibi.
Which is,
Since all Things are uncertain, indulge thyself.
Leaving this Place, and crossing the Avenue before-mentioned, from the Pavilions we came to the Witch-house, a square Building, the Inside of which is painted by my Lord's Gentleman, with several Devices alluding to the Name.
We arrived next at the Temple of
Antient Virtue,
a Rotonda of the
Dorick
Order, by Mr.
Kent:
and in Four Niches, standing at full Lengths, are the Four following Statues;
viz.
I. EPAMINONDAS, with this Inscription over his Head:
Cujus a virtute, prudentia, verecundia, Thebanorum respublica Libertatem simul & imperium, Disciplinam bellicam, civilem & domesticam, Accepit; Eoque amisso, perdidit.
That is,
From whose Valour, Prudence, and Moderation, the Republick of
Thebes
received both Liberty and Empire, its military, civil, and domestick Discipline; and, with him, lost them.
II. LYCURGUS, with this:
Qui summo cum consilio inventis legibus, Omnemque contra corruptelam munitis optime, Pater patriae, Libertatem firmissimam, Et mores sanctissimos, Expulsa cum divitiis avaritia, luxuria, libidine, In multa secula Civibus suis instituit.
Thus translated:
Who having invented Laws with the greatest Wisdom, and most excellently fenced them against all Corruption, as a Father of his Country, instituted for his Countrymen the firmest Liberty, and the soundest Morality, which endured for many Ages, he having, together with Riches, banished Avarice, Luxury, and Lust.
III. SOCRATES,
Qui corruptissima in civitate innocens, Bonorum hortator, unici cultor DEI, Ab inutili otio, & vanis disputationibus, Ad officia vitae, & societatis commoda, Philosophiam avocavit, Hominum sapientissimus.
That is,
Who being innocent in a most corrupt State, an Encourager of the Good, a Worshipper of One only GOD, as the wisest of Men, reduced Philosophy from useless Indolence, and vain Disputations, to the Duties of Life, and the Advantages of Society.
IV. HOMERUS,
Qui poetarum princeps, idem & maximus, Virtutis praeco, & immortalitatis largitor, Divino carmine, Ad pulcre audendum, & patiendum fortiter, Omnibus notus gentibus, omnes incitat.
Thus rendered:
Who being the First of Poets, as he was the greatest, the Herald of Virtue, and Bestower of Immortality, known to all Nations, incites all, in a Divine Poem, honourably to dare, and resolutely to suffer.
Over one Door is this Inscription:
Charum esse civem, bene de republica mereri, laudari, coli, diligi, gloriosum est: metui vero, & in odio esse, invidiosum, detestabile, imbecillum, caducum.
Which is:
To be dear to our Country, to deserve well of the State, to be praised, honoured, and beloved, is glorious: but to be dreaded, and hated, is matter of Ill-will, detestable, weak, ruinous.
Over the other Door this:
Justitiam cole & pietatem, quae cum sit magna in parentibus & propinquis, tum in patria maxima est. Ea vita via est in coelum, & in hunc coetum eorum, qui jam vixerunt.
In
English
thus:
Maintain Justice, and thy relative Duty; which, as it is great, when exercised toward our Parents and Kindred, so is greatest toward our Country. That Life is the Way to Heaven, and to this Assembly of those, who have already lived.
From this Place we had no distant Prospect, but, notwithstanding that, it abounds with lasting Beauties: it is really placed in a sort of Paradise; and, Things rising adequate to that Name, you see
Friendship
flourishing in immortal Youth; in the
Elysian Fields
are many great and virtuous Mens Names perpetuated, who have distinguished themselves in
this
World by answering the End of their Creation. Near this Place also is a good Emblem of those who have deviated from it, in the Ruin. Here are sweet purling Streams, resembling the melodious Sounds of Birds,
&c.
We were now not far from the Parish Church, which is so closely surrounded with a Wood, as not to be seen. From hence we came to the Side of a River, where
Unpolish'd Nature cannot boast a Part;
For Chance too regular, too rude for Art.
And by its winding Banks we were led up to a Grotto, which is to be decorated with Shells, Pebbles, and Minerals. Here is likewise a Shell-pavilion, the Dome of which is supported by Six wreathed Columns. The Inside of it hath several Marks performed from Shells, and divers other Imbellishments. On the opposite Side is to be another of Pebbles.
Hence we proceeded to the Three-arch'd Building, which is a pleasant Recess, by the Banks of the River; and in passing we saw
Antient Virtue
peeping on the South-side of us. The Church we had in full View on the West. To the East is situated the
Chinese
House, a Building in the Pond, the Out-side of it painted very ingeniously, in the
Chinese
Taste, by the celebrated Mr.
Sleats.
The Inside of it is
Indian
Japan.
The Shell Bridge led us from hence into the
Elysian Fields,
the most charming Place that ever Eyes beheld. It may not be improper here to give the following Lines, which were left by an unknown Gentleman, on his Entrance into them:
To Lord
COBHAM.
Charm'd with the Sight, my ravish'd Breast is fir'd
With Hints like those, which antient Bards inspir'd.
All the feign'd Tales, by Superstition told,
All the bright Train of fabled Nymphs of old,
Th' enthusiastick Muse believes, are true;
Thinks the Spot sacred, and its Genius YOU.
Lost in wild Rapture, would she fain disclose,
How by Degrees the pleasing Wonder rose,
Industrious in a faithful Verse to trace
The various Beauties of the lovely Place;
And while she keeps the glowing Work in View,
Thro' ev'ry Maze your artful Hand pursue,
&c.
We are now come to the Monuments of
British
Worthies; the First of which is Mr. POPE, with no Inscription.
The next is Sir THOMAS GRESHAM, with this Inscription:
Who, by the honourable Profession of Merchant, having enriched himself, and his Country; for carrying on the Commerce of the World, built the ROYAL EXCHANGE.
INIGO JONES,
Who, to adorn his Country, introduced and rivalled the
Greek
and
Roman
Architecture.
JOHN MILTON,
Whose sublime and unbounded Genius equalled a Subject that carried him beyond the Limits of this World.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,
Whose excellent Genius opened to him the whole Heart of Man, all the Stores of Nature; and gave him Power, beyond all other Writers, to move, astonish, and delight Mankind.
Sir ISAAC NEWTON,
Whom the GOD of Nature made to comprehend all his Works; and from simple Principles to discover the Laws never known, and to explain the Appearances never understood, of this stupendous Universe.
Sir FRANCIS BACON, Lord VERULAM,
Who, by the Strength of a superior Genius, rejecting vain Speculation, and fallacious Theory, taught to pursue and improve Philosophy by the certain Method of Experiment.
In the Niche of a Pyramid is placed a
Mercury,
with these Words subscribed:
— CAMPOS DUCIT AD ELYSIOS.
— Leads to th'
Elysian
Fields.
And below this Figure is fix'd a Square of black Marble, with the following Lines:
Hic manus ob patriam pugnando vulnera passi,
Quique pii vates, & Phoebo digna locuti,
Inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes,
Quique sui memores alios fecere merendo.
Thus translated:
Here are the Bands, who for their Country bled;
And Bards whose pure and sacred Verse is read:
Those who, by Arts invented, Life improv'd;
And by their Merits made their Mem'ries lov'd.
King ALFRED,
The mildest, justest, most beneficent of Kings, who drove out the
Danes,
secured the Seas, supported Learning, established Juries, crush'd Corruption, guarded Liberty, and was the Founder of the
English
Constitution.
EDWARD Prince of
Wales,
The Terror of
Europe,
and Delight of
England
; who preserved unaltered, in the Height of Glory, his natural Gentleness and Modesty.
Queen ELIZABETH,
Who confounded the Projects, and destroyed the Designs of
Spain,
who threatened to oppress the Liberty of
Europe
; took off the Yoke of Ecclesiastical Tyranny; restored Religion from the Corruptions of Popery; and by a wise, a moderate, and a popular Government, gave Wealth, Health, Security to
England.
King WILLIAM the Third,
Who by his Virtue and Constancy having saved his Country from a foreign Master, by a bold and generous Enterprize, preserved the Liberty and Religion of
Great Britain.
Sir WALTER RALEGH,
A valiant Soldier, and an able Statesman; who, endeavouring to rouse the Spirit of his Master, for the Honour of his Country, against the Ambition of
Spain,
fell a Sacrifice to that Court, whose Arms he had vanquished, and whose Designs he had opposed.
Sir FRANCIS DRAKE,
Who, thro' many Perils, was the First of
Britons,
that adventured to sail round the Globe, and carry into unknown Seas the Knowlege and Glory of the
English
Name.
JOHN HAMPDEN,
Who with great Spirit and consummate Ability, began a noble Opposition to an arbitrary Court, in Defence of the Liberties of his Country; supported them in Parliament, and died for them in the Field.
Sir JOHN BARNARD, With no Inscription.
Leaving this incomparably sweet Place with great Regret, as every one who sees it, must, we came to a Monument, with this Inscription:
Signor FIDO,
An
Italian
of good Extraction, who came into
England,
not to bite us, like most of his Countrymen, but to gain an honourable Livelihood: he hunted not after Fame; yet acquired it: regardless of the Praise of his Friends, but most sensible of their Love. Tho' he lived amongst the Great, he neither learnt nor flattered any Vice. He was no Bigot, nor doubted he of any of the XXXIX. Articles: and if to follow Nature, and respect the Laws of Society, be Philosophy, he was a perfect Philosopher; a faithful Friend, and an agreeable Companion, a loving Husband, and distinguished by a numerous Off-spring, all which he lived to see take good Courses; and in his Old-age retired to the House of a Clergyman in the Country, where he finished his earthly Race, and died an Honour and Example to the whole Species. Reader, this Stone is guiltless of Flattery; for he, to whom it was inscribed, was not a Man, but a —
Crossing the Field to the
Gothick
Building before described, we had a boundless Prospect round the Building. From hence we descended a fine Hill; and on our Left-hand saw a Plantation of Evergreens; on our Right the Well designed, and Rivers described from the Pavilion. This Walk led us down to a very handsome Bridge over one of the Rivers. The Roof on the Side facing the Water is supported by
Ionick
Columns; the Back-side of it by an
Alto-Relievo
of the Four Quarters of the World, bringing their Products to
Britannia.
Here are likewise painted by Mr.
Sleats,
Sir
Walter Ralegh,
with a Map of
Virginia
in his Hand; and Sir
William Penn,
holding a Book styled
The Laws of
Pensylvania. Here are, besides, a great many modern and antique Bustoes of Marble.
We now visited the
Imperial
Closet, which is a Room very near the Form of a Cube; and in it are the three following Figures, painted at full Length by Mr.
Sleats:
IMP. TITUS CAES. VESPASIAN.
With his Saying over his Head,
Diem perdidi, I have lost a Day.
IMP. TRAJAN. CAES.
With his Saying,
Pro me: si merear, in me. For me: but if I deserve it, against me.
IMP. MARCUS AURELIUS CAESAR ANTONINUS,
With his Saying,
Ita regas imperator, ut privatus regi velis. So govern when an Emperor, as, if a private Person, you would desire to be governed.
Passing a noble Iron Gate, at the End of a fine Terrace, of 1990 Feet in Length, and Breadth proportionable, which leads to the
Veneris Hortus,
we came to the Temple of
Friendship,
a lofty square Building, of the
Dorick
Order, with Three noble Porticoes on the Sides, which appear to the Garden. The Cave and Ceiling are painted with History-pieces, by Mr.
Sleats.
At the Bottom of the Room are placed Ten Pedestals, which are designed for the Bustoes of his Lordship, and Nine of his select Friends. Those of his Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales,
the Earl of
Chesterfield,
Lord
Cobham,
and Mr.
William Pitt,
are already erected; but who the other are to be, is not yet known.
The Pebble Alcove is a neat Recess, and very artfully imbellished with Pebbles. His Lordship's Arms are performed with the same, and display'd in proper Colours.
Congreve
's Monument is an Urn, which with great Art expresses the Genius of the Man; and at the Top of it is placed a Monkey, beholding himself in a Mirror, and under him this Writing:
Vitae imitatio, Consuetudinis speculum, Comoedia.
That is,
Comedy is the Imitation of Life, and the Glass of Fashion.
The Poet's Effigies, lying in a careless Posture, has the following Inscription:
Ingenio Aeri, faceto, expolito, Moribusque Urbanis, candidis, facillimis,
GULIELMI CONGREVE,
Hoc Qualecunque desiderii sui Solamen simul & Monumentum Posuit
COBHAM. M.DCC.XXXVI.
Thus translated:
In the Year
1736. COBHAM
erected this poor Consolation for, as well as Monument of, his Loss of the piercing, elegant, polished Wit, and civilized, candid, most unaffected Manners, of
WILLIAM CONGREVE.
We were now very near the Pavilions, and in going to them, walked by the Side of the River and Octagon, passing, on our Left-hand, Three
Satyrs,
and a
Dancing Venus.
I have now gone round, giving you a faint Description of an unparalleled Chain of artificial and natural Beauty: and, to make use of Mr.
Pope
's Lines,
Here Order in Variety you see,
Where all things differ, yet where all agree.
His Lordship's Judgment, and refin'd Taste, are not less conspicuous in his Woods and Park.
Vol. II. p. 161.
Instead of what is there said, of the Earl of
Burlington
's Seat at
Chiswick,
insert the following.
BUT I must not pass over so slightly the noble Seat of the Right Honourable the Earl of
Burlington
; which was a plain, useful House, with a Number of good Offices about it: but as a Part of the old House was destroyed some Years ago, by Fire, his Lordship erected a most beautiful Villa, near to the old House; which for Elegance of Taste surpasses every thing of its kind in
England,
if not in
Europe.
The Court in Front of the House is of a proportionable Size to the Building, which is gravelled, and kept always very neat. On each Side are Yew Hedges, in Panels, with
Termini,
placed at proper Distance; in Front of which are planted two Rows of Cedars of
Libanus,
which at present have a fine Effect to the Eye, at a small Distance from the House; for the dark Shade of these solemn ever-green Trees occasions a fine Contraste with the elegant white Building which appears between them.
The Ascent to the House is by a noble Flight of Stone Steps, on one Side of which is the Statue of
Inigo Jones,
and on the other that of
Palladio.
The Portico is supported by fine fluted Pillars of the
Corinthian
Order, and the Cornice, Frize, and Architrave are as rich as possible; so that the Front of this Building strikes every Person (tho' not a nice Judge of Architecture) with uncommon Pleasure.
The other Front towards the Garden is plainer, but yet is very bold and grand, having a pleasing Simplicity, as hath also the Side-Front, toward the
Serpentine River,
which is different from the other Two.
The Inside of the House is finished in the highest Taste, the Ceilings being richly gilt and painted; and the Rooms are filled with some of the best Pictures in
Europe
; and tho' the House is small, yet it would take up more Room than can be allowed here, to describe the particular Beauties of it.
The Gardens are also laid out in an elegant Taste. When you descend from the House, you enter on a Lawn of Grass, planted with Clumps of ever-green Trees, between which are two Rows of large Stone Vases. At the Ends next the House are two fine Wolves in Stone, cut by Mr.
Sceidmaker
the famous Statuary: and at the farther End are two large Lions; and to terminate this View are three fine antique Statues, which were dug up in
Adrian
's Garden at
Rome,
with Stone Seats between each; and on the Back of the Statues is a close Plantation of Ever-greens, which terminates the Prospect.
On the Right-hand, as you go from the House, you look thro' an open Grove of Forest-trees, to the Orangery; which is separated from the Lawn by a Faussee, to secure the Orange-trees from being injured by Persons who are admitted to walk in the Garden; so that they are seen as perfectly, and when the Orange-trees are in Flower, the Scent is diffused over the whole Lawn to the House, as if the Trees were placed on the Lawn.
On the Left-hand you have an easy Slope of Grass down to the Serpentine River, on the Side of which are Clumps of Ever-greens, which make agreeable Breaks to the Eye, between which the Water is seen; and at the farther End is a Peep into an Inclosure, where are an Obelisk and a
Roman
Temple, with Grass Slopes, and a circular Piece of Water in the Middle.
From this Lawn you are led to the Wilderness, through which are three strait Avenues, terminated by three different Buildings; and within the Quarters are Serpentine Walks, thro' which you may walk near a Mile in constant Shade.
On each Side the Serpentine River is a Grass Walk, which follow the Turns of the River; and on the Right-hand of the River is a Building, which is the exact Model of the Portico of
Covent Garden
Church; and on the Left is a Wilderness, which is laid out in regular Walks, with clipp'd Hedges on each Side, which is too mean for the other Parts of the Garden; and it is much to be wondered his Lordship should suffer them to remain in the present Form.
Over the River, in the middle Part, is a
Palladian
Bridge of Wood, which his Lordship crosses in his Coach to come round to the House; for there is a Coach Road thro' the Garden, by which his Lordship passes when he comes from
London,
so that the Earl seldom goes thro' the Town of
Chiswick
to his House.
At the End of the River, next the Road, is a fine Cascade lately erected, which by an Engine to raise the Water, his Lordship proposed to have a constant Fall into the River; but the Engine failing, it is but seldom the Cascade can play, and then but for a short time.
Next the Road his Lordship has raised a Terrace, (with the Earth which came out of the River) from whence you have a Prospect of the adjacent Country; and when the Tide is up, you see the Water of the
Thames,
with the Boats and Barges passing, which greatly enlivens the Prospect. In a Word, there is more Variety in this Garden, than can be found in any other of the same Size in
England,
or perhaps in
Europe.
To the preceding Account of the Lord
Burlington
's Seat at
Chiswick,
I shall subjoin the following Description of
Gunnersbury-House.
IT is situated near
Ealing,
between the two great Western Roads, and stands on an Eminence, the Ground falling gradually from it to the
Brentford
Road; so that from the Portico in the Back-front of the House, you have an exceeding fine Prospect of the County of
Surrey,
the River of
Thames,
and all the Meadows on the Borders for some Miles, as also a good Prospect of
London,
in clear Weather. This House was built by Mr.
Web,
who was Son-in-law to the famous
Inigo Jones
; and indeed the Architecture shews it was contrived by him, or at least by a Scholar of his; for altho' the Building is as plain on the Outside as possible, yet there is a simple Boldness in it, which graces all the Buildings of
Inigo Jones,
rarely to be found in the Works of other Architects. The Apartments in the House are extremely convenient, and well contrived. The Hall is very large, having Rows of Columns on each Side. From thence you ascend by a noble Flight of Stairs, to a Salon, which is a double Cube of Twentyfive Feet. This Room the present Possessor
Henry Furness,
Esq
is fitting up in a most elegant Taste, and he is possessed of a fine Collection of capital Pictures: so he proposes to hang this Room intirely with them; which, when finished, will render it one of the finest Rooms in
England.
From this Room is the Entrance to the Portico on the Back-front of the House, which is supported by Columns, and is a delightful Place to sit in, in the Afternoon, during the Summer Season; for as it faces the South-east, so the Sun is gone from it by two o' the Clock, and shining on the Country, which is open to the View, renders the Prospect very delightful.
Upon going out of the House into the Garden, you come upon a noble Terrace, the whole Width of the Garden, from whence you have a fine Prospect of the neighbouring Country, and on which you may walk dry after the greatest Rains; from this Terrace you descend to the Garden by a noble Flight of Stone Steps, the upper Part of which is concave, and the lower convex, with a noble Stone Balustrade on each Side, as also upon the Coping of the Wall, the Length of the House, which makes a fine Appearance from the Road; but the Gardens are laid out too plain, having the Walls in View on every Side; and at present the Offices are too mean for the House, which I hear the present Possessor intends to alter, in a most elegant Taste, which will render it the finest Seat near
London.
Vol. I. p. 233.
AT
Peckham
is the Seat of the late Lord
Trevor,
which was built in the Reign of King
James
II. by Sir
Thomas Bond,
who was deeply engaged with that unfortunate Prince in his Schemes, and was obliged to quit the Kingdom with him; so the House was plundered by the Populace, and became a Forfeit to the Crown. In the Building and the Gardens, large Sums of Money were expended; for the Whole was executed according to the politest Taste of those Times. The Front of the House stands to the North, having Two Rows of large Elm-trees of a considerable Length before it, thro' which the Tower of
London
appears as a Termination to the Prospect; but on each Side of this Avenue you have a View of
London,
from
Westminster
to
Greenwich
; and at high Water the Masts of the Vessels on the River of
Thames
appear over the Trees and Houses like a Wood, which greatly improves the Prospect. The Fields in Front, and on each Side of the House, being well cultivated, render them very agreeable; and the Town of
Peckham
lies on the Backside of the Gardens, but is shut out from the View by Plantations. The Wilderness indeed was planted too regular, having diagonal Walks intersecting each other, with Hedges on each Side; but this was the Taste which prevailed, when those Gardens were laid out. The Kitchen-garden and the Walls were planted with the choicest Fruit-trees from
France,
and an experienced Fruit-gardener was sent for from
Paris,
to have the Management of them; so that the Collection of Fruits in this Garden has been accounted one of the best in
England.
A private Gentleman purchased this Seat soon after the Death of the late Lord
Trevor,
and had begun to make very great Alterations, particularly in cutting down Hedges, removing Walls and Buildings, which intercepted the Prospect of the neighbouring Fields; and had the Gentleman lived a few Years longer, he would have intirely altered it to the modern Taste of Gardening, and rendred it a sweet Retirement, considering its Vicinity to
London.
Vol. I. p. 317.
after Line 6. add, as follows:
IN the Year 1740, on the Promotion of Dr.
Gilbert,
Dean of this Church, to the Bishoprick of
Llandaff,
his Majesty was pleas'd to confer the Deanry on Dr.
Alured Clarke,
who was installed in the Month of
January,
in that Year; and if we may be allowed to judge from the pious Acts he began with in that Station, a more worthy Man could not have been preferr'd thereto.
The House, an antient Building, belonging to that Dignity, had, thro' the Remissness of its former Possessors, been too long neglected; wherefore his First Work was to set about altering and repairing that, which he did within Nine Months of his Installment, at an Expence of about 800
l.
Before this was perfected,
viz.
in the Spring 1741, he drew up and published Proposals for founding an Hospital in this City, for Lodging, Dieting, and Curing the Sick and Lame Poor thereof, and of the County of
Devon,
on the like Plan of that which he had before founded at
Winchester,
for the Benefit of that City, and County of
Hants.
A Design so good, recommended by the pious Eloquence of a Divine so learned and judicious, on Views so visibly disinterested, and so clearly abstracted from all Party Schemes or Intentions, met with the general Applause and Assistance of the Gentry and Clergy of all Parties, Sects and Denominations; who, however different in Religion and Politicks, unanimously join'd in this pious Undertaking: and a Subscription being opened in
March,
hath already (
November
1741) brought in about 2000
l.
of which near 1500
l.
are annual Engagements, which 'tis highly probable will be not only continued, but much augmented, so that 'tis hoped, that 200 Patients at a time may be provided for.
John Tuckfield,
of
Raddon,
Esq
was pleased to accommodate the Governors with a Plot of Ground near
Southernhay,
without the City-walls, at a very moderate Price, and to give 100
l.
towards carrying on the Building for the intended Hospital, the Plan of which was commodiously designed by the Direction of the Dean, and the First Stone thereof laid by him, assisted by the Bishop of
Exon,
Sir
William Courtenay,
Knight of the Shire, Sir
Henry Northcote,
and
Humphry Sydenham,
Esq
the Citizens in Parliament, the Honourable
Henry Rolle,
and
John Tuckfield,
Esq
attended by a great Number of Clergy and Gentry, that are Subscribers, and Thousands of joyful Spectators, on the 27th of
August
1741. The Building contains upwards of 300 Feet in Length, and is already in a good Forwardness. In digging the Ground for the Foundation the Workmen found a
Roman
Coin of
Nerva,
and another of
Constantine.
The Charity-schools founded here by the pious Bishop
Blackall,
in the Year 1709, the good Dean not only bountifully subscribed to, but preached a Sermon before a large Assembly of Governors and Contributors; and after the Sermon, at a Court held for that Purpose, inspected the Rules, inquired into the Causes of Complaint, and prevail'd on the Governors to visit the Schools oftener, and diligently endeavour to render that Charity as useful as possible.
Vol. I. p. 216.
AT
Painshill
near
Cobham
in
Surrey,
is the Seat of the Hon.
Charles Hamilton,
where is a great Improvement making by inclosing a large Tract of Land designed for a Park, which was most of it so poor as not to produce any thing but
Heath
and
Broom
; but by burning of the
Heath,
and spreading of the Ashes on the Ground, a Crop of
Turneps
was obtained; and by feeding Sheep on the
Turneps,
their Dung become a good Manure to the Land, so that a good Sward of Grass is now upon the Land, where it was judged by most People impossible to get any Herbage. This is the sort of Improvement which was mentioned in
Norfolk,
where Land has been raised from Five Shillings an Acre
per Ann.
to Thirty or Forty Shillings: and were this sort of Husbandry practised in many other Parts of
England,
it would be of great Service to the Publick, and greatly increase the Value of the Lands to the Proprietor.
And this leads me to a Reflection on the present advanced Price of
Butter
and
Cheese,
(
Anno
1742.) which many People attribute intirely to the Two last hard Winters, and the succeeding dry Summers; which must be allowed have greatly contributed towards it; yet these are not the only Causes of it; but there has of late Years been a great Neglect of the Dairy-farms, either from the Poverty of the Farmers, who could not keep up their Stock of Cows, or by ploughing too much of their Grass-ground for raising of Corn. And many Landlords (it is to be feared) have permitted their Tenants to break up too much of their Land for Corn, because of the great Demand there has been for it abroad of late Years; and this has enabled their Tenants to pay their Rent better than otherwise they could have done.
But the Consequence will be severely felt for some Years; for as the Farmers Stock of Cattle has been reduced greatly by this Alteration in the Husbandry, so it will be impossible for them to get Manure enough to keep their Land in Heart; and when this fresh Ground is worn out by Crops, the yearly Value of it will be reduced to less than one Third of what it has produced: so that it is greatly to be feared most of the Estates in
England
will be lessened in their Rent; and unless the Owners will be at some Expence to lay down properly a Proportion of their Lands for Grass, they can hardly expect ever to see a proper Sward on their Estates; for the Farmers in general have not the least Skill in this particular Branch of Husbandry.
But to return from this Digression: The Lands which Mr.
Hamilton
has inclosed, have fine Inequalities; for every 100 Yards there are great Hollows, then rising Grounds again, so that the Prospect is continually changing, as you walk over it; and (if we may guess by what this Gentleman has already done) the Whole will be laid out conformable to the natural Situation of the Ground; and when the Plantations, which are already made, are grown up, it will be a delightful Place; and this upon a Spot of Ground, which lay almost neglected, before this Gentleman became possessed of it; so that whatever is here laid cut, will be intirely an Improvement, since without it the Land would have produced very little Rent to the Proprietor. And would the Gentlemen who inclose large Tracts of Land into Parks, follow this Gentleman's Method, of inclosing such Land as is of little Value, and improve it, by making a good Sward upon it, their Estates would be greatly benefited by it.
The House which at present is on this Spot, is very small, being what Mr.
Hamilton
found built on it by his Predecessor; to which he has only added one handsome Room on the Backside, which is elegantly fitted up, and completely furnished with good Pictures: but as there are so many better Situations for a House in the middle of the Park, so it is supposed this Gentleman will erect a new Mansion-house, answerable to the Design of his Plantations.
The River
Mole,
which rises near
Darking,
passes along by the Side of this Park, and in its Course serpents about in so pretty a manner, as that you frequently lose the Sight of it; and by its Windings make the Course almost Four Miles within the Compass of this Inclosure. Indeed this River is very narrow, and in dry Weather the Current is exceeding slow, and the Water not well coloured, which, it must be allowed, takes off from its Beauty; yet there is room for great Improvements, by sloping off the Banks, so as to have a better View of the Water; and in many Places by taking away some of the little Projection of the Banks, it may be widened so as to appear considerable at some Distance: which, if done, will add much to the Beauty of the Place.
Near this Place is the House of Mr.
Bridges,
which is built in a very singular Taste, something after the Model of an
Italian Villa,
but very plain on the Outside. The Apartments within seem very commodious, and the principal Rooms are elegantly fitted up, the Ceilings being gilt, and all the Members are richly ornamented: the Offices below are very convenient, and judiciously contrived to answer the Purposes for which they were designed. But what chiefly struck my Curiosity on seeing it, was a false Story contrived on each Side of the House, taken from the Difference in the Height of the Side-rooms, from those principal Apartments: and these are converted into long Galleries with a small Apartment at one End, which affords a Communication between them. In the
Attick
Story there are very good Lodging-rooms, which are well laid together: so that for the Size of this House, there is hardly any other near
London,
which has more useful and elegant Apartments.
The Situation of the House is on an Eminence, so that it commands the Prospect of the adjacent Fields, which are kept in very exact Order; and there is a Declivity from the House to the River
Mole,
which passes along by the Side of this Gentleman's Garden: and here it appears much more considerable than in any other Part of its Course; for Mr.
Bridges
has taken away so much of the Earth of the Banks, as to make the River, in some Places, Four or Five times broader than it was naturally, so that it makes a handsome Appearance. And by the Side of the Water, he has disposed the Earth into a natural Slope, with a broad Grass-walk, planted with sweet Shrubs on each Side; and at the End of the Walk is a fine Room, which has a View of the Water lengthwise, and is a sweet Retreat in hot Weather, being shaded by large Elm-trees on the South-side, and having the Water on the North and East-sides, which renders it very cool and pleasant. This House is situated about half a Mile from the publick Road to
Portsmouth,
and is so much hid by the Trees near it, as not to be seen until you rise on the Common or Heath beyond
Cobham,
where in several Parts of the Road between that and
Ripley,
you have a fine View of it.
Vol. I. p. 301.
FROM
Blandford
I took a Turn to view one of the largest and most stately new Fabricks in the Kingdom, I mean the House, or rather Palace, belonging to the Right Hon.
George Dodington,
Esq
It is situated in the Parish of
Gunville,
Four Miles from
Blandford,
and Six from
Shaftesbury
and
Cranborn.
The House, Gardens and Park, containing in all about Eight Miles in Circumference, are now named
Eastbury.
It is a vast and magnificent Structure, its very Offices, at a Distance, resembling no inconsiderable Parish. You approach it through one of the most beautiful Lawns which the Imagination can conceive; and passing through the grand Court, on each Side of which the Offices are ranged in treble Rows, from four Bass Courts, a most stately Portico presents itself, supported by large and beautiful Pillars. Here you ascend by many Steps between the Statues of Two Sphinxes; and having passed the Area of the Portico, you enter a most magnificent Hall, adorned with many Statues and Bustoes, and its Roof painted in a most delicate Taste.
Hence you proceed to the Salon; one of the noblest Rooms in
Europe,
and which, with its fine Proportion, no less than the Splendor of its Gilding, cannot but strike the most indifferent Beholder.
At one End of this Salon is a princely Apartment, consisting of Three large Rooms furnished, one with Crimson, another with flowered Velvet, and the third with Satin, all richly laced with Gold. At the other End of the Salon is a Drawing-room, and very large Dining-room, both magnificently gilt, as is indeed every Room in this Floor, except only the Hall.
The First Floor above Stairs is distributed into several grand Apartments: but as it is not our Intention, nor have we Room to describe it minutely, we shall pass to the Gardens, which are laid out with surprising Art: but what is most remarkable in them is the vast Collection of foreign Trees of various Kinds, the beautiful Verdure of the Walks, in the midst of a Country whose Turf is of another Colour, especially in Summer. This House was begun by the late Mr.
Dodington,
and finished by the present. The Architect was Sir
John Vanbrugh.
THE following is a comparative Account of the several
Cathedral Churches
in
England
and
Wales,
and of divers other remarkable
Churches
and
Chapels.
 
LENGTH
BREADTH
HEIGHTH of the
Number of Bells in each Church.
 
From East to West.
Of the Transept from North to South.
Of the Nave and Side Ayles.
Nave from the Area to the Canopy.
Middle Towers, Lanterns, or Spires.
West Towers or Spires.
 
ft.
in.
ft.
in.
ft.
in.
ft.
in.
ft.
in.
ft.
in.
 
St. Albans
550
 
17
 
70
 
65
 
144
 
 
 
6
St. Asaph
179
 
108
 
68
6
60
 
93
 
 
 
2
Bangor
214
2
95
10
60
 
33
10
60
 
 
 
5
Bath
210
 
126
 
72
 
 
 
162
 
 
 
8
Beverley
334
4
167
6
64
3
67
 
 
 
166
 
 
Bristol
175
 
128
 
73
 
73
 
 
 
128
 
5
Cambr. King's Coll. Ch.
284
 
 
 
70
 
70
 
 
 
 
 
 
Canterbury
514
 
154 upp. Trans. 124 low. Trans.
74
 
80
 
130 within 235 without
100 N.W. Tower 130 S.W. Spire
6 6
Carlisle
219
 
124
 
71
 
71
 
1
3
 
 
 
5
Chefter
348
 
80
 
73
6
73
 
127
 
 
 
5
Chichester
401
8
31
 
91 in 1 Part 62 in another
61
6
260
 
106
9
6
St. David's
300
 
30
 
72
 
54
 
127
 
 
 
3
Dorchester Cathedr. Oxf.
189
 
 
 
69
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Durham
411
 
70
 
78
 
69
6
162 within 223 without
138
 
8
Ely
518
 
82
 
76
 
76
 
150 within 182 without
266
 
5
— St. Mary's Ch. N. Side
100
 
 
 
50
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exeter
390
 
140
 
74
 
74
 
 
 
N. Tower 130 S. Tower 130
10
Gloucester
420
 
144
 
84
 
66
 
222
 
 
 
8
Hereford
370
 
140
 
68
 
64
 
240
 
130
 
10
Landaff
263
6
 
 
65
 
65
 
 
 
105 N.W. Tower 89 S.W. Tower
5
Litchfield
411
 
154
 
66
 
66
 
240
 
188
 
10
Lincoln
498 within 530 witht
201 upp. Trans. 244 low. Trans.
88 177 W. Front
83
 
124 6 within 288 without
270
 
6
— By another Account
487 within 519 witht
192 upp. Trans. 227 low. Trans.
82 168 W. Front
83
 
124 within 288 without
270
 
8
London, St. Paul's
500
 
248
 
98 177 W. Front
88
 
340
 
208
 
 
Norwich
400
 
178
 
71
 
 
 
315
 
 
 
 
Oxford
150
 
120
 
54
 
41 6 in 1 Part 57 in another
144
 
 
 
10
Peterborough
479
10
203
 
91 4 156 W. Front
78
 
136 within 150 without
186 4 N.W. Sp. 153 S.W. Tower
10
Rochester
306
 
122
 
65
 
 
 
156
 
 
 
6
Selby
3
0
 
130
 
 
 
 
 
130
 
 
 
 
Salisbury
478
 
210
 
76
 
80
 
410
 
 
 
8
Southwell
306
 
121
 
59
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
Tewkesbury
300
 
120
 
70
 
55
 
210
 
 
 
8
Wells
371
 
135
 
67
 
67
 
160
 
130
 
5 6
Westminster, St. Peter's
390
 
189
 
75
 
101
 
 
 
 
 
6
— K. Henry VII's Ch.
99
 
 
 
66
 
54
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winchester
491
 
186
 
87
 
87
 
150
 
 
 
8
— Lady's Chapel
54 545
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Worcester
394
 
126
 
74
 
74 or 87
 
162
 
 
 
8
York
524
 
280
 
109 140 W. Front
99 in one Part 102 in another
192 within 234 without
198
 
12
— By another Account
497
 
222
 
105 1
W F
96 in one Part 1
in another
188 within 213 without
196
 
12
INDEX TO THE THIRD VOLUME.
A
ABalaba p. 234
Aberforth p. 107
Agelorum p. 9
Ailweston p. 45
Ainsley p. 64
Aire,
River
p. 105, 112
Aislabie,
Mr. his Park
p. 119, 120
Alcock,
Bishop
p. 181
Aldborough p. 145, 146
Alderman of all England,
who thus called
p. 26
Alderney,
Island
p. 269, 270
Alexander,
Bishop
p. 2, 6
Almondbury p. 135
Alwyn,
Founder of
Ramsey
Abbey
p. 26
Ampthill p. 47
Ancaster p. 30
Anglesey,
Earls of, whence descended
p. 64
Appendix p. 271
to
298
Appleby p. 232, 234
Arbera p. 239.
Arica p. 269
Ashbourn p. 70
Athelbald,
King
p. 19
Aukborough p. 11
Auldby p. 149
Axelodunum p. 204
Axholm p. 9
B
Bakewell p. 90
Balsover p. 66
Bantry p. 100, 101
Barmoot Court,
what
p. 72
Barnesley p. 103
Barrow p. 12
Barton
Ferry
p. 11
Battle,
Town
p. 8
Battle
of
Chevy Chase, p. 207, 208
Battlesden p. 49
Beck,
Bishop
p. 7
Beckingham p. 33
Bedal p. 137
Bede,
where born And buried
p. 200. 196
Bedford p. 46, 47
Bedfordshire,
without a City
46.
Great Number of Gentlemens Seats in it
p. 50
St.
Bees p. 236
Belton-house p. 31
Belvoir
Castle
p. 32
Bernard'
s Castle
p. 142
Beverley 172, 173.
The Immunities granted to the Freemen thereof
172.
Its Minster
p. 175, 176
Biggleswade p. 47
Bishop's Auckland p. 197
Bittern,
a Bird
p. 16
Blackall,
Bishop, his Charity-Schools
p. 294
Blackhall p. 35
Blith p. 65
Bolinbroke p. 14
Bolton p. 222
Bond,
Sir
Thomas p. 292
Borough-Brigg p. 141
Boston p. 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 31
Boston
Deeps
p. 16
Bottesworth p. 32
Boulter'
s Mile-stones
p. 27
Bourne p. 30, 33
Bowes p. 142
Bradford p. 136
Bradshaw,
Sir
Roger p. 223
Braham-Moor p. 108
Brampton p. 243
Brasington Moor p. 74
Brazen-nose
College at
St. Martins,
more antient than that at
Oxford p. 35
Bretonomacum p. 226
Bridges,
Mr. his House
p. 297
Brigg-shot,
what
p. 109
Brotherton,
Village
p. 108
Brovoniacum p. 244
Brownlow
Family
p. 31
Brus, Robert p. 26
Bugden p. 45
Bullion-work,
remarkable
p. 7
Burgh,
a Village
p. 83
Burgh
upon the Sands
p. 243
Burham p. 13
Burleigh
on the Hill
p. 33, 34
Burleigh
House
p. 36
to
38
Burlington p. 185
Burlington,
Earl of, his noble Seat at
Chiswick p. 287,
&c.
Burning Well p. 224
Burstall p. 134
Burton p. 12
Burton
upon
Trent p. 69
Bury p. 222
Buxton
Bath
p. 76
to
79
Byrons,
the Family of,
p. 64
C
Caesar,
Sir
Owen p. 242
Caesa ea p. 255
Calder,
River
p. 103, 105, 112, 129, 135
Camalodunum p. 148
Campodunum p. 135
Candle
Coal
p. 223, 224
Carham p. 2
Carlisle
City
p. 235,
and
244, 245
Carlisle,
Earl of, his noble Seat
p. 166, 167
Carps
of extraordinary Size
p. 259
Caster 14.
The old
Roman
Highway there
p. 38, 39
Castleford p. 107
Castle Howard p. 166, 167
Castleton p. 13
Cataractonium p. 142
Catharine
of
Spain,
Queen
p. 28, 45, 49
Cathedral
of
Lincoln
the largest, except
York 6.
Its Faults
p. 157, 158
Cathedral
of
Peterborough,
the noblest
Gothick
Building in
England p. 28
Cathedral
of
York,
the most magnificent
Gothick
Church in
Europe p. 156
Cathedrals
of
England
compar'd,
&c. p. 300, 301
Cavendish
Family, their Burial-place
p. 68, 69
Cecil,
Lord
Burleigh,
his noble Monument
p. 36
Chace,
a famous
p. 240
Char-fish,
where produced
p. 229, 245
Charity School,
founded by a Yeoman
p. 224
Charles I.
his Picture
p. 32
Charley p. 225
Chat-moss p. 219
Chatsworth
House
p. 85, 90
Chaworth
Village
p. 65
Chaworth
Family
p. 64
Chesney, Robert de p. 7
Chester in the Street p. 198
Chesterfield p. 91
Cheviot-hill,
and the Battle there
p. 206
to
208
Chiswick,
Earl of
Burlington
's noble Seat there
p. 287,
&c.
Clarke,
Dr.
Alured,
Dean of
Exon,
his Character, and pious Undertakings
p. 293
Clifton
Family
p. 60
Clinton
House
p. 30
Coals,
how many consumed in
London p. 203
Cobham,
Lord Viscount, his famous Gardens at
Stow p. 271
to
287
Cockermouth p. 238
Coningsborough
Castle
p. 100
Corby
Castle
p. 246, 247
Cotton,
Sir
Robert p. 26
Countess
Pillar
p. 240, 241
Cows
and Oxen the large
, where
p. 228
Craven,
Sir
William p. 137
Craven,
a hilly Country
p. 136
Crocodile,
a Skeleton of one
p. 5
Cromwell, Oliver,
where born
44.
His Farm
p. 45
Crowland 19.
The famous Bridge there
p. 20
St.
Cuthbert
's Patrimony
p. 196
D
Danes,
where they landed
p. 9
Darlington,
what remarkable for
p. 144
Dearness
of Butter and Cheese,
(Anno 1742)
to what owing
p. 295, 296
Decoy-ducks,
how brought up
p. 22
to
24
Denton,
a Seat
p. 115
Derby
Town, and Curiosities there
p. 67, 68
Derby,
the Earl of, beheaded
p. 222
Derby,
Countess of, defends
Latham
House
p. 225
Derventio p. 69
Derventis p. 149
Derwent,
River
p. 70, 71, 86, 91, 149, 187, 238, 239
Devil
looks over
Lincoln,
whence derived
p. 6
Devil
's Arrows
p. 147
Devil's Arse
in the
Peak p. 82
Devon
ire,
Duke of, his Seat
p. 85, 90
Dodington, George,
Esq
his House
p. 298, 299.
Domitian,
an Urn with his Coin
p. 9
Doncaster p. 101
Dorman
Pence
p. 15
Dornfield p. 92
Dove,
River, compared to the
Nile 70.
Its Rise
p. 91
Downs p. 1
Dun,
River
9.
Its Rise
p. 91
Dunington p. 33
Dunstable p. 49, 50
Durham 195.
The Bishop of, a Temporal Prince
196, 197.
Has thirteen Livings in his Gift
p. 196
Durobrivis p. 14, 38
E
East Retford p. 64
Easter,
a Controversy about its Celebration
p. 192
Ebodia p. 269
Eboracum p. 149
Eccleston p. 225
Eden,
River
p. 233
Edmund,
where inaugurated
p. 33
Edward I.
Place of his Death
p. 243
Eggleston p. 142
Egremont p. 236
Elden Hole
in the
Peak p. 84, 85
Elenborough p. 239, 240
Emeril,
where found
p. 267
Entrenchment,
by King
Stephen p. 5
Epitaph,
a remarkable one
102. Robin Hood
's
p. 134
Erection
Lands
p. 17
Erith
Town
p. 45
Eure,
River
p. 140
F
Fells,
what they are
p. 231
Fernby p. 225
Figures
in Lord
Cobham's
Gardens at
Stow p. 285
Fish,
bow brought to
London
alive, from
Lincolnshire p. 25
Fitz-Williams,
Lord
p. 40
Flamborough-head,
a Promontory
p. 187
Flodden-field 208.
The Defeat of the
Scots
there ibid.
Foderinghay
Castle
p. 27
Folkingham p. 30
Fortune-tellers,
how to be punished
p. 230, 231
Forty-feet-way p. 39
Fourness,
a Tract of Ground
p. 229
Fox, Richard,
Bishop
p. 31
Frobisher,
Sir
Martin p. 102, 103
Furness, Henry,
Esq
p. 291
G
Gainsburgh p. 8
Gascoigne,
Sir
William p. 114
Gateshead p. 200
Gaunt,
Duke of
Lancaster p. 5
Giant's-tomb,
a high Mountain
p. 74
Gilling p. 141, 142
Gipsies,
Streams of Water so called
p. 186
Gisborough p. 193, 194
Glass-painting
remarkable
p. 7
Grantham p. 31
Green, John,
the famous
Pinder p. 104
Grimsby p. 13, 16
Grimsthorpe p. 32
Gronnard,
a Fish
p. 258
Guash,
River
p. 39
Guernsey,
Island
p. 266
to
269
Gunnersbury
House
p. 290, 291
Guthlac,
a Chaplain
p. 19, 20, 28
H
Haddon,
a Palace
p. 90
Halifax,
the most populous Parish in
Engl. p. 129
to
134
Hallamshire,
Cutlers of
p. 93
Hambleton-down p. 167
Hamilton,
the Honourable
Charles,
his Seat
p. 295, 296
Hartington p. 72
Hartlepool p. 195
Harwood
Town
p. 114
Haughton p. 3
Heathcote,
Sir
John p. 21
Hell Kettles p. 144
Henry IV.
Birth and Title
p. 14
Henry V.
committed to the
King's B.
when Prince
p. 114
Herman-street p. 25, 26
Hexham 204.
The first Blood in the Civil War drawn near it ibid.
Higham-ferris p. 41
Hile,
Lake
p. 216
Hinchinbroke-house p. 45
Holbech p. 18
Holland,
in
Lincolnshire p. 16
Horn,
a famous one
p. 163, 164
Horn-castle p. 14
Hornby-castle p. 228
Hornsey p. 185
Horses,
the best for Hunting,
&c.
where
p. 138
Howdon p. 170
Hugh,
the
Burgundian p. 7
Hull p. 178, 184
Humber
River, whence its Name
p. 11, 15
Huntingdon
Town
42, 43.
Given to King
David
of
Scotland p. 43
Hussey,
Lord, beheaded
p. 4
Huthersfield p. 135
I
James I.
his Jest on the
Lumley
Family
p. 198
Jenkins, Henry,
his remarkable great Age
p. 140, 141
Jerby p. 239
Jersey,
Island
p. 255
to
266
Jews
crucify a Child
4.
Are most furiously massacred
p. 152
to
154
Inn,
one of the greatest in
England p. 34
Inscription
upon a Sessions-house
10.
On a Sexton who buried Two Queens
29.
On a Bridge
44.
On a Bell
69.
At
Buxton-Bath 78, 79.
On an Hospital
94.
On a
Roman
Altar
151.
On a Horn
164.
On
Beverley-cross 174.
In
Beverley
Minster
176, 177.
In Memory of
Michael de la Pole 182.
On the
Countess
Pillar
241.
In Memory of King
Edward I. 243.
On a Mace
p. 265
Inscriptions
in the famous Gardens of Lord
Cob ham
at
Stow,
on several Heroes, Great Men,
&c. p. 282
to
287
St.
John
Evangelist, his Reliques, where buried
p. 176
Johnson,
Counsellor
p. 15
Irwell,
River
p. 222
Isurium p. 117
Isurium Brigantium p. 146
Ivel,
River
p. 46
St.
Ives p. 45
Julian
's Bower
p. 12
K
Keel-men,
who
p. 201
Kelingholme-castle p. 13
Kendal p. 231, 232
Keswick p. 238
Kettering p. 41
Kimbolton castle p. 45
Kiniobantum
ibid.
Kinsbury p. 49
Kirk-Oswald p. 243
Kiveton p. 99
Knaresborough p. 115, 116
Kyneburg,
Abbess
p. 15
L
Lancashire
Witches
p. 230
Lancaster 226, 227.
The successive Princes of that House
p. 229, 230
Lançon,
a Fish
p. 238
Lanesborough,
a Seat
p. 167
Latham-house
gallantly defended by a Lady
p. 225
Laughton
Church
p. 98
Leathern Boat p. 181
Lebberston p. 187
Leeds p. 108, 109
Leighton p. 50
Lincoln
City
2
to
8.
The Diocese the largest in
England p. 8
Lincoln
Heath or Downs
p. 1, 8
Lindum Colonia p. 2
Little Chester p. 69
Littleborough p. 9
Liverpoole,
its impaired Condition
p. 210, 211, 212, 216
Lombe,
Sir
Thomas,
his Engine for throwing Silk
67.
Rewarded by Parliament
p. 68
Long Meg
and her Three Daughters, a Trophy
p. 246
Longovicum p. 227
Lonsdale p. 232
Lovetofts p. 42
Louth p. 14, 31
Louther
Family, great Benefactors to
Whitehaven 236.
Sir
John
's great Dealings in Coals
p. 237
Louther,
River
p. 232
Lowick
Church, and Monuments there
p. 40
Ludi Trojani p. 12
Lugovallum p. 244
Lumley-castle p. 298
Lusus Naturae p. 192
Lutan p. 50
Lyn p. 47
Lyn Deeps p. 16
M
Maiden,
an Engine so called
p. 134
Mam Tor,
in the
Peak p. 81
Malton p. 148
Manchester p. 219
to
222
Mancunium p. 221
Mansfield p. 64
Market Deeping p. 30
Marston Moor p. 166
St.
Martin
s Bay
p. 34
Marts,
only Four Fairs so called in
England p. 17
Mary I.
Queen
p.
ibid.
Mary,
Queen of
Scots,
her Monument
p. 28
Matlock,
its warm Springs,
&c. p. 72, 73
Maud,
Empress
p. 3
Memorial
of a Plague
p. 242
Mersee,
River
p. 91, 210
Methodists
depreciate the Works of Arcbhishop
Tillotson p. 131
Minster
of
Lincoln p. 1
Mites,
Coins so called
p. 9
Mole,
River
p. 297, 298
Monmouth, Geoffrey,
his History treated abusively
p. 185, 186
Monuments
of
British
Worthies in Lord
Cobham
's Gardens at
Stow p. 281
to
284
—
of Druidical Superstitions
p. 264
—
of Popish Superstitions
p. 264, 265
Moresby p. 238
Mortimer's-hole p. 57
Mosses,
what they are
p. 217
to
219
N
St.
Neots
on the
Ouse p. 45
Newbie,
a stately Seat
p. 120, 121
Newcastle p. 200,
& seq.
Newcome, Daniel,
his Improvements of the Church in
Sunderland p. 199
Newport-gate,
the noblest Remnant of this Sort in
Britain p. 3
Newsted p. 64
Newton p. 224
Newton,
Sir
Isaac,
where born
40.
Where he received his first Principles of Literature
p. 31
Northumberland p. 205
Northumberland Wharle p. 208
Nottingham,
and its Vaults
p. 54, 55
Nottingham castle p. 56, 57
Nottinghamshire p. 54
Nyne,
River
p. 25, 28, 39, 41
O
Ocellum p. 185
Okeham
Town and Castle
p. 33
Ormer,
a Fish
p. 258
Oundle,
and its famous Drumming-well
p. 40
Ouse,
River
p. 16, 44
P
Painshill,
the Seats of the Honourable
Charles Hamilton,
and Mr.
Bridges,
there
p. 295
to
298
Parmesan, English, p. 42
Parton p. 245
Partridge,
exceeding beautiful, where
p. 257
Patrington p. 184, 185
Peakrills p. 71
Peckham,
Lord
Trevor
's Seat
p. 292
Pendragon-castle p. 241
Penrith p. 241, 242
Perith p. 234
Peterborough p. 28, 29
Pickering p. 148
Picts Wall p. 235
Pingent-hill p. 136, 137
Plaister
prodigiously fine
p. 30
Plumtree,
Mr. his House
p. 59
Pocklington p. 171
Pontefract
Town and Castle
p. 105
to
107
Poole's-hole,
in the
Peak p. 79
to
81
Popish
Inhumanity, an Instance of it
p. 268, 269
Potton p. 47
Poulton p. 226
Powder-Plot,
by whom discovered
p. 228
Powis,
Judge, exceedingly frighted
p. 58
Praetorium p. 185
Preston 225.
Whence the Name of
Proud p. 226
Q.
Quarn,
Village
p. 71
R
R,
the
Northumberland Shibboleth p. 208
Ramsey p. 26
Ravenglass p. 236
Raversburgh p. 184
Register Offices,
only Two in
England p. 174
Remigius p. 2, 6
Ribble,
River
p. 225
Ribchester p. 226
Richmond p. 138, 139
Rippon p. 116, 117
Rivers
in
England,
the principal, enumerated
p. 254
Rivers
in the North
p. 129
Roads
of
England,
Observations upon them
p. 247
to
254
Roberts,
the Reverend Mr.
Edward,
his and his Brother's excellent Characters
p. 34
Robin Hood,
his Epitaph
p. 134
Rochdale p. 124, 125, 223
Rock
Abbey
p. 98
Rock
hewn into a Church,
&c. p. 60
Rotherham p. 95
Rothwell p. 41
Rufford p. 65
Rutlandshire p. 33
S.
Sacred Stone,
by whom brought from
Scotland p. 243
Sadberg,
Earl of
p. 196
Salkeld p. 246
Salmon, Newcastle,
from whence brought to
London p. 203
Saltfleet p. 13
Sampringham,
a Monastery
p. 30
Sandbeck p. 97
Sands,
Archbishop, his Monument
p. 63
Sandwich,
Earl of, his Seat
p. 44
Sarnia p. 266
Scarborough 187.
An Account of the Accident that happened to the
Spaw
there
p. 188, 191
Schulemberg,
Duchess of
Kendal p. 232
Scotish
Branch of the Royal Family, whence descended
p. 26
Scots
perfidiously sell their King, where, and for how much
p. 204
Sculpture, English,
antient Piece
p. 26
Seaford p. 33
Segeloci,
full of Remnants of Antiquities
p. 30
Selby p. 169
Serpents,
stony
p. 192
Settle p. 136
Sharp,
Archbishop, where born
p. 136
Sheals
or
Shields p. 200
Sheffield p. 93, 95
Shefford p. 47
Shirbourn p. 169
Shirwood
Forest, and several noble Houses there
p. 61
Skiddaw,
the highest Hill in
England p. 239
Skipton p. 136
Smyris,
where found
p. 267
Snath p. 169
Southwell
Town and Church
p. 61
to
63
Spalding p. 18, 20
Spaw
at
Scarborough.
See
Scarborough p. 188
Spilsby p. 14
Spurn-head,
a Promontory
p. 184
Stainthorp p. 143
Stamborough p. 96
Stamford,
Inns
p. 31,
& seq.
Stangate-hole p. 42
Stanmore
Hills
p. 143
Stanhope p. 197
Stephen,
King, taken Prisoner
p. 8
Stilton,
famous for Cheese
p. 42
Stockton p. 194
Stokesby 145.
A bloody Battle fought there ibid.
Stow,
the famous Gardens of Lord
Cobham
there
p. 271
to
287
Strenshall p. 192
Stukely, Little
and
Great p. 25
Sunderland p. 198
Swale
Dale
p. 140
Swale,
River
p. 139
Swan
Pool
p. 2, 4
Swine-penies,
a Coin so called
p. 9
Swintham
Bottom filled by Gipsies
p. 186
T
Tadcaster p. 167, 168
Talbot
Family, whence descended
65.
Antient Monuments of them
p. 94
Tallard,
Count, his Gardens and Gallantries
p. 57
Taxford
in the
Clays p. 64
Tees,
River
p. 142
Thomlinson,
Dr.
Robert p. 202
Thoresby p. 65
Thorn p. 169
Thornton-college p. 12, 13
Thorp 29.
Statues there ibid.
Thrapston p. 41
Three Brethren,
famous Oaks
p. 240
Tickhill p. 99
Tideswell,
one of the Wonders of the
Peak p. 83
Till,
River
p. 208
Tillotson,
Archbishop, his Birth-place
p. 131
Tom of Lincoln,
the great Bell so called
p. 6
Tower,
the highest in
England p. 6
Towton,
and the bloody Battle fought there
p. 168, 189
Trench,
a famous one
p. 95
Trent,
River
p. 1, 8, 9, 51, 53, 58
Trevor,
late Lord, his Seat at
Peckham 292.
See also Vol.
I. p. 233.
Tuckfield, John,
Esq
p. 294
Tyne,
River
p. 233
V.
Vere-court p. 13
Vipsies,
what
p. 186
Vortimer,
King, where he died
p. 8
Uppingham p. 33
Utcester p. 70
Utocetum
ibid.
W
Wainfleet p. 13, 16
Wakefield p. 103
Walker, William p. 31
Wallaton-hall p. 60
Wandsford p. 42
Warbois p. 43
Warrington p. 216, 217
Warton p. 227
Wathorp-house p. 40
Web,
the Architect
p. 290
Welbeck p. 65
Well,
burning
p. 224
Welland,
River
p. 18, 19, 30, 36, 39
Wensdale p. 140
Wentworth,
an old Seat
p. 95, 96
Were,
River
p. 195
Were-dyke p. 3
Westmorland
Militia, their Bravery
p. 234, 235
West Retford p. 65
Wetherby p. 167
Whale,
a vast Rib of one
p. 11
Wharle
of the
Northumberland
People
p. 208
Wherfe,
River
p. 114
Whitby p. 191
to
193
Whitlesea
Mere
p. 25, 26
Wigan p. 223
Whitehaven p. 236, 237
Wighton p. 171
Wild Geese p. 193
St.
Wilfrid
's Needle
p. 119
William I.
curbs the
Lincoln
Citizens
p. 8
Winchester
College
p. 13
Winick p. 217
Wintringham p. 11
Wirksop
Manor
p. 64
Wirk
worth,
the remarkable Court there
p. 72
Witches
at
Warbois p. 43
Witches
in
Lancashire 230.
Act against them repealed ibid.
Witham,
River
p. 5, 14, 16, 17, 33
Woburn
Town
p. 48
Woburn
Abbey ibid.
Walsingham p. 197
Woulds,
what
p. 171
Wry-nose,
a high Hill
p. 245
Y.
Yarborough p. 13
Yarley p. 41, 42
Yarrow p. 200
Yarum p. 145
Yew-tree,
a famous one
p. 97
York
City, its Antiquities and Curiosities
p. 149
to
156, 166
York,
Duke of, where killed
p. 104
Yorkshire,
its Extent,
&c. p. 92
Yorkshire
Ale, where in its Perfection
p. 135
Z
Zouch,
Bishop, defeats the
Scots p. 196
END of VOL. III.