Basingstoke (St. Michael)
BASINGSTOKE (St.
Michael), a municipal borough, a market-town, and
parish, and the head of a
union, in the hundred of Basingstoke, Basingstoke and
N. divisions of the county
of Southampton, 18 miles
(N. E.) from Winchester,
and 45 (W. S. W.) from
London, on the great western road; containing 4066
inhabitants. In the early part
of the Saxon dynasty, Basingstoke was inferior to Old
Basing; but at the time of the Conquest it had obtained
the superiority, since, in the record of Domesday, it is
described as a royal demesne, and as having a market.
In 1261, Henry III., at the request of Walter de Merton,
founded an hospital here for six poor priests, with preference to those from Merton College, Oxford. In the
reign of Henry VIII., Sir William (afterwards Lord)
Sandys, in conjunction with Fox, Bishop of Winchester,
instituted a guild and erected a beautiful chapel, which
he dedicated to the Holy Ghost. This fraternity was
dissolved in the time of Edward VI., and the revenue
was vested in the crown; but in the reign of Mary it
was re-established, and the income appropriated to the
maintenance of a priest, for the celebration of divine
service, and the instruction of young men and boys belonging to the town. During the civil war, it was suppressed by Cromwell, and the estates were seized by the
parliament; but through the intercession of Dr. Morley,
Bishop of Winchester, they were restored in 1670, and
appropriated to their former use. Of the chapel, and
the buildings connected with it, there are some remains
on an eminence at the south-western side of the town,
consisting of the south and east walls, and an hexagonal
tower at the north-west angle.
Corporation Seal.
The town is pleasantly situated in a fertile and wellcultivated district, near the source of the small river
Loddon, and consists of several streets, containing neat
and well-built houses; it is paved under an act of parliament granted in 1815, is amply supplied with water,
and lighted with gas. Races formerly took place in Sept.,
but they have been discontinued; a spacious readingroom has lately been erected. The trade is principally
in corn and malt; it is extensive, and is greatly facilitated by the situation of the town at the junction of
five principal roads, and by the Basingstoke canal, which
communicates with the river Wey near its confluence
with the Thames. The London and Southampton railway, also, has a station here. The Great Western railway
company have a line to Reading, 15 miles long, under an
act passed in 1845; and an act was passed in 1846 for
a railway from near Basingstoke to Andover and Salisbury, 32 miles long. The chief market is on Wednesday, and has lately been made a pitched market for
corn; there is a minor market on Saturday. Fairs take
place on Easter-Tuesday, the Wednesday next after
Whitsuntide, and Oct. 11th, which last is also a statutefair: the one formerly held on Basingstoke downs, for
cheese and cattle, is now held near the cattle-market,
and is entirely a cattle-fair.
The government, by charter of incorporation granted
by James I. and confirmed by Charles II., was vested in
a mayor, seven aldermen, and seven burgesses, assisted
by the usual officers; who were superseded in 1836 by
a mayor, four aldermen, and 12 councillors, appointed
under the Municipal Corporations act. Four justices,
besides the mayor, act for the town, the county magistrates having concurrent jurisdiction. The latter hold
a petty-session here for the division, on the first and
third Wednesdays in every month; and a court leet is
held under the lord of the manor, the jurisdiction of
which comprises nineteen tythings. The powers of the
county debt-court of Basingstoke, established in 1847,
extend over the registration-districts of Basingstoke and
Hartley-Wintney. The town sent members to parliament from the 23rd of Edward I. to the 4th of Edward II., when, it is supposed, the privilege ceased at
the solicitation of the inhabitants. The old town-hall
has been taken down, and a new and very handsome
edifice erected in its stead, containing, besides a good
basement, a spacious market for corn, a justice-room of
ample dimensions, and a waiting-room on the ground
floor. The ball-room is of an elegant and chaste character and of good proportions, being 60 feet long and
30 wide, with a convenient orchestra, council-room,
ante-room, &c. The expense of this structure, which
was erected from a design by Mr. Lewis Wyatt, was defrayed partly from the funds of the corporation, and
partly by subscription. Behind it is a market-place for
meat, fish, and vegetables.
The parish of Basingstoke is co-extensive with the
borough, and contains 4036 acres, of which 107 are
common or waste; the surface consists of hill and dale,
and the soil is good light earth, suited to the production
of barley. The living is a discharged vicarage, with
the livings of Basing and Upper Nately annexed, valued
in the king's books at £30. 16. 5½.; patrons and appropriators, the President and Fellows of Magdalen College,
Oxford. The great tithes of Basingstoke have been
commuted for £783. 7., and the vicarial for £494. 13.;
there are 17 acres of glebe belonging to the college, and
1¾ acre of vicarial glebe. The church is a spacious and
handsome structure in the later English style, with a
low embattled tower, and contains a small parochial
library, the gift of Sir George Wheler. There are places
of worship for the Society of Friends, the Connexion of
the Countess of Huntingdon, and Independents. The
free grammar school, called "the Holy Ghost Chapel
School," and originally founded in the reign of Henry
VIII. in connexion with the guild of the Holy Ghost,
was re-established, after the dissolution of the fraternity
in the time of Edward VI., by Queen Mary, and has
now a revenue exceeding £200, arising from 105 acres
of land. Dr. Joseph Warton, a poet and refined critic,
and his brother Thomas, the poet-laureate, received the
early part of their education here, under their father,
Thomas Warton, B.D., some time professor of poetry in
the University of Oxford, and subsequently master of
the school. The Blue-coat school, in which ten boys
are clothed, maintained, and educated, was founded and
endowed in 1646, by Richard Aldworth. Almshouses
for eight aged men or women, each of whom receives
£6. 18. per annum, were founded and endowed by Sir
James Deane, Knt., in 1607. The poor law union of
Basingstoke comprises 37 parishes and places, of which
36 are in the county of Southampton, and one in the
county of Berks; and contains a population of 16,636.
On an eminence in the vicinity is an ancient encampment of an elliptical form, 1100 yards in circumference,
called Aubrey Camp. John de Basingstoke, a learned
Greek scholar, and the intimate friend of Matthew Paris;
Sir James Lancaster, an eminent navigator, who, in the
reign of Elizabeth, explored the Arctic Sea, and who
was a great benefactor of the town; and Thomas Warton, above-mentioned, were natives of the place.
Basingthorpe (Thomas à Becket)
BASINGTHORPE (Thomas à Becket), a parish,
in the union of Grantham, wapentake of Beltisloe,
parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 3¾ miles (N. W.)
from Corby; containing, with the hamlet of Westby,
137 inhabitants. It comprises 1790 acres, the property
of the Earl of Dysart. The living is a vicarage, valued
in the king's books at £8. 17. 6., and in the patronage
of the Earl: the vicarial tithes have been commuted for
£190, and the impropriate for one of £230; there are
4 acres of glebe.
Baslow
BASLOW, a chapelry, in the parish and union of
Bakewell, hundred of High Peak, N. division of the
county of Derby, 4 miles (N. E.) from Bakewell; containing 962 inhabitants. This place is situated on the
river Derwent, and on the road from Bakewell to Chesterfield. The inhabitants are partly employed in the
cotton manufacture, and there are some quarries of ordinary building-stone. The living is a perpetual curacy;
net income, £115; patron, the Duke of Devonshire;
impropriator, the Duke of Rutland: the tithes (those on
wool and lamb excepted) were commuted for land in
1822. The chapel, which is chiefly in the later English
style, has a tower and low spire at the western end of
the north aisle. There are two places of worship for
Wesleyans; and about half a mile from the village
is Stanton-Ford school, endowed with about £15 per
annum.
Bassaleg (St. Basil)
BASSALEG (St. Basil), a parish, in the union and
division of Newport, hundred of Wentlloog, county of
Monmouth, 2¾ miles (W.) from Newport; containing,
with the hamlets of Duffryn, Graig, and Rogerstone,
1731 inhabitants. The parish is partly bounded by the
river Severn, and comprises about 6500 acres, of which
2633 are arable, 3146 meadow and pasture, and 722
woodland; it is intersected by the river Ebn and the
Monmouthshire canal, and the Rumney railway joins
the Sirhowey railway here, at a place called Pye Corner.
The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £14. 13. 6½., and in the gift of the Bishop of
Llandaff: the glebe consists of about one acre; and the
tithes have been commuted for £864. 18., of which
£509. 19. belong to the bishop. There is a place of
worship for Particular Baptists; and a free school,
endowed with £20 per annum, is conducted on the
national plan. On the brow of a hill a mile from the
village, is a circular intrenchment called Craeg-y-Saesson,
supposed to have been a Saxon camp; a mile from
which is one named Pen-y-Park Newydd, probably a
fortress of the Britons. A priory was founded in 1101,
which became a cell to the abbey of Glastonbury.
Bassenthwaite (St. Bridget)
BASSENTHWAITE (St. Bridget), a parish, in the
union of Cockermouth, Allerdale ward below Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 5 miles (N. W. by N.)
from Keswick; containing 536 inhabitants. The parish
comprises about 7000 acres, much of which is wet
heavy land; it includes a portion of the lofty mountain
Skiddaw, situated at its south-eastern extremity, and is
intersected by the river Derwent. The beautiful lake of
Bassenthwaite, or Broadwater, covers about 1500 acres,
and the parish is enriched throughout with scenery of a
sublime character. There is a mine of antimony in the
neighbourhood, and lead-ore has also been found. The
living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £123; patrons
and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle: the
tithes were commuted for land in 1770. In addition to
the parochial church, there is a chapel of ease.
Basset-House
BASSET-HOUSE, an extra-parochial liberty, in
the union of Market-Bosworth, hundred of Sparkenhoe, S. division of the county of Leicester,
6 miles (N. E.) from Hinckley; containing 30 inhabitants. The liberty is situated near the road from
Leicester to Hinckley, about midway between the two
towns; and comprises 191 acres of land. It belonged
to the Basset family, and passed from them to the
Harringtons, Greys, and more recently to the Arkwrights.
Bassingbourne (St. Peter)
BASSINGBOURNE (St. Peter), a parish, in the
union of Royston, hundred of Armingford, county of
Cambridge, 3¼ miles (N. W. by N.) from Royston;
containing, with the hamlet of Kneesworth, 1774 inhabitants. A fair is held on the festival of St. Peter and
St. Paul. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £7. 0. 10.; net income, £224; patrons and
appropriators the Dean and Chapter of Westminster:
the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment,
in 1801. A room adjoining the north aisle has been
appropriated to the reception of a parochial library,
founded in 1717, by Edward Nightingale.
Bassingham (St. Michael)
BASSINGHAM (St. Michael), a parish, in the
union of Newark, Lower division of the wapentake of
Boothby-Graffo, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 8 miles (E. N. E.) from Newark, and 9 miles
(S. W. by S.) from Lincoln; containing 792 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Witham, and comprises 3015a. 28p., of which 1430 acres are arable,
about 1494 meadow and pasture, and the remainder
roads and waste; the soil is partly clay and partly
gravel, and the surface uniformly flat. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £26. 16. 8.; net
income, £483; patrons, the President and Fellows of
Corpus Christi College, Oxford: the glebe comprises 157
acres. The church is a handsome structure, the tower of
which has been rebuilt within the last fifty years. There
are two places of worship for Wesleyans, and one for
Primitive Methodists.
Bassington
BASSINGTON, a township, in the parish of Eglingham, union of Alnwick, N. division of Coquetdale ward and of Northumberland, 3½ miles (N. W.
by W.) from Alnwick; containing 11 inhabitants. This
place, which is situated on the north side of the Aln,
near its junction with the Eglingham burn, derives its
name from bassin, an old word signifying rushy, and
ton, a place of abode; and the surrounding fields, notwithstanding the progress of cultivation, still very much
abound with the common rush. The impropriate tithes
have been commuted for £16.
Baston (St. John the Baptist)
BASTON (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Bourne, wapentake of Ness, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 3¼ miles (N. N. W.) from
Market-Deeping; containing, with Thetford, 765 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £6. 1. 3., with a net income of
£231; it is in the patronage of the Crown, and the impropriation belongs to Brown's Hospital at Stamford.
The tithes were commuted for an allotment of land, in
the year 1801.
Baswich, or Berkswich (Holy Trinity)
BASWICH, or Berkswich (Holy Trinity), a
parish, partly in the union of Stafford, and partly in
that of Penkridge, E. division of the hundred of
Cuttlestone, S. division of the county of Stafford,
2 miles (E. S. E.) from Stafford; consisting of the
chapelry of Acton-Trussell with Bednall, and the townships of Baswich and Brompton; and containing 1438
inhabitants, of whom 626 are in the township of Baswich.
This parish, which lies on the road from Stafford to
Lichfield, comprises by measurement 4951 acres, whereof 1644 are in Baswich township: the soil is gravelly,
productive, and suitable to the growth of turnips and
barley. The surface is undulated, the scenery picturesque, and the land entirely agricultural: the rivers Penk
and Sow skirt the parish; the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal passes through it, and the Liverpool
and Birmingham railway within two miles. Part of
Cannock chase is within the parish. In Baswich township are the hamlets of Milford, Radford, Walton, and
Weeping-Cross. The living is a vicarage not in charge;
net income, £238; patrons, John Newton Lane, Esq.,
and the Rev. William Inge. The church is an ancient
structure with a square tower. A chapel of ease has
been erected at Walton, on a site presented by the Earl
of Lichfield: it is in the early English style, with open
sittings; the chancel has a window of triple lancet
shape, embellished with stained glass, and a smaller
window is also painted. The chapels of Acton and
Bednall form a separate incumbency. A national and
Sunday school is supported by subscription; at Milford
is a day school maintained by Mrs. Levett; and a school
at Brockton, in the parish, is endowed with 7a. 1r. of
land, supposed to have been given by Mrs. Dorothy
Bridgman, and for the proceeds of which nine children
are taught.
Batcombe (St. Mary)
BATCOMBE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Cerne, hundred of Yetminster, Cerne division of
Dorset, 3 miles (N. W. by W.) from Cerne-Abbas;
containing 171 inhabitants. It comprises by computation 1149 acres, of which 172 are arable, 539 pasture,
28 orchard, 27 woodland, and 383 common: the soil is
a deep black mould. The living is a discharged rectory,
united in 1772 to that of Froome-Vauchurch, and valued
in the king's books at £9. 9. 9½.: the tithes have been
commuted for £130, and there are 45 acres of glebe.
The church is a handsome structure in the early English
style, with a finely carved roof of oak, and a square
tower; on the north side is a private aisle for sepulture,
anciently belonging to the family of Minterne.
Batcombe (St. Mary)
BATCOMBE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Shepton-Mallet, hundred of Whitestone, E. division of Somerset, 3 miles (N. by E.) from Bruton;
containing 780 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 3170 acres, of which 670 are arable. The living is
a rectory, with the perpetual curacy of Upton-Noble
annexed, valued in the king's books at £26. 14. 4½.;
net income, £690; patron and incumbent, the Rev.
J. Browne. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Batcombe
BATCOMBE, a tything, in the ancient parish of
Nyland, union of Axbridge, hundred of GlastonTwelve-Hides, E. division of Somerset; containing
11 inhabitants.
Bath
BATH, a city, having
separate jurisdiction, and
the head of a union, locally
in the hundred of Bath-Forum, E. division of Somerset, 12 miles (E. by S.) from
Bristol, 19 (N. N. E.) from
Wells, and 107 (W.) from
London, on the direct road
to Bristol; containing, with
the whole of the parish of
Walcot, 38,314 inhabitants,
and with those of Bathwick,
and Widcombe and Lyncombe, 53,206. The name of
this city is obviously derived from its medicinal springs,
the efficacy of which has been celebrated from remote
antiquity. It is stated to have been a British town
prior to the Roman invasion, and to have been named
Caer Badon, or "the place of baths," from an accidental
discovery of the medicinal properties of its waters by
Bladud, son of Lud Hudibras, King of Britain; who,
according to the fabulous histories of those times, having
been banished from court on account of leprosy, came
to this place, and being cured of the disease by using
the waters, built a palace here after his accession to the
throne, and encouraged the resort of persons affected
with cutaneous disorders. So favourably was this
account received even till the eighteenth century, that a
statue of Bladud was erected in the King's bath, with an
inscription to that effect, in 1699. The researches of
modern historians, however, have induced them to reject
the tradition as entirely destitute of support, and to
ascribe the foundation of the city to the Romans, who,
in the reign of Claudius, having ascertained the healing
quality of its waters, constructed, on a skilful and extensive plan, their balnea, consisting of frigidaria, tepidaria, olothesia, sudatoria, &c., for the better enjoyment
of the luxury of the bath, and gave to the station the
name Aquœ Solis. They erected a temple to Minerva,
with many votive altars, and numerous other buildings,
the remains of which, discovered at various periods,
strikingly indicate their splendour and magnificence.
They also surrounded the city with walls twenty feet in
height, and of prodigious thickness, including an area in
the form of an irregular pentagon, of which the larger
diameter was 1200 feet, and the smaller 1140. In the
centre were the prœtorium, the baths, and the temple;
and in the walls were four gates terminating the principal streets, from which they constructed roads leading
to the neighbouring stations, Verlucio, Ischalis, Abona,
&c. After the departure of the Romans from Britain,
Bath, then called Caer Palladwr, "the city of the waters
of Pallas," remained in the possession of the Britons for
more than a century, being disturbed only by one or two
unsuccessful attacks of the Saxon chieftains, Ælla and
Cerdic, who were bravely repulsed by the renowned King
Arthur.
Arms.
In the year 577 the Saxons, having nearly overrun
the kingdom, fell with irresistible fury on the western
part of England; and having gained the memorable
battle of Deorham, about eight miles distant, Bath fell
a prey to their ravages, and was abandoned to indiscriminate plunder. Its temple was destroyed, its altars
were overthrown, and its baths and other splendid
monuments of Roman grandeur reduced to a heap of
ruins. How long it continued in this desolate state is
uncertain, but probably the Saxons, after having retained
uninterrupted possession of it for a time, took means to
effect its restoration: they rebuilt the walls and other
fortifications upon the original foundations, with the old
materials, cementing them with a liquid substance,
which time has rendered harder than stone; and it is
likely that they also directed their attention to the
baths, which they soon restored; for the Saxon names
of the city were Hat Bathur, "hot baths," and Ace mannes
ceaster, "city of invalids." After their conversion to
Christianity, a nunnery was erected here, in 676, which
was destroyed during the wars of the heptarchy; and
on its site a college of Secular canons was founded, in
775, by Offa, King of Mercia, who had taken Bath from
the King of Wessex, and annexed it to his own dominions. He also rebuilt the conventual church of St.
Peter, in which Edgar was crowned king of England,
by Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 973; and the
anniversary of this coronation continued to be celebrated
in the time of Camden, in commemoration of the numerous privileges which had been granted to the citizens
on that occasion. Edgar converted the college into a
Benedictine monastery, which, with the church, was demolished by the Danes.
At the time of the Norman survey, Bath contained
178 burgesses, of whom 64 held under the king, 90
under different feudatories of the crown, and 24 under
the abbot of St. Peter's. In the first year of the reign
of William Rufus, Geoffrey, Bishop of Coutances, and
Robert de Mowbray, who had risen in support of the
claim of Robert, Duke of Normandy, to the throne of
England, obtained possession of the city by assault, and
reduced the greater part of it to ashes. From this calamity, however, it soon recovered, under the favour of
John de Villula, who, on his promotion to the see of
Wells, about the year 1090, purchased the city from
Henry I. for 500 marks, and built a new and spacious
church here for that see, removing the episcopal chair
to this place, where, during the festival of Easter in
1107, he had the honour of entertaining Henry I. In
the turbulent reign of Stephen, Bath suffered greatly
from its proximity to Bristol, then the head-quarters
of the Empress Matilda, and was alternately occupied
by the adherents of both parties. It continued in the
possession of its bishops until 1193, when Bishop Savaric transferred it to Richard I. in exchange for the abbey
of Glastonbury; this monarch made it a free borough,
and invested it with many privileges, in consequence
of which it began to participate in the commerce of the
country, and to increase in wealth and importance.
The manufacture of woollen cloth, which was commenced in England in the year 1330, was established
here under the auspices of the monks, on which account
the shuttle was introduced into the arms of the monastery.
During the civil war in the reign of Charles I.,
Bath was fortified for the king; but the Marquess of
Hertford, who commanded the royal forces, having retired into Wales, it fell into the hands of the parliamentarians, and became the head-quarters of the army
raised by Waller in this part of the country to retrieve
the loss which his party had sustained in the battle of
Stratton. In 1643, the battle of Lansdown, in the immediate neighbourhood, took place, when the royalists,
notwithstanding many local disadvantages, drove the
parliamentary forces from the field, and compelled them
to retire into the city; in commemoration of which, a
monument was erected on the spot in 1720. After this
battle the royalists regained possession of the city, which
they held till it was finally surrendered to the_parliament in 1645. On the restoration of Charles II., the
citizens presented a congratulatory address through the
celebrated William Prynne, then one of their representatives; and in the autumn of 1663, the king paid a visit
to Bath, on which occasion his chief physician having
recommended the internal use of the waters, the adoption of this practice became general. After the suppression of Monmouth's rebellion, four persons, who had
been condemned by Judge Jeffreys, were executed
here.
The City continued within the limits prescribed to it
by the Romans till the year 1720, and its suburbs consisted merely of a few scattered houses: celebrated only
for the medicinal properties of its hot springs, it was for
several years visited merely by invalids. The perseverance of Mr. John Wood, an enterprising architect, who
was encouraged by the proprietors of land in the vicinity, about the year 1728, first led to its improvement;
and the excellent quarries of freestone in the neighbourhood facilitated the execution of an enterprise which has
embellished it with splendid edifices, and raised it to the
highest rank as a place of fashionable resort. The town
is pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Avon,
along which its buildings extend more than two miles,
decorating the acclivities, and crowning the summits, of
the fine range of hills by which it is environed. Over
that part of the Avon which skirts the eastern side of
the town, are two stone bridges, one of ancient, the
other of modern, erection: a handsome iron bridge has
been constructed, connecting Walcot with Bathwick,
and affording a direct entrance from the London road
into that improving part of the town; and more recently,
a similar structure, called the North Parade bridge, has
been erected, connecting the parades with Bathwick and
Widcombe. Three smaller bridges on the suspension
principle, one near Grosvenor-buildings, the other two
on the Tiverton side of the city, add to the public convenience.
Among the earliest of the modern improvements is
Queen's-square, the houses in which are decorated with
columns and pilasters of the Corinthian order; in the
centre is an obelisk 70 feet high, erected in 1738 by
Beau Nash, to commemorate the visit of the then Prince
and Princess of Wales, who occupied a house in the
square. The Circus is a noble range of uniform edifices,
and the Royal Crescent, also, is characterised by a
simple grandeur of elevation, and has, in front, an extensive lawn, which slopes gradually until bounded by a
noble avenue leading to and forming part of the Royal
Victoria Park, which comprises walks of the most attractive character, and a spacious carriage drive. Above
the Crescent are St. James's-square, Cavendish-place
and crescent, Somerset-place, and Lansdown-crescent,
rising successively above each other, and forming so
many stations from which may be seen the central parts
of this elegant city, encircled as in an amphitheatre of
gracefully swelling hills. In the lower part of the town
considerable improvements are in progress; the houses
which formerly obscured the abbey have been removed,
and that ancient and noble edifice has undergone a thorough repair, under the care and from the funds of the
old corporation. Through Orange-grove, in the centre
of which is an obelisk commemorating the restoration
of the Prince of Orange to health by drinking the waters,
a carriage-road has been formed; and other alterations
are in progress, contributing much to the convenience
of the public. In the new town, on the eastern bank of
the Avon, is Laura-place, a neat range in the form of a
lozenge, from which proceeds Great Pulteney-street, an
extended series of mansions, at the extremity of which
are Sydney gardens, occupying a spacious area surrounded by buildings forming Sydney-place, not inferior
in beauty and elegance to the most splendid part of the
city. Bath has been lighted with gas since 1819. The
hills which surround it abound with springs, within 50
feet of their summits, and no forcing apparatus is required for supplying any part of the town: an act for a
better supply of water, was passed in 1846.
All the baths belong to the corporation, except some
small ones, formerly the property of the Duke of Kingston. In 1811, fears being entertained of the escape of
the hot springs, considerable sums were laid out in
puddling the ground through which they rise; and
more recently, an individual, in boring for a well,
reached one of the hot springs, and the aperture was
not closed without much expense. No inconvenience,
however, is at present felt from a deficiency of water in
any of the baths. In the 29th of George III. a statute,
called the Bath Improvement act, was obtained, principally for the improvement of the baths and pump-room,
under which commissioners were appointed, with power
to levy tolls and raise money on mortgage of them; and
the corporation, in addition to the payment of an annual
sum towards the reduction of the debt thus incurred,
disbursed £7163, and gave up buildings and other property valued at £9000, towards the improvements.
These improvements consisted principally in rebuilding
the pump-room, and in the removal of houses, for the
purpose of securing the springs, and rendering the approaches to the baths and pump-room more commodious: the property improved under the act was finally
vested in the corporation. The grand pump-room, the
centre of attraction during the fashionable season, was
erected in 1797, and is a handsome building, eighty-five
feet in length, forty-eight in width, and thirty-four in
height. The interior is lighted by a double range of
windows, and decorated with pillars of the Corinthian
order, supporting a rich entablature and a lofty covered
ceiling: at the west end is an orchestra, and at the
eastern a well-executed marble statue of the celebrated
Beau Nash, under whose superintendence as master of
the ceremonies, the elegant amusements of the place
were for many years regulated. The principal entrance
is through a portico of four lofty columns of the Corinthian order, supporting a triangular pediment, under
the tympanum of which is inscribed, "[ARISTON MEN
UDOR]." The King's bath contains 364 tons of water,
and is conveniently fitted up with seats and recesses,
having also a handsome colonnade of the Doric order,
with the statue of Bladud, the traditionary patron of the
waters. The Queen's bath, adjoining it, has likewise
suitable apartments. The Cross bath, so called from a
cross erected in the centre of it, and the Hot bath, so
named from its superior degree of heat, the mean temperature being 117° of Fahrenheit, have the convenience
of dry and vapour baths; and a small pump-room has
been erected. The waters contain carbonic-acid and
nitrogen gases, sulphate and muriate of soda, sulphate
and carbonate of lime, and silicious earth, with a minute
portion of oxyde of iron; and are efficacious in gout,
rheumatism, palsy, biliary obstruction, and cutaneous
disorders. The corporation, with great liberality and
taste, have also erected several private baths for the
accommodation of invalids and others; besides a swimming-bath of very large dimensions, probably unrivalled
for beauty and commodiousness.
A Literary and Philosophical Institution was established in 1820: the buildings, occupying the site of
the lower assembly-rooms, which were burnt down in
1820, are of the Doric order. The Mechanics' Institution in Queen's-square, erected in 1839, is an appropriate structure in the Grecian style. The Bath and
West of England Society for the encouragement of
Agriculture, the Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, by
the distribution of premiums and medals, was instituted
here in 1777, at the suggestion of Mr. Edmund Rack;
and there are many excellent circulating libraries, the
terms of which are reasonable. A handsome building
for the Savings' bank has been erected in Charlottestreet, at an expense of £2500. Among the chief sources
of amusement are the subscription assemblies and concerts, which are held during the season, under the superintendence of a master of the ceremonies, whose office,
being equally honourable and lucrative, has been warmly
contested by the successive candidates. The rooms are
superbly elegant; the ball-room is 105 feet long, 43
wide, and 22 high, and the card-rooms, library, and
rooms for refreshment, are furnished in a style of great
splendour. The city assemblies, for those who are not
eligible as subscribers to the upper rooms are held, by
permission of the corporation, in the banquet-room of
the guildhall. The Theatre, a well-adapted edifice, in
the centre of the city, among the buildings of which it
is distinguished by the loftiness of its elevation, is handsomely fitted up and decorated; the ceiling is divided
into compartments embellished with exquisite paintings
by Cassali, removed from Fonthill Abbey. The building
was completed in 1805, and is regularly open during the
season; it has been long and deservedly eulogized for
the excellence of the performances, and many actors who
have attained the highest degree of eminence on the
London stage have made their debût here. Sydney
gardens afford an agreeable promenade at all times, and
during the summer attract numerous assemblages to
public entertainments and exhibitions of fireworks, upon
which occasions they are brilliantly illuminated. The
Subscription Club-house, in York-buildings, containing
a spacious suite of rooms, is established upon the plan
of most of the superior club-houses in London; the annual subscription is six guineas and a half. There are
subscription billiard-rooms in Milsom-street, to which
those are admissible who are eligible to the assemblyrooms; also two extensive riding-schools, in one of
which is a spacious covered ride for invalids in unfavourable weather. Lansdown and Claverton down
afford delightful equestrian excursions, displaying much
variety, and abounding in interesting scenery. The races
take place on Lansdown, the week after Ascot races;
there is also a spring meeting in April. On this down,
the late Mr. Beckford erected a tower of considerable
height and beauty, commanding a most extensive prospect of the surrounding country.
The town is favourably situated for trade: the river
is navigable to Bristol, and the Kennet and Avon canal
maintains an inland communication with London and
the intermediate places. The Great Western railway,
from London to Bath and Bristol, was opened throughout on the 30th of June, 1841; most of the heaviest
works of the line occur in the neighbourhood of this
city. The Bath viaduct extends 800 feet in length, and
30 in breadth, and rests on 65 segmental arches, of
about 20 feet span, constructed of Bath stone, and presenting a uniformity of design with the other buildings
of the city; connected with this work is an oblique
wooden bridge, formed at an angle of 28°, supported on
stone piers, and crossing the river Avon, with openings
of 99 feet span, by which the railway is carried 36 feet
above the level of the river. The Bath station, which
covers a space of 13,500 square feet, is elevated 30 feet
above the contiguous ground, and is approached by an
ascending carriage-way from Pierrepoint-street. An
act was passed in 1846 for making a branch of 7½ miles,
from Bath, to the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth
railway. The only branches of manufacture carried on
are those of woollen cloth, Bath coating, and kerseymere, which are made in the vicinity. The markets are
held on Wednesday and Saturday, in an area behind
the guildhall, the wings of which form the principal
entrances: the market-house is extensive and commodious. The corn and cattle markets are in Walcotstreet, and were built about 30 years since, by the corporation, at an expense of £6000; the coal-market
is in the Saw-close. The fairs are on Feb. 14th and
July 10th.
The city enjoyed, under Edgar and other Saxon monarchs, many valuable municipal privileges, which
were afterwards confirmed by Richard I. and other
monarchs, subsequently recognised and enlarged by a
charter of Queen Elizabeth,
and finally by George III.,
who made such modifications in the charter as the
increasing importance of the
place required. By the act
5th and 6th of William IV.
cap. 76, the corporation consists of a mayor, fourteen
aldermen, and forty-two
councillors, constituting the
council of the borough,
which is divided into seven
wards; the magistrates are twelve in number, and the
police force comprises a principal, two superintendents,
twelve inspectors, and 132 constables. Since the passing of the above act, quarter-sessions, having been
applied for by the council, and granted, are regularly
held before the recorder; and as lords of the manor,
the corporation hold a court leet, at which the townclerk presides. The powers of the county debt-court
of Bath, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Bath, and part of that of Keynsham. The corporation possess a large revenue applicable to civic purposes, and also hold some property
called the Bath Common estate, lying to the west of the
city, in trust for all the resident citizens, who participate
equally in its profits; it comprises about 100 acres, let
as a grazing-farm, and is a parcel of the ancient manor
or grange of Barton Regis. The elective franchise was
conferred in the reign of Edward I., since which time
the city has continued to return two members to parliament; the borough consists of 3534 acres; the
mayor is returning officer. The Guildhall is an elegant
structure of freestone: the front is decorated with a portico of four lofty Corinthian columns, rising from a rustic
basement, and supporting a triangular pediment with a
rich entablature and cornice, in the tympanum of which
are the city arms, and on the apex a finely sculptured
figure of Justice; above the cornice is a handsome
balustrade, with urns. The building comprises on the
ground floor a vestibule, sessions-hall, offices for the
courts of record and requests, and for the chamberlain
and town-clerk; and in the upper story, a magnificent
suite of apartments formerly devoted to civic entertainments. In the mayor's room is a beautiful head
of Minerva, or Apollo, of gilt brass, which was discovered in 1727, sixteen feet below the surface of the
ground, in Stall-street, and is thought to be part of a
mutilated statue, the remainder of which is buried near
the same spot. The prison is a spacious building, occupying an area of 60 feet in front and 80 feet in depth,
with a large court-yard, and cells in which delinquents
are confined previously to their committal to the county
gaol.
corporation Seal
Jointly with Wells, Bath is the head of a diocese
comprising very nearly the whole of the county of Somerset; the income of the bishop is £5000. The parish
of St. Peter and St. Paul, or the Abbey parish, and the
parish of St. James, form a rectory, with the vicarage of
Lyncombe and Widcombe (which see) annexed: the
living is valued in the king's books at £20. 17. 11.; net
income, £750; patrons, the Trustees of the Rev. Charles
Simeon. The Abbey church is a venerable and finelyproportioned cruciform structure, in the later English
style, of which it forms one
of the purest specimens:
from the intersection an irregularly quadrilateral tower
rises to the height of 162
feet. It occupies the site,
and is built partly with the
materials, of the conventual
church of the monastery
founded by Osric in 676,
which had subsisted, under
different forms of government, for more than 800
years. This church having become dilapidated, Bishop
Oliver King (as it is said, admonished in a dream, of which
a memorial is sculptured on the west front,) began to rebuild it in 1495; but dying before it was completed,
and the citizens refusing to purchase it from the commissioners of Henry VIII., the walls were left roofless,
till Dr. James Montague, bishop of the diocese, aided
by a liberal contribution from the nobility and gentry
resident in the county, completed it, in the year 1606.
The revenue of the monastery, at the Dissolution, was
£695. 6. 1¼. The edifice has now, as before noticed,
undergone a thorough repair and embellishment at the
expense of the corporation; but not in accordance with
the simplicity of its original style of architecture. St.
James's church, rebuilt in 1768, is an elegant structure
in the later English style. The Octagon chapel, in Milsom street, was erected in 1767, and is much admired:
the living is in the patronage of the Rev. G. G. Gardiner.
The living of the parish of St. Michael was until recently annexed to the Abbey rectory; but is now a
distinct rectory, with a net income of £182: the church,
rebuilt in 1835, is of early English character, with a
lofty and well-proportioned spire of great beauty.
Arms of the Bishopric
The parochial church of St. Swithin, Walcot, a
spacious edifice within the liberty of the city, was rebuilt in 1780: the living is a discharged rectory, valued
in the king's books at £6. 19. 9½.; net income, £600;
patron, the Rev. S. H. Widdrington. Christ church was
erected by subscription, in 1798, for the especial accommodation of the poor, and is a handsome building
in the later English style. All Saints', Lansdown-place,
erected in 1794, is a good specimen of the decorated
style, and has twelve fine windows in which the heads
of the Apostles are painted, and an east window with a
painting of the Last Supper. These two churches, with
that of St. Stephen, Lansdown, are presented to by the
rector of Walcot. Portland chapel until lately belonged
to the Roman Catholics, but is now in connexion with
the Church of England: Margaret chapel, in Margaretbuildings, is a spacious and handsome structure of early
English architecture. These two chapels, with that of
St. Thomas, are presented to by the Rev. S. H. Widdrington. Trinity church, in St. James's street, is of recent erection: the living is a district rectory; net
income, £350; patron, the Rev. Dr. Hillcoat. St.
Mary's chapel, Queen-square, was built by subscription
in 1735, and is a handsome Grecian edifice; the exterior of the Doric, and the interior of the Ionic, order.
There is also a chapel in Avon-street, the incumbency
of which is in the gift of the Rector of Trinity. At
Lambridge is the church of St. Saviour, Walcot: the
living is a district rectory, in the gift of the Rev. Dr.
Stamer, with a net income of £390. Kensington chapel,
a neat building near the London road, was erected by
subscription, in 1795: the incumbency is in the patronage
of R. Heywood, Esq. There are three places of worship
for Wesleyans, two for Baptists, and one each for the
Society of Friends, the Connexion of the Countess of
Huntingdon, Independents, Moravians, and Unitarians;
also two Roman Catholic chapels.
The Free Grammar school was founded by Edward VI.
in 1552, and endowed with lands belonging to the
dissolved religious houses: the management is vested
in the trustees of the public charities of the city, who
appoint the master, and allow him a salary of £60 per
annum, and an excellent house. The rectory of Charlcombe was annexed to the mastership by the late Rev.
William Robins, for the instruction of ten additional
boys, sons of freemen or inhabitants of the city, in
classical and commercial learning. Among the numerous other schools is the Blue-coat charity school, for
50 boys and 50 girls, established in 1711, by Robert
Nelson, Esq. The Roman Catholics have a noble
seminary at Prior Park, near the city, which property
was purchased a few years since by the Rt. Rev. Dr.
Baines, Bishop of Siga. The Bath Hospital, open to
the poor from every part of the kingdom, whose maladies require the use of the Bath waters, is maintained
by voluntary contributions, and is under the direction
of a president and governors, incorporated by act of
parliament, who have a common seal, and are empowered to fill up vacancies in their own body. The
Bath United Hospital combines the objects of the late
city dispensary and casualty infirmary, and a spacious
building has been erected for it near the Cross bath;
this and the West Walcot dispensary, and an infirmary
in Pierrepoint-street, for curing diseases of the eye, are
also supported by subscription. There are three societies for the relief of women during childbirth; an asylum
for the support of young females, and for instructing
them in household work; a house of protection for
orphans and destitute females; an establishment for
aged, and an asylum for young, females; a penitentiary,
with a chapel; and other charitable institutions of
various kinds, adapted to the wants of the distressed
poor, and to the mitigation of almost every species of
calamity. St. John's Hospital, for the maintenance of
six aged men and six women, was founded in the reign
of Henry II. by Reginald Fitz-Jocelyn, who endowed
it with lands then producing £22 per annum; attached
is a neat chapel, in which the master, who must be a
clergyman of the Established Church, officiates daily.
Partis' College, a capacious range of building, occupying
three sides of a quadrangle, on the upper road to Bristol,
and comprising a chapel and separate dwellings for 30
decayed gentlewomen, ten of whom must be either the
widows or daughters of clergymen, was founded and
endowed by Mrs. Partis, in fulfilment of the intention
of her husband, Fletcher Partis, Esq., who died before
it was carried into effect. The poor law union of Bath
comprises 24 parishes and places, and contains a population of 69,232.
The remains of antiquity found at different times
in the city, are of British, Roman, and Saxon origin, and
clearly demonstrate the fact of its having been severally
occupied by those people. Among the British antiquities are celts, or stone hatchets, hand millstones, boars'
teeth, and amber beads, discovered in the burial-places of
the Britons; also a small silver coin, having on the obverse a rude head in profile, and on the reverse a star, or
wheel. Among the Roman were found, in 1753, a pedestal
with a Latin inscription; in 1755, parts of the Roman
baths, and several of the large tubulated bricks, which
conveyed the heat to the sudatoria; and in 1790 a votive
altar, fragments of fluted Corinthian columns, bassorelievos, and other relics of the temple of Minerva,
besides numerous coins of the emperors Nero, Trajan,
Adrian, Antonine, Gallienus, Claudius Gothicus, Maxentius, and Constantine, with some of Carausius, who
assumed the Roman purple in Britain. On digging the
foundation of the new bridge over the Avon to Walcot,
the remains of an old ford were observable, and a leaden
vessel was found, containing some hundreds of denarii,
and several small brass coins from the time of the Emperor Valens to that of Eugenius: for the reception of
these a room was appropriated by the corporation, in
which they are deposited, with a due regard to classification. The Saxon remains, exclusively of coffins, &c.,
consist of what is still visible in the city walls erected
by the Saxons on the Roman foundation, in which are
inserted fragments of the ruined temple, pieces of sculpture, and parts of triumphal arches, intermixed with the
original materials. In a stone coffin has been discovered
a small copper box, in the form of a rouleau, divided
into two parts; the upper part being covered by a slide,
probably intended for perfume, and the lower part filled
with small silver coins resembling the early Saxon
scattæ. John Hales, called the "ever memorable," was
a native of the city, and received the rudiments of his
education in the grammar school. Benjamin Robins, a
celebrated mathematician, and the writer of the account
of Commodore Anson's voyage round the world, was
also born here, in 1707. And closely connected with
Bath for several years, though not a native, was Ralph
Allen, Esq., of Prior Park, an elegant mansion one mile
south of the city, which was in his time the resort of
several of the wits and literati of the age: this gentleman, supposed to be the original of Fielding's Allworthy
in his novel of Tom Jones, died in 1764, and was interred
at Claverton, where is a handsome monument to his
memory. Bath gives the title of Marquess to the family
of Thynne, of Longleat House.
Bathampton (St. Nicholas)
BATHAMPTON (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the
union of Bath, hundred or liberty of Hampton and
Claverton, though locally in the hundred of BathForum, E. division of Somerset, 1¾ mile (N. E. by E.)
from Bath; containing 355 inhabitants. The living is
a discharged vicarage, consolidated with that of BathFord, and valued in the king's books at £7. 17. 1.; impropriator of Bathampton, Robert Fisher, Esq. The
great tithes have been commuted for £120, and the
vicarial for £130.
Bathealton, or Badialton (St. Bartholomew)
BATHEALTON, or Badialton (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in the union of Wellington, hundred
of Milverton, W. division of Somerset, 3 miles (S.)
from Wiveliscombe; containing 135 inhabitants. It
comprises by computation 860 acres, the soil of which
is fertile, and in fine cultivation; stone of good quality
for building is quarried to a considerable extent. The
living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 2. 6.,
and in the patronage of the Rev. Edward Webber: the
tithes have been commuted for £195, and the glebe
comprises 45 acres, with a house. The church was
erected in 1572. A mile westward is a circular intrenchment called Castles, within the area of which some
Roman coins have been discovered.
Bath-Easton (St. John the Baptist)
BATH-EASTON (St. John the Baptist), a parish,
in the union of Bath, hundred of Bath-Forum, E. division of Somerset, 3 miles (N. E.) from Bath; containing, with a portion of the liberty of Easton and Amrill,
2191 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1605 acres, of
which 83 are common or waste. The village, divided
into Upper and Lower, is situated near the Great Western
railway, and on the London road, in a pleasant valley
bounded by lofty hills on the west, north, and east, and
by the Lower Avon on the south. On the western side
is Salisbury hill, on the summit of which are vestiges of
an intrenchment, nearly circular, supposed to have been
constructed by the Saxons when they besieged Bath, in
577: some antiquaries are of opinion that this hill was
anciently crowned by a temple, erected by Bladud in
honour of Apollo. The living is a discharged vicarage,
with the perpetual curacy of St. Catherine annexed,
valued in the king's books at £9. 6. 5., and in the gift of
the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford: the
tithes have been commuted for £210 payable to the
Dean and Canons, and £300 to the incumbent, who has
also a glebe of 3 acres. The church is in the later
English style, with a square tower 100 feet high; it was
enlarged in 1834 by the addition of an aisle. There is a
place of worship for Wesleyans. In 1818 a national
school was built by the late learned and estimable vicar,
the Rev. J. J. Conybeare. At a villa here, resided Sir
John Miller, whose lady established a literary festival
for the recitation of prize poems, which were published under the title of "Poetical Amusements:" she
died in 1781.
Bath-Ford (St. Swithin)
BATH-FORD (St. Swithin), a parish, in the union
of Bath, hundred of Bath-Forum, E. division of Somerset, 3½ miles (E. N. E.) from Bath; containing 1099
inhabitants. The village is situated in a picturesque
neighbourhood, on the banks of the Avon, which was
anciently crossed by a ford; and the Great Western
railway passes through the parish. The manufacture of
paper affords employment to more than forty persons.
The living is a discharged vicarage, with that of Bathampton consolidated, valued in the king's books at
£8. 18.; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Bristol; impropriator of Bath-Ford, John Wiltshire, Esq. The
great tithes of the parish have been commuted for £114,
and the vicarial for £160; there are 12 acres of glebe.
Here are vestiges of a Roman camp, and a tumulus: in
1691, a Roman hypocaust with a Mosaic pavement, an
altar, urns containing coins, and other ancient relics,
were discovered.
Bathley
BATHLEY, a township, in the parish of North
Muskham, union of Southwell, N. division of the
wapentake of Thurgarton, S. division of the county of
Nottingham, 4 miles (N. N. W.) from Newark; containing 252 inhabitants. It comprises 1193 acres of
land. The village is small and scattered. A place of
worship for Methodists was erected in 1844.
Bathwick
BATHWICK, a parish, in the union of Bath, hundred of Bath-Forum, E. division of Somerset; containing 4973 inhabitants. This elegant suburb to the
city of Bath, from which it is separated by the river
Avon, at the beginning of the last century consisted only
of a few scattered houses unpleasantly situated on an
extensive marsh frequently inundated by the river.
From the discovery here of a large portion of those interesting relics which are deposited in the museum at
Bath, this place appears to have formed, at a remote
period of antiquity, no inconsiderable part of that city,
and to have retained its importance during the successive occupation of Bath by the Britons, Romans, and
Saxons. Within the last twenty years, it has greatly increased in extent and population, and it now contains
some of the most elegant ranges of building which adorn
that city: it is connected with Bath by handsome bridges
over the Avon. The Kennet and Avon canal, in its
course through Sydney-gardens, has been made available
to the introduction of a pleasing variety into the grounds;
and two elegant iron bridges, which have been erected
over it, form an interesting feature in the scenery of the
place. There is a manufactory for broad cloth in the
parish; and, in addition to the Kennet and Avon canal,
the Somersetshire coal canal passes through it. The
living comprises a consolidated rectory and vicarage,
with the rectory of Wolley annexed; the rectory of Bathwick valued in the king's books at £3. 6. 8., and the
vicarage, at £8. 3. 4.: patron, Lord W. Pawlett. The
tithes of the parish have been commuted for £105, and
there are 5 acres of glebe. The church, which was erected
in 1820, is a handsome and spacious structure in the
decorated English style, with a beautiful altar-piece
painted and presented by Mr. B. Barker. In Henriettastreet is Laura chapel, erected in 1796: the living is in
the gift of the Rev. E. Tottenham.
Batley (All Saints)
BATLEY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Dewsbury, partly in the Lower division of the wapentake of Agbrigg, and partly in the wapentake of Morley, W. riding of York; containing 14,278 inhabitants, of whom 7076 are in the township of Batley,
2 miles (N.) from Dewsbury. This place is of great
antiquity, its name signifying in Saxon "the Field of
Batt or Batta;" it is noticed in the Domesday survey as
having a church, which was granted in the reign of
Henry I. to the canons of St. Oswald in Nostal Priory.
The manor was for eighteen generations held by the
Copley family. The parish comprises 6390 acres, of
which 2140 are in the township of Batley, 2590 in that
of Morley, 1120 in that of Gildersome, and 540 in that
of Churwell; the two former are in the Agbrigg division, and the two latter in that of Morley. The soil is
fertile, and the substratum abounds with coal and freestone of good quality; the population is partly agricultural, but mostly employed in the manufacture of woollen-cloths, blankets, pilot-cloth, carpets, coverlets, and
flushings. The village is pleasantly situated on the
Dewsbury and Gomersal road, in a valley watered by a
small rivulet; and is very extensive. The Living is a
discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£16. 11. 8.; net income, £200; patrons, alternately, the
Earls of Cardigan and Wilton. The tithes for the township of Batley were commuted for land in 1803. The
church, which was rebuilt in the reign of Henry VI., is
a handsome structure in the later English style, with a
square machicolated tower: on the north of the chancel
is the chapel belonging to Howley Hall, the seat of Lord
Saville in the reigns of James I. and Charles I., to whom
he was councillor of state. At Gildersome and Morley
are district churches. There are places of worship for
Baptists, Independents, Methodists of the New Connexion, and Wesleyans. A free grammar school was
founded by the Rev. William Lee, who, in 1612, endowed it with a house and garden for the master, and
with lands now producing an income of £133.
Batley-Carr
BATLEY-CARR, an ecclesiastical district, in the
parish and union of Dewsbury, wapentake of Morley,
W. riding of York, 1 mile (N.) from Dewsbury; containing 2144 inhabitants. This place, which is situated
in a pleasant valley on the Bradford road, forms a
suburb of Dewsbury, part of which township is included
within its district; and is inhabited chiefly by persons
employed in the manufacture of woollen-cloths, pilotcoatings, and druggets. The church, dedicated to the
Holy Trinity, was erected at an expense of £2000, raised
by subscription, aided by Joshua Ellis, Esq., of Highfield; Mr. Ellis also subscribed £500 towards its endowment, and Mrs. Ellis presented a rich and massive
service of communion plate. It was consecrated on the
5th of October, 1841, and is a handsome structure in
the later English style, with a square embattled tower
crowned with pinnacles. The living is a perpetual
curacy; net income, £150; patron, the Vicar of Dewsbury.
Batsford (St. Mary)
BATSFORD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Shipston-on-Stour, Upper division of the hundred of
Kiftsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester,
2 miles (N. W.) from Moreton-in-the-Marsh; containing
79 inhabitants, and comprising 922a. 1r. 27p. The railroad from Stratford-on-Avon to Moreton terminates
here. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books
at £13. 3. 9., and in the patronage of the Dean and
Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford: the tithes have been
commuted for £255, and the glebe consists of 96 acres.
The church was rebuilt in 1822, at the expense of Lord
Redesdale, who has a handsome seat here, and whose
relative, Lord Chancellor Freeman, was buried in the
church in 1710.
Battersby
BATTERSBY, a township, in the parish of InglebyGreenhow, W. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh,
N. riding of York, 5¼ miles (E. by S.) from Stokesley;
containing 93 inhabitants. This was an ancient demesne
of the crown, and according to the Domesday survey
was called Badresbi; it was afterwards the property of
the Balliols, and at an early period came to the Percys,
with whom it continued till the time of Elizabeth, after
which the estate passed to the Eures and the family of
Foulis. The township lies near the road between Whitby
and Stokesley, through Kildale; and forms part of the
district named Cleveland.