Dorsington (St. Peter)
DORSINGTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the union
of Stratford-on-Avon, Upper division of the hundred
of Kiftsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 6 miles (S.W.) from Stratford; containing 141 inhabitants. The manor was held at the Domesday survey
by Roger de Belmont, from whom it descended to his
eldest son, afterwards Earl of Warwick. The parish
comprises about 1200 acres, chiefly arable: the soil is a
stiff clay; the surface is generally level, and a spring of
remarkably pure water, called Udwell, supplies the
whole of the district. The living is a rectory, valued in
the king's books at £12. 19. 2.; patrons, E. H. Fielden
and Wm. Lawrance, Esqrs. The tithes were commuted
for land in 1776; the glebe altogether comprises 230
acres, valued at £199 per annum. The church was
burnt down in 1754 by an accidental fire, which also
destroyed the greater part of the village; and was rebuilt of brick, with a small tower: the chancel has a
painted window, presented by the Rev. R. Lawrance, the
rector, who has also repaired the glebe-house.
Dorsington, Little.—See Bickmersh.
DORSINGTON, LITTLE.—See Bickmersh.
Dorstone (St. Peter)
DORSTONE (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of
Hay, hundred of Webtree, county of Hereford,
8 miles (E. by S.) from Hay; containing 539 inhabitants, and comprising 3787 acres, of which 550 are common or waste. Fairs for horned-cattle, horses, sheep,
and pigs, are held on April 27th, May 18th, Sept. 27th,
and November 18th. The living is a discharged vicarage,
endowed with the greater portion of the rectorial tithes,
and valued in the king's books at £7. 11. 10.; patron,
the Rev. Thomas Prosser. The great tithes have been
commuted for £120. 10., and the vicarial for £402. 10.;
the glebe contains 26 acres, with a glebe-house. The
Rev. Meredith Maddy, in 1643, bequeathed certain rentcharges, producing in the aggregate £63 per annum, for
the support of a school, which is open to children of
the parishes of Dorstone, Clifford, and Michael-Church.
A castle formerly stood within the parish, at Snowdhill;
some remains are still visible.
Dorton (St. John the Baptist)
DORTON (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Thame, hundred of Ashendon, county of
Buckingham, 5½ miles (N. N. W.) from Thame; containing 151 inhabitants. This place is situated near the
bases of three hills, whereof the principal is Brill. It is
supposed to have derived its name from the celebrity
of its mineral springs, which, though they afterwards
fell into neglect, and for many years remained unnoticed,
are said to have been well known to the ancient Britons,
and to have obtained for the place the appellation of
Dwr-ton, or "the town of the waters." That it is of
considerable antiquity, is evident from the site of an encampment on the summit of a hill on the southern border of the parish, and which, though neither its precise
form nor extent can now be distinctly traced, appears
to have been of British or Roman origin. The parish
comprises 1400 acres. Dorton House, erected by Sir
John Dormer, Knt., and modernised and greatly improved by Sir John Aubrey, Bart., in 1784, has a very
interesting appearance: the park, situated in the north-eastern part of the parish, and formerly an inclosure for
deer, is contiguous to Bernwode Forest, and was once
probably a part of it. In the grounds is the chalybeate
spring, the efficacy of which in the cure of many disorders has, within the last few years, attracted a progressively increasing number of visiters; a pump-room
and baths have been erected on an extensive scale, with
which are connected a reading-room and a ball-room,
and 12 acres of the park as a pleasure-ground. The
spring issues from a small orifice in the upper grounds
of Dorton Park; the iron absorbed by the water
amounts to more than one-fifth part of its solid contents, which is a far greater proportion than is contained
in any other chalybeates in this country. The neighbourhood abounds with objects of interest; there are
many pleasing rides, and in the village of Brill adjoining
are ample accommodations for visiters. The living is a
perpetual curacy, united to that of Ashendon: the
church is a plain edifice, with a tower, and a spire of
wood surmounted by a cross covered with lead.
Dosthill
DOSTHILL, a hamlet, in the parish of Kingsbury,
union of Tamworth, Tamworth division of the hundred
of Hemlingford, N. division of the county of Warwick, 3 miles (S.) from Tamworth. Here is a chapel of
ease to the vicarage of Kingsbury.
Dotton
DOTTON, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of
St. Thomas, hundred of East Budletgh, Woodbury
and S. divisions of Devon; containing 17 inhabitants.
It comprises 214 acres of land.
Doughton, with Dunton.—See Dunton.
DOUGHTON, with Dunton.—See Dunton.
Douglas
DOUGLAS, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish
of Eccleston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland, N. division of Lancashire, 6 miles (W. N. W.)
from Wigan. This district is formed of part of the
township of Wrightington, and the whole of the township of Parbold, and lies on the north side of the river
Douglas, where the scenery is very beautiful. The
living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the
Rector of Eccleston, with a net income of £134. The
church is an ancient structure, supposed to have been
built in the 10th century; it was restored and repaired
in 1845, and has a campanile tower. There is a Sunday
school.
Doulting (St. Aldelme)
DOULTING (St. Aldelme), a parish, in the union
of Shepton-Mallet, hundred of Whitestone, E. division of Somerset, 2 miles (E.) from Shepton-Mallet;
containing 666 inhabitants. It is situated on the road
from Frome to Wells, and comprises by measurement
3449 acres: the land abounds with freestone of excellent quality for building, which is extensively wrought,
and from which some stone is said to have been raised
for the erection of the cathedral of Wells. The living is
a vicarage, with the livings of East and West Cranmore
and Downhead annexed, valued in the king's books at
£29. 12. 6.; patron and impropriator, Col. Horner.
The great tithes of the parish have been commuted for
£190, and the vicarial for £410; the glebe contains 72
acres, with a glebe-house. The church is a spacious
cruciform structure, with an octagonal tower and spire
rising from the intersection, and stands on the site of a
chapel or oratory, erected by the monks of Glastonbury,
in honour of St. Aldelme, who was distinguished for his
learning and piety, and died Bishop of Sherborne in
709: in the churchyard is a singularly perfect cross,
upon which are carved all the emblems of the Crucifixion. In digging the foundations of the parsonagehouse, numerous skeletons were discovered, indicating
its having been the cemetery belonging to the ancient
chapel. There is a fine spring, formerly called St.
Aldelme's Well.
Dovenby
DOVENBY, a township, in the parish of Bridekirk, union of Cockermouth, Allerdale ward below
Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 2¾ miles (N. W.)
from Cockermouth; containing 246 inhabitants. This
place was called also Dolphinsby, from Dolphin, son of
Alward, whose descendants were seated here till the
reign of Henry III. The township comprises 1720 acres,
of which 141 are common or waste. Sir Thomas Lamplugh, in 1609, endowed an hospital for four widows
with the tithes of Redmain, now worth £50 per annum,
£4 of which, for reading prayers at the hospital, are
paid to the master of a grammar school founded by the
same individual, and endowed with land and tithes producing £33 a year. The school was built in 1708, by
voluntary contributions: the buildings of the hospital
have entirely fallen into decay, and nothing remains but
the site. The impropriate tithes have been commuted
for £108, and the vicarial for £35. The Rev. Thomas
Harvey, an eminent divine, and author of a translation
of the Old Testament with Hebrew notes, still preserved
among his manuscripts, was born here in 1740.
Dover-Court.—See Harwich.
DOVER-COURT.—See Harwich.
Doverdale (St. Mary)
DOVERDALE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union
of Droitwich, Upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, Droitwich and E. divisions of the county of
Worcester, 3¼ miles (N. W. by W.) from Droitwich;
containing 54 inhabitants. This place is supposed to
have derived its name from the British words Dur,
water, and Dal, a valley, which are faithfully descriptive of its situation in a well-watered vale. The parish
comprises by measurement 739 acres; the soil is chiefly
a stiff clay, with some beds of marl at a small depth
below the surface. The substratum is mostly red sandstone, of which a quarry is wrought for building purposes. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the
king's books at £5. 3. 6½., and in the patronage of Mr.
and Mrs. Curtler: the tithes have been commuted for
£200, and the glebe comprises 39 acres, with a glebehouse. The church is a small ancient edifice without
tower or spire, pleasantly situated in a plain, among
orchards; it was repaired, and a gallery erected, in
1832, at the expense of the rector, patron, and chief
landowners.
Doverhays
DOVERHAYS, a hamlet, in the parish of Luckham,
union of Williton, hundred of Carhampton, W.
division of Somerset; containing 203 inhabitants.
Doveridge (St. Cuthbert)
DOVERIDGE (St. Cuthbert), a parish, in the
union of Uttoxeter, hundred of Appletree, S. division of the county of Derby, 1¾ mile (E. by N.) from
Uttoxeter; containing 816 inhabitants. This manor,
which had belonged to Edwin, Earl of Mercia, was held
by the prior of Tutbury, under Henry de Ferrers, at the
time of the Domesday survey; and in 1275 the priory
obtained the grant of a market to be held here, but it
has been long discontinued. In 1552 the manor and
Doveridge-Holt were granted to Sir William Cavendish.
In 1792, Sarah, the lady of Sir Henry Cavendish, was
created Baroness Waterpark, of the kingdom of Ireland,
which title, with the baronetcy and the Doveridge
estate, were inherited by her eldest son, Richard, Baron
Waterpark. The parish is situated on the river Dove,
and comprises 4266 acres of fertile land; about 57a. 2r.
are on the west side of the Dove, which has in several
places changed its course. The Churnet, from Staffordshire, has its confluence with the Dove in the hamlet of
Eaton. The noble mansion of Doveridge Hall, built
about 1770, occupies a bold ridge above Dovedale, and
commands an extensive view towards Staffordshire, with
the town of Uttoxeter: about a mile distant is Lord
Waterpark's farming establishment of Upwood House.
Clownholme is a handsome residence, picturesquely
seated above the vale.
The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£12. 2. 1., and in the gift of the Duke of Devonshire:
the tithes belonging to the living have been commuted
for £366. 7. The church stands on an eminence above
the Dove, and has a nave, chancel, and aisles, with a
tower and spire; considerable portions are in the early
English style: it was repaired and improved in 1842.
In the churchyard are part of an ancient cross, and a
curious old yew-tree. The vicarage is a large and beautifully-situated mansion, south of the church. There
are places of worship for Primitive Methodists and Wesleyans. Isaac Dance, in 1786, bequeathed 40s. a year
towards the support of a school, which annuity is vested
in Lord Waterpark, who contributes £30 in addition
annually: a schoolroom was built in 1787, when Sir
Henry Cavendish gave £100. Several small charities
are appropriated to the poor.
Dovor, or Dover
DOVOR, or Dover, one
of the cinque-ports, a borough and market-town,
having separate jurisdiction,
and the head of a union,
locally in the lathe of St.
Augustine, E. division of
Kent, 15 miles (S. E. by S.)
from Canterbury, and 71 (E.
S. E.) from London; containing 13,872 inhabitants.
The ancient British name of
the town was Dwyr, derived
from Dwfyrrha, a steep place; by the Romans it was
called Dubris, and by the Saxons Dofra and Dofris,
which in Domesday book are softened into Dovere. In
the time of the Romans Dovor was a sea-port, and at
one period was surrounded by walls having ten gates.
It is supposed that Julius Cæsar first endeavoured to
effect a landing here, and that, finding the coast dangerous, and the cliffs covered with warriors, he landed
about eight miles eastward. The Romans attached much
importance to this position, and the celebrated Roman
Watling-street, which passed over Barham Downs to
Canterbury, in its course towards the western part of
the kingdom, commenced here. At a very early period
the Saxon invaders made themselves masters of the
castle, and constructed works which are yet in existence.
Edward the Confessor granted the town a charter of
privileges, and in his reign the institution of the cinqueports is supposed to have taken place, Dovor being one
of them. Earl Godwin was governor of the castle, and
considerably strengthened its fortifications. After the
battle of Hastings, many of the natives fled to Dovor
Castle, as an impregnable fortress, which was however
taken by the Conqueror, who put the governor to death,
and destroyed the town by fire. According to Domesday book, Dovor equipped 20 vessels annually for the
king's service, in consideration of being exempt from all
tolls and taxes, and of various other privileges. It has
been ascertained, beyond doubt, that King John resigned
his crown to Pandulph at a small house of the Knights
Templars on the western heights of Dovor, and afterwards retired to Swingfield: the foundations of the
house are still to be seen, and in a fine drawing by
Harry Lee, taken in or about 1530, and preserved
among the Cotton manuscripts in the British Museum,
the walls of the building are shown. In 1216, Louis
the Dauphin, having landed at Stonar, near Sandwich,
and captured several strong places, besieged Dovor
Castle, but was unable to take it; and in the reign of
Edward I. a great part of the town, with some religious
houses, was burnt by the French, who were nevertheless
soon driven back to their ships. According to the town
records, Dovor, in the reign of Edward II., was divided
into 21 wards, each of which was compelled to provide,
at its own charge, a ship for the king's service, and in
return the town had the exclusive privilege of a licence
for a packet-boat, to convey passengers to and from
France.
Arms
In 1382, Anne, daughter of the Emperor Charles IV.,
and afterwards consort to Richard II., arrived here.
When the Emperor Sigismund disembarked at Dovor,
in 1416, on a visit to his cousin, Henry V., he was
formally met at the water's edge by the Duke of
Gloucester and several of the nobility, with drawn
swords, in order to oppose his landing, should the
object of his visit be of a hostile nature. In 1520, the
Emperor Charles V. was met here by Henry VIII.,
when both monarchs proceeded to Canterbury, and
there kept the festival of Whitsuntide. Henry, aware
of the importance of Dovor, then called the "key of the
kingdom," contributed £80,000 towards the erection of
a pier, which was completed in the reign of Elizabeth,
when the harbour likewise underwent improvements.
Its more effectual preservation is to be ascribed to the
charter of James I., under which were appointed eleven
commissioners (the lord warden of the cinque-ports, the
lieutenant of the castle, and the mayor of Dovor, being
the principal), as special conservators of the port, under
the title of "Warden and Assistants of the Port and
Harbour of the Port of Dovor." The powers of the
commissioners have been repeatedly enlarged by acts
passed in subsequent reigns: their jurisdiction extends
one mile east of the mouth of the harbour. In 1814, on
the restoration of Louis XVIII. to the French throne,
his Majesty George IV., then Prince Regent, accompanied
that sovereign to Dovor; and in the same year, Alexander, Emperor of Russia, and Frederic William, King of
Prussia, with the veteran Blucher and other distinguished
foreigners, landed here on a visit to the Prince Regent:
at this place also they embarked on their return. In
1835, on the King and Queen of the Belgians embarking
hence, Her present Majesty, accompanied by the Duchess
of Kent, walked down to the quay from the Ship Hotel,
and bade them adieu on board the packet.
The town is built in a semicircular form, in a fine
valley between stupendous cliffs of chalkstone, from the
summits of which the view of the sea in front, with the
opposite coast of France, is very beautiful. That part of
tion of visiters, is situated just above high-water mark,
between the castle and the pier; the old part of the
town is irregular, and the streets are narrow, but tolerably well paved, and lighted with gas, under an act
passed in the 3rd of George IV. A theatre and assemblyrooms were erected in the year 1790. On the parade are
warm, cold, and shower baths of salt water, with every
accommodation for sea-bathing; also good libraries and
reading-rooms; and a very excellent museum was established about 1837, in the old Guildhall. Many respectable families frequent the town, it being a wateringplace of great celebrity; the environs are delightfully
picturesque, and there are several fine views.
The castle is of very ancient foundation, being attributed by vulgar tradition to Julius Cæsar, and by
respectable antiquaries to Claudius. It is situated on a
lofty eminence, about half a mile northward from the
town, approached by a bold ascent, and occupies a site
of 30 acres; it consists at the present time of two
courts, defended by wide ditches, and communicating
with the towers within by means of subterraneous passages. The lower court, excepting on the side next the
sea, is surrounded by an irregular wall called the curtain,
and flanked at unequal distances by numerous towers
of different shapes and dates, which, during the lapse of
years, have all undergone very considerable alterations.
That which Godwin erected, in the time of Canute, has
long been removed, nor was its site known for ages, until
recently discovered in making a new road. Chilham, or
Caldescot Tower is the third from the edge of the cliff,
and at the back of it was a postern upon the vallum
which joined the Roman and Saxon works, with a subterraneous passage into the castle, through which Stephen Pincester is said to have led the reinforcement
that enabled Hubert de Burgh successfully to withstand the Dauphin, in the reign of John. This tower
was built by Fulbert de Lucy, whose family came over
with the Conqueror, and was originally named after the
manor of Chilham, the possessors of which are still
bound to keep it in repair: Caldescot having succeeded
to the command, it subsequently went by his name.
It is the debtors' prison for the cinque-ports: all writs
from the superior courts at Westminster are directed
to the lord warden, as constable of Dovor Castle, and
persons taken thereon are committed to this prison, in
which the Bodar or keeper resides. Fiennes or Newgate
Tower, called also the Constable's Tower, has been used
ever since the Conquest as the governor's apartments,
and was occupied some months by their late Majesties,
then the Duke and Duchess of Clarence. It stands
upon the site of a more ancient tower, said to have been
built after a design by Gundulph, Bishop of Rochester,
who was employed by the Conqueror in making designs
for castles, and superintending their erection. Crevignor,
Craville, or The Earl of Norfolk's Tower is opposite the
north entrance of the quadrangle of the keep, and near
it is a subterraneous passage leading to a vault which is
sufficiently capacious to contain a large garrison, and is
protected by a draw-bridge, moat, and round tower:
the tower in the ditch, and the adjoining subterraneous
works, are supposed to have been constructed in the
reign of John, by Hubert de Burgh, then constable of
the castle, who bravely defended it, in 1216, against the
aggressions of the French. Fitzwilliam's, or St. John's
Tower is the next in order; it was named after Adam
Fitzwilliam, who accompanied the Conqueror to England, and who received from that monarch the scarf
from his own arm at the battle of Hastings, as a reward
for distinguished bravery. Avianches, or Maunsel's
Tower stands in an angle formed by the curtain wall,
and is one of the noblest relics of the Norman towers;
it was named after two constables, or governors, the
latter of whom was lord warden in the reign of Henry
III. The first floor was a kind of vault, arched with
stone, and open in front; and in the wall, which is very
thick, is a gallery or passage ascended by stone steps,
where archers could range one above another, and
through small apertures command the ditch on either
side, as also the approaches to it from the curtain.
Through the gallery is an ascent to the platform over the
top of the vault, partly surrounded by a wall, and having
a spiral stone staircase, which leads to the summit of
the tower. Near the entrance denominated the Palace
Gate, is a stately fabric, named in the reign of Edward
IV., Suffolk Tower, from De la Pole, Duke of Suffolk;
adjoining is the old arsenal tower, and further on were
the king's kitchen and other offices. All this side of the
castle presents a modern appearance, the back part
having been cased over, and the front being hid by
barracks erected in 1745. The Keep, or Palace Tower,
built after a design by Gundulph, stands near the centre
of this court. The entrance, originally on the east, is
now on the south side; it opened by a grand portal,
now walled up, into the state apartments, which were
in general lofty and spacious, and, as was usual in castles in earlier days, on the third story. The staircase
has two vestibules, and was guarded at different heights
by three strong gates. Ascending by the vestibule on
the right hand, is a room apparently designed for the
warden of the first gate, and opposite is another, probably
the chapel, adorned on every side with beautiful arches,
richly embellished with zig-zag and other work. Above
this is a third, similarly ornamented, and under the chapel
and the first vestibule is the dungeon, in which at different times persons of distinction have been confined.
In the walls of the keep are galleries with holes, through
which an enemy might be fired at, but so constructed
as to protect the defenders. The second floor was intended for the use of the garrison, and the ground floor
for stores. Part of Dovor Castle is used for a gaol. In
the north angle a well, for ages arched over, has been
lately found, which is probably that which Harold,
before his accession to the throne, promised on oath to
deliver up to William, Duke of Normandy; there are
four other wells, each 370 feet deep, within the Saxon
lines of defence.
The more recent works are, batteries mounted with
heavy ordnance, casements in the chalk rock, magazines, covered ways, and subterraneous passages, the
last having accommodations for 2000 men, light and air
being admitted through holes cut in the chalk, and
other apertures extending to the front of the cliff. The
old road to Deal having become so hollow as to afford
protection to an enemy approaching the castle from the
town, a new one was constructed under the direction
of the Board of Ordnance, to the top of the hill. Near
the edge of the cliff is a curious piece of brass ordnance,
twenty-four feet in length, cast at Utrecht in 1544, and
called Queen Elizabeth's pocket-pistol, having been presented to her by the states of Holland: it carries a
twelve-pound shot, and it has been affirmed that, if
loaded well and kept clean, it would carry a shot to
the French shore. Dovor Castle was formerly extrajudicial, but as several of the franchises are lost or in
disuse, the civil authorities have of late years exercised
a jurisdiction within its limits, independently of the lord
warden: it is still extra-parochial. During the war
with France, the western heights of the town were
strongly fortified upon the modern system; the works
are so admirably arranged, and the position so advantageous, that, whilst a small garrison would suffice for
its defence, a large army can be disposed of within the
walls. There are three entrances to the heights, one by
Archcliff Fort, another by the New Military road, and
the third from the centre of the town, by a staircase of
very peculiar construction, called the Grand Military
Shaft. The immediate entrance to the harbour is protected by Archcliff Fort, westward of the pier, and
Amherst Battery, to the east of the north pier head.
The whole line of defence round the town is complete,
from the castle to Shakspeare's Cliff, so called from the
sublime but somewhat exaggerated description given by
the great dramatist, in his tragedy of King Lear. There
is a military hospital of recent erection at the west side
of the town. An hospital of ancient foundation, called
the Maison Dieu, was converted into a victualling-office
in 1555: this was purchased by the late corporation,
and converted into a spacious common-hall, with a sessions-house, jury-rooms, and other suitable offices;
underneath which is the prison, capable of containing
from 70 to 80 prisoners. The common-hall is embellished with various portraits of kings and queens of
England, and wardens of the cinque ports, and with a
splendid portrait of the Duke of Wellington.
As a port, Dovor derives
its chief importance from its
proximity to the continent,
and, at a large annual expenditure on the harbour,
receives and protects ships
not exceeding 500 tons' burthen. This expenditure is defrayed out of revenue applicable to the reparation and
improvement of the harbour,
arising from land granted
by royal charter, or devised
by will, and let on lease; and from the duty paid on
tonnage, &c. During the war, the port supplied the
service with many cutters and some transports; the
docks are well constructed, and there are several good
storehouses and a custom-house. Some works for the
enlargement of the harbour were completed in 1846.
The passage to and from the continent, especially
Boulogne, is a lucrative source of employment to the
inhabitants; steam-packets sail daily. The foreign trade
is very trifling, but the coasting somewhat considerable,
and many vessels are employed in the fisheries. A large
quantity of grain is shipped for the London market,
and there are several corn-mills in the vicinity; at
Buckland and River, near the town, are paper-mills,
and some business is done in the tanning of leather.
The market days are Wednesday and Saturday, and
there is a fair on Nov. 23rd. The South-Eastern railway has its terminus here: the line diverges from the
London and Brighton railway at Redstone Hill, Reigate,
and proceeds south of Tonbridge, by Ashford, Hythe,
and Folkestone, to Dovor; the whole line from Redstone Hill being 60¼ miles in length, and from London
87½. In the construction of this work, much difficult
labour was encountered. At Shakspeare's Cliff is a
double tunnel, 1430 yards long, 12 feet wide, and 30
feet high, with a solid wall of chalk 10 feet in thickness
between the apertures: it has 7 shafts, 180 feet in depth
from the surface, and 6 feet in diameter; and 7 galleries,
each 400 feet in length, leading from the tunnel to the
face of the cliff. The line, after leaving this tunnel, is
continued in the direction of Folkestone by an embankment three-quarters of a mile in length, and sixty feet
above the sea.
Seal of the Harbour.
The first charter of incorporation was bestowed by
Edward I.; another was offered by Charles II., but not
accepted. The old charter was probably surrendered to
Charles II., and in 1684 a new one was granted, according to the provisions of which, the corporation consisted
of a mayor, deputy-mayor, recorder, twelve jurats, thirty-six common-councilmen, a chamberlain, town-clerk, and
other officers. By the act of the 5th and 6th of William
IV., cap. 76, the government is now vested in a mayor,
six aldermen, and eighteen councillors. The borough
was formerly divided into twenty-one wards, afterwards
altered to thirteen, and finally, by the above-mentioned
act, reduced to three: the municipal and parliamentary
boundaries are co-extensive. The recorder, mayor, and
late mayor, are justices of the peace, and the total number of magistrates is nineteen. The town returns two
members to parliament: the right of election was in the
freemen at large, upwards of 2300 in number; but by
the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 45, the former
non-resident electors, except within seven miles, were
disfranchised, and the privilege was extended to the
£10 househelders of an enlarged district, comprising
1319 acres, and now forming the borough. A court of
record of unlimited extent was granted, by charter of
confirmation in the 20th of Charles II., to Dovor, as
well as to the rest of the cinque-ports: the recorder is
sole judge; the town-clerk issues the processes. Sessions for the town and liberties are held four times a
year, in the new sessions-house: the criminal jurisdiction of Dovor, as one of the cinque-ports, extends to
Margate, St. Peter's, Birchington, and the vill of Wood,
in Thanet, and Ringwould, near Deal. Petty-sessions
are held weekly. The powers of the county debt-court
of Dovor, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Dovor.
Corporation Seal.
Obverse
Reverse.
The town formerly consisted of the parishes of St.
James the Apostle, St. Mary the Virgin, St. John, St.
Martin the Greater, St. Martin the Less, St. Nicholas,
and St. Peter; of these, the five last no longer exist,
and the churches have been demolished. The parish of
St. James the Apostle contains 3057 inhabitants, and
that of St. Mary the Virgin 10,159. The living of St.
Mary's is a perpetual curacy; net income, £287; patrons
and impropriators, the Parishioners. The church was
built by the convent of St. Martin's, in the town, and
has some portions in the Norman style: the old churchyard where Churchill, the poet, was buried, was sold in
1846 for £145. The living of St. James' is a discharged
rectory, valued in the king's books at £4. 17. 6.; net
income, £145; patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The church belonged to the castle, and to this day the
courts of Loadmanage, for the appointment and regulation of the pilots, and the court of admiralty for all the
cinque-ports and their members, are held in it. According to tradition, Lucius, the first Christian British king,
built a church within the castle, and endowed it with
the duties of the port. Of this edifice, the chapel is
demolished; but the steeple, in which several Roman
bricks are visible, and the principal parts of the external
walls, forming the body of the church, are yet standing:
it was dedicated to St. Mary, and subsequently called
"the Lady of Pity's Chapel." There is still a chapel in
the castle, for the garrison. Trinity district church is in
the later English style, with two turrets and spires; it is
situated in Stroud-street, in the parish of St. Mary, was
built at an expense of £6250, and consecrated in Sept.
1836: the living is in the gift of the Archbishop. There
are places of worship for General and Particular Baptists, the Society of Friends, Independents, Wesleyans,
Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. Among the schools
is one for the maintenance and education of forty-five
boys and thirty-four girls, founded in 1789, and supported by voluntary contributions, in addition to an
endowment of £900 five per cent. stock. An endowment of about £150 per annum is applied to the relief
of poor invalid persons. The union of Dovor comprises
23 parishes or places, and contains a population of
24,522. A priory of Secular canons was founded here
in the seventh century, which, in 1140, was changed
into a Benedictine priory; the revenue, at the Dissolution, was £232. 1. 5¼. The remains of a preceptory of
the Knights Templars at Swingfield, near Dovor, afterwards occupied by their successors, the Knights of St.
John, are now a farmhouse; the eastern or oldest part
was the chapel, the east wall of which has three windows
of early English architecture, and three Norman ones
above them: various other fragments of the original
edifice are still apparent, and the remains of foundations
to a considerable extent may yet be traced in different
parts of the farmyard. Dr. White Kennet, Bishop of
Peterborough, who died in 1728; and Earl Hardwicke,
lord high chancellor of England, who died in 1764,
were natives of the town. Dovor gave the title of Baron
to G. J. W. Agar Ellis, only son of Viscount Clifden,
who was raised to the peerage in 1831, and died in
July 1833, leaving male issue.
The Cinque-Ports, or five havens, viz., Hastings,
Sandwich, Dovor, Romney, and Hythe, so named from
their supremacy over the other ports opposite the coast
of France, still retain that designation, although two
other ports, Rye and Winchelsea, have been added.
They are not mentioned collectively in Domesday book,
but Dovor, Sandwich, and Romney, only as privileged
ports, whence it has been inferred that at that period
there was no community in them; yet John, in his
charter to the cinque-ports, expressly refers to charters in
the possession of the barons, granted by various kings,
from the time of the Confessor. Hastings, which,
together with Hythe, was added by William the Conqueror, has always been esteemed the first port in
precedency; Rye and Winchelsea were added after the
Conquest, but more in the character of appendages than
principal ports, and are designated "the two Ancient
Towns." Most of the coast from the north side of the
Isle of Thanet to Hastings is within the jurisdiction of
the cinque-ports. They had two great courts: the less
one, called the Court of Guestling or Brotherhood, was
held annually on the Tuesday after St. Margaret's day,
at New Romney, and consisted of seven delegates from
each of the cinque-ports, including Winchelsea and Rye,
with a speaker and other officers; the summons is still
issued annually, but a full court has not been held for
many years. The great court for all the ports and
members, called that of Shepway, was held by the king's
summons before the lord warden at Shepway Cross,
near Hythe, but is now only formally convened on the
election of a new warden. The offices of lord warden of
the cinque-ports and constable of Dovor Castle are now
invariably united. The warden has a right of warren
over a very considerable tract, called the Warren, and
appoints warreners to preserve the game. The freemen
of the cinque-ports are styled "Barons," and in former
times enjoyed great dignity, being ranked amongst the
nobility of the kingdom. Before the formation of the
two houses of parliament, the members were called over
in the following order, viz., on the first day the lower
class, as burgesses and citizens; on the second, the
knights; and on the third, the barons of the cinqueports and the peers; whence it may be concluded that
the barons ranked with the peers, and above the knights,
and that these two superior orders, previously to the
investiture of knights and citizens with legislative
authority, composed the national council. The barons
of the cinque-ports have the honour of bearing canopies
over the king and queen at the coronation, where none
but noblemen (except certain of the royal domestics)
and privileged persons form part of the procession;
and at the feast after the coronation, they dine at a table
on the right hand of the sovereign.
Although the services rendered by the cinque-ports
have ceased with the alteration in naval affairs, yet for a
long period they were eminently useful. During several
reigns they fitted out fleets which formed a great portion
of the royal navy, and were engaged in many renowned
actions. By their aid John, who had been obliged to
flee to the Isle of Wight, recovered his kingdom; and
soon afterwards Hubert de Burgh, with "forty tall
ships" belonging to the ports, defeated a French fleet of
eighty ships, carrying reinforcements for Louis the
Dauphin. In the reign of Edward III., the shipping of
the ports conveyed the armies of that warlike prince to
France, and guarded our coasts; and in the reigns of
Henry VII. and Henry VIII., the "Ports' Navy" was
frequently employed on similar services. The records
which mention the number of vessels that were, or
ought to have been, furnished by the cinque-ports and
their appendant members, vary; but the general
number (before large ships were introduced into the
navy) which these ports furnished was fifty-seven,
manned and equipped at their own cost, for the space
of fifteen days, and if their services were needed longer,
they were victualled and paid by the king. Hastings
provided twenty-one ships, armed and manned with
twenty-one men each, besides a boy; Dovor the same
number; Sandwich, five ships; New Romney, five ships;
and Hythe, five ships; all equipped as above; making
the whole number of mariners 1254. The last charter
granted to the cinque-ports was in the 20th of Charles
II., who not only confirmed the preceding charters, but
conferred on the freemen additional privileges. This was
confirmed by James II., and under it the ports are now
governed.
Dowdeswell (St. Michael)
DOWDESWELL (St. Michael), a parish, in the
union of Northleach, hundred of Bradley, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 4 miles (S. E. by E.)
from Cheltenham; containing 249 inhabitants. It comprises 2000 acres, which are arable, with the exception of
about 400 acres of woodland. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £13. 6. 8., and in the
patronage of the family of Rogers: the tithes have been
commuted for £416. 4., and the glebe comprises 21
acres, with a glebe-house. The church is a cruciform
structure, built in 1577, with a tower and spire rising
from the intersection. There are remains of several
ancient fortifications, and some leaden coffins have been
found. Near Andover's Ford a battle was fought between
Charles I. and the parliamentary forces.
Dowland
DOWLAND, a parish, in the union of Torrington,
hundred of North Tawton, South Molton and N.
divisions of Devon, 5 miles (N. N. E.) from Hatherleigh;
containing 244 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1362
acres, of which 435 are common or waste. The living
is a perpetual curacy; net income, £76; patron and
impropriator, Sir S. H. Northcote, Bart., whose tithes
have been commuted for £125.
Dowles (St. Andrew)
DOWLES (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of
Kidderminster, hundred of Stottesden, S. division
of Salop, 1 mile (N. by W.) from Bewdley; containing
80 inhabitants. It comprises 680 acres: coal is found,
and there is a mine of excellent fire-clay. The living is
a, discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4,
and in the gift of the Heirs of the late Samuel Skey, Esq.:
the tithes have been commuted for £136.
Dowlish-Wake (St. Andrew)
DOWLISH-WAKE (St. Andrew), a parish, in the
union of Chard, hundred of South Petherton, W.
division of Somerset, 1¾ mile (S. E. by S.) from Ilminster; containing 374 inhabitants. This parish, including that of West Dowlish, with which it was consolidated
in 1828, comprises 1232a. 3r. 8p.; and contains extensive quarries of limestone, which is raised both for
building and for burning into lime. A canal has been
formed, to open a communication with Chard, and thence
to the Bristol Channel. The living is a discharged rectory, with that of West Dowlish annexed, valued in the
king's books at £8. 9. 9½., and in the gift of W. Speke,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £360, and the
glebe comprises 34 acres. The church was repewed,
and a gallery erected, in 1837, at the expense of the
parishioners; it contains a monument to the family of
Wake.
Dowlish, West (St. John the Baptist)
DOWLISH, WEST (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Chard, hundred of Abdick and
Bulstone, W. division of Somerset, 1 mile (S. E. by
S.) from Ilminster; containing 31 inhabitants. The
living is valued in the king's books at £3. 7. 6.: the
church has been demolished, and the inhabitants attend
the church of Dowlish-Wake.
Down (St. Mary)
DOWN (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Crediton, hundred of North Tawton, South Molton and
N. divisions of Devon, 2¾ miles (N. E.) from Bow;
containing 407 inhabitants. It comprises 1858 acres,
of which 327 are common or waste: the soil is partly a
stiff clay and partly of lighter quality, on a substratum
of rock; the surface is very hilly, and the low lands are
watered by the river Yeo. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £12. 13. 4.; net income,
£233; patron, B. Radford, Esq. The church has a
Norman doorway, and some curiously carved oak seats,
and some ancient tiles in the same style.
Down
DOWN, a parish, in the union of Bromley, hundred of Ruxley, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, W. division
of Kent, 2 miles (S. by W.) from Farnborough; containing 444 inhabitants. It comprises 1654 acres, of
which 254 are in wood. The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with the small tithes; net income, £105;
patron and appropriator, the Rector of Orpington. The
church contains various memorials of the Petlees, lords
of the manor from Edward III. to Henry VIII., and
whose sumptuous mansion has been converted into a
farmhouse. There is a place of worship for Particular
Baptists.
Down-Ampney.—See Ampney, Down.
DOWN-AMPNEY.—See Ampney, Down.