Dunsfold (St. Mary)
DUNSFOLD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Hambledon, First division of the hundred of Blackheath, W. division of Surrey, 6 miles (S. S. E.) from
Godalming; containing 669 inhabitants. This parish,
anciently Duncefold, is situated on the road through
Guildford to London. A species of breccia is found in
considerable quantities at some depth below the surface,
analogous in its formation to Sussex marble, and
abounding with the same fossils, blended with a minute
species of bivalve supposed to belong to the genus lipris
of Lamarck. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £12. 0. 7½., and in the patronage of the
Chancellor; net income, £471. The church has portions
in the decorated style: the east window is remarkably
handsome, having been embellished at the expense of
the Hon. John Evelyn Boscawen, prebendary of Canterbury; in the chancel is a tablet recording the death of
the Rev. J. Richardson, at the advanced age of 94 years.
It is said that Dr. Young composed his Night Thoughts
in an embowered and retired walk in the gardens of the
rectory-house.
Dunsford (St. Mary)
DUNSFORD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
St. Thomas, hundred of Wonford, Crockernwell and
S. divisions of Devon, 7 miles (W. by S.) from Exeter;
containing 925 inhabitants. In the parliamentary war,
the manor-house of Great Fulford, here, erected in the
time of Elizabeth, was garrisoned for the king by Colonel
Sir Francis Fulford, whose family have resided at this
place since the Conquest; but the garrison surrendered
to Fairfax, in 1645. The parish comprises 5878a. 2r.
5p., of which 4900 acres are arable and pasture, 300
coppice and woodland, and 600 covered with furze. A
fair is held on the Monday after September 8th. The
living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £19. 10.,
and in the gift of Baldwin Fulford, Esq., who, with
others, is impropriator: the great tithes have been commuted for £245, and the vicarial for £365; the glebe
comprises 7 acres, with a house. The church has a plain
Norman doorway. A house of industry was built in
1828, at an expense of £700.
Dunsforth, Lower
DUNSFORTH, LOWER, a chapelry, in the parish
of Aldborough, union of Great Ouseburn (under
Gilbert's act), Upper division of the wapentake of
Claro, W. riding of York, 2¾ miles (S. E.) from Boroughbridge; containing 116 inhabitants. It comprises
by computation 960 acres of land, partly the property of
the Dean and Chapter of York: the village is seated on
the south bank of the river Ure, and east of the road
from Boroughbridge to York. The living is a perpetual
curacy, with a net income of £51, and in the patronage
of the Vicar of Aldborough; impropriators of the chapelry, the Dean and Chapter. The chapel is dedicated
to St. Mary.
Dunsforth, Upper, with Branton-Green
DUNSFORTH, UPPER, with Branton-Green, a
township, in the parish of Aldborough, union of Great
Ouseburn (under Gilbert's act), Upper division of the
wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York, 3½ miles (S.
E. by E.) from Aldborough; containing 163 inhabitants.
The township comprises about 900 acres, including the
hamlet of Branton-Green, on the south side of the vale
of the Ure. A portion of land was assigned in lieu of
tithes under an inclosure act in 1770. A tumulus,
called the Devil's Cross, was levelled about half a century since.
Dunsley, with Newholm
DUNSLEY, with Newholm, a township, in the
parish and union of Whitby, liberty of Whitby-Strand,
N. riding of York, 3 miles (W.) from Whitby; containing 383 inhabitants. The township is partly the property of the Marquess of Normanby, whose fine seat,
Mulgrave Castle, is in the vicinity. On the north of
the village is Dunsley bay, styled by Ptolemy Dunus
Sinus, which was a landing-place of the Romans, as well
as of the Danes, who arrived here in 867 with a numerous army, and planted their standard on Raven Hill.
Northward from Dunsley is the hamlet of East Row. A
Roman road, now called Wade's Causeway, runs from
this place for many miles over the moors to York; it is
paved with flints, and has been traced twelve feet wide
and three high, with a defaced milliary on it.—See Newholm.
Dunstable (St. Peter and St. Paul)
DUNSTABLE (St. Peter and St. Paul), a markettown and parish, in the union of Luton, hundred of
Manshead, county of Bedford, 18 miles (S. by W.)
from Bedford, and 32¼ (N. W. by N.) from London;
containing 2582 inhabitants. The origin of this town
may be traced to the ancient Britons, who are supposed
to have had a settlement here, which they named Maes
Gwyn, or "White Field," as descriptive of the chalky
soil of the vicinity: it is thought to have been the Magiovinium of Antoninus, a term of similar import. That
it was a place of great importance is evident from its
situation at the very point of contact between the Watling and Ikeneld streets, as also from immense adjacent
ramparts of earth which mark the ancient circular fortifications. Its modern appellation was bestowed after
the Danes had desolated the town, and, according to
Hearne and Bishop Gibson, is derived from Dunum or
Dun, a hill, and Staple, a commercial mart; by others it
is considered to have been taken from Dun, the name of
a notorious robber in the time of Henry I., who with
his associates became so much the object of terror, that
the destruction of the neighbouring forest was resorted
to as the only effectual means of their dispersion. This
object being accomplished, Henry erected a royal residence at Kingsbury, rebuilt the town of Dunstable, and,
having invited settlers, constituted it a borough, endowing it with a grant of lands at a trifling nominal rent,
and investing the inhabitants with various privileges,
among which was an exemption from the jurisdiction of
justices itinerant at any place throughout the realm, except within their own town and liberty. During this
reign, markets were held weekly on Sunday and Wednesday, and a fair on St. Peter's day.
The priory of Black canons, near the royal palace,
was founded by Henry, under the authority of Pope
Eugenius III., was extensively endowed, and enjoyed
many privileges; the priors had a gaol, possessed the
power of life and death, and usually sat as judges at
Dunstable, with the king's justices itinerant. These circumstances gave occasion to the exercise of great tyranny,
and the townsmen became entirely subject to the monks;
hence arose dissatisfaction and tumults, so that, in the
reign of Richard II., the inhabitants revolted against the
prior, and extorted a charter of liberties from him,
which he soon afterwards revoked. In 1204, King John
conferred his palace on the prior, on condition that royal
visiters should be freely entitled to the hospitality of the
priory, in which many of the English sovereigns were
subsequently entertained. In 1290, the corpse of Queen
Eleanor, consort of Edward I., rested at the marketplace, on being conveyed through the town; and in commemoration of the event a handsome cross was erected,
which was demolished in the reign of Charles I. as a
relic of popery. In the chapel of Our Lady, at the
priory, the sentence of divorce between Henry VIII. and
Catharine of Arragon was pronounced by Archbishop
Cranmer; and Gervase Markham, who was the last
prior, having assisted to effect that measure, was in
consequence treated with comparative liberality.
The town is pleasantly situated near the Chiltern
hills, and consists mainly of four streets, which intersect
each other at right angles, and correspond exactly with
the four cardinal points. The inhabitants formerly procured water from public reservoirs, there being one in
each street; but a supply is now obtained from wells,
which, from the chalky nature of the substratum, are
sunk to a great depth. The manufacture of articles in
straw, both useful and ornamental, is extensively carried
on, employing upwards of 500 females, in general farmers' daughters, who are required to pay two guineas
each, and to give three months of their time at entering,
in order to learn the business; there are also some large
manufactories for whitening, from which most of the
manufacturing towns are supplied. The town was once
distinguished for the number of its inns and posting
establishments, about 200 horses, with the requisite
number of post-boys, being kept for the use of travellers;
the traffic, however, was almost entirely annihilated by
the formation of the Birmingham railway. A branch
railway, seven miles long, for which an act was passed
in 1845, has been opened to Dunstable from the Birmingham line near Leighton-Buzzard; this may in some
measure compensate for the lost traffic. The place is
celebrated for its fine larks, which are prepared for
conveyance in tin cases to all parts of the kingdom, and
with which travellers are supplied from October till
February. The market is on Wednesday and Saturday,
for straw plat, commencing at eight o'clock in the
morning; and fairs are held on Ash-Wednesday, May
22nd, Aug. 12th, and Nov. 12th, the last being the
largest fair for sheep in the county. Dunstable was
anciently under the government of a mayor, but it has
now only the ordinary parochial authorities. The manor
belongs to the crown; and the Duke of Bedford, as
lessee, holds courts leet and baron, but at no stated
periods.
The parish comprises 410 acres, of which 176 are in
tillage, and 214 pasture and meadow; the soil is light,
resting on chalk. The living is a rectory not in
charge, in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes have
been commuted for £115, and the glebe contains about
1½ acre, with a good house, built by the rector, aided
by contributions from the inhabitants and a grant of
£600 from Queen Anne's Bounty. The church, which,
with some rooms having vaulted and groined stone
roofs, forms the only remains of the ancient priory, was
originally a magnificent and extensive cruciform structure, with a tower rising from the intersection: Henry
VIII. having abandoned his design of making it a
cathedral, a considerable part of the edifice was demolished. The remains consist of the west front, nave,
and two aisles; each of the latter extends from the
western doors to the entrance to what was once the
choir, being about 120 feet long: at the north-west
angle is a tower embellished with a double row of
niches, which formerly contained statues. The architecture combines some portions in the Norman, with
others in the early and later English styles; the windows are of comparatively modern dates. Over the
communion-table is a painting of the Lord's Supper, by
Sir James Thornhill; and among the monuments are
several to the Chew family, who were great benefactors
to the town. There are places of worship for Baptists
and Wesleyans. A charity school, founded by the
direction of Mr. William Chew, was built in 1727, and
is endowed with an income of more than £300. Adjoining are six almshouses, founded and endowed by
Mrs. Cart, for the residence and maintenance of widows;
and in West-street are six others, endowed by Mrs.
Ashton for a similar purpose. Nearly opposite the
church are six houses founded by Mrs. Blandina Marsh,
in 1713, and designated "The Maidens' Lodge," for
six unmarried gentlewomen, whose income has been
increased by a benefaction from another lady, to £120.
In 1770, a great quantity of coins of Antoninus and
Constantine, with ornaments of bridles and armour, were
dug up on an adjacent down; and several antiquities
were lately discovered in a field, supposed to belong
to the church of the Grey friars, comprising coins,
rings, swords, &c. The first dramatic representations
in England, called "Mysteries," are said to have taken
place here under the direction of a priest, or friar.
Elkanah Settle, a dramatist and political writer of
notoriety in the reign of Charles II., was a native of
Dunstable.
Dunstall
DUNSTALL, a township, in the parish of Tatenhill, union of Burton-upon-Trent, N. division of the
hundred of Offlow and of the county of Stafford,
4½ miles (W. S. W.) from Burton; containing 180 inhabitants. This place lies on the eastern verge of Needwood Forest, and the manor was anciently a member
of the honour of Tutbury. The township comprises
1716a. 2r. 24p., in about equal portions of arable and
pasture: the land is elevated; the soil, though it varies,
is generally good, and the scenery is pleasing. The
river Trent skirts the township; and the Lichfield and
Burton road, the Grand Trunk canal, and Birmingham
and Derby railway, pass through it. Dunstall Lodge,
enlarged and improved by the present proprietor, Charles
Arkwright, Esq., is surrounded with 1200 acres of land.
A large portion of Highlands Park, crown property, is
in the township. The tithes have been commuted for
£314.
Dunstall
DUNSTALL, a liberty, in the parish and union of
Tamworth, S. division of the hundred of Offlow and
of the county of Stafford, 1¾ mile (W.) from Tamworth; containing 6 inhabitants. It lies about a mile
to the north of Drayton-Manor, the seat of Sir Robert
Peel, Bart., and is one of several hamlets and villages
that encompass the park. The Fazeley canal passes in
the vicinity of Dunstall Farm.
Dunstall-Green
DUNSTALL-GREEN, a hamlet, in the parish of
Dalham, union of Newmarket, hundred of Risbridge, W. division of the county of Suffolk; containing 204 inhabitants.
Dunstan.—See Newbold.
DUNSTAN.—See Newbold.
Dunstan, St.
DUNSTAN, ST., a parish, in the union of Blean,
hundred of Westgate, lathe of St. Augustine, E.
division of Kent, ¼ of a mile (N. W.) from Canterbury;
containing 1209 inhabitants, and comprising 385 acres.
A part of the parish is within the municipal borough of
Canterbury. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued
in the king's books at £5, and in the patronage of the
Archbishop, with a net income of £120; the impropriation belongs to G. Gipps, Esq., and Eastbridge Hospital. The church, which belonged to the convent of
St. Gregory in Canterbury, stands on gently rising
ground; it has recently been much improved, and
among its chief architectural features may be mentioned
the semicircular tower adjoining the western square
tower. In the family vault of the Ropers still lies the
head of Sir Thomas More, which was placed here by his
beloved daughter, and was discovered during some repairs in 1835. There are a national central, and an
infants' school, with an endowment of £6000 in the
three per cent. consols., bequeathed by Mr. Tillard.
Dunster (St. George)
DUNSTER (St. George), a market-town and parish, in the union of Williton, hundred of Carhampton, W. division of Somerset, 38 miles (W. N. W.)
from Somerton, and 158 (W. by S.) from London; containing 1078 inhabitants, and comprising the hamlets
of Alcombe, Aville, Bondington, Frackford, Kitswall
with Cuffs, and Staunton. The town, which is called
Torre in Domesday book, owes its origin to a baronial
castle built here by William de Mohun, a Norman baron,
on whom the Conqueror had bestowed large estates
in this part of the kingdom. He also founded a priory
of Benedictine monks, as a cell to the abbey at Bath;
the revenue, at the Dissolution, was £37. 4. 9½. The
castle, which was held by the family of Mohun till the
reign of Edward III., was the scene of hostilities in the
civil wars of the reigns of Stephen and John, and in the
contests between the houses of York and Lancaster;
the Marquess of Hertford, also, took possession of it for
Charles I. during the war with the parliament. It has
been the residence of the family of Luttrell since the
time of Edward III.: the present structure, which is
comparatively of recent erection, stands in a commanding situation at the southern extremity of the main
street, embracing fine views of the Bristol Channel, and
the Welsh and Gloucestershire hills. The town is on
a gentle eminence about a mile to the south of the
Channel, and the surrounding country is beautifully
diversified with hill and dale, and embellished by a
rapid stream, formed by springs rising at Dunkery Hill,
and which passes on the south and east sides of the
town, and, after turning several mills, runs under a
stone bridge of three arches, and falls into the sea. The
place is small, and of little importance at present, having
materially suffered from the loss of its wool-trade, which
afforded employment to a considerable part of the
population of this and the adjacent parishes. There are
two streets, one of which has been much improved by
the removal of some unsightly old shambles that stood
in the centre. An ancient market-house is still standing.
The market is on Friday; and a fair is held on WhitMonday. The town sent members to a parliament in
the 34th of Edward III., and, till the Reform act was
passed, enjoyed the elective franchise in conjunction with
Minehead.
The parish comprises 2883 acres, whereof 1186 are
common or waste: there are several quarries of stone,
which is raised for building and for burning into lime.
The living, formerly a vicarage, is now a perpetual
curacy, valued in the king's books at £4. 13. 4.; net
income, £130; patron and impropriator, John Fownes
Luttrell, Esq. The church, erected by Henry VII., in
acknowledgment of the assistance afforded him by the
men of Dunster, in the battle of Bosworth-Field, is a
handsome and spacious structure in the later English
style, with a central embattled tower crowned by pinnacles. To the east is a kind of chapel, formerly the
church of the priory. This part of the building was
used, not only by the monks, but by the incumbent of
the parish, for the performance of divine service, until the
year 1499, when a dispute arising between the monks and
the parishioners, the matter was referred to arbitrators,
who decided that the latter should have a choir separate
from that of the convent: it contains many fine monuments to the families of Mohun and Luttrell, which, as
well as the chapel itself, are hastening to decay. There
is a place of worship for Wesleyans; also a school endowed with £30 per annum.
Dunstew (St. Mary)
DUNSTEW (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Woodstock, hundred of Wootton, county of Oxford,
8 miles (N.) from Woodstock; containing 449 inhabitants. It comprises 1680 acres, of which nearly 1200
are arable, and the remainder meadow and pasture.
Stone of good quality for building is found; and about
seventy persons are employed in making gloves for the
Woodstock market. The living is a vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £8. 2. 8¼.; net income, £237; patron and impropriator, Sir George Dashwood, Bart.
The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1793.
Dunston (St. Peter)
DUNSTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the Second
division of the wapentake of Langoe, parts of Kesteven, union and county of Lincoln, 8¼ miles (S. E.)
from Lincoln; containing 518 inhabitants. This parish is situated in the heart of a district which was
anciently barren and unfrequented; and in 1751 Dunston pillar, a pyramidal shaft 92 feet high, crowned with
a gallery and a lantern, was erected by F. Dashwood,
Esq., as a landmark to guide the traveller over the then
surrounding waste. There is a quarry of good buildingstone. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £7. 0. 10.; net income, £151; patron, the
Bishop of Lincoln. The church is a neat edifice, in the
later English style. There is a place of worship for
Wesleyans. The late Dr. Willis, who had an asylum
here, left £100 to the poor.
Dunston (St. Remigius)
DUNSTON (St. Remigius), a parish, in the union of
Henstead, hundred of Humbleyard, E. division of
Norfolk, 4 miles (S.) from Norwich; containing 107
inhabitants, and comprising 624a. 2r. 19p. The living
is a donative; net income, £30; patron and impropriator, K. R. Long, Esq. The church, which is partly
in the early and partly in the decorated style, is beautifully situated in the grounds belonging to the Hall, the
mansion of Mr. Long.
Dunston
DUNSTON, a township, in the parish of Embleton, union of Alnwick, S. division of Bambrough
ward, N. division of Northumberland, 6¼ miles
(N. E.) from Alnwick; containing 218 inhabitants. It
comprises between 2000 and 3000 acres, of which a
portion is old grass-land; the soil is generally well
adapted for the cultivation of wheat, and a lighter description grows turnips to great perfection. Limestone
abounds, and the fine cliffs which intersect the township
furnish an inexhaustible supply of the best material for
roads, walls, &c. On a bold basaltic rock, jutting out
into the sea, are the ruins of an extensive castle, formerly constituting a member of the duchy of Lancaster,
but now belonging to the Earl of Tankerville.
Dunston
DUNSTON, a chapelry, in the parish and union of
Penkridge, E. division of the hundred of Cuttlestone, S. division of the county of Stafford, 2 miles
(N. by E.) from Penkridge; containing 250 inhabitants.
It is intersected by the Liverpool and Birmingham
railway, and comprises by admeasurement 1357 acres,
three-fourths of which are arable. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £67; patron and impropriator, Lord Hatherton, whose tithes have been commuted for £253; there is a glebe of 1½ acre. The
chapel, dedicated to St. Leonard, is supposed to have
been built about a century ago.
Dunterton (All Saints)
DUNTERTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union
of Tavistock, hundred of Lifton, Lifton and S. divisions of Devon, 5 miles (S. E. by S.) from Launceston;
containing 212 inhabitants. The parish is situated on
the road to Tavistock, and bounded on the south and
west by the river Tamar; and comprises 1314a. 31p.:
freestone of an inferior colour abounds, and green felspar is also found. The living is a rectory, valued in
the king's books at £8. 7. 1.; patron and incumbent,
the Rev. N. T. Royse. The church is a small edifice,
with a handsome tower. At a place called Chapel
Field formerly stood a chantry chapel, endowed with
seven acres of woodland and four acres of meadow.
Dunthorpe
DUNTHORPE, a hamlet, in the parish of Heythorpe, union of Chipping-Norton, hundred of
Wootton, county of Oxford, 3½ miles (E. N. E.) from
Chipping-Norton; containing 106 inhabitants.
Duntish
DUNTISH, a tything, in the parish and hundred of
Buckland-Newton, Cerne division of Dorset, 11½
miles (N. by W.) from Dorchester; containing 122 inhabitants. There is a circular camp of ten acres, in
which arms and Roman coins have been discovered.
Dunton (St. Mary)
DUNTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and
hundred of Biggleswade, county of Bedford, 3 miles
(E. by S.) from Biggleswade; containing, with the hamlets of Millo and Newtown, 434 inhabitants. It comprises by admeasurement 2550 acres, of which 2195 are
arable, 330 pasture, and 25 woodland; the soil is in
general clayey. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £10, and in the gift of
Earl Spencer: the tithes were commuted for land and a
corn-rent in 1797.
Dunton (St. Martin)
DUNTON (St. Martin), a parish, in the union of
Winslow, hundred of Cottesloe, county of Buckingham, 4½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Winslow; containing
107 inhabitants. It comprises 1155a. 2r. 20p., the whole
of which is grass-land, with the exception of about 70
acres arable. The river Thame has its source in the
garden of the rectory-house. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £9. 9. 7.; net income,
£205; patron, Lord Carrington. This place was for
some time the residence of Dr. Blomfield, the present
Bishop of London.
Dunton, with Doughton (St. Mary)
DUNTON, with Doughton (St. Mary), a parish,
in the union of Walsingham, hundred of Gallow, W.
division of Norfolk, 3 miles (W. by N.) from Fakenham; containing 147 inhabitants. It is situated on the
northern acclivities of the vale of the Wensum, and comprises 1721a. 1r. 24p., of which 1450 acres are arable,
and 170 pasture. The manor was given by Henry VII.
to Ralph de Hauville, to be held by service of keeping
the king's falcons; it passed in the reign of Elizabeth
to Lord Chief Justice Coke. The living is a discharged
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £5. 6. 8.; patron
and impropriator, the Earl of Leicester; the great tithes
have been commuted for £350, and the vicarial for £177.
The chancel of the church contains a fine brass representing Clere Talbot and his two wives; also a long inscription to Matthew Lancaster, "descended from John
Lancaster, the first of that race in England, and first
founder of Lancaster."
Dunton-Basset (All Saints)
DUNTON-BASSET (All Saints), a parish, in the
union of Lutterworth, hundred of Guthlaxton, S.
division of the county of Leicester, 3¾ miles (N.) from
Lutterworth; containing 553 inhabitants. The parish
is situated on the road from Lutterworth to Leicester,
and comprises by computation 1300 acres: the stocking
manufacture affords employment to nearly 200 persons.
The Broughton-Astley station on the Midland railway,
is distant about a mile and a quarter only. The living
is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£6. 0. 10.; net income, £73; patron, the Rev. John
Longhurst. The tithes were commuted for land and a
money payment in 1796. The church is an ancient
structure in the early English style, with a square embattled tower, and contains in some of the windows remains of stained glass: from its elevated situation on
some of the highest land in the county, it was chosen
as a post for telegraphic communication during the
threatened invasion of Napoleon. There is a medicinal
spring.
Dunton-Waylett (St. Mary)
DUNTON-WAYLETT (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union of Billericay, hundred of Barstable, S. division of Essex, 6 miles (S. E.) from Brentwood; containing 194 inhabitants. At the time of the Norman survey,
the manor of Dunton Hall belonged to Odo, Bishop of
Bayeaux, by whom it was bestowed on the abbey of Bec,
in Normandy; and on the suppression of alien priories
it was granted to King's College, Cambridge. The number of acres is estimated at 2000: the soil is a strong
clay, well adapted for grain; the surface is diversified
with hills. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £14. 13. 4., and in the gift of King's College:
the tithes have been commuted for £500, and the glebe
comprises 27 acres. The church, which is pleasantly
situated on rising ground, is a small plain edifice, with
a wooden tower and spire.
Duntsbourn, Abbots (St. Peter)
DUNTSBOURN, ABBOTS (St. Peter), a parish,
in the union of Cirencester, partly in the hundred of
Rapsgate, but chiefly in that of Crowthorne and
Minety, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 5
miles (N. W. by N.) from Cirencester; containing 354
inhabitants, of whom 139 are in Duntsbourn-Leer tything. The parish comprises by admeasurement 2269
acres, about two-thirds of which are arable, and the rest
pasture. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £13; net income, £300; patron, D. Mesman,
Esq. The tithes were commuted for land and a money
payment in 1777.
Duntsbourn-Rouse (St. Michael)
DUNTSBOURN-ROUSE (St. Michael), a parish,
in the union of Cirencester, hundred of Crowthorne
and Minety, E. division of the county of Gloucester,
4 miles (N. W. by N.) from Cirencester; containing 138
inhabitants. It is situated on the old Roman road from
Gloucester to Cirencester, and comprises by admeasurement 2000 acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £8. 14. 9½., and in the gift of Corpus
Christi College, Oxford; the tithes have been commuted
partly for land and partly for a rent-charge, making
together about £320 per annum; the land contains
about 300 acres. The church was built in 1587, and
has a carved oak pulpit, and carved prebendal stalls.
Sir Robert Atkyns, author of the History of Gloucestershire, resided in the parish.
Dunwich (All Saints)
DUNWICH (All Saints),
a sea-port and parish, and
formerly a borough and
market-town, in the union
and hundred of Blything,
E. division of Suffolk, 29
miles (N. E.) from Ipswich,
and 98 (N. E.) from London;
containing 237 inhabitants,
and comprising 1337 acres.
It is supposed by some to
have been a town of the
Britons, or a Roman station;
some Roman coins have been found. During the
heptarchy it was of great importance, being the metropolis of East Anglia, and the seat of a see. By the
Saxons it was called Dommoc-ceaster, or Donmoc, from
which its present name is derived. Sigebert, King of
the East Angles, having been converted to Christianity
in 630, founded a bishopric at Dunwich, which was held
by Felis, a Burgundian, who was consecrated by Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 636, and who, after
presiding over the see for seventeen years, was buried in
the cathedral, which continued to flourish under a succession of prelates till about the middle of the ninth century, when this part of the country was devastated by
the Danes. At the time of the Norman survey it was
a place of considerable importance, and had an extensive
herring-fishery, as the king received from the burgesses
annually £50, and 60,000 herrings. The town had anciently a mint; and William of Newburgh, who wrote
in the reign of Henry II., styles it a wealthy and famous
sea-port. In the reign of Richard I., a fine of 1060
marks was levied on the town, because the inhabitants
had supplied the king's enemies with corn; and Ipswich
and Yarmouth were fined 200 marks each, for the same
offence; whence an estimate may be formed of the relative consequence of this place. During the wars of the
barons with King John, it was fortified with a ditch and
a rampart; and that monarch, in the first year of his
reign, bestowed on the town a charter of incorporation,
and exempted the burgesses from tolls and customs, and
from sea-wreck and lagan throughout the realm. In
the reign of Edward I. it maintained eleven ships of
war; and in 1359 furnished six ships and 102 mariners,
for the siege of Calais. Such, indeed, was the ancient
prosperity of the place that it contained more than
50 religious foundations, including churches, chapels,
priories, and hospitals; but being situated on a hill
composed of loam and loose sand, it has yielded to the
successive encroachments of the sea, which has demolished its edifices, ruined its haven, swallowed up its
streets, and reduced it to an insignificant village.
Seal and Arms.
The borough, as originally established by John, was
governed by a mayor and bailiffs, till the 22nd of Edward III., when it was placed under the superiutendence
of bailiffs only. The charter was ratified and extended
in almost every succeeding reign, till that of Edward
IV., who, after confirming former privileges, granted the
bailiffs and burgesses all wreck of the sea, and an admiralty court, with a jurisdiction from the south pier of
Southwold harbour to a point of land formerly called
Beacon Hill, now Catliff. The control is vested in two
bailiffs, a recorder, two assistant justices, and twelve capital burgesses, with a coroner, town-clerk, and serjeantat-mace. The borough sent members to parliament as
early as the 23rd of Edward I., but was disfranchised by
the act of 1832. The bailiffs, and the assistant justices
(who are the bailiffs for the preceding year), are magistrates for the borough, exercising exclusive jurisdiction.
The market, which was held on Saturday, has been discontinued: there is a fair on the 25th of July. Several
small boats are employed in the herring-fishery, and
there are fish-houses, where herrings and sprats are
dried, and prepared for sale. Dunwich anciently contained six parish churches, but they have all been
entirely destroyed, except that of All Saints, of which
the walls and a tower remain: the living is a perpetual
curacy, with a net income of £40, and in the gift of
Lord Huntingfield and Frederick Barne, Esq., whose
impropriate tithes have been commuted for £100. The
church being dilapidated, a new one was commenced in
1826, which is a neat edifice of white brick, with an
octagonal tower, built chiefly by subscription among the
inhabitants. An hospital for lepers, dedicated to St.
James, and another called Maison Dieu, are of great
antiquity. According to tradition, the lands of the latter,
which were very extensive, were, with the exception of a
small portion, lost by encroachments of the sea; and
the two were afterwards consolidated into one charity for
the relief of widows and poor persons of the town of
Dunwich, especially such as are afflicted with insanity or
loss of speech: the funds amount to £93. A convent
of Franciscan friars was founded in the reign of Henry
III., of which there are remains of the walls and two
gateways; and there were also a Dominican convent,
and a house of Knights Templars. Dunwich gives the
title of Viscount to the Earl of Stradbroke.
Dunwood
DUNWOOD, an extra-parochial liberty, adjacent to
the parish of East Wellow, and in the union of Romsey, hundred of Thorngate, Romsey and S. divisions
of the county of Southampton; containing 8 persons,
and comprising 300 acres.