Part 28 (2/2)
44
Bewerley to
Tanfield 6
212
1310
29
Bewick, New to
Alnwick 12
312
106
29
Bewick, Old to
... 12
313
227
46
Bewholm to
Bridlington 13
195
38
Bexhill pa
Pevensey 7
63
1931
12
Bexington, West
Dorchester 11
131
+--+---------------------+---------------------+-----+-------+
[A] BEWDLEY is seated on the Severn, in the centre of a populous manufacturing district; it was, in the reign of Edward I., a manor of the Beauchamps, and received from Edward IV. its charter of incorporation. Leland's description of the town, and his opinion of its origin, possess some beauties, and great exactness.--”The towne selfe of Beaudley is sett on the syde of a hill; soe comely a man cannot wish to see a towne better. It riseth from Severne banke by east, upon the hill, by west; soe that a man standing on the hill _trans pontem_ by east, may discerne almost every house in the towne, and at the risinge of the sunne from the east, the whole towne glittereth (being all of a new building), as it were of gould. By the distance of the parish church (at Ribbesford), I gather that Beaudley is a very new towne, and that of ould time there was but some poore hamlett, and that upon the building of a bridge there upon Severne, and resort of people unto it, and commodity of the pleasant site, men began to inhabit there; and because the plott of it seemed fayre to the lookers, it hath a French name, Beaudley.” The figure of the town is that of the letter Y: the foot extending to the river; one of the horns, towards Ribbesford, the other into the forest. The bridge, viewed from the loaded wharfs, appears a handsome modern structure, possessing a lightness of feature, superior even to that of the bridge at Worcester. The church, situated at the junction of the three princ.i.p.al streets, is accounted a chapel of ease to the mother church of Ribbesford; and was rebuilt in its present neat, yet embellished style, about 1748. Here are also appropriate places of public wors.h.i.+p for the numerous dissenters; several inst.i.tutions for carrying on the useful work of education, mostly supported by voluntary contributions, and a number of alms-houses for the poor and aged. The town-hall is a handsome modern building of stone, with three arches in front, six square pilasters, and a pediment, surmounted by the Littelton arms, and a double row of arcades. The trade of Bewdley is considerable, and the inhabitants boast, with reason, that their trows and their crews are the best on the river. Among the sources of this profitable commerce, are numerous tan-yards; manufactures of a kind of cap, much worn before the introduction of felt hats, comb-making, and other works in horn, and a manufacture of flannel; while the town is a sort of mart for the wholesale grocery trade. The charter of incorporation of Bewdley has been subject to some extraordinary changes: the original deed, renewed by James I. was surrendered to Charles II., and replaced by another from his successor, which last, on the accession of Anne, was declared illegal, and became the cause of a contention, which produced a long and expensive law-suit, ended by the confirmation of the original charter. By virtue of this, the corporation of Bewdley consists of a bailiff, a recorder, a high steward, and twelve capital burgesses, who depute one member to parliament, the bailiff being the returning officer. The borough comprises the parish of Ribbesford and the hamlets of Ribbenhall, h.o.a.rstone, Blackstone, Netherton, Lower Milton, and Lickhill; the number of burgesses are 42, and 10. householders about 484. Lord Lyttelton is lord of the manor, high steward, and recorder. A few years since, Dr. James Johnstone, of Worcester, made an important discovery in this neighbourhood, of a mineral spring, whose qualities, after an attentive a.n.a.lysis, he declared to resemble those of the Harrowgate and Moffat waters. The most celebrated natives of this place were John Tombes, born in 1612, a subtle disputant, and a learned man, but a changeling sectary; and Richard Willis, who was the son of a capper, and became remarkable for his extemporaneous preaching; the latter was made chaplain to King William, and promoted to the see of Winchester, in 1714. Near a pleasant hamlet on the side of the river opposite to Bewdley, is Spring Grove, a large white building surrounded by a park, late the seat of S. Skey, Esq. to whom the country is indebted for the introduction of a breed of mules, both handsome and useful. On a hill, half a mile from Bewdley, and on the eastern bank of the Severn, is the elegant villa called Winterdyne. This agreeable retreat, plain in its appearance, yet commodious, is seated on a high and romantic cliff, embowdered in deep tufted slides, and surrounded by ornamented walks, which are diversified with Gothic turrets, seats, and hermitages. Advancing on the river, Blackstone rocks meet the eye; a bold range of dusky cliffs feathered to the top, and made romantic by the formation of a cell or hermitage, heretofore the abode of some holy man, but now a repository for the potatoes, cheese, and farming implements of a neighbouring agriculturist.
_Market_, Sat.u.r.day.--_Fairs_, April 23, July 26, and December 11, for cattle, horses, cheese, and linen and woollen cloth.--_Bankers_, Skey, Son, and Co.; draw on Lubbock and Co.; and Pardoe and Co.; draw on h.o.a.re and Co.--_Mail_ arrives 12.27 afternoon; departs 1.30 afternoon.
[Sidenote: Leland's description of the town.]
[Sidenote: The charter disputed.]
[Sidenote: Spring Grove.]
Map
Names of Places.
County.
Number of Miles From
+--+-----------------+-------+-----------+------------+ 21
Bexley[A] pa
Kent
Dartford 4
Bromley 8
7
Bexton to
Chester
Knutsford 1
Northwich 9
27
Bexwell pa
Norfolk
Downham 1
Lynn 12
21
Bibrook
Kent
Ashford 1
Kennington 1
+--+----------------+--------+-----------+------------+
Dist.
Map
Names of Places.
Number of Miles From
Lond.
Population.
+--+-------------+-----------------------+-----+------+ 21
Bexley[A] pa
Eltham 6
14
3206
7
Bexton to
Congleton 13
176
76
27
Bexwell pa
Stoke Ferry 6
85
53
21
Bibrook
Canterbury 14
54
+--+-------------+-----------------------+-----+------+
[A] BEXLEY was given by King Cenulph to the see of Canterbury. Edward II. granted a weekly market to be held here, but this has long been disused. Archbishop Cranmer alienated Bexley to Henry VIII. James I.
granted it to Sir John Spilman, who afterwards sold it to the celebrated Camden, who made over his right to the University of Oxford, for the purpose of founding an historical professors.h.i.+p; but covenanted that all the revenues of the manor should be enjoyed for 99 years from his own death, by Mr. William Heather, his heirs and successors, subject to the payment of 140. annually. The University have since granted leases from time to time, for 21 years, to the Leighs, of Hawley. The church, a peculiar of the Archbishops of Canterbury, has a s.h.i.+ngled tower and small octangular spire. On the south side of the chancel is an ancient confessional, consisting of three divisions of pointed arches, and a recess for holy water; on the north side are seven ancient stalls of oak with carved heads, and other figures. Here are several curious old monuments High-street House, which adjoins the churchyard, was rebuilt in 1701 by the late learned antiquary, John Thorpe, Esq., F.S.A., author of the ”Customale Roffense,” who purchased this estate of the Austens, of Hall Place, in 1750. On his death, his possessions devolved to his two daughters, by Catharine, daughter of Dr. Lawrence Holker, of Gravesend: High-street House, was allotted to the youngest, married to Cuthbert Potts, Esq. This gentleman became owner also, in right of his wife, of a contiguous villa, called Bourne Place, which was built about fifty years ago, by Lawrence Holker, Esq. son of Dr. Holker. Hall Place, formerly the seat of a family surnamed At-Hall, is an ancient and s.p.a.cious edifice, now occupied as a boarding-school. On August 12, 1822, Robert, Marquis of Londonderry, sinking under the weight of a very heavy session of Parliament, died by his own hand. Symptoms of mental aberration had been observed in his Lords.h.i.+p by the Duke of Wellington, who had required Dr. Blankhead to visit him; his Lords.h.i.+p severed the carotid artery with a knife, and died almost instantly. He was an able diplomatic character, and an acute and efficient Parliamentary leader--he was, in the 53d year of his age: on the 20th of the same month his remains were deposited in Westminster Abbey. The Right Honourable Nicholas Vansittart was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and raised to the Peerage by the t.i.tle of Baron Bexley, of Bexley, in Kent, on the 31st January, 1833.
[Sidenote: One of Camden's manors.]
[Sidenote: Death of Lord Londonderry.]
Map
Names of Places.
County.
Number of Miles From
+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+ 15
Bibury[A] pa
Gloucester
Fairford 5
Cirencester 7
31
Bicester[B] m.t.&pa
Oxford
Aylesbury 16
Oxford 13
34
Bickenhall pa
Somerset
Taunton 6
Ilminster 7
39
Bickenhill, Church pa
Warwick
Coles.h.i.+ll 5
Birmingham 10
39
Bickenhill, Hill ham
Warwick
4
Solihull 4
+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
Dist.
Map
Names of Places.
Number of Miles From
Lond.
Population.
+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+ 15
Bibury[A] pa
Barford 10
82
950
31
Bicester[B] m.t.&pa
Buckingham 11
55
2868
34
Bickenhall pa
Langford 11
140
270
39
Bickenhill, Church pa
Solihull 4
101
725
39
Bickenhill, Hill ham
Meriden 3
100
+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
[A] BIBURY. In the eighth century this little village belonged to the See of Worcester: in the twelfth century it was given, with certain restrictions, to the Abbey of Oseney, in Oxfords.h.i.+re; and, in 1547, it was finally alienated from the See of Worcester, to the Earl of Warwick, from whom the manor has pa.s.sed through various families to Estcourt Cresswell, Esq. Bibury is a peculiar, possessing jurisdiction over Aldsworth, Barnsley, and Winson; the Lord of the Manor, however, claims a prescriptive right of appointing his own official and chancellor, who hath the recording of wills, and the granting of licenses within the peculiar: nor doth the Lord of the Manor allow to the Bishop the right of visitation. The Church is supposed to have been rebuilt by the monks of Oseney. The architecture of the north and south doors is in the early Norman style. On the north wall was a colossal painting, in fresco, of St. Christopher, the sight of whose image, according to the monkish legends, had sufficient efficacy to preserve the spectator from sudden or violent death: the painting is now obliterated. Several monuments and inscriptions to the memory of the c.o.xwalls, and other families, are in the edifice. The mansion was built in the reign of James II., by Sir Thomas Sackville, of the family of the Earls of Dorset. From its situation on an easy eminence, it commands a fine view of the river Colne, backed by an amphitheatre of low wood, of the most variegated foliage, clothing the acclivities of the hills, and rendered more beautiful from the contrast afforded by the barren downs which appear in the distance.
[Sidenote: Monkish legends.]
[B] BICESTER lies in a flat situation near the eastern border of the county. The parish is divided into two districts, termed King's End and Market End. The church is a large and respectable edifice. There is no peculiar manufacture: but the town derives great benefit from its market and cattle fairs.
<script>