Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 4.djvu/399

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Year. Ancient City. Added Districts. Total. 1801 40,814 20,339 61,153 1811 46,592 24,891 71,483 1821 52,889 32,219 85,108 1831 59,074 45,334 104,408 1841 64,266 60,880 125,146 1851 65,716 71,612 137,328 1861 66,027 88,066 154,093 1S71 62,602 119,890 182,552 1em 1em

Architecture and Public Buildings.—To a few great baronial families the earls of Gloucester, the Berkeleys, and the Gaunts in its early history, and to a few great merchants the Canyngs, the Shipwards, and Framptons in its later career, the architecture, principally ecclesias tical, for which Bristol is famous, has been due. Though much of this has been destroyed, much remains. Robert Fitzhamon s Norman tower of St Peter, the oldest church tower in Bristol, still presents its massive square to the eye. Of the castle of Robert earl of Gloucester, the walls of which were 25 feet thick at the base, nothing remains, but there still exist some walls and vaults of the later strong hold, including a fine Early English cell. The grand nave of St James s church, which the same noble also erected, and wherein he was buried, yet stands. Of Fitz Harding s abbey of Austin canons, founded in 1142, the stately entrance gateway, with its sculptured mouldings, has hardly been injured by seven centuries exposure to rudeness of weather and greater rudeness of men. The abbot s gateway, the vestibule to the chapter room, and the chapter-room itself, which is carved with Byzantine exube rance of decoration, and acknowledged to be one of the grandest Norman rooms in Europe, are also perfect. The Early English lady chapel, the geometrical east window, and the side aisles in their singular design and beauty are other specific features of the abbey church, now the cathe dral. The nave just added to the 14th century structure has cost to the present time 40,000. Besides the canopied tombs of the Berkeleys with their effigies in chain mail, and similarly unique tombs of the crosiered abbots, there are memorials. to Bishop Butler, to Sterne s Eliza, and to Lady Hesketh the friend of Cowper, who are all here interred. Also there is here Mason s touching epitaph : &quot; Take holy earth, &c.,&quot; and monuments liy Baily and Chantrey. All Hallow s church has a modern Italian campanile, but is in the main 15th century, with the retention of four Norman piers in the nave ; and is interesting from its connection with the ancient guild of calendars, whose office it was &quot; to convert Jews, instruct youths,&quot; and keep the archives of the town. Theirs was the first free library in the city, possibly in England. The records of the .church contain a singularly picturesque representation of the ancient customs of the fraternity. The chapel of the Gaunts is 13th and 14th century, and presents with its rich panelled roof, pictured windows, carved tabernacles and tombs, a concentration of mediaeval Gothic art. Of St Michael s, St Thomas s, and Werburgh s, only the towers (15th century) are preserved of the old structures. St Nicholas church is modern, on a crypt of the date 1503 and earlier. Temple church, with its leaning tower, 5 feet off the perpendicular, retains nothing of the Templars period, but is a fine building of the Decorated and following style. The tower and spire of St John s (15th century) stand on one of the gateways (same date) of the city. This church is a parallelogram, without east or west windows or aisles, but is built upon a groined crypt, St Mary le Port and St Augustine the Less are churches of the Perpendicular era, and not the richest specimens of their kind. St Philip s has an Early English tower, but its external walls and windows are for the most part debased Perpendicular. St Stephen s church, built between 1450 and 1490, is a dignified structure, but is chiefly interesting for it fan-traceried porch and stately tower, the latter being hardly surpassed by any parish tower in England. It was built entirely by the munificence of John Shipward, a wealthy merchant. The crown of Bristol architecture is, however, the church of St Mary PiedclifY, which for grandeur of proportion, and elaboration of design and finish, is entitled to stand in the selectest rank of English parish churches, and might be compared with a lesser cathedral. It was built for the most part in the latter part of the 14th century by William Canyng, but the sculptured north porch, which has cost 2535 to restore, is externally Decorated, and internally Early English. The fine tower is also Decorated. The spire just added has cost 5500. The restoration of the church has extended over thirty years, at an expense of 40,000. Among conventual remains, of the Dominican priory there exist the Early English refectory and dormitory, the latter comprising a row of fifteen original windows and an oak roof of the same date; and of St Bartholomew s hospital there is a double arch, with intervening arcades, also Early English. The small chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne, and Holy Trinity Hospital, both Perpendicular, comprise, with the remains of the Austin canonry attached to the cathedral, nearly the whole of the monastic relics. There are many good specimens of ancient domestic architecture, notably some arches of a grand Norman hall and some Tudor windows of Colston s house, Small Street ; Canyng s house, with good Perpendicular oak roof ; and St Peter s Hospital, Jacobean and earlier. In all there are 42 Episcopal churches, and 81 dissenters chapels, the latter comprising 10 Baptist, 19 Congrega- tionalist, 11 Wesleyan, and 5 Roman Catholic (besides G convents). The Exchange is a quadrangular colonnade, with a noble frontage by Wood of Bath. The Guildhall is modern Tudor Gothic. The Bristol Museum and Library is a fusion of the two leading philosophical and literary societies of the district, a spacious building in the Venetian Gothic style, having been built for their joint purposes. The geological collection is among the best provincial collections ; the library (40,000 vols.) is the largest in the west of England. There is also a free library, under the Act.

