Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/230

Rh BEDFOBD. 220 North-stre purpose of the founder, which embraced, besides the support of the school, the por- .f of young women and the relief of tho poor, has been carried out on the largest si harity now includra, besides the grammar school, an English school, >nal, girls', and two other schools ; a hospital for 50 children, almshouses for about 70 aged men and worn* n, with liberal allowances to the inmates ; besides a consi- derable expenditure in marriage portions to virtuous maidens, apprentice fees for boys, and otlirr benevolent objects. The grammar school is managed by trustees, and is under the inspection of the Warden and Fellows nl' N'ew College, Oxford, who have the appointment of the master and secoml in.i-vr. Tin- number of free scholars is about 150. Ki^Ut M holarships, of the ral. of 80 a year each, at cither of the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, or Dublin, are open to the pupils. A marble statue of the founder is placed over tin- entrance to the school. There is also a green-coat school, founded by Alderman Newton, of Leicester, in 1760, tin nue of which is now applied to clothing 35 boys in the National school, with which tho original school is united ; and almshouses for 8 persons, endowed by Thomas Christie in 1679. Two hospitals were founded hero in the Later p.ut of tho 13th century, dedicated to St. John and St. Leonard. The former is now tin parish church of St. John, and tho remains of the v are a farm-house. Near the river, to the west of tho town, are some remains of Culclv founded in tin- reign of King John by one of the l>c Houghtons, the value of which at tho period of the Dissolution was 1 19. Near this priory formerly stood a chapel of a very ancient monastery, in which King Offii was interred. The chapel, with its royal tomb, perished in an inundation. In the neighbourhood of Bedford are the ruins of Nowenham priory, of Elstow nunnery, and of a hospital of Grey Friars, founded before 1311. Tho county gaol stands at a short distance from the site of tho old prison, in which Bunyan was confined twelve years, and in which ho wrote his " Pil- grim's Progress.'* The Bedford library possesses the of Fox's " Boole of Martyrs" which once belonged to i'unyan. Two newspapers are published, called the I'd Timrt and the Bedford Mercury. This town gives tin- title of duke to the Kussell family. The market days are Monday nnd Saturday, on the former of whieh cattle are sold, ami on the latter, themo.-t importai.' nnd provisions. Fairs arc held on the 1st Tuesday in Lent, the 21st April, the 5th July, tho 21st A< tho 12th October, and tho 19th Decemb, i . iln of cattle, tho October fair being the principal. A wool lair takes place on the 17th November. Annual races are held in September. BKDFt >!;!>, a tn.-hp. in the par. of Leigh, hund. of I >ii l.y, in tlie co. palatine of Luncashire, 1 mile from Leigh. The Bolton and Kenyon Junction lailuay runs near it. Tho workpeople are. < -hii -lly rmpl' tho cotton manufactures. Good limestone which is much used for subaqueous works. Tin living is a ,r. in the dinr. of Mum heater, val. ion. of the Vicar of ].' < Ys- 1 tedford Hall is in the i 1<. .in hood. l!F.I>Fol;I> L 1'.VKL, an extensive tract of flat marshy > called the Kens, on the eastern coast of England, comprising pri* of the six coiu.ii lof l.i ugdon, Cambridge, Norfolk, and k It is - the south of tho Wash, c- ig from the river Welland, in the south-east part of Milton, in Cambridgeshire; and from Nen, in Northampton*!' Brandon, on the Little < ins,, in Suffolk. It is about 40 !...m N. to S., and tho same in its .4 South Levels. The first is the ! N' n ; the second, till n ami the i liver; in third, that whieh lies to the south-east of the old Bedford river. The area of the Level is estimated at about 400,000 acres. Above half of that area is prised in the Isle of Kly. When the Romans in' Britain, tho whole of this district, it if great marsh, and its surface was considerably at present. Roman wa i ied across its site, of which is still to be soi n. Writers of the 1 : ibe the Fens as being at that tin and agreeable country, with lakes and many ri woods, and orchards, lint in the following was all changed ; f< >r in the year 1236, on occasion i fierce storm which lasted above a week, the sea broke i sjid spread destruction over the country. Similarc tie, ixvurrc times in subsequent yean; natural drainage was stopped, and the whole again became a morass. In some ports it was < with stagnant water above ten fei !aU i necessary for communication between the towns villages. In the loth century, the first made to drain the Fens. One of these i s Cut, from Peterborough to < ! uyln i : width, and now forming part of tho river J several other failui the reign of Charles 1, by Fi-. i charter was granted to the company torn presidency of that nobleman, and in tin. proposed works were completed. It waa in of this important undertaking for the drainage^ of 1 Fens that they have since been called the Fresh works, however, soon became ne and in 1664 the compiu poration, with all necessary ud reguli for maint.iining and improving then: the Corporation of Bedford Level, and consist -...I, ii bailing, 20 conservators, and a common Tie principal cuts form, d under their management I the Old anil N. ..iier, S* Cut, Peekirk, South-eau, and other great drains, I many smaller ones. The most important! are the following: A new ehanm. the outfall of the Nen, by which a larger I ..- d, ami the Wish. a. hnavig:. . .111 m n nil -at ion opened bet'.- Norfolk by .1 bridge over that eh across the sands at 8utt.ni Wash; a the waters of the North Level ; a long, for tho drainage of the Midd for the drainage of Whittlesea M Nen outfall was 200,000 ; thatof tin i. North Level, 150,000. The Old and rivers, which run parallel to each ot li and 1 mile apart. Tho ii wide. They extend from F.arith in Cambridp Ii. . nil. mi in Norfolk. BEDFORDSHIRE, an inland co on the N.i:. by Huntingdonshire, on i ie S.E. and S. by Hortforfr** 1 tie W. by r.uckinghamshire and Northamp form it approaches a long oval; but its outJ It is about !>."' miles in S., and about '2'1 miles in il has a circuit of about 1-15 miles, and c area of 462 square miles, or al>. acres, is one of tho smallest counties in England, three r containing a less area, vi/., Huntingdon, Midd Uiilland. It is situated between 51 49' and i lat..aml b.-tweonO 10' and 42' W. long. ithBritainv n, in the territory occupied by the trib pn.lr.iblv tl the Cattyeue/ilani. the dominion ..I the Komans it 1 division of the country whieh was called by ti ,/</.!. Tin ee roads constructed, or prob and improved, bv the Unmans, crossed this co [knield Stmt, and another leading Ottt i Ishire into Cambridgeshire. WaUing Street I across the s comer of the county. DunsUible, to Fenny Stratford, in Buckinghas^B^ coincid. t the great i don to Chester. Iknield Street runs in a south-w<
 * eadth. The Level is divided into three ports,