Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/33

Rh ABEAM. 23 ACHNACEAIG. nobleman, who is chief heritor, and takes hence the title of earl. The earldom was created by Charles II. in 1660, in recompense for the services of Charles, third son of the Marquis of Himtley, during the civil war. ABEAM, a tnshp. in tho par. of Wigan, and hund. of West Derby, in the co. palatine of Lancaster, 3 miles S.E. of Wigan. It is situated on the Leigh canal and the Newton railway. The population has been increasing of late years, and is chiefly employed in the collieries. The living is a cur., val. 120, in the dioc. of Chester, and in the patron, of the rector. ABRIDGE, a hmlt. of Lambourne. in the hund. and union of Ongar, and co. of Essex, 4 miles S. of Epping, and 7 from Romford, its post town. It is seated on the small river Eoding, about 13j miles from Whitechapel and Shoreditch, and is a cur. united with the rect. of Lambourne, in the dioe. of Rochester. ABSON, or ABSTON, a par. in the hund. of Puckle- church, in the co. of Gloucester, 5 miles S.W. of Chipping Sodbury, and 7 miles N.E. of Bristol. It is united with Wick, and contains the limits, of Holbrook and Bridge- Yate. It is situated on a branch of the river Avon on tho Cotswolds, at the foot of a rocky hill which rises to the height of 200 feet, and consists of alternate strata of limestone and petrosilex. An ancient camp exists here which is considered to be of British origin. This parish was formerly a possession of Glastonbury Abbey. Toghill, the scene of an engagement in 1642, in which Waller suffered a defeat, and Sir B. Granville was killed, is included in it. Coal and lime are obtained here. Boinan coins, urns, bricks, &c., have been found. The living is a perpet. cur. united with the vie. of rucklcchurch, in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol. The church is dedicated to St. James. ABTHORPE, a par. in the hund. and union of Tow- cester, in the co. of Northampton, 3 miles S.W. of Towcester. It is situated on the small river Tovc, and contains the hamlets of Charlock and Foscote. The Duke of Grafton is lord of the manor. The charities of the parish amount to 191 a year, and are applied partly to the support of a school founded in 1646 by Jane Lccson for the instruction of poor children, and partly to the relief of the poor in this and 29 other places. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Peterborough, val. 215, and is in the patron, of the Bishop of Lichfield and trustees of Leeson's Charity alternately. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. ABURY, Wiltshire. See AVEBURY. ABY, a par. in the Marsh div. of the hund. of Calce- worth, in the co. of Lincoln, 3 miles to the N.W. of Alford. It contains the hamlet of Greenfield. The living is a vie. united to the rect. of Belleau in the dioc. of Lincoln. The church is dedicated to All Saints. ACASTEE MALBIS, or MALBYSSE, a par. chiefly in the wap. of Ouse and Dei-went, partly in the ainsty of the City of York, in the East Eiding of the co. of York, 3 miles S. of York. It was the estate of the Malbisses after the Conquest. It is situated on the river Ouse, which is navigable, and near the North Midland railway. It has a charity school, which was founded and endowed with land by John Knowles in 1603. Fourteen poor children appointed by the feoffees are educated in it. The living is a cur., val. 56, in the dioc. of York, in the patron, of F. Lawley, Esq. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. ACASTEE SELBY, a tnshp. in the par. of Stilling- fleet, in the ainsty of the City of York, in the East Eiding of the co. of York, 7 miles S.W. of York. Tad- caster is the post town. It was formerly part of the possessions of Selby Abbey. It is pleasantly situated on tho Ouse, near the junction of the Wharfe with that river. A college for a Provost and Fellows was founded here by Eobert Stillington, one of the fellows being required to instruct children. Its revenue at the Disso- lution was 33 10. 4rf. Tho living is a cur. in the dioc. of York, val. 40, in the patron, of SirW. M. Milner, Bart. ACCOT, a hmlt., 2J miles distant from Swinbridgo, in the hund. of Southmolton, in the co. of Devon, 5 miles E. from Barnstaple railway station. It is situated in a valley surrounded by hills. ACCRINGTON, a chplry., post-town, and considerable vil. in the par. of Whalley, and hund. of Blackburn, in the co. palatine of Lancaster, 4 miles N.W. of Haslingdeu. It includes the two townships of Old and New Accrington, and has become within the last few years a place of some consequence. Tho population has increased at a very rapid rate. It is situated on the river Henburn, near the Leeds and Liverpool canal, and is a station on the East Lancashire railway. Its importance is derived from its position in tho centre of the calico-printing trade. Several large cotton-mills and print-works have been established, which afford abundant occupation to the working classes. Many hands are employed in the coal-mines and quarries. The living of Old Accrington is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Manchester, val. 300, in the patron, of Hulme's Trustees. The church was taken down and rebuilt in 1826. The living of Christ Church is a cur., in the patron, of trustees. There is a national school which was erected in 1806. ACHAEACLE, Inverness-shire. See AHARACLE. ACHAEN, a vil. in the par. of Kenmore, in Perthshire, Scotland, 2 miles S.W. of Kenmore. It is situated near the south shore of Loch Tay, on Acharn Burn, which has a fall of 80 feet, and runs into Loch Tay. ACHILL, a par. in the bar. of Burrishoole, in the co. of Mayo, in the prov. of Connaught, Ireland, 14 miles to the N.W. of Newport. It comprehends the islands of Achill and Achillbog, and the peninsula of Gun-awn Achill. Tho parish lies between Clew or Newport and Black Sod bays, and was formerly the property of the O'Donnells. The Island of Achill is the largest off the Irish coast, from which it is separated by Achill Sound. It is about 16 miles in length, and 7 in breadth, and has a coast line of about 80 miles in circuit. It consists entirely of mountain and bog. The eastern side is well sheltered, the western is mostly rocky and precipitous. At its south-western extremity is the promontory called Achill Head, and at its northern extremity, that called Saddle Head. The smaller Island of Achillbeg is separated from Achill by a narrow sound called Achill Hole, an excellent and safe harbour for vessels of largo size in all weathers. It has a coastguard station and a fishing-pier. Its western side is very wild and unap- proachable, even in still weather, on account of the Atlantic swells, which run to a great height. Currawn Achill, which is also named the Hook of Achill, lies east of the island. The isthmus of Pollranny connects this peninsula with tho mainland. The hill of Currawn has an elevation of 1,715 feet above the level of the sea. At Slievemore, the hills rise to the height of 2,204 feet ; at Mincelin, 1,530 feet, and at Knockmore, 1,190 feet. On Mincelin Hill, there is a precipice rising abruptly from the sea to the height of 700 feet. There were no roads in Achill till about forty years ago. The people are in a very primitive state, and are principally occupied in fishing. There is no church, glebehouse, nor glebe. The living is a rect., val. 89, in the dioc. of Tuanj, Killala, and Achonry, and in the patron, of the bishop. A Protestant mission was established at Dugarth in 1832, and divine service is performed at the mission house there twice each Sunday in the English and Irish languages. A paper, called the Achill Herald, is also published there. There is a coastguard station at Keel. Amethysts are found there. Eenmins of churches and burial-grounds exist at Kildavnet and Slievemore, and at Kildavnet are traces of an ancient castle, which belonged to Grace O'Malley. ACHINDAVY, or AUCHENDAVY, a vil. in the par. of Kirkintilloch, in tho co. of Dumbarton, Scotland, 2 miles E. of Kirkintilloch. It is situated on the river Kelvin, and was formerly a Eoinan station on the wall of Antonino. ACHMUTHIE, Forfarsliire. See Ac CHKUTHIE. ACHNACRAIG, a vil. in the par. of Torosay, in the Isle of Mull, co. of Argyle, Scotland, 8 miles W. of Oban. It is situated on Achnacraig Loch. There is a ferry for cattle to the mainland, across Kerrera Island.