Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/377

Rh BRIDGNORTH. 367 BRIDGTOWN. pally c the western, and a stone bridge of six arches mnects he two parts of the town, which are distin- aished the Upper and Lower town. The west bank
 * i i-'M.'kf red sandstone rising sharply from the river

i the lw;htof 180 feet. Many handsome houses form irraces no above another ou the front of the rock, hieh h ilao pierced by several caverns, and on the ^ighest (tund are seen the two parish churches and i"f the castle. For the convenience of foot pas- ingurs ; nitli has been constructed from the upper part J the t' n to the bridge, by cutting through the solid I depth of 20 feet, and forming several nights 'steps, ith handrails. The top of the hill commands strikii and delightful prospect over the river, the wn, an the rich and varied scenery of the surround- rock and meadow lands, fields and wooded ifis. 1 ring the last ten years great improvements we hi!c effected in the town ; the chief approach by 'ndoriii street has been widened, and the Wolver- /unptimoad improved. The streets are paved with and lighted with gas, and the inhabi- supplicd with water by the new water- liere is a larL';e reservoir on the summit of hiU, <>m which soft water, obtained from the river, i to the houses. A spacious townhall and mar- i! was built about 164(i, and new markets were 1855, as also a commodious workhouse. The ains the borough gaol, erected in 1823, a .ilt about the same time on part of the an- -mat, a dispensary, an infirmary, a savings- jchanics' institute, a circulating library (con- . waids of 1,000 volumes), a theological library iliy Dean Stackhouse), subscription reading- l several book clubs. The Agricultural So- m annual show 'if rattle, fruits, vegetables, nents nf husbandry, and the Cottage Garden Is prizes to the best gardeners. Bridg- ie scat of a thriving trade, chiefly in connec- . he navigation f the Severn, the building of d the export of corn and malt. There are MI mills, tanneries, and an extensive nialt- ral manufactories of carpets and rugs, and
 * -d mills, besides a sack and linen factory. The

.,!' tobacco-pipes and of nails is carried on, ti only to a small extent. The market, the u, and the general trade with the neighbouring .rihule greatly to the prosperity of the town. privileges and franchises were conferred on i iy Henry I. and Henry II., but the earliest incorporation is said to have been granted by, in 1215, the year in which Magna Charta . The elective franchise was first received i led in the 23rd year of Edward I., since which "rough has continued to return two repre- i to parliament. The government of the bo- ' 1. by an Act passed in 1835, in a mayor, ..*, and 12 councillors, the style of the corpo- <^g the " bailiffs, aldermen, and burgesses of ".h of Bridgnorth." The limits of the parlia- > rough were considerably extended by the He- id now comprise, besides the town, the several 1 itford, Oldbury, Tasley, and Astley Abbot's, " >s. of Romsley, in the par. of Alveley, and of att-Ja is, in the par. of Quatt-Malvem, containing .'1 inhabited houses, with a population of u ist 7,610 in 1851, showing an increase of 282 tip dc imial period; while the municipal borough >29 houses, inhabited by a population of 6,569, inst 6 72 in 1851, showing an increase in the decen- K of 397. The municipal borough has a revenue it t,320. Bridgnorth is the seat of a Poor-law contains the Union poorhouse. It is also i County Court district, and a polling place for ivision of the county. Petty sessions for the the recorder. There is a local jurisdiction ical matters, a court for the probate of wills > h h d cclesi id gran g letters of administration, being part of the
 * held once a fortnight, and quarter sessions
 * >ld royal 'culiar of the deanery of Bridgnorth. The

town consists of two pars., St. Mary Magdalene and St. Leonard, the livings of both being perpet. curs.* in the dioc. of Hereford, in the patron, of T. Whitmore, Esq. The val. of St. Mary's is 250. The church, which is of the Ionic order of architecture, with a tower and cupola, was built at the close of the last century, and occupies the site of an ancient one, which was origi- nally the chapel of the castle, but became the parish church about the year 1330. The val. of St. Leonard's is 308. The church, once a largo and stately struc- ture, was built about 1450 on the site of an earlier one. It was occupied by the parliamentary troops during the. Civil War, and only a small portion of it escaped (U>t i 'ac- tion. It has a noble tower, with battlements and pin- nacles, and forms a conspicuous object from its situation on the summit of the rock. It contains a screen, and some remains of the ancient ceiling of oak. This church was once collegiate. The Baptists, Independents, and Irvingites have places of worship in the town. Here is a free grammar school, established by the corpora- tion in 1503, and supported partly by an endowment producing 50 per annum, and partly by subscrip- tions. Three exhibitions to Christ Church College, Ox- ford, are connected with the school, which were founded, with 15 others in the same college, by Mr. Careswell, in 1689. There are also a blue-coat school, two National, and one infant school. The first was founded about 1720 with a small endowment, one of the ancient gates of the town being converted into the school-house. The divinity library, founded by the Rev. Hugh Stackhouse, has been since enlarged, and is kept in a handsome building near St. Leonard's church. The charitable endowments of Bridgnorth are numerous and valuable, producing alto- gether above 2,200 per annum, the larger part of which sum consists of the endowment for the exhibitions at Oxford University, already mentioned. The other prin- cipal charities are a hospital for 10 widows, founded and endowed by Francis Palmer, in 1687, with a revenue of about 130 ; and almshouses for 12 widows or daugh- ters of burgesses, with a revenue of about 160 per annum. Nothing is left of the castle but a portion of the square tower, which, from being undermined, has long leaned from the perpendicular to a considerable ex- tent. The walls originally enclosed about 14 acres. A monastery of the Grey Friars formerly existed here, founded by the Talbots, the remains of which, includ- ing the refectory in good preservation, are now used as a malthouse. Hero was also, at an early period, a lazars' hospital, which, after being occupied as a priory for some time, was made a private residence. In the Lower town is an interesting old mansion, named Canhall, in which Prince Rupert resided for a short time during the Civil War. To the east of the town was anciently a forest or chase, called the Forest of Morfe, long since enclosed. It contains a cave called the Hermitage, the retreat, according to tradition, of Athelstan's brother. In the vicinity of Bridgnorth there are remains of several military works, forts, and entrenchments. Apley Park, the fine seat of the Whitmore family, is on the banks of the Severn, 3 miles to the N. of the town. Bridgnorth was the birthplace (1729) of Bishop Percy, to whom we are indebted for a collection of the " Reliques of Ancient English Poetry ; " and of Francis Moore, the originator of the medico-prophetic almanac which still passes under his name. The market, principally for corn and beans, is held on Saturday. The annual fairs take place on the Thursday before Shrove-Tuesday, the nearest Thursday to the 15th March (for the sale of cattle and sheep), the 1st May, the 30th June, the 2nd August (for wool and cattle), the loth September (for cattle and cheese), the 29th October and two following days (for butter, cheese, hops, &c.), and the loth December (for cattle and gene- ral goods). Races are held in July. BRIDGTOWN, a par. in tho bar. of Fermoy, in the co. of Cork, prov. of Munster, Ireland, not far from Castletownroche. It is situated on the N. bank of the river Blackwater, and had formerly a monastery, of which there are some remains. They stand at the junction of the river Awbeg with the Blackwater, and consist of