Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/389

Rh BRISTOL. 379 BRISTOL. controversy about ship-money, embraced the cause of the parliament, and the town received a garrison of the popular forces. It was besieged in 1643 by Prince KiM'iTt, and in three days, through the treachery of tin: governor, Nathaniel Fiennes, was surrendered. The royalists held it for two years, but in 16-15 it assaulted and retaken by Fairfax, the castle was then dismantled, and the fortifications destroyed by order of the parliament. In 1663 Charles II. visited the town. In 1753 great riots originated in the high price of bread ; and in 1792 were others for abolishing the tolls collected at Bristol-bridge. At the time of the
 * ^sions in parliament on the Reform Bill, in 1831,

.serious disturbances broke out here on occasion of harles Wetherell, then recorder of the city, visiting it. He was an opponent of reform, and had given his ugainst the bill. A large number of the public Imiidings were attacked and burnt by the mob, besides many private houses, and the riot was only terminated by the intervention of the military. The destruction of property, estimated at 200,000, was so great, that it led upon the city the payment of a heavy annual rate towards compensation to the sufferers. Bristol is southern extremity of the fertile vale lying between the wold hills and the river Severn. The town, which unite. The surface is very irregular, so that within the limits of the town there a'ro, as in ancient Rome, a hills. The valley in which the town stands is unilcd and sheltered by lofty hills, commanding dews of the rich and beautiful scenery around.
 * ed in a hilly and picturesque district, at the
 * spreads over an area nearly 10 miles in circuit, extends
 * the banks of the Avon and the Fromo, which here
 * ith the site of the city is a coal-field, extending be-

n 20 and 30 miles in a direction from N. to S., and the it .;i 1 iv .cks in the district are limestone and sandstone. !;:, oolite, amygdaloid, and jasper are also found. Of the neighbouring heights the principal are Clifton, -.down, Brandon Hill, and St. Michael's Hill, which rise about 250 feet above the level of the sea. There are revral bridges across the Avon, the principal of which is the handsome stone structure of three arches connecting Redclitf, on the Somersetshire side, with the middle of the city. It was completed in 1768, and occupies the site of tin ;:in-i(jnt bridge erected in the 13th century, when Redclitt was first united to Bristol. In 1861 application was made to parliament for power to purchase the elegant suspension bridge which formerly crossed the Thames at Hungerford-market, and it was removed to Clifton in 1862. Two other iron bridges, each of one arch, span the Avon, and lead to the Bath and Exeter roads. The old town covered a small space on a hill, which is now com- pletely enclosed by streets and squares of modern erec- tion. Many ancient houses are foxmd in Temple-street, Peter-street, and Mary-le-Port, some of which are tim- bered structures, with projecting upper stories. The ground in some parts of the city rises very steeply, and the o'ld streets and buildings resemble those of London previous to the great fire of 1666. But time is fast changing the aspect of the town. The modern streets are generally spacious, regular, and well paved, and contain many good and handsome houses, besides well-stocked shops and stores. The principal streets within the city are High-street, Broad-street, Clare- street, Corn-street, and Bridge-street. The extensive suburbs of Clifton and Redclift display many magnificent squares, noble crescents, terraces, and parks, inhabited by the gentry, merchants, and manufacturers of Bristol. Bristol contains, besides the cathedral and numerous old churches, some of which are of remarkable interest, a great number of important public buildings. The guildhall, situated -in Broad-street, is a noble structure, in the Tudor style of architecture, with wings and a central tower. It was erected in 1846 on the site of the old guildhall, and contains an assize court, court of requests, court of bankruptcy, and other apartments. The council house, built in 1824 on the site of St. Ewen's Church, is situated at the corner of Corn-street, and is adorned with a statue of Justice, by Baily, R.A., who was a native of Bristol. The exchange, a spacious square edifice, with an entrance of the Corinthian order, was built in 1781, at the cost of 50,000, defrayed by the Chamber of Bristol. The front, which is 110 feet in length, is elaborately carved with ideal figures, repre- senting Great Britain .receiving the products and manu- factures of the four quarters of the globe. The whole building is of stone, and the piazza is now appropriated to the corn market. The commercial rooms, in Corn- street, were erected in 1811, at the cost of 17,000. The building is of stone, with an Ionic portico, and is pro- vided with a telegraph, newspapers, and every appliance for the convenience of the merchants who meet here to transact business. The Branch Bank of England, situated in Broad-street, is a fine building, of the Doric order of architecture, and was opened for business in November, 1849. The post-office is situated in Corn- street, and is a plain stone structure. In the same street are the Bristol banks, the handsomest in archi- tectural design being the West of England and South Wales District Bank, erected in 1857, from the designs of Messrs. Gingell and Lysaght : it is Venetian-Italian with a Grecian facade, richly sculptured with figures emblematical of the English towns. The custom-house, rebuilt after the burning of the old one during the riots of 1831, is situated in Queen' s-square, close to the quay. The Victoria Rooms, in the Grecian style of architecture, with a richly sculptured portico of Corinthian columns, are situated in the Queen' s-road, Clifton, and contain a fine hall 117 feet in length, and 55 feet in breadth, in which concerts and public meetings are held. The Theatre Royal is situated in King- street, and was commended by Garrick as the most complete for its dimensions of any provincial house. There were formerly many trading companies in the city, which had halls belonging to them. The only company still existing is that of the merchants, founded and incorporated in the reign of Edward VI. Their hall is in King-street. There are a large and handsome rail- way station, in the Tudor style, assembly-rooms, the county gaol, bridewell, and house of correction ; also a police station, a savings-bank, gas and water works. These last were formed in 1847, under an Act of Par- liament, obtained in the preceding year, empowering the company to convey the water from springs in the parish of Chewton Mendip, in Somersetshire, to the stone reservoirs at Harptree and Barrow Gurney, a dis- tance of 15 miles. From here the water is conveyed in pipes, crossing the river Avon, near Bedminster, through a tubiilar arch, and distributed to 16,000 houses in the city of Bristol and suburbs. The commercial im- portance of Bristol dates from a very early period. Its port had become of note at the time of the Norman Conquest, and from that time its trade grew /rapidly, fostered both by numerous royal charters and by the enterprising spirit of the townsmen and merchants. In the early part of the 13th century the manufactures of soap, cloth, and glass were established at Redeliff, and were soon carried on on so large a scale as to supply the whole country with those articles for several centuries. Before the middle of the 15th century the port had 66 ships and about the same number of boats belonging to it, and carried 011 trade, not only with other coast towns of England and Wales, but also with Ireland, France, and Russia. One of the merchants of that time, William Canynges, already referred to, had 800 seamen and 100 artisans in his employ. A monument to this patriotic merchant, whose ships visited Iceland and Finmark, may still be seen in the church of St. Mary Redclifi'; he was mayor of Bristol, and rivalled in wealth the cele- brated "William Compyes, who owned ten ships of his own, one of which was of 900 tons burthen. The number of sailing vessels now belonging to the port is about 350, of which 200 are above 50 tons burthen ; and the number of steamers about 30. The foreign and colonial trade is of considerable extent, but the coasting trade is still more extensive. The former is chiefly with the West Indies, America, Australia, the Baltic, and West Africa. The traffic with Ireland is the most