Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/73

Rh AMESBTTRT. 63 AMOUNDERNESS HUNDRED. Cholderton, Durnford, Durrington, Figheldean, Ludger- shall, Milstou, Newton Toney, North Tidworth, West Wellow ; besides parts of the four pars, of Hurst, .Shin- field, Swallowlicld, and Wokingham in Berkshire. AMESBURY, or AHBRESBTJBY, a par. in the hund. of Amcsbury, in the co. of Wilts, 7 miles to the N. of Salisbury, and 78 miles from London, or 104 miles by ihr South Western railway. The town is situated in a valley, on the river Avon, and includes the hmlt. of West or Little Ameshury. It was formerly a market (town, hut the market has been discontinued. It_is a .( of considerable antiquity. Its name is derived, ding to some authorities, from Ambrosius, a Roman a descendant of Constantine, who became tho reign nf Britain; but according to others, from i ins, or Ambrosius, a British monk, the founder of 40 monastery, which was destroyed by the Saxons ; i. >tli derivations are purely conjectural. During the 1 1 if Edgar, a synod met at Amesbury for the arrange- of disputes between the monks and the clergy. i Towards the close of the 10th century, a mitred Benedic- M unnery was founded here, by Elfrida, the widow .Igar, who hoped, perhaps, thereby to expiate the assassination of her son, at Corfe Castle. The nun- was dedicated to St. Mary and St. Jlelorius, a saint uinwall. Henry II. expelled the inmates, in 1177,
 * ncontinence, and in the same year placed in it a

i.d nuns from the abbey of Fontevrault, to i] it was made a cell. Eleanor, Queen of Henry ILL, was afterwards abbess in this convent, and died here, in 12!)1. The establishment continued till the Dissolution, wli.-n its revenue amounted to 496. In 1540 it was irred, with the manor of Amesbury, on Edward, Earl of Hertford. A mansion was erected on its site, by Inigo Jones, for the Duke of Queensberry. This I mansion was occupied for some years by a company of nuns from Louvaine, refugees in this country, after the b'ivi,,-b revolution, in 1789. It is now called Ameshury House, and is the seat of Sir E. Antrobus, Bart. The ! living is a perpet. cur. * in tho dioc. of Salisbury, val. 141, i in the patron, of the Dean and Chapter of Windsor. Tho church is very old, and is dedicated to the Virgin and St. Melorius. It is of stone and flint, and has been so much altered at various times, that it is hardly possible to distinguish its original style and features. The win- dows are foliated, and it contains a monumental brass of the year 1470. There is a chapel belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists. Tho grammar school, established in 1677, and endowed by John Rose, for the instruction of twenty is a revenue of 80. A free school, for fifty children, has an income of 50, from an endowment by Mr. Spratt. There are also a national school and a charity school, supported by voluntary contributions. The pa- rochial charities amount altogether to 157- Within this I parish, and not more than 2 miles from the town, stands that sublime and mysterious monument of the past, Stone- henge. Vespasian's Camp is an ancient entrenchment of i considerable extent, on the west side of the town. It covers j a space of 40 acres, and is defended by a rampart and ditch. Although named after tho Roman emperor, it is believed to be a British work. Several tumuli exist in the neigh- bourhood. The poet Gray resided some time with the Duke of Queensberry, and wrote some of his best poems in Amesbury House. Fairs are held on the 17th May, tho 22nd June, tho 6th October, and the 18th Decem- ber, for the sale of horses and cattle. Amesbury is the seat of a Poor-law Union. AMESTON, a vil. in the par. of Inverkeilor, in the co. of Forfar, Scotland, 5 miles to the N.E. of Arbroath. Ameston (or Auniston) House stands near it. AMINGTON, Warwickshire. See AIMIXCTOX. AMISFIELD, a vil. in the par. of Tinwald, in tho co. of Dumfries, Scotland, 4 miles to the N.E. of Dumfries. It is situated on the river Lochar, and is chiefly inter- esting for an old baronial tower, the most perfect of the kind in Scotland. It is square and slender, and has a curiously carved door, opening into one of the apart- ments, which are constructed one above another, and communicate by a narrow stair. It formerly belonged to the Anglo-Norman family of Charteris, or Chartres, but was conveyed by the marriage of the only daughter of Colonel Charteris to the noble family of Wemyss, who also possess tho mansion of the same name on the banks of the Tyne, in the par. and co. of Haddington. James I. visited it in 1617. Tho village has also some remains of an ancient fort, which was probably a Roman station. AMLWCH, a par., market town, and parliamentary borough in the hund. of Twrcelyn, in the co. and Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, 15 miles to the N.W. of Bcaumaris, 20 miles to the N.E. of Holyhead, and 261 miles from London. It is situated on the northern coast of the island, on the Irish Sea, and its port is subordinate to Beaumaris. It includes the two chplries. of Llan- wenllwyfo and Llanerchymedd. Its present importance and prosperity are of very recent and rapid growth. Previous to the year 1768, Amlwch was a mere fishing village, of very inconsiderable extent. In that year the now celebrated copper mines of the Parys mountain were discovered, and the foundation for the future wealth and progress of the town was laid. The native name of this mountain is Trysclwyn, and its more familiar name is said to be derived from Robert Paris, one of the com- missioners appointed by Henry IV., on occasion of the insurrection under Owain Glyndwr. In the most favour- able years, above 60,000 tons of ore have been taken from these mines, and 1500 hands were employed in them. After a period of decline the works are now car- ried on again, and give employment to about 1000 hands. There are several interesting proofs that the mineral wealth of the Parys mountain and its neighbourhood attracted attention at a remote period. It was probably known to the Romans, and still earlier to the Phoenicians. The Marquis of Anglesey and Lord Dinorhen are tho proprietors of the mines. A noble harbour has been constructed by tho companies who work the mines. It ia cut out of tho slate clitt', and is large and deep enough to hold thirty vessels, of 200 tons burden. It is protected by a breakwater, erected in 1822, and its bed is dry at low water. There are several dangerous rocks lying near the entrance to tho harbour. A lighthouse, 26 feet high, has been erected on the north pier. It has a fixed light, which is -visible at a distance of 9 miles. There are several smelting furnaces, employing about 100 persons, and some alum and vitriol works. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Bangor, val. 217, in the patron, of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Elaeth ; it is largo enough to hold 2000 persons, and was built in 1800, by the proprietors of the mines. There are chapels belonging to the Baptists, Independents, Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A school was founded and en- dowed, in 1689, by Edward Kynnier, for poor children. The endowment, since 1821, has been applied in aid of tho support of tho national school then established. A British school for 400 children, of both sexes, was founded in I860. Under tho Reform Bill, Amlwch was made a contributory borough, with Holyhead and Llan- gefui, to Bcaumaris, and with them returns one repre- sentative to parliament. A branch of the National Provincial Bank was established here in 1859. A fair for cattle is held on the 12th November. AMORIL, a vil. in tho par. of Batheaston, in the bund, of Bath Forum, in the co. of Somerset, 2 miles to the N.E. of Bath. It is on the river Avon, and near the Kennet and Avon canal. AMOTHERLEY, a chplry. in the par. of Appletou- Ic-Street, in the wap. of Ryedale, in the North Riding of the co. of York, 2 miles to tho N.W. of New Malton. The river Rye passes near it. There is an endowed school, with an incomeof 20 ; six of tho scholars are free. AMOUNDERNESS HUNDRED, in tho co. palatine of Lancaster, is bounded on the N. by the Irish Sea and Lonsdalo hundred south of the sands, on tho E. by Blackburn hundred, on tho S. by the estuary of Ribble, and on the W. by tho Irish Sea ; and con- tains the town of Fleetwood, the pars, of Bispham, Garstang, Kirkbam, Lytham, St. Michael-on-Wyrc. Poulton-le-Fyldc, and Preston, with parts of the pars, of Lancaster and Ribchester.