Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/125

Rh GLOUCESTER. 117 GLOUCESTERSHIRE. as an almost unrivalled specimen of the perpendicular style of architecture. Its extreme length is 427 feet, breadth 154 feet, and its tower in height is 223 feet. In the interior are monuments of Robert, son of William I. ; of Edward II., Robert Raikes, and a marble statue of Dr. Jenncr. The episcopal palace adjoins the cathedral at the W. end. The parish churches are Christ Church, St. Mary do Lode, St. Michael's, St. James', St. Mary de Crypt, St. Aldate's, St. Mark's, and St. John's. There are also several places of worship for the Baptists, Inde- pendents, Jews, Roman Catholics, Quakers, and Unita- rians. There are three schools the college school, the blue-coat, and the free grammar school of St. Mary de Crypt; there are also British and National schools. Among the benevolent institutions are the County In- firmary, Kimbrose Hospital, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, St. Margaret's Hospital, a lunatic asylum, an eye hos- pital, and a house of industry. The chief public build- ings are the county hall in Westgate-street, where the courts of sessions are held ; the county gaol, consisting of a penitentfary, bridewell, and sheriff's prison ; the city gaol ; the savings-bank ; and the cattle market. There are also a working man's association, literary' and scientific association, agricultural, horicultural, and medical societies, a choral society, theatre, public libraries, and reading-rooms. Assizes are held in the town, and the South Gloucestershire Militia have their head-quarters here. The approach to the city has been greatly improved by the Gloucester and Berke- ley Ship canal, by which the shallowness of the Severn is "avoided. There are two handsome bridges over the two channels of the Severn, connected by a paved road called Over's Causeway, which extends through the rich pasture land of the Isle of Alney. Gloucester has been represented in parliament since the 23rd of Edward I. At a very early period it was constituted a county in itself; it is also the head of a Poor-law Union, and of new County Court and registration districts. It returns two members to parliament, the municipal and parlia- mentary limits being co-extensive. In 1851 the number of inhabited houses was 2,843, and the population 17,572, which in 1861 had declined to 16,512, while the number of houses had in the decennial period increased to 2,854, showing a considerable improvement in the condition of the people. The city is divided into 3 wards, and is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 town councillors. It has a large trade with the Baltic and other foreign ports, and imports corn, timber, wines, and spirits ; and has an export trade in iron, salt, malt, coal, bricks, and pottery. In the town are breweries, soaperies, steam flour and saw-mills, brass and iron foundries ; ship, boat, and barge building ; tanneries ; marble, slate, and millstone works, &c. Gloucester in noted for its musical festivals, which are triennial; and for its saline chalybeate spa. Two newspapers are published in the town the Gloucester Journal and Gloucestershire Chronicle. It does not appear that this city was erected into a bishopric with dean and chapter till 1541, in the reign of Henry VIII. In 1836 the diocese of Bristol was united to Gloucester. It is in the province of Canter- bury, and extends over Gloucestershire, the city and deanery of Bristol, and portions of Somersetshire and Wiltshire, and consists of 429 benefices. It is divided into 2 archdeaconries Bristol and Gloucester. The i!i i]>ter of Gloucester comprises a dean, archdeacon, 5 us, 7 honorary canons, 3 minor canons, and a ehan- r. That of Bristol the same, with the exception of one more canon, and honorary canon. The corn market is in Eastgate-street, and its market day is Saturday. The cattle market is near the railway station, and its usual market day the third Monday in each month. The fairs lire held on the 5th April, 5th July, 28th September, and 28th November, the three first for cattle and the last for cattle and pleasure. Numerous Roman antiqui- li"S including some fine specimens of tesselated pave- 1, and a statera, or Roman steelyard, have been dis- covered at various times, particularly in the suburb of King's Holm, supposed to have been the site of the Kinn:iii si ttlenient. vol.. n. GLOUCESTERSHIRE, an inland shire on the basin of the Severn, is bounded on the E. by Oxfordshire, N. by Warwickshire and Worcestershire, W. by Hereford- shire and Monmouthshire, and S. by Somersetshire and Wiltshire. Its greatest length is 64 miles, and greatest breadth 43. The area is about 1,258 square miles, or 805,102 acres, with a population in 1861 of 485,770, having increased 16,143 in the decennial period since 1851. The earliest inhabitants of this county were called by the name of Dobuiii, and were subject to their neigh- bours, the Catteuchlani, before they were conquered by the Romans in 45. Under the Saxon dynasty Gloucester- shire formed part of the Mercian kingdom, and was sub- sequently much troubled by invasions of the Danes. In the civil wars between Queen Maud and Stephen it was greatly disturbed. In the reign of Henry II. the Welsh made numerous incursions, but were repulsed. This county took a prominent part both in the Wars of the Roses, and in the civil wars of the 17th century between the crown and the parliament. Nature has divided Gloucestershire into three distinct districts the Hill, formed by a range of high land running through the county from N. to S., called the Cotswold hills ; the Vale, which lies between the hills and the Severn, and is in extent 25 miles long by 4 broad ; the Forest, chiefly occupied by the Forest of Dean. The principal rivers are the Severn, entering the county near Tewkes- bury, where it is joined by the Upper Avon, and then winds S.W. through Gloucester, passes near Berkeley, and at length becomes a broad estuary ; the Wye, form- ing the boundary between Gloucestershire and Mon- mouthshire ; the Lower Avon, forming the boundary between Gloucestershire and Somersetshire, and which empties itself into the estuary of the Severn ; the Upper Avon, the North Frome, the Ledden, the Stroud, the Windrush, the Colne, and the Thames. There are four canals the Thames and Severn canal, the Stroud water canal, the Hereford canal, and the Gloucester and Berkeley canal. The railways that traverse the county are the Great Western, passing by the S. to Bristol, Exeter, and Plymouth, and at Swindon sending off a northerly branch, which crosses the Severn at Gloucester and joins the South Wales line ; and a branch of the Mid- land railway connects Cheltenham with the Bristol and Birmingham line. The climate of Gloucestershire is favourable to cultivation, the Cotswolds affording good pasture land for sheep, and bearing tolerable crops of oats and barley, while in the Valo the soil produces great crops of wheat and beans. Improvements as regards tillage of the land have been lately introduced with very beneficial results. Wheat, rye, barley, and other ordi- nary crops are raised. Potatoes and turnips are pro- duced in great quantities. The chief product, however, of the county is butter and cheese, of which great quan- tities are made, and sold throughout the kingdom. Cows and sheep are the chief cattle which are bred with any success. The breed of the Gloucestershire cows, and that of the Cotswold and Ryeland sheep, stand almost unrivalled. There are some fine orchards here, for the manufacture of perry and cider. Gloucestershire is divided into 28 hundreds, containing 351 parishes, 1 city and part of another, and 28 market towns. It is governed by a lord-lieutenant and custos, with about 60 deputy-lieutenants, and 390 magistrates. It is in tho Oxford circuit, and constitutes 2 archdeaconries in tho diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, forming part of the province of Canterbury. Previous to the Reform Bill tho county was represented by two members in parliament ; it is now formed into two divisions, eastern and western, each of which sends two members. The boroughs of Glou- cester, Stroud, Cirencestcr, and Tewkesbury each return two members, and that of Cheltenham one. As regards the manufactories they are numerous and important; cloth, hat, felt, stockings, lace making, &c., are the princi- pal. At Bristol are several manufactories for brass, iron,"glass, floorcloth, &c. There are many traces of the Roman occupation, as the Fosse Way, Ermine Street, Icknield Street, and tho Vin Julia ; also thr; quadrangle of a Roman camp near the village of Bourton-on-tho- o.