Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/216

Rh HARWELL. 203 HARWOOD. of Cornwall, King of the Romans. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 670, and the vicarial for 170. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 320. The church, dedicated to St. Matthew, is an ancient structure with square em- battled tower containing six bells. In the interior are several monuments, one to Christopher Smith, Lord Mayor of London, who was a native of this parish. The Wesleyans have a chapel, and there is a National school for boys and girls, with a small endowment. There are almshouses for six widows, with an income of 141, besides several other small charities for apprenticing children and for the poor. Sir John Chetwode, Bart., is lord of the manor. HARWELL, a hmlt. in the par. of Everton, North Clay div. of the wap. of Bassetlaw, co. Nottingham, 2 miles S.E. of Bantry. HARWICH, a hmlt. in the pars, of Whitstable and Seasalter, hund. of Whitstable, lathe of St. Augustine, co. Kent, 6 miles N.W. of Canterbury. It is situated near the mouth of the river Swale. HARWICH, a seaport, market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, in the par. of Dovercourt, hund. of Tendring, co. Essex, 19 miles N.E. of Colchester, and 70 from London by the Harwich branch of the Great Eastern railway, which was opened for traffic in 1854. The town stands 011 high ground at the end of a small peninsula projecting into the estuary formed by the Stour and the Orwell. It is a healthy place, with a fine bold shore, and is much resorted to in summer as a fashionable watering-place. The population of the town in 1861 was 3,360 ; but of the municipal and par- liamentary boroughs, which include Upper and Lower Dovercourt, 5,070. In the decennial period since 1851, it has increased no less than 619, and this notwithstand- ing the depression in its trade from the extinction of the largo establishments connected with the packet line to Holland and Hamburgh, and the royal naval dockyard. The Ordnance have still a depot here, and the new buildings connected with the coastguard station were finished in June, 1858. During the summer season steamers run to London and Ipswich, and a considerable coasting-trade is carried on chiefly with Ipswich and Manningtrec. Several ships are also employed in the fisheries. The total number oi' vessels belonging to the port is 118, with an aggregate tonnage of 7,688 tons. Ship-building is carried on, and there is a dockyard, from which several third-rates have been launched. Tho Royal Harwich Yacht Club, founded in 1843, has its station here, and regattas are held annually. The harbour is one of the finest on the eastern coast, capable of containing many hundred vessels, and has been a continental port since the reign of Edward II. Queen Isabella landed here in 1326, and Edward III. in 1338. The same monarch embarked here in 1340, to encounter the French fleet, and William III., George I., and George II., sailed from here on their visits to Holland and Hanover. It was likewise the landing-place of Queen Charlotte, and of Louis XVIII. in 1808. The only approach is by a narrow passage close under the Suffolk coast. The other part of the entrance is obstructed by a bar called the Andrews sand-bank, which extends from near Languard Point to the Beacon Cliff and the Rolling Ground, where is good anchorage. The whole harbour was, a few years back, in danger of being shilted up by the continual increase of the shingle on the Suffolk coast, amounting to 800 feet since the commencement of the present century, while the low-water mark has gained fully 600 feet on the Essex shore, chiefly owing to the digging away of the Beacon cliff for the manu- facture of Roman cement. In 1845 a commission, which had been appointed in 1844, reported strongly in favour of making Harwich a harbour of refuge for the eastern coast. To effect this object, extensive works have been executed at a cost of over 130,000, comprising a break- water from Beacon Cliff, to divert the current towards Languard Point, and also for deepening the channel by dredging through the Altar, Cod, and Glutton shoals, at the entrance of the harbour, so as to give a depth of 18 feet at low-water spring tides, and thus enable first- class vessels to enter the harbour at all times. In con- nection with the breakwater, which runs 1,550 feet into the sea, stone slopes of great strength and extent have been constructed round Beacon Cliff, protecting it from the wash of the sea, and facilitating the formation of a gravel walk upwards of a mile in length, from the esplanade to the end of the breakwater. A little above the esplanade is a redoubt and martello tower, and nearly opposite is Languard Fort, commanding the harbour, originally constructed in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. Besides the works undertaken by the govern- ment, the corporation have recently been carrying out extensive improvements in the town, under the Harwich Improvement Quays and Pier Act of 1851. Although the corporation revenues only amount to 1,000 a year, at least 23,000 have already been spent, principally upon the construction of a new pier, approachable at all times of the tide ; the formation of extensive quays along the whole N. front of the town, and the taking-in of land from the harbour, for the formation of docks now in progress. To direct vessels entering the harbour, several lights have been put up the Low Light near the beach, and the High Light nearer the town of Harwich ; also two lights at Dovercourt, about 2 miles. S.W. of the town. The beach is well adapted for bathing, particu- larly towards the new suburb of Dovercourt, being smooth and sandy, and is well supplied with bathing- machines, &c. A Spa House was erected at the latter place in 1854, with pump-room, saloon, library, and conservatory. The town of Harwich is a place of great antiquity, having been a Roman station, and was the scene of the victory gained by King Alfred over the Danish fleet in 885. It first sent representatives to parliament in the reign of Edward III., but not again till that of James I., from which time it has constantly returned two representatives for the borough of Harwich, which includes the whole of the parish of Dovercourt, with the populous suburb of Dovercourt New Town. Its boundaries were not altered by the Reform Bill. Under the Municipal Corporations Act, the town is governed by a mayor, 4 aldermen, 12 councillors, and high steward. A county court is held monthly, and borough sessions every Tuesday, in the townhall, where also the Admiralty courts are held. In the town are a custom-house, gaol, one bank, savings-bank, penny bank, opened in 1858, and extensive manufactories of Roman cement. In connection with this manufacture, nume- rous vessels are employed at the mouth of the harbour, dredging for cement stone off the Western rocks. The parish church of Dovercourt is situated about 2 miles from the town of Harwich, on the road to Colchester ; but there is a chapel-of-ease in the town, rebuilt in 1821, and capable of containing 1,500 persons. It is dedicated to St. Nicholas, and has three stained-glass windows in the chancel, and a tomb of Secretary Clarke, killed in 1666, in the action with the Dutch Admiral De Ruyter. The register dates from 1558. The Indepen-. dents, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists have chapels, and there are several schools. The cor- poration school was founded in 1724 by Humphry Parsons, and has an income from endowment of 28, for which 32 boys are educated on the foimdation. There are National schools for boys and girls, and Sunday-schools. There are no remains of the town walls, gates, or castle, but traces of a camp, where tesselated pavements and coins have been found. The Marquis of Downshire takes from this place the title of baron. Market day is Tues- day. Fairs for toys and pedlery are held on the 1st May and 18th October. HARWOOD, a chplry. and tnshp. in the par. of Bolton-le-Moors, hund. of Salford, co. Lancaster, 3 miles N.E. of Bolton railway station, and 4 from Bury. Tho village, -which is considerable, contains calico and dimity mills, and a colliery. The living is a perpct. cur.* in the dioc. of Manchester, val. 100. Christ Church is a modern structure of stone, with a small tower. The Primitive Methodists have a chapel, and there is a National school.