Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/598

Rh LHANBEYDE. 590 LICHFIELD. village, which is small, is in a sad state of dilapidation. A portion of the land is in rabbit warren and common, and the remainder nearly evenly divided between arable and pasture. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 280. The living is a rect., not in charge, annexed to that of Ashwicken, in the dioc. of Norwich. The church is in ruins. LHANBEYDE, a par. in the co. of Elgin, Scotland. See ST. ANDREW'S, LHANBHIDE. LIBBEESTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Filey, wap. of Pickering Lythe, North Hiding co. York, 4 miles N. of Hunmanby. LIBBEETON, a par. in the Upper ward of the co. of Lanark, Scotland, 2 miles S. of Carnwath, its post town. It was united in 1660 to the par. of Quothquan. It is 7 miles from N. to S., and 4 in breadth. It con- tains about 8,700 imperial acres, of which 5,700 are under tillage. Through the parish runs the Clyde, and its tributary stream the Methven, or Medwin, on the banks of which are some fertile spots. It is in the presb. of Biggar and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. The minister's stipend is 226. The church is a modern structure. Quothquan Law is a hill about 600 feet above the Clyde. On this eminence is a large stone known as, Wallace's chair, on which he is said to have sat in council shortly before the battle of Biggar. Sir N. McD. Lockhart, Bart., is the chief heritor. LIBBEEY, a vil. in the par. of Graflon Flyford, co. Worcester, 8 miles E. of Worcester. LIBEETON, a par. in the co. of Edinburgh, Scot- land, 2 miles S. of Edinburgh. It contains the vils. of Upper (or Over) Liberton, Liberton Kirk, and Nether Liberton, with Gilmerton and Green End. Its length northward is about 7 miles, and its greatest breadth is 4 miles. The area of the par. is about 4,140 acres, of which 3,550 are under tillage. It is watered by the Braid-burn and Burdiehouse-burn. The parish, which lies at the base of the Pentland hills, is exceedingly populous, and its coal mines and lime works are most extensive and valuable. There are several sandstone quarries in the neighbourhood. It is in the presb. of Edinburgh and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, in the patron', of the crown. The minister's stipend is 327. The parish church, situated at Kirk Liberton, is a semi- Gothic structure; it was erected in 1815 and is very commodious. There are besides a chapel-of-ease and two Free churches in the parish. There are nine schools, four of which are partly endowed. Craigmillar Castle is an old ruin standing on rising ground, and commands an extensive prospect. Queen Mary, after her return in 1561, made this castle her residence. Niddry, Southfield, Mount Vernon, and Brunstane are the chief mansions. Galachlaw Hill, in this parish, is the site of Cromwell's encampment previous to the battle of Dunbar in 1650. The ancient Balm well at St. Catherine's contains mineral oil. LIBO, a small loch in co. Eenfrew, Scotland, near Neilston. It is situated under Lochliboside Hill, and is the source of the river Lugton. LICHABT, a loch in co. Eoss, Scotland. It is situated under Ben Wyvis, and is drained by the river Contin, abounding in trout. LICHFIELD, a city, market town, municipal and parliamentary borough exercising separate jurisdiction, but locally situated in the S. div. of Offlow hundred, co. Stafford, 18 miles S.E. of Stafford, 15 N. of Birming- ham, and 115* N.W. of London by the South Stafford- shire and London and North- Western railways, on which it is a station. The city stands in a vale sur- rounded by hills of moderate height, and is divided at the southern extremity from the Cathedral Close by a small stream, which is crossed by bridges. As it has never been surrounded by walls its shape is irregular, and many of the streets extend to a considerable dis- tance from the body of the town. The majority of the houses are modern. The name is of Saxon origin, and the first syllable is variously interpreted some say that " lich" signifies a marsh, while others ascribe to it the moaning of corpse, and assert that this name was given to the city at the time of the persecution of the Chris- tians under Diocletian. Christian Field, near the city, is said to bo the spot where 1,000 martyrs were put to death. The Eoman station of Etocetum was in the immediate neighbourhood. Lichfield was the seat of only bishopric in Mercia in the early Saxon period, and the first bishop is said to have been appointed by Oswy, king of Northumbria, after his defeat of Penda, king of Mercia. Ethelbald divided the see into the five dioceses of Lichfield, Leicester, Lincoln, Hereford, and AVor- cester. In the time of William I. the city had si decreased that he transferred the bishopric to Chester but it was restored by King Stephen, during whosi reign a castle was built by Eoger do Clinton, and a mint was also instituted. The whole city was destroyed by fire in 1291, with the exception of the" castle, in which Eichard II. was confined in 1399 ; and in 1593 it was visited by a plague. During the Civil Wars in the 17th century the city was taken by Lord Brooke, on behalf of the parliament, in 1643, retaken by Prince Eupert, but finally given up by him in 1646. At the time of thd rebellion in 1745, the Duke of Cumberland for a short period established his head-quarters at the Friary, which was founded by Bishop Stavenby in 1229. The city was visited by Queen Elizabeth in 1575, by James I. in 1624, and by the present Queen, when princess, in 1832, and when queen in 1843. The guildhall, in Bore- street, is a stone building containing a hall used for the quarter-sessions, private rooms for the transaction of city business, the police station, &c., while the basement is used for the house of correction. The city prisoners are now sent to Stafford gaol. The market-house and corn-exchange stands in St. Mary's-square, on the site of the market cross erected by Dean Denton. The upper story consists of a room used for balls, concerts, &c. The savings-bank is close to this building. A statue of Dr. Johnson, by Lucas, was presented to the town by the Eev. James Law, chancellor of the diocese in 1838. It stands in the market-place, opposite the house in which the doctor was born. The height of the statuo is 7 feet, and it stands on a square pedestal of 10 feet, the sides of which contain bas-reliefs of various incidents in his life. Water is supplied to the town from springs about 1 mile to the S.W., under a trust devised by Hector Beane ; and both the Minster and Stowe pools are employed as reservoirs by the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company. The streets are lighted by gas- works at the W. of the city. The principal trades here are the carpet manufacture and brewing. There are also several coach-builders' yards and malt kilns, a I mill, and a paper mill. The National and Provim and the North Wilts banks have branches here, borough, which is divided into two wards, is govi by a corporation consisting of 6 aldermen and 18 coun- cillors, one of whom is mayor, with the style of " the bailiff and citizens of Lichfield." The first charter of incorporation was given in the second year of Ed- ward VI., before which the city was governed by a guild established during the reign of Eichard II. The charter by which the corporation was regulated pre- viously to the municipal Act was granted in the Ifith year of Charles II. Lichfield has returned two mem- bers to the House of Commons since the 49th year of Henry III. The borough now includes the pars, of St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. Chad, the Close and Friary, extra parochial, and part of Pipe Hill. It is also a polling-place for the county election. The mayor, as sheriff', is returning officer. The income of the borough is about 1,330. The population in 1861 was 6,803, against 7,012 in 1851, showing a decrease of 119 in the ten years. The Poor-law Union includes the city, Alrewas, Armitage, Burntwood, Colton, Elford, Fare- well, Fisherwick, Fradley, Hammerwick, King's Ei ley, Longdon, Orgreave, Ogley Hay, Kid ware, Kugi'lry, Shenstone, Streethay, Swinfen, Curboro, Wall, AVee- ford, Whittington, and Yoxall. The new County Court district is the same, exclusive of Armitage, Colton, Longdon, Kugeley, and Pipe, which forms part of Kid- ware in the above list. Quarter sessions for the coun'y