Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/845

Rh M1DLLEWOOD. 837 MIDHURST. held on the last Tuesday in tho months of February, April, and October. JIIDDLEWOOD, a hmlt. in tho par. of Dawlish, co. Devon, 6 miles S.E. of Chudleigh. MIDDLKZOY, a par. in the hund. of Whitley, co. Somerset, 6 miles S.E. of Bridgwater, its post town, and 4 1 N. of the Athelney station. The memorable battle of Sedgmoor, between the forces of James II. and of the Duke of Monmouth, took place in the valley to tho N. The village, which is small, is situated on the navigable river Parret, and on the high road to Bridgwater. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. A portion of the parish has been assigned as a district to the new church at Boroughbridge. The soil is clayey on a subsoil of limestone. The tithes were commuted for corn-rents under an Enclosure Act in 1798. Tho living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Bath and Wells, val. 133, in the patron, of the Bishop of Worcester. The church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, ia an ancient struc- ture, with a tower containing five bells. It contains a brass inscribed to the memory of an officer of the king's troops who fell in the battle of Sedgmoor. The register dates from 175C. Tho parochial charities produce about 1 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes, in which is held an endowed Sunday-school. Richard Meade King, Esq., is lord of the manor. Trunks of oak and yew trees are frequently dug up in the marshes. MIDDOP, a tnshp. in the par. of Gisburn, W. div. of the wap. of Staincliffe, West Riding co. York, 5 miles N.W. of Colne, and 10 miles S.W. of Skipton. The township is small and wholly agricultural. The living 19 a perpet. cur. in tho dioc. of York, val. 70. The church is a modern edifice. MIDDRIDGE and MIDDRIDGE-GRANGE, tnshps. in the par. of St. Andrew Auckland, S.E. div. of Dar- lington ward, co. Durham, 8 miles N. of Darlington, 4 S.E. of Bishop Auckland, and 2 E. of Shildon. The township of Middridge-Grange partly belongs to Heigh- ington parish. There is a place of worship for the Primitive Methodists and a National school. MID-FEARN, a station on tho Inverness and Aber- deen Junction railway on the borders of cos. Ross and Sutherland, Scotland, 2J miles from Bonar Bridge and 12 N.W. of Dornoch. MIDGEHOLM, an ext. par. place in Eskdale ward, co. Cumberland, 7 miles E. of Brampton, This place gives name to the coal pits across the borders of Northumber- land. HIDGHAM, a tythg. in the par. of Thatcham, hund. of Faircross, co. Berks, 7 miles E. of Newbury, its post town, and 1J mile from Woolhampton station on the Newbury line of railway. It is situated on tho northern bank of tho river Kennet, and on th > Kennet and Avon canal. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Margaret, is an ancient edifice," rebuilt by John Hillersdonin 1714. The parochial charities produce about 2 per annum. Thomas Thorpe Fowke, Esq., is lord of the manor. There are a National school, supported by subscription, and alms- houses, erected by the late William Poyntz, Esq. MIDGHAM, a tythg. in tho par. of Fordingbridge, co. Hants, 1 mile S. of Fordingbridge. MIDGLEY, a tnshp. in the par. of Halifax, wap. of Morley, West Riding co. York, 6J miles W. of Halifax, its post town, and three quarters of a mile from the railway station at Luddenden-foot. The township, which ii straggling, is situated on the Manchester canal and railway, and includes parts of the vils. of Mythom- royd, Luddenden, and Luddenden-foot. The township of Midgley forms a portion of the N. side of the vale of Calder. A great part of it, being mountainous moorland, is uncultivated. There are some cotton and worsted mills, also a paper mill. At Charlesworth is a thick Beam of plate coal, but from its depth and the want of sufficient drainage, it is difficult to work. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Ripon, val. 170, in the patron, of the Vicar of Halifax. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a stone edifice, with a square tower con- TOL. II. tabling one bell. The -parochial charities produce about 40 per annum, which is distributed in bread among the poor widows weekly. The Independents, Wesleyans, and New Connexion Methodists have places of worship at Midgley. Thomas Riley, Esq., of Ewood Hall, is lord of the manor. MIDGLEY, a vil. in the tnshp. of Shitlington, West Riding co. York, 7 miles N.W. of Barnsley. MIDHOPE, a vil. in the chplry. of Bradfield, par. of Ecclesfield, N. div. of the wap. of Strafforth, West Riding co. York, 2J miles S.W. of Peniston. Sheffield is its post town. It is situated on the river Dun, near Midhope-Over. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1818. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of York, val. 70. There is a National school. MIDHOPE, an ancient mansion on the N.W. border of the par. of Abercorn, co. Linlithgow, Scotland. It was formerly the seat of tho earls of Linlithgow. MIDHOPE BURN, a small river in co. Linlithgow, Scotland; runs in Linlithgow par., and flows 7 miles N.E. to the Frith of Forth at Nethermill. MIDHURST, a par., post and market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, in the hund. of Easebourne, Chichester rape, co. Sussex, 6 miles from Petworth, and 10J N. by E. of Chichester. It is a station on the Midhurst and Petersfield branch of the London and South- Western railway. Tho town, which is ancient, is situated on the river Rother, connected, by means of the Rother navigation, with the rivers Arun, Wey, and the Thames. It is a polling-place for West Sussex. It was a large town prior to the Conquest, but is not men- tioned in Domesday Survey. On the W. bank of the river Rother, near the church, rises a mound, on which was an ancient castle, formerly the seat of the Bohuns, who held the manor for many years, and in whose time it was created a minor barony or lordship. In 1547 King Edward VI. was entertained hero with great splendour. It subsequently passed through several noble families, and finally became tho property of the Earl of Egmont, its present owner. From Edward II. 'a time Midhurst returned two members to parliament till the passing of the Reform Act, but since it has returned only one, with new bounds extending to the adjoining parishes, within a circuit of 4 miles, viz. Midhurst, Chithurst, Cocking, Didling, Easebourne, Graffham, Heyshot, and the adjoining parts of North and South Ambersham, Bignor, Wool-Lavington, Bepton, Woolbedding, Lynch, Stedman, Iping, Trolion, Sellham, and Lodsworth. The town is governed by a bailiff, who is returning officer, and is elected annually at the court-baron of the lord of the manor. It is well lighted, paved, and supplied with water. The streets are clean, and the houses generally well built. It contains a townhall, mechanics' institute, and savings-bank. Petty sessions are held every alter- nate Thursday for the lower division of the rape of Chichester, and tho county court every alternate month at tho townhall. Midhurst is the head of a Poor-law Union, comprising 26 parishes, 24 of which are in the county of Sussex, and 2 in that of Hants, but the poorhouse is situated at Easebourne. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dice, of Chichester, val. 170. The church, dedicated to St. Denis, has a low embattled tower containing six bells. It has a stained window, also effigies, &c., of the Montagues of Cowdray House. The church has been entirely restored and enlarged at great expense. The register dates from 1563. The paro- chial charities produce about 179 per annum, of which Oguell's Charity for poor persona produces 145. There is a National school for both sexes, and formerly an endowed grammar school, but which is now disused. There are places of worship for the Calvin ists and Bap- tists. Cowdray Lodge is the principal residence. It is situated in an extensive wooded park, in which are the ivy-mantled ruins of Cowdray House, destroyed by fire in 1793. The Earl of Egmont is lord of the manor. Market day is Thursday, chiefly for corn. Fairs are held on the 6th April, 29th October, and Whit-Tuesday, for cattle. 5 o