Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/216

Rh PETERSHAM. 204 PETEE'S, ST. registry. The borough first returned members to par- liament in the 35th year of Edward VI., from which period it returned two members, until the passing of the Reform Act, by which it was deprived of one, and the privilege of voting extended to the 10 householders of the old borough, and of the adjoining district. The new borough includes within its bounds the old borough, together with the parishes of ]3uriton, Foxfield, Lyes, and Steed, except the townships of North and South Amber- sham ; also the tythings of Ramsden, Langrish, and Oxenbourn. It was incorporated by charter of Queen Elizabeth, and is nominally governed by a mayor and commonalty ; the mayor, whose office is become merely titular, being chosen at the court-leet of the lord of the manor, at which also a constable and two tythingmen are also chosen. The mayor is the returning officer. The governing magistrates of the county, who now administer the aflairs of the town, meet fortnightly, on the Tuesday prior to market day. The court leet is held on the second Monday in Epiphany, annually. There is an equestrian statue to "William III. standing in the centre of the market-place, erected by the Jolifies of Merstham, who also rebuilt the townhall about thirty years ago. The population of the parish in 1861 was 1,950, but of the parliamentary borough 5,655, against 6,550 in 1851, showing a small increase of 100 in the decennial period. The town is lighted with gas, and partially paved. It contains several well-built houses and shops, with two banks, a savings-bank, literary institute, gus-works, police station, and townhall. The incumbent's tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of i'50. Tho living is a cur. annexed to the rect.* of Buriton, in the dioc. of Winchester. The church, dedi- cated to St. Peter, is an ancient structure, with a square tower, containing six bells. The interior of the church contains monuments to the Joliffe family. The paro- chial charities produce about 14 per annum, exclusive of alm&housos. Tho Petersfield Poor-law Union com- prises 13 parishes or places, and the union poor- house has accommodation for 100 inmates. There are National, British, and infant schools. The Indepen- dents have a place of worship. There is an institution, designated Churcher's College, with an annual income of 600, founded in 1722, for the free education, cloth- ing, and maintenance of 14 boys, who should be sub- sequently apprenticed to masters of ships " voyaging" to the East Indies, providing the premium does not exceed 30, with an extra 3 for clothes. Sir W. G. H. Joliffe, Bart., is lord of the manor. The market for corn, &c., is held every alternate Wednesday. Fail's are held on 10th July, 6th October, and llth December. PETERSHAM, a par. in the first div. of Kingston hund., co. Surrey, 2 miles N. of Kingston, and 12 S.W. of London. It is situated on the southern bank of the river Thames. The village, which is of small extent, may be considered a suburb of Richmond. Petersham derives its name from having belonged to the abbey of St. Peter's, Chertsey. It gives the title of viscount to the family of Stanhope, Earls of Harrington. The neigh- bourhood is sheltered from the N. andE. winds by Rich- mond Hill. A considerable part of the land is cultivated as gardens and lawns, and the remainder is in woods and parks, chiefly the property of the crown. Wil- liam IV., when Duke of Clarence, had a house here, which was subsequently pulled down and the grounds thrown into Richmond Park. The living is a cur. annexed to the vie. of Kew, in the dioc. of Winchester^ The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is supposed to have been erected about the commencement of the 16th cen- tury, and subsequently enlarged. It contains several tombs of great antiquity, and is the burial-place of the Duchess of Lauderdale. The register dates from 1574. The parochial charities produce about 7 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes. Ham Houge is supposed to have been erected by James I. in 1610, as a residence for his son Henry Prince of Wales, and was considerably altered by Charles II. In the centre ia a hall surrounded with an open balustrade of walnut wood, and embellished with military trophies. It waa the place where the " Cabal " ministry met, and where the celebrated John Duke of Argyll, was born. The ceilings are painted by Verrio, and the room contains a library and many rare old paintings and portraits. PETERSHAM, a hmlt. in the tythg. of Holt, and par. of Wimborne Minster, co. Dorset, 3 miles N.E. of Wim- bome Minster. It was anciently covered with forest. PETER, ST., a par. and member of the Cinque Port liberty of Dover, though locally in the hund. of Ring- slow, or Isle of Thanet, lathe of St. Augustine, co. Kent, 2 miles S.E. of Margate, and 2J N. of Ramsgate. It is situated on the coast near the North Foreland, and contains, besides the village of its own name, the sea- bathing places of Broadstairs and Kingsgate, besides twenty-two hamlets. The North Foreland lighthouse is in this parish, also the Ranelagh Gardens, much fre- quented by visitors from Margate. The value of land is considerable, the soil being suited for the growth of potatoes, artificial grapes, canary, radish, and spinach seeds, which supply the London seedsmen. The tithes have been commuted for rent-charges amounting to 1,726, of which 458 appertain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 737 to the Dean and Chapter, and 531 to the vicar. The living is a vie. * in the dioc. of Canter- bury, val. 560, in the patron, of the archbishop. The church of St. Peter, which was anciently a chapel-of- ease to Minster, is a Norman structure, erected in 1184, and made parochial in 1200. It has undergone frequent alterations and repairs, and in 1838 the E. window was restored. It contains three brasses of R. Culmer, the earliest bearing date 1485, also tombs of the Dewkners and others. At Broadstairs is a chapel-of-ease, erected by subscription in 1828, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. 230, in the patron, of the Vicar of St. Peter's. The Baptists and Wesleyans have each a place of wor- ship. The parochial charities produce about 125 per annum, of which 30 belongs to Lovejoy's school. Thera are National schools for boys and girls, also an alins- houso for the aged poor, presented to the parish by Mrs. Nuckell, in 1837. PETER'S, ST., or NORTH, a par. on the N. side of South Ronaldshay Island, Orkney Islands, coastof Scot- laud. It comprises St. Margaret's, Hope, with Burray and Huuda Islands, which see. PETER'S, ST., a par. on the N. side of Stronsay Is- land, Orkney Islands, coast of Scotland. It comprises Whitehall and Holm-of-Midgarth, with Papa Stronsay Islands, which see. PETER'S, ST., a par. in the bar. of Forth, co. Wex- ford, prov. of Leinster, Ireland. It contains part of tha town of Wexford. This par. is 3 miles long by lj mile broad. The soil is mostly good. The road from Wexford to Fethard passes through the parish. It is an impropriate cur. in the dioc. of I'erns. See WEXPOKD. PETER'S, ST., a par. in the bar. of TJppercross, and city of Dublin, which see. PETER'S, ST., a par. in the bar. of Athlone, co. Roscommou, Ireland, 1 mile from Athlone, its post town. The parish, which is of large extent, is situated on the river Shannon, near Loughreo. It contains part of Athlone, and the villages of Bogganfin and Bellaugh. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Elphin, val. 192, in the patron, of the bishop. The church is dedi- cated to St. Peter. See ATHLONE. PETER'S, ST., or ST. PIERRE, a par. in the isle of Jersey, Channel Islands, 2 miles N.W. of St. Aubin, and 5 N.W. of St. Helier's. It is situated in the south- western part of the island, and includes the small village of Beaumont, built near the sea-shore. The surface, though generally level, is intersected with valleys. The greater portion of the land is arable, with some pasture and orchard. The soil is in parts sandy ; but in other parts a rich black mould of great fertility. The chief agricultural produce is corn and potatoes, of which great quantities are sent to England, and apples, of which cider is made. In the north-western part of the parish is a lake, about a quarter of a mile in length, com- municating with St. Ouen's Bay, which bounds the parish on the W. At the upper end of St. Peter's valley is a