Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/246

Rh POPLAR. 234 PORCHESTER. river Lea. The surface is low, but not marshy, lying principally between the Limehouso and Blackwall reaches of the Thames, -which hound it on the E., S., and W. ; while on the N. it is bounded by the parishes of Bromley and Limehouse. It includes the West India Docks, Blackwall, and the Islo of Dogs, having been separated from Stepney, and created into a distinct parish by Act of Parliament in 1817. It was given by William of Wykeham to the Abbey of St. Mary de Grace at Tower Hill, and formed part of the estates of Charles I. when Prince of Wales. In former times it abounded in poplar trees, for the growth of -which its situation near the river was highly favourable, and from which circumstance it derives its name. The greater part of the land is now built over, the parish having more than doubled its population in the last twenty years, viz. from 20,340 in 1841 to 43,529 in 1861, of which latter number the recently formed ecclesiastical district of Christ Church contains 8,579. The inhabitants are chiefly connected with the shipping interest, or are employed in the docks, in Green's and other extensive shipbuilding yards, and in the various factories and warehouses on the river. The place is partly paved, well lighted with gas, and amply supplied with water by the East London -waterworks. It contains the K police station, a hospital, union poorhouse, a savings- bank, an institute for the promotion of literature and science, situated in the East India-road, and the town- hall, erected on the removal of a more ancient edifice which stood in the highway. The most distinguishing feature, however, of Poplar are the extensive docks which run across the Isle of Dogs and fill 204 acres, having been formed near the commencement of the pre- sent century, at a cost of nearly 1,250,000 ; the import West India Dock covers 30 acres, and is surrounded with warehouses for sugar, coffee, rum, dyewoods, and other colonial products ; the export dock is less capacious, covering 24 acres, but has basins at botli ends near Limehouse and Blackwall opening to the Thames. At a short distance from these are tho timber dock, the south dock or canal made in 1799 at a cost of about 140,000, and the East India Docks which were con- structed under the superintendence of llennio in 1806, and comprise import and export docks scarcely less capacious than the West India Docks [see BLACKWALL]. There are also extensive works connected with Seaward's steam factories, Smith's wire-rope works, Green's and other extensive shipbuilding yards, iron-foundries, chain-cable factories, ropewalks, pearl ash works, and various other important establishments connected with the shipping trade. The Borough-English custom pre- vails within this manor. The Poplar Poor-law Union comprises the pars, of Bow, Bromley, and Poplar. It is also the head of a superintendent registry district, but is divided between the Bow and Whitechapel new county court districts. The quay of the Trinity Board is at the mouth of the river Lea, in the district of Black- wall. It was here that Sir Richard Steelo had his laboratory and studied alchemy. George Green, the eminent shipbuilder, who died in 1849, was a munificent benefactor to this parish, having appropriated more than 10,000 to the establishment of schools and other charitable uses; he founded the free school, sailors' home and chapel, the Blackwall free school, and the East India-road school for infants. The living is a rect. * in tho dioc. of London, val. 632, in the patron, of Brasenose College, Oxford. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints, and which stands on the S. side of the East India-road, in the centre of a cemetery, is a Gre- cian structure, with a steeple of the composite order rising 161 feet from the ground. It was built by C. Hollin in 1823, at a cost of 35,000, defrayed by the parishioners. The interior is ornamented. There are also the new district church, called Christ Church, the living of which is a perpet. cur.,* val. 300, in tho patron, of the bishop, and the chplry. of Blackwall, val. 500, attached to the hospital founded by the late East India Company. The latter church, dedicated to St. Mary, was founded in 1654, but was almost entirely rebuilt in 1776 by the East India Company, and is surrounded by a burial-ground, in which are tombs of the Dethicks of Poplar House ; of R. Ainsworth, the compiler of the Latin Dictionary ; of George Steevens, the commentator on Shakspeare, who was born here in 1736, and has a monument with epitaph by Hayley; of Dr. Ridley, minister of Poplar, who died here in 1774, with epitaph by Bishop Lowth ; and of his son, Rev. James Ridley, author of " Tales of the Genii." In the East India- road is the Seamen's chapel, erected at the expense of the late George Green ; also another chapel in course of construction. There are places of worship for Roman Catholics, Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyans, the last named being erected in 1848, by William Bath, at n cost of near 7,500. The local charities produce about 400 per annum, besides a share in some of those at Stepney, including the endowments of the East India Company's almshouses and Johnson's shipwrights' almshouses. There are a free school, instituted in 1816, which has an income from endowment of 250, also National schools, partly endowed, an infant school in tho East India-road, built in 1828, a Roman Catholic school, and a school for Irish Protestants. POPPLETON, NETHER, a par. in York Ainsty, East Riding co. York, 4 miles N.W. of York, its post town. It is a station on the York, Knaresborough, and Harrogate section of the North-Eastern railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Ouse, and is chiefly agricultural. The soil consists of sand and clay. The line of the Great Northern railway here crosses the river Ouse on a bridge of three semi- elliptical arches, 30 feet above the bed of that river. The par. includes part of the chplry. of Upper Poppleton. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of York, val. 155, in the patron, of the archbishop. Tho church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient stone structure, with a tower containing two bells. The interior of tho church lias several monuments of ancient date, also a stained E. window. The register dates from the 1 5th century. There is a Church of England school for both sexes, in which a Sunday-school is also held. Andrew Montague, Esq., is lord of the manor. POPPLETON, UPPER or OVER, a chplry. in the pars, of Poppleton Nether and St. Mary Bishophill Junior, York Ainsty, East Riding co. York, 4J miles N.W. of York, its post town. It is a station on the York and Harrogate section of the North-Eastern railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the York and Boroughbridge turnpike road, and is wholly agricultural. Tho tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1769. The living is a perpet. cur. annexed to that of Copmanthorpe, in the dioc. of York. The church is an ancient structure with a turret containing one bell. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. A. Montague, Esq., is lord of tho manor and principal landowner. POPTON, ahmlt. in the par. of Pwllcrochan, co. Pem- broke, 1 mile S. of Milford. It is situated on the shore of Milford Haven. A large fort has been lately com- pleted on Popton Point, and comprises an immense powder-magazine and barracks for 8 artillery officers and 200 to 300 men. PORCHESTER, or PORTCHESTER, a par. in the hund. of Portsdown, co. Hants, 2 miles S.E. of Fare- ham, its post town, and 7j from Portsmouth. It is a station on the London and South- Western railway. It is situated at the top of Portsmouth harbour under Portsdown Hill, and was the Roman Fortus Magnus or Cacr Peris of the Britons. A castle of great strength was erected on the old Roman works by the Saxons, who named it Port-ceastre, and which was rebuilt soon after the Norman conquest, and was held by Queen Margaret in the reign of Edward I. It subsequently camo through tho Nortons to Thistlethwayte of South- wick, and gives title of baron to the Earl of Carnarvon. The walls of the castle, which stands on a neck of land projecting a considerable way into Portsmouth horbpur, are from 8 to 12 feet in thickness and 18 feet high, enclosing a quadrangular area of nearly 5 acres, and arc