Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/259

Rh TOU LTON -LE-FYLDE. 247 POWERSCOURT. Bebington, lower div. of Wirrall hund., co. Chester, 4 miles S. of Birkenhead. The Wirrall union poorhouse is situated ia the tnshp. POULTON-LE-FYLDE, a par. and market town in the hund. of Amounderness, co. Lancaster, 15 miles N.W. of Preston, 21 S. by W. of Lancaster, and 5 S.E. of Fleetwood. It is a station on the Preston and AVyre railway. It is situated near the mouth of the river Wyre, and contains the Inshps. of Fleetwood, Poulton, Marton, Thornton, Carleton, and Hardhorn. The town is a small but very ancient port under Lan- caster, and is a polling-place for North Lancashire. It was given to Shrewsbury Abbey by Rogor de Poictiers. It is also a petty sessions town ; the sessions being held at the Golden Ball inn on the first Friday in each month. A new County Court is held at the court-house monthly. There is a savings-bank, also the Fylde union poorbouse. The gas works are situated at Breck. The parish is very extensive, and the soil of a clayey and heavy description, but tolerably fertile. The lino of the Preston and Wyre railway passes a little to the E. of the town, which is much frequented in the summer for sea bathing. The living is a vie.* in the dice, of Manchester, val. 257. The church, dedicated to St. Chad, occupies the site of an ancient structure. The present church was rebuilt in 1751, with the excep- tion of the tower, which is of the time of Charles I., and contains a clock and six bells. The church has tablets to the families of Brockhole, Hesketh, and Fleetwood. In addition to the parish church are the following dis- trict churches, viz. at Marton, Thornton, and Fleet- wood, the livings of which are all perpet. curs., varying in val. from 150 to 105. The churches are modern. There is a free school for both sexes. The Independents, Wesloyang, Society of Friends, and Roman Catholics have each a place of worship,- and the last have also a small cemetery. Market day is on Monday for the sale of corn. Fairs for cattle and sheep are held on 6th February, 13th April, and 3rd November. POULTON-LE-SANDS, a tnshp. and chplry. in the par. of Lancaster, hund. of Lonsdale South of the Sands, co. Lancaster, 3J miles N.W. of Lancaster, its post town. It is situated on Morecambe Bay, and on the Preston and Lancashire railway, which has a branch line to Morecambo. It is a bathing place and sub-port to Lancaster. The North Western hotel stands near the bay, from which there is a prospect over the bay and the mountains of Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Yorkshire. The town is governed by a local hoard of health, established in 1852. There are steam-packets plying three times a week between Morecambe and Belfast. The tnshp. contains the limits, of Bare and Torrisholme. The living is a perpet. cur. * in the dioc. of Manchester, val. 120, in the patron, of the Vicar of Lancaster. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was erected in 1745, with a tower containing one bell. There ia a National school for both sexes, including infants. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. The charities consist of lands bequeathed by Francis Bowes in 1732 for a school now producing ari income of about 35 per annum. POULTON-WITH-FEARNHEAD, or PADGATE, a tnshp. in the par. of Warrington, hund. of West Derby, co. Lancaster, 2J miles N.K of Warrington, its railway station and post town. The village, which is small, is situated on the old road from Warrington to Bolton, and is chiefly agricultural. The soil is in parts alluvial on sand, and in others clayey. The living is a ' -t. cur. in the dioc. of Chester, val. 120. The church, dedicated to Christ, is new, containing one bell. 'Hun; is a National school for both sexes, which has an It Tin: Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and Roman Catholics have each a place of worship. Thi'i-i: is a Sunday-school. 1'ul'MiKN, a hnilt. in the par. of Twyford, hund. of Buckingham, co. Bucks, 1 mile N.W. of Twyford, and V. nl Buckingham. It belongs to Wykeham of Tl. POUNDISFOHD, a lulu,-, in the par. of Pitminster, hund. of Taunton, co. Somerset, 4 miles S.W. of Taunton. POUNDSTOCK, a par. in the hund. of Lesnewth, co. Cornwall, 5 miles S.W. of Stratton, its post town, and 12 from Lauuceston. The village, which is of small extent, is chiefly agricultural. The parish is hounded on the W. by Widemouth Bay in the Bristol Channel, and is intersected by the road between Stratton and Camelford. This place is mentioned in Domesday Survey as Poupestock, and was held by Robert Earl of Mortaigne. The surface is hilly towards the S.W. The soil is clayey. The impropriate tithes have been com- muted for a rent-charge of 370, and the vicarial for one of 200, and the glebe consists of 25 acres, valued at 40. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 174. The church, dedicated to St. Neot, is an ancient stone structure, with a lofty square tower containing five bells. A lead mine was discovered, but not of suf- ficient extent to repay the expense of working. POW, or POW WATER, the name of several streams in Scotland. One rises in Guthrie, co. Forfar, and joins the South Esk near Kinnaird Castle ; another rises in Methven, co. Perth, and joins the Earn near Inner- peffray ; a third rises near Bannockburn, co. Stirling, and falls into the Frith of Forth at Powside ; while a fourth rises near Dalton, co. Dumfries, and falls into the Solway Frith at Powfoot. POWDER EAST, a hund. in the co. of Cornwall, contains the pars, of St. Austell, St. Blazey, St. Dennis, St. Ewe, Fowey, Gorran, Ladock, Lanlivery, Lostwithiel, Luscullian, Mevagissey, St. Mewan, St. Michael Car- hayes, Roche, St. Sampson, St. Stephen and Tywardreth, comprising an area of about 74,160 acres. POWDER, WEST, a hund. in the co. of Cornwall, contains the towns of Grampound and St. Mawes, also the pars, of St. Allen, St. Anthony, St. Clement, Cor- nelly, Creed, Cuby, St. Erme, St. Feock, Gerrans, St. Just, Kea, Kenwyn, Lamorran, Merther, St. Michael Penkevil, Philleigh, Probus, Ruau - Lanihorne, Truro, and Veryan, comprising an area of 62,000 acres. POWDERHAM, a par. in the hund. of Exminster, co. Devon, 2 miles N.W. of Starcross railway station, and 7 S.E. of Exeter. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the navigable river Exe, and on the South Devon railway. It was held at the Conquest by William de Ou or Ewe, and came through John of I'owderham and the Bohuns to the Courtenays in the reign of Edward III. The inhabitants are chiefly en- gaged in agriculture. The surface is hilly, and the soil of a loamy nature, except in the uplands, which consist of a red sand. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 270, and the glebe comprises 93 acres. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 450. The church, dedicated to St. Clement, is an ancient stone structure, with a tower containing three bells. The interior of the church contains a wooden screen, and in the N. aisle is the recumbent figure of a lady, of great antiquity, also a monument to the late Countess of Devon. There is a National school. Powderham Castle, the ancient seat of the Courtenays, Earls of Devon, is built on an acclivity rising from the western bank of the Exe. It has been restored on the site of the Norman castle, described by Leland as a strong fort, with a barbican for the protection of Exehaven. It was garrisoned for Charles I. during the parliamentary war, when it was fortified with 18 pieces of ordnance. The picture gallery contains portraits of Charles I., Queen Henrietta Maria, and Charles II., by Vandyck, besides other paintings. The mansion is surrounded by a well- wooded park, and has a view from the Belvidere tower, which occupies an elevated site above the castle, over- looking Exeter, Dartmoor, &c. The Earl of Devon is lord of the manor. POWERSCOURT, or STAGONIL, a par. in the bar. of Rathdown, co. Wicklow, prov. of Leinster, Ireland, 4 miles S.W. of Bray. It is 7 miles long and 5 broad, and contains tho vil. of Enniskerry, its post town. The surface is mountainous, but consists on the whole of a good soil. It is drained by the streams Cookstown,