Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/26

Rh KEOT'S, ST. H NESFIELD-WITH-LANGBAR. the southern part. Sandstone, basalt, and shell-marl are abundant, and there is plenty of whinstone and freestone for building. The air is pure and remarkably healthy. The vil. of Nenthorn is about 3J miles N.W. of Kelso. The parish is watered by the river Eden, and was formed during the 13th century out of the manors of Nathansthirn and Little Newton, which both belonged to the family of Morville, the hereditary constables of Scotland. These two districts are joined together by a narrow isthmus that is intersected by the river Eden. Nenthorn House and Newton Don are the principal residences. Near the latter mansion the river Eden falls over a steep rock from 30 to 40 feet in altitude. In this parish is a lake called Lurgie Loch. The par. is in the presb. of Kelso, and synod of Merse and Teviotdale, and in the patron, of the crown. The minister has a stipend of 172. The parish church was erected in 1802. The original church of Nay thans-Thirn belonged to the monks of Coldingham, and was subordinate to the mother church of Edcnham. There are parochial and other schools. NEOT'S, ST., a par. and small town in the hund. of Toseland, co. Hunts, 8 miles S.W. of Huntingdon, and 51J from London by the Great Northern railway, on which it is a station. It is situated on the E. bank of the river Ouso, over which is a stone bridge of one central arch, with two smaller ones, over the stream, and continued by six other arches, forming a causeway over the marshy lands adjoining. It derives its name from an ancient Benedictine monastery situated on the oppo- site bank of the river, at Eynesbury, originally founded in 974 by Earl Alric and his wife Ethelneda, and dedi- cated to St. Neot, whose relics are said to have been stolon from Neotstock, in Cornwall, and conveyed hither. In 1113 it was made a cell to the abbey of Bee, in Nor- mandy, -by Eoisia de Clere, but being afterwards made independent, it existed till the Reformation. Its reve- nues were returned at the Dissolution at 256 Is. Z^d., when the site was given by Henry VIII. to the Crom- wells, from whom it has descended to Earl Sandwich, of Hinchinbrook, the present lord of the manor. The Earl of Holland was taken prisoner here in 1648, fighting for Charles I. The town, though well built, stands so low that the streets are sometimes inundated. It is distant about 1 mile E. of the Great itforth road, and consists of three principal streets. It contains a market-house, with a market-square, a good hotel, several extensive breweries, large paper-mills belonging to Messrs. Tow- good, and two tanneries. A considerable trade is carried on by the Ouse, which is navigable from Bedford to Lynn. The principal business is in corn, coals, wine, timber, &c. , besides a brisk retail trade for the supply of the surrounding country. A considerable portion of the female population are employed in the manufacture of lace. A manorial court is held annually, and a new county court at stated intervals for the recovery of small debts. St. Neot's is the head of a Poor-law Union, comprising 30 parishes and townships, of which 22 are in the county of Huntingdon, 7 in that of Bedford, and 1 in Cambridgeshire. The surface is generally low, and in parts marshy. The land is chiefly arable. The soil is clay and loam, alternating with gravel. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1770. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Ely, val. 163. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a Gothic structure with a tower containing eight bells. It was built about 1507, and has a good timbered roof and some ancient screen-work. There are places of worship for Independents, Baptists, and Wes- loyans, to the last of which a school is attached. The free school, for twenty-five boys, between the ages of seven and fourteen, was founded in 1760 by Gabriel Newton, an alderman of Leicester, who endowed it with a rent-charge of 26, subsequently augmented by the bequests of Loftus Hatley and Elizabeth Bailey, so that its income is now about 70. There are besides National, British, and infant schools. The parochial charities produce about 20 per annum, distributed in bread to the poor. The only mansion in the parish is Priory Hill, the seat of G. W. Rowley, Esq. Market day is Thursday, for corn. Fairs are held on Holy Thursday, on that day three weeks, the first Thursday after the llth October, and the 17th December, also a statute fair for hiring servants on 1st August. NEOT, ST., a par., tnshp., and vil. in the hund. of West, co. Cornwall, 6 miles W. by N. of Liskeard, and 30 from Plymouth. The parish, which is of large extent, comprising an area of 13,997 acres, is situated at the head of a valley watered by a branch of the river Fowey, called the river of St. Neot. It had previous to the Norman conquest a hermitage or monastery of St. Neot, which has given name to the village. More than half the surface is still common and waste, and about 400 acres of woodland. The substratum abounds in granite, greywacke, and slate, which are quarried, and in some places contain veins of stream tin. The soil is clay and loam, producing good crops of corn. In this parish is Dozmere, an intermittent lake, to which various superstitions attach. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 367. The church of St. Neot is in the perpendicular style of architecture, with a tower containing six bells. It contains several ancient brasses and monuments, an antique font, and a register chest. The windows exhibit some remains of the legend of St. Neot in ancient stained glass, by Hedgeland, and sixteen others enriched with subjects from Scripture history, as the Creation, Deluge, Lord's Supper, Cruci- fixion, &c. The glass was restored in 1824 by the Rev. R. G. Grylls, at an expense of 2,000. There are two places of worship belonging to the Bible Christians, and one to the AVesleyans, also a National and free school for boys and girls, and a Sunday-school. The parochial charities produce about 33 per annum, besides 13 belonging to the free school. The Rev. William Grylls is lord of the manor. In this parish are the ruins of a chapel dedicated to St. Luke, also traces of the monastery or college of St. Neot, said to have been founded in memory of Neotus, a brother of King Alfred. John Austin, the antiquary, was born here in 1699. A cattle fair is held on the second Tuesday in April and November. NEPHIN and NEPHINBEG, mountains of co. Mayo, Ireland. The former attains an elevation of ?,646 feet, and the latter one of 2,065 feet above the sea-level. NEPICAR, a hrnlt. in the par. and hund. of Wrotharn, lathe of Aylesford, co. Kent, 1 mile S.E. of Wrotham, and 6 miles N.E. of Maidstone. NERQUIS, or NERCWYS, a tnshp. in the par. and hund. of Mold, co. Flint, 2 miles S. of Mold, its post town. There are several extensive ' plantations on a moor 800 feet high, which originated from the successful planting of the late Dr. Thackeray of Chester, thus in- creasing the value of the ground to an immense extent. The village, which is considerable, may be considered a suburb of the flourishing little town of Mold. Many of the inhabitants are engaged in the collieries with which this part of the country abounds. The living is a pcrpet. cur.* in the dioc. of St. Asaph, val. 100, in the patron, of the Vicar of Mold. The church is a commodious structure recently erected. Nerquis Hall, the principal residence, was built by the Wynnes in 1038. NERSTON, a vil. in the par. of East Kilbride, co. Lanark, Scotland, 1J mile N.E. of East Kilbride. NESBIT, a tnshp. in the par. of Doddington, E. div. of Glendale ward, co. Northumberland, 4 miles N. of Wooler. It is situated near Nesbit buildings. NESBIT, a tnshp. in the par. of Stamfordham, N.E. div. of Tindale ward, co. Northumberland, 2 miles S. of Stamfordham, and 9 N.E. of Hexham. It is situated near the river Pont. NESBITT, a tnshp. in the par. of Hart, S. div. of Easington ward, co. Durham, 6 miles N.W. of Hartle- pool, and 12 N. of Stockton-upon-Tees. It is situated on the line of the railway to Hartlepool. NESFIELD-WITH-LANGBAR, a tnshp. in the par. of Ilkley, upper div. of the wap. of Claro, West, Ridi:ig co. York, 6 miles N. of Binglcy, and 2| N. by W. of Otley. It is situated on the northern bank of the river