Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/352

Rh KOMILEY. 340 ROMSEY for calvea, and one for swine was formerly held on Mon- day. A fair is held on Midsummer Day for horses and cattle. ROMILEY. See CHADKIRK, co. Chester. ROMNEY MARSH, a lib. in the lathe of Shepway, co. Kent, contains the cinque-port town of Romney, and the pars, of Blackmanstono, Burmarsh, Dymchurch, Hope All Saints, Ivychurch, Lydd, St. Mary, Midley, Newchurch, Orgarswick, Snargate, Snave, and parts ot Aldington, Appledoro, Bilsington, Bonnington, Bren- zett, Brookland, Broomhill, Hurst, West Hythe, Kenard- ington, Lympne, Newington, Oiiestone, Rockinge, Sel- linge, and Warehorne, comprising together above 45,000 acres, a great part of which has been reclaimed ironi the sea by various innings, and is protected by a sea- wall called Dymchurch Wall, extending 3 miles in length, and from 12 to 20 feet high, which is the sole barrier that prevents the sea from overflowing the whole of the level. It gives name to a Poor-law Union com- prising 19 parishes or places; the workhouse being at New Romney. It is also the seat of new County Court and superintendent registry districts. Dengo Marsh, with Southbrooks and Guildford Marsh, both adjoining Walland Marsh, are under the jurisdictions of separate commissions of sewers. ROMNEY, NEW, a par., cinque -port, post and market town in the lib. of Romney Marsh, having separate jurisdiction, co. Kent, 5 miles N. of Dunge- ness, and 7 S.E. of Hum Street station on the Hastings and Ashford line of railway. It is a borough by prescription, a polling- place for the county, and a coastguard station. The town is situated near Romney Sound, on an eminence about the centre of the Marsh, and arose from the decay of the haven at Old Romney, by "the retiring of the sea, and in con- tradistinction to that town WHS called New Romney. It was once a place of considerable importance, and is mentioned in Domesday Survey as Rommel, at which time it consisted of 12 wards, and contained 5 churches, a priory, and a hospital, with a good harbour. It was soon after that period given by William the Conqueror to his brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, and subsequently made a cinque port, but in Edward I.'s time it was much damaged by an irruption of the sea, which diverted the course of the river Rother, and ruined its haven on the western shore. In the reigns of Edward III., Henry VII., and Henry VIII., it furnished a comple- ment of five ships to the royal fleet, but has never re- covered its ancient prosperity : though still respectably inhabited, it has fallen into decay as a port, and has scarcely any trade except that arising from the grazing of cattle. It received its first charter of incorporation from Edward III., and a new charter from Elizabeth, by which the corporation consists of a mayor, 12 jurates, with a recorder, town-clerk, &e., under the style of " mayor, jurates, and commonalty," who returned two members to parliament till disfranchised by the Reform Bill. A court, called a Brotherhood and Guestling, connected with the business of the various cinque ports, was wont to be held on the Tuesday next after St. Mar- garet's Day, also sessions quarterly, and by adjournment every six weeks. The population of the parish in 1861 was 1,062. Many of the inhabitants are graziers. The town, which chiefly consists of one long street, with a smaller one intersecting it almost at right angles, is well paved and lighted with gas from works established in 1854. The new County Court is held every alternate month. It contains a small gaol, guildhall, Romney Marsh union poorhouse, and a market-house. This place gives the title of earl and baron to the Marshams of Mote Park. The living is a Tic. in the dioc. of Can- terbury, val. 161, in the patron, of All Souls' College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, has a lofty square tower at the W. end, containing a peal of eight bells. The interior of the church contains an ancient font, piscina, several tombs, and 3 brasses of T. Lamberd, one bearing date 1570. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans, also National schools erected in 1820. The parochial charities pro- duce about 123 per annum, of which 112 is the en- dowment of Southland's hospital or almshouses. Market day is on Saturday. A fair for sheep and lambs is held on 21st August. ROMNEY, OLD, a par. in the cinque-port lib. of New Romney, lathe of Shepway, co. Kent, 2 miles N.W. of New Romney. The town had a good haven in the Saxon times, but was a decayed place prior to the Conquest, and shortly after was superseded in its mari- time privileges and prosperity by New Romney. The greater part of the land is rich marsh pasture, except about 200 acres, which are arable. There was formerly a cell subordinate to the abbey of Pountney, or Pon- tignac, in France, also a hospital for lepers, founded by Adam do Chorring, and subsequently converted into a the archbishop. The church, dedicated to St. Clement, is an ancient edifice, with a spired tower containing three bells. The interior of the church has been re- cently restored : it contains some brasses, one of which is to J. Ips. ROMSEY, or RUMSEY, a post and market town, and municipal borough, locally in the lower half hund. of King's Somborne, Romsey div. of co. Hants, 73 miles S.W. of London, by road, or 80 by the South- Western railway, on which it is a station. It is situated on the left bank of the river Test, here crossed by a bridge, and the Andover canal runs through the town. Romsey is one of the most ancient towns in England, and has been classed by Dr. Stukely as a Roman city under the name of Arminis ; the journal of the British Archaeo- logical Association also records the finding of Roman coins in the neighbourhood. It was a place of consider- able importance under the Saxon kings, and is chiefly famous on account of the abbey of Benedictine nuns, which was founded by Edward the Elder in the 10th century, and of which he made his daughter abbess. Soon afterwards the Danes effected a landing, and pil- laged the monastery. Edgar, the grandson of Edward the Elder, greatly enlarged it, and his son was buried here. Another royal lady, in the person of Mary, youngest daughter of King Stephen, subsequently be- came abbess. After its surrender to Henry VIII. it was made a parish church. The town was first chartered by James I., and is now governed by a mayor, 4 alder- men, and 12 councillors, with the title of "mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the town of Romsey Infra." The population in 1851 was 2,080, which in 1861 had increased to 2,116. The application of steam to machi- nery has been the cause of removal of many extensive manufactures to places where coal could be more readily procured, but there are still paper and flax spinning- mills. The town is paved and lighted with gas. It contains a townhall ; an audit-house, supported on pil- lars, with a market below ; a borough gaol, union poor- house, literary and scientific institution, newsrooms, two branch banks, and the hundred bridge over the river Test or Anton, also a young men's reading society and a yotmg men's mutual improvement association. There are tanneries, malt-houses, breweries, gas-works, and corn, paper, and flax mills. The inhabitants are principally engaged in the general trade. The town is a polling-place for the county elections, and the centre of a new County Court district. It is divided into two distinct parishes, distinguished as " Infra " and " Extra," The Infra comprises the municipal borough, with Ch'T- ville Street, &c. , in parochial matters ; while the Extra in- purposes ecclesiastical. Tlie living i in the archdeac. and dioc. of Winchester, val. 351, in the patron, of the dean and chapter. The church, dedi- cated to St. Mary, is a venerable cruciform structure, with a low tower, and was originally the abbey church. It has been several times rebuilt since its foundation in the 10th century, and is chiefly in the Norman style of architecture, but much enriched in some parts with zig-