Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/397

Rh SALISBURY. 385 SALISBURY. of nearly half a square mile, resembling a spacious meadow, shaded by lofty trees, and besides the cathedral, the bishop's palace, and the residences of the canons, and others connected with the cathedral, contains also the residences of several private families, from one of which sprang the present Earl of Malmesbury's family. Most of these houses environing the close are detached. The palace, which stands near the S.E. corner of the cathe- dral, is in various and discordant styles of architecture, surrounded by gardens, and having access to the Exeter road by the old bridge over the Avon, which is nearly as old as the cathedral. The three gates which give approach to the close are ancient that at the southern end communicates with the suburb of Harnhain ; that at the northern with the High-street, running in a direct line between the old and new cities, and not, as in most towns, forming part of the London road ; and that at the eastern end opens out into St. Ann's-street and the Southampton-road. A broad gravelled and shaded mall, crossing the close from N. to S., forms the approach to the great western entrance of the cathedral. The diocese of Salisbury, as modified under the provisions of the Act 6 and 7 William IV., cap. 77, consists of the whole of the counties of Dorset and Wilts. It is divided into the archdeaconries of Sarum, Wilts, and Dorset, the first comprising the deaneries of Amesbury, Chalk, Wilton, and Wylyo ; the second the deaneries of Avebury, Marlborough, and Pottern ; and the third the deaneries of Bridport, Dorchester, Pimperne, Shaftes- bury, and Whitchurch. The capitular establishment consists of a bishop, dean, precentor, chancellor, trea- surer, 4 canons residentiary, who are also prebendaries, three archdeacons, subdean, succentor, 38 prebendaries, 4 priest vicars, 6 singing men, 8 choristers, organist, and other officers. The dean and chapter, which consists of the 4 residentiary canons, have the patronage of the 4 minor canonries, forming a corporate body of them- selves, and of 16 benefices out of the 427 included within this diocese. In addition to the cathedral, the city con- tains three parish churches : St. Martin's, St. Edmund's, and St. Thomas's ; the livings of the two first are rects., val. respectively .189 and 180, while St. Thomas's, originally erected in 1240 as a chapel-of-ease to the cathedral, is a perpet. cur., val. 140, in the gift of the dean and chapter. St. Martin's church, situated at the south-eastern extremity of the city, is an ancient build- ing, repaired in 1850, with a square tower surmounted by a spire, and containing a peal of six bells. On the N. side of the chancel is a monument to the Swayne family, and a brass bearing date 1632. The register, which is written in Latin up to 1620, commences with the reign of Elizabeth. St. Edmund's church, formerly collegiate, has a square embattled tower surmounted by pinnacles and containing six bells. The tower was rebuilt in 1653, after its fall, by which the nave was injured, and at the same time the nave was entirely pulled down, and the large choir made to serve the purposes of nave and chancel. In 1766 a mean chancel Wiis built to the E. of the choir, which has lately been replaced by one more in harmony With the original build- ing, from designs by G. G. Scott, Esq. It contains a brass bearing date 1586, and the register commences in 1538. Tho church of St. Thomas has a square tower on the 8. side of the S. aisle, containing a peal of eight bells and a set of chimes. The interior is spacious, with an E. window of stained glass representing Christ blessing the Eleven Apostles, and a roof of carved oak. Among the monuments are two kneeling figures and the supposed tomb of the Duke of Buckingham, who was executed here in the reign of Ricuard III. The register com- es in 1570. There are also churches in the sub- u districts of Fisherton-Anger, East Harnham, t Harnham, Stratford-under-the-Castle, but these are described under their separate headings or the parishes of which they form part. Two cemeteries have itly been formed, in accordance with the provisions of the Extramural Interment Act : one of 8 acres is situated a mile N.E. of the town, on the London road, and the other, of 2 acres, on the Devizes road, both having mortuary chapels. The environs are diversified with villas and mansions, including Wilton House, of the Earl of Pembroke, Longford Castle, of Viscount Folkestone, Trafalgar House, presented by the national gratitude to the illustrious Lord Nelson, and Clarendon Park, the seat of the Bathurst family, in the grounds of which are preserved the ruins of the palace of Henry II., from which the constitutions of Clarendon were issued. The woollen manufacture was formerly extensively carried on, and Salisbury flannel was once in high repute, as were also scissors and ornamental cutlery made here ; but these branches of industry have gradually de- clined. The trade of Salisbury is now limited to the supply of the city and neighbourhood, and a consider- able business in agricultural produce of all kinds is done weekly in connection with the various markets and fairs mentioned below. The county assizes and spring quarter sessions are held here, but the Lent, or winter assize, has latterly been transferred for greater convenience to Devizes. General sessions and a bishop's court of record were formerly granted, but the latter, under the new Municipal Act, has become merged in the borough court, over which the recorder is the presiding officer. Petty sessions are held every Monday, and a court-leet annually on behalf of the bishop, as lord of the manor, when a bailiff and deputy-bailiff are appointed. Salis- bury gives the title of marquis to the family of Cecil. Three newspapers are published in the town, and races are held on the Downs beyond Harnham Hill for two days in August. There are places of worship for Inde- pendents, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Primitive Me- thodists, also a Roman Catholic church in Exeter- street, built in 1851 from a design by Pugin. The charitable and educational establishments are numer- ous, and many of them well endowed, the gross in- come derived from the whole being above 5,000, the smaller part of which is under the immediate super- vision of the municipal charity trustees appointed in 1837. Some of the principal charities are the College of Matrons, founded by Dr. Seth Ward, Bishop of Salis- bury, for the maintenance of ten clergymen's widows of the diocese, and endowed with about 700 per annum ; St. Nicholas's Hospital, near Harnham Bridge, founded by Bishop Poore, for a master and 12 brethren and sisters, with an income of 1,200, besides fines ; Trinity Hospital, founded in the reign of Richard II. for 12 aged brethren, income about 50. To these may be added Eyre's, Brichet's, Frowd's, Taylor's, and Blechynden's hospitals or almshouses for aged or infirm persons, and Sir Thomas White's charity for loans without interest to poor citizens, in sums of 25 for ten years. The schools include one for the choristers, situated in the close, at which the poet Addison received the rudi- ments of his education ; and a grammar school for the sons of citizens, founded and partially endowed by Queen Elizabeth, which is under the control 01 the municipal charity trustees. In the close is also a normal training school for female teachers, under the management of the bishop and a committee of clergy and laity. Another school was founded by the Godolphin family for 8 orphan daughters of poor gentle- men, and has an endowment of about 300 per annum. There are besides several Church of England, Wes- leyan, and Roman Catholic schools, also central National schools, 8 other public and 26 private day schools, and 8 Sunday-schools, in connection with the various places of worship. A college, formerly of secular canons, ad- joining to St. Edmund's church, has been converted into a private residence, and in its grounds numerous antique weapons and accoutrements have been dug up, marking it as the site of a battle between the Danes and Saxons. Numerous antiquities, including the founda- tions of the original cathedral, and still earlier Roman remains, are visible on Castle Hill, the site of Old Sarum, where some years since a curious double key, supposed to be that of the church, was found. The neighbourhood abounds with flints, found in the alluvial soil and in the chalk, containing a variety of organic remains of the spongia and alcyonia genera ; and some