Ewerby (St. Andrew)
EWERBY (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of
Sleaford, wapentake of Aswardhurn, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 4 miles (E. by N) from
Sleaford; comprising 2700 acres, and containing 433
inhabitants, of whom 48 are in the hamlet of Ewerby-Thorpe. The navigation from Sleaford to the Witham
runs through a part of the parish. Haverholm Priory,
a possession of the Earl of Winchilsea's, has been lately
rebuilt. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £6. 10. 10., and in the patronage
of the Crown; net income, £67; impropriator, the Earl:
there are about 4 acres of glebe. A school was founded,
and endowed with £10 per annum, by Henry Pell; and
there is a rent-charge of £14, left by Sir Richard Rothwell, for distribution among the poor, with some other
small bequests.
Ewesley
EWESLEY, a township, in the parish of Nether
Witton, union of Rothbury, W. division of Morpeth
ward, N. division of Northumberland, 11 miles (W.
N. W.) from Morpeth; containing 20 inhabitants. The
name of this place signifies "the ewes' pasture." It
comprises by computation 900 acres of land. To the
west of the hamlet is an oblong camp, rounded at the
corners, and 90 yards long; a little to the north of
Ewesley is another, on the west side of the Alemouth
road, of elliptical form, 135 yards by 110; and just
below the Comb bridge, on the right bank of the Font,
is a third, of small dimensions,
Ewhurst (St. Mary)
EWHURST (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and
hundred of Kingsclere, Kingsclere and N. divisions of
the county of Southampton, 6 miles (N. W.) from
Basingstoke; containing 22 inhabitants. It comprises
490 acres. The soil is generally a wettish loam in the
northern, and of a chalky nature in the southern, part;
the surface rises gradually from the north towards the
south, and the scenery is finely varied, and embellished
with stately trees, which thrive luxuriantly in the lower
grounds. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in
the king's books at £1. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Duke
of Wellington: the tithe rent-charge is £100. On the
summit of a hill in the parish, from which an extensive
view of the adjoining counties may be obtained, are some
tumuli, and also yew-trees of great antiquity.
Ewhurst (St. Peter and St. Paul)
EWHURST (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in
the union of Hambledon, Second division of the hundred of Blackheath, W. division of Surrey, 11 miles
(S. E.) from Guildford; containing 942 inhabitants. It
comprises by measurement 5000 acres, of which 3077
are arable, 334 meadow and pasture, 800 woodland, 729
common, and 60 glebe. The soil is generally strong,
resting upon clay, but in the higher grounds is of a
sandy nature; the surface is undulated, and in some
parts rises into considerable elevation. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £12. 7. 3½., and
in the patronage of the Crown; the tithes have been
commuted for £725, and there is a glebe of 60 acres.
The church, chiefly in the early English style, was built
in 1838. On a common called the Churt or East Churt,
is Holmbury, a large camp supposed to be of Roman
construction.
Ewhurst (St. James)
EWHURST (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Battle, hundred of Staple, rape of Hastings, E. division of Sussex, 13 miles (S. E.) from Lamberhurst;
containing 1169 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on
the north by the River Rother, and on the east by the
county of Kent; and comprises by computation 5570
acres, of which 2760 are arable, 971 meadow and pasture, and the remainder woodland and common. The
village is pleasantly situated on rising ground, commanding a fine view of the adjoining country. Fairs are
held on May 21st and Aug. 5th, the latter principally
for hops. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £12. 2. 6., and in the gift of King's College,
Cambridge: the tithes have been commuted for £725,
and there are 60 acres of glebe. The church has portions in the early, with insertions in the decorated,
English style: in the chancel window are considerable
remains of stained glass; the font is square on a circular column, and is of Sussex marble. At Staple Cross
is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Ewshott
EWSHOTT, a tything, in the parish and hundred of
Crondall, union of Hartley-Wintney, Odiham and
N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 3½ miles
(E.) from Odiham; containing 646 inhabitants.
Ewyas-Harrold (St. Michael)
EWYAS-HARROLD (St. Michael), a parish, in the
union of Dore, hundred of Webtree, county of Hereford, 12½ miles (S. W.) from Hereford; containing 356
inhabitants. Here was anciently a castle, which, according to Dugdale, was built by William Fitz-Osborne,
Earl of Hereford, after the Conquest; but Leland observes that it was probably erected by King Harold,
and conferred by him upon an illegitimate son, also
named Harold. A prior and small convent of monks
settled here about 1100, from the abbey of St. Peter, in
Gloucester, and continued till 1358, when the revenue
being insufficient for their support, they were again
united to the abbey. The parish is situated near the
mouth of the river Dore, just before it joins the Munnow,
and about a mile from the road between Hereford and
Abergavenny. It comprises by computation 1565 acres,
of which 1351 are arable, pasture, and meadow, and 214
woodland. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £110; patron, James Hopton, Esq.; appropriator, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The church
is a small ancient edifice, of which all the sittings are
free.
Exa, county of York.—See Bashall-Eaves.
EXA, county of York.—See Bashall-Eaves.
Exbourne (St. Mary)
EXBOURNE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Oakhampton, E. division of the hundred of Black
Torrington, N. division of Devon, 4¾ miles (E. by S.)
from Hatherleigh; containing 593 inhabitants. The
parish comprises 2124a. 1r. 20p., of which 286 acres are
waste land or common; and is intersected by the road
from Oakhampton to Monk-Oakhampton. The soil is
chiefly clay, and about a third part rich red land; the
meadows are very fine. A fair for cattle and pedlery is
held on the third Monday in April. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £27. 11. 8., and in
the gift of the Rev. F. Belfield: the tithes have been
commuted for £273, and the glebe consists of £56 acres.
The church is remarkably well built of granite.
Exbury
EXBURY, a chapelry, in the parish of Fawley,
union of New-Forest, hundred of Bishop's-Waltham,
Southampton and S. divisions of the county of Southampton, 9½ miles (E. by N.) from Lymington; containing, with the tything of Leap, 406 inhabitants. It comprises 2406 acres, whereof 304 are waste or common,
and is situated on the left bank, and near the mouth, of
the Beaulieu river, at the preventive station between
Stone and Needs Bar Points; the neighbourhood is
beautifully wooded, chiefly with oak of natural and
luxuriant growth. The haven to which it gives name
is navigable for vessels of fifty tons' burthen. There are
salt-works at the village; also a ferry over the river to
St. Leonard's. The tithes have been commuted for
£325, and the glebe contains 1½ acre. The chapel, a
neat building of white brick, made from clay found on
the spot, and of which quantities have been sent to distant places, was erected at the expense of the late Col.
Mitford, whose remains were interred within its walls.
Exelby, North riding of the county of York.—See Leeming.
EXELBY, North riding of the county of York.—
See Leeming.
Exeter
EXETER, a city, and a
county of itself, locally in
the hundred of Wonford,
S. division of Devon, of
which it is the chief town,
44 miles (N. E.) from Plymouth, and 172 (W. by S.)
from London; containing,
within the municipal boundary, and exclusively of the
suburban parishes of St.
Thomas, St. Leonard, and
Heavitree, 31,312 inhabitants. Geoffrey of Monmouth affirms that Exeter was a
British city prior to its establishment as a Roman
station, and various circumstances concur to prove the
fact. It was by the Britons called Caer-Isc, "city of the
water;" also Caer Rydh, or "the red city," from the
colour of the adjacent soil. After its capture by the
Romans, who made it a stipendiary town, it was denominated Isca with the addition of Danmoniorum, to
distinguish it from Isca (now Usk) in Monmouthshire.
That it was occupied by the Romans, is evident from
the coins and other relics which have been dug up in
profusion at different times, and more particularly in
July 1778, when small statues of Mercury, Mars, Ceres,
and Apollo, the largest not exceeding four inches and a
half in height, evidently the penates, or household gods,
of that people, together with the fragments of urns,
tiles, and tessellated pavement, were discovered; and
also in 1834, when digging the foundations for the
market-houses. A further evidence of Roman occupation is found in the castrametation of the numerous
signal stations extending to the English and Bristol
Channels. The city is said to have been honoured at
one time with the name of Augusta, from the circumstance of its being occupied by the second Augustan
legion, commanded by Vespasian, the conqueror of
Britannia Prima, which included Danmonium.
Arms.
It was for a considerable time the capital of the West
Saxon kingdom, and was subsequently occupied by the
Danes, after the violation of a solemn treaty made with
Alfred, the Saxon monarch. Alfred, however, invested
the city, and compelled the enemy to capitulate, with
a promise of evacuating all their holds within the West
Saxon territory; it was afterwards attacked by the
Danish marauders in 894, and was again relieved by
Alfred. Exeter was at a very early period distinguished
for its religious establishments, and contained so many
monastic foundations, that the Cornish Britons and
Saxon pagans are reported to have called it in derision
"Monk-Town." On the accession of Athelstan, the
Britons and Saxons not converted to Christianity, who
till now had formed a considerable portion of the population, were expelled, and the number of religious institutions was augmented by the foundation of a Benedictine monastery, dedicated to St. Peter, which was
converted by Edward the Confessor into a cathedral.
The town is greatly indebted for its early importance to
Athelstan, who is said to have established two mints in
it, and to have regularly fortified it with towers and a
wall of hewn stone; from which circumstance, most
probably, it was denominated Exanceastre, or Excestre,
i. e., "the castellated city of the Exe," whence its present
name. In 968, King Edgar restored the monastery
founded by his predecessor, Athelstan, which had been
destroyed by the Danes, and appointed Sydemann to the
abbacy, who was ultimately raised to the bishopric, as
eighth bishop of Devon. In 1003, Sweyn, King of
Denmark, landed on the western coast with a formidable
force, to avenge the slaughter of his countrymen, and
laid siege to Exeter, which, after a vigorous resistance
for two months, was treacherously given up by its
governor. The castle of Athelstan was destroyed, and
the monastery of St. Peter shared in the common ruin;
nor did the city recover from its devastation till the accession of Canute, when it began to resume its former
importance, and the monks of St. Peter their former
privileges.
At the time of the Conquest, the citizens, instigated
by Githa, mother of Harold, refused to receive a Norman garrison, and having recourse to arms, were joined
by the neighbouring inhabitants of Cornwall and Devonshire. On the approach of William to punish their
revolt, sensible of the unequal contest, they submitted
to his authority, and delivered hostages for their obedience. To prevent a revolt in future, William Rufus
erected a citadel in Exeter, the government of which he
entrusted to Baldwin de Brioniis, whom he made sheriff
of Devon, and to whom he gave the barony of Oakhampton, with the custody of all the county of
Devon. The castle, having been garrisoned in 1136 by
the partisans of the Empress Matilda, held out against
Stephen for three months, but was compelled to surrender from want of water. Stephen, however, acted
with clemency, and Henry II. subsequently rewarded
the loyalty of the citizens by a grant of additional privileges. In 1284, Hugh Courtenay, then Earl of Devon,
greatly injured the trading interests of Exeter, by obstructing the navigation of the river Exe, hitherto navigable for vessels of considerable burthen. In the year
1286, Edward I. held a parliament at Exeter, augmented
the privileges of the borough, and gave it a new common
seal. In 1308, Walter Stapleton, lord treasurer, was
appointed bishop of Exeter; he was the founder of
Exeter College, Oxford, and was sent ambassador to
France in 1322. The Black Prince remained here
several days with his royal prisoner of France, and subsequently visited the city in 1371.
In 1469, the Duchess of Clarence, with others of the
royal adherents, took refuge in Exeter, which was besieged by Sir William Courtenay, one of Edward's generals: the siege, however, was raised at the mediation of
the clergy. In 1470, Edward IV. arrived in pursuit of
the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick; and
some time after the battle of Tewkesbury, that prince,
with his queen and infant son, was entertained here for
several days. Richard III.'s visit to Exeter is alluded
to by Shakspeare. In the year 1488, Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, was made free of the city, being
the first honorary freeman on record. In 1497, Exeter
sustained a violent assault from Perkin Warbeck, the
pretended Richard of York, and claimant of the crown;
the inhabitants, however, succesfully resisted the impostor till the arrival of the Earl of Devon, when Perkin
retreated to Taunton. The loyalty of the citizens was
afterwards rewarded by Henry VII., who presented
them with his sword. In 1501, Catherine of Arragon
remained here several days, on her way from Fowey to
London. In the rebellion of the year 1549, many clergymen took an active part; among these was Welch, the
vicar of St. Thomas's, near the city, who not only promoted the cause by his preaching, but was "an arch
captain and principal doer:" this leader of the western
insurgents was hanged upon the tower of his own
church. On the 2nd of July, in that year, Exeter was
invested by a strong body of the popish adherents; the
citizens withstood the attack till the 5th of August,
when John, Lord Russell, having defeated the rebels at
Clist Heath, dispersed the assailants. The privations
endured by the inhabitants during the siege were of the
severest kind, and to mark their gratitude, the day of
Lord Russell's entry into the city (Aug. 6th) was consecrated an annual festival.
Exeter is distinguished for numerous proofs of loyal
attachment, which has been extended even to the unfortunate among foreign monarchs, as in the case of Don-Antonio, the deprived king of Portugal. So sensible
was Queen Elizabeth of the loyalty of the Exonians,
that with other more substantial proofs of her favour,
she presented the corporation with the honourable motto
Semper Fidelis. During the insurrection in Devon and
Cornwall, in 1541, this city sustained a siege of 35 days.
In the MS. notes of Milles, as copied in Polwhele's
History of Devon, it is recorded that, "when the Earl
of Bedford went into the west to suppress the rebellion,
he found the clergy so indifferent to his cause that he
could get none of them to attend him except Miles
Coverdale, afterwards Bishop of Exeter." Exeter was
firm to the cause of Charles I.; but the lord-lieutenant
of the county, who was of the opposite party, disarmed
the citizens, and garrisoned the castle with parliamentarian troops. It was, however, taken by Prince Maurice
and Sir John Berkeley, the latter of whom was appointed
governor. The city was now regarded as a place of
great security, and the queen being near the time of her
confinement sought refuge within its walls. Her accouchement took place in Bedford House, where she was
delivered of the Princess Henrietta Maria, who was
baptized in the cathedral, in 1643; on which occasion
the font, a beautiful basin of white marble, embellished
with cherubim and supported by a pedestal of black
marble, was erected. Charles visited Exeter on his way
to and return from Cornwall, and the infant princess
remained here till the surrender of the city, after a vigorous blockade of more than two months, to General Fairfax, in April, 1646. During the stay of the parliamentary forces, the cathedral was shamefully defaced, and
divided into places of worship for Presbyterians and
Independents; the palace, with other buildings adjoining, was turned into barracks, and the chapter-house
converted into a stable. Previously to their arrival, the
bishop's throne, with his altar-chair and the altar-piece
of Speke's chapel, had been taken down and concealed.
During the Protectorate, two zealous royalists, who had
attempted to restore Charles II., were by Cromwell's
order beheaded in the city. No burials are entered in
the cathedral register from 1646 to 1660; there is not
a will, nor any entry by which it can be established
that any wills were proved in the ecclesiastical courts of
Exeter within that period, during which they were
proved by commission, and deposited with the city and
county records. On the restoration of Charles II., the
city again testified its loyalty with much enthusiasm;
and the king, on his visit in 1671, presented the corporation with a portrait of his sister Henrietta, then
Duchess of Orleans. On the appearance of the Prince
of Orange, in Nov. 1688, the inhabitants submitted to
him; and that monarch afterwards established a mint
here: there is a thoroughfare, comprising many respectable houses, still called "the Mint." In August, 1789,
George III., with his queen and three of the princesses,
visited Exeter. Pestilential diseases have raged here,
as in most other towns, with destructive effect: the
plague is said to have been fatal to a great number in
1569. In the year 1586, one of the judges of assize,
several of the grand jury, and many others, fell victims
to the virulency of the gaol distemper. The plague was
again prevalent in the years 1603 and 1625; and in
the year 1777, not less than 285 persons died of the
small-pox.
This city, which has been denominated "The Capital
of the West," occupies the flat summit and the declivities
of a hill, rising gradually from the eastern bank of
the river Exe, but abruptly steep on the western side,
in the midst of a fertile and undulated country, surrounded on all sides by scenes of beauty and interest.
Its salubrious air, cleanliness, good market, and proximity to several watering-places, tend greatly to enhance
its eligibility as a place of residence. Including its
suburbs, it contains many handsome ranges of modern
houses, particularly in the eastern part of the town,
where are situated the cathedral, Bedford Circus, Southernhay Place, and Northernhay Place, in front of
which are inclosed pleasure-grounds, and the public
baths, erected in 1821, having a good exterior of classical design, and internally replete with every accommodation. The town is well paved, and partly lighted with
gas by a company established in 1816; in 1836 an act
was procured for more effectually lighting it. Water is
obtained from the river by works erected in 1694, at the
western extremity of the town: in 1833 an act was
passed for providing a more ample supply, and in 1840
an act to amend former acts for this purpose. At the
western entrance is a handsome stone bridge over the
Exe, built after repeated failures caused by the rapidity
of the current, in 1778, at an expense of £20,000, a
little above the site of an ancient bridge of twelve arches,
erected in 1250. To the north of the city are the cavalry
barracks, and at some distance to the south-west the
artillery barracks; the latter since the peace, have been
divided into several separate dwellings, and let to private
families. The Devon and Exeter Institution, for the
general promotion of science, was established in 1813:
the building was purchased from Viscount Courtenay,
having been the town residence of that family; the
library contains 10,000 volumes, with numerous natural
and artificial curiosities. In Fore-street is a public subscription library, founded in 1807, and comprising 2500
volumes. The tradesmen's and mechanics' institution
was formed in 1825. In a modern building near the
Northernhay walk are the public rooms, erected by subscription in 1820; the ball-room, measuring 80 feet by
40, is superbly fitted up, and lighted by a handsome
dome. The theatre is a neat structure, on the site of a
former one destroyed by fire. The races generally take
place in July or August, on Haldon, an excellent racecourse, about seven miles distant.
The limits of the port of Exeter extend from the
river Axe, near Lyme Regis, to the Ness Point at Teignmouth. A little above Topsham the tide of the Exe is
arrested by the "Lower Weir," there being another between this and the city. In 1699, a canal was cut nearly
to Topsham, navigable for vessels of 150 tons: it was
completed at an expense of £20,000, communicating
with the river about three miles from the city; and in
1827 was extended about two miles and a half further
to the south, for the admission of vessels of larger tonnage. On the quay are the custom-house and wharfinger's office; and near it are extensive iron-foundries,
fulling-mills, timber wharfs, &c. A large basin has
been constructed opposite the quay, where vessels of
considerable burthen may float and discharge their cargoes, and wharfs and warehouses have been erected. A
good trade is carried on with London, Liverpool, Bristol,
Plymouth, Falmouth, and Penzance; the number of
vessels of above 50 tons' burthen registered at the port is
131, and their aggregate tonnage 15,637. The Bristol
and Exeter railway, 75½ miles in length, commences at
Bristol by a junction with the Great Western railway,
and is carried in a south-western direction to the coast;
the part from Bristol to Bridgwater, a distance of 32½
miles, was opened on the 14th of June, 1841, and the
other portions have been since completed. An act was
passed in 1844 for making a railway from Exeter to
Plymouth, 52 miles in length, which was opened as far
as Teignmouth in May 1846; in 1845 an act was obtained for a railway from the Bristol line, near Exeter,
to Crediton, a distance of six miles; and in 1846 one
for a railway to Topsham and Exmouth. The trade, at
a very early period, was chiefly in the article of wool,
and the market for this commodity was removed hither
from Crediton, in 1538. Fulling-mills existed here in
the time of Edward I.; the weavers and fullers were
united to the merchant-adventurers, and incorporated by
Elizabeth. The city formerly exported woollen-cloth to
Italy, Turkey, &c.; and it is said that, before the year
1700, eight out of ten of the citizens were engaged in
that trade, of which the annual returns were estimated
at £600,000, but which greatly decreased during the
American war. The cotton-works, and manufactories
for kerseymere and shawls, have also declined; the
manufacture at present consists chiefly of coarse cloth.
The markets are held by prescription: the principal
market-day is Friday; but there is a daily sale for
butchers' meat, fish, and vegetables; and a market for
pork, poultry, butter, &c., is held on Tuesday and
Friday, on which latter day is also a market for corn,
cattle, and serges. In 1834, a bill was obtained for
removing the markets held in High-street and Forestreet, and providing other market-places in lieu. The
fairs are on the third Wednesday in February, third
Wednesday in May, last Wednesday in July, and the
second Wednesday in December; and there is a great
market on the second Friday in every month.
The city was anciently held in demesne by the
crown. Its earliest charter was bestowed by Henry I.,
and confirmed by Henry II. and Richard I.; and it is
supposed to have been first governed by a mayor in the
reign of John, in the year 1200, at which time the
office was held for life. In 1312, the mayor and bailiffs
were made justices of the peace. Edward III. granted
them the cognizance of pleas; the charters of Edward IV. and Henry VII. confirmed their privileges,
and Henry VIII. constituted Exeter a county of itself.
Further liberties were granted
by Charles I.; and in 1770,
George III. renewed and
confirmed the charter. By
the act of the 5th and 6th
of William IV., cap. 76, the
corporation now consists of
a mayor, 12 aldermen, and
36 councillors, assisted by a
recorder, sheriff, town-clerk,
and other officers; the city is
divided into six wards, and
exclusively of the mayor and
recorder, ten justices have been appointed by commission from the crown. The city has sent two members to parliament ever since the reign of Edward I.
The right of election was formerly vested in freemen
by heirship, servitude, and presentation, and in freeholders, in number about 1200; but by the act of the
2nd of William IV., cap. 45, the non-resident freemen,
except within seven miles, were disfranchised, and
the privilege was extended to the £10 householders
of an enlarged district, comprehending 4600 acres: the
former limits of the franchise comprised only 2400 acres.
The sheriff is returning officer. There is a court of
assize for the city and county of the city twice a year,
at the guildhall, before the judges on the circuit, assisted
by the corporation, under a separate commission: the
assizes for the county of Devon are held in the sessionshouse within the castle; and a court of quarter-sessions
is also held in both places, the recorder presiding at the
city sessions. The powers of the county debt-court of
Exeter, established in 1847, extended over the registration-districts of Exeter and St. Thomas. The court of
bankruptcy, established in 1842, embraces several counties. There is a court of record, called the Provost court,
at the guildhall monthly for the trial of causes; and
petty-sessions are held by the mayor and justices every
Tuesday and Saturday. Attendance is also given at the
guildhall by the magistrates daily at eleven o'clock; and
in the castle the magistrates for the hundred hold pettysessions every Friday. The guildhall was formerly
fronted by a chapel dedicated to St. George, which was
demolished in 1592; the present facade projects into
the street, and is a tasteless intermixture of ancient
English and Italian architecture: the common hall is
spacious, with an arched roof supported by grotesque
figures, and contains portraits of Charles I., his daughter the Princess Henrietta, General Monk, and others.
The sessions-house, within the walls of Rougemont
Castle, was erected in 1773; it exhibits a neat stone
front, and is complete in its internal arrangement. The
city prison, erected in 1818 at a cost of £10,000, is a
large brick building. The county gaol, a short distance
north of the city, erected in 1796, is also very spacious,
and judiciously planned for the classification of prisoners.
The bridewell was erected in 1809, near the same spot.
The sheriff's debtors' ward, in the parish of St. Thomas,
south-west of the city, was erected in the year 1818, and
is appropriated to debtors of the county of Devon.
Corporation Seal.
Exeter was, in the reign of Edward the Confessor,
erected into a See, the jurisdiction of which extends
over Devon and Cornwall; the authority of rural dean
is exercised throughout. The ecclesiastical establishment
consists of a bishop, dean, sub-dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, four archdeacons, 23 canons, seven of
whom are residentiary, and
four minor canons. The
bishop has the patronage of
the archdeaconries, the canonries, and the other offices
of the church, except the minor canonries, the patronage
of which belongs to the Dean
and Chapter. The number
of the canons will eventually
be reduced to 21, five of them
to be residentiary canons.
Arms of the Bishopric.
The silence of all the early historians concerning the
foundation of the Cathedral has given rise to various
and opposite opinions respecting it. The majority of
writers, from Hooker, in 1584, to those of the present
day, have stated that St. Mary's chapel at the end of
the choir, was the original Saxon church, and that the
whole of the existing fabric was 500 years in building:
the chapel is stated by Davey, one of the historians of
Exeter, to have been built by Bishop Richard Blondy,
who died December 26th, 1257. Previously to its establishment at Exeter, the see of Devon was seated at
Crediton; but Leofricus, who was bishop of the see and
lord chancellor of England, prevailed on Edward the
Confessor to remove it hither in 1049; and that monarch, with Editha his queen, attended at the installation, and placed the bishop in the new see, which he then
endowed with the lands and emoluments that had previously belonged to Crediton. The see being thus established, it is probable that a suitable cathedral was
soon afterwards provided; but whether constructed by
enlarging and altering some existing edifice, or by the
erection of a separate and entire building, is uncertain.
The first principal enlargement of the cathedral may,
with great probability, be ascribed to Bishop William
Warelwast, who was preferred to the see in 1107, and
who greatly improved the building; he laid the foundation of the choir, and to him, probably, may be attributed the towers yet remaining, which are perfectly
similar in style to those of his contemporary Gundulphus, and resemble more the magnificence of the Norman architects than the simplicity of the Anglo-Saxons.
In the two chapels dedicated to St. Andrew and St.
James, and in the vaulting of the stairs leading to the
rooms above, are some circular Norman arches; and on
the whole, it appears that the first considerable cathedral
was planned under the direction of Warelwast. But
whatever grandeur and consequence might distinguish
it under his prelacy, were nearly destroyed during the
siege of Exeter by King Stephen, in 1138, when it was
plundered and burnt, and the choir is mentioned as
having particularly suffered. Bishop Chichester, the
successor of Warelwast, is said to have expended much
money in the repairs of the building; and Bronescombe,
who was elevated to the see in 1258, built a chapel on
the south side of the east end, which was dedicated to
St. Gabriel, and endowed for two chaplains with the
vicarage of Bockerel, in Devon. On the accession of
Bishop Quivil, in 1280, the cathedral, with the exception of the towers, the north and south transepts, and
the door of the Galilee, or penitential porch, was rebuilt
in the early English style, and became one of the most
superb ecclesiastical structures in the kingdom. Among
the successors of Quivil who contributed towards the
completion of his design, Bishops Stapleton and Grandison were distinguished by their munificence. Under
the episcopacy of the latter, the nave was lengthened and
the roof vaulted: the west front was probably erected
in the time of his successor, Brantingham; and in 1420,
under the superintendence of Bishop Lacy, the whole as
it now appears was completed.
The west front is splendidly decorated with a profusion of canopied niches, statuary, and elegant tracery,
constituting a shrine to the sepulchral chapel of Bishop
Grandison. The principal entrance is in the centre of
an elaborately-carved screen, divided by projecting and
highly-enriched buttresses into compartments, in which
are two series of arches, whereof the lower, surmounted
by an open battlement, contains figures, in a sitting posture, of several of the kings arrayed in their robes, and
of others in armour. In the upper stories and on the
buttresses are statues of monarchs in an erect posture,
and in the central niche is one of a king sitting with
his foot on a globe, holding in one hand a book, and in
the other a sceptre; below which are the arms of the
see quartered with those of the ancient Saxon monarchs,
in a shield supported by kneeling angels. Above the
screen is a noble window of nine lights with elegant
tracery, 37 feet in height and 27 in breadth: in the
lower part are full-length figures of St. Peter, St. Paul,
St. Andrew, and the Four Evangelists; the other parts
are enriched with mosaic paintings and the armorial
bearings of the nobility and gentry of the county, together with the union rose, thistle, fleur-de-lis, and harp,
the different insignia of royal and ecclesiastical dignity,
emblems of the nations composing the British empire,
the several orders of knighthood, the holy lamb, &c.
On the north and south sides of the cathedral are the
massive Norman towers, of which the lower parts, opening into the nave, form the transepts.
The interior exhibits a striking combination of majestic grandeur and graceful simplicity. The nave is
separated from the aisles by massive clustered columns,
but of elegant proportions; and above the finely-pointed
arches that support the vaulted roof are a triforium of
singular beauty, and a noble range of clerestory windows
filled with rich tracery. The choir, which is separated
from the nave by a screen of exquisite design, is of similar style and of equal elevation, and has a continuation
of the triforium and clerestory, the windows of which,
as well as those of the cathedral in general, exhibit the
finest specimens of tracery in the decorated style to be
found in the kingdom. On the south side of the choir
are some stalls of exquisite beauty; and the bishop's
throne, reaching to the clerestory windows, an elevation
of sixty feet, is a specimen of tabernacle-work of unequalled magnificence. It was erected in 1470, by Bishop
Booth, and is entirely of wood, and dove-tailed, without,
it is said, either a nail or screw; it is elevated above
the floor, and ascended by six steps: its area is ten feet
square. The canopy is composed of pointed arches,
columns, niches, pinnacles, and foliated ornaments, and
is carved in a tasteful and most delicate manner. To
the north and south of the Lady chapel are the chapels
of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Gabriel, and in various
parts of the cathedral are others richly adorned with
sculpture, in one of which, dedicated to St. Edmund, is
held the consistorial court every Friday during term.
In the north aisle of the choir are the splendid monuments of Sir Richard and Bishop Stapleton. There are
many other monuments deserving attention, especially
the tomb of Bishop Stafford, which is of beautiful design
and elaborate execution. In the year 1820, on removing
the flooring of the Lady chapel, two very ancient tombs
were discovered, which corroborate the opinion that this
part was the original cathedral: the material is Purbeck
marble. The tombs are now placed on pedestals of
common masonry, one on each side of the chapel, and
are supposed to be those of two of the five bishops between Leofricus, who became first bishop in 1049, and
John the Chaunter, who was appointed in 1186. The
organ was built in 1665, by John Loosemore, and, for
richness of tone, is said to be unrivalled. The length
of the cathedral is 390 feet from east to west, and 140
between the extremities of the transepts. The chapterhouse is a beautiful edifice, partly in the early and partly
in the later English style; the roof is of oak, carved in
panels on the slope, and the intervals above the beams
are filled with tabernacle-work. The episcopal palace is
an ancient structure, containing several noble apartments, and a chapel. The deanery is celebrated as
having been honoured by the visits of Charles II., William III., and George III.
The city comprises the parishes of All Hallows Goldsmith-street, with 360 inhabitants; All Hallows-on-the
Walls, 866; St. Edmund, 1595; St. George, 685; St.
John, 500; St. Kerrian, 401; St. Lawrence, 641; St.
Martin, 254; St. Mary-Arches, 651; St. Mary Major,
3429; St. Mary-Steps, 1256; St. Olave, 912; St. Pancras, 364; St. Paul, 1337; St. Petrock, 261; St. Stephen, 477; and Holy Trinity, 3796; also the parochial
chapelries of St. David and St. Sidwell, 3508 and 9154;
and the extra-parochial precincts of the Cathedral Close,
684; Bedford, 119; Bradninch, 55; and Castle-yard,
7. The living of All Hallows' Goldsmith-street is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 4. 7.;
net income, £66; patrons, the Dean and Chapter. The
living of All Hallows'-on-the-Walls is a discharged rectory, valued at £5. 4. 9½.; net income, £18; patrons,
the Dean and Chapter. The church, a new edifice, of
which the internal effect is exceedingly good, was consecrated in September, 1845: the old church was destroyed nearly a century ago, being ruinous. The living
of St. Edmund's is a discharged rectory, valued at
£10. 16. 8.; net income, £187; patron, G. Hyde, Esq.
The present church was consecrated in September, 1834.
St. George's is a discharged rectory, valued at £9. 13. 8.;
St. John's is a rectory not in charge: these livings now
form one benefice, in the patronage of the Crown; net
income, £212. St. Kerrian's is a discharged rectory,
with that of St. Petrock's united, the former valued
at £5. 18. 6½., the latter at £14. 10. 2.; net income,
£138; patrons, the Dean and Chapter. The living of
St. Lawrence's is a discharged rectory, in the gift of
the Crown; net income, £90. St. Martin's is a discharged rectory, valued at £8. 14. 6.; net income, £77;
patrons, the Dean and Chapter. St. Pancras's is a
discharged rectory, valued at £4. 13. 4.; net income,
£43; patrons, the Dean and Chapter. The church,
long disused, has been recently fitted up. The living
of the parish of St. Mary-Arches is a discharged rectory, valued at £10; net income, £162; patron, the
Bishop. St. Mary Major's is a discharged rectory,
valued at £15. 14. 9½.; net income, £150; patrons, the
Dean and Chapter. The living of the parish of St.
Mary-Steps is a discharged rectory, valued at £8. 6. 8.;
net income, £179; patron, the Rev. William Carwithen.
St. Olave's is a discharged rectory, valued at £7. 17. 4.,
and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £81.
St. Paul's is a discharged rectory, valued at £8. 2. 6.;
net income, £172; patrons, the Dean and Chapter. St.
Stephen's is a discharged rectory, valued at £7. 17. 3½.;
net income, £85; patron, the Bishop. The living of the
Holy Trinity parish is a discharged rectory, valued at
£11. 16. 4.; net income, £111; patrons, the Dean and
Chapter. The living of the parochial chapelry of St.
David is a perpetual curacy; net income, £130; patron,
the Vicar of Heavitree; appropriators, the Dean and
Chapter. The chapel was rebuilt in 1816, on the site
of the ancient edifice. St. Sidwell's is also a perpetual
curacy; net income, £252; patron, the Vicar of Heavitree; appropriators, the Dean and Chapter. The church,
rebuilt in 1812, is a spacious and handsome structure
in the later English style, with a lofty tower surmounted
by an octangular spire; it was enlarged in 1839. On
an eminence to the south-west of the city is the cemetery
of St. Bartholomew, consecrated in 1639, which having
become very crowded, a new and spacious cemetery adjoining it was inclosed for public use, and consecrated
on the 24th of August (St. Bartholomew's day), 1837.
Owing to the increase of population, chapels have been
built in some of the above parishes. The living of Bedford chapel is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of
Trustees; net income, £136: St. James's chapel, erected
in 1836, is presented to by the Vicar of Heavitree. The
parishes of St. Leonard and St. Thomas the Apostle,
near Exeter, are described under their own heads.
There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of
Friends, Independents, Wesleyans, Methodists, and Unitarians, a Roman Catholic chapel, and a synagogue.
The Free Grammar school was founded by the citizens,
before the date of the charter of Charles I., and in
1633 the corporation instituted certain ordinances for
its better government. There are fifteen exhibitions, to
either Cambridge or Oxford, belonging to this seminary;
viz., six of £36 each, of which two are for boys of Devon,
two for boys of Cornwall, and two for the sons of freemen of the city; three of £20 each, for boys of any
county educated here; and eight of £8. The schoolroom forms part of the building called St. John's hospital,
a convent of Augustine friars, founded in 1239, and the
revenue of which at the Dissolution was £102. 12. 9.;
the present income, arising from various endowments,
exceeds £800 per annum. Adjoining it is the Mayor's
chapel. Within St. John's hospital is the Blue-coat
school, founded by Hugh Crossing and others, in the
year 1661. The College school, at Mount Radford, formerly the residence of the Baring family, was established
in 1826, for the purpose of general instruction. The
Blue Maids' school, for the instruction and maintenance
of seven girls, was founded in 1672, by Sir John Maynard and Eliza Stert, and endowed with lands producing
more than £100 per annum.
The Devon and Exeter Hospital was opened in 1743, a
lunatic asylum in 1795, and a female penitentiary in
1819. St. Catherine's almshouse was founded in 1457,
for thirteen aged people, by John Stevens. Wynard's
hospital was established in 1436, for twelve infirm and
elderly men, and has a chapel attached, a handsome
structure. Grendon's, or the Ten Cells', almshouses were
founded in 1406, by S. Grendon, for ten unmarried men
or women. In 1479, John Palmer founded an almshouse
for four women. Hurst's almshouses were founded in
1568, for twelve tradesmen, or their widows, and are endowed with nearly £100 per annum. Flaye's almshouses,
for six widows of clergymen and decayed tradesmen,
were founded in 1634; the income is about £100. Six
parishioners of St. Mary-Arches are appointed to the
almshouses founded in 1669 by Christopher Lethbridge,
which Sir Thomas Lethbridge endowed with £15. 12.
per annum. In St. John's parish is an endowed almshouse for six persons, founded by Alice Brooking. The
city almshouses, for twelve aged persons, rebuilt in 1764
with funds originating in a bequest by Richard Lant in
1675, have an income of £170. Atwill's almshouses were
founded and endowed by Lawrence Atwill for decayed
woollen manufacturers; the annual income amounts to
about £320. In the parochial chapelry of St. Sidwell
are the ancient chapel and eight almshouses of St. Anne,
the former of which is open for divine service every
Wednesday; and there are an old chapel and almshouses in the parish of Heavitree; besides an almshouse for four women, founded in 1676 by John Webb.
The late R. T. Spearman, Esq., many years deputy
treasurer at this port for Greenwich Hospital, bequeathed
£12,000 for the building of almshouses in the city,
for women above sixty years of age, members of the
Church of England; and in addition to these various
benefactions, there are lands in the possession of the
different parishes, the proceeds of which are applicable
to general purposes of charity, and numerous individual
bequests and donations.
Exeter still retains some proud vestiges of its ancient institutions and mural fortifications: the gardens
attached to the bishop's palace are inclosed by the remains of the old wall that encompassed the city. In
the vicinity are several encampments, among which
may be particularised that at Stoke Hill; it is semicircular, and more than 250 paces in diameter. The north,
south, and east gates were taken down for the improvement of the city; but the walls in some places exhibit
the original elevation, and may be correctly traced
throughout. On the highest ground in the city, the
north-west angle, stand the venerable remains of the
Norman castle, supposed to occupy the site of that
founded by Athelstan; it was denominated Rougemont
Castle, from having been erected on a mound of red
earth. A collegiate chapel was founded within its walls,
by Avenell, the grandson of Baldwin de Brioniis, to
which were attached four prebends: it served as the
assize chapel after the Reformation, but was taken down
in 1782. The principal gateway, a lofty and picturesque
object, still remains, as does the greater part of the
outer walls, from the summit of which there is a fine
view over the city; also of Exmouth and the Channel, at
a distance of more than ten miles. The Benedictine
priory of St. Nicholas is said to have been founded by
William the Conqueror, and was at first subordinate to
the abbey of Battle, in Sussex; it afterwards obtained
from the parent house a renunciation of superior
authority, the presentation remaining with the abbot of
Battle. At the Dissolution, its revenue was £154. 12.,
and it was conveyed to the corporation, who demolished
the buildings for the sake of the materials, and subsequently sold the property in lots. The walls may be
traced to a considerable extent; and in Mint-lane are the
remains of the crypt, with its massive Norman arches,
&c. On the site of the ancient church stands the Roman Catholic chapel opened in 1792. Here were also
Franciscan and Dominican convents: the latter was converted, after its suppression, into a mansion belonging
to the Bedford family; the site is now occupied by
Bedford Circus. At Poleslo, in the neighbourhood, are
some remains of a Benedictine nunnery founded by
Bishop Briwere in 1236, the revenue of which, at the
Dissolution, was £164. 8. 11.; and at Cowick, in the
parish of St. Thomas, was also a monastery. On excavating the ground opposite the London inn in the
city, were found a small brass coin of Henry IV. of
France, a large coin of Trajan, a Constantine, and some
others; also the remains of a water-course which supplied the citizens with water during the siege.
Among the distinguished natives of the city may be
enumerated Josephus Iscanus, or Joseph of Exeter, a
Latin poet of the twelfth century; his contemporary,
Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Stephen Langton,
also Archbishop of Canterbury, who, in the reign of
John, divided the Bible into chapters; John Hooker,
who wrote a history of Exeter, in the sixteenth century;
Sir Thomas Bodley, founder of the Bodleian library at
Oxford; Dr. John Barcham, an eminent writer on
heraldry, born in 1572; Matthew Lock, a composer of
music in the seventeenth century; Lord Chancellor
King, a distinguished lawyer and theological writer;
the Rev. Thomas Yalden, a poet of eminence; Simon
Ockley, a learned orientalist; Dr. James Foster, a nonconformist divine and theological writer of celebrity;
William Jackson, an ingenious musical composer;
Andrew Brice, author of a topographical dictionary;
the late Chief Justice Gibbs; and Lord Gifford, master
of the rolls. Exeter gives the title of Earl and Marquess to the family of Cecil.
Exford (St. Mary Magdalene)
EXFORD (St. Mary Magdalene), a parish, in the
union of Dulverton, hundred of Carhampton, W.
division of Somerset, 8½ miles (N. W. by N.) from
Dulverton, and 10 (W. S. W.) from Dunster, the posttown; containing 473 inhabitants, and comprising 5674
acres. It takes its name from its situation at one of the
fords on the river Exe, which rises about six miles to the
west, in the forest of Exmoor, and over which is a stone
bridge of three arches. Several barrows are scattered
over the tract, together with circular intrenchments;
and a mile and a half westward from the church, are
vestiges of some iron-works, in which, tradition says,
the entire wood of the adjoining forest was consumed.
A fair for cattle, horses, and sheep, is held on August
14th. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books
at £18. 2. 8½., and in the gift of Peter House, Cambridge: the tithes have been commuted for £250, and
there is a glebe of 141 acres.
Exhall (St. Giles)
EXHALL (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of
Foleshill, N. division of the county of Warwick,
4 miles (N. by E.) from Coventry, on the road to Leicester; containing 936 inhabitants, about 400 of whom
are employed in the manufacture of ribbons. The
parish comprises 2031a. 22r. 14p.; there are several
coal-mines, and stone applicable for building is found.
The Coventry canal runs for a short distance through
the parish. The living is a vicarage, with a net income
of £143; the patronage belongs to Miss Knightley. The
tithes were commuted for land in 1761 and subsequently;
the glebe comprises 60 acres. The church, which prior
to 1842 was an inconvenient structure, was enlarged in
that and the following year, at an expense of £1400,
raised by subscription; and the additional sittings, 250,
gained by the building of a south aisle, and repewing the
older part of the edifice, are all free: the new aisle and
porch are in the decorated style, and the nave, chancel,
and north aisle have been altered to correspond. There
is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists; also a
school with a small endowment.
Exhall (St. Giles)
EXHALL (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of
Alcester, Stratford division of the hundred of Barlichway, S. division of the county of Warwick, 2
miles (S. E. by S.) from Alcester; containing 207 inhabitants. It comprises 823 acres by measurement, of
which 160 are pasture, 10 woodland, and the rest arable; the soil is chiefly a stiff marly loam, with occasional mixtures of sand and clay. The living is a rectory,
with that of Wixford annexed, valued in the king's books
at £8. 17. 3½., and in the patronage of the Crown, with
a net income of £409: the tithes were commuted for
land and a money payment in 1767.
Exminster (St. Martin)
EXMINSTER (St. Martin), a parish, in the union
of St. Thomas, hundred of Exminster, Wonford and
S. divisions of Devon, 4 miles (S. E. by S.) from Exeter;
containing 1177 inhabitants. At this village, which is
very pleasantly situated on the west side of the river
Exe, a fair is held on May 29th. Contiguous to it is a
county lunatic asylum, designed for 400 patients, on
a novel and ingenious plan, submitted by Mr. Fowler,
secretary to the Society of Architects; the project was
under consideration nearly twenty years, and the estimated expense, £60,000, was, by a vote of sessions in
Michaelmas 1840, to be defrayed within fourteen years.
The Exeter canal runs through the parish. The living
is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £12; net income, £253; patrons and impropriators, the Governors
of Crediton Church Corporation Trust. The tithes have
been commuted for £845. 10., and the glebe comprises
12 acres.
Exmoor
EXMOOR, an extra-parochial liberty, in the hundred of Williton and Freemanners, W. division of
Somerset; containing 163 inhabitants, and comprising
25,000 acres. This was formerly a forest, and it is said
that the wood was consumed in some iron-works near
Exford; a considerable part has lately been brought
into cultivation, and a very large portion has been
inclosed by Mr. Knight. In the time of the Druids,
the forest was one of the spots where their religious
rites were celebrated, and here are several circular
intrenchments, which it is supposed were thrown up for
that purpose.
Exmouth
EXMOUTH, a fashionable bathing-place and a chapelry, partly in the parish of Withycombe-Rawleigh,
but chiefly in that of Littleham, in the union of St.
Thomas, hundred of East Budleigh, Woodbury and
S. divisions of Devon, 11 miles (S. E. by S.) from Exeter, and 169½ (W. S. W.) from London; containing 4356
inhabitants. This place, as its name implies, is situated
at the mouth of the river Exe, on the coast of the English Channel. The landing of the Danes here, in 1001
and 1003, probably first made it the object of attention
as a maritime station, and occasioned the erection of a
castle, to defend the entrance to the haven. The port
appears to have been of some consequence in the beginning of the thirteenth century; it sent two members to
a council of state held at Westminster in the 14th of
Edward III., and furnished 10 ships and 193 men towards
the great naval armament of that king, at the commencement of his war with France. The Earl of March,
afterwards Edward IV., on the defeat of the Yorkists at
Ludlow, in 1459, fled into Devonshire, with the Earls of
Salisbury, Warwick, and others, and took shipping at
Exmouth, whence they sailed to Calais. During the
great civil war, the place was alternately held by the
royalists and parliamentary forces, and was finally taken
by the latter, in March, 1646.
Whatever may have been the importance of Exmouth
in former ages, it seems to have fallen into a state of
decay, and about a century ago was a small hamlet, inhabited chiefly by fishermen; but since that period it
has attained celebrity as a bathing-place, owing to the
salubrity and mildness of the air, the town being open
to the south-west, and sheltered by a hill from the east
winds. It stands on the eastern side of the river, where
two projecting sand-banks form a partial inclosure,
leaving an opening of about one-third of the width of
the harbour. The river is about half a mile across:
and though the entrance is somewhat difficult, the harbour is extremely convenient, and the bar will admit of
the passage of ships of more than 300 tons' burthen.
The town, which is irregularly built, occupies the base
and acclivity of a promontory called the Beacon Hill, the
summit of which affords a noble view, extending from
Bury Head, the southern boundary of Tor bay, to the
city of Exeter. In 1846 an act was passed for a railway hence to Exeter, ten miles in length. A small
weekly market is held for provisions, an act for the
regulation of which was passed in 1838; the markethouse was erected by Lord Rolle. There are fairs on
April 25th and October 28th. The chapel, dedicated to
St. Margaret, is the chief ornament of the town, occupying a conspicuous position on the Beacon Hill, and is a
chapel of ease to the vicarage of Littleham; it was erected
in 1825, by Lord Rolle, at the expense of £12,000, and
consists of a nave and aisles, with a lofty tower of great
beauty, in the later English style: there are 1500 sittings,
of which 350 are free. Here are places of worship for
Independents and Wesleyans.
Exning (St. Martin)
EXNING (St. Martin), a parish, in the union of
Newmarket, hundred of Lackford, W. division of
Suffolk, 2 miles (N. W.) from Newmarket; containing
1259 inhabitants. This place was formerly of much
greater note than it is at present, and gave birth to Ethelreda, who was daughter of Anna, King of the East
Angles, and became the first abbess of Ely. The parish
comprises 4932a. 1r. 31p.: there are several remarkable
wells, forming the source of the river Burwell. The
living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£13. 7. 6.; net income, £311; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury: the tithes
were commuted for land and a money payment in 1807.
The church, which has a square tower, was built in the
fourteenth century; the interior is handsomely decorated, and contains an ancient font. There is a place of
worship for Wesleyans. Some bequests have been made
for the repair of the church, and the relief of the poor.
Various coins, including a silver coin of Vespasian, have
been found.
Exton (St. Peter and St. Paul)
EXTON (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in the
union of Oakham, hundred of Alstoe, county of Rutland, 5¼ miles (N. E. by E.) from Oakham; containing
881 inhabitants. It comprises 3856 acres. The surface
is generally flat, with a gentle undulation on one side,
forming a small valley; the soil is partly a reddish
mould resting on limestone, alternated with red rock,
and partly a strong loam resting upon clay. The living
is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£8. 7. 8.; net income, £325; patron and impropriator,
the Earl of Gainsborough: the tithes were commuted
for land and a money payment, under an inclosure act
of the 39th of George III. The church is a spacious
and elegant structure, chiefly in the early, and partly in
the later, English style, with a tower strengthened by
buttresses, and surmounted by a spire; it contains several finely-executed monuments to the Noel family and
their connexions. A school, at present on the national
system, was established in 1702 by Henry Foster, Esq.,
who endowed it with property now producing £30 per
annum. Numerous fossil remains are discovered. A
small mound in the parish, bearing the name of Robin
Hood's Cave, is supposed to have been a retreat of
that celebrated outlaw.
Exton (St. Peter)
EXTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Dulverton, hundred of Williton and Freemanners, W.
division of Somerset, 4 miles (N. by E.) from Dulverton; containing 380 inhabitants. The village stands on
an eminence overlooking the river Exe, from which it
derives its name. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £14. 12. 11., and in the gift of J. Evered,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £318, and the
glebe comprises 67 acres.
Exton
EXTON, a parish, in the union of Droxford, hundred of Fawley, Droxford and N. divisions of the
county of Southampton, 15 miles (S. S. W.) from
Alton; containing 282 inhabitants. It comprises 2456a.
2r. 24p., of which 1600 acres are arable, 452 meadow,
and 377 woodland. The living is a rectory, valued in
the king's books at £10. 6. 0½., and in the gift of the
Bishop of Winchester: the tithes have been commuted
for £470; the glebe contains 7 acres, with a house. In
the church, which is principally in the early English
style, with some insertions of a later date, is a monument in memory of Dr. Young, Dean of Winchester.
On a hill that divides the parish from Meon-Stoke, is a
Roman encampment; the lines are very extensive, and
on the western side are several barrows.
Extwistle.—See Briercliffe.
EXTWISTLE.—See Briercliffe.
Eyam (St. Helen)
EYAM (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak, N. division of the county
of Derby; containing, with the townships of Woodland-Eyam and Foolow, 1426 inhabitants, of whom 951
are in the township of Eyam, 1 mile (N. W. by W.) from
Stony-Middleton. This parish comprises by measurement 4398 acres, of which about 320 are arable, 708
meadow, 3270 pasture and moor, and about 100 wood:
the soil is various, partly on limestone and partly on
freestone; much of the pasture and meadow is very
good, but the moor and higher land is poor. In Sept.
and Oct. 1665, the infection having been conveyed hither
in a package from London, four-fifths of the inhabitants
were carried off by the plague. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £13. 15. 5., and in the
gift of the Dukes of Devonshire and Buckingham, and
the Earl of Thanet, with a net income of £226: the tithes
have been commuted for £80, and the glebe consists of
56 acres, with a house. The church contains about 560
sittings. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans;
and a school is endowed with about £12 per annum.
Ann Seward, poetess, and writer of a life of Dr. Darwin,
was a native of Eyam, of which her father was rector.
Eydon (St. Nicholas)
EYDON (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of
Brackley, hundred of Chipping-Warden, S. division
of the county of Northampton, 9½ miles (S. by W.)
from Daventry; containing 647 inhabitants, and consisting of 1571a. 2r. 16p. The living is a rectory, valued
in the king's books at £16. 16. 3., and in the patronage
of the Crown, with a net income of £447: the tithes
were commuted for land in 1761. The church has been
enlarged. A national school is partly supported by the
interest of £200, bequeathed by Sir John Knightley,
Bart.
Eye (St. Peter and St. Paul)
EYE (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in the
union of Leominster, hundred of Wolphy, county of
Hereford, 2½ miles (N.) from Leominster; containing,
with the township of Ashton with Eye-Moreton, and
the township of Luston, 739 inhabitants. The parish
comprises by computation 3555 acres of land, and is
intersected by two roads both leading from Leominster
to Ludlow: the Leominster canal, also, passes nearly
through its centre; and the projected railway from
Shrewsbury to Hereford, for which an act was passed in
1846, is intended to run through the parish. Berrington, the seat of Lord Rodney, was built in 1782, by the
Rt. Hon. Thomas Harley, from whom it descended to
the present noble owner. The living is a discharged
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £7. 19. 2., and
in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £317; appropriator, the Bishop of Hereford. The glebe was only
an acre of ground, and the glebe-house a small dilapidated building, until the present vicar, the Hon. and
Rev. Henry Rodney, came into the possession of the
benefice; this gentleman has greatly augmented its value
by giving for the residence of his successors the mansion
and gardens late the property of the Gorges family.
The church is a very ancient structure; the incumbent
has presented to it an organ of beautiful tone, and
erected a gallery. A school is supported by subscription.
Eye (St. Matthew)
EYE (St. Matthew), a parish, in the union and
soke of Peterborough, N. division of the county of
Northampton, 3¼ miles (N. E.) from Peterborough;
containing 1359 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual
curacy; net income, £161; patron and appropriator,
the Bishop of Peterborough: the tithes were commuted
for land and a money payment in 1820. The foundation
stone of a new church was laid in May 1846, and the
edifice, which is in the early English style, was opened
in April, 1847. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. At Singlesholt, in the parish, were formerly a chapel
and a hermitage.
Eye, with Dunsden
EYE, with Dunsden, a liberty, in the parish of
Sonning, union of Henley, hundred of Binfield,
county of Oxford, 5 miles (S. by W.) from Henley;
containing 868 inhabitants. The impropriate tithes have
been commuted for £715.
Eye (St. Peter and St. Paul)
EYE (St. Peter and St.
Paul), a borough, markettown, and parish, in the
union, and locally in the
hundred, of Hartismere,
W. division of Suffolk, 20½
miles (N.) from Ipswich, and
89½ (N. E. by N.) from London; containing 2493 inhabitants. The name of this
place, anciently Eay, is derived from its situation on a
tract of land surrounded by
water. Soon after the Conquest, Robert, son of William
Malet, who had accompanied William I. to England, having obtained the honour of Eye (of which he was afterwards dispossessed for taking part with Robert, Duke of
Normandy), erected a castle here, whereof there are still
some slight remains on and about the Mill Hill; and
also founded a Benedictine monastery, dedicated to
St. Peter, at first a cell to Bernay Abbey, in Normandy,
but made denizen by Richard II. In this monastery
was preserved St. Felix's Book of the Gospels, written in
large Lombardic characters, and called the Red Book,
on which the people used to be sworn; it was removed
hither from the abbey at Dunwich, when that place was
destroyed by the sea. The revenue at the Dissolution
was £184. 9. 7.: the remains of the buildings, which
are to the east of the town, have been converted into
stables.
Seal and Arms.
The town is pleasantly situated in a valley, surrounded
on all sides by streams of excellent water, and within a
distance of about two miles from the high road between
London and Norwich. There is a neat theatre; assemblies are occasionally held, and a library and newsroom
are supported by subscription. The principal branch of
manufacture is that of British lace, which, since the
introduction of machinery, has been declining. The
market is on Tuesday for corn, and there is a market
for butter and vegetables on Saturday; a fair is held on
Whit-Monday, for pigs and for toys. The earliest
charter granted to the borough is that of King John;
the last that of William III. By the act of the 5th and
6th of William IV., cap. 76, the government is now
vested in a mayor, three aldermen, and twelve councillors; the mayor and late mayor are justices of the peace,
and four others are appointed under a separate commission. The municipal boundaries of the borough are
co-extensive with those of the parish. The elective franchise was conferred in the 13th of Elizabeth, from which
time the borough, which comprised 4200 acres, regularly returned two members, till it was deprived of one
by the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 45. The right
of election was vested in the free burgesses generally,
in number about 200; but by the above-named act, the
non-resident electors, except within seven miles, were
disfranchised, and the privilege was extended to the
£10 householders of an enlarged district, comprehending 19,350 acres: the mayor is returning officer. The
corporation hold a court of record every Saturday, under
the charter of William III., for the recovery of debts to
any amount; and petty-sessions are held weekly. The
powers of the county-debt court of Eye, established in
1847, extend over the registration-district of Hartismere,
and part of the districts of Depwade and Hoxne. The
town-hall is a handsome building, in the centre of the
town; the lower part was fitted up as a corn-exchange,
in 1840, at the expense of Sir E. Kerrison, Bart.
The parish comprises by measurement 4340 acres, of
which 114 are waste land or common; the surface is
finely undulated, and the lower lands are watered by
numerous streams. The living is a vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £11. 14. 7.; patron and impropriator, Sir E. Kerrison: the great tithes have been
commuted for £780, and the vicarial for £450; the
glebe comprises 13 acres. The church is a spacious
structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower crowned by pinnacles; it was repaired
and repewed in 1840, by subscription, towards which
Sir E. Kerrison contributed £300. The nave is separated from the chancel by a richly-carved screen; in
the chancel is a very ancient tomb in memory of
Nicholas Cutler, much defaced, and in the north aisle a
curious piece of sculpture representing the Good Samaritan. There are places of worship for Baptists and
Wesleyans. The free grammar school was endowed by
Francis Kent, who in 1566 bequeathed 280 acres of
land, now producing £400 per annum, for the general
benefit of the town. Edward Mallows, in the reign of
James I., founded two exhibitions to Cambridge for
sons of freemen born in the borough. An almshouse,
founded in 1636 by Nicholas Bedingfield, is endowed
for the support of four women. Here was an hospital
for lepers, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, which continued till the Dissolution. A Roman cemetery was
discovered in 1818.
Eye-Moreton, with Ashton.—See Ashton.
EYE-MORETON, with Ashton.—See Ashton.
Eyford
EYFORD, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of
Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper division of the hundred of
Slaughter, E. division of the county of Gloucester,
2½ miles (W. by S.) from Stow; containing 83 persons.
It is situated on the road from Stow to Cheltenham,
and comprises about 1400 acres. The inhabitants attend
the church of Upper Slaughter. The Duke of Shrewsbury had a mansion here, now the property of N. Dolphin, Esq., in which he received a visit from William III.;
and in a summer-house built over a cascade in the garden, but now destroyed, Milton is said to have written
a part of Paradise Lost.
Eyke (All Saints)
EYKE (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Plomesgate, hundred of Loes, E. division of Suffolk,
3¾ miles (E. N. E.) from Woodbridge; containing 502
inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, valued
in the king's books at £15; patron, the Rev. W. A.
Nortou: the tithes have been commuted for £410, and
the glebe consists of 30 acres. The church is of Norman architecture, and formerly had a steeple between
the nave and chancel. On opening a barrow, a few
years since, some Roman or British remains were discovered.
Eynesbury (St. Mary)
EYNESBURY (St. Mary), a parish, in the union
of St. Neot's, hundred of Toseland, county of Huntingdon, ½ a mile (S.) from St. Neot's; containing 1003
inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £32. 3. 9.; net income, £429; patron,
the Earl of Sandwich: the tithes were commuted for
land and a money payment in 1797. The church was
built in the reign of James II.
Eynesford (St. Martin)
EYNESFORD (St. Martin), a parish, in the union
of Dartford, hundred of Axton, Dartford, and
Wilmington, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, W. division of
Kent, 6 miles (S.) from Dartford; containing, with
part of the hamlet of Crockenhill, 1313 inhabitants.
This place takes its name from a ford across the Darent,
on the east bank of which river are the remains of a
castle, thought to have been erected about the time of
the Conquest, by the family of De Eynesford: the walls
inclose an area of about three-quarters of an acre, and
were surrounded by a moat, now dry; in an adjoining
garden are the foundations of some buildings supposed
to have been connected with the castle. The parish
comprises about 3500 acres, of which nearly 500 are
woodland. The soil on the east side of the river is a
strong clay, alternated with shingle and flints, and on
the western side is of superior quality; the surface is
very hilly, and the scenery pleasing. The living is a
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £12, and has a
net income of £410; there is also a sinecure rectory,
valued at £12. 16. 8., with a net income of £150: the
Archbishop of Canterbury appoints the rector, and the
rector presents to the vicarage. The church is a cruciform structure in the early Norman style, with a tower
at the west end, surmounted by a spire, together 100
feet in height; under the tower is an arched doorway of
great antiquity, bearing a strong resemblance to the
Saxon style. There is a place of worship for Baptists.
Eythorn (St. Peter and St. Paul)
EYTHORN (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in
the union and hundred of Eastry, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent, 6½ miles (N. N. W.) from
Dovor; containing 423 inhabitants, and comprising, by
recent survey, 1330 acres. A fair for toys and pedlery
is held on Midsummer-day. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £15. 12. 6.; net income,
£400; patrons, the Earl of Guilford, and T. Papillon,
Esq., alternately. In the church, which has portions in
the later English style, are two curious pictures of St.
Gregory and St. Augustine, originally in Canterbury
cathedral. There is a place of worship for Baptists. At
the southern extremity of the parish is a Roman intrenchment, and near Eythorn Court wood a large barrow or tumulus.
Eyton (All Saints)
EYTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Leominster, hundred of Wolphy, county of Hereford, 2 miles (N. W. by N.) from Leominster; containing 149 inhabitants. The family of Hackluyt, the traveller and historian, had a mansion in this parish, and
possessed the greater part of the land, in the reign of
Elizabeth; his descendant sold the house and a portion
of the estate, in 1640, to Robert Weaver, in whose family it has continued to the present time. The parish
is partly bounded on the south by the river Lug, and
comprises by measurement 938 acres, of which 750 are
pasture, 120 arable, and 68 wood; the surface is undulated, and the soil chiefly clay and gravel. The living,
formerly a chapelry to Eye, is a perpetual curacy, with
a net income of £104; patrons and impropriators, the
Governors of Lucton school. The church is remarkable
for its very singular and handsome rood-loft and screen.
Some members of the Kemble family are buried in the
churchyard.
Eyton-upon-Severn
EYTON-upon-Severn, a chapelry, in the parish of
Wroxeter, union of Atcham, Wellington division of
the hundred of South Bradford, N. division of Salop,
6¾ miles (N. W. by N.) from the town of Wenlock. The
chapel is dedicated to All Saints.
Eyton-upon-the-Wild-Moors (All Saints)
EYTON-upon-the-Wild-Moors (All Saints), a
parish, in the union of Wellington, Wellington division of the hundred of South Bradford, N. division of
Salop, 2½ miles (N.) from Wellington; containing 389
inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, annexed to the vicarage of Wellington, and valued in the
king's books at £2. 14. 9½.: the rectorial tithes have
been commuted for £148. 6., and certain impropriate
tithes for £49. 19. Edward, the celebrated Lord Herbert, of Cherbury, was born here in 1581.
Eyworth (All Saints)
EYWORTH (All Saints), a parish, in the union
and hundred of Biggleswade, county of Bedford,
4½ miles (E. by N.) from Biggleswade; containing 128
inhabitants. The manor belonged at an early period to
the Leybourns, and was afterwards in the families of
Charlton and Francis; in the reign of Elizabeth, Eyworth was the property and seat of Sir Edmund Anderson, lord chief justice of the common pleas, one of the
judges who sat at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The parish lies on the borders of Cambridgeshire. The
living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £6. 13. 4.; net income, £96; patron and impropriator, Lord Ongley. The church contains some
interesting monuments to the Andersons and others.