Henstridge (St. Nicholas)
HENSTRIDGE (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the
union of Wincanton, hundred of Horethorne, E.
division of Somerset, 10 miles (W. by S.) from Shaftesbury; containing 1146 inhabitants. It comprises by
measurement 4204 acres, of which about one-third part
is arable, and the remainder meadow and pasture, with
the exception of 32 acres of common or waste land. The
living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£13. 0. 2½.; patron, the Prebendary of Henstridge in
the Cathedral of Wells. The great tithes have been commuted for £350, and the vicarial for £550; the impropriate glebe comprises 74 acres. Here was an alien
priory, a cell to the Benedictine monastery of St. Sever,
in Normandy: it was founded in the eleventh century,
by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester.
Hentland (St. Dubritius)
HENTLAND (St. Dubritius), a parish, in the union
of Ross, Lower division of the hundred of Wormelow,
county of Hereford, 4½ miles (N. W. by W.) from
Ross; containing 612 inhabitants. It is situated on
the Wye, and comprises by measurement 2905 acres, of
which 2070 are arable, 710 pasture, and 50 woodland;
the surface is finely varied, and the surrounding scenery
abounds with romantic features. The river is navigable
for coal-barges. There are quarries of stone for building, and for mending the roads. The living is annexed,
with the livings of Little Dewchurch, Llangarran, and
St. Weonard's, to the vicarage of Lugwardine. A chapel
has been erected in the village of Hoarwithy, by subscription, aided by a grant of £100 from the Incorporated Society. There is a place of worship for a congregation of Wesleyans.
Henton
HENTON, a liberty, in the parish of Chinnor,
union of Wycombe, hundred of Lewknor, county of
Oxford, 4¼ miles (S. E. by E.) from the town of Thame;
containing 253 inhabitants.
Henwood
HENWOOD, a tything, in the parish of Cumner,
union of Abingdon, hundred of Hormer, county of
Berks; containing 42 inhabitants.
Hepple
HEPPLE, a township, in the parish and union of
Rothbury, W. division of Coquetdale ward, N. division of Northumberland, 5½ miles (W. by S.) from
the town of Rothbury; containing 61 inhabitants. This
place, which lies on the north side of the river Coquet,
near the boundary of the parish, was formerly of more
consideration than it is at present; in the middle of the
last century, the village consisted of fifteen detached
farmsteads, besides several strong, ancient houses, and
a long row of cottages then crumbling into decay.
About 70 years since, the exterior walls of a very strong
tower, also, were still standing, tolerably entire, which
are said to have been part of the old manor-house,
ruined by the Scots. Upon a fine summit called the
Kirk Hill, about half a mile west of Hepple, stood a
chapel, the remains of which were removed about the
year 1760; and at a short distance to the north-west, is
a British intrenched stronghold, which was afterwards
occupied by the Romans, and called Hetchester. The
tithes of the township have been commuted for a rentcharge of £31.
Hepple-Demesne
HEPPLE-DEMESNE, a township, in the parish
and union of Rothbury, W. division of Coquetdale
ward, N. division of Northumberland; containing,
with Whitefield House, 23 inhabitants. It was anciently held by the Tailbois family, from whom it passed
to the Ogles: the barony was sold by the Duke of Portland, in 1803, to Sir John Buchanan Riddell. The tithes
have been commuted for £19.
Hepscot
HEPSCOT, a township, in the parish, parliamentary
borough, and union of Morpeth, E. division of Castle
ward, S. division of Northumberland, 2¼ miles (S. E.)
from Morpeth; containing 183 inhabitants. This township, anciently Heppescotes, and situated on the east border of the parish, comprises 1594 acres, mostly arable
land; it formerly belonged to the Merlays, and is now
the property of the Earl of Carlisle. The village stands
on the Sleck burn, and consists of two clusters of cottages
set in gardens and orchards, a farmhouse, and an old
hall, which is a tower with additions.
Heptonstall
HEPTONSTALL, a chapelry, in the parish of Halifax, union of Todmorden, wapentake of Morley, W.
riding of York; consisting of the townships of Erringden, Heptonstall, Langfield, Stansfield, and Wadsworth;
and containing 24,345 inhabitants, of whom 4791 are in
the township of Heptonstall, 4 miles (N. E.) from Todmorden, and 8¼ (W. by N.) from Halifax. The township comprises about 5320 acres, of which a very considerable portion is uncultivated. It is bounded on the
south by the river Calder, which passes through the
chapelry, along a valley, for the space of about six
miles, separating several of the townships from each
other; the road from Halifax to Burnley also runs along
this valley, as do the Rochdale canal and the Leeds and
Manchester railway. The lands are chiefly meadow and
pasture. The surface is extremely uneven, rising in
some parts into hills precipitously steep, and in others
being intersected with narrow rocky dells; and the
higher grounds, especially Whitehill Nook and the
Eaves, both of lofty elevation, command extensive views.
Large stones of the sandstone kind are obtained in different places.
The village, a portion of which was burnt by the
parliamentary forces in the reign of Charles I., whose
cause the inhabitants had warmly embraced, is situated
on the bleak and lofty summit of a precipitous hill, and
is accessible by a road that traverses the steep ascent
obliquely. It contains several houses of very ancient
appearance; and is principally inhabited by persons employed in the numerous cotton-mills scattered throughout
the neighbourhood, some of which are placed near waterfalls, and in situations of the most wildly romantic character. Fairs are held in Easter-week and in July.
The chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas à Becket, was
founded in the thirteenth century, and rebuilt in 1500:
it is a substantial structure with a massive tower, and
well adapted for the exposed situation in which it is
built; it was thoroughly repaired in 1822, and contains
1000 sittings, whereof 700 are free. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Vicar of Halifax: the
income, previously £120, was augmented with £30 per
annum by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in 1841.
In Erringden is a second incumbency. There are places
of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans, and others. The free
grammar school was founded in 1642, by the Rev.
Charles Greenwood, who built the school-house, and
assigned property which now yields for its support,
after the payment of repairs of buildings and other contingent expenses, about £60 per annum. John Greenwood, Esq., in 1823 bequeathed a rent-charge of £18. 3. 6.
for the support of a Sunday school, and of a choir in
the chapel. There is a mineral spring, called the Widdup Ochre Spring.
Hepworth (St. Peter)
HEPWORTH (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of
Thetford, hundred of Blackbourn, W. division of
Suffolk, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from Ixworth; containing
582 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Bury
St. Edmund's to Norwich, and comprises 1650a. 3r. 34p.
The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's
books at £13. 17. 3½.; net income, £498; patrons, the
Provost and Fellows of King's College, Cambridge. The
church is a handsome edifice in the later English style,
with a square embattled tower; the cover of the font is
of pyramidal form, 12 feet in height, and richly carved.
There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists.
Forty-five acres were allotted to the poor for fuel, at the
inclosure of the parish.
Hepworth
HEPWORTH, a township, in the parish of KirkBurton, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of
the wapentake of Agbrigg, W. riding of York, 7¾
miles (S. by E.) from Huddersfield; containing 1436
inhabitants. The township comprises by computation
3370 acres of land, of various quality; the surface is
beautifully diversified with hill and dale, and on the
west are bleak moors, in which the rivers Holme and
Don have their source. There are some small collieries.
The village is situated on an abrupt acclivity; the inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of woollencloth and fancy goods. There are places of worship in
the township for congregations of Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists.
Hereford
HEREFORD, an ancient
city, having separate jurisdiction, and the head of a
union, locally in the hundred
of Grimsworth, county of
Hereford, of which it is
the chief town, 135 miles
(W. N. W.) from London;
containing, exclusively of the
townships of Lower Bullingham and Grafton, in the
parish of St. Martin, hundred
of Webtree, 10,921 inhabitants. This place probably derived its name of Her-ford,
or Here-ford, which is pure Saxon, importing "a military
ford," from its having been, previously to the erection of
the bridge, a pass over the river Wye. It is said to
have become the head of a see before the invasion of
Britain by the Saxons; but in 655, Oswy, King of
Mercia, made it part of the diocese of Lichfield, which
then included the whole Mercian kingdom. At a synod
held here by Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, in
673, the division of the diocese of Lichfield was decreed.
Wilford, bishop of that see, refused assent to the decree,
and was subsequently deprived of part of his diocese for
contumacy; but with the consent of Sexulph, his successor, Hereford was disunited from Lichfield, and restored to its original independence as a distinct diocese,
and Putta, who previously held the see of Rochester,
was made bishop in 680. It was the capital of the kingdom of Mercia, and possessed a large church in the reign
of Offa, who, it is stated, founded the cathedral in expiation of the murder of Ethelbert, King of the East
Angles, whose body was removed hither from its original
place of sepulture, in 782. In the reign of Athelstan the
city occupied an area 1800 yards in circuit, and, with the
exception of an extent of 550 yards guarded by the river,
which formed a natural barrier, was surrounded with
walls sixteen feet in height, having six gates, and fifteen
embattled towers thirty-four feet high: to these fortifications, which were nearly perfect in Leland's time, a
castle was added by Edward the Elder. About 1055, a
battle was fought two miles from this place, between
Ralph, Earl of Hereford, and Grufydd, Prince of Wales,
the former of whom was defeated; and the Welsh,
having taken the city, massacred the inhabitants, and
reduced it to a heap of ruins. Harold, afterwards king,
marched against the Welsh, whom he attacked and defeated with great slaughter: he then repaired the fortifications and enlarged the castle, to secure the city
against future inroads of the invaders.
Arms.
From the earliest period the citizens have enjoyed a
high reputation for loyalty, and Hereford has in consequence been the scene of many sanguinary conflicts and
sieges. It held out successfully against the first attack
of Stephen, who was opposed by Milo, son of Walter,
constable of England. For this service, Milo was made
Earl of Hereford, by the Empress Maud, in 1141; the
patent, which is still extant, being the first ever granted
for the creation of an earl; but in the same year
Stephen, having again laid siege to the city, reduced it,
and divested Milo of his recent honours. King John,
when the French Dauphin had landed with his army in
England, retired to this city in the vain hope of procuring succour. During the war between Henry III. and
the barons, Hereford was made the place of rendezvous
by the latter; and in the same reign Prince Edward,
after his capture at the battle of Lewes, was kept a
prisoner by Bohun, Earl of Hereford, in the castle of
this place, whence he made his escape previously to the
battle of Evesham. The great council of the realm
assembled here to decide on the deposition of Edward II.;
and here likewise Hugh le Despencer, the Earl of Arundel, and three others, were executed. At the commencement of the parliamentary war, Hereford was garrisoned
for the king, but on the approach of an army under Sir
William Waller, in April, 1643, was surrendered without
opposition: on the retreat of Waller it was again occupied by a party of royalists, who, under the governorship
of Barnabas Scudamore, made a gallant defence against
the Scots, commanded by the Earl of Leven, who was
forced to raise the siege. The city was subsequently the
scene of some minor transactions during the war, and
was ultimately taken by stratagem, when the castle was
dismantled, and the fortifications levelled, by order of
the parliament. At the Restoration the inhabitants received from Charles II. a new charter, with extended
privileges; also new heraldic bearings, emblematical of
fidelity to the royal cause.
The city occupies a gentle eminence on the northern
bank of the Wye, and is surrounded by a fertile tract
of country, consisting of orchards, with rich arable and
pasture land; the environs, especially along the banks
of the river, are celebrated for their beauty. The principal streets are wide and airy, and, together with the
lanes and passages, are well lighted with gas, and paved
under the provisions of an act of parliament; the town
is also abundantly supplied with water. The houses in
general are good, and during the last 50 years, considerable improvements have been made in the appearance
of the place. A bridge of six arches was erected over
the river, about the end of the fifteenth century, replacing
a wooden bridge built in the reign of Henry I. The
Hereford Reading Society was established in 1796; and
in 1815, a permanent library, containing a valuable collection of ancient and modern works, was instituted by
the late Benjamin Fallows, Esq. An agricultural society
was founded in 1797, and a horticultural society in
1826. A philosophical institution was lately established,
under the auspices of the Dean of Hereford and Henry
Lawson, Esq.; lectures are delivered monthly during
the winter season, and it possesses a museum of fossil
and mineral productions, principally found in the county.
The theatre, a commodious edifice in Broad-street, was
erected about 1789. Races are held in August, when a
gold cup, three plates of £50 each, and sweepstakes are
run for; the course has been greatly improved, and a
grand stand, of elegant design, has been erected under
the superintendence of Mr. Adams, architect. Assemblies commence in December, and are held generally
once a month during the winter season. The triennial
music meetings of the choirs of Hereford, Worcester,
and Gloucester, established in 1724, take place here
during three days in September; oratorios are performed
in the morning at the cathedral, and in the evening miscellaneous concerts and balls are held at the county hall:
the receipts, after payment of the expenses, are appropriated to the benefit of widows and orphans of the
clergy. A neat and commodious building has been
erected in the Castle green, on the bank of the Wye, in
which are warm baths, and above these a handsome
room used as a reading-room. The walks in the Castle
green form an agreeable resort for the inhabitants, and
are, for beauty of scenery, superior to most places of
this description in the kingdom.
From the want of greater facility of communication,
Hereford has never attained eminence in trade or
manufactures. The principal articles of trade are, gloves,
which, however, are made in less quantities than formerly; cider and hops, the latter of which are extensively cultivated in the vicinity; and oak and oak-bark.
A considerable quantity of timber and bark is sent to
Chepstow, and shipped thence for Ireland, and the
different ports and yards for ship-building in England.
There are also a distillery, a brewery, and an iron-foundry. Salmon of excellent quality are caught in the Wye,
but not in so great abundance as formerly. To remedy
the inconvenience arising from the difficulty of navigation in the river, an act of parliament was obtained in
1791, for cutting a canal from the Severn at Gloucester,
which was completed to Ledbury, and, under the provisions of a recent act of parliament, has been extended to
this city. Coal is principally supplied from the Forest
of Dean, in Gloucestershire, by conveyance up the Wye,
which is navigable for barges of from 18 to 30 tons (for
towing which a path was made by act of parliament in
1809); and from the neighbourhood of Abergavenny,
along a railroad to Monmouth Cap, thirteen miles hence.
In 1826, an act was procured to extend the railroad to
Hereford, which design having been completed, the supply of coal has been materially increased, and the price
diminished; it is under the direction of three different
companies, and is called the Llanvihangel, Grosmont,
and Hereford tramroad. In 1845 an act was passed for
a railway from Hereford to Monmouth, 22 miles in
length; and in 1846 two acts were obtained, one for a
railway to Shrewsbury, the other for a railway to Pont-ypool. In 1668, Lord Scudamore left £400 to be lent
without interest, in order to establish a woollen manufactory; but not being applied for, the sum was put out
to interest, and in 1772, £500 were expended in an
attempt to instruct the poorer class in spinning wool,
which, however, failed: the remainder of the bequest has
increased to £3000 three per cents. In 1840 an act of
parliament was passed for amending a former act, to regulate the charity, and for the improvement of the city;
under which new trustees have been appointed, and
powers granted, to employ the funds in various ways for
the benefit of the poor, in providing schools for their instruction, and in other modes of relief. A portion of the
trust money is occasionally lent to manufacturers of
woollen-cloths, flannel goods, &c., for a limited time,
without interest, to afford employment to the poor inhabitants, especially women and children.
The markets are on Wednesday and Saturday. Fairs
are held on the Tuesday after Candlemas-day; on the
Wednesday in Easter-week, for cattle and sheep; May
19th; July 1st, for cattle and wool; and October 20th,
a great fair for cattle and hops. At the May fair, granted
by Henry I. to Bishop Richard, soon after 1120, and
commonly known as the "nine days' fair," the bishop's
bailiff, or bailiff of the manor called the Barton or the
Bishop's fee, had once considerable power, but not extending to the exercise of magisterial authority. As
lords of this fee, the bishops also formerly exercised
much authority in the city. The fair has now been reduced by act of parliament to two days, and the tolls
have been ceded to the town-council for the benefit of
the city, a corn rent of £5 being paid to the bishop in
lieu thereof. In 1810, an act was passed for forming a
market-place, and effecting other improvements, which
contained a clause providing accommodation for slaughtering cattle; and in 1822, fourteen slaughter-houses
were erected, on the site of part of the old city wall,
northward of the market-place. The fish-market is
well supplied with sea fish from Wales, Bristol, and
London.
Hereford was first incorporated by charter of Richard I., dated at Westminster,
Oct. 9th, 1189, and subsequently received numerous
other charters from successive monarchs, under the last
of which the government was
vested in a chief and a deputy steward (the former
directed by the charter to be
an "illustrious and discreet
man"), and 31 chief citizens,
forming the common-council and governing body, from
which a mayor, six aldermen, a custumar, coroner, two
chamberlains, and town-clerk, were chosen. By the
act of 5th and 6th of William IV., cap. 76, the corporation now consists of a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18
councillors; the city is divided into three wards, and
the number of magistrates is eleven. The freedom is
inherited by the eldest sons of freemen, and is acquired
by servitude to a freeman within the city, or by marriage
with a freeman's widow, or with the eldest daughter of
a freeman, provided he has no male issue; but in the
two latter instances the elective franchise is withheld.
The franchise was conferred in the 23rd of Edward I.,
since which time the city has regularly returned two
members to parliament. The right of election, by the
act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 45, is vested in the
freemen resident within seven miles, and the £10 householders living within the liberties; the ancient boundaries are retained, including an area of 4345 acres. The
mayor is returning officer. Quarterly courts of sessions
are held, at which the recorder presides; and there are
meetings daily at the guildhall, for determining on
affairs of police, by the city justices; also a court of record on Monday and Thursday, for the recovery of
debts to any amount, under the charter of James I.,
confirmed by William III. The county assizes, and the
election for knights of the shire, are held here; likewise
the petty-sessions for the hundred of Grimsworth, every
Saturday; and, under certain restrictions, those of Oyer
and Terminer for the whole of South Wales. The powers
of the county debt-court of Hereford, established in
1847, extend over the registration-district of Hereford
and part of that of Weobley.
Corporation Seal.
The old town and shire hall, built in the reign of
James I., is a large edifice of timber and brick, supported on 27 pillars of solid oak, and has been partially
restored, and much improved in its appearance. The
new shire-hall was erected by act of parliament passed in
the 55th of George III., authorising a sum not exceeding
£30,000 to be raised, for the purpose of building courts
of justice, a county hall, &c., together with a depôt for
arms and military clothing, including the purchase of an
appropriate site; also a sum of £3150, to purchase a
house for the accommodation of the judges. The edifice
has been completed from a design by Mr. Smirke; the
portico in front is a fine specimen of Doric architecture,
copied from the Temple of Theseus at Athens. The hall is
decorated with portraits of George III., the late Duke of
Norfolk, and Sir John Geers Cotterell, Bart., who represented the county in parliament for nearly thirty years.
The city gaol is an ancient building. The county gaol
was erected in 1798, upon Mr. Howard's plan, and occupies the site of St. Guthlac's Priory, at the foot of Aylestone Hill; the entrance, over which is the place of execution, is ornamented with Tuscan pillars. The total
expense was £22,461.
Arms of the Bishopric.
The present diocese of
Hereford includes nearly the
whole of the county, with
part of Shropshire, six parishes in Montgomeryshire,
six in Radnorshire, and
twenty-one in Worcestershire. By the recent arrangements, under the act of the
6th and 7th of William IV.,
cap. 77, it is proposed to add
the deanery of Bridgnorth,
and to take away the parts of
the counties of Worcester and Montgomery. The ecclesiastical establishment consists of a bishop, dean, two
archdeacons, four canons or prebendaries residentiary,
a precentor, chancellor, treasurer, twenty-four prebendaries, nine (to be reduced to six) minor canons, one of
whom is custos, four lay clerks, eight choristers, a head
and under master of the grammar school, and an organist. The bishop has the patronage of the archdeaconries, the chancellorship of the diocese, and that of the
church, the twenty-four prebends, and the treasurership.
The dean and chapter possess the patronage of the
minor canonries.
The cathedral, originally founded in expiation of
the murder of Ethelbert, and dedicated to St. Mary and
St. Ethelbert, was built by Melfrid, a viceroy under
Egbert, about 825, principally by means of the propitiatory gifts of Offa. Having fallen into decay in less
than two centuries, it was rebuilt during the prelacy of
Bishop Athelstan, or Ethelstan, between 1012 and 1015.
It was subsequently destroyed by fire, and lay in ruins
till 1079, when Bishop Robert de Lesinga, appointed to
the see by William the Conqueror, commenced a new
edifice, on the model of the church of Aken, now Aix la
Chapelle, which was completed by Bishop Raynelm in
1107; the tower was built by Bishop Giles de Braos in
the following century. The cathedral is a noble cruciform structure, with a lofty tower rising from the intersection, formerly surmounted by a spire. The tower at
the west end fell down in 1786, at which time the west
front was rebuilt in a style different from the original;
and the north porch built by Bishop Booth in the 16th
century, and various additions made by his predecessors,
have given to the exterior of the edifice a great variety of
style. The Rev. Thomas Russell, one of the canons, in
1831 bequeathed funds for erecting four pinnacles at the
angles of the central tower; a want of proportion, however, appears in the elevation, which, when seen from a
distance, offends the eye. The nave, which is of Norman
architecture, is separated from the aisles by massive
circular columns and arches, above which are the triforium and clerestory. The north transept is a rich specimen of the early English, with large windows in the
decorated style, having a triforium of exquisite beauty,
and trefoiled circular clerestory windows. The choir,
which is handsome and well proportioned, is of Norman
character, intermixed with the early English style: the
bishop's throne and the stalls are surmounted by ornamented canopies of tabernacle work; and a very rich
altar-piece was put up in 1816, the subject of which is
Christ bearing the Cross, a copy, by Leeming, from the
original picture over the altar in the chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford. The east window, 40 feet high and
20 feet wide, representing the Lord's Supper, is considered the largest in this branch of the art since its revival in England; the figures are 15 feet high, and beautifully painted by Mr. Backler, from West's picture of
the Lord's Supper, at an expense of £2000, towards
defraying which Dr. Cope, canon residentiary, bequeathed £500. Near the choir was the shrine of St.
Ethelbert, which was destroyed during the usurpation
of Cromwell. The arched roof of the upper transverse
aisle is supported by a single column. Eastward of the
choir is the Lady chapel, in the early English style, but
of a character different from that of the transept; it is
now used as a library. Beneath this chapel is a crypt,
called Golgotha, from the mass of human bones which
it contained; it is supposed to have been originally the
parochial church of St. John the Baptist. In digging
round this part of the cathedral, a few years since, for
the purpose of partially removing the soil that had for
years been accumulating, a very fine chapel, which had
long been hidden, was brought to light, and several coins
and other antiquities were found, many of which are in
the possession of Dr. Merewether, Dean of Hereford.
Some beautiful chapels in the later English style were
built by Bishop Audley and other prelates.
There are monuments in the cathedral to the memory
of 34 bishops of the see, of which the most ancient is
that of Bishop Walter, who was consecrated by the pope
in the year 1060; likewise a splendid monument to
Dr. Tyler, Bishop of Llandaff, and Dean of Hereford,
and another of Sir Richard Pembridge, Knight of the
Garter in the reign of Edward III. On the east side of
the north transept is a monument to Bishop Cantelupe,
who died in 1282; his heart was brought to Hereford,
and buried in the cathedral, and he was canonized in
1310. The monument is curiously adorned with a number of effigies, but is now somewhat mutilated: it was a
place of resort, from its reputed miraculous efficacy, for
pilgrims from all parts of Europe. In the same transept is a plain marble tablet to the memory of John
Phillips, the well-known author of The Splendid Shilling.
The Consistory Court is held in the south transept of
the cathedral: here are monuments in memory of Velters Cornewall, Esq., representative of the county in parliament for 46 years; of Lord James Beauclerk, who
died in 1787, having been for more than 40 years bishop
of the diocese; and of John Matthews, Esq., M.D., for
many years chairman of the quarter-sessions, and representative of the county. In this transept are also
monuments to several dignitaries of the church.
The cathedral is now undergoing a complete restoration. A few years ago, the ancient Norman piers and
arches upon which the structure is built were found to
be in such a state of dilapidation and decay as to
threaten the fall of the great central tower, and the consequent and inevitable ruin of the whole pile. A subscription was commenced, headed with the names of the
bishop, dean, and other clergy of the ecclesiastical establishment, with a view to the adequate repair of the
cathedral; the contract for the tower was commenced
in March 1843, and completed in February 1847. In
the autumn of the latter year, by which time about
£15,000 had been expended, a county meeting was held,
to devise means for raising funds for the prosecution of
the works, when a second subscription was opened, and
an estimate of costs laid before the public. From this
estimate, it appears, that a further sum of £24,000 will
be required to complete the restoration of this noble
structure; namely, £3168 for the choir fabric (now in
hand), and £5625 for refitting and furnishing the choir,
and raising three painted windows in that part of the
edifice; £1650 for the Lady chapel, &c.; £750 for the
Audley chapel; and other sums for the transepts, aisles,
and general works.
The bishop's palace is an ancient structure southward
of the cathedral, containing several elegant apartments,
with a fine garden and grounds attached; it has also a
handsome chapel, built by Bishop Butler, and completed
in 1798. Of the chapter-house only a very small portion remains: the chapter meetings are now held in a
building attached to the south aisle of the cathedral.
The deanery is near the church; and four houses adjacent, in the gift of the bishop, are usually appropriated
as residences for the canons. There is also a good
house of stone, with a spacious garden, in St. John's
street, for the chancellor of the choir; and attached to
the bishop's prebend is a house in Broad-street. The
college is a stone building with cloisters of the time of
Edward IV., forming a quadrangle, 90 feet square, south
of the cathedral, with which it communicates by other
cloisters 100 feet in length: the roof is of carved oak,
curiously wrought in hieroglyphics; the college contains a chapel, library, hall, common room, and chambers for the unmarried members of the society. In 1820,
several attempts were made by some incendiary to
destroy this building; and in 1828 an accidental fire
occurred which totally consumed the south side: in the
restoration and repairs consequent on this calamity, the
custos and vicars expended more than £2060.
The city comprises the parishes of All Saints, containing 3091; St. Martin, 1069; St. John the Baptist,
1303; St. Nicholas, 1182; St. Owen, 1755; and St.
Peter, 2521 inhabitants. The living of All Saints' is a
discharged vicarage, with that of St. Martin's consolidated, valued in the king's books at £8. 10.; net income,
£380; patrons, the Dean and Canons of Windsor,
who, together with the Dean and Chapter of Hereford,
are appropriators. The church is an ancient structure,
partly in the Norman style, with a tower strengthened
with buttresses, and surmounted by a lofty spire; the
aisles are separated from the nave by circular columns
and pointed arches, and there are a fine altar-piece, and
some stalls supposed to have been appropriated to the
brethren of St. Anthony. The building was lately enlarged, and 400 free sittings provided; and a very handsome organ was erected in 1826. St. Martin's church,
which was situated on the south bank of the river, near
the bridge, was destroyed during the parliamentary war.
The present church was consecrated in October 1845;
the interior is well arranged, and fitted up with open
seats. The living of St. John the Baptist's is a discharged
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £7. 12. 1.; net
income, £150; patrons and appropriators, the Dean
and Chapter of Hereford. The west nave of the
cathedral was appropriated as a church for this parish
till the accidental fall of its tower, in 1786. At present
the north transept is used for the purpose. The living
of St. Nicholas is a discharged rectory, valued in the
king's books at £10, and in the patronage of the Crown:
the tithes have been commuted for £185, of which £128
are payable to the rector. The church, previous to the
Dissolution, had two chantries in honour of the Virgin.
The living of St. Owen's is a rectory, united to the vicarage of St. Peter's, the former valued in the king's books
at £4. 10. 10., and the latter at £10. 0. 2.; net income,
£366; patrons, the Trustees of the late Rev. Henry
Gipps; appropriators, the Dean and Chapter. The
vicarial tithes of St. Owen's have been commuted for
£75. The church, which was situated without the walls
of the city, was destroyed during the parliamentary war.
On its site, a neat school-house, which is also used as a
chapel of ease, was recently erected. The church of St.
Peter, founded in 1070, is in the Norman style, with a
tower surmounted by a neat spire, and was repaired and
partly rebuilt in 1793: the nave is separated from the
south aisle by octagonal pillars, and from the north aisle
by clustered columns; the chancel contains stalls
which were appropriated to the brethren of St. Guthlac's
Priory, and previously to the Dissolution four chantries
were maintained in the church. There are places of
worship for the Society of Friends, Independents, the
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, Wesleyans, and
Roman Catholics.
The College Grammar school is of ancient foundation:
the earliest authentic document extant is the appointment of Ricardus de Cornwaille as master, by Bishop
Gilbert, in 1385, owing to the refusal of the chancellor,
with whom the appointment then rested. The school
was placed under the control of the Dean and Chapter,
and a head and under master were appointed, by statute
of Queen Elizabeth, in the first year of her reign, which
received confirmation from Charles I., when he gave to
the cathedral the "Caroline Statutes," by which £4 per
annum are payable to a scholar in the University of
Oxford. The scholarships attached to the school comprise four founded by Dean Langford, two of which are
at Brasenose College, Oxford, of the value of £40 per
annum each; and five in St. John's College, Cambridge,
founded by deed enrolled in the exchequer in 1682, by
Sarah, Duchess of Somerset, the scholars to be chosen
within forty days after each vacancy, by that college,
preference being given to natives of Somersetshire,
Wiltshire, and Herefordshire. Her Grace likewise bequeathed her manor of Thornhill, in Wiltshire, to Brasenose College, and that of Wootton-Rivers, in the same
county, to St. John's College, by will dated May 17th,
1686, for founding scholarships; the candidates to be
elected in turn from the schools of Marlborough, Hereford, and Manchester: the value of each is computed at
£52 per annum, the number varying according to the
revenue. Provision was made by the same lady for
twelve other scholars, natives of Cheshire, Herefordshire,
or Lancashire, who receive £1. 4. per week, and are
elected in a similar manner; and she also left the
valuable living of Wootton-Rivers, in the alternate presentation of the two colleges, to one of her scholars.
The school-house erected by the Dean and Chapter, under
the statutes of Edward VI. and Elizabeth, has been
taken down, the cloisters restored, and a new school
erected behind the master's dwelling-house. Miles
Smith, Bishop of Gloucester, the translator of the Bible;
Gwillim, author of a system of Heraldry; John Davis,
an eminent writing-master; and his pupil, Gethin, or
Gerthinge, were educated in the school. The Blue-coat
charity schools were established in 1710.
The general infirmary originated in a benefaction of
£500 by the late Rev. Dr. Talbot, rector of Ullingswick,
in this county, which was followed by ample subscriptions from the nobility, clergy, and gentry, with various
legacies. The ground whereon the building stands was
the gift of the late Earl of Oxford. Dr. Harris, chancellor of the diocese, bequeathed £5000; John Morris,
Esq., of Kington, £10,000 stock; and Thomas Russell,
Esq., town-clerk, £500, towards the support of the
institution; and two additional wings have been erected.
The lunatic asylum, occupying part of the ground given
for the infirmary, was erected in 1801. A charity for
assisting necessitous widows and orphans of clergymen,
and likewise clergymen themselves, disabled by age or
infirmity, with narrow incomes, is supported by subscription. St. Ethelbert's hospital was built and endowed in the reign of Henry III., for the maintenance
of ten poor persons, to be nominated and governed by
a master. St. Giles' hospital was rebuilt in 1770, and
contains apartments for five poor men. Williams'
hospital was founded about 1601, for six men. Lazarus'
or Sick Man's, hospital, originally a religious foundation
for lazars, is now appropriated to the reception of six
widows. Price's hospital was founded in 1636, by W.
Price, merchant of London, for twelve men and a chaplain. Trinity hospital was founded by Thomas Kerry, in
1600, for three unmarried men, and twelve widows; the
hospital was rebuilt by subscription in 1825, and contains sixteen dwellings. Coningsby's hospital, for old
men who have served in the army, and a chaplain, was
founded by Sir Thomas Coningsby, Knt., in 1614; it
stands on the site of a small building and chapel that
belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of
Jerusalem, and contains twelve apartments. Symond's
almshouse was founded in 1695, for four decayed housekeepers; and in addition to these, are Weaver's hospital
for five persons, and Shelley's hospital for six widows.
The union of Hereford includes 47 parishes or places,
under the superintendence of 53 guardians.
Hereford contained several monastic establishments.
A college of Grey friars was founded in the reign of
Edward I., by Sir William Pembridge, Knt.: amongst
the many distinguished persons buried in it was Owen
Tudor, otherwise Meredith, father of Edmund, Earl of
Richmond, and grandfather of Henry VII. St. Guthlac's
Priory, originally a college of prebendaries, afterwards
became a cell to the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter,
at Gloucester; the revenue, at the Dissolution, was
£121. 3. 3.: the county gaol and house of correction
now occupies the site. The monastery of Blackfriars,
the largest and most celebrated of all the religious
houses here, was originally established under the
auspices of William, brother of Bishop Cantelupe, and
situated in the Portfield, in Bye-street suburb, but was
afterwards removed to Widemarsh suburb, where a new
priory was commenced in the reign of Edward II., and
completed in that of Edward III., who, with his son
the Black Prince, two archbishops, and several bishops
and nobles, were present at the dedication. It became
a flourishing institution, and many persons of distinction were interred in the church. The only remaining
vestiges of the buildings are the south side of the
prior's lodgings, some decayed offices, and a curious
stone pulpit, which has been much admired. About a
mile westward from the city is the White Cross, built by
Dr. Lewis Charleton, afterwards Bishop of Hereford,
about 1361, as a market-place for the country people,
during the ravages of an infectious disorder with which
the city was at that time visited. According to tradition, reservoirs of vinegar were placed on each side of
the cross, for the purification of articles brought from
the city, and suspected to be infectious. Hereford has
given birth to several eminent persons, amongst whom
are, John Breton, LL.D., bishop of the diocese in the
thirteenth century, who wrote a celebrated work, called
The Laws of England; and, in modern times, Garrick,
the tragedian, who was born at the Angel inn, Widemarsh-street, in 1716, his father bearing at that time a
lieutenant's commission in a regiment of horse quartered
here. Eleanor Gwynn, favourite of Charles II., was
born in an humble dwelling in Pipe-lane. Hereford
gives the premier title of Viscount to the family of
Devereux, created February 2nd, 1549–50.
Hereford, Little (St. Mary Magdalene)
HEREFORD, LITTLE (St. Mary Magdalene), a
parish, in the union of Tenbury, hundred of Wolphy,
county of Hereford, 3 miles (W.) from Tenbury; containing, with the township of Upton, 462 inhabitants,
of whom 347 are in the township of Little Hereford.
The parish is situated on the borders of Salop and
Worcestershire, by which it is nearly surrounded, the
former county bounding it on the west, north, and east,
and the latter partly on the south. It comprises 3365
acres, whereof 1224 are arable, 1896 pasture, and 245
woodland, &c.; and is intersected by the river Teme,
and the road between Tenbury and Ludlow. The Leominster canal also passes through. The living is a vicarage, with the living of Ashford-Carbonell annexed, in the
patronage of the Chancellor of the Choir in the Cathedral
of Hereford, and valued in the king's books at £6. 14.
The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £325, and
the vicarial for £170. The church is in the Norman
style.
Herefordshire
HEREFORDSHIRE, an inland county, bounded on
the north by the county of Salop, on the north-east and
east by that of Worcester, on the south-east by that of
Gloucester, on the south-west by that of Monmouth, on
the west by that of Brecknock, and on the north-west
by that of Radnor. It extends from 51° 53' 7" to 52°
29' 43" (N. Lat.), and from 2° 28' 30" to 3° 19' 32" (W.
Lon.); and contains about 860 square miles, or 550,400
statute acres. Within the limits of the county are
23,381 houses inhabited, 1439 uninhabited, and 111 in
the progress of erection; and the population, according
to the census of 1841, amounts to 114,438, of whom
56,978 are males.
When the Romans, under Claudius, penetrated into
this district of Britain, the present county of Hereford,
or the greater portion of it, formed the most eastern
part of the territory inhabited by that warlike tribe the
Silures, whose valour, combined with the natural obstacles of a mountainous country, formed such a powerful impediment to the Roman conquests. About 20
years after the defeat of Caractacus (which is thought
to have occurred in the vicinity of an eminence called
Coxwall Knoll, situated near Brampton-Bryan, and on
the line of boundary between Herefordshire and Shropshire), and almost 120 years after the first Roman invasion, the county was finally subjugated by Julius Frontinus, and was subsequently included in the Roman
province Britannia Secunda. For some time after the
establishment of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia, Herefordshire, being situated nearly on the frontier between
that kingdom and the territory still possessed by the
descendants of the ancient Britons, was frequently the
scene of war and devastation, and appears to have been
alternately in the possession of the contending parties.
At length Offa, King of Mercia, having repulsed the
Britons in one of their invasions, crossed the river
Severn, which had previously been the boundary between the Britons and the Saxons, and formed a new
line of demarcation by his famous dyke, called in the
British language Clawdd Offa; by which part of the present county of Monmouth, nearly the whole of that of
Hereford, and parts of Radnor and Salop, were wrested
from the Britons, and annexed to Mercia.
The incorporation of the Welsh marches with the adjoining counties, by act of parliament passed in the 27th
of Henry VIII., added, or rather restored, a considerable
extent of territory to Herefordshire. Wigmore, Stapleton, and Lugharness, on the northern side of the county,
were appointed to constitute the hundred of Wigmore;
and on the western side, Ewyas-Lacy was formed into
the hundred of that name; Huntington, Clifford, Winforton, Eardisley, and Whitney, into the hundred of
Huntington; and Ewyas-Harold was added to that of
Webtree. The whole of the county, excepting the parishes of Clodock, Dulas, Ewyas-Harrold, Llancillo,
Michael-Church-Eskley, Rowlstone, St. Margaret's, and
Walterstone (which are in the diocese of St. David's),
is included in the diocese of Hereford; it is in the province of Canterbury, and forms an archdeaconry, comprising the deaneries of Froome, Hereford, Irchenfield,
Leominster, Ross, Weobley, and Weston. For civil
purposes it is divided into the hundreds of Broxash,
Ewyas-Lacy, Greytree, Grimsworth, Huntington, Radlow, Stretford, Webtree, Wigmore, Wolphy, and Wormelow Lower and Upper. It contains the city of Hereford, the borough and market-town of Leominster, and
the market-towns of Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury,
Pembridge, Ross, and Weobley, the last of which formerly sent members to parliament, but was disfranchised by the act of the 2nd of William IV. Three
knights are now returned for the shire, and two representatives each for the city of Hereford and the borough
of Leominster. The county members are elected at
Hereford; the polling-places are Hereford, Leominster,
Bromyard, Ledbury, Peterchurch, Ross and Kington.
Herefordshire is included in the Oxford circuit; and the
assizes and general quarter-sessions are held at Hereford, where stands the county gaol.
The Malvern hills, which form a kind of boundary on
the eastern side of the county, and the Hatterill or Black
mountains, rising to an equal elevation on its western
border, command over its surface a scene of beauty and
richness not surpassed by any other county in England.
The river Wye, in particular, enriches and adorns a
tract between 40 and 50 miles in length: the general
character of this river, from its entrance into the county
down to Hereford, is mild and pleasing, consisting of
delightful reaches, bordered by the most luxuriant landscapes; the bolder and more romantic features occur in
its course below Hereford. The prevalent kind of soil
is a mixture of marl and clay of great fertility, containing also a certain proportion of calcareous earth. Below
the surface are strata of limestone, often beautifully intersected by red and white veins, somewhat resembling
calcareous spar; near Snodhill Castle, in the hundred of
Webtree, it becomes a kind of marble. Towards the
western border of the county the soil is often cold and
sterile, but still argillaceous, and resting on nodules of
impure limestone, or on a base of soft crumbling stone,
which perishes by exposure to air and frost; in many
places in the eastern part it is loose and shallow, covering stone of inferior value, provincially called "Dunstone." Deep beds of fine gravel are more especially
met with in the centre of the county, in the vicinity of
the city of Hereford. The soil of a large portion of the
hundred of Wormelow, on the south, consists of a light
sand, which has been much improved by the use of
lime. A clayey tract extends from Hereford towards
Ledbury, producing more abundant crops of wheat than
any other district in the county.
About 520,000 acres of land are in cultivation. On
the stiff clays, with which Herefordshire abounds, wheat
is the principal crop: the greatest quantity of oats sown
is in those parts approaching the Welsh border, and on
portions of the eastern border of the county. Plantations of hops exist in all parts, but more especially on
the Worcestershire side, occupying at present 11,010
acres. The most fertile meadow lands are on the banks
of the Wye, the Frome, and the Lug, where the herbage
is of the best quality: there is very little dairy-land
within the county; so that a considerable quantity of
butter is supplied from Wales, and of cheese from Shropshire and Gloucestershire. Plantations of fruit-trees are
found in every aspect and on every soil: these orchards,
which form so important a part of the produce of Herefordshire, seem to have first acquired celebrity in the
reign of Charles I., and the county has long been noted
for its cider, a large quantity of which is sent to London and the other principal towns in the kingdom. Of
the entire area of the county only a very inconsiderable
portion is waste land; the largest tract is on the east
side of the Hatterill mountains, where the steepness of
the hills and the sterility of the soil oppose powerful obstacles to improvement. Almost every part of Herefordshire abounds with woods and plantations, containing
fine oak and elm trees; in the northern part of it, including the forests of Mocktree and Prestwood, there is
a greater abundance of fine oak than in the southern,
although the latter produces large and valuable supplies
of timber. Some of the most extensive coppices are
situated in the parishes of Fownhope, Woolhope, and
Little Birch, and in the vicinity of Ledbury; they consist chiefly of oak, ash, and willow, and are generally
cut down once in thirteen years: the ash is principally
converted into hoops for cider casks, and the oak and
the willow furnish hop-poles. The discovery of ironore is of remote antiquity in the hundred of Wormelow,
where many of the hand-blomeries used by the Romans,
and considerable quantities of ore imperfectly smelted,
have been found on Peterstow Common; of late years,
however, no iron has been manufactured in the county.
Red and yellow ochre, fullers'-earth, and pipe-clay, have
been found.
The principal Rivers are the Wye, the Lug, the Munnow, the Arrow, the Frome, the Teme, and the Leddon.
The Wye is navigable up to Hereford for barges of from
18 to 30 tons' burthen, but the navigation is frequently
interrupted by either a scarcity of water, or by the violence of the stream when swelled by the mountain torrents, which often make great alterations in the bed of
the river, sometimes causing it to form new channels.
In consequence of the precariousness of this navigation,
an act was procured in 1791 for making a canal from
the city of Hereford, by the town of Ledbury, to the
Severn at Gloucester, with a lateral cut to the collieries
at Newent. The expense of constructing this canal,
commonly called the Hereford and Gloucester canal, was
found so much to exceed the original estimate of £69,000,
that in 1807, when £105,000 had been expended, the
work, though completed on the Gloucestershire side, had
made little progress in Herefordshire: an act, however,
was lately passed to enable the proprietors to complete
the line. Soon after the former of 1791, an act was obtained for constructing a canal from Kington to Leominster and Stourport: a part of the line, from Leominster to Stourport, was completed in 1796, but the cost
of this undertaking, like that of the other, so much exceeded the estimate as to prevent the further progress
of the work.
The only remarkable Druidical relic is Arthur's stone,
in the parish of Dorstone; British intrenchments are
numerous. Two Roman towns are supposed by the
most respectable authorities to have been situated within
the limits of modern Herefordshire, namely Ariconium
and Magna. With respect to their situations, the most
probable opinion is that of Horsley, that Magna was at
Kenchester, where the circumvallation may still be
traced, and Ariconium near Ross, in the parish of
Weston-sub-Penyard, where the extent and limits are
discernible by the dark appearance of the soil, which is
strikingly different from all around it, and where Roman coins have been occasionally found. Of the four
Roman military roads in Britain, only that called Watling-street intersects this county. It enters from Worcestershire, across the river Teme, at Leintwardine, and
passing by Wigmore, Mortimer's Cross, Stretford, Kenchester, Kingstone, Dore-Abbey, and Longtown, quits
for Monmouthshire at a short distance beyond the latter
place; the most perfect remains are on Four-ways
common, near Madley, where it crosses the turnpikeroad from Hereford. A vicinal way may also be traced
in a great part of its course, entering from Worcester,
and passing by Frome-hill, Stretton-Grandsome, Luggbridge, Holmer, and Stretton-Sugwas, to Kenchester.
There were 21 religious houses in the county, the principal remains of which are at Dore and Wigmore. The
castles were numerous: the chief remains are those of
Brampton-Bryan, Clifford, Huntington, Goodrich, Kilpec,
Longtown, Lyonshall, Wigmore, and Wilton Castles.
Several petrifying or encrusting springs exist in such
hilly parts as consist of argillaceous marl upon limestone.
Hergests, Both
HERGESTS, BOTH, a township, in the parish and
union of Kington, hundred of Huntington, county of
Hereford, 1½ mile (S. W. by W.) from Kington; containing 244 inhabitants. It is on the borders of Wales,
and comprises 1492 acres.
Herm
HERM, one of the smaller Norman Islands, 3 miles
(N. E.) from Guernsey, in the jurisdiction of which it is
included; containing 38 inhabitants. It is supposed
that this place is mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus under the name of Armia. Its appearance is diversified with hills and dales, and though smaller than
other islands of the group, it is little inferior to them in
beauty of scenery. The northern beach, from which it
rises to a considerable elevation, is extensive, and equal
in the smoothness and firmness of its sands to the coast
of Worthing or Weymouth. The bay of Belvoir, on the
eastern side of the island, is situated at the base of a
winding and sequestered vale, embosomed in hills of
gradual ascent and pleasing undulation; and is the favourite retreat, during the summer, of the ladies of
Guernsey, who resort to this romantic spot to collect
the curious and beautiful shells which are peculiar to it.
The air is mild and salubrious, and the soil is fertile,
and of an average depth of three feet in that part of the
island which is devoted to agriculture. The artificial
grasses so much esteemed in England are indigenous
to the soil, which yields in abundance wheat, barley,
oats, lucerne, turnips, and every variety of agricultural
produce. There are not less than 33 springs of pure
water, which afford abundant facilities of irrigating the
land in dry seasons. The principal feature, however, in
the island is its inexhaustible quarries of granite, which
have been found by experiment to be superior to any
hitherto discovered. Twelve cubic feet of Herm granite
are equal in weight to thirteen of that of Aberdeen, a
proof of its greater solidity; but its chief excellence
consists in its wearing down rough and uniform in surface, when laid down in carriage roads, and thus affording a safer footing for horses. It can be raised in blocks
of any size and form; some blocks have exceeded 100
tons in weight. This source of wealth was entirely
neglected till the island passed into the possession of the
Hon. John Lindsey, whose plans, after his death, were
carried into full execution by Jonathan Duncan, Esq.,
who became proprietor by marriage with the daughter
of Mr. Lindsey. Mr. Duncan, at a vast expense, constructed a harbour, in which vessels of 250 tons' burthen might load under the protection of an excellent
pier, during the most boisterous weather, in perfect
safety; also an iron railway from the quarries to the
pier, from which 600 tons per day may be shipped with
great ease. He built houses for 400 workmen, an inn,
a brewery, a bakehouse, and several forges for making
the various implements used in the quarries. In the
northern extremity of Herm are some masses of stone
which are supposed, but upon no authority, to be Druidical remains; and there are portions of an ancient
building in the isle, thought to have been a chapel belonging to a hermitage existing here in the sixth century. In forming the gardens of the mansion-house,
some coffins and skeletons were discovered, which were
probably the remains of some refugees, who, during the
religious persecutions of Charles IX. of France, are
imagined to have found an asylum in the island.
Hermitage
HERMITAGE, a district chapelry, in the parish of
Hampstead-Norris, union of Wantage, hundred of
Faircross, county of Berks, 4 miles (N. E. by N.) from
Newbury; containing 81 inhabitants. The chapel, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was erected by voluntary
contributions, at a cost of £430, and consecrated on the
31st of May, 1839; patron, the Marquess of Downshire.
The Dowager Queen Adelaide gave the communion-plate,
valued at fifty guineas.
Hermitage (St. Mary)
HERMITAGE (St. Mary), a parish, and a detached
portion of the liberty of Fordington, in the union of
Cerne, Cerne division of Dorset, 7 miles (S. by E.)
from Sherborne; containing 132 inhabitants. The living
is a vicarage not in charge, in the patronage of the
Crown: the tithes have been commuted for £85.
Hermitage
HERMITAGE, a tything, in the parish and union of
West Bourne, hundred of Westbourne and Singleton, rape of Chichester, W. division of Sussex; containing 336 inhabitants.
Herne (St. Martin)
HERNE (St. Martin), a parish, in the union of
Blean, hundred of Bleangate, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent, 5¾ miles (N. E. by N.) from
Canterbury; containing 3041 inhabitants, of whom 1572
are in the town of Herne-Bay. Herne-Bay, in consequence of the pleasantness of its situation on the shore
of a small but beautiful bay, and the erection of a long
wooden pier, has become a place of resort for sea-bathing. Several ranges of houses, with some good inns,
have been built fronting the bay; and baths have been
erected. In 1833, an act was obtained for paving,
lighting, and improving the town. The pier is in the
form of the letter T, and extends 3000 feet into the sea,
having an inclined plane, 20 feet in width, for the convenience of landing passengers at all times of the tide;
on a site adjoining the pier, a clock-tower was erected
in 1837, by Mrs. Anne Thwaites. The parade, which
extends for nearly a mile in front of the town, is 50 feet
wide. There are assembly and billiard rooms, and a
library. Steam-boats of a superior class run daily to
and from London.
The parish comprises by admeasurement 4829 acres,
of which 211 are in wood, and 165 common. The surface is undulated: the soil is chiefly clay, resting on
gravel, and, under proper management, very productive;
the prevailing trees are oak and elm, with ash, maple,
and hazel. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £20. 16. 3., and in the patronage of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the appropriator: the great tithes
have been commuted for £1474. 19.; and the vicarial
for £557. 19., with a glebe of 3 acres, and a glebehouse. The church is a handsome structure, having a
tower in the early English style, and large portions in
the decorated and later styles; the walls of the aisles
are embattled: the west window is a beautiful composition of five lights in the later, and the other windows
are chiefly in the decorated, style; the font is elegant,
and there is a good monument to Sir William Thornhurst. Christ-church, Herne-Bay, containing 700 sittings, of which 150 are free, was consecrated in 1840;
it was endowed by the Rev. Henry Geary. There are
places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans, the
former in the town, the latter in the village of Herne.
In the channel near the bay, numerous fragments of
Roman earthenware have been found, supposed to be
the vestiges of a cargo of pottery wrecked whilst the
Romans were in Britain. On the confines of the parish
are the remains of a palace in which Archbishop Cranmer resided; Bishop Ridley was vicar here from 1538
till 1550, when he was promoted to the see of London.
Hernhill (St. Michael)
HERNHILL (St. Michael), a parish, in the union
of Faversham, hundred of Boughton-under-Blean,
Upper division of the lathe of Scray, E. division of
Kent, 3½ miles (E. by S.) from Faversham; containing
603 inhabitants. It comprises 2557a. 10p., of which
1050 acres are arable, 1130 pasture, 280 woodland, and
47 in hop plantations; the soil varies from the strongest
clay to the lightest sand. The surface is pleasing, and
the scenery enriched with wood; the prevailing timber
is elm, and in the parts adjoining the Blean Woods is
some fine oak. The living, formerly a chapelry to
Boughton, and constituted a vicarage by Archbishop
Stratford, is in the patronage of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the appropriator, and is valued in the
king's books at £15; net income, £280. The church is
situated on an eminence, and is a handsome edifice,
principally in the later English style, having three aisles
separated by clustered columns of Bethersden marble, of
peculiar elegance, and a tower at the west end with a
beacon turret at its southern angle.
Herriard (St. Mary)
HERRIARD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Basingstoke, hundred of Bermondspit, Basingstoke
and N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 4¾
miles (S. S. E.) from Basingstoke; containing, with the
tything of Southrope, 427 inhabitants. This parish
comprises 2765a. 1r. 9p., of which 256 acres are waste
land or common; the surface is varied. The living is a
discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£7. 6. 5½.; patron and impropriator, Lord Bolton: the
great tithes have been commuted for £288. 15., and the
vicarial for £200. The church is an ancient edifice, the
tower of which fell down more than 200 years since;
there is a fine arch on the side, formerly a doorway.
Herringby (St. Ethelbert)
HERRINGBY (St. Ethelbert), an ancient parish,
in the hundred of East Flegg, E. division of Norfolk,
3¼ miles (E. by S.) from Acle, by the ferry across the
river Bure. The district comprises about 600 acres,
300 of which are marsh. The living is a rectory, united
to that of Stokesby, and valued in the king's books at
£5. A college or hospital, under the title of God's
Poor almshouse, was founded here soon after 1475, pursuant to the will of Hugh Attefenne; the site is now
occupied by a farmhouse.