Laverton

LAVERTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Buckland, poor-law union of Winchcomb, Lower division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester; containing 208 inhabitants.

Laverton (St. Mary)

LAVERTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Frome, E. division of Somerset, 3½ miles (N.) from Frome; containing, with the tything of Peart, 199 inhabitants. It comprises 1108 acres by computation. The soil in the western part is a strong clay, and in the eastern a light red loam; the surface is undulated, and the low grounds are watered by a brook which flows into the river Frome. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 18. 6½.; net income, £277; patron, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Laverton

LAVERTON, a township, in the parish of KirkbyMalzeard, Lower division of the wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York, 6¼ miles (W. by N.) from Ripon; containing 487 inhabitants. The township comprises 6707 acres, of which 3992 are common or waste land: the village consists chiefly of scattered houses. Tithe rent-charges have been awarded, of which £73. 17. are payable to the vicar, and £122. 7. to Trinity College, Cambridge.

Lavington, or Linton (St. Peter)

LAVINGTON, or Linton (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Grantham, wapentake of Beltisloe, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 4 miles (S. W. by W.) from Folkingham; containing 329 inhabitants. This parish, including the township of Osgodby and the hamlets of Hanby and Keisby, comprises 4152a. 3r. The living is a vicarage, endowed with a portion of the rectorial tithes, and valued in the king's books at £14. 7. 1.; net income, £514; patron, and impropriator of the remainder of the rectorial tithes, Sir G. Heathcote, Bart.: the glebe comprises 15 acres. The church is a neat ancient structure, with a lofty spire.

Lavington, East, or Market-Lavington (St. Mary)

LAVINGTON, EAST, or Market-Lavington (St. Mary), a market-town and parish, in the union of Devizes, hundred of Swanborough, Devizes and N. divisions of Wilts; containing 1616 inhabitants, of whom 1115 are in the town, 6 miles (S.) from Devizes, and 90 (W. by S.) from London. The town is situated in a fertile valley, at the base of the chalk hills which form the northern boundary of Salisbury Plain, and consists principally of one street: the trade is chiefly in corn and malt. The market is on Wednesday; and a fair takes place on August 10th. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £14. 2. 6.; net income, £300; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford. The church stands on a lofty eminence, from which circumstance the town is popularly termed Steeple-Lavington. There are two places of worship for Independents. The learned and laborious antiquary, Dr. Thomas Tanner, Bishop of St. Asaph and author of the Notitia Monastica, was born here in 1674, his father being vicar of the parish; and at his death in 1733, he bequeathed £200 for the benefit of the poor.

Lavington, West, or Bishop's-Lavington (All Saints)

LAVINGTON, WEST, or Bishop's-Lavington (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Devizes, hundred of Potterne and Cannings, Devizes and N. divisions of Wilts, 1½ mile (S. W. by S.) from East Lavington; containing 1595 inhabitants. This place was for many generations the property of the Dauntsey family, of whom William Dauntsey, a younger son, was alderman of London in 1542; it became the property of Sir John Danvers, by marriage with the grand-daughter and heiress of Sir John Dauntsey, Knt., and was subsequently disposed of to a late Duke of Marlborough. The village suffered greatly from a destructive fire in 1689. The parish is situated on the road from Devizes to Salisbury, and comprises some very rich land, a portion being laid out in market-gardens, from which large quantities of excellent vegetables are sent to Bath, Salisbury, and other places. A soft chalkstone is quarried, and burnt into lime; blocks of green sandstone are frequently raised for building; and on the downs, considerable quantities of flints are dug for roadmending. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £11. 16. 3.; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of Salisbury. The great tithes have been commuted for £1325, and the vicarial for £360; the glebe comprises 17 acres. The church is an ancient and spacious structure, in the early English style, with a square embattled tower; it contains the sepulchral chapel of the Dauntsey family, a beautiful specimen of the later English style. The above-mentioned William Dauntsey founded and endowed an almshouse, and a grammar school, the latter of which is open to all children of the parish. The neighbourhood abounds with tumuli, camps, and other relics.

Lawford (St. Mary)

LAWFORD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Tendring, N. division of Essex, 1½ mile (W.) from Manningtree; containing 868 inhabitants, and consisting of 2769a. 1r. 4p. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £15, and in the gift of St. John's College, Cambridge: the tithes have been commuted for £720, and the glebe comprises 35 acres. The church, situated on elevated ground commanding an extensive prospect, is an ancient edifice with a tower of stone, and consists of a nave and chancel, the interior walls of which are elaborately ornamented with sculpture. In 1723, John Leach bequeathed a rentcharge of £22. 4., for teaching children, and clothing poor persons.

Lawford, Church (St. Peter)

LAWFORD, CHURCH (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 4 miles (W. N. W.) from Rugby; containing 333 inhabitants. Robert de Lalleford held this place in the reign of Edward III., when he was one of the knights for the shire; it came afterwards to the Staffords, in which family it continued until the attainder of Edward, Duke of Buckingham, 13th Henry VIII. On coming to the crown it was granted to Thomas, Marquess of Dorset, from whom it passed to other families. The parish is situated on the left bank of the river Avon, and consists of 1747 acres: the portion occupied by the line of the London and Birmingham railway is returned at the annual value of £1200. The church was anciently in the patronage of the convent of St. Mary, at St. Peter's Super Dinam, in France, and afterwards in that of the Carthusian convent, Coventry. The living is a rectory, with the vicarage of King's-Newnham united, valued in the king's books at £11. 15. 5.; net income, £196; patron, Lord John Scott.

Lawford, Little

LAWFORD, LITTLE, a hamlet, in the parish of Newbold-upon-Avon, union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 4 miles (W.) from Rugby; containing 34 inhabitants, and comprising 410 acres. It is situated on the right bank of the river Avon, and skirted by the Oxford canal. The Boughton family had a mansion here, which, about 1800, was levelled to the ground. The manor had been previously sold by Sir Edward Boughton, Bart., to John Caldecote, Esq., who constructed a new and handsome residence at a short distance from the site of the former dwelling-house.

Lawford, Long

LAWFORD, LONG, a hamlet, in the parish of Newbold-upon-Avon, union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 2½ miles (W. N. W.) from Rugby; containing 625 inhabitants. The prefix "Long" was given to this place to distinguish it from Church-Lawford, and was suggested, doubtless, by the straggling form of the village. The hamlet comprises 1578 acres, and is intersected by the London and Birmingham railway, which here approaches close to the river Avon.

Lawhitton (St. Michael)

LAWHITTON (St. Michael), a parish, in the union and parliamentary borough of Launceston, N. division of the hundred of East, E. division of Cornwall, 2¼ miles (S. E. by E.) from Launceston; containing 487 inhabitants. This place was anciently the occasional residence of the bishops of Exeter, one of whom obtained for the inhabitants a weekly market and a fair, which are now discontinued. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £19. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Bishop: the tithes have been commuted for £360, and the glebe comprises 90 acres, with a house.

Lawkland

LAWKLAND, a township, in the parish of Clapham, union of Settle, W. division of the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of York, 3 miles (N. W. by W.) from Settle; containing 364 inhabitants. The township is situated on the road from Settle to Kirkby-Lonsdale, and comprises, with the hamlet of Eldroth, 4220 acres, chiefly meadow and pasture. Lawkland Hall is a noble mansion of the time of Elizabeth, and contrasts favourably with many modern erections in the style of that age. Crow-nest Scarr is a very remarkable and singular range of rocks: good stone is quarried in the vicinity. The chapel of ease at Eldroth is still in a measure used for divine worship, but is also appropriated to a school, which is endowed with 2a. 1r. of land, and £6. 10., for the instruction of six free scholars.

Lawley

LAWLEY, a township, in the parish and union of Wellington, Wellington division of the hundred of South Bradford, N. division of the county of Salop; containing 173 inhabitants.

Lawrence, St.

LAWRENCE, ST., a parish, in the union of Maldon, hundred of Dengie, S. division of Essex, 3 miles (S. W. by W.) from Bradwell-near-the-Sea; containing 176 inhabitants. It comprises 2031a. 3r. 7p., of which 91 acres are common or waste land. The soil is in some parts a heavy clay, in others lighter and more easily pulverized; the surface is hilly, and the low lands are watered by the Blackwater river, which is navigable, and bounds the parish on the north. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £18. 6. 8., and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes have been commuted for £550, and the glebe comprises 7 acres. The church is pleasantly situated on a hill.

Lawrence, St., Kent.—See Laurence, St.

LAWRENCE, ST., Kent.—See Laurence, St.

Lawrence, St.

LAWRENCE, ST., a parish, in the liberty of East Medina, Isle of Wight division of the county of Southampton, 8¾ miles (S. S. E.) from Newport; containing 114 inhabitants. The parish consists of a narrow district, extending about a mile and a half along the seacoast, and forming part of the romantic tract called the Undercliff. It comprises by measurement 300 acres, of which about 20 are in plantations, chiefly of juniper trees, 50 in meadow, and the remainder arable land in good cultivation. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4; net income, £106; patron, the Earl of Yarborough. The tithes are held by the earl and the rector, and that portion of them belonging to the latter has been commuted for £84; the glebe comprises 18 acres. The church is an ancient structure, in the early English style, and is only 25 feet in length, and 12 in width, within the walls. In a field near it are the remains of a chantry.

Lawrence, St., Ilketshall, in the county of Suffolk.—See Ilketshall St. Lawrence.

LAWRENCE, ST., ILKETSHALL, in the county of Suffolk.—See Ilketshall St. Lawrence.

Lawrence-Weston, in the county of Gloucester.—See Weston, Lawrence.

LAWRENCE-WESTON, in the county of Gloucester.—See Weston, Lawrence.

Lawshall (All Saints)

LAWSHALL (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Sudbury, hundred of Babergh, W. division of Suffolk, 6½ miles (S. by E.) from Bury St. Edmund's; containing 925 inhabitants, and consisting by survey of 2998 acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £20. 2. 8½., and in the patronage of the Dowager Lady Middleton: the tithes have been commuted for £700, and the glebe comprises 29 acres. The remains of a Roman station, considered to be Cambretonium, are clearly visible not far from the source of the river Bret.

Lawton, Church (All Saints)

LAWTON, CHURCH (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Congleton, hundred of Northwich, S. division of the county of Chester, 6 miles (S. by E.) from Newcastle-under-Lyme; containing 622 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the great road to Liverpool, and comprises 1452 acres. The soil is sand, clay, and gravel: the substratum contains coal of good quality, of which mines were formerly in operation; and there are some brine-pits from which salt is made. The Trent and Mersey canal passes through the parish, and is here joined by the Macclesfield canal. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 2. 7., and in the gift of C. B. Lawton, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £260, and the glebe comprises 37 acres, with a house. The church, supposed to have formed part of an abbey, has been rebuilt; it is of handsome elevation with the exception of the tower, and has a Norman porch on the south side. Schools are supported by Mr. Lawton. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Laxfield (All Saints)

LAXFIELD (All Saints), a parish, in the union and hundred of Hoxne, E. division of Suffolk, 7 miles (N. by E.) from Framlingham; containing 1172 inhabitants, and consisting of 3630 acres by admeasurement. The living is a discharged vicarage, annexed to that of Cratfield, and valued in the king's books at £9. 13. 4.: the impropriate tithes have been commuted for £617. 10., and the vicarial for £220; the glebe comprises 14 acres. The church is a very spacious and handsome structure, with a lofty embattled tower; the chancel was rebuilt by Lord Huntingfield, in 1827. There is a place of worship for Baptists. A free school was founded in 1718, by John Smith, who endowed it with the proceeds of his estates; the income exceeds £200 per annum. Ann Ward, in 1721, devised a rent-charge of £30 for teaching children, and for other charitable purposes; the town lands produce £80 per annum, and there is a house, called the Guildhall, for the poor. A corn-market is held during the winter months, on Monday.

Laxton (All Saints)

LAXTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Uppingham, hundred of Corby, N. division of the county of Northampton, 7¼ miles (N. E. by E.) from Rockingham; containing 136 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1297a. 2r. 35p. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Lord Carbery.

Laxton, or Lexington (St. Michael)

LAXTON, or Lexington (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Southwell, South Clay division of the wapentake of Bassetlaw, N. division of the county of Nottingham, 2¾ miles (S. S. W.) from Tuxford; containing, with the hamlet of Moorhouse, 642 inhabitants. The parish comprises by measurement 3955 acres, of which 1245 are open fields and common, 118 wood and plantations, and the remainder principally arable; the soil is chiefly a strong clay, with some tracts of black vegetable mould. The village, which is considerable, and situated on a gentle acclivity, appears to have been formerly a place of some importance; it gave the title of Baron to the family of Lexington. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £11; patron and impropriator, Earl Manvers. The great tithes have been commuted for £387. 16., and the vicarial for £225. 2. 6.; the glebe comprises about one acre of ground, attached to the glebe-house. The church is a spacious structure in the later English style, with a lofty tower, and was once replete with handsome monuments to distinguished families. The chapel on the north side, which has been long used as a schoolroom, has been cleared out, and three effigies of crusaders in full armour have been removed into the chancel of the church. At Moorhouse is a chapel of ease. There is a place of worship for Independents. William Chappell, Bishop of Cork and Ross in Ireland, who died in 1649, was born here.

Laxton

LAXTON, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Howden, wapentake of Howdenshire, E. riding of York, 3¾ miles (S. E. by E.) from Howden; containing 266 inhabitants. It comprises about 1500 acres of land, and is situated to the north and east of the river Ouse, which makes a very considerable bend in the vicinity: the village is well built. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £39; patron, the Vicar of Howden. The chapel has ample accommodation for the inhabitants; the chancel is of stone, but the nave and tower are built of brick. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Laycock (St. Cyriack)

LAYCOCK (St. Cyriack), a parish, in the union and hundred of Chippenham, Chippenham and Calne, and N. divisions of Wilts, 3¾ miles (S.) from Chippenham; containing 1780 inhabitants. An abbey for nuns of the order of St. Augustine was founded here in 1229, by Ela, Countess Dowager of Salisbury, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Bernard; it continued to flourish till the Dissolution, when its revenue was returned at £203. 12. 3.: the remains have been converted into a private residence. The countess, during her widowhood, held the shrievalty of the county of Wilts, in the reign of Henry III.; and in a room here in which the records are kept, is a copy of the charter sent to her as such by that monarch, for the use of the knights and military tenants of the county. A weekly market and an annual fair were granted to the abbey, but the former has long been disused, and fairs are now held on July 1st and December 21st. The parish comprises 3546 acres, of which 46 are common or waste. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £8. 4. 2.; patron and impropriator, W. H. F. Talbot, Esq.: the great tithes have been commuted for £341. 10. 6., and the vicarial for £325; the glebe comprises 7 acres. The church contains several monuments to the family of Montague, who resided at Lackham House, in the parish. There is a place of worship for Independents.