Hampstead - Hampton-Wick

A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848.

This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.

'Hampstead - Hampton-Wick', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 391-396. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp391-396 [accessed 17 March 2024]

In this section

Hampstead (St. John)

HAMPSTEAD (St. John), a parish, in the union of Edmonton, Holborn division of the hundred of Ossulstone, county of Middlesex, 4 miles (N. by W.) from London; containing 10,093 inhabitants. This place was bestowed by King Ethelred on the monks of St. Peter at Westminster, and, the grant having been confirmed by William the Conqueror, continued in their possession till the Dissolution in the reign of Henry VIII. The Grange house, of which scarcely a memorial remains, was the residence of the monastic superintendent of the manor, and the prior resided at Belzie House, which was subsequently converted into a place of public entertainment. Hampstead was anciently an inconsiderable hamlet in the parish of Hendon, from which it was separated in the year 1598, when its churchwardens for the first time attended the bishop's annual visitation. The election for the county members took place on the heath in 1681, and continued to be held till 1701, when it was removed to Brentford. Its pleasant situation, the salubrity of the air, and its proximity to the metropolis, early made the village the residence of some of the more wealthy citizens; and from the discovery of its chalybeate spring, in the former part of the eighteenth century, it became the resort of numerous invalids, for whose accommodation and amusement a pump-room, tavern, and coffee and assembly rooms, were successively erected. The water of the spring contains oxyde of iron, muriates of soda and magnesia, sulphate of lime, and a small portion of silex; and its mean temperature at the wells is from 46° to 47° of Fahrenheit. Saline springs were afterwards discovered at the south-eastern extremity of the heath, near Pond-street, in their properties generally resembling the Cheltenham and Harrogate springs; and the water continued for some time to be sent in flasks from the wells by accredited agents of the principal houses, called the Upper and Lower Flask Houses.

Hampstead is at present more regarded as a healthy and pleasant place of residence, than on account of its waters, which have within the last few years fallen almost into disuse. The village is situated on the southern acclivity of a hill, on the summit of which is a large heath, commanding, at different points, varied and beautiful views of the metropolis and the adjacent country, abounding in picturesque scenery, and agreeably diversified with richly-wooded hills, and extensive meadows, interspersed with elegant villas. The heath embraces the Upper and Lower Heath, the Vale of Health, and other subdivisions, possessing a temperature of climate proportioned to their several elevations, or to their different degrees of shelter from the colder winds, and consequently adapted to the various constitutions of the permanent inhabitants, or of the invalids who occasionally reside here for the recovery of their health. A telegraph is placed on the Upper Heath, forming the first in the line of communication between Chelsea Hospital and Yarmouth. The approach from the metropolis is by an excellent road, from many parts of which the prospect of Hampstead and Highgate is strikingly beautiful; and on ascending the hill which leads into the village, ranges of buildings, and detached mansions, rise in succession. The village is lighted, and derives its supply of water from a large reservoir in Shepherd's fields, and from pumps attached to the houses; the Hampstead Water Company have a reservoir on the heath, which supplies the inhabitants of Kentish-Town, Camden-Town, and Tottenham-Court road. The London and Birmingham railway passes along a tunnel 1120 yards in length, under Primrose Hill, near the southern extremity of the parish. Petty-sessions are held occasionally, and courts leet and baron on the Monday before Whitsuntide; a general court baron and customary court are likewise held within a month or six weeks after Christmas. The place is within the limits of the metropolitan police establishment.

The parish comprises 1200 acres, of which 533 are waste or common. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £887; patron and impropriator, Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, Bart.: the tithes have been commuted for £398. 4. The church, a neat brick building, was erected in 1747, on the site of an ancient edifice, which was taken down; the steeple is at the east end: among the monuments is one to the memory of Lady Erskine, beautifully executed by Bacon the younger. In 1771, William Pierce bequeathed £1700 three per cent. consols., to be applied in paying stipends of £24 per annum to the curate of Hampstead, and £5 per annum to the clerk, for performing divine service every Friday; £10 per annum to the Independent minister; and for other purposes. Hampstead chapel, in Well Walk, originally the pump-room of the Wells Tavern; and St. John's chapel, on Downshire Hill, a plain neat building erected in 1823, are proprietary episcopal chapels; and there are places of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. A national school is supported by subscription, and has a fund of £2100 three per cent. consols., for apprenticing the children, arising from a bequest of £1000 by John Stock, Esq., in 1780, and subsequent benefactions. There are also funds for the benefit of children, and the relief of the poor, bequeathed by the Dowager Viscountess Campden in 1643, the Hon. Susannah Noel in 1698, and several others. In 1774, sepulchral urns, vases, earthen lamps, and other Roman antiquities were dug up in Well Walk.

On the left side of the entrance from London is the mansion of Sir Henry Vane, one of the judges of Charles I., and who, after the return of Charles II., was arrested here. At Hampstead also resided Dr. Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, author of the Analogy of Religion. On Haverstock Hill, a mile nearer London, is the cottage in which Sir Charles Sedley lived, afterwards occupied by Sir Richard Steele; and at a house formerly a place of public entertainment, named the Upper Flask, noticed by Richardson in his Clarissa, died George Steevens, the commentator on Shakspeare; prior to which it was the place of meeting of the Kit-Cat Club. Of the many distinguished persons interred at Hampstead, have been, Dr. Anthony Askew, a critic and physician; James Mc Ardell, an engraver in mezzotinto; John Harrison, who obtained a premium from parliament for his improvements on the chronometer; Archdeacon Travis, the opponent of Gibbon; James Pettit Andrews, author of a History of Great Britain; and John Carter, the antiquary.

Hampstead, East.—See Easthampstead.

HAMPSTEAD, EAST.—See Easthampstead.

Hampstead-Marshall (St. Mary)

HAMPSTEAD-MARSHALL (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Newbury, hundred of Kintbury-Eagle, county of Berks, 4 miles (W. by S.) from Newbury; containing 325 inhabitants. It comprises 1845a. 20p., of which 613 acres are arable, 805 meadow and pasture, 321 woodland, and the remainder roads and waste; the soil is rich. The Kennet and Avon canal passes through. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £12. 14. 4½., and in the gift of the Earl of Craven: the tithes have been commuted for £290, and the glebe consists of nearly 18 acres.

Hampstead-Moreton, county of Devon.—See Moreton, Hampstead.

HAMPSTEAD-MORETON, county of Devon.— See Moreton, Hampstead.

Hampstead-Norris (St. Mary)

HAMPSTEAD-NORRIS (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Wantage, hundred of Faircross, county of Berks, 7 miles (N. E.) from Newbury; containing, with the chapelry of Hermitage, 1280 inhabitants. The parish comprises 5580a. 1r. 1p.: the soil in some parts is light and sandy, and in others chalky, and abounding in flints; the surface is hilly. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £9. 18. 11½.; patron and impropriator, the Marquess of Downshire: the great tithes have been commuted for £916, and the vicarial for £313; the impropriate glebe contains 152 acres, and the vicarial 135. At Hermitage is a separate incumbency. The Independents and Wesleyans have places of worship; and there was formerly a chapel at Langley Hall, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. In the Park coppice are a large tumulus, and the remains of an intrenchment. The foundations of an ancient building, some tessellated pavement, a few coins, and a number of Roman bricks were discovered, on excavating a field near Well House, in 1827.

Hampsthwaite (St. Thomas à Becket)

HAMPSTHWAITE (St. Thomas à Becket), a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York; containing, with the townships of Birstwith, Felliscliffe, Menwith with Darley, and Thornthwaite with Padside, 2500 inhabitants, of whom 455 are in the township of Hampsthwaite, 1½ mile (S. W. by W.) from Ripley. The parish comprises about 11,250 acres, and lies on the banks of the river Nidd, which for a distance of several miles forms its northern boundary, separating it from the parishes of Ripley and Ripon; the soil and scenery are of great variety. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 6. 8., and in the patronage of the Heirs of the late Rev. T. Shann, the impropriators; with a net income of £264. The church, an ancient structure in the early English style, was, with the exception of the tower, rebuilt in 1821. At the western extremity of the parish, about six miles from the church, is the chapel of Thornthwaite.

Hampton

HAMPTON, a township, in the parish of Malpas, union of Nantwich, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton, S. division of the county of Chester, 2½ miles (N. E.) from Malpas; containing 290 inhabitants. The manor was held under the barony of Malpas, by the Malpas family, in the reign of Henry VI. Hampton Hall and an estate, parcel of the manor, passed by a coheir of that family to the Bromleys, and from them to the Dods; but the manor itself was for several centuries in the Egertons, who continued to possess it until 1801, when it was sold to Ambrose Brooke, Esq. The township lies on the road from Chester to Whitchurch, and comprises 1158 acres, of a clayey and sandy soil. The tithes have been commuted for £115.

Hampton (The Blessed Virgin Mary)

HAMPTON (The Blessed Virgin Mary), a parish, in the union of Kingston, hundred of Spelthorne, county of Middlesex, 13½ miles (W. S. W.) from London; containing, with the chapelry of Hampton-Wick, 4711 inhabitants. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, Hampton belonged to Earl Algar, a powerful Saxon nobleman; and after the Norman Conquest was held by Walter de St. Valeri, who probably gave the advowson to the priory of Takeley, in Essex, which was a cell to the abbey of St. Valeri, in Picardy. The manor subsequently became the property of Sir Robert Gray, whose widow, in 1211, left it to the Knights Hospitallers, and they at one period had an establishment here for the sisters of that order. Cardinal Wolsey, when in the height of his power, having determined on building a palace for his principal residence in the vicinity of the metropolis, fixed on Hampton for the site of it, as the healthiest and most pleasant spot which he could choose. He therefore obtained from the prior of St. John a lease of the manor and manor-house, and in 1516 commenced the erection of a magnificent mansion, which he furnished in a style of corresponding splendour, and, before the structure was completed, in 1526, presented to the king, together with his interest in the manorial estate. In 1538, an act of parliament was passed for making a royal chase, called Hampton Court chase, extending over several parishes in Middlesex and Surrey. It was inclosed, and stocked with deer; but on the petition of the inhabitants, after the death of Henry VIII., the inclosure was removed, though the tract which it comprehended is still considered as a royal chase, under the superintendence of an officer called the Lieutenant or Keeper of His Majesty's chase of Hampton Court. The order of the Knights Hospitallers having been suppressed in England, in 1540, the manor became vested in the crown; and in the same year a new act was passed, creating the manor of Hampton Court an honour, the office of chief steward and feodary of which, together with that of lieutenant of the chase, has always been conferred on a personage of high rank.

Hampton Court was completed by Henry VIII., according to the design of the architect employed by Wolsey, and, being made one of the royal palaces, was a frequent and favourite residence of his majesty and the court. Edward VI. was born at the palace, and in 1543 Henry VIII. was married in it to his last wife, Catherine Parr. It was the occasional resort of several of the sovereigns antecedent to William III., who rebuilt a considerable part of the palace, and laid out the gardens and park in their present form; Queen Anne resided here before her accession to the throne, and her son, William, Duke of Gloucester, was born in it, July 24th, 1689. George II. was the last sovereign who made Hampton Court the place of his abode; his successors have only been casual visiters. The whole of the buildings, except the state apartments and a suite of rooms under them, called the Duke of York's apartments, are now occupied by private families, who have grants during pleasure from the Lord Chamberlain; the number of the residents, including servants, is about 700. This fine palace, situated on the north bank of the Thames, comprises three large quadrangles, with some detached buildings; but the first quadrangle, at the western entrance, alone remains as originally erected by Cardinal Wolsey; it extends 169 feet from north to south, and 141 from east to west. The second quadrangle, called the Clock-court, from a curious astronomical clock over the gateway, was partially remodelled from a design by Sir Christopher Wren, who erected an Ionic colonnade leading to the grand staircase and the state apartments. On the north side of this quadrangle is the great hall, built by Henry VIII., the noble roof of which was restored in 1820. It was used as a theatre in the reigns of Elizabeth and George I. and II.; and in 1830 was fitted up for divine service while the parish church was being rebuilt: it has been lately much embellished, and a profusion of stained glass added. The Fountain-court, or third quadrangle, was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1690; it is 110 feet from east to west, and 117 from north to south. On the south side is the king's staircase, leading to the state apartments, and the walls of which are ornamented with mythological paintings by Verrio; while on the north side is the queen's staircase, with paintings on the walls by Laguerre. The principal state apartments are, the guard-hall, decorated with arms and armour; the presence-chamber; the audience-chamber; the king's drawing-room and writingcloset; Queen Mary's closet; the queen's gallery, ornamented with Gobelin tapestry; the royal bed-rooms and dressing-rooms; and the long gallery, in which are the Cartoons of Raphael. A variety of paintings adorn the walls of these apartments. The royal chapel, in which is some beautiful carved work by Grinlin Gibbons, is opened every Sunday. The gardens, including the site of the palace, comprise a space about three miles in circumference. In a hot-house in the private grounds is a vine of the Black Hamburgh kind, noted for its extraordinary fertility, often bearing 2500 bunches of grapes in a season. There is a fine canal three-quarters of a mile in length; and the gardens are ornamented with four beautifully sculptured marble vases.

The village stands about one mile and a half from the palace, on the north side of the Thames, over which is a wooden bridge at Hampton Court, and a ferry for carriages and foot-passengers at Hampton. It contains several handsome villas, particularly one that belonged to Garrick, on the lawn in front of which is a small temple dedicated to Shakspeare, with a statue of the great dramatist, the work of G. Garrard, A.R.A. Hampton races take place in June, at Moulsey Hurst, on the opposite side of the Thames. An act was passed in 1846 for a branch of the South-Western railway to the bridge; it was completed in 1848, and is 1¾ mile in length. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £10, and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £356; impropriators, the Trustees of the free school: the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1811. The church, having long been in a dilapidated state, was taken down at the commencement of 1830, and on the 13th of April, in that year, the first stone of a new edifice was laid. Here is a place of worship for Independents. A free grammar school was founded in consequence of a bequest of land by Robert Hamonde in 1556, and benefactions by Edmund Pigeon in 1657, and John Jones in 1691; the income is £327. 10. Queen Anne gave £50 per annum to the poor; and there are many other benefactions. Among distinguished inhabitants of the place who have been interred here, may be mentioned John Beard, patentee of Covent Garden theatre, and celebrated as a public singer, who died in 1791; and Tickell, the poet, who died in 1793.

Hampton, Bishop (St. Andrew)

HAMPTON, BISHOP (St. Andrew), a parish, in the hundred of Grimsworth, union and county of Hereford, 3½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Hereford; containing, with the township of Tupsley, 785 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the south by the river Wye, on the north by the Lugg, and on the east by the Frome, comprises about 2614 acres, whereof one-third is arable, and the rest pasture and meadow; the soil is chiefly a rich loam, in some places alternated with gravel, and the surface is generally flat. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £13. 13. 9.; net income, £375; patron, the Bishop of Hereford. The church has been embellished by the rector, the Rev. Henry Huntingford, LL.B., with two finely painted windows in the chancel, an altar-piece of richly carved oak, and a handsome organ.

Hampton-Charles

HAMPTON-CHARLES, a hamlet, in the parish of Bockleton, union of Bromyard, hundred of Broxash, county of Hereford, 5½ miles (N. W. by W.) from Bromyard; containing 84 inhabitants, and comprising 463 acres. It is situated on the borders of Worcestershire, the rest of the parish being within the limits of that county.

Hampton-Court

HAMPTON-COURT, an extra-parochial liberty, locally in the parish of Hope-under-Dinmore, hundred of Wolphy, county of Hereford, 5½ miles (S. S. E.) from Leominster. Here is a noble and spacious mansion, on the eastern bank of the river Lugg, erected by Sir Rowland Lenthall, yeoman of the robes to Henry IV., and who distinguished himself at the battle of Agincourt. The buildings form a quadrangle, and display a mixture of monastic and castellated architecture: on the north side are a gate-house, and angular towers, one of which joins a chapel with a fine timber roof ornamented with carved work. The mansion is situated on a spacious lawn, surrounded by a park and pleasuregrounds about eight miles in circumference.

Hampton-Gay (St. Giles)

HAMPTON-GAY (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of Woodstock, hundred of Ploughley, county of Oxford, 2¾ miles (E. by S.) from Woodstock; containing 74 inhabitants. It comprises about 600 acres, of which three-fifths are arable, and the remainder pasture. The ancient manor-house is a beautiful specimen of the Elizabethan style, with boldly projecting oriel windows. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £20; patron, the Rev. W. Wilson. The church was built in 1767, by the Rev. Thomas Hindes, then owner of the manor, and, though private property, is used as the parochial church.

Hampton, Great (St. Andrew)

HAMPTON, GREAT (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Evesham, Lower division of the hundred of Blackenhurst, Pershore and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 1 mile (W. by S.) from Evesham; containing, with the hamlet of Little Hampton, 469 inhabitants. This place early belonged to the abbey of Evesham, and in the reign of William the Conqueror the abbot formed a vineyard here: in the reign of Henry V., we find that the abbot likewise possessed a mansion at Hampton. The parish is separated from Evesham by the river Avon, and intersected by the road between that town and Pershore; and comprises 1629a. 1r. 35p. The living is a discharged perpetual curacy, valued in the king's books at £7. 12. 3½.; net income, £81; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford: the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1776. The church stands upon a gentle knoll above the river, and is a well-built edifice consisting of a nave and chancel, with a tower placed upon arches at the junction of the nave and chancel. There are several charities connected with the church.

Hampton, High (Holy Cross)

HAMPTON, HIGH (Holy Cross), a parish, in the union of Oakhampton, hundred of Black Torrington, Black Torrington and Shebbear, and N. divisions of Devon, 3½ miles (W.) from Hatherleigh; containing 365 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river Torridge, comprises by computation 2464 acres, whereof 68 are waste. The surface is greatly diversified with hills commanding extensive views over the surrounding country; the soil is chiefly clay, producing wheat and oats, and there is a considerable tract of wild moorland, affording scanty pasture. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £8. 19. 4½.; present net income, £198; patron, J. M. Woolcombe, Esq. The church is situated on a very high hill, serving as a landmark; it has a plain Norman door.

Hampton, Hill

HAMPTON, HILL, a hamlet, in the parish and union of Martley, Upper division of the hundred of Doddingtree, Hundred-House and W. divisions of the county of Worcester, 8½ miles (W. N. W.) from Worcester; containing 159 inhabitants. It is situated on the left bank of the river Teme, and consists of 770a. 2r. 24p., of a highly productive soil. The tithes have been commuted for £176. 12.

Hampton-in-Arden (St. Mary and St. Bartholomew)

HAMPTON-IN-ARDEN (St. Mary and St. Bartholomew), a parish, partly in the union of Meriden, and partly in that of Solihull, Solihull division of the hundred of Hemlingford, N. division of the county of Warwick, 9½ miles (W. by N.) from Coventry; containing, with the chapelries of Balsall and Knowle, and the hamlets of Kinwalsey and Nuthurst, 3306 inhabitants, of whom 781 are in the township of Hampton. The parish comprises 11,172 acres, of which 2310 are in the township; the soil is generally a mixture of marl and clay, and the surface undulated: the village is built on an elevation. The river Blythe, and the Birmingham and Warwick canal, pass through the parish; it is also intersected at its southern extremity, by the road from Birmingham to Warwick, and the Birmingham and Derby railway diverges from the line of the London and Birmingham near the village, where is a convenient station. A charter for a weekly market and an annual fair, was granted in the reign of Henry III. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £15. 6. 8.; net income, £578; patrons and impropriators, the Master and Brethren of the Earl of Leicester's Hospital, Warwick. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1796. The church was built in the reign of Henry II., and had formerly a lofty spire, which was destroyed by lightning in 1643. George Fentham, in 1690, bequeathed property for instruction, the annual proceeds of which are about £200: it will ultimately yield a much larger income. Balsall and Knowle form separate incumbencies: at Nuthurst was an ancient chapel, on the site of which a chapel of ease has been built, chiefly at the expense of E. Bolton King, Esq. There is a small place of worship for Independents.

Hampton, Little, in the county of Sussex.—See Littlehampton.

HAMPTON, LITTLE, in the county of Sussex.— See Littlehampton.

Hampton, Little

HAMPTON, LITTLE, a hamlet, in the parish of Great Hampton, union of Evesham, Lower division of the hundred of Blackenhurst, Pershore and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, ¾ of a mile (W. by S.) from Evesham; containing 126 inhabitants. A school is endowed with £10 per annum, being a portion of a bequest by John Martin, in 1713.

Hampton-Lovett (St. Mary)

HAMPTON-LOVETT (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Droitwich, Upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, Droitwich and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 1½ mile (N. N. W.) from Droitwich; containing 174 inhabitants. This place was formerly the seat of the Pakingtons, whose mansion of Hampton Court, situated near the church, was destroyed during the civil war in the reign of Charles I.; connected with it were a lodge and banqueting-hall at Westwood (an extra-parochial district adjoining the parish), which, after the destruction of Hampton Court, were enlarged, and occupied as a residence for the family. The parish is hilly and well-wooded; it is on the road from Droitwich to Kidderminster, and comprises 1827a. 1r. 29p., about half arable. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 16. 0½., and in the gift of Miss Pakington, and Sir J. S. Pakington, Bart.: the tithes have been commuted for £323. 10., including the tithes of the glebe, which comprises 33 acres. The church, a handsome structure in the decorated English style, contains the sepulchral chapel of the Pakington family, and in it was interred the learned and pious Dr. Hammond, who died at Westwood in 1660.

Hampton-Lucy, or Bishop's-Hampton (St. Peter)

HAMPTON-LUCY, or Bishop's-Hampton (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Stratford-uponAvon, Snitterfield division of the hundred of Barlichway, S. division of the county of Warwick, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Stratford, on the road to Warwick; containing 458 inhabitants. This place belonged to the Saxon bishops of Worcester, from whom it derived the former prefix to its name, as it now does its modern adjunct from the family of Lucy, its present proprietors. In the reign of Edward VI., John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, obtained the manor in exchange from Nicholas Heath, Bishop of Worcester, for certain lands in Worcestershire, and in the same reign parted with it to the king for lands lying in Oxfordshire and elsewhere. The earl again obtained possession of it by further exchange, and on his attainder it was granted by Queen Mary to the Lucys. Hampton-Lucy is pleasantly situated on the river Avon, over which an elegant cast-iron bridge of ancient character, with a raised causeway 1000 feet in length, was constructed in 1829, at the expense of the Rev. John Lucy, the incumbent. The parish comprises by admeasurement 2989 acres, all arable with the exception of 76 acres of wood, and some rich meadow lands near the Avon; the surface is undulated and well-wooded, chiefly with elm, and the soil is in general strong and fertile. Of the area of the parish, about 750 acres are in the hamlet of Ingon, which is contiguous to the lordships of Clopton and Welcombe, in the adjoining parish of Old Stratford. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £51. 6. 8.; net income, £1147; patron, George Lucy, Esq. The church was handsomely rebuilt in 1822-6, upon the old site, in the later English style, from funds left by the widow of a former rector, and considerably augmented by the present incumbent; it forms a great ornament to the neighbourhood, and has a magnificent east window of stained glass, inserted in 1837 by the rector, and representing the principal events in the life of the patron saint. A free grammar school was founded in 1635, by the Rev. Richard Hill, who endowed it with estates now producing about £120 per annum. The Rev. William Lucy, D. D., in 1723 gave £2000 for the foundation of four scholarships in St. Mary Magdalen's Hall, Oxford, for boys from the grammar school, but they being ineligible for want of classical instruction, the vacancies are filled up with scholars from other foundations.

Hampton, Maisey (St. Mary)

HAMPTON, MAISEY (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Cirencester, hundred of Crowthorne and Minety, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 2¼ miles (W. S. W.) from Fairford; containing 410 inhabitants. It comprises about 2000 acres; the soil is a mixed loam, incumbent on a substratum of broken rock, and the surface is generally flat, with some slight undulations. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £26. 17. 3½.: net income, £604; patrons, the President and Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Hampton, Minchin (Holy Trinity)

HAMPTON, MINCHIN (Holy Trinity), a markettown and parish, in the union of Stroud, hundred of Longtree, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 14 miles (S.) from Gloucester, and 100 (W.) from London; containing 5076 inhabitants. Shortly after the Conquest, the manor was given to the nunnery of Caen, in Normandy; and a church was founded here, and the grant of a market procured for the town, by the abbess of Caen, in the reign of Henry III.: hence the prefix of Minchin, from Monachina, a diminutive of Monacha, a nun. The town is pleasantly situated on the summit and southern declivity of an eminence bordering on the vale of the Severn to the east; it consists of a long irregular street, intersected by another, partially paved, and is abundantly supplied with water from springs. There are several streams near the town, and in other parts of the parish, on which are clothingmills, the principal employment of the inhabitants consisting in the manufacture of woollen-cloth, which has long been extensively carried on in the vicinity. A small market for provisions is held on Tuesday; and there are fairs on Trinity-Monday and October 29th. It is a polling-place for the eastern division of the county.

Minchin-Hampton has been divided, ecclesiastically, into three parishes; namely, Minchin-Hampton, including the town, with the hamlets of Box, Forwood, and Holcombe, and containing 2243 inhabitants; Amberley, including the hamlets of Littleworth, Theescombe, and St. Cloe, and containing 1415; and Brimscombe, including the hamlets of Chalford, Hyde, Burley, Brimscombe, and Cowcombe, and containing 1418. The parish comprises with Rodborough, formerly a hamlet within its limits, 4894 acres, of which 654 are common or waste. The living of Minchin-Hampton is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £41. 13. 4., and in the gift of D. Ricardo, Esq., who also presents to the new rectories of Amberley and Brimscombe. The tithes have been commuted for £1200, and the glebe contains 26 acres. The old church, recently taken down, was a cruciform edifice, chiefly in the decorated English style, with an octagonal tower at the intersection; and at the south end of the transept was a very large window, with a rich wheel in the tracery. In the interior were some ancient monuments and statues, and an inscription to the memory of Dr. Bradley, astronomer-royal, who was interred in the churchyard. A new church has been erected by Mr. Ricardo. Here are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans. At St. Cloe is a school, founded in 1699, in pursuance of a benefaction of £1000 by Nathaniel Cambridge, a Hamburgh merchant, which sum, with additional endowment, was invested in land, producing about £110 per annum: Whitefield is said to have been educated in the school. Several further benefactions have been made for instructing children, and for other purposes. An ancient almshouse having become greatly dilapidated, Mrs. Ricardo, of Gatcombe Park, in the vicinity, rebuilt it for eight poor persons. MinchinHampton common and Amberley Bank, a tract of uninclosed land to the west of the town, comprising 400 acres, were given to the inhabitants by Alice de Hampton, in the reign of Henry VIII. On this common is a very extensive intrenchment, supposed to be Danish; and near it is a valley called Woeful Danes' Bottom, where Alfred the Great is said to have obtained a victory over the Danes.

Hampton, Nether

HAMPTON, NETHER, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Wilton, hundred of Cawden and Cadworth, Salisbury and Amesbury, and S. divisions of Wilts, 1¾ mile (S. E. by S.) from Wilton; containing 149 inhabitants. A tithe rent-charge of £145 is paid to the impropriator, and one of £14 to the vicar, who has 7 acres of glebe. The chapel, dedicated to St. Catherine, is principally in the later English style, but its chancel is early English.

Hampton, New

HAMPTON, NEW, an extra-parochial liberty, adjoining the parish of Hatfield, in the union of Leominster, hundred of Wolphy, county of Hereford; containing 9 inhabitants. It comprises 126 acres.

Hampton-Poyle (St. Mary)

HAMPTON-POYLE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Woodstock, hundred of Ploughley, county of Oxford, 3¾ miles (E. by S.) from Woodstock; containing 141 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 2. 8¼.; net income, £250; patrons, the Warden and Fellows of Queen's College, Oxford. The church is a small edifice of great antiquity: in the north aisle is a piscina, and in the north wall an elegant arched recess, in front of which are two shields, that probably contained a stone coffin and two stone effigies, now in the south aisle in a neglected state; the east window is enriched with good tracery.

Hampton-Wafer

HAMPTON-WAFER, an extra-parochial place, locally in the parish of Docklow, union of Leominster, hundred of Wolphy, county of Hereford, 6 miles (W. by N). from Bromyard, on the road to Leominster; containing 10 inhabitants. It comprises 330 acres of land.

Hampton, Welsh (St. Michael)

HAMPTON, WELSH (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Ellesmere, hundred of Pimhill, N. division of Salop, 2¾ miles (E. by N.) from Ellesmere; containing 596 inhabitants. The Ellesmere and Chester canal passes through. The living is a perpetual curacy, with a net income of £138; the impropriation belongs to the trustees of the Earl of Bridgewater, whose tithes have been commuted for £180, and a rent-charge of £43 is payable to the incumbent.

Hampton-Wick

HAMPTON-WICK, a chapelry, in the parish of Hampton, union of Kingston, hundred of Spelthorne, county of Middlesex, 1½ mile (E. by N.) from Hampton Court; containing 1614 inhabitants. This place is divided from Kingston by the river Thames, and, from the beauty of the scenery, and its proximity to the grounds of Hampton Court and Bushy Park, which are partly within its limits, is a favourite resort. It comprises little more than 75 acres, chiefly meadow land, and ground cultivated by market-gardeners for the supply of the metropolis: the trade is principally in malt, a considerable quantity of which is made here. A stone bridge over the Thames to Kingston was erected some years since, instead of a former bridge of wood, one of the oldest on the river. The living is a district incumbency, in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £150; impropriators, the Trustees of Hampton Grammar School. The church, erected in 1831 by the Royal Commissioners, at an expense of £4337, is a handsome edifice in the later English style. The inhabitants of Hampton-Wick are entitled to one-third part of the various benefactions belonging to the parish, by virtue of an agreement entered into in 1698. In making an excavation for the abutment of the bridge, in 1826, several military weapons, of beautiful workmanship, were found imbedded in blue clay, 30 feet below the surface.