54 : A Description of HAMPSHIRE. A Description of HAMPSHIRE. With a new and accurate MAP annexed. H Feb. from the heath is the worst, but that AMPSHIRE, or Hantshire, of the Avon, over against the Isle exclufive of the Ifle of Wight, which belongs to this county, and of which we shall speak feparately. It is divided into 19 hundreds, contains 1,312,500 acres, in which are one city, upwards of 20 borough and other market towns, 253 parishes, 9 forests, and 29 parks, and (including 6 for the Isle of Wight) fends 26 members to parliament; the present knights of the shire being lord Henry Powlett and Francis Whitehead, Efq; The air of this county is, in most parts, temperate and healthful, D and even that by the creeks of the fea, and on the borders of Suffex, is better than that in the hundreds of Effex, and on the coast of Kent. It is well watered with rivers and brooks; and here's plenty of freshwater and fea fish, particularly lobsters, foals and flounders, as good as any in England. The foil is rich both for corn and pasture, plenteous in woods, and fruitful in all commodities. Here is store of black ⚫ cattle, and there are great flocks of Theep on the Downs, which are excellent meat, and yield plenty of wool; tho' their cloathing trade is not fo good as formerly. Their hogs make the best bacon in England, being fed in the forests during the acorn feafon, fo that it comes little short of that of Westphalia. They are noted also for their bees, which yield store of excellent honey, of different natures according to the variety of the foil, that collected 1. Kingsclere, about 5 miles S. from Newbury in Berkshire, a pleasant town, feated in the woodlands, formerly a feat of the Saxon kings. It has a well frequented market on Tuesdays. 2. Whitchurch, 6 miles S. W. a small town with a market on Friday: Yet it is an antient borough that 1751. A Description of HAMPSHIRE. that sends two members to parliament, their present representatives being the Hon. Charles Wallop, Esq; and John Selwyn, jun. Esq; 55 house was begun, but never finished, and 3. Basingstoke, 10 miles E. of Whitchurch, a large populous town, furrounded with woods and pastures, A rich and fertile: It is governed by a mayor recorder, 7 aldermen, 7 burgesses, &c. and has a good market on Wednesday for all forts of grain. The inhabitants drive a great trade in malt, and of late years the manufacture of druggets, shal- B Isle of Wight, the county of Surrey, and loons, &c. has been carried on with fuccess. the islands of Jersey and Guernsey. In. the fuburbs is Winchester-college or school, founded by William of Wickham, for a, feminary to New-college in Oxford, with revenues for a warden, to fellows, 2 maf ters, 70 fcholars, &c. The markets here are on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and 4. Andover, 6 miles S. W. of Whithurch, pleasantly feated on the fide of the Downs, and a great thorough-fare on the western road. It is a large, populous borough-C the city is governed by a mayor, aldermen, town, and has a good market on 5. Odiam, 6 miles E. of Bafingstoke, a (mall corporate town, with a market on Saturdays. To the north of this, on the borders of Berkthire, lies the antient Roman city Silchefter, of whose present state fee our Magazine for last year, p. 5ος. 6. Alton, 6 miles S. of Odiam, has a great market on Saturdays. &c. and sends two members to parliament, the prefent members being George Bridges and Henry Penton, E qrs. 10. Rumsey, 8 miles S. W. of Win chester, an antient town, governed by a mayor, recorder, 6 aldermen, &c. and having a good market on Saturday. chetter, is also a market-town. 11. Waltham, 8 miles S. E. of Win 12. Petersfield, 10 miles N. E. of Waltham, a small well-built town in a low fruitful foil, furrounded with hills. It has, a market on Saturdays, and fends two members tofparliament, who at present are John Jolliffe and William Conolly, Efqrs. 13. Fordingbridge, on the borders of E Dorfetshire, has a weekly market, and barges come up to the town by the Avon. 7. Stockbridge, 7 miles S. of Andover, governed by a bailiff, constable and ferjeant. It is a great thorough-tare, and depends chiefly upon its inns, which are very convenient, and has a market on Thurfdays. It sends two members to parliament, F their present representatives being Daniel Boone, and William Chetwynd, jun. Esqrs. 8. Alresford, 8 miles S. W. of Alton, is well built, and has a confiderable market on Thursdays. 9. Winchester, 6 miles S. E. from Stockbridge, and 54 computed and 67 measured miles S. W. from London, a very antient city, much noted in the timeG of the Romans, as it has been ever fince. It stands in a vale, on the banks and at the conjunction of two small rivers. At a little diftance from it K. Charles II. intended to build a fine palace, and inclose a large park, 10 miles in circumference: The 14. Southampton, fituate between the two rivers Tees and Itchin, 62 computed and 78 measured miles S. W. of London. It is the chief town of the county, and gives name to it. The Da nith kings often reforted hither, and it was here that king Canute, ordered his chair to be fet on the shore, as the tide was coming in, and forbad it to approach him, or wet the feet and clothes of as lord and, master; which when it did, he rose up, and gave a just rebuke to his courtiers for their blafphemous flattery in making him more than human. It was a flourishing town in the time of the Normans, and was burnt by the French in the reign of Ed-. ward III. but rebuilt in a more convenient place, and strongly fortified. It had once a confiderable trade, which is now much decayed. It enjoys many privileges, and is a town and county of itself. It is encompaffed 56 A Description of the ISLE of WIGHT. Feb. paffed by a wall, and has parish churches. The markets are on Tuesdays and Thurfdays, and it fends two members to parliament, the present ones being Peter Delmé, and Ant. Langley Swymmer, Efqrs. 15, 16. Farham, 10 miles S. E. of Southampton, and Havant, about 8 miles E. of Farham, are both small market A towns. Off the latter lie Haling and Thorny, two islands, with a parish church in each. Salt is made of the sea water in several places along this coast. the Streight called the Needles. The prefent members for this borough are col. Charles Powlett and Harry Burrard, Elq; The market is on Saturdays, and here is made excellent falt, which supplies in great meafure the fouthern parts of England. T A Description of the ISLE of WIGHT. HIS Island lies in the British fea, and is feparated from the continent of Hampshire by a small and rapid channel. In one place it is not above a mile over to the western part of the island, and from Portsmouth not above 6. It is or an oblong form, being 20 miles in length from east to west, and 12 miles broad from north to 17. Portsmouth, 5 miles S. E. of Farham, and 60 computed and 73 meafured miles S. W. from London, lies in an island, called Portfea, 14 miles round at high water. It is joined to the continent by a B fouth, and about 60 in circumference. It bridge, is large, very populous and well built, and the streets spacious and regular. For fome ages this has been the place of general rendezvous for our fleets at Spithead, which is near it, when at war with France. It was burnt by the French in the reign of Richard II. but was foon after rebuilt, and set out several ships of C fent representatives are, for Newport, Tho has 36 parish churches, and 4 market towns, viz. Newport, Yarmouth, Newton and Broding; tho' according to fome writers, the markets of the three last are difused, and Newport is the only market for the island. However that be, the three first fend members to parliament, and the pre war, which very much annoyed the enemy, beat them at fea, entered the Sein, and burnt many of their ships: After which the fortifications were enlarged by Edward IV. Henry VII. and VIII. and Q. Elizabeth; fo that it is now one of the best fortified towns in England, and of the greatest consequence, being furnished both with wet and dry docks, storehouses, and D and Saturdays. Cowes is a place of great mas Lee Dummer and Ralph Jennitor, Efq/s. for Yarmouth, Thomas Holmes, Efq; and col. Henry Holmes, and tor Newton, Sir John Barrington, bart, and Maurice Bockland, Esq; Newport is a large, populous and well frequented mayor town, and has two very confiderable markets weekly, viz. on Wednesdays all neceffaries for building, repairing, rigging and fitting out men of war, with fuitable accommodations for a commiffioner and other officers to look after the navy royal; fo that it is a nursery for feamen, one of the chief Magazines of the kingdom, and a place of great trade. Tho' the town be well built, its chief beauty confifts in the E his own hands: but he dying without note for harbouring ships, and not far from Newport is Carfbrook castle, where K. Cliarles I. was imprisoned. This inand continued long in the crown, but in 1442, Henry VI. alienated it to Henry de Beaucamp, duke of Warwick, and is faid to have crowned him king of Wight with magnificence of its fortifications, harbour, docks, yards, office of ordinance, vicqualling office, &c. Over against it stands Gofport, a pretty large town, which has a market on Saturdays. The markets at Portsmouth are en Thursdays and Saturdays, and their present reprefentatives in parliament are Sr Edward Hawke knt. of the Bath, and Ifaac Townsherd, Eq; iffue male, the lordship of the ifle returned to the crown. As to its present government, it is subject to the bishop of Winchester in ecclefiaftical matters, and under Hampshire in civil affairs; but having caftles and garisons to defend it, the crown always appoints a governor peculiar to it, as a post of great honour, under 18. Ringwood, on the west fide of New-Foreft, a long town, with a great market on Wednesday. F whom are all the governors of the caftles 19. Chrift-church, about 7 miles S. W. of Ringwood, at the meeting of the rivers Avon and Stour, a large populous borough. town which fends members to parliament, the prefent ones being Sir Thomas Ro-G binson, knight of the Bath, and Charles Amand Powlett, Efq; 10. Lymington, about 8 miles E. of Chrift-church, a small but populous feaport town, standing upon a hill oppofite to the Ifle of Wight in the narrow part of and garifons in the island. It is incmpaffed with rocks, of which the most noted are the Shingles and the Needles, the Brambles and the Mixten. Thefe rocks render it almost inacceffible, and where it is approachable on the S. E. it is fortified by art. The ifland is well peopled, the air wholesome and delightful, and the foil fertile both for corn and pafturage; and they have plenty of hares, partidges, phealants, fea-fowl, and other game, and are deficient in nothing but wood, winch is very foarce. JOUR : |