and revenues of the monasteries he for the most part distributed among the nobility, that they might never after be reclaimed or restored to the church by any of the princes his successors, exchanging some for other lands and revenues, and disposing of others for ready money; and he compelled the catholics against their wills to buy these spoils of the church, to the end he might by that means oblige them to defend his wicked act. And this was the end of monasteries and monks in England, almost a thousand years after they had brought the christian faith into that island, increasing with it, and being advanced by the generosity of all the kings. King Henry, that he might rejoice in wickedness, and glory in his sin, commanded the bishops and other churchmen, that in all their sermons to the people they should congratulate the expelling of the monks out of England, and inform the multitude how advantageous the same would be to them, as being delivered not only from the pope's yoke, but also from the trouble of these monks; of which there was frequent gratulation in most places.”—This view was drawn anno 1756. THIS CHARLCOMBE CHURCH. HIS singular little church stands in a most retired and picturesque spot under the east side of Landsdown hill, about a mile north of the city of Bath. The date of its erection is not known, but it is supposed to be older than the first church of Bath abbey, to which, at the dissolution, it belonged. Indeed its general appearance, and particularly that of its porch, bears evident marks of antiquity; its font is old, but here are no ancient monuments or brasses. It is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at 57. 15s. 10d. The patronage was conveyed to the corporation of Bath by the Rev. Walter Robins, LL. D. to be annexed to the mastership of the public grammar-school founded by king Edw. VI. of which he was master. This view, which shows the north and west sides, was drawn anno 1784. STAFFORDSHIRE Is an inland county which belonged to the principality of the Cornavii, of the ancient Britons. The Romans included it in their third province of Flavia Cæfarienfis. During the Saxon Heptarchy it belonged to the kingdom of Mercia, the 7th established, which began in 582, and ended in 827, having had 18 kings. It is now included in the Oxford circuit, in the diocese of Litchfield and Coventry, and province of Canterbury. It is bounded on the north and eaft by Cheshire and Derbyshire; fouth by Warwickshire and Worcestershire; and weft by Shropshire. It is in the form of a lozenge, being pointed at both ends, and broadeft in the middle, and is fituated near about the centre of England. It is 27 miles broad; 44 long, and 142 in circumference; containing 1006 fquare miles, or 810,000 square acres, divided into five hundreds, 130 parishes, 39 vicarages, 670 villages; has 190,000 inhabitants, 44,700 houses; having one city, Litchfield, and 17 market-towns, viz. Stafford, Newcastleunder-line, Tamworth, Burton, Uttoxeter, Tutbury, Wolverhampton, Eccleshall, Cheadle, Bromley-Paget's, Betley, Brewood, Leek, Penkridge, Rugely, Stone, Walfall, and Kinver. It fends 10 members to parliament, pays seven parts of the land-tax, VOL. V. STAFFORDSHIRE. land-tax, and provides 560 men to the national militia. The principal rivers are the Trent, Manyfol, Chernet, Lime, Penk, Stour, Tern, Dove, Borne, Sow, Blith, Teyn, and Smell: the most noted places are Ecton, Moon, and Mowcap hills, the Cloud, Needwood-foreft, Cankwood, and Black-meer. It produces corn, fish, coals, iron, copper, lead, alabafter, stone, lime-ftone, marble, &c. excellent ale; woollen, iron, and earthen-ware manufactures. The air is good and very healthy, but sharp in the north and moor-land. Stafford retains the ancient custom called Borough-English, by which the youngest son inherits the lands, if the father dies inteftate. The Roman, Danish, Saxon, and British encampments in this county, are upon Atwood heath, north-east of Kinver, in Needwood forest, one near Wrottesley, another at Abbot's Cafte, another in Beaudefert park, near Litchfield, and the Devil'sditch at Tamworth. The Roman military stations in this county are four, viz Mediolanum, now Knightley; Uriconium, now Wrottefley; Uxacona, now Wall-Litchfield; and Etocetum, now Barbeacon, four miles from Birmingham. Mediolanum, the first station, has a military way which leads from it, through Newport to Rutunium in Shropshire. There was also another military way which led to this ftation from Bovium, or Bangor, in Flintshire, where it crossed the Dee, and led hither by Whitchurch and Drayton, in Shropshire, which is the Watling-street. field. Uriconium, the 2d station, answers in distance from Wroxeter and Wall-Litch Uxacona stands on the Watling-street, a fhort mile from Litchfield. Etocetum ftands on the military way that leads through Warwickshire from Aulcefter to Barbeacon and Litchfield: thence it has its courfe to Alrewas, and there paffing the Trent, bends towards the camp in Needwood foreft, and thence to Little Chefter near Derby. From Barbeacon the Watling-street paffes through Birmingham to Aulcefter, 16 miles. ANTIQUITIES worthy Notice in this COUNTY. Alton Caftle Burton Abbey and Bridge Checkley Pyramid in the Churchyard Croxton Abbey, near Cheadle Darleston Caftle, near Stone Dudley Castle and Priory Ecclefhall Hall Hilton Abbey, near Cheadle Litchfield Cathedral Ranton Abbey, near Ecclefhall |