Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/214

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204

BATH. 204 n.vnr. in 1S47, capable of accommodating 1,000 people. It i> in , 1.- iif architecture, of tin- 1 Ith century, and has a handsome tow er 1-J-J !' ct hii:li. The communion table was presented by the present iricuni! ..Id church, Widcombe, is a picturesque object with its ivy-mantled tow, r. It is 1 lie oldest church in Bath, and well merits the care which the architect, C. E. Davis, Esq., has bestowi .1 on its restoration, which ia still, however, inccimjiletc. There are also new churches dedicated severally to the Holy Trinity (James-street}, St. St. phen (Lansdown-road), St. Hark (Lyncombe), St. Man-, and St. John the Baptist (Bathwick). The principal chapels in connection with the Establishment are St. Mary's (Quoen's-square), the Octagon Chapd ( Milsom- . , St . Mai y Magdalene's hen dill", tli-- IVnitciiiiary Chapel, St. John's Chapel, All Saints (Lansdown-placo), and Laura Chapel. Tli' re are also many large and handsome chapels be- longing to the various bodies of Dissenters and the in Catholics. A Jewish synagogue was erected in 1841. Hath has several new cemeteries, besides the Abbey, consecrated in 1844, and the Lansdown in 1848; the latter is on part of the Beckford estate, the gift of the Duchess of Hamilton. Bathwick ceme- tery lies in the vale of Smallcombp, and was secreted in 1856. The Roman Catholic cemetery, situ- ated at Perrymcad, about 1 mile to the south-cast of the city, was consecrated in 1859. There is also a very i - tcnsivc cemetery in the Lower Bristol-road, for the parishes of Lvncombc, Widcombc, and St. James's. It was completed in 1861, and contains two chapels. In the Waleot 1 1 an '.i i y is the tomb of William Beckford, author of " Yathek.'" Bath has a free grammar school, founded in 1652 by Edward VI., and endowed with part of the possessions of the ancient monastery. The cor- poration are entrusted with the management of the school, which has a revenue from endowment of 84. The school-house was erected about the middle of the 18th century. The blue-coat school was founded by Robert Nelson in 1711, for 60 scholars of each sex. There are several other free schools, National schools, and others. The charitable institutions of Bath are numerous and important. St. John's Hospital, the most ancient, was founded in 1180, and endowed by Regi- nald Kitz-Jocclyn, for a master and 12 poor men and women. Its revenue is between 8,000 and 9,000, and the corporation exercise the patronage of it. A chapel is attached to the hospital. The Bath General Hospital, or Infirmary, now called the Bath Mineral Water Hos- pital, was established in 1738, and is largely endowed. It is open to poor patients from all parts of the country who are certified to require the use of the baths. The hospital affords accommodation for 134 patients, 86 males and 48 females ; the average number in the house for the last nine years has been 113. A spacious building has been recently (1861) added, at u pense of 18,000, containing the chapel, board-room, patients' day rooms, officers' apartments, &c. ; and the older building which it adjoins is devoted to the sleeping and bathing apartments, into which the vat' r U introduced direct from the springs. The president and governors are a corporate body, and its income is about 700 per annum. The large hospital called the United Hospital and Dispensary was founded in 1747. It is a large and commodious building, erected at a cost of 7,000, by voluntary subscription, and is capable of accommodating upwards of 100 patients. 1'artis .1 ami endowed by Mrs. Partis in 1827, is for the reception and maintenance of 30 poor j." women, In of them lieinp <! uidows or daughters. In addition to these institutions, there are u ; St. Mary Magdalene's, founded tin' middle of the 14th century, and having a ii- of 118; Bcllott's Hospital, founded in 1609, and rebuilt in 1859, with accommodation for 12 poor persons, having sepai nts ; ft penitentiary ; an eye infirmary, erected in 1811; tie Lantern Dis- pensa: . in 1845, and several other beaeroUBt institution". There are two literary and scientific in- stitutions, one known as the Royal Bath Literary i Seielltilie Ill-t it lltioll, found

-ial and Literary Institution, founded in 18.

i with the first-named is a museum, con- taining a large and MTV aluab!- of loctl Roman remains, and many British and Sax- The Roman include tesselated pavements, an altar, frag. I columns, urns, and coins of eight or pcrors. The was formerly the M> Institution. It has a library of 5,000 volute museum of natural history. New Kingswoou for Weslcyan Methodists, and the Lansdown and Proprietary College, are both newstone buildings, i early English style of architecture, situated highest point of Bath, towards the north. 1 tion with the former are a chapel, school-h' for the governor, &c. A new savings-bank in the- Italian style of architecture was erected in 1842.-^^^HT Hardens and Victoria Park are the principal ^H walks and resorts of pleasure seekers. The ' comprising 16 acres, are on the east side of tin- A van, and were opened in 1795. They are tasteful! in them, alternately with "the Botanical ' Hath Horticultural Society holds its fruit and flower shows. They liave succeeded to the fame of t- Spring Gardens, the site of which has bci ; building ground. Victoria Park is on the west >M tin ,-ity, and was opened in 1830 by her Maji Princess Victoria. The Victoria ( V.lumn is oi t'ntftoM, and was set up in 1837. At the north-west corner q^H park is a colossal bust of Jupiter, by the late .1 -.:. " borne, a self-taught sculptor. Orangc-gro iavouritc pleasure-place, is now planted wit h 1 1 contains many lodging-houses. An obelisk *^H there commemorates the restoration to Prince of Orange in 1734, by the use of t waters. Another obelisk stands in Uuccn's-squaH^^^H

ec ted by Beau Nash in memory of the vi^B

Frederick, Prince of Wales, in 1737. ' >n the stUs^HJ Lansdown i Beckford's Tower, a square structui in height, surmounted by a lantern, and comiMflHH a magnificent prospect over th and the surrounding country. It is now chapel to Lansdown cemetery. On Lansdown column set up in 1720 by Lord Lansdown to the n of Sir B. Granvillc, who fell in the battle which place here in 1643. The Avon is cross' handsome bridges of stone and iron that Lawrence, at the southern extremity of t ancient structure of stone ; the Pultcney brid of stone, with three arches, leads from th.

y to Laura-place and the Sydm

the Cleveland bridge, an elegant structure < Waleot with Bathwick ; it was 1827 ; besides several handsome suspension There are several drinking fountains in various ^ the i ity, but perhaps the handsomest is tli ) . taring the High-street, an the markets. It was opened in June, 1861, nn^HBV i at the Well. The figure is of Italian ling on a pedestal of red !' ascended by a flight of three steps of blue 1'enna the wati i a bolt!,- into a marble b' . lini-h. d. the work of Thomas Shepperd, i i L--I n Marble Woiks. Bath was : place oi tin- l"llowin|r eminent mm: Uildas, the i historian of the 8th century; John 11 t Oxford in the 17th e. nturv : liobins, the mathematician, author of " AjjjHO'f ' round the World." who died in 17-J1 ; and William 1 r of the " Kveiv-dav Hook." Prior 1 Combe Down, was the seat of Ralph Allen, in influential member of tin eorpoiatioii of ll.ith. 1 literary men visited there, and ridding is said to bar portrayed the generous host in the character of / worthy, in i "Tom Jones." Prior Parkl afterwards the residence of Bishop Warbi.rtoii. rives the title of Marquis to the Thynne family, Longleat. The markets are held on Wednesday ~