ALFORD. 47 ALKERTON. school for 130 children, boys and girls, partly supported hy endowment. Its income is now 60. In 1668, Sir Eobert Christopher built and endowed some almshouses for six poor persons, which were further endowed in 1716 by Lord Harborough. There are various other charities. In 185-t a handsome building -was erected for the Mechanics' Institute, which includes a library and lecture hall. There are some tumuli in the parish, and a mineral spring. The market is held on Thursday, and fairs on Whit-Tuesday, and the 8th November. Alford gives the title of viscount to Earl Brownlow, of Belton. ALFORD, a par. in the hund. of Catsash, in the co. of Somerset, 2 miles to the W. of Castle Cary. It is situated on the small river Bruo, and has a mineral spring at a farm, called Alford "Well, which was formerly much frequented for the euro of scurvy and jaundice. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Bath and Wells, val., with that of Hornblotton, 788, in the patron, of the Rev. J. G. Thring, rector. ALFOKD DISTRICT, in the central portion of Aber- deenshire, Scotland. It is surrounded on every side by hills and mountains, and the river Don traverses it. It contains the pars, of Alford, Auchindoir, Clatt, Glen- bucket, Keig, Kildruminie, Kinnethmont, and Christ's Kirk, Lochell-cushnie, Rhyme and Essie, Strathdon, Tough, Towie, Tullynessle, with Forbes and part of Cabrach. There are Free kirks at Auchindoir, Keig, Kinnethmont, and Rhynie ; and a railway, to deflect from the Great North of Scotland at Kintore, was pro- jected in 1846. ALFRETON, a par. and market town in the hund. of Scarsdale, in the co. of Derby, 13 miles to the N.N.E. of Derby, and 87 N.W. from Pyo Bridge railway station, on the Erowash Valley railway. A branch of the Midland railway, now constructing, will pass through the parish. The town is situated on a hill, and has two streets, with a market-place, where they cross each other. It is well paved, and lighted with gas. _ Its ancient name "was jilfi-edhifftifnc, which occurs in a charter granted to Burton Abbey by King Ethclred. From this name some infer that it was founded by Alfred, the traditional site of whoso palace is still pointed out. It belonged at one time to Beauchief Abbey. It contains the chplry. of Riddings, with the limits, of Greenhill-lane, Summercotcs, Swan- wick, Birchwood, Codnor Park, and some others. The population has largely increased of late years, and find employment in the collieries and iron-works, the stone- quarries, and the manufactures of brown pottery and stockings. Some of the houses are ancient, and most of them are irregularly built. It is a poDing place for the county. The living is a vie. * in the dioc. of Lichfield, val. 150, in the patron, of W. P. Morewood, Esq. The church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, has an em- battled tower with pinnacles. It is partly in the early English, and partly in the decorated and later pcr- pindicular style, and one portion of it was probably built before the reign of Henry II. Besides the parish church, there are three district churches ; that at Rid- dings is a porpet. cur.,* val. with the cur. of Somercotes, 150, in the patron, of the vicar of Alfreton ; that at Iroirville is also a perpct. cur., val. 150, in the patron. of F. "Weight, Esq. ; the other is at Swauwick. There are chapels belonging to the "Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists ; and a handsome new chapel built by the Independents in 1850. A savings-bank and two other banks have been established here. There is a free school for 140 boys and girls of Swanwick and Green- hill-lane, founded in 1740 by Mrs. Eliza Turner, and endowed with 40 acres of land. A county court and petty sessions are held in the town. A small prison has been recently erected. The market is held on Friday and Saturday, and fairs on the 26th January, Easter Tues- day, Wliit Tuesday, 31st July, which is very large, 6th October, and the 24th November. Alfreton Hall is the seat of W. P. Morewood, Esq., lord of the manor, which has descended to him through the houses of the De Alfretons, Chaworths, Babingtons, and Zouches. Some Roman remains have been discovered in the parish. ALFRICK, a chplry. in the par. of Suckley, in the hund. of Doddingtrce, in the co. of Worcester, 7 miles to the S.W. of Worcester. It is near the river Teme. The living is a perpct. cur. united with the rect. of Suckley, in the dioc. of Worcester. The church ia dedicated to St. Mary. There is a free school endowed by Lloyd, with a present revenue of 8. ALFRISTON, a par. in the hund. of Alciston, rape of Pcvensey, in the co. of Sussex, 5 miles to the S.E. of Lewes. Seaford is the post town. It is on the river Cuckmcre, near the South Coast railway, and -was formerly a possession of the priory of Michelham. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Chichester, val. 135, in tho patron, of the lord chancellor. The church is dedicated to St. Andrew. It is partly in the decorated, partly in the perpendicular style of archi- tecture, and contains stone stalls, a piscina, a Norman arch, the tomb of the founder, and an ancient cross. On the neighbouring downs, called Wendover hills, there are several barrows, which have been opened, and urns, spear-heads, and other relics have been discovered. Roman coins have been dug up, and interesting speci- mens of sculpture are preserved at the inn. The prospect from the downs is extensive and beautiful. Alfriston is celebrated for its apple ; in the collection of the Horti- cultural Society, there is preserved a white rennet grown in this parish, which measures 15 inches in circumfer- ence, and weighs nearly twelve pounds. Fairs are held on the 12th May and the 30th November. ALGARKIRK, a par. in tho wap. of Kirton, parts of Holland, in the co. of Lincoln, 6 miles to the S.W. of Boston. Spalding is the post town. It is situated near Fossdyke Wash, and is a station on tho Great Northern railway. It is said to be named after the Saxon Algar, Earl of Mercia, who defeated the Danes here in the year 870, and who was himself defeated and killed the day after that victory, at Thockingham. The district is fenny. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Lincoln, val. with the pcrpet. cur. o_f Fossdyke, 1,310, in the patron, of the Rev. B. Bcrridge, rector and lord of the manor. The church is in the early English style, with specimens of Norman in some parts of it, and is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul. It has a brass of 1498, and some monuments of the Berridges. In the burial- ground is a statue of stone, said to be a monument of Earl Algar. Algarkirk House is the seat of the Rev. B. Berridge. ALHAMPTON, a tythg. in the par. of Ditcheat, hund. of Whitstone, in the co. of Somerset, 2 miles to the N.W. of Castle Cary. It is near the river Brue, and had formerly a chapel. ALKBOROUGH, or ATJKBOROUGH, a par. in the northern div. of the wap. of Manley, parts of Lindsey, in the co. of Lincoln, 10 miles to the N.W. of Brigg. It is situated very near the confluence of the river Trent with the Humbcr, and contains the hamlet of Walcot. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Lincoln, val. with the rect. of Whitton, to which it is annexed, 209, in the patron, of the bishop and the Rev. C. Constable. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. There is an endowed free school, an almshouse for the poor, and a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Remains of a largo Roman encampment exist in this parish ; they comprise an area 300 feet square, and aro in the neighbourhood of Julian's Bower. ALKERTON, a tythg. in tho par. of Eastington, in the hund. of Whitstone, in tho co. of Gloucester, 4 miles to tho W. of Stroud. Alkcrton House is the principal residence. ALKERTON, a par. in the hund. of Bloxham, in the co. of Oxford, 6 miles to the N.W. of Banbury. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 153, in the patron, of the Rev. R. Hughes, rector. The church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, is in the early English style of architecture, and stands upon an eminence. The manor belonged to the family of the Lydiats. This village was the birthplace of Thomas Lydiat, the mathema- tician and chronologist, who also held the rectory. He was born in 1572, and died in 1646.
