MINSTER-IN-THANET. 852 MINTING. in height. The interior of the church contains several old monuments and brasses, among which is one to Sir R. Shurland, a Templar, with a carved horse's head and inscription, and a brass of Sir "Roger do Northwood, bearing date 1330; also effigies of a Cheney, and Senor Cerinemo, who was made prisoner by Drake in the Armada. There is also the district church of the Holy Trinity at Sheerness, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. 300. It was erected by a grant from the.Ecclesi- astical Commissioners in 1836. There are places of wor- ship for Baptists, Independents, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The paro- chial charities produce about 19 per annum, which goes to Hobson's school. The poorhouse of Sheppey Union is in this parish. There are National schools both at Minster and Sheerness. MINSTER-IN-THANET, a par. in the Isle of Thanet, hund. of Ringslow, lathe of St. Augustine, co. Kent, 4 miles W. of Ramsgate, its post town, and 5 S. by V. of Margate. It is a station on the South-Eastern rail- way. The parish, which is extensive, is situated on Minster Level, near Ebbesfleet, where Hengist and the Saxons, Warings, and Frisians, first landed in Britain. It was famous as the site of an abbey or nunnery for seventy-seven nuns, founded by Domneva, niece of Egbert, King of Kent, in 670, which was destroyed by the Danes. It was a market town under the abbots of St. Augustine's, Canterbury, to whom the lands were given by Canute the Dane. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. There are numerous orchards and gardens, but the land is chiefly in pasture and arable. One portion of the surface is exceedingly hilly, but the lands are in general level, and the soil principally clay. The navigable river Stour bounds the parish on the S., and vessels or barges formerly came up to the village. Courts loot and baron are held annually. The living is a vie. * in the dioc. of Canterbury, val. 7 33, in the patron, of the archbishop. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a large ancient cruciform structure with a spired tower containing five bells. The interior of the church con- tains several ancient monuments. When the Danes burnt the abbey they spared the two chapels of St. Mary and SS. Peter and Paul, of which the former was con- verted into the parochial church, and has since been enlarged. The register dates from 1557. The parochial charities produce about 79 per annum. There are National and infant schools for both sexes. The Wes- leyans have a place of worship. The Isle of Thanet poorhouse is situated in this parish. The Abbey is the principal residence. Marquis Conyngham is lord of the manor, and takes from this place the inferior title of baron. A fair is held on Good Friday. MINSTERLEY, a chplry. in the par. of Westbury, hund. of Ford, co. Salop, 10 miles S.W. of Shrewsbury, its post town, and 13 from Bishop's Castle. The London and North- Western railway has a branch line from Shrewsbury to Minstcrley. The village, which is large, is situated on the river Rea, and on the road from Shrewsbury to Montgomery. The extensive and pro- ductive lead mine of Snailbeach is in this parish, the company of which have extensive smelting works, &c., at Pontesbury. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Hereford, val. 96. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is an ancient brick structure with a turret containing a clock and one bell. There is a free school, the endowment of which has been fraudulently disposed of; but is now supported by the Marquis of Bath and the Snailbeach Company, together with the children's weekly pence. The Marquis of Bath is lord of the manor and principal landowner. MINSTER-LOVELL, a par. in the hund. of Chad- lington, co. Oxford, 2jj miles N.W. of Witney, its post town. The parish, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Windrush, and near the Roman way Ake- man Street and Wychwood Forest. At the ruined priory house was formerly a Benedictine cell to Ivry Abbey, founded in the reign of King John, and at the suppres- sion of alien priories given to the Lovells and to Eton College. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agri- culture. The village, which consists of several farm- houses and cottages, is built on the declivities of two hills, between which runs the river Windrush, dividing the parish into two nearly equal parts, called Great and Little Minster. The surface is richly wooded, and the soil light, but fertile. The impropriato and vicarial tithes have each been commuted for a rent-charge of 119, The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Oxii>rd, in the patron, of Eton College. The church, dedi- cated to St. Kenelm, is an ancient cruciform structure with a square embattled tower rising from the centre. The nave has a groined roof, and the chancel contains a monument to Henry Heylyn, Esq., also an effigy of Francis Lovell, clad in complete armour of the time of Edward IV. There are ruins of the ancient mansion of the Lovells, who have given their names to the parish. Lady Taunton is ludy of the manor. MINSTER, SOUTH. See SOUTJIMIXSTEK, co. Essex. MINSTERVVORTH, a par. in the duchy of Lan- caster, co. Gloucester, 4 miles S.W. of Gloucester, its post town. The village, which is small, and irregularly built, is situated on the river Severn, and intersected by the turnpike road leading to Newnham and Chepstow. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The land is divided between arable, pasture, and meadow. The soil is rich, and generally very productive, especially in apples for cider. There is a salmon fishery in the Severn at this place. The impropriate tithes, belonging to the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, have been com- muted for a rent-charge of 597 18s. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol, val. 125, in the patron, of the bishop. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a neat structure with a low tower. The parochial charities produce about 20 per annum, of which 4 goes to Ellis's school. MINSTER- YARD WITH BEDDERN, an ext. par. place in the co. and city of York. MINT, an ext. par. place in the hund. of Westgate, lathe of St. Augustine, co. Kent. MINTERN-MAGNA, a par. partly in the hund. of Cerne, but chiefly in the libs, of Piddle-Trenthide and Fordington, Cerne div. of the co. Dorset, 2 miles N. of Cerne-Abbas, its post town, and 5 from the Evershot railway station. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the road to Weymouth and Bath, and is wholly agricultural. The par. includes the tytligs. of Lyon's-Gate and Middlemarsh. The soil is chalk and flint, alternated with clay. The living is a reel.* in the dioc. of Sarum, val. 140. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a neat edifice with a tower. The interior of the church contains monuments of the Napicrs. The parochial charities produce about 18 per annum. Min- tern House is the principal residence. MINTERN PARVA, a tythg. in the par. and hund. of Buckland-Newton, Cerne div. of co. Dorset, 2 miles S.W. of Buckland-Newton, and 9 N.W. of Dorchester. The village is small, and wholly agricultural. MINTIAGS, or BARR-OF-INCH, an ext. par. place in the bar. of West Inishowen, co. Donegal, prov. of Ulster, Ireland, 6 miles N. of Buncrana. MINTING, a par. in the S. div. of the wap. of Gar- tree, parts of Lindsey, co. Lincoln, 6 miles N.W. of Horncastle, its post town, and 7 N. of the Southrey and Bardney railway station. The village, which is small, is situated on a branch of the river Witham, and is wholly agricultural. About one half of the land is indifferent pasture, and the remainder arable and wood- land. Here was formerly an alien priory of Benedictine monks, which was given by Henry V. to the Carthusian priory of Mount Grace, and subsequently came into the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. The living ia a vie.* and rect. in the dioc. of Lincoln, val. 437, in the patron, of St. John's College, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, has a turret, and once belonged to the Abbey of Leyr, in France. The interior of the church contains a carved screen, which divides the chancel from the nave. There is a National school for both sexes, erected in 1S51. The manor belongs to St. John's College, Cambridge.
