am 



WOKINO. 



WOODBRIDOE. 



Law Union, in the parish of Wobum, is .ituated in 51 60' N. lat. 

 0' 87' W. lonf., ditunt 1 mile* SAW. from Bedford, 41 miles N.W. 

 from London by rod, nd 50 milea by the London and North- 

 Wtttrra nilwiiy. The population of the parish of Woburn in 1851 

 wa* S049. The living i perpetual curacy exempt from episcopal 

 jurisdiction. Wnburn Poor-Law Union contain* 18 purUhes and town- 

 ships, with an ana of 29,603 acres, and a population in 1851 of 12,075. 



An abbey of CUtercian monk* wai founded at Woburn by Hugh de 

 Bolrbeo in 1145. The hut abbot, Robert Hobe, wai executed for 

 denying the kini;'s lapremtioy ; and the lite of the abbey was granted 

 to John, lord Unwell, afterwards earl of Bedford. The town of 

 Woburn wai detroyed by fire in 1724, after which it was rebuilt in 

 angular manner. The market-houM has been much improved by 

 the present Duke of Bedford, who has al*o enlarged the parish church 

 and school-house, and added to the church tower an elegant lantern 

 and pinnacles. The Weileyan Methodists and Independents have 

 chapela, and then are a British school and some almshonses. Lace- 

 mkinz and straw-hat making employ some of the females. Friday is 

 the market day ; fairsare held on January 1st, March 23rd, July 13th, 

 and Uctober 6th. 



The park, in which is situated Woburn Abbey, the magnificent 

 rat of the Dnke of Bedford, is about three miles long by about a 

 mile and a half wide. Part of the old abbey remains, but has been 

 i with the buildings constituting the present mansion. 

 : !i Abbey, as it now stands, was erected about the middle and 

 towards the end of the last century; it occupies four sides of a quad- 

 rangle, presenting four fronts of above 200 feet each. The principal 

 >n the west side, is of the Ionic order, with a rustic basement. 

 The offices are at a short distance from the mansion, and the park is 

 finely diversified with wood and water. The tree on which Abbot 

 Hobi was hung is still standing, and is carefully preserved. The 

 abbey is adorned with several interesting historical portraits. In th 

 dining-room is a fine collection of portraits by Vandyke ; and in the 

 breakfast-room a numerous series of views in Venice, by Canaletti, 

 painted originally for Bedford House. In the sculpture gallery are 

 the antique vaa known as the Lanti vase, brought over to England 

 by Lord Cawdor, and a very large ancient marble sarcophagus (brought 

 from Kphesus) having bassi-rilievi on the four sides. In the park 

 is a farm-yard on a very extensive scale, and furnished with every 

 convenience. It originated with Francis, fifth duke of Bedford. The 

 grounds and gardens have obtained great horticultural celebrity. The 

 arboretum is a very fine one ; the collection of willows is the finest 

 in England. 



\VUKIMJ. [SURREY.] 



WOKINGHAM, or OAKINGHAM, Berkshire, a market-town and 

 the scat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Wokingham, is 

 situated near the right liank of a feeder of the river Loddon, in 

 61 25' N. lat, 50' W. long., distant 7 miles S.E. from Reading, 

 and 32 miles W. by 3. from London. By the Great Western railway, 

 and the Reading branch of the South-Eastern railway, the distance 

 from London is 42J miles. The population of the town of Woking- 

 ham in 1851 was 2272. The town is governed by eight capital bur- 

 ^0116 of whom is alderman. The living is a perpetual curacy, 

 archdeaconry of Berks and diocese of Oxford. Wokingham 

 Poor-Law Union contains 16 parishes and townships, with an area of 

 42,226 acres, and a population in 1851 of 13,668. 



Wokiugham is within the precincts of Windsor Forest, and on one 

 of the roads from London to Reading. The town consists of several 

 street*, which meet in a spacious area, containing the market-house. 

 The church, which is ancient, is a large and handsome edifice. The 

 Wesleyan Methodists and Baptists have places of worship. There 

 an National and Infant schools, a savings bank, almshouses, ami an 

 hospital at Luckley Ureen for a chaplain and 16 poor men. The 

 malting and meal trades and the shoe manufacture furnish the chief 

 occupations of the inhabitants. The market is held on Tuesday, and 

 is well supplied with poultry, which is purchased largely for the 

 London market. Four fairs are held during the year. 



WOLTBKBOTTEL, a town in the duchy of Brunswick, capital of 

 the circle of Wolfeubiittel, is situated in 52 9' N. lat., 10 32' E. long., 

 on th Uckcr, 13 miles by railway from Brunswick, and has about 

 10,000 inhabitants. It is divided into three parts, namely the citadel, 

 or formerly fortified part, and two suburbs. The town is well built, 

 and h broad, and for the most part, straight streets, all well paved. 

 Till 1761 tt was the residence of the dukes, in whose palace there was 

 manufactory of tapestry and a theatre. Opposite the palace stands 

 a fine building, erected in 1723, on the model of the Pantheon at 

 Rom, containing on the ground-floor the ducal riding-school, nnd 

 above it the public library, which contains 10,000 manuscripts and 

 200,000 printed volumes. The town has four churches of which 

 Mary is remarkable for its size; an ancient arsenal, now 

 used as barracks; a large poor-bouse; an orphan asylum; a gym- 

 nasium ; and several schools. The inhabitants have a considerable 

 trade in yarn, and they also manufacture linen, leather glove." jipun- 

 nerl-warw, paper-hangings, silk, diaper, tobacco, liqueurs, and vitriol 

 there arc likewise some tanneries and distilleries. Wolfi-iibiittel is 

 the seat of several public offices, for the whole duchy, of the con- 

 sistory and of the supreme court of appeal for Waldeck, Lippe, and 

 Brunswick. 



WOLGA. [VOLGA.] 



WOLLIN'. [STET. 



\\01.sINGHAM. [DURHAM.] 



WOLSTANTON, Staffordshire, a village, and the seat of Wolstanton 

 and BURSI.EU Poor-Law Union, is situated in the pottery district, in 

 53" 1' N. lat., 2" 11' W. long., distant 2 miles N. by K. from New- 

 castle-under-Lyme, 150 miles N.W. from London by road, and 1474 

 miles by the North- Western and North-Staffordshire railways. Tha 

 population of the township of Wolstanton in 1841 was 1317; that of 

 the entire parish, which includes Tunstall, noticed among the towns in 

 STAFFORDSHIRE, was 22,191. The living of Wolstanton parish is a 

 vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Stafford and diocese of Lichfu'ld. 

 Wolstanton and Burslem Poor-Law Union contains the two parishes 

 so named, with an area of 13,679 acres, and a population in 1851 of 

 41,916. Wolstanton church is a neat edifice; there are no other 

 buildings of any consequence. The inhabitants are chiefly dependent 

 on the potteries of the district. 



WOLVERHAMPTON, Staffordshire, a market and manufacturing 

 town, municipal and parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor- 

 Law Union, is situated in 52 35' N. lat., 2 7' W. long., distant hi 

 miles 8. from Stafford, 123 miles N.W. from London by road, and 127 

 miles by the London and North- Western railway. The population of 

 the municipal borough of Wolverhampton in 1851 was 49,985 ; of tho 

 parliamentary borough, 119,748. The borough is governed by 12 

 aldermen and 36 councillors, one of whom is mayor; and returns two 

 members to the Imperial Parliament. The livings are, in the arch- 

 deaconry of Stafford and diocese of Lichfield. Wolverhainptcm 

 Poor-Law Union contains 4 townships, with an area of 23,998 acres, 

 and a population in 1851 of 132,603. 



A monastery was found.-d at Wolverhampton in 996 by Wulfrana, 

 sister of King Edgar; and the town appears to have been i. 

 Wulfrana Hamton, after tho foundress of the monastery, which by 

 contraction and corruption has become Wolverhampton. The parish 

 includes a circumference of about 30 miles. The town is situated on 

 rising ground, and consists in general of substantial and well-built 

 houses; the streets are well lighted with gas. Tho public building 

 are a new exchange, opened in January 1852, containing a hall IdO 

 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 50 feet high ; a town-hall ; a public sub- 

 scription library-hall, over which is a suite of rooms used for concerts 

 and assemblies ; an hospital ; a dispensary ; a theatre ; and a new 

 market-hall. There are eight churches, four of which are of recent 

 erection ; the oldest is that of St. Peter, a spacious structure, erected 

 in the 14th century, and just restored. The pulpit is formed of a 

 single stone elaborately sculptured, and there is a font of great 

 antiquity, with curious bas-relief figures of saints. In the churchyard 

 is a column 20 feet high, with rude antique sculptures. The Wesleyan 

 Methodists, Independents, Baptists, English Presbyterians, and 1 ; 

 Catholics have places of worship. There are a Free Grammar school ; 

 National and Infant schools ; an Endowed Blue-Coat school ; and a 

 school erected and endowed by Mr. Barker, one of the iron-masters, 

 for the children of his workmen. There is a general cemetery a short 

 distance south-west of the town. 



The district in which Wolverhatnptou is situated abounds in mines 

 of coal, iron, limestone, and other minerals ; and the manufactures 

 consist chiefly of firs-irons, tinned and japanned iron-ware, locks and 

 keys, guns, files, screws, edge-tools, and a variety of other articles of 

 hardware. Numerous extensive iron-foundries are situated in the 

 vicinity of the town. There are several large manufactories of japan, 

 papier-mache 1 , and tin goods ; also several brass-foundries, chemical- 

 works, and coach and railway-carriage works. Brick-making, rope- 

 making, malting, and tanning are carried on. The town is regarded 

 as the capital of the Staffordshire iron district. The market is on 

 Wednesday ; a fair is held on July 10th. Races are held annually. 



WOLVERTON. [BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.] 



WOLVISTON. [DURHAM.] 



WOMBRIDGE. [SHROPSHIRE.] 



WOODBRIDGE, Suffolk, a market-town and port, and the seat of 

 a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Woodbridge, is situated on tho 

 right bank of the river Deben, where it expands into an testuary, in 

 52 6' N. lat, 1" 19' E. long., distant 8 miles E.N.E. from Ipswich, 

 and 77 miles N.E. by E. from London. The population of the town 

 of Woodbridge in 1851 was 5161. The living is a vicarage in the 

 archdeaconry of Suffolk and diocese of Norwich. Woodbridge 

 Law Union contains 46 parishes and townships, with an area of 80,701 

 acres, and a population in 1851 of 23,660. 



The town is lighted with gas and well paved. The market-place is 

 spacious ; in the centre of it is an ancient shire or sessions hall, in 

 which quarter-sessions for the division are held. The church is a 

 handsome edifice of early perpendicular character, built chiefly of 

 black flint, and has a large square tower built of flint and stone, 180 

 feet high. A new church was opened in 1846. There are places of 

 worship for Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, Baptists, and Quakers. 

 There are Free, National, British, and Infant schools, a mechanics 

 institute, and a savings bank. There are extensive almshouses of tlio 

 Sekford charity, built about 10 years since at the cost of nearly 

 20,000i. Wednesday is the market-day for corn, cattle, and provisions. 

 Fairs are held on April 5th and October 23rd ; that held in April is a 

 large horse-fair. There are a custom-house, a lecture and temperance 



