

AI nun 



ALBANY. 



178 



Tb. 



principal object ia 8t Albans is the Abbey Church, 

 uf toe ancientabbey. purchased by toe inhabitant* of 

 Edward Vl for a paruh church at the price of 4001 Mid a fee-farm 

 nsrt oflOt which bat payment was in 1084 redeemed for 2001. The 

 ' y itself had been granted by Henry VIII. to Sir Richard Lee, 

 _, the suppression of UM religious houses. The church is built in 

 i form ofacroM. It Is in length 547 feet from east to west, includ- 

 t 1<>-P-I at oae ond ; and the extreme breadth is 206 feet at the 

 ssaMJiin of the transept*. From the intersection arises a square 

 _r, 14 feet high, divided by band* into three stages, and crowned 

 with battlement* of later date than the tower itself, which is one of 

 UM most perfect parts of the building. The vast extent of the church 

 gives it an imposing appearance, but the effect is somewhat diminished 

 approach by the heterogeneous material* of which it 



ta composed, namely. Roman tile* from Verulam, flints, bricks, *c. 

 The architecture U far from uniform : the pointed arch and the round 

 are to be awn on opposite aides ; indeed, the style of every age may 

 be traced in suiosalnii, from the time of the Normans to that of Henry 

 VII. The most central parts are the most ancient The choir U 

 separated from the nave by St Cuthbert'g screen. There is also a 

 richly-carved serusn over the altar, and several remarkable monu- 

 ments, including those of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and of the 

 abhet* Ramryge and Whethanuted. The church suffered considerably 

 daring the parliamentary war from the prisoners confined in it, and 

 from the rapacity or seal of the parliamentary troops. On the 3rd of 

 February, 1833, a part of the wall on the south-west side fell down, 

 and in its fall did considerable injury. A subscription for the pre- 

 servation of the building was then entered into, and under the care of 

 the late Mr. Cottingham it was thoroughly repaired : minor details 

 are bams; gradually restored by means of a fund Arising from the 

 of visitor* by tickets. The gateway of the abbey is still 

 it contains the entrance to the House of Correction on one 

 aide, and the jail for the liberty of St Albans on the other. The gross 

 revenue of the abbey at the dissolution is estimated to have been 

 251Ut a Urge income at that time. The abbot was mitred, and sat 

 in parliament as a peer of the realm ; he possessed also many privi- 

 leges, and had a grant of precedence over all other English abbots from 

 Pope Adrian IV. (Nicholas Breakspeare), the only Englishman who ever 

 sat in the chair of St Peter. 



The grammar-school, founded in 1549 by Edward VI., had gradually 

 fallen into disuse. It was revived in the year 1844, under the opera- 

 tions of statutes 3 & 4 Vic., c. 77, which enabled the trustees to frame 

 a system of education better adapted to the times, and is now a 

 flourishing school It is free to none : boys residing in the town pay 

 one-third leu than others. The income from endowment is 105/. The 

 school is under the charge of a head and a second master, with three 

 other teachers: in 1852 it had 63 scholars. There are besides a 

 Blue-coat school, for educating 30 boys in the principles of the 

 P-.fHi^.-i church ; a British school ; an Infant school ; and National 

 schools for each parish. A girl* school is supported by the Verulam 



There are several alnu-hou*e* ; the principal, called ' Marl 

 borough Buildings,' or simply "The Buildings,' for 18 male and 18 

 female occupants, were built and endowed by Sarah, Duchess of 

 Mariborough. A dispensary, established about 15 years back, works 

 bssMOcially for the poor. The town-hall is a handsome and commo- 

 dious structure, containing corporation-rooms, an assembly-room, and 

 court for trial of prisoners of the liberty of St Albans. Quarter and 

 patty ssssinui for the liberty, and a county court, are held in the 

 town. Many of the inhabitants are employed in making straw-lait, 



Many of the inhabitants are employed in making straw-plait, 

 ia a silk null. Berlin-wool canvass i* manufactured. Brewing, 

 alting, rope making, and iron-founding are carried on. In the vicinity 

 an numerous corn-mill*. The weekly market is on Saturday ; there 

 an two annual (airs, one on the 26th and 26th of March, and a cattle 

 ad holiday fair oa UM 10th, llth, and 12th of October. There U a 

 statute fair for hiring servants on the 2th of September. The family 

 at Beauclerc take* the title of Duke from this town, and the family of 

 Orimston thai of Earl from the ancient town of Verulam. 



(Cbaoncy'* jfof/sfttaWr* ; NewoomVs Huiory of tt. Alban* ; 

 Btmtitrf Jbporto, CWrwpMoW at *. Albtuu.) 



ALBANY, a district situated la UM eastern part of the colony of 

 UM Cape of Good Hope in South Afric*. It was formerly part of the 

 district of Oraaf Revnet Albany is bounded N. and N.E. by K AF- 

 rau- it* natural boundary in those quarters being the Oreat Fish 

 Rivsr. It is bounded E. and 8. by the Indian Ocean, and W. by other 

 portion, of Oraaf Reynet--its natural boundary on that side being the 

 Zoadag River. The length of UK , miles, 



and n average breadth is about 25 mils*. It contains 1793 square 

 ailos, or about 1.200,000 acres. The district was formerly inhabited 

 by UM Mb* of Oaonaqua Hottentots ; but this race, whose numbers 

 w very araoh diminished, has retreated into Kaffraria, leaving 

 the European sstUsis inpnssssslon of the country. 



r of the district is the Great Ki.h Ri v.-r. which 



or Snowy Mountains, and fall* i: 



IjtU Zoadac, which rises' ia the same rang* and falls into Algoa 

 ey_; the othrr rivors are the BosjosmansTKaruka, Kasowka, and 



idag River, 



. :' i!.. I 



Md to this i 



A large natural saltpan is situated near 

 s iCTaluWUaU cfTE. colony moI 



in this pan in missus which are from four to five inches thick. The 

 bays and inlets along the coast are frequented by abundance of excel- 

 lent fish fit for curing. The general appearance of the country U 

 agreeable, it being diversified by hill and dale, and in many pi ices 

 ornamented by timber-trees, so as to wear the appearance of an 

 immense park. The alternations of level give rise to great variety in 

 the produce of the district Lions, wolves, elephants, leopards, and 

 buffaloes were formerly numerous, but tlu-ir numbers are decreasing. 



The trade of Albany consists chiefly in the traffic carried on by 

 licensed traders with the native tribes beyond the boundary-line of the 

 colony. This trade is carried on through a very wide extent of country. 

 The principal articles procured are hides, horns, and ivory, with a 

 considerable number of live cattle. The settlers have been trying to 

 improve the growth of wool, and many manufactories have been 

 established in the towns. 



The Portuguese established a settlement in Albany in 14 OS, but 

 could not retain it Graham i Town, the chief town of the district, 

 is rising yearly in importance. It stands on the banks of the Great 

 Fish River. The intercourse thence to Cape Town renders necessary 

 two mails per week. Graham's Town is the centre of one of the five 

 judicial circuits for Cape Colony : a court of chief justice is held 

 there once a quarter. In January, 1848, a mountain-pass over Mount 

 Cradock was completed, and opened for use. This work, called 

 Montagu Pass, cost about 88,000?. As it renders complete the com- 

 munication between Cape Town and Graham's Town, and the neigh- 

 bouring districts, the opening of this road has been of great advantage 

 to the trade of the colony. Other important roads have also been 

 constructed. The other chief towns of the district are Salem and 

 Bathurst [CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.] 



(Parliamentary Papert.) 



ALBANY, one of the districts into which the Hudson's Bay Terri- 

 tories are divided. It lies westward ef James Bay, between 49 30' 

 and 55 15' N. lat, and between 81 and 98 W. long. [Hcoeos's 

 BAY TERRITORIES.] 



ALBANY, a town and port on the western shore of King George's 

 Sound, in the colony of Western Australia, formerly designated Swan 

 River. The town is in 34 65' a lat, 117 55' E. long. [WESTERN 

 AUSTRALIA.] 



ALBANY, the legislative capital of the state of New York, is situ- 

 ated on the right bank of the Hudson, in 42 39' N. lat, 73 44' 49" 

 W. long., 186 miles N. from New York, and 300 miles N.N.E. from 

 Washington. The population, according to the census of 1850, was 

 50,763. The tide rises as far as Troy, which is about five miles above 

 Albany and on the opposite side of the Hudson, up to which place 

 there is sloop navigation. Vessels of 80 tons ascend as far as Albany, 

 and there is a daily communication between this town and New York 

 by means of steam-boats, except during the severest part of the winter 

 season. The city is connected with New York, Boston, Schenectady, 

 Utica, and other towns by railroads. It stands partly on a narrow 

 and level alluvial tract along the margin of the river, and partly on 

 a plateau, reached by an abruptly-sloping terrace, and 220 feet high, 

 at the distance of a mile from the river. The older parts of the town 

 are irregularly laid out, and some of the streets are narrow ; in the 

 more modern parts the streets are wide and regularly built One 

 street of considerable length runs parallel to the river, and 

 streets run down to the stream nearly at right angles to it State- 

 street, one of these, is 170 feet in width, has a steep ascent, and 

 terminates in a square containing the Capitol and some other public 

 buildings. The Capitol is a stone edifice, which contains the chamber* 

 both of the Senate and House of Assembly ; it is 1 15 feet long and 90 

 feet broad. Like all the public buildings of Albany it has a fine situa- 

 tion, and commands an extensive and beautiful prospect The City 

 Hall, a large marble building, with a gilded dome, and the State Hall. 

 containing the public offices, stand in the same square. The Albany 

 Academy, which numbers between 400 and 500 students, has a park 

 in I'r.'iit of it. and adjoins the public square, which is separated from 

 the square before mentioned by a street The University of Albany 

 has ! professors of law and 28 law-student*. The other public 

 buildings are the Medical College, which had 8 professors, 114 

 students, and 58 graduates in 1852 ; the Female Academy, whirh 

 has about 350 pupils ; the Exchange, a large granite building at the 

 foot of State-street, and the county jail. The old State Hall, .m tlu> 

 south side of State-street, is now a geological museum. The Albany 

 Institute is a scientific association, which has a valuable library. The 

 city library contains about 10,000 volumes. Albany has above 30 

 places of worship, im'ludiiiK two synagogues. Tlu- j.rim i]i:il charitable 

 'ions are the Orphan Asylum, situated one mile west of the 

 '!ty Mull: tin- I'..., r House in the south-west of the city, which has a 

 farm of 150 acres cultivated by the inmates ; and the St Joseph's 

 Orphan Asylum for females, which is under the direction of the Sisters 

 of Charity. The houses are built of brick and stone; and tin- <>llrr 

 dwelling*, with their gables turned to the street, indicate the I 

 origin of the place. The principal supply of water to thu town i- 

 from a source about two miles and a half distant 



Albany, from iU central position, and its faciliti fr transport by 

 water and by railroad, Is a place of great and increasing trade, forming 

 a kind of natural entrepot between New York and a vast extent of 

 interior country, r. m]>> i<iiiK the Cansdas, part of Ohio, on the one 



